Black & Grey

Jungeol gathered the snacks that were about to fall from Yoochan’s lap and placed them beside his own leg, then looked at Yoochan. Seeing Yoochan sleeping soundly with his eyes tightly shut, completely vulnerable, made Jungeol feel sleepy too.After moving the cola to the other side, Jungeol crossed his arms and sank into his seat, following Yoochan’s example. Feeling tired, Jungeol’s eyes slowly blinked a few times before closing completely. Just before falling asleep, he felt Yoochan’s head drop onto his shoulder. The warmth felt comforting, making him drift off even more. Despite the constant noise of gunfire, explosions, and screams during the two-hour runtime, neither of them woke up, as if they were sleeping peacefully in a quiet forest retreat.Bright light filled his vision. Yoochan, who had been sleeping deeply, felt a chill as he woke up to the sound of the staff announcing the exit. The credits were rolling on the screen, and the other viewers were getting up and leaving.Yoochan’s eyes fluttered as he woke up, and he looked around in disbelief. He saw Jungeol gathering the cola and snack bags from the floor.“……”“Did you sleep well?”Still unsure whether this was a dream or reality, Yoochan covered his face with his hands in despair at Jungeol’s question.“Oh, man… I slept like a baby.”Jungeol chuckled and suggested they get up. Yoochan picked up a piece of dried squid that had fallen near his shoes and slowly followed Jungeol.Watching Jungeol throw away trash in the bin at the entrance, Yoochan let out a deep sigh.When he had purposely smeared ketchup on his chin and asked Jungeol to wipe it off, he had high hopes for their movie date. He had even planned to subtly hold Jungeol’s wrist during a scary scene.It felt unfair that he had come to see a movie at dawn only to fall asleep. They might as well have gone to a DVD room.“Hyung, I’m sorry for falling asleep. It must have been boring to watch alone.”“I slept too.”“Really?”“Yeah. I guess I was tired.”Jungeol replied, smiling. Yoochan felt relieved that Jungeol hadn’t been bored and said,“The movie must have been calm, unlike the trailer. How did I not wake up once?”Jungeol, who had woken up three minutes before Yoochan and only saw the final scene, frowned at that. The ending was loud with explosions and a collapsing building. He had been worried Yoochan might wake up, but Yoochan slept like a hibernating bear, not moving a single eyelash.Thinking of Yoochan as a bear, Jungeol chuckled to himself. Yoochan, feeling refreshed from his nap, stretched and said,“Even though it’s 4 AM, I’m not sleepy after sleeping for two hours.”Jungeol, feeling the same, stretched his stiff neck.As soon as they left the parking lot and entered the road, they saw a brightly lit shop on the dark street.“Hyung, do you feel like having a hot bowl of gukbap?”Yoochan pointed at the shop with his thumb, and Jungeol silently turned the wheel.Yoochan had blood sausage hangover soup with rice and king-sized dumplings, while Jungeol had bean sprout soup. As they finished their meals, Yoochan spoke in a somewhat regretful voice.“Are we going home now?”“Yeah.”“Won’t you be too tired if you go home? How about staying at my place and going to work from there?”Without saying a word, Jungeol showed his phone screen.There were over ten messages from Taeho. Gaang, who had woken up, was crying at the door, and Taeho had taken him for a walk. Imagining cute Gaang crying and his close friend struggling to sleep made it impossible for Yoochan to push further.“Time flies when I’m with you, Hyung.”Jungeol, drinking water, looked at Yoochan. Yoochan, unaware of Jungeol’s gaze, put the last dumpling in his mouth and chewed.Thinking about how Jungeol would barely get any sleep, Yoochan offered to take a taxi, but Jungeol insisted on driving Yoochan to the officetel. Yoochan hugged the two packs of king-sized dumplings Jungeol had packed for him and watched Jungeol’s car drive away.