Irresponsibility Chapter 7.5

“I’ll have breakfast ready in a minute.”

Yeoun, whose eyes had been following the broad back, took a step. It was, naturally, in the direction Baek Geonhyuk was going.

He followed quietly without a sound, but he quickly turned around. Then he let out a shallow sigh and covered his eyes.

…Am I being annoying?

But even if he was being annoying, it couldn’t be helped. Joo Yeoun followed him, staying out of his way.

He also subtly helped him, and Baek Geonhyuk, who had refused his help as usual, had a flash of light in his eyes the second time around. Then he said, “Thank you,” and gave him a quick kiss. When he stared with wide eyes, a nonchalant reply came back.

“Because I’m so thankful.”

He’s just messing with me. He had that thought, but he put down the utensils, and also the water glasses. At that, Baek Geonhyuk kissed him again, and Joo Yeoun slightly stood on his tiptoes.

At that, Baek Geonhyuk let out a low laugh and hugged Joo Yeoun. As if doing something he had been holding back, he held him tightly in his arms and stroked his head, messing up his hair.

“Will you be okay?”

“W-with what.”

“If we do this, I think I might get a little annoying.”

Baek Geonhyuk, who spoke with a voice tinged with laughter, kissed Joo Yeoun’s forehead. As if to show his words with his actions, he showered his forehead, his ear, his cheek with small kisses. Even when he twisted his head because it tickled, he followed him and managed to kiss him.

He was so flustered that he wanted to run away a little, but since he also planned to be a little annoying to him, he just wrinkled his nose and endured it.

At that, Baek Geonhyuk let out a cry of, “Ah,” and hugged his waist a little tighter. Joo Yeoun peeked his head over his shoulder and gripped his t-shirt. Then it suddenly occurred to him that it might get wrinkled, so he opened his hand and hugged his back.

The space between his open arms was completely filled. He liked the thick volume of it, so he hugged him tightly and let go, and Baek Geonhyuk also hugged him tightly before slowly letting him go.

He had expected that there wouldn’t be much of a change since he was a kind person even before they became lovers. But Baek Geonhyuk really kissed him all the time.

He would attach absurd reasons like, because I’m thankful, because your cheeks are munching, because your fingers look cold, or sometimes no reason at all.

After making him flustered since the morning and leaving again, Baek Geonhyuk said, “I’ll be home early.”

“F-four thirty?”

“Yeah. I’ll be back then.”

Baek Geonhyuk answered the question kindly. Then he gave him a light hug, let him go, and turned around.

Looking at his back, he felt a little disappointed. I should have asked for 4 o’clock.

The front door closed, and Joo Yeoun immediately headed for the sofa. As he sat in the middle of the wide sofa and looked out the window, he appeared right away.

He followed him with his eyes as he walked with long strides, but he turned around about halfway through the yard. Flinch. Their eyes met. Joo Yeoun averted his gaze out of habit, then slightly turned his head again.

Baek Geonhyuk was standing in that spot, looking at him. At his wave, Joo Yeoun’s hand, which was resting on the sofa, flinched.

Waving back at each other was a little embarrassing, so he just nodded his head firmly. He thought he might not have seen it because of the distance, but Baek Geonhyuk smiled. Since he could also tell that he was smiling from this far away, he might have seen him nodding his head too.

Joo Yeoun watched Baek Geonhyuk leave until the very end, then turned his head. A breath burst out, paah.

His body, which had been leaning to the side, slid down and lay on the sofa. The leather seat that touched his cheek felt cold. As he lay still, blinking his eyes, he found himself retracing his memories.

Memories with Baek Geonhyuk. The kind where his heart ached and tickled gently, and some moments were so overwhelming that the tip of his nose tingled.

‘A ten-year age gap is a real cradle robber. That’s just too shameless.’

‘We’re just right.’

Suddenly, the brazen face came to mind. It’s really so ridiculous….

Joo Yeoun let out a laugh like a breeze and turned over. He looked for a moment at the back of his hand, where the note had been stuck this morning, and also let his gaze wander to the part where the ceiling and wall met far away.

It was strange. The fact that he was left alone in the house without Baek Geonhyuk was no different, but his loneliness had faded. To think that the space could feel different just because he had started dating him.

How can that be. Thinking this, Yeoun sat up. It was still difficult to move because his legs were stiff, but he went around cleaning here and there. It seemed that both he and he would have to move diligently to manage this big house.

After cleaning and having lunch, he had nothing to do, so his mood sank again, but as 4 o’clock approached, it floated up weightlessly.

His mind was completely filled with thoughts of Baek Geonhyuk.

Joo Yeoun sat down in front of the window and looked outside. The rain, which hadn’t fallen in the morning, was now pouring down. Just like being underwater.

But Baek Geonhyuk will come. He will appear beyond that rain and approach me. He will hold my hand, and he will hug me tightly.

When Baek Geonhyuk finally appeared in the yard, Joo Yeoun shot up from his spot. Tap, tap. Making small footsteps, he ran to the front door and slipped his feet into the large slippers.

As soon as he opened the front door, the damp air seeped into his nose. But he didn’t feel suffocated. Whoosh. The sound of the falling rain only made his heart race with impatience.

Joo Yeoun walked with his toes tensed, afraid his slippers would fall off. Baek Geonhyuk, who had stopped for a moment upon seeing him, approached with long, wide strides. He was so fast that he himself couldn’t take more than a few steps.

