“People will say that you’re bad-tempered if you do things like that, and it will be in the news every day.”
Laughter echoed inside the car again. In that small commotion, Hyun Gyujin slowly slid his fingers between Yuwon’s.
“……”
“……”
As their fingers interlaced, rubbing against each other tightly before slowly slipping apart, Yuwon’s toes curled. His thighs tensed, and his lower abdomen tingled again. Despite having done it so many times, he still felt the urge to kiss. Yuwon raised his hand and placed it on his thigh, turning his head toward the window to look at the indistinguishable outside view.
“……”
His heart was more tumultuous than ever and wouldn’t calm down easily.
***
Following his parents into a beautifully decorated store with plants, Yuwon was being guided to a private room but paused to glance at Hyun Gyujin.
“…I need to go to the restroom.”
Seeing his mother nod, Yuwon smiled and walked past Hyun Gyujin, who was standing behind him, heading towards the hallway with the restroom sign. Hyun Gyujin, saying he would wash his hands, also followed Yuwon with quick steps.
Yuwon opened the door to the quiet restroom, noting the spacious and exceptionally clean interior with eight stalls. Since all the doors were open, it was clear that only he and Hyun Gyujin were inside. Yuwon grabbed Hyun Gyujin’s hand and led him into the furthest stall, locking the door behind them.
“……”
The click of the lock brought Yuwon halfway back to his senses. He looked down at the lock he was holding, then turned to face Hyun Gyujin, who was smiling at him.
“Yuwon.”
And with Hyun Gyujin calling his name, Yuwon fully came to his senses. He realized the situation clearly: he had brought Hyun Gyujin to the restroom of the place where they had come for brunch with his parents, locked them in a stall, all because of the sudden urge to kiss him.
“Why did you bring me here?”
“…….”
“What are you going to do?”
Even though there was no one around, Hyun Gyujin’s voice was low and soft, as if aware that being overheard would be problematic, sending a shiver down Yuwon’s spine.
“Well….”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Lww?”
Lsec Xseplc ifjcfv obgkjgv. Ktfs mbeivc’a joobgv ab kjraf abb wemt alwf tfgf, yea cbk atja Tekbc kjr oeiis jkjgf bo atf rlaejalbc, tf ofia rb fwyjggjrrfv atja tf mbeivc’a vb bg rjs jcsatlcu.
“Po kf vbc’a ub bea rbbc, Ceca jcv Fcmif klii atlcx rbwfatlcu’r eq.”
“…….”
“Ktfs wluta mbwf ibbxlcu obg er.”
A whirlwind of conflicting emotions overwhelmed Yuwon. He wanted to touch Hyun Gyujin but couldn’t speak. He didn’t want to seem strange to his parents, yet he also didn’t want to leave without touching Hyun Gyujin. With a face on the verge of tears, Yuwon leaned down to meet Hyun Gyujin’s gaze and lightly pressed his lips against Hyun Gyujin’s, then pulled away. It was all he could manage.
“Do you want to kiss me?”
“…It’s because of you. You touched my hand….”
“Right. It’s all because of me. You did nothing wrong.”
Hyun Gyujin pressed forward. Their lips met urgently, and Yuwon’s body was pushed against the door. Yuwon closed his eyes, feeling the heat he had longed for, and wrapped his arms tightly around Hyun Gyujin’s waist.
When their tongues touched, Yuwon’s shoulders flinched. They intertwined deeply, and it was impossible to say who started it. As Hyun Gyujin stole Yuwon’s breath, causing a fluttering sensation in his lower abdomen, Yuwon’s long eyelashes trembled on his closed eyelids.
What should I do… This feels so good. Just when Yuwon thought he had regained his composure, he was lost again. He forgot where he was and who might be waiting outside, focusing entirely on Hyun Gyujin.
“Ha….”
“Ha… What if I suddenly say I tripped and got hurt so I have to leave early? I want to do more.”
