Only Good To Me Chapter 17.2 - #9th Grade, Lee Won

“Then again, you’re not an ice cream type. You’re more of a rice cake type.”

By the time the conversation was getting lost in a maze, the cup pizza was finished. When I scraped the bottom of my cup, Seo Hangeon snatched my cup away. He crumpled the empty cup, put it in the cardboard box, and offered me the cup he was holding. I wondered why he was giving me one he had been eating, but I took it anyway. When I took it, I saw that it was not half-eaten, but a new one.

The pizza in Seo Hangeon’s hand had not hardened at all. He had been stirring it occasionally to keep the cheese from getting hard. No wonder he was not eating, I thought.

“Thanks.”

He, who had been staring at me blankly, moved his arm as if he had made a decision. He took out his phone from his pocket, checked the time, and then made me a proposal.

“Won—ah. Wanna go see what I was doing when I got off earlier?”

It was tempting. If time permitted, no, even if we could not keep to the time, I wanted to do it.

“Okay.”

“Let’s go!”

As if he could not wait for my answer, Seo Hangeon jumped into the road. He knocked on a passing taxi to stop it.

“Please go quickly!”

Seo Hangeon, holding the cup pizza box, had sparkling eyes. The taxi drove quickly and arrived at the destination. It was near the place where the taxi had stopped for 10 minutes earlier.

We walked into an alley. In front of a certain empty lot, Seo Hangeon suddenly snorted loudly. Leading me by the shoulder past that place, Seo Hangeon gestured with his head into the distance.

“It’s still there just like that! Fuck. Look at that.”

A little farther away, there was a dentist building. In the parking lot behind the building, there was only one small white car.

“I scratched it good, right?”

As if he was excited just thinking about it again, Seo Hangeon laughed with his shoulders shaking. The side of the white car was severely scratched. A crooked line ran long from the side of the hood to behind the fuel cap.

I could not think of anything to say. Since Seo Hangeon was giggling while gasping for breath, I just laughed along. I believed that there must have been a reason for him to do such a thing. Looking at the scratched car, Seo Hangeon was delighted, and watching him made me feel a sense of catharsis too.

Still, I was worried, so I asked.

“…Are you sure you did it well so you won’t get caught?”

“Of course!”

I looked to the side at the hand that was patting my shoulder. He lifted the jumper he was wearing. Underneath the anorak jumper was another school’s uniform.

“This uniform looks good on me too, right?”

On top of the meticulousness of borrowing another school’s uniform, there were no parked cars around earlier either. An explanation of the black box’s recording angle and the location of nearby CCTV cameras followed. To Seo Hangeon, who had completed a perfect crime, I replied like this.

“I’ve never seen such an artistically scratched car before.”

“Right? Tell me if there’s a car you want to scratch.”

I thought about my answer for a moment before revealing my true feelings.

“My dad’s car?”

After a silence that was neither short nor long, the voice that returned was cheerful.

“How much for the estimate? 500,000 won, 1,000,000 won, 1,500,000 won.”

Laughter burst out. Seo Hangeon continued in a whisper.

“Then you’ll have to tell me where you live!”

I still do not know the reason why he scratched the car that seemed to belong to the dentist. I do not know who ‘Kkangmi-saekki’ is, nor what the KakaoTalk message from ‘Kim Gijong hyung-nim’ means. I also do not know the reason why his mood was so low since the morning.

Seo Hangeon also does not know why I hate my father. He did not say anything to me, and I did not say anything to him.

That you can be a comfort even without knowing everything. That hearts can be closely connected even if the time spent together is short. I learned such things from Seo Hangeon.

An alarm went off on Seo Hangeon’s phone. We ran out and caught a taxi. As we ran, my pencil case rattled loudly in my bag. In front of the academy, Seo Hangeon handed me the box of remaining cup pizzas and said.

“Actually, I don’t really like pizza.”

Only then did I confess as well.

“Me neither.”

