You and Me Part 6

After they celebrate his Mom’s birthday, Dong Hwa asked him to bring Hyuk Jae tour around Mokpo. Hyuk Jae said he took 7 P.M train so they have around 6 hours before he back to Seoul.

They used Dong Hwa’s car with Dong Hae as a driver. Dong Hae can’t forget how happy his Mom looked when all of them sang Happy Birthday, especially her smile towards Hyuk Jae when the guy hugged her. Yeah, Dong Hwa was right. His mom likes Hyuk Jae rather than Si Won. No matter what excuses he used to defend Si Won, his mom and Dong Hwa were simply didn’t like his lover.

“Your mom gave us a lot of fruits and cakes. I have said the beach is not really far from here, right?” Hyuk Jae said once he has sitted. He puts the basket on their backseat.

Dong Hae looked at the bag he took and peek inside. Indeed, so many fruits and cakes his mom packed for them. Dong Hae sighed but not long after that he smiled. It’s his mom’s habit because she was  afraid if they were starving.

“Maybe we can do mini picnic later.” He said and Hyuk Jae just hummed. The car slowly reached out from Dong Hae’s house. “Do you really like beach? I mean… we can go another place if you want.”

Hyuk Jae rolled his eyes, looked at Dong Hae. “You have asked the same question for more than ten times, Dong Hae.”

“Okay,” Dong Hae turned the car to left, they were in the street quiter than before. “I don’t have sunblock, for your information.”

“Oh my, really?! You asked me several times just for that?!” Hyuk Jae burst his laughter and shake his head. He didn’t notice how red Dong Hae face was due to embarrassment. But he didn’t want to miss a chance. He didn’t want to skip the director’s laugh so he took a few seconds to look at Hyuk Jae and mesmerized with the way he laughed.

Dong Hae quickly pay attention to the road when Hyuk Jae took a breath and straighter his sit. A right way because he didn’t want to be caught off-guard.

He didn’t think he ever saw Si Won laughed beside him. Their relationship is… weird. Not only they can’t date publicly like others did, but when they were alone they also didn’t share things like couple did.

They rarely talked about their daily activities. Mostly they just watched movies at his apartment and ordered food. Even when they were alone, there was always something disturb them. Calls, messages, or Si Won fell asleep during the movies played.

They never doing dates outside. They never held each other hand at the park, never did groceries shopping together, never had a movie date, they never doing things outside of their apartment.  Not even on their anniversary day or birthday. Shortened, Dong Hae never sitted in Si Won’s car.

What did I do for these five years, actually? Was a question haunted him for the past months.

“Is that the beach? Wow, not crowded at all!” Hyuk Jae exclaimed and get ready.

He never doing things with Si Won outside from their apartment.

His lover never met his family and never visited his hometown.

His lover didn’t want waste any seconds because he thought work as the best thing.

But here, Dong Hae realised what he did and do right now. What he never did with his lover but he is doing it right now with other person. Not only now, it has been several times something with Hyuk Jae he did. And what Hyuk Jae did to him are mostly Si Won never did for him. Dong Hae cooked noodle for him, talked to him casually, follow each other on social media, ate together, visit his hometown, chat with his family, gave his mom a gift, ate together with his family, hug his mom, joking with his brother, and now they even went to beach together.

Dong Hae took his backpack meanwhile Hyuk Jae took the basket. Both of them didn’t swimming because they didn’t bring clothes and the air was cold. At least, they could enjoy the scenery eventhough Dong Hae was sure Hyuk Jae felt nothing incredible. But when the latter asked him to take their picture together, Dong Hae couldn’t help but his heart beating faster.

Their faces were really close and Dong Hae realised one thing. Hyuk Jae’s scent. It was totally different from Si Won’s scent. If his lover has strong and manly scent that made him looked gentle and cool, Hyuk Jae has sweet and… soft. He can’t describe it properly, apparently he likes Hyuk Jae’s scent. Yes, the guy makes him felt comfortable, secure, and warm.

“You didn’t look like buy something last night.” Dong Hae uttered, try to change the weird –in his opinion– atmosphere.

“After I drove you home, I back to the mall again.”

They stare at each other for a few seconds. Dong Hae wanted to ask why. Why Hyuk Jae did that? Why Hyuk Jae bothered himself to give a gift to his mom? Why Hyuk Jae follow him? Above all of it, Dong Hae also know he has to question himself.

Why did I feel ease around you?

They ate the cakes and spent an hours chilling around the beach and took some pictures before back to Dong Hae’s house. Hyuk Jae didn’t talk much because he kept looking at his phone. He smiled when he saw the pictures again.

