ETP Ch 72
by soapa“So what age do you prefer.”
Yoohyun asked in a voice that sounded like it was about to growl.
Only then did Sungyeon snap out of his thoughts and sneak a glance at Yoohyun. It seemed he had unknowingly struck a nerve, but he couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Well, so…….”
“What age.”
“Thirty-three?”
Sungyeon naturally stated his own age.
However, Yoohyun’s expression was still scary even after hearing the answer. In fact, it had become even more chillingly stiff than before.
“Thirty-three?”
“Yes.”
Ha, Yoohyun let out a scoff of disbelief.
His ideal type was someone 13 years older than Bokseung. This was even more malicious than simply rejecting him because he didn’t like him.
But right now, he was in a position where he had to do whatever it took to win Bokseung’s heart.
His own bad mood was one thing, but he had to respect the kid’s ideal type. If a 33-year-old woman was what Bokseung truly wanted.
“Kim Bokseung.”
“Yes?”
“Alright, should I wait until you’re thirty-three?”
Gah!
Sungyeon’s shoulders jumped at Yoohyun’s serious remark.
Wait until he’s thirty-three! What is he talking about!
Sungyeon stared at Yoohyun with a horrified expression. Then Yoohyun, his face still stiff, shrugged his shoulders and spoke.
“I can’t change my gender to female, but age is something that comes naturally with time. So, 10 years from now should be good.”
“Wh-what do you mean.”
“Your ideal type. I can match one of the two.”
Who would say yes if you say something like that with such a scary face!
He wasn’t expecting a romantic mood with rose petals flying around or classical music playing, but wasn’t this, in its own way, a confession?
Yet the person confessing was saying he’d wait for 10 years with a face that looked like he was about to punch someone. It would be weird in its own right not to get goosebumps in a situation like this.
“Y-you don’t have to do that. It would be better for you to meet someone else nice, Sunbae-nim, not me…….”
Don’t wait for 10 years. Please!
Sungyeon couldn’t bring himself to say the rest of his thoughts and just broke out in a cold sweat. This situation was tougher than a high-pressure job interview.
“To me, you’re the best person.”
“Heol…….”
The word ‘Heol’ involuntarily slipped out of his mouth. Naturally, Yoohyun’s eyebrows twitched upon hearing it, and fresh beads of cold sweat popped up on Sungyeon’s forehead.
“Is that your answer right now?”
“N-no. It’s just that I really, never in my wildest dreams, thought I’d hear something like this from you, Sunbae-nim. For real! Th-this isn’t a joke or a prank show, right……?”
“It’s not a joke.”
Yoohyun, uncharacteristically, looked a little downcast.
Sungyeon was more flustered by his current expression than when Yoohyun had been angry a moment ago.
He knew from Yoohyun’s attitude and the pheromones he felt that he was being sincere, but he was hoping he would say it was all a joke.
“I-I see.”
“Why would I joke about something like this, it’s tiring just to talk about. Do you do that?”
“Noo?! Of course not!”
“Then why are you saying that to me.”
He couldn’t refute Yoohyun’s words.
Sungyeon just fiddled with his fingers and hung his head low. It was truly awkward and difficult.
“I-it’s because you said it so suddenly, without any warning at all!”
Lee Sungyeon, whose first and last confession was one he received in high school, had zero immunity to situations like this. It was really, incredibly embarrassing and awkward.
“It’s because of you.”
“Me?”
Sungyeon pointed to himself with his finger. Yoohyun nodded in affirmation.
“Me? Why me?”
“Because you went on a blind date. I got so anxious…….”
As soon as he finished speaking, Yoohyun covered his mouth with his hand. It seemed he, too, was awkward and embarrassed to be saying such things.
It was a side of Yoohyun he had never seen before. Sungyeon, also unsure of how to react, just stared blankly without a word.
“No, that’s not it. I wasn’t trying to blame you.”
Yoohyun quickly corrected himself, worried that Bokseung might be offended.
This wasn’t Bokseung’s fault. It was because of his own greed, his desire to keep Bokseung by his side, unable to just watch him get close to someone else anymore.
A breeze rustled in through the car window that Bokseung had opened, sweeping through the inside of the car.
Bokseung’s hair, swaying in the wind, was tempting Yoohyun’s hand. He wanted to touch it. No, he wished he would be allowed to touch it.
Yoohyun watched Bokseung, fighting an internal battle.
“I-I really have no intention of dating anyone. It’s not necessarily because I don’t like you, Sunbae-nim. For now, I have no intention of dating even if my ideal person were to appear.”
“Why?”
Yoohyun was genuinely curious.
Why was Bokseung so reluctant to date anyone? For Yoohyun, it was hard to understand why he repeated that he didn’t want to date to such an extent.
He hadn’t particularly wanted to date before either, but that was because no one he liked had appeared. The moment he realized he liked Bokseung, his desire to date was soaring to the heavens.
