LS 68

Moonhyuk’s eyelids fluttered.

The tears that had welled up finally spilled down, dropping in fat, heavy trails.

Because he was slightly looking down, the tears landed directly on his scarf. Dohee gently wiped them away with his fingertips. They were still warm.

He reached for the scarf still wrapped around Moonhyuk’s lower face and carefully tugged it down.

Moonhyuk didn’t say a word, just sat there, letting Dohee do what he wanted.

Well… “just sat there” wasn’t quite right.

He was crying.

Once he’d loosened the scarf, Dohee leaned in to get a better look.

There wasn’t much of a height difference, so he didn’t even have to tilt his head to see him clearly.

Moonhyuk’s entire face was flushed red. His cheeks burned. Dohee reached out instinctively and stroked one with his thumb.

Moonhyuk flinched like he’d been shocked and jerked his head up.

Dohee quickly pulled his hand back, embarrassed.

He curled and uncurled his fingers, then gripped the scarf still resting in his palm.

He leaned back slightly, realizing how close he’d gotten.

“Why are you crying, hyung? Are you that mad?”

Dohee asked in the gentlest voice he could manage, trying to soothe him.

Moonhyuk’s lips moved slightly. But what came out was nothing Dohee had expected.

“Uuh… no, it’s not that. I’m just… embarrassed… really embarrassed…”

“Embarrassed? About what?”

“I said I was embarrassed…”

It made no sense. Dohee blinked slowly.

He felt like he was going to explode from frustration, but he didn’t press. He was determined to go at Moonhyuk’s pace.

When Dohee stayed silent, Moonhyuk eventually spoke again.

“I-I… just!”

“Just?”

“I kept going on and on about how great our GoSupp is… I said I liked this and that and… but then you’re… you’re the same person, and I just–got so embarrassed…”

“You mean, you’re embarrassed because you talked about me in front of me?”

“That’s not it…”

Dohee almost sighed but held it in and asked again.

“Then what is it?”

“So like, uh… ever since I first came to the internet café, I thought you looked like GoSupp’s character. That’s why I gave you the gummies, too… I just wanted to see your face again. You just–you looked so much like the character. You were so pretty, too, but mostly just… the resemblance. But then it turned out you were GoSupp, and I was like… how did I not realize it? Am I that oblivious? I got embarrassed again… and shocked… but I wasn’t mad. Just so, so surprised.

And GoSupp–no, you, Dohee–why you hid it, I understood that too… But then I ran away, and that’s embarrassing too. And thinking about it again, you’re so… so great, but I was just… like, I sucked at the game and you called me Knockoff, and thinking about all that again just made me… um, more embarrassed and…”

Complete gibberish.

Honestly, Moonhyuk didn’t seem to know what he was saying anymore.

His scattered thoughts and jumbled feelings were tumbling out in fragments, and Dohee focused with everything he had to not miss a single word.

Moonhyuk’s voice kept getting smaller.

“Hyung.”

Dohee called gently. Moonhyuk looked up slightly at the sound. Dohee asked quietly.

“You’re not that mad, right?”

Moonhyuk blinked slowly, then–very, very slowly–shook his head twice.

A small but clear response.

“I wasn’t mad… not even at the start.”

“Really?”

“…Yeah. I was just really surprised and upset and embarrassed… That’s all. And… I understood where you were coming from, Dohee. And I know you weren’t trying to make fun of me or deceive me or anything. You’re not a bad person… And you apologized, like, right away…And more than once, too. So I’m grateful.

And… I’m sorry too… for ignoring your GameTalk messages and your calls and–ah! I wasn’t trying to ghost you or anything…”

Why is he apologizing?

Dohee was so thrown off he couldn’t even react.

Why is he like this? How can someone be this impossibly sweet? What am I supposed to do with a guy like this?

And even now–even now–while mumbling and being awkward, Moonhyuk was just too cute, and Dohee had to clench his teeth to stop himself from grinning like an idiot.

“I was just… embarrassed. Hng…”

…Hng?

Did he just hng?

Holy shit.

Dohee had never once in his life found that kind of whimper cute coming from a grown man. And certainly not from a 187cm-tall guy so big he made the passenger seat look tiny.

He was definitely smitten. Utterly and hopelessly smitten. Everything about him was cute. It was insane.

How could someone be like this? Still, knowing Moonhyuk hadn’t actually been mad to begin with was a huge relief.

Dohee didn’t really know how to calm someone’s anger. All he could do was be honest and apologize. Thankfully, that had worked. He looked at Moonhyuk, trying to center himself. Already, Moonhyuk’s eyes were glistening again.

Letting it all out must’ve made him feel even more awkward and embarrassed.

Dohee quickly reached into the inner pocket of his coat.

He’d kept a neatly pressed handkerchief in there just in case.

He offered Moonhyuk a soft white one.

