PEN Vol 3 Ch. 18

Sejin’s daily routine during summer break was almost always the same. On weekdays, he would wake up early, finish breakfast, study, clean, eat again, study, clean, and study some more. Having discovered the sense of accomplishment that came from learning, he didn’t complain about his repetitive routine. Rather, as the college entrance exam (CSAT) drew closer, he only regretted the time he had wasted in the past.

Since he started studying, Sejin began to dream, just as Cheon Sejoo had hoped. 

What major should I choose when I go to college? 

What will I learn there? 

What kind of job will I do after graduation? 

I’ll probably make a lot of money. 

Mom will be proud of me. 

Sejin found himself envisioning the distant future in his small room.

Then, when the weekend came, Sejin spent time with Cheon Sejoo. They would catch up on subjects he struggled with during the week, go grocery shopping together, and sometimes even visit the department store together.

“What are you buying?”

“I’m getting a present for Mom.”

After receiving his first paycheck from Cheon Sejoo, Sejin started using the money he earned. He saved on transportation and snacks, and with no food or rent expenses, the money accumulated in Sejin’s bank account had become quite a substantial sum.

Kim Hyunkyung’s birthday was approaching. He had never had this much money for his mother’s birthday before, so Sejin had decided to buy her a proper gift and dragged Cheon Sejoo out with him.

“A present? Why all of a sudden?”

“Mom’s birthday is next week.”

“Ah.”

Cheon Sejoo, wearing a cap, nodded quietly. Then he nudged Sejin’s shoulder and grinned.

“You’re a mama’s boy, aren’t you? I forgot about that.”

“…….”

Sejin shot him a cold glare at the teasing remark. Today, Cheon Sejoo was dressed entirely in black—a black cap, a black t-shirt, black shorts, and black sneakers. A style that others might tease him about, asking if he was going to a funeral, suited him perfectly. Even the blue veins visible on his slender body seemed artfully placed, adding to his aura.

Sejin glared at Cheon Sejoo, only to feel annoyed by the fact that he was ridiculously handsome and cool, so he turned his head away. Leaving the irritatingly attractive man behind who spouted such nonsense, he began browsing for a coat to buy for his mother.

After summer passed, autumn came and winter were soon upon them. Although Kim Hyunkyung couldn’t go out much while working at Ehwagak, Sejin knew that when the weather was nice, his mother and the staff would bask in the sun during their breaks and take walks in the hills behind the restaurant. So, Sejin decided to splurge and buy her a 500,000 won¹ windbreaker. 

“Cheon Sejoo.”

“Yeah?”

“Which color is better?”

Unfortunately, Sejin didn’t have much of an eye for clothes. For him, clothes were simply categorized as comfortable or uncomfortable. Though he looked good in anything due to his handsome features, Kwon Sejin’s personal style was to grab whatever was at hand.

At his request for help, Cheon Sejoo stopped browsing the store and walked over to Sejin. He looked at the beige and orange windbreakers Sejin was pointing at and then picked one up by the hanger.

“This one’s prettier.”

Holding the beige windbreaker against Sejin’s body, Cheon Sejoo nodded. Sejin puffed out his cheeks, feeling strangely embarrassed.

“Why are you holding it up against me?”

“You look exactly like your mom. It suits you. It’s pretty.”

“…….”

At that, Sejin frowned and snatched the hanger from Cheon Sejoo’s hand. Instead of being offended at having the clothes taken from him mid-compliment, Cheon Sejoo simply shook his head, a here we go again expression on his face. He was used to Sejin’s tendency to sulk at the slightest thing he said these days.

Sejin soon returned with a shopping bag after paying. His slightly reddened eyes met Cheon Sejoo’s. Meeting his gaze at the same height, Sejin stared at him intently for a moment, then spoke magnanimously,

“I’ll buy you one too.”

“What?”

“I’m saying I’ll buy you some clothes. Pick something out.”

