Black & Grey

With a satisfied grin, Yoochan changed the “D-21” on the A4 paper at the entrance to “D-7.” A few hours earlier, he had booked a flight to Milan on the same airline and at the same time as Jungeol, thanks to a tip from Manager.Taking a deep breath, Yoochan reviewed the texts he had exchanged with Jungeol.Yoochan: Please, just take me this one time. I’ll pay for my ticket.Jungeol: The schedule is tight, so I won’t have time to hang out with you.Yoochan: Who said I want to hang out? Just do your thing, Hyung. I promise I won’t bother you. I can even help carry your stuff if you’re short on hands. Think of me as an extra backpack. A talking backpack. I’m strong, so I can be helpful.Jungeol: What are you planning to do there?Yoochan: Just going there is enough for me. It’s been my lifelong dream to visit Milan. You know what a bucket list is, right? Going to Milan is on my bucket list.Faced with Yoochan’s relentless persistence, Jungeol finally gave in.Yoochan even changed his phone wallpaper to the cathedral in Milan, smiling contentedly. Milan! The city itself was perfect.While Jungeol would be there for work, Yoochan dreamed of romantic dates in the beautiful cityscape. He imagined waking up in a fantastic accommodation, sitting with Jungeol on a spacious terrace, and sipping delicious Italian espresso together.Just thinking about it made his heart race. Yoochan patted his chest and asked Jungeol,Yoochan: Hyung, it’s not quite dinner time yet, but can I come down now?Since Jungeol had just finished a job, he was probably resting.Anxiously watching his phone, the “1” next to his message didn’t disappear. Perhaps Jungeol had started the next job. Yoochan considered asking Manager but decided to call Jungeol directly instead.After a few rings, the call connected.[Yeah. Why?]Despite the unexpected call, Jungeol’s gentle voice made Yoochan smile. Hearing his voice always made Yoochan happy, and he didn’t bother hiding his expression as he replied,“I just wanted to call. Hyung, are you working now?”[My neck hurts, so I was lying down for a bit.]“Ah, you should have come up to my place if you were lying down, Hyung. Did you forget the password? 9876?”Yoochan said this with a mock hurt tone, and Jungeol chuckled softly. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Yoochan rubbed the back of his neck and sat on the sofa.“Did you see the message I sent earlier?”[No. What did you say?]“I asked if I could come to the shop. If you’re not busy, I thought I’d come down.”[Come down.]Jungeol agreed readily. Yoochan jumped up as soon as he heard that. He was about to head out but caught sight of himself in the mirror by the entrance. There was still a stain from the tteokbokki sauce he had spilled on his white hoodie during lunch at school.“Are you still lying down?”Yoochan held the phone with his shoulder as he took off the hoodie, not wanting to miss Jungeol’s voice.[Jinwoo took my spot, so I came outside.]“Where are you sitting then? The sofa?”[Manager’s using the sofa for a consultation. But…]Jungeol, who had been answering steadily, suddenly realized something was off and asked,[Why do you keep asking if you’re coming down anyway?]It was a curious tone, not a scolding one. Yoochan pouted and thought to himself, “Because I don’t want to hang up,” before heading to his room and replying,“It’s boring on the way down. Hold on, I’m going to change my clothes.”Yoochan put his phone on the bed and quickly changed his t-shirt. Worried that Jungeol, who usually kept phone calls brief even with close friends, might tell him to hang up, Yoochan hurriedly put the phone back to his ear and asked,“What did you just say?”[Nothing. You said you were changing clothes.]“Oh.”Fortunately, Jungeol didn’t seem to want to end the call. Yoochan smiled and went to the living room, slipping on his sneakers and heading out. Eager to see Jungeol, Yoochan didn’t want to wait for the elevator to come up to the 14th floor, so he headed for the emergency stairs.“Hyung, what are you doing now?”[I’m on the balcony. Why does your voice echo all of a sudden?]“I’m going down the stairs. If you’re on the balcony, you’re smoking, right?”[Yeah.]“How much do you smoke a day?”[I don’t know. A pack?]“Wow. Your lungs must be rotting away. You don’t think about cutting down?”[No.]At Jungeol’s firm answer, Yoochan sighed and opened the emergency stair door to the second floor.“Well, at least you don’t smell like smoke despite smoking a lot, Hyung.”[You like that?]Jungeol’s amused tone made Yoochan stop in his tracks. His tongue, which had been moving smoothly, suddenly felt stiff. It was as if someone was pounding on his heart. Yoochan, his face flushed, barely managed to breathe out and reply,“…Yeah.”[……]“Of course, it’s good not to smell like smoke. Who likes the smell of smoke?”[Right. Are you here?]“Yeah. I’ll hang up now.”After hearing Jungeol’s acknowledgment, Yoochan ended the call and knelt in front of the emergency door. Just one word, “like,” had made him tremble like this. It seemed to be getting worse.Yoochan stood up and took deep breaths, just as he did before a competition. But controlling his mind wasn’t as easy as he thought. The excitement of meeting Jungeol was greater than the tension he felt before a match. After confirming his complexion had returned to normal on his phone, Yoochan quickly ran to the shop to see Jungeol.