Black & Grey Vol. 3 Chapter 8

Then there should be three in total, but there were four different types of machine boxes. When asked why, Yoochan added shyly.

[Well, I’m not a tattoo artist, but I felt a bit guilty buying three machines just for myself. I’ve always gotten meals from you, Hyung, but never really gave you a proper gift, so I bought one for you. I thought about giving you one of mine, but it felt like giving a used one wouldn’t be sincere. I was wondering when to give it to you, but I’ll bring it to you after the birthday party today.]

“Alright, thanks. I’ll use it well.”

At Jungeol’s words, Yoochan cleared his throat awkwardly and said he had to go because his friends were calling. Jungeol reminded him to text if he thought of anything he wanted to do before going to the military and ended the call.

Jungeol switched his phone to his other hand and spread out his left hand, looking down. The 5-don gold ring Yoochan had given him was shining brightly. Even though the design was odd, knowing Yoochan had put a lot of thought into choosing the best one made Jungeol smile.

Clenching his ringed hand, Jungeol left the smoking room. He would have to work tirelessly to make time for dates with Yoochan, but there was no shadow on Jungeol’s face as he entered the first seat.

“Hyung! There’s already a line! Hurry up!”

Yoochan, excitedly running down the stairs, turned around and urged Jungeol. Jungeol leisurely followed Yoochan, holding the handrail on the concrete wall, and looked inside the open door. The entrance was narrow and dark, so he didn’t expect much, but inside was a spacious and open area. The waiting area seemed to be a two-story space decorated like a cafe next to the counter. Two or three teams were waiting, playing board games.

“I’ll go make the reservation, so get something to drink and sit down.”

While Yoochan went to the counter to make the reservation, Jungeol sat down and received a call from the Manager.

“Hello.”

[Oppa, are you with Yoochan by any chance?]

Jungeol delayed his response and looked at Yoochan. Yoochan was leaning over the counter, busily filling out something.

They hadn’t officially revealed their relationship to the shop staff yet, and Yoochan was still contemplating when to do so. Therefore, their meeting on Jungeol’s day off was a secret for now. However, there seemed to be no reason not to tell the Manager, who always seemed to know everything and gave them knowing looks whenever she saw them whispering.

“Yeah, we’re together.”

[Ah, Taeho found a credit card in the bathroom this morning. It seems like it might be Yoochan’s. Can you ask him? It’s a woman’s name, but I think Yoochan said he uses his mom’s card.]

Jungeol took the phone away from his ear and called Yoochan. Yoochan, who had been excitedly talking to another customer who had just finished their experience, quickly ran over at Jungeol’s gesture.

“What’s up?”

“Did you lose a credit card?”

“No?”

Yoochan tilted his head in confusion. Jungeol was about to relay this to the Manager but then suddenly told Yoochan to check his wallet. Yoochan took out the card wallet from his back pocket and checked it. His expression darkened as he looked through each card.

Seeing Yoochan’s dejected face, Jungeol spoke into the phone.

“Yeah, it’s Yoochan’s. Keep it safe.”

[Alright. I’ll leave it in the counter drawer. Sorry for interrupting your date. Have fun.]

[Wow. Who’s Jungeol Hyung dating?]

[It’s a secret. You don’t need to know.]

The call ended with Taeho and the Manager’s conversation faintly heard in the background. Jungeol, thinking it was only a matter of time before all the shop staff knew about his relationship with Yoochan, looked at Yoochan, who plopped down next to him.

“Ah, when did I lose it? Oh, I must have dropped it after paying for the ice cream delivery last night.”

“You came by last night too?”

Jungeol, who had briefly met Yoochan at the shop during lunch, asked curiously. Yoochan fiddled with his wallet and nodded.

“Yeah. Taeho Hyung told me to come down for ice cream. But when I got there, he said we had to play a ladder game. I lost, so I paid.”

“You should have called me. It would have been nice to see you at night.”

“I was going to bring you some too, but Manager Noona told me not to disturb you, so we ate it all ourselves. Do you want some ice cream? They sell bread and ice cream here; I can get you some.”

Yoochan asked, holding his wallet and half-rising from his seat. Jungeol smiled and gently pressed down on Yoochan’s shoulder, making him sit back down. Yoochan shrugged and put his wallet back in his pocket. Just then, it was their turn, and a staff member called Jungeol and Yoochan.

The staff handed them a walkie-talkie and explained the room’s story and precautions. The two stood in front of a dull, painted room. Left alone in the dark and secluded hallway, Yoochan excitedly pushed Jungeol’s shoulder and said.

“I asked at the counter earlier, and they said guys rarely come here together. We’ll look totally like a couple.”

It seemed more suspicious that they were wearing conspicuously large matching rings, but Yoochan seemed convinced they looked like friendship rings. Jungeol rubbed the underside of the gold ring on his left ring finger, which had become a habit in just over a month, and looked at the excited Yoochan.

It didn’t really matter. Jungeol looked at the words “A Room of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder” written on the door and grabbed the doorknob. Just before turning the knob, he inadvertently made eye contact with Yoochan. Yoochan was looking at the handle with shining eyes.