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<The day before, a text conversation between Seo Hangeon and Park Kangmin>

ㅗSeo Hangeonㅗ: [Goin to scratch a car tomorrow, be my lookout]

Kkangmi-saekki: [A car? Whylol lol lol] [Whose car]

ㅗSeo Hangeonㅗ: [My dad went to the dentist for an implant] [Fuck we already put it off for months cuz we have no money]

Kkangmi-saekki: [OMG he delayed an implant??ㅠㅠ]

ㅗSeo Hangeonㅗ: [He asked if he could pay in cash installments since he has no credit card] [And the guy embarrassed him asking why he’s paying in cash installments for something that’s not even that expensive] [He should’ve at least done the procedure before embarrassing him, what a crazy bastard]

Kkangmi-saekki: [Crazy, is he insane???ㅗㅗㅗㅗ ㅡㅡ ㅡㅡ Fucking bastard let’s scratch it]

ㅗSeo Hangeonㅗ: [Lemme borrow your hyung’s uniform]

Kkangmi-saekki: [OK you can give it back right after using it right lol?]

ㅗSeo Hangeonㅗ: [Y]

Kkangmi-saekki: [OK]

ㅗSeo Hangeonㅗ: [It’s a BMW so you have to be a really good lookout]

Kkangmi-saekki: [You’re scratching a bmw?? lol lol lol are you crazy lol lol]

ㅗSeo Hangeonㅗ: [I’m gonna scratch it]

🏐

The black hood sticking out over his winter uniform jacket swayed with a swagger. Every time I thought about how there were not many days left to see him in the same class, the future felt bleak. The days spent with him in the same classroom were long, but the months passed by in a flash. A day is long, but a few months are short. It was a strange phenomenon I would have never known my whole life if it were not for Seo Hangeon.

Just like that, Pepero Day passed and the graduation ceremony ended, and we went to different high schools. Even as time flowed and flowed, there was no girlfriend in Seo Hangeon’s KakaoTalk profile picture, and he was always good to me. When we continued to keep in touch even after our schools were separated, I thought it was really unexpected. While I was happy that it was unexpected, at the same time, I felt a sense of precariousness in a corner of my heart.

— He was good to me at first.

My mother’s words kept echoing in my head. Everything has an expiration date. I felt that the warmth he had shown me was now at a point where it would gradually fade.

It was then that I held a wish as collateral and had my first kiss.

Then we ate sweet rice pancakes together.

And on a certain day in spring, we pinky-swore to start dating.

It was a pinky-swear made in a truly dazed state. Seo Hangeon probably was not, but I had been on edge ever since May 22nd. I did not know what to do or how to act when dating. Texting more often than usual, making plans for the weekend, and spending brief moments with Seo Hangeon when he visited my academy. I had a sense of anxiety that things like that would not be enough. I was anxious because I was clumsy.

A few days after we started dating, it was Seo Hangeon’s birthday. After seeking my mother’s opinion, I decided on red ginseng for his birthday present. I decided to give that to him when we met on the weekend, and for the day of his birthday, I was thinking of trying a surprise event of ‘visiting without contact.’

Wouldn’t an event like that make Seo Hangeon get less tired of me? I, who had to be tied to my desk from morning till night, was secretly anxious. I was constantly on edge, worried that the expiration date of our confirmation stamp would disappear before long.

June 3rd arrived. As if the heavens were helping with the surprise event I had planned since the day before, a summer cold also arrived. It was a cold with body aches. My bones and muscles ached as if they had been beaten, and my head was hot. My nose was also completely stuffed with a runny nose. It was a good thing in that I did not have to put on a fake act for my academy teacher.

My plan is as follows. Before the academy class starts, I will ask Seo Hangeon where he is. He will not be suspicious since it is a question I always ask. After confirming Seo Hangeon’s whereabouts, I will go to the academy and ask Kangho, Juyong, and Hyungon not to mention in our group chat that I left early. This was because my father might see the KakaoTalk messages.

