Chapter 11: The Uninvited Guest and a Shopping Spree

It wasn’t meant to be a meaningful gesture. His expression seemed utterly nonchalant, and Jung-hyun’s leg, having wedged itself between them, was an unwelcome intruder where Yoon Tae-yeol’s own thigh would naturally have rested.

“……”

Consequently, Jung-hyun alone felt a strange unease. When he had first sprawled out, it had been nothing more than a childish prank, but now, acutely aware of it, the warmth radiating from their touching skin bothered him.

‘I always get burned when I tease him.’

‘I really haven’t made any progress, have I?’

Just as he was about to sit up, hoping to avoid further awkwardness, a low voice spoke first.

“Is that kind of thing entertaining?”

“Huh?”

Yoon Tae-yeol’s gaze remained fixed on the television. Realizing he was referring to the TV program, Jung-hyun looked at the same spot and replied.

“It’s on, so I’m just watching it.”

“They say there are people who like it. So, aren’t you watching it quite intently?”

He had certainly said that. Jung-hyun, having failed to act cool, reluctantly revealed a bit of his true feelings.

“It’s exciting to see who ends up with whom.”

“They’re strangers you’ve never even met.”

“That’s not what’s important. Watching them flirt makes my heart flutter, and it’s a subtle form of vicarious satisfaction.”

“……”

“You think I’m pathetic, don’t you?”

“……I can’t say no.”

“Just say no in times like these, seriously. Didn’t you hear your sister say not to be unnecessarily honest?”

He nudged Yoon Tae-yeol’s waist with the sole of his foot as if to punish him, but the man’s solid body didn’t budge. *Sigh*, I’d rather die than suffer this.

Even with an expression that still showed he didn’t understand, Yoon Tae-yeol didn’t change the channel. Thanks to this, Jung-hyun was able to thoroughly enjoy even the preview for the next episode, remaining in his sprawled position.

“I’m going to use the bathroom.”

Only then did he get up and shuffle towards the bathroom. He opened the closed door without much thought, then froze.

The interior was conspicuously bare. Aside from the essential fixtures like the shower booth and toilet, the only thing visible was a roll of toilet paper on the holder. Even that, he mused, was probably put there by Yoon Tae-jeong. He peeked into the built-in closet, only to find it equally empty.

‘There’s still so much he needs to buy.’

In that case, it was his duty as a senior to help fill it. Jung-hyun finished his business, returned to the living room, and declared confidently.

“Let’s go grocery shopping at the mart.”

“Suddenly?”

“There’s nothing in your bathroom. Don’t you need shampoo and things like that right away?”

“……”

A look of ‘Oh, right,’ dawned on Yoon Tae-yeol’s face. Seizing the opportunity, Jung-hyun urged him once more, and Yoon Tae-yeol, though looking annoyed, dutifully rose.

***

The large mart on a weekend was bustling with an unimaginable crowd. Yoon Tae-yeol carefully pushed the cart, trying to avoid bumping into people. Jung-hyun, with one hand tucked into his pants pocket, walked beside him, matching his stride. Soon, they arrived at the bath products section.

“Is there anything specific you use?”

“No.”

Jung-hyun had already known the answer. He surveyed the countless shampoo bottles on the shelf before picking one out.

“Want to try this? It’s a cool shampoo, feels incredibly refreshing, like washing your hair with toothpaste.”

At the peculiar analogy, Yoon Tae-yeol let out a small chuckle. Anyone hearing that might think Jung-hyun had actually washed his hair with toothpaste before. Well, if it were the person in front of him, he supposed he’d believe it.

Unaware of Yoon Tae-yeol’s thoughts, Jung-hyun was busily engrossed in his task. He pulled out matching conditioner and body wash products and placed them into the cart.

Aside from the perpetual crowds, the shopping trip proceeded smoothly enough. They filled the cart with necessities as they came to mind, and then, passing by other items, Jung-hyun would exclaim, ‘Oh, I’ll need this too!’ and toss them in without hesitation. As they rapidly filled the cart, they soon approached the snack aisle. Jung-hyun’s face lit up.

“Let’s go that way.”

He tossed out the words and headed straight there without a moment’s hesitation. As he carefully scrutinized the options, Yoon Tae-yeol, who had followed at a leisurely pace, uttered something that spoiled the mood.

“We don’t need snacks.”

Jung-hyun snorted at that. “Don’t I know you? Stop acting so serious and just grab whatever you want to eat.”

Even back in school, whenever Jung-hyun bought snacks at the convenience store, Yoon Tae-yeol would just stand idly by or scold him for buying so much. Yet, once a bag of chips was opened, he would invariably grab handfuls with his large hand, and at an astonishing speed.

Once, they had even fought over it and didn’t speak to each other for over three days. How did they make up after that, he wondered…?