“Do you want to open it?”

Jungeol let go of the handle and gestured to Yoochan with his chin. Yoochan eagerly grabbed the handle, wanting to open the door himself. As Yoochan opened the door with tightly pressed lips, a room with yellow lighting appeared. Jungeol briefly picked up a book perfectly aligned with the desk’s corner, looked at the title, and put it back down.

The room’s name had “obsessive” in it, and it indeed looked like the room of someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Everything was excessively organized. Even the number of books was even, and they were symmetrically placed around the center of the room.

“Wow, this is amazing. Hyung, I think I know what it is!”

Yoochan called out loudly, having figured something out. Jungeol, who had been looking at a tilted picture frame, turned to look at him. Yoochan held up the book from the desk corner and said.

“Everything is organized, but this book is just lying around. Doesn’t it look suspicious?”

“Oh, that.”

“The bookmark is on page 212, so I think the code for the lock is 0212. Let’s find the lock.”

Jungeol calmly spoke, gently patting Yoochan’s excited back.

“I moved the book to check it.”

“Oh… Hyung moved it.”

Disappointed that his guess was wrong, Yoochan pouted for three seconds before raising his eyebrows again and speaking energetically.

“But the bookmarked page still looks suspicious, doesn’t it? The code must be right, right?”

Without a word, Jungeol took the book Yoochan was holding and flipped it over. Yoochan’s puzzled eyes looked at the back of the book.

This item is not related to the escape.

Yoochan, looking sheepish, put the book back in place. Yoochan fiddled with the walkie-talkie, remembered the hint system the staff explained, and widened his eyes.

“Should we get a hint then?”

Seeing Yoochan looking for a hint less than five minutes after entering the room, Jungeol nodded. When they called for a hint using the walkie-talkie, the staff told them to dance in front of the camera in the corner of the ceiling to get a hint.

Yoochan boldly walked to a spot where the camera was visible and prepared to dance, but Jungeol quickly pulled him back. Making Yoochan look at the wall as if asking what was going on, he saw the tilted picture frame. Yoochan furrowed his brows and reached for it. Finding a key behind the frame, Yoochan cheered.

“Ah, we were so close at the end, right, Hyung?”

As they left the escape room cafe, Yoochan climbed into Jungeol’s car, speaking in an excited voice. Jungeol nodded in agreement and started the car.

“If we had just ten more minutes, we would have made it.”

In fact, Jungeol had already figured out the last clue needed to escape. But wanting Yoochan to solve it himself, he handed it to him. Yoochan, however, spent all the remaining time frowning at the prop without solving it.

“But it was really fun.”

Though they didn’t succeed in escaping, seeing Yoochan so happy made it worthwhile. Jungeol drove towards the movie theater they had planned to visit.

After the ads, a superhero action movie began. Jungeol and Yoochan had different ways of watching the film. While Jungeol sat back in his seat, resting his elbow on the armrest and drinking cola, Yoochan leaned forward, as if he was about to dive into the screen.

Jungeol chuckled and handed the nachos he bought earlier to Yoochan. Only then did Yoochan take his eyes off the screen and unwrap the nachos. Jungeol took another sip of cola and looked at the screen. Then, a loud noise reached his ears.

Crunch. Crunch.

“……”

Crunch. Crunch.

Jungeol covered his forehead and laughed silently. Yoochan, who had been eating nachos without a second thought, realized the noise he was making and leaned over, whispering quietly.

“Can you hear all the noise?”

Jungeol lowered his hand and stifled his laughter. Yoochan said, “I’ll eat quietly,” and put two nachos in his mouth. True to his word, there was no more crunching noise. Curious, Jungeol looked over and saw Yoochan gently placing the nachos on his tongue and closing his mouth, seemingly letting the hard nachos dissolve.

Then, Yoochan offered a nacho to Jungeol. As Jungeol took it with his mouth and chewed, a small crunching sound was heard.

“Hyung, shh…!”

Yoochan exaggeratedly covered his mouth with his index finger. Although the noise wasn’t loud enough to be a nuisance, Jungeol couldn’t help but dissolve the nachos on his palate due to Yoochan’s serious expression.

“Wow… that was so moving.”

After the short movie ended and they watched the final post-credits scene, Yoochan clapped with a face that looked like he was about to cry. While everyone else was busy gathering their things and leaving, Yoochan was the only one sitting and clapping.

Jungeol, instead of agreeing, smiled and gathered the snack trash Yoochan had eaten over the past two hours. Meanwhile, Yoochan finished the last of the cola in the holder and suddenly grimaced.

“Does it hurt?”

Jungeol asked with concern. Yoochan shook his head and said.

“I think my palate got all scraped up from dissolving the nachos. It’s all ragged now.”

Yoochan slightly opened his mouth and touched the scraped area on his palate with his tongue.

“It’s so ragged that it’s bothering me, like having something stuck in my teeth.”

Jungeol touched Yoochan’s chin and said.

“I’ll buy you some medicine outside, so don’t touch it.”

