LCL 85 Side Story 2

Side Story 2. Beginning

Lim Dae-han was in a bad mood. It was already annoying enough to always sit in the back row because of his height, but for some reason, he hadn’t been running into Ki Young-hyun.

Next section, or the section after that. Sometimes he was glad they weren’t in the same section. Otherwise, he would only be able to see his back.

“I’m paired with Young-hyun.”

Lim Dae-han, who had been standing with his arms crossed, fidgeted with his feet. The desk was so small that every time he shook his leg, the entire desk wobbled precariously.

Normally, he would have been sprawled out sleeping, but he couldn’t even do that. He glared at the second row of the next section with disapproving eyes. What was so joyful about being paired with someone of similar stature? He was annoyed to death by all their giggling amongst themselves.

“Hey.”

Lim Dae-han finally raised his voice toward them. The two who had been chattering quietly turned their gaze. His eyes met with Ki Young-hyun’s, whose eyes were wide open as if they might pop out.

Lim Dae-han felt awkward and embarrassed. He had called out in a fit of annoyance. But he was still irritated.

“Keep it down. You don’t own the classroom.”

After making that petty remark, he finally slumped down. He muttered curses starting with “Ah, shit” only in his mind. The chattering voices were no longer audible.

On the other hand, he felt even more annoyed.

* * *

It was the day of Ki Young-hyun’s discharge from the military. Lim Dae-han tried to dress as he usually would. He didn’t want to look too shabby, but he also didn’t want to appear overly dressed up either.

He had gotten a haircut about three days ago, so his hair didn’t look awkward. While others talked about growing their hair or dyeing it after being discharged, Lim Dae-han still preferred short hair.

After being discharged, he visited every weekend. He went at least once a week. If he didn’t want to go alone, he would bring Ki Young-han and Yoon Ye-jun along. He even took Dae-ryong once. The day Dae-ryong went, Ki Young-hyun cried.

‘Dae-ryong-ah, did you miss hyung? You’ve grown so much. You’ve gotten so tall. Don’t get taller than me, okay? Dae-ryong-ah, ask for something delicious on the way back. Got it?’

He tried to act all grown-up but ended up in tears. Dae-ryong just kept nodding his head and before leaving, he held Ki Young-hyun’s hand and said, ‘Hyung, you need to stay healthy.’

This made Ki Young-hyun cry again, wondering when that little kid he met at five had grown so much. Honestly, Lim Dae-han felt a bit jealous at that moment, thinking the world was ending.

Being jealous of even his brother was childish and annoying.

So why make him jealous? He even tried to blame Ki Young-hyun.

He parked the car on the shoulder in front of the base. Since Ki Young-hyun had said he’d come out alone during their call the night before, he wouldn’t run into anyone else.

It was strange though. Ki Young-hyun’s parents had contacted Lim Dae-han, asking what he planned to do on the discharge day.

Lim Dae-han had calmly answered, ‘I’ll pick him up.’

After hanging up, he wondered why they had asked him that, but he was just glad to see Ki Young-hyun as soon as possible.

Just past 9 o’clock, Ki Young-hyun came out past the guard post. Despite becoming a civilian, he was excessively stiff. Lim Dae-han got out of the car to greet his lover. He wanted to hug him right away.

“Ki Young-hyun—”

When Lim Dae-han called out, Ki Young-hyun quickly checked left and right before running over. Lim Dae-han leaned against the car, looking at Ki Young-hyun.

Even though he had grown his hair during his final months of service, it was still short. His round face and distinct features made him look cute even with short hair. Lim Dae-han pointed to the back seat.

“Put your stuff in the back and sit in the front.”

“…Just a moment.”

Ki Young-hyun adjusted his posture, twisting his shoulders. Lim Dae-han immediately furrowed his brow. He could guess what posture it was without looking. It seemed like he was preparing to give a discharge report, even though they weren’t yet in front of his parents.

He couldn’t help but be startled. While he was happy to see his beloved…being happy was one thing, but he didn’t want to see embarrassing behavior either.

“Don’t do anything weird and get in quickly.”

“Okay.”

Eventually, Ki Young-hyun obediently put his luggage in the back seat and got into the passenger seat. Lim Dae-han quietly watched as he fastened his seatbelt.

“Did you get a tan?”

“Yeah. I didn’t do much in the last months, so I decided to get a tan.”

“Oh, Sergeant Ki Young-hyun.”

“…Don’t.”

Ki Young-hyun placed both hands on his knees. When Lim Dae-han did a finger snap in front, he stiffened even more. It wasn’t like he was being shy, but it felt like he had turned into a low-ranking soldier bullying a new recruit just now.

Lim Dae-han didn’t start driving, instead resting his cheek on the steering wheel. He wanted to look at him a bit longer before leaving. Even though they would see each other every day from now on, he was still happy to meet after a long time.