“Noona! Hyung! I’m here!”Manager, who was on the sofa, waved cheerfully at Yoochan’s energetic voice. Yoochan nodded and approached the sofa. He thought the person in front of Manager was Jinwoo, but it wasn’t. They seemed to be a customer discussing a project on a tablet.“Jungeol Oppa is on the balcony.”“Seriously, I’m not here to see Jungeol Hyung. How many times do I have to say I’m here to see you, Noona?”“Yeah, right.”Manager replied skeptically. Yoochan patted his chest twice and said,“Wow, I really need some fresh air on the balcony. I’m not going to see Jungeol Hyung, just need some air.”After giving Manager a playful smile, Yoochan went out to the balcony.“You’re here?”Expecting to see Jungeol smoking, Yoochan found him leaning on the window sill, pressing his trapezius muscle with his fingers. Seeing Jungeol still massaging his neck, Yoochan frowned with concern.“Is your neck still hurting?”“Yeah.”“What did you do today?”“A back piece. Worked on it for six hours, so my neck is stiff.”Jungeol lowered his hand from his trapezius and rotated his neck halfway. He frowned with each stretch, indicating the pain. Yoochan approached and offered,“If your neck hurts a lot, should I massage it for you?”“No.”The immediate rejection left Yoochan’s mouth agape.“Wow, you didn’t even think for a second before saying no.”Jungeol chuckled and asked,“Did you book the flight?”“Of course.”“Saying going to Milan is on your bucket list is nonsense.”“It’s true. I didn’t even know Milan was in Italy.”At Yoochan’s shameless reply, Jungeol looked at him in disbelief. When their eyes met, Yoochan grinned innocently.“I just want to tag along since you’re going. When else would I get the chance? I looked it up, and the city seems beautiful. Oh, I wasn’t going to say this, but I actually booked the flight before asking you.”Seeing Jungeol’s eyes narrow, Yoochan laughed awkwardly and suddenly pulled Jungeol’s arm.“And you should at least try my massage. I’m really good at it.”Yoochan abruptly sat Jungeol down on the sofa, and before Jungeol could say anything, he began to massage his shoulders in earnest.At first, Jungeol seemed hesitant, trying to avoid Yoochan’s touch, but as Yoochan’s hands proved to be surprisingly soothing, he eventually relaxed. Yoochan wondered why he hadn’t thought of this method earlier. It was the perfect opportunity to get physical under the guise of a massage.“Stretching would be more effective. Relax your neck, Hyung.”This time, Jungeol obediently relaxed his neck as Yoochan instructed. Yoochan wrapped his arm around Jungeol’s neck, holding his head in place, and then slipped his arm under Jungeol’s armpit and pulled.“Feels good, right? Really good?”“…Yeah.”Yoochan thought he heard a hint of drowsiness in Jungeol’s voice.“It feels good.”His voice was lower than usual, sending shivers down Yoochan’s spine. The sound made his ears tingle, and Yoochan rubbed his ear against his shoulder.“So next time I offer to massage you, just accept it. It’s not like you get Baek Yoochan’s massage service every day.”He felt a short vibration from the hard muscles against his chest. Jungeol must have smiled. Yoochan grinned in return, feeling good.“I’ll do the other side too.”When Yoochan pulled on the opposite side of his neck, Jungeol let out a low moan, as if that was the real sore spot.In that moment, Yoochan clenched his teeth without Jungeol noticing. As he adjusted his position, his back kept brushing against Jungeol’s chest. The warm body heat felt tantalizing through two layers of t-shirts. The already flushed heat at the nape of his neck had spread to his ears at the sound of Jungeol’s voice. Yoochan could feel his face turning red.“I think that’s enough.”Jungeol said, as if his muscles had loosened up.Yoochan was startled. He realized that if Jungeol saw his face now, there would be no way to deny it. Of course, he planned to confess to Jungeol in a week, but that was something he wanted to do while watching a magnificent sunset in Milan, not next to an ashtray full of cigarette butts.“Wait, just a second, Hyung.”Seeing Jungeol turn around to get up, Yoochan panicked and quickly buried his face in Jungeol’s shoulder. Sensing something strange, Jungeol turned around, but Yoochan grabbed his shoulder tightly and desperately blocked him. Just then, Jungeol’s phone rang.“Yes, this is Cho Jungeol.”It must have been an important call because Jungeol answered it without turning around. Taking the opportunity, Yoochan got up and ran outside. The manager, who was talking to a customer, looked at Yoochan in surprise and asked,“Yoochan, why is your face so red?”“It’s because the air conditioner is broken on the balcony. But can I join you?”The manager stepped aside, inviting him over. Yoochan sat down next to the manager on the sofa, finally looking relaxed.A few minutes later, Jungeol came out from the balcony after ending the call. Yoochan nervously glanced at his reflection in the manager’s hand mirror on the table. His neck and the tips of his ears were still slightly red, but he thought he could pass it off as being hot.Yoochan purposely avoided looking at the balcony door and pretended to be interested in a tattoo on his tablet. Though he tried to look calm, his attention was completely focused on the sound of Jungeol’s footsteps approaching the sofa.