Chapter 28: I Want to Be Your Human Jujube Tree

After finally voicing his rejection, there was no response from him. Kyunghun kept talking nonstop.

“You’re just not my type. I’ve never thought about it, and imagining it is unpleasant. That doesn’t mean I dislike you, but my preference isn’t you.”

It looked like MachoKing would leave Odin before even settling scores. Kyunghun sighed heavily, realizing it might soon be time to return the account to Jongwoon. But right now, his priority wasn’t MachoKing. It was calming down the silent boy after his refusal.

“You’re a good guy. Loyal, manly, someone I consider like a younger brother.”

Each word came with a slow, heavy sigh. Still, he felt it necessary to say it—for the boy’s sake. Kyunghun carefully opened his mouth again.

“I’m just saying, I’m not into you.”

But at the same time, a heavy unease crept in. Saying what he needed to say was relieving, but the longer the boy remained silent, the more a sense of something being wrong began creeping up from his toes.

“I’ll always support you, though.”

Kyunghun lifted the phone from his ear, planning to move closer to the heater.

He decided to use poor reception as an excuse to hang up.

Then it happened.

[Hey.]

Something about the tone was off. The rough voice coming from that pretty face created an odd contrast. Kyunghun stopped in his tracks, wearing a reluctant expression.

“…You just move straight to casual speech after being rejected?”

[Are you saying that to me?]

The heater in Team 7’s workspace roared loudly. Kyunghun’s face twisted with all sorts of expressions, unable to approach it.

Finally, he managed to speak.

“…Hey, half the world is male.”

[So what if half the world is male? Am I supposed to sleep with all of them? Then I’d be dead.]

“The other half of the world is female, though…”

At that, the boy’s breathing, rougher than before, began pressing on Kyunghun’s throat.

[…I’m gay. Are you saying that to a gay person right now?]

“Kyunghun… I… I’m sorry.”

But the person rejected seemed focused on another point entirely, an unnecessary one.

[Disgusted? You’re disgusted? Have you ever… done anything with a man? Held hands or something?]

Hearing something he’d never imagined made Kyunghun jump from his seat.

“You crazy! I’ve never! I’m into women!”

The younger boy’s drunkenly forward declaration made Kyunghun’s heart race violently. Thinking he might fall backward in frustration, Kyunghun hastily dragged a chair closer to sit.

But Seo-Hyeon shivered in anger at Kyunghun’s response, as if burned.

[I love it. Got it? You’re not mine!]

“What’s good about it! Where are you? Go to the bathroom, now!”

What kind of person is this? Kyunghun’s eyes reddened at the absurd confession.

“…You little brat, are you serious? I’ve been protecting you like a younger brother!”

[Oh, now you talk like a younger brother.]

“What?”

A laugh, dripping with contempt, floated from the other end.

[Honestly, did you ever see me as a younger brother? You just played with my equipment, made excuses like being busy with work, and avoided me.]

“……”

[I thought I could trick you by changing my nickname, just solo play, maybe keep a piece of gear or two…]

“…That’s a leap.”

[Such nonsense. You just wanted to keep your distance and play solo. I can tell what’s in that head of yours.]

“……”

[But, I can understand everything.]

“……”

After a long pause, unexpectedly, he asked Kyunghun to start a poem—a type of pun or wordplay called “un” (a three-line acrostic).

“What poem? What do you mean?”

Kyunghun, still exhausted from overtime, was bewildered at the drunken younger boy’s confession. But Seo-Hyeon began.

[Sa.]

“……”

[My beloved brother.]

Kyunghun’s eyes widened in shock.

“Now, what are you doing?”

His left hand went unconsciously to his mouth. His heart pounded fiercely. The three-line acrostic was scarier than the earlier confession.

[Lang.]

“Stop it!”

[…Lang…]

“This, you can’t even speak properly! Where are you now!”

[…Romantic, oh wait. Ugh.]

“Unbelievable, you brat!”

The boy quickly muffled his mouth and ran somewhere, leaving a loud thump as he presumably tossed the phone. In the distance, his voice yelled, “Don’t hang up, brother!”

It was the perfect moment for Kyunghun to cut the call. His chest heaved violently, but he soon checked his vibrating phone again.

He had a feeling he shouldn’t have answered.

And his intuition was usually right.

**

Kyunghun had two phones: one for work and one for personal use.

Just under five hours after Seo-Hyeon’s shocking confession, Kyunghun accidentally turned on his personal phone while still half-asleep in the office. He immediately noticed messages from Seo-Hyeon.

Kyunghun hovered his finger over the familiar ID. He hesitated.

“…Should I block him?”

He cautiously considered it but clicked the chat when a new message arrived.

“…I’m sorry, brother. …Why did I do something so wrong.”

Another message popped up:

“I’m sorry… brother. Ah, that brat must have been drunk and acting up.”

More messages kept arriving. Reading them, Kyunghun’s voice grew clearer and more confident as Seo-Hyeon, now sober, reflected on his mistakes and sought to make amends.

Going through the chat, Kyunghun saw Seo-Hyeon’s first long message:

[Seo-Hyeon.: I’m sorry, brother. I confessed so terribly that I probably made you feel awful.]

Reading the first line, Kyunghun’s face darkened.

Was this… really an apology?

But he ignored the doubt for now and continued reading:

[Seo-Hyeon.: I also wanted to bite my tongue for confessing so disgustingly to you.

I must have seemed like a total jerk to you, I’m so embarrassed and ashamed.

But brother, do you think I, who likes you, would be okay? Huh?

I never regretted my sexuality, but liking someone like you, Macho… I never imagined.

Ever since I met you and liked you, I’ve regretted becoming gay with every breath.]

“…Where did the periods go?”

The eight lines reflected Seo-Hyeon’s inner turmoil and conflict over liking Kyunghun.

Then, strangely, he suddenly rambled about a “love theory”:

[Seo-Hyeon.: But my close friend said love is like lightning.]

Kyung-hun felt struck by lightning just reading it, and continued:

[Seo-Hyeon.: My late grandmother said… in Buddhism, a jujube tree struck by lightning is sacred.

If it’s okay with you, brother…

I want to be your jujube tree. Your human totem.]

Unable to read further, he exited the chat.