Chapter 29: A Drunken Stroll and Dessert

Kang Hae-il refilled his glass every time it emptied, leaving him oblivious to how much alcohol remained. They had simply finished one bottle, then ordered another of yuzu sake.

Like clothes slowly soaking in a drizzle, he began to feel the subtle creep of intoxication.

In the quiet restaurant, he found himself staring intently at Kang Hae-il, his sole conversation partner. At one point, while attempting to pour sake, he even fumbled and dropped a nearby dish.

For a fleeting moment, he recognized his own inebriation, only to forget it just as quickly. After all, his mind felt perfectly clear, even if his body was not.

“Shall we head out soon?”

He hadn’t checked the time in a while; when he finally raised his phone, it displayed 8 PM. Their conversation, a continuous chain of questions about hobbies, interests, and various other topics, had made the time fly by without a single dull moment.

‘This is interesting,’ he thought.

Though initially awkward, he found himself increasingly enjoying the process of getting to know Kang Hae-il. Some aspects matched his expectations, while others were entirely different.

Listening to Kang Hae-il speak, it struck him anew just how different their values and lives were.

“I’m so full, I can’t possibly get up.”

“It would probably be better to go outside and walk around than to keep sitting.”

That wasn’t the answer he had hoped for. Dohwa pressed his lips together, then reluctantly rose from his seat, gathering his cardigan and bag.

“Are you alright?”

“Thank you…”

He had stumbled as he stood, and would have fallen awkwardly if Kang Hae-il hadn’t steadied him from the front. The waiter standing behind Kang Hae-il was staring with an unnervingly bright gaze, making Dohwa self-conscious enough to subtly lower his arm.

Since the counter was near the entrance, he pulled out his card wallet from his bag and approached it.

“……?”

Suddenly, a wall seemed to appear, blocking his path, and he bumped his head directly into it. It was a familiar navy color.

He took a step and leaned forward, only to meet Kang Hae-il’s eyes as he turned around. Noticing the card and card wallet in Dohwa’s hand, Kang Hae-il parted his lips to speak.

“Put it away.”

“The payment has been processed. Would you like a receipt?”

Hearing the waiter’s words, Kang Hae-il shook his head and took his card. Dohwa then looked down at the card still clutched in his own hand. The bill had already been paid.

He tried to put the card back into his wallet, but his fingers fumbled, and it took two attempts to finally slide it in.

He remained oblivious that both men were standing there, watching him.

“Please be careful on your way, sir!”

“That was delicious. Thank you for bringing me here.”

As they left the restaurant, Dohwa spoke to Kang Hae-il, who then stared intently at his face before letting out a small chuckle.

“Why do you keep laughing?”

It wasn’t funny at all.

He mumbled softly, staring at the ground. Receiving no reaction from beside him, he glanced up to find Kang Hae-il looking down at him with an expressionless face.

“……You look more handsome when you smile.”

He flinched for a moment, but it wasn’t out of fear. It was genuinely true that a smiling face was far better than such a stern, intimidating one. Besides, if he kept such a serious expression, even a passerby would think they’d done something wrong.

“As a token of my gratitude, I’ll carry your things.”

Kang Hae-il swiftly took the bag and cardigan Dohwa was holding, carrying them effortlessly in one hand. Having them snatched away so quickly, Dohwa alternately stared at his now empty arms—like a raccoon who’d washed away its cotton candy—and the items in Kang Hae-il’s hand.

What had felt substantial in his own embrace now seemed small and light in Kang Hae-il’s grip. He appreciated the sudden lightness, though.

As he slowly walked alongside Kang Hae-il, Dohwa began to worry about their return journey, realizing they had strayed quite far from the car.

“Haven’t we come too far?”

“The dessert cafe we were planning to go to next was originally nearby. Even if we can’t eat there now, we can always get it to go.”

“Let’s go, quickly!”

‘Why didn’t you say so sooner?’ he thought.

At the mention of a dessert cafe, all his worries vanished, and he immediately dashed forward, leaving Kang Hae-il behind.

Looking back, he saw Kang Hae-il standing still a short distance away.

“Come on, hurry!”

He had only run for a moment, yet he was already breathless, standing still to catch his breath. In that short time, Kang Hae-il had approached with steady strides, quickly closing the distance until he was caught.

“You’ll hurt yourself if you run.”

Flushed from his sudden sprint, Dohwa nodded vaguely. Running after drinking had also made him thirsty.

His speech grew noticeably sparse, but thankfully, they arrived at the dessert cafe after only a short walk. As he opened the door and stepped inside, a wave of cool air enveloped him.

‘I thought there wouldn’t be many left, given how late it is,’ he mused.

To his surprise, at least two of each type of dessert remained, and he eagerly scanned them.

The coolness was brief; soon he began to feel chilly, prompting him to retrieve his cardigan and bag from Kang Hae-il and put on the cardigan.

