SMNTCERR, Chapter 86: #4. 

   “Why did you put that on?”

   “It’s a famous character that impresses people.”

   “Hmm… Delete.”

   The image on the screen quickly changed with the skillful hands of an expert who created a great impression on Sangwoo, even though it was just a presentation of the major subject. Despite complaining, the delicacy in making adjustments without missing any flaws, the cleverness in solving complex problems with the simplest methods, and the expertise in easily controlling all components, even though it seemed haphazard, all of these were parts that made Jaeyoung look fascinating.

   Sangwoo’s gaze shifted from the hands that controlled the keyboard and mouse skillfully to the handsome, smiling face on the side. The things he used to dislike at first, like the red t-shirt, the slouched posture, the golden earrings, the tattoo on his arm, and the slightly trembling knees, now didn’t bother him anymore because they were all part of Jang Jaeyoung. He no longer felt a dislike towards them. Suddenly, Sangwoo felt a strong, overwhelming sensation welling up from the depths of his heart.

   ‘Have I ever met someone as wonderful as you?’

   Psychopath, cancer, garbage, mental illness, laziness, uncontrollable anger, deceitfulness, two-faced, ticking time bomb. Sangwoo recalled the names he had given the other party, far removed from the word ‘worthless’ and a person who possessed characteristics that Sangwoo disliked. But all of a sudden, Sangwoo realized that he no longer cared about those things. The wave of emotions overwhelmed everything that had come before. He had once felt that those qualities were flaws in Jaeyoung and conquered Sangwoo. In the midst of the cocktail of happiness and sadness in a 5:1 ratio, spinning violently…

   “Wow… applying color filters, outlines, and shadows. I really went all out…”

   “I like you, hyung.”

   …Sangwoo cried out, his words didn’t want to be in this metaphorical prison and overflowed out.

   The sound of the mouse clicking stopped, and Jaeyoung’s hand, which had been moving restlessly, also stopped. Then Sangwoo realized that he had said something inappropriate.

   ‘What did I say?’ 

   Sangwoo’s pale brain pondered if he had gotten too excited after finishing the beta test file. His brain was slightly abnormal, his thoughts expanded uncontrollably like when he was drunk, and he blurted out without any filtering or intention.

   ‘Do I… like humans?’

   And on top of that, do I like a human in a romantic way? And the other party is a man? And it’s Jang Jaeyoung? The other party was someone who couldn’t possibly become a lover from the beginning. That was a meaningless and illogical thing.

   Sangwoo raised his head before his gaze met Jaeyoung. He didn’t know when the other party had turned towards him, but he was wearing the most adorable expression he had ever seen.

   “I didn’t hear you clearly, say it again.”

   “I didn’t say anything.”

   “Speak, tell me that you like me.”

   “What do you mean you didn’t hear clearly?”

   Jaeyoung closed his mouth, which was previously wide open, and flashed a sarcastic smile.

   “Come on, speak up again.”

   Sangwoo was stunned, unable to speak, and lowered his gaze. He was already feeling awful. It was truly ironic that the other party was acting like they had encountered something amusing. Sangwoo stood up and walked back to open the door before running out without even having time to grab his bag. He ran as fast as he could, thinking that Jaeyoung would follow soon.

   “Hey! Stop right there!”

   Sangwoo ran as though he was being chased by a dangerous knife-bearing Jaeyoung. He swiftly went down the stairs and ran with all his strength to avoid being caught up. However, Jaeyoung refused to give up and continued to chase.

   ‘I won’t get caught.’ 

   Sangwoo couldn’t think of what the problem was or how to fix it. He was only certain that he didn’t want to be caught by Jang Jaeyoung. He was scared of what the other party would mock him with and what he would do.

   He arrived in front of the Faculty of Engineering without realizing it, and hurriedly stumbled with fear that his speed would decrease. He lowered his head, passed through shrubs, squeezed between two statues, passed through a narrow passage lined with stones, and passed the Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences in that order. He thought it would be safe to run this far.

   Then, there was a loud shout from behind.

   “Hey, haven’t you had enough running yet?”

   Sangwoo sprinted once again, and the sound eventually faded away and could no longer be heard. Jaeyoung yelled angrily not to make a scene. He also said it was because of Sangwoo that the other party was able to endure for less than a week even though he had promised not to say anything again. At that moment, Sangwoo found a hiding spot in one corner of the football field.

   “Where did you go? Shouldn’t we talk it out?”

   “…”

   “Damn it, this kid keeps running away… Hey, I’ve been chasing after you halfway around the world, you know.”

   “I have nothing to say, just go away!”

   Sangwoo’s response ended. Jaeyoung immediately ran towards him. Sangwoo took advantage of the rectangular shape of the soccer field and hid on the other side, seeing Jaeyoung standing on the other side of the green net.

   “Just go already. Even if you run for another hundred days, I won’t let you catch me.”

   No matter what Jaeyoung did, he couldn’t catch Sangwoo unless he destroyed the soccer field. So both of them wasted their energy running around the soccer field for three rounds.

   “This is so frustrating, damnit.”

   Jaeyoung leaned against the net and collapsed as if he couldn’t take it anymore. Sangwoo himself also breathed heavily, but fearing that the other side would suddenly rush in, he chose not to sit and stood there adjusting his breathing. They let their heavy breathing dissipate without speaking a word.

   Meanwhile, Jaeyoung sat up.

   “I’ve never met someone as strange as you before.”

   Sangwoo worried that the other side would rush in to find him, so he never took his eyes off the shadow of that person. But Jaeyoung remained calm and sat there, they talked to each other with the soccer field separating them.

   “Come over here first, I have something to say to you, but I don’t want to say it in this situation. Actually, I don’t want to do this either, but I can’t help it.”

   “…I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

   Sangwoo mumbled as if talking to himself before taking a deep breath and then speaking out loud.

   “What I said in the office, I misspoke.”

   “I don’t think so.”

   Jaeyoung responded casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal. This nonchalant attitude annoyed Sangwoo for real.

   “I said it wasn’t, didn’t I?”

   “Oh, today is not it.”

   “I didn’t talk about the day, but I meant the wrong things I said.”

   “If you want time, just tell me clearly how much time you need. I’ve been waiting all along until now, and it’s not a big deal to wait further.”

   Today the questioning was more intense than usual. Sangwoo rubbed his temples, took a deep breath and his heart continued to beat rapidly, but it wasn’t because of physical exhaustion. Once he caught his breath and balanced his breathing, he returned to a state of readiness to move once again.

   “I’m leaving. You don’t have to follow me. If you do, I won’t see you again.”

   “…”

   He shouted like that and ran to the library, not hearing any more sounds behind him.

   After that, Sangwoo couldn’t remember what happened very well. He pedaled his bike in familiarity until he reached home without realizing it, then rushed up the stairs like a storm and poured water down his throat as if furious.

   Sangwoo quickly took off his sweaty clothes and put them in the laundry machine before jumping into a cold shower. After changing into clean clothes, his heart still raced. It was now 19:12. Even though he hadn’t eaten dinner, he didn’t feel hungry at all. Sangwoo didn’t know what it was that made him look around in confusion before slowly sitting down in a chair, resting his forehead on trembling hands and immediately falling asleep.

   ‘I like you, hyung.’ 

   If it were, ‘I need you’, it could be said like that. He didn’t want to believe that he said it like that. It wasn’t a demand. It wasn’t an evaluation. It was an useless and ambiguous statement, his feelings were truly strange, irritating, and sad.

   ‘So, do I like a human?’ 

   It was a phenomenon that means one could be so special that nothing could replace them. It was a dangerous feeling that left the country’s leaders in despair and even the smartest person became foolish. Sangwoo knew that liking someone was a dangerous misunderstanding. There were many doctors who could treat sex addiction, but there was no record of heartache in the medical dictionary. 

   Did he really say that? Normally, Sangwoo does not lie, but this time his consciousness was not quite with himself, so he kept speaking without pause. Sangwoo held his head, which was throbbing, with both hands and tried to analyze his actions in the past. 

   [5/29, Jang Jaeyoung’s house. 

   5/28, Bar in Yeonseokdong. 

   5/25, Han River, Jang Jaeyoung’s car. 

   5/24, Home. 

   5/22, Home. 

   5/19, Department store…] 

   Looking at it from a neutral perspective in the third person, his actions can mostly be explained by a strong sexual desire. However, it is clear that there are some parts that are not. For example, on Wednesday, May 29th, after waking up at Jaeyoung’s house, Sangwoo had the opportunity for intimacy but he did not act on it.

   That day became a strange and pleasant memory despite not releasing any sexual desires or doing much. Sangwoo simply ate the meal prepared by Jaeyoung, had meaningless conversations, and then left the movie playing while napping together. Sangwoo felt disappointed when he thought about how warm the pea soup was, how much he wanted to steal Jaeyoung’s picture, and how exciting the image on the other side of sleep made his heart race.

   “I have lost.”

   Sangwoo clenched his fist and let it fall heavily onto the table, thump. The more he thought about the time they spent together, the more his confidence decreased, beyond his sexual organ. There were many other noticeable points that went beyond their physical relationship.

   The crease on the nose when the other side sneezed, the neatness of his hand holding the mouse, the sculpted muscles on his back when he stretched lazily, the corners of his eyes when he smiled mischievously, the alignment of his teeth, how his hair reflected and shimmered in the sunlight.

   How good did he feel when he heard the low-pitched voice calling his name, how often he laughed because of constant teasing, and at the same time, how fast his heart raced because of the sincere words spoken by the other side. When he thought about the arm that was tightly wrapped around his shoulder and the soft touch on his forehead. Sangwoo could feel the sense of defeat.

   He remembers how funny it was during junior high when he found out that his older sister liked a male classmate. His sister talked about that guy all day and made a disgusted face. When he teased her saying she was strange and silly, he was slapped several times. At that time, his sister made a fuss and asked their mother to buy her new clothes, and then her classes ended and she came home late. She even said she would go find that male student on the weekend and be Sangwoo, who laughed and teased her, without consciousness.

   But Sangwoo did even more than that. He dressed in clothes that Jaeyoung liked and went out to drink expensive alcohol at a liquor store in the lively area to demand attention from the other side. He even secretly investigated

   Jaeyoung’s past and even kissed him while he was asleep. If it was about Jaeyoung, he was ready to destroy the planned life and spent the whole day thinking about the other side.

   It’s not that his sexual preference was for handsome young men with tall figures and brown eyes. It’s not that he didn’t like guys who had poor appearances compared to Jaeyoung, but it’s just because those people weren’t Jaeyoung.

   Sangwoo slowly sank onto the table with a feeling of despair, unable to predict the charms and mysteries of Jang Jaeyoung. At first, he came in and disrupted the tranquility of his daily life. Then he woke up to Sangwoo’s sexual desires, making him unable to stand being alone, and in the end, even fought for his heart. Here, there was a foolish person who liked men and couldn’t be together with the handsome hyung again, instead of being a heterosexual in the appropriate age range to get married and have good health.

   “I have lost completely.”

   Until now, if he liked something, Sangwoo just bought it and it was over. However, no matter how much he liked something, he couldn’t possess it, it happened for the first time and was something that would soon be gone. 

   And then Sangwoo had to face his own Semantic Error, which controlled his world. 

   return 0; 

    

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Chapter 85: #3. 

No matter how depressed Sangwoo was, time never paused. It’s the same now. When the time comes, he is pushed into an uncertain future that he can’t avoid. Before, Sangwoo never feared the future, but only now, he is not confident about anything. The days and times when he could meet Jaeyoung are decreasing day by day, but even so, he still doesn’t have a suitable plan to cope with it.

The calendar swiftly moved into the month of June, as they gazed at the sky in the distance, where insects were flying around. Although Sangwoo did not have the leisure of admiring the sky, what was even more daunting was that he did not have time to do so. The QA and beta testing would begin from Monday onwards. Therefore, the test files had to be released within this week. Even though major errors had been dealt with, there were still incomplete functions and minor issues remaining.

Sangwoo didn’t even leave his home office and worked diligently at home. He was not pleased with being pressured by deadlines, but he couldn’t complain because it was the result of his own actions.

Throughout the three days, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, apart from class time, Sangwoo stayed cooped up in his room. Jaeyoung brought him food for every meal, with the menu constantly changing, including kimchi fried rice, curry, bulgogi [1] and gyudon [2]. The other party only delivered the food and left immediately. Even though he didn’t say it out loud, Sangwoo waited for the delivery person more than the food itself, as their appearance was a temporary respite in the midst of exhaustion. Just hugging the other person for three minutes made Sangwoo feel like everything was getting better.

On Sunday, at 16:33, Sangwoo uploaded the beta test file that had been tested by himself to the FTP.

Although the unlimited mode, ladder ranking, and special quest functions were canceled, and even though server connection, in-app purchase [3], and performance adjustments for various devices remained, the final results were almost visible. Finally, Chu Sangwoo and Jang Jaeyoung’s project took shape and were ready to be released to the world.

[Created and uploaded beta test file successfully, 16:33.] 

–                  [Jaeyoung, ㅅㅂ♨: You did great, my dev, 16:34.] 

–                  [Jaeyoung, ㅅㅂ♨: With such a good day, we should have a celebration, 16:34.] 

[Come to the office. I have a request. If you agree to listen, I will treat you to dinner, 16:36.] 

–                  [Jaeyoung, ㅅㅂ♨: At the very least, it must be sirloin, 16:36.] 

[I know, 16:37.] 

 

 

Sangwoo took a shower and got ready to go outside. Suddenly, he smiled. He was confident that he didn’t show any emotions on his face, but the face in the mirror reflected a wide smile that other people couldn’t make. Sangwoo put on beige pants, a green t-shirt, and a white hat. He grabbed the wine bottle that Jaeyoung had handed to him fourteen days ago, put it in his backpack, and left the house.

The bicycle glided smoothly on the gray pavement. Sangwoo pedaled along, enjoying the sunlight that streamed down from the low-hanging sun. He was satisfied with the work he had done and was about to meet someone he wanted to see. As the release date of the game drew closer, the designer’s anxiety also increased. However, Sangwoo had no time to feel sad anymore, as time was passing too quickly.

Sangwoo found Jaeyoung at the staircase of the Faculty of Fine Arts. He thought for a moment that a crazy person had come to lock his neck. When he turned to look at the face, Sangwoo immediately smiled broadly.

“Look, your mouth is about to tear.”

Upon hearing that, the muscles on his face relaxed, and Sangwoo laughed like a madman.

“It’s terrible to tease me like this.”

Jaeyoung was somewhat cautious about his posture when in a place where people might see him. However, at that moment, Sangwoo didn’t care about anything. He held the other’s hand and quickly climbed up the stairs. Despite being a Sunday, there weren’t many students at the university.

As soon as they entered the office and turned on the lights, he urged Jaeyoung.

“Check it, will you?”

“I haven’t checked it yet because I just moved it to my phone.”

Open it and see.”

Jaeyoung sat down on a chair and took out his phone from his bag. The other party had only tested it a few times separately. Here, it was the first time

Sangwoo saw the opening in its full glory, complete with accompanying sound. Sangwoo leaned his shoulder on the armrest of the chair Jaeyoung was sitting on and watched the opening together.

