Harmonious Love

A Perfect Lie (9)

Tae Young-won’s eyebrow twitched with interest. Mo Yeon’s previous words could provide him with leverage. Mo Yeon tried to backtrack belatedly.

“Actually, that’s not it. This is a phenomenon that only happens to me, not other gay men. I think something’s wrong with my head when I see a handsome person. As you know, sunbae, I’m a bit crazy about men.”

“…”

“So that’s what happened just now. You can think of it as a similar situation to when I stalked you, sunbae…”

When Tae Young-won continued to give no response, Mo Yeon’s large eyes wandered here and there again, as if trying to gauge what this reaction meant. Finally, Mo Yeon cautiously opened his mouth.

“Sunbae…?”

As the silence continued, it seemed his sense of reality had returned. The tears in Mo Yeon’s eyes had disappeared. Tae Young-won quietly looked down at him, even as he spoke again with an embarrassed face.

“Anyway, I mistook you for someone else, sunbae. If you understand, then I’ll be going now…”

“…”

“I need to go home at night… it’s getting late…”

Although it was a bit ambiguous to say he had finished speaking, Mo Yeon bowed his head as if he had. Then he turned around awkwardly.

After turning completely, he started walking away, sneaking glances. Following the same path he had run towards him earlier.

In the park where the night air was cool, Tae Young-won stood alone under the streetlight.

Tap tap tap tap.

The footsteps, which had become bold at some point, were now in full sprint. As the sound of footsteps faded away like someone fleeing, Tae Young-won’s eyes finally focused.

Mo Yeon’s back of the head was gradually moving away.

“…”

Tae Young-won couldn’t just stand there blankly staring at that retreating figure. While he was happy to hear his voice again after a few days, none of what he said made any sense.

There’s a limit to indulging him just because he’s cute. He should say something that makes sense…

“Mo Yeon! Who did you mistake this face for?”

As expected, a cat’s thoughts were unfathomable.

“Mo Yeon-!”

There was no hesitation. He started running like a grim reaper chasing a fleeing soul.

He had wasted some time being dazed. As a result, Mo Yeon had already run quite far.

“Mo Yeon!”

When he called out once more, Mo Yeon, who had been looking around as if he’d heard an illusion, turned and saw Tae Young-won.

“Gasp!”

He witnessed Mo Yeon’s face turning pale in real-time. Seeing the expected reaction, Tae Young-won smiled brightly.

“Mo Yeon, Mo Yeon-!”

“Wh-what? Don’t come!”

“Mo Yeon!”

As he increased his speed, he kept calling Mo Yeon’s name incessantly.

Thinking about it again, there was no excuse more ridiculous. You mistook me without knowing it was me?

“You clearly called me sunbae when you ran towards me earlier, do you really want to get in trouble?”

“Aah!”

Having his flimsy excuse confirmed, Mo Yeon’s speed increased even more. Tae Young-won couldn’t help but be surprised.

“And you, kid, don’t you have any loyalty between neighbors?”

Whether he had a lot of experience running away in life or what, Mo Yeon’s body was surprisingly quick when fleeing. Perhaps his usual slow, turtle-like walk was to conserve energy for times like this, because in this crisis situation, his sprint became even faster.

In fact, he seemed faster now than when he was being chased by something earlier. This was unexpected.

“If you’re going home after meeting in front of the house, we should go together!”

However, while it was faster than he had expected, it was still a speed Tae Young-won could sneer at. Moreover, he was even talking to Mo Yeon while laughing. In the meantime, the distance between them quickly narrowed.

Before long, he caught up and turned Mo Yeon around by the shoulder. Mo Yeon, gasping for breath, couldn’t hide his shock.

“Why are you following me like this? I thought my heart was going to fall out…!”

“I guess I’m going crazy about men too. Did you already forget what you said earlier? When you’re crazy, you might follow a man’s tail like you do. I guess we’re becoming alike.”

“Huff, huff…”

As they ran, they had somehow ended up in front of their officetel. The place Mo Yeon had fled to was ultimately their home. Mo Yeon, struggling to catch his breath, couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

“…I told you earlier it was a mistake!”

“I can’t stand that you kissed me and ran away. I’ve been badly hurt once before by staying quiet after being fooled by someone. I won’t be fooled twice.”

