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It seemed too close, but it was also awkward to raise his head.
“Oh, customer. Let me remove it for you.”
“No need.”
Seunghyeok immediately rejected the employee’s offer as they approached.
He removed the price tag from the coat and bent his body. This time, Junghyun really couldn’t help but be surprised.
Seunghyeok knelt on one knee and slipped his hand inside the shirt Junghyun was wearing.
“Hy-hyung?”
“Stay still. It’s a safety pin so you might get pricked if you move.”
“…Oh. Y-yes, yes.”
Is this normal?
But kneeling down like this isn’t something people usually do, is it?
Junghyun looked down at Seunghyeok who was unselfconsciously bending over in front of him. He couldn’t even figure out what expression to make. The Seunghyeok that Junghyun had seen until now didn’t seem like someone who would act this way.
“…!”
When Seunghyeok’s fingers brushed against his side, Junghyun’s body trembled. Seunghyeok raised his head and looked up at Junghyun. He lifted his eyebrows and asked Junghyun.
“Are you ticklish?”
“Ah, yes. I was also a bit startled.”
“I see.”
Seunghyeok replied nonchalantly and this time grabbed the price tag attached to the pants. He really seemed intent on removing everything himself. When wearing clothes, it was more efficient to borrow someone else’s hands. However, Junghyun wasn’t used to this kind of thing, so he just chewed on his innocent lips.
At that moment, a strange scent wafted from somewhere.
The cool and refreshing scent was extremely pleasant. If it was perfume, he’d want to buy it. He looked around inside the store, sniffing to find the person wearing the perfume, but he couldn’t smell it anymore. It disappeared like a mirage. Junghyun blinked, thinking he might have smelled wrong.
After removing all the price tags, Seunghyeok asked Junghyun if there was anywhere uncomfortable.
“No, there’s no discomfort.”
“Great. Do you want to browse more clothes, or go to the food hall on the 1st basement floor?”
Considering the amount Seunghyeok had paid, it seemed better to go to the 1st basement floor rather than looking at more clothes. Junghyun promptly answered the 1st basement floor, and Seunghyeok left the store with him.
“But the price of this is too-“
“Then as repayment, make me delicious food. I don’t mind eating something you made.”
“What?”
Isn’t that too good of a deal for me? No matter how you look at it, it’s to Junghyun’s benefit. Seunghyeok must know that too.
“But you’ll probably hate the food I make.”
“No, no. Of course not. I don’t think that would be the case.”
Junghyun shook his head side to side at the words that sounded like a joke. As they headed towards the down escalator, Seunghyeok took Junghyun’s hand.
It was a bit awkward, but Junghyun didn’t dislike holding hands with Seunghyeok. Junghyun tightened and loosened his grip on Seunghyeok’s fingers.
“But hyung, are you always this kind?”
“Really? That’s the first time I’m hearing that.”
Junghyun made a puzzled expression.
[I thought I was always kind to you.]
That’s what Seunghyeok had said on the first day Junghyun came to his house.
“But last time you said you were always being kind to me…”
“Apart from what I said myself, it’s the first time hearing that from someone else.”
“Oh. It doesn’t seem that way though. You’re plenty kind.”
Junghyun recalled how Seunghyeok treated the employees. He didn’t make any unnecessary demands or expect excessive protocol. He was using polite speech to all the employees too.
Watching this, Seunghyeok made an amused expression.
“I think you just see me in a good light.”
“…Well, I mean. Of course there’s some of that too.”
Seunghyeok turned to glance at Junghyun who readily agreed without hesitation. Did he say something weird? When their eyes met, Junghyun widened his eyes out of habit. Seunghyeok spoke in a voice tinged with laughter.
“I’m not like that to just anyone. Think about when we first met.”
When we first met.
…Right, the first impression definitely wasn’t easy. There was an unapproachable atmosphere even after that. Since when did his attitude start to change?
“Right? I told you. I’m not an easy person.”
Junghyun made a face like he kind of understood but not quite.
When it was time to get on the escalator, Seunghyeok got on first, then turned his body and lightly pulled on Junghyun’s hand that he was still holding.
He seemed used to leading others. It looked like an ingrained manner, but he said he’s never been told he’s kind despite this? How?
“…”
No. The current behavior seemed to fit the word considerate more than kind.
If it’s the first time he’s heard he’s kind, has he heard that he’s considerate? Junghyun was about to ask out of curiosity, but Seunghyeok opened his mouth one step ahead.
“Why are you making that face?”
“Wh-why? What kind of face am I making?”