The sound of drums resounded along with the gentle voices of the characters, followed by the spooky sound of a xylophone [4]. Then, the names of the game and the male and female characters standing with their backs to each other appeared. Each side held a crowbar and dynamite in their hands, looking for trouble, while Chuchu blew a pink bubblegum that would explode every six seconds. There were radioactive objects emitting green light, and a group of sharp-toothed NPCs flickering their eyes in the midst of a dark farm.

“Isn’t it too loud, right?”

“Wow… it’s worth investing in.”

Jaeyoung pressed the start button and entered the farm, the protagonist ferociously died with the sound of a mid-century AC/DC style riff playing in the background. On the other side, after testing two or three points, Sangwoo raised his hand and Jaeyoung reached out to join their hands as if they had been waiting.

It seems that the laughter control module [5] is about to break… Sangwoo didn’t want to show that he was too happy, but he also couldn’t help it and hugged Jaeyoung to hide his face. Then the other party kissed his neck and gently touched his tail.

“You did great.”

“I told you. That I would turn what you designed into reality.”

“Now you are like Iron Man.”

“Do you mean like a robot again?”

No, I mean much cooler.”

Rewards for effort are always sweet, but he was not familiar with sharing the joy of success with anyone before. Sangwoo felt more than good to share happiness with Jaeyoung. Jaeyoung let go of the hug, grabbed both of Sangwoo’s shoulders, and spoke with an excited voice.

“Alright. Then from tomorrow onwards, you will enter the testing phase, for me, QA, right?”

“Yes. I have sent the scope of the examination, detailed instructions, and checklist via email. And I have also started beta testing after distributing the files to the test group. Once the reviews come back, I will send them to you as well.”

“Okay.”

“Have you made a list of the testers yet?”

Jaeyoung opened the note on his mobile phone and handed it to Sangwoo.

Among the fifty names, the only name Sangwoo knew was Choi Yoona.

“How skilled are they?”

“Most of them are soft users [6], some are gaming addicts.”

“In that case, I will add two more high-level gamers I know.”

“Oh, it’s the file that you sent. You just attached it to my email.”

The work conversation ended at this point. Two weeks from now, Sangwoo intends to focus on studying for exams and spend minimal time on game development. He will also handle the topics of QA and user testing for Jaeyoung.

“What is the matter?”

“Please take a look at the PowerPoint design. Then, I’ll treat you to a meal.” Sangwoo took out a notebook from his backpack. Jaeyoung’s face showed a hint of expectation as he raised his eyebrows. When Sangwoo opened the media presentation of the “Algorithm” project, the other side moved their chair closer.

Take a look, it’s amazing. It’s a whole thirty pages long.”

“Who asked you to do it for free? I told you I’ll treat you to a meal.”

“Okay, and I ask for a kiss for each page.”

“Okay.”

“Once we finish this, let’s go buy beef and have a barbecue at home.”

“I’ll bring wine.”

“Great. And what else do you want to eat?”

Sangwoo hesitated for a moment before pulling Jaeyoung’s t-shirt closer and whispered into his ear.

“Let’s have dinner together and then… Hyung, I want us to do something else we haven’t done in a while.”

“Something else?”

Jaeyoung’s ears reddened instantly. He stood still like a statue and turned to look at Sangwoo. Their eyes seemed a little lustful.

“We can do it now and here if you want.”

“Not here. It’s not appropriate.”

Jaeyoung tried to lean in for a kiss two or three times, but Sangwoo pushed his forehead away.

“Please take a quick look and see if it’s okay or not. I need to get a good score.”

“No matter what, it’ll be done within ten minutes.”

Jaeyoung sighed and pulled himself in front of his notebook, looking confident and assured. But as he opened the slides, his face immediately fell. Despite starting off with a confident stance, as he went through the slides, the other side leaned back in their chair and put on an indifferent expression.

“It’s not going to be done within ten minutes.”

Jaeyoung went to a font download website and downloaded two fonts with a frustrated expression on his face.

Hey, Chu Sangwoo.”

 

 

“Yes.”

“Make a promise to me that you won’t use this font anymore.”

It seemed that Jaeyoung disliked the most common font styles and used them extensively on websites. Sangwoo reluctantly extended a hesitant finger to agree.

Jaeyoung used two different font styles for the headings and content, all in the same direction for each slide, and then returned to the cover page. After that, he frowned as if in pain.

“The background makes the text barely readable.”

“It looks fine to me.”

“That’s your opinion.”

Jaeyoung deleted the enlarged screenshot of the surrounding competition that Sangwoo had used as a background. Then, he pasted a free image of a few checkers on the lower right corner of the white background, adjusted the varied sizes of the black headings to be the same size, removed italics, underlines, and bold from Sangwoo’s name and group members, and arranged them in a row on the left side.

Sangwoo decorated the slides so much because they looked too empty, but now, even though Jaeyoung removed everything that Sangwoo had decorated, the slides still didn’t look completely empty. It was hard to believe, even though it was visible to the eye.

“Jintae is a junior two grades below me. He is handsome, huh.”

“I don’t know.”

“Alright then…no need to talk about it further. No need to look at each other.

And let’s not argue either, understand?”

“I don’t care.”

Jaeyoung smiled as he finished arranging the front page. Sangwoo really liked this new design and didn’t forget to kiss Jaeyoung’s cheek. The other party immediately smiled widely and moved on to the next slide.

“Have you ever thought that the font size is too big?”

“It has to be big enough to see clearly.”

“If it’s too big, then we can’t see anything at all. Plus, it makes people who see it nervous.”

“Really?”

The font size of the heading and the content in the original slide [7] have changed. Sangwoo wondered how much the other party reduced the size in order to see the details, but Jaeyoung adjusted the size a couple of times as if following his instincts. And then he let it be. Jaeyoung erased everything Sangwoo decorated and used lines to divide the topics.

“Hurry up and give me a kiss, so I will be able to continue.”

Once the award was received, Jaeyoung became even more swift. In terms of design, no matter what it was, the other party was the correct answer. Jaeyoung just managed a few clicks, pressed the shortcut buttons a few times comfortably, and everything was improved. Sometimes, he just dragged and dropped continuously, but ended up in the perfect position. Sangwoo was so amazed that his mouth dropped open as he stared at the screen.

‘He’s really like a wizard.’ 

Although he didn’t say it out loud, he admired Jaeyoung in his heart without missing a beat. He sat working next to Jaeyoung for a while and it was true, but the image of the other party solving the work at hand so smoothly and impressively was more outstanding than creating something new from scratch again.

“I was surprised from the bottom of my heart. I’ve never seen a long fiveline heading before.”

What is important and what is not is all in the decision-making of the other party. No matter how good the content is, if it cannot be presented effectively, it loses its value. Just then, Sangwoo realized that he knew this well, but couldn’t apply it for beneficial purposes, while his mind was floating, Jaeyoung blurted out. 

“You don’t pay for the design as agreed, do you?”

“I can pay now.”

“Three pages are stuck.”

Sangwoo has no charm in any aspect. Whether it’s making presentations look good, dressing to impress others, or speaking to make listeners feel good. Meanwhile, Jaeyoung is good at everything, so Sangwoo thinks that the other party might shine like a top-notch toy.

________________________________________.

[1]      Bulgogi, “barbecued meat.” Either grilled meat or stir-fried Korean meat. 

[2]      Gyudon, “Japanese beef rice bowl.” 

[3]      In-app purchase, any purchase within an app. 

[4]      Xylophone, a musical instrument consisting of a set of wooden bars of various lengths and thicknesses arranged in order on a soundboard, then struck with two sticks or hammers to create sound, similar to a marimba. 

[5]      Module, a specific part used to connect to another system, with the module itself designed and controlled internally by that module. 

[6]      Soft user, a user who plays games less or plays superficially. 

[7]      Master slide, the main slide that sets the structure, color, font, background, effects, and almost everything for other slides. When the settings on the master slide change, other slides also change. 

 

   SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Chapter 84: #2. 

   As soon as the appetite was gone, Sangwoo put down the spoon and the plate. Jaeyoung ate a little more and started collecting the dishes, and he heard the sound of the dishes clinking for a while. Jaeyoung returned from the sink and spoke.

   “Go and sleep in the room.”

   “I want to take a shower first.”

   The other party brought a new pajama set, a toothbrush, and underwear from one of many that Sangwoo had worn before. Sangwoo walked into the bathroom, locked the door, and took off all his clothes. He felt tense all over, his body smelled of alcohol, and his neck was sore from the plastered bite from the guy yesterday.

   After taking a shower, he came out and found that Jaeyoung was sitting on the sofa talking on the phone. It seemed like a serious conversation, so Sangwoo quietly went into the bedroom.

   He stood in front of the desk and looked at the bookshelf. There were books about design, magazines, novels, DVDs, movies, sketchbooks, and a box full of pens and colored pencils with pictures on them. When he saw that, he picked it up out of curiosity.

   It was a black suit. The hair was messy and the waist was tucked with a longsword. That was the image of the homeowner in the play ‘Rashomon’ from last summer. Although Sangwoo didn’t go to see it, he watched short online videos and knew what role Jaeyoung played. In the picture, Jaeyoung was laughing mischievously with his waist crossed, and there was another student doing his makeup.

   The second picture was of a middle-aged man with wavy hair smiling while holding a boy upside down, and the boy wearing shorts pointed to the sky while still smiling. Jaeyoung’s grandfather had a handsome face and a good physique. Sangwoo was convinced that when Jaeyoung got older, he would look like this.

   The last picture was taken when he was a child. In the picture, there was a blonde girl playing board games with a dark brown-haired boy who looked just like her. Although they looked similar, Sangwoo could tell which one was Jaeyoung. The person in the picture was pointing somewhere with a surprised expression, similar to the expressions he had every day, whether he wore glasses or not, wore any clothes, or how old he was. Sangwoo was confident that he remembered the other side well.

   ‘I want to steal it.’

   Sangwoo placed the picture on the table before he caused himself more charges.

   On the wide table, there was a printer on the left side, and there were documents placed on top of the printer. It looked like they were left there after printing. On the top, Jaeyoung’s name was written in English, so he picked up the paper to satisfy his curiosity. He found that it was an official document announcing the result of being accepted into a master’s degree program. The letter stated the start of the semester and the deadline for tuition payment. Although the remaining parts were just insignificant details, Sangwoo read until the last sentence before placing the paper back in its original position.

   This was the time to start the master’s degree program. Sangwoo already knew about it when he was making the schedule, and nothing had changed, except that it became clearer. Sangwoo’s mind became tense.

   “What are you doing there? Go to sleep.”

   At that moment, Jaeyoung pushed the door in with his shoulder. Sangwoo didn’t want to show any signs of nervousness, so he deliberately answered cheerfully.

   “I’m looking at the pictures. Is there no more?”

   Jaeyoung looked at the three pictures. Then he pointed to the childhood picture and asked to guess which one was himself. He correctly answered that it was the person on the left, so his big hand reached out to pat his head as a reward. Jaeyoung searched the bookshelf and found two more pictures.

   “Hmm, this picture looks strange.”

   “Can I see it?”

   The other person handed him the picture without saying anything. In both pictures, Jaeyoung was wearing a student uniform. In one picture, he was skateboarding, while in the other picture, he was eating ice cream.

   “Looks like a mischievous kid.”

   The young boy with short hair had fierce and rebellious eyes like a wild animal. The buttons on his shirt were unbuttoned, revealing a thinner body than now. He used his mouth to hold the ice cream with an expressionless face, and his gray student jacket hung on his arm. He looked like a teenager with no faults.

   “You didn’t go to school, right? You got beaten by teachers and got suspended.”

   “It’s not that extreme.”

   “Well, otherwise you wouldn’t have dropped out of university.”

   “Seeing this doesn’t do anything helpful. I’ve done everything I should because my family’s values have taught me to stay within boundaries.”

   Jaeyoung remained silent for a moment before inviting Sangwoo to watch a movie in the living room if he wasn’t going to sleep. Sangwoo had no reason to refuse, so he agreed. Initially, he thought they would sit on the sofa and watch together, but Jaeyoung instead spread a blanket on the floor and tossed a pillow down.

   “Are you going to sleep?”

   “Hmm.”

   “Can’t I sit and watch?”

   “Up to you, I’ll go to sleep.”

   Jaeyoung lay down on his side, propped his pillow, and pulled Sangwoo’s ankles down to sit on the floor in front. Then the other person turned on the TV and opened a VOD [1] tab. The movie lineup appeared. Jaeyoung scrolled through the lineup continuously, but none of the movies were familiar to Sangwoo.

   “Oh, it’s Spider-Man 6.”

   “Do you want to watch this?”

   “Yes.”

   Actually, he could watch anything, but as soon as he saw something familiar, he thought of the time they went to the cinema together and blurted it out.

   At that moment, the title appeared and the movie began to play. This version opened with a scene of a person falling into danger and calling for  Superman as usual. While comparing the scene they saw in the cinema, Jaeyoung’s hand touched his waist.

   The other person’s hand slipped into his shirt and stopped around his lower back before returning to the back and sliding up along the spine. Sangwoo, who was originally sitting, straightened his back and gradually relaxed. When he turned his head, he saw that Jaeyoung was just staring at the TV screen without expression.

   In the end, Sangwoo lay sideways, just like Jaeyoung in the scene where  Superman caught the falling train with his bare hands and saved the child. Since there was only one pillow, he used Jaeyoung’s arm as a headrest. Then the other person came and leaned against him tightly, hugging his waist firmly.

   Sangwoo could feel the other person’s nose at the back of his neck, along with the hot breath that touched his skin, while the middle part of his body that was in contact with him was firm. But Jaeyoung only lightly brushed his hair or his arm. He didn’t do anything excessive, but even so, Sangwoo couldn’t concentrate, as this movie focused on fighting, he could somewhat follow the story, but if the plot was complex even a little, he probably couldn’t understand the connections between cause and effect at all.

   Then the movie continued without him realizing it was already in the middle. It was a scene where Superman had to face a crisis because of Kryptonite, his weak point. Although Superman was in great distress, Sangwoo knew that somehow, by the end of the story, Superman would overcome all obstacles. Instead of watching a movie whose storyline he already knew, he chose to turn around and look at Jaeyoung who he didn’t know when he fell asleep.

   This side seemed more interesting than a movie. Sangwoo moved closer to

   Jaeyoung until their noses touched and examined every corner of his face without thinking of looking back at the TV screen. He moved closer to Jaeyoung until their chests were close together, hugged his waist with both hands, and left the TV screen behind, then fell asleep.

   When he woke up again, it was already three in the afternoon. The movie on the TV ended and other programs were airing instead.

   When Sangwoo turned around, Jaeyoung’s eyes slowly opened, revealing warm eyes. The other person smiled weakly as soon as he woke up, then closed his eyes again and hugged Sangwoo tightly. He didn’t know why that image was so powerful that it made his heart beat so fast. Sangwoo kissed the corner of Jaeyoung’s lips with a feeling of overwhelming emotion.

   He felt something strange, a clear feeling of the strong desire and profound sorrow that seemed to permeate his body, not a cool sadness but a passionate one. Every time his heart beat, it felt like a boiling feeling spreading throughout his body. The feeling of wanting to hug Jaeyoung tightly until he couldn’t bear it, the feeling similar to anxiety, made Sangwoo more absorbed in Jaeyoung and more attached to the other person.

   ‘Danger.’

   He felt as if he was on the verge of destroying the border that had been kept intact. Sangwoo could feel the unsafe feeling enveloping him, and because it was so overpowering, he was afraid without even knowing why that feeling was dangerous, instead of just kissing passionately. Sangwoo paused, realizing his senses.