* * *Jungeol: I’ll borrow the room.The next afternoon, while working out at the judo gym, Yoochan happened to check his phone and saw a message from Jungeol.It seemed Jungeol hadn’t slept much after going home early in the morning. Yoochan’s face lit up at the thought that he might run into Jungeol if he went home. Just as Yoochan was about to wrap up his workout, another message from Jungeol arrived.Jungeol: What’s this?A photo followed shortly after the message. It was of the A4 paper stuck to Yoochan’s officetel door. Yoochan, who had completely forgotten about the A4 paper, smacked his forehead and hurriedly replied.Yoochan: I put it up because I thought the meaning of the tattoo you explained was cool, but you can take it down, Hyung.As Yoochan worried about what Jungeol might think of a man who prints out the lettering on his body and hangs it at the entrance, another message came.Jungeol: No. This D-21 thing… Are you entering a judo competition?It seemed Jungeol was more interested in the scribbled writing above the lettering. Yoochan scratched his temple, unable to tell Jungeol it was the day he planned to confess, and made up an excuse.Yoochan: No. I haven’t entered a competition since coming to college. Losing weight is tough. That’s just the day I planned to hang out with a friend. It’s nothing, so don’t worry about it.Jungeol: Alright. Let me know if you enter a competition.Yoochan tilted his head in confusion.Yoochan: Why? You’d be too busy to come anyway, Hyung.Jungeol’s reply made Yoochan’s eyes widen.Jungeol: I have to go.It was unbelievable. Even as he thought it was unbelievable, Yoochan couldn’t help but smile. Another message from Jungeol arrived.Jungeol: It’s not a real competition, right?Yoochan, now unable to hide his grin, replied.Yoochan: Hold on. I’ll make up a competition right now.Yoochan quickly ran to the assistant manager, who had been watching him laugh in the corner with his phone, and said he would enter the next competition. The assistant manager half-opened his eyes and replied sarcastically.“When did you say you didn’t want to diet… Now you want to build muscle and become Captain America…”Deeply impressed by Jungeol’s physique, Yoochan had recently focused on building muscle and bulking up. He had decided to skip the competition because he didn’t want to diet and lose the muscle he had worked hard to gain.“Hey, losing 2-3 kilos is easy. Sign me up. I’ll diet. It doesn’t have to be a big competition.”Feeling guilty about changing his mind, Yoochan cheerfully hugged the assistant manager. After much pleading, he finally got permission.On his way home from the judo gym, Yoochan stopped by the shop. He hoped to go up quickly if Jungeol wasn’t there, but it seemed Jungeol had returned. Manager, holding Gaang, pointed to a storage-like door next to the smoking room as soon as Yoochan arrived.“Jungeol Oppa is in there.”Yoochan scratched his head awkwardly and asked,“I came to see you, Noona, not Jungeol Hyung.”“Yeah, right.”“So, what’s Hyung doing in the storage? Moving stuff?”Manager said it wasn’t a storage room but a studio. Yoochan, surprised to learn there was a proper photo studio, asked curiously,“Don’t you just take pictures with a tablet camera and upload them?”“Absolutely not. We use blackout curtains, two lights, and a very expensive DSLR camera.”“Really?”“Of course.”Manager leaned on the counter and smiled.“It seems like we make a living from tattoos, but we actually make a living from photos. No matter how beautifully we do the tattoos, who would know and come without photos?”It made sense. Yoochan looked at the studio and asked,“So, is Hyung with a customer now? Can I go in and watch?”“Well, knock and ask Oppa. It’s a female customer, but it’s her forearm, so there shouldn’t be any exposure.”Yoochan petted Gaang, who was sitting on Manager’s lap, and approached the studio door to knock.“Hyung, it’s Yoochan. Can I come in?”“Yeah, come in.”Yoochan was surprised by the permission. As he cautiously opened the door and walked in, he saw a woman in a sleeveless top standing sideways in front of a blackout curtain. She nodded at Yoochan, then straightened her neck again at Jungeol’s instruction.“Do we need to take close-up shots after this?”“Yeah. But first, turn your body that way. It’s not visible enough.”They spoke casually, indicating they were close. As the woman turned her body as Jungeol requested, Yoochan could see the tattoo on her forearm. It was a design with several crowns placed on a long sword.“Now I’ll take close-up shots.”While admiring the impressive tattoo, Yoochan turned to look at Jungeol. Jungeol, with his large frame slightly hunched and his sleeves rolled up, was peering through the viewfinder. Yoochan noticed how particularly long Jungeol’s fingers looked holding the black DSLR camera mounted on a tripod. He smiled, recalling how Jungeol had humored him by clenching and unclenching his fists while comparing their hand veins.“We’re done. Thanks. I’ll treat you to a meal.”Jungeol thanked the woman, taking his hands off the camera.