“That would just make things worse. You shouldn’t lie like th—”
Before he could finish speaking, their lips met softly again. Yuwon closed his eyes and gently moved his tongue. Maybe it was because he had been kissing Hyun Gyujin a lot, but it felt a little more comfortable than before. At first, while it felt good, it was hard to breathe, and moving his tongue felt so awkward and strange that he couldn’t do it well. Now, it felt more like a shared experience, and that made him feel better.
“…Now, we should go…”
His words trailed off as their lips met again, parting briefly before reconnecting. Yuwon also wanted to stay with Hyun Gyujin longer, but it wasn’t possible right now. He gently stroked Hyun Gyujin’s head, who was holding him against the door.
“If we’re any later, Mom and Dad will really think something’s up.”
“Are you scared?”
“…A little. Aren’t you?”
“Not really.”
Seeing Hyun Gyujin’s face, once filled with desire, now showing concern, he lowered his arms and stepped back. He understood what Yuwon was worried and scared about and didn’t want to add to his worries.
“Alright. Let’s go. You know you’re coming to my house later, right? We have to do our tutoring homework together.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Can we do it again then?”
“…After we finish our homework…”
“I’m going to finish it really fast.”
Hyun Gyujin smiled and listened for any sounds outside. Hearing none, he carefully opened the door and checked outside. He let Yuwon go out first, then followed, and they stood side by side washing their hands.
“What should we say if they ask why we took so long?”
“We’ll say we were having a serious talk.”
“You must be crazy.”
“Saying we were kissing is worse.”
“Neither is okay.”
“There are too many things that aren’t okay.”
Hyun Gyujin laughed playfully and pulled out a paper towel to wrap around Yuwon’s wet hands, slowly drying between his fingers. Only when the paper towel was completely soaked did he let go. Yuwon fidgeted with his hands, feeling the lingering touch of Hyun Gyujin between his fingers.
“Let’s go.”
And they left the restroom together, returning to their guise of friends.
The sounds of cutlery clinking and laughter filled the air. Yuwon ate a piece of banana dipped in chocolate while watching Hyun Gyujin, who was continually chatting with his parents. He admired how Hyun Gyujin kept the atmosphere cheerful and engaging for over two hours.
“You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you two doing everything together. It’s like how Sohee and I are. We’ve been there for each other since we were young, always having someone to rely on and share happy moments with.”
Friend. Yuwon mulled over the word his mother used. Though it was unintentional, he felt uneasy, like he was deceiving his parents.
“Having a friend like that in life is truly a blessing. That’s why I hope Gyujin and Yuwon will always be there for each other, just like Sohee and I have been. Of course, you already are.”
A lifelong, reliable friend. The word “friend” felt unusually heavy today.
“Who knows what the future holds, but even if you get married, it would be wonderful to meet often and be like one big family.”
“Yes, that’s right. It would be great to stay close forever.”
Hyun Gyujin responded smoothly, as if it was just casual conversation, but Yuwon couldn’t stop thinking.
Up until now, their friendship had continued without any issues, and if he hadn’t developed feelings for Hyun Gyujin, they could have remained best friends for another 10 or 20 years. However, the possibility of a lifelong friendship ended when Yuwon started liking Hyun Gyujin. He had ended their friendship.
“…….”
Can we stay together for life even if I like him not as a friend but in the same way that people usually date each other? Why do people in relationships fight? They like each other so much. And how can they break up? Can feelings of love suddenly cool down?
What if I break up with Hyun Gyujin?
Yuwon had never thought about this before. There was no need to worry about breaking up with a friend. Even if one goes abroad to study or moves far away, it doesn’t mean the friendship itself ends, so there was no reason to think about an ‘end.’
But dating felt different. If I were to date Hyun Gyujin, what would we fight about? How do you make up when you’re dating, not just friends? What if, over time, the feelings of love become ordinary?
He knew nothing about these things, which made it even more daunting.
“Yuwon, what are you thinking about so much?”
His dad’s voice flowed into his head, which was filled with thoughts. Startled, he forced a smile to hide his unease.
I need to stop worrying about things that haven’t happened yet and might never happen, but it’s not easy.
Especially when it comes to Hyun Gyujin and me.
Yuwon let out a soft sigh near his lips again.
