Sweet Shot

#40

A band-aid with a green alligator character was stuck on the back of Tae-rim’s hand. The character band-aid clashed terribly with his modern attire. To Tae-in’s eyes, it was more than just out of place – it was revolting.

“It’s… it’s so not your style.”

Tae-in stammered, dumbfounded by Tae-rim’s grinning, boastful demeanor. Regardless of his hyung’s disgust, Tae-rim just chuckled to himself.

“The alligator is cute, isn’t it? Why not?”

Tae-rim said shamelessly, fiddling with the band-aid on his hand.

Tae-rim recalled that morning. When he woke up in Ha-min’s room, Ha-min was already fully prepared to leave. Tae-rim, planning to linger in bed longer, pretended to be in pain on a whim. At his unreasonable whining, Ha-min startled, brought out the first-aid kit again, applied medicine, and this time even put on a band-aid. A cute one with a green alligator character. He had kept it on until evening.

“What did the alligator do to deserve this…”

As Tae-in made a face and commented, Tae-rim’s phone rang. Tae-rim’s face immediately brightened upon checking the caller. Tae-in, able to notice this subtle change, frowned. Did he get a new girlfriend besides Hee-jae noona? No, even if he got a new girlfriend, his expression rarely changed this noticeably.

“Oh, Ha-min.”

Tae-in’s eyes widened at Tae-rim’s words as he answered the phone. Ha-min. There was only one Ha-min that Tae-in knew.

“You’re here? Yeah, just come in that way. Should I come out?”

That gentle voice, especially. That voice that flowed more sweetly only in front of Song Ha-min was disgusting. He always acted like a kind older hyung in front of Song Ha-min, but today it seemed even more upgraded.

“I told you I’d come pick you up. Just come in that way. I’ll be waiting out front.”

Tae-rim whispered kindly with a smile in his eyes. Tae-in felt a chill down his spine. It was creepy.

“Alright, come carefully.”

After ending the call, not forgetting to act like a nice person until the end, Tae-in made a comment to Tae-rim.

“Your pretense is insane.”

Tae-rim’s eyebrow twitched slightly at Tae-in’s offhand remark.

“Mind your language.”

Tae-in let out an exasperated sigh at Tae-rim’s stern face and curt tone. Song Ha-min was fooled by this act. That’s why he always went on about how his hyung was a good person. Even when Tae-in badmouthed Tae-rim, Song Ha-min always refuted it. The guy who usually went along with everything had a stubborn side when it came to his hyung. That’s probably why he’d been following him around since childhood.

“By the way, is Ha-min coming too?”

“Yeah.”

Tae-in hadn’t heard about this. He thought only he and his club members were coming. He felt relieved about that. He had wanted to have a drink together after the performance, but Ha-min had disappeared, so they couldn’t even eat a meal together. Tae-in had been bothered by that.

“Is Ha-min coming alone?”

Tae-rim answered indifferently, looking at his phone:

“With a friend. I told him to bring anyone he wanted to.”

“Which friend?”

“Eun-ji?”

“Eun-ji? Who’s that… oh, Eun-soo?”

Tae-rim shrugged lightly as if it didn’t matter. He got people’s names wrong at will and looked uninterested. What a consistent person. Tae-in clicked his tongue.

“Seems like Song Ha-min is getting along well with his friends.”

Tae-in commented offhandedly. When he met Ha-min after the semester started, he seemed very withdrawn, and Tae-in had worried if he could manage school life well. That’s why he had even asked his club members to look after Ha-min. But seeing him enjoying the festival and getting along fine, Tae-in felt relieved.

“Why wouldn’t he get along?”

Tae-rim responded indifferently to Tae-in’s musing. His eyes showed he didn’t understand Tae-in’s words.

“I told you. Ha-min is different from when he was young.”

“…”

“Well, how would you know, hyung?”

Lee Tae-rim, who didn’t care about others, wouldn’t know such things.

At Tae-in’s casual words, Tae-rim’s calm face visibly crumpled. His gaze, which had been absently looking at his phone screen, fixed on Tae-in. The direct gaze was too clear.

“What is it that I don’t know?”

Tae-in flinched at the subtly cold question. Not only was the ordinary question somehow twisted, but the laughter had completely disappeared from his eyes that were now staring directly. Just as Tae-in was about to open his mouth with a rather bewildered face, Tae-rim’s phone rang again. Tae-rim’s expressionless face instantly softened.

“You’re here? Yeah, I’ll come out.”

Tae-rim left the room while still on the phone.

Tae-in stared blankly at the door Tae-rim had just exited. What was that just now? Feeling a sudden chill, Tae-in furrowed his brow and rubbed his arms. It was a strange sensation he had felt on the rare occasions when Lee Tae-rim’s eyes changed. Tae-in downed some cold water, dismissing it as just his imagination.

