NFS 2.4

Previously, knowing this would have made him ignore Seo Ahn-jae more and resolve to cut him off completely, but now things were different. Now that he considered that Seo Ahn-jae might be a victim, he couldn’t simply dismiss it as utter nonsense. Feeling his throat dry up, Joo Seung-ha swallowed some more juice.

The sweet and cool liquid helped clear his head. Joo Seung-ha began by setting his priorities. He still didn’t want to be involved with the other man anymore. However, if—just if—he paid back the debt that Seo Ahn-jae wanted so badly, wouldn’t they have no reason to see each other again? It was quite a sweet temptation. Eight times. If he slept with him eight times, it could really be over.

‘7 p.m. xxx’

Another notification of time and place arrived soon after. Though he was on vacation, it seemed a real break was impossible due to the designated driver job. The new destination turned out to be an upscale restaurant. He arrived on time for the appointment, but Seo Ahn-jae seemed to be late again as he was nowhere in sight. Instead, a message appeared on his phone.

‘Come in.’

Joo Seung-ha looked up at the restaurant building with disapproving eyes, hesitated briefly, then walked inside. When he mentioned Seo Ahn-jae’s name at the entrance, the staff seemed to have been waiting and guided him to a room. It didn’t take long to walk through the narrow corridor, but the whole entire experience was not unfamiliar to him.

It reminded him of the day he reunited with him at the hotel. Back then, he had expected a 100-year-old pervert waving his dick. Knock knock, Joo Seung-ha opened the door after  the knock, and there was Seo Ahn-jae sitting at the table, on the phone with someone. Similar to their first reunion, but today he wore casual clothes instead of a suit. And when the other man saw Joo Seung-ha, he slowly got up to his feet.

“Straight to TV? Didn’t you say you’d arrange print interviews first? Ah, that program.”

Seo Ahn-jae spoke to the person on the phone while pulling out a chair for Joo Seung-ha to sit down in. When Joo Seung-ha stood still, unable to move at his gesture, Seo Ahn-jae stared at him.

“Go ahead.”

After saying this, he immediately hung up and gestured to the chair with his chin.

“Sit.”

“…”

“We’ll eat dinner before you go.”

Seo Ahn-jae expected to go through several rounds of offering and refusing, but Joo Seung-ha obediently moved to sit in the chair. Seo Ahn-jae looked at him curiously as he returned to his own seat.

“I ordered in advance.”

Joo Seung-ha looked around the clearly expensive restaurant’s interior and asked, “How much is it?”

Seo Ahn-jae paused while wiping his hands with the napkin on the plate.

“Too expensive for you to afford.”

“It must be cheaper than 8 million won, right?”

Joo Seung-ha also picked up a napkin to wipe his hands. Seo Ahn-jae tossed his used napkin onto the plate and shook his head.

“No, it’s more expensive than that. You can’t afford it.”

What nonsense. Joo Seung-ha frowned.

“How much is it?”

“One kiss.”

More nonsense. While Joo Seung-ha was dumbfounded, a sweet smile spread across Seo Ahn-jae’s lips. This smile bothered Joo Seung-ha more than the nonsense he had just uttered.

“Will you pay?”

“If the menu shows ‘one kiss’ as the price, I’ll pay. What’s the big deal about a mere kiss?”

Fortunately, Seo Ahn-jae’s smile disappeared, returning to his usual cold eyes.

“I should make a new menu then. A mere kiss for the aperitif, crawling between my legs on your knees and sucking my cock for the appetizer, stripping naked and riding my cock while shaking your ass for the main course. Licking up all my cum for dessert.”

The vulgar words sounded as smooth as poetry when Seo Ahn-jae said them in his low, deep voice. Of course, Joo Seung-ha wasn’t fooled by that impressive voice. When Joo Seung-ha responded expressionlessly, Seo Ahn-jae smirked as if he had been expecting it all along.

“Will you do it?”

“That’s not even a price on the menu. Even if it was, I’d rather suck the chef’s cock once and be done with it.”

Joo Seung-ha watched the smile disappear from the eyes facing him, replaced by coldness. No matter how many times he saw it, he couldn’t understand how just one word from him could cause such a change. And it gave him chills every time.

“Does that upset you? I wouldn’t care even if the chef sucked your cock, sunbae.”

“You shouldn’t be indifferent. This restaurant’s chef is a woman in her 40s.”

Joo Seung-ha’s face suddenly turned bright red with embarrassment.

“Ah, I…”

Joo Seung-ha swallowed hard as words failed him, then hurried to explain.

“I wasn’t talking about the actual chef, I mean, definitely not about this restaurant’s chef. Just a hypothetical…”

Joo Seung-ha’s eyes wavered in unprecedented embarrassment before looking at Seo Ahn-jae and muttering a small curse.

