CI 2.4

As a child, he had thought that once he passed twenty, he would become a solid person who could handle anything smoothly. He never imagined becoming a pathetic adult who would panic just from running into an ex-boyfriend.

Son Yeo-il vaguely swallowed the end of his sentence, but Won Hee-yeon answered as if he had understood all his inner thoughts.

“Hey, is there an age limit to feeling constricted? Everyone’s heart goes back and forth between feeling tight and relaxed right up until the coffin lid closes. That’s why you should see good things and eat delicious food. Hmm? You have to make constant efforts to live well.”

It sounded incredibly unfamiliar to his ears. Son Yeo-il had been diligently working harder than anyone to live well, but he had never once thought that way before.

He had studied hard to get into a good law school and get hired at a good law firm, and he had been busy ruthlessly saving money to pay off his debt as quickly as possible. He had only thought that seeing good things and eating delicious food would rather hinder him from living well.

But sitting in this open space, he realized there was some truth to Won Hee-yeon’s words. Whether you drink a can of beer crying in a dark room or sitting in a place like this, it was still just one can of beer.

Son Yeo-il had been too indifferent to “living well.” He lacked financial means, but perhaps he lacked mental space even more. If he didn’t push himself harder and tighter, he would become anxious and struggle without taking a single break.

Yes. Only recently…

As his thoughts turned to how only recently he had finally been eating delicious things and seeing beautiful scenery, Son Yeo-il realized something else: these days, Won Hee-yeon had been making “efforts to live well” on his behalf.

“…You’re right.”

Lacking the eloquence to express gratitude, Son Yeo-il grumbled dryly while looking at the landscape as dusk settled around them. The dimly lit lakeside was just as beautiful as the sunset. The lights turning on one by one in the cafes and bars lined up along the shore looked like twinkling stars.

And when he turned his head, there sat an exceptionally well-dressed handsome man today. A neat face that shone brightly even with the tiniest light in the darkness. It was materialistic to say, but that impeccable appearance had played a role in Son Yeo-il’s impulsive behavior today.

Feeling somehow embarrassed and excited, he kept sipping until he had emptied his can of beer. As if saying ‘Huh? Already?’ he tilted his head back and shook the can, which made Won Hee-yeon burst into muffled laughter next to him.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Oh my. Our Son Yeo-il is a sad creature with a long neck. I have plenty more here.”

From a black plastic bag placed in front of his feet, which he had obtained from somewhere, cans of beer were overflowing. He could probably have another can or two without showing any signs of drunkenness. And the beer tasted amazing.

As Son Yeo-il opened his second can and took a refreshing gulp, Won Hee-yeon glanced at him with somewhat worried eyes. It was like dealing with a drunkard who made it a habit to get drunk.

“You encouraged me first, so why are you looking at me like that? I’m not drunk yet.”

Even while stubbornly insisting, Son Yeo-il felt his dull tongue pronouncing ‘deun’ as ‘deung’ and thought, Ah, I am drunk. Won Hee-yeon seemed to have the same thought as he wriggled the corners of his mouth and asked indirectly.

“I thought you were a heavy drinker since you always stack up several bottles whenever you drank.”

Although he did drink excessively when his mood was bad, in reality, Son Yeo-il’s alcohol capacity was just one or two cans of beer. Emboldened by the alcohol, Son Yeo-il said, “Well, drinking is all about mental strength.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Like this…Focus! If you concentrate, you absolutely won’t get drunk.”

Son Yeo-il raised his index finger about two hand spans from his face, then narrowed his eyes and stared intently at his finger. Due to his tipsiness, he discovered too late that Won Hee-yeon couldn’t take his eyes off him, looking at him as if he was unbearably cute.

“…Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t you believe me?”

At Son Yeo-il’s sulky question, Won Hee-yeon responded with a beaming smile as if something was incredibly delightful, “No, I believe you.”

“Really?”

“Oh yes, of course. If our Son Yeo-il says so, I think that’s how it is, so you do whatever you want.”

After saying that and taking a slight breath, Won Hee-yeon added in a more serious voice.

“That’s right. Do what you want to do, but don’t just do anything recklessly out of anger.”

As expected, Won Hee-yeon must’ve guessed why Son Yeo-il had asked him to stay with him longer.

Fortunately, in the midst of misfortune, he didn’t seem to have noticed that Son Yeo-il’s words weren’t solely out of anger. Whether that was fortunate or rather sad was debatable.

With vivid embarrassment even while drunk, Son Yeo-il took another big gulp of beer.

“What? No, I told you not to do that…Well, I guess drinking out of anger is better than doing other things out of anger.”

Won Hee-yeon, unable to stop him, fretted and then clicked his tongue, muttering self-deprecatingly. Son Yeo-il suddenly felt irritated. Come to think of it, Son Yeo-il had basically been rejected by that man today.

