Chapter 18: A Morning Surprise and an Evening Confession

Having tossed and turned before finally falling asleep at dawn, Do-ha awoke to a sensation of being pressed down, as if his entire body was sinking into the floor.

‘He had definitely gone to sleep alone, so had someone mistakenly entered his room after a trip to the bathroom again?’

Do-ha attempted to push Hyun-woo, who was sprawled half across him, his heavy body a dead weight. When Hyun-woo didn’t budge, Do-ha subtly twisted his own body.

First, he painstakingly removed the heavy arm wrapped around his waist.

“Where are you going? Sleep more.”

Though he carefully twisted his body to sit up, trying not to wake Hyun-woo, a muffled voice and a re-encircling arm pulled him back. Do-ha, still lying in bed, let out a soft sigh.

“Ugh, you bastard, you reek of alcohol. Move, I need to go to the bathroom.”

As if completely ignoring his plea to go to the bathroom, Hyun-woo stirred, then pulled Do-ha fully into his embrace, burying his head against Do-ha’s shoulder and neck. Do-ha, surrendering to the inevitable, relaxed his body and let Hyun-woo have his way.

This wasn’t a battle he could win with strength. Ever since childhood, on nights they slept together, Hyun-woo would invariably creep into Do-ha’s bed. Usually, though, Hyun-woo seemed to wake up first.

“Hey, are you asleep?”

Do-ha patted Hyun-woo’s arm, who was deliberately feigning sleep with exaggerated breathing, and gazed towards the window where the first hints of dawn were breaking.

It was December.

The sun rose late in this month, and without a wall clock in his room, Do-ha had no way of knowing how much time had passed.

“Have you ever died?”

“If I had died, wouldn’t I not be here?”

“Do you happen to know who Jin is? Or, Do-ha, do you like Tae-jun?”

‘What had he answered last night when Hye-jin asked those questions?’

Hye-jin’s expression, as she abruptly spoke of death then Jin, was more serious than ever before.

“Ah! I’m not Tae-jun’s lover. We’re just very close friends.”

“Friends.”

Do-ha unconsciously mumbled the word, then slowly stroked Hyun-woo’s hair. Hyun-woo was using Do-ha’s arm as a pillow, his face nestled against Do-ha’s chest in sleep.

“Hyun-woo, we’re friends, right?”

A friend who made him comfortable, with whom he could say anything, and with whom there was no shame or embarrassment.

When Hyun-woo suddenly embraced him tightly, Do-ha tried to push him away.

The more he struggled to push him off, the tighter Hyun-woo held on, so Do-ha simply let all the strength drain from his body.

“He’s just an ignorantly strong bastard.”

Even without bringing up the Alpha and Omega designations, their fundamental physiques were so different that it was like a match against someone in a completely different league from the start.

Having needlessly exhausted himself by struggling so early in the morning, Do-ha took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. Was that the steady beat of Hyun-woo’s heart pressed against him? Or his own? Unable to distinguish, Do-ha slowly closed his eyes to the rhythmic thumping.

‘It was comfortable. A late morning.’

Do-ha, lounging comfortably in the warm bed, felt Hyun-woo’s hand wriggle ticklishly on his waist. He then moved his foot, pushing Hyun-woo with all his might.

Normally, this wouldn’t happen, but perhaps Hyun-woo had let his guard down. Do-ha burst into laughter as he watched Hyun-woo tumble off the bed.

“Hey, Seo Do-ha. Even so, you actually pushed me off the bed?”

“Awesome. I won!”

Do-ha, sticking his tongue out at Hyun-woo who was sitting on the floor, grumbling and looking up at him, then got off the bed and headed into the bathroom.

‘So what if the Department Head and the Team Leader are friends? The Team Leader said he wouldn’t date within the company anyway, and more importantly, he had firmly rejected him.’

As the emotions he suppressed daily subtly resurfaced, fluttering with a hint of hope, Do-ha ruthlessly crushed them once more.

Do-ha, who had intended to wash his face with cold water as he’d seen on TV, dipped a finger into the cool stream. Without a word, he then shifted the faucet lever towards the hot water.

****

“When on earth did you make this reservation?”

As Do-ha was guided to a table with a panoramic view of Seoul’s nightscape, he let out a soft whistle and glanced back at Hyun-woo, who was following him.

It was a place he frequented for its delicious food and pleasant ambiance, but he hadn’t been able to visit for months. The head chef had recently appeared on TV, making reservations essential. He had been meaning to book a table.

‘How much would he have regretted it if he had stubbornly sent Hyun-woo away, as he’d initially intended, when he showed up at the office after work?’

“As expected, Ryu Hyun-woo is the best.”

Lately, he had felt endlessly down and subdued, but hearing that Hyun-woo had even ordered his favorite dishes made the corners of Do-ha’s lips curl upward naturally.

He cast a quick glance at Hyun-woo, who sat across from him. Since the food hadn’t arrived yet, Do-ha rested his arms on the table, propped his chin, and looked down at the night view. The swiftly moving headlights of cars below shimmered beautifully.

“Anything new lately?”

“Nothing much. My lucky charm disappeared, and it’s been pure darkness ever since.”

As he hummed a tune and gazed outside, raindrops began to accumulate on the windowpane, one by one. The smile on his lips slowly faded.

‘It’s winter; it should be snowing. What’s with this rain?’

