Swallow Hunting

This time it was Yohan whose mouth fell open. As if he’d just heard something unbelievable, his eyes shot wide. Then his whole face twisted into a grimace.

“You crazy bastard, what the hell are you trying to do?”

“I mean, it’s just me liking him on my own anyway. It’s not like I’m going to confess.”

Haejun smiled stupidly, lips curling up in a foolish little grin. As if his insides were about to burst, Yohan started pounding his own chest with his fist.

“You idiot, you can’t even hide it in front of me—do you think you’ll hide it from that guy?”

“I’ll hold it in.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you will.”

Yohan sneered as he filled his glass again. ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) One drink clearly wasn’t enough to calm the fire burning in his chest, because he grabbed the bottle and poured it down in a rush. Haejun wanted to drink like that too, but at least one of them had to stay somewhat sober, so he quietly picked at the side dishes instead.

“Seriously though, you didn’t give a shit about anything else before, so why are you getting mad about this one thing?”

Back then, when Haejun unknowingly took a married woman as a client, Yohan had only absentmindedly picked at his ear while Haejun whined about getting murdered over it. He’d even told him not to worry—said nobody dies over something like that, and asked how someone that spineless planned to work as a host.

But now it was different. Haejun hadn’t even messed with a married woman this time, yet Yohan’s reaction was even more intense than before. As if the heat inside him was boiling over, he kept drinking one glass after another.

“How the hell is this the same as before? Back then it would’ve been over quick. This time I can already see you suffering over it for the rest of your damn life, that’s why.”

“I might get over it fast.”

“Look at yourself. Yeah, like you’ll drop it that easily.”

Yohan fired the words at him mercilessly. Haejun couldn’t even muster a proper rebuttal, because somewhere deep down he knew the feeling clinging to him probably wouldn’t let go so easily.

Maybe Yohan was furious because the exact situation he’d feared had finally happened. He’d even introduced Haejun to other people, repeatedly warning him never to get emotionally involved.

“Of all people to fall for, why the hell did you have to fall for a sponsor? I told you to just take the money and shut up—why the fuck are you offering up feelings he never even asked for, you dumb bastard?”

Maybe because he’d been pouring alcohol down his throat so fast, Yohan’s tongue was completely tangled. His eyes were glazed over as he hiccupped repeatedly. Even so, he kept clicking his tongue in irritation, cursing, grabbing Haejun and whining that those feelings had to be fake and he needed to snap out of it.

“What the hell do you think you’ll get out of liking someone tied to you with money... Why the hell are you choosing the hardest road for yourself?”

After saying that, Yohan collapsed face-first onto the table. His breathing soon evened out. The alcohol had clearly knocked him out. Judging by the eight or so empty bottles piled under the table, it wasn’t surprising he’d passed out.

Haejun finished the remaining soju and hauled Yohan to his feet. He’d gotten a whole lecture, sure—but maybe because he’d at least let some of it out, the tight pressure squeezing his chest felt a little looser now.

* * *

On the crowded street, it was impossible to catch a taxi. Every ride he tried to call kept getting canceled, so Haejun slung Yohan’s arm over his shoulder and started moving to a different pickup spot. Yohan squirmed, muttering that the cigarette butts and spit-stained pavement was his bed.

“You little shit.”

For a moment Haejun wanted to dump him right there, but he couldn’t abandon a precious friend—practically a brother—like that. With no other choice, he groaned and staggered forward under the weight.

Yohan hanging limp against him was heavy as hell. Even in the cold weather, sweat from the hard labor soaked Haejun’s back. And why were there so many damn people? Every few steps someone bumped into his shoulder.

While repeatedly swearing to himself that next time he’d absolutely prevent Yohan from getting blackout drunk like this again, someone called out from behind him.

“Excuse me!”

With so many bars around, street promoters were everywhere, so Haejun ignored it and kept walking.

“Excuse me...!”

But the owner of the voice actually ran up and grabbed Haejun’s shoulder. Probably just trying to shove some bar flyers into his hands. As if he needed that right now—Yohan was already getting heavier by the second like a waterlogged sack. Irritation twisting his brow, Haejun turned around.

“Hey! I’ve been calling you from way over there! That’s seriously rude!”

“...Huh?”

The deep crease in Haejun’s brow instantly smoothed when he saw the man’s face. It was familiar. But since the name didn’t immediately come to mind, he just blinked blankly until the other guy kindly introduced himself. No Eunjae didn’t seem bothered at all that Haejun had completely forgotten him.

“Hyung! Have you been doing well?”

“Oh, yeah. Long time no see. What brings you here?”

“My part-time job’s around here.”

No Eunjae smiled easily and gestured toward the nightlife district. Vaguely, Haejun remembered hearing he’d started a new job.

“Are you...?”

Haejun trailed off before finishing the question about whether he was working at a host bar again. But Eunjae immediately shook his head.

“I don’t even look that way anymore. Back then I only did it for tuition. I was actually pretty good at it... but if you get too deep into that world, it gets dangerous. Better to pull your foot out before you’re fully sucked in.”

Noticing Yohan practically hanging off Haejun only then, Eunjae reached out.

“Here, let me.”

