#38
He lowered his hands naturally, as if he hadn’t suffered any emotional wounds, and handed the glasses back to him.
“I didn’t… particularly come to see you! I just came for multiple reasons. To see friends too…”
“But you said I was your only friend.”
“When did I… Ahem, that was just a figure of speech, I couldn’t possibly have only you as a friend! If I think about it, I do have others!”
“Haha, I understand. By the way, hyung, your nose is red… Let’s go inside somewhere first.”
Imun’s scarf was slightly loosened as he looked around. “I’m worried someone might recognize me…” As soon as Hajun reached out, Imun was startled, but Hajun reassured him and was in the middle of fixing his scarf and clothes securely when Imun stopped him.
“It’s okay now.”
“Ah, right. It’s really cold. Your face is red too. Shall we go to that café over there?”
Without any particular response, Imun turned around, his earlobes already flushed red. He must be sensitive to the cold. Hajun hurried his steps to follow Imun, who was walking away.
*
Entering the bright interior, there were many things to be careful about. Although there were hardly any customers in the café, it was better to be cautious.
Hajun rolled his eyes in all directions like he was on a spy mission and pulled Imun to a secluded corner. Fortunately, people weren’t paying as much attention to them as he’d worried.
He was about to seat Imun on the inner sofa seat but switched positions with him instead. Only after seating him with his back to the café interior and pushing his cap down deeper did Hajun feel somewhat relieved.
“By the way, I really didn’t expect to win the fan signing lottery.”
“I know, hyung, you must be really lucky. But… can I lift my cap a bit? This is a blind spot, so no one will see my face. Like this… I can’t see you.”
“But… is that okay? Will it be fine?”
Imun smiled softly and lifted his cap. Though still shaded by the brim, his face was more clearly visible than outside.
Those eyelashes, they can’t be fake, right? Besides his brown colored contacts changing to his natural eyes, it was hard to find any differences from how he looked a few hours ago. Hajun was scrutinizing his face, wondering if he had actually removed his makeup.
“It feels so good to meet you, hyung. It’s much better than just hearing your voice or watching your streams.”
“I know. It’s different from what I imagined.”
“Imagined?”
“…Nevermind.”
There was no way he could admit that he had simulated this moment dozens of times in his head. After changing the subject, he fidgeted with his fingers for a few seconds. He felt Imun’s gaze shift to his hands.
“Ahem.” He cleared his throat and lowered his hands under the table, but Imun’s eyes remained fixed on the same spot. What’s this, was it my imagination? His expression was quite serious, as if he was deeply contemplating something. While hesitating to speak first, Hajun suddenly noticed Imun’s hand propping up his chin.
Fingertips without a single hangnail, well-groomed. Long, clean-stretching fingers with a couple of simple, neat rings. Just looking at his hands, one could tell he was a celebrity.
I wonder if his feet are pretty too? While smiling at this silly thought, Imun suddenly held out his palm. It was as if he was expecting to receive something.
“Is your hand okay now?”
“Huh? What?”
“Earlier. You were trembling so much. Are you okay now?”
“Oh! That, that… I’m not usually like that! I’m fine now!”
“Then why are you hiding your hands? I need to check if that’s true.”
“I’m not hiding them!” Flustered at being caught, Hajun obediently placed his hand on Imun’s palm. “Hmm, it seems okay now…” While examining Hajun’s hand like a doctor, Imun suddenly frowned.
“W-what’s wrong all of a sudden?”
He looked like he was both smiling and crying. The ambiguous expression, difficult to gauge his emotions, made Hajun anxious.
“Is something… wrong?”
“No… nothing.”
Imun shook his head as if he didn’t want to talk, and eventually lowered his head. “Why are you like this?” Squeezing his hand tightly, Hajun waited for a few minutes. Imun finally mumbled his thoughts.
“If it hadn’t been for the fan signing… I couldn’t have seen you this soon. At first, I was happy that you liked me for myself, but now I’m just… so grateful that you like me as an idol too.”
“…You’re really good at saying embarrassing things to someone’s face. And the fan signing… was just a coincidence, I would have come to see you soon anyway. We’re fr-friends after all.”
“So you did come to see me, I knew it.”
His gloomy face was instantly covered with mischief. Gripping their joined hands as if not wanting to let go of a caught criminal, he was quite brazen.
“Hmm, it’s really fascinating.”
“What’s so fascinating! You’re just enjoying teasing me!”
