This morning, as usual, three sets of cutlery were neatly placed on the four-person dining table. Jeongju, who was busy preparing the meal, finished setting the table by placing the earthen pot filled with steamed eggs in the center of the table.
“Jaegyeom. Mesani. Let’s eat.”
At Jeongju’s call, Jaegyeom, who had been lying on the bed, groggily sat up. He sat down at the table with a half-asleep look on his face, and his head began to nod. Mesani, who was out in the yard, also came running.
“My lord, did you sleep well?”
“Oh, yeah…”
The table where the three family members sat together was as peaceful as usual.
“Thank you for the meal.”
With a mumbled greeting, Jaegyeom slowly lifted his spoon. He was about to take a sip of soup with his eyes closed. However, he felt a stinging pain inside his mouth, making him furrow his eyebrows. Sitting across the table from him, Jeongju made a puzzled face.
“What’s the matter? Too salty?”
It was at that moment when his mind, which had been foggy from sleep, suddenly cleared up.
“…”
Jaegyeom remained silent for a moment. Meanwhile, Mesani, who was eating soup with a child-sized spoon, cheerfully replied, “No? It’s not salty at all.”
“Jaegyeom? Is there a problem?”
“Huh? Oh, no. It’s delicious.”
Jaegyeom hurriedly blurted out. It would be good to tell the truth that there was nothing wrong with the soup and that it was just a sore wound in the mouth… But he could not bear to open his mouth.
Last night, Jaegyeom ran and ran aimlessly through the night streets of Jongno. He ran until he was out of breath and the world spun around him. When he reached the point where he couldn’t run anymore, he finally stopped. Running blindly wherever his feet took him and did not even know the geography of Seoul, he had already lost his way a long time ago.
At that moment, he noticed a taxi passing by on the empty road, so he immediately hailed the taxi. Even though he was dazed, he made a pretty wise decision. He had no idea that the experience of taking a taxi with a drunk Yoon Taehee the day before would become such a valuable help. As soon as the taxi stopped in front of him, Jaegyeom gasped and flung open his backseat door as if he were being chased by something.
The taxi driver was shocked. “W-what’s going on! Are you okay? Shall we go to the police station?” With a face drenched in sweat and covered in dirt, and panting as if he might collapse at any moment, it was easy to believe that Jaegyeom was in danger in some way.
However, the destination announced by the passenger was not the police station.
‘Jaegyeom, I was thinking you weren’t coming home today?’
At that time, Jeongju, who had been watching TV until dawn after putting Mesani to sleep, was surprised by Jaegyeom’s unexpected return home. It was partly because he was glad to see him and partly because Jaegyeom looked like a mess. Where on earth, and how much trouble had he gotten into…
‘What, why are you like this?!’
‘I fell. Yep, I fell.’
After giving a rough excuse, Jaegyeom fell asleep as if he had fainted. Perhaps it was because the tension had been relieved belatedly, and fatigue had overwhelmed him, but when things got complicated, sleeping was the best option. Indeed, when he woke up after a nap, Jaegyeom was noticeably calmer than the day before.
The storm that had been raging in his mind had already calmed down. The painful feelings he felt toward Jeongju and Mesani were swept away by the kiss that hit him like a tidal wave, and before he knew it, it had volatilized and drifted away. Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, thanks to that, he could face them with his usual attitude.
However…
Jaegyeom, who was absent-mindedly spooning, dropped his food.
“Pass me some socks.”
“What?”
“Socks.”
“Where are the socks?”
When socks were suddenly brought up in the middle of a meal, Jeongju went to look around, fumbling.
“Oh, no… tissue. Tissue, please.”
Jaegyeom started talking gibberish and changed his words.
“…”
“…”
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.
Afbcupe yilcxfv j mbeqif bo alwfr lc rlifcmf, jcv atfc rjlv,
“Zfrjcl. Xb ufa rbwf mbiv kjafg lc j ybki jcv yglcu la yjmx.”
“Tffrr?”
“Xb jcv rqijrt atf ybki bo mbiv kjafg ab gfogfrt sbeg ibgv.”
Lf lrrefv j qgfrmglqalbc atja mbeiv lcrajcais mifjg bcf’r wlcv. Jbiv kjafg kjr qfgofma obg qfbqif ktb tjnf ibra atflg rmgfkr. Vfflcu atja Zfrjcl kjr gfjiis jybea ab ufa kjafg, Ajfusfbw delmxis lcafgnfcfv.
“I think I’m still half asleep, so… I misspoke.”
It was just a slip of the tongue. Jaegyeom muttered and raised his body halfway up. He personally pulled out a tissue and wiped the table, while Jeongju narrowed his eyes, staring at Jaegyeom.
“Oh, what are you looking at? Just eat your meal.”
After giving him a slight rebuke, Jaegyeom immediately lowered his gaze. He poured rice into the soybean paste soup. Jeongju was sometimes difficult to deal with because of his ability to catch on quickly.
