Salt Society Chapter 6

Since I had been suppressing my urges since yesterday, I did not want to show him my naked body again. Kihyun was not usually the type to care much about such things, but Cho Yeonoh was even more indifferent.

In fact, not much had changed between the two of them since they started dating compared to when they were friends. Things like eating together, spending time at each other’s apartments, or watching movies were things they had always done even before they started dating.

If there was anything different from before, well. Perhaps it was the kiss they shared about once every ten days. Even then, it ended with just a quick smack of the lips. It was usually Cho Yeonoh who initiated it. Specifically, in the early hours of the morning when the soccer team he cheered for scored a goal in the Europa League.

Every time that happened, Kihyun felt like that brief kiss was merely like kissing a trophy in the joy of victory, but he said nothing.

When the television was turned on with the living room lights off, the dim light from the screen and the light reflected from the goldfish tank hit the sharp bridge of his nose and blurred. Often, while stealing glances at that sight, his cheeks would be caught and he would be subjected to a short kiss.

At those times, a hollow laugh would inevitably break out. It was quite a sweet corner for a punishment for stealing a look at Yeonoh’s delicate face, which looked as if it were drawn thinly with a fine brush.

He was a foolish being who could endure eternal life with just that. If he had truly hated it, or if the sluggishness of this relationship had been agonizingly difficult, he was not the type of person to endure it forever.

In short, the happiest person in this relationship was So Kihyun. Therefore, he could endure the lack of physical affection. Kihyun always thought:

“It is not like I will die if we do not do it.”

However, Kihyun would die without Yeonoh. Even when he thought he should give up his feelings for him after the confession, he never considered leaving Yeonoh’s side. So, it was only right for Kihyun to endure.

“Ignoring me again.”

“Ah.”

He must have been a bit dazed from lack of sleep. His stray thoughts had not returned, so he could not answer Yeonoh’s words.

Cho Yeonoh looked a bit displeased. Kihyun had only one thought.

“…I cannot take off my pants if he stays out there like that.”

Before fully realizing his feelings—which he had thought were more than friendship but less than love—it was not difficult to take off his clothes because they had often slept in the same bed in their underwear after drinking. Rather, it was Cho Yeonoh who seemed reluctant to reveal his body.

While Kihyun would strip off anywhere, Yeonoh liked to be fully dressed, so the frequency of showing a bare upper body was higher for Kihyun. Though it became a bit awkward like now when it involved the lower body.

Furthermore, the dressing room door was slightly open, so it felt like people passing through the hallway would see Kihyun through the gap. Having no desire to put on a nude show, he stood still in the middle of undressing, and Yeonoh, as if reading his thoughts, let out a smirk.

“There is no bastard in this hospital taller than me, so how are they going to see you through me? Just do what you were doing.”

To tell him to finish undressing. He felt like Yeonoh was being cranky again when he could have just closed the door. Although, since all the basketball players finished their rehabilitation last week, there really was no one taller than Yeonoh in the hospital right now.

Kihyun, who had been standing still with an expression of disbelief, slowly turned his head and looked fully at Yeonoh. The guy filled his vision, which he had only been seeing through his peripheral view. A sigh escaped on its own. It was because he felt he knew why Cho Yeonoh was acting like this.

“Are you doing this because I will not leave work with you?”

“Yeah. So why did you not answer? Making me lose my temper.”

Seeing how his language had suddenly turned foul, he must have been quite annoyed. Why on earth did he do something as exhausting as going home to his own apartment on a day like yesterday? He could not understand the logic of venting his temper at him after doing unnecessary work himself.

It was then. Kihyun’s phone screen lit up and a call came in. Kihyun, who was awkwardly half-undressed with his top off, looked at the screen and swiped to answer the call without a second thought.

“Yeah, Cheoljin. Why did you buy something like that? You should have come empty-handed.”

Kihyun spoke before the person on the other end could even say “hello.” Then, he leaned over and took out a towel for staff use from the lower cabinet against the wall and hung it on the cabinet handle. He had to undress and go in like this, but because he was on the phone, his thumbs were slightly hooked into the waistband of his boxer briefs and medical scrub pants.

Feeling a slight chill on his back, he looked behind him and saw Cho Yeonoh still standing there staring at him. He was about to tell him to either close the door and come in or just leave, but before he could, Cheoljin spoke from across the receiver.