With belated embarrassment, he raised his eyes and glared, which made Won Hee-yeon flinch and scoot his buttocks backward on the bench.

“W-Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I wonder. Do you have something to feel guilty about?”

“This Won Won Hee-yeon has nothing but pride. I don’t feel guilty, but when our Son Yeo-il looks at me like that, you know. A certain part becomes too proud, if you know what I mean.”

When Son Yeo-il reflexively lowered his gaze to peek at Won Hee-yeon’s lower body, Won Hee-yeon reacted as if jumping in surprise.

“Oh my. This person has no fear. Ah…this is troublesome.”

Won Hee-yeon’s hand suddenly approached Son Yeo-il’s face and covered his eyes. With his vision darkened, Won Hee-yeon’s voice could be heard grumbling, pretending to joke around.

“What’s the point of feeding eel for lunch to someone who gets excited just by looking at his husband’s face? And then. Hmm? It’s already hard enough trying to hold back, but if you keep looking at me so prettily, will it work out or not?”

The large palm covering his face felt warm on his skin. Just from the warmth of his palm, it was clear that the reason Won Hee-yeon had pretended not to notice Son Yeo-il’s advances wasn’t because he “wasn’t attracted,” but because he was making the best decision for Son Yeo-il.

The warmth on his face quickly spread to his heart. It was strange. He hadn’t felt this way when Won Hee-yeon had been constantly flirting and teasing, but now, after having his hasty advance rejected, Son Yeo-il could most clearly feel what was in his heart.

Oh no. This person seems to really like me…

Son Yeo-il had persistently tried to dismiss Won Hee-yeon’s feelings as a momentary lustful interest, just “trying to see what might happen.” Though he had pretended not to know, again and again, finally facing the undeniable emotion, Son Yeo-il was momentarily lost.

What should I do? How should I respond? His heart pounded with anxiety. But soon, he was able to regain his composure from the calm and unwavering warmth touching him.

He didn’t need to decide everything right now. An ordinary person might consider it rude if someone noticed their feelings but gave no answer, but Won Hee-yeon seemed different. The Won Hee-yeon that Son Yeo-il knew wouldn’t be shaken or rush him just because Son Yeo-il had realized his feelings.

He’d probably laugh and say, “You just figured that out?” And then tell me to take all the time I need to think about it, wouldn’t he?

Thinking that way made him feel much more at ease, allowing Son Yeo-il to pretend to be aloof as usual.

“So, how long are you going to keep your hand there?”

“This? Well, you’re cold, your face feels chilly.”

“What an excuse.”

“No, really. Look, these cheeks are like ice.”

Won Hee-yeon slightly moved his hand to Son Yeo-il’s cheek. Seizing what seemed like a good opportunity, he openly started kneading it. Perhaps because of his earlier thoughts about Won Hee-yeon’s feelings, the playful touch made his earlobes burn with embarrassment. With the hand that had covered his eyes now gone, their gazes became completely entangled.

“…My cheeks are going to wear out at this rate.”

When Son Yeo-il, unable to bear it any longer, raised his hand and grabbed Won Hee-yeon’s wrist, Won Hee-yeon pretended to be surprised.

“Hmm? Why are your hands so cold too?”

The movement Won Hee-yeon showed next was almost like a magic trick. It made sense that he wiggled his wrist to free his hand from Son Yeo-il’s, but then, as he flipped his palm, in the blink of an eye, Son Yeo-il’s hand was nestled in his. The method he used was completely baffling.

“How did you do that? You’re quite skilled.”

“Next time, shall I show you how to steal a nose while your eyes are closed?”

“My nose?”

“Oh, what are you saying? If I stole that pretty nose, I’d be arrested by UNESCO. For damaging a world cultural heritage.”

Son Yeo-il momentarily looked dumbfounded at the exaggerated flirtation before asking back.

“So you’re planning to show me how to steal someone else’s nose?”

“That’s right. If there’s anyone whose nose you’d like to steal, just tip me off. Got it?”

As soon as he heard that, the image of Koo Dae-hyun without a nose popped into his mind, making him chuckle. It was the first time since thinking about his ex-boyfriend that he had been this lighthearted.

He was about to agree that there was indeed a perfect candidate for nose-stealing but stopped himself. Considering who he was talking to, it wasn’t a joke to make lightly.

During the brief silence that followed, Won Hee-yeon continued to fiddle with Son Yeo-il’s hand nestled in his own. His movements were so persistent it seemed like he might burn a hole in his palm. Son Yeo-il wanted to say his hand would wear out too, but somehow the words wouldn’t come out.

If I let go of his hand, will he want to go home?

Perhaps because they were in the mountains, the wind was getting colder. He was also tired from experiencing too many things in one day. Since they had both finished their drinks, it was the perfect time to get up.

