Hit by a Pitched Ball Chapter 11

After the game, Baseball Tonight, which had been broadcast live, was airing consecutive reruns. As ill luck would have it, the highlights of the Buffaloes, the team that had blown the game, were playing, and Yunjae, gritting his teeth without realizing it, glared at Taebeom, who was holding back a laugh.

You laughing?

“Oh, today’s broadcast was your team, hyung. So you were lying when you said you watched my game.”

Taebeom, resting his elbows on his knees and leaning his upper body forward slightly, propped his chin on his hand and openly showed a disappointed expression.

“I watched it while flipping through channels. I just turned it off at the end, that’s all.”

“You don’t mind if I leave this on, right?”

“Sure. Whatever. It looks like it’s switching over anyway.”

Right on cue, the screen switched to another game. And amusingly enough, filling the entire screen was Ha Taebeom. He was covering his mouth with his glove, watching a celebrity throw the ceremonial first pitch, wearing an ambiguous smile. Suddenly, his own face filled the screen like a giant gate, and his previously relaxed expression was instantly colored with embarrassment.

Serves you right. Got you good, you bastard. Catching the slight twitch at the corner of his own mouth, Yunjae wore a mischievous smile. His eyes gleamed like a jackal that wouldn’t miss an opportunity. Narrowing his eyes, Yunjae caught Taebeom’s movement to change the channel and quickly blocked him.

Snatching the remote away swiftly, Yunjae brazenly pressed the button and turned up the volume. Taebeom made a look of being caught off guard. A low, hollow laugh rumbled out.

“Up close, she must be pretty, huh? You couldn’t stop smiling.”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t even look properly.”

The shift from bewilderment to indignation was instantaneous.

“Ah… I see.”

“Whoa, that’s unfair. Did I really look like that to you? I’m not lying, really! I honestly, honestly didn’t think anything of it.”

“Sure.”

Of course you didn’t. Yunjae narrowed his elongated eyes lewdly and smiled, taking a gulp of beer.

Even if he were a man who liked men, with a celebrity that pretty right in front of him, it would be hard not to glance at her once. Snorting at the utterly absurd excuse, Ha Taebeom frowned, propped his chin on his hand, and stared at the screen as if glaring at it. Tilting his head, his muttering voice, “Ah, really, that’s not it,” sounded genuinely wronged.

At that moment, their eyes met as if in confrontation. A brief silence passed, and eventually, Yunjae couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing. At that, Taebeom hardened his eyes. Geez, what’s so funny. At the grumbling voice, Yunjae rolled his lips inward and swallowed his breath.

“But what’s this all of a sudden?”

“What do you mean?”

“No. You said you were coming over suddenly after the game, so I was a bit surprised. I wondered what was going on…”

Somewhat calmed down, Yunjae finally brought up the question he had wanted to ask from the beginning. At that, Taebeom pressed his lips tightly shut. Watching Yunjae furrow his brow under his steady gaze, he even let out a sigh.

“Hyung, you really don’t remember?”

“Remember what?”

Was there something else? Yunjae felt a chill run down his spine and stiffened his expression. Reading Yunjae’s face, which showed no understanding of the context, Taebeom let out a hollow laugh.

The expression he made while scratching his eyebrow even looked deflated. Yunjae clenched his teeth and watched for cues. After a stretch of silence, it was smoothed over by Taebeom’s laugh.

He said he had already guessed from the phone call earlier and even waved his hand dismissively. Somehow feeling more uneasy because of that attitude, Yunjae hurriedly grabbed Taebeom’s hand as it flailed in the air.

“W-what is it? Why are you acting like this?”

“Forget it. I wasn’t expecting anything anyway.”

“So what is it?”

“If you tell me.”

Looking at the captured hand with a complicated, subtle expression, Taebeom laughed as if sighing and then extended two straight fingers.

Yunjae’s gaze naturally went to the fingers. Two choices. Not listening and pretending it never happened. Or listening and doing as promised. Yunjae, who had acted like he would do anything at his signal, hesitated.

