Black & Grey Vol. 3 Chapter 2

“Got it. Then come over tonight. Do you want a late-night snack? If you do, I’ll order some chicken.”

“Okay.”

Jungeol leaned his arms on the railing as he replied. Yoochan stared intently at Jungeol’s hand and suddenly said,

“Hyung and the others will come here too, right? Jaehyeok Hyung smokes.”

Yoochan looked like he wanted something. Jungeol gazed at him and, as a test, spread his right hand wide. Caught off guard, Yoochan embarrassedly lowered his head and laughed.

“Ah, well, I wasn’t necessarily saying we should hold hands right now.”

Despite his words, Yoochan slowly reached out his arm towards Jungeol’s hand. Just as their fingertips were about to touch, Jungeol turned his hand and grabbed Yoochan’s wrist, pulling him gently.

“Huh?”

Before Yoochan could react, their lips met first.

Jungeol’s tongue slipped through Yoochan’s soft, slightly dry lips. The unfamiliar taste of cigarettes made Yoochan flinch, and he quickly lost his composure as Jungeol’s tongue explored his mouth. It took Yoochan a few seconds to come to his senses and pull away, looking worried.

“But what if Hyung and the others come in?”

Jungeol, seemingly unsatisfied with the short kiss, furrowed his brow and slowly opened his eyes. “Let them watch,” he replied.

“Ah, Hyung…!”

Ignoring Yoochan’s protest, Jungeol bit his lip. Yoochan, as if giving up, closed his eyes tightly and stuck out his tongue to follow Jungeol’s lead.

Jungeol gently pulled Yoochan by the waist, and their bodies pressed together. Yoochan grabbed Jungeol’s shoulder with his free hand. Heat rose from where their chests and thighs touched.

Lost in the kiss, Yoochan forgot where they were. As Jungeol’s tongue explored his mouth, Yoochan licked and gently bit Jungeol’s lower lip. When Jungeol grazed his teeth, Yoochan shivered. His body responded quickly. Just as Yoochan was about to wrap his arms around Jungeol’s neck, Jungeol pulled away, leaving Yoochan looking disappointed.

Jungeol looked towards the door. Simultaneously, they heard men’s voices nearby. Yoochan quickly lowered his arms from Jungeol’s neck and stepped back.

Just in time, the door to the smoking room opened. Jaehyeok, who was talking to someone behind him, looked up and saw Jungeol and Yoochan already a few steps apart.

“Oh, Yoochan, do you smoke too?”

“Yoochan doesn’t smoke,” Taeho replied.

Jaehyeok nodded and sat down, pulling out a cigarette.

Yoochan’s heart pounded as he looked at Jungeol. Jungeol watched Taeho and Jaehyeok’s conversation with a casual glance, then met Yoochan’s gaze and smiled playfully.

Yoochan sat down on the sofa across from Jungeol, rubbing his chest. His heart raced, either from nearly being caught by Taeho and Jaehyeok or from seeing Jungeol’s rare playful side. Jungeol casually took out a cigarette. Just then, Jaehyeok turned to Jungeol and asked,

“Oh, right. What are you going to do about the cover-up? Dahee told me to ask you.”

Jungeol looked at Jaehyeok with a cigarette in his mouth. Hearing Dahee’s name, Yoochan’s eyes widened as he looked at Jungeol.

“Should I contact her? Or not?”

“I’ll think about it,” Jungeol replied briefly, lighting his cigarette.

Jaehyeok leaned back in his chair and said, “Yeah, if you’re going to do it, do it quickly. The lettering looks ugly.”

Jungeol furrowed his brow, seemingly lost in thought, as Jaehyeok opened his cigarette pack and muttered,

“But why did she ask me to ask you? Don’t you two chat on KakaoTalk?”

Taeho subtly elbowed Jaehyeok in the side. Jaehyeok looked at Taeho, confused. It seemed Jaehyeok didn’t know about what had happened between Dahee and Jungeol. When Jungeol didn’t answer, Jaehyeok sensed something was off and leaned on the table, asking,

“What’s going on? Did you fight?”

“Come on, Hyung. We’re not kids; we wouldn’t fight.”

Taeho tried to intervene and stop the conversation, but it was no use. Instead, Jaehyeok seemed convinced that Jungeol and Dahee had fought due to Taeho’s active response. Jaehyeok stared intently at Jungeol, who was silently smoking, and then spoke to Yoochan.

“Yoochan, can you step aside for a moment? I need to talk to him. Lee Taeho, you too.”

“Yes. Yoochan, let’s go get some ice cream.”

Taeho stood up abruptly and gestured towards Yoochan. Yoochan glanced at Jungeol, who nodded as if to say it was okay. With a heavy heart, Yoochan followed Taeho outside.

