A Noisy Heartbeat (2)

“Senior, honestly, you’re not very good at waiting, are you?”

Yoon Dae-eon’s question was laced with a light, teasing tone.

Seon Ji-ha, whom he had met at the bus stop moments ago, had made the excuse that he only showed up because he happened to be in the neighborhood. Yoon Dae-eon lightly countered that claim.

“Then we could have just met at the house. Why come all the way here?”

Instead of answering, Seon Ji-ha looked down at Yoon Dae-eon with aggrieved eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to say that he had spent the entire day doing nothing but waiting for this dinner with him. Seon Ji-ha kept his rebuttals to himself.

“Senior. How about chicken for dinner tonight? At my place.”

“……!”

“Or maybe not? My place is way too small compared to yours.”

“I like it. I like it very much…….”

Like any home, Yoon Dae-eon’s house was saturated with his scent. Seon Ji-ha preferred it much more than his own home, which smelled like nothing but sterile cleanliness from constant cleaning. Even the smallness was a plus, since it meant they’d be closer together.

“Let’s head home, then. My place is closer anyway.”

Yoon Dae-eon quickly took the lead and headed somewhere. The strange thing was, the direction he was going wasn’t toward his apartment. Seon Ji-ha quickly caught up to his side and asked:

“Where are we going……?”

“To a really delicious chicken place. I’m going to get it to go!”

Yoon Dae-eon grinned and walked with purposeful strides. He didn’t stay on the main road; instead, he ducked into an alleyway lined with trash cans. He navigated the cluttered maze of alleys with the familiarity of someone walking through their own living room.

Finally, they arrived in front of a chicken shop with a sign so faded it looked like it was rotting away.

Ting. As soon as they opened the door and stepped inside, the heavy scent of frying oil washed over them. In the open kitchen area, whole chickens that had already been fried sat piled high. Yoon Dae-eon swallowed hard at the sight and called out to someone.

“Ma’am, are you here?”

“Oh, Dae-eon, is that you? It’s been a while!”

“I’m sorry, I’ve been so busy since starting university.”

“Don’t be sorry, it’s fine. How many should I give you?”

“Two, of course! That way I get the discount.”

Yoon Dae-eon smiled brightly and held up two fingers.

Seon Ji-ha stood awkwardly by his side, taking it all in. He had eaten chicken before, but he thought it was strange to just shout “two” without even looking at a menu. Only Seon Ji-ha didn’t realize that this was ‘Old-fashioned Whole Chicken.’

“Please fry mine extra crispy!”

“Ho ho, of course.”

“Senior, sit here and wait a moment. This place is a real local gem, so it takes a little while.”

The woman moved busily after a quick payment. Besides her, there was an older man inside who gave Yoon Dae-eon a small nod of recognition. Yoon Dae-eon bowed politely back from his seat.

Seon Ji-ha sat behind the glass window and stared blankly as the two prepared the chicken. Everything was a first for him. Entering an alley like this to buy chicken was not something Seon Ji-ha was used to.

However, Yoon Dae-eon sat beside him, seemingly unbothered, watching them with familiar eyes. Then, his head turned to the side.

“Oh, it’s raining.”

In the early evening as the sun was beginning to set, rain suddenly began to pour. At Yoon Dae-eon’s mention of the rain, the woman came out to the counter for a moment to check outside.

“They said it would rain all evening, and here it is already. Dae-eon, do you have an umbrella?”

“I don’t, but it’s close by, so it’s fine.”

“Here’s your chicken. And take that one hanging on the umbrella stand. Just bring it back next time you come.”

The woman handed Yoon Dae-eon a yellow paper bag with edges slightly darkened by oil. As he took it, a cozy warmth wafted up. She shrugged, mentioned the sauce was on the house, and headed back inside.

Perhaps because he used to eat here once a week when his father was alive, the woman was particularly generous only to Yoon Dae-eon. He gave her a wide grin.

