Sweet Shot

#42

He knew that Tae-rim wasn’t the type to have difficulty with relationships. So he thought he must have done something ridiculous with him too. However, it hurt to see him looking so light-hearted even after breaking up with a girlfriend he had dated for quite a while. It meant that meeting and parting were too easy for him. Although it wasn’t his place to judge someone else’s values, he couldn’t help feeling hurt. Because it would be the same for him. Surely it would be even easier with Ha-min, who had a much lighter relationship than a girlfriend.

In any case, the person by his side was clearly a high-class woman. They looked so good just standing together. How dare someone like him, a man, full of flaws, even imagine it.

Ha-min composed himself and left the restaurant. He wanted to completely erase the expectation that unknowingly arose whenever Tae-rim acted kindly. He wanted to perfectly erase the bad habit of expecting, even if it would be difficult to give up his feelings for him.

“Why are you coming out so late?”

“Ah, sorry.”

When Ha-min came out of the restaurant, the others were nowhere to be seen, and only Tae-rim was standing there. Ha-min sincerely apologized to Tae-rim’s playful reproach. Seeing Ha-min’s genuinely apologetic look, Tae-rim chuckled and ruffled Ha-min’s hair. Then he gave a sweet smile.

“Did you eat a lot?”

Ha-min immediately nodded at the kind question. Tae-rim had watched Ha-min eat from the side, so he already knew whether he had eaten a lot or a little. Of course, Ha-min, unaware of this fact, answered honestly.

“Yes… It was really delicious, thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

“But I think it was too expensive… Can I chip in a bit?”

Ha-min took out his wallet from his pocket as if he had been waiting for this moment. It was a worn-out wallet with no brand. Ha-min opened the wallet and took out a few bills, but Tae-rim gently lowered Ha-min’s hand.

“I told you. Hyung wanted to treat you.”

“…”

“After making you work so hard yesterday, I should at least feed you.”

At Tae-rim’s casual words, Ha-min’s face immediately turned red. So that’s what it meant. He bought him a meal as compensation for what they did. It was courtesy for sharing their bodies. Ha-min quietly nodded and put his wallet away.

“But where are the others…?”

Thinking about it, only Tae-rim was standing alone in front of the restaurant. As Ha-min looked around with a puzzled expression, not seeing any of the others, Tae-rim explained.

“I sent them ahead.”

“Ah… Then I should…”

Go with them… Ha-min turned around with a somewhat disappointed face. Then Tae-rim grabbed his wrist. Perhaps because it was the wrist with the watch, Ha-min was startled and shook off Tae-rim’s hand.

The shaken-off hand paused in the air with a smack. Tae-rim’s smiling face momentarily stiffened. Ha-min stammered with a preemptively surprised face.

“Ah… I, I was surprised… Sorry.”

At Ha-min’s flustered apology, Tae-rim soon smiled gently. As if nothing had happened, he continued with a smile.

“Get in the car.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll give you a ride.”

“Uh… It’s okay… I’ll just go.”

Ha-min awkwardly smiled and expressed his refusal. Tae-rim’s brow furrowed slightly. But without showing it, he calmly said,

“I have something to tell you.”

Ha-min hesitated. As he looked at Tae-rim with naive eyes, Tae-rim smiled as if to show him. It was a smile that made it impossible to refuse.

“What do you want to tell me…?”

Ha-min asked as soon as he got into the passenger seat. Seeing his somewhat urgent appearance, Tae-rim gazed steadily at Ha-min. It seemed that wariness wouldn’t easily disappear even after rubbing against each other several times. How much coaxing and soothing would it take for him to feel comfortable? Tae-rim silently clicked his tongue and took out a small case from a shopping bag in the back seat.

“A gift.”

His gentle smile was elegant. Ha-min quietly looked down at the object Tae-rim handed him. It was an expensive-looking, luxurious case even at a glance. When Ha-min looked at Tae-rim with a dazed face, he smiled and opened the case himself.

“It’s your birthday soon, isn’t it?”

When the case opened, what appeared was a watch face with diamonds. It was a stylishly packaged metal watch with diamonds instead of numbers. Although Ha-min knew nothing about luxury goods or brands, he could immediately tell that the gift before his eyes was not a light one just by looking at it. Ha-min blinked stupidly at the gift that seemed far from inexpensive. He felt his throat choke up from surprise.

“The one you’re wearing looked old, so I bought you one. Do you like it?”

