Volume 1 - CH 24

I raised my hand from the tip of my chin and covered my ear. It didn’t tickle, but I pressed my palms together as if scratching my skin. It was awkward. Unlike Lim Dae-han, who sat on the floor, I was the only one sitting on the bed. How can I break this atmosphere? Obviously we’re dating.

“Hmm.”

When there was a small vibration, Lim Dae-han trembled. Then he immediately turned his head.

“What, what…”

Rather, I stuttered in embarrassment.

“You called.”

“I never called… but I.”

“Oh.”

Lim Dae-han tried to turn his head again. I got up and grabbed Lim Dae-han’s shoulder.

“Dae-han.”

“Yeah.”

“I…”

Sigh.

“I have to study.”

I held him for now, but I had nothing to say.  I stood up and took a workbook from my bag. I wanted to sit at his desk, but there wasn’t enough room because of the television. I eventually sat on the bed. Lim Dae-han rose from his seat on the floor and looked at me. He then sat down beside me. Lim Dae-han’s thick, heavy arms wrapped around my waist. It didn’t feel like my back was broken, but it was heavy.

“…Heavy.”

“Study.”

We stayed next to each other. I flipped through the workbook and took out the mechanic pencil. I wanted to study, but it was difficult with Lim Dae-han’s face on my shoulder. Lim Dae-han regarded the neatly organized workbook indifferently.

“You have good handwriting.”

“You said that last time as well.”

I smiled and made eye contact as I turned my head. Ah. I was still, but he closed his eyes and then opened them again. I was unknowingly intoxicated by the atmosphere. I drew my chin back and opened my eyes. Lim Dae-han reached out and pressed his hand against my cheek. Then he moved in slowly.

Ah.

Our lips touched. Dae-han’s tongue wriggled through the gap between my lips. When the tongues came into contact with each other, they became entangled like snakes. There was clearly a slight smell of alcohol, but his mouth tasted like toothpaste. We tilted our heads at an angle while lying face down on each other.

I smiled for a moment and he he he laughed. Lim Dae-han bit my tongue without hurting it. And at one point he grabbed my waist. I lay flat on the bed.

“…”

“…”

I made eye contact with Lim Dae-han, who got up. I opened my eyes with my lips clenched. Lim Dae-han sucked his dry saliva. That’s why he never brought me home before. I realized it again. I hesitated before passing Lim Dae-han’s chest and wrapping my arms around his shoulders.

Lim Dae-han wrinkled his eyebrows as he looked at the hand that was wrapped around the nape of his neck. I tightened my arms a little more and pulled him closer.

“… Uh, you’re going to keep going anyway.”

Our lips touched again. Lim Dae-han also laid down slowly. He was heavy. Even with the air conditioner turned on, it was hot. Lim Dae-han’s lips penetrated my lips as if they were going to eat them. It was difficult to breathe, and his tongue was rushing in.

“Um, uh…”

Every time Lim Dae-han pushed it, the sound was muffled, and a strange sound came out of my mouth. Because Lim Dae-han pushed so hard down, my body continued to push up even when I was lying in bed. My lips felt like they were going to swell again.

Bang, bang! Lim Dae-han hit his head on the bed head whenever he pushed his tongue.

“Ha, ha…”

I was bumped my head against the bedside as our lips barely parted. He pushed hard, and his body climbed up the head of the bed, leaving him half-raised. Lim Dae-han was looking down at me. I bit my lips in a strange feeling to the point where I had goosebumps on my forearms. Lim Dae-han’s expression from above was not a joke.

“…”

“…”

His eyes were drawn to my lips, cheeks, and neckline. I felt naked and grabbed my collar despite the fact that he did nothing. I was embarrassed and tried to raise the corners of my mouth, but Lim Dae-han just stared at me without smiling, which made me even more embarrassed.

“Ki Young-hyun.”

Lim Dae-han cautiously called my name after a while. I slowly nodded my head. Any reaction would have been odd. Lim Dae-han tilted his head and fiddled with the collar of my shirt.

“Are you hot?“

His voice was lower than usual when he asked questions. It was similar to when he was not fully awake. Lim Dae-han’s fingers caressed the back of my neck. My whole body trembled. It was cold enough to make me shiver rather than hot.

“Clothes… you want to take it off?”

“If it’s hot.”

