08
A large bathtub caught his eye.
The thought of filling it with warm water and getting in was tempting, but in this situation, he couldn’t indulge himself that much. After confirming that the basics like body cleanser and shampoo were lined up on one side, Junghyun started showering.
The moderately warm water flowing down his body felt good.
After quickly washing himself and coming out, Junghyun discovered clothes neatly placed where he had left his own before showering. There was even new underwear. Junghyun quickly got dressed, but as expected, the clothes were a bit big. The long sleeves covered his fingertips with room to spare. With the sleeves in that state, the shoulder seams also fell far below their proper position.
The neckline was V-shaped, but due to the size difference, his shoulders were exposed a bit too much. He would have to constantly adjust it with his hands to prevent it from shifting too far forward.
Wondering if these were clothes Seunghyeok had worn, he sniffed them once. They had a soft, warm scent that seemed to be from laundry detergent.
Even at a glance, it was obvious that Seunghyeok had a much larger build, but Junghyun hadn’t expected the difference to be this significant. He idly wondered if they were of different races as he folded his arms. At least the shorts were manageable enough to avoid dragging on the floor.
The waist was a bit loose, making him worry they might slip down while walking. He tried folding them over a few times, but there was a limit to what he could do with pants. However, since the size didn’t fit, he couldn’t ask for something else. He had enough consideration not to do that.
Junghyun made a reasonable compromise and left the bathroom.
Seunghyeok was leaning against the wall at an angle, looking at his phone, when he raised his head, perhaps hearing Junghyun’s presence. He didn’t have a single drop of water on his hair and was wearing the same clothes as when they had arrived. Junghyun wondered if he had been waiting for him to come out.
Fortunately, he hadn’t filled the bathtub.
“Um, thank you. For the clothes too. Ah, I had a good shower.”
He offered his thanks awkwardly.
“They are quite big on you, as expected. The pants must be big too. Aren’t they uncomfortable?”
Seunghyeok commented while examining Junghyun’s exposed neck and shoulders.
“Oh, no. They’re fine since I folded them.”
Junghyun lifted his shirt to show the folded waistband of the pants. Seunghyeok stared at him for a moment before looking away.
Belatedly realizing that suddenly lifting his shirt might have been inappropriate, Junghyun quietly lowered it. He pulled at his still-wet hair with his fingers.
“By the way, were you waiting for me? I’m sorry. I should have come out faster.”
“No, it’s fine. I didn’t wait that long.”
Seunghyeok answered, blinking his eyes slowly.
“We should eat, right? What do you like?”
Seunghyeok continued his questions while loosening his already slack tie once more.
“What do you like, Junghyun? I was thinking of ordering delivery.”
Seunghyeok looked at his phone and offered choices.
“Do you prefer pizza or chicken?”
“…”
“Hmm?”
“Ah, then. Then chicken, please.”
After Junghyun finally made his choice, Seunghyeok’s fingers moved a few times on his phone. Having finished placing the order, it seemed, he put down his phone and spoke to Junghyun.
“You can use any room you like, just pick one with a bed. Don’t worry about me.”
After saying that, he went into a room as if Junghyun’s response wasn’t particularly important. Soon, the sound of a shower could be heard. It was a different bathroom from the one Junghyun had used. Well, in a house this spacious, it wouldn’t be strange to have three bathrooms.
Once Seunghyeok disappeared, Junghyun carefully looked around the interior. Everything looked extremely expensive.
Since he was told he could use any room, he first needed to choose one, but the place was so large that just looking around was a task. Junghyun opened the doors of the nearby rooms and chose the one closest to the entrance.
Given that Seunghyeok had said to pick any room with a bed, there seemed to be at least two or more bedrooms. Perhaps he had many guests. Well, that would explain why he’d invited Junghyun, whom he’d only met twice, so readily to his home.
Junghyun looked out at the Seoul landscape visible through the window before sitting on the bed.
The plush feeling told him it was a very high-quality mattress, even without checking the brand.
“Do you like this room?”
“Ah, yes.”
Somehow Seunghyeok had already finished showering and was standing there, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. He had taken off his suit and was wearing a comfortable t-shirt with jeans. His usually perfectly styled hair was now disheveled, making him look strangely younger.
Seunghyeok glanced around the room.
“It’s probably smaller compared to the other rooms.”
“It’s close to the entrance, so if you happen to go out or come in, I’ll hear the sound. That makes it easier to see you off or greet you.”