By the time Yoochan finished playing with Gaang, who had returned from a walk, and ate the ice cream Taeho bought, Jungeol and Jaehyeok also came out of the smoking room. Their expressions weren’t bad, suggesting the conversation went well.

“Are you going to stay and play? Or do you want to go upstairs?”

Jungeol asked Yoochan as he approached. Yoochan, who knew he couldn’t have a meal with Jungeol today due to a reservation, frowned and replied.

“I’m going back to the judo gym.”

“What about food?”

“I’ll eat something simple at home. I need to start losing weight seriously from today.”

Yoochan answered, touching his stomach sadly. Jungeol tilted his head and said.

“You know you shouldn’t sweat too much, right?”

“These days, I just take it easy with the air conditioner on full blast. I just watch the younger ones train.”

Jungeol nodded in relief and leaned towards Yoochan.

“See you after.”

Yoochan awkwardly nodded, feeling embarrassed by the seemingly trivial words.

After eating less than a third of his usual meal at home, Yoochan went to the judo gym. He lightly warmed up to avoid straining his tattooed area and coached his high school juniors. Before he knew it, it was time to finish.

After seeing off the car carrying the students, Yoochan took the key he had received in advance from the director and turned off the lights in the judo gym one by one. Then he heard someone knocking. Yoochan, puzzled as there was no one expected at this hour, went to the entrance. He saw a tall man standing in front of the glass door and instinctively shouted.

“Hyung!”

Jungeol, who seemed ready to leave work, entered with a backpack slung over one shoulder. Yoochan, barefoot, ran to the dirty entrance floor and opened the door wide, speaking excitedly.

“Did you finish early?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t expect you to come pick me up.”

Yoochan hurriedly grabbed Jungeol’s wrist and led him inside. Jungeol, slowly being pulled by Yoochan, replied.

“I wanted to see you train, but I was late.”

“Today, the assistant director didn’t come. The director handled both the earlier and later sessions alone.”

As Yoochan spoke, he noticed Jungeol’s gaze fixed on him. Yoochan realized it was the first time Jungeol had seen him in a judo uniform and, feeling embarrassed, touched the back of his neck.

“I’ll wash up quickly. Just wait a bit. There’s a sofa in the office over there. But it might be cooler here since the air conditioner is on.”

Jungeol put down his backpack and looked at Yoochan’s white judo uniform.

“The uniform suits you well.”

Yoochan’s face brightened at the sincere compliment.

“Really? My peers also say the judo uniform suits me better than training clothes. Even the older girls at the judo gym say I look better in the judo uniform.”

Yoochan, who was speaking fluently, noticed Jungeol looking at him with a faint smile and felt embarrassed, clearing his throat.

“It’s not my opinion, just what others say. The judo uniform makes your shoulders look broader than they actually are.”

Trying to hide his embarrassment, Yoochan quickly shifted the topic to Jungeol.

“I think the judo uniform would suit you too, Hyung.”

“…Really?”

Jungeol, seemingly indifferent, sat on a chair in the corner. Unlike him, Yoochan looked somewhat excited. The more he spoke, the more he imagined how cool Jungeol would look in a judo uniform. Yoochan pointed to the judo uniforms hanging on a rack on one side of the gym.

“Do you want to try it on, Hyung?”

Jungeol clasped his hands together and looked at Yoochan. Seeing that Jungeol didn’t immediately refuse, Yoochan smiled as if he found it amusing and approached the hanger.

“We have some spare judo uniforms for people who want to try it out for a day. My high school friends sometimes come by and wear them, and the director doesn’t mind at all.”

Yoochan took a blue judo uniform from the second tier of the hanger without a clothes peg and approached Jungeol. Jungeol, seeing Yoochan silently offering the uniform, stood up and took off his sweatshirt.

His perfectly sculpted muscles were revealed. Yoochan, who was staring blankly at Jungeol’s upper body, shook his head and handed over the uniform.

“Just tie the pants string tightly. If you don’t secure it properly, it will keep slipping down during practice. I know a middle schooler who got really embarrassed because his string came undone while he wasn’t wearing underwear.”

Jungeol chuckled at Yoochan’s words, put the judo pants on the chair, and examined the top. Yoochan, feeling embarrassed to look directly at Jungeol’s moving body, glanced sideways.

Unfortunately, there was a large mirror covering one side of the judo gym wall behind Jungeol. Through the mirror, Yoochan could see Jungeol’s tattooed back. The lion’s mane was the clearest Yoochan had ever seen indoors, probably because of the bright lights in the gym.

While Yoochan was thinking that the black back, divided along the voluminous spinal erector muscles, looked intimidating, Jungeol’s body was covered by the blue judo uniform. Jungeol, who had put on the top, immediately reached for the pants buckle.