“Why are you so dazed today? It’s strange.”
“I’m just sleepy, what’s strange about it…”
Just as he was retorting sharply, he paused and closed his mouth.
‘Me too, I find you strange.’
It was because a voice lingered in his mind like a dream.
“…”
It was just as Jeongju said. Although he looked quite calm overnight, Jaegyeom was still in a state of confusion. Although he seemed calm and composed, his mind was extremely distracted and dizzy. Where the storm had receded, a typhoon had come. And Jaegyeom was now in the eye of the typhoon.
This was his first time kissing someone in his life. The act itself was shocking, but what was even more shocking was that the other person was Yoon Taehee. Not only had he kissed another man, the fact that the one he kissed was Yoon Taehee was… In Jaegyeom’s mind, it caused a huge shock comparable to the beginning of heaven and earth.
Wasn’t kissing something that was and is still done between a man and a woman, especially between lovers? But men kissing each other? He could say without a doubt that this was something that cannot happen and should not happen… That’s what Jaegyeom thought.
Of course, there have always been covert cases about men getting intimate with each other.. With all the years lived, how could he not know? He didn’t know what it was called these days, but in the past, it was called sodomy. He heard that once, when he was wandering from place to place, the county magistrate of a certain town was dismissed from his job for engaging in sodomy and corruption, and that there were quite a few cases where eunuchs in the palace had liaisons with each other. Also, there was a rumor that a certain tavern was a gathering place for homosexuals, so people avoided passing by it. Anyway, the point was that it was someone else’s business.
He never dreamed in his life that he would ever touch lips with a man. Of course, he knew that the world has changed a lot. It was an era where one could receive royal treatment just by having money. However, no matter how much the world had changed, there were still unchanging principles. Even when watching dramas full of fiction, he had never seen men kissing each other, only men and women.
By any chance, was Yoon Taehee a sodomite…
Jaegyeom’s expression became very grave. Well, Yoon Taehee was such a strange guy that he thought he might engage in sodomy… But if that was the reason he kissed Jaegyeom, does that mean that Yoon Taehee has any special feelings for him? It just didn’t fit. They often fought and beat each other up, though?
Why on earth did Yoon Taehee kiss me…
“Oh right! Jaegyeom, did you know I got a call from director Kwon Sooncheol yesterday?”
At that time, Jeongju stopped eating and started talking to him in an excited voice.
“Wow, you know that feeling when you’re shaking while making a call because you’re not sure if it’s a dream or reality? The power in her voice is no joke. She said filming will begin as early as next month, so she wants to meet for more details. We decided to meet this Friday.”
Jeongju was unintentionally living a semi-unemployed life after going into hiding. The reason why he constantly cooked this and that for every meal was because he actually had nothing to do. Jeongju’s face was filled with excitement as he anticipated that his comeback might come much sooner than expected.
“I see. That’s good.”
Jeongju rambled happily and quietly, but to Jaegyeom, who was preoccupied with worries, it fell on deaf ears. Jeongju was loud, his mind was chaotic, his heart was complicated, and he couldn’t tell if the food was going into his mouth or nose.
He forced himself to chew the rice, but could not taste it. Moreover, his mouth, which had been used only for eating and speaking all his life, now felt unfamiliar. The sensation of the rice rolling around felt strange, as if yesterday’s experience was still lingering.
Jaegyeom eventually put down his spoon.
“Hey. You know…”
Jaegyeom took a sip of water.
“Um, what do they call it these days?”
“Huh? Call what?”
“Touch… Touching lips.”
It was a question that came up in passing to distract himself. Jeongju blinked a couple of times.
“Huh? Touching lips?”
Jeongju was lost in thought for a moment and said, “Ah,” and he answered with a bright expression.
“Lip balm?”
Jaegyeom shook his head.
“Ah… Lip balm…”
Lip balm? So did Yoon Taehee lip balm-ed me? The more he thought about the words, the more uncertain Jaegyeom’s expression became. Something didn’t seem right. It was a phrase he had heard several times on television, but only the vague meaning remained in his mind. It wasn’t as refined as that, but rather much simpler, with a sense of snappiness…
“No, not that.”
“No? Hmm… Lip care?”
“What is that now? No.”
“What? Then what? Lipstick?”
As Jeongju continued to guess wrongly, Jaegyeom became increasingly frustrated.
“Ah, no, not that! Well, you know. It sometimes appears in TV dramas! When a man and a woman, they grab each other’s faces, their lips, and do that damn thing!”
Jaegyeom, annoyed at having to explain in such detail, raised his voice. Jeongju, with a spoon in his mouth, hummed and Then, he waved his hand in the air as if he understood. Jeongju swallowed his food and spoke.
“Ah! Kiss?!”
“Yes! That!”
He barely had the correct answer. Jaegyeom nodded his head and felt relieved. Both the person who asked and the person who answered felt refreshed, as if a ten-year-old problem had been lifted. With his face brightened, Jeongju shifted in his seat and said proudly, “Ah, I was thinking of something else~”
Mesani, who was excited along with them, also clapped his hands in excitement.
