Projection Novel (Completed) - Chapter 80

While Cheon Sejoo was away getting the cart, Sejin thought about Kang Doyoon with a sulky face. He was as short as Sejin was a year ago, and his build was very small. Moreover, he ate so little. When he encountered Doyoon in the kitchen, the amount of cereal he was eating was only one-fifth of what Sejin ate for a single meal. Sejin, on the other hand, ate so much cereal that he had to pour a liter of milk to finish it.

He hadn’t cared about such things before, but now he felt he should reduce his portion sizes a little. Since Cheon Sejoo liked short men, he might truly find him disgusting if he grew any taller. Yet, Sejin picked up five 3.5-liter cartons of milk and loaded them into the cart. It was an instinctive action, beyond reason.

As they were shopping, Cheon Sejoo, who had gotten a new cart, approached Sejin’s side. “Want to try this? They say it’s new.”

He must have passed the bakery section, as Cheon Sejoo was holding a large box of cookies. The cookies, a mixture of almonds and nuts, had a shape that seemed familiar. Sejin took the cookie box from him and put it in the cart. “Do you like this?”

“Huh? No. You eat well.”

“…”

At the words that he chose them because Sejin ate well, Sejin bit his lips and smiled shyly. With a soft, gentle face devoid of any malice, Cheon Sejoo silently bit his tongue. Kwon Sejin rarely smiled, so every time he smiled silently like that, it drove him crazy. Looking at that pretty face, Sejin soon composed his expression and said, “The one you bought was really delicious. It was the best cookie I’ve ever had in my life.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Where did you buy it