‘I bet he noticed how weird I was.’Maybe he even saw his flushed skin and thought Yoochan was some kind of pervert.The sound grew louder and louder until it was right next to him. Yoochan felt like his heart was going to explode. He gradually lowered his gaze, as if he were a criminal.“Want to get an armband?”Startled by the casual voice, Yoochan almost buried his face in his knees. He slowly looked up at Jungeol. Jungeol was talking to the customer, looking completely normal. Yoochan finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed like Jungeol hadn’t seen his face on the balcony.“Yeah, I suddenly wanted one today. Does it look good?”The customer seemed to know Jungeol.“Yeah, it looks okay.”Jungeol replied briefly, then turned to Yoochan.“What do you think?”Surprised by the sudden question, Yoochan’s gaze went back to the tablet. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t even looked at the picture properly. He finally looked at the screen.In the picture, the model had three black bands wrapped around their wrist like a bracelet. Yoochan looked at the picture seriously, then looked up. He looked at the three people in turn and carefully expressed his opinion.“…Like a human Adidas?”“…….”“Kuk… Ah, Unnie. I’m sorry.”The manager tried to cover her mouth, apologizing to the customer. The customer looked surprised and exaggeratedly opened her eyes.“What, Adidas? I don’t want to get an armband anymore.”“But it’s not that, like, super, really weird, Noona.”The customer replied in a sulky voice. Feeling sorry for being too honest, Yoochan belatedly realized that Jungeol was saying nothing. He turned to Jungeol in confusion.“…….”Unlike the customer and the manager who was trying to hold back her laughter, Jungeol had no expression on his face. He just looked at Yoochan. Yoochan instinctively wiped his face. Of course, there was nothing on it.‘What is it…?’Yoochan slowly lowered his arm and looked at Jungeol. He missed the perfect timing to look away.As Yoochan blinked slowly, he realized that Jungeol’s gaze was focused slightly below his face. After a few seconds, Jungeol’s gaze shifted diagonally towards the side of Yoochan’s face.Yoochan’s expression hardened as he belatedly realized something. Jungeol was looking at his neck and ears, which were still tinged with red.Thump. Thump. Thump.Yoochan’s heart pounded even harder than when their bodies had touched. After staring at Yoochan’s ear for a long time, Jungeol finally made eye contact with him. His narrow, double-lidded eyes slightly squinted.‘Ah.’Feeling defeated, Yoochan bit his lip.‘He knows everything.’Yoochan clenched his jaw and shifted his gaze to the tablet. The image on the tablet appeared blurry. Manager seemed to be talking beside him, but the sound grew fainter and fainter until Yoochan couldn’t hear anything. He absentmindedly responded to Manager’s questions while sneaking glances at Jungeol.Jungeol remained in the same position, his head turned towards Yoochan, without saying a word. Yoochan wished Jungeol would just say what he was thinking. Jungeol’s gaze, which seemed both surprised and concerned, made Yoochan feel like he was about to explode. By the time Yoochan’s cheeks flushed red from being conscious of Jungeol, Manager spoke to Jungeol.“Oppa, what do you think?”The intense gaze fixed on Yoochan shifted to Manager. Jungeol looked at the image and said,“If you’re going to do blackwork, adding a pattern would be good. You’re good at tribal. It won’t look like a common design.”Relieved by the shift in conversation, Yoochan finally exhaled a long breath. He realized he had been holding his breath for too long due to tension. While Yoochan silently thanked Manager for speaking to Jungeol, Manager opened another screen and showed it to the woman.“I’ll show you all the different types of armbands.”As Manager tapped the screen, various armband tattoo designs appeared, contrasting with the previous simple designs.“You can create a negative style by leaving the lines empty and blackening the surrounding area, making it look like a transparent band. Adding a gradient with pointillism around it can also look nice.”“That seems too messy. But the band with the color here is really pretty.”“This one? If you want it in color, I can schedule Taeho for you right away.”“Um, no, that’s okay.”The woman shook her head, not feeling up to making a reservation.“I think it would be better to stick with blackwork. Show me more blackwork designs.”Manager then showed a series of designs: floral patterns without color, designs with lettering and curves on the lines, designs with varying line thickness, and a small skull wrapped around the wrist. The woman, nodding with her legs crossed, leaned in and pointed at the tablet when she saw the tribal armband after the skull.“This one’s nice.”“Really? That’s actually my design.”Manager said brightly. The woman immediately decided on the design. Manager smiled and grabbed the tablet.