“Ah…”

Realizing that Jungeol was about to take off his pants, Yoochan turned half a turn and looked at the floor, visibly flustered.

As the sound of the pants being unfastened clinked, Yoochan naturally recalled Jungeol in his bathroom. Gray band, black drawers. And the healthy snake that seemed ready to burst through the underwear even when not fully erect…

“Do I just tie the belt like a taekwondo belt?”

Jungeol’s sudden question interrupted Yoochan’s lewd thoughts. Yoochan turned around quickly, looking as if his secret thoughts had been exposed.

Jungeol, now fully dressed in the judo uniform, was waiting for Yoochan. Without the belt, the wide chest was visible through the uniform’s collar. Yoochan took the black belt from Jungeol and went behind him. Hiding his flushed face behind Jungeol’s broad back, Yoochan wrapped his arms around Jungeol’s thick, firm waist and said.

“I’ve never learned taekwondo, so I don’t know if the belt tying is the same. Did you learn taekwondo, Hyung?”

“For a short time when I was young.”

“Ah, right. Most guys learn taekwondo, even if it’s just briefly.”

After properly adjusting the collar and tightly tying the black belt, Yoochan stood in front of Jungeol.

“Wow.”

As soon as he saw Jungeol fully dressed in the judo uniform, Yoochan couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Hyung, no joke, if you went outside and said you were on the national judo team, everyone would believe you. Since you quit boxing, you should really try learning judo. It suits you so well.”

Yoochan, who admired middle school girls wearing taekwondo uniforms over their shoulders while in slippers when he was in elementary school, kept praising Jungeol’s appearance.

Jungeol, who was pulling the belt tightly to prevent it from coming undone, smiled as if he was pleased with Yoochan’s words. Yoochan, who was quietly admiring Jungeol, approached him and said.

“Seeing you in a judo uniform at our gym makes me happy, Hyung.”

“Why?”

Yoochan playfully grabbed Jungeol’s collar and said.

“I was always jealous of couples doing techniques like pinning together.”

“Pinning?”

Yoochan nodded and gestured for Jungeol to sit down. When Jungeol sat down without suspicion, Yoochan quickly wrapped one arm around Jungeol’s neck and laid him on the floor.

“…Like this.”

Yoochan said triumphantly. Jungeol, who was pinned down without much resistance, looked up at Yoochan with amusement. Yoochan, with a mischievous expression, said.

“There’s a lot of physical contact, so usually guys pair with guys and girls with girls, but couples get paired together. I always wanted to try it with a judo girlfriend, but doing it with you is nice too, Hyung.”

After smiling, Yoochan tried to get up. But his body wouldn’t budge. Jungeol had wrapped his arms around Yoochan’s waist and was holding him tightly.

Seeing that Jungeol had no intention of loosening his grip, Yoochan gave up trying to escape and cautiously rested his head on Jungeol’s shoulder.

“…”

Yoochan felt Jungeol’s chest moving gently up and down. After feeling Jungeol’s breath for a few seconds, he slightly turned his head to look at Jungeol. Just as he was feeling happy that Jungeol was looking at him too, Jungeol asked in a calm voice,

“Is there CCTV here?”

Yoochan paused, startled, then quickly shook his head. Seeing Yoochan eagerly indicating there was no CCTV, Jungeol chuckled and pulled Yoochan closer by the nape of his neck.

“Ah.”

As Yoochan was pulled in, he thought he had finally achieved a long-held dream since elementary school.

Jungeol’s hand slipped under the gi and gently rubbed Yoochan’s waist. Yoochan tensed, flexing his abs. He wondered if this was appropriate in the sacred dojo, but the gentle touch on his skin sparked his curiosity. Just then, Jungeol’s phone vibrated in his jacket hanging on the chair.

Mistaking the vibration for someone approaching, Yoochan jumped up in alarm. Jungeol, looking regretful, slowly wiped his thumb across his lips and answered the phone.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

The voice on the other end was Taeho’s. Gaang’s barking could also be heard loudly in the background. Jungeol replied that he would be right there and hung up. Yoochan, still feeling the tingle on his lips, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and said,

“I’ll go shower quickly.”

Jungeol nodded, and Yoochan opened the shower room door next to the entrance. He turned back with a suspicious look and said,

“Don’t peek. It’ll cost you a million won if you do.”

Jungeol, who had no intention of peeking, chuckled. Yoochan added,

“And no funny business in the dojo. Only kissing allowed.”

“I’m not shameless enough to do that in someone else’s workplace.”

“Good.”

Reassured, Yoochan shrugged and went into the shower room. Jungeol shook his head in disbelief and then answered a call from the manager.