But Bokseung was acting as if dating was something he absolutely could not do.
“Anyway, I can’t.”
Sungyeon shook his head, even while seeing how frustrated Yoohyun was.
Right now, he would feel uncomfortable dating anyone Bokseung’s age. On the other hand, Bokseung was too young to date a 33-year-old with whom he could form some common ground.
“Alright.”
Yoohyun suppressed his frustration and ended the conversation cleanly.
If he had his way, he wanted to push until Bokseung got fed up and agreed, but he was afraid that if he did, he wouldn’t even be able to continue spending time together like this.
He had no idea when he had become such a coward.
The sight of him willingly humbling himself was both pathetic and refreshing.
“Anyway, Sunbae-nim, thank you for thinking so highly of me.”
Sungyeon bowed his head deeply. Then he started racking his brain about what to do next.
I should go home now, right?
He was worried that there was still no news of Kim Taeon being caught, but it couldn’t be helped. After hearing something like that, how could he casually stay in the same space as Yoohyun?
“Kim Bokseung.”
“Yes?”
“I know you’re racking your brain right now. Whatever you’re thinking, stop it.”
Yoohyun said, holding the back of Bokseung’s head as his eyes darted around.
Inside that small head, he’s probably thinking, ‘What should I do now? I can’t keep living like this, should I go back?’
Even without looking inside his head, the thoughts Bokseung was likely having were obvious.
Yoohyun sighed heavily to himself.
“Um…….”
“You can keep staying at my place. If it’s really uncomfortable, I’ll be the one to leave.”
“No, it’s your house, Sunbae-nim!”
“It’s my fault. I didn’t mean to make you this uncomfortable, I’m sorry.”
Hearing Yoohyun’s apology, Sungyeon felt like he was sitting on a bed of thorns.
Confessing to someone because you like them isn’t something to be sorry for. Then again, it wasn’t something he, who had rejected the confession, should feel sorry for either. No one did anything wrong, yet the atmosphere was this uncomfortable.
Sungyeon thought it over for a bit before letting out a deep sigh.
“Actually, I was thinking that it might be right for me to go back home.”
“Don’t.”
“But, I think it’s probably right for me not to go.”
“Don’t go, wha-? You’re not going?”
Yoohyun asked, his eyes widening. Sungyeon nodded his head emphatically.
“There’s still an unresolved issue.”
“Right.”
It’s probably best not to mention that it’s already been resolved for the time being. Yoohyun promised himself.
“And it’s also weird for you to leave, Sunbae-nim.”
“Right.”
“And I don’t think you, Sunbae-nim, would, uh, do anything to me.”
As Bokseung said this, the tips of his ears turned red. It seemed he was shy and embarrassed just to be saying such a thing.
Yoohyun couldn’t answer right away at the innocent and dazed reaction. He could hold back, but it was literally just that, holding back. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to do anything.
“I won’t. I swear.”
After a moment of various thoughts, Yoohyun spoke up, afraid that Bokseung might change his mind.
Recalling the several incidents Bokseung had been through, he had to hold back even if he felt he couldn’t. Whether it was taking medicine or getting a shot, he had to do whatever he could.
Yoohyun made a silent vow to himself and tried to reassure Bokseung. He wasn’t sure how, but he put on the most trustworthy expression he could muster.
“Okayy.”
Bokseung, who had answered quietly, subtly avoided Yoohyun’s gaze. Yoohyun felt a bit dismayed that his stern expression might have only created a sense of fear in the kid, but it was too late to take it back. In any case, he just wanted him to know how serious he was.
“Shall we go home then?”
“Yep, let’s go.”
Yoohyun smoothly turned the steering wheel and began to pull out of Sunjung’s apartment complex.
On the whole way home, no particular words were exchanged between them.
Only a peculiar atmosphere enveloped the two of them.
🍑‧₊ ⋆˙
“Hwaam.”
Sungyeon, who woke up with a big yawn, went into the en-suite bathroom and started brushing his teeth. Every time he moved his right hand, Bokseung’s cheek, reflected in the mirror, bulged from the pressure of the toothbrush.
Looking at Bokseung’s plump and cute face, Sungyeon let out a silly laugh, “Heuuu.” Even though his eyes were puffy from just waking up, his face was remarkably cute.
Is this why Hwang Yoohyun fell for him too? Because he’s this cute?
Sungyeon recalled the confession he had heard out of the blue last night.
So he was acting all cool while he was head over heels for Bokseung’s face.
Sungyeon struck several poses, admiring Bokseung’s face in the mirror.
It never occurred to Sungyeon that he might have fallen for the person ‘Kim Bokseung’ himself, not just his cute face. Nor the fact that Hwang Yoohyun might have been the only one to recognize the ‘Lee Sungyeon’ hidden deep inside Bokseung.