Black & Grey

Yoochan, having put on his clothes, saw Jungeol fiddling with the tablet. Jungeol loaded a photo into what seemed like a drawing program, then resized a saved leopard design and placed it on the shoulder blade before showing it to Yoochan.“This way, only the head will fit. I think it would be good to add a bit of background too, what do you think?”“Hey, no need for words.”Yoochan gave Jungeol a thumbs-up, clearly satisfied. Jungeol also turned off the tablet screen and stood up.“Alright, then I’ll send you one each for the wolf, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma whenever I have time.”“What? You’re going to send all of them instead of choosing one here?”Jungeol looked down at Yoochan’s surprised voice. Yoochan was rather taken aback by Jungeol’s expression, as if asking what the problem was.“Then it would take too much of your time. Or do you usually draw this many designs? Is that why it’s so expensive?”“I don’t usually go this far.”Jungeol said, massaging his left shoulder as if tired. Yoochan was even more puzzled.“Then why are you doing it this time?”Passing by Yoochan, who had a bewildered expression, Jungeol lightly placed his hand on Yoochan’s short hair and answered nonchalantly.“Let’s call it a perk of knowing me.”After the large hand left the top of his head, Yoochan watched Jungeol leave with a cigarette pack. Yoochan’s lips curled playfully, and he quickly followed Jungeol.“Hyung, Hyung. You have to make it cooler than the lion on Mauro’s shoulder, okay?”Yoochan said, sticking close to Jungeol as they walked down the hallway. Jungeol nodded, putting a cigarette in his mouth and opening the smoking room door. Yoochan followed Jungeol into the smoking room and suddenly asked,“Will you post mine on your Instagram after the tattoo is done?”“Probably.”Jungeol replied briefly, looking around as if searching for a lighter. Yoochan handed Jungeol a Zippo lighter hidden next to the ashtray and said,“Wow, then I should work out more in the meantime.”“Why?”Jungeol lit the cigarette with a faint smile. Yoochan widened his eyes as if asking why he was stating the obvious and explained,“Looking at tattoo photos, I realized that if the model’s body is good, the same tattoo looks much cooler. If a photo of my muscular back goes up on your Instagram, I bet a lot of customers will want to get a tattoo too. Well, you don’t have to thank me. Just buy me a meal.”Jungeol chuckled. At that moment, Gaang darted into the room through the open door. Jungeol raised his hand holding the cigarette high to avoid Gaang, who was trying to climb onto his lap, and said,“Gaang, out.”Ignoring him, Gaang kept trying to climb onto the sofa, making Jungeol frown in frustration. Yoochan, having no choice, picked up Gaang and said,“He seems bored. I’ll play with him for a bit.”While Yoochan played with Gaang using a bone-shaped toy at the counter, someone entered through the door. The man looked about twenty years older than Yoochan.“Welcome!”Thinking he was a customer, Yoochan greeted him loudly. The tall, skinny man smiled at Yoochan and nodded, then widened his eyes upon seeing Gaang.“Gaang.”At the man’s voice, Gaang dropped the toy he was holding and ran to him. The man, familiar with Gaang’s habits, straightened his back to avoid Gaang’s headbutt just before he jumped. After petting Gaang’s head for a few seconds, the man approached Yoochan and said,“Is Cho Jungeol here…?”“Oh, Hyung is smoking right now. I’ll call him for you.”“He’s in the smoking room? Then he’ll be out soon. Let’s wait.”The man gestured to Gaang and naturally went to sit on the sofa. Since Taeho and the manager were not around, Yoochan asked the man on their behalf,“Would you like a drink?”“I’ll make it myself. Don’t worry about it.”The man politely declined, told Gaang to wait, and skillfully took out a paper cup and citron tea from the shelf by the sink at seat number 1. He even knew the location of the water dispenser, stirring the citron tea with a teaspoon before sitting quietly on the sofa, waiting for Jungeol.The man didn’t seem nervous or awkward. He seemed to have been here often. Just then, Jungeol came out of the smoking room, saw the man, and greeted him warmly.“Yeongsik Hyung, you’re early.”“Yes, the road wasn’t as congested as I thought.”“Have you eaten?”“I was hungry on the way, so I had a quick meal at a rest stop. How about you?”