Yoochan obediently removed his tongue from his palate and helped Jungeol gather their things. By now, most of the audience had left, leaving only Yoochan and Jungeol. They threw away their trash in the bin by the door and headed towards the elevator. The crowd of people who had just watched the movie made it seem like it would take a while to get on.

“Should we take the stairs?”

“Yes, Hyung. That seems faster.”

Yoochan and Jungeol smiled at each other and opened the emergency exit door. Jungeol went down a few steps first, then suddenly turned to Yoochan and held out his hand. Yoochan, who had never imagined Jungeol would hold his hand in public, looked a bit surprised but then smiled and took his hand.

As Yoochan held Jungeol’s hand and talked about the movie they had just seen, they heard voices. It seemed people were coming from another floor.

Yoochan grabbed the stair railing and glanced down. It looked like people were coming up from below.

Yoochan quietly let go of Jungeol’s hand, took out his phone, and pretended to be distracted. Just then, a couple came up. Before they passed by, Jungeol grabbed Yoochan’s hand. Yoochan’s hand flinched, and he looked at Jungeol with wide eyes.

Jungeol, acting as if nothing was wrong, asked Yoochan what he wanted for dinner. Yoochan, watching the couple pass by and go up, smiled and said, “Whatever you want, Hyung.”

After leaving the movie theater, they stopped by a pharmacy to buy medicine and then crossed the Han River to a hotel buffet. Yoochan, fixated on the steamed octopus, filled a plate with it and dipped it generously in red chili paste, while Jungeol, who had whetted his appetite with salad, dipped poached sea bass in soy sauce.

Although neither of them was picky about food, Jungeol and Yoochan had very different ways of enjoying the buffet. Jungeol sampled a variety of foods he didn’t usually eat, making sure to eat vegetables in between.

On the other hand, Yoochan’s plate never saw any vegetables. After conquering lobster and shrimp on his second and third plates, Yoochan filled a plate with lamb chops and ate them with his hands.

When Jungeol offered him some escargot, Yoochan took a bite, nodded, and then offered Jungeol a lamb chop from his plate. Seeing the expectant look in Yoochan’s eyes, Jungeol took a bite of the lamb chop with his hands. Yoochan, satisfied, continued to empty his plate busily.

After finishing two plates of lamb chops, it was finally dessert time for Yoochan. While Jungeol sipped on a freshly brewed Americano, Yoochan placed a plate full of cakes and fruits in the middle of the table and said.

“Wow, Hyung. This cake is so rich. You should try some.”

Yoochan cut a piece of chocolate cake and placed it on Jungeol’s plate. Jungeol watched Yoochan eat the chocolate cake and madeleines with delight, then put down his fork.

Seeing Jungeol stop eating, Yoochan, who had been enjoying his dessert, licked the chocolate off the inside of his lips and looked at Jungeol.

Jungeol rested his chin on his left hand and subtly extended his right arm, which had been by the window. Yoochan, looking puzzled, wiped his lips with a tissue and took Jungeol’s outstretched hand, asking, “Why?”

Jungeol gazed at Yoochan’s clear white eyes. Yoochan seemed to be in a great mood today, and Jungeol felt the same. Although Jungeol was worried about ending their satisfying date with this conversation, he couldn’t keep postponing it.

As Jungeol’s silence grew longer, Yoochan’s lips seemed to dry up. Just as Yoochan was about to ask what was going on, Jungeol, having made up his mind, brought up the topic they had been consciously avoiding for almost four weeks.

Yoochan, still chewing the remaining cake in his mouth, stopped moving his jaw. His expression turned serious as he gently squeezed the hand he was holding.

“You know we haven’t talked about this since then, right?”

“Ah…”

Yoochan swallowed nervously and nodded, still looking at their clasped hands.

“Yeah, we haven’t.”

Apart from a passing joke about waiting, Yoochan hadn’t mentioned anything about his enlistment. He had been enjoying his daily life as if he didn’t have to be apart for a long time, making it seem like his enlistment had been postponed.

However, a few days ago, when Jungeol stepped out for a moment during work, Yoochan was asking Taeho various questions about military life. As soon as he saw Jungeol, he quickly changed the subject.

Why was he avoiding the topic? Yoochan wasn’t the type to brood silently, but he had been tight-lipped about the military. This made Jungeol anxious, so he brought up the subject first. Jungeol persistently looked at Yoochan, who was subtly avoiding his gaze, and asked.

“Aren’t you going to ask me to wait for you?”

Yoochan flinched as if hit in a sore spot and then slowly replied.

“I don’t know. I don’t want to burden you, Hyung.”

Surprised by the unexpected answer, Jungeol closed his mouth. Yoochan crumpled the napkin in front of him with his other hand and added.

“I didn’t know much back then, so I asked you to wait. But when I asked my school seniors, they said it was tough. Hearing that made it hard to ask you to wait again.”

“……”

“Ah, if I had known things would turn out like this with you, I wouldn’t have applied.”

It seemed Yoochan had been doing a lot of research and thinking. Scratching his thick eyebrows with the hand crumpling the napkin, Yoochan pursed his lips and added.

