* * *
A few days after the confrontation with PetitRolang, Yeongdeok was in the process of being discharged from the hospital.
With the PetitRolang issue resolved and his discharge finalized, he had expected smooth sailing ahead with Jihoon.
However, his hopes were dashed when he went an entire week without seeing Jihoon.
Jihoon kept insisting that he rest properly and refused to meet him.
Still, Jihoon seemed concerned about Yeongdeok’s condition, as he texted him daily:
[Seo Jihoon: Hyung, are you feeling better?]
[Seo Jihoon: You’re not in pain, are you?]
[Seo Jihoon: If something feels off, you should go to the hospital….]
Yeongdeok had been fine since the day he was discharged.
But after days of “Hyung, hyung, hyung,” he couldn’t hold back his irritation and finally snapped:
[I’m fine.]
[I’ve told you countless times that I’m fine.]
[Seo Jihoon: Are you mad?]
[No.]
[Seo Jihoon: Got it.]
[Seo Jihoon: Then, should we meet today?]
[Seo Jihoon: We still have so much to talk about.]
It seemed Jihoon was satisfied with the rest Yeongdeok had taken.
With no reason to decline, Yeongdeok immediately accepted.
Meeting Jihoon for the first time in a week, Yeongdeok prepared meticulously before leaving the house.
When he arrived at the café where they were supposed to meet, Jihoon was already waiting with Yeongdeok’s usual order, a strawberry latte, on the table.
It was endearing, but the moment Yeongdeok sat down, he clenched his teeth and launched into a tirade he’d been saving up.
“Seo Jihoon… Even though I said I was fine, you kept treating me like a patient. How audacious.”
Although it had been a while since they last met, Yeongdeok’s frosty glare filled the air with tension.
Jihoon, sweating profusely, felt as if he was sitting on pins and needles.
“Wait, wait! That’s not it… What you went through was so shocking. I swear, when I saw you crying that day, I thought my heart was going to stop. I just wanted you to rest without worrying about anything.”
For an improvised excuse, it was surprisingly convincing.
Yeongdeok’s icy demeanor softened just a bit.
“Were you worried about me?”
“Of course! What kind of question is that? And…”
Jihoon placed his hand on the table, prompting Yeongdeok to pass him a tissue, thinking that’s what he wanted.
But Jihoon swiped the tissue away like it was an obstacle and instead clasped Yeongdeok’s hand with his own, his fingers trembling slightly.
“I missed you.”
His voice was so tender, as if he were seeing Yeongdeok again after decades apart.
“And, back then, everything was so chaotic that I couldn’t clarify it properly…”
Jihoon fidgeted, glancing side to side before hesitantly asking:
“Are we… dating now?”
“What a thing to ask.”
“I just want to be sure. I mean, I never know what you’re thinking, and that makes it even harder for me.”
“You’re not even my boyfriend, yet you kiss me like that? I’m disappointed—I thought better of you.”
It was a joke, but Jihoon, thinking Yeongdeok had misunderstood, abruptly stood and vehemently denied it.
“Of course not! Do I look like someone who’d mess around like that? You’re the only one for me, Hyung.”
“If it’s not, then why are you so worked up?”
“I just hate being misunderstood by you… Anyway, it’s not like that.”
Jihoon calmed himself, sitting back down.
When Yeongdeok shot him a skeptical look, Jihoon brusquely denied it again.
“I said it’s not like that. Don’t look at me with those eyes.”
“And how should I look at you, then?”
“…If possible, with eyes full of love.”
“We’ll see how you behave.”
When Yeongdeok cracked a mischievous smile, Jihoon, thinking it was absolutely lethal, struggled to keep his composure.
His lips twitched, and he met Yeongdeok’s gaze head-on.
“Thanks for accepting my feelings. I’ll do my best to make sure you never regret choosing me. I really… really like you, Hyung.”
Jihoon lifted Yeongdeok’s hand and kissed it lightly.
The spot where Jihoon’s lips touched seemed to tingle with an almost exaggerated presence.
Jihoon’s gaze was so sincere, his confession so earnest, that Yeongdeok felt his heart pound uncontrollably.