“I’ve eaten too. Shall we start the work right away…?”Jungeol, responding politely to the man, pointed to seat number 1 and asked. The man waved his hand and replied,“Actually, after driving for over five hours, I have a bit of a headache. If it’s okay with you, can we reschedule?”“Don’t you have to go back tomorrow?”Jungeol asked, narrowing his eyebrows. The man shook his head.“I closed the shop and came with my wife. Since I came all the way here to see you, I thought I’d take the opportunity to tour Seoul. I’ll probably stay at a hotel for about a week. When would be convenient for you?”Jungeol looked at the schedule board next to the counter and said,“How about tomorrow evening?”The man readily agreed. It was rare for Jungeol, who was always fully booked, to change a date with a customer on the spot, so Yoochan watched them curiously. Jungeol prepared to leave with the man, suggesting they have a cup of tea. Taeho, who had just finished cleaning the bathroom, raised his eyebrows as he saw them heading out.“Is it Yeongsik Hyung? When did he come?”“Do you know him?”“He occasionally comes by. Yoochan, what are you going to do now? We’re going to eat pork belly nearby, do you want to join? Jaehyuk Hyung is treating.”Yoochan, who was petting Gaang, replied with a yawn.“Ah… I’m too sleepy, I can’t.”“What? It’s not even ten o’clock yet?”Taeho asked, looking at his watch in surprise. Yoochan, who usually went to bed early, yawned again as if he couldn’t stand it anymore and said,“I’ll go first, Hyung.”Yoochan nodded to Taeho with half-closed eyes and petted Gaang one last time before heading out.Leaning his head against the elevator mirror and blinking slowly, Yoochan suddenly remembered Jungeol’s words about “acquaintance perks” and smiled.No one disliked special treatment. Yoochan, imagining the cool designs Jungeol would show, laughed to himself until he was startled to see the elevator door about to close on the 14th floor, quickly sticking his sneaker in to stop it.The next day.During a break between classes, Yoochan, who seemed to have reconciled and was getting along well with Jinhong and Kkang, was playing basketball lightly. He heard his phone ringing next to his bag and ran to the stand. There was a message from Jungeol.Jungeol: Choose one: side profile/front profile.Yoochan: Front profile.Jungeol: Okay.“Is that it?”Expecting more questions, Yoochan tilted his head and put down his phone. Later, while eating after his next class, another message from Jungeol came.Jungeol: Mouth closed/open.Yoochan: Are you drawing the design now? Aren’t you busy today?Jungeol: Busy, so answer quickly.Yoochan: Mouth closed. Haha, don’t rush me. I need time to choose too.As if the conversation was over, there was no reply. Yoochan, who was used to Jungeol not checking his phone often, resumed eating.Around eight o’clock, when Yoochan was leaving the judo gym, another message from Jungeol appeared with “sent a photo” in the chat. Excited, Yoochan quickly opened it. The picture showed the head of a wolf in profile, just as he had requested, with its mouth closed and surrounded by a black background.Yoochan: Oh, it’s pretty.Yoochan tilted his head, looking at the drawing again. At first glance, he hadn’t noticed, but the fluffy black background made the wolf’s head stand out in white, making it look like a decapitated wolf ghost. He was about to suggest drawing the neck as well when a reply came first.Looks like it’s decapitated. If you only draw the head, you need a definite background. Or show both the back and the legs.Yoochan tilted his head, replying,Jungeol: Looks like it’s decapitated. If you only draw the head, you need a definite background. Or show both the back and the legs.Yoochan: Show both the back and legs? Oh, are you saying you’ll change it to a side profile?Jungeol: You said you wanted the front profile. The wolf’s face should look forward. I’m just changing the angle.Even after reading Jungeol’s message twice more, Yoochan still didn’t understand and replied,Yoochan: How can you see both the back and legs from above? If you look from above, you only see the wolf’s head and back, with the legs hidden by the head.Jungeol: I’m saying I’ll change the horizontal angle to a high angle.Yoochan: High angle, doesn’t that mean looking down from above?Jungeol: Yeah.The more they talked, the more Yoochan felt like he was sinking into a swamp. Eventually, Yoochan stepped aside from the road and replied more seriously,Yoochan: But if you look from above, you won’t see the legs.Jungeol: Why not? I don’t need to show the whole legs. I’ll draw from the knee joints up.Yoochan: Wouldn’t that part be even more obscured? It seems like only the claws would be visible.Jungeol: What are you talking about?Yoochan: ??Jungeol: Ah, you’re talking about bird’s eye view, right? I’m saying high angle.Yoochan: Suddenly new eyes? Um, I don’t really like birds though.Jungeol: Ha….In the short message, Yoochan could almost hear Jungeol’s sigh. Just then, his phone buzzed loudly. It was Jungeol. Yoochan hurriedly answered.