Something felt off. Yunjae alternated looking between Taebeom’s face and fingers, narrowing his eyes. Despite the persistent gaze, Ha Taebeom held his gaze without changing his expression, responding firmly as if no negotiation would work.

If I do it, it feels like I’ll be screwed, but if I don’t listen, I’m too curious. What do I do. Yunjae nervously chewed on his lips for no reason. Isn’t it human nature to go crazy over something left unfinished? And he too was one such weak human being.

Taebeom watched Yunjae’s ever-changing complexion with a mischievous expression. Then, catching the disapproving look directed up at him, he curled the corners of his mouth triumphantly.

Yunjae frowned immediately. Every time he saw Ha Taebeom smile like that on the mound, he felt like he had cursed him out, but seeing it in person wasn’t much different. If anything, it annoyed him more.

Because now he knew firsthand when that bastard wears that kind of smile.

“What are you gonna do?”

“Quite the condition.”

“Tempting as hell, isn’t it?”

Struck right in the heart, Yunjae’s mouth twitched.

“…If I said I wouldn’t listen, which side would be more disappointed?”

“Hm? Both?”

A tiny crack formed between Yunjae’s brows. Both? Was that possible?

“If I say I’ll listen, then both are good?”

“At least on my side, it’s definitely good.”

Listening quietly, Yunjae let out a hollow laugh. Taebeom, calmly saying such brazen things, looked oddly fascinating. What the hell.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Just saying. Well, of course, I’m also fully confident that hyung won’t regret it either.”

What on earth gives him that confidence? Yunjae stared blankly at Taebeom, who was showing confidence in sex with men, as if he couldn’t understand it.

“How so?”

“You’d know if you tried. What, don’t believe me? That day, we were so…”

“…Never mind.”

“When hyung says that, it kind of hurts my pride…”

He was always confident, but it was strangely compelling to see that confidence not as a player, but as Ha Taebeom himself. The thought crossed his mind that maybe he’d end up getting screwed over. But this damned curiosity gnawed at his reason and asserted itself more clearly.

Ah, screw it. Even if it all goes to hell now, how much worse can it get than this? The other guy is a public figure anyway. Ready to even go public with a fight if necessary, Yunjae folded one of Taebeom’s fingers and looked at him anxiously.

“Better than regretting it, I guess. So what is it… ugh!”

At the lips that suddenly swooped in, Yunjae nearly dropped the beer he was holding and flailed his arms. Instead, Taebeom caught the sliding beer can, moved it to the table, and tilted his head to adjust the angle that hadn’t been quite right. Caught off guard by the lips crashing against his while he sat stiffly, Yunjae belatedly squeezed his eyes shut as if wincing.

The tongue that pushed into his beer-scented mouth was cool. The flesh that lightly swept across his palate soon seemed intent on conquering the entire oral cavity, rubbing and pressing against the inner mucous membrane as it delved deeper. Mmph, Yunjae let out an involuntary groan from his throat and shrank back at the touch stroking his nape.

Every time Taebeom moved his tongue to stir inside, the gradually tilting head brushed noses, and his jaw muscles bulged. Each time Taebeom’s nose brushed against his cheek, his fingertips curled involuntarily, and his toes tensed. No wonder they say he earns the reputation—once he opened it up, the skill with which he swirled inside was so superb that the thought of pushing him away never even crossed his mind.

The confidence that he could make things good on his side too was indeed no bluff. Actually, maybe he had suspected it might be about something like this. He hadn’t expected anything, but after sleeping together, how significant could the promise be?

It’s not like he’d have asked to date, right. There’s no way. He was certain of that.

No matter how far gone his reason might be, there are things he would absolutely never do. For Yunjae, dating was that. Especially dating someone who’s straight. For Taebeom, maybe it was dating someone of the same sex.

“Mmm…”

At the moan that slipped out unconsciously, his eyes flew open. Damn, he must have heard. Forcing down his complicated feelings, he traced the tightly shut eyes that were so close they blurred his vision. The long, tightly closed eyes and fairly long lashes flinched every time they moved.