“Wait a moment. Why are you asking about that though?”
Jeongju asked, his expression completely changing.
“Uh… ?”
“Why a kiss? What’s up with that?”
Jeongju never expected in his dreams that the word Jaegyeom asked about would be kiss. It was something in which he had never shown interest before. When Jaegyeom and Jeongju were watching TV dramas together, sometimes when there was a kissing scene, Jeongju would squeal and make a fuss, but Jaegyeom would just be annoyed the whole time.
When Jeongju suddenly made a serious face, Jaegyeom stuttered.
“Well, I was just curious. I can just ask about stuff.”
Jeongju narrowed his eyes at the bland excuse and looked at Jaegyeom.
“While eating breakfast? Suddenly, when nothing happened?”
Anyway, this fox bastard could attach and detach his tail at will… However, even if he died and woke up, Jaegyeom couldn’t tell the truth about what happened yesterday.
“No, uh… I- I was passing by yesterday. Someone did that on the street.”
So he decided to pretend it was someone else’s story.
“Ah, really? So you’re surprised?”
“Oh, yeah…”
“These days, a lot of people kiss even on the streets.”
“Oh, I see. What a world. Never mind…”
Jaegyeom pretended nothing was wrong and responded stiffly.
“Goodness me, I thought something happened.”
Jeongju himself was familiar with modern culture, has dated a few times, and in his acting, he occasionally has to film kissing scenes, so he wasn’t that surprised. But if it were Jaegyeom’s position, he would have been surprised. I think it would be a very unfamiliar sight to the eyes of old people.
If he lives outside from now on, he will see it often. Jeongju wondered why Jaegyeom was so dazed today. Was he actually surprised to see them kissing? Even though he’s lived a long time, he’s still cute like that sometimes…
Just when Jeongju lifted his glass of water, with a somewhat pleased expression on his face,
“B- but they were both men.”
Jeongju spat out the water in surprise. Sputter, cough, a heavy sigh was heard as he drank water.. When his face turned red and he started shaking, Mesani pulled out a tissue for him.
“What? They were both men?”
If that was the case, even he would be surprised. Wow… When did this country become so open? This country is making progress too… Jeongju asked again with a puzzled expression.
“Really? In the middle of the street with people passing by?”
“Not… not on the street. Somewhere in the park.”
“Whether it’s the street or the park, wow, if that’s the case, it’s really surprising.”
Jeongju nodded his head as if he understood.
“They’re both men. How can that be…”
Jaegyeom lowered his gaze and blurted out miserably.
“There’s no reason why it can’t be done. So what?”
Jeongju shrugged his shoulders and responded. He was momentarily taken aback, but that was because he was surprised by the boldness of kissing on the street, not by the fact that two men were kissing. Jeongju had no particular objection to that. It was largely due to the surrounding environment. Due to the nature of his industry, he has heard a lot of reports and even received a script for a movie about same-sex relationships.
“I understand that you feel bad and don’t like it.”
In response to Jeongju’s generous words, Jaegyeom didn’t say anything.
In Jaegyeom’s opinion, it would be difficult to accept it easily. “It’s best to just think that there are all kinds of people in the world. That way, you’ll feel more comfortable too.” Jeongju chose to smoothly move on, trying to match Jaegyeom’s level of understanding.
“But when you go out, you can’t say things like, ‘I feel bad’ or ‘I don’t like it’. Understand? Now that the world has changed a lot, it’s a shame to say something like that out loud! You will be treated like an ugly person!”
Jeongju added in a lecturing tone. “Save those ugly words for when you’re at home with me. I’m okay with it. Got it? Do you understand? Why aren’t you answering!” As Jeongju whined, Jaegyeom, who had been silent the whole time, eventually got irritated.
“Ah, I got it! And, don’t make things up.”
“Why are you suddenly so irritated… When did I make things up…”
As Jeongju mumbled with a momentary confusion, Jaegyeom retorted.
“When did I say I didn’t like it?”
“Huh? What… ?”
“When did I say I felt bad?”
“Well…”
With his old way of thinking, he thought of course he would be offended…
“So, you don’t feel bad?”
Jeongju opened his mouth with a confused look on his face. Then Jaegyeom sighed deeply and stood up. “No, I do.” making Jeongju bewildered again.
“I should feel bad, but I don’t, so I feel bad.”
Jaegyeom left those words behind and went out into the yard.
Pr: K
Jaegyeom liked the kiss?? Holy moly, LESSS GOOO I’M SO HAPPY I LITERALLY FEEL LIKE A MOM WHOSE SON IS AN ADULT NOW 😭❤
Awww I wonder how Jaegyeom will face Yoon Taehee later 🤣🤣
Awwww their relationship is so damn wholesome. Just imagining Mesani clapping after they found out the right word is just too cute lol
Thank you!