“Yes, Hyung!”[Where are you?]“I’m just leaving judo now.”[Run to the shop.]“Now?”[Quickly.]“Yes!”After replying hastily, Yoochan hung up and looked at his phone. Frowning as he debated whether to wait for the bus, Yoochan eventually decided to tie his sneakers tighter.When Yoochan arrived at the shop, dripping with sweat, Jungeol was just coming out from seat number 1 with Gaang.Jungeol, seeing Yoochan drenched in sweat, told him to wash up first and then sat down on the sofa and turned on his tablet PC. Yoochan, who had quickly washed up, wiped his face with the towel hanging next to the sink and sat in front of Jungeol.“Look here.”After turning on the wolf picture he had sent to Yoochan, Jungeol drew another picture next to it. Although it was hastily drawn, the wolf’s head was soon completed convincingly.“I’ll change it like this.”Jungeol showed Yoochan the wolf with its back and front legs drawn. Yoochan grinned as if he now understood.“Oh, if you had said it’s a close-up shot, I would have understood immediately. High angle, low angle, it just confused me more.”“…Yeah.”Jungeol seemed to have a lot to say but changed the topic as if giving up.“I’ll send you another animal this week. Just pick the one you like and let me know. Don’t worry about the shading; I did it roughly on purpose.”“Can the next animal be a leopard? Actually, I’m most excited about the leopard.”Yoochan said, grinning widely. Just as Jungeol was about to answer, the manager came out of the bathroom, waving at Yoochan, and said,“Oppa, I think we need to have dinner now. Yeongsik is coming in an hour.”Jungeol glanced at the clock and said, “What about Taeho?” The manager shook his head while looking at the schedule board.“He’ll have to eat late tonight. There’s a guest coming in ten minutes. I have two consultations later, so I’ll eat with Taeho then.”Holding his phone, Jungeol stood up and said to Yoochan, who was still sitting on the sofa and staring blankly at him,“If you haven’t had dinner, get up. I’ll buy you a meal.”Yoochan, wondering if what he had eaten before going to the dojo counted as dinner, quickly stood up with a bright face, leaving his bag on the sofa, and followed Jungeol. He thought two rolls of kimbap were practically nothing.After eating a meal at a nearby place, Jungeol and Yoochan returned to the shop. The man named Yeongsik, whom Yoochan had seen the previous day, was already there waiting for Jungeol.“Shall we go in?”Yeongsik asked. Jungeol checked that the first spot was empty and agreed. Yoochan, who was about to head to his room after gathering his things, saw the two going into the first spot and asked the manager,“Is that hyung a regular? He even changed the reservation date.”“Who? Yeongsik? No, he’s not Jungeol Oppa’s customer.”The manager laughed, lightly pushing Yoochan’s shoulder. When Yoochan looked puzzled as to why he was going into the first spot if he wasn’t a customer, the manager continued,“He’s here to give Jungeol Oppa a tattoo. He’s getting something today. Was it his side?”The manager, tilting her head, soon discovered a customer who had entered the shop and went to the consultation room. Yoochan, standing alone at the counter, glanced at the first spot. If Jungeol was receiving and not giving a tattoo, Yoochan might get to see the tattoo on Jungeol’s back, which he had always kept hidden.Throwing his bag down, Yoochan ran to the first spot and shouted loudly,“Hyung! You’re getting a tattoo? Can I watch?”“No.”At the cold reply, Yoochan squinted his eyes. Yeongsik, who seemed amused by Jungeol’s reaction, quietly laughed and then cleared his throat, saying,“I’m okay with it, let him in.”