“Don’t mention it.”Yoochan, who had been watching Jungeol with a pleased expression, momentarily widened his eyes at the mention of treating a meal but calmed down as the woman declined. She nodded at Yoochan again and left the studio.As soon as she left, Yoochan spoke to Jungeol.“Hyung, you looked really professional taking those photos.”“I am a professional.”“Damn. Even your response is cool.”Jungeol chuckled and turned off the lights, asking if Yoochan wanted to eat anything. Yoochan pondered for a while, resting his chin on his fingers, then asked back.“What should we eat? Is there anything you want to eat, Hyung?”“Not really.”“How about pizza or burgers?”As they stepped out, deciding on dinner, they overheard Jinwoo’s voice from somewhere.“I got that for the first time today.”“What are you talking about?”Taeho, who had just come out of the second booth, asked as he sat on the sofa. Jinwoo frowned slightly, then spoke.“Yesterday, a customer called to book a couple’s tattoo. But today, two women came, and I was a bit taken aback.”Hearing about the same-sex couple, Yoochan, feeling awkward, stopped in his tracks and looked at Jungeol. Jungeol didn’t seem interested and was pulling out his wallet at the counter. Yoochan listened to Jinwoo’s words again.“Apparently, another tattooist turned them down once for religious reasons.”“There are places that refuse same-sex couples?”Manager, who was perched on the armrest of the sofa, looked surprised.“That’s too much. So did you give them the tattoo?”“Not yet. Today was just for deciding the design. We’re doing it next week. Our shop usually advises against couple tattoos, right? Because most of them regret it. But I couldn’t say anything because I didn’t want them to misunderstand my intentions.”“Yeah, you did well. They’ll figure it out.”While Manager nodded and muttered, Jungeol, who had found his wallet, spoke to Taeho.“Lee Taeho, you said you have an appointment right after this?”“Yes! I’ll eat later!”“Oppa, I also have a consultation appointment.”“I have plans with a friend later.”After hearing Manager and Jinwoo’s responses, Jungeol gestured to Yoochan to follow him. Yoochan, still thinking about the same-sex couple, quickly stood up and followed Jungeol.Walking beside Jungeol, Yoochan couldn’t help but feel impressed. Same-sex couple tattoos sounded so cool. Curious, Yoochan glanced at Jungeol and cleared his throat before asking,“Jungeol Hyung.”“Yeah.”Feigning disinterest, Yoochan casually said with a nonchalant expression,“Did you hear what Jinwoo Hyung said?”“What did he say?”“About the couple who came today.”Curious, Jungeol turned to look at him. Yoochan cleared his throat again and said,“What do you think about that, Hyung?”“About what?”“About… a woman liking another woman.”Jungeol’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.“I’ve never thought about women liking women.”Despite the depth of his voice, his response was indifferent. Yoochan felt relieved that Jungeol wasn’t negative about same-sex couples but was also disappointed by his apparent lack of interest. Yoochan scratched his nose and cautiously asked,“Really? You don’t dislike it or anything? Like the person who refused the same-sex couple’s tattoo for religious reasons… You don’t have any issues like that, Hyung?”“I have no religion.”“That’s a relief.”“What is?”Yoochan inwardly screamed, thinking he had only said that to himself. But the words had slipped out loud. Trying to cover his awkwardness, Yoochan hurriedly explained while walking,“I mean, it’s good that you’re not a prejudiced person, Hyung. I like open-minded people without biases. Whether it’s a female couple… or a male couple…”Casually mentioning male couples, Yoochan watched Jungeol’s reaction. Jungeol, walking straight ahead, had a slightly furrowed expression. Swallowing hard, Yoochan asked again,“Hyung, have you ever liked a guy? You’re handsome, so I’d think guys would like you too.”Yoochan felt he had messed up. Despairing at his own words, he met Jungeol’s gaze. Jungeol looked down at him with a firm expression, as if asking what he was curious about. Remembering that Jungeol rarely talked about himself, Yoochan quickly changed his question.“Actually, a friend of mine got confessed to by another guy and was really surprised.”“Really?”Jungeol nodded, seemingly understanding. Feeling guilty for lying, Yoochan pressed his lips together before finally opening them.