“Damn, you know that’s not what I meant. Why are you laughing?”

“I’m laughing imagining your expression when the chef comes to greet us personally before dessert.”

Joo Seung-ha was irritated but swallowed a sigh at the news of the real chef’s impending visit.

“You’re the one who talked nonsense first, senior, so why am I…?”

“Because your words were nonsense too.”

Joo Seung-ha looked at him now leaning back in his chair carelessly for a moment before turning his head away.

“You’re right. Mine was nonsense too.”

Seo Ahn-jae’s brow furrowed when Joo Seung-ha readily admitted it. Joo Seung-ha was acting strange today. He seemed to argue back at times but then suddenly ended the fight as if giving up. Perhaps he had realized he couldn’t win against Seo Ahn-jae and was tired of trying. While this should have been a good sign, an unpleasant anxiety lingered like a low fog on his mood.

But with the food arriving, he had to let go of that anxiety for now. After all, Joo Seung-ha was right here in front of him, and he could keep him in his sight while they ate dinner together. The word ‘keep’ quickly put Seo Ahn-jae in a good mood.

He was in such a good mood that even Joo Seung-ha noticed it—throughout dinner, he kept making conversation and pushing food toward Joo Seung-ha, urging him to eat up. Looking at the abalone dish pushed in front of him, Joo Seung-ha seemed to want to say something but instead obediently picked up a small piece of the sliced abalone and put it in his mouth.

“It’s delicious.”

“Is that all?”

“Should I give it Michelin stars or something?”

Seo Ahn-jae curved his lips as if amused. He had been wearing that smile throughout the meal.

“This restaurant already has Michelin stars.”

Though he laughed at his jokes, he never failed to coldly confirm the facts. Because of this trait, he was known in college as someone who didn’t easily get jokes. Of course, Joo Seung-ha used to prepare jokes days in advance just to make the other man laugh a little. While Joo Seung-ha was tired of these constant comparisons to the past, he no longer felt sad about his past self, nor uncomfortable with this disconnect.

“Michelin sure is diligent.”

Joo Seung-ha muttered, picking up another piece of abalone. Seo Ahn-jae curved his lips again at those words and watched Joo Seung-ha continuing eating.

“I expected you to curse and throw the plate at me.”

“I’m not so ill-mannered as to break dishes in someone else’s business. And your words…”

Joo Seung-ha looked around at the Korean dishes served as a three-course meal.

“I just realized it’s you giving the disease then the cure anyway.”

Seo Ahn-jae’s smile slowly faded. Joo Seung-ha lowered his indifferent gaze from him to the food.

“I’ll curse if you want. But you prefer to be the one doing it, don’t you?”

“You know me well.”

“Yes. Since I’ve always heard about it.”

“You loved it too. You were crazy for it.”

“I wonder.”

Joo Seung-ha tilted his head to one side while chewing his food.

“I think I just liked whatever you said because I liked you, not that I particularly liked the cursing. There’s no need to see it that way. I’m just too tired to get angry these days.”

Plus, he had sorted out his thoughts about their relationship. But Joo Seung-ha didn’t want to reveal this change in his mindset yet. Perhaps that was why Seo Ahn-jae guessed a different reason for his fatigue.

“Is your mother’s situation resolved?”

He was famous for never showing interest in others’ personal matters even when close, so Joo Seung-ha wasn’t expecting him to ask that at all. Joo Seung-ha still remembered the complaint his college friend had voiced, ‘I can’t tell if Ahn-jae is just tight-lipped or completely uninterested. Hey, if I pour out my serious concerns, couldn’t he at least ask later how things turned out? When I brought it up first to say it was resolved well, damn, he couldn’t even remember me telling him about it. Wow, it’s kind of hurtful, you know?’

The friend who had complained in front of everyone in the classroom was the same one who had volunteered at the shelter before. Jo Seung-ha suspected that maybe he had told Seo Ahn-jae, his coworker, about Joo Seung-ha’s situation. That friend had seemed interested in others’ affairs.

In contrast, as his friend said, Seo Ahn-jae never showed interest in others’ personal matters no matter how close they were. So while Seo Ahn-jae was acting like something was off about Joo Seung-ha today, to Joo Seung-ha’s eyes, Seo Ahn-jae was the one acting strange. Was this really about giving the disease then the cure?

“No. It’s not something that can be easily resolved.”

“It could be solved easily. I’ll resolve it for you.”

Why would you, senior? Joo Seung-ha swallowed the words that had risen to his throat. Instead, he just shook his head.