“I’m not okay with it.”Encouraged by Yeongsik’s words, Yoochan peeked his head through the curtain and begged,“Ah, hyung. Please. I won’t be noisy.”Sitting on the bed, Jungeol frowned at Yoochan and pointed to a chair, putting his index finger to his lips.Told to sit quietly, Yoochan tightly closed his mouth and sat on the chair. He shook his legs twice, then seemed frustrated and rolled the chair close to Jungeol, looking up at him and asked,“But you’re getting it on your side today?”Yeongsik, who couldn’t hold back anymore, burst into laughter at Yoochan’s inability to stay silent for even ten seconds. Yoochan, not noticing Yeongsik’s laughter, repeated his curiosity to Jungeol.“Then is he also a blogger? What kind of design is it today? Oh, hyung, is he the tattooist who did your back in the US?”Without expecting Yoochan to keep quiet, Jungeol calmly answered each of his questions.“Yes. Yes. Chicano lettering. No, someone else. Anything else?”Yoochan thought for a moment and then said, “No, that’s it,” with a wide grin as he rested his chin on the bed.Yeongsik and Jungeol laid out the Chicano lettering stencils Taeho had prepared by size on the bed and discussed them.“This is the smallest size on the left, and they get bigger as you go to the right. Which one do you like?”“This one is too small; there will be too much empty space.”Jungeol said, touching the first stencil. Yeongsik, holding the stencil over Jungeol’s side through his shirt, tilted his head.“If you’re planning to cover the front with a similar style to the back later, the smaller size might be better. Actually, this font might not match the background on your back too well.”“I think it’s better without the background. Just the outline.”“You mean to remove this part?”“Yes.”“And the size?”“Let’s go with this.”As Jungeol picked up the second-largest stencil, Yeongsik went outside. Yoochan, who was watching Jungeol sitting on the bed, asked,“What does the lettering mean? I glanced at it, but the letters looked too much like a drawing to understand.”“It’s a meaningless phrase. Childish.”“Are you saying that because you’re afraid I’ll make fun of you for being childish? Well, it’s better than ‘no pain, no gain,’ right?”Yoochan said, recalling his younger, more spirited self. Jungeol, once again, seemed unwilling to explain, keeping his lips subtly curved. Yoochan sighed deeply, as if he had expected this, and then looked up again.“Is that person really famous?”Jungeol looked at him as if asking what he meant. Yoochan recalled,“Hyung, you took a vacation and went to the US to get a tattoo from a famous person, right? You wouldn’t get a tattoo from just anyone. Is that person more famous than you? How many Instagram followers does he have?”“Not sure. Never seen him.”Yoochan tilted his head at the vague answer.“Isn’t he good at it?”“He is.”“How did you contact him?”“We’ve known each other for a while.”Yoochan wondered if Jungeol was getting the tattoo just because they were acquaintances. Jungeol had been very picky about who tattooed him, even waiting months and traveling to the US. Yoochan’s curiosity wasn’t satisfied, and Jungeol, seeing this, spoke first.“Why so many questions? Are you really curious because you’re getting a tattoo?”“I can’t stand not knowing. So please tell me in advance. And answer properly when I ask. Why do you have so many secrets?”“Do I have secrets?”Jungeol asked, puzzled. Yoochan widened his eyes as if asking if he was serious.“You don’t show your back tattoo. You don’t explain its meaning.”Jungeol chuckled and leisurely said,“I don’t show my back tattoo because I don’t want it to be a spectacle, and there’s really no meaning to explain.”“Really no meaning?”“Yeah. Asking about the meaning of a lion tattoo is pointless.”“Even if the picture doesn’t have meaning, doesn’t the lettering? Everyone seems to think so. Especially you…”Yoochan trailed off, pointing his finger at Jungeol. Jungeol glanced at Yoochan’s finger and replied,“Me, what.”Yoochan hesitated at Jungeol’s calm voice. The phrase “DOGE’S♡” popped into his head, but he didn’t want to ask. He had asked before, but this time he felt reluctant. Yoochan lowered his hand from pointing and grabbed Jungeol’s thigh, changing the subject.“Okay! Listen to me, Hyung.”Jungeol waited, raising his chin as if to say, “Go ahead.” Yoochan quickly thought of a reason why he needed to see Jungeol’s body.“It’s natural for a customer to be curious about the tattoos on the person giving them a tattoo, right?”Jungeol didn’t respond. Yoochan raised his voice a bit, giving an example.