Cheon Sejoo, who had been blinking blankly, suddenly burst out laughing, as if he found the situation absurd. At the sight of his wide smile, slightly shaking shoulders, and the gesture of taking off his cap to run a hand through his hair, everyone around them fixed their gaze on Cheon Sejoo.

Sejin stared blankly at him, then turned away, feeling a tingling sensation in his stomach. This happened often these days. Ever since he realized he liked Cheon Sejoo, he felt inexplicably itchy all over. There was only one solution; to avoid looking at him.

“Hey, wait up.”

Thinking that Sejin was upse because he had walked away, Cheon Sejoo, still unable to contain his laughter, followed after him. He’d laughed, feeling like a parent whose child, raised with much hardship, was finally showing filial piety. But on second thought, rather than absurdity, he felt a sense of pride. 

Cheon Sejoo quickly caught up to Sejin, who was hurrying out of the mall, and ruffled his hair.

“Don’t do that.”

“You’ve grown up, Kwon Sejin.”

“Ah, I said don’t do that.”

A warm hand messed up Sejin’s hair. Even when he angrily dodged Cheon Sejoo’s hand, he persistently followed him. Finally, Kwon Sejin stopped abruptly and grabbed Cheon Sejoo’s hand. A palm half a size bigger than Cheon Sejoo’s gripped his wrist tightly. Cheon Sejoo chuckled and tried to pull his hand away, then winced, surprised by the unexpected strength.

“Why are you so strong?”

His wrist actually hurt. When he finally managed to twist his arm free, red fingerprints were left on his pale skin. He laughed in disbelief and looked at Sejin. Feeding him ten bowls of rice a day had paid off. 

To think he’d actually overpower me in strength… 

Cheon Sejoo clicked his tongue, shuddering at the realization that Sejin had truly become a man.

“You’ve really grown up…. It’s disturbing.”

“…….”

Sejin frowned again, seemingly offended by those words. He frowned whether Cheon Sejoo complimented him or told him he’d grown up, leaving Cheon Sejoo wondering what he was supposed to say. 

Cheon Sejoo just shrugged and headed towards the movieinstead of the parking lot. The mall had a movie theater attached, and posters were already on display. Cheon Sejoo pointed at one of them and said,

“Instead of clothes, buy me a movie ticket. I wanted to see that one.”

They had nothing else to do except go home, and he had plenty of clothes. Knowing Kwon Sejin’s stubbornness, if he picked out something cheap and said he’d accept it, Sejin would definitely get annoyed and accuse him of looking down on him because he didn’t have money. But he had no desire for expensive clothes from Sejin, so asking for a movie was the best option.

Fortunately, the movie theater was showing a theatrical version of the cartoon he watched every day at home. Sejin, unaware that Cheon Sejoo had chosen this because he didn’t want a gift, nodded in agreement.

“Then I’ll buy you popcorn too.”

Saying so, Sejin checked the menu board of the approaching cinema concession stand and added,

“And nachos.”

Apparently, that wasn’t enough.

“And a hot dog, dried squid, and churros.”

“…Okay.”

Barely suppressing his laughter, Cheon Sejoo nodded. As Sejin headed towards the concession stand with a flushed face, and as he moved further away, Cheon Sejoo turned his head and chuckled quietly. He couldn’t help but find Kwon Sejin, making excuses to buy things he clearly wanted to eat himself, adorable.

He also found it amazing that Sejin didn’t gain weight despite eating so much. Even though he’d been over 180cm for a while now, Sejin still maintained a model-like slender physique.

While he waited patiently, Sejin returned with his arms full of food. After handing the snacks over to Cheon Sejoo, he finally went to buy the movie tickets. Luckily, the showtime wasn’t far off. They sat in their seats, munching on popcorn, and let 40 minutes pass by.

During that time, Cheon Sejoo had his number requested twice. Since Sejin had grown up so much, pretending he was his son no longer worked. So now, Cheon Sejoo simply rejected those who offered their numbers by saying he had a boyfriend.

