Having endured two hours that had felt like an eternity, Han-gyeom nearly collapsed the moment he came out of the theater, his legs giving out under him.
“I told you we could leave halfway through.”
“How could I do that?”
Han-gyeom sat down in one of the lounge chairs to rest for a moment and let out a sigh of relief, like he’d finally survived.
“But sunbae, because of me, you couldn’t really focus on the movie either, right? I’m sorry.”
“No. I had fun in my own way.”
At the word fun, Han-gyeom’s mouth softened into a smile. He had been a little bothered by the thought that Won-hyeok might not have been able to enjoy the movie properly because of him, so it was a relief to see that he seemed to have had a good time.
“Next time I’ll make sure to try not to bother you.”
“…….”
Hearing Han-gyeom’s resolution, Won-hyeok looked at him steadily.
“Ah! I mean, if you come watch one with me again next time, then I’ll do that…….”
When the other man said nothing, Han-gyeom, embarrassed, hurriedly tried to fix what he’d said, as though stuffing the words back into his mouth. At that, Won-hyeok let out a small burst of laughter.
“Okay. Next time, let’s leave horror out of it.”
“I’d really appreciate that……. I seriously even broke out in a sweat.”
After spending two straight hours watching terrifying scenes, cold sweat had been pouring down everywhere, from his palms to his forehead. Han-gyeom pushed back his bangs as if trying to cool himself off.
Watching Han-gyeom take off his glasses and wipe away sweat with his sleeve, Won-hyeok suddenly glanced around. Some of the people standing nearby instinctively swept their eyes over Han-gyeom’s exposed face. Usually, people with secondary genders could easily recognize others like themselves, and every one of the people glancing at Han-gyeom was an alpha.
“Shall we go eat now?”
Won-hyeok reached out and fixed Han-gyeom’s hair. Once it fell back into its usual shaggy state, Won-hyeok smiled in satisfaction and stood up.
The alphas who’d looked over must’ve instinctively reacted because, judging from Han-gyeom’s appearance, they’d assumed he was an omega. Without even realizing it, Won-hyeok quickened his pace and led Han-gyeom out of the theater.
By the time they came out, it was already 6 p.m. Thanks to the days having grown longer compared to winter, it was still bright outside despite the hour.
Won-hyeok tapped at his phone and said the restaurant he’d reserved was nearby, just a short walk away. And so the two of them walked side by side through the busiest downtown streets on a Saturday evening, when the crowds were at their thickest.
“Um, sunbae.”
“Yeah?”
“If we go on another date next time……. then I’ll prepare for it. Since you did everything today.”
Flamboyant light spilled from the giant electronic billboard hanging on a high-rise building. Amid the glow of the neon signs pasted to every store and the noisy blend of people’s voices, Han-gyeom spoke timidly.
“Okay. I’ll look forward to it.”
Won-hyeok felt something strange. Sometimes, when he quietly listened to the things Kang Han-gyeom said, an oddly uncomfortable sensation would come over him like it did now. But Won-hyeok himself didn’t know what it was.
After walking for about five minutes, a restaurant that looked upscale at first glance appeared in front of them. Han-gyeom stared blankly at the shop name written in cursive. When they went inside, soft, subdued lighting illuminated the interior. It was an Italian restaurant infused with the sounds of jazz and the appetizing smell of food.
There were some things you could gauge from the atmosphere alone. For example, that this wasn’t the kind of place that sold the sort of tomato spaghetti Han-gyeom was familiar with.
Sure enough, the menu was cluttered with dish names written in English. The names themselves were difficult too. To Han-gyeom, they all just looked like ordinary, identical pasta, but there were quite a lot of different kinds. And even more shocking than that were the prices listed beneath them.
“Sunbae.”
“Did you choose what you want?”
“Isn’t this place too expensive?”
Han-gyeom looked back and forth between the menu and Won-hyeok, who suited the atmosphere of this place far too well. The price of each item was pretty high. At this rate, the cost of one dish here could buy five or six of the most expensive pork cutlet meals at the student cafeteria in one go.
“It’s good here. Pick whatever you want to eat.”
“Th, then I’ll just eat whatever you order for me.”
Having been hit by a wave of shock from the prices, Han-gyeom closed the menu. When Won-hyeok lightly raised a hand, an employee from one side came over politely.
“We’ll start with this set, and for the dishes…….”
Won-hyeok ordered in a low, gentle voice, smoothly and naturally, like flowing water. Resting his chin in his hand, Han-gyeom watched the scene as if admiring it. This kind of atmosphere felt awkward to him, but there was one good thing about it: he got to see a different side of Won-hyeok. After all, until now, the only places Han-gyeom had ever run into him were on campus.
Won-hyeok, blending into this refined atmosphere without the slightest strain, practically shone.
Not long after they placed the order, appetizing dishes were arranged on the table with its curiously colored surface. Just as Won-hyeok had said, it really was delicious. Delicious enough that Han-gyeom could understand, at least a little, why it demanded such a high price. But even while eating, he still felt uncomfortable.
Won-hyeok had paid for everything—the movie tickets, the popcorn, all of it. Han-gyeom had been planning to at least pay for dinner himself, but he’d never imagined they would come somewhere this expensive. At that moment, he bitterly resented the thug hyung who had extorted money from him a few days ago.
But rendering Han-gyeom’s worries pointless, Won-hyeok stood up first and paid. The only thing Han-gyeom could do was stand beside him, anxiously reading the room.
“I made the reservation, so I should pay.”