When Yoochan finished his shower and came out, Jungeol had just ended his call with the manager and had changed his pants. As Jungeol turned to hang his gi on the rack, Yoochan admired his body and then noticed the poorly done lettering tattoo below Jungeol’s elbow.

“Should we go?” Jungeol asked, turning around in his sweatshirt.

Yoochan, reluctant to part ways, noticed the cigarette pack in Jungeol’s hand and said,

“Have a smoke first, Hyung.”

Jungeol frowned, looking unenthusiastic, but Yoochan tugged at his arm and said,

“The manager comes up to the rooftop to smoke, so it’s okay.”

Jungeol gave in and followed Yoochan.

Flick.

A small flame lit up the dark rooftop and then died down. Yoochan watched the red ember at the end of Jungeol’s cigarette and leaned against the railing. He suddenly asked,

“Can I ask what you and Jaehyeok Hyung talked about earlier?”

“About the tattoo cover-up.”

“Are you going to get it?”

“I don’t know. What do you think I should do?”

Jungeol asked casually, noticing Yoochan’s gaze.

“What? No, of course, you should get it. How can you live with that forever?”

Yoochan exaggeratedly shook his head and replied loudly, then grinned and asked,

“But Hyung, haven’t you thought about getting the cover-up from someone other than Dahee Noona?”

“No. Getting a cover-up from another tattoo artist is a matter of pride. Dahee would feel the same way.”

“Has that happened to you too, Hyung? Someone covering up your work?”

Jungeol took a drag of his cigarette and replied, “Yeah, a long time ago.”

Yoochan found it interesting that even Jungeol, who was already known for his skills two years ago, had experienced this. He recalled Taeho saying that Jungeol hated customers regretting their tattoos, so he took his time with consultations and accepted design change requests without complaint. Yoochan nodded to himself in understanding.

* * *

It was a sunny weekend afternoon, about four days after Jungeol and Yoochan had that conversation.

A woman entered the shop without making a sound. Yoochan, thinking she was a customer, greeted her out of habit. Jaehyeok, who was eating jjambbong nearby, tilted his head and then, realizing something, spoke in a bewildered voice.

“Wow, I really didn’t recognize you.”

“Ah, be quiet, Oppa.”

Yoochan, who had heard from Jungeol that Dahee would be coming today, listened to their conversation and looked at Dahee curiously.

Dahee, who usually came to the shop dressed in flashy and revealing clothes, was wearing a red cap and a black hoodie today, looking quite plain. She adjusted her black horn-rimmed glasses, which hid her makeup-free face, with her index finger and then placed the tablet she was holding on the table, asking Yoochan where Jungeol was.

“Ah, Hyung just went to the bathroom.”

“I guess I’ll have to wait.”

While Dahee was picking up a gyoza from the table, Jungeol came out of the bathroom. He approached calmly and, leaning on the sofa, asked.

“Do you have the design?”

Initially, Dahee seemed to hesitate slightly when she saw Jungeol, but she soon responded in a composed voice.

“I removed all the movie-themed designs because you seem to dislike trends. I also made new designs for the ones with flowers, and here’s what I have. Which one do you want?”

Dahee handed the tablet with the design files open to Jungeol. Yoochan, who had a gyoza in his mouth, leaned over to look at the designs. The screen was filled with grotesque images that were more intense than Jungeol’s drawings, like snakes, spiders, and skulls.

“…”

While Jungeol frowned at the designs, Taeho and Jinu came out of the smoking room and greeted Dahee. Dahee, who was awkward with the two, waved her hand carelessly and urged Jungeol.

“Option 1 is the snake, 2 is the spider, and 3 is the demonic skull. Pick one.”

At that moment, Jinu, who had been looking at the designs with interest, pointed at the spider and said.

“If I may add my opinion, this would look good and stylish on the elbow. It would be nice to add a bit more web too.”

“I think the spider looks the best as well.”

Dahee agreed, but then Jaehyeok, who also liked creatures like Dahee, voiced his opposing opinion.

“Isn’t the skull better than the spider? It’s not just a human skull; it has goat horns, which makes it unique and better. The spider design itself seems a bit common and mundane to me.”

“I vote for the skull too. It would look cool when your arm is bent, showing the design directly to the other person. It would be visible every time Hyung smokes.”

With Taeho siding with Jaehyeok, the opinions were evenly split.

“So, did you choose, Hyung?”

In response to Taeho’s question, Jungeol leaned his arm on the back of the sofa and, as if struck by a sudden idea, playfully asked Yoochan.

“What about you?”

“…Me?”

Yoochan pointed to himself and asked again. Jungeol calmly responded.

“Yeah. What do you think is good?”

“I don’t know much about drawings.”

“It’s just for reference, so feel free to say.”

