“Haa…….”
Ddleul-ddeul-ddeul-ddeul…….
Sitting on the sofa, Haejin let out a deep sigh.
He jiggled one leg like an anxious person.
He didn’t originally have a habit of shaking his leg.
But after marrying Beomwoo, he received etiquette training and never shook his leg again.
But now, filled with extreme tension, he had spontaneously developed this non-existent habit.
He even started biting his nails.
He’s wet from the rain, so he must be cold and could catch a cold.
It would be better for him to change his clothes.
But considering it’s our first date, going to a hotel or motel doesn’t seem right.
So I suggested stopping by my place…….
Beomwoo’s reaction didn’t feel like he understood the meaning of my words in the way I intended.
Whether he misunderstood my meaning or not, he stepped on the accelerator.
He drove to my place at a crazy speed.
I was worried he might get caught for speeding.
After arriving at the house, Beomwoo went in to shower.
Haejin, left alone in the living room listening to the sound of splashing water from the bathroom, felt his heart grow hotter and hotter.
Beomwoo hadn’t said or done anything out of the ordinary aside from driving fast.
But Haejin grew restless.
He felt as if something would happen once he finished showering and came out.
“Haa, maybe it’s just me thinking that way…….”
Judging by Beomwoo’s reaction, it was hard to think he was the only one finding it strange…….
Haejin tried to convince himself that he was just over-conscious.
He told himself that nothing would happen.
He attempted to deceive his own heart and calm down.
As Haejin took deep breaths to settle his pounding heart, the sound of pouring water from the bathroom suddenly stopped.
Is he done showering?
Then…… he’ll come out……?
Even though he told himself not to be weirdly conscious, he felt that seeing Beomwoo freshly showered would make him look like a pervert.
Whether intentionally or not.
So, Haejin unconsciously straightened his back on the sofa.
He hurriedly pretended to be distracted.
At that moment, with a click sound, the bathroom door opened.
Even though he resolved not to look to avoid being a pervert, he could see that direction from afar.
From the small gap in the door, barely wide enough for a finger, Beomwoo’s voice came through.
“The clothes…… are a bit small.”
“Sorry, but do you have any other clothes?”
“Huh?”
“Ah, clothes?”
He had thought Beomwoo would come out after showering.
It made his heart race madly and blood rush to his head, dizzying him.
But now he was talking about clothes?
Startled by the unexpected words, Haejin abruptly stood up from the sofa.
Before Beomwoo went into the bathroom, Haejin had prepared clothes, underwear, and a towel for him to change into.
But apparently, they didn’t fit.
Just bringing other clothes to change into would solve it.
But the problem was that he had already given him the largest clothes he owned.
To look for more, there weren’t many clothes in this house that were truly “his” to begin with.
The bathroom door was only slightly ajar, enough to see nothing.
But Haejin couldn’t bring himself to look in that direction.
He rolled his eyes awkwardly as he answered.
“That…… was the largest one I had…….”
“Ah…….”
“Then I guess there’s no other choice.”
“Understood.”
Haejin thought about going to a convenience store to buy something.
But Beomwoo, seemingly without any intention of making him do that, closed the bathroom door again.
Truthfully, Haejin had wondered, ‘Will these fit him?’ while giving him the clothes…….
But he thought that since they were somewhat free-sized, they would be wearable enough.
Are they completely unwearable?
Then will he come out wearing his wet clothes again?
That would make showering pointless…….
What should I do if they don’t fit?
He didn’t tell me to go buy some.
But should I have taken the hint and done it?
As Haejin pondered briefly, the bathroom door opened again in the meantime.
“I did put them on, but……”
“Ah……?”
Beomwoo trailed off his words, hesitantly opening the bathroom door and stepping out.
When Beomwoo mentioned the clothes being small, Haejin had thought, ‘No matter what, they’re free-sized, how small could they be?’
There’s a significant difference in our builds.
He is on the larger side.
But I gave him clothes I wear loosely.
So wouldn’t they fit him just right, not necessarily too small?