“But it’s okay. I’m glad you made time to hang out with me. Riding MTB together two weeks ago was fun… And night fishing with Taeho Hyung and Jaehyeok Hyung last week was really great. The late-night snack at your place the other day was delicious too.”

Despite his words of enjoyment, Yoochan’s lips trembled slightly, not matching his large frame. He took a deep breath and continued.

“I know you’ve been working without sleep to spend time with me. You’ve done your best, so… if it’s too hard for you to wait until I get discharged, I completely understand.”

Jungeol, who had been listening silently, furrowed his brows slightly at Yoochan’s last words. The strength in Jungeol’s hand holding Yoochan’s fist weakened, and a hollow voice came out.

“You’re already worrying about breaking up.”

“…What?”

Yoochan thought he was being considerate of Jungeol, but it was too harsh for Jungeol, who was just starting to develop his feelings. Seeing Yoochan’s shocked expression, Jungeol continued.

“It would be cuter if you just begged me to wait.”

Jungeol, seemingly at a loss for words, said this, and Yoochan, startled, grabbed Jungeol’s hand with both of his and shouted.

“Ah, that’s not what I meant…! I have no intention of breaking up…!”

Jungeol narrowed his eyes, as if asking Yoochan to explain what he meant. Yoochan, struggling to find the right words, furrowed his brows and scratched the back of his head before finally pouring out his true feelings.

“…They said if I ask you to wait, it’ll be more burdensome and you might not want to wait. They told me it’s easier to think of it as a long-distance relationship… So I thought I’d just think of it as a long-distance relationship.”

Yoochan muttered in a dejected voice, feeling wronged.

“I don’t want to break up with you, Hyung. So please don’t think that way.”

Yoochan’s desperate explanation seemed to soften Jungeol’s heart, and his expression relaxed as he spoke.

“Now, don’t you have something to say to me?”

“Something to say?”

Yoochan blinked, unsure. Jungeol, indicating he should think about it, lightly squeezed Yoochan’s hand without a word.

“Oh.”

Realizing Jungeol’s intention a bit late, Yoochan looked nervous but then gently scratched Jungeol’s palm and wrist as he spoke.

“Please wait for me, Hyung.”

As Jungeol’s eyes softened, Yoochan added with a cheeky expression, pulling his lips into a wide smile.

“I’ll be even better.”

Jungeol made eye contact with Yoochan and smiled, then, instead of answering, looked at his watch and said.

“Finished eating? Shall we go?”

“What?”

Yoochan asked in surprise as Jungeol suddenly let go of his hand and stood up without answering. Jungeol put on his coat and looked at Yoochan as if asking if there was a problem.

“What are you doing? Get your wallet; we have somewhere to go.”

Jungeol said this and lightly tapped Yoochan’s shoulder before heading to the cashier first. Yoochan, half-rising in confusion, shouted.

“What about the answer? Are you really not going to wait? Hyung! Hyung! Ah, answer me first!”

In the end, Yoochan had to leave the hotel without hearing Jungeol’s answer. Feeling oddly like he’d been dumped, Yoochan grumbled as he got into the car.

“Where are we going now? To a bar for a beer pong game?”

Referring to one of the items on his bucket list, Yoochan asked. Jungeol said they were going to the tattoo shop and stepped on the accelerator. Yoochan, seemingly forgetting his earlier disappointment, asked in a surprised voice.

“Didn’t you clear your schedule today? Do you have work left?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a shame. Should we bring some snacks then? It’s still time for Noona and the others to be there. I’ll eat snacks and wait while you work.”

“Sure.”

Jungeol replied with a meaningful smile. Completely unaware of Jungeol’s plans, Yoochan casually sent an emoticon in the Jet Black Tattoo Shop staff group chat and asked if anyone wanted any snacks.

After buying a bag full of the macarons the Manager requested, the snacks Taeho and Jaehyeok wanted, and the ice cream Jinwoo asked for, Yoochan arrived at the shop to find the staff already prepared to enjoy the snacks, having cleaned the table.

Yoochan, sitting Gaang on his lap, shared the snacks with the staff. Even after some snacks were gone and Jaehyeok went back to work, Jungeol sat leisurely across from Yoochan, chatting with Taeho.

It seemed strange that Jungeol, who had scheduled work, wasn’t preparing as usual. Seeing the Manager switch the entrance sign to “CLOSED,” Yoochan asked Jungeol.

“Isn’t there a client coming?”

“What client? Jungeol Hyung has no work today.”

Taeho answered before Jungeol could. Yoochan, puzzled, looked at Jungeol. Jungeol put down his coffee cup and stood up. Yoochan, seeing Jungeol gesture for him to come, stood up as if in a trance.

Jungeol led Yoochan to the first station. The space, clean and unused for the day, had Yoochan entering while Jungeol closed the blackout curtains and sat on a chair next to the bed. He also pushed a chair for Yoochan to sit.

Looking confused about the situation, Yoochan sat in the chair and looked at Jungeol. Jungeol took a machine box from the shelf under the bed. Yoochan’s eyes widened in recognition. It was the tattoo machine Yoochan had given Jungeol as a gift. Jungeol took out the unused machine and filled it with ink, surprising Yoochan.