   Jaeyoung slowly opened his eyes, revealing eyes that were shaking violently; it was clear that there was something that both Sangwoo desired and feared at the same time, and they were both trapped inside. They lay cuddling quietly, their eyes meeting.

   “Do you have something to say?”

   Sangwoo held back his impulsive questions. At the same time, he didn’t know why he asked such a question, because he both wanted to hear and didn’t want to hear the answer. Jaeyoung nodded slowly.  “I want to talk, but I’ll wait until you catch up.”

   “I don’t understand what you mean.”

   Jaeyoung just smiled, gazing at the view of the river in the park at dusk. The other had also spoken in a similar manner, saying there was something to say, but if Sangwoo agreed, he must escape because the words spoken were so terrifying. No matter how hard Sangwoo thought, he couldn’t figure it out.

   In that moment, Jaeyoung’s lips pressed down again, the body that had been lying beside soullessly didn’t know when it had risen and was now pressing against his body. Sangwoo could clearly feel the intense desire within his body, as he hadn’t been intimate with the other party for six days. “Sangwooya.”

   The purposeless call sounded gentle. Jaeyoung kissed Sangwoo’s arm and then sent his tongue to follow his neck. Sangwoo felt the urge to push the other party away, feeling agitated, but he tried to endure it while hugging Jaeyoung’s back.

   At that moment, the large hand came to touch his abdomen before moving up to his chest and groping the sensitive area there. The touch from above was softer and more gentle than before, amidst the heightened desire.

   Sangwoo felt sad.

   “Sangwooya.”

   Sangwoo couldn’t possibly know what the next words would be. At the same time, he felt overwhelmed with sadness. Sangwoo cupped both sides of Jaeyoung’s cheek, which was raised towards his temple, then separated his lips from the other’s body, and looked into their eyes, which were motionless.

   Jaeyoung had a bewildered expression on his face.

   “Don’t want to do it?”

   “I don’t know. I don’t know what this feeling is.”

   There was no way he did not want to do it, because every change that happened to Sangwoo’s body indicated sexual stimulation. If he continued like this, he would be able to deal with his desires. But Sangwoo didn’t want to do it for reasons he didn’t know. He stared at Jaeyoung’s face and looked at his messy dark brown hair above his forehead, his prominent nose, thick eyebrows, and big round eyes without eyelids before closing his eyes and planting a kiss. Jaeyoung exhaled forcefully through his nose, but at the same time, he maintained a quiet and calm posture.

   ‘I really don’t know.’ 

   He didn’t have a relationship with the other party just to kiss like kids, even though he felt some conflicts. But Sangwoo still kept his lips close to his like that.

   “Let’s call it a day for now.”

   Then Sangwoo withdrew his lips and slightly raised his voice, causing

   Jaeyoung’s eyes to slowly open and blink a few times. Then he spoke casually.

   “Am I being too harsh?”

   “I know. Both of us are in the same situation, so we can relax.”

   “The reason is?”

   “I don’t know. It’s a matter of feelings.”

   Hearing that, Jaeyoung’s face showed an unusual expression before bursting into laughter. Even without saying it, he knew where those words came from.

   Jaeyoung leaned softly to the side.

   “If that’s the case, then I have to understand you.”

   Although the other party may get up and go somewhere, Sangwoo still lies there, not understanding his own decision, because it is a decision that is quite emotional. It’s not like him.

   Sangwoo quickly got up before the sadness that had been suppressed for a while seeped back into his heart. Jaeyoung was drinking water in the kitchen.

   “I’m going back home.”

   “Stay for one more day and then go back.”

   “I want to go back.”

   Sangwoo stood up, walked over to Jaeyoung’s room, and after taking off his clothes, he went to look for his own clothes in the wardrobe and put them on his body. Jaeyoung stood leaning against the door frame, watching him change his clothes silently before speaking up.

   “I’ll give you a ride.”

   “I’ll take a taxi.”

   “No.”

   “Why?”

   “I want to see you for another minute, that’s all.”

   Jaeyoung did not urge Sangwoo to stay or force him to have sex together, but he only prepared the car keys with a calm face. Sangwoo searched the drawer, picked up the shelf, and took out all the clothes that Jaeyoung had worn and went to the front door. 

   While in the car, Jaeyoung remained silent while driving for some distance. 

   Although he smiled a little when they made eye contact, he didn’t say anything.

   Sangwoo felt grateful to the other party because silence was really necessary at this time. 

   When the car arrived at the destination, Sangwoo thought that Jaeyoung might change his mind and go up, but he guessed wrong. Jaeyoung didn’t turn off the engine and waited for Sangwoo to get out of the car. Sangwoo picked up the bag that contained several clothes, his mobile phone, and wallet, and got out of the car before closing the car door. Jaeyoung softly called his name, which made him feel really good when he heard it. 

   “Why?”

   “That outfit… suits you.”

   “….”

   “Go, don’t forget the homework I gave you.”

   “I’m going now.”

   Even though he took a small step and walked through the glass door, Sangwoo still didn’t step up the stairs. He stood and watched the car move out of the alley. return 0; 

   ________________________________________.

   [1] VOD, “Video on Demand,” is a system that provides convenience for users to choose to watch movies or moving images with sound as requested. 

    

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Chapter 83: #1. 

   As soon as Sangwoo looked up, he was surprised by the unfamiliar sight. The rectangular metal clock hands moved every second instead of every minute. The window had curtains hanging to be curtains, and on the wall, there was a poster of a rock band concert with four members. On the table, there was a notebook that he had formatted himself, as well as car keys, skin care lotion, an album, and a lighter. In the corner of the room, there were several stacked clothes and a skateboard against the wall. With all of this, he could determine where he was.

   He had a splitting headache and felt like his head was about to explode with the risk-filled events that happened yesterday. There were memories that he could remember and memories that he couldn’t, all mixed together. And when he realized that yesterday was Wednesday, Sangwoo got up from bed at 11:23

   a.m., if the clock was telling the right time. He was now entering his second class.

   ‘No!’

   It will take at least three minutes to brush his teeth and change clothes. The travel time to the university was uncertain, but it will take at least five minutes from the main door to the Faculty of Humanities. Despite the lingering hangover, which had an influence over his body, Sangwoo got up quickly, slid to the door, and opened it, being blinded by the brightness outside and blinking his eyes compared to the dim room.

   Jang Jaeyoung lived alone in a spacious two-bedroom house [1]. There was a wall-mounted TV in the rectangular living room. On the other side, standing in the kitchen, which was arranged in a straight line along the hallway, was a tall figure wearing gray pants and a blue T-shirt with large numbers printed on the back. In his hand, a mobile phone. The smell of cooked vegetables wafted in the air.

   Jaeyoung slowly turned his head and noticed Sangwoo. Sangwoo felt confused. He didn’t know what to say, how to look, or how to behave. Yesterday was the worst day, and he was too overwhelmed to analyze the situation calmly. Jaeyoung tasted the food, turned off the gas before putting the phone down, and walked in with a nonchalant expression. As Sangwoo took a step back, the others also stopped in his tracks. He didn’t come any closer than that.

   Sangwoo tensed up. Although Jaeyoung didn’t have the same intimidating stance as yesterday, he could still sense the vigilance.

   People who intimidated Sangwoo were common. Sangwoo wasn’t afraid of physical intimidation. Whether it was at high school, university, or military camp, he dealt with attempts to dominate, insult, and use force calmly all along.

   However, yesterday was the first time he felt genuinely scared.

   It wasn’t just because Jaeyoung acted rudely. He wasn’t afraid of being slapped a few times, as the wounds would eventually heal. What scared him was the other person’s attitude. Although he knew that those cold eyes, tightlipped smile, and calm voice couldn’t physically harm him, Sangwoo still felt fear. It was the first time he saw Jaeyoung so angry. He was afraid that Jaeyoung would be disappointed in him and that the other would say he wouldn’t come to see him again.

   He had a headache. That’s why Sangwoo stopped thinking and focused on solving urgent problems. He looked around for the house’s door, where his clothes were, how to brush his teeth, and blurted out one moment.

   “I have to go to class.”

   “You are already late.”

   Jaeyoung looked at the clock on the wall and replied casually, “It’s no big deal.” Then he crushed Sangwoo’s hopes by saying that even if he hurried, it would still take about twenty minutes to get to the university.

   “It’s a consecutive class, so I’ll be checked absent for two classes.”

   “By now, there should be no more classes. What would you do then?”

   “You could have woke me up.”

   “You were sleeping so comfortably, how could I wake you up?”

   Sangwoo stood leaning against the wall, feeling both stressed and tired. Even though talking about attending class wouldn’t help, now was not the time to have a calm conversation. He didn’t dare to forget his gaze, so he spoke while closing his eyes.

   “Is there anything you want to talk to me about?”

   “Oh… is it a moment of you feeling guilty?”

   Sangwoo felt that Jaeyoung’s words were without sarcasm, which was awfully unlike him, so he raised his eyes before meeting the serious gaze that he could not expect. Jaeyoung spoke with a playful face.

   “I apologize for being rash and for being rude. And I’m sorry for the lack of communication before.”

   Sangwoo thought that this time the other party was just playing around and would let it pass like every time. He didn’t think he would admit fault. When he thought about the intimidating face, the cold way of speaking, and the posture that was like an immovable wall regardless of how he rejected it, Sangwoo started breathing faster.

   “I… thought you were a good person, but apparently not.”

   Jaeyoung looked at Sangwoo for a moment before turning his face elsewhere.

   “I have always had a bad temper. I only tried to be a good person for you.”

   “Why?”

   “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have acknowledged my existence.”

   “…”

   Sangwoo tried to swallow his saliva, but his mouth suddenly went dry.

   Jaeyoung was silent for a moment and then turned his gaze back again.

   “Will you accept the apology?”

   “Do I have to accept it?”

   “That’s your right, but… if you accept the apology, I won’t do it again.”

   The moment he heard the apology, his heart seemed to have made a decision based on intuition, but Sangwoo continued to reflect on it carefully. Then he concluded that Jaeyoung’s promise, “except appointments,” was somewhat trustworthy.

   ‘I will support you yourself, so you can reach your dreams.’

   ‘I will wait, I won’t force anything on you.’

   ‘I won’t do it again.’

   ‘…again.’ I don’t know how long those words still hold a guarantee.

   Suddenly, Sangwoo wondered, but then he forcefully stopped thinking about it.

   “Understood.”

   Jaeyoung paused and hugged his hand on his chest.

   “Then it’s your turn now.”

   “….”

   “Is there something you have to confess?”

   Sangwoo frowned and reflected on the conversation from yesterday. He might know why Jaeyoung was angry, but it was an unreasonable excuse and a problem that didn’t need to be acknowledged as a mistake.

   “I have nothing to confess.”

   Jaeyoung didn’t show any reaction to that response, he just blinked his eyes and locked his gaze for a moment before speaking up.

   “I want you to…”

   The young man fell silent for a while before continuing.

   “Hold hands with only me, kiss only me, and have sex only with me.”

   Is that true? That’s an extraordinary demand in their relationship. Besides, it doesn’t mean anything anymore… when I saw Sangwoo’s expression, Jaeyoung added.

   “Let’s think about this again. Chu Sangwoo. When you went to the studio and heard that the employees there were interested in me, you were not happy, right?”

   “So what can I do then? There’s no way to control this.”

   “I’m talking about feelings. Imagine if I go somewhere else and kiss another man who isn’t you.”

   As Sangwoo frowned, Jaeyoung quickly approached him. On the other side, Jaeyoung reached out and touched his own neck with Sangwoo’s hand.

   “There are traces of that guy kissing here, his pants buttons were undone, the atmosphere is abnormal, and you two looked like you have been fighting.”

   When Sangwoo tried to think about it, he immediately felt worse. Jaeyoung tightened his grip on the hand that was holding him.

   “Do you understand now why I’m angry?”

   He couldn’t answer. Sangwoo thought he shouldn’t answer. Jaeyoung continued speaking without paying attention.

   “Yesterday… when I heard that you kissed someone else, I was very disappointed, angry, and hurt.”

   He pulled Sangwoo’s hand, which was on his neck, down to his chest with a serious face. Sangwoo’s fingertips slowly touched the evidence that indicated that Jaeyoung was still alive, and he felt a slight flutter in his heart through his skin.

   “I don’t want to feel like this anymore.”

   “Is this a demand?”

   “It’s a plea, a demand, a request, and a threat.”

   Jaeyoung spoke calmly, but it didn’t sound like a plea or a threat. Sangwoo slowly bent forward and hugged Jaeyoung’s waist. When he leaned his weight on the warm body, Jaeyoung lifted his arms, leaned on his shoulders, and placed his hands on the back of his head.

   “I understand now. You have done a lot for me in the past, so I will refrain from building an inappropriate relationship until you leave.”

   “Yes… good boy.”

   Jaeyoung kissed on the forehead above Sangwoo’s eyebrows, and his heart beat rapidly without him knowing. Although there were many thoughts buzzing in his head, such as how beneficial the other party’s plea was, how pointless their arguments on the street were, and how much time they had left before the other party left, those thoughts collapsed. Then, the warmth enveloped his eyelids, and he felt that everything was being dragged down, suddenly Sangwoo wanted to cry, his emotions fluctuating heavily, annoyingly.

   “Sangwooya.”

   At that moment, Jaeyoung gently called out. Sangwoo pushed himself into the embrace of the other party, replacing words with a more intense response.

   “Do you still want us to see each other?”

   He raised his head. Then his gaze was held captive by a tense look,

   Jaeyoung’s eyes reflecting the sunlight with a brownish glow. Sangwoo couldn’t think of any other response, so he hesitated before expressing his temporary physical desire.

   “Yes.”

   Then Jaeyoung whispered in his ear.

   “If that’s the case, I will give you another chance to answer, what do you want me to do?” 

   That was a question he heard last Friday while looking at the illuminating and shimmering bridge from the other party’s car. Sangwoo still didn’t know the planned answer to that question. So, he replied like a parrot-bird. 

   “I don’t know.”

   The situation now is worse than before. If the answer from that day was a conclusion derived from contemplation. Now, his mind is so confused that he doesn’t even know what he is saying.

   “It’s my homework for you. Go find the answer.”

   “Can’t you give me a multiple choice one?”

   “No.”

   Jaeyoung released the embrace and placed his hand on Sangwoo’s head, inviting him to sit at the dining table. Jaeyoung went and brought the food, including rice, mung bean soup, and various side dishes before sitting down on the opposite side of the black table covered with glass. He gently looked at the numerous dishes that looked delicious in the white bowls and plates.

   “Are you good at cooking?”

   “Um… no, I only made the soup. The side dishes were bought.”

   In a soup filled with smoke and packed with ingredients, including sprouts, tofu, shallots, eggs, dumplings, and others, Sangwoo dipped his spoon into the bowl of soup and stirred the contents within.

   “What is this dish exactly? Sprout soup or noodle soup?”

   “I don’t know, maybe sprout soup with noodles?”

   Sangwoo smiled slightly and scooped up a spoonful of soup to eat, meanwhile Jaeyoung sat with his chin in his hands, staring at him. Sangwoo could tell that he wanted feedback.

   “This has a high sodium content.”

   “Add some water.”

   “Didn’t you follow the recipe?”