“It’s like lying on the operating table and seeing the doctor who’s about to perform LASIK on your eyes wearing thick glasses. It makes you uneasy, right? Understand?”Jungeol’s eyes narrowed in amusement.“That doctor hasn’t had LASIK, but I have tattoos.”The first attempt at persuasion failed. Yoochan quickly changed his approach.“Still, you need to see the doctor’s skills firsthand.”Jungeol pulled his lips.“The tattoo on my back isn’t my work. I have work on Jaehyuk and Jinwoo’s bodies. Should I call them to show you?”“Wow… wow…”Yoochan was at a loss for words, letting out a short sigh and pursing his lips. Jungeol’s feed was full of his work, and Yoochan had already seen Jaehyuk and Jinwoo’s backs on Jungeol’s Instagram, so there was no need to see more.What Yoochan was curious about wasn’t Jungeol’s proven skills but his back. Yoochan just wanted to see what kind of design was on Jungeol’s back. Without a reason, there was no way to persuade Jungeol.Yoochan let go of Jungeol’s thigh and muttered, resting his chin on his hand.“Well, if you’re getting a side tattoo, you’ll have to take off your shirt, so you’ll have to show me your expensive back tattoo today.”Jungeol, looking at Yoochan as if determined, leaned in as if to say something. Yoochan, lost in thought, didn’t notice Jungeol approaching his ear until Yeongsik returned with the stencil.“Please take a look at this, sir.”If you want to take it off, you’ll have to find another way. Jungeol, who was about to tease, straightened up and looked at the stencil Yeongsik handed him as if nothing had happened.“I removed the background, but it looked a bit plain, so I changed the design of the first and last letters a bit. How is it?”“…Good. Let’s go with this.”Jungeol seemed satisfied with the revised design. Yeongsik immediately cut the lettering with scissors and told Jungeol to lie down. Yoochan, thinking he might be in the way, rolled his chair away from the bed and watched Jungeol.Jungeol, who had been smirking at Yoochan’s determined look, lay down properly. Yeongsik, placing the appropriately cut stencil on Jungeol’s side, looked around and then pulled a flat cushion from under the bed, placing it under Jungeol’s waist.“Huh?”Yoochan, realizing something late, made a sound. His previously calm forehead furrowed.Jungeol looked down leisurely at the puzzled Yoochan. The place where Jungeol was getting the lettering tattoo was his left side. Since Yeongsik was positioned on the left, Yoochan, who was on Jungeol’s right, couldn’t see his back.“Aren’t you supposed to take off your shirt?”At Yoochan’s urgent voice, Yeongsik lifted Jungeol’s shirt a bit and placed his elbow here and there on Jungeol’s body, saying,“This is enough as it is.”Yoochan, whose plan had gone awry, reluctantly got up from his chair and peeked behind Yeongsik. Jungeol’s back was obscured by Yeongsik’s body and shadow, and he could only see part of the drawing near the waist.Yoochan bent his knees or leaned his upper body to get a better view of Jungeol’s back. As Yoochan kept moving around, casting a large shadow over Jungeol’s body, Yeongsik, who had finished applying the stencil, turned around with a smile and said,“If you stand there, it casts a shadow and I can’t see well.”“Oh, sorry.”Yoochan hurriedly returned to the front of Jungeol, scratching his forehead.“Damn, this isn’t it…”“We’ll do one side like this and the other side from the opposite direction, so you can see it comfortably later.”Yeongsik, who had noticed Yoochan’s desire to see Jungeol’s back, kindly explained. Only then did Yoochan sit back down with a slightly relieved face and ask,“When will the first half be done?”“It should take about three hours.”“What? Three hours?”Yoochan’s surprised voice grew louder.“Why, is there a problem?”Yeongsik asked, looking equally surprised as if there was an issue. Yoochan frowned as if in deep thought.In fact, it was getting to be a sleepy time. His eyelids had been getting heavy for a while. Yoochan, who had been thinking of giving up and going upstairs to sleep, changed his mind when he met Jungeol’s gaze, which seemed to be watching to see what he would do, and plopped back into his chair.