But…… Haejin was left speechless upon seeing him come out.
Beomwoo was wearing the clothes Haejin gave him.
But the sleeves were short.
The chest area looked ready to burst.
It was so obvious he was wearing someone else’s clothes.
Haejin almost felt sorry for the garment, which seemed on the verge of tearing.
Though the model wearing them was so outstanding that it didn’t completely erase their essence…….
Honestly, the sight of him almost wearing nothing would have been far better.
For a moment, Haejin compared the image of Beomwoo now with the imagined image of him wearing almost nothing.
Then belatedly thought, ‘What a disgraceful thought!’ and erased the imagination.
He had already struggled earlier, imagining Beomwoo showering just from hearing the water splashes.
Now thinking about it again made him feel like an incorrigible, shameless pervert.
Just as his face felt like it was heating up and he tried hard not to think about it, Beomwoo, fidgeting to pull down the short sleeves slightly, mumbled.
“……In this state, I can’t really go anywhere.”
“Ah…….”
“I guess not.”
Come to think of it, going outside like this would be problematic.
If he were wearing clothes like that, he’d be embarrassed.
But he could still go out thinking it’s just a neighborhood stroll.
But Beomwoo had status and certain eyes on him.
He usually wore formal, authoritative, and stiff clothes like suits.
If he were seen wandering around like this by someone he knew, it would be a disaster.
Moreover, they were, in name, on a date.
He was trying to make a good impression on him.
No one would want to date looking this ridiculous.
……Then should we just part ways for today?
But doing so would waste one of the few date opportunities they had to take turns with the brothers.
His consideration might backfire, so he couldn’t rashly suggest it.
Then what should we do?
Stay at home?
But there was nothing to do at home.
He kept having strange thoughts…….
An Alpha and an Omega were in the same house.
One of them, though looking a bit odd in his clothes, had just showered.
His hair was still damp…….
It wasn’t that Haejin was a sinister or strange person.
But given that they were husband and wife in his past life and had done all sorts of things, being alone together inevitably led to such thoughts.
As Haejin stood still, not knowing what to do, Beomwoo, perhaps sensing the awkward flow of the air, watched him for a moment.
Then he spoke.
“You don’t need to be so tense.”
“I won’t do anything you’d need to worry about.”
“……Ah.”
“I have no intention of doing anything with someone who doesn’t want it.”
At Beomwoo’s words, Haejin, who had been rolling his eyes nervously, opened his mouth in surprise.
Did I show too clearly that I was conscious of it……?
It was true he hadn’t even thought to hide it amidst the continuous surprises.
But it wasn’t that he disliked it…….
W-well, of course, I don’t mean I want to do that kind of worrisome act with him.
But it felt like I made him think I was avoiding or disliking him.
That made me feel like I did something wrong.
Feeling somehow compelled to explain, Haejin, his face flushing red, cautiously opened his mouth.
“Th-that’s not why I was tense.”
“I don’t di-dislike you, Beomwoo…….”
“You’re not a bad person…….”
“…….”
“It’s just…… I’ve never invited anyone to my house before…….”
“So, I was awkward because of that.”
Haejin made an awkward excuse.
He said he wasn’t tense because of Beomwoo but because of other reasons.
Though it was a hasty excuse, it wasn’t entirely a lie.
In truth, Haejin had little experience inviting people to his house to hang out.
That was because when he lived with his adoptive parents in his past life, he couldn’t bring friends over.
They were already full of irritation just having him around.
Bringing friends was unthinkable.
He couldn’t bear to show how he was treated in that house.
He hadn’t even attempted it.
And after that, he married Beomwoo, cut ties with friends.
He couldn’t invite anyone over or hang out there.
Long ago, when his parents were alive, he did bring friends over to play a few times.
But it was so long ago he couldn’t even remember what they did.
And even if he remembered, at this age, he couldn’t play like he did back then.
So it was hard to count as experience.
Anyway, Haejin was explaining that he felt awkward for other reasons.
Not because he was afraid Beomwoo might touch him.