As they left the restaurant, Won-hyeok added the explanation on his own this time. It was because Han-gyeom had been timidly fidgeting his fingers when it came time to pay.
“I’ll look forward to the meal Han-gyeom buys me next time.”
“Still……. I’ve already had you buy me way too much, sunbae…….”
“So what? Is that really something you hate that much?”
“It’s not that I hate it, it’s just that we’re …….”
Hm? With all the people around, he hadn’t heard properly. Won-hyeok naturally bent his waist down.
“This is our first date.”
Han-gyeom rose onto his tiptoes and repeated himself so Won-hyeok could hear better. That somewhat embarrassing phrase, carrying a ticklish breath with it, reached his ears.
“I want to do something for you too…….”
Who even thought like that these days? Won-hyeok looked at Han-gyeom, who was seriously mulling something over all by himself, like he simply couldn’t understand him. Usually, when he spent money, other people would thank him and start sucking up in ways that didn’t even suit them. So why didn’t this loser do that? He genuinely couldn’t understand it.
Han-gyeom glanced around, then suddenly clapped his hands with an “Ah!” Then he told Won-hyeok to wait just a moment and ran off somewhere.
Won-hyeok watched Han-gyeom’s retreating figure the way someone might watch a performing animal at the zoo. The place he ran into was none other than a bakery.
What the hell had he crawled in there to do now? Now that dinner was over, Won-hyeok had been planning to part ways and head home. Clicking his tongue, he idly rubbed at his stiff neck, when Han-gyeom came back outside carrying something in his hand.
“Su, sunbae…… hah, this…….”
Won-hyeok looked at him with faint curiosity, amazed that he was out of breath from running such a short distance, then took the bag Han-gyeom held out. When he naturally checked inside, there was a box containing five macarons and one slice of cake.
“What is this?”
Won-hyeok’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
“The desserts there are really good. The macarons especially are really good. Since, since you already ate dinner, I bought them so you could eat them at home for dessert.”
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“Huh? Um…… because I wanted to do something for you too, sunbae.”
Won-hyeok looked back and forth between the desserts inside the plain bag and Han-gyeom, who stood before him smiling shyly. Then, all of a sudden, he burst into laughter.
“Su, sunbae?”
“Ah, sorry. Hm, okay. Thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”
“Yes. That would make me happy.”
After that, Won-hyeok took the stubbornly protesting Han-gyeom all the way to his place despite his insistence that it was really okay, then headed back to his own officetel.
Up until just moments ago, Won-hyeok had worn a gentle, easygoing smile, but the instant he stepped into the elevator, it vanished completely. Like changing out a lightbulb, he threw off the mask and rubbed at his tired eyes.
One of the many misunderstandings people had about him was that he was the type with lots of friends who liked going out and having fun—the kind of person people commonly called an “insider.” But Won-hyeok didn’t really like crowded places. Especially not a busy downtown area like the one they’d been wandering around all day.
The more a person drew others’ attention, the more sickening that attention became.
With the cheerful sound of the door lock clicking open, the pitch-dark interior of his home welcomed him. As he changed into slippers, he let out a deep sigh.
Normally, unless he had some special plan on the weekend, he preferred to stay home and spend time alone doing things like watching movies. Even today, he had been so annoyed about going out before he left. Enough to resent the version of himself from that day who had impulsively suggested they go on a date.
Still, it had been pretty amusing to see Han-gyeom cling to him because he was scared of some stupid ghost, or to watch him sparkle with delight while eating good food even as he nervously eyed the steep prices.
Won-hyeok took off his outerwear and set the bag he’d been loosely carrying in his hand on the coffee table.
“…….”
He stared blankly at the desserts inside, then took them out one by one. At a glance, they looked like cheap food mass-produced in some factory.
On top of that, Won-hyeok absolutely hated sweet things. Even when his classmates occasionally gave him things like this, he’d bring them home and personally toss them straight into the trash. Bringing them all the way home was annoying in itself, but he couldn’t very well throw them away outside where someone might see.
Won-hyeok picked the desserts back up, stuffed them into the bag again, and headed for the corner of the kitchen. When he pressed down hard on the pedal below, the trash can opened its mouth wide. Just as he was about to drop the whole bag in, he suddenly stopped.
“Yes. That would make me happy.”
The voice that had sounded so pleased even while handing over this kind of trash flashed through his mind.
“……Fuck, what a pain.”
Won-hyeok took his foot off the trash can pedal. Instead, he yanked open the refrigerator door roughly and shoved the desserts Han-gyeom had given him inside.
He was irritated by his own behavior, but Won-hyeok quickly shook off the thought. It was only that Han-gyeom’s expression and words when offering it to him as repayment had been very slightly interesting—nothing more and nothing less. Anyway, he’d done his part and played nice to keep up appearances, so for now that was satisfying enough. Han-gyeom had probably felt the same.
Han-gyeom had probably never dated anyone before. Looking back, maybe that was why he’d shown such ridiculous behavior at school all this time.
So maybe this would make him do a little less of that stupid shit, Won-hyeok thought. But not long after, he realized what a foolish thought that had been.
[Han-gyeom, you weren’t answering your phone. Aren’t your classes over already? Where are you?]
A few days after the date, Won-hyeok was standing in the middle of campus again, staring his phone screen down like he wanted to kill it. Five minutes after sending the message, then ten, and finally thirty—
[Sorry ㅜㅜ I have to study for exams, so I think I’ll probably be at the library until late! Your classes are over too, right, sunbae? Get home safe!]
At the text that finally arrived, Won-hyeok, now looking almost enlightened, swept a hand through his hair.