   “Yeah.”

   “I’ll eat it and see if it tastes good.”

   Then he scooped up the various components with his spoon and stuffed them into his mouth. The soup was so hot it burned the roof of his mouth. He didn’t feel hungry at all but he ate like a starving person. Jaeyoung brought him some water.

   “You’ll have an upset stomach if you eat too quickly, take it slow.”

   Sangwoo continued eating without responding, he barely touched the rice or any other side dishes and only ate the meat in the soup until it was finished. He even lifted the bowl to slurp the last bit, then placed the bowl on the table and sighed. Jaeyoung, who was sitting across from him, continued to look at him.

   “May I have another bowl please.”

   “You eat so well, is it delicious?”

   “I think so.”

   In truth, Sangwoo didn’t know what deliciousness was, but he answered like that because he wanted to continue eating and wanted to feel this way in the future as well. Jaeyoung scooped another bowl of soup for Sangwoo. Then he began eating his rice as well.

   “I guess this class is probably over now.” Sangwoo mumbled while eating.

   “Yeah, it’s finished then.”

   “I have missed class without any reason twice in my life, and both times it was because of the same person.”

   Jaeyoung laughed without saying anything, his image immediately caught the attention of Sangwoo. Sangwoo smiled slightly before speaking.

   “So, you have class today. It’s a Personality Training course.”

   “If I fail, it’s an F. And you will be responsible for it.”

   “Are you crazy? At least go see the professor now.”

   “I have missed class four times.”

   “And how many times have you missed?”

   “Today is the fourth time.”

   “That’s really irresponsible.”

   “…”

   Sangwoo chuckled softly, thinking about the connection between the subject and their changing relationship until now. He thought that if the other party didn’t finish studying, it would be a good ending, but at the same time, he knew that such a situation could not happen after finishing this semester.

   Jang Jaeyoung would leave Seoul.

   ________________________________________.

   [1] Home. In Korean, it doesn’t only mean a house, but also includes accommodations such as a dormitory, apartment, or condominium. 

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Chapter 82: Black #2. 

   “Who gave you this?”

   Jaeyoung used his fingertip to press on the traces left by others, then he held Sangwoo’s chin and turned left and right to find other clues. Sangwoo stared at Jaeyoung motionlessly.

   “What did that person do?”

   He felt a sense of disgust since he first saw Jaeyoung. Jaeyoung guessed that if it weren’t for the affair with the girl, Sangwoo wouldn’t have any conflict with passerby. Sangwoo remained silent.

   “What did you two do?”

   The tone that came out of his mouth sounded harsh and not like his own voice.

   “Answer.”

   “Kiss.”

   A black flame shone in front of them. Jaeyoung swallowed hard, with his lips tightly pressed together. When Sangwoo’s neck was grabbed, the once tightlipped mouth opened and let out a moan, and there was a taste of cigarettes inside. Not the brand he smoked, but a different brand. Jaeyoung tightened his grip on Sangwoo’s neck, forcefully moving his tongue and lips.

   Sangwoo groaned and pushed him away, but Jaeyoung paid no attention to the other party. He tightly gripped the arms of the person in front of him to prevent any interference. Then, he forcefully moved his tongue all over the deepest part of his mouth, as if he wanted to engrave his own symbol in the deepest spot. But the more he did that, the worse he felt.

   “I hate you, hyung.”

   As soon as he pulled his lips away, Sangwoo mumbled those words, but Jaeyoung ignored him. He redirected his gaze from Sangwoo’s lips down to his chin, passing through the remaining red marks on his neck, towards the fly hovering above the collar of his V-neck t-shirt and his throat.

   He regretted buying this kind of clothes for Sangwoo, just thinking that others might have seen Sangwoo’s body and flawless skin, made him feel like he was going crazy. The possibility that some people might have touched Sangwoo, might have kissed him, sometimes even to the point where something might have happened that made his blood run icy. While investigating every corner to see where there might be more marks left. Jaeyoung discovered that the button of Sangwoo’s jeans was unbuttoned.

   “Hyung…”

   Jaeyoung closed his mouth without saying anything. There was no way for him to say how could you do this to me, how did you manage to hurt me like this, because they weren’t anything, from those small cracks that had been overlooked, it had escalated and led to the destruction of their relationship with Chu Sangwoo at this moment.

   ‘What should I do to not lose you?’

   He, who used to be carefree and full of life, was no longer there. Jaeyoung was only a wounded man who felt like tears were about to flow. Sangwoo forcefully pushed Jaeyoung.

   While he wasn’t paying attention, the door swung open. Sangwoo hurriedly ran out and stopped a passing car. Jaeyoung felt his anger rise again, he got out of the car and briskly walked towards the other side. He didn’t need to run because the person who had just gotten into the liquor barrel couldn’t walk normally anyway.

   Sangwoo stepped back and stumbled, but Jaeyoung managed to grab his waist before he fell. He held on tightly to his struggling body, to prevent the other party from pushing him away. Then he looked at the pale face with a hateful gaze, as if wanting to kill him.

   “What did you do with that bastard?”

   He asked the terrifying question with a trembling voice. If he found a replacement for Sangwoo, Jaeyoung would have won. What would happen between them then? The time they spent together? The heart that Jaeyoung poured in? Would he finally find the feeling called “love”?

   “Let go!”

   Sangwoo tried to resist, but because he was drunk, he had less strength than usual. Besides, there was only so much he could do, because the other party’s body was trembling so much. But Jaeyoung knew that he was more afraid than Sangwoo, he just used his strength to force the other party for a while. It was like the final piece of the puzzle that would probably fade away tomorrow. While Jaeyoung had nothing in his hands at the moment. Sangwoo held his heart, facing the other party in such a desperate situation was too difficult.

   Jaeyoung became more fierce to hide the imbalance from Sangwoo.

   “Answer the question.”

   He took a long breath and looked into Sangwoo’s hazy eyes. He didn’t know what was going on in his mind, he used to think that the other party’s way of thinking was as simple as a robot, but now Sangwoo was the most complex and terrifying person in the world for Jaeyoung.

   While he thought that the other party seemed calmer and strange. Sangwoo just laughed.

   “Why? Are you afraid that I slept with him?”

   Jaeyoung took a deep breath and looked into Sangwoo’s indigo eyes, unable to know what he was thinking at the moment, hiding his drunkenness behind his determined gaze.

   “If I do that, what will you do? Will you rape me?”

   Kisses are just kisses, sex is just sex, equations that the other party seems so simple. But it’s not that simple. If the face he saw was only one person, the body language that only allowed him, and the voice he heard was violated by others, it couldn’t be solved with such thinking.

   “Then why don’t you answer! Do I have to slap you to get your attention?” Jaeyoung looked at the person in front of him again, unable to tolerate it. He couldn’t think of why he raised his voice and forgot himself because of this emotion. ‘Line’ had already blurred away, so he couldn’t see if he had crossed that line or not.

   “That can be considered as intimidation.”  Sangwoo smirked and glanced sideways.

   “If you report it, it’s over, but that alone is not scary.”

   Before Jaeyoung could say anything, the other party stared at him and spoke.

   “Why are you doing this to me? Treating me like a criminal, disappointing me. What did I do wrong that you have to torment me?”

   In the end, it all ended with “I’m not wrong.” Just like before. Jaeyoung was tired of everything Sangwoo tried to solve with logic, even when he was drunk.

   “You hurt me. You torment me. How can you abandon me?”

   “You animal, who do you think you’re talking to like that!”

   Sangwoo smirked, his eyes glaring at Jaeyoung, filled with hostility.

   Jaeyoung looked back at those unfamiliar eyes and opened his mouth.

   “Damn. What do you mean, you went…?”

   “Shut up if you don’t know anything. It’s nothing, damn it!”

   While Jaeyoung was about to say something, Sangwoo forcefully pushed his shoulder. This time, he stumbled back from the force, and as he took two or three steps back, he looked forward again and found that Sangwoo, who he didn’t know had moved away, was glaring at him.

   “Just tried it, but it won’t work, what should I do?”

   “Huh?”

   “You animal.”

   “…”

   “You uncontrollable person! You cancerous human!”

   Sangwoo raised his eyes and shouted with strong words. This was the first time he saw the other party like this. Jaeyoung felt the intense heat of the scorching anger filling the empty space that hadn’t had a chance to dissipate yet. Sangwoo, who scolded every word that the other party knew, said, “But the ending is a little bad.” The other party seemed to lose consciousness.

   Meanwhile, there were a few cars passing by on the highway at high speed. Jaeyoung reached out his hand, afraid that the other party would run out onto the road, but Sangwoo stepped back to avoid that hand.

   “You are fucking flirt.”

   “… What?”

   “You are about to study abroad and have the chance to be with different people, to fully experience everything. Yet, you think I have turned into such a heartless person after just one kiss.”

   “Do you really think saying that makes it any better?”

   “Why wouldn’t it make it better? I’ve already told you that I will find a way to get over it.”

   Sangwoo’s anger overcame him. Although he was the one involved with other men, he accused Jaeyoung of being unfaithful. Their eyes were filled with the hatred they had never shown each other before.

   “Once you’re gone, what should I do?”

   “…”

   “My life is ruined because of you. How are you going to make it up to me, you bastard!”

   “Stay quiet. I’m not in the mood to listen to your nonsense anymore.”

   Jaeyoung replied rudely but then involuntarily relaxed his grip, unaware of his actions. Although he knew Sangwoo’s behavior was as irritating as a serial number, his anger gradually dissipated.

   “Annoying… it’s really boring.”

   Sangwoo forcefully ran his fingers through his hair, his blinking eyes filled with pain and exhaustion.

   “I’m completely broken. You.”

   Sangwoo bit his lip, forcefully clenched his teeth, and then the whole area fell silent except for the sound of heavy breathing. The other party slumped down onto the floor, leaning against the wall, staring up at the pitch-black sky before finally lowering his head to mutter softly.

   “I have to find someone who is exactly like you. Is there anyone else out there?”

   “…”

   “Just like how I can pursue with that person, they would probably already have a partner themselves.”

   Jaeyoung took a deep breath, suddenly the anger and frustration that had been building up inside him became unbearable. Even though it transformed into sadness and hatred, it still remained a part of his passionate heart, the intense emotions that returned to the main storyline made Jaeyoung restless.  He stumbled and walked unsteadily towards Sangwoo as if he was drunk, even though he hadn’t had a single drop of alcohol before collapsing. “I hate you.”  As he made a move to hug him, Sangwoo forcefully pushed him away. Jaeyoung grabbed his ankle and tried to calm him down, but Sangwoo resisted even more and slipped away from his grasp.

   “I said I hate you. I hate you, hyung”

   Jaeyoung took a deep breath and moved away from the other person, feeling a throbbing headache.

   ‘Is being in a relationship this difficult?’ 

   He sighed a few times before leaving Sangwoo there and stood up, walking back towards the driver’s seat. While his gaze remained fixed on Sangwoo, he leaned against the seat and smoked a couple of cigarettes.

   When he looked back, Sangwoo always gave him a chance, making it impossible for him to give up. When he couldn’t breathe and felt like stopping in the middle of the road, he would take a sip of water. When he was exhausted and almost collapsed on the ground, he would drink another sip of water. That’s when Jaeyoung arrived at this point without feeling tired, the tactics that the other person unintentionally used had worked too well. At this moment, after drinking another sip of water, Jaeyoung forgot the confusion that had passed.

   He couldn’t satisfy the other person who made him lose his sanity and reason. Jaeyoung liked being the one in control and the leader in the relationship, so he wasn’t used to being manipulated like this. Even though when he was blind with craving and trembling with restlessness, it didn’t seem worthy of attention, but it made him certain in some aspects.

   The young man started the car and slowly drove forward as the distance decreased, he turned on the headlights. Then the image of Sangwoo sitting in the middle of the darkness appeared. Jaeyoung looked at the other person in silence before opening the door on the right side of the driver’s seat.

   “Hey.”

   Sangwoo just sat silently, rubbing his forehead against his knee without saying anything.

   “Get up, I’ll take you home.”

   “…”

   “Stay there and see what happens, you have class tomorrow.”

   Talking about studying has happened, but the other party still hasn’t reacted, seems really angry.  “Chu Sangwoo.”

   Jaeyoung’s voice softened and became gentle without realizing it.

   “Sangwooya.”

   Jaeyoung doesn’t know how to call him with a voice different from this. Even though initially he called with an aggressive tone, he has forgotten that time already.. Sangwoo doesn’t respond. Jaeyoung has to helplessly get out of the car.

   “Are you asleep?”

   Sangwoo is still asleep in that awkward sitting position, no matter how much he shakes his shoulder, he doesn’t move at all. When they met, he was already very drunk.. Time passed quickly and it’s already half past four, will there be any more chaos. The other party must be exhausted.

   “You have made me restless, feel satisfied now.”

   Jaeyoung pondered and sat down beside him, just sitting and looking at the other party quietly without knowing how much time had passed. At the same time, he also felt exhausted, the side of his face when sleeping appeared empty and desolate. At the same time, it was also getting unbearable to watch. Jaeyoung’s heart has been guarded by Sangwoo for a while. So no matter how angry he is. At this moment, he is not angry at the other party.

   Jaeyoung reached his hand towards Sangwoo’s face, using the back of his hand to caress his cheeks slowly, as if it was imitating an event from the past, the day he first entered the other party’s house. Jaeyoung couldn’t control his emotions and pressed against Sangwoo, at that time Sangwoo was also drunk and passed out first.

   He knew that doing this wouldn’t achieve anything, his heart was enduring and burning excessively to the point of being uneasy, never before when he had a boyfriend has he desired the other party to this extent. Therefore, he must not be accustomed and make the mistake as usual.

   Jaeyoung followed Sangwoo’s gaze. Then he slightly leaned towards the other party’s shoulder and pulled it closer, as if to compensate for the unbalanced body and pressed it against himself, he hugged Sangwoo as if they had no problems and sat like that for a while. When he buried his nose in the beautiful neck and lightly tapped the warm back, Jaeyoung felt better.

   “If this isn’t considered dating, then what is it?”

   He whispered softly in the other party’s ear, if he were awake, there would definitely be an argument.

   “You foolish kid, you can’t live without me.”

   Even though there was no response, Jaeyoung was satisfied. Now, the restlessness and anger in his heart had completely disappeared, and his mind, which used to be chaotic and cloudy, became clear without realizing it.

   He thought that there must be many things that would cause a headache, it was too complicated, like a riddle that was difficult to solve, so he pushed the burden onto himself to deal with in the future. However, Jaeyoung himself realized at that moment that if the order of importance was strong, all the obstacles would be ineffective.

   It’s a simple principle, interested? Proceed. Not interested? Stop. He didn’t need to throw away the methods he had used all his life, the obstacle of this relationship remained only one, and Jaeyoung, who had compared, considered, and hesitated in front of the other party many times, was confident that this time he would be able to walk comfortably through the hindrance, slowly and calmly without rushing.

   “Will you be with me or die with me?” [1.]

   Suddenly, he recalled the famous phrase from the popular movie. Yes, he didn’t want to wake Sangwoo to ask him, but Jaeyoung wanted to show a little patience. However, this stubborn child had never refused to do anything successfully.

   It was like saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.” [2] This maxim seemed to have been created solely for Sangwoo, ever since he met this strange child. Jaeyoung was forced to become accustomed to waiting and enduring until the other party was ready, and he couldn’t give up even if he didn’t like it.

