HFS 51

A few hours later that day, Seo Hee-won finally logged into the game.

[Couple] Seohee1 has logged in.

[Guild] Jimni: Why are you so late ㅡㅡ

[Guild] Seohee1: I slept a bit.

[Guild] Seohee1: Sorry.

[Guild] Seohee1: Is everyone here? Let’s raid in 5 minutes.

Despite it being well past the time he should have arrived home, he hadn’t logged in, causing the others to worry. It seemed he had taken a nap after getting home. The atmosphere had been tense earlier, making it awkward to even say hello, but after a few minutes, Lee Cheong-hyeon quietly approached. After watching him hover nearby, Seo Hee-won decided to initiate conversation.

[Couple] Seohee1: Hyung.

[Couple] Ittorang: What?

[Seohee1 has requested a trade.]

[🍎Big Apple] x1

When the trade was accepted, he put up an item. It seemed like a peace offering.

[Couple] Seohee1: I’m sorry.

[Couple] Ittorang: What are you sorry for?

[Couple] Ittorang: For telling me to get out of the room?

[Couple] Ittorang: For talking to me disrespectfully?

[Couple] Ittorang: For ignoring what I said?

[Couple] Seohee1: When did I tell you to get out? ㅠ

[Couple] Seohee1: I was wrong about everything.

Seo Hee-won conceded quicker than expected. Perhaps after taking a nap just now, his physical condition had improved as there was no sign of his previous irritability. Since they needed to continue playing the game together, it would be uncomfortable to maintain tension, so the apology was grudgingly accepted.

[Couple] Ittorang: Don’t do it again.

[Couple] Seohee1: Okay.

[Couple] Seohee1: Now it’s your turn.

[Couple] Ittolang: For what?

[Couple] Seohee1: Say you’re sorry to me.

[Couple] Ittorang: Tell me what I did wrong.

[Couple] Seohee1: I’m not telling you that, but if you just say sorry, I’ll forget about it.

It was impossible to apologize without knowing what he did wrong. Despite pressing Seo Hee-won for the reason, he refused to answer. In the end, the matter was left unresolved as the boss raid time approached. Seo Hee-won looked upset, but there was nothing to be done.

After reconciling like that, the next day Seo Hee-won reached out as usual.

Seo Heewon: Hyung, what are you doing?

Lee Cheong-hyeon: Just hanging out.

Seo Heewon: Should I come over now?

Seo Heewon: lol

Seo Heewon: I’ll come pick you up.

Seo Heewon: In an hour.

Expecting the usual invitation to his place, it was surprising to hear something different. Seo Hee-won’s offer to pick him up meant he wanted to eat out today. Since they’d probably end up spending the day gaming at Seo Hee-won’s place afterward anyway, comfortable pants and a hoodie seemed appropriate. An hour later, after receiving a text to come down, Lee Cheong-hyeon buttoned his padded jacket up to his neck, put on his sneakers, and headed outside.

In the driver’s seat, Seo Hee-won looked normal as he casually called out to Lee Cheong-hyeon. It seemed yesterday’s irritability really had been due to fatigue.

“Hyung!”

“Are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. What do you want to eat today?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

Assuming they’d go to their usual place, Lee Cheong-hyeon settled comfortably into his seat. Maybe they’d go to the Korean restaurant near home, and with the cold weather, hot soup would be nice, though it wasn’t Seo Hee-won’s favorite. Thinking that they should eat something quickly, he glanced at Seo Hee-won’s profile. Today Seo Hee-won was wearing the scarf he had given him yesterday. He seemed to have dressed a bit more carefully than usual, though it was hard to tell since Seo Hee-won always dressed nicely even at home.

After driving down unfamiliar roads, Seo Hee-won parked in a building’s garage. Lee Cheong-hyeon looked around curiously as he followed Seo Hee-won into the elevator. When they reached their floor, a restaurant entrance appeared, one that looked suspiciously expensive from the outside. Lee Cheong-hyeon stopped, looked down at his casual attire, and called out to Seo Hee-won.

“We’re going in here?”

“Yes. The food is good here.”

“Well, that’s fortunate. Let’s just go somewhere else today and come back another time.”

“We came all this way and you want to leave?”

“No, but it’s awkward to go in. Look at what I’m wearing. Won’t we get kicked out?”

“Why? You look pretty.”

“Are you making fun of me?”

Giggling, Seo Hee-won reached out and pulled off the hood covering Lee Cheong-hyeon’s head. His unkempt hair stuck up messily. Seo Hee-won reached out to fix it while calmly saying, 

“You might get kicked out because of the hood.”

“Ah, damn it. I’m not going. You go ahead and go in alone.”

“What’s the big deal? We’re just here to eat.”

“Wait, stop pushing! You! You’re the only one dressed nicely…!”

“It’s run by someone my parents know, so it’s fine.”

“That makes it even more uncomfortable! Let’s just come back another time, okay?”

“I’m hungry. Let’s go in quickly.”