There were many times when I turned on my phone in the morning after getting it back, and the order of the recently used apps list was all jumbled up. That meant my father had opened the apps on my phone. So I had to make Kangho, Juyong, and Hyungon keep their mouths shut too.

A few minutes after the first period starts, I will tell the teacher that I am sick and need to go home. I will take a taxi to the place where Seo Hangeon is. I will spend time with him until the end of the third period of the academy class, and then go home.

It was a flawless plan. Even though I was dizzy from the fever and a sore throat, I looked forward to the evening. Around 6 PM, my condition worsened. Even the breath that touched my upper lip was hot, and my head throbbed every time I breathed. Seo Hangeon had been obsessed with ginger tea since the morning.

[How’s the cold. Did you take medicine? I’ll bring you some ginger tea. Delivery available]

[No, no, I’m okay. Dad gave me medicine prescribed from the hospital so I took it earlier. heh]

[You’re not okay but you say you are, right?]

At this rate, I thought Seo Hangeon might come to the academy, so I made the first move.

[I don’t think I can make it through the academy class, so I’m going home. T_T]

[You’re really not well] [I can deliver to the front of your door?]

[heh heh.. I’m just gonna go home and sleep right away. Where are you.]

[I’m at the arcade with Kangmin for a bit. Gonna play some basketball and then go] [With Kangmin]

After becoming a high school student, Seo Hangeon does not have birthday parties. He said that such things feel childish now for some reason.

[Arcade?]

[Yeah lol near the school lol]

The arcade near Seo Hangeon’s school was one I knew the name of, and I roughly knew where it was. I had given my friends strict instructions and also received permission from my academy teacher. I came down the stairs with a pounding heart. It was a distance that would cost quite a bit by taxi, but right now, time was more important. I called for a taxi and one was caught immediately.

“Please go as fast as possible!”

The taxi sped along at a frightening pace. My body jerked several times due to sudden braking and acceleration. Thanks to that, I arrived in less than 20 minutes. Even with a fever and every joint in my body aching, my steps were light. I thought that a surprise event seems to be more enjoyable for the person giving it than the person receiving it. A subtle smile lingered on my lips.

It would be awkward to just show up empty-handed. I stopped by a fast food restaurant and bought two milkshakes. I held one in my left hand, and wedged the other between my elbow and my waist while I took out my phone.

When I was almost at the arcade, I called Seo Hangeon. The phone rang for a long time, but Seo Hangeon did not answer. He was probably in the middle of a passionate duet with Park Kangmin in a coin karaoke booth or engrossed in a game. I sent a text while walking slowly.

[Guess where I am. heh heh heh]

The light from a convenience store brightly illuminated the sidewalk tiles. I was walking while looking at the ground, but I lifted my head when it got noisy up ahead. People were gathered in front of a building. Seeing a police car parked there, it seemed like a fight had broken out. Since it was on the way to the arcade anyway, I continued walking in that direction.

Several men were gathered there, and it was a chaotic scene. In the crowd, two men were arguing, exchanging harsh curses. At a glance, one of the men involved in the fight had a bloody face. Spectators were holding their breath, perhaps because the physical fight was still ongoing. The police officers were shouting.

“If you keep this up here, we’re adding charges of obstruction of business and disorderly conduct for both of you! Stop breaking an innocent person’s business property and get in the car, quickly!”

Spectators were also plastered to the windows of the 4th-floor pool hall. It seemed the fight had started at the pool hall. There were also men in the center of the chaotic scene trying to break up the fight.

“Why are you guys doing this, hyung-nims, really.”

I stopped in my tracks at the familiar voice. No matter how crowded it was, I was not so blind that I could not recognize Seo Hangeon. Seo Hangeon and Park Kangmin, who were supposed to be at the arcade, were standing in the middle of the fight scene.

I unconsciously took a step or two back. To think he was at a pool hall, not an arcade. The shock of being lied to just a week after we started dating was immense. Experiencing something I had only seen in dramas, my mind went blank.

