IA Chapter 1.4

It’s here. This moment has come.

Standing in front of the hotel where Jeong-yul had asked him to meet, Jin-han nervously fidgeted with his phone. Just like when he was trying to memorize something before a test, he kept reading the ‘How to have sex’ tips he had captured. It would be easy if he asked Eun-hyeong, but then he would have to explain too much.

Eun-hyeong, who has the nickname “Crazy Raccoon”, will never let go until his curiosity is satisfied, so there was a 90% chance that he would reveal how he met Jeong-yul. Jin-han tends to get too tired when he hears too many words, so he knows how to corner Jin-han. If he confessed, he would be scolded a lot.

‘I can do it. People who didn’t know anything in the beginning did it all. I’ll do well too. I’ve always learned how to do things with my body quickly.’

Jin-han encouraged himself and looked around. He was at the entrance of the hotel where Jeong-yul had brought him last time. It was not a place far from his company, so it was good to stop by his house, and Jeong-yul said that the bar in the basement of the hotel was good. It was obvious that the facilities inside would be good since it was a hotel that seemed to blind you just by looking at it.

It was 9 p.m., which wasn’t too late. The surrounding area was bustling with office workers going to company dinners and people enjoying dates. He used to feel lonely when he saw these scenes, but he didn’t feel that way now. He felt pretty excited waiting for someone in a place not far from his daily life.

‘I hope we can keep getting along.‘

Would it be too greedy to ask him to meet him often even if he can’t have sex? He doesn’t seem to be losing out in size, but according to the female employees he sometimes hears while patrolling, it’s not always good to be big.

Just as he was sighing deeply, Jin-han’s excellent eyesight caught Jeong-yul walking far away. His eyes, which boast 2.2 in both eyes, also discovered men and women turning their heads as Jeong-yul walked. It wasn’t just that he was tall, but he felt that he was a person who caught people’s attention because he was born with a good style.

He felt incredibly nervous and his hands became cold. He wondered if he could satisfy such a person, and the courage he didn’t have in the first place scattered as he faced Jeong-yul. Should he just say that something came up and he can’t do it? Then maybe he’ll give him a chance and they can meet again?

With the ominous feeling that he would fail to get it up, Jin-han slowly moved towards a small park next to the hotel. He was about to follow the impulse that it would be better to mix in with the people smoking and disappear when Jeong-yul arrived. Maybe it’s because his legs are long, but the person who was far away a while ago narrowed the distance in the blink of an eye.

“What are you doing there?”

Jeong-yul asked Jin-han, who was about to cross the small fence surrounding the park. He didn’t want him to see him, but Jeong-yul seemed to have good eyesight too. Jin-han, who was crossing the fence with his big body that stood out to anyone, lowered his legs in embarrassment. He quickly stood at attention and made an excuse that didn’t make sense.

“Ah, stretching. It’s a method I learned recently and it’s really refreshing. Would you like to try it, Jeong-yul-ssi?”

Jeong-yul, who scanned Jin-han with a cold face, turned his head as if he didn’t think it was worth answering. He gestured to Jin-han to come in, holding the door for him.

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes!”

Even though he looks like this, he’s someone who knows what embarrassment is, so Jin-han quickly followed Jeong-yul with an embarrassed heart. Jeong-yul held the door open or opened it first wherever he went. He had done this last time too, and the person was treating him so well that he felt overwhelmed.

The bar was on the first basement floor of the hotel. Going down the stairs, there was an entrance hidden in a place that looked like an emergency exit door, and when he opened the door with no sign, there was an elegant counter that looked like he was in a foreign country. The woman at the reception saw Jeong-yul and greeted him.

“Oh, Jeong-yul-ssi, it’s been a while! It’s been about half a year, hasn’t it?”

The woman, who was overly happy and had a bright expression, was a stunning beauty even to Jin-han. Feeling awkward in the midst of people who were born beautiful, Jin-han quietly stuck to the corner. As the woman who came out of the reception reached out her arms and approached Jeong-yul, Jeong-yul accepted the hug without changing his expression.

“Yes, it’s been a while.”

“Are you back for good?”

“I think so for now.”

“Then I’ll see you often now! Did you come alone today?”

“No, I have a companion….”

Jeong-yul, having said that, looked around to find Jin-han. Looking to the side and then turning around, he found Jin-han stuck at the end of the hallway and frowned for once. Just like when he had a slightly uncomfortable expression at Jin-han’s absurd answer last time. He seemed upset and also embarrassed.

“What are you doing this time?”

“Yes? Well, uh, I didn’t want to bother you.”

As Jin-han quickly answered, the woman looked at Jin-han with curious eyes. Maybe it’s because she has such good sociability, but the woman let go of the hug and approached Jin-han without hesitation.

“Hello, handsome oppa. Are you Jeong-yul-ssi’s date?”

