Simmering Heat Chapter 10.1

The morning after his one-sided love took an unexpected turn, the alarm rang precisely at 7:30 AM.

“Ugh…”

Taeun swiped at his phone, silencing the alarm within a second. 7:37 AM. Another alarm blared. He thrashed around like a fish out of water. That alarm, too, met its demise at his hand. 7:42 AM. The third alarm shrieked. Taeun sat up like a reanimated corpse.

“I’m so tired…”

It was April already. Sunlight poured into the southeast-facing room, bright as midday. Barely able to open his eyes, Taeun stumbled out of bed, pulled on his pants, and headed to the bathroom. The apartment was quiet. Jinhyun was still asleep.

Good. Taeun brushed his teeth and washed his face, feeling strangely pleased. He glanced up at the mirror, his reflection resembling a deflated steamed bun. The swelling around his eyes had mostly subsided, thanks to the cold compress he’d applied before bed. He rubbed his puffy cheeks and yawned, stepping out of the bathroom.

He paused between the kitchen and the living room, then headed towards Jinhyun’s room. His hand reached for the doorknob in slow motion, cautious. He tiptoed in, matching his steps to the rhythm of Jinhyun’s soft breaths. He stopped quietly in front of Jinhyun’s bed.

“…Heh.”

He bit back a smile, curling his lip inward. Jinhyun was asleep on his side, clutching his blanket. Taeun moved closer and knelt beside the bed. At eye level, Jinhyun’s handsome face filled his vision. He traced the sharp contours of his face, subtly shadowed by the morning light.

His round forehead, dark eyebrows, long, thick eyelashes, smooth nose, and full lips. Each feature, viewed individually, was beautiful, like finely crafted porcelain. But the prominent brow bone, high nose bridge, strong jawline, and defined Adam’s apple gave his face a rebellious, cool, and strong impression.

In any case, it was a face handsome enough to justify playing the fool and trying to seduce him. Taeun’s face softened as he admired Jinhyun like a delicate work of art.

“…….”

He was about to call out, “Hey,” but stopped himself, his lips slightly parted. He didn’t need to hide his feelings anymore. He could be a little bolder.

“Jin… Hyun.”

The name he often used felt different now, tinged with a strange shyness in the context of their changed relationship. The softly spoken name tickled his heart like a feather. He unconsciously smiled and spoke again.

“Cha Jinhyun.”

“…….”

“Jinhyun.”

He tried different intonations, playful and teasing, as he shook Jinhyun’s shoulder. When he didn’t stir, Taeun shook him a little harder. Jinhyun’s brows furrowed in his sleep. Taeun gently smoothed out the frown with his thumb.

Jinhyun’s eyelashes fluttered, and his eyelids slowly peeled open. His sleepy eyes blinked a few times, then crinkled in annoyance.

“Ugh… what the fuck…”

He mumbled a curse, closed his eyes again, and buried his face in his pillow. He turned over, hugging the pillow tightly. His movements were sluggish and irritated, still clinging to sleep.

“I woke up before you.”

Taeun, his hand still on Jinhyun’s shoulder, shook him again. Jinhyun, his head muffled by the pillow, turned groggily towards Taeun.

“…So?”

His sleep-roughened voice was unusually low. His slow, gravelly tone was strangely alluring, making Taeun want to keep talking.

“I came to wake you up.”

Jinhyun finally grasped the situation.

“…Ah…”

So Lee Taeun was… trying to seduce him.

“So, how is it?”

“…….”

Annoying. Jinhyun turned to face Taeun without speaking. If he answered honestly, those barely open eyelids might swell up again. He was still unaccustomed to Taeun’s emotional reactions to his words.

Jinhyun’s phone alarm blared, interrupting the brief silence. He reached over and silenced it, then looked at Taeun.

He’d received countless confessions and had been in many relationships. But this clumsy, blatant display of affection was a first. Their eyes met, the distance between their faces close enough to make Jinhyun pull back slightly. …I’m not going to accept it, but I can’t deny I’m aware of it.

“Are you trying to seduce me?”