“Hyung?”

Seeing Yoochan’s bewildered expression, Jungeol handed him the machine, already fitted with a needle and filled with ink. Yoochan, holding the machine in surprise, looked wide-eyed at Jungeol. Jungeol took off his watch and placed it aside, then positioned his right arm horizontally for Yoochan to hold comfortably and spoke.

“Start. If you want it to heal before you go in, you need to do it now.”

Yoochan’s gaze wavered at Jungeol’s blunt words.

“W-what should I do?”

Jungeol raised his eyebrows and said nonchalantly.

“Anything you want.”

“What? No, Hyung!”

Yoochan, genuinely startled by Jungeol’s words, placed the machine on the bed.

“No matter how much I practice, my writing is still crooked.”

“Just do it comfortably.”

Jungeol moved his arm, urging Yoochan. Yoochan pushed his wheeled chair back, refusing.

“No, if we’re going to get couple tattoos, it’s better if you do it on both of us. Why should I do the tattoo when we have Jet Black?”

“You bought the machine and practiced because you wanted to try it yourself, right?”

Yoochan, hit by the truth in Jungeol’s calm words, flinched and pouted.

“Well… I thought I’d be good at lettering with a bit of practice. But now I know I’m not, so I can’t do it.”

Jungeol chuckled and replied.

“I don’t care what gets inked on my body. Don’t worry about messing up.”

“How can I not worry? And if I mess up on your body, I’ll have to do the same messed-up thing on mine. Hyung, can’t you just do a nice one on me?”

“I’m not doing one on your body anyway.”

“What? Then when will I get one?”

Yoochan looked more flustered than when he received the machine, seeing Jungeol’s calm expression.

“Are you really only getting a tattoo, Hyung? It’s a couple tattoo.”

Jungeol narrowed his eyes and nodded. He didn’t mind if his body was used for practice or as a gift for his partner, but he couldn’t recklessly ink something permanent on Yoochan’s young body. Even if they got couple tattoos someday, now wasn’t the time. Jungeol had been firm in this belief since he saw the pigskin Yoochan practiced lettering on and the ink-splattered machine.

Unaware of Jungeol’s thoughts, Yoochan began to whine.

“Why not! Do one on me too. It’s supposed to be a couple tattoo, so it looks weird if only one of us has it.”

“I’ll do yours after you get discharged. Think about it more until then.”

“So you’ll definitely do it later?”

“We’ll see then.”

“Ugh.”

Yoochan’s furrowed brows relaxed at Jungeol’s ambiguous answer. Jungeol pulled Yoochan’s hand towards the machine on the bed. Yoochan, holding the machine like a pencil, seemed deep in thought.

“Then where should I do it? Really on your arm? It’ll be too visible in short sleeves during summer. What if I mess up?”

“It has to be on my arm so I can easily touch it up.”

“You’ll probably have to cover it up completely, not just touch it up. Seriously, my writing isn’t pretty.”

Now that he was about to tattoo Jungeol’s body, Yoochan was even more worried, holding the machine like a pencil. He soon let his arm drop and said.

“I’d rather do it on my body. Your body is like art, and my writing doesn’t belong on it.”

Jungeol, pulling Yoochan’s arm, placed the machine in his hand and brought it to his forearm without hesitation.

“Ah! No, no! Hyung! I’m not a spider; I only have two arms. Why are you pushing me like this? Let go!”

Yoochan shouted, desperately pulling his arm back.

“Alright! I’ll do it! I’ll do it! Just calm down, Hyung!”

Finally freeing himself from Jungeol’s grip, Yoochan looked at him, breathing heavily. Despite it being his own body, Jungeol looked as if he was casually drawing on a canvas. More distressed than Jungeol, Yoochan sighed deeply and said.

“Then tell me what to do. I’ve only practiced your initials and name. But having your name or initials on your body seems funny, like you wrote it down in case you forget.”

“What do you want to do?”

Yoochan, now faced with the question, fell into deep thought with a serious expression. Images of bolts and nuts, locks and keys, and other designs that Jungeol had rejected floated through his mind. Suddenly, he remembered the nickname “DOZE♡” that Dahee had written.

Yoochan hesitantly spoke.

“Honestly, I want to tattoo my name, Baek Yoochan, with a heart, but considering Hyung’s social standing, that might not be a good idea. So, what should I do?”

“Anything you want.”

Jungeol, who had worn his apprentice’s playful lettering for over a year, seemed completely unconcerned and encouraged Yoochan. Yoochan furrowed his brows in thought, then relaxed his expression as he seemed to come up with a decent design and grabbed Jungeol’s arm.

Yoochan examined Jungeol’s arm from different angles, but finding it awkward, he stood up and moved his chair next to Jungeol. Sitting so close that their knees were almost touching, Yoochan adjusted the light and took a deep breath.

“I can’t decide on the position. If we want it to be less noticeable, this spot might be better.”

Yoochan said, rubbing the inside of Jungeol’s wrist as he pondered.