“Mom is the one who needs to resolve it. If someone else steps in to help, she’ll just stay in that state. I’ve already received enough help from you, sunbae. Thank you for finding Cookie a foster home.”

Having said that, he felt awkward that this was a thanks he should have given earlier. Joo Seung-ha turned his head, pretending to drink water, and added, “Though I’m most grateful to your sister, of course.”

When there was no response, he turned back to see Seo Ahn-jae looking at him with disapproving eyes.

“There’s no need to thank her. She took Cookie for her own selfish reasons.”

“What selfish reasons?”

“Being able to hug a dog. Since she was little, she wanted to hug dogs without thinking about their feelings. Cookie must be regretting it now and planning an escape.”

Joo Seung-ha strained his face trying not to laugh. The world was fair after all. Even a self-centered person who never cared about others’ feelings and never got hurt had their natural enemy.

“You seem to know dogs’ feelings well.”

“Must be because I’m the son of a bitch.”

His irritated voice carried the resentment of decades of brainwashing from being called a son of a bitch by his own family. Joo Seung-ha had to pretend to drink water again to suppress his laughter. However, Seo Ahn-jae’s next words prompted him to explode like a landmine.

“And then my sister got called the mad dog of the industry. This is divine punishment.”

Pfft—Joo Seung-ha spat the water he was holding back into the cup. Even trying to suppress it, once the laughter burst out, his facial muscles moved beyond his control. Trying not to make a sound, he hunched over with his shoulders shaking, almost looking like he was crying. Only after taking several deep breaths could Joo Seung-ha finally calm down enough to sit up straight. 

However, still embarrassed from laughing so much, he couldn’t meet Seo Ahn-jae’s eyes directly.

“Just…the curse words with ‘dog’ in them are funny. At the shelter, since we raise dogs, everyone agrees to refrain from using curses with ‘dog’ in them. That’s why I laughed.”

It was half a lie. Seo Ahn-jae seemed like someone who rationally analyzed and calculated everything, but he thought it was divine punishment that his sister was called a mad dog. This sense of incongruity was so funny. What could be more unfitting for him than the word “divine punishment”? Joo Seung-ha had to clench his jaw as he found it funny again just thinking about it. Surprisingly, Seo Ahn-jae didn’t look at all displeased by Joo Seung-ha’s laughter. Rather, he seemed to find Joo Seung-ha’s reaction amusing.

“So I just need to use dog-related curses to make you laugh.”

“It won’t work a second time.”

Though it would probably work with 100% certainty even the second time, Joo Seung-ha deliberately shook his head coolly. Seo Ahn-jae still looked at Joo Seung-ha with pleased eyes despite being told it wouldn’t work.

“There will be a second time?”

Joo Seung-ha froze, stopping his hand reaching for the spoon, and spoke expressionlessly.

“We still have the designated driver service left.”

“There are other things left too.”

Seo Ahn-jae twisted his lips into a smirk while muttering and reached out to push the bowl of meat toward Joo Seung-ha.

“Eat.”

Joo Seung-ha looked at the gesture of goodwill pushed in front of him for a moment but moved his chopsticks without further resistance. Since Seo Ahn-jae kept watching Joo Seung-ha without eating himself, Joo Seung-ha had no other choice but to look up.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.”

What does he mean ‘nothing.’ While Joo Seung-ha was grumbling internally, Seo Ahn-jae resumed eating and added, “Because you’re cute.”

Clack—Joo Seung-ha put down his chopsticks audibly and frowned.

“I said I don’t have the energy to get angry today, not that I won’t fight.”

Seo Ahn-jae watched Joo Seung-ha expressionlessly while slowly chewing his food.

“Doesn’t matter. You’d be cute even if you came at me like a fighting dog.”

“I wonder if you’d still say that while bleeding from a dog bite.”

“Try it.”

Seo Ahn-jae casually extended his muscular forearm. Joo Seung-ha looked at him with eyes that said ‘Why is he acting like this? How pathetic.’

“I lost my appetite, so no.”

At those words, Seo Ahn-jae suddenly burst out laughing and said through curved lips, “See, I told you you’re cute.”

What nonsense. Even when Joo Seung-ha cursed with his eyes, Seo Ahn-jae’s smile didn’t fade. As Joo Seung-ha ignored him and tried to finish eating quickly, he heard a casual question.

“What are you doing tomorrow?”

“I’ll be at the shelter all day.”

“The day after?”

“The shelter. I’ll be at the shelter all week.”

Worried he might call again, Joo Seung-ha was firm, making Seo Ahn-jae’s eyes turn cold.

“You only go to the shelter on weekends.”

“There’s a lot to prepare for since it’ll rain from Friday onward, so I need to go all week.”