I was dazed for several tens of seconds. After being frozen for a while, I came to my senses when a person passing by stumbled. I grabbed the person to keep them from falling. A young woman covered her mouth and laughed.

“Ah, so embarrassing! Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The woman seemed to be drunk. If she had fallen on the street just like that, the inside of her short skirt would have been clearly visible. The woman, who was helped up by her friends, let out a lament.

“We were just having a good time playing pool and drinking, what is all this chaos!”

“I know. Geng Geng oppa really turns into a dog when he drinks, huh?”

“Is this the first time you’ve seen that oppa act like that? I’ve seen it a few times. But today is really a whole new level of chaos, man.”

“I was so happy when Seo Hangeon showed up. What is this.”

“Right! I was internally screaming ‘yes!’ too!”

One woman let out a chuckle and challenged the two.

“Isn’t that the kid who used to date your friend Eunjin? Seo Hangeon?”

“That’s right. But so what? They broke up a long time ago. It doesn’t matter!”

“Let’s wait and see, even if those oppas go to the police station, they might just keep on hanging out.”

“That’s right. Let’s wait until the police car leaves.”

The women agreed to wait. There was no more expression to be hardened. It felt like my fever had gone up a few more degrees.

“That kid Seo Hangeon, he seems to have gotten a bit less fun. Before, he used to playfully take punches and teach boxing for fun, you know? But now he doesn’t even take punches anymore?”

“It might be because the other oppas are here. Try again later.”

“Ah, okay!”

Memories of the past flashed by. The back of the classroom, the moderately firm touch on my waist. The hand that naturally touched my shoulder in the taxi. That level of physical contact meant nothing significant to Seo Hangeon. It was something he could share with anyone. For Seo Hangeon, who could joke around by taking punches from a female student he was not even dating.

— He was good to me at first.

My mother’s words, which had been circling in my mind, became vivid again. I turned around. After walking a few steps, I dropped the shake cup into a sewer grate on the corner of the road. The shake spilled out of the upside-down cup and fell to the bottom of the sewer. The other shake cup also soon fell into the sewer.

It was an accident. I did not throw it in anger, it is true that I dropped it by mistake. Having concluded that, I turned back the way I came.

Not long after, a call came from Seo Hangeon. Of course, I did not answer it. I had already left the academy, I could not go home, and I had free time. I had to decide where to kill time alone. I was striding toward the main road to go to the bus stop first, when I heard Seo Hangeon’s voice from behind.

“Bukkeum-ah!”

I was startled. For some reason, I did not have the confidence to face him, so I walked faster. However, it was impossible to outpace Seo Hangeon. Seo Hangeon, who had quickly approached, snatched my arm. I furrowed my eyebrows and pulled my arm back. Seo Hangeon was not in his school uniform but was wearing a white t-shirt and casual pants. I was suspicious about why he had changed his clothes as well. He had been planning to go to the pool hall from the beginning.

Seo Hangeon, who stroked his chin as if he were in a difficult situation, jumped up.

“Why, why are you sulking! Did you see me under the pool hall?”

“……”

“It’s true I was at the arcade with Park Kangmin originally. The hyung-nims told me to come by the pool hall for a bit because they were celebrating my birthday, so I went for a moment and a fight broke out.”

I calculated the possibility that those words were a lie. Seo Hangeon grabbed my arm again.

“It’s true. Should I call Park Kangmin and have him confirm it!”

“You two could be in on it together.”

My voice was lower due to my cold. It seemed like he was at a loss for words for a moment, and then suddenly laughter escaped from Seo Hangeon’s mouth. I wondered what he was thinking, laughing in this situation. As I stared at him sullenly, he covered his mouth, cleared his throat, and pretended not to have laughed. Regaining a serious expression, he said.

“Alright. Let’s go ask the people who were at the arcade if they saw me. That would work, right?”

At this point, it seemed like it was not a lie. Fine, let’s say Seo Hangeon and Park Kangmin, who were playing at the arcade, were called to the pool hall. Why did they get involved in a fistfight? While I was racking my brain, Seo Hangeon spoke in a placating tone.