“Hyung, if you had to get a couple tattoo on my body, where would you want it? I’ll get it there too.”

Jungeol raised his eyebrows, finding the question quite interesting.

“Well, somewhere others can’t see would be good.”

“Where others can’t see? Like the back? Chest?”

Jungeol slowly lowered his gaze from Yoochan’s clear eyes. Yoochan waited calmly as Jungeol looked at his neck and chest area, but as soon as Jungeol’s gaze reached below his navel, Yoochan subtly closed his legs. Seeing Yoochan modestly close his legs, Jungeol laughed and said, “The wrist is better.”

Relieved that Jungeol didn’t want a tattoo in a sensitive area, Yoochan relaxed and grabbed Jungeol’s arm. Swallowing nervously, he brought the machine needle to Jungeol’s wrist. Just then,

“Jungeol Hyung! Have you seen Jaehyeok Hyung’s pad?”

Taeho suddenly entered, pulling back the curtain, causing Yoochan to release the machine button with a sigh of relief. Taeho, not noticing anything, walked in and spoke.

“I borrowed it last night and left it at your spot, but I can’t find it… Oh? Yoochan, what are you doing?”

Finally noticing Yoochan holding the machine and Jungeol extending his arm, Taeho widened his eyes and spoke to Jungeol.

“Oh, what’s this? Is Yoochan tattooing you? Hyung, I thought you weren’t taking apprentices anymore.”

Jungeol looked at Yoochan. Yoochan, feeling shy, twitched his cheek and spoke.

“Hyung… I’m actually dating Jungeol Hyung.”

“Hey, that’s not how you hold it. You need to use your left fingers to give the skin tension. Otherwise, it’ll come out patchy. Hyung, why didn’t you teach your apprentice this?”

Thinking Yoochan was joking, Taeho ignored his words and started nagging. Yoochan, who had just confessed, looked bewildered but then followed Taeho’s instructions, pulling Jungeol’s wrist skin taut and bringing the machine closer.

Bzzz.

With the familiar noise, Yoochan moved his arm holding the machine under the watchful eyes of two experts. As the sharp needle tip got closer to Jungeol’s skin, Yoochan’s expression gradually twisted.

Finally, the needle tip touched the wrist. Black ink seeped into Jungeol’s wrist. Yoochan felt like his heart would burst, but he couldn’t stop now. Gritting his teeth, he moved his wrist. Drawing a slow curve, Taeho, watching with concern, added.

“Relax your grip. If you press too hard, it’ll get infected.”

Despite Taeho’s advice, Yoochan, too tense, couldn’t relax his grip and drew a straight line before quickly lifting the machine. Jungeol tilted his head and looked at the tattoo Yoochan had left on his body.

U

It was a capital letter Yoochan had painstakingly written. Seeing Yoochan panting as if exhausted after tattooing just one letter, Jungeol asked affectionately.

“Is that the ‘U’ from Baek Yoochan?”

“Yes. It’s simple and looks good, right?”

Yoochan, finally finding his smile, nodded while wiping sweat with the back of his hand. Taeho’s expression hardened as he listened to their conversation.

“Yoochan’s initial?”

“Yes.”

“Why would you put Yoochan’s initial there? Yoochan, do you like Hyung like Dahee Noona does?”

Taeho chuckled, seemingly thinking it was a joke. Yoochan nodded vigorously and said, “Yes, Hyung.” Taeho’s smile gradually faded.

“…You weren’t joking about dating?”

“No, I’m serious. Why would I joke about that?”

Yoochan laughed and hugged Jungeol’s torso. Taeho glanced back and forth between Jungeol and Yoochan with a shaken expression, then quickly lowered his voice and asked.

“This… This is a secret from our family, right?”

“No.”

“…Wow.”

In shock, Taeho muttered an exclamation and backed away, still looking at Jungeol and Yoochan in disbelief. Then, with trembling hands, he flung open the curtain and shouted in a booming voice.

“Hyung! Jaehyeok Hyung! Jinwoo! Yesul Noona! Everyone, come out! Hurry! Jungeol Hyung and Yoochan are gay! Wow!”

After Taeho’s shocking declaration and departure, the swaying blackout curtain was all that was left. Jungeol and Yoochan turned to look at each other. Yoochan smiled at Jungeol, then looked at the freshly inked tattoo and said.

“It doesn’t look very pretty, does it?”

“It’s good for a first try.”

Encouraged by Jungeol’s words, Yoochan twitched his cheek and smiled, then looked back at the tattoo and asked.

“Hyung, you said you wouldn’t regret it even if we broke up, right?”

“Yes.”

Jungeol replied without hesitation. Yoochan, seemingly touched, looked at Jungeol and then gently stroked his wrist as he spoke.

“If we ever break up, I’ll regret leaving this tattoo on you. I’ll feel a bit sorry too.”

Meeting the tender gaze directed at him, Yoochan shared his true feelings.

“So let’s not break up.”

Jungeol quietly smiled and nodded in agreement, following Yoochan’s lead.