Seunghyeok, who had been drying his hair, stopped and looked at Junghyun. Under his silent gaze, Junghyun closed his mouth.
“Oh, is that bothersome to you? If so, I can use another room.”
“No, it’s fine. You said you like this room. Then you should use it.”
Just as Junghyun was about to say something, the doorbell rang.
“Seems like the delivery has arrived.”
Seunghyeok, who had asked Junghyun to sit at the table first, was holding a chicken bag that gave off a savory aroma. When he opened the tightly sealed bag, the smell became even stronger.
Taking out the box and opening it to show the contents, Seunghyeok skillfully opened the plastic bag containing the pickled radish, threw it in the sink, and then brought it back to sit across from Junghyun.
“I ordered spicy seasoned chicken. Is that okay?”
“Yes. I like it.”
Junghyun answered with a smile. Even if he didn’t like it, it was too late to order something else.
Following Seunghyeok, who had started eating, Junghyun belatedly picked up a piece of chicken.
The chicken was not just warm but hot, and it tasted quite good. The moderately sweet and spicy seasoning also suited his taste.
“Doesn’t it suit your taste? Or are you not that hungry?”
“What? Oh, no. I ate a lot.”
“Two pieces?”
At the questioning response, Junghyun gave an ambiguous answer and laughed weakly.
“But your house is nice. It’s really spacious. The TV is huge too. And there are many rooms. The furniture inside is all completely untouched, brand new. But the person who cleans this place must have a hard time. I cleaned the office for a bit, you know. Since the office is large, dust definitely accumulates easily, oh, I’m not saying it was difficult though.”
Seunghyeok, who had been watching Junghyun speak rapidly, wiped his hands with a wet wipe.
“Are you shy around strangers?”
At the sudden question, Junghyun froze with a smile on his face.
“People who are shy when alone with others tend to fall into two types. One type obviously becomes less talkative. The other type can’t stand the silence and becomes more talkative. Usually, people consider the latter to be friendly.”
Seunghyeok tossed the wet wipe, stained with red seasoning, onto the table.
“You’re the latter.”
Junghyun, who had been listening to the end, laughed awkwardly.
“I’m just not used to being with someone like this.”
“Is that so?”
Seunghyeok replied casually, not taking his eyes off Junghyun.
“Be comfortable. It’s not like you’ll be here just for a day or two.”
“Ah…”
He picked up a small plastic bag that had come with the meal, containing an extra sauce. There was a rustling sound as the plastic bags touched each other. Then, without hesitation, he picked up the bones that Junghyun had left after eating. Seeing this, Junghyun offered to do it himself, but Seunghyeok gently stopped him with his hand.
One might have hesitated, finding it dirty to pick up bones someone else had eaten from, but Seunghyeok showed no such reluctance.
Watching Seunghyeok skillfully gather the trash into a plastic bag, Junghyun cautiously said:
“Are you really okay with this? Won’t I be in the way when you want to invite your partner over?”
“Unnecessary worry. If it were inconvenient, I wouldn’t have brought you here in the first place.”
Speaking as if discussing something trivial, Seunghyeok tightly tied the opening of the plastic bag containing the trash. His long, slender fingers moved smoothly, almost as if he were playing an instrument. Staring blankly at those fingers, Junghyun said:
“This is the first time I’ve been to someone else’s home. My parents were strict about such things.”
After saying it, he worried it might make him sound like a pampered young master. But Seunghyeok, seemingly unconcerned, continued from Junghyun’s remark.
“This is also the first time I’ve brought someone to my home.”
“What?”
Junghyun repeated, surprised by the unexpected statement.
But no answer came. Seunghyeok picked up the plastic bag and stood up.
“I’ll put this away for now. If you want to eat more, help yourself.”
“Oh, yes?”
“You can watch TV while eating if you want. Eat and then go rest as you please.”
Junghyun gave a brief greeting and then called out to Seunghyeok as he was heading to his room. Seunghyeok turned around as if asking what was the matter, and Junghyun said:
“Ah, that…”
Hesitating after trying to ask the question that had come to mind, Junghyun was urged on by Seunghyeok’s gaze.
“Suddenly, you’re being so kind… No, I’m not criticizing, I’m grateful. It’s just, you’re suddenly being so nice to me, and I can’t do anything for you in return… No, sorry.”
Junghyun shook his head, waved his hands, and wore himself out with his own actions.
“Why? You have every right to be curious about that.”
Unexpectedly, Seunghyeok responded candidly.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