   “Sangwoo, let’s go home together.”

   Jaeyoung hugged Sangwoo tightly and stood up like that.

   ________________________________________.

[1]    “Will you be with me or die with me?” is a modification of a famous phrase from the Korean drama, “Sorry, I love you.” It is a scene where the protagonist is driving the female lead to have a meal, but she asks him to stop the car, so he says, “Do you want to have a meal or kiss me? Do you want to have a meal or sleep with me? Do you want to have a meal or be with me? Do you want to have a meal or die with me?!” 

[2]    “You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.”

   / 

   “말을 물가에 데려갈수는 있지밀 물을 마시게 할 수는 없다.” means you

   can  give someone an opportunity but you cannot force them to take advantage of that opportunity, or compared to a Thai idiom, “Don’t force the buffalo to eat grass,” which means not to force others to do what they don’t want to do. 

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Chapter 81: Black #1. 

   Jaeyoung was confident that he could feel love from Sangwoo’s actions during this period. It was a feeling that was difficult to pinpoint exactly where it came from. 

   His demeanor had changed slightly, his actions had changed slightly, and his way of speaking had changed slightly. At the same time, there was a certain point where his voice changed. When Sangwoo stood there silently, a sweet scent wafted out, causing Jaeyoung to feel intoxicated and lost in the other party. 

   Although their relationship had started with the utmost wickedness, he believed that Sangwoo was gradually climbing up the steps after they became involved in each other’s affairs, until now, where their bodies and hearts had become one. He guessed that Sangwoo’s heart was now aligned with his own. When it seemed as though he was annoyed, he pulled the other party close, as if he were a proud child learning to walk, hugging and sinking into the blissful feeling as if he himself had become Sangwoo’s lover. But that was a big misunderstanding. 

   “If the milk runs out, should I change my eating habits or go buy some from the supermarket?”

   Since the day they agreed to release their desires (screw) under the agreement, Sangwoo, who had declared that he would transform Jaeyoung as if changing obsolete computer parts, had not changed at all, as if Yoona had said before, “Don’t fool a helpless kid”. But Jaeyoung, on the other hand, was completely different, having misunderstood without a clue and feeling as if they were the only ones in love.

   “You’re the worst, I’m so stupid to have thought that I could feel good feelings from you.”

   He was bored with the utilitarian way of thinking that treated people as objects, and with the business-like thinking that only consumed what was necessary and discarded the rest. At the same time, Jaeyoung thought of the words of his three ex-girlfriends, who had spoken particularly harshly and left him behind.

   “It feels like you’re only dating my body.”

   “You despicable person, you can’t recycle someone like me.”

   “Jaeyoung-ah, do you love me?”

   How does it feel now? Good, I might as well just die. Who said they liked my coolness? Now that you’re back, you’re cursing me again, pretending to be like Chunhyang [1] or being that crazy lover. 

   But even so, the knife he threw at others had turned around and aimed at himself. 

   “You’ve never been clear from the beginning.”

   That is the voice of the subconscious, because he is unsure of how to convincingly reject Sangwoo, because he does not have enough time, because he hates the intense relationship, for various reasons. Jaeyoung therefore tried his best to show his determination, and the price he had to pay was too heavy. 

   “Stay calm. You don’t have your senses yet.”

   The young man decided that he would not let Sangwoo drag him down. Otherwise, he might become a pair of pants that the other party could easily discard and replace at the airport. Therefore, he had to “be prepared”, as someone once said.

   Jaeyoung resolved to distance himself from Sangwoo. He felt the need to step back and look at this overwhelming relationship in perspective. At the same time, he despised Sangwoo who declared that he could live without him and wanted the other party (Sangwoo) to experience it for once.

   The first day went well, the second day he restrained himself in every way possible, but on the third day, it became so difficult for Jaeyoung himself.

   [Bebe: I miss you, brother. Can we meet today? _21:00.] 

   Because he knew that the other party saw him as a sexual object that could be easily manipulated. Jaeyoung had to try every possible way not to run into

   Sangwoo. He watched movies at home, went to drink alone in places where Sangwoo couldn’t show up, and spent two to three hours skateboarding at the riverside park.

   Life felt so monotonous. Without Sangwoo, there was nothing exciting, nothing fun. Jaeyoung felt lost in a gray dust because of the worst villain, Blackout, an unforeseen nuclear explosion. After that, Jaeyoung’s world lost its color, he severed ties with Chu Sangwoo after only four days.

   For Jaeyoung, that day felt like sitting on a runaway train.

   Jaeyoung had no plan. He had lived like this all along, he only went to the workplace because he missed Chu Sangwoo so much. Jaeyoung showered, chose an outfit that looked neat and tidy that the other party might like, and drove there. He wanted to wear bunny earrings and buy flowers again, so he headed to the office and arranged the words he wanted to say to the other party in his mind.

   “I didn’t just see you as a casual fling. I love you with the most passionate love.” 

   After that, he didn’t think further. The other party probably wouldn’t understand and would choose hurtful words and run away. Then, he would become a person covered in wounds once again. But even so, Jaeyoung still stood firm, ready to say those words for the other party to hear, at least to prevent the other party from speaking pointless things about intimacy like that again. 

   When he saw the empty office, his hope turned into disappointment. And Sangwoo couldn’t be reached as usual, so he went to the front of the other party’s house and wandered around near the dark windows. Then he went up to the 4th floor and pressed his ear against the door to listen if there were any sounds inside, while waiting there, worry and uneasiness grew more and more. 

   When he saw the short text message that came with a picture, his head was violently hit by a wave of excitement. 

   The current situation feels like a climax in a teenage movie. Chu Sangwoo, who only knows home and university, wears the clothes he bought in the Rangrom district. It is a low-budget scene that clearly has a purpose. In this repetitive scene, the role prepared for Jaeyoung is that of a man who is in pain and restless, trembling with worry and frustration. At first, he thought it would be fun. 

   “Where could that kid be going? Probably just going to eat.”

   The confident statement he said to himself sounded more like selfencouragement, because after that, there were nothing but frustrating issues. 

   Jaeyoung followed the anxiety and anger honestly according to the role assigned by ChoiYoona, saying, “Chu Sangwoo has no way of thinking about anything like this, for sure.” 

   Then, as he swept his gaze and looked around the brightly lit streets in Yeongdong, he had to call Yoona and ask her how she would take responsibility if something happened to that kid because she meddled without understanding the situation. After that, he received the message from Sangwoo through the phone that he did not answer 

   He searched every corner of the room and the bathroom in the semi-bar club where he had been a few times before, but did not find Sangwoo. So he asked the bartender and showed him a picture, confirming that Sangwoo was hiding in a corner, heavily drinking and then leaving. Jaeyoung exhaustedly wandered the streets, going to every place where a drunk person might fall, including the underground train station, bus stops, main roads, and side alleys. 

   Then, when he tried to go to a place where people were gathered and watching, he found Sangwoo fighting and wrestling with someone fiercely. The moment he saw the other person, his body immediately rushed forward. Jaeyoung intervened in the fight without thinking. When he regained his composure, he found Sangwoo lying on the floor, and the jerk who was about to punch the other person had run away… If he had been a little slower, Sangwoo could have been seriously injured. Just the thought of that made Jaeyoung tremble. 

   “Hey, why… why did you…”

   His emotions were in turmoil to the point that he couldn’t speak. He didn’t know whether he should pull the other person in for a tight hug filled with concern, or should he ask calmly why Sanwoo made him worry like this? Should he sarcastically ask why he put down his phone and came here to wander, or should he ask calmly why he was fighting with the locals on the street? His conflicting emotions made Jaeyoung breathless as Sangwoo struggled to get up from the floor.

   Sangwoo was in a drunken state and unconscious, but he didn’t seem to be injured. The drunk person in front of him could barely stand and had a frightened expression on his face. Jaeyoung caught a strong smell of alcohol from the person in front of him, and he thought that first of all, he had to suppress the swirling emotions and take Sangwoo home.

   While carefully slipping his arm under Sangwoo’s back to support his body, Jaeyoung noticed a kiss mark imprinted on the spot he loved the most on Sangwoo’s body. From that moment on, everything changed. Concern was replaced with anger, the support turned into a tug. Jaeyoung suppressed his longing for several days, holding back the words he wanted to say to the other person, and the admiration he had for the clothes Sangwoo chose for himself behind the scenes. Then, he abruptly pulled and dragged Sangwoo towards the car. Jaeyoung adorned himself in a black suit called “anxiety” and “apprehension” and stepped onto the stage that awaited him.

   The car raced, pounding his mind until it spun. Jaeyoung held onto the steering wheel tightly and remained silent, feeling like a fool who knew nothing. He didn’t know what to do, where to go, and how to deal with Sangwoo.

   “No…This isn’t the way.”

   Suddenly, Sangwoo straightened up. Jaeyoung noticed the abnormal fearful expression on the other’s face. Was it the way… Jaeyoung didn’t care in the slightest. The car passed the toll booth and soon left the city.

   “This isn’t the way to my house.”

   This time the voice grew slightly stronger, but Jaeyoung continued to evaluate the other’s words.

   “Where are we going? Why are you making that face? Do you want to argue?”

   The more he repeated the question, the louder his voice became. Sangwoo hugged himself, looking at Jaeyoung with a twisted neck, trying to suppress his anger. “Hey.”

   “Why?”

   “Shut up, please.”

   Jaeyoung said softly, a time before the fuse was blown. He wanted to grab Sangwoo and take off his clothes right now, to see if there were any more kiss marks on him. But he restrained that desire. However, when he heard the other’s words, Sangwoo remained silent for a moment before speaking up.

   “I’ll get off.”

   “I said, be quiet.”

   “I’ll get off.”

   Sangwoo unlocked the doors while the car was still moving. Startled, Jaeyoung locked them again, but the same situation repeated itself until he pressed the lock button for the fifth time. Jaeyoung exploded.

   “Hey, just tell me straight.”

   When being pushed into the corner, Sangwoo withdrew his hand from the door. His left hand, resting on his knee, trembled weakly, and he turned his face towards the window on the right side, avoiding eye contact.

   “Why… did you have to put me in a corner, insult me, and make me scared?”

   It was a humorous conversation that Jaeyoung had adapted to tolerate the superficial separation between good and evil for so long. But now it meant nothing at all, just a minimal return for his efforts to be a good person. Is it really that he likes the other side sincerely? Pointless, lucky enough that he didn’t say it out loud.

   “Hey?”

   Jaeyoung gritted his teeth and spoke.

   “Tell me how you really see me.”

   “…”

   “Why aren’t you answering? Normally, you’re not good at thinking before speaking, right?”

   Jaeyoung’s anger built up until it became a loud, noisy voice. Does Sangwoo know that while he couldn’t contact him, he traveled around in fear that something might happen? Does the other side know that he lost his mind because of worrying and wanted to know why he is so angry? Jaeyoung felt the anger that clouded his eyes and spoke again.

   “Am I just an object of desire to you, or not?”

   Sangwoo didn’t say anything. Jaeyoung chose not to be right, either by keeping the other side’s mouth shut or by letting them speak an uninteresting word over and over again.

   ‘Allow both parties to do normal things when dating.’ 

   ‘I haven’t thought about myself having this kind of preference.’ 

   ‘If I still couldn’t handle it at that time… I would just find someone else to replace you.’ 

   Let’s think about it.. There is only Jaeyoung who refuses to accept the truth.

   While Sangwoo continues to fluctuate constantly. If those words came from Sangwoo’s true heart, their relationship wouldn’t be so complicated. At the same time, there is only one thing left.

   Jaeyoung clenched his fists tightly, slowly releasing his words.

   “Don’t want to talk, huh? Then communicate with your body, alright.”

   “What do you mean?”

   “It means let’s have sex. Besides that, what else do you and I do together?”

   “I don’t want to.”

   The other party replied immediately. Jaeyoung clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white.

   “Why? Don’t you want to do it with me anymore?”

   “I don’t need to, hyung.”

   With each increasingly harsh word, he wondered if he had misunderstood something all along. Did he come to this point just to feel this heartbroken?

   The image in front of him turned pitch black.

   “Let me warn you.”

   Jaeyoung gritted his teeth.

   “If you want to see me lose control, feel free to keep speaking like that.”

   “What I say is my business.”

   Then the other party took it further. Determined to unlock the door from the inside of the running car. Despite being forbidden, Sangwoo still struggled to open the door like a madman in a car running at seventy kilometers per hour. The other party was thinking of doing something. Jaeyoung was furious, but tried to regain his composure and looked around, amid the dark and desolate scenery consisting only of condominiums and factories, there was no suitable place to talk before Sangwoo randomly jumped onto the highway. So Jaeyoung made the decision to pull over on the shoulder of the road.

   “Are you crazy? Do you want to die?”

   Jaeyoung lost his senses, his clenched fists were tight but he didn’t know where to put them, so he sat trembling on his knees. Sangwoo stared out the car window, his expression blank, sounding ignorant. 

   “I asked where you wanted to go, but you didn’t tell me. Instead, you just insulted and belittled me. And even threatened me…”

   Sangwoo’s face turned pale with pain. Then he raised his hand and rubbed his face. Jaeyoung felt like he wanted to gently embrace those trembling shoulders, at the same time, he wanted to inflict pain on the other party.

   “I’m too drunk. I’ll go now.”

   Sangwoo tried to open the door, but Jaeyoung grabbed his shoulder and held him back, making him turn his body to face him. Jaeyoung’s hand moved up to hold his chin, revealing a noticeable red mark on his neck, causing Jaeyoung’s grip to tighten.

   “I’m very drunk. I’ll go now.”

   Sangwoo tried to open the door, but Jaeyoung grabbed his shoulder and held him back, making him turn his body to face him. Jaeyoung’s hand moved up to hold his chin, revealing a noticeable red mark on his neck, causing Jaeyoung’s grip to tighten. 

   ________________________________________.

   [1] Chunhyang, the heroine in ‘Chunhyangjeon’, or Chunhyang’s Story, an ancient novel, is a woman who firmly adheres to her virginity. 

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Chapter 80: <1001> #8.

   Sangwoo quickly got up and grabbed the store employee to borrow their phone. The funny thing was that he was able to accurately recall the ten-digit phone number even though he was drunk and forgot everything else.

   However, Jaeyoung’s line was busy, so Sangwoo walked out of the store.

   He climbed the stairs with both hands and feet without any special reason, only feeling more comfortable doing it this way. Once he got up to the street, he chose to walk straight again. He had to take the bus at the stop across from the subway station, but he could not remember where the subway station was, so he just kept walking.

   ‘So annoying, should I take a taxi?’

   He spent forty thousand won on alcohol without thinking, “I can’t remember anymore.” And now he was thinking about taking a taxi again. Today was a day where he only spent money without gaining anything.

   Sangwoo was confident that he was walking, but then he realized that he was sitting on a saddle, and he couldn’t tell when he started sitting like this. Then, when he started to come to his senses, he found that there was someone sitting next to him.

   “What is this fate?”

   The other person acted like they knew him, but Sangwoo had only seen that face for the first time, so he was too shocked to ask who that person was.

   “You students have bad habits. You don’t even think that we might meet again.”

   Hearing that, it seemed like Sangwoo finally realized who the other person was. He turned to look to the side and met the gaze of a man with brightly dyed hair.

