ETP Ch 12

From Yoohyun’s perspective, the sight of Bokseung and the tiny cat, not even the size of his fist, tearing around his house was honestly cute.

However, Yuja was his cat, and Bokseung was his junior.

He felt like it was unfair that they were having so much fun together, excluding him, the common denominator.

While Yoohyun was pondering how to insert himself between the two, the doorbell rang— ding-dong—and the video phone screen lit up.

At the sound of another visitor, both the cat and Bokseung froze. Then, as if they had never been running around, they instantly settled down on the sofa. They looked identical.

Yoohyun chuckled inwardly at the sight and checked who the visitor was.

—Hwang Yoohyun! Your hyung is here!

“Ah.”

It was the most unnecessary visitor in the world. As if understanding Yoohyun’s short exclamation, the visitor’s voice boomed.

—Ah? Ah? Did you just say “Ah”?! Hey, it’s been three days since I last saw you!

“Yeah. So wait three more days then come.”

—What?! I went to Japan and bought a ton of treats for Yuja!

The visitor’s voice was so loud that the whole house reverberated every time he spoke.

And the cat, miraculously understanding the words “Yuja” and “treats,” started scratching Yoohyun’s foot.

“Ouch, Yuja. That hurts.”

Yoohyun looked down at the cat and disconnected the call to the lobby. But less than three seconds later, the doorbell rang again— ding-dong. When Yoohyun ignored it, the doorbell rang persistently, as if refusing to be ignored.

“Ugh, that nuisance.”

Yoohyun clicked his tongue in annoyance and reconnected the video phone.

“I have a guest right now. Come next time.”

—Don’t lie! Guest my ass, open the door! I’m going to keep ringing the bell until you open it, got it? Really!

“You crazy bastard, I’m serious!”

While Yoohyun was bickering with the visitor, Seongyeon, tired of the doorbell, had approached him.

Whoever the visitor was, Seongyeon didn’t want to hear the doorbell anymore. And the only way to end the noise pollution was to open the door.

However, it would be rude for him, as a guest, to open the door himself, so he had no choice but to ask Yoohyun, the homeowner, to do it.

“Um, Sunbae?”

“Huh?”

Startled by Bokseung’s sudden voice, Yoohyun turned around. Bokseung was standing behind him, on tiptoe, looking at the screen with a curious expression.

Actually, he was trying to see the face of the inconsiderate jerk who was ringing someone else’s doorbell incessantly at this late hour.

Unaware of Bokseung’s thoughts, Yoohyun opened the door, worried that he might be scared. That guy was the type to keep ringing the bell until the door opened.

Not long after he opened the door, the elevator arrived. Inside was a large man, incongruously carrying several cute pink shopping bags.

“Hey, Hwang Yoohyun! Damn, do you know how awkward it was with the security guard in the lobby! Making up lies about having a guest, were you watching porn or someth… Huh?”

The man, who had been grumbling at Hwang Yoohyun in a rough voice as soon as he entered, stared blankly at the pale, innocent face looking up at him.

There really was a new face at Hwang Yoohyun’s house.

The man’s face flushed crimson as he remembered unleashing his temper on Yoohyun.

‘No way, did Hwang Yoohyun actually invite a guest? Wait, am I seriously surprised right now?’

The man, whose heart had dropped, looked at Yoohyun, asking for an explanation.

“Hello, I’m Kim Bokseung, Hwang Yoohyun Sunbae’s junior.”

The guest with the pale, innocent face answered the man’s question. Yoohyun kept his mouth shut even as Bokseung bowed his head.

“Oh, hello. I’m Yoo Sunjung, Hwang Yoohyun’s friend. Um, can I speak casually since I’m older?”

“Of course! Please be comfortable.”

Bokseung said with a smile.

“Okay, great! So, are you two dating? Boyfriend? This is the first time I’ve ever seen him bring someone home!”

It hadn’t even been three seconds since he’d been told to be comfortable, and he was already acting like they’d known each other for three years.

Seongyeon inwardly clicked his tongue at the complete lack of manners, but outwardly maintained a calm expression as he denied any relationship between them.

“No, we’re not. Hwang Yoohyun Sunbae and I have a perfectly healthy senior-junior relationship, and the purpose of today’s invitation was to see Yuja.”

Hwang Yoohyun and Yoo Sunjung were momentarily stunned by the sharp, AI-like denial. The way he denied it somehow felt hurtful.

“Sunbae? Since another guest has arrived and I’ve played plenty with the cat, would it be okay if I left now?”

Yoohyun immediately shook his head at Bokseung’s question. It was a reaction before he even had time to think.

“No. Play with Yuja more.”

Yoohyun ordered again. Seongyeon momentarily clenched and unclenched his fist. It seemed like Yoohyun was determined to get his money’s worth after feeding him a meal.