“What are you going to do if you can’t stand it? I’m telling you, I really made a mistake.”

“That excuse is what I can’t stand the most. How could you mistake this face and not recognize it? You should make up a lie that’s at least somewhat believable, Mo Yeon.”

Mo Yeon’s mouth moved, but he ultimately couldn’t say anything. Looking at his downcast eyes, Tae Young-won spoke in a lower voice.

“You recognized me from quite far away. Did you think I wouldn’t know that? I recognized you even earlier. I knew it was you from the moment you started running towards me. I didn’t try to recognize you, you just caught my eye.”

“…”

“How long has it been since you came to me on your own, and now you’re trying to disappear again like this?”

His lips were curved out of habit, but his face didn’t look happy at all. Of course, it couldn’t be.

The feeling of being used is terribly dirty. Tae Young-won was experiencing this feeling for the first time in his life. Even now, he was acting recklessly, disregarding his pride or anything else, but that didn’t make it okay.

What was certain was that he was so obsessed with one thing that he couldn’t see anything else. That’s why he was enduring it all.

What was different from before was that his interest wasn’t just in the lower body. Mo Yeon certainly had many aspects that piqued his interest.

“We’re still attracted to each other. I’m sure of it. I don’t know why, but at this point, it seems that way.”

So even now, when he was clearly being used, he was both frustrated and excited by the fact that he still had some use value.

“I’m not attracted at all. There’s another reason I’m doing this.”

“If there’s a reason, that’s still attraction. You’re attracted to me because of that reason. If it’s not instinct but there’s a reason, you might actually be more attracted.”

“…”

He pulled the corners of his mouth into a smile. Mo Yeon’s eyes wavered at his confident appearance even at a time like this. Not missing the opportunity, Tae Young-won took a step closer.

“Just accept it and come back home. Your things are still there.”

“No.”

Mo Yeon shook his head coldly.

Seeing his stubborn attitude, Tae Young-won decided to play his reserved card.

“I’ll give you back the pigeon T-shirt.”

He shakes his head stubbornly even when I offer to return it, when he was asking for it back before. Still, Tae Young-won didn’t care.

“Let’s make up, we’ve fought too much. I think I’m okay with everything else now, whether you’re weird or how much you’ve deceived me. What are you still so worried about?”

Although Mo Yeon hadn’t said he was worried, his eyes were saying so. Tae Young-won furrowed his brows. Then Mo Yeon spoke softly.

“…Everything will be different.”

When he raised his head, his eyes were visible again. Mo Yeon’s eyes had quickly reddened again.

“Do you think it will be the same as when I pretended to be your boyfriend, even if it was a lie, and when we’re consensual sex partners? Can you be sure it won’t be different from before?”

“What’s the difference? It might be a little different, but I never thought it would be greatly different.”

“How can that be the same?”

“You don’t like it being different from before? Would you like me to keep treating you the same way?”

“…”

Mo Yeon took a step back as much as Tae Young-won had stepped forward earlier. Tae Young-won took another step forward.

“I promise. It won’t be any different from before.”

“…”

“Come back home, Mo Yeon.”

He frowned. A voice mixed with a sigh burst out like a groan.

“I can’t sleep at night.”

“…”

Lately, everyone he met told Tae Young-won that he seemed to have lost weight. Tae Young-won always denied it, but in fact, he knew it too.

“…You can’t sleep?”

Moreover, they were in a relationship where they slept skin to skin almost every day. Despite thinking it was uncomfortable to sleep with someone else.

“Yeah.”

“…”

“Do you sleep well?”

Mo Yeon didn’t answer. He just rolled his eyes. Certainly, even to Tae Young-won’s eyes, Mo Yeon’s face seemed as haggard as his own. But he couldn’t tell if it was because of him or if he just looked tired due to increased part-time work hours.

“I guess you sleep well.”

“…”

That was Tae Young-won’s conclusion. That he was the only one who couldn’t sleep at night. The more he looked, Mo Yeon’s face under the streetlight looked just as cute as usual, rather than haggard.

Indeed, what you see with your eyes matters more than words.

“It’s so damn unfair just for me…”

He had been fine when hearing a hundred scratching words.

Without realizing it, a bitter smile formed on his face.