Baek Geonhyuk, who had carelessly dropped the box he was holding on the floor, cupped Joo Yeoun’s cheeks and gazed into his face. The space between his dark eyebrows was tense, so Joo Yeoun said hurriedly.

“I, I came out to meet you.”

“…Ah.”

Baek Geonhyuk blinked slowly.

“To meet me?”

He asked again, then laughed like a sigh and hugged Yeoun. He wrapped his thick forearms around his waist and completely enveloped him.

Yeoun peeked his nose over his shoulder and took a deep breath. The breath that came out again was sweet.

“Coming out to meet someone on a rainy day, that’s some serious affection.”

The low voice burrowed into his ear. Yeoun glanced to the side and looked at the eaves from which the rain was dripping, drip, drip. Thanks to the roof covering the area from the eaves to the garage, he didn’t get a single drop of rain on him.

“Th-there’s a roof here, so it has nothing to do with the rain.”

“Coming all the way out to meet me in the rain.”

Ignoring the small correction, Baek Geonhyuk stroked his head as if praising him. It was a little absurd, but he could feel his emotions in the hand that was stroking his head and touching his arm and shoulder. Feeling embarrassed, he averted his eyes, and his gaze fell on the box he had thrown on the floor. It was a delivery box.

“Wh-what’s that?”

“Yours.”

Baek Geonhyuk let go of his waist. He felt a sense of disappointment at being released from his embrace, but he immediately took his hand. Then he looked down at their clasped hands and a slight smile played on his lips.

As soon as they entered the house, Baek Geonhyuk opened the delivery box. Because of that, he had to let go of his hand, so Joo Yeoun, feeling a bit disappointed, sat next to him.

“Wh-what is it?”

“Shoes. I ordered them a while ago, but the delivery must have been delayed because of the rain.”

Joo Yeoun stared blankly as Baek Geonhyuk opened the packaging and took out a pair of sneakers. Chuckling at his largely uninterested face, Baek Geonhyuk grabbed Joo Yeoun’s ankle.

“Let’s try them on.”

“I’ll… I’ll put them on.”

“The laces are untied, so it’s dangerous.”

“Why is that d-dangerous.”

Despite his dumbfounded words, Baek Geonhyuk was nonchalant. You could step on them and fall, he said, and insisted on holding one of the sneakers.

“I h-have eyes too.”

“Good for you.”

Answering softly, he slowly slid Yeoun’s foot into the shoe. At his careful touch, Joo Yeoun, who was about to push him away, put his hands on the floor.

But it became increasingly difficult to keep his body still. Especially when his fingers touched the arch of his foot, or when he slipped his hand into the back of the shoe and it lightly brushed past his ankle bone. His knees shot up on their own.

“Do they seem to fit?”

Baek Geonhyuk asked, pressing various parts of the sneaker and also touching around the ankle.

“Yeah. Th-they fit well.”

Joo Yeoun nodded quickly and tried to take off the sneaker. But a large hand stopped him.

“You have to put both on and walk around.”

“…”

Baek Geonhyuk, who had lightly pushed his hand away, picked up the sneaker again. He had been taking deep breaths and enduring it well, but when the hard nail that had delved into the shoe scratched the side of his foot, he ended up trembling.

Yeoun narrowed his eyes and quickly turned his head.

“Y-you did that on purpose again.”

“Did what?”

He seemed to be feigning ignorance, so he just watched him, but then he said.

“I was checking if they fit your feet well.”

“Ah…”

After watching Joo Yeoun, who had quickly lowered the corners of his eyes and was fidgeting, for a moment, Baek Geonhyuk turned his head again. Only after completely turning his back to tie the laces did he curve his eyes into a smile.

“All done.”

Baek Geonhyuk, who had tied the laces into a tight knot so they wouldn’t come undone, withdrew his hands. Joo Yeoun stood up and stamped his feet in place. Tap, tap. A small sound was made.

He had chosen a pair of ordinary sneakers that were a mix of black and white, but a slightly flashier design might have been okay too. He was thinking that it would be harder to find something that didn’t suit him, when a lilting voice seeped into his ear.

“Thank you.”

Joo Yeoun was looking down at him. He didn’t pay much attention to the shoes, nor did he seem to be examining them closely, but he didn’t forget to say thank you. Finding that adorable, Baek Geonhyuk smiled faintly.

“But h-how did you know my shoe size?”

“I saw it on your old shoes.”

“Uh… y-you had my shoes? My clothes too?”

Joo Yeoun’s eyes widened. He knew he had his wallet and phone, but they had never talked about his clothes. He had vaguely thought they had been thrown away.

“No. I threw them away….”

Joo Yeoun had only asked out of simple curiosity, but Baek Geonhyuk, after studying Joo Yeoun’s expression, added.

“Sorry. I’ll buy you better ones next time.”

“H-how much better?”

“Hmm?”

Baek Geonhyuk, who had asked again, noticed a hint of playfulness in the clear face. Much better ones, he said, and the light-colored lips curved into a circle.

“Geonhyuk. But you, y-you have a good memory. It’s amazing….”

Baek Geonhyuk’s reply was a little slow as he fixed his gaze on the wide, clear eyes and curved lips.

“It’d be even better if you saw it as cool.”