“Let’s check the placement at booth 3, Unnie.”As the two prepared to leave, Yoochan’s gaze wavered. He stood up and spoke.“Uh, where are you going, Noona?”Manager and the woman turned around, puzzled.“To work. Why?”Manager replied, sounding confused. Yoochan glanced at the woman, who was looking at him strangely, then asked Manager,“Does it have to be now?”“What?”“I mean… can’t it wait a bit?”“My schedule is open now. What’s wrong, Yoochan? Do you have something to tell me?”Manager asked with a concerned expression. Yoochan frowned and glanced at Jungeol. Jungeol was staring at him with an unreadable expression.Yoochan’s throat felt dry. If the two left, he would be alone with Jungeol, and Yoochan was anxious about what Jungeol might say. He wasn’t ready to confess his feelings yet.“I’ll listen to whatever you have to say after I’m done.”“Can I watch? I like watching tattoo work.”“I have things to discuss with Yesul, so you can’t.”The woman playfully draped an arm over Manager’s shoulder. Yoochan had no choice but to let them go. As Manager and the woman disappeared behind the curtain, Yoochan sat down, unable to make eye contact with Jungeol.Then Jungeol stood up and went to the counter. Seeing Jungeol grab a toothbrush from his bag, Yoochan thought this was his chance and tried to sneak towards the door. But no matter how much he bent down, his large frame couldn’t be hidden.“Baek Yoochan.”Just as he was about to press the automatic door button, a calm voice called out. Yoochan awkwardly turned his head towards the counter, where Jungeol, holding a toothpaste-squeezed toothbrush, pointed to the sofa.“Sit down. We need to talk.”Ignoring Yoochan’s trembling lips, Jungeol walked into the bathroom. It was over. Yoochan was left in despair.Jungeol’s brushing sounds echoed. Due to his heavy smoking, Jungeol often brushed and gargled. Sitting on the sofa with his fists on his knees, Yoochan listened to the brushing sounds like a prisoner awaiting sentencing. His expression was one of utter desolation. Yoochan let out a bitter laugh.‘Wow, is this how I get found out? So pathetically?’Yoochan was disappointed by how different reality was from his romantic fantasies. Jungeol’s expression before going into the bathroom hadn’t been promising. It wasn’t the look of someone about to accept a confession. Jungeol’s eyes had seemed troubled, even worried, making Yoochan feel hopeless.‘Baek Yoochan, today you’re definitely going to be rejected. Not even getting to properly confess and getting rejected pathetically.’As Yoochan anxiously waited, he was terrified of being rejected before he even had the chance to confess. The thought of being turned down by Jungeol was even more humiliating than being rejected by Eunbit through a Facebook message. He wished that Jungeol’s tooth brushing would never end.‘Just don’t cling desperately, Baek Yoochan. If he says no, just walk away. I don’t like people who don’t like me either, right?’Yoochan mentally rehearsed how he would confidently respond if Jungeol rejected him, but his expression quickly crumpled.In truth, Yoochan wasn’t ready to give up on Jungeol. He wished for the inevitable rejection to somehow not come and desperately hoped that someone, anyone—Taeho, Manager—would appear and rescue him. As Yoochan anxiously looked between the firmly closed entrance and the bathroom Jungeol had entered, the door miraculously slid open.Yoochan’s face brightened immediately at the sight of his savior.“Welcome…!”Yoochan, as if he had been saved from the gates of hell, stood up and greeted warmly. The customer appeared to be a frail girl around Yoochan’s age, seemingly too young for a tattoo, but that was the least of his concerns right now.“Please, have a seat! Can I get you something to drink? Green tea, coffee mix, orange juice, iced Americano, what’s your preference?”“…Green tea.”The girl’s voice was so soft it was almost inaudible. Yoochan, with an excited expression, dashed to make the green tea. He figured that Jungeol wouldn’t bring up anything uncomfortable in front of the customer.“Did you make an appointment? If you tell me your name, I can check for you.”“I saw… Jet’s Instagram and came here….”“Who?”“Jet… Jet….”The girl’s voice grew even softer. Leaning over the table to hear better, Yoochan finally understood and answered energetically,“Jungeol Hyung? He’s in the bathroom but will be out soon. Please wait a moment. But you’ll probably have to book a separate appointment for a tattoo. Jungeol Hyung only takes appointments.”“Oh… I just wanted to ask about cover-up prices and designs….”The girl clasped her hands together, her nervousness evident as she fidgeted. To help ease her tension, Yoochan kept smiling warmly. Then he noticed her constantly rubbing her left wrist, an action that looked anxious.Watching her, Yoochan was reminded of Jungeol’s aching wrist. Just then, Jungeol emerged from the bathroom.“Hyung! There’s a customer.”Jungeol frowned slightly at the unannounced visitor but sat down next to Yoochan and asked,“I can only do a consultation today. Is that alright?”The girl nodded. Jungeol took out his tablet from his bag and was about to ask about the desired tattoo area and size when he noticed her face and asked bluntly,“Are you a high school student?”The girl looked startled and responded in a barely audible voice,“…Yes.”