   “Are you looking for a hookup?”

   The guy spoke softly, seeming to understand all of Sangwoo’s sorrows. Sangwoo couldn’t say that he didn’t, so he answered like he didn’t feel anything.

   “I’m not to the point of addiction. I did a self-diagnostic test.”

   “But your beautiful eyes are telling me that you’re dying of loneliness.”

   “Then what should I do?”

   “Let’s go back to my place. The car is parked over there.”

   “Drunk driving is a crime.”

   “I’ll call a driver.”

   Sangwoo ran out of words at this point. At this moment, when he was so stressed out, he wanted the physical pleasure that Jaeyoung had given him intensely, but he could easily give in to going to a stranger’s house just for sex.

   ‘Either way, it’s not going to work out with Jaeyoung.’

   When he thought about it, Sangwoo had been on the wrong path ever since what happened with Jang Jaeyoung. The situation started after the other party had persuaded him that he could solve his sexual needs by giving him exactly the opposite result. Many nights spent with Jaeyoung had only heightened his desire instead of calming it down. Intense happiness had seeped into his daily life… and now Sangwoo could never go back to the days when he had no experience with men.

   He had done it with one person, so why not with another? After Jaeyoung had left, it was possible that he needed to find a new bed partner. If that time came sooner than later, what could go wrong?

   “Are you good at this or what?”

   Those words came out of Sangwoo’s mouth. He felt surprised by his own words inside, but that wasn’t a problem. If he borrowed Jaeyoung’s words to use, he would have to tell the truth about the current situation, “There’s nothing to lose.” The man laughed and leaned in towards Sangwoo, the smell of alcohol mixing with cigarettes and cologne until it overwhelmed his nose.  He had never hated all three scents before, but at that moment, he felt uncomfortable and had to distance himself a little.

   “Just kids who used to be happy with me, and now they are addicted to me.

   Just after you try it and don’t fall in love later, I hate these clingy types.”

   “If the satisfaction level is low after trying, how will you compensate?”

   “Try it first and then we’ll talk, I’m like this because of you, so you have to take responsibility too.”

   The organ at the zipper of his jeans was sticking out noticeably. The moment his own hand touched his neck, the man’s hand had moved closer to Sangwoo’s face. Fingers trembled like they had Parkinson’s disease. Sangwoo tried to ignore the other man’s finger. When the finger touched his cheek, he felt so uncomfortable he almost used violence.

   Judging by his posture and not sitting up straight, that man probably wants to kiss. Sangwoo was thinking for a moment whether to escape or not before deciding that things had turned out this way. Try giving a chance and see if it really meant something or not. He closed his eyes. Then the other man said, “So readily submissive,” and laughed out loud.

   Sangwoo had expected a gentle touch on his cheek, but the man had grabbed his neck and squeezed it tightly. From the moment their lips met, the feeling of dislike surged in. The other party’s mouth made a popping sound, and his fingertips rubbed above the sexual organs of Sangwoo, who had not yet felt any sexual feelings at all.

   ‘The worst of the worst.’

   Sangwoo dodged the other’s tongue and ended up being caught in the end. The man groaned and made Sangwoo feel queasy with his saliva before shoving his tongue down his throat, causing waves of nausea. Sangwoo pushed the other guy away and felt even more sorry. He was in complete darkness and didn’t know where to find someone to sleep with like Jang Jaeyoung or how to do it.

   “I haven’t sucked something this big in a long time. Can I just swallow you here and now?”

   “What are you saying? I’m not a fruit.”

   The man leaned in again and sucked on Sangwoo’s skin, knowing a few people who liked to do the same thing, but giving different feelings like the sky and the earth. Sangwoo sank into his sorrow before the man bit his neck really hard, causing him to regain consciousness. He used his hands to wipe off the saliva of the other person that clung to his chin and neck before speaking out.

   “Ouch. That’s enough.”

   “Or is there a problem with your eagle not catching prey?”

   “Well, that’s good.”

   The test was finally over. Sangwoo got up from the chair, wiped off the other guy’s drool with the back of his hand, and spoke out.

   “You’re not my type, I’m leaving now. Don’t follow me this time.”

   “Come on… give me a little, play along.”

   Sangwoo walked away quickly, but the man followed him with a look of annoyance, as if he had nothing else to do.

   “Do you mean it? We’ve gone this far?”

   “It’s no big deal. What do you want me to do?”

   “Still not over your old boyfriend? Did he go somewhere else? You need to find a new person.”

   The guy teased him again. Sangwoo felt tired as he pointed at the other guy.

   “Stop teasing me, I warn you.”

   “Just say it… do you think you can beat me?”

   “I’m a black belt, level 4.”

   It seemed like his mother sent him to learn taekwondo eight years ago to prepare for situations like this. Sangwoo didn’t have to use force, but that didn’t mean he was weak. If it weren’t for the law, the other guy would have been sleeping on the floor a long time ago.

   “Fuck you. You’re too small to fight with me.”

   The guy was so annoying with his excessive kissing. Sangwoo just wanted to shut his mouth up, even if it meant paying another 10,000 won.

   “If you want a criminal record, start now. I won’t be a party to it. I’ve never agreed to it before and I won’t now.”

   Sangwoo said he walked quickly, but as soon as he was grabbed and pulled by the man, his body turned the other way. Sangwoo looked at the other person angrily, the floating hair almost got into his eyes, but he quickly bent down to avoid it. The man then stretched his arms wide into the air.

   ‘Even so, it doesn’t mean that I have to actually hit him. This crazy guy has gone too far.’

   Sangwoo quickly looked around but there was no one who could be a witness, and the phone had been turned off in this situation where he had to call the police like this. If that was the case, there were two options left. It had to either let the other person fall or run away.

   “Annoyed, just got into trouble with this nervous guy, hey. If you don’t get along with me, come and fight me again.”

   If he was caught by the police even once while confronting the other person, then both sides would be considered guilty. Sangwoo decided to choose the safer option, he started to run, and the man immediately chased after him, both of them were drunk. Even though they stumbled, they chased each other as fast as they could, then they reached a busy street where people were passing by.

   ‘Protect the witness.’

   On the opposite side of the street, he saw a blue sign of a police station next to an underground subway station. For now, Sangwoo had nothing to fear.

   Therefore, the tension seemed to relax.

   “Stop it now, you crazy person!”

   Sangwoo ran smoothly until he heard a curse, and in a moment his legs tangled, causing his chin and knees to collide with the ground so hard that he couldn’t get up for a moment, and then his shirt was pulled from behind and he was dragged down completely.

   When his body was grabbed and turned back, he came face to face with the other person. The other man climbed up and sat on his legs, then grasped the collar of Sangwoo’s upper body. Then he used his fist to hit Sangwoo’s cheeks with an angry face.

   “Why did you have to make it so bloody? It would have been better if you had gone along with me when I was still in the mood instead.”

   “The police station is right over there.”

   “Oh, I see. I’ll kill you first before I go to jail, you son of a bitch.”

   It seemed that the other person was angrier than Sangwoo thought, and he suddenly kicked up and slammed down onto Sangwoo’s face. Sangwoo used his palm to defend himself before using his arm to hold onto the other person’s neck tightly. Then the other person screamed and used his knee to hit Sangwoo’s legs aggressively and pulled his hair until it hurt.

   They took turns flipping each other over and over, fighting each other ruthlessly. The people around them began to come and make noises and take videos. Although Sangwoo had yet to aggress against the other person, the fact that it would continue like this could be seen as a physical altercation between both parties. While he was thinking about running away to seek refuge at the police station, the other man hugged his waist tightly. Sangwoo used his leg to kick as hard as he could.

   “Would you just agree to even one round so that it can be over?”

   “You bastard!”

   Sangwoo heard the loud curses and at the same time felt exhausted and defeated.

   ‘Come on, punch me then.’

   Sangwoo reluctantly allowed himself to be dragged away, feeling furious. The situation was already extremely dire. Getting punched would probably not be worse than this. Sometimes, he might even feel better if he saw that guy paying the fine.

   ‘Choi Yoona, I won’t let you go.’

   Sangwoo gritted his teeth, feeling as if his body had been twisted. He never thought that there would be a day in his life that would be as infuriating as this.

   He wanted to erase this day from the calendar completely.

   ‘Jang Jaeyoung, you son of a bitch.’

   The feeling of resentment was building up inside him, but it wasn’t just today that was a problem. His life had been chaotic because of that damn error unfortunate of a person. As soon as he realized it, the other party also threw a punch. Seeing that, Sangwoo closed his eyes tightly.

   Thump!

   The sound of flesh hitting flesh grew louder, but he didn’t feel any pain.

   “…”

   When he opened his eyes again, he found that there was someone holding the man’s wrist. Sangwoo didn’t have time to understand the situation before he and the pervert who was punching him were pushed hard and fell to the ground.

   Sangwoo turned over and put his hands on the ground. After a few attempts, he found a clean-looking shoe in front of him. He placed his foot on the ground, which felt familiar. Sangwoo was scared and excited at the same time, looking up slowly.

   Jang Jaeyoung was breathing heavily and looked down at him with a terrifying look he had never seen before.

   SEMANTIC ERROR VOLUME 4

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

 

SMNTCERR, Chapter 79: <1001> #7.

   “I want the same thing as that man.”

   When he looked to his side, he met eyes with a man sitting two seats away.

   ‘I am a person with no standing point.’

   Sangwoo silently complained in his heart, and then waited. As the bartender brought a glass in front of him, he took a couple of sips of the bitter liquor. Suddenly, he felt heavily drunk and blinked several times. He felt better after he put his face down on the table. He did not know how long the man who was sitting with his legs swinging in a restless position was sitting there before someone put a cocktail glass of clear liquor with a cucumber next to him.

   “I’m happy. I met someone who has the same taste here.”

   The man who used to sit two seats away leaned in towards Sangwoo.

   Sangwoo replied while still having his face on the table.

   “I’m not drinking this because it’s tasteful, but because I don’t like the other options.”

   “I didn’t mean the taste of the liquor.”

   “If so, then I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

   “Are you looking for a man?”

   The man leaned down and whispered in his ear. Sangwoo lifted his head and asked.

   “How do you know?”

   “Because I see you looking at men.”

   “Please don’t assume things. It’s not about you.”

   “Why wouldn’t it be about me? I’m a man too.”

   ‘That’s true.’

   After being shown a significant and unforeseen loophole by the other party, Sangwoo scrutinized them once again. The individual had short, light-colored hair and was dressed in a suit. His eyes were piercing, and his demeanor was not very amiable. He had a tall, sturdy build, wore round, dangling earrings, and had a tattoo on the neck which boosted the score slightly. Despite all of this, Sangwoo still didn’t feel like they were similar to Jaeyoung.

   “I don’t really like you. Don’t bother trying to talk to me.”

   He shook his head and slumped his face onto the table again. Suddenly, a loud chuckle came from the side. The man sitting there remained still for a moment before leaning back on the bartender who was walking to the left. He pulled the chair close to Sangwoo.

   “You have charm.”

   “Please don’t use intimate language without permission.”

   “How old are you? 23? 24?”

   Sangwoo decided to just ignore the man’s lack of knowledge. But this time, his gaze wandered to the man’s hand as it moved closer to his face.

   “Don’t touch me. Consider yourself warned.”

   However, the annoying man didn’t listen to what he said. Sangwoo didn’t feel like dealing with such stubborn behavior and just sat there quietly for a moment. As the man’s finger was about to touch his cheek, he grabbed his hand and twisted it behind his back. The man tried to push Sangwoo, but he twisted his hand even harder. The other party grunted and cursed repeatedly.

   Sangwoo opened his phone to prepare for an emergency.

   “I told you.”

   “Ow! Wait!”

   “I’ll report you for sexual harassment.”

   “Ouch. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.. Enough!”

   As soon as he let go of the man’s wrist, he swore and muttered that Sangwoo was an annoying bastard. He opened his phone to deal with the emergency situation.

   When he looked at the time, it was displayed on the screen in large letters— 21:41. His eyes widened. It had been this long since he started drinking without realizing it. He had no idea that it was already three in the morning. As he was drinking, he absentmindedly opened his phone and found a notification. ‘36, missed call’ and ‘6 new messages.’ Sangwoo panicked and opened the messaging app.

   [Jaeyoung, ㅅㅂ♨:  Are you sleeping? Are you okay? _20:42.]

   [Jaeyoung, ㅅㅂ♨:  I’m in front of your door. Let me in, _20:44.]

   [Jaeyoung, ㅅㅂ♨:  Why did you go to Yeonsokdong? _21:02.]

   [Jaeyoung, ㅅㅂ♨:  Why did you turn off your phone? _21:03][1.]

   [Jaeyoung, ㅅㅂ♨:  Sangwooya _21:06.]

   [Jaeyoung, ㅅㅂ♨:  Where are you? _21:30.]

   He didn’t intend to make the other side worry, he just kept drinking and relaxing. There was no clock in the shop, the phone battery was dead, and all these excuses made Sangwoo not care about Jaeyoung, and it was true that he didn’t want to care too, because the other side was bothering Sangwoo. It’s no different from a thorn on the sole of the foot.

   He stared at his phone screen. At that moment, a call came in. Sangwoo felt like his heart had fallen to his stomach and his breathing quickened. As soon as he touched the answer button, he attached the communication tool to his ear, and the sound of a long, heavy breath came through the line.

   [What are you going to do?]

   The sound of Jaeyoung’s voice sounded so pitiful that Sangwoo didn’t know how to respond.

   [I asked what you’re going to do, damn it?]

   The voice that he had been thinking about for the past four days, which made him feel confused, soon turned into sorrow. Sangwoo blinked and opened his mouth.

   “So, what right do you have to be angry with me?”

   [Why did you go there?]

   “Well, you disappeared. I called and you didn’t pick up.”

   [So, did you have to wear the outfit I bought for you to go see someone else?]

   Jaeyoung asked crudely. At the same time, every word from the other side was filled with anger. Sangwoo didn’t answer, if he said no, it would be a lie. Sometimes, if he liked the guy who came to talk to him for a moment, he might leave his contact information.

   [Why didn’t you answer?]

   “It’s because you didn’t give me a clear answer. So I came to change my mood.”

   He coughed after saying those words, and then took a breath. The subsequent silence was as cold and heavy as a lump of iron.

   [Do you think I’m too kind to you?]

   “…”

   [Hey, where are you? Let’s meet in person and then talk.]

   Although it was a voice that he wanted to hear for several days, the longer the call lasted, the stronger the feeling of discomfort grew. The heart that wanted to see Jaeyoung and the heart that didn’t want to see Jaeyoung had never clashed so fiercely before. What Sangwoo wanted from accepting the other side into his daily life was happiness. Not sadness and pain.

   “Why didn’t you pick up my call? Are you bored of me?”

   [Tell me where you are.]

   “I won’t tell you, answer me first.”

   [Do you really want me to scold you?]

   Jaeyoung stopped talking abruptly, speaking quickly.

   “I’m already crazy, so don’t make me angrier than this. Tell me where you are.”

   Yoona only said that Jaeyoung would definitely come to find him, but she didn’t say if he would be extremely angry. Sangwoo felt conflicted, resisting the others who had done wrong but at the same time being angry himself. He had a flaw in controlling his anger, and had lashed out before. And he still hadn’t explained anything.

   “There’s also a limit to how much I can tolerate. You keep doing whatever you want and how can you expect me to react? I already feel like my head is about to explode.”