He asked lightly. His tone suggested that this was nothing. Ha-min unknowingly swallowed dry saliva. The gift before his eyes felt scary. Ha-min unconsciously grabbed his wrist where the worn-out watch was tied. Complicated feelings rushed in.

“It, it seems too much…”

Ha-min carefully said, trying not to offend him. He forced a smile, but it looked very stiff. Tae-rim seemed disappointed at the lukewarm reaction and let out a small sound.

“You don’t like it?”

Tae-rim gently asked in response to the words expressing reluctance. Ha-min shook his head vigorously with a troubled face.

“No. It’s not that. It’s not that… It just seems too expensive.”

“It’s not that expensive.”

“The one I’m wearing is still fine…”

Ha-min kept touching his watch unknowingly. He felt his own watch looked shabby for no reason. Not just the watch, but the scars inside it too.

“It’s old.”

Tae-rim responded as if it was obvious to Ha-min’s quiet mumbling. It was a blunt statement of fact. He just conveyed the truth as it was with a plain face. He uttered words that others would carefully choose as if they were obvious. It was his innate personality. That was a fact Ha-min knew too. He wasn’t upset, but it was awkward. He wasn’t accepting his refusal.

Ha-min’s lips quivered before he spoke as if making an excuse.

“My mom gave it to me…”

Usually, when he said this, everyone would understand. Whatever the story, they would just go, “Ah,” and move on.

“So?”

But he responded as if it wasn’t a big deal. As he leaned casually against the steering wheel. He looked like he didn’t understand.

“If it’s old, you should replace it with a new one.”

He recited the obvious fact. Ha-min’s face, which had been flustered at the sight of him stating the obvious so nonchalantly, fell. It was true. It was an obvious fact. But Ha-min couldn’t easily do what was obvious. That was something Tae-rim wouldn’t know, but Ha-min couldn’t help but feel down. He couldn’t treat everything so lightly. He was someone who found it difficult to do even what was obvious and easy for others.

“You don’t like the design?”

Tae-rim asked soothingly, seeing Ha-min’s downcast appearance. Ha-min, knowing he was trying to comfort him, shook his head, trying to act as if nothing was wrong.

“No… it’s pretty.”

“If it’s not that, then please accept it. Hyung wants to give it to you.”

Ha-min blurted out a thought that suddenly occurred to him in response to the kind words of persuasion.

“Why…?”

This wasn’t the only time he wanted to ask this.

At Ha-min’s sudden question, Tae-rim tilted his head slightly with a smile at the corner of his mouth. His eyes showed that he found the fundamental question strange.

“Why?”

Tae-rim asked back. His tone seemed to be pondering a question he hadn’t expected himself. And with a face that showed some lack of understanding, he continued gently.

“Can’t hyung do this much for you?”

“…”

“I thought we had gotten closer over time.”

He casually revealed their intimate relationship. He looked at Ha-min with eyes that didn’t understand, smiling. He was just treating him like a child. So in the end, this too was part of the compensation for sharing their bodies. His face suggested that this level of gift was easy for this kind of relationship. He was just being generous to such a partner. He seemed accustomed to giving such expensive gifts without a second thought. He was a person skilled in everything.

Ha-min carefully closed the watch case he had received in a daze. Although refusing was very difficult for him, he absolutely didn’t want to accept this. He was truly grateful that Tae-rim had bought and chosen it thinking of him, but with these complicated feelings, he simply couldn’t accept it. He didn’t have the nerve to casually accept something so expensive as that kind of compensation.

“I’m sorry…”

Ha-min said quietly with his head bowed low. Tae-rim’s brow furrowed at the words of refusal until the end. He looked like he hadn’t thought Ha-min would refuse.

“Well, okay.”

“…”

“Can’t be helped.”

Tae-rim let out a deflated laugh. Perhaps because it was an unexpected reaction, he seemed somewhat hurt, but soon smiled as if nothing was wrong and tossed the case onto the back seat. Ha-min was startled by the rough treatment of such a precious item.

At that moment, Tae-rim started the engine. Seeing him naturally start to drive, Ha-min hastily opened his mouth.

“I- I…”

“…”

“I can just go…”

“…”

“I can take the bus from up ahead.”

Ha-min found himself speaking cautiously. It was because he felt sorry for always being given rides. He didn’t want to make Tae-rim drive him home after buying him a meal and giving him a gift.