“Well, I guess I can wait for about three hours.”Spreading his legs and crossing his arms arrogantly to endure for a long time, Yoochan stared intently at Jungeol. Jungeol pulled his lips as if to say Yoochan had made a good decision.By now, the moisture had dried, and Yeongsik picked up the machine. Yoochan gritted his teeth and widened his eyes. He was a martial artist. He thought he could endure a little sleepiness with strong willpower, and he looked at Jungeol with a confident expression.And exactly thirty minutes later, Yeongsik, who had been focused on the tattoo and hadn’t noticed his surroundings, looked up briefly and said,“That friend is sleeping.”Jungeol’s shoulders shook slightly at the sight of Yoochan, who was sleeping soundly with his head almost bent to one side. In fact, Jungeol had been watching Yoochan nodding off and doing head rolls for a while. Jungeol raised his hand slightly to signal Yeongsik to stop.“Is there a blanket underneath?”Yeongsik looked under the bed while holding the machine.“No blanket, but there’s a black piece of clothing.”“Oh, that’s mine. Give it to me.”What Yeongsik pulled out was a black windbreaker that Jungeol often wore while working.Jungeol got up and took the windbreaker from Yeongsik, covering Yoochan with it. Despite the rustling sound, Yoochan didn’t wake up. Yoochan, wearing Jungeol’s clothes, slept deeply until Jungeol’s Chicano lettering was completely finished.When the machine noise completely stopped and Yeongsik and Jungeol’s conversation ended, silence fell over the first spot. It was only when someone walked out that Yoochan, who had slept for five hours straight, slowly opened his eyes.Yoochan blinked his half-closed, dazed eyes and then suddenly opened them wide, turning his head. Yeongsik was nowhere to be seen, and only Jungeol was sitting on the bed, looking at Yoochan.“Ah…”Realizing the situation perfectly as he saw Jungeol lowering the sweatshirt he had pulled up to his chest, Yoochan covered his face with his hands.“Damn. So much for the martial artist’s spirit.”Criticizing his own weak willpower, Yoochan discovered the windbreaker on his knees and looked up.“Is this yours, Hyung?”“Yeah.”“Why did you cover me with it to sleep better, Hyung? You should have smacked me on the back of the head to wake me up.”After handing the windbreaker back to Jungeol, Yoochan rubbed his face with his palms and stood up. Having slept in an uncomfortable position, his neck was stiff. Yoochan turned his head back and forth, making cracking sounds, and then glared at Jungeol as if dissatisfied.“Don’t let your guard down just because of this, Hyung. I’ll find a way to see it soon.”“Good luck. Wipe the sleep out of your eyes before you go up.”Jungeol replied leisurely, not seeming to care much about Yoochan’s threat. Yoochan obediently wiped the sleep from his eyes and waved to Jungeol, saying, “I’m going.” Jungeol waved back, trying to suppress a smile.Yoochan, wondering if Jungeol had always waved goodbye, yawned as he left the shop, feeling the sleepiness return.* * *Yoochan: Jungeol Hyung, how about this?Late the next afternoon, Yoochan, who was waiting for Jungeol’s design, sent Jungeol a photo he saw on the bus ride home. It was the work of a Japanese tattoo artist famous for newschool style, with the upper part of the picture depicting a woman’s face and the lower part featuring a goblin.Jungeol: Make it newschool?Despite being always busy, Jungeol unexpectedly replied quickly.Yoochan: No, Hyung! Of course, it has to be black and gray!Jungeol: A goblin?Yoochan: Ah, I’m not a fan of goblins. How about making half the face a wolf and the other half a machine or monster? The mix looks unique and cool.Yoochan imagined the machine and monster that Jungeol would draw and waited for a reply with a beaming face. However, upon receiving Jungeol’s reply, Yoochan was greatly bewildered.Jungeol: Jaehyuk is good with bio-mechanics, and Dahee is an expert in blackwork for creatures. Should I introduce you to them?Startled by Jungeol’s unreserved attempt to pawn off the task, Yoochan quickly replied.Yoochan: What are you saying, Hyung! Of course, you have to do my tattoo! If I’m going to get it done by someone else, I won’t get it at all!Jungeol: They’re good too.Yoochan: But Hyung, you’re better. I’m not asking for a machine or monster, so don’t abandon me, okay?When Jungeol read the message but didn’t reply, Yoochan became anxious.Yoochan: Why aren’t you answering? Are you really passing me off irresponsibly?Yoochan was distressed, wondering if Jungeol had already decided to pass him to Jaehyuk and Dahee, when he was about to get off the bus and call