“Don’t open Bukkeum’s dating class, just ask me. I really don’t lie to you. I swear.”

I had heard of history class and English class, but this was the first I had heard of a dating class. Anyway, that was not important right now. I asked without hesitation.

“Why did the police come?”

“That’s….”

Just as an answer was about to come out, someone approached and grabbed Seo Hangeon’s shoulder.

“Seo Hangeon, you’re here! They said we’re all going to the police station with the girls who were there earlier, let’s go, quickly.”

It was the man who had been in the chaotic scene earlier. At the man’s words, Seo Hangeon wiped the smile from his face.

“Why would I go there.”

It was a completely changed voice. Before the bewildered man could say anything, Seo Hangeon’s voice continued.

“Let go, hyung-nim.”

He was speaking while looking at the hand that was gripping his shoulder. When the man hesitated with an offended face, Seo Hangeon’s eyes grew even darker.

“I said let go.”

A murderous tension flowed. However, the man did not try to fight. He put the hand he had removed from Seo Hangeon’s shoulder into his pocket, and shouted as he turned and ran away.

“They told me to bring you, damn it! If you don’t want to come, then don’t, then!”

Seo Hangeon, letting out a breath, turned his head to me.

“Two of the hyung-nims who Kangmin and I are close with haven’t been on good terms lately. Because of work issues. They called us over and were having a pride fight, picking sides, and there were girls there too, so fists started flying.”

I could understand why the police had come. I sniffled once and asked another question.

“Why did you change your clothes?”

“I was at the arcade and was going to go straight to the izakaya after seeing you.”

“…The other people who were there said they were practicing boxing and playing with you.”

Seo Hangeon, letting out a low sigh, brought his face close to mine.

“Those are noonas I was close to in middle school. I haven’t seen them since then, and I just ran into them today, at the pool hall. I didn’t even know they were there when I went. I really swear.”

When all the explanations were over, there were no more questions to ask. My head was dizzy and it felt like my eyes were going to pop out. This is what it would feel like if someone were to press on my temples trying to pull out my eyes. Seo Hangeon’s hand approached my forehead.

“The fever. Is it okay?”

“…It’s not okay.”

I said, gripping the straps of my backpack tightly. Even though the root of my sense of betrayal had been resolved, my mood was still bad. My head understood, but my emotions were not yet fully resolved. Seo Hangeon, who was looking at me, let out another snort.

“Damn, I shouldn’t be laughing, but why are you so cute?”

“……”

“I’m sorry. For making you hear things like that. Huh?”

Hearing those words, my eyebrows relaxed. My eyes, nose, and mouth were still rigid.

“Sulk. Keep on sulking.”

Normally, he should have told me to stop sulking, but Seo Hangeon told me to sulk. I thought it would be nice if we could lie down together like this. He, who was quietly listening to my breathing, muttered.

“Wanna go lie down somewhere before we go?”

There was a brief internal conflict, but in that moment, my pride did not have much power.

“……Where?”

“I’ll find a place. Want to do that?”

I nodded my head without much hesitation. He picked up his phone. I thought he would open an internet browser and search for a multi-room or a room cafe, but Seo Hangeon called someone. The content of the call, which mentioned a password and a circuit breaker, was quite puzzling.

A few minutes after ending the call, the place we arrived at was in front of a seafood soup restaurant that was not in business. It was the very same seafood soup restaurant where we had sat facing each other.

“It’s still vacant because it hasn’t been leased out yet. Let’s stay here for a bit.”

🏐

Seo Hangeon led me to the side door of the building. After entering the door lock password and opening the door, the kitchen appeared right away. It was dark inside. Seo Hangeon turned on his phone’s flashlight and took my hand. His hand brushed lightly past my watch and intertwined its fingers with mine. Bringing our clasped hands to his lips, he left a little peck on the back of my hand and said.

“You’re a ball of fire. Your hands are usually colder than mine.”