Feeling awkward about giving an opinion among the five tattooists watching, Yoochan, who was a non-professional, pondered the sudden question seriously. Jungeol, resting his chin on his hand, watched Yoochan, curious about his choice.

In truth, Jungeol had received tattoos from famous tattooists and even inked himself. He no longer had a strong attachment to the tattoos on his body. He often lent his body to his apprentices for practice and had lived with their clumsy tattoos uncovered for over a year. Although he hadn’t tried it yet, Jungeol was considering covering his arm with a black sleeve someday. To Jungeol, a 7-8 cm cover-up tattoo on his elbow felt like child’s play.

Whether it was a snake, skull, or spider didn’t matter. It just needed to be completed by his apprentice’s hand, which was why he asked Yoochan for his opinion. After much deliberation, Yoochan timidly pointed to the first snake drawing and said.

“Personally…I think this one looks the prettiest…Or is it?”

Seeing Yoochan’s hesitant comment, Jungeol smiled and stood up as if he had been waiting.

“Alright. I’ll go with the snake.”

Surprised by the decisive choice, Yoochan’s eyes widened. Immediately, Jinu asked in bewilderment.

“Are you really going with the snake? Honestly, isn’t the spider better?”

Jaehyeok added.

“Didn’t you say you had a small snake wrapped around the lion’s leg on your back?”

“Yeah.”

Jungeol’s expression was firm, as if his decision was final. Dahee stood up, understanding, and said.

“Got it. Since it’s small, it won’t take long. Do you want any more modifications to the design?”

Seeing Jungeol nod, Dahee turned to Jinu.

“Jinu, where’s the printer?”

“I put it in the back. I’ll show you, Noona.”

As Jinu led Dahee to the printer, Jaehyeok enlarged the snake photo on the tablet. Nodding as if it was acceptable, he then lit a cigarette and headed to the smoking room.

“Hey, Hyung!”

Taeho, the last one remaining, still couldn’t believe Jungeol’s choice and asked loudly.

“Why didn’t you listen to us but only to Yoochan? Are you two dating?”

“Yeah, we’re dating.”

Cough. Yoochan choked at the straightforward answer. Taeho, seemingly unfazed, responded nonchalantly.

“Ah, such a shame about the skull design…Should I take it instead?”

Brushing off the dating comment as a joke, Taeho clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction and checked his watch before heading to seat 2. Once Taeho was gone and it was just Jungeol and Yoochan, Yoochan spoke in a hushed, astonished voice.

“Hyung! How could you say that suddenly? It’s a secret…!”

“No one believes it anyway.”

“But you never know, so we have to be careful…! Until I’m ready to tell!”

Jungeol, amused by Yoochan’s seriousness, suddenly tilted his chin up as if remembering something and asked.

“Did you tell your friends about the tattoo?”

“Yes. It’s hard to avoid showing them. I was planning to show it once it was finished. When will you complete it?”

“Let’s take a look.”

“Now?”

With no one around, Jungeol raised his eyebrows in surprise. Yoochan, feeling more self-conscious about undressing in front of Jungeol than anyone else, scratched his cheek and slowly turned around, lifting his T-shirt. Jungeol examined the partially peeling black scab on the tattoo and said.

“It’s peeling.”

Yoochan glanced back and asked.

“Does that mean you can’t do it?”

“It’s not overlapping with the background, so it can be done if you want. Let’s do it on the weekend evening if you’re okay with it.”

“Sounds great.”

Yoochan smiled broadly and lowered his T-shirt. Just then, Dahee and Jinu approached with the printed design. Dahee waved the design, signaling Jungeol to come over.

While Jungeol was getting his tattoo, Yoochan was wondering whether to go to the judo gym or just rest at home. Just then, Jungeol turned around and called him.

“Baek Yoochan.”

“Yes?”

Seeing Jungeol gesture for him to come over, Yoochan smiled broadly and ran to him.

Following Dahee, they arrived at a different room, not the one Jungeol usually used, which was covered with blackout curtains, but an open space. It was a place used for tattoos on areas that don’t require the client to undress or for female clients who felt uncomfortable being alone with a male tattooist.

Thanks to this, Yoochan could watch comfortably. As Dahee approached with a piece of paper, Jungeol rolled up his sleeve and raised his arm for Dahee to check. Dahee, aligning the paper with the area she had lettered, tilted her head.

“Do you want it to be visible when your arm is bent, or when it’s straight? The design has the snake’s head facing up.”

Dahee spoke while focusing on Jungeol’s elbow, finding it challenging. As Jungeol bent his arm as instructed, Dahee said it could work with the head facing up when bent. She asked Jungeol for his opinion.