“Hello! I’m Kang Jin-han!”

Jin-han, who uses the military tone when he’s nervous, put his energy in without realizing it. The woman laughed as if she was amused.

“Jin-han-ssi is a really funny person. Where did you find someone like this?”

The woman, sparkling her eyes and wearing a subtle scent, swept her bobbed hair next to her ear. Jin-han clung to the wall as if he was becoming one with it, and Jeong-yul sighed quietly, reaching out his arm and pulling him. He was so strong that Jin-han ended up sticking close to Jeong-yul.

“Doyeon-ssi, you must be busy, so I’ll go in first. I made a reservation for 9 o’clock, so they’ll come out if you look for them.”
“I interrupted your date. I knew Jeong-yul-ssi was coming, so go on in.”

Leaving Doyeon, who was shaking her hand with black nail polish, behind, Jeong-yul led Jin-han. And someone who looked like a doorman kindly opened the door, a separate world unfolded.

The inside of the secretly hidden space was decorated with a feeling like old America. The decorations all looked expensive and fancy, and the bartenders wearing tuxedos were busily moving at the bar table. It was such an unrealistic scene that it felt like he had stepped into a movie. That was the case for Jin-han.

While the cowered Jin-han was looking around, Jeong-yul followed the guide as if he was familiar with it. The staff guided the two to a relatively quiet place. As soon as he sat down in the seat with the leather book-like menu, Jin-han whispered while sticking close to Jeong-yul’s side.

“Jeong-yul-ssi, should someone like me even come here?”

“Yes.”

Jeong-yul, having answered curtly, sighed quietly and looked at Jin-han’s face. His eyes, scanning him, were neither particularly friendly nor hostile. That meant he didn’t seem to have much affection, and even Jin-han, who was so oblivious, felt that at this moment.

‘Jeong-yul was really just here with him out of courtesy. Without being very attracted to him.’

A mix of embarrassment and apologetic feelings welled up. Jin-han parted his lips to say something, but changed his mind. It seemed like he really couldn’t do this sex thing. It’s unpleasant to have to force yourself to sleep with someone who has explicitly said they’re not your type, right?

“Then I’ll pay for it here, so eat and drink as much as you want. Thanks for coming out with me.”

Jin-han smiled coolly and handed over the menu to repay him for the last time. Then Jeong-yul stared at him as if he hadn’t expected it, accepted the menu, and nodded.

“Let’s drink first. I don’t think I can do anything in this state.”

“I’ll buy you whatever you want!”

Jin-han, who had shouted spiritedly, also picked up the menu. Then he barely managed to hold back a curse. This was because the price of a cocktail was far beyond his common sense. He thought that only this was expensive, so he flipped through the other pages wildly, but everywhere he looked, it was only things that cost at least 20,000 won per glass.

‘Maybe Eun-hyeong was right? That if you meet people online, you’ll be stripped bare to the point where you’ll even take out loans?’

But it’s not right for a man to take back what he said. Jin-han barely managed to pick a cocktail, convincing himself that he only had to eat one meal a day starting next month. The cheapest one.

Silence followed while waiting for the ordered cocktail. Apart from Jeong-yul’s quiet personality, he was the one who usually started the conversation, so Jin-han thought for a long time about what he should say. Then he remembered the conversation from earlier.

“Were you originally overseas?”

“Yes. I was dispatched to an overseas branch. That’s why I’ve only been in contact with Jin-han-ssi. I usually don’t talk this long unless I’m meeting them right away.”

“I see. Actually, I’ve never met anyone through the app other than Jeong-yul-ssi, so I thought that was normal.”

Jeong-yul was silent for a moment. He seemed to be thinking about something, and then asked a question after a while.

“I didn’t know you actually use that kind of tone.”

“What?”

“When you were greeting earlier. It’s rare to see that kind of tone online.”

“Ah….”

Jin-han finally realized why no one had ever responded to him. It was because his tone was strange.

“Then why did you respond to me, Jeong-yul-ssi?”

“I like your friend’s face. The one I thought was Jin-han-ssi.”

Jeong-yul was direct, as he had felt before. He doesn’t say bad things, but he doesn’t say compliments either. He was more comfortable with this level than with someone who was different in front and behind, but it hurt his heart because the person who was saying those words was someone he wanted to be friends with. It was true that Eun-hyeong had a good personality and was popular.

“He’s originally popular. I didn’t think about that when I chose the picture.”

Just as Jeong-yul was about to say something, the cocktails arrived. Jin-han, wanting to quickly hide his embarrassment, grabbed the cocktail as soon as he thanked the server. Then, without even thinking about his alcohol tolerance, he downed the cocktail like a beer. He could feel Jeong-yul, who was about to grab the cocktail next to him, looking at him as if he was looking at something strange.

That was Jin-han’s last memory from two hours ago.