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“I will drive him to the train station, you can rest, Dong Hae-ya.” Dong Hwa muttered when they reached home.

“It’s okay, hyung. I—“

“No, I will do it. It’s okay.” Dong Hwa assure him and gave Hyuk Jae a little tap on the guy shoulder.

“I think your brother is right. You have to rest because… you looked didn’t have much sleep yesterday.” Hyuk Jae didn’t wait for him to reply, instead he went to the room Dong Hae’s mother had prepared.

Dong Hae didn’t want to disturb eventhough he wanted to talk with Hyuk Jae. He went to his own bedroom, lying there without bothered to change his clothes, looking at his room’s wall. All of sudden, his phone buzz. One message from Lee Hyuk Jae, yeah Lee Hyuk Jae, the guy who came along with him to his hometown and went to beach together.

It was not a big deal. They have looked each other for many times today. So… why did Dong Hae grinned like a madman just by looking at Hyuk Jae’s name appeared on his phone? And his grinned become wider after he saw their pictures.

There were a few notifications from news accounts that he every time they updated. He remembered he turned it on because he didn’t want missed any news about Si Won. Usually, he will click it as soon as it appeared. But now… he simply swipe it to left –make it disappeared because they blocked Hyuk Jae’s face on the picture.

Who cares if I sounded like his fangirl?

Therefore, he walked to his kitchen and saw his mom preparing something. The woman looked so fresh and happy, even she hummed her favorite song which was mean she truly happy. Dong Hae wanted to pretend the woman was happy because it was her birthday eventhough he knows the truth.

Times flies too fast, all of them very surprised when the clock showing one hour before Hyuk Jae going back to Seoul. Hyuk Jae came out and smile widely when he saw Dong Hae’s mom packed food for him. He surely will miss the woman once he back to Seoul.

Both of them –Hyuk Jae and his mom– hugged before Hyuk Jae go to the train station.

“I expect to see you soon, Hyuk Jae-ya!” His mom said.

Hyuk Jae released their hug and smile. “I will try to see you as often as I can, Mrs Lee. Thank you for welcoming me.” Now, he turned his look to Dong Hae. Since earlier, the guy kept silent and watching them. “See you on Tuesday, Dong Hae.”

Dong Hae frowned made him want to chuckle. Instead of it, he choose to send a wink which make the guy blushed. He had blushed countless times around Hyuk Jae, but he can’t ignore the feels. Ease.

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“What were you doing this whole day, Young Director Lee?”

Hyuk Jae almost jump when a voice out of nowhere surprised him. He was sure no one noticed what he is doing right now –tip toed to his room. Guess, he is wrong because once he turned his back, he can see his mother standing behind with arm crossed and an eyebrow raised.

“Well,” Hyuk Jae grinned, attentively looking his mom, “I meet up with my friends… Kyu Hyun also there and we went to gym.” His mom came closer with piercing eyes and Hyuk Jae knew so well what that gaze mean. Eventhough he is not as sensitive as So Ra, but he can sense his mom was very curious.

“Since the morning? Why you didn’t ask my permission?”

“I’m sorry for that. I—“

“Honey, have you done? My sister has been there.”

Hyuk Jae sighed slowly when he heard his dad’s voice and he just realised his mom was full make-up and wearing blue dress. Wow. Hyuk Jae fought the urge to smile widely.

“Eventhough I wanted to bring you along, you look tired.” His mom’s voice become softer as her hand caressed his hair.

Family gathering.

Hyuk Jae bid a goodbye before he entered his room. He didn’t feel tired especially when he re-call what happened today. As he mentioned before, it was the fastest decision he took for joining Dong Hae. He never did that with others. Well, it doesn’t mean he never dated before. He did. Several times with girls and boys. But not a long lasting relationship.

He started dating when he was twenty but it just lasted for three months. His first girlfriend found cheated with another college student. At first, he felt hurt. But after he composed another relationships and the same things happened –cheating, simply took benefits from him, too ert–, it felt ordinary.

Hyuk Jae almost laughed when he remembered some of his boyfriends or girlfriends being too ert. Although Hyuk Jae admitted he himself is not pure and far from innocent, he also not that ert. Like… how dare for you to tear off your couple’s shirt on your second meeting?

He also barely crushing someone. You can tell it’s really hard making Hyuk Jae fall in love but he never mind to befriended with everyone. And after a long time he didn’t have crush, he finally felt it again. Maybe too early for him to say Dong Hae is his crush but he surely interested with the guy.

He didn’t know how long the feeling will last, but Hyuk Jae surely feels different.