“I don’t take consultations for minors.”Jungeol closed his tablet case and said,“Please look for another place.”His cold response made Yoochan look at the girl sympathetically. Just then, the girl clutched Jungeol’s sleeve and pleaded,“It’s to cover scars… Could you please just take a look?”Hesitating, the girl bit her lower lip and pulled up her left sleeve. Yoochan let out a short gasp at the sight of the scars on her pale wrist.Unable to find a place to look, Yoochan averted his gaze. Jungeol also remained silent for a few seconds before suddenly speaking,“Baek Yoochan, there’s a card under the counter. Get us some sandwiches.”Yoochan looked up in surprise.“What? Now? We’re supposed to eat together later.”Seeing Jungeol’s calm gaze, Yoochan finally understood his intention.“Oh… I’ll go get them.”Yoochan glanced at the two of them as he rummaged under the counter. Jungeol directed the girl to the inner room. Watching them disappear into booth 1, Yoochan, looking worried, took the card and left.Thinking Jungeol wanted him to step out for a while, Yoochan returned with five iced Americanos instead of sandwiches. After distributing the coffee to the staff, Yoochan stared at Jungeol’s slowly melting iced Americano on the table and waited. Finally, Jungeol and the girl came out, and she bowed to him before leaving. Yoochan asked,“Did you decide to help her?”“No.”Jungeol replied calmly as he approached the sofa. The image of the scarred wrist lingered in Yoochan’s mind, and he asked, looking troubled,“Couldn’t you make an exception? It’s a sensitive age. Are such scars hard to cover up?”“Some of those scars were recent. Covering them isn’t the problem. Even if we cover them, if she cuts again, it’s pointless.”“I see.”Nodding in understanding but looking disappointed, Yoochan heard Jungeol’s continued explanation.“And even if the scars were old, I don’t work on minors.”“Why not?”“If I start making exceptions, don’t you think kids will start cutting themselves just to get tattoos?”Jungeol’s voice was monotonous, as if he had dealt with such situations many times, as he put away his tablet. Thinking of the girl’s sad face, Yoochan looked down with a serious expression. Noticing Yoochan’s downcast look, Jungeol approached, placed a hand on his head, and added in a softer tone.“He said he’d do it later if she gets treatment and there are no new scars. In the meantime, she’ll wear a watch.”It seemed like Jungeol was trying to reassure him. Yoochan wiped the sullen expression off his face and nodded. Jungeol checked the time and gestured to Yoochan, suggesting they have an early dinner. Yoochan stood up, a bit surprised, and asked,“Huh? Don’t you have another appointment?”“I have about forty minutes.”Relieved by the relaxed answer, Yoochan followed Jungeol out of the shop.“About that tattoo earlier. I thought the one with just lines looked a bit odd, but the ones with patterns and designs were quite pretty.”As they ate bulgogi set meals side by side, Yoochan chatted cheerfully, having completely forgotten about the earlier incident. Watching Jungeol, Yoochan seemed to recall something and pointed his chopsticks in the air, his eyes half-closed.“Especially that… Manager Noona’s work. It was really pretty. What was it called again?”“Tribal? I like it too.”Jungeol replied in his usual tone, as if he had forgotten about Yoochan’s flushed face. Yoochan nodded excitedly in agreement.“Yes, tribal. Those Hollywood muscular actors often have them, right? I think I saw it on the internet. Hyung, don’t you want one? It would suit you well since you have a nice body.”Yoochan continued eating enthusiastically, unaware that Jungeol had paused at the compliment about his physique. Just then, a server approached, apologizing for the delayed meal and offering a small soda and cola. Yoochan naturally swapped the soda next to Jungeol with the cola next to him and said,“Hyung, you like cola, right? Take this. I’ll have the soda.”After a while, Yoochan noticed that Jungeol was staring at the cola he had given him, deep in thought. Yoochan’s heart sank as he remembered the earlier incident.“…Why?”Yoochan swallowed the food in his mouth and glanced at Jungeol. Jungeol had put down his chopsticks and was resting his chin on his hand, looking at Yoochan.His silent gaze was unreadable. Unsure of what to say, Yoochan remained silent until Jungeol spoke first.“Baek Yoochan.”“…Yes.”Feeling like he was being scolded with just a look, Yoochan obediently put down his utensils.Jungeol squinted as if recalling something. He remembered Yoochan coming to the shop in high school, wanting to get his girlfriend’s face tattooed, talking about getting friendship tattoos, and how Yoochan had boldly approached Dahee when they first met. With a thoughtful expression, Jungeol looked at Yoochan and spoke slowly and calmly.“I told you that you’re reckless.”Yoochan bit his lip. Jungeol, staring directly at Yoochan, added quietly,“Don’t do it.”