#Dating Novice (1)
Now, about three months into dating him, dreamy days were repeating themselves.
Every morning they woke up in the same bed, and when Song Ha-min opened his eyes while still half-asleep, he would always find him already awake, watching him sleep. Even without words, clear affection could be felt in his gaze. These experiences felt both real and unreal at the same time.
He always saw Ha-min off when he went to school, and while pretending to say goodbye, they would somehow end up kissing at the front door. He did this frequently. Whenever there was even a small opportunity, he would hold Ha-min’s hand, and like a puppy showing affection, he would kiss various parts of his face or give him deep kisses. And once a kiss started, it never ended quickly. Because of this, they would get delayed at the front door for 20 minutes, eventually requiring him to drive Ha-min to school. Ha-min even suspected that he deliberately made them late so he could drive him.
Sometimes his persistent tongue, following even when Ha-min tried to avoid his lips, seemed like a hungry beast. The problem was that Ha-min didn’t dislike it. He didn’t mind hyung’s fussing, his persistent kisses, or more precisely, his clinginess. It felt like a measure of affection, and sometimes he even craved more.
He acted like someone dating for the first time. He was always urgent, hurried, and impatient every day. Ha-min liked all of this. Of course, this was natural for him since it was his first relationship, but despite his partner having much more experience, he acted just as inexperienced and impatient as Ha-min, sometimes even more so.
That’s why Ha-min often found himself smiling without reason. Whether suddenly during class, while eating, or working his part-time job, he would recall him and foolishly smile to himself. Just like now.
[When are you coming?]
At the seemingly pouty message, Ha-min couldn’t help but smile. The department gathering after the semester started was just beginning, and even though he knew this, the question somehow felt cute, making Ha-min smile foolishly.
“Oppa, you’re dating someone, right?”
Feeling someone’s gaze, Ha-min realized it was Ha Eun-soo sitting in front of him. At Eun-soo’s sudden mischievous smile, Ha-min, who had been drinking cold beer, choked and coughed.
“Looks like I’m right?”
Seeing his surprised and flustered reaction, Eun-soo nodded as if she knew it all along. Ha-min wiped the beer from his mouth, widened his eyes, and shook his head vigorously.
“W-what are you talking about? I’m not doing that.”
“Why are you hiding it? That’s disappointing.”
“Really, really… I’m not.”
“There’s nothing to be shy about. Talking about dating and these things is what friends do with each other.”
Ha-min flinched slightly at the word “friends.” In the few months Eun-soo had known him, she had learned a few things, one of which was that he was somewhat sensitive to relationships labeled as friendships.
“Is that so…?”
This was because since high school, the number of people Ha-min could call friends approached zero. The kids he knew when he was younger naturally drifted apart as they entered high school, and he couldn’t contact Lee Tae-in, who was called his best friend, because of their respective circumstances. So the people he became close with immediately after entering university were somewhat special to him.
“If you don’t talk about these things with your friends, they’ll be quite hurt.”
“Hurt…?”
“Of course! Unless it’s loose-lipped Shin Woo-kyung, hiding it from me or Chae-rin is a bit too much.”
Ha-min thought for a moment. Even if he was dating, his partner was a man, and moreover, it was Lee Tae-rim, who was practically a celebrity, so it was awkward to talk about. But he also didn’t want to disappoint his friends. He knew these were people who had sometimes given him answers and treated him sincerely, so he didn’t want to hide it outright.
Soon after, as if he had finished deliberating, Ha-min gripped his beer glass firmly with a solemn face.
“Actually… you’re right.”
Ha-min gulped nervously.
“I am… doing that.”
Dating.
At his determined, almost solemn appearance, Eun-soo burst into laughter.
“Why so serious about dating? It’s not that big a deal.”
At her playful response, Ha-min scratched his cheek with an embarrassed face.
“This is my first time…”
“First time what?”
“You know… properly dating… and talking about it like this is also a first, so it’s a bit awkward.”
Ah…. Eun-soo sighed softly and nodded slowly like someone loading information.
A living fossil. Eun-soo had felt it from the first time she saw Ha-min, but now she realized it even more. Ah, this person is really clean, like a blank page.
“Oppa, that’s exactly when you should consult with your friends.”
“Consult?”
“Yes. Because you might get taken advantage of.”
“Taken advantage of?”
“Besides, you’re perfect for being taken advantage of. You’re so kind that you’re somewhat… foolish? You have that kind of side.”
“Foolish…?”
Learning this new information, Ha-min laughed awkwardly and muttered, “Haha.”
“Anyway, let me tell you this.”
“Tell me…?”