Moonhyuk accepted it without a word, then buried his face in it.

He must’ve been too embarrassed to even look at Dohee anymore.

How was he supposed to coax that face out again…?

Just as Dohee was about to sigh, Moonhyuk slowly raised his head.

His nose, mouth, and cheeks were still buried in the handkerchief, only his eyes peeking out.

“It… smells nice.”

Dohee let out an involuntary snort.

At the sound of his laugh, Moonhyuk looked like he’d been struck by lightning and snapped to attention.

His face flushed deep red again. He immediately buried his face back in the cloth. As if covering his face could hide everything. Like he just wanted to escape. It was like he was under a spell.

“Keep it, hyung.”

“…Huh?”

“The handkerchief. It’s yours now. You said it smells nice.”

“Ah… I–I’ll wash it properly and give it back–”

“No need. I hardly even use them. You should carry one. You’re such a crybaby.”

Dohee’s fingers brushed Moonhyuk’s cheek again as he gently took the handkerchief back.

He swiftly folded the damp side and tidied it up, then slipped it into Moonhyuk’s puffer coat pocket.

He smiled sweetly.

“Hyung.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m sorry. For embarrassing you.”

“…Mhm.”

“Why do you keep making such cute sounds?”

“What?”

“Nothing. Anyway, hyung.”

“Yeah…?”

“Whether I’m GoingSupporter or AssaGo or whoever, I’ve always been the same Baek Dohee since the day we met.”

“…”

“So I hope you’ll treat me the same as you used to.”

“Ah…”

“Though, I mean… that’s just my wish. If it makes you uncomfortable, I get it.”

“It’s not that I’m uncomfortable…”

“It’s not?”

“It’s just, uh… I still feel a little… embarrassed…”

“I see.”

“Yeah…”

“Then how about liking me a little more.”

Dohee said it like it was nothing as he turned the heater down to level one. The car got a little quieter.

“Y-Yeah… huh?”

“You like GoingSupporter, don’t you?”

“Ah…?”

“Well, that’s me. So you should like me even more now.”

He knew it was a stretch.

He knew if someone overheard, they’d be like, “Do you have a 30cm steel plate on your face or what?”, that’s how shameless it sounded.

But it was also completely honest.

If Moonhyuk couldn’t treat him the same because he knew he was GoingSupporter.

Then he’d rather Moonhyuk just like him more. Get even more flustered. Dohee glanced over at Moonhyuk, who still looked dazed and couldn’t even reply.

Then he shrugged and buckled his seatbelt. With a nod from Dohee, Moonhyuk scrambled to buckle his as well.

“Hyung.”

“Mm, yeah?”

“Where do you live?”

“About fifteen minutes south of Hanguk University’s back gate… uh, huh? I can walk home–”

“That’s a decent distance. You usually take the bus, right?”

“Uh, yeah…? Unless the weather’s nice, then I walk sometimes…”

“My place is only five minutes from here by car.”

“Oh…”

“It’s cold out, and you cried, so you’re probably tired too. You’d have to turn the heat on again once you get home, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Then just sleep at my place tonight. I’ve got three rooms, the heater’s blasting so it’ll be warm as soon as we walk in, I made fresh rice, and there’s plenty of side dishes. You’re not hungry?”

“Uh? Not yet…”

“Then shower, get some proper sleep. You’ve got a part-time shift this evening, right? No schedule before that.”

“Ah… yeah, that’s true.”

“You already finished prepping for the tutoring job the day after tomorrow?”

“Yeah, uh… almost?”

“Perfect. I’ll make kimchi stew for lunch.”

“My uncle, you know, Yeohoo and Yeojin’s dad?”

“Huh?”

“My uncle brought over some amazing kimjang kimchi. And I make a killer kimchi stew. You’re not picky about food, right?”

“Not really…”

“Do you prefer it with spam or tuna? I’ve also got some leftover pork.”

“Uh… spam?”

“Wow, you’ve got a kid’s palate. Can you eat two bowls of spam kimchi stew?”

“Y-Yeah! I can eat two bowls!”

“Great. We’ll be home soon, so just lean back and relax.”

As Dohee talked about kimchi stew, his car smoothly exited the parking lot.

He looked effortlessly cool with one hand on the wheel, and Moonhyuk found himself staring, entranced by his side profile.

He couldn’t think straight.

Something had just passed by, but he couldn’t tell what.

“Uh… so…”

“Yeah?”

“T-To your place?”

“Yup.”

“Right now…?”

“Uh-huh.”

Moonhyuk blinked blankly.

Orange streetlights washed in and out of the car, flooding the interior with ripples of glow.

As Dohee guided the car through a narrow alley, the light clung to his face, flickered, and vanished again.

Only then did Moonhyuk truly grasp the situation. In other words, holy crap. They were on their way to GoingSupporter’s–no, to Dohee’s house.