* * *

Yoochan, feeling awkward with his newly short hair, kept touching it as he entered the pub wearing a cap. Heading to the reserved room, he saw a large banner that read “Baek Yoochan Farewell Party,” and the shop staff and customers who had become friends welcomed Yoochan warmly.

“Yoochan, you’re here?”

“You already had a drink somewhere, didn’t you?”

Having already attended two farewell parties with his school friends and judo gym mates, Yoochan rubbed his slightly flushed cheek and looked for Jungeol.

He spotted Jungeol in a corner seat. The shop staff, knowing about their relationship, naturally made room for Yoochan to sit next to Jungeol. Yoochan greeted the Hyungs and Noonahs as he made his way to Jungeol and sat next to him. It was the first time he had seen Jungeol today, having been busy with appointments all day. It was also the first time he was showing his newly shaved head, done right after waking up this morning.

“Yoochan, take off your cap. I think the short hair suits you.”

Manager, who was holding Gaang, said. Yoochan fiddled with his cap and then took it off slightly. Manager’s eyes widened, and she praised him with an exclamation.

“Wow, Yoochan, the short hair suits you well. But you look like a high schooler. Oppa, look at Yoochan. Doesn’t it suit him? I guess his hair was short to begin with.”

Seeing that Yoochan looked a bit younger than usual, Manager added with a smile. Yoochan finally took his eyes off the Manager and looked at Jungeol. Jungeol only gave a brief nod without saying much. Manager giggled and laughed.

“Yoochan, your boyfriend seems conflicted seeing your shaved head.”

“Ah.”

Yoochan pursed his lips and looked up at Jungeol. Jungeol, seemingly not intending to contradict Manager’s words, raised his hand and stroked Yoochan’s short hair. Feeling even pricklier, Jungeol seemed to realize the situation as his expression became serious.

“Honestly, when I first heard you and Hyung were dating, I thought it was a joke.”

“Ah, but I had a bit of a hunch.”

Taeho said, taking a sip of beer, and Jinwoo laughed and joined in.

“Jungeol Hyung was always a bit more affectionate with Yoochan. And I saw them walking around the neighborhood together after work near the bar. It seemed suspicious.”

“Yeah, I saw them meeting in front of the convenience store too.”

“So how did you and Hyung end up dating? I mean, what attracted you to each other? Was it the looks? The muscles?”

“We’re dating because he’s cute, because he’s cute.”

Jaehyeok, who was drinking whiskey at the end of the table, said incredulously. Taeho, not convinced, spread his hands and said.

“Honestly, I’m cuter than Yoochan, right? I look like Pooh. Admit it?”

Taeho poked his chubby cheek with his index finger, and Jaehyeok, looking disgusted, threw a puffed rice snack at Taeho and shouted. Watching the two bicker, Yoochan turned his head to look at Jungeol, still feeling the touch on the top of his head.

“Are you really conflicted?”

At Yoochan’s question, Jungeol replied, “A little.” Yoochan grabbed Jungeol’s wrist, which was touching his head, and pulled it down, holding it tightly on his thigh.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you trust me or not?”

At Yoochan’s confident words, Jungeol chuckled. Yoochan laughed along with Jungeol, then leaned towards him and looked at the tattoo he had done.

“When I get a break, please tattoo a ‘J’ on my wrist, similar in size to this.”

“When you get discharged.”

“Ah, no. I need to get one in the middle. Don’t you know the sailor’s tattoo superstition?”

Yoochan, seemingly having a specific intention, furrowed one eyebrow and recalled.

“You explained it to me. Before departure, upon arrival at the destination, and after returning home. Three tattoos in total. Before departure… So I got one from you before enlisting, and I need to get one during a break if I’m doing well in the military. And after discharge…”

Yoochan naturally intertwined his fingers with Jungeol’s and smiled happily.

“We need to get a really cool couple tattoo to signify that I came back well, Hyung.”

Jungeol, seeing Yoochan looking more mature than usual today, nodded. Just then, Taeho suddenly stood up and drew everyone’s attention.

“Attention, everyone! Please focus!”

As the person who organized Yoochan’s farewell party, Taeho seemed to have prepared a speech. Clearing his throat, Taeho pointed at Yoochan and spoke loudly.

“Our beloved Yoochan… It feels like just yesterday you were begging me to tattoo your girlfriend’s face on you, and now you’ve grown into a responsible young man fulfilling your duty to the nation…”

Manager and Jaehyeok burst into laughter at Taeho’s words, and Yoochan, blushing, covered his face and looked at Jungeol. Jungeol seemed to find Yoochan’s past attempts to tattoo “No Pain No Gain” or stories of fighting gangsters endearing rather than something to hide. Seeing Jungeol’s gentle gaze, Yoochan felt encouraged and lifted his head confidently. With a brazen expression, he corrected Taeho’s teasing speech.

“Ah, Taeho Hyung! I’ve told you several times, it was 6 to 1, not 5 to 1. If it were five, I would have won! Ah, it’s so frustrating.”

Yoochan shouted confidently and then suggested they drink, raising a beer bottle. Taeho wished Yoochan well and took a drink, prompting everyone else to start drinking noisily. Yoochan, holding his beer bottle, looked at Jungeol. Jungeol, who had been quietly watching Yoochan, picked up his bottle and clinked it against Yoochan’s.

