"What would you like to eat?"

Woojin was watching s.h.i.+n placing edamame onto a dish for him when s.h.i.+n asked. Woojin turned his eyes to the menu.

s.h.i.+n Kim's cheeks looked a little pink and Woojin wondered if it was because of him or because it was a bit warm in the restaurant. Before they walked into the j.a.panese restaurant, right after s.h.i.+n parked his car, s.h.i.+n kissed Woojin.

It happened as s.h.i.+n undid Woojin's seat belt. s.h.i.+n kissed him like it was nothing, but Woojin noticed that s.h.i.+n's chin turned pink slowly.

s.h.i.+n asked, "What is your favorite food?"

"…"

"I ask you this often, but you never answer me."

s.h.i.+n mussed Woojin's hair. These unexpected casual touches… Woojin didn't dislike them. When he closed his eyes and lowered his face, s.h.i.+n smiled and caressed Woojin's cheek.

s.h.i.+n whispered, "Sometimes, you act like a puppy…"

"…"

"You need to make sure I am the only one who gets to touch you like this."

s.h.i.+n gently pushed aside the menu. When Woojin looked up into his eyes, s.h.i.+n said to him in a warm low voice, "Then I will tell you what my favorite foods are."

Woojin nodded, making s.h.i.+n chuckle. He continued, "I like all seafood. I also like meat."

"…"

"I also like fruits, but as for vegetables… I like certain ones, but not all of them. I had to eat so much of them when I was young that I kind of got sick of them. Well, I also ate a lot of meat too, but I guess I never got sick of it. There is a certain type of food you need to eat when you are an athlete."

As s.h.i.+n explained, Woojin listened quietly. Slowly, he realized that he actually didn't know what he liked or disliked. There was food Woojin ate more of, but he also avoided certain foods as well. But all this time, Woojin didn't think about it at all. He just ate because he had to live. Most of the time, Woojin ate without really tasting the food, or even because he felt hunger.

s.h.i.+n suddenly asked, "You don't know what you like or dislike, do you, Woojin?"

Woojin stared quietly. After thinking for a long time, Woojin finally answered, "… I do know one thing I like."

"What is it?"

Woojin continued to look at him. s.h.i.+n's eyebrows arched in curiosity, and Woojin followed their movements. They looked like two thick lines drawn by black ink.

s.h.i.+n's face was very expressive, yet he always looked quiet and calm. The lines of his face were thick and beautiful. Woojin raised his hand to touch s.h.i.+n's eyebrows.

s.h.i.+n looked at him in surprise as Woojin answered, "… You."

Woojin thought as s.h.i.+n's face and neck began to turn red, 'I guess my heart fell out of my mouth.'

s.h.i.+n asked, "Where did you learn to flirt like that? Quite a skill." He smiled widely. There was no sadness or uncertainty in his smile.

Watching such an expressive face was so satisfactory for Woojin. When Woojin picked out a few things from the menu, s.h.i.+n nodded and ordered.

They shared a bottle of beer together. The main dishes, plates of sas.h.i.+mi and sus.h.i.+, filled the table along with a few of the side dishes. s.h.i.+n poured himself warm oolong tea when a man with a white ap.r.o.n came up to the table.

The man had a chubby face and looked very friendly. Woojin looked up at him and the man smiled at him. He also tapped s.h.i.+n's shoulder a few times and asked, "Hey, s.h.i.+n, is the food ok?"

"… Umm yeah."

s.h.i.+n bowed to the man politely. When Woojin looked at them quietly, s.h.i.+n finally introduced them, "This is a friend of mine. He is also the owner of this j.a.panese restaurant. This is an a.s.sistant manager from my office."

s.h.i.+n looked a little tense as he introduced Woojin as an office co-worker. Woojin looked away from s.h.i.+n and greeted the man, "h.e.l.lo, my name is Woojin Choi." He felt like his face was turning rigid.