Even though he knew this logically, Son Yeo-il wanted to stay in this place longer. Because he didn’t dislike this moment of holding hands with just the two of them in the darkness. He wanted to stay like this a bit more.

“Ahem, ahem. So…”

When Won Hee-yeon, who had been caressing Son Yeo-il’s hand for quite some time, cleared his throat and began speaking, Son Yeo-il realized that this magical time was coming to an end.

“Should we get up now? Do you want to go get dinner, or would it be better to go home and rest?”

“…Let’s go home.”

Thinking that neither option was appealing, Son Yeo-il answered curtly. In truth, there was no need to be grumpy—Won Hee-yeon’s suggestion was correct. They couldn’t just sit here forever. But what kind of petulance was this? Son Yeo-il suddenly found Won Hee-yeon annoying.

Wait. Come to think of it, he’s the one who likes me, so why am I always flustered while he remains so composed?

Was this the difference in experience? Memories of past times when he had stumbled and made a fool of himself in front of Won Hee-yeon flashed through his mind again. This seemed hardly fair.

Perhaps due to the alcohol, Son Yeo-il had a bold thought he wouldn’t normally have. He felt he would be satisfied seeing Won Hee-yeon lose his composure because of him. It would be even better if he could surprise him so much that Won Hee-yeon would forget to be cryptic.

As Won Hee-yeon stood up, gathering his things, Son Yeo-il instinctively thought of a way to surprise him. Although Won Hee-yeon had just warned him not to do things out of anger, this wasn’t being done out of anger, maybe out of tipsiness, but not anger.

“Won Hee-yeon.”

At Son Yeo-il’s call, Won Hee-yeon, who was gathering the remaining beer from the floor, turned his head. The clever Son Yeo-il slightly raised his heels considering their height difference, and his aim was perfectly accurate.

“Yes, now to the car…hup!”

Before he could finish saying “Let’s go to the car,” Son Yeo-il rushed to Won Hee-yeon’s lips. One regrettable point was that, reflexively closing his eyes tightly, he missed seeing Won Hee-yeon’s surprised expression.

Son Yeo-il forgot his original purpose of surprising him and focused on the sensation of the other man’s body against him. He had thought that since he was rough and tough all over, his lips would be firm or rough, but surprisingly, they were only soft.

Why would simply pressing together flesh that was just a bit more supple than other parts give such a strange feeling? The back of his neck tingled and his solar plexus throbbed—if he stayed like this any longer, something troublesome might happen.

Son Yeo-il lowered his heels and immediately opened his eyes to check Won Hee-yeon’s condition as he pulled away his lips. He was standing with his moist lips parted as if dumbfounded. His brow was somehow wrinkled, but Son Yeo-il was certain he wouldn’t get angry with him over something like this.

Look at him. Completely lost it. His posture is weird too.

Won Hee-yeon’s waist was awkwardly bent, and with his arms pressed against his body from the armpits to the elbows, he was just awkwardly holding up his hands.

For Won Hee-yeon, it was a posture taken to resist the urge to hug Son Yeo-il, rub against his lower body, or touch him here and there, but to Son Yeo-il’s eyes, it just looked like Won Hee-yeon had surrendered.

With a surge of satisfaction, Son Yeo-il smiled broadly and led the way to Won Hee-yeon’s car. It seemed to take Won Hee-yeon some time to fully collect himself, as he only got into the car quite a while later. With a reddened face, he was muttering to himself, barely audible.

“Phew, this person, going to cause trouble, this one.”

Hearing his muttering complaints, it seemed Son Yeo-il’s attack had been quite effective. Feeling proud, Son Yeo-il patted Won Hee-yeon’s shoulder.

“What are you doing, not starting yet?”

“Well, to drive I need to get a firm grip on my senses…but right now my head is all over the place.”

When Won Hee-yeon finally started vigorously rubbing his face with dry hands, Son Yeo-il became even more excited and urged him on.

“Hurry up, won’t you? It’s not like I can drive. I’ve had this much to drink.”

“Aigo. Do you have a license?”

“Actually, I don’t have a license either.”

At Son Yeo-il’s confident retort, Won Hee-yeon laughed as if in disbelief, “Huh-huh.” Excited by the fact that Won Hee-yeon was becoming increasingly flustered, Son Yeo-il, in a better mood now, started to ramble on and on about something.

“So if I were to drive now, it would be a concurrent offense of drunk driving and driving without a license, right?”

“Yes. I get it. So then…”

“No, you probably don’t know. Listen carefully. This often comes up in exams. A concurrent offense is when one action simultaneously constitutes two crimes, and in our legal system…”

Son Yeo-il hadn’t known he had such a strange drinking habit. While Won Hee-yeon drove in a dazed state, relying only on his homing instinct, Son Yeo-il sat in the passenger seat and explained the theory of concurrent offenses from criminal law in a rather talkative voice.