Despite stepping aside to make it easier for Jungeol to see the full-length mirror, Jungeol looked at Yoochan instead of the mirror. Yoochan, understanding Jungeol’s expression, opened his eyes wide and carefully observed Dahee’s hand turning the design repeatedly.

From Yoochan’s perspective, the snake’s head facing up when the arm was bent and the coils facing down looked cool. Yoochan, now the decision-maker, gave a thumbs up, indicating his approval. Jungeol told Dahee to proceed with it, and Dahee started preparing the transfer paper.

After carefully applying and peeling off the transfer paper, the “DOGE 거♡” lettering was perfectly covered by the snake’s body. While waiting for the transfer to dry, Dahee went to the smoking room with Jaehyeok, saying she would be back after a smoke. Yoochan approached Jungeol and looked at the transfer.

“Do you like it?”

Yoochan, who was pleased that the lettering was covered and that the coiled snake staring forward suited Jungeol well, suddenly spoke with a hint of envy.

“Hyung, should we get matching couple items?”

Jungeol, who was looking at the transfer, raised his gaze at Yoochan’s words and asked.

“What kind of couple items?”

“Couple T-shirts or sneakers, something like that. But not exactly the same. Similar in style or color to give a couple vibe, but with slight differences in detail. My friend has matching sneakers where the design is the same, but the colors are different.”

Jungeol tilted his head, puzzled by Yoochan’s sudden talk about couple items. Yoochan, unaware that Jungeol was watching, couldn’t take his eyes off the snake transfer Dahee had applied.

Sensing something suspicious about Yoochan licking his lower lip nervously, Jungeol realized Yoochan’s emotions were driven by envy and asked.

“Do you want to get another tattoo?”

“What?”

Yoochan flinched and looked up. His startled eyes indicated that he had something else on his mind. Jungeol, pulling at his lips, said.

“What is it? Tell me.”

“It’s not that I want to get another tattoo…Well, it is, but it’s a bit different.”

Yoochan quickly shook his head and then honestly drooped his shoulders, saying.

“I want a couple tattoo instead.”

“A couple tattoo?”

When Jungeol asked again, Yoochan, with an embarrassed expression, hurriedly added.

“Not right now, but later. Maybe in ten years. If we’re still together, I think a couple tattoo would be nice. But if you don’t want to, that’s fine too.”

Yoochan, taking a step back with a dejected look, seemed so cute that Jungeol laughed lightly and asked.

“Why suddenly a couple tattoo?”

“Just because. Dahee Noona has her name on your body and now even has a decent artwork on you. I’m a bit jealous. Ah…! I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it. I just suddenly thought it would be nice to have something related to me on your body someday. And I would like to have something related to you on my body too…”

Yoochan, feeling embarrassed, brushed his cheek. Leaning back against the large gray cushion on the tattoo bed, Jungeol asked.

“What kind of couple tattoo do you want?”

“Ah…it’s a bit embarrassing to say.”

It seemed like Yoochan already had a design in mind. Jungeol waited patiently, indicating he could speak comfortably. Finally, Yoochan, blushing, spoke.

“Not exactly the same, but obviously a couple’s design. That’s what I want. So, for example…”

Jungeol waited silently for Yoochan’s answer, trying to guess what he wanted. Yoochan swallowed nervously and said with a tense expression.

“Like a bolt and a nut.”

“…”

“Isn’t that idea awesome? Honestly, isn’t it a total hit?”

“So, who’s the bolt and who’s the nut?”

Jungeol leaned against the wall, looking already tired. Yoochan, embarrassed, laughed and replied.

“Well, as much as I hate to admit it, you’re probably the bolt and I’m the nut, right? Because you’re the snake.”

Seeing Jungeol not responding, Yoochan misunderstood and asked with wide eyes.

“Or do I have a chance to be the bolt?”

“…”

“If you give me the chance, I’d be totally grateful, Hyung. Honestly, it’s more appropriate for me to be the bolt. Given the human body structure, yours is a bit…you know.”

Jungeol, looking tired, rubbed his forehead and replied.

“That’s the worst tattoo design idea I’ve ever heard from you.”

“Ah, why…!”

Yoochan asked, feeling wronged, but quickly brightened up and added.

“Then how about this? A lock and key. Isn’t that awesome? It means only you, Hyung, can unlock Baek Yoochan. Isn’t that a killer idea?”

Jungeol looked at the endlessly excited Yoochan and decided that even if he ever got a couple tattoo with Yoochan, he would never use a design that came from Yoochan’s head.

“Is it all dry? Let’s start.”

Dahee, who had finished smoking, returned and said. Yoochan stepped back to avoid disturbing Dahee, who was pouring ink into the tattoo cap, and frowned deeply, wondering if his idea was really that bad.

* * *

“Not bored?”