“What do you think you’d do, Hyung? I mean, you’re a guy too… If a guy confessed to you?”Jungeol frowned, looking straight ahead. After a serious moment of contemplation, he replied in a calm voice,“I’ve thought I could if I wanted to, but not particularly.”Yoochan stopped on the stairs. Jungeol walked a few more steps before turning back to ask why he wasn’t coming. Hiding his surprise, Yoochan quickly caught up.“I could if I wanted to, but not particularly.”What did he mean by “could if he wanted to”? Yoochan was dying to ask. He couldn’t tell if it was a positive or negative signal.Throughout dinner, Yoochan couldn’t tell if he was eating jajangmyeon through his nose or mouth. Jungeol’s words, “could if he wanted to,” swirled in his mind. Seeing Yoochan looking like he had a screw loose, Jungeol finally spoke up.“Aren’t you eating the sweet and sour pork?”“…What?”Jungeol narrowed his eyes and closed his lips. Yoochan stared at him, then tilted his head in confusion.“Wait, didn’t you just talk to me?”“I did. I asked if you were going to eat the sweet and sour pork. You haven’t touched it.”“Oh… I’ll eat it now.”Yoochan licked the jajang sauce off his chopsticks, then picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork. Usually, Yoochan would devour the pork like a vacuum cleaner, but today he only chewed on one piece and quickly spaced out again.“……”Oblivious to Jungeol’s suspicious gaze, Yoochan sighed deeply, lost in thought. Wondering what “could if he wanted to” meant, he had no appetite.It wasn’t “could date,” but “could if he wanted to.” To a curious 20-year-old like Yoochan, “if he wanted to” only brought one thing to mind—something naughty.Remembering the snake that seemed ready to break through Jungeol’s cool back and underwear, Yoochan hurriedly shook his head. He couldn’t possibly mean that. Yoochan desperately tried to think of another interpretation. Then, the word “kiss” came to mind.‘What? It was a kiss. I see now.’With an emotion that was hard to tell whether it was disappointment or relief, Yoochan sighed and put a hand to his chest. He felt a little awkward about his perverted thoughts, but then he gathered himself and boldly went back to eating his sweet and sour pork.Jungeol had been watching Yoochan for a while, amused. Yoochan’s expression changes—from being lost in deep thought, to zoning out, and then back to normal—were quite a sight.“What are you thinking right now?”Jungeol asked as he poured some water. Yoochan, who had just taken a big bite of jajangmyeon with sweet and sour pork as a side, replied casually.“Ah, Hyung said earlier that you could be with a guy. The way you said it was kind of vague, so I misunderstood it. You were talking about a kiss, right?”Chewing the food in his mouth, Yoochan looked up, puzzled as he didn’t hear an answer. He saw Jungeol’s calm face. Yoochan paused mid-chew, his face filled with shock as he asked:“It wasn’t a kiss?”Jungeol subtly curled the corners of his lips and casually gestured toward the dish with his chin.“Just eat your sweet and sour pork.”Yoochan, looking a bit agitated, opened his mouth wide and shouted:“Is sweet and sour pork the problem now? Wait, that was what you meant? For real? You really said you could do that?”Embarrassed by even the thought of saying “sex” or “sexual activity,” Yoochan kept referring to it as “that” and kept opening his mouth. Jungeol seemed uninterested in the topic now and silently took a sip of water. His indifferent attitude only made Yoochan feel more restless.Yoochan put down his chopsticks, clearly unable to continue eating the sweet and sour pork, and leaned forward on the table, eager to ask more.“When did you start thinking like that, Hyung? I mean… thinking you could be with a guy. Who made you think that? A celebrity?”“I didn’t think about anyone in particular.”Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Jungeol spoke.“I just naturally figured it out. Like I said earlier, there’s no reason to meet a guy, so I didn’t really think about it.”“Ah…”Now seeming to understand, Yoochan nodded with a bitter expression. He had been excited by the thought of being with a man, but when Jungeol added that there was no reason to actually meet a guy, it deflated his enthusiasm. Jungeol threw the napkin in the trash and asked in a calm voice:“Why are you so curious about this?”“Oh, I was just curious. I mean…”“Are you interested in men?”Yoochan’s face stiffened as he saw Jungeol’s playful expression.