“……”“Whatever you’re planning to do soon.”As if the conversation was over, Jungeol picked up his chopsticks again. Yoochan, frozen in place, understood the meaning behind Jungeol’s brief words. Jungeol resumed eating with a neutral expression.To others, it might have seemed like a peaceful meal, but Yoochan’s face slowly contorted. His once cheerful eyes began to tremble. Jungeol, trying to ignore it and continue eating, eventually looked up, concerned. Yoochan, with his lips pouting and breathing heavily, seemed to be holding something back.He looked like a wildebeest about to cross the Mara River. Just as Jungeol furrowed his brows in worry, Yoochan, as if making a decision, clenched his teeth and grabbed his chopsticks.The chopsticks flew across the table as if to stab Jungeol’s neck but instead delicately picked up a large piece of stuffed cucumber and placed it on Jungeol’s rice bowl.Yoochan, with a tearful face but a determined attitude, said loudly,“I don’t care! I’m going to do it! It’s my choice!”After shouting angrily, Yoochan picked up his spoon and began shoveling food into his mouth, ignoring everything around him.* * *Yoochan: Hyung, are you awake?Jungeol, who had arrived at the shop earlier than usual with Gaang, checked Yoochan’s message as soon as he put his bag on the counter and let out a small laugh.Given Yoochan’s stubborn personality, Jungeol had expected him not to back down easily, but he hadn’t anticipated that it would have so little effect. After being indirectly rejected, Yoochan had become even more expressive of his feelings over the past few days.Any lingering doubts had long since vanished. When Yoochan said he would follow Jungeol to Milan, Jungeol tried to dismiss it as just a coincidence that Yoochan had free time, but that was a big mistake. According to Manager, Yoochan planned to skip all his classes for two days to go to Milan.It was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore Yoochan’s relentless advances. Jungeol’s subtle rejection was his way of being considerate.Jungeol believed that Yoochan’s feelings were a temporary excitement leading to a hasty conclusion. Reflecting on Yoochan’s past actions confirmed this. Whether it was planning to get a tattoo of his girlfriend’s face shortly after they started dating, throwing a tantrum at the shop, or saying he thought he liked Dahee, all these instances supported Jungeol’s belief.Yoochan was impulsive, immature, and surprisingly emotional.Jungeol didn’t want his good relationship with Yoochan to turn sour like it had with Dahee. He hoped that Yoochan would realize his immaturity and come to his senses, but instead, Yoochan became more assertive in expressing his feelings.— Hyung! You’re going to drink cola, right? I’ll pour it for you.The previous evening, during dinner with the staff, Yoochan had set Jungeol’s utensils, poured cola into his glass, and even placed distant side dishes in front of him. Taeho, who had been about to eat those side dishes, looked at Yoochan in disbelief. After dinner, Yoochan had suggested going to a café, saying he would buy coffee.With some time before his next appointment, Jungeol had considered the offer but ultimately declined. When Jungeol said he didn’t have time, Yoochan briefly looked dejected but quickly brightened up, suggesting they get takeout for the other staff members and Manager Noona, and successfully dragged Jungeol to the café.Yoochan: You must be awake. Get ready for work. I didn’t exercise yesterday and just slept, so my body is sore. I’m going for a walk around the neighborhood before heading to school. See you later, Hyung.It was as if Yoochan was daring Jungeol to reject him.Ignoring it would have been easy, but Jungeol couldn’t help but stare at the message for a long time. He wondered if he had made the right decision by rejecting Yoochan. Since then, Yoochan’s actions had been even more noticeable. After a long time, Jungeol finally put down his phone and turned on his computer. He opened his SNS to be ready for consultations when Manager arrived and saw that his DMs had piled up. He hadn’t checked them the previous night due to fatigue, and now there were numerous inquiries.Jungeol’s expression hardened when he saw the top DM. Instead of a tattoo-related inquiry, it was from a customer expressing personal interest in him.Without reading the lengthy ten-line DM, Jungeol blocked the sender’s account. Despite Manager’s note stating that personal questions wouldn’t be answered, people still sent such messages early in the morning, which Jungeol found quite bothersome.The next few messages were similar. After blocking three more people, Jungeol gave up on consultations and stood up, only to see Yoochan grinning at him through the transparent automatic door.Yoochan, looking excited to see Jungeol, mouthed “Hyung” and waved both hands energetically. Despite having seen him the previous evening, Yoochan’s childlike excitement made Jungeol forget his annoyance with the DMs and laugh in disbelief.Seeing Jungeol smile, Yoochan grinned back and pressed the automatic door button to enter.“Hyung! Why are you here so early? Do you have a morning appointment?”“Yeah.”Yoochan, looking pleased, noticed Gaang running towards him and reached out with a joyful expression.