After about an hour of work, Dahee wiped the ink and spoke to Yoochan. Yoochan, more nervous about whether the tattoo would turn out as pretty as the design than bored, shook his head while trembling his legs.

“Watching is pretty fun too. Noona, isn’t your neck hurting? Your posture looks uncomfortable.”

“I need to take a short break. I can’t get the right posture.”

Dahee put down the machine, rotated her neck, and seemed to be heading to the bathroom. Yoochan, stretching his neck out of curiosity, looked at the snake head Dahee had been working on and said in amazement.

“Wow. You can’t see ‘DOGE’ at all now. Noona, you’re really good. The skill difference between this and the lettering below is like night and day.”

“Practice makes perfect.”

“Come on, not everyone can do that with practice. You need artistic talent. No matter how much I practice, I could never do that.”

Jungeol, smiling at Yoochan’s certainty, said.

“Do you want to try?”

“What? What did you say?”

“There are still plenty of empty spots.”

Jungeol provocatively extended his arm as if offering it, making Yoochan back away in horror.

“No way. What if I mess it up? I can’t even do a cover-up.”

Jungeol chuckled and put his arm back. It seemed like a joke. Yoochan, frowning belatedly, grumbled.

“Hyung, why do you treat your body like disposable toilet paper? You only have one body, so take care of it. You just went with the snake because I said so.”

Yoochan continued to grumble, dissatisfied with Jungeol’s attitude.

“You were born with a body that most people can’t achieve even with effort, so don’t treat it carelessly. Hyung, you’ve let Noona practice on you enough, so that’s it. Completely done. Got it?”

Since Jungeol had no intention of taking on more apprentices, he nodded in agreement. Dahee, who had gone to the bathroom, returned and picked up the machine again. Yoochan, feeling restless, told Jungeol he would be back in thirty minutes.

“Okay, go ahead.”

Yoochan stood up, waved secretly at Jungeol, and went outside. To help with his diet, he chose to take the stairs instead of the elevator, and as he climbed quickly, Jungeol’s voice saying, “Do you want to try it too?” echoed in his head like tinnitus. Yoochan muttered to himself in disbelief.

“Seriously, why does Hyung say such ridiculous things? I’m really bad at art.”

As he opened the emergency exit door on the 14th floor, Yoochan suddenly tilted his head. The thought that he absolutely couldn’t do it had subtly changed into a question mark.

Yoochan almost fell for Jungeol’s joke but quickly shook his head vigorously, remembering how he couldn’t even write neatly.

As soon as he arrived in his room, Yoochan took off his outerwear, hung from the pull-up bar at the entrance, and did ten light pull-ups before lying on the sofa without a shirt. As he usually did, Yoochan opened his phone to check SNS, but then he suddenly turned off the screen and opened an internet browser to search for something.

▶│Tattoo machine for sale

However, Yoochan quickly erased the text and muttered, “Nah.” It was a ridiculous idea. Someone like him, without any artistic talent, wouldn’t improve even with practice like Dahee or Jaehyeok.

But he thought there was no harm in just looking at the machines. After a few clicks, Yoochan found a site specializing in tattoo supplies. The screen was filled with intriguing photos. Yoochan frowned and sat up, seriously examining the machines. The silver machine at the top seemed to be the best seller.

“Wow, 750,000 won for a machine? That’s cheap.”

Yoochan muttered in a satisfied voice and added the machine to his cart. As he felt a baseless surge of confidence that he might be able to do small lettering after a year of practice, different types of machines appeared in the recommendations. Although they were several times more expensive than the one he had just added to his cart, such trivial numbers didn’t bother Yoochan.

“Wow, this one can be customized to any shape?”

Yoochan added that one to his cart as well and, as if possessed, proceeded to the payment page and quickly completed the purchase in one lump sum.

Turning off his phone screen, Yoochan flopped onto the sofa and stretched out his legs. The thought of possibly engraving his name on Jungeol’s body made Yoochan smile brightly.

When Yoochan returned to the shop after his pleasant shopping spree, Dahee had already left for dinner with Jaehyeok. Yoochan greeted the Manager at the counter and looked around. Seeing Yoochan’s searching look, the Manager smiled and pointed to seat 1.

“Oppa is preparing for the next appointment. You can go in for a bit.”

“Thanks, Noona!”

“So you don’t even pretend to come to see me anymore? Disappointing, Yoochan.”

“Ah, I really do come to see you, Noona.”

The Manager squinted and wrinkled her nose as if to say Yoochan was lying, making him laugh as he headed to seat 1. When he pulled back the blackout curtain, he saw Jungeol’s back.

“Hyung! Is the snake done?”

Jungeol, who had been looking at the design, nodded when he saw Yoochan.

“Yeah.”

“Show me.”