Sleep still clung to Jinhyun’s low voice. Taeun nodded briefly.

“Yes. I’ve started.”

He replied confidently. His expression and voice were much brighter than yesterday. His gaze was self-assured, almost smug. Did he not realize how much he was tempting Jinhyun to tease him?

“You’re bad at it.”

Jinhyun said flatly, feigning seriousness.

“…Really?”

“Yeah. Really bad.”

“How? What’s wrong with it? Do you hate everything?”

Taeun’s face mirrored Jinhyun’s seriousness, his questions clipped and precise. Jinhyun struggled to suppress a smile.

Taeun probably wanted to create a romantic morning scene, like something out of a movie. But that kind of production required more than just waking someone up. He could have at least made some coffee… And his opening line, “I woke up before you,” what was that about?

It was like he was competing in some private game. Jinhyun watched Taeun, stifling his laughter.

“First of all, your face is ugly.”

Taeun’s expression crumpled instantly.

“That’s your fault, you asshole…”

“I’m scared of you cursing. It’s not working at all.”

“Fuck, this is annoying.”

He reacted instantly to the teasing. Taeun had always been fun to tease. Cute. Jinhyun chuckled softly, propping his head up on his arm. He was almost lying next to Taeun now.

“Your hair is a mess, your shirt is stretched out, and your face is puffy with pillow marks…”

Not hot at all. Jinhyun swallowed the words that almost slipped out.

He’d said he’d play along, but he had no intention of accepting Taeun’s advances. His playful teasing had almost turned serious without him realizing. It was ridiculous to even think about being attracted to a man.

Taeun covered his cheeks with his hands. “Where?” he asked. Jinhyun pulled one of his hands away. Taeun rubbed his cheek with his remaining hand, as if trying to erase the pillow marks.

“Besides the bad parts, is there anything you like?”

“It’s entertaining, for a morning.”

Dissatisfied with the casual reply, Taeun stood up abruptly.

“Where are you going?”

Jinhyun turned his head slightly, calling out to Taeun’s retreating back.

“To plan my next move.”

His quick, earnest reply made Jinhyun laugh again. Their silly banter had chased away his sleepiness. He sat up.

“Let’s just eat.”

He slipped on his slippers and walked towards the door. Taeun, who had been standing by the doorframe, turned around at the mention of food.

“Roasted chicken? Should I order some?”

It was closing time, not opening time, for chicken places. Ever since the fine incident, Taeun had suggested roasted chicken every time someone mentioned food. Even though Jinhyun liked the brand, he was sick of hearing about it.

“I think I’m starting to hate that because of you.”

“Damn, you hate everything.”

Taeun seemed genuinely annoyed by Jinhyun’s constant indifference. He stomped towards the living room. Jinhyun followed at a leisurely pace.

“What do you want to eat?”

He asked Taeun’s ruffled head. “Soy sauce egg rice,” Taeun replied without turning around. Do we have eggs left? Jinhyun headed to the kitchen.

This was all he wanted from Taeun. To tease him, laugh with him, comfort him, play silly pranks, and share meals. To give direction to the perpetually clueless Taeun, to listen to his chatter. To occasionally watch where he was stepping, so Taeun wouldn’t trip over everything.

So I hope he gives up soon. Jinhyun retrieved two eggs from the fridge, making a silent wish.

🔥

Several days passed since that boisterous morning.

The ambiguous time just before dusk, still some time before dinner. After their afternoon classes, the two were in the living room, watching TV together. It was a rare moment of peace. The television blared a rerun of a variety show, the panelists’ laughter echoing through the room. But Taeun’s attention was elsewhere.

He sat on the sofa with his knees pulled up, his gaze fixed on the back of Jinhyun’s head. For the past hour, his eyes had darted around, making a strenuous effort not to be caught, before settling back on Jinhyun. The movement resembled a broken ostrich bobbing its head – erratic and bizarre.

Jinhyun, leaning back against the sofa, was diligently ignoring the blatant staring.