“…What?”Yoochan, who had been trying to brush it off, now showed clear signs of tension and awkwardly asked again. Jungeol, noticing his discomfort, tilted his head, almost daring him to speak.One side of Yoochan’s mouth trembled and awkwardly curled upward. He looked at Jungeol for a few seconds, his gaze wavering, before he nervously laughed and said in disbelief:“Heh, you’re really joking around, Hyung.”It seemed like he was trying to laugh it off, but his facial muscles wouldn’t cooperate, and he failed.“Stop fooling around and just eat the sweet and sour pork. It would be a shame to waste it. Eat up.”Jungeol watched as Yoochan avoided looking him directly in the eye and suddenly lowered his gaze to grab his chopsticks. Yoochan, his hands trembling, couldn’t grasp the chopsticks properly and dropped them.“Geez… why are they falling all by themselves… this is weird…”Muttering nonsensically, Yoochan picked up the dropped chopsticks and placed them at the corner of the table. He pulled out a new pair of chopsticks from the holder and started eating the sweet and sour pork again, stuffing his cheeks like someone forcing themselves to eat food they didn’t want. He looked like a giant hamster.Jungeol, who had been watching Yoochan with an amused look, raised an eyebrow and tilted his head as he observed him more closely. Yoochan, normally so confident, now seemed completely different. From his stammering words to his flushed ears and frozen lips.Realizing that Jungeol was still watching him, Yoochan nervously licked his lips, feeling his mouth go dry, and poured water from the bottle into his cup. Curious whether Jungeol was still watching, he looked up while filling the cup. He ended up spilling the water.“Ah, shit. I spilled it.”Yoochan flinched and pushed the cup inward. Then, he furtively glanced at Jungeol, trying to gauge his reaction.The smile faded from Yoochan’s face, and he looked desperate, as if he hoped this conversation would just pass. Jungeol, who had been staring directly into Yoochan’s anxious eyes, raised an eyebrow and handed him the napkin holder that was close to him.“Thank you…”Yoochan awkwardly pulled his lips back and quickly started wiping down the table. At that moment, Jungeol’s gaze landed on the phone that had been left on the table. Yoochan had put it on silent mode during work but had forgotten to turn it back on. The phone was now lit up, and it was from the Manager.“Oh, why?”As soon as he answered the call, Yoochan stopped wiping the table and looked at Jungeol. Jungeol watched as Yoochan listened attentively to the phone call, speaking with the Manager.[Oppa, the trip to Italy is next week, right? Did you book the flight?]“Was it next week?”[It’s June 1st. I didn’t write it down because you weren’t sure about your schedule, and I forgot too.]Jungeol pressed his forehead, looking troubled. It was a reservation for a special guest. Since the person’s schedule was as tight as Jungeol’s, there was a high chance that the booking would be canceled, so they had planned to book the flight later, but Jungeol had completely forgotten about it until now.“I’ll go upstairs and book it right away.”[Are you taking Jinwoo, or Jaehyuk Oppa? It seems like Jaehyuk Oppa is busy next week.]“I’m not sure. I’ll check.”[Okay. I’ll keep an eye out for available seats.]After finishing the call with the Manager, Yoochan asked:“Do we have to go upstairs?”“Yeah.”“Let’s go. I’m done eating.”Yoochan stood up and said. There was still some sweet and sour pork left, but Yoochan seemed disinterested. Jungeol nodded and stood up as well.“Where are you going abroad?”Yoochan asked while they were driving back.“I heard a bit of Manager Noona’s voice earlier.”“Yeah.”“Where? When?”“Italy. June 1st.”Jungeol replied as he turned the steering wheel. Yoochan was startled.“June 1st? Ah, no, that’s not good.”He muttered to himself. Yoochan looked worried, as June 1st was the day he had planned to confess to Jungeol. Already imagining a sexy future with Jungeol in his mind after hearing that being with a guy was possible, Yoochan started shaking his legs nervously when his plan was disrupted.“Why are you going to Italy all of a sudden? Is it for vacation?”“It’s for a work schedule abroad.”“Wow, a work schedule abroad? Hyung, are you some kind of celebrity?”“It was booked a year ago, so I have to go.”“What if it’s something like the mafia?”Yoochan’s innocent comment made Jungeol chuckle. Seemingly genuinely concerned, Yoochan added in a serious tone that Jungeol should be careful and take care, before furrowing his brows. If Jungeol were in Italy on June 1st, he would have to either delay or rush his confession.While Yoochan was lost in thoughts about when to confess, the two of them arrived at the shop.