   He gritted his teeth and spat out cruel words. Jang Jaeyoung, the Veggie Venturer, studying abroad, and the waves of depression that had come in during this period were too much for Sangwoo to handle. Sangwoo tried to breathe with all his might, but he was about to drown. Even though he hadn’t done anything wrong at all, it wasn’t fair at all.

   “Enough already, you stop contacting me. And then you come and insult me again, you heartless person.”

   [Hey… Chu Sangwoo.]

   “No matter what, I’ll already be a fucking loser.”

   [I asked where you are! How many times do I have to ask?]

   “Don’t try to push me around!”

   He was so frustrated that he wanted to cut off the call and disappear, but the screen went black just then because the battery had died. Sangwoo laid his mobile phone on the table as if throwing it away with a feeling of hopelessness.

   As he saw the bartender in the distance moving closer, he ordered another glass of liquor. He didn’t know how many glasses he had already had.. If it was a matter of calculation, he had never failed before, but he couldn’t remember at all, he felt nauseous and dizzy. The image of the bartender pouring the cocktail began to blur.

   At that moment, the cocktail glass was in his line of sight. Sangwoo took a strong sip, the liquor he drank wasn’t what he ordered, it was handed over to him by the man sitting next to him. He took out a ten thousand won bill from his wallet and put it in front of the other person, but the other person’s face turned pale and he couldn’t say anything.

   “Ugh… how annoying.”

   Sangwoo evaluated the other’s words, there was still half a glass of liquor left, but the liquor he had ordered had been served, he sighed with his face on the table, thinking that if he drank everything he might die. At that moment, the sound of Jaeyoung’s voice grew louder in his head, making him feel restless.

   “You’re a straightforward person.”

   Sangwoo considered the words of the other person, there was still half a glass of liquor left, but the liquor he had ordered had been served, he sighed with his face on the table, thinking that if he drank everything he might die. At that moment, the sound of Jaeyoung’s voice grew louder in his head, making him feel restless.

   ‘How annoying, goddamn.’

   He changed his mind and drank the remaining half glass of alcohol in one go.

   Then the man sitting quietly beside him annoyed him again.

   “How old are you?”

   “It’s private.”

   “Are you a student?”

   “It’s private.”

   “Why are you looking for a man?”

   “…”

   “Why? Is your hole itchy?”

   Sangwoo took a deep breath and turned to look to his left. He might be sexually harassed by these human remains. The situation was so absurd that he had to laugh it off.

   “Laughing like this during a crisis is sexy.”

   That remark immediately put Sangwoo in a bad mood.

   ‘You look cute. The more you smile, the cuter you get.’

   Jaeyoung’s voice played repeatedly in his mind, causing him to feel the four emotions – anger, sadness, frustration, and annoyance – boiling inside him like a crazy person. Sangwoo rubbed his face with his hand before he was surprised to find that his cheeks were as hot as flames.

   “The person you were talking to earlier, where did they go? Did they go to the office?”

   ‘This damn animal.’

   The trifling words of this stranger he didn’t even know kept irritating him.  Sangwoo argued that he wasn’t a boyfriend and didn’t want to admit that Jang Jaeyoung would be leaving in the near future.

   “Why do you talk like we’re close?”

   “Sorry.”

   The man easily backed off more than he expected. As soon as Sangwoo picked up the untouched glass of cocktail that was next to the on the last seat of the row, the other party also followed and sat a bit further away.

   “Thank you.”

   “…”

   “I might be too forward, but I really like your style. If it makes you uncomfortable, I apologize.”

   Sangwoo looked at the other party with a suspicious gaze, but did not take the extended hand.

   “You are a student. I’m thirty-four years old and I own a fairly good personal business. I’m confident that I can take care of you. Would you like to talk to me? I’m not the type to play games and hide things.”

   That man didn’t realize that a smile would make him look more polite, but Sangwoo remained unchanged.

   “No, thank you.”

   “May I ask why?”

   “I’m quite picky about looks. They have to have a nice voice, be good at drawing, skateboard, and play basketball. And also be 27 years old.”

   He finished speaking and immediately lifted the glass to drink. On the other side, the person muttered in frustration, having heard a disappointing story.

   “Is he crazy or something?”

   He was drunk. Very drunk. Sangwoo could feel it, after drinking all the alcohol. The annoying man still hadn’t left, the plan had failed miserably, and it was time to go home.

   He went to the bathroom, planning to pay the bill afterward, but there were two English-speaking women who followed him in and invited him to chat, causing him to lose a little time. Sangwoo was confident in his English reading and grammar skills, but conversation was still difficult. No matter how hard he tried. Moreover, the music was so loud that he could hardly hear what they were saying. They handed him their phones and kept asking questions, but Sangwoo couldn’t help.

   Sangwoo apologized and took his debit card out of his wallet to hand it to the bartender along with the bill.

   “This is an ID card.”

   “I’m sorry.”

   After correcting the mistake, the woman smiled and calculated the amount, the amount written on the receipt was 45,200 won. Sangwoo wondered if he had been drinking only ten thousand won liquor. Then why was there a balance left and why was there a phone number and a smiley face symbol on the receipt?

   But he stopped thinking because of his headache.

   When he got up and stood, he staggered. Sangwoo put his hand on the wall, walked for a while, and thought that he couldn’t go anymore, so he leaned back against the wall at one corner and sat down. As he closed his eyes for a moment, he felt sleepy and woke up again, the song had changed, and there were many people walking around the club.

   ‘Ex-Friend, can’t remember which album or the name of the album, can’t remember which song, name of the song, Silence.’

   Sangwoo sat there, immersed in the booming music, “thud, thud, thud.”  Jaeyoung had played this song from his phone in the office to kill time. Four days ago, when he was riding in a car along the Han River with another person, he heard this song.

   ‘Sangwoo-ya.’

   Sangwoo turned pale, feeling like tears would start pouring out.

   ‘Sangwoo-ya.’

   He couldn’t remember what they fought about, and didn’t know why the other person was so upset.

   ‘Sangwoo-ya.’

   In his head, there was only longing.

   ______________________________________________________________

   ____.

   [1] The sentence with a typo or an extra word in the chat was a typo according to Jaeyoung.

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Chapter 78: <1001> #6.

   “Uh… I wonder if I chose the wrong major.”

   Yoona took a rectangular mirror from her bag and stuck it into Sangwoo’s hand. Then she turned back to search for a box in the corner of the room. Meanwhile, Sangwoo looked into the mirror quietly before raising it up for closer inspection.

   ‘I don’t see anything that has changed.’

   He looked critically at the mirror, but he still couldn’t feel any difference – except for the slight rise on his forehead. Meanwhile, Yoona threw one of her shoes towards him, a brown open-toe pump without straps.

   “What shoe size are you? Try this pair.”

   “It’s not mine.”

   “Just try them on.”

   Sangwoo took off his black sneakers without any choice. Then he placed them flat under the table and put his feet into the pumps, feeling a little strange but they fit just right. Yoona took a lip balm out of Jaeyoung’s drawer and helped apply it on Sangwoo’s dry lips, as if that was his fault. Then the woman commanded him to stand up.

   He stood up, feeling like a fool. Yoona hugged him and looked carefully at him from head to toe before sitting down with her legs folded, revealing her tiny ankles.

   “Great. If you had some jewelry it would be perfect…”

   After saying that, she ran to her own table, opened the drawer, took out several necklaces and rings, and walked towards him.

   “I don’t wear anything like that.”

   “Just look at this one, it looks so cool.”

   Sangwoo frowned when he saw the skull-shaped head and raised eyebrows in the picture. Yoona noticed his expression and tossed the remaining scraps onto the table before handing him a silver bracelet without any patterns on it.

   She then put it on his wrist before sighing.

   “Jang Jaeyoung’s eyes will pop for sure.”

   Yoona picked up her broken smartphone and took a couple of pictures despite seemingly being unable to have it fixed from her shirt pocket.  Sangwoo hugged one side of his chest and looked at the other party.

   “I have done everything you told me to. Now, can you explain what we’re doing?”

   “It’s a strategy… something I declared as the most sophisticated policy, Chu

   Sangwoo.”

   “What should I do then?”

   “Is there any law that says we have to be on the same side? We can talk and answer like equals. After this, you will kill some time, have a quick dinner, and around 2 a.m., go to Yeonsokdong. Drink some alcohol at a bar there. I’ll handle the rest.”

   “Why should I have to drink in Yeonseokdong?”

   “Because there are a lot of good bars there. Do as I say. Then, Jaeyoung might call you. If he missed your call once or twice and you answer next time, tell him clearly that he wasn’t clear. You then change the atmosphere, this is a proven strategy. 99%.”

   “What’s the percentage of error?”

   “Don’t ask any weird questions.”

   Sangwoo blinked, thinking that he might run into Jaeyoung if he went drinking in YanSanGok. While Yoona only talked about the method and the results of the strategy, she didn’t explain how it worked.

   “If we do that, will he come?”

   “Just saying, 95% or whatever.”

   “Why does the success rate decrease when you said it is going to be 99%?” Yoona made a frustrated face, but it was an important issue for Sangwoo.

   “Let’s assume he’s sick of me and the probability of him coming to see me is

   1-5%. What should we do then?”

   Yoona had a variety of facial expressions and the same goes for this time. Her expression changed as if she was acting in a drama, giving the feeling of despair before changing the expression and laughing out loud.

   “If that’s the case, then Sangwoo, you should have a pretty unnie or a handsome sunbae in that area to have them treat him to alcohol. Then, forget about Jang Jaeyoung.”

   Sangwoo frowned and sat down on a chair, his eyes locked onto the young man wearing a V-neck shirt reflecting on the black screen of his power-saving laptop mode.

   Yoona, flustered, said her goodbyes and lightly patted Sangwoo’s back.

   “Fighting. Chu Sangwoo, love is just complicated like this.”

   “It’s not love, just a little crush.”

   “And remember, only two missed calls are enough. That Jaeyong is really scary when angry, you know? I’ll go first.”

   “Thank you for your help. I hope the interview goes well.”

   Yoona smiled and left without saying anything, leaving Sangwoo to take a deep breath and open the bus app.

   “An excellent top-down policy.”

   He laid out the route and reviewed the plan in his head.

   Work until 6:00 p.m., eat at the cafeteria, collect his bag and brush his teeth, take the bus at 7:20 p.m., arrive at Yeonseokdong at 7:56 p.m., drink, screen calls and answer on the third time, and tell Jang Jaeyoung to be more clear when changing the atmosphere. Then he waits.

   It wasn’t the most trustworthy advice, but there was no other way… Sometimes, when you fall into the water, there’s no choice but to grab onto a straw of rice. return 0;

   The app clearly stated that it would take thirty-six minutes to reach the destination, due to traffic accidents causing congestion on the road, therefore making it slower than usual. On top of that, he checked his mobile phone frequently today, keeping both the GPS and map on at all times, which caused the battery to run out twice as fast.

   As the anxiety began to grow, Yoona called. Sangwoo quickly answered.

   “Hello.”

   [Where are you? Are you ready?]

   “I’m still on the bus. I won’t make it there by 2:00 a.m. What should I do?”

   [I haven’t contacted them yet. It’s okay, can you reschedule it for 3:00 a.m.?]

   “Okay. I should have arrived by then.”

   [Okay! That’s it then.]

   “Wait a moment.”

   [Why?]

   “What are the chances of success right now?”

   [100%, yes, just remember what I told you.]

   “I understand. That’s all then.”

   Sangwoo took a deep breath after putting down his phone. The bus was packed with passengers, making the air hot and stuffy. He stood holding onto a handle, staring at the red dot on the slowly moving map app. But now he had another call coming in from Jaeyoung.

   “…”

   He didn’t even have time to start a plan, what is this? Did Yoona undermine him? Sangwoo clenched his phone tightly and couldn’t do anything. A call from Jaeyoung came in and lasted for a moment. Just as the call ended, another call came in immediately. Sangwoo stood still, afraid that he might accidentally answer the call without intending to.

   After the screen displayed “Missed call 2,” some text messages also arrived.

   [Jaeyoung, ㅅㅂ♨:  I give up _19:55.]

   [Jaeyoung, ㅅㅂ♨:  Keep flirting with you and I’ll probably die before 

   I’m executed _19:55][1.]

   Sangwoo frowned, Jaeyoung’s message, written without spaces, had the highest level of difficulty in reading, like his handwriting. Sangwoo tried to decipher which word was misspelled before losing concentration.

   [Jaeyoung, ㅅㅂ♨:  I have something important to talk to you about, I’ll come to your house later  _19:56.]

   But even so, he could understand the consecutive messages that followed.

   ‘I’m not at home right now.’

   He was on a bus heading towards the winding mountain range, the plan had been fully laid out already. Sangwoo bit his lip, feeling hesitant. He thought asking Yoona for advice on what he didn’t know would be better.

   [What now?]

   “Jaeyoung contacted me and said he’d come to my house. Should I avoid him?”

   [Hey, don’t do that. He has screwed up nine times and now he wants to do something good once? That’s a common method. If I tell you to do something, just do it. It’s that simple.]

   “Are you sure?”

   [Do you want to keep being pushed around forever? Now it’s time for that guy to see it. Ignore the calls. And do what I told you to do.]

   “What do you mean I don’t have to answer just two calls? There have been two calls already.”

   [Change your plan and don’t answer until three in the morning. Got it?]

   “Understood.”

   Sangwoo felt frustrated.

   “Can’t I just go home?”

   [No, that’s it!]

   Yoona, who plans heavily and cannot express her opinions directly, after hanging up, the plan appears on the screen again, the red dot on it is far from home.

   Nine minutes later, the bus arrived at Yeonsokdong. Sangwoo headed to the bar that he had searched for in advance, which was said to have the most comfortable atmosphere and best service in the area. Although it was just an ordinary evening, the street was filled with people who came out to have fun, making him feel uneasy. Even though he was bumped by drunken people, he didn’t receive any apology, and was even splashed with liquor. Sangwoo pretended not to see any of these immoral acts and let them pass because there was something more important.

   The bar he was looking for was located on the first underground floor, with a sign decorated with light bulbs, a staircase leading down to the lower floor, and a black ceiling. As he passed through the cozy dimly lit hallway, a spacious and dark area appeared before his eyes, with two or three people dancing on one side and a table for drinking on the other. Electronic music echoed loudly from the speakers, although it was the type that Jaeyoung liked, but it was not on his playlist.

   Sangwoo walked to the bar that had a wide selection of liquor and beer, placed his mobile phone and wallet on a long table, and then sat on a stool that was high enough not to touch the ground with his feet.

   “Can I have a menu, please?”

   The bartender with an extravagant hairstyle handed him a menu divided into two pages. Sangwoo found it difficult to choose a drink because there were too many types of liquor and beer with unfamiliar names. He picked up his mobile phone and typed in each name of the cocktail and checked the ingredients on the internet. No sweets, no fruit juice, no cola. After eliminating several options, only a few were left to choose from.

   “I’ll have a Martini, please.”

   The search was complete, and the battery was only 6% remaining. And then.. Sangwoo reluctantly turned off his mobile phone. He planned to turn it back on in forty-three minutes.

   Having searched for it, he knew that it was a mixture of gin and vermouth in a ratio of 5:1, shaken together, the young woman used tongs to remove ice cubes and poured the liquor into a stemmed glass, rubbed the lemon peel around the rim, squeezed a green olive into it, and then handed it to Sangwoo.