“Gaang, your scarf looks nice today. I should have bought more in different colors. Hyung, can I take Gaang for a walk while I go for a round?”As Yoochan adjusted the lime-green scarf around Gaang’s neck, Jungeol told him to go ahead and sat on the sofa, looking at the design for his first job of the day on his tablet. Just then, Yoochan, who was looking for Gaang’s leash by the counter, saw the computer screen and frowned.“Wow, what’s this?”Jungeol glanced at the counter. Yoochan, looking at the SNS DMs on Jungeol’s screen, added,“I knew people left comments, but they send DMs too? Seriously… Isn’t this a bit much, Hyung? You shouldn’t entertain these. You need to reject them firmly. Business is business. Wow, this person even sent a selfie. Are they joking? Hyung, you’re going to reject these, right?”Yoochan’s excessive grumbling made his intentions clear—he was trying to fend off any women approaching Jungeol. Jungeol, losing the will to argue, just shrugged. As Yoochan put the leash on Gaang, he noticed Jungeol rotating his left wrist and quickly changed his expression to one of concern.“Is your wrist hurting? Should I book that acupuncture clinic again?”“I was just stretching. It doesn’t hurt.”Jungeol, who was habitually loosening his wrist before starting work, reassured Yoochan, who seemed ready to make an appointment. Yoochan, looking relieved, picked up Gaang and said,“You’re not having dinner tonight, right?”“Yeah.”Jungeol nodded.“I won’t be able to rest from three o’clock until late at night.”“What if you collapse from exhaustion? I’m really worried. Make sure to have a hearty lunch even if I’m not around. Anyway, I’m going for a walk with Gaang. If you’re busy working, I’ll just leave Gaang at the shop, so don’t worry.”Without waiting for Jungeol’s response, Yoochan left. Jungeol stared silently at the door Yoochan had exited through before returning to his design preparations. However, he couldn’t focus and got up to get some water. Yoochan had only been there for five minutes, but it felt like a storm had passed through his mind.Holding a glass of water, Jungeol stared at the water dispenser. His eyes were on the dispenser, but his thoughts were still on Yoochan, who had left a while ago. He had been worried that Yoochan would be down for a while after hearing his rejection, but Yoochan seemed to be handling it cheerfully, which was both a relief and a source of guilt.Trying to shake off thoughts of Yoochan, Jungeol poured water from the dispenser when his phone buzzed. Expecting a notification from the SNS official account, he saw a message from Dahee instead.You didn’t forget our appointment today, right? I’ll be there by 7:30.Realizing it was the 30th, Jungeol frowned in annoyance. Ignoring her messages for a week to avoid an uncomfortable situation had been futile; Dahee was determined to come today.Unfortunately, his last appointment was with Dahee, so he couldn’t avoid her. Sighing in frustration, Jungeol carelessly placed his phone on the counter and took his water and tablet to booth 1.About thirty minutes into his design work, he heard Gaang barking, signaling Yoochan’s return. Jungeol put down his tablet and looked at the curtain. Gaang sniffed his way in and scratched at Jungeol’s leg.Jungeol picked up Gaang and placed him on the bed, then looked under the curtain. He saw Yoochan’s legs in training pants. Expecting Yoochan to come in, Jungeol pulled out a chair, but Yoochan’s feet turned and walked away. Hearing Yoochan’s footsteps fade away, Jungeol rubbed his forehead in frustration.That evening, Yoochan sprinted out of the judo gym with wide eyes. Near the end of his workout, he had been discussing competition schedules and weight loss with the assistant manager when he suddenly realized it was the 30th.Having been preoccupied with thoughts of the upcoming Milan trip with Jungeol, Yoochan had completely forgotten about Dahee’s planned visit on the 30th. He hurried to the shop, where Taeho and Manager were having a late dinner of jajangmyeon and sweet and sour pork on the sofa.“Yoochan!”Manager was the first to notice Yoochan, who was looking around frantically.“Jungeol Oppa is in his last session. No interruptions.”Manager, with a mouthful of jajangmyeon, pointed to booth 1. Yoochan, ready to charge into booth 1, hesitated at Manager’s words and turned around.“Is Dahee Noona in there now?”Manager, as if surprised by his guess, widened her eyes while biting off the jajangmyeon noodles. Yoochan muttered in disbelief,“Wow… No interruptions?”The phrase, suitable for a newlywed couple’s bedroom sign, made Yoochan’s pupils shake.“What do you mean, no interruptions? Seriously. Doing that in a sacred workspace is just wrong.”“Huh? What are you talking about? I just meant don’t mess around and get scolded since Jungeol Oppa doesn’t look happy today.”“Yoochan, come eat this.”At Taeho’s gesture, Yoochan reluctantly sat on the sofa and ate some sweet and sour pork. However, even while chewing, his eyes never left booth 1. Manager, puzzled by Yoochan’s intense gaze, looked at him before returning to her jajangmyeon. Then, noticing the table shaking as if there was an earthquake, she turned her head.Yoochan’s legs, clad in thin gray training pants, were trembling as if having a seizure.