“Same here. Let’s take care of each other from now on.”
When Yeongdeok responded, Jihoon’s face tightened with effort, as if trying to maintain a composed expression.
Instead, his face contorted awkwardly.
“This isn’t a dream, right?”
“What a foolish thing to say. Would you rather it were a dream?”
“No, that’d be too unfair.”
Jihoon shook his head fervently.
“Hyung, can you tell me you like me too? It doesn’t feel real otherwise.”
“You’re really asking for a lot.”
“Please? Pretty please?”
His pleading reminded Yeongdeok of a dog begging for a treat.
Sighing, Yeongdeok muttered in a small voice:
“I like…”
He trailed off.
Saying those words while Jihoon stared at him with sparkling, expectant eyes was harder than he thought.
“I like…”
“Can’t hear you, Hyung.”
“I like… coffee!”
“Where’d you even learn that from?”
“In games. It’s a common line.”
Jihoon laughed aloud, his fingers lightly grazing Yeongdeok’s hand.
The faint touch sent shivers up Yeongdeok’s spine before it faded away.
“Say it when you’re ready. I’ll wait.”
“……”
“Well then, how about we grab dinner now?”
Jihoon stood and extended a hand toward Yeongdeok.
“You’re not going to hold my hand?”
Jihoon’s fingers trembled slightly.
Was it possible that Yeongdeok found this big guy cute?
Or was his brain just malfunctioning?
After teasing Jihoon by hesitating, Yeongdeok finally took his hand and stood up.
As they walked out of the café, searching for a restaurant, Jihoon pretended to focus on the task.
In truth, all his attention was on their connected hands.
His entire body buzzed with sensitivity, his palms grew damp, and his heart pounded so hard it felt like he might collapse.
At one point, he tried to let go, but Yeongdeok taunted him with a sly remark.
“Running away?”
“I’m not!”
Eventually, Jihoon gave up and interlaced their fingers tightly. He felt so elated he thought he might die on the spot.
ꔚ
After finishing dinner, on the way out of the restaurant, Yeongdeok agreed to Jihoon’s offer to walk him home.
Despite the stifling heat, it felt oddly bearable, perhaps because he was walking with that ridiculous guy.
Logically, it didn’t make sense, but it felt true.
“Hyung, can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Have you ever dated anyone other than me? Guy or girl?”
Jihoon added that he thought someone like Yeongdeok must have been quite popular.
Without needing to think, Yeongdeok answered decisively.
“No, never.”
“Really? That’s unexpected.”
“What about you?”
“I haven’t either.”
“Now that’s surprising.”
Thinking of Jihoon, who had always been surrounded by people, Yeongdeok commented as such.
“I see…”
Jihoon’s murmured words were soft and dreamlike, his lips curving into a smile.
“I’ll really do my best. Honestly.”
“You already said that earlier.”
“Hyung, can I ask just one more thing?”
As Jihoon continued to pile on questions, Yeongdeok felt like their roles had reversed.
Wasn’t it Jihoon who used to call him the “question mark murderer”?
“Are you the question mark murderer now?”
“Why did you start liking me, Hyung?”
Jihoon’s eyes were filled with hope as he gazed at Yeongdeok, clearly expecting an answer.
Faced with that eager look, brushing it off vaguely didn’t feel right.
While talking to Wonjin before, Yeongdeok had come up with countless reasons why he liked Jihoon, but the biggest reason had always been clear.
“I think I’ve mentioned this before. You’ve always been by my side… Thanks.”
Without Jihoon, Yeongdeok would have likely continued living a dry, emotionless life.
He sincerely thanked Jihoon, who had made him realize so much.
When Yeongdeok expressed his honest feelings, Jihoon’s expression shifted into something indescribably strange.
“What’s with that face?”
“I’m trying to resist hugging you.”
“Keep resisting. Hugging on the street is inappropriate.”
“Then is kissing in the hospital okay?”
The sly jab earned Jihoon a frosty glare from Yeongdeok, but Jihoon found even that sharp look utterly endearing.
He must have been blinded by something.
Even without words, just walking together felt enjoyable.
* * *
❤️
So cute…
🥰
😭👌my shipp
Thanks