“Kang Hae-il, is there anything you’d like to drink?”

“I usually only drink Americano. How about you, Dohwa?”

Needing to quench his thirst first, he immediately went to the counter after hearing Kang Hae-il’s reply and placed his order.

“Could I get one mango smoothie and one Americano to go?”

Just as he pulled his card from his bag, completed the payment, and took the vibrating pager in hand, preparing to head to the dessert corner…

“…Why? Did you want something else to drink?”

“No, it’s fine.”

“My stomach has settled a bit, but I don’t think I can eat here, so I’ll have to get it to go.”

Feeling a gaze upon him, he looked up and paused, discovering Kang Hae-il once again standing still and staring at him with an expressionless face.

As Dohwa picked up a wooden tray and tongs, Kang Hae-il swiftly moved beside him, attempting to take them. Dohwa, not wanting to give them up this time, looked at him, their eyes meeting at close range.

“I’ll carry them. It would be a problem if they were dropped.”

His soft, steady voice was strangely persuasive, causing Dohwa to relax his grip, and the tray and tongs transferred into Kang Hae-il’s hands.

“Just tell me what you’d like, and I’ll pick it up.”

“Okay…”

So, with Kang Hae-il standing right beside him, Dohwa pointed to several delicious-looking desserts after some deliberation, and Kang Hae-il placed them on the tray. As they passed the last bread section, the scene felt like a déjà vu, prompting Dohwa to turn and look at Kang Hae-il behind him.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Buzz—

The vibrating pager cut off his words.

‘Come to think of it, it was like this on the first day too,’ he recalled. He went to the counter, received their drinks, and had the items on the tray calculated.

Dohwa had his card ready, but a hand reached out to pay before his. He looked up at the owner of that now-familiar hand. As the employee took Kang Hae-il’s card for payment, Kang Hae-il, in turn, looked down at Dohwa.

“Here it is…”

“……Thank you.”

Dohwa naturally watched Kang Hae-il’s retreating back as he carried the shopping bag full of desserts.

‘Everything in there is what I chose,’ he thought.

He suddenly remembered that he hadn’t thought to pay at the moment, so he picked up a tray and tongs from the entrance and went back to Kang Hae-il.

“If there’s anything else you want to buy, go ahead.”

“Huh?”

He tilted his head, clanking the tongs together, after hearing Kang Hae-il’s words.

“Now it’s time to buy yours, Kang Hae-il.”

He had chosen everything, and Kang Hae-il hadn’t picked a single thing. This time, Dohwa intended to pay for whatever Kang Hae-il chose.

“I’m fine, though.”

The blunt reply made the hand gripping the tongs pause momentarily.

“Earlier, there was one that caught my eye, so I’ll buy that one.”

Instead of using the tongs, Dohwa simply placed a plain bread on the tray. After double-checking, he went to the register and returned with a light shopping bag containing the single bread Kang Hae-il had chosen.

It was somewhat amusing that they were carrying each other’s dessert bags, and a small chuckle escaped him.

“I think we can head out in a little while.”

“Okay, oof.”

Sitting briefly to rest and drink his mango smoothie, he felt the alcohol start to wear off.

Upon leaving the dessert cafe, a familiar car was parked in front of the shop. Kang Hae-il naturally opened the back door and looked at Dohwa.

“Get in.”

Dohwa entered the car in a daze, and Kang Hae-il immediately followed, sitting beside him and closing the door.

A driver he hadn’t seen before was in the driver’s seat; it seemed Kang Hae-il had called a designated driver.

“Since both of us have been drinking, I called a driver.”

Indeed, if they took a taxi, the car would be left here. Dohwa’s eyes followed as Kang Hae-il took the shopping bag from his lap and placed it elsewhere.

“Where would you like to go?”

“……Me?”

He belatedly realized the car hadn’t started, and panicked as both the driver and Kang Hae-il looked at him.

‘They said I was free to go home after today’s schedule.’

A wave of annoyance washed over him at the thought of stopping at his accommodation to organize his luggage and take it with him. Besides, moving his luggage was his choice, and all the cameras were installed, so no one would steal anything.

“Kang Hae-il, don’t you need to stop at your accommodation?”

“It’s fine if I don’t. Do whatever is convenient for you, Dohwa.”

“Are you really sure you don’t need to stop?”

After several confirmations, Dohwa finally decided to go home and cautiously spoke.

“I’m sorry, I… you can drop me off at Sinsa Station.”

He had almost blurted out his home address but named a station instead.

‘I’ll get off there and take a taxi home,’ he thought.

As the car began to move, a palpable silence settled, with no one speaking first. In the darkened back seat, without the interior lights on, he simply sat beside Kang Hae-il, both looking straight ahead.

With a stranger present, Dohwa’s lips naturally remained sealed.

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