“I’ll enjoy it!”

“Yes, alright. Get home safe.”

Yoon Dae-eon headed toward the door, pulling along Seon Ji-ha, who still looked somewhat out of place. There were several umbrellas in the stand, ranging from black to neon colors; Yoon Dae-eon picked out one that looked roughly large enough.

“……Is it okay to take it……?”

“I bet those haven’t been claimed in years. They’re always there whenever I come by.”

Shrugging, Yoon Dae-eon opened the door with a ting. Stepping outside, they saw the rain wasn’t just falling—it was a downpour.

Seon Ji-ha took the umbrella from Yoon Dae-eon’s hand and lightly unfurled it. The umbrella, which had looked quite large in Yoon Dae-eon’s hands, seemed small enough to be a toy when held by Seon Ji-ha. Yoon Dae-eon pressed himself close to Seon Ji-ha’s side.

“Ugh, it’s hot. Let’s go quickly!”

It seemed the yellow paper bag wasn’t enough to block out all the heat, as Yoon Dae-eon was soon holding only the very top of the bag with his thumb and index finger.

Seon Ji-ha wanted to carry the chicken for him, but Yoon Dae-eon refused. So, his empty hand twitched for a moment before he placed it on Yoon Dae-eon’s shoulder. Seon Ji-ha pulled Yoon Dae-eon’s shoulder tight against himself.

“O-oh.”

“……Dae-eon, I don’t want you to get wet…….”

It felt strange, but instead of showing it, Yoon Dae-eon just nodded. Every time they encountered a puddle on the way, Seon Ji-ha tightened his grip on Yoon Dae-eon’s shoulder as they crossed. They made their way out of the alley like that.

However, perhaps because the rain was falling like a waterfall, they realized both their pant cuffs were soaked by the time they reached the front of Yoon Dae-eon’s building. Yoon Dae-eon urged him to get inside quickly.

Seon Ji-ha followed silently behind him.

“Senior, your socks must be soaked too. Hang on a second, I’ll get a foot towel.”

The moment they stepped inside, Yoon Dae-eon kicked off his shoes and dashed further in. He left the bag of chicken he had been cradling on the living room table.

Seon Ji-ha watched him and waited a moment before crouching down at the shoe rack. He carefully picked up the shoes Yoon Dae-eon had tossed aside and lined them up neatly. Just as he finished, Yoon Dae-eon reappeared.

He handed a towel to Seon Ji-ha and roughly patted down his own wet clothes. Seon Ji-ha followed suit awkwardly, drying his body and feet before stepping further in.

This was his second time at Yoon Dae-eon’s house, and it was still filled with his scent.

“Senior, you’re going to need a change of clothes. You’re wetter than I am.”

“……Yes…….”

“Actually, do you just want to shower?”

Yoon Dae-eon made the suggestion casually. Having already made up his mind, he grabbed Seon Ji-ha’s wrist and led him inside. There was the bathroom.

“You can wash up here. I’ll bring you some clothes while you’re in there. Just a moment.”

Seon Ji-ha entered the bathroom obediently, like a well-behaved large dog. Even though he lived in a much nicer place, he didn’t seem to have any complaints about the small bathroom. Yoon Dae-eon chuckled and went into his room.

Heading to his room, Yoon Dae-eon soon came back out. He had found an oversized T-shirt that might just barely fit, but he didn’t think he had any pants that would work for Seon Ji-ha. So, he had to go into his parents’ room, which he usually kept closed.

Among his father’s clothes, there was something relatively large—a pair of baggy black shorts. Clutching everything, Yoon Dae-eon went to the bathroom and swung the door wide open.

And then, he saw it. Seon Ji-ha’s bare body.

“Oh, ah, uh……!”

This was the first time he had seen a man’s naked body other than his uncle’s or his father’s at such close range. Since there were no separate facilities for Betas in public bathhouses, he had never been to one. Yoon Dae-eon, startled by the door he himself had opened, accidentally dropped the clothes.