Yoochan, feeling good, took a long drink of beer. As Jungeol took a sip of his beer, Yoochan lightly kissed his cheek. Only Jaehyeok, sitting next to Jungeol, noticed and shook his head, turning away.

Feeling embarrassed, Yoochan pulled back and lowered his head, but Jungeol grabbed his chin. Yoochan, eyes wide in surprise, saw Jungeol’s face fill his vision. Jungeol closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss Yoochan. Ignoring the stares of others, Taeho shouted noisily at the sight of the kissing couple.

After the noisy farewell party ended, Jungeol and Yoochan returned to the studio apartment with Gaang. While Yoochan went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, Jungeol put Gaang on the floor and looked around the apartment. Half-packed boxes were scattered everywhere as they prepared for the move.

Stopping Gaang from scratching and chewing on a packing box, Jungeol put the items Yoochan had left out into the box. As he neatly stacked and taped the items, Jungeol’s face grew somber. Even though he had prepared for this, thinking about Yoochan leaving soon made him feel lonely already.

“Hyung, do you want to wash up too?”

At Yoochan’s voice, Jungeol put the tape on the box and turned around. Yoochan, seeing Jungeol’s troubled expression, tilted his head and then noticed his belongings next to Jungeol, smiling as he approached.

“Are you very sad?”

Without answering, Jungeol hugged Yoochan’s waist tightly. Wanting to feel the warmth he wouldn’t be able to for a while, Jungeol buried his face in Yoochan’s neck. Yoochan patted Jungeol’s back comfortingly and said.

“A senior at school told me, if you’re excited about meeting during breaks while waiting, you can wait. But if you’re tired and lonely, you should break up.”

Surprised by the sudden statement, Jungeol lifted his head and looked down at Yoochan. Yoochan cupped Jungeol’s cheeks with both hands and gave him a loud kiss before continuing.

“So, don’t just wait around. Keep yourself busy with self-improvement. You haven’t read a single page of the Chinese and Spanish books I gave you, right? Study those. By the time you finish one, I’ll be discharged.”

Jungeol chuckled and replied.

“Alright. I’ll wait while studying Chinese and Spanish.”

Satisfied with Jungeol’s answer, Yoochan nodded and then added generously.

“If you get too lonely, you can go out and have fun. You can even drink with your female friends.”

“Okay.”

Jungeol replied plainly. Yoochan nodded but then narrowed his eyes and asked, seemingly worried.

“But will you really drink with your female friends?”

Seeing through the question, Jungeol’s eyes softened as he replied.

“No. I won’t. Don’t worry.”

Reassured by the promise not to meet other women, Yoochan smiled and then shrugged, trying to act cool.

“But you can really drink with your female friends. Just don’t date anyone. If you cheat on me, I’ll be really sad.”

Yoochan said, looking glum at the mere thought. Jungeol rubbed Yoochan’s pouty lips with his thumb and nodded.

“Alright. I won’t do anything wrong, so you don’t either while you’re in the military.”

“Come on, I wouldn’t cheat on my partner. I’ve never done that. Never even thought about it.”

“Me neither.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Yoochan, happy, pulled his lips into a smile and rested his forehead on Jungeol’s shoulder.

“I’m worried because a lot of people hit on you, Hyung. Honestly, you’re more likely to cheat than I am.”

“Why?”

Jungeol asked, genuinely puzzled. Yoochan lifted his head and answered confidently, as if it was obvious.

“Because you’re better looking, taller, and even your… you know…”

Before Yoochan could say anything more embarrassing, Jungeol stopped him with a kiss. As the light and warm kiss continued, Yoochan’s cap fell off. As soon as their lips parted, Yoochan grabbed Jungeol’s left hand, held it tightly, and placed it on his head, asking.

“Hyung, have you ever tattooed your head?”

Sensing something ominous, Jungeol furrowed his brows and asked.

“What if I have?”

“Sounds like you have.”

When Jungeol didn’t respond, Yoochan wiggled his thick eyebrows and glanced at Jungeol, laughing as he spoke.

“Hyung, when I get discharged, tattoo ‘Jungeol heart Yoochan’ on the back of my head…”

“No.”

At Jungeol’s sharp response, Yoochan shouted in frustration.

“Ah, why not! That’s so unfair. You can’t even see it if I grow my hair out!”

Faced with Yoochan’s new stubbornness, Jungeol leaned his head against the wall, feeling a headache coming on, and replied.

“What if you go bald when you get older? Do you want to see my name on the back of your head every time you look in the mirror?”

Yoochan, looking incredulous, replied with a raised voice.

“All my grandfathers, my dad, my uncles, and my cousins all have full heads of hair. We don’t have the bald gene in our family, so it’s fine.”

As Yoochan argued, he suddenly realized something in Jungeol’s words and tilted his head.

“Wait, are you worried about me losing my hair? Does that mean you’ll stay with me until then?”

“Yeah. As long as my name isn’t on your bald spot.”

“Geez.”