Chapter 18: The Unexpected Overnight Request

Yoonwoo gazed at the iced mocha placed before him. The towering mound of whipped cream, piled high in layers, rose even higher than the glass cup itself.

He then cast a quick glance at Yeon-chae, who sat across from him in a posture befitting a model. With downcast eyes, Yeon-chae elegantly sipped a warm americano on this sweltering day.

“Is something wrong, hyung? Don’t you like it?”

Yeon-chae asked, his tone implying such a thing was impossible. The coffee he had bought for Yoonwoo, without even asking his preference, was perfectly to his taste. Yoonwoo took a generous spoonful of whipped cream with his teaspoon, licked it, and shook his head.

“No, it’s delicious. Incredibly so.”

“Right?”

Yeon-chae replied, a look of satisfaction on his face.

Ever since Yeon-chae had come to Tongyeong, Yoonwoo felt as though he was constantly being drawn into his orbit. While he had a vague sense of this before, it had become far more pronounced in the past few days. This very iced mocha was a prime example.

Just ten minutes ago, Yoonwoo had explicitly said they should leave now, as they might miss their ferry. Yeon-chae, however, merely crinkled his eyes into a warm smile.

‘Hyung, they say the coffee here with homemade whipped cream is incredibly delicious. Like a mocha latte.’

‘A mocha latte?’

Yoonwoo had already chugged a caramel macchiato. Yet, the allure of homemade whipped cream proved too strong to resist. The weather outside was scorching, and he felt an insatiable need for more sugar, no matter how much he consumed.

‘…Should I?’

He had only closed and opened his eyes, yet a mocha coffee generously topped with whipped cream now sat on the table. It was even an iced drink, something he hadn’t even ordered. ‘When did I become such an easy person to read?’

Yoonwoo searched his memory, but nothing specific came to mind. Feeling vaguely unsettled, he took small sips of the iced mocha. The sweet mocha latte, blended with cream, melted delightfully in his mouth.

Yoonwoo glanced again at the clock displayed on his phone. Only about an hour remained until the last ferry departure. It seemed they would need to hurry down to avoid missing it.

“Yeon-chae, we should…”

“Hyung.”

‘Let’s get up now.’ Though he regretted leaving the remaining whipped cream, Yoonwoo was about to say just that. The island’s ferry service stopped surprisingly early. Missing the boat would mean being stranded here for the night.

He had brought no luggage, and leaving his twin siblings alone at home without their parents also weighed heavily on his mind.

However, Yeon-chae spoke first. The light brown of his eyes, fixed on Yoonwoo, was strikingly clear.

“Can’t we stay here for the night?”

“…Yeon-chae.”

Yoonwoo also opened his mouth, intending to refuse. Many things weighed on his mind: no luggage, no parents at home, and his younger siblings…

Yet, his words caught in his throat, and no sound emerged.

Yeon-chae still kept his eyes lowered. The tips of his ears were flushed a rosy red. Sunlight, streaming through the window, touched his long, dark eyelashes.

The shadow of his lashes trembled delicately on his pale cheek. The tips of his long fingers, toying with the americano mug, did the same.

Fine white dust motes drifted through the air. The hushed whispers from surrounding tables felt distant, like auditory hallucinations. It was a tranquil moment, as if only Yeon-chae and Yoonwoo existed in the world.

And so, Yoonwoo wished to prolong this moment just a little longer.

“Alright.”

Yeon-chae lifted his gaze. His breath, exhaled from such a close distance, tickled Yoonwoo’s neck.

“Let’s do it, just for tonight.”

Yeon-chae’s eyes widened, then slowly blinked.

“Really?”

Yeon-chae’s unfocused pupils and blank expression were undeniably cute. A peculiar ache and tickle stirred within Yoonwoo’s chest. It felt as though dormant butterflies had awakened, fluttering their wings and taking flight all at once.

Yoonwoo struggled to keep his lips from curving into a smile, speaking as casually as he could.

“Yeah. I said let’s do it.”

Though he had often visited Tongyeong, this was his first time venturing out to the island. For Yoonwoo, it was a rare outing. So, perhaps, staying one night wouldn’t be so bad? He found himself naturally rationalizing the decision.

Yeon-chae, however, still wore a skeptical expression.

“What’s gotten into you…?”

“What, so you don’t want to stay now?”

“No, when did I say that? Don’t go changing your words.”

Yeon-chae practically jumped in his seat. His cheeks flushed crimson in an instant, and his expression shifted through a colorful array of exasperated huffs. Yoonwoo chuckled inadvertently.

Following the sound of his laughter, Yeon-chae’s eyes slowly curved into a smile as well.

“Let’s stay here for the night.”

He reiterated, as if making a firm promise. Their gazes met and held for a moment.

Finally, a subtle expression began to seep into Yeon-chae’s previously rigid eyes and tightly sealed lips. A smile spread across his face, much like a drop of paint instantly infusing transparent liquid with color. Yeon-chae offered no verbal reply. He simply smiled radiantly, his long eyes crinkling.

He was so dazzling, Yoonwoo couldn’t tear his gaze away.

Yoonwoo liked it when Yeon-chae smiled. Knowing he would like it, Yoonwoo pretended to give in. Just as he had indulged Yeon-chae countless times before, he would continue to do so. Yoonwoo vaguely knew that he could never truly be firm with Yeon-chae.

Just then, the phone beside his coffee cup vibrated with a long, insistent buzz. Kangwoo’s name appeared on the screen.