Before Jungeol could answer, Yoochan grabbed his arm and pulled up his sleeve. Jungeol bent his arm to show the coiled black snake.

“Wow, that’s insane.”

Yoochan looked at Jungeol in awe, admiring the glossy texture that made the snake look alive.

“Wow, but this…Can I say this?”

Jungeol raised his eyebrows as if to say, “Go ahead.” Yoochan shyly reached out and rubbed the snake with his thumb, murmuring in awe.

“It’s really sexy.”

Jungeol, still not used to such blunt compliments, closed his mouth in embarrassment, but Yoochan continued to express his admiration.

“When I saw the lion on your back, I thought it was really cool, but this one suits you so well. And where was the original lettering? I can’t see it at all. How is it so seamless?”

Yoochan, pleased that Dahee’s lettering was no longer visible, playfully patted Jungeol’s arm. Jungeol let Yoochan touch his arm and sat on the bed.

“What did you do for thirty minutes upstairs?”

“What?”

The smile disappeared from Yoochan’s face.

“Exercise? Nap?”

Yoochan’s eyes wavered. He hesitated to answer, knowing he’d definitely get scolded if he admitted to impulsively spending two to three million won on tattoo machines.

Seeing Yoochan remain silent, Jungeol tilted his head in curiosity. Yoochan quickly gathered himself and lied, saying he had been doing pull-ups. Jungeol, not noticing anything strange about Yoochan’s behavior, changed the subject, mentioning that he could finish Yoochan’s tattoo on the weekend evening.

* * *

“Ugh! Huh!”

“…”

“Hngh!”

“Baek Yoochan.”

“…Hngh. Yes?”

“You’re not doing that on purpose, are you?”

“What? No way! Do you think I’m a pervert? Making these sounds…Hngh…on purpose? It really hurts, that’s why…!”

Yoochan, who had been flaring up, grimaced in pain and buried his forehead in his arm. Jungeol quietly laughed, watching Yoochan’s body tremble.

“Hngh…! Huh…!”

Seeing Yoochan’s body twitch with each precise ink insertion, it didn’t seem like he was exaggerating, but Jungeol still couldn’t get used to those peculiar moans.

Yoochan made normal sounds during physical contact, but for some reason, he made these strange moans only when getting a tattoo. Jungeol, trying to ignore Yoochan’s moans, started a conversation.

“You don’t seem to be going to the judo gym this evening.”

“Hngh…Yes…”

“Are you resting because you’re tired?”

“Well, that’s part of it…Ugh…I also have things to do at home.”

“Things to do?”

Jungeol asked curiously, lifting the machine.

“Just…schoolwork and some home workouts…Ah! Damn, that one really hurt.”

Even in pain, Yoochan decided to hide the truth and replied like that.

In reality, Yoochan had been practicing tattooing on pig skin whenever he had free time. On days when he had time between his morning run and the first class, he would spend the morning with the pig skin and the machine. Of course, having only practiced for 5 or 6 days, his skills hadn’t improved at all.

As Yoochan worried about what to do if his skills didn’t improve despite all the practice, his phone on the chair rang. Jungeol, seeing the name “Jaemin Hyung” on the screen, frowned and handed it to Yoochan without a word. Yoochan, lying down, answered the call with a cheerful voice.

“Yes, Hyung!”

[Hey, Yoochan. Are you at the judo gym?]

“No, I came down to get a tattoo today. You know the tattoo shop on the second floor of the officetel, right? I’m there.”

The other person’s voice was clear, probably because the call volume was high. As Jungeol wiped the ink off his gloves, the man called Jaemin spoke.

[How much longer will it take?]

Yoochan looked back at Jungeol. Jungeol held up both palms, indicating ten minutes.

“…About ten minutes. But why?”

[Ten minutes? Okay. Then come to Jeongmun Insaeng Makchang in thirty minutes.]

“What? Now? Are you alone, Hyung?”

[Yeji and Jinhong are here too, so hurry up. Remember the Hyung I introduced you to last time? Our department senior. He said he had fun with you last time and wants to treat you to a meal again.]

“Ah…I have plans today…”

[I’ll be really disappointed if you don’t come. You know what happens when I close my heart, right?]

“Ah, Hyung! Don’t get upset! Hyung!”

Yoochan, who wanted to have a short date with Jungeol tonight, hesitated to answer, but Jaemin made the plans and hung up.

“Did you get a drinking invitation?”

Jungeol asked, placing the machine back. Yoochan, squinting from the sharp sensation, put down his phone and replied in a frustrated tone.

“Seems like it. Ah, I wanted to meet you tonight too…I hate drinking parties…”

“Should I come pick you up?”

Jungeol, focused on the drawing, asked lightly. Yoochan’s voice brightened up at the welcome suggestion.