Kiss the Ground Chapter 14

“The memory of coming to our house?”

“I don’t have that at all.”

“Then it’s not fine. Go wash up quickly and sit over there.”

While Misha went to wash up and came back, the breakfast was smoothly completed. Chahyun divided the food from the pan onto plates, and Misha slowly sat at the end of the table.

It seemed that Hongsam, who spent the night together with the man, became even more fond of Misha. Hongsam, with his massive body, stood up and placed his front paws on Misha’s lap as he sat on the chair. It might have been a cute gesture asking to be noticed, but due to his large size, his presence was quite unique.

After wiping his face, Misha, now seeming to have the leisure to look around, finally placed his hand on Hongsam’s head. The palm-sized pink tongue licked Misha’s arm.

“So, you have a dog now, Yuan. Is it a girl?”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“It’s pretty.”

Watching Misha throw playful kicks at the dog, Chahyun chuckled. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Misha slowly and gently stroked Hongsam’s fur as if touching a high-quality velvet.

“I used to have a dog before. What’s this one’s name?”

“Hongsam.”

It means Red Ginseng. Chahyun didn’t forget to stylishly explain the English translation of Hongsam’s name at the end of his sentence. Most people who heard the dog’s name were curious about its meaning, considering that it was a common occurrence. Although Chahyun couldn’t guarantee the pronunciation was correct… Nevertheless, Misha was one of the colleagues who could understand Chahyun’s dog-like pronunciation.

“Hongsam? Why?”

“Because it has thick, reddish fur. And naming pets after food makes them live healthily. Besides, it’s even considered a healthy food, so it’ll live longer.”

After a chubby response, Misha, who had been momentarily silent, burst into laughter. His smile was radiant. He wasn’t looking like a beggar now. Although Chahyun felt somewhat uneasy seeing him so happy, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

“That’s why it’s named Hongsam. Good boy, Hongsam.”

“He’s from Korea, so he can’t understand English.”

“….”

“Now, eat your breakfast. It’s nothing special, but you can’t go to morning training on an empty stomach.”

“…Can I eat too?”

“Should I just let you watch me eat?”

As Misha looked at the dish Chahyun casually put down, his eyes widened. It was an expression as if he had just been presented with a rare artifact. Although it was a simple breakfast with toast, bacon, eggs, and two tomatoes, the alternating glances between Chahyun’s face and the dish gradually filled Misha with gratitude. Even though he felt somewhat uncomfortable, Chahyun had to admit that preparing breakfast for Misha was a very considerate gesture. However, seeing Misha enjoying it so much made him feel not entirely bad.

The two sat silently while having breakfast, not saying a word for a while. Misha, poking the food with a fork like an archaeologist discovering a noble relic, soon bowed his head and started eating when the emptiness came over him. Bending his head over the table, he didn’t lift his head for a while.

While watching this seemingly innocent sight, Chahyun bit his lip. He couldn’t help but recall Misha’s messy behavior yesterday at the pub, revealing Chahyun’s private life. The penetrating gaze, as if looking through Chahyun’s false presence surrounding a nonexistent lover. It was like an expression that said, “I won’t be swayed by such trivial matters.” If it weren’t for that, Misha might have dropped a bomb on the table, casually observing Chahyun and his colleagues’ reactions.

In fact, having one lover wasn’t a big problem. It didn’t cause much trouble beyond angering some frustrated singles and receiving some petty jealous shoulder pats in the center hallway. It wasn’t much different from being betrayed by others. What bothered Chahyun more was the suspicion hidden behind Misha’s eyes, between the childish tantrums and the persistent stubbornness.

Chahyun gazed at Misha’s forehead. Although he wasn’t used to scrutinizing someone, the desire to confirm was stronger.

“Misha. How much do you remember from yesterday?”

“Yesterday?”

“Yesterday. Do you remember telling me that you have a lover at the table?”

Misha slowly raised his head. Chahyun thought Misha might come up with some drunken excuse. However, Misha’s face remained expressionless, as if he had no intention of making excuses.

“I remember. It was so noisy.”

“….”

“Everyone seemed shocked, but I guess they were really upset. I thought everyone already knew because they’re all close with Yuan.”