But for some reason, Beomwoo’s expression darkened even more upon hearing this explanation.
……Why does he look like that?
Does he think I’m making excuses?
It wasn’t entirely a lie.
But since I awkwardly dodged, he might think so…….
But still, half of it was true…….
Feeling a bit wronged, Haejin was lost in thought.
Beomwoo, with his darkened expression, shifted his gaze to the living room.
He suddenly asked an abrupt question as if he had discovered something.
“Have you tried that?”
“Huh?”
“Ah…….”
Tried what, all of a sudden?
It was strange how he suddenly changed the topic.
But following his gaze, Haejin turned his head and saw a game console there.
On the day Haejin first moved into this house, Beomwoo had brought him things to do alone.
This was one of them.
He had neatly placed it on the living room bookshelf back then.
It seemed Beomwoo had noticed it.
Haejin hesitated, then shook his head.
“Ah, no…….”
“Why?”
“Doesn’t it suit your taste?”
“No!”
“It’s not that……”
“Then?”
“…….”
Startled by the question about his taste, Haejin waved his hands dismissively.
But at Beomwoo’s further probing, he couldn’t answer.
He fell silent as if there were reasons other than taste.
It inevitably seemed suspicious.
Beomwoo narrowed his eyes, studied Haejin intently.
Then he sighed and repeated what he had said before.
“I told you.”
“I don’t know if you don’t tell me.”
“…….”
“It’s not that I’m trying to scold you.”
“I’m asking because I want to understand you better.”
Beomwoo calmly explained that he wasn’t trying to pressure him.
He wasn’t pressuring about why he hadn’t used the gift.
Rather, like when they chose the movie and discussed it, he simply wanted to understand him better.
Haejin lowered his gaze somewhat dejectedly, then glanced up at him.
The reason he couldn’t use the game console was a bit embarrassing to say.
But with Beomwoo speaking like this, it seemed unavoidable to evade.
After thinking for a moment, Haejin mustered his courage.
He spoke haltingly.
“It’s just…… I, I couldn’t figure it out…….”
“What do you mean?”
“How to use this…….”
“I looked it up online too, but maybe because I haven’t played games much…….”
“I couldn’t figure out how to connect it, or how to play it…….”
Last time, when Beomwoo gave him simple pastimes, he told him to cut contact with people around him for a while.
He managed to pass the time.
But being home alone, he sometimes got bored.
Since Beomwoo had rarely given him gifts before, the things he gave and left behind lingered on his mind.
He had nothing else to do.
There was Beomwoo’s sincerity in the gift.
So, Haejin had tried to turn on the game console and play when he was alone.
He wasn’t originally very interested in games.
But in truth, he had often been curious watching friends play.
He wanted to try himself.
When living with his adoptive parents, he had no time or money for games due to studying and housework.
After marriage, there were too many eyes on him.
It prevented him from being in an environment where he could play.
Even if he had tried, many people would have stopped him.
They would say it was undignified.
Anyway, upon returning to the past, even the sentiment of wanting to try such games had returned.
Since Beomwoo had given him the console, he tried…… but got stuck right from the connection stage.
The console Beomwoo gave him was the type connected to a television.
Haejin was hopeless at such things.
These days, a simple search would yield dozens of posts with photos or videos giving kind explanations.
But the problem lay with Haejin.
Haejin was seriously inept with machinery.
Since he rarely handled machines in daily life, he only thought he was a bit clumsy with such things.
He never realized he was utterly inept…….
But this incident made it clear.
Tutorial videos boasted phrases like ‘Even elementary school students can do it!’
Looking at the comments, even kids easily connected their consoles…….
He truly was inept with machines.
As Haejin recalled his failed attempts to connect the console and answered somewhat gloomily, Beomwoo, upon hearing his answer, let out a baffled, dry laugh.
“Hah…….”
“That was the reason?”
“If you had asked me to set it up when I came for a meal, I would have done it.”
“Why didn’t you ask?”
“No…….”
“How could I ask you for something like this?”
