MY 26

Can’t you just like me quite a lot? Not some strange obsession, and not like some old man’s control. Just me…

I mean, can’t you just see me as a real man.

Han Seolwoo raised his head again, his eyes narrowing. A sudden surge of stubbornness caused him to slowly boil over. It spread through him continuously while he was heated.

I want to seduce Won Wooje. I want to make him like me properly, to make him fret and fuss over me. I want to touch him. I want to openly grab him, meet his eyes, and these lips…

Han Seolwoo reached out as if possessed. He lightly pressed his thumb over the lips that were neatly closed. The soft skin yielded to the pressure. The moment his breath grew ragged, he was startled by his own unconscious action and pulled his hand away abruptly. It hadn’t even been a second.

“Ahem.”

Han Seolwoo let out a hollow cough for no reason and pretended to be busy with something else, covering half of his face with his arm as if propping it on the desk. His blood pumped quickly as if he had committed a theft.

…No, what’s wrong with touching his lips a little? Isn’t this much okay? Pang-pang-i said to be active. Since we’ve started dating anyway, shouldn’t I be able to do some of the things others do? It’s a win-win, killing two birds with one stone, having your cake and eating it too. Sweeping the yard and picking up a coin, gaining two things at once…

The moment he was lost in a whirlpool of self-justification, the school bell rang out noisily. Han Seolwoo, who had been immersed in dark thoughts, snapped to his senses with a start.

Suddenly, he heard a presence beside him. It seemed Won Wooje was waking up from his sleep. Han Seolwoo glanced at him with an innocent face, pretending not to notice.

Won Wooje, scowling deeply as if his body were stiff, was tilting his head this way and that.

“…Does it hurt somewhere?”

“Yeah, fuck, I have a cramp…”

Watching Won Wooje roll his head in circles as if uncomfortable, Han Seolwoo put down his pen. Then he reached out and grabbed the nape of his neck. His neck fit entirely within a single palm.

At the sudden contact, Won Wooje turned his gaze. Han Seolwoo, looking at him for a moment, began to massage his neck with force.

“Ah…”

Won Wooje let out a low groan. It was a husky “moan.” Han Seolwoo’s expression hardened as he suddenly connected it to a ridiculous thought. He massaged with even more force in his palm. He became extremely tense at the intermittent sounds. He swallowed his dry spit repeatedly, gulp-gulp.

“Whoa… damn… that’s killer.”

Won Wooje marveled at the sincere massage. Han Seolwoo furrowed his brows at the mood-killing tone that sounded like a middle-aged Mister at a sauna. At any rate, his behavior was worse than a dad’s.

Suddenly, the tension completely dissipated. The reality check that crashed over him was a bonus. He hated himself for having been scanning him while being tense all alone.

“Ah! Fuck, take it easy. Are you trying to break my neck?”

“…Ah, sorry.”

“Seriously, your strength is crazy. It doesn’t suit you.”

Won Wooje glared at him. Han Seolwoo let out a sigh and, while resting his chin on the desk with his right hand, quietly massaged the soft skin held in his hand.

“Wooje.”

“Yeah.”

“Today…”

Won Wooje arched an eyebrow at the trailing voice.

“What. Why.”

“Today, can I go sleep at Rose?”

“…”

“I want to eat the ramen you cook for me.”

Won Wooje’s expression hardened at the quietly delivered words. He looked into the air as if lost in thought for a moment, then shook his head firmly.

“There’s no ramen.”

“We can buy some on the way.”

“There’s… no… water either.”

“We can just buy it together.”

“…Eating at night makes you fat.”

“You said it’s okay if I gain some weight.”

“No, it’s bad for your health. That fuckin’ lump of sodium, spicy and salty. It’ll ruin your skin. Take good care of it while you have it all.”

Won Wooje shook his head while yawning widely. He expressed his rejection without any reservation. Han Seolwoo, staring at him quietly, pressed his lips tight. Then he withdrew his hand and lowered his eyes.

He used to make a fuss for me to come.

“…I guess you don’t want me to.”

“What?”

“Okay…”

Han Seolwoo let out a faint sigh, his voice trailing off. Won Wooje turned his head at the suddenly dejected voice. Seeing Han Seolwoo with gloomy eyes, he suddenly squinted one eye.

“…No, fuck.”

“…”

“It’s not that I don’t want to, of course you can. It’s no big deal.”

“…”

“Stop by home later. To bring some school uniforms.”

“Okay.”

Han Seolwoo immediately raised his head and gave a soft eye-smile. It seemed the method he tried out had worked perfectly. With a gentle smile, he opened his textbook. His previous dejected appearance had vanished without a trace.

Indeed, no one knew Won Wooje as well as he did. Han Seolwoo knew better than anyone how weak the guy was toward him.