Haejun’s spine had already started aching anyway, so he didn’t bother pretending pride and immediately handed Yohan over. With a quick grunt, Eunjae hoisted him onto his back.

“Trying to get a taxi?”

“Yeah. But I couldn’t get one over there.”

“It’s the time when everyone’s pouring out of the bars. I know a place where taxis stop more easily. Let’s go there, hyung.”

Eunjae led the way briskly. After passing through a narrow alley between two buildings, a wide road appeared immediately. It seemed like a shortcut.

Unlike the packed inner streets, the main road was quiet. Cars shot past with their headlights blazing.

Eunjae set Yohan down briefly on the sidewalk and called a taxi. He said it would take about ten minutes to arrive.

“Hyung and I must really have some kind of connection. We ran into each other at the officetel before, and now today too. That’s a lot of coincidences. Doesn’t that mean it’s fate?”

“Maybe.”

“Hey, hyung. It’s not like I’m trying to do anything or anything.”

Eunjae joked. Treating the chatter beside him like background radio noise, Haejun shoved his hands into his pockets absentmindedly. His fingertips brushed the sharp corner of a cigarette pack.

Suddenly Yohan’s nagging echoed loudly in his ears. Haejun couldn’t say he didn’t understand the concern, but after getting cursed at the entire time they drank, he wasn’t exactly in a great mood either. He just couldn’t bring himself to openly tell him to shut up.

He didn’t want to carry this mood home. The gloom, Yohan’s worries—he wanted to shake it all off along with cigarette smoke.

“Want one?”

Maybe it showed on his face, because Eunjae pulled out a cigarette first and put it between his lips. The naturally formed atmosphere made it easy for Haejun to take one out too.

Just as he was about to raise it to his mouth, he hesitated.

He remembered someone once saying smoking didn’t suit him.

“Here, let me light it.”

Unaware of Haejun’s moment of hesitation, Eunjae cupped a lighter with both hands. Haejun lowered his head and accepted the flame. Because he’d basically quit smoking for Lee Kangjoo’s sake, this was the first nicotine he’d tasted in a long time. The harsh smoke scraping through his lungs made his head spin.

“Hyung, do you still live there? The officetel.”

“Yeah.”

“I moved out of there.”

The place next door had been quiet, but Haejun had assumed Eunjae was just busy with part-time work. Thinking he’d moved without saying anything, Haejun glanced at him. Eunjae shifted the cigarette between his fingers and grinned.

“I didn’t move out completely. I’m staying at a friend’s place for a while. He cooks really well. The officetel’s nice and all... but living alone makes cooking such a pain. Cleaning up’s annoying too.”

Housework really was a hassle. Haejun wasn’t much of a cook either, so he nodded in agreement.

The conversation paused. Cigarette smoke drifted slowly through the dark air. Haejun blankly watched the cars speeding past, wondering when the taxi would arrive, when he felt a sharp gaze land on his cheek.

When he shifted his eyes, Eunjae quickly looked away. But he kept opening his mouth like he had something to say. Eventually he shook his head and took another drag.

The problem was, Haejun had seen the whole thing.

“What. Got something to say?”

“No.”

Even as he answered that, Eunjae smoked furiously, as if trying to burn through something clogging his chest. The cigarette shrank at an incredible speed.

After jamming the butt into a nearby trash bag, Eunjae wiped his jaw. He shook his head to himself as if telling himself not to do it, then glanced at Haejun again before dropping his gaze and letting out a heavy sigh that sounded like it could crack the sidewalk.

“Just say it. Don’t act all suspicious like that.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Then stop acting like it.”

When Haejun added that flatly, Eunjae grabbed his own hair and squirmed in frustration. He clearly looked desperate to spit out whatever he was holding back. Just like how Haejun sometimes wanted to blurt out a confession every time he saw Lee Kangjoo. But Haejun pretended not to notice and kept staring at the road.

By the time Haejun finished his cigarette, Eunjae’s patience had run out too.

“Hyung!”

“I was really trying not to say this.”

“You really don’t have to.”

The more someone tried to stop you, the more you wanted to say it—that was human nature. Eunjae pulled out another cigarette, hurriedly lit it, and took a deep drag.

“Actually, when I was carrying Yohan hyung earlier, I heard him muttering something. Hyung... he said you like that person.” freёweɓnovel.com

“That person who.”

“Ah, your client!”

Eunjae suddenly blurted it out loudly. The last time he’d also been shouting nonsense in the hallway and putting himself in trouble. That mouth of his really had no brakes sometimes.

Even though Lee Kangjoo wasn’t anywhere around, Haejun still spun around in alarm, scanning the area.

Luckily, there wasn’t a single passerby nearby. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

“You’re talking nonsense again.”

Even though Haejun frowned, Eunjae clearly had no intention of stopping. He chewed on the cigarette filter as he continued speaking through slurred words.

“I can’t explain everything, but hyung... give it up quickly. That guy doesn’t like you.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“No. You do know.”

His tone was firm. Eunjae finished his second cigarette in no time and looked straight at Haejun.

“If that guy had even the slightest bit of feeling for you, he wouldn’t have introduced himself to me like that.”