CEL 68

Jaeha gazed at the pale face that had dozed off blankly, and he got lost in thought.

It was the first winter break since he began a real romance with Hamin, and Jaeha was in the process of discovering sides of him he had never seen before.

First point. Seo Hamin was extremely overprotective.

Even the sight of him sleeping quietly beside Jaeha showed that. When he saw Jaeha’s bloodshot eyes, red from being rubbed several times, he asked, ‘Have you still not been sleeping well these days?’ and when Jaeha nodded without thinking, from that day on Hamin came over and slept at his house for several days in a row.

Jaeha pinched his own cheek several times to check if he was dreaming on his feet, but that did not cause Seo Hamin to suddenly shoot into the sky or sink into the ground.

Every night Hamin gave him herbal tea that he claimed was good for deep sleep, and he also prepared some supplement called melatonin or something, and he patted Jaeha’s chest until he fell asleep.

Of course that behavior did not contribute much to sleep. The pale hand moving up and down on his chest only stimulated him rather than relaxing him.

Yet because Jaeha could not fall asleep, Hamin never slept first, and Jaeha got used to slowly blinking his eyes and pretending to be asleep.

When Hamin believed Jaeha had fallen into deep sleep, he always pressed a kiss against his lips before going to sleep himself.

Honestly it was like torture.

Second point. Seo Hamin complained a lot.

Even if Hamin sang the national anthem twenty five times each night before bed, his eyes opened automatically in the morning, but Jaeha was especially weak against morning drowsiness.

At first he waited until Jaeha woke up, but it felt wasteful to just stay lying there.

Wouldn’t it be better to fix breakfast and eat together at this time?

With that thought he carefully got out of bed while Jaeha slept. He usually woke up long after Hamin had left the bed anyway, so it was an efficient decision.

That day too Hamin slipped out of bed, washed his face, and headed to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and took out six eggs. Scrambled eggs and French toast seemed like a reasonable plan.

He turned around with that satisfying plan in mind, and then he suddenly met eyes with Jaeha who had come right up near him, and his eyes crinkled.

“You got up early today?”

Jaeha’s sullen face gave no reply and scrutinized his face. He felt a little lost under that persistent gaze and thought, did I get something on my face? Then Jaeha abruptly spoke.

“It’s not good.”

“…My face?”

“What are you talking about?”

His baffled look made Hamin scratch his cheek awkwardly.

Then what exactly was not good?

“When I open my eyes and you’re not in sight, that’s not good.”

Hamin gaped blankly at that coy complaint. He left him there and said, “I’ll wash up,” and walked off. It felt like he was dreaming.

Third point. He had a natural talent for startling people.

Even while Hamin whisked the eggs, he could not believe what he had just heard, and he blinked several times. The idea that the real Jaeha had been kidnapped somewhere and an alien was pretending to be him sounded more convincing.

Even when he cut the crust off a slice of bread with a knife, his head felt blank. It was the moment he tried to cut the last crust piled on top.

“That’s a hassle, just don’t.”

Jaeha suddenly wrapped his arms around hid waist and startled him. He clutched his pounding heart and glared at him, and Jaeha returned the gaze with eyes that ask, what the problem.

“What are you doing so dangerously when someone is holding a knife?”

“You’re not going to stab me.”

“Of course not. Do you think I would do that and rot in prison for years?” At least regarding safety matters, Hamin became endlessly sensitive. His carsh tone made Jaeha open his eyes wide and lower his head quietly. After a short hesitation he murmured.

“Sorry if I startled you. I was annoyed.”

“What annoyed you?”

“You keep… not being there.” Was this connected to what he said earlier?

Hamin put the knife down and wiped his hands with the towel at his side. He turned and pulled Jaeha into his arms and pressed a kiss against his forehead. Then the eyes that had lifted in petulance softened and curved gently.

It seemed he had been more startled earlier, yet strangely he now felt as though his heart might drop.

He gazed at Jaeha with tangled feelings.

“Don’t do dangerous things. I worry.”

“Yeah.”

With that reply, feather light lips landed on the back of the hand that had held the knife. Hamin bit his lip and covered his eyes with his palm.