“Are you still mad at me? What exactly are you unhappy about? Stop acting weird and just tell me already!”

“Complaints…I had some. I still do, but really, we’re just here to eat.”

With Seo Hee-won forcefully pushing from behind, he had no other choice but to walk in. Creating a scene and drawing attention was the last thing he wanted.

Walking reluctantly with a sour expression, just before entering, Lee Cheong-hyeon hid behind Seo Hee-won, wanting to cover his face out of embarrassment. He poked Seo Hee-won’s stubborn back.

“You’re paying.”

When he grumbled this, Seo Hee-won smiled widely and said “Okay.” Once inside, a staff member greeted them kindly and guided them to a private room. Being away from people’s stares made him feel a bit more comfortable. Now seated, Seo Hee-won opened a booklet on the table and asked, “Is there anything you want to eat?”

“The most expensive thing.”

“Nothing? Great. It’s a fixed course, so we just eat what they serve.”

“A course?”

Opening what he thought was a menu, he saw it was indeed a course description. Meanwhile, it looked like Seo Hee-won had already finished ordering.

“What’s the occasion today? Why are you doing something so unusual?”

“Just thought I should try harder…”

“What’s that supposed to mean? We need to eat quickly and practice the boss at two…”

“…”

“You know we’re already behind others in practice time…”

Lee Cheong-hyeon was worried whether he could finish the meal in time and return to Seo Hee-won’s house. He was about to say that this wasn’t the time to enjoy a course meal, but Lee Cheong-hyeon closed his mouth when he saw That Seo Hee-won was looking at him with suspicious eyes.

“What?”

“At least when we’re eating…Just eat, will you.”

The welcome dish was being prepared. While the staff explained the menu, seeing the beautifully plated food made Lee Cheong-hyeon change his mind, since they were already here, he might as well enjoy it. As soon as the staff left, Lee Cheong-hyeon took out his phone. From experience, there was something that had to be done before eating at such a special place. He turned on the camera and positioned it to capture Seo Hee-won and the food in the frame. Waiting for the right moment, he pressed the capture button. Seo Hee-won had his eyes slightly lowered, just about to pierce the food with his fork. When the clicking sound was heard, Seo Hee-won raised his head and looked in his direction. The shutter sound rang out once more. Seo Hee-won asked with a puzzled expression on his face, “Are you taking pictures of me?”

Lee Cheong-hyeon, who was taking a few more photos, responded with even more confusion.

“Of course, I’m taking pictures of you. Who else would I be photographing?”

Isn’t taking pictures what you’re supposed to do at places like this? After checking his photo gallery, Lee Cheong-hyeon muttered, “The subject really makes the difference…” and showed the results to Seo Hee-won.

“They came out well.”

Seo Hee-won nodded after taking the phone and checking the photos. Although he seemed to be trying not to show it, undeniable joy gradually spread across his face. Apparently liking the photos so much, Seo Hee-won also took out his phone and captured Lee Cheong-hyeon with his camera.

“I’ll take your picture too.”

“You want to take photos when I came here looking like this?”

“I told you, you look pretty.”

The camera shutter sound clicked. Seo Hee-won took pictures with quite a serious expression on his face. Lee Cheong-hyeon also took pictures of the food and a few more of Seo Hee-won. After that, he sent the food pictures to his friend Kim Minjae via messenger to show off after a long time. A reply came back immediately, as if he had nothing better to do.

Kim Minjae: Got a lover?

Lee Cheong-hyeon: Not a lover.

Kim Minjae: Who else would you go there with if not a lover?

Kim Minjae: A crush?

Kim Minjae: Is she pretty?

He’s neither a lover nor a crush, but he is pretty. He sent the photos that Seo Hee-won had taken. The pictures, shot from creative angles, couldn’t even be politely described as well-taken.

“Hmm…you certainly tried hard.”

“But I think you don’t photograph well.”

“Is that so?”

“What?”

“No, that could be true. If you’re done taking pictures, let’s eat.”

He selected the most decent photo among those received from Seo Hee-won and sent it once more to Kim Minjae.

Kim Minjae: What’s with that outfit?

Lee Cheong-hyeon: I didn’t want to dress like this either.

Kim Minjae: And what’s with the photo quality? Did you take it with your feet?

As he was giggling and typing a reply, Seo Hee-won stared at him intently.

“Who are you texting?”

“Oh, a friend.”

“Which friend?”

“An elementary school classmate. We lost touch after graduation but met again in college. Interesting, right?”

“Sure, whatever. What’s their name?”

“My friend? Kim Minjae. Why do you ask?”

“Kim Minjae…No reason. But if you’re on your phone so much in front of someone, it must be a really important conversation.”

“It’s not like that. I’m sorry. I won’t look at it anymore.”

Though his tone was cool, he seemed displeased, so he put down his phone. After putting the bite-sized salad in his mouth and commenting on how delicious it was, a bright smile was plastered all over Seo Hee-won’s face.