🍑‧₊ ⋆˙

“So, his scary expression is just because he’s shy. He’s a total softie on the inside!”

Yoo Sunjung, who had the most unique laugh Seongyeon had ever heard, cackled and pointed at Yoohyun.

Yoohyun briefly frowned at the sudden pointing before shaking his head as if he couldn’t help it.

Seongyeon, watching the two, agreed with Sunjung to some extent.

He had been quite kind when they first met, explaining how to take attendance, and he had readily provided box seats for the baseball game during their group project, even though he didn’t have to.

As Bokseung nodded silently, Sunjung gulped down his beer. A whole can disappeared into his stomach in an instant.

With some alcohol in his system, Sunjung became even more talkative than before. His tone was light, contrasting with his tanned skin, sharp eyes, and bear-like physique.

Yoo Sunjung, who attended the same engineering school at Korea University as Bokseung, introduced himself as someone preparing to return to school after being discharged from the military.

In other words, he was unemployed.

The two, who seemed both compatible and incompatible, were surprisingly old friends and practically Hwang Yoohyun’s only acquaintances.

They were both alphas, from similar families, with similar interests. They had quite a lot in common, unexpectedly.

However, most people were unaware of the friendship between the extremely extroverted Yoo Sunjung and the extreme homebody Hwang Yoohyun. It was rare to see them together outside.

This was because Hwang Yoohyun rarely left his house.

“He’s a total homebody, a super homebody. His hobbies are watching baseball and documentaries. But, he has to watch them at home. He never goes out. His grandfather even bought a baseball team because he loves baseball, but he doesn’t even go to the stadium!”

After thoroughly badmouthing Hwang Yoohyun, Yoo Sunjung tossed a snack from the appetizer plate towards him.

A grandfather who buys a baseball team because his grandson likes baseball… It was a story light-years away from Seongyeon’s life.

“Oh, I see! Sunbae likes baseball so much that he…!”

Seongyeon, who was verbally agreeing with Sunjung, cautiously reached out and picked up the snack that had fallen on the table.

The snack in front of him was more important than the story of a rival team owner.

Playing with food is bad, he thought, scolding himself like an old man. Just as he was about to put the picked-up snack in his mouth, a large, white hand grabbed his wrist.

“Why are you eating something that fell?”

“Ah.”

The snack, which had stopped 3cm from his mouth, fell back onto the table. Then it went into the nearby trash can.

“It fell on the table, not the floor, so it’s fine!”

Bokseung looked at the trash can with a heartbroken expression. At his pleading gaze, Hwang Yoohyun handed him an unopened bag of snacks.

“Eat all of that yourself.”

“No, it’s not that I wanted to eat the snack…”

“Eat it anyway.”

At Yoohyun’s words, Seongyeon gripped the bag of snacks tightly.

Seriously, this kind of consideration is so touching.

Smiling slyly to himself, Seongyeon carefully stood up and tucked the snacks into the bag filled with food.

The corners of the two alphas’ mouths curled upwards as they followed Bokseung’s movements.

Every single thing Bokseung did seemed cute and innocent. It would have seemed pathetic if anyone else did it, but when this round-faced, innocent boy did it, everything was endearing.

“Hey, so is it really a no? You’re not interested in him?”

Sunjung nudged Yoohyun’s side and whispered, quietly enough for Seongyeon not to hear. Yoohyun’s upper body jolted sideways from the unexpected poke.

“No, it is. Stop with the bullshit.”

Yoohyun squeezed Sunjung’s finger, which was still touching his side, as if he would break it. Sunjung, exaggerating his pain, quickly moved away from Yoohyun.

“Fine, if it’s a no, it’s a no. What a temper!”

Sunjung, cradling his precious finger, started asking Bokseung various questions. He also brought beer from the refrigerator and they shared it.

A little while later, the conversation, which had started out of curiosity, had blossomed into a full-blown rant as Bokseung recounted his life’s epic saga.

“Yes, that’s right. Bokseung, I mean, I presented as an omega in high school! But is that Bokseung’s fault? What can you do about genetics? Right?”

Sunjung nodded vigorously in agreement with Seongyeon.

Seriously, to have lived such a pitiful life in the 21st century? His grandmother is too much. How could she hit such a cute kid!

Steam puffed out of Sunjung’s nostrils.

“Even though Bokseung, I mean, I went through a brief rebellious phase in high school, getting into Korea University through the CSAT means I’m in the top 10% of Korea, right?”

Seongyeon, wearing Bokseung’s mask, boasted about himself.

That’s right, that’s right! Bokseung is smart!

Sunjung clapped for Bokseung. The cat, sitting on Bokseung’s lap, meowed loudly.

“Ugh, these nuisances.”

Only Yoohyun was thinking straight in this chaotic scene.