–Oh, hyung, what do I do…? Jinwoo keeps throwing up. His face is burning hot. It’s over 39 degrees right now. And he’s shaking terribly…

“I’ll be there soon, hyung. I’ll send an ambulance, so Kangwoo, stay calm.”

–You can’t come now, hyung? Should I call Big Hyung?

“It’ll be much faster for me to go than for Big Hyung to come from Seoul. It’ll take about three hours, no, two hours. Do you know where Big Hyung keeps his credit card in the master bedroom?”

–Uh, ah, yeah, I know…

“When the ambulance arrives, take that card and Jinwoo to the emergency room. Don’t cry, okay?”

–Uh, yeah, you have to come quickly…

With Kangwoo’s tearful voice as the last sound, the call disconnected. Yeon-chae was already on the phone with 119, explaining Jinwoo’s symptoms. Yoonwoo quickly typed their home address into his phone and showed it to him.

“They said they’ll be here soon. Could it be food poisoning? Please don’t worry too much.”

“Uh… He’ll be fine, right? He’s a big kid.”

“Of course. He’ll recover quickly after just one IV drip.”

“Still, he’s just a baby.”

“Yes, well…”

Yeon-chae’s expression clearly conveyed, ‘What kind of baby is 184cm tall?’ but perhaps due to the urgency, he simply quickened his pace without a retort. The ascent had taken over an hour, but by practically running down, they reached the pier in just over thirty minutes. Fortunately, it was before the last ferry departed.

By the time they arrived at the emergency room, nearly two hours had passed. Amidst the crowded cots of the ER, Yoonwoo easily spotted Kangwoo. His large frame was hunched over, sniffling, making him almost impossible to miss.

Yoonwoo placed a hand on Kangwoo’s shoulder.

“Kangwoo. What did the doctor say?”

“Hyung, HYYUNG!”

Kangwoo sprang to his feet and flung himself into Yoonwoo’s arms. When Yoonwoo managed to extend his arm and pat his back, Kangwoo began to wail uncontrollably. Tears streamed down onto Yoonwoo’s shoulder.

“Hey, am I dead or something?”

A sharp voice emanated from the cot. Jinwoo, his cheeks pale, lay on the makeshift bed, glaring at Kangwoo with an incredulous expression.

“…So, I just ate all the leftover eel. I guess it was spoiled.”

Jinwoo finished his explanation, his face crestfallen. He recounted how he had been studying with Hanse and two others at Hanse’s house, but finding it hard to concentrate, he had returned home alone.

The eel, given to them to share, had been brought back untouched because Hanse didn’t like it. Left outside all day in the hot weather, it seemed to have spoiled severely.

“I see. You must have been scared. And it hurt a lot, didn’t it?”

Yoonwoo took a water-dampened towel and wiped Jinwoo’s cheek as he responded. He had already sent Kangwoo home with Yeon-chae. The big kid had been crying so frantically that there was no other choice.

Yoonwoo had worried Yeon-chae might be uncomfortable, but surprisingly, Yeon-chae gently consoled Kangwoo until he stopped crying. Soon enough, they had become like close brothers, leaving the hospital together. A text message had just arrived, confirming they’d reached home and Yeon-chae had prepared dinner.

[Hyung, hyung, Yeon-chae Hyung is a really good cook.]

[Photo]

A rather appetizing-looking doenjang jjigae and several side dishes had been quickly prepared.

“No. I just threw up a bit and had a fever, but Kangwoo totally overreacted… You didn’t even need to come, hyung.”

“Why wouldn’t I come? Food poisoning hurts a lot.”

“Things like this, you just get one IV drip and the fever goes down, and you’re all better.”

“Even so, when you’re sick, we should be together. All done. Can he be discharged now?”

“Yes, just a moment. I’ll remove the IV drip for you.”

After receiving all the IV drips containing antipyretics and stomach medication, Jinwoo was able to go home. His cheeks were a little pale, but his condition didn’t seem too bad considering how much he’d worried them. Being young certainly had its advantages.

Since the hospital wasn’t far, they decided to walk home. A warm breeze brushed against Yoonwoo’s neck. Jinwoo, walking beside him, kept his head bowed, looking sullen. “Why are you like that?” Yoonwoo asked, and Jinwoo hesitantly parted his lips.

“I’m sorry.”

The words were unexpected. Yoonwoo raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled.

“What are you sorry for?”

“You went out to have fun after a long time, but you came back because of me.”

“I had enough fun. Why would you say that?”

“Still, with that hyung…”

Jinwoo bit his lower lip, slowly choosing his words. Yoonwoo felt a strange tension build, wondering what he was about to say.

“Things were going well, weren’t they? I thought you weren’t coming home tonight, that you’d stay on that island.”

“…”

Teenagers these days were so audacious.

Yoonwoo was momentarily dumbfounded, struggling to decide where to begin his rebuttal. First, ‘You were going to follow me there even if that was the case?’ And second,

“Hey, it’s nothing like that, okay? I told you yesterday it wasn’t.”

“It doesn’t seem like nothing. The way that hyung looks at you.”

“Why do you keep going on about his ‘gaze’? What’s wrong with Yeon-chae’s eyes?”

And third,

“Didn’t you say you didn’t particularly like Yeon-chae?”

“Well, I don’t particularly like him, but it’s not like you listen to me anyway. I’m fine as long as he’s not secretly plotting something or getting you pregnant.”

“Why is pregnancy even coming up here…? Did you forget I’m a Beta?”

Yoonwoo’s mouth fell open at the boundless imagination of teenagers. This was all Seowoo’s fault for setting such a bad example with premarital pregnancy in front of the kids.