“Yoochan, you’re shaking the table.”“Huh? Oh, sorry.”At Taeho’s remark, Yoochan grabbed his thighs to stop the shaking. But then his fingers started twitching on his thighs. Yoochan couldn’t calm down, convinced that Dahee was confessing to Jungeol at that moment.‘Damn, I should have confessed this morning.’Even though Jungeol didn’t like Dahee, he might accept her confession when faced with the situation. Moreover, Yoochan had recently experienced the pain of being rejected before even confessing. Taeho, watching Yoochan’s anxious eyes dart around, suddenly remembered something and spoke to Manager.“Noona, what did you get from Jungeol Hyung earlier? The shopping bag looked fancy.”“Oh, just some perfume.”At Taeho and Manager’s words, Yoochan flinched and looked at them.“…Hyung gave Noona a perfume gift?”Unaware of Yoochan’s wary gaze, Manager picked up the shopping bag from the floor. The item that came out of the branded shopping bag was a well-packaged box.“Wow, it looks really expensive.”Manager replied cheerfully to Taeho’s comment.“Yeah, I’ve wanted it since last year, but it was too expensive to buy with my own money. I kept mentioning how much I wanted it, and Oppa actually bought it for me.”“Why… why does Hyung only buy gifts for Noona? Is it a special day for Noona?”Yoochan asked in a trembling voice. Manager, puzzled by Yoochan’s frustrated expression, explained.“My birthday is on the 3rd. Oppa bought it in advance because he won’t be able to attend the party due to the Milan trip.”Yoochan felt a mix of relief and sadness, realizing they weren’t just ordinary colleagues.“When Noona asked for the perfume, Hyung seemed to be listening half-heartedly, but he actually bought it.”Taeho, placing his empty jajangmyeon bowl down, commented in front of the gloomy Yoochan. Manager nodded in agreement as she put the perfume case back in the shopping bag.“That’s why Oppa is popular with women. You wonder what’s so great about a stoic guy, but then you see how considerate he is.”Yoochan bit his lip. Taeho then asked curiously,“How much is it?”“How much was it… about 400,000 won on the official website.”“Wow, what kind of perfume is that expensive?”“The loafers Oppa gave you as a gift were even more expensive. They were over 500,000 won, right?”“Jaehyeok Hyung also got a jumper worth about that much.”Listening to their conversation, Yoochan realized that Jungeol was generous with all the staff, not just Manager. Yoochan felt a bit relieved but then noticed his sweat-soaked t-shirt and asked Manager,“How long have Dahee Noona and Jungeol Hyung been in there?”“Let’s see… about an hour?”“How much longer will it take?”“At Oppa’s pace… well, it should take at least another hour. He said he’d finish everything today.”Yoochan decided it would be best to go up and shower quickly. After telling Taeho and Manager that he would be back after a shower, he left the shop.After showering and changing into fresh clothes, Yoochan returned to the shop. Only thirty or forty minutes had passed, but the shop was now quiet. Jaehyeok, who was playing a game alone at the counter, confirmed that Jungeol was still in booth 1 and said sympathetically,“He just left with Dahee a moment ago. You should call him.”Yoochan’s pupils shook violently. Hoping for the best, Yoochan went down to the first floor. Even after reaching the main road with the convenience store, he couldn’t see Dahee or Jungeol. Yoochan anxiously fiddled with his phone. Dahee might have already confessed. Yoochan wanted to ask Jungeol what they had decided.But he couldn’t bring himself to press the call button. He didn’t know what he would do if he heard they were dating. He couldn’t even imagine his reaction to such news.Staring intently at his phone, Yoochan looked around the convenience store. Thinking the conversation might be over by now, he called Jungeol, only to hear a phone ringing nearby. Assuming it was someone else, Yoochan’s call ended as soon as the ringing stopped.Yoochan put his phone in his pocket and walked a bit further. In the secluded church parking lot behind the officetel building, he saw two people talking. Yoochan was puzzled by the woman’s stiff shoulders when he heard the man’s voice first.“I thought I made it clear that I’m not interested.”It was definitely Jungeol’s voice, sounding colder than usual. Then the woman’s dejected voice followed.“I understood that you were too busy for a relationship back then… but I thought maybe your feelings had changed now….”It seemed they had already had a similar conversation before Yoochan arrived. Seeing Dahee on the verge of tears, Yoochan couldn’t bring himself to intervene. Just as he decided to wait until the conversation ended and turned to leave, Jungeol spoke again.“I have no intention of dating you.”The accusatory tone made Yoochan stop in his tracks. He turned around in shock. Even though he wasn’t the one being rejected, he felt as if his insides were crumbling, perhaps because he was in a similar situation to Dahee. As he rubbed his aching chest, Dahee, who had been silent for a while, spoke again, grasping at straws.