“It’s late. I’ve been waiting for a while.”Yoochan noticed another person sitting behind the counter instead of the Manager and made a stiff expression. He lowered his head and greeted the person.“Uh… Noona, hello.”Dahee smiled faintly, pulling the corners of her lips, and then seemed to recall her purpose as she looked at Jungeol. Jungeol, unfazed by Dahee’s gaze, glanced at his schedule sheet and asked:“Was it you who made the dinner reservation?”“It’s for May 30th.”Dahee, seeming in a bad mood, crossed her arms and stood up from her chair.“Today, Oppa has been avoiding my calls.”Jungeol looked up from the schedule with a dry gaze at Dahee. The tense atmosphere between them made Yoochan’s eyes dart around nervously. With everyone busy working and the place empty, the already cold atmosphere felt even more chilling.“What do you want to say?”Jungeol leaned on the counter with his elbows, asking bluntly. The height difference made his downward gaze even colder.Dahee, sensing Jungeol’s icy stare, uncrossed her arms and frowned. She looked both angry and sad. With cat-like eyes, Dahee looked at Jungeol and spoke in a weak voice.“You read my messages. Just give me some time. It won’t take long.”“I’m giving you time right now.”Jungeol’s indifferent tone made Yoochan even more flustered. Dahee’s eyes wavered as if she was taken aback.“Not like this.”“I can’t make time separately.”“Just give me ten minutes after work, Oppa.”“…Sigh.”Dahee bit her lower lip at Jungeol’s exasperated sigh.“Yesul told me I’m your last appointment on the 30th. So don’t make any other plans that day and just talk to me for a bit. I won’t take much of your time. I’ll go now.”Dahee hurriedly grabbed her handbag from the counter chair and left, not giving Jungeol a chance to refuse.Jungeol sighed in annoyance, ran his fingers through his hair, and lightly patted Yoochan’s shoulder.“Stay and hang out.”With that brief remark, Jungeol went into the smoking room. Yoochan, left behind, looked back and forth between the door Dahee had left through and the smoking room Jungeol had entered, feeling bewildered.‘Are they exes?’The situation had all the hallmarks of a lovers’ quarrel. Yoochan stared intently at the smoking room, thinking.‘Is Dahee Noona trying to get back together? Is she planning to confess again on the 30th?’Yoochan furrowed his brow and tilted his head as if something had occurred to him.‘No, Hyung said they never dated.’Jungeol didn’t seem like the type to lie. Yoochan scratched his head in confusion.‘Then what is it? Were they just flirting? Did they have a falling out? They seemed fine last time; when did they fight?’Thinking about Jungeol was already a headache, and adding Dahee to the mix made Yoochan feel like his head would explode. When he mistakenly thought he liked Dahee, he worried about a potential love triangle with Jungeol and Dahee. But he never imagined he’d be competing with Dahee for Jungeol’s affection.‘It seems like she’s planning to confess on the 30th.’Should he confess on the 29th to get ahead? It seemed like a sneaky but effective strategy. But Yoochan quickly shook his head. Jungeol might just be angry and still have feelings for Dahee. If that were the case, Yoochan would be nothing more than an obstacle between them.‘If Jungeol Hyung rejects Noona, then I’ll still have a chance. Maybe it’s better to stick to my plan and confess on the 1st.’The problem was if they started dating, his chance to confess would be gone forever. Yoochan believed confessing to someone who was already in a relationship was despicable, so he frowned, unsure of what to do. Then he noticed Manager Min Yesul peeking out from the bathroom like a ghost and shouted in surprise.“Noona…! What are you doing there?”“Yoochan, has Dahee left?”“Huh? Oh, yes!”“Are you sure she’s completely gone?”When Yoochan nodded, Manager sighed in relief, came out, and shouted towards somewhere.“Hey! She’s gone, come out!”Curious about who she was talking to, Yoochan saw Taeho and Jinwoo slowly emerging from behind the bookshelf in the space behind the sofa. Yoochan asked in disbelief,“Why were you all hiding?”“Don’t even ask.”Taeho waved his hand and plopped down on the sofa with a tired expression.“When Dahee Noona came looking for Jungeol Hyung earlier, the atmosphere was really intense. When she asked about Jungeol Hyung’s schedule, I thought there was going to be trouble, so we hid.”Jinwoo, who had come out behind him, also shivered as if he was scared. Manager sat down next to Taeho and slumped her tired shoulders.