The man replied, "Nice to meet you. When I heard you were here, I thought you came with your girlfriend! How is the food? Do you like it?"

s.h.i.+n suddenly looked upset. Woojin looked at s.h.i.+n curiously before nodding to the man. Woojin replied, "I haven't tried anything yet."

"Oh, please try some. I am certain you will like the food here."

s.h.i.+n interrupted the man, "You should go back to the kitchen. You shouldn't leave it for too long, right?"

The chef bowed and looked at s.h.i.+n with a teasing grin. He replied, "Why do you look so uncomfortable, s.h.i.+n? You know something, Mr. Choi? s.h.i.+n here brings a different girl every time, so I thought it would be like that again today."

s.h.i.+n growled, "… Leave now."

"But, you are a very good-looking person too, Mr. Choi. I was curious because the server told me that s.h.i.+n came with someone very pretty. I a.s.sumed he came in with a girl."

s.h.i.+n asked rigidly, "What are you talking about? Pretty?"

"Well, look at him. He is obviously a beauty."

The chef laughed and after a few more jokes, he left the table.

Woojin placed a small dish in front of s.h.i.+n who became very quiet. s.h.i.+n seemed to feel awkward, almost apologetic. When their eyes met, s.h.i.+n hurriedly tried to explain, "Gosh… that man is awful…"

"Eat up."

Woojin placed fresh dab of wasabi on s.h.i.+n's plate. s.h.i.+n turned serious and asked, "Aren't you upset? Aren't you angry?"

"Why should I?"

"That chef told you I brought a lot of women here."

"But not a man."

Woojin smiled. Now, he felt like he finally learned how to smile. He reached out and mussed s.h.i.+n's hair and added, "You need to make sure I am the only MAN who gets to touch you like this."

***

"Now where should we go?"

After dinner, s.h.i.+n and Woojin got into s.h.i.+n's car. Woojin sat in the pa.s.senger seat leisurely. s.h.i.+n thought he smelled so wonderful.

Recently, s.h.i.+n Kim was beginning to lose control over himself. Perhaps it was because this was the first time he felt this possessive about someone. Perhaps his body was just reacting to this emotion.

It wasn't like he was greedy about having a relations.h.i.+p. He just felt… sensitive and aware whenever he was in the same s.p.a.ce as Woojin Choi.

s.h.i.+n asked, "Are you tired?"

"… No."

To s.h.i.+n, Woojin felt… sticky. If he reached out and touched him, s.h.i.+n felt like his hand would stick to Woojin's skin.

Slowly. s.h.i.+n leaned forward and kissed him. Woojin's eyes widened for a second before closing. Every time he breathed, his neck and ears s.h.i.+vered.

Sometimes, Woojin smelled like water under the sun. He was so pale that he sometimes almost looked bluish. Woojin also looked very fragile, and to s.h.i.+n, that vulnerability reminded him of a young plant with new stems and leaves.

s.h.i.+n lifted Woojin's chin with his finger when suddenly, he remembered something. He asked, "I have something I want to know."

"…"

Woojin had a habit of looking down often, and when his chin was lifted like s.h.i.+n was doing right now, Woojin stared into his eyes deeply.

s.h.i.+n continued, "What is your relations.h.i.+p with a.s.sistant Manager Jihoon Kang?"

"Pardon?"

Jihoon seemed to be very curious about s.h.i.+n Kim. It wasn't that he was interested in s.h.i.+n; the curiosity was definitely related to Woojin.

When they met in the bas.e.m.e.nt parking lot, Jihoon had an odd expression. s.h.i.+n remembered it very well, and he knew that what Jihoon felt wasn't jealousy. It was more like sadness, and s.h.i.+n had been worried about what he saw.

s.h.i.+n wanted to ask about Jihoon for a long time, and finally he got the courage to do so. But when Woojin looked indifferent, s.h.i.+n began to regret asking. But it was too late, so he continued, "I know this is a ridiculous thing to ask…"

"…"

"But… did you use to go out with a.s.sistant Manager Jihoon Kang?"