Once you know the method to solve it, the answer comes quickly. Just as there is no math problem that cannot be solved, all he had to do was solve Won Wooje according to what he knew.

Han Seolwoo smiled secretly. It felt as if the energy of the Pang-pang Fairy was helping him.

୨ৎ

Won Wooje was in a bit of a predicament. It was because of Han Seolwoo, who was looking around and inspecting things while holding bags of ramen in both hands.

‘I want to eat the ramen you cook for me.’

Sleeping together at the villa wasn’t something that had only happened once or twice, but he felt nervous for no reason. Though he wasn’t showing it, it was because of the change in their relationship that was different from before.

Han Seolwoo and Won Wooje are now lovers. And Won Wooje was very well aware of that fact. The reason he was acting no different from before was that it was difficult and embarrassing to know how to treat him. Of course, he also intended to do his best in “the role of Han Seolwoo’s lover.” That way, Han Seolwoo wouldn’t have any other thoughts.

“What are you looking at so much? Are you going to take a mock exam with the ramen?”

Won Wooje asked Han Seolwoo, who was practically holding a ritual over the ramen bags. Han Seolwoo, who was reading the tiny print with serious eyes, moved his lips.

“…Oh, no. The sodium.”

“Sodium?”

“You said you didn’t like it because of the high sodium. I was trying to buy something with less.”

He replied cautiously. It was truly Han Seolwoo-like behavior to care so much about words he had just tossed out. He never listened to anything he said half-heartedly. He was always kind and meticulous.

At Won Wooje’s word to just buy whatever, Han Seolwoo, who had shrewdly gathered water, ramen, snacks, and even instant rice, stood in front of the checkout counter.

“Is there anything else you need?”

“Yeah. Ah, let’s buy some gum.”

Won Wooje, nodding, reached toward the display stand in front of the counter. He picked up some grape-flavored gum and placed it on the shelf. Han Seolwoo’s gaze moved slowly, following his hand.

“That will be 17,500 won. Do you need a bag?”

Even at the part-timer’s question, Han Seolwoo’s response was a beat slow. Looking at him with a glance, he could see Han Seolwoo with his eyes lowered. His gaze was fixed on the various types of condoms placed next to the displayed gum.

‘Studded type’

The moment he read the words, Won Wooje’s brow narrowed sharply.

“Hey, what are you looking at.”

“Huh?”

“Pay for it.”

Tucking his hands in his pockets, he kicked Han Seolwoo’s calf lightly. Only then did Han Seolwoo snap to his senses and pull his card out of his wallet to hand it over.

Won Wooje turned his head and scratched his forehead irritably. Useless thoughts were branching out one after another for no reason.

After finishing the payment, Han Seolwoo pushed the door open while holding the heavy bag. Won Wooje, following behind with a thud-thud, held out his hand.

“Give it.”

“It’s fine, it’s not heavy.”

“Give it when I tell you to.”

Han Seolwoo just stared blankly at the beckoning hand, his mouth pressed shut. Won Wooje looked at him with suspicious eyes at the way he was doing something he never used to do.

“Why are you being stubborn?”

“…Hold half of it then.”

When he reluctantly held out one side of the handle, Won Wooje, holding the bag together with him, asked.

“Your mom doesn’t say anything about you sleeping out?”

“No, why would she. I’m sleeping with you.”

“I guess…”

They had been stuck together since they were very young. Furthermore, Han Seolwoo’s mother liked the sly and thick-skinned Won Wooje. She would burst out laughing at his sly jokes.

“Doesn’t your mother say anything?”

“Ms. Han? She liked it a lot when I mentioned your name.”

Han Seolwoo smiled at the words he said while shrugging his shoulders. His eyes, curved like half-moons, relaxed softly with an innocent smile. Won Wooje, also pulling up one corner of his mouth, interlaced his fingers behind his head and hummed a tune. Han Seolwoo’s smile had a strange charm that made people feel good.

“I guess Mom recognizes a first-class daughter-in-law candidate too.”

“…What are you talking about.”

“Why. Do you not want to marry me?”

When he gave a sideways glance, Han Seolwoo turned his head the other way. After a short silence, a mumbled soliloquy was heard.

“…It’s not like you even like me.”

The grumbling voice was very quiet. Won Wooje, who didn’t hear it properly, asked back “What?”, but Han Seolwoo didn’t tell him.

“And why am I the daughter-in-law. You do it. I’m going to be the son-in-law.”

“Cut the crap.”

“Why?”

Han Seolwoo tilted his head and furrowed his brows. At the expression that looked as if he truly didn’t understand, Won Wooje let out an exasperated breath.

“Hey, look at our faces. See if you have the face for a daughter-in-law or I have the face for a daughter-in-law.”

“Why would you judge that based on a face?”

“Then what do you judge it by.”

“Hmm…”