The hall that had been full of standing tables was now empty. He opened the door to a room with floor seating and sat down on the threshold. After seating me, Seo Hangeon went to the opposite wall. In a dark corner, there was a door that connected to the building’s hallway. Seo Hangeon opened that door, went out, and disappeared into the hallway. An iron door opened with a clang, and the sound of a switch being turned on was heard. After the switch clicked a few times, the inside of the shop became brightly lit.

Seo Hangeon, who came in after closing the door, turned off all the lights except for the room we were in. Then he ran into the room and turned on the boiler. I also took off my shoes and went inside.

“You’re turning on the boiler?”

“Yeah. We have to stay warm.”

The floor was indeed cool, even though it was summer. Seo Hangeon, who was pushing a table to one corner, suddenly shot up and furrowed his eyebrows.

“There’s no blanket. Will you wait a bit? I’ll go buy one.”

“No, it’s fine….”

“Stay here. I’ll be right back. You haven’t eaten dinner, right?”

I thought of the milkshakes I had thrown into the sewer earlier. In the brief moment I did not answer, Seo Hangeon was already putting on his shoes.

“I’ll be right back!”

The door to the kitchen side opened and closed, and the door lock engaged. Seo Hangeon’s phone was on the table. It just occurred to me now, but it seems that whenever he leaves me alone to go somewhere, he always entrusts his phone to me. Does he think that I will be less anxious then? I am not an infant suffering from separation anxiety.

…But it is true that I feel reassured when I have Seo Hangeon’s phone. I stuck my head through the crack in the door and looked outside the entrance. Seo Hangeon was running across the crosswalk, his hair flying. There were 3 seconds left on the green light. I thought there was no way he would make it, but he reached the end of the crosswalk just as the light turned red. His white Jack Purcell Converse shoes ran through the summer night.

Seeing that, the hurt feelings I had in front of the pool hall earlier eased a little. They had not completely gone away yet. There was no reason to be sulking, but my inner thoughts were pettier than I expected.

While he was gone, I slowly laid out the floor cushions. I dragged my creaky body, crawling sluggishly to gather the cushions and laid them out in 3 rows on the floor. To match his height, I placed an extra cushion at the bottom of the spot where Seo Hangeon would lie down. Seo Hangeon returned with a blanket and porridge. In one hand, he also held a carrier with ginger tea and an iced drink.

“Let’s eat first!”

It was hot eating porridge in a warm room in the summer. They say the best remedy for a cold is to sweat it out and sleep well, but for Seo Hangeon, it might have been close to torture. As expected, Seo Hangeon stopped eating his porridge and downed more than half of the iced drink in one shot. When that was not enough, he ended up throwing off his t-shirt as well. My eyes, having lost their way, wandered here and there.

“What are you getting nervous about. I won’t touch you.”

I tried not to look, but my eyes kept sneaking glances. It was as if someone was snatching my eyeballs. Seo Hangeon grinned and shouted.

“What are you staring at secretly! Just look. It’s yours, isn’t it?”

I buried my nose in my bowl and swallowed my porridge, feigning ignorance.

“What, I wasn’t looking?”

“Why aren’t you looking. Not interested in me?”

“Huh?”

“Hurry up and look at my body. Look at it and tell me your thoughts.”

When I acted sick, saying I had a fever, Seo Hangeon stopped joking around. The fresh, skin-toned color moving back and forth in front of my eyes made me even dizzier. I chose to close my eyes instead. I took my medicine without even finishing my porridge and lay down to sleep.

Seo Hangeon lay down next to me. With his naked body, he hugged me from behind and wrapped a blanket around me. It was not long after we had started dating, so he was maintaining hand etiquette.

I felt an arm slide under my head, and then Seo Hangeon naturally turned me over. In the end, we were hugging face to face. …Would I even be able to sleep for the remaining time? A warm scent came from the chest that was right in front of my nose. I looked at his areola, which was a different color from mine, and said.

“You should lie farther away, it’s contagious.”

“Let it be contagious. I get over a cold in one day.”

“You’re funny.”

