Romantic Gangster

#38

“If you like comic books, feel free to look. You can even borrow them when you go home. If you want to read, you can come anytime to read them.”

“What’s good? Pick one for me.”

Hyun-joon, who had subtly hinted at Ji-woo coming over often, approached from behind as Ji-woo was looking at the comic books. Seeing Ji-woo show interest in something he liked made him want to say many things.

“I like sports comics, so most of them are like that, but the one in the top shelf, first row, is about basketball and it’s interesting.”

Hyun-joon smiled slightly as he looked down at the top of Ji-woo’s head, who was rising on his tiptoes to reach for the top shelf, and reached up to take out the first volume right away. It was adorably cute how Ji-woo rose up a bit and then came back down.

“If you like it, I’ll get the next ones for you too.”

“Okay. I like comic books too, so I sometimes read them when I go to Young-jae’s house.”

“He likes comics too?”

“Yeah. But Young-jae likes ones about fighting monsters and stuff.”

Hyun-joon, recalling titles that came to mind just from hearing that, sat down next to Ji-woo. Ji-woo was sitting on his mattress, reading his comic book. It might not be special to others, but it was very special to him. He couldn’t have imagined this when Ji-woo first came to his house unexpectedly.

Ah, it would be nice if he just stayed here. If he stayed… Fuck, since there’s nowhere else to sleep, he’d have to sleep with me on the mattress. Since it’s not big enough for two to sleep comfortably, we’d have to sleep close together… Damn, if we sleep close, I’d be able to hear his breathing.

I could watch his sleeping face all night, and if we’re comfortable enough to sleep together in the same bed, it means we’re dating, and if we’re dating… we could do all sorts of things here, right?

“…”

After briefly imagining an incredible array of skin-colored scenes, Hyun-joon slightly shifted his gaze sideways. Under the hair that wasn’t completely black but looked soft, he could see Ji-woo’s white nape.

He remembered having his face close to that nape when he hugged Ji-woo earlier. The soft scent of pheromones made him want to just bite and taste it. If castella became a person, wouldn’t it be Seo Ji-woo…?

Why does even his pheromone scent drive me crazy? If it smelled like a hospital or pool disinfectant, I might at least feel solemn. How can everything from his appearance to his pheromone scent, nape, and eyelashes turn me on? Even his subtly firm personality turns me on, and the fact that he ultimately does what I want also turns me on. Damn it, fuck.

Feeling frustrated, Hyun-joon just flopped back onto the bed. He slightly pulled the edge of the blanket to cover his lower abdomen. After thinking all sorts of things, his lower region had started to react a bit, and he couldn’t help it. He had to quickly recall faces that would cool even a thousand years of heat when remembered.

Kind godfather Baek Ju-seung, pool-obsessed Kim Seung-chan, the pool hall owner, the bastards with broken faces who harassed Seo Ji-woo at the convenience store…

The effect was definitely certain. Thanks to his front calming down peacefully enough to confirm its tranquility even if he were to remove the blanket and pull down his pants, he could avoid embarrassment.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he checked his vibrating phone to see a notification that the delivery driver had picked up the food. It was 7 minutes until the delivery would be completed. Hyun-joon put down his phone and stared blankly at the back in front of him.

“…”

He slightly regretted recommending the comic book. He was frustrated seeing the back of Ji-woo, who was engrossed in the comic book instead of looking at him after coming to his house. Hyun-joon, still lying down, folded one arm behind his head and tapped Ji-woo’s back lightly with his fingertips.

“Hm?”

The face that immediately turned to look at him was pretty. So pretty that the word “pretty” rose to the edge of his lips as if it were the most natural thing to say.

“Is it interesting?”

“Yeah. It’s rare for something to be interesting from the start, but this is. I’m curious.”

“That’s good. Come over often to read, to our house.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yeah. You can come even when I’m not here. I’ll hide the key under the deck.”

“Come on, how can you do that?”

“What’s wrong with it? I’m saying it’s okay.”

For a moment, their gazes locked intensely. He felt it. It was as if their gazes had become viscous. Wow, this is a kissing moment too. It felt like if he just pulled Ji-woo now, he would be drawn to him in this atmosphere.

Ding.

It seemed the cursed 7 minutes had already passed. He had no choice but to look at his phone, which showed a notification that the delivery was complete and a message saying [Leaving food on the deck].

“Looks like the pizza’s here. I’ll go get it.”

“The ice cream will be here in 2 minutes too.”

