OMS 125 END

“Dong-sik! Dong-sik! The director is looking for you! Come quickly!”

Park Dong-sik, who had been hiding in a corner of the orphanage, was reluctantly dragged out. Today was the biggest event of the year, where sponsors gathered to share food and take pictures. While everyone else was excited and trying to catch the sponsors’ attention, Park Dong-sik hated even that.

Among them were children who appeared to be students, and seeing their clean clothes and clear skin made Park Dong-sik feel even more pathetic about his situation. While being forcibly dragged out with a sullen face, the director who came over with a smile, quietly grabbed his neck, took him to a place without people, and glared.

“How many times did I tell you to change clothes because important guests were coming? Trying to show off that you have no parents? Do you know who these people are? You ungrateful brat, after all I’ve done for you!”

The small head repeatedly fell back and returned as fingers jabbed at the forehead.

“Be good, okay? Answer nicely when they ask questions. Understood?”

The director scolded until the end, saying there was nothing likeable about this tiny kid, then dragged him back and threw him into the crowd. His attitude suddenly changed as if he hadn’t just been scolding someone, now patting Park Dong-sik’s head. That touch made him want to vomit.

“Oh my, you’re so pretty. Would you like to take a picture with auntie?”

Park Dong-sik tried to force out a smile as the director had ordered, but it wasn’t as easy as he had thought. Seeing the children who came with their parents only made him feel worse. These people’s children were supposedly doing “talent donations,” teaching various things to the orphanage residents while photographers eagerly took pictures.

After taking photos with several people, Park Dong-sik quickly escaped the director’s eyes and fled to the orphanage’s backyard. There, he found a sketchbook and crayons that someone had dropped on a bench. Park Dong-sik sat on the ground, opened the sketchbook, and started drawing.

It was a crooked face with upturned eyes that looked angry, and the mouth was the same. Would the director or his father who had abandoned him look like this? He started to draw the hair but realized the director was bald and chuckled.

“Baldy~ Baldy~”

While humming, someone sat down heavily on the bench. Park Dong-sik looked up. He wasn’t sure if his eyes were dazzled due to the sunlight or because of the person sitting on the bench next to him.

The boy was much taller than Park Dong-sik and wore immaculately clean clothes. Unlike Park Dong-sik’s scruffiness, his fingernails were clean and his skin was smooth—clearly one of today’s visitors.

While staring blankly, the boy glanced over.

“Don’t mind me, just continue what you were doing.”

Despite his indifferent tone, Park Dong-sik blushed and smiled. Meanwhile, he kept stealing glances at the boy. Park Dong-sik liked older boys. While Jin-cheol wanted to kiss So-young, Park Dong-sik wanted to kiss Hyung-gyu. At his young age, he thought that was okay.

And the boy in front of them now was the most handsomest person Park Dong-sik had ever met. Being distracted made the drawing messy, and Park Dong-sik belatedly drew another face below. This one was also a mess. While rubbing his nose embarrassedly, he heard a voice.

“You must be drawing with your feet.”

“No…I’m drawing with my hands…See…”

Park Dong-sik seriously showed their hands, and the boy frowned.

“I meant you draw terribly.”

Rather than feeling criticized, Park Dong-sik was just happy that the boy spoke to him at all and giggled with red ears.

“Are you a celebrity?”

“No.”

“Then why are you so handsome?”

At the innocent question, the boy reached out his hand. Park Dong-sik flinched and blocked with their arm, thinking that he might get hit, but the crayon they were holding had somehow moved to the boy’s hand. He then neatly drew eyes, nose, and mouth on the unrecognizable face Park Dong-sik had drawn.

After naturally adding hair, the unsightly drawing became presentable. Park Dong-sik looked at the boy with eyes full of admiration and aspiration.

“Are you an art teacher?”

At the random question, the boy stared at Park Dong-sik steadily. Then he patted the spot across from him. 

“Come up here.” 

When Park Dong-sik obediently did as told, their faces got closer. His heart beat faster than when he had stolen candy from the director’s office. Park Dong-sik blushed and fidgeted with his fingers.

“Watch carefully, when drawing people, do it like this.”

While he was explaining, Park Dong-sik couldn’t focus on the drawing and could only see the boy’s face.

“Hey…why are you so handsome?”

At the repeated question, the boy’s eyebrow raised crookedly.

“For such a tiny thing, you are really coming on strong.”

“What does ‘coming on strong’ mean?”

“Never mind. Anyway, focus. I’ll leave if you keep getting distracted.”

Park Dong-sik concentrated with all his might, fearing the boy might leave. Usually, sitting at a desk for more than 5 minutes would be difficult, but even after 10 minutes, 20 minutes, it wasn’t boring at all.

During this, a camera shutter sound came from somewhere. Looking up, Park Dong-sik saw an adult man with a camera. While blinking stupidly, the man smiled brightly.

“You’re the eldest son of Daesan Group, right? What are you doing here? Teaching the little one how to draw?”

The boy sharpened his gaze at the man who was approaching them with an impressed look.