**

“Wow, daebak.”

Woo-kyung widened his eyes, looking at the array of dishes laid out before him. Everyone except Tae-in and Tae-rim blinked in surprise at the luxurious food – the restaurant that looked like something out of a movie, the rare sashimi said to be hard to find in Seoul, and expensive crustaceans that were not easily enjoyed.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Chae-rin was the first to pick up her chopsticks while everyone else was still in shock. She bowed slightly towards Tae-rim and greeted in her usual indifferent voice. Tae-rim smiled politely in response.

“Eat a lot.”

Only after he spoke with a kind face did everyone else pick up their chopsticks. Woo-kyung was the most excited, and Eun-soo, who was equally thrilled, kept taking photos for social media. The most flustered was none other than Ha-min.

As Ha-min blinked at the lavish spread and looked at Tae-rim, he found Tae-rim already looking his way, chin resting on his hand, mouthing “eat a lot” without sound. His eyes curved kindly. Yet when Ha-min still hesitated, blinking, Tae-rim leaned closer to Ha-min as if to ask why. Ha-min then whispered quietly in his ear.

“Isn’t this too expensive…?”

Tae-rim had said to bring a friend, so Ha-min had brought Eun-soo, but if he had known it was such an expensive place, he wouldn’t have brought her so easily. As Ha-min asked worriedly, Tae-rim pulled up the corners of his mouth. He looked exasperated at Ha-min’s face, which looked like he might break into a cold sweat any moment.

“Hyung has a lot of money.”

Tae-rim whispered secretly to the worried Ha-min. At his relaxed words meant to ease his concern, Ha-min looked embarrassed.

“I’ll, I’ll eat well.”

Ha-min finally picked up his chopsticks. Tae-rim smiled instead of answering Ha-min’s polite words.

“Sunbae-nim, this is so freaking delicious.”

As Woo-kyung exaggeratedly gave a thumbs up and flattered him, Tae-rim nodded lightly.

“I have to put this on my story. The quality is insane. This place is so hard to get into. Thank you so much, sunbae-nim. I’ll send you more of Ha-min oppa’s selfies next time.”

As Eun-soo spoke while constantly tapping on her phone, Tae-rim chuckled and stroked his chin. At the sudden remark, Ha-min, who had been eating silently, looked at Tae-rim. He was chewing with his mouth full of food, his innocent eyes wide open. As Ha-min looked at him as if to ask what that was about, Tae-rim, instead of answering, wiped the sauce from Ha-min’s mouth with a napkin, gesturing for him to chew thoroughly.

“Oh my god, what’s this?”

Tae-in spoke up, looking amused at the sight. At his words, Ha-min blushed and looked flustered, while Tae-rim chided him to just eat. Ignoring him, Tae-in continued speaking while chewing on some crab meat.

“But Song Ha-min, why did you leave early yesterday?”

“Huh?”

“I said we should go for drinks after it ended. Yesterday was really fun.”

“Ah…”

Ha-min rolled his eyes, unable to find an answer. Yesterday, as soon as the performance ended, he had suggested going home right away because hyung seemed tired. Moreover, remembering what had happened in his room yesterday, he kept his mouth shut out of embarrassment. Although only he and Tae-rim knew about it, he felt ashamed, as if he had been caught. Yesterday had been especially more embarrassing than usual, perhaps because he had been particularly persistent. As Ha-min hesitated, unable to say anything, Tae-in continued speaking nonchalantly.

“There was a noona who wanted me to introduce you yesterday.”

“Huh?”

“So I was going to set up a meeting if you came to the afterparty.”

“Me…?”

“Yeah, you. She’s really nice, want me to introduce you? Really, she’s a great noona.”

Ha-min unconsciously looked at Tae-rim. Tae-rim was just wiping his hands with a wet towel, not touching the food. He was just sitting with his legs crossed, looking at his phone screen. Perhaps feeling Ha-min’s glance, he just smiled slightly but showed no other reaction. Ha-min felt a bitter taste and averted his gaze.

“Ah, hyung. No can do. Ha-min hyung already has someone.”

Woo-kyung suddenly interrupted Tae-in’s words. Ha-min looked at him with the most surprised eyes at Woo-kyung’s words. Click. The sound of a phone screen turning off was heard.

“Who?”

The one who asked was neither Tae-in nor Ha-min. It was Tae-rim, who had put down his phone on the table and flashed interested eyes. Excited by Tae-rim’s reaction, Woo-kyung took a swig of his drink and continued.

“Right here, next to him. This person?”