ASCP Ch 10
by kisses“Sir, what kind of charcoal is this?”
Daeyong asked, looking up at Jaekang.
Myeongseon tried to act nonchalant, pretending to be busy with his phone. Not even knowing what he was looking at, he mindlessly scrolled down the screen with his finger.
“Binchotan.”
It was Jaekang’s voice.
Whoosh, the heat washed over them, clunk, the charcoal container was placed in, and clang, the grill was put back.
Even after Jaekang left, Myeongseon continued to stare at his phone screen before glancing at Daeyong.
Daeyong was looking down at the glowing charcoal with his arms crossed and a slight frown on his face.
Myeongseon looked back towards where Jaekang had gone, then back at Daeyong.
“Did you get a good look?”
“Hmm….”
Daeyong tilted his head slightly to one side.
“Did you turn on your gaydar?”
“Hmm….”
Daeyong tilted his head slightly to the other side.
“Did you use your gaydar?”
“Wow…”
“Say something.”
“It’s record-breaking.”
“What? What is?”
“The difficulty level is record-breaking.”
Myeongseon slumped his shoulders and sighed.
“I knew it.”
“I might know more if I see him again.”
“…….”
“Sunny, but my gaydar might not be in its best condition right now. Do you think I’ve been playing around just because it’s the store’s day off? I went to the wholesale market to buy goods this morning. So, because of that, I’m a little tired, and my gaydar might be a bit dull.”
Myeongseon, feeling disappointed, placed the meat on the grill.
“…Anyway, since he’s the only one handling the charcoal, he’ll keep coming in and out. Just watch him for now.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t be obvious. Got it?”
“Got it.”
* * *
Sitting at a table in the dining hall, not at the counter, and watching Jaekang move around, Myeongseon felt strange.
Jaekang was still focused only on his work, paying no attention to anything but the charcoal and the grills. Myeongseon was suddenly surprised that other customers showed no interest in Jaekang, who had such a body.
Myeongseon himself was almost blinded by the radiance emanating from Jaekang’s body, but to other customers, Jaekang seemed to be invisible.
And the fact that Jaekang, who was so special only to him, didn’t even glance his way, annoyed Myeongson so much.
After all that fuss when we parted, he must know I was here, yet he couldn’t even spare a look of disdain?
What kind of person was he?
“He does seem to be your type.”
Daeyong said, watching Jaekang’s back as he walked past their table toward the entrance.
“He’s 100% my ideal type.”
Myeongseon mumbled, scooping up some chilled cucumber soup.
“You really don’t care about faces, do you?”
“What does his face matter? I’m not going to stick it on his face.”
“You do stick it on a face though. In the mouth.”
“Why does it matter what that mouth looks like?”
“Well, by that logic, why does it matter what the body looks like?”
“In any case, the body is what’s primarily fucked and touched.”
Daeyong shook his head, gnawing on a glbi rib with his front teeth.
“You should develop some taste in faces, Sunny.”
“I’m not interested in faces. And he doesn’t seem that bad looking anyway.”
“He’s not good by my standards.”
“Why are you bringing your type into this?”
“Ooooh? Are you defending that guy?”
“…….”
“Looks like you’ve fallen hard, huh?”
Myeongseon silently chewed on a cucumber and poured water into his glass.
“What are you talking about? How is that defending him?”
“Be careful. What if you fall deeper and he’s actually straight…?”
“What? He’s straight? You think he looks straight?”
Daeyong placed the clean bone he’d finished and slowly wiped his hands with a wet towel.
“Just by looking, he’s a true-blooded straight guy through and through.”
“…….”
“But looks can be deceiving, right? Unless we actually talked to him, we might know…”
Damn it, is all hope lost?
Daeyong rubbed his chin, blinked, then looked past Myeongseon and raised his hand.
“Excuse me, could we get the coals removed from this grill?”
“One moment, please.”
Jaekang’s voice came from behind them.
Myeongseon gulped and quickly picked up his phone, pretending to be busy. Daeyong chuckled, watching Myeongseon busily pretend to be engrossed in his phone.
“He told us to wait a moment. He went outside. He’s not back yet.”
“……”
Myeongseon glared at Daeyong and looked back down at his phone screen.