Ki Young-hyun, who had been looking straight ahead, glanced sideways.

“Aren’t we going?”

“Instead of reporting your discharge, do something else for me.”

“What?”

“Just something.”

Ki Young-hyun’s blinking speed noticeably increased. Lim Dae-han was curious about how he would react. He could almost hear the gears turning in Ki Young-hyun’s head. He was looking forward to it, as Ki Young-hyun always showed unexpected sides.

Ki Young-hyun turned his head toward Lim Dae-han. He reached out his hand. Lim Dae-han unconsciously held it. Ki Young-hyun smiled affectionately, lifting the corners of his mouth.

“Lim Dae-han, thank you for waiting.”

“…”

“I love you.”

* * *

After being scolded once, Jung Ji-pil and Ki Young-hyun were quiet in the classroom. They would be noisy in the hallway, but as soon as Lim Dae-han entered the classroom, they noticeably avoided him.

“No, I mean! When I was in the hallway…”

As Lim Dae-han was about to enter the classroom, he bumped into Ki Young-hyun, who was turning his head toward a friend while passing through the door. Surprised by the sudden collision, Ki Young-hyun quickly turned his head back.

Lim Dae-han instinctively pulled his hands out of his pockets and raised them toward Ki Young-hyun’s shoulders. Despite bumping together, Ki Young-hyun, who had fallen back more severely, barely managed to hold onto the door.

Lim Dae-han’s hands hesitated in mid-air. He had tried to catch him, but couldn’t quite reach Ki Young-hyun. Ki Young-hyun, rolling his eyes in a fluster, spoke in a tiny voice as if he wanted to disappear.

“…Ah, sorry.”

“Yeah.”

As Ki Young-hyun made way for him to pass, Lim Dae-han went by. He didn’t want to do this because it seemed creepy, but he inadvertently took a breath.

There was a cozy smell. It was the smell of well-washed and well-dried clothes.

The sleeves of the school uniform shirt were crisp and sharply pressed. It seemed like someone took care to iron them well. Lim Dae-han looked down at his own appearance.

“…”

It wasn’t great. He brought his sleeve to his nose and smelled it. Since he did his own laundry, it wouldn’t have such a nice scent, and he worried it might even smell like a dirty rag.

If he ever moved to a new place, he’d choose one with a dryer. He didn’t want Ki Young-hyun to associate him with an unpleasant smell.

“…”

But there was no need for any of that. It just smelled of cigarettes.

Back at his seat, Lim Dae-han rummaged through his desk drawer and sprayed some cheap fabric freshener. It was given to him by a girl he hung out with, but he rarely used it because the strawberry scent was too strong over the floral scent. Still, he figured it was better than the smell of cigarettes.

“Oh, is someone eating candy?”

Lim Dae-han perked up his ears while pretending not to be interested. Ki Young-hyun, who had just gone out and come back in, reacted to the scent.

“It smells nice. Like strawberries.”

Lim Dae-han pushed his chair back. The unpleasant sound of it scraping against the floor filled the air. He took out the fabric freshener from his desk drawer and placed it on the desk. He gripped it tightly. He should spray it every day.

He tilted his head slightly, then slowly leaned back. His eyes met Ki Young-hyun’s, who was crossing the back of the classroom. Lim Dae-han fiddled with the freshener.

“…”

Ki Young-hyun’s eyes widened, and his chest swelled. He looked startled as soon as their eyes met. It was noticeably obvious.

Soon after, he narrowed his stride and burrowed into the crowd of friends as if escaping. Just a moment ago, he had said the scent was nice.

Cowardly brat. Lim Dae-han felt annoyed.

* * *

Something was off about Ki Young-hyun.

Lim Dae-han looked at Ki Young-hyun, who was sitting quietly beside him, not humming as usual. It bothered him throughout the drive. Even during his last leave, he wasn’t like this, but today he was exceptionally quiet.

Normally, Ki Young-hyun would be chattering away, but he just stared out the window. Lim Dae-han kept glancing at Ki Young-hyun to gauge how he was while driving.

“Let’s stop at a rest area.”

“Okay.”

Lim Dae-han steered the car toward the upcoming rest area. The parking lot was quiet on a weekday morning. After parking the car, he was about to get out for some fresh air when he asked Ki Young-hyun, “Want something to drink?”

“I’ll have an iced Americano.”

“Huh?”

“An iced Americano.”

He thought he had misheard. Lim Dae-han knew that, like himself, Ki Young-hyun never drank Americanos. He only drank them reluctantly when someone bought it for him.

He always preferred sweet or tangy drinks. He used to say Americanos tasted like ashtrays, so why suddenly an iced Americano?

It seemed strange no matter how he thought about it.

But well…if that’s what he wanted.

Lim Dae-han ended up buying a vanilla latte and an iced Americano and got back in the car. Young-hyun was on the phone with someone.