“Don’t show your entire self.”
Ha-min looked at Eun-soo with a more focused face than ever. Seeing his enthusiastic response, Eun-soo nodded solemnly and continued.
“Oppa, dating should always stimulate curiosity.”
“Curiosity?”
“Usually, attraction starts with question marks. What does this person like? What do they dislike? What kind of person are they? As curiosity builds up, you become impatient. Until you know everything, the flame that’s been lit doesn’t easily go out.”
Is that so…?
Seeing Eun-soo’s rather serious face, Ha-min unconsciously swallowed dryly and listened attentively.
“If you reveal everything about yourself, the other person has nothing more to be curious about. They know everything, right? Then they’ll get bored in an instant.”
…Get bored?
“That’s why everyone says to play hard to get.”
“…Hard to get.”
Ha-min muttered seriously, as if memorizing it.
“Push and pull. Push then pull, pull then push.”
“…For example?”
“For example, when they contact you, don’t reply immediately as if you’ve been waiting. Don’t go on dates too routinely, like eating meals. Maintain a proper distance. Eventually, the person who feels they’re missing out will become impatient.”
“…Do I have to do that?”
“Is this a world where liking someone is enough? Dating, studying, work – everything requires skill.”
It was a reasonable point. Since Eun-soo always provided clear answers both academically and in human relationships, Ha-min nodded in agreement.
“You have a personality that’s perfect for being taken advantage of, so you’re the type to give away everything you have. Not just money, but things like your heart or body, everything you hold onto.”
How did she know…?
Eun-soo was beyond perceptive; she sometimes saw right through people. Ha-min focused on her words like someone hypnotized by a shaman.
“So don’t give everything away. Even if you do give, you should play hard to get a couple of times. Whether it’s contact, feelings, or your body.”
Eun-soo grinned mischievously again. Ha-min nodded repeatedly like someone who had gained profound enlightenment. As he continued nodding, a strange doubt arose.
Why isn’t she asking who I’m dating…?
The biggest reason he didn’t want to announce his relationship was because of questions about who the other person was. He didn’t want to reveal it because he didn’t know how to evade such questions, but Eun-soo didn’t ask. Well, that was better. Eun-soo never excessively pried into others’ private lives.
“Can I ask you again if I have more questions later?”
“You don’t even need to ask. It would hurt my feelings if you asked someone else, so come straight to me. Got it?”
Eun-soo pointed at herself seriously, as if telling him to remember. Ha-min nodded earnestly like a dutiful student. Then they clinked glasses secretively and emptied them. For something supposedly secretive, the sound of glass clinking was more cheerful than ever.
**
“You drank a lot.”
Lee Tae-rim, who had finally entered the bar after being unable to reach Ha-min, looked down at him collapsed from drinking and chuckled softly. Although Ha-min had often been drunk due to his low alcohol tolerance, it was rare for him to be this unconscious.
It wasn’t just Ha-min. Some students at other tables were also collapsed, and even those who were conscious seemed out of their minds from the alcohol. Tae-rim narrowed his brow as if the scene, which resembled chaos, gave him a slight headache.
“Oppa seemed to be in a good mood today.”
The only one who appeared to be in her right mind was Eun-soo, who was at the same table as Ha-min. She was also the one who had answered Ha-min’s phone on his behalf.
“Really?”
“Yes. Very much so.”
“Why?”
Intrigued by Eun-soo’s words, Tae-rim didn’t let them slide and naturally took a seat next to Ha-min.
“Well, everyone’s excited at the beginning of a relationship…. Oppa must really like you, sunbae.”
Tae-rim’s eyebrow twitched at Eun-soo’s relaxed smile, which suggested she knew everything. But without showing any particular surprise, he continued casually.
“Did Ha-min tell you?”
“No. He doesn’t know that I know.”
How considerate. Tae-rim had always thought she was a sensible girl.
“Since when did you know?”
“I didn’t know at all at first. Even when sunbae asked me to delete the photos of Ha-min oppa that I posted on SNS during the festival, I didn’t know.”
“Ah—”
Recalling that day, Tae-rim chuckled awkwardly and rubbed his brow. Back then, he felt as dirty as if he had been covered in someone else’s vomit. From the way Ha-min was dressed like a bar tout to the glances people were giving him. It was so disgusting that it was hard to bear.
“Why did you dress him in such clothes?”
“Sunbae is probably the only person who would call those clothes ‘such clothes.'”
Tae-rim had nothing to say, so instead of answering, he avoided her gaze and stroked his chin. It was true. He was probably the only one who would be uncomfortable about a man wearing a slightly off-shoulder top with a harness.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