The city lights, which had shimmered in yellows and reds, now blurred and diffused into a hazy glow by the rainwater. Losing interest, Do-ha met Hyun-woo’s gaze.

“What? Am I so handsome you have to stare like that?”

As always, Do-ha tossed out a frivolous remark. Noticing the waiter approaching with the appetizer, he lowered his arms from the table.

“Seo Do-ha.”

Normally, a lighthearted joke would have followed with a smile. But even when Hyun-woo spoke his name in a serious tone, Do-ha paid no mind, focusing instead on the appetizer placed before him.

Do-ha placed the bite-sized pastry, so beautifully decorated it seemed a shame to eat, into his mouth. He closed his eyes, savoring its sweet and tender sensation.

“Mmm, as expected… Is the main course fish? Or meat? Oh, and what about wine?”

Since Hyun-woo hadn’t said anything about the menu, Do-ha slowly opened his eyes after finishing the pastry in his mouth.

“Will you go out with me?”

Unable to comprehend what he had just heard, Do-ha instinctively leaned back slightly and adjusted his posture. Hyun-woo’s gaze, intense and piercing, was unlike his usual self.

“I asked if the main course was fish or meat.”

“Yes. And now I’m asking if you’ll go out with me.”

Do-ha took a small sip of the water placed before him.

‘What kind of nonsense is this, on a rainy night, in a fancy restaurant, with fantastic food that’s always a delight?’

Finishing his thought, Do-ha slowly surveyed his surroundings. It was a weekday evening. Most of the people in the restaurant appeared to be couples rather than families.

Delicious food and a pleasant atmosphere.

Hyun-woo, whom he had always considered the same, now seemed different. Unlike Do-ha, who worked as an intern, Hyun-woo’s life plan was set: after graduating college, he would pursue a master’s, then a doctorate, all to inherit the family business.

Befitting his student status, he usually favored jeans and casual clothes. Yet, seeing him now in a subtly striped suit, he looked entirely new.

The easygoing friend who listened to everything he said, who bantered and occasionally shared crude jokes, was not present at this table.

“My apologies. Let’s just pretend we had a good dinner.”

“Let’s eat.”

The air, which had felt so fragile as if everything might shatter with the slightest movement, instantly softened back to its usual state.

“It’s your favorite veal steak. I ordered it medium-rare. I was going to prepare red wine, but I thought you might want champagne instead. Choose your own drink.”

“Ryu Hyun-woo.”

Do-ha felt sweat gathering in his palms, so he rubbed them on the napkin resting on his lap. He couldn’t think of what to say.

“The soup is a simple potato and mushroom. Oh, and this Christmas, we’re preparing a party just like always.”

He felt as if he was being devoured. The moment their eyes met, a terrifying sensation, as if being dragged into a dark abyss, had trickled down his spine.

Yet, as Hyun-woo ate the pastry before him, there was no trace of that feeling from moments ago. The usual gentle and affectionate Hyun-woo was sitting there.

“You just asked me if…”

“If you’d go out with me.”

Unlike Do-ha, who hesitated as he spoke, Hyun-woo’s voice, completing Do-ha’s sentence, was utterly normal.

“So, I…”

“Just pretend you didn’t hear it. And I’ll pretend I didn’t say it. If you need more time, I can wait as long as it takes.”

“But it’s already been said and heard. How can we do that?”

Do-ha’s chest tightened with frustration. While he had only wet his lips before, this time he gulped down all the water in his glass.

“Seo Do-ha, then what do you want me to do? As you said, I can’t take back words already spoken.”

Do-ha, finding the situation utterly awkward, spotted a waiter approaching with new dishes and turned his gaze towards the window.

The waiter’s arrival loosened the taut tension that had felt ready to snap at any moment.

The few raindrops that had been falling now continuously soaked the window, carving paths as they streamed down. Was this how it felt? Tae-jun must have felt this way when Do-ha confessed to him out of the blue.

How had he reacted? He had shown no agitation, calmly and coldly delivering his refusal. Do-ha had replayed that moment countless times, deeming him heartless, but now he realized Tae-jun had handled it in the most rational way.

“No.”

Once the waiter had moved away, Do-ha stated firmly.

“What do you mean?”

“I said no. I have no intention of dating you.”

The tension, which had slightly eased, now seemed to tighten once more. An unsettling aura emanated from Hyun-woo, who had propped his arms on the table and buried his face in his large hands.

“No, I mean…”

Having said it, Do-ha felt he might have hurt Hyun-woo, so he quickly continued.

“I was wrong, Seo Do-ha.”

It was Hyun-woo’s soft voice, laced with a long sigh, that broke the atmosphere, which had felt as sharp as a drawn blade.

“How could I ever win against you? Our Do-ha should always get what he wants. I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry for everything, so let’s just eat. Nothing will change, and we’ll remain friends. Now, do you have anything to say?”

As Hyun-woo’s hands dropped from his face, revealing a faint smile, Do-ha straightened his posture, which he had inadvertently distanced.

“The veal steak is medium-rare, right?”

Knowing better than anyone the awkwardness that followed a rejected confession, Do-ha offered a bright smile back at the faintly smiling Hyun-woo.

Nearly twenty years of friendship wasn’t something that could be easily altered. And besides, the veal steak here was tear-inducingly delicious.