Sejin watched him silently, muttering to himself, He doesn’t, every time Cheon Sejoo mentioned having a boyfriend. He felt uneasy. He thought it might be better if Cheon Sejoo just called him his son.

As time passed and they stood up to enter the theater, only cola and popcorn remained in their hands. Sejin threw away the remnants of the snacks he’d devoured and was stopped by someone on his way back to Cheon Sejoo. It was a man with a slick face and a somewhat suspicious air about him. Watching the scene, Cheon Sejoo immediately got up and approached Sejin.

“Kwon Sejin.”

Upon hearing his name called, the man who had approached Sejin widened his eyes at the sight of Cheon Sejoo. He held out a business card he’d taken from his pocket, this time trying to approach Cheon Sejoo, but Sejin stopped him. 

The cinema was crowded, so Cheon Sejoo couldn’t get over there right away. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about either. By the time Cheon Sejoo finally reached Sejin’s side, the man had already left. Glancing at the retreating figure, Cheon Sejoo asked in a cool voice,

“What did that jerk want?”

“…….”

Sejin shrugged and handed Cheon Sejoo the business card the man had given him. He’d thought it was some creep hitting on a kid, but when he actually looked at it, it was a business card from an entertainment agency. And not just any small-time, no-name agency, but a famous, large-scale company in Korea. A major entertainment company, the kind that most people would brag about all over town the moment they received a card.

Sejin’s reaction, however, was lukewarm. He didn’t seem particularly pleased and showed no intention of taking back the business card. Handing it over to him, Cheon Sejoo asked again, “They want you to be an idol?”

“I don’t know. They said to contact them if I’m interested in auditioning.”

As expected of a large agency, they seemed to have a good eye for talent. Even to Cheon Sejoo, Sejin had a face suitable for an idol. Of course, that was only when his mouth was closed. Lost in thought, he said in a playful tone.

“Give it a try. Your personality might be a bit… much, but with your looks, you could be a visual member or something.”

“……”

At Cheon Sejoo’s words, Sejin looked at him with a sullen face. His glare seemed to say, What’s wrong with my personality? He shook his head soon after.

“I can’t do that kind of thing.”

“Why?”

“Tickets, please!”

A staff member greeted them at the entrance to the theater. Sejin showed her their movie tickets and, following her guidance, walked down the inner hallway, explaining to Cheon Sejoo,

“Being an idol isn’t something just anyone can do. You need talent. Even if you can’t dance or sing well, you have to be able to appeal to others and make them happy. How can I do that? I hate talking to strangers, let alone laughing, chatting, and dancing among them. And no matter how much money I earn, I hate the idea of my life being plastered all over the internet.  I find attention burdensome and uncomfortable. If someone like me becomes a celebrity, my fans will have a lot of complaints. They’ll ask why I even became a celebrity, and they’ll probably make anti-fan cafes and stuff. Then my mom would be so upset and hurt. I heard being a parent of an idol these days is tough. If something happens to my mom, I’m sure I won’t be able to hold back and will cause trouble. How can I possibly be an idol?”

“……”

He had seemed uninterested, but it appeared he had given it some serious thought at some point. Cheon Sejoo smiled, imagining Sejin, who had briefly dreamt of becoming an idol before giving up. Unaware of the smile, Sejin continued speaking as they entered the darkened theater.

“Someone like you should be a celebrity. If I looked like you, I’d have already filmed a hundred movies…”

Sejin, who had been muttering as if entranced, suddenly stopped. He pursed his lips and turned his head, his expression hardening when he saw Cheon Sejoo grinning mischievously. Cheon Sejoo lightly poked Sejin’s cheek with his finger.

“Hyung is that handsome?”

“……”

Sejin couldn’t say anything. He stood still, flustered as if caught off guard, then, startled when someone came in from behind, he practically ran up the stairs to escape the situation. 

Cheon Sejoo followed him, feeling genuinely amused for the first time in a while. It was strange how the compliments he’d heard endlessly throughout his life felt truly sincere coming from Sejin’s mouth.