He wondered what Taeun wanted to say, but didn’t bother asking. He already knew. It was undoubtedly another half-baked ‘operation’ to seduce him. There was no need to dredge up the uncomfortable topic. So Jinhyun endured Taeun’s strange glances and the silence, thinking idly, Is this operation ‘stare until my head explodes’?

Thus, their strange break continued, with neither of them paying attention to the television, only the speakers filling the silence. Taeun’s gaze continued to wander between Jinhyun’s nape and the back of his head. After fidgeting for a while, he inhaled sharply. Finally, he spoke.

“…Hey, you know…”

“I don’t.”

Jinhyun replied curtly without looking back.

“…….”

The conversation died instantly. Jinhyun slowly turned his head to look at Taeun. Their eyes met.

Taeun was staring back, a disgruntled expression on his face. He clearly didn’t like Jinhyun’s response. He seemed annoyed that his carefully planned attempt to start a conversation had been met with a cold joke. It was unusual to see Taeun unable to retort with something like, Are you having fun? or Yes, I do. He just sat there silently, glaring.

That’s right.

Since embarking on his desperate mission to seduce Jinhyun, Taeun had been refraining from their usual playful banter. He needed to present a more appealing image if he wanted to win Jinhyun’s favor.

However, he couldn’t control his expressive face. Unable to speak calmly or hide his sulking, Taeun sat in silence. Jinhyun, watching him, restarted the conversation with a teasing tone. He knew Taeun would get properly angry if he left him like that. Knowing when to push and when to pull back was crucial when teasing Taeun.

“What?”

“You, uh, you know…”

Taeun’s sullen expression instantly brightened at the second invitation to speak. But despite the opening, he hesitated.

“Go on.”

“…What’s… what’s your ideal type?”

“…….”

This time, the silence belonged to Jinhyun. His slightly upturned lips froze.

Since barging into his room that morning to announce the start of his seduction, Lee Taeun’s charm offensive had ambushed Jinhyun at random times, just like now.

His efforts generally took two forms: ineffective seduction and unconvincing spy work. His promise to ‘plan’ wasn’t a joke.

Taeun, disguised as a secret agent, would bombard Jinhyun with unexpected questions at unexpected times, leaving him flustered. Jinhyun was struggling to adapt to his friend’s strange behavior. This was one of those times. He was momentarily speechless by the absurd question.

…Is it operation time today? Having deciphered Taeun’s behavioral patterns in just a few days, Jinhyun regained his composure. He spoke after a pause.

“No comment.”

He knew Taeun was eccentric, but he hadn’t expected him to ask about his ideal type so directly. He dismissed the question curtly, his tone indifferent.

“Why, why?”

“What are you going to do with that information?”

“I need to know your ideal type so I can… improve myself.”

But his composure didn’t last. Taeun bombarded him again.

Jinhyun, who had been trying to turn his attention back to the TV, turned fully towards Taeun. His surprise escaped on a breath. Improve myself? The ludicrous statement was a fresh shock. Before Jinhyun could react, Taeun added quickly.

“Knowing yourself and your enemy guarantees victory.”

“…….”

It was an unspoken demand for Jinhyun to reveal his ideal type. The absurdity of the situation deepened. Taeun, growing anxious at the unbroken silence, reminded Jinhyun of their agreement.

“…You said you’d play along.”

That’s right. Empty words without an ounce of sincerity.

Pretending to entertain the affections of someone he had no feelings for, and would never have feelings for, was more difficult than he’d imagined. He wanted to tell Taeun to stop wasting his time, but he couldn’t go back on his word. He had to at least pretend to play along. That was the only way to keep Taeun by his side… albeit in this slightly strange way.

Still, it was an awkward question to answer seriously. After a moment of thought, Jinhyun gave a noncommittal answer.

“I don’t know. Someone sexy?”

“Hmm…”

Taeun hummed thoughtfully.

He’d asked the question because he couldn’t find a common thread among Jinhyun’s past lovers. Of course, as a man, he wouldn’t fit the bill, but he still felt the need to understand what kind of person Jinhyun liked. Besides, Jinhyun had agreed to play along, so he figured he might as well ask.

So Taeun thought.

‘Sexy?’

