PCL Ch 72

Kiss, kiss…

Lim Dae-han’s mouth had a taste of soda. He bought a freeze bar and ate it in hurry, so the taste still lingered in Lim Dae-han’s mouth. I also ate breakfast and drank only apple-flavored soft drinks, and the scent could still be there. That’s how I thought when I saw Lim Dae-han twist his head and lick my lips.

“Um…Um…”

I could feel the hard exterior wall of the building behind me. I leaned down and grabbed Lim Dae-han’s forearm with both hands, focusing on the kiss, and kissed him again. Lim Dae-han, who had wrapped his arms around my waist, pulled me a little closer as I kissed him while sucking on his sweet tongue.

Hot…

It was July, so the day was hot. Cicada has been crying nonstop since the morning. When the wind blew, the green leaves on the trees swayed and made a rustling sound. It was extremely hot. I was sweating, but I enjoyed my kiss with Lim Dae-han, so it didn’t matter. Originally, I planned to go to the classroom after a light kiss. The kiss, however, could not be finished lightly as it became increasingly intense. It was pointless to be regretful because I was the first to stick my tongue into Lim Dae-han’s mouth. 

My heart was pounding so fast that I couldn’t breathe. A lumpy sound came out of my throat when Lim Dae-han’s tongue swept up my tongue. We kept kissing as if we were inhaling each other’s mouths until there was no gap. Good thing I left early. That’s what I thought.

My head was spinning because I was short of breath.

“Haa…”

I eventually exhaled and shook my head. I could see Lim Dae-han’s moist lips. Lim Dae-han wiped my lips with the back of his hand and kissed my cheek earnestly. Kiss, kiss, kiss. His lips slowly moved down from my cheeks to my chin and neck, then pulled away. I twisted my body and lowered the hand that was holding his forearm because it felt ticklish. Lim Dae-han, who quickly moved away, stood with his head tilted at an angle, staring at my face. I bowed my head and stared at the ground.

“It’s hot…”

I said while waving my collar and glancing at Lim Dae-han.  My face will at the very least appear red and ripe. It was difficult to be especially weak in the heat. I rubbed the cheek that Lim Dae-han had just kissed with the back of my hand. Lim Dae-han brushed my hair up once before following me and flapping my collar. I kept my gaze fixed on the ground before turning to face Lim Dae-han. We had such a sexy kiss up until now, and the tip of my red ears was still fresh.

***

The final exams for the third year of high school had been completed. The school was over after only one hour of self-study in accordance with the first and second graders’ exam time.

I expected to shudder with a sense of liberation after the final exam because I had been focusing solely on myself, but it was unexpectedly meaningless. I knew I needed to push myself a little harder until the end. Was it because it was hot outside? I felt strange.

“…”

I just stared at the ceiling. Why was there something like a seagull pattern on the ceiling? I suddenly remembered going to the sea with Lim Dae-han and his friends last year. Drinking, misunderstanding, running down the rainy beach, crying there, becoming enraged at Lim Dae-han that had come to find me, lamenting in his arms, and telling him I liked the sea.

It was almost free time, even though it was self-study, so I looked at the guys talking and focused on Lim Dae-han’s seat. Lim Dae-han, who normally occupied the center of the classroom, was nowhere to be seen. Where did he go? My gaze was drawn to the seat next to me as I looked around.

Lim Dae-han came to the seat behind me and stood in front of the owner of the original seat.

“Please change seats.”

Lim Dae-han asked in a threatening tone to the guy sitting behind me. He had a peach emoticon arm pillow in his arms as if he had already considered sleeping. The seat’s owner stood up without saying anything. Lim Dae-han, who took the seat, buried his chin in an arm pillow and looked up at me.

He was holding a cell phone. Perhaps he was planning to play a game. I think I’ll send him a heart later. Lim Dae-han tapped the keypad as I was thinking about it.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Look at this.”

Lim Dae-han turned the phone and handed over the screen. As I looked at the screen, I burst into laughter.

Youngest: [I missed playing with hyung] 10:57 a.m

Youngest: [Hyung can come after exam] 11:00 a.m

6-year-old Dae-ryong received a phone. He didn’t get a new phone, but he did get the old one that his family was using. Just in case, there was a fold-type mobile phone that did not work on the Internet, so he got a number with it and started the messenger. He was to be able to communicate with Lim Dae-han after learning how to read and write Hangul.

“Can I send a reply too?”

Lim Dae-han nodded. I got a fairly large cell phone model in my hand and tapped the keypad.

Me: [Dae-ryong-ah] 11:02 am

Me: [I’m Young-hyun hyung, do you remember me?] 11:02 am

I received a reply from Dae-ryong not long after.

Youngest: [Yes] 11:04 am 

Youngest: [I want to play with hyung] 11:07 am

Dae-ryong responded very slowly. I burst out laughing as I read the message and discovered Dae-ryong typing while pressing the keypad with his small fingers. Lim Dae-han crossed his arms and looked down at the screen. Our gazes locked as I smiled. Lim Dae-han smiled again and lowered his head, scratching the nape of his neck.

“You want to go to an amusement park?”

“What?”

Look. Lim Dae-han added later. I imagined Lim Dae-han and Dae-ryong standing alone in an amusement park. Dae-ryong wouldn’t be able to ask him to do this or that because of his personality, and he wouldn’t be able to take care of Lim Dae-han’s limit. He must have given it a lot of thought to say he wanted to go to an amusement park right now. It was heartbreaking to think of Dae-ryong, who was grunting while holding his cell phone, tilting his head this way and that with that little head, figuring out how to go to the amusement park with his brother.

“… Shall I go too?”

Lim Dae-han turned his head toward me as I carefully considered it. I forcibly raised the corners of my lips in response to the expressionless face. So Lim Dae-han stared at the screen without responding.

Youngest: [Yes] 11:15 am 

Youngest: [I want to go hyung-ah] 11:19

Dae-ryong sent another message, perhaps anxious when there was no reply. Lim Dae-han bit his lower lip and lowered his gaze to the screen. Then he took his phone from my grasp and tapped the screen.

Me: [Let’s go] 11:20 am

Me: [I will pick you up tomorrow] 11:20 am

Lim Dae-han, who had sent the message, turned the phone over. Then he sat up and tapped my hand on the back with his finger. Tap, one more time.

I scratched my nose and took Lim Dae-han’s hand, then let it go, and he calmed down. Lim Dae-han gave me a brief glance before collapsing with an arm pillow in his arms. I think he was considering getting some sleep. He had to have studied late yesterday as well. Even though it had only been a year, I couldn’t believe how much Lim Dae-hn had changed and how close Lim Dae-han and I had become.

***