#9
Tae-rim usually used three vehicles in Korea. A black sedan for commuting, a high-bodied white SUV for going out with Ha-min, and an expensive imported sports car that he used when he wanted to enhance his already high reputation or attend truly important occasions.
The one arriving now was the most familiar of the three, the black sedan. Just as Ha-min was about to instinctively avoid seeing him, not feeling mentally prepared, he halted his steps.
“Tae-rim, wake up, okay?”
As the rear door of the car stopped at the entrance opened, an unfamiliar woman appeared. The woman awkwardly got out and urgently shook the sleeping Tae-rim in the back seat.
“We’re at your home—”
The woman raised her voice more firmly to the sleeping Tae-rim. She appeared to be around Tae-rim’s age at most, dressed in formal attire, looking mature and grown-up. Given the circumstances, she was clearly a colleague from the same company.
“Wake up. Can you walk by yourself?”
It wasn’t a particularly irreverent scene, nor a situation that could be misunderstood, but Ha-min’s mood started to rapidly deteriorate. It was perplexing. The situation wasn’t strange at all, but the fact that Tae-rim had been drinking with a woman and showed such a defenseless appearance, sleeping in the same car with her, made him feel… feel… not good at all.
Looking back, Tae-rim had never done anything like this. He never created situations that could be misinterpreted, even by accident. He never said he would go on trips with friends like Ha-min had, and he never met with his former girlfriend’s group despite always getting along well with them. Ha-min had mindlessly dismissed it, thinking there must be a reason for not meeting them, but thinking about it now, it was Tae-rim’s own consideration. For Ha-min’s sake, in case his feelings might be hurt. He had preemptively blocked all such pretexts.
Now Ha-min understood Tae-rim’s behavior. Ha-min felt nauseated just because Tae-rim was close to a woman. He had been thinking all along that women suited Tae-rim better than men. After all, before meeting Ha-min, Tae-rim was an ordinary heterosexual, so it was natural that such an image seemed fitting. Especially if the woman was more mature and refined than himself.
He knew that they looked good together, that normally that picture would be right. But…
“…I don’t like it.”
Ha-min quietly muttered as he watched them from a distance.
“Ha… what should I do?”
The woman supporting Tae-rim, who still couldn’t walk properly, looked troubled at the locked entrance of the building. Ha-min swallowed hard and slowly approached with a determined expression.
“Tae-rim, I think you need a key card to get in—”
“Excuse me…”
Ha-min carefully spoke to the woman who was asking the semiconscious Tae-rim.
“Yes?”
Ha-min continued calmly, trying not to appear rude.
“I’m… Tae-rim hyung’s roommate.”
As he spoke with a stiff, tense expression, the woman was momentarily taken aback before her face brightened with understanding.
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes. So if you give me hyung, I’ll take him inside.”
Ha-min spoke stiffly as he put Tae-rim’s other arm over his shoulder.
“That would be great. I was at my wits’ end.”
“…Thank you for bringing him.”
“It’s nothing. I live nearby and got a ride in his car, but Tae-rim got so drunk…”
The woman continued talking while breathing a sigh of relief. Ha-min closely observed Tae-rim’s soundly sleeping face and embraced him firmly.
“Ah—but.”
The woman suddenly widened her eyes as if something had occurred to her. Then, after carefully watching Ha-min who was worriedly examining Tae-rim, she quietly let out a short sigh-like comment.
“…Tae-rim said he lives with his partner…”
At the woman’s questioning remark, Ha-min’s body stiffened even more. He hadn’t expected that. Seeing Ha-min’s surprised expression, the woman blinked in mild shock, covering her mouth with one hand.
“…Ah. Ah, well…”
He needed to make some excuse. Having no idea that Tae-rim had told his colleagues about this, Ha-min stammered with a flushed face. The woman, more convinced by his reaction, smiled faintly and discreetly averted her gaze.
“…Haha.”
“…”
“Then… I’ll be going now.”
“…Ah, um… yes…”
The woman bowed briefly before turning away. Recognizing her intention to pretend not to know, Ha-min responded mechanically. He worried the incident might spread and become a bad rumor, but there was no immediate solution. The flustered woman had already left, and Tae-rim was too heavy to hold.