“Haha, that’s true. Your reactions are just too fun…”
It was dizzying to watch him openly kneading Hajun’s hand while observing it. Staying still with a mind to see how far he would go, Imun eventually tried to interlock their fingers. “Oh, come on!” Hajun slapped his arm repeatedly, but Imun just kept grinning cluelessly.
“Let’s order something first, you want an iced americano, right?”
“Yes, and you want an iced café latte, hyung?”
They both laughed simultaneously, as if it had been rehearsed, after correctly stating each other’s preferences that no one had told them about.
It seemed his plan to show off by pretending to know Imun’s taste had also gone up in smoke. It was supposed to be his ace in the hole. He pouted as he stopped Imun who naturally stood up to follow him.
“Stay seated, I’ll go order and come back.”
“…Yes, hyung. I’ll ask for your help.”
*
Time flew by imperceptibly as Hajun chatted with Imun about various things. The café had become quiet as even the few customers who had been there disappeared. Hajun checked his phone discreetly and worriedly spoke up.
“Let’s really go now.”
“Just a bit longer. If we part like this, I won’t be able to see you for a while.”
Imun replied sulkily and stirred his glass listlessly with a straw. Having already finished his coffee, only the sound of ice cubes colliding echoed. Hajun furrowed his brow at the behavior that showed absolutely no intention of leaving.
“Even if you leave now… considering the time it takes to get to the dorm, you won’t even get two hours of sleep.”
“Still. I feel too regretful.”
“Oh, how regretful.” Imun muttered in an exaggerated tone and started snapping the extra straw he had brought. His ostentatious display of disappointment was like a protest.
This was a pattern Hajun had become quite familiar with during their video calls. He had no ability to pretend not to know what Imun wanted anymore. Squinting his eyes in contemplation, he finally sighed and spoke the words he had been swallowing.
“I’ll… come again. I’ll visit again soon-.”
“Really?”
Imun lifted his head promptly, as if he had never been depressed. “Really, really?” When Hajun maintained a lukewarm expression without giving a definite answer, Imun urgently leaned forward.
“Is it true? Hyung, you’ll come again, right?”
Imun silently crossed the appropriate distance and brought his face right up to Hajun’s. Losing track of where to look, a flustered Hajun inadvertently glanced at Imun, who responded with a bright eye smile.
“Y-yeah, sure.”
“Promise, you have to keep it.”
“…Alright.”
After finally getting the confirmation and reseating a grinning Imun, Hajun tried to calm his heart, which was pounding so hard it felt ready to burst.
He’s truly a master at using his face! Who could possibly resist his requests accompanied by such a powerful smile? It was lamentable that he found himself falling for it every time, even while knowing Imun was deliberately enticing him.
*
Although they had left the café after pacifying Imun, when it came time to actually part ways, Hajun also felt regretful. “Shall we sit a bit longer? Just for about ten minutes…” He sat down on the bench they had first used, leading Imun who was nodding as if his head might fall off.
Hajun thought his own expression probably looked just as clingy as Imun’s. Still, the one sending someone off must feel more regret than the one leaving. Reminding himself that he was the one who had to leave Imun behind, he tried to maintain a calm face.
After quietly looking at each other for a few minutes, preparing to say goodbye, Hajun took out a paper bag from his backpack and placed it in Imun’s hands.
“This is just a small gift.”
“…Ah, hyung…”
“Grandmother packed a bunch of side dishes and soups when I told her I was going to see you. I said it wasn’t necessary, but I think she likes you. Sorry for burdening you on your way back. But my grandmother’s cooking is really good… so please eat well, at least when you’re in the dorm.”
“I wrapped it in cooling packs, it hasn’t melted yet…” Hajun stopped mid-sentence and checked his bag. Imun bit his lip as if about to burst into tears after checking the contents.
And here I thought I brought the wrong thing. The paper bag was filled with side dish containers in cooling packaging and snacks. Looking at it again, it really was nothing special, and Hajun could only offer an embarrassed smile.
“And this is that ice cream flavored snack you said you liked before.”
“…I thought there was only ice cream, but there are snacks too.”
“That’s right. Want to try one?”
Without waiting for an answer, Hajun quickly put a snack into Imun’s mouth. “Thank…you.” Mumbling almost inaudibly and smiling faintly, he looked as pitiful as a dog seeing its owner off, knowing he’d be left alone at home.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