“It’s true. I’ll show you. Try to give it to me. Give it to me, the cold.”

Seo Hangeon put his hand inside the blanket and tickled my side. No matter how much I twisted and turned to escape his teasing, I was in the palm of his hand. My waist and armpits were also attacked, and my neck was tickled too. Even as I kicked and flailed my feet, he buried his nose in my face and nibbled on my cheek and jaw. After persistently giving me a peck on the lips and licking between the line of my teeth with his tongue, Seo Hangeon became quiet.

“……”

“……”

“……”

“Don’t look, damn it. It’s embarrassing.”

Should I be happy or worried about the sight of his crotch, where blood had rushed to the center, in front of my tightly wrapped body? A languid touch slowly stroked down from the back of my head to my neck.

“After seeing you get angry earlier, I want to lay you down even more.”

I was already lying down, what did he mean? In any case, it was not the first time I had seen his aroused pants, so I was not that flustered. I think I was more worried than flustered. And beating both fluster and worry, the first emotion I felt was satisfaction. Seo Hangeon brushed my bangs aside and said in a small voice.

“I’ll take care of this crazy bastard myself, you sleep.”

“How are you going to take care of it yourself?”

I, who was burying my nose in his bare skin, was not in a position to worry about others, but still, I was sick. I did not have to worry about getting an erection. There was quite a bit of time left, and I was worried he would be in a difficult situation, so I made a suggestion.

“Do you want to take just the sleeping pill out of my cold medicine and take it? If you sleep for a bit and then wake up….”

“You! You’re a scary kid, I see!”

As if he was dumbfounded, Seo Hangeon’s eyes widened and he shouted.

“You’re going to drug your boyfriend with a sleeping pill and put him to sleep because he’s hard? Lee Won. You’re no joke, really.”

I barely held back a snort and said.

“No… that’s not what I meant.”

“I won’t touch you! Am I crazy, to a sick kid.”

His glaring eyes quickly turned playful, and another comment followed.

“Though you are sexier because you’re sick.”

He hugged my head so tight as if to crush it, then let go and said in a low voice.

“Sleep.”

Before I knew it, the late sunset had passed and night had come. In the desolate, empty shop, it was just the two of us. The room, blocked off by a sliding door, was cozy. I started to feel sleepy. I wonder if Seo Hangeon would dislike how hot my breath is. It would all reach his chest.

“Sleep.”

I fell asleep amidst the warm touch of bare skin against my ear and cheek. I do not know how long I was unconscious. Perhaps because I was deeply asleep, it felt like a very short time. When I opened my eyes, my phone was vibrating intensely. I saw Seo Hangeon holding my phone with a hardened face.

Seeing his stiff lips, I felt anxious. My heart pounded loudly as if it had been struck by something. I quickly sat up and snatched the phone. It was my father.

The vibration stopped, and a text message that had arrived a few minutes ago was displayed on the screen.

[Where are you. At home?] [They said you left the academy early because you were sick. I was going to pick you up on my way back from a business trip?]

Today is the first time since I started going to the academy that my father has come to pick me up. It was something that happened because my cold with body aches coincided with his attendance at a conference, which only happens a few times a year.

Even if I go home right now, there is a possibility I will arrive later than my father. Then he will find out I lied. I cannot go back to the academy either, since he already knows I left early. Should I say I am on my way? What if he asks why I have not arrived yet? It felt like all the moisture was being drained from my ten fingers.

The vibration started again and the screen lit up. At that moment, Seo Hangeon snatched the phone from me. I saw him putting the phone to his ear. I unconsciously rushed at him and grabbed his wrist. I shook my head back and forth and tried with all my might to take it back, but I failed. Far from getting it back, as a result of the struggle, I ended up falling and being held in his naked arms.

Seo Hangeon laid me down and pressed down on my arms from above. I could not move. The phone icon disappeared, and the call began. Seo Hangeon, his body layered over mine, opened his mouth.

“Yes. Are you the student’s father?”