Ha-min looked at the space where the woman had disappeared with a face as tired as if he had lived through eons. After asking the designated driver who had driven them here to park the car, he entered the building.
**
After sweating profusely just from riding the elevator, Ha-min, breathing heavily, carefully laid the sleeping Tae-rim on the bed. Although not a bulky body, moving a tall, lean, muscular man alone was by no means an easy task.
Despite claiming to work out, it seemed he was far from strong enough to carry Tae-rim effortlessly.
Even while wiping the sweat from his forehead, Ha-min quietly gazed down at the deeply sleeping Tae-rim. Come to think of it, had hyung ever been this drunk before? Feeling Tae-rim’s subsiding breath, Ha-min carefully sat on the edge of the bed. It had only been two days. Just a brief time apart.
But the sleeping face looked somewhat haggard. He seemed a bit upset… and the area under his eyes looked dark. Ha-min furrowed his brow with concern as he barely traced Tae-rim’s face. It was impossible not to feel hurt seeing this handsome face looking so worn out.
At that moment, Tae-rim’s neat eyelashes fluttered slightly. Ha-min jumped up in surprise, lowering his hand. Judging that Tae-rim had woken up, Ha-min habitually tried to flee through the bedroom door. But Tae-rim was quicker.
“…Ha-min.”
A heavy voice, weighed down by sleepiness, resonated deeply. Ha-min, who had paused, carefully turned around.
“…Oh. You’re awake?”
“…What happened?”
Tae-rim apparently couldn’t remember how he had gotten home. He awkwardly raised his body and momentarily clutched his forehead, dizzy from the alcohol.
“…Um, another employee brought you home.”
“…Really?”
“I happened to… be passing by… so I brought you in.”
As consciousness seemed to be returning gradually, Tae-rim quietly looked up at Ha-min, who was fidgeting. Under his steady gaze, Ha-min blushed slightly and blinked rapidly, seemingly embarrassed.
“…It, it was a woman… do you know who…?”
“Hmm. Do I need to know?”
“…Still, she brought you home… I thought maybe we should thank her later.”
“Forget it.”
“And… I told her I was your roommate…”
Ha-min relayed his verbal slip-up exactly as it happened.
“That employee thought you were living with your par-partner… But I should have said no, that it was a misunderstanding… but I was so flustered that I couldn’t speak properly…”
“…”
“What if… strange rumors spread at your company…”
“What misunderstanding?”
Tae-rim, who had been listening quietly, suddenly interrupted. Ha-min, who had been making excuses, paused and stared at him with anxious eyes.
“Huh?”
“I did say I live with my partner.”
“…”
“And that partner is you, Ha-min.”
“…”
“So what’s the misunderstanding?”
He recounted each word with an expressionless face. Though everything he said was true, Ha-min couldn’t bring himself to answer. It wasn’t wrong, and as Tae-rim said, it wasn’t a misunderstanding… but there was such a thing as Tae-rim’s social reputation. Ha-min had brought it up out of concern, but Tae-rim was showing signs of displeasure instead.
“…What if strange rumors spread at your company…”
“Why would it be a strange rumor when it’s the truth?”
“…Hyung.”
“I know you don’t like being noticed by people.”
“…”
“But I don’t want to deny what’s true. You are my partner, and we even promised to marry later. Isn’t that right?”
He emphasized each syllable forcefully. As if to stress it.
“Whether people call me gay or homo, I don’t care at all. Don’t you understand that yet, Ha-min?”
Ah… Ha-min let out a silent, deep sigh.
“…Are other people’s opinions that important?”
“…”
“We live in an era where same-sex marriage is legal. What’s the problem? Or, Ha-min, are you perhaps embarrassed?”
“…”
“That your partner is a man?”
Tae-rim asked with a tired expression. Ha-min, who had been listening quietly, pressed his lips together and looked at Tae-rim with an aggrieved expression.
“…Of course not…”
“…Then why do you keep saying things that make me look bad?”
“…”
“Every time you do that… really… my heart…”
He crushed his face and closed his eyes tightly before opening them again. Unable to finish his sentence, he took a deep breath to compose himself.
“…Ha-min.”
“…”
“I love you so much.”
He made this intense confession with a casual face, as naturally as flowing water. Ha-min’s eyes, which had been lost in agony, widened instantly.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