“Sunny, Sunny, Myeongsunny…”
Daeyong sighed, a smile playing on his lips.
“Myeongsunny, in love.”
“What?”
Myeongseon immediately made a disgusted face.
“That’s exactly how you’re acting right now. Like you’ve got a crush and brought your friend to secretly check him out.”
“What are you talking about? I brought you here by car and am treating you to meat so you can tell me if he’s gay or not?”
“Are you sure you’re aware of your true feelings?”
“Stop talking nonsense. Shouldn’t you be paying for the barbecue you ate?”
“Do you even know the frustration of a bottom who went to a bathhouse but only got a handjob?”
“What…?”
As Myeongseon looked bewildered, Jaekang appeared beside their table. Myeongseon instinctively looked up at Jaekang, then back at Daeyong. Daeyong was looking at Jaekang. Jaekang indifferently lifted the charcoal container and disappeared. Daeyong stared at his retreating figure.
Myeongseon made a disgusted face.
“Yeom, was that your strategy? That’s it?”
“I’m trying everything, just in case. Throwing out the basic terms.”
“Pathetic…”
Myeongseon trailed off, then leaned slightly toward Daeyong.
“So?”
“Huh?”
“Did you figure anything out?”
“He’s straight.”
Myeongseon stared at Daeyong’s face and slowly leaned back against his chair.
“……Are you sure?”
“According to my gaydar, yes.”
“…….”
“I can’t say it’s 100% certain, but my gaydar detects about 99% hetero content.”
“So, it’s only 99%, isn’t it?”
“The remaining 1% accounts for the famous saying ‘you never know.’ There are some people who are really good at blending in.”
“…….”
Myeongseon crossed his arms and looked down at the messy table.
Disappointing.
The anticipation that had been bubbling up to his head slowly drained down to his toes.
Why did I have to develop a fetish for that kind of body?
Why did that straight guy have to have that kind of body?
And why did that bastard have to catch my eye?
It was all wrong from the start.
“Sunny, but you never know until he says it himself. And surprisingly, there are quite a few people who live without knowing they’re gay. Also, like I said, my gaydar might be a little dull.”
“Forget it. Don’t try to comfort me.”
“Alright, enough with the empty words of comfort.You said you were giving up, so give up. You’ll only hurt yourself if you fall deeper.”
“Let’s go.”
Myeongseon stood up.
“Are you really leaving, Myeongseon?”
Jeongsik, who was at the counter, looked disappointed as Myeongseon prepared to leave the restaurant.
Myeongseon waved his hand dismissively a few times and went outside, leaving Daeyong, who was exchanging long goodbyes with Jeongsik, behind.
A sudden surge of anger welled up inside him.
Because of that bastard, I’ve been stuck here working for three days, got cursed at for staring, and what? He’s straight on top of it all?
Waste of time, waste of money, waste of energy, waste of emotions… How many things have I wasted because of that straight thug?
You, with that body of yours, flaunting yourself in front of me, you useless piece of shi… huh?
Myeongseon frowned and fiddled with his car keys in his pocket. Then, he abruptly strode towards the backyard.
Since things have turned out this way, I might as well curse him out and be done with it.
That bastard called me a “fucking asshole” and threatened to gouge my eyes out, but I haven’t even given him a proper cursing. I can be just as much of an asshole, you know? Hey, you really messed with the wrong person.
“Good work. Honestly, how are you so multi-talented?”
Aedeok’s voice came from around the corner, stopping Myeongseon in his tracks.
Aedeok and Jaekang were standing in front of the charcoal grilling area.
“It’s a whole different world, a whole different world. Even our Jeongae’s dad1 couldn’t do what Jaekang did.”
Aedeok patted Jaekang on the back and handed him an envelope.
“I didn’t have cash on me then, so I couldn’t give it to you.”
“Thank you.”
“I came running out in the middle of work because I was afraid I’d forget to give it to you. You know how it is when you get older, you keep forgetting things.”
Myeongseon blinked, watching them from around the corner.
“I’m glad I listened to Mincheol’s mom. I’ll spread the word around for you.”
As Aedeok turned around, Myeongseon quickly retreated behind the building and hurried towards the parking lot.
What the… is that bastard…
Myeongseon’s heart pounded.
…A prostitute?