Even if the pizza hadn’t come at that timing, their locked gazes would have broken due to the ice cream arriving, but it was still a bit disappointing. Even if not a kiss… they could have gazed into each other’s eyes a bit more deeply. If they had, wouldn’t Seo Ji-woo have understood his feelings a little?

Jumping up and slipping his feet into slippers, he opened the door to see two pizza boxes, a large cola, and a bag containing things like pickles and garlic sauce on the deck. As he went out to pick them up, the delivery person with the ice cream came up the stairs. He received that as well and was about to go back in when Ji-woo came out.

“Why?”

“We said we’d eat on the deck, remember?”

“Ah, right. Stay here. I’ll put the ice cream away and come back.”

“Okay.”

Hyun-joon smiled at Ji-woo, who was sitting on the deck opening the pizza box, and went back inside to put the ice cream in the refrigerator. Then he grabbed a battery-operated lamp and two cups to pour the cola into. He didn’t forget to add ice.

“The pizza looks really delicious. I wasn’t that hungry, but seeing this makes me really hungry.”

When he turned on the bright lamp next to the pizza, it created a pretty good outdoor terrace-like atmosphere. Hyun-joon placed a cup in front of Ji-woo and filled it with cola. The clinking sound of ice stimulated their appetite.

“Ah, this looks so fucking delicious. Eat a lot.”

“Okay. I’ll enjoy it.”

As he took a big bite of pizza, the cheese stretched out long. As he tried to manage it, Ji-woo laughed out loud seeing him. But he was also struggling with the stretched cheese while laughing.

It seemed silly that stretched cheese was funny, but it was. Toppings were falling off, it was a mess, but they just looked at each other and laughed. It was perfect. Everything that made up this moment.

Among them, Seo Ji-woo was the best, making his heart ache. He didn’t know why it hurt when he liked him, but as time passed, he liked him more and more, and he really didn’t know how he could suddenly come to like someone this much. Even though he didn’t know anything, just because he liked the Ji-woo in front of him, Hyun-joon just wanted to keep hurting.

As much as possible, to the point where he would never recover.

* * *

The classroom was buzzing from the morning. As he entered the classroom with Hyun-joon, the murmuring died down, and he could feel the glances of students looking at them.

As Hyun-joon started coming to school every day, these kinds of looks had gradually decreased, but today it suddenly happened again, making him wonder why. Ji-woo went to his seat, put down his bag, and sat down.

He was bothered by how the classroom had quieted down when he and Hyun-joon entered. Feeling uneasy, he turned around to see Hyun-joon holding up his ringing phone to Ji-woo as he stood up from his seat. After nodding to tell him to go answer the call, Hyun-joon soon left the classroom.

At the same time, the students who had been watching carefully started talking again. Ji-woo could easily hear what had happened from the students sitting behind him.

“I’m telling you it was Hyun-joon. Kim Jin-young was caught at the scene. Yesterday, Kang-jae saw it when he was coming back from academy and sent me a picture, look. It’s definitely Kim Jin-young. There were three more but they ran away.”

“If Kim Jin-young was caught, it must be Kim Seung-chan, Jo Seung-jae, and Hyun-joon. That first-year is an omega, right?”

“Yeah, Kim Jin-young and Jo Seung-jae were in my class last year, and those bastards did this a few times then too. Fuck, why don’t they expel such bastards?”

It seemed that something had happened to a first-year omega last night, and one of the group that hangs out with Hyun-joon was caught at the scene. That’s why Hyun-joon was also being talked about by the students.

“…”

Even though it wasn’t his business, he felt wronged. Because yesterday, Hyun-joon was with him. Of course, they weren’t together all night, but as usual, Hyun-joon had come to hang out at the convenience store, and after his part-time job ended, they went to Hyun-joon’s house, ate ramen because they were hungry, read comic books, and he came home around midnight.

There was no way Hyun-joon, who had released his pheromones for him, even held his hand, and even hugged him in front of his house to make the effect more certain, would have gone home and done such a thing.

How could someone who had even sent a picture of the hand cream he had left behind, saying he had just gotten home, suddenly go out and harass someone? Clearly, yesterday’s incident had nothing to do with Hyun-joon. If no one else, at least he, who had been with Hyun-joon the whole time, could know that.

The rumor mentioning Hyun-joon spread and twisted throughout the morning. Later, it circulated that Hyun-joon had told the others to bring the first-year to him so he could have sex with them, and that the others all did as Hyun-joon ordered.