I held my breath and fixed my eyes on Seo Hangeon’s face. My father, perhaps flustered, paused for a moment before answering.

— Yes, that’s right?

Seo Hangeon rubbed the hair stuck to my forehead and spoke in a voice like a company employee.

“Ah, I’m sorry about this. This student here found my son’s phone at the bus stop. I asked him to wait for just a moment. We just met a little while ago and I’m giving him a ride. He’s asking me to explain the situation to you?”

After laughing leisurely, ha ha, Seo Hangeon shouted toward the empty room.

“Stay still, Park Kangmin!! Stop messing around! Your hyung next to you is sick!”

Seo Hangeon’s friend’s name was transformed into a young son playing pranks in the back seat of a car. My father replied politely.

— Ah, is that so.

“We’re near the fire station right now, I’ll just stop by the phone dealership for a moment and then drop him off right at home. Shall I put the student on?”

— No, that’s alright. It’ll take me some time since I’m just passing the IC now, so please tell him to go on ahead, then.

“I understand. Take care.”

Seo Hangeon, who had ended the call, looked at me. His eyes were not so much angry as they were calm, and rather than pitying me, they were suppressing anger. I, with my still trembling hands, rubbed my eyes and said.

“Ah. I absolutely cannot skip the academy for the time being.”

Seo Hangeon hugged me tightly and caressed my lips with his thumb. Thanks to that gesture, I could tell that my lips had been parched as well. Seo Hangeon lowered his voice and asked as if confirming.

“You’re going to abandon Lee Geunwoo and leave when you go to college, right?”

Even if I become independent, the feeling of every single move being constrained will not change much. It is the same even if I leave home. There is no guarantee that the physical punishment will stop, and I always have to do better. If I go to medical school, I have to get a better specialty within it, and I have to do my residency at a better hospital. The department head of that hospital might be an acquaintance of my father.

And perhaps I will have to get married, and if they force me to marry, I will have to fight, and perhaps I will have to cut ties. Just thinking that far gave me a headache. But,

“I’m an expert at cutting ties. You saw me kick out Park Seunggyu, right?”

It might be easier if I have an expert by my side.

“The characteristic of those kinds of people is that they pretend not to know what they did wrong, even when they do. It’s sickening to see them really pretend not to know. But all humans are the same. If you come at them strong with the right words, they’ll crawl whether they know their fault or not. Family is no different.”

That is, if I am with an expert who has established a theory backed by solid empirical research.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”

We arrived at the apartment before my father. Seo Hangeon, who followed me to the front of the elevator to see me off, asked me one last time.

“Are you still sulking?”

“No.”

That was partly a lie. How on earth did Seo Hangeon know that? The elevator that was going up stopped on the 3rd floor. Figuring someone was getting on, I moved to the side. I looked ahead and my eyes widened. Seo Hangeon, wearing a white t-shirt, was standing in front of the open door.

“You’re not sulking, right?”

“Right.”

Before the doors closed, he quickly kissed my cheek. We waved our hands and said our second goodbye. The doors closed and the elevator started moving again. A moment later, a chime sounded. This time, it was the 7th floor. No way, I bit my lip and looked ahead. Seo Hangeon was smiling with a more flushed face than before.

“You’re not sulking?”

“How long are you going to follow me. Stop playing around.”

“Alright. You’re really not sulking, right?”

“Right.”

We held hands and flirted a bit before saying our third goodbye. I confirmed that he had turned and was going down before pressing the close button. I was a little anxious as we passed the 10th and 11th floors, but thankfully, the elevator did not stop. It passed the 12th floor smoothly, and the 14th floor too, and then it stopped on the 16th floor. Amidst the rough breathing, I heard a familiar curse.

“Fuck! It’s so fast.”

I ran out of the elevator. I hugged the panting Seo Hangeon and closed my eyes.

“You’re really not sulking, right?”

Rough breaths mixed into the early summer night, and it became midsummer. I forgot about my body aches and hugged him tightly as I answered.

“How could I possibly sulk….”