   He received the glass and drank it in one gulp, causing the bartender to be surprised by his facial expression. The bitter liquor, without any sweetness at all, was also hot and dry. His heart was beating fast, perhaps because he had drunk liquor with twice the strength of Soju in one go. Sangwoo still wanted to drink a couple more glasses, otherwise he might be so anxious that he wouldn’t be able to wait until three o’clock.

   “May I have another glass please?”

   “Certainly.”

   “What time is it now?”

   “Just a moment… It’s 2:23 am.”

   “Okay.”

   After sitting and waiting for a moment, the bartender expertly made another cocktail for Sangwoo to gradually sip on so he wouldn’t get too drunk.

   Sangwoo asked about the time twice more, but there were still over thirty minutes left until 3am.

   ‘What am I doing here?’

   Suddenly, Sangwoo felt embarrassed. As a university student, his main responsibility was to study, yet here he was sitting at the bar buying a cocktail that cost more than 10,000 won but was less than a hundred milliliters. He was wearing unfamiliar clothing and in an unfamiliar place doing unfamiliar things at a level that made him uncomfortable due to his sexual desires. Despite feeling awkward, Sangwoo quickly made the glass empty again despite deciding to drink slowly.

   This time, he felt the hotness of the alcohol burning his throat. Meanwhile, his anger and anxiety gradually subsided. The liquor acted as a nerve suppressant that calmed down Sangwoo’s emotions that fluctuated up and down. He felt a slight relief, turning his chair to look around comfortably.

   The bar was filled with various people – big ones, thin ones, ones with fancy clothes and ones with simple clothes, ones who were young, and ones who were old. Sangwoo’s eyes lingered on the young men in the crowd.

   Despite intentionally observing and scrutinizing, there was no one that he liked. If they weren’t overweight, they were too thin. Some didn’t look attractive up close, some had unattractive hands, some didn’t have a good voice, and some didn’t walk elegantly, some didn’t look good when they laughed, some had overly tough facial expressions, some looked stupid, and some were just too enchanting. Sangwoo found it too easy to recognize the faults of people who passed by.

   ‘Think about Jang Jaeyoung’s first impression. It wasn’t good either.’

   Yes… It was like that. The other guy was just a forty-minute latecomer thug but he didn’t feel wrong at all. At that time, he didn’t pay attention to Jaeyoung’s appearance, so Sangwoo felt hurt.

   Maybe it was because of the alcohol, tears started to fall. The control over his anger was flawed, his emotions fluctuated, his mood was fragile, and many strange symptoms occurred since he met Jaeyoung.

   While Sangwoo ordered another glass of whiskey, he heard a voice from the left.

   “I want the same thing as that man.”

   ____________________________________.

[1]       “Keep flirting with you and I’ll probably die before I’m executed.” The Korean sentence is, 너랑, 밀당하다가, 제명에,  못, 살, 듯(Neorang mildang

   hadaga Jaemyeong-eomdulseut).”,  which is typed without spaces. “In

   Korean, there is a grammatical rule  for spacing, like in English.” The correct

   spacing for the above sentence  is, “너랑 (With you), 밀당하다가 (While flirting), 제명에 (At execution), 못 (Cannot), 살 (Live), 듯 (Maybe).” Typing  without spaces can lead to misunderstandings.

[2]       Due to Jaeyoung’s lack of spacing in his writing, Sangwoo misinterpreted the  words. Originally, the meaning should have been “with you” with  ”that man,” “flirting” with “playing,” and  ”executed” with

   “life/breath,” “cannot” with  ”not,” and “Maybe” with “seems like/looks like.”

   But since they were typed continuously, Sangwoo took “가 (ga)” from “다가 (daga) and combined it with  ”제명에 (jemyeong-e)” to make  ”가제 (gaje),” which can  mean “gasoline” or “temporary title,” and “명 (myeong)” which can  mean “name” as well. “에 (e)” is a word that has various meanings.

   Going back and forth, Sangwoo  did not know what Jaeyoung meant to convey.

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SMNTCERR, Chapter 77: <1001> #5.

   Tuesday, May 29th.

   Although sleeping for five hours is a short period of time, it made Sangwoo feel much more relieved. When he woke up, he felt much better and was able to distinguish between the strong remaining problem and the small problem. He decided to solve the problem in front of him first. Sangwoo thought that today, no matter what, he would drag Jaeyoung out and ask him why he was angry.

   [Can you tell me Jaeyoung’s address? _9:51.]

–     [Choi Yoona, Graphic Design: I don’t know _11:23.]

–     [Choi Yoona, Graphic Design: Why? What happened??? _11:40.]

   [I don’t know, just asking. _12:01.]

   Even though the first attempt failed.

   Sangwoo intended to wait until half past six, which was the scheduled meeting time. If Jaeyoung did not show up, he would go to the faculty office to ask for the other party’s whereabouts. However, if the information was not provided due to privacy concerns, he would go to the Faculty of Fine Arts and Drama Club and ask everyone he met.

   Sangwoo encouraged himself and picked out the clothes that Jaeyoung bought for him to wear, wearing a white hat on his head. He thought he looked strange reflected in the mirror in the bathroom, but he couldn’t help before he was ready. He thought he had to wait for Jaeyoung to come. If he wore clothes that the other party liked, it was highly possible to impress positively.

   Although he bought these bright-colored jeans just right without trying them on, they were more attached to his body than regular clothes, so he had to be careful when riding a bike. The white T-shirt itself had a sharp-cut neck, giving a refreshing feeling.

   Although he felt unnatural, he could adapt quickly. He attended two classes, ate, read books at the library for two hours, and headed to the office. By then, he had forgotten about the new outfit.

   Jaeyoung’s seat was still empty today, but someone he didn’t know was searching for Yoona’s whereabouts instead. Sangwoo thought that the other party was not a thief, so he let it go like that. If it were a thief, he would have been surprised and would have run away as soon as the door opened. The woman in the long pants and navy suit turned her head to look before widening her eyes.

   “Uh…what’s with you today? Why are you so cool?”

   “Who are you?”

   The woman with black hair tied in a ponytail.

   “Chu Sangwoo, you’re doing too much.”

   Sangwoo knew someone with a similar way of speaking and tone of voice, but the appearance of the woman in front of him did not match her.

   “What are you looking at? Am I beautiful?”

   The woman’s hair color, hairstyle, and clothing were all different, but above all, the lack of black eyeliner made them seem like completely different people.

   “…Choi Yoona?”

   “If you call me sunbae, will your mouth tear?”

   The other party made a gesture like a villain and lightly touched Sangwoo’s arm, ending his suspicion. If it wasn’t her, no one would behave so rudely anymore. Sangwoo retreated and spoke.

   “Please be careful about physical contact, and I already have an older sister.”

   “Everyone calls older women unnie. That’s it.”

   “But I don’t. I only use family terms with family members.”

   “It’s funny, Jang Jaeyoung… you still calls him ‘hyung-nim’.”

   “…”

   Yoona smirked and laughed at Sangwoo. Sangwoo trembled and thought seriously to find a reason to refute the argument of the other party, but there was no reason that he could use, because the contradiction was within himself.

   This was the first embarrassing defeat.

   “Do you know where the person sitting here is?”

   “How can I know where your hyung is?”

   ‘No need to ask.’

   Sangwoo gritted his teeth and picked up his notebook, judging from Yoona’s frequent fidgeting. It seemed that she knew about their inappropriate relationship, and it was lucky that she just let it go. He didn’t insult or mock her, he just opened his game and focused on starting to work. The other party started chatting him up.

   “Did you go shopping?”

   Although his appearance looked more polite, his inner self did not change. The woman thought that the T-shirt was beautiful and flipped over to look at the brand label on the back of the shirt.

   “Oh, we both spend money well. I thought of something and bought a new shirt.”

   “What are you talking about?”

   “You dress better than before.”

   “Wow, very much.”

   “Then it’s considered a success.”

   Yoona hugged her chest and smiled, although her makeup style had changed, her smile remained the same.

   “Are you doing this to look good in someone’s eyes?”

   “Who else? You already know why, why ask again.”

   “…”

   Yoona sat down quietly in Jaeyoung’s seat and remained silent for a while. Sangwoo picked up his mobile phone to check, but there was still no contact from Jaeyoung. There was only a message from his sister asking for a laptop recommendation that was good, cheap, lightweight, and weighed only about one kilogram. He opened and read it, then evaluated it. There was no email from his designer in the inbox.

   Sangwoo stared at the door, as if doing so would make Jaeyoung walk in.

   “Are you two doing well lately?”

   Yoona’s question made him lose his concentration. Sangwoo’s gaze shifted from the door to the email box that had no new emails.

   “Not really.”

   “Really? I thought you will get along fine.”

   “No, failing is not an option.”

   As he responded like that, he could feel the anger and stress that had been brewing inside him for several days becoming more apparent. Sangwoo raised his hand to cover his face, feeling it twist.

   “I thought it had to be like that, and what? Should I scold him?”  “That’s funny. You don’t even know the address for real.” Sangwoo mocked Yoona in his mind.

   “If you’re tired, just contact me. I can treat you to a meal.”

   “I don’t need any help.”

   “Not just that, I mean while we’re eating, I can help you curse and relieve stress in various ways.”

   “I don’t want anything like that.”

   Sangwoo turned to the side before meeting Yoona’s gaze, which seemed to pity him, even though he didn’t know where she was, but the other party had a close relationship with Jaeyoung. Sangwoo thought of one thing he could ask the girl for help with.

   “If that’s the case, please tell me about the person Jaeyoung dated during his first and second year, if you know anything.”

   Violating privacy, secretly investigating behind the scenes, collecting personal information. Sangwoo no longer cared about those things. Anyway, he stepped onto the path of immorality since he kissed Jaeyoung while “he thought” he was asleep.

   “You’re too obsessed with this. Knowing that won’t do you any good.”

   “If you want to predict the future, you need information from the past. It’s necessary for me.”

   “Um…”

   Yoona hesitated for a moment before starting to tell him that she passed the university entrance exam on her third try and didn’t know anything about Jaeyoung’s first and second year.

   “It’s okay if it’s not complete. Just tell me what you know.”

   “I understand.”

   She raised one finger with a puzzled expression on her face.

   “When I first came in, they were a couple from the Faculty of Fine Arts. The other party was two years older and they had been dating for about three months.”

   Then she raised her second finger.

   “During the hot season, I heard they broke up. Then he got a new girlfriend who was a dance major from Myung-Song University, about… two months ago? This person is also older, and they often quarrel. When he was punched in the face in the middle of a fight and left, he was relieved. When the fall season came, he had a new girlfriend again, who was an air hostess… I saw her when she came to the university, she was really beautiful, like… really beautiful.”

   Yoona held up three fingers and painted her face as if she were in a dreamland.

   “They broke up when he entered the military… which is like being together for only three months, you know? I’m not sure because we didn’t really keep in touch after he enlisted.”

   “Go on.”

   “I dropped out of school for a long time. When I came back to study, Jang Jaeyoung was already here. And then, about a year ago… he dated his tutor for a while. I heard she was thirty years old, but it seemed like it was only for a short time. Then he dated a law student for about four months? This girl was also very beautiful, even though she had already graduated… As far as I know, she was the last one.”

   Sangwoo analyzed incomplete data from all five and concluded that most of them mean Jaeyoung dated women in the arts, service, and language fields who were older or the same age for an average of less than three months, amidst data pointing in the same direction. Only Sangwoo, who was in the science and engineering field, younger, male, and in a same-sex relationship, was the only exception, so there was nothing to refer to.

   “Why did they break up?”

   “It seems like he was bored. He didn’t really think about dating anyone seriously from the beginning. Plus, he wasn’t really affectionate. Not sweet at all, which makes his girlfriend sad.”

   Finally, Sangwoo got some useful information from the girl’s words. It seemed that Jang Jaeyoung was bored with him because he cut off all contact like that. Yoona looked at Sangwoo and continued.

   “But as far as I can see, you have the winner.”

   “What do you mean?”

   “Looking at the people he used to date, most of them would be the adult and sexy type, right? But you… how should I put it… simple? Younger, male, and the fact that he is doing something he has never done before means that you are special, right?”

   ‘Because I’m not his boyfriend.’

   Sangwoo muttered to himself, but because of that, Sangwoo was confident that he could change the other’s mind, and their relationship was linked by their bodies. Sangwoo knew well that just kissing him was enough. Jaeyoung is hard now. Even though he learned from the internet, there were still techniques he hadn’t tried with the other person, but even if he tried to change the other’s mind…

   “It’s useless, because it’s probably over anyway.”

   The ending had been predetermined from the start, he was just foolishly lost in his love and didn’t prepare himself to deal with anything like a fool.

   Yoona’s eyebrows dropped, she spoke with a face that reminded one of a pouting puppy.

   “I understand that feeling well…”

   “…”

   “But even so, there is still time left, isn’t there? At least you can be together to the fullest before letting go, so you won’t have to regret it later. I myself have been in a similar situation, and all we did was argue until it ended badly.”

   Yoona took a painful breath. Sangwoo thought the other person was funny, even though it wasn’t about himself.

   “How’s Jang Jaeyoung treating you these days?”

   “He’s just as terrible as ever.”

   “Meeting the face but feeling like not seeing the person you are looking for, difficult to contact, right? Just keep drinking and ignoring phone calls, leaving me waiting. On weekends, they say they’re tired and want to rest, avoiding answering my questions. Only come when they feel like it, is it fair?”

   Well, it’s not just like that, but the fact that the other party disappears is worse than all of that. As soon as she saw Sangwoo’s face, Yoona’s pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.

   I’m really annoyed, I see it as some kind of death and don’t care at all.

   Really. Never mind, I’ve already thought of something good. Just stay quiet…

   Suddenly, the other person approached without explaining anything. Then she grabbed Sangwoo, took off his hat, and threw it on the table.”

   “What are you going to do?”

   “Just stay still, I will take care of it myself.”

   She searched for Jaeyoung’s lip balm with an excited face, picked up a round container the size of her palm, opened it to smell it, and then walked towards him.

   “Don’t tell me you’re going to put it on my hair.”

   “Yep.”

   “Oh. No, thank you. Just go far away.”

   “Come on! Who said he wanted to look good, let’s do it a little harder.”

   “Wait a minute.”

   Although Sangwoo tried to resist, Yoona’s determination was strong, and she plunged in and messed up his hair, making Sangwoo have to give in and sit quietly. As he sat there feeling hopeless, the young woman hummed a song and styled his hair.

   “You have handsome eyebrows.”

   “Eyebrows are just eyebrows. How can they be made to look good?”

   “So how can they be made to look good? You wear a cap every day…”

   Yoona complained to herself and took a rectangular box from her own table, making a rattling noise. Then she took something that looked like a small toothbrush and pretended to poke Sangwoo’s eye with it when he looked away. As Sangwoo turned his face away unintentionally, Yoona grabbed his chin with her hand and pulled his face closer to her.

   “Are you a child? Just stay still for a minute.”

   “That’s not a knife, right?”

   “Shh, be quiet.”

   The metal touched the edge of his eyebrow and moved little by little, making a grating noise. Then it moved to the other edge of the eyebrow, and Yoona looked serious, as if doing something very important. Sangwoo even held his breath in fear of an accident happening.

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