✓LOVER BOY | hwang hyunjin

29. Late Night Dinner

Hyunjin was confused. He was left on seen after 12 hours of constantly checking his phone in case Yeseul had come online. It pinched a hurt somewhere in his heart. He was worried. Typing out the words in the dark, he bit down at his lip nervously.

10:32PM

yeseul?
hey
everything okay?

He threw his phone on the side, falling back on the bed. A groan escaped his mouth. He was exhausted down to the bone. Working at the flower shop with constant runs to the gardens, and to the hospital didn't leave much time out of the day. He glanced at the now cold tea that Jeongin had bought for him earlier, standing still on the table. His table. He winced at how filthy his workplace looked. He was barely looking after himself these days. He regretted it. Especially the fact that he barley got to see Yeseul. After the kiss that night, he only managed to meet her in the mornings at work.

His heart warmed. Hyunjin placed his hand on his chest, feeling the thump fasten with each moment he indulged in the thoughts of Yeseul. God, did he like her so much. He snickered, covering his eyes by his arm, reminiscing the morning after that night. He had walked in on Yeseul making coffee. When he breathed out a good morning, Yeseul had flinched, turning around, eyes looking everywhere except him. He had smiled so hard when he watched a deep blush crawl over Yeseul's cheeks.

She played with her cuffs, clearing her throat. "Did you sleep well?" Hyunjin had a plethora of butterflies fluttering all through his existence. Her voice was so soft. It melted away all sorts of tiredness from him. It put him in a ridiculous ease. He had nodded, slipping in the chair as Yeseul poured him the drink in a white mug. He recalled the details of half a heart on his cup. The other half was printed on Yeseul's. "Fancy mugs you got there."

The sudden statement seemed to break the awkwardness. Yeseul perked her head up, a smile blooming as she gathered what he meant. "Thanks. I made these two myself."

"Really?" Hyunjin pushed his mug forward, looking at Yeseul. "Can you give me yours for a moment?" Yeseul slid it over with an eager nod.

Hyunjin placed the two together, completing the heart. He pulled his phone out, capturing it, with a sneaked in Yeseul who was looking at him at the time, smiling fondly. When he later discovered it, it made him melt.

Hyunjin had pushed back the mug towards Yeseul. She held it up to her nose, taking in the aromas. It felt so raw to see her like that. In the morning with a bun holding up her hair, and a random sweatshirt snuggling her body. She looked so beautiful. "I want to kiss you again."

Yeseul's eyes had grown as huge a saucer. She spilled some of the tea on her pants. Her hands were quick to busy her in cleaning it. "Shut up."

"Would it be too cringe to say make me?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Hyunjin grinned, holding out some tissues for her. She had sighed so loudly at it, but the boy could see her hiding a creeping out smile.

_______

Yeseul missed Hyunjin just as much. But she selfishly put a lid on her emotions, hoping it all stays in. Her thoughts were cut off when a knock was heard from her door. It was late at night. Walking ahead she was surprised to see the person in her doorbell camera.

"You might wanna open this. I got you some food." A merry voice sang.

She stifled in a scream, wasting no minute to pull the door open and lung right in her brother's arms. Both of the stumbled back, Jinho laughed before he shoved her away. "Back off. You stink."

"Come here you-" Yeseul put her arm around his neck, pulling him down. Her attempts to put him in a headlock were futile, but she managed to pull at his hair. A string of protests with well deserved pain managed to satisfy her. "Nice. Let's go inside."

Jinho sighed, kicking his shoes messily near the rack. "Heard you are going through a break up."

Yeseul scoffed, taking the bag from his arms. "Heard you fell down in front of your crush last week."

"Rumours!" He snatched off his cap dramatically. Then continued to twirl around the room, sighing as if his lover had died in a battle. "Don't remind me." Yeseul's eye twitched at this sight. She took a bite of the chicken he had brought. Sudden happiness surged through her. She forgot Hyunjin. And her brother for now.

Jinho quickly sat down across her, taking a piece to eat too. "So," he chewed, crumbs of food falling out of his mouth. Yeseul almost gagged. She almost committed homicide too. "How's life?"

"Shut your mouth." Jinho shut his mouth. "No chewing sounds." Jinho slowed, almost pouting down at his food. Yeseul patted his head to cover her guilt. He was a nice boy.

"Life is great. I'm busy with work. It's nice."

"Ah, the capitalist society has finally brainwashed you into the idea that work meaning good life."

"Okay, mister artist. What do you have to say about life?" Yeseul poured chilled coke in two glasses. Jinho shifted in his seat. He hummed.

"I got my artwork displayed in Japan. Don't know if you care to know that part. Met with Mister Tanaka. I can't believe my sinful soul had the honour of shaking his hands. He called my art 'a standing out light in many old ones'. I must add that I sobbed in the washroom."

Yeseul found herself laughing along with her brother. She had missed this so much. Jinho pulled his pullover up, revealing a faint red blotch on his white tee. "I met a beautiful girl. Hana. She walked into me and got this stain on my shirt. I was staring at her like a fool while she went on apologising her throat dry. She pushed me to let her have the shirt so she could get it cleaned."

Yeseul giggled, taking a sip of her drink. "What did you do?"

"Of course I didn't let her! What the hell? I let my new found love take away something that I want to treasure forever?"

"We are talking about the stain, right?"

"Yes." Jinho smiled sheepishly. "I'm never washing this."

"Gross. In fact this is some highly perverted behaviour." Yeseul teased, watching the smile fall off of Jinho's face.

"No. You don't know people go mad in love. I'm in love with her and I want to hold onto a mark that reminds me of how we met." Jinho chugged down the drink.

Yeseul felt a shallow sadness. "I guess our whole family is made this way. Genetics of clingy adoration."

Jinho grinned. "You're right." He held his glass up. "To being fools in love!"

Yeseul laughed, clinking her glass with his. "To being fools in love."

She was happy to have her brother by her side right now. This healed some of her emptiness.