[Ah, I heard you were busy, Teacher, so I just left. I am quick-witted like that. Buy me a meal next time.]

“With your salary, how can you think about getting a free meal from me?”

Since he won the gold medal at the Asian Games last fall, there must still be prize money left. Even if not, he had filmed several commercials. The conscience of a sports star who thought about sponging off a therapist’s obvious salary was funny.

Thanks to that, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. To others, they might wonder if that even counted as a smile, but for So Kihyun, who did not have much to laugh about, even a smile like this had been a long time coming. Click. The sound of a door closing was heard. Looking back to see what it was, Cho Yeonoh was staring intently at Kihyun with the dressing room door closed and a cold, frozen face.

…Why is he looking like that again. Something must have definitely gone wrong. Kihyun let out a low sigh and said to Cheoljin.

“Anyway, I can eat with you, but you are the one buying. Teacher has something busy to do, so I am hanging up.”

[Uh, uh! What busy work! And you only say that, you do not even think about letting me treat you! Then really let me buy it!]

“Speak softly. I can hear everything even if you do not shout. I got it for now. Let us talk later, Cheoljin.”

Without even listening to half of what Cheoljin was pouring out rapidly, Kihyun hung up the phone. Perhaps he was urgent because it seemed Kihyun would hang up soon, but his voice grew so loud over the receiver that his ears stung.

He put the phone, whose screen had quickly gone dark, into the cabinet and was about to grab the towel when Cho Yeonoh, who had approached before he knew it, was staring down at Kihyun. Seeing the shadow falling over his head, Kihyun asked without even looking back.

“What, what now.”

“Cheoljin? You call him so affectionately. Did you swap out your boyfriend already?”

Those words were truly absurd. Only then did Kihyun look back at Cho Yeonoh and almost frowned, but stopped. It was because when Cho Yeonoh was truly angry, he would turn expressionless without even a frown, and he was currently wearing a face he rarely showed Kihyun.

What is he so dissatisfied with now…

If he had no complaints, he was not the type to interfere with Kihyun changing clothes in this way. Although he would cling to him at any time, that was just a sign of friendliness, and Cho Yeonoh could not stand a sexual atmosphere flowing between the two of them. However, seeing him blocking the dressing room door as if he did not care that Kihyun was undressing, he figured he must be in a state where his temper was quite twisted.

Suppreing a sigh, and thinking that the guy with severe insomnia was acting out again because he could not sleep, he reached out and patted his back. It was not a gentle touch as the word suggested, but a gesture with a rough edge, like pounding the back of someone with indigestion. Kihyun said indifferently.

“You could not sleep, could you.”

“Do not change the subject. Who the hell was that guy on the phone for you to be smiling so freely?”

“When did I smile? And what subject did I change? I am saying this because it is obvious your condition is not great.”

Since he had very good stamina, he usually did not show signs of being tired, but when he had not slept for several days in a row, his way of speaking became foul like this. He seemed to have slept a bit after coming to Kihyun’s house yesterday, but it was certain he had not even gotten a nap before that.

When Kihyun stared blankly with those thoughts, he clicked his tongue. Seeing his expressionless face relax slightly, it seemed he also realized his behavior was a needless vent of anger. He was not originally that rude, but his personality had changed strangely over the last few years.

The guy, carving a deep furrow in his smooth brow, said:

“I ran like my balls were falling off just to catch you before you left work.”

“Should I check if they actually fell off? Why are you whining so much?”

Kihyun replied listlessly with a deep sigh. It was not the first or second time he was getting angry by himself for no reason, and if left alone, he would get into a good mood again at a point Kihyun could not understand, so there was no need to specifically comfort him.

“This guy, seriously, even when I talk.”

As if getting heated again by Kihyun’s retort, he stepped closer and grabbed his shoulders. Whether Yeonoh did that or not, Kihyun took advantage of the closed door to take off his pants. The guy spat out grumpily as if he did not like it.

“If you have plans, cancel them. I just returned after three days, should you not eat dinner with me?”

“I do not have plans.”

“…What?”

“I said I do not have plans.”

At Kihyun’s answer, Yeonoh’s demeanor softened. The arch of his eyebrows, which looked as if they were drawn thick with a bold brush, rose fiercely and then settled, and the corners of his eyes, delicate as if finished with a fine brush, also dropped slightly.