“Yes…Yes, I understand. Yes. I’m just going to stop by home to change clothes. Yes, I understand, Mother.”

“Mother?”

Lim Dae-han, taken aback, unconsciously repeated the word. He had never heard Ki Young-hyun use the word “Mother” before. What’s with the “Mother”? Ki Young-hyun, who always played the role of the youngest son calling his parents “Mom” and “Dad,” suddenly saying “Mother.” He couldn’t help but frown.

He felt Ki Young-hyun looking at him. He let out a dry laugh and took a sip of his vanilla latte through the straw. He handed the iced Americano to Ki Young-hyun.

Ki Young-hyun nodded once and put the straw in his mouth. He took one sip and…

“…”

His brow furrowed deeply.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Lim Dae-han finally asked. He felt he wouldn’t understand this strange situation unless he got an answer.

It wasn’t something he should say to his lover, but Ki Young-hyun was truly putting on airs.

“What do you mean?”

Ki Young-hyun sat up straight and just turned his head. He hadn’t touched the iced Americano since the first sip. He subtly reached for Lim Dae-han’s latte, and Lim Dae-han chose not to point it out. As a result, the latte was quickly emptied.

“Why are you acting weird?”

“How am I acting weird?”

“Why are you drinking Americano, and what’s with addressing your mom as ‘Mother’?”

“Ah…”

Ki Young-hyun nodded, drawing out the end of his word, and laughed softly. Even though he was his lover, it annoyed Lim Dae-han. What was wrong with him, really?

Lim Dae-han thought it was unbearable to watch and turned his head away from Ki Young-hyun, who was still chuckling quietly.

“Now that I’m discharged, I’m trying to act more mature.”

“Oh, I see.”

“So don’t feel awkward about my changed behavior.”

“Ah, right.”

“By the way, Mother called and said our family is going out for a meal. She wants you to join us. What do you think?”

“I’ll pass. I’ll just drop you off.”

“What?!”

He seemed overly surprised by the unexpected response. Lim Dae-han snorted. Then, mimicking Ki Young-hyun’s calm voice, he retorted, “Adults don’t get that surprised, do they?”

“No, no, why, why aren’t you coming?”

“Enjoy a nice lunch with your family and get some rest. I’ll send you off like a mature adult would.”

“No, no, huh?”

“End of discussion. Adults don’t talk back.”

While he loved Ki Young-hyun with all his heart and found him cute and endlessly beautiful, sometimes when he had these strange ideas, it was hard to understand. It was obvious how pleased he must have been with himself after deciding to act mature.

Why on earth was he acting like this?

He must have been having these useless fantasies before coming out. Maybe he even practiced with his juniors.

I really don’t know why he’s like this…Lim Dae-han shook his head.

* * *

He parked the car at the entrance of the apartment complex. Ki Young-hyun, who hadn’t said a word the entire way, finally turned to face him. He clenched and unclenched his fists, making a fidgeting motion.

Lim Dae-han looked down at those hands, about to say what kind of adult does that, but stopped himself. It was both amusing and frustrating. Of course, there were times when it was exasperating too.

“…Are you really not coming with us?”

“Why do you keep asking? You probably want to report your discharge to your parents. And you need to eat. It would be awkward if I was there.”

“No, but still…”

“Adults know when to give up…”

“Stop it!”

Unable to control his temper any longer, Ki Young-hyun burst out angrily. Lim Dae-han’s eyes widened in surprise. Though Ki Young-hyun occasionally showed this hot-tempered side, Lim Dae-han hadn’t expected it on his first day out of the military.

Seething, Ki Young-hyun bit his lip. His clenched fist trembled slightly. Sensing that mentioning “being an adult” one more time might really set Ki Young-hyun off or make him sulk, Lim Dae-han touched his nose and asked, “What do you want me to do?”

“The car. Park it in the parking lot.”

“Alright.”

Lim Dae-han went down to the basement and parked. Being a weekday at an odd hour, there was plenty of parking space. After parking, he looked at Ki Young-hyun again, who spoke in a firm voice.

“Let’s go outside and up to my house.”

Lim Dae-han shouldered Ki Young-hyun’s meager luggage and accompanied him to his family home. In the elevator, Ki Young-hyun caught his breath and said, “I think I was too emotional earlier. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, okay, but why do you keep going back and forth?”

“Please let me be my mature self again when we’re at home. I’m asking you. Don’t mock me or tease me. Got it?”

“I can’t promise that.”

“Don’t mock me or tease me. Got it?”

“…”

“Don’t mock me or tease me. Got it?”

Ki Young-hyun seemed about ready to repeat the same phrase until he got an answer. He was being unusually persistent today. Lim Dae-han halfheartedly agreed, worried that stomping around in the elevator might put a hole through the floor.