His heartbeat sounded too loud, and unless he blocked at least one sense it felt like it would explode.

Conclusion. Jaeha loved Seo Hamin too much. He felt that truth every minute and every second, and each day was happiness.

•••

Winter break stood right before the madly busy fourth year. Hamin was once again confirming things about Han Jaeha that he had not known before.

First point. Han Jaeha enjoyed nagging.

Chewing more than five times grew into more than ten, and coffee dropped to one cup per day. When Hamin furrowed his brows with dissatisfaction, Jaeha forced himself to hide the look that showed he might die of laughter and spoke in an adult tone.

“I do all this for you, sunbae.” What nonsense. He himself drank five cups of coffee every day.

After they began spending more time together, friction arose about tidying the house.

No, friction? Could this even be called friction?

“I told you to squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom.”

“You have to take your shoes off and set them upside down.”

“You didn’t wash the dishes right away again?”

If those words were truly sincere, Hamin would have been willing to change his habits.

But when Hamin actually set his shoes neatly or washed the dishes right away, Jaeha immediately pulled a sulky face.

It seemed less like he really disliked it, and more like he enjoyed words that made him recognize each moment of living together.

‘Sunbae can’t live without me, right?’ He had heard that so often his ears felt crusted over.

Hamin could not understand such behavior, but since Jaeha looked happy, he let it go. His ears hurting a little was something he could endure.

Second point. Han Jaeha was wasteful.

Maybe it was because he used a card without limit, or maybe because he simply had a generous nature, but his scale was extraordinary. On days Jaeha went grocery shopping alone, that huge refrigerator always ended up full.

When Hamin checked what he bought, it always turned out to be things he had once muttered were tasty, so he could not just scold him.

“But next time don’t buy this much.”

Jaeha’s face showed no understanding, but Hamin looked away with a vague glance from the refrigerator that looked about to burst.

“I’m rich.”

“You’re not rich.”

“I have a lot of money, though?”

Hamin shook his head with a reluctant face.

Recently Han Jaeha succeeded in cutting ties with his family on the condition that he received the house he lived in and a reasonable sum of money.

It was an amount that would make others gape, but considering Han Jaeha’s spending it looked difficult for him to live on it until he died, so he needed to be more frugal.

“There’s no room in the refrigerator.”

“Ah, should we buy a new refrigerator?”

Hamin chose simply to close his mouth.

Third point. Han Jaeha was a child.

The way he expressed his feelings was blunt, and his imagination was abundant.

One day he kept trying to kiss in the elevator, so Hamin frowned and spoke.

“Don’t do it outside.”

“There’s nobody here.”

“There’s CCTV in the elevator.”

“Can I install CCTV in your house, sunbae? Why didn’t I think of that?” Conversation did not work.

Watching Hamin shudder, Han Jaeha muttered seriously.

“What if someone kidnaps you because you’re too pretty?”

“…What?”

“Have you learned any self-defense? You haven’t, right? That won’t do. From tomorrow will you go to jiu-jitsu with me?” Even for Hamin, who usually accepted anything Han Jaeha said without question, that was a demand difficult to accept, so he shook his head and refused. Jaeha quickly sulked and even after they returned home he continued pouting for quite a while, and when Hamin did not give in, he dropped down on the floor and rubbed his cheek against Hamin’s thigh.

“I told you, I’m worried. You don’t know anything.”

“It might be better not to know.”

“Fine.”

His reply sounded indifferent, but feather light kisses landed on Hamin’s thigh. His gesture carried no impure intention, but Hamin no longer let himself be fooled.

As Jaeha slowly pulled his lips down, his tongue slid up the middle of Hamin’s calf. These days the places his tongue touched moved lower, and Hamin felt troubled that soon it might really reach his toes.

After that, as expected, Han Jaeha lifted him onto his back and headed to the bedroom. The outcome was obvious.

Conclusion. No one but Hamin could handle such a Han Jaeha.

So, Han Jaeha needed him.

Absolutely, certainly, without exception.

And it would remain that way.

<Code of Ethics for Lawyers>

Final Declaration.