“You can.”
“With me.”
“…….”
Beomwoo said that if Haejin had asked, he could have done it quickly.
He said that he was someone he could ask such things of.
But at his words, Haejin froze, unsure how to react.
He says I can ask him……?
Well.
From my perspective, he seems like the hardest person to ask.
In this life, he was a kind and affectionate person.
He would do anything for him as long as it wasn’t a crime.
However, no matter what, Haejin found it difficult to separate the current him from the him of his past life.
Even though the him of this life had never been cold to him and had always given, because he had an ulterior motive, he seemed like someone who could turn cold at any moment.
Just like in his past life.
Is it my fault for being unable to escape the memories of my past life?
Is it my fault for being unable to trust people?
Or is it an unavoidable defense mechanism?
As Haejin was lost in thought, Beomwoo looked at him.
Then he walked toward the living room, saying,
“I’ll connect it for you, so wait a moment.”
“Ah, no!”
“You don’t have to!”
“I can do it!”
“Do you remember when I gave this to you?”
“It’s still lying around like this.”
“If I leave it to you, who knows when you’ll do it.”
“Might as well use it now.”
“B-but still…….”
“It would be a waste of your time…….”
“It’ll take ten minutes.”
“…….”
No matter what he said, Haejin couldn’t shake off the discomfort.
He tried to dissuade him again.
But the claim that it would only take ten minutes left him speechless.
No, I struggled for two hours and couldn’t do it…….
He had tried to dissuade him, thinking it would take others that long too.
But now he couldn’t.
Beomwoo told him to rest.
But Haejin couldn’t possibly stay still.
He ended up pacing around like a restless puppy, circling the area.
He had worried that the claim of ten minutes might be an exaggeration.
But it turned out to be true.
Inwardly, he had never seen Beomwoo personally do anything besides work…….
Just as it was surprising to see him cook, he hadn’t expected him to be good at this either.
Seeing him handle it skillfully was amazing.
It might just be at an average person’s level.
Haejin was simply too inept with machines.
That made it seem impressive.
As Haejin watched in awe, Beomwoo neatly finished the setup.
He operated the console screen, and explained.
“The connection is all done.”
“I’ve put all the games here, so you can choose and play whichever one you want from these.”
“Do you need anything else?”
“Ah…….”
“No!”
“This is enough.”
“Thank you…….”
There were still plenty of things he didn’t know.
But now that the mechanical issues were resolved, he thought he could handle the rest on his own.
Somehow, with Beomwoo’s help, he could now play games.
But watching Beomwoo, who only connected the console and was about to leave, Haejin felt sorry.
He felt sorry for having asked him.
Even if it only took ten minutes, Beomwoo wasn’t going to play.
Since it was a gift from him, just setting it up felt burdensome.
Lost in inexplicable guilt, Haejin thought for a moment.
Then he cautiously opened his mouth with a sudden idea.
“Um…… Beomwoo.”
“Yes.”
“……Would you like to play with me?”
“……What did you say?”
When Haejin cautiously asked, Beomwoo’s expression instantly stiffened.
It was a reaction as if he had heard something unexpected and shocking.
Was it that surprising of a reaction?
Well, I’ve never suggested something like this before, so it’s understandable.
But it doesn’t seem that surprising…….
While thinking he didn’t understand why Beomwoo was so shocked, Haejin opened his mouth anyway.
“It’s, it’s a date after all…….”
“…….”
“There’s such a thing as…… a gaming date, right……?”
“Ah, gaming…….”
He had never experienced it.
But he vaguely remembered hearing about PC bang dates or arcade dates somewhere.
As Haejin recalled and mentioned it, Beomwoo let out something like a sigh.
He muttered softly.
What is it, did he think of something else?
This seems like the only topic to discuss in front of a game console…….
As Haejin wondered curiously, Beomwoo, who had been looking somewhat deflated, watched him for a moment.
Then he nodded as if a good idea had occurred to him.
“Alright.”
“But just playing games might be boring, so let’s make a wish on it.”