Jungeol.Jungeol: What are you talking about? I’ll send you a picture.Following the message, a picture of a leopard design with part of the left back and foreleg visible arrived.Yoochan’s previously serious expression brightened instantly.Yoochan: This is really cool! I guess I’m more into leopards than wolves. I don’t think I need to see other predator designs.Jungeol: If there’s anything you don’t like besides the shading, tell me now. I’ll fix it right away.Today, it seemed Jungeol had some rare free time. Yoochan zoomed in on the leopard drawing to examine it closely. The leopard didn’t wrinkle its nose or have its mouth set firmly, but it stared intensely in this direction with sharp eyes. Yoochan liked everything, down to the sharply pointed ear hairs and the white, stiff-looking whiskers.Unable to find any flaws in the lifelike leopard that seemed ready to leap off the phone screen, Yoochan reluctantly turned his gaze to the surroundings of the leopard. For the first time, Yoochan frowned at the round curves surrounding the leopard, like an aurora.Yoochan: I’d like the background to be stronger if possible.Jungeol: How?Yoochan: Well… the background is rounded now, right? It feels like mist or an aurora, but I’d like it more solid.Jungeol: ?Seeing Jungeol, who seemed to have no clue, Yoochan scratched his head.Yoochan: Ah, how do I explain this?Yoochan: I mean, instead of curves, more angular!Jungeol: Oh. One moment.Jungeol said that and disappeared, then reappeared after 10 minutes with another drawing. This time, it showed the leopard as if it were running fast, with slanted lines. It was better than before, but still not the background Yoochan wanted.Yoochan: No, not just lines. If it’s a square, a square! If it’s a triangle, a triangle!Jungeol: You want the background to be squares and triangles?Yoochan: Just an example. I don’t like squares and triangles. I mean shapes like mountains.Jungeol: Mountains?Yoochan: Yes, yes.Jungeol: It might look strange. Hold on.As soon as Yoochan arrived home and put down his bag, another drawing arrived. This time, it was a mountain drawn over the leopard’s head, despite not being a landscape painting. Yoochan finally called Jungeol.As soon as Yoochan arrived home and dropped his bag, another drawing arrived. It wasn’t a landscape painting, but a random mountain was drawn above the leopard’s head. Yoochan eventually called Jungeol.[Hey.]“Hey, Hyung. Why is the background getting weirder and weirder?”[What do you mean put mountains in the background? You want to put a leopard in the background of Mount Hyungtae?]“No, not a mountain, but shapes that are sharp like mountains. Ah, it’s frustrating to talk without seeing your face. Come to room 1401, Hyung. Quickly.”[You come here.]“Yes, Hyung.”Yoochan quickly agreed and ended the call, having failed to mimic Jungeol.When Yoochan went to the shop, the Manager was at the counter and Jaehyeok and other tattoo artists were talking on the sofa. Yoochan bowed to the Manager and then went to Jungeol’s station.“Hyung, can I come in?”“Yeah.”Jungeol unexpectedly agreed to let Yoochan come in. Yoochan bumped into a foreign customer who was leaving, nodded his head slightly in greeting, and then went to Jungeol. Jungeol was leaning on the bed with his arm, pressing his temples.Yoochan pulled out a chair from under the bed and sat across from Jungeol. When Jungeol raised his head, Yoochan flinched. Jungeol’s face looked as dark as if a shadow had been cast over it.“Did Gaang bother you again?”Jungeol waved his hand, too tired to speak, and handed Yoochan a tablet and pencil with a leopard design displayed on it.“I’m not sure how you want the lines, so draw it.”Yoochan fiddled with the pencil and drew sharp flame shapes enclosing the leopard design. Jungeol, leaning his chin on his hand and looking at the drawing, spoke.“It looks like Tongki’s hair.”“What? You don’t like it?”“It’s not that… hand me the pen.”Jungeol erased the round bottom part of the flames Yoochan had drawn and drew smaller zigzag lines. When the shape turned out better, Yoochan’s expression brightened.“Yes, this is it! This is the kind of shape I was talking about earlier.”“You’re going to fill in the inside of the lines, right?”“Yes, please color it completely black. Jet black.”Nodding his head, Jungeol noticed that Yoochan still couldn’t take his eyes off the design. Yoochan, happy at the thought of having the leopard inked on his back, finally took out his phone and snapped a photo before speaking abruptly.