“She seemed so calm after returning, I thought things would stay quiet for a while. At least Dahee’s boyfriend didn’t come looking for trouble this time.”“I heard from Jaehyeok Hyung that they broke up for good. He probably won’t come back.”“Well, that’s a relief.”Manager muttered the last part and lay back against the sofa’s armrest. Yoochan sat down in front of Manager and asked,“What kind of relationship do Jungeol Hyung and Dahee Noona have? Are they dating?”“No.”“Yes.”Manager and Taeho responded at the same time with different answers. Yoochan frowned. Manager quickly sat up and slapped Taeho’s thick thigh while shouting.“Hey! They’re not dating. It’s just that Dahee likes him one-sidedly.”Taeho rubbed his thigh, which seemed to hurt from the slap, and replied,“But Dahee Noona is so obvious about it, and Jungeol Hyung hasn’t told her to stop. I thought they were really dating.”“He just let it be. He didn’t bother to say anything because it was annoying.”Yoochan listened intently to their conversation with a serious expression, resting his elbows on his thighs. It was now clear that Dahee liked Jungeol. The problem was Jungeol’s feelings. Manager insisted that Jungeol had little interest in Dahee.“If Oppa really liked her, would he have acted so coldly when Dahee’s boyfriend came and caused a scene?”“Wait, Noona had a boyfriend? She was two-timing?”Yoochan asked in surprise. Taeho, finding it hard to explain, frowned.“Not a boyfriend, an ex-boyfriend. When that guy came to the shop and caused a scene, they had already broken up, but the problem was before that.”“From what I heard from the guy, it seemed like Dahee was making moves on Jungeol Oppa while she was still dating the guy.”Manager, agreeing with a dissatisfied expression, nodded. Jinwoo also nodded and said,“So either she lost interest in her relationship because she liked Jungeol Hyung, or she developed feelings for Jungeol Hyung while her relationship was deteriorating. It’s understandable that the ex-boyfriend got angry. But how did Jungeol Hyung handle it when the guy caused a scene?”Manager shuddered as if she didn’t want to think about it.“It was a mess. The guy flipped tables and caused a big commotion, got into a fight with Oppa… Oh, it was tough for Taeho and me to stop them. Jungeol Oppa is surprisingly strong.”“I remember Jungeol Hyung left with the guy and came back alone. What happened after that? I only remember Dahee Noona crying with her big eyes.”“Dahee explained to Jungeol Oppa that she and the guy had already broken up, and Jungeol Oppa… What did he say? Dahee cried a lot after hearing it.”“He said something pretty harsh, but I don’t remember exactly.”“Oh! He said this.”Manager, remembering, snapped her fingers, drawing everyone’s attention.“He said, ‘None of my business. I don’t care.'”Although it was Manager’s voice, it reached Yoochan’s ears as Jungeol’s deep voice. Even though Yoochan hadn’t heard it himself, he felt uneasy. The cold tone Jungeol had used when talking to Dahee earlier stuck in his mind.“Oh, right, right. That’s what he said.”Taeho nodded, as if he remembered now, and added,“Jungeol Hyung told me to take Dahee Noona home because he was tired, but I was drinking, so I just put her in a taxi. Then Dahee Noona disappeared for a while, and Jungeol Hyung never mentioned it.”“Wow… That’s intense. So Dahee Noona was getting ahead of herself while Jungeol Hyung was just annoyed by the fuss.”Jinwoo’s words made Taeho scratch his nose and tilt his head.“Maybe. I always thought Hyung was mad because she was two-timing.”“Don’t you know Jungeol Oppa’s personality by now? He tolerates things as long as people don’t cross the line. When Dahee first came to the shop, she engraved her stage name under Oppa’s elbow as a prank, and he just let it go. I almost fainted when I saw the heart next to ‘Doh-Jae.'”“Wait… That was Dahee Noona’s prank?”Yoochan quickly interrupted. Manager’s eyes widened as she answered.“Yeah, pretty wild, right?”“How? Did she do it while Jungeol Hyung was asleep?”“How could she tattoo him while he was sleeping, Yoochan? It would hurt too much.”Taeho, finding it absurd, replied. Manager explained with a gentle smile.“Jungeol Oppa let us practice on his body when we first started using the machine. He said there’s a limit to practicing on pigskin and that we needed to get a feel for real skin.”