“Delete it.”

“Huh?”

“Delete what you just took.”

“Ah, this. It’s nothing. It’s for the company magazine—”

“Don’t make me ask twice.”

Park Dong-sik unconsciously shrank at the unexpectedly calm and cold tone for his age, and so did the other person. The man laughed awkwardly, apologized, showed that he had deleted the photo, and left.

Park Dong-sik carefully observed the boy sitting across from him.

“Are you angry…?”

“No. I just don’t like people taking pictures of me without permission.”

Park Dong-sik felt the same way. When strangers came and lined them up to take pictures, it felt like being monkeys in a zoo. Though of course, he had never actually seen monkeys in a zoo in his  life.

While feeling happy about having something in common, the boy handed the crayon to Park Dong-sik. 

“Now you try. Just do as I taught you.” 

Following his instructions made it much easier. At least now he could properly draw a human face.

While rejoicing over the drawing, a man in a suit came running over breathlessly.

“Young master, here you are! Madam is looking for you.”

The boy stood up, and Park Dong-sik, feeling disappointed, asked for his name. The boy turned around without answering. While feeling dejected at being ignored, the boy took a few steps, then came back and wrote three characters on the paper with the crayon.

[Kim Jun-han]

“My name.”

Park Dong-sik bowed his head in greeting.

“Thank you for telling me. When will you come again? Can you teach me drawing then too?”

When he tried to grab his arm with a broad, tactless smile, the man in the suit stopped them. Though he didn’t get an answer about when he’d return, Park Dong-sik waited for the boy every night after that. It was the day his crush changed from Hyung-gyu to Kim Jun-han.

***

Feeling something touch their cheek, Park Dong-sik drowsily opened his eyes. Coming to his senses, he found Kim Jun-han staring at him. Startled, he looked around and mumbled as if sleep-talking.

“Why am I here…?”

“Did you have a dream?”

“Yes, in the dream…”

While trying to explain, his head was foggy and he couldn’t remember properly. Finally getting up, Park Dong-sik groaned. Every joint in his body creaked in protest.

“Are you okay?”

“How can you ask if I’m okay? You have no shame. This is all because of who?”

“Because of me?”

Park Dong-sik was exasperated. It all started two days ago. Madam Song had asked to take the children to stay overnight at the main house, and they agreed. They were originally excited about being able to get some alone time together, but as expected, Kim Jun-han went at it like a beast in heat until dawn without tiring. Because of that, Park Dong-sik couldn’t even get up the next day.

“All night long, you tossed me here and there, did all sorts of things, and that’s why I’m like this. See these dark circles under my eyes? And you’ve made my body look like I have some sort of skin disease.”

“That’s rich coming from someone who was screaming in pleasure.”

Since it was true, Park Dong-sik was at a loss for words. Feeling embarrassed, he tried to change the subject and noticed that it was midnight. He had fallen asleep waiting for Kim Jun-han after putting the children to bed, not even realizing that he had come home.

Worried that the children might have woken up, he tried to leave, but Kim Jun-han assured him the children were sleeping soundly. He had changed into pajamas and smelled nice, probably having just showered.

Park Dong-sik lay on the bed and patted the mattress. 

“Come up.” 

As soon as Kim Jun-han lay down beside him, he burrowed into his arms and hugged his waist tightly. While inhaling his scent and nuzzling his face, the previously hazy dream suddenly became vivid.

“I remember!”

“Hmm?”

“The dream I just had.”

Kim Jun-han looked down at Park Dong-sik while stroking his hair. 

“What kind of dream?”

“You were in it, sir. We met at the orphanage, and you taught me how to draw and told me your name.”

He wasn’t sure if he actually told his name back then. Kim Jun-han had said before that he didn’t remember exactly either.

“What was I like when I was young?”

“A tiny thing with a nasty personality?”

Kim Jun-han laughed, and Park Dong-sik excitedly continued.

“Know what? When I complimented you for being handsome, you rudely said I was coming on too strong? But when you were leaving, I felt sad and wanted to hold onto you. Even though it was a dream, I really wanted to meet you again.”

“And we did meet again.”

“Right? Isn’t it amazing?”

“Maybe it was fate.”

It made him laugh to hear talk of fate from someone who looked like they’d never believe in such things. Park Dong-sik held Kim Jun-han’s cheeks and gave him a quick kiss.

“Nice to meet you again, Jun-han hyung.”

Though he hated being called “sir,” he didn’t seem to mind being called “hyung.” Maybe he should call him that from now on. While pondering this, Park Dong-sik hugged Kim Jun-han tightly again. When he closed his eyes, the other man’s pheromone scent became almost sensually thick.

“No, stop. I can’t do any more. Don’t.”

Sensing it immediately, Kim Jun-han laughed softly and kissed his crown. 

“Okay. I won’t. Good night. Let’s meet in dreams again. I’ll be gentle then.” 

His voice sounded like a lullaby, and even while falling asleep, Park Dong-sik mumbled about making sure to meet him again.