Seon Ji-ha, who had just raised his hands to pull off his underwear, didn’t look startled at all, unlike Yoon Dae-eon. He stepped forward and began picking up the clothes that had fallen at Yoon Dae-eon’s feet.

“Ah, sorry, I’m sorry, Senior!”

Yoon Dae-eon slammed the door shut. Standing in front of the bathroom, he gasped for air. Then, with a face flushed bright red, he stomped around the house.

Let’s just get ready to eat the chicken. Since he wasn’t nearly as wet as Seon Ji-ha except for his pant cuffs, Yoon Dae-eon chose to eat first and shower later.

He brought out the pickled radish and poured out the liquid, then went to grab some plastic gloves, when he suddenly realized something.

Ah.

‘Why am I embarrassed?’

Yoon Dae-eon is a Beta. And Seon Ji-ha is a Dominant Alpha. There was no reason for Yoon Dae-eon to be nervous seeing Seon Ji-ha’s naked body. Weren’t they both just men?

Belatedly realizing this fact, Yoon Dae-eon clutched his head. What is this? Why am I like this? It’s weird.

Busy tearing at his hair in front of the open kitchen cupboard, Yoon Dae-eon didn’t notice the arm reaching out from behind his head. Yoon Dae-eon let out a small shriek.

“……I’m sorry. It looked like it was going to fall…….”

“No, Sen—Senior. When did you…… finish washing already?”

“……Yes.”

Where Seon Ji-ha was reaching was a glass that looked like it was about to tip over. He pushed the glass back with a vacant expression.

However, Yoon Dae-eon, standing under his arm, realized their posture was somewhat strange. With the sink behind him, it felt like he was trapped in an embrace. Yoon Dae-eon quickly rolled to the side to escape.

“Senior, there are plastic gloves up there, so could you……”

“These……?”

“Yes. Those!”

With his face still flushed red, Yoon Dae-eon dashed toward the living room table. Meanwhile, Seon Ji-ha followed him with his usual slow movements.

The two sat side-by-side at the old table. Because Seon Ji-ha was so large, it felt a bit cramped.

Trying his best not to be conscious of Seon Ji-ha, Yoon Dae-eon pulled out a plastic glove and put it on his right hand. Seon Ji-ha watched him silently before following suit. The problem was, there was a significant difference in their hand sizes.

“……Senior, is that glove too small?”

“……Yes.”

“I guess it could be small for you.”

Yoon Dae-eon laughed helplessly at the plastic glove stretched tight over Seon Ji-ha’s hand. Well, since it was a perfect fit for Yoon Dae-eon’s hand, it made sense that it would be too small for him. Yoon Dae-eon lightly pulled the glove off.

“Let’s just eat with our bare hands then. We can wash up later.”

Speaking bravely, Yoon Dae-eon reached for the chicken and grabbed a leg. Then he tore it off with a satisfying sound. Seon Ji-ha, seeing ‘Old-fashioned Whole Chicken’ for the first time, watched with slightly widened eyes.

Then Yoon Dae-eon offered the leg he had torn off to Seon Ji-ha first.

“Here you go, Senior. It’s hot, so be ca—”

He stopped mid-sentence. That was because, instead of taking the leg from Yoon Dae-eon’s hand, Seon Ji-ha leaned forward and took a huge bite out of it.

Pfft. A laugh escaped Yoon Dae-eon’s lips, unable to be held back. Then he burst into loud laughter. His clear voice pierced through Seon Ji-ha’s ears.

“Ahaha! Senior, you, pfft!”

“…….”

Seon Ji-ha soon realized what he had done wrong, but he didn’t feel embarrassed just because Yoon Dae-eon was laughing. Instead, without even thinking to chew the hot meat in his mouth, he simply stared blankly at the sight of the laughing Yoon Dae-eon.