“…Wow.”Yoochan could only express amazement.“Something that would stay on his body for life, and he just let you?”“He didn’t intend to keep the amateur tattoos forever. He planned to cover them up later when we got better. Just like Young-sik Hyung recently covered his lettering on Jungeol Hyung’s side with a huge Chicano piece.”Recalling Young-sik’s recent visit, Yoochan looked like he finally understood. He had wondered why Jungeol got tattoos from less famous artists, and now it made sense.“We all tried to tattoo something nice since it would be there for a while. But only Jaehyeok Oppa and Dahee pranked him.”“Jaehyeok Hyung too? How?”Jinwoo burst out laughing as if he knew what they were talking about.“You mean the swear words tattooed on the back of his calves? Man, I thought Jungeol Hyung would be really mad, but he just let it go. I thought he was such a big guy for that.”“He tattooed swear words?”Manager nodded with an exasperated expression.“Yeah. ‘FUCK’ on one calf and ‘YOU’ on the other. But a few months later, Jae-hyeok Oppa covered them up nicely. The black mechanical crows on both of his calves’ chests are where those lettering used to be.”“Jungeol Hyung really didn’t care. He said he never wore shorts anyway.”“When he first went to the US for a back tattoo, he was so cautious, but he became really chill after that.”“I was worried and asked him what he would do if he got a tattoo so strange that he couldn’t cover it up. He calmly said, ‘I’d cover it with a black arm.’”A black arm. Yoochan knew what that was. The ultimate tattoo, known as the laborious work of the tattoo world. It involves covering more than 90% of the arms or legs in solid black. Imagining Jungeol’s limbs turning black like he was wearing long sleeves, Yoochan shivered and asked,“Hyung, did Noona practice on Jungeol Hyung too? And he covered it up later?”“I only extended a bit of the existing drawing on Oppa’s back from the beginning. The person who did Oppa’s back is quite famous in the black and gray community. Adding blackwork wouldn’t have matched well.”“I did the same as Noona. I just added lettering next to the background and extended the background later. I couldn’t bring myself to tattoo my artwork next to that masterpiece. It felt almost sacred, like it would be a sin to put my work there.”“Exactly. I felt the same way.”“Come to think of it, Jae-hyeok Hyung and Young-sik Hyung have great confidence.”Taeho, who specialized in new school tattoos and was not an apprentice of Jungeol, leaned back on the sofa, supporting his head with his arms.“In the end, they both tattooed massive pieces in their own style. Even Jae-hyeok Hyung tattooed both calves.”“Maybe they have the skills for it?”“I think Jungeol Oppa is the most resolute. He believed we’d get better and didn’t get cover-ups elsewhere. He told us to take our time, even if it took years. Even when Dahee’s prank left them on bad terms, he didn’t touch it and told her to finish it herself.”“It meant if you thought of quitting midway, you shouldn’t even think about learning from him. I doubted my path at first, comparing my skills to the others. When I said I’d quit, Jungeol Hyung told me to do the cover-up first. But I couldn’t dare do that with my skills then. So I decided to learn just enough to clean up my own mess, and a year passed. Now, I don’t even think about quitting.”Manager smiled fondly at Jinwoo, who was steadily improving, but then noticed Yoochan giggling in the corner and frowned.“Yoochan, why are you grinning like that? What are you thinking?”“Ah, grinning? Noona, I’m just smiling.”“No, it didn’t look like your usual smile.”“I was just sitting quietly, and it’s unfair.”Despite what he said, Yoochan couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face. All the things he was curious about had been answered by their conversation.‘Jungeol Hyung doesn’t like Dahee Noona.’‘Jungeol Hyung doesn’t regret the ‘Doh-Jae’s thing and left it as it was because she was his apprentice, and he planned to cover it later.’And today, Jungeol had said he could be with a guy too. Yoochan felt as if he were already together with Jungeol.Suddenly, Jungeol’s tattoo lettering came to Yoochan’s mind: “Action is the foundational key to all success.” It was time to act.Yoochan sprang up from his seat like a compressed spring being released and said to Manager,“Noona, if Jungeol Hyung books a flight, let me know which airline and time. Don’t forget, okay?”This was definitely an opportunity from heaven.