Junghyun rubbed his face with one hand. Seunghyeok looked at this and laughed softly.
Something felt a bit different from usual.
“…Oh.”
“What is it?”
“It’s the first time I’m looking down at you from above like this.”
“I see.”
Seunghyeok answered coolly.
He said looking down, but that wasn’t actually the case. Although Junghyun was standing one step higher than Seunghyeok, their eye levels weren’t that different, so there was actually an error in saying “looking down”. That point also subtly bothered him.
“…I haven’t finished growing yet, right…?”
“Do you want to get taller?”
“Well… of course.”
Junghyun muttered softly.
Due to being an omega, it was nearly impossible to grow as tall as Seunghyeok, but he still wanted to surpass 180cm. He just needed 2 more cm. He couldn’t help but feel regretful.
“Hyung, how tall are you?”
“Me? Well, last time I measured I was 192cm.”
“192?”
Junghyun widened his eyes. He thought Seunghyeok was tall, but he didn’t expect him to be over 190cm. When asked if the air was clean up there, Seunghyeok laughed as if dumbfounded.
“Excuse me, I’ll pass through.”
Seunghyeok’s arm wrapped around Junghyun’s waist as he stepped aside to let a person hurrying by. That arm only let go when they were about to get off the escalator.
Before he knew it, they had arrived at the 1st basement floor while talking.
There were definitely more people here than on the 4th floor menswear department.
There were also a ton of places to eat and they all looked delicious. Seunghyeok spoke to Junghyun who was looking here and there.
“Do you like it that much?”
“Ah, yes? Yes. It’s a bit hard to go into restaurants alone you see.”
Junghyun’s gaze was fixed on a sujebi (hand-pulled dough soup) specialty restaurant. It was a food he couldn’t easily eat. Seunghyeok seemed to have heard Junghyun’s voice saying that looks delicious, like a sigh. Seunghyeok urged Junghyun to go eat.
“No, no it’s okay.”
“What do you mean it’s okay. I heard you clearly say you wanted to eat it?”
“…No…”
Junghyun’s face heated up at Seunghyeok’s teasing words. In the end, he finished ordering at the kiosk with Seunghyeok and sat at a table in the restaurant. In the middle of the table was a table tag with instructions to place the vibrating bell.
The chair wasn’t any smaller than the other tables, but when Seunghyeok sat down, the seat looked extremely cramped. He really had a good physique, so everything looked small in comparison.
People passing by also seemed to glance over here once each. To be precise, not here, but at Seunghyeok.
Junghyun stared blankly at Seunghyeok. The thick and distinct facial features were definitely eye-catching. On top of that, with shoulders that broad and such a good build, people couldn’t help but stare.
If Junghyun ran into Seunghyeok on the street, he definitely would have been stunned staring too.
When the vibrating bell rang, an employee brought the food one by one.
Junghyun, who liked the clean taste, nearly emptied one bowl. If only he hadn’t noticed Seunghyeok watching him while eating, he would have eaten more. Being conscious of his gaze made his fingertips tingle for some reason.
As Junghyun was drinking water, Seunghyeok suggested.
“Do you like sweet things?”
“What? Oh, yes.”
“Then let’s buy one before we go. I heard the desserts here are delicious.”
Junghyun nodded at the unexpected words. He had answered that he liked them on reflex, but actually he wasn’t the type to really love sweets. He would occasionally buy some when he thought of it and go “Ah, so this is the taste”.
“But who said it was delicious?”
“Hm?”
When Junghyun asked while tightly crumpling a napkin on the table with his hand, Seunghyeok unusually asked back. Junghyun glanced up and looked at the man. Seunghyeok was quietly gazing at Junghyun with a smile on his face. Why isn’t he saying anything?
“I just heard it from someone.”
“I see…”
It was a simple answer but Junghyun couldn’t understand why it took so long.
Seunghyeok added “really” once more to Junghyun who was nodding.
“…? Yes. I understand.”
He really thought it was true even without the emphasis.
“Do you like sweet things, hyung? If someone else said it was delicious, you must like them since they told you.”
Seunghyeok’s eyes slightly narrowed. He let out a low sigh and smiled as if it couldn’t be helped.
“That’s right. I like them. Then shall we get up now?”
“Ah, I need to clean this up first…”
“If you leave it here, they’ll clean it up so don’t worry about it.”
Junghyun tilted his head. He looked around wondering if they usually take the dishes and clean up like this even though it’s not a regular restaurant, and saw everyone leaving their seats without concern, leaving the bowls they were eating from. Junghyun scurried over to Seunghyeok who was waiting for him.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