It was a word that seemed far removed from him. Sexy… how do I become sexy? He felt a sense of despair after hearing just one criteria. ‘Sexy’ usually referred to sexual attractiveness… but in this situation, flaunting his body would only land him in trouble for sexual harassment. He decided to set aside the enigmatic ‘sexy’ for now and pressed for more information.

“And? And?”

Jinhyun twitched his eyebrow, looking reluctant. Taeun showed no signs of backing down. It seemed he’d have to give a somewhat plausible answer to end this uncomfortable conversation.

“…Pale skin is nice.”

Yes! Taeun cheered internally. This was something he could manage. He swallowed his gratitude towards his mother for giving him pale skin and asked,

“The paler the better?”

“Of course not.”

Right. That would be a bit much. Kind of creepy. Taeun agreed immediately and pressed further.

“Then?”

“Then what?”

“Well, you have to tell me what level of brightness.”

Jinhyun’s face contorted into a grimace at the earnest request. His expression clearly asked if Taeun was serious. Taeun, completely serious, stared back defiantly. Amidst their silent standoff, Jinhyun continued, his expression unchanged.

“Long, straight, black hair. No dye.”

“…….”

This answer felt different from the previous one.

Taeun was slightly offended by Jinhyun’s mocking tone, but he countered internally. You think I can’t grow my hair out? His hair was naturally black, never dyed. He just needed to grow it out. Give me some time. He couldn’t voice his annoyance, wanting to maintain a good impression.

However, the next condition was harder to scoff at.

“Petite. Preferably under 170cm.”

“…….”

He couldn’t do anything about his height, which was well over 170cm.

“Cheerful, laughs easily, eats well, plays well, easily surprised. Cute.”

Jinhyun emphasized the last word. Taeun, who’d been trying to find flaws in each description, finally felt a pang of defeat. But he quickly recovered.

It’s not like I didn’t know he liked girls… Anyway, he could manage about half of those things. There was no point in despairing over something he already knew. Taeun decided to think positively. First, he’d whiten his skin as much as possible, then grow his hair out… he’d think about that later. And he just needed to laugh, eat, and be playful. Thinking about it simply, it seemed quite easy, and his mood improved. He nodded in agreement.

“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“What?”

Cha Jinhyun looked dumbfounded. Did he expect Taeun to jump up and give up? Taeun patted Jinhyun’s shoulder and stood up.

“I’ll start by showing you how well I eat.”

It was dinner time. It was Taeun’s way of saying he understood and they should eat. Jinhyun watched him, speechless.

That evening, Taeun ate twice his usual amount, with gusto. Jinhyun tried to ignore his friend inhaling food like a starved animal. He was speechless again at Taeun’s behavior, which didn’t seem aimed at making a good impression, despite his talk of self-improvement. What is he trying to do…? A brief question flitted through his mind during their meal.

Taeun’s clumsy attempts at seduction and his barrage of questions continued for several days.

Each time, Jinhyun felt the subtle shift in their relationship, dragging him deeper into a pit of discomfort. What are we even doing? He wondered if he should backtrack on his decision and their agreement. But whenever these doubts surfaced, he’d quickly rationalize it.

Lee Taeun was always affectionate. He was just being a little more clingy than usual. Thinking of it that way made it easier to tolerate.

It wasn’t so hard to wave back at Taeun when he stood at his door every night, wishing him goodnight. Jinhyun sighed as he casually returned Taeun’s tireless goodnight greetings, his eyes lingering on Taeun’s retreating back. He leaned back against his mattress and blinked slowly.

Dating, dating.

“Me and him…”

…Holding hands, kissing, and…

“…….”

He stopped that train of thought immediately, scoffing and closing his eyes. He felt foolish for even briefly imagining himself and Taeun in a romantic context. It was a pointless thought. It would never happen. The image of Taeun asking about his ideal type popped into his head.

His face, shifting from hopeful to crestfallen, his inner thoughts transparent despite his silence – it was comical, like a scene from a cartoon. He’s so easy to tease… Just as Taeun planned his operations, Jinhyun planned his next act of mischief as he drifted off to sleep.