You’re putting off the answer to me!

I bit my lip several times in embarrassment.

“Don’t bite your lips.”

Lim Dae-han’s hand touched my lips roughly. Then he brought his head closer to meet my lips again.

“Can I take it off?”

No. I answered firmly within my head. Today was supposed to be our first date. We kissed before we started dating, but I don’t think it’ll be like this on our first date. I wish we could have a healthy relationship. But another word came out of my mouth.

“You can…”

After finishing speaking, I was swallowing my saliva in a tense atmosphere, and suddenly a ringtone rang.

My ringtone was set as the default. It was ringing at the wrong time. I switched from silent because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to answer Lim Dae-han’s calls while running from school, but I didn’t expect the call to come in this situation.

“…”

“…Answer the call.”

I carefully took out my cell phone from my pocket, under Lim Dae-han’s eyes. Lim Dae-han refused to stand and insisted on remaining in the same position. From above, he watched me answering the phone.

– Ki Young-hyun, are you done with school?

It was my brother who called. “Ah, um, yeah,” I said as I got up. Lim Dae-han gently backed down from my embarrassing behavior. When I checked the time on my cell phone, it was a little past 10 p.m. Why does time fly by so quickly? When I’m with Lim Dae-han, this is always the case.

“Huh. Now… I’m on my way now.”

– Then go and buy some ice cream.

“Ah… okay.”

– Don’t give a half-hearted response. Answer properly.

“…Yes.”

The phone was cut off. An awkward atmosphere flowed between Dae-han and me. When I looked at Dae-han with my lower lip hidden, he shifted his gaze from straight ahead to me.

I carefully touched Lim Dae-han’s thigh.

“I think I should go.”

“…Yeah, let’s go.”

When I stood up, he stood up as well. I put the workbook and the mechanic pencil in my bag, which I don’t know when it fell out.

“You don’t have to go with me today.”

I was considering hitting myself in the head a few times as I walked. What are we going to do there if I don’t answer the phone? Obviously no, no, no, no, no, no, please, stop it. I must have gone through the process of…

Even when I was younger, I was so alert that if someone followed me and wanted to give me candy.

Contrary to my expectations, I easily nodded in response to his words that he wanted to take off my clothes because it was hot. Lim Dae-han abruptly grabbed my bag and slung it over his shoulder.

“I’ll do it myself.”

“…”

“Go.”

“Ah, seriously…”

I mumbled to myself, but when Lim Dae-han looked at me, I immediately silenced myself. Because he opened his eyes so wide, I was a little scared. Honestly, we’re dating, so why should I be afraid? I’ve never felt intimidated before. I had a lot of thought running through my head.

Still, in the end, we come out of the house together and came down the stairs. The dark space lit up as I took one step at a time through the dark stairwell.

I raised my head as I stood in the doorway. I looked up at Dae-han’s house on the third floor. Then I remembered that I could look down at the alley where I went to from his house’s veranda.

└ Let’s go home together

└ I have a friend who goes with me

└ You didn’t have a friend

└ How do you know?

└ I’ve seen it a few times

└ You’re always alone

└ Hahaha 

I recalled the contents of the note I had exchanged with Lim Dae-han. My brow was wrinkled. I turned my head around. Lim Dae-han, who was trailing behind me, was caught off guard.

“Have you ever peeked at me going to school on the veranda?”

“I never peeked. I just happened to see you.”

“That was sneaking a peek! That’s how you knew I was going to school alone.”

The sinner was speechless. So was Lim Dae-han. I stomped my feet in embarrassment.  I bit my lower lip.  Come to think of it, why didn’t he tell me that he was living around here while we were together? It was full of things I didn’t understand.

I asked while tying mine to Lim Dae-han’s fingers, which were trying to hold my hand.

“But why didn’t you tell me you lived nearby?”

“Ah.”

“…”

Lim Dae-han responded with an annoyed expression when I looked up with a grumpy expression.

“What?”

It was obviously a habit. Stretching the tail of your words in a not cute way. Why were you hiding so much? In disappointment, I held Lim Dae-han’s hand tightly. Lim Dae-han squeezed my hand even tighter, mistaking it for an expression of affection.

Lim Dae-han eventually hurt my fingers because he held them so tightly until I said, “Ouch, it hurts, let go.”

***