“But Hyung! You have to raise these sharp parts up to the top of the trapezius in the background, so that when I wear a T-shirt in summer, it peeks out a little below my neck. You know what I mean, right? That subtle visibility is really cool.”Watching Yoochan, who was already excited about showing off to others, Jungeol tapped the bed with his fingertips.“I was planning to make it invisible.”“Huh, why? No way. Make it visible. I need to show it off.”“We can discuss that later… have you eaten?”Yoochan checked the time and shook his head.“I have an appointment with my seniors, so I have to go. They told me to drop my bag at home after judo. I’m about to leave anyway. Why? Do you want to eat with me?”At Yoochan’s playful tone, Jungeol lightly laughed and signaled him to go. Yoochan lightly tapped Jungeol’s arm like a friend, saying, “Let’s definitely eat together tomorrow! I’ll come to the shop!” and rushed out after checking the time.Jungeol’s gaze softened as he quietly watched the gently swaying curtain. After a moment, he stretched his neck and leaned back. It was then.“Ah, Jungeol Hyung!”Yoochan, whom he thought had left, poked his head through the curtain again. Jungeol straightened his head and looked as if to tell him to speak. Yoochan wiggled his eyebrows playfully and said.“I think I’ll sleep over at my senior’s place tonight, so if you’re tired, go upstairs and rest. You can sleep in the room instead of the living room. Don’t feel burdened because you made the design so cool. It’s a bit humid today, so crank up the air conditioner, okay? And I just thought of this, but please make the leopard’s ears a little bigger. I know leopards naturally have small ears, but I like them big. Anyway, I’m going now! Let’s have dinner together tomorrow!”Talking as if to a child, Yoochan looked at the time again and dashed out before Jungeol could respond. Jungeol chuckled in disbelief, turned off the tablet, and examined the design closely.He had about thirty minutes before the next appointment. Having lost sleep due to Gaang the previous night, Jungeol couldn’t afford to waste any time.Glancing at the clock, Jungeol picked up the pencil that had fallen beside the bed and started shading the leopard. He enlarged and neatly organized the lines of the background he had drawn hastily earlier, and then even adjusted the size of the leopard’s ears while sitting there.Jungeol: Need to borrow the room.Discovering Jungeol’s message while dumping the soju his seniors poured for him into Kigan and Jinhong’s glasses, Yoochan brightened up. Jungeol’s overworked face had been on his mind.Yoochan: Just sleep well.As Yoochan was about to reply, a call came from Daehan, who hadn’t come to the drinking session. Daehan suggested they go to a 3:3 blind date.“Sure. When?”Daehan said it was tomorrow. Yoochan tilted his head.“Tomorrow? I have plans.”[What? With whom? A girl?]“I’m having dinner with an acquaintance.”[Ah, come on. Cancel the dinner with that hyung and come with us. I got photos of the girls and you won’t regret it.]“I already have plans. Next time.”[Are you serious? Five people will have to reschedule because of you?]“Then I won’t go. I’m calling the hyungs. Bye.”[What? Hey. Baek Yoochan! Baek Yoochan…!]Yoochan, indifferent to the blind date, hung up and rushed to join his seniors. This time, he found himself between two seniors notorious for heavy drinking. Forced to drink a few glasses, Yoochan later noticed and checked the message.Jungeol: I can’t find the air conditioner remote.Yoochan: If it’s not on the table, it might be stuck in the sofa cushions.After staring at his phone for a while, Yoochan noticed Jungeol hadn’t read the message. Realizing it had been an hour since Jungeol sent the message, Yoochan assumed he had fallen asleep and pocketed his phone.An hour later, the drinking session ended. Planning to sleep over at a senior’s place tonight, Yoochan realized it would be tough for five guys to sleep in a studio apartment. With Kigan and Jinhong too drunk to go home, Yoochan quietly bid farewell to the senior who had offered to lend him a room and took a taxi.Arriving at the officetel, Yoochan visited the shop instead of going up to his room. Jaehyeok, who was feeding Gaang at the counter, immediately spoke when he saw Yoochan.“Oh, Yoochan. Jungeol is in your room.”