With that, he didn’t change his facial expression. Swallowing his anger, Chahyun considered that admitting Yoon Chahyun’s claim of having a master wasn’t such a big deal after all. In order to proceed with his plan of strangling Misha, he had to officially acknowledge Yoon Chahyun’s claim that he had an owner. Looking at Misha, who had kept silent, Chahyun spoke.

“Why didn’t anyone know, Yuan?”

Misha’s gray eyes were sharp. Looking at him, Chahyun felt a sense of unease from last night. It was like watching an untrained beagle. Chahyun made an audacious expression.

“Didn’t you see them trying to kill me yesterday? How do you tell that to those poor guys who gather even on weekends just to kick a ball around? I didn’t say a word. It’s all ruined because you spilled the beans.”

“Even to Jude Ingram?”

“He’s the scariest one.”

Misha lowered his eyes and toyed with the edge of the plate with his fork. His expression was unreadable.

“Is your lover that secretive? To the extent of hiding it from close friends?”

“…Anyway, since I became a rebel because of you, if any solo steals my shoes, you have to hand yours over.”

With a nonchalant remark from Chahyun, Misha seemed to think about something for quite a while before responding briefly.

“Fine. Sorry.”

It was a simple apology that lacked sincerity. Although his low-pitched voice didn’t reveal his true feelings, at least outwardly, it seemed like the incident had come to an end. As Chahyun picked up his fork, the meal resumed naturally. A discomfort pricked Chahyun’s heart like a needle, a lingering uneasiness stuck to his chest.

Under the table, the dog lying down nudged his leg, and Misha suddenly looked down. It was a different, warm smile from before. The bacon he had in his mouth tasted strangely.

***

Chahyun drove slowly. Considering the worries about being late last night, it was a leisurely morning. The atmosphere on the streets was pleasant with the clear morning weather.

The car headed towards the Winchester Training Center. Misha, sitting in the passenger seat, was wearing Chahyun’s spare club training uniform. The cuffs and hem were a bit loosely short. From Chahyun’s perspective, it was somewhat humiliating, but there was no help for it. Wearing a suit from the interview, even a crumpled one, to go to the club center would have been too much.

Surely, he would be bombarded with questions, like where he spent the night, who he met, as well as accusations of stealing someone’s lover. It was somewhat pitiful.

Glancing at Misha in the next seat as he drove towards the club, Chahyun thought.

Since the breakfast, the conversation between the two had ceased. Even when Misha awkwardly walked out of the dressing room wearing Chahyun’s ill-fitting clothes, or when he greeted by patting Hongsam’s head, it was the same. For some reason, it was unclear for Misha, but Chahyun’s case was clear. The lingering atmosphere from the breakfast place still bothered him.

In a sense, it was turning a blind eye. Issues left unresolved kept piling up, and the situation repeated like walking on thin ice. It was only a matter of time before slipping and falling.

With his gaze fixed ahead, Chahyun spoke up.

“Misha, I have something to say.”

“Yeah.”

“The things I said in the interview were sincere.”

As the silence was broken, an uneasy atmosphere filled the space. Misha remained silent. It always felt like Misha knew what Chahyun was going to say. A strange calmness that seemed to know what Chahyun was about to say, even as he continuously sought affection. It was as if he was resigned to something.

“So, from now on… You have to meet more people. It’s not right to limit yourself just because of the feelings you have now. There will be many people who will love you just as much as you love someone. You might not believe it, but there will be more than a hundred. Your salary is high, you have a good sense, and if you manage well, you’ll be running for another ten years. Well… you’re somewhat good-looking. And you can play the piano.”

Although Chahyun’s intention was to express the need for Misha to open up to more opportunities, the words that came out were different. In the quiet atmosphere, Chahyun took a shallow breath. It was imperative to put an end to this, or it would be a problem.

“But that’s not me. Misha, just because you like me, doesn’t mean I will stop liking you. But I won’t reciprocate the same feelings. Not forever.”

Speaking calmly, Chahyun had a strong intuition that this would be the last time Misha would confess his love to Yoon Chahyun. Even though he was familiar with Misha’s persistent affection, it felt strange. He had a premonition that there would be no more such incidents between them in the future.

“I’m sorry.”

The inside of the car, now at its destination, was filled with silence. It was a profound stillness, like extracting a wisdom tooth that had been causing sleepless nights.