“Excuse me, Mister.”

A young voice abruptly broke his reverie. Jung-hyun turned his head to see two children, who looked to be elementary school age, standing side by side.

“Excuse me, could you please get us the Rabbit Chips over there? We can’t reach them.”

Jung-hyun, who had suddenly become a ‘Mister,’ heard a snicker. The culprit was Yoon Tae-yeol.

“Laugh to yourself, to yourself.”

‘No, is this really something to laugh about? If I’m almost thirty, then ‘Mister’ is probably right.’

Muttering to himself, Jung-hyun immediately found the snacks the children wanted and handed them down.

“Are these them?”

“Yes! Thank you!”

“Thank you.”

Jung-hyun smiled warmly at their polite bows. Soon, he faintly heard the children’s voices as they turned and walked away.

“The tall mister next to him is really handsome.”

Jung-hyun’s lips twitched upward.

“Did you hear that? They called you ‘Mister’ too.”

“Yes. They also said I’m really handsome.”

“Not that, you idiot. ‘Mister’.”

“Yes. A handsome, tall mister.”

“……”

‘Argh, my fists are clenching.’

“Let’s go.”

Yoon Tae-yeol added one more annoying remark before taking the lead this time.

Still, Jung-hyun held the reins of the shopping trip. As he pushed the cart forward, ramen, instant meals, discounted packs of canned beer, and various dried snacks steadily piled up in the cart. He had clearly come out to buy necessities, but upon inspection, groceries accounted for ninety percent of the contents.

At this point, the bathroom supplies seemed like a mere excuse. Even as Yoon Tae-yeol cast him a dubious look, the shopping continued unabated. After more than an hour, they finally exited the mart, laden with goods that threatened to burst from their bags.

With such an abundance of food, his heart felt utterly content. Jung-hyun secretly intended to stay for dinner, but a phone call on the way home, unfortunately, thwarted his plans.

“Alright. I’ll be right there.”

The car soon pulled into the officetel parking lot. As he slowly circled, searching for a parking spot, Jung-hyun spoke.

“Want to come with me?”

“Where to?”

“I have a street basketball club every Saturday. They had a big feast last week, and now they’re making a fuss, telling me to come quickly and not ditch them.”

“I’ll pass.”

“Are you worried it’ll be awkward? You don’t need to worry about that. They’re all really funny and entertaining people.”

His lips naturally curved into a smile for what he was about to say next.

“And crucially… their skills are practically tear-jerking. If you and I team up, we could probably take them for all they’re worth.”

Yoon Tae-yeol chuckled at the playful remark. However, he wasn’t particularly swayed. While he still enjoyed basketball, he preferred to forgo the joy of the game rather than socialize with complete strangers. Besides, it seemed like they had quite a grand after-party following their matches.

Fortunately, he had a plausible excuse.

“I need to go unpack. I saw you put some meal kits in the cart earlier.”

“That’s right. I forgot about the groceries.”

At the mention that all their hard-bought items had nearly gone to waste, Yoon Tae-yeol suddenly brought up another thought.

“But are you really going to play outside in this weather?”

“Of course not. We rent out an indoor gym long-term, and the air conditioning is blasting. I’d die playing outdoors.”

Jung-hyun had brought up basketball so confidently that Yoon Tae-yeol had wondered if his constitution had changed since they last met. But seeing his look of disgust, Yoon Tae-yeol thought, ‘Figures,’ and chuckled. Indeed. If it were that easy to change, he wouldn’t have been melting like a soft rice cake by early summer all by himself.

Yoon Tae-yeol then opened the car door and got out, retrieving the bags from the back seat. Jung-hyun, with the good sense to roll down the passenger window, waved him off.

“You worked hard moving. Get some good rest, and I’ll see you Monday.”

“Yes. Thank you for your help today.”

“Alright, alright. I’m off then.”

After a playful wave, Jung-hyun started the car again. Yoon Tae-yeol watched the car’s taillights disappear without a trace of regret for a moment, then turned and headed for the elevator. A moment later, a laugh, almost a snort, escaped him.

‘He bought so much.’

It was understandable, given how enthusiastically he had swept up various items. His hands were heavy because of it, but since Jung-hyun had paid, he had no complaints. Only one thing was unexpected: Jung-hyun leaving so quickly. He had thought he would lounge around and even stay for dinner.

As if reading his thoughts, a text message arrived from Jung-hyun.

[That budae jjigae I bought, next week, together?]

Seeing the text, which seemed to carry Jung-hyun’s voice, a memory surfaced. He had been gleefully pulling something out of the large refrigerator at the mart. Was that it?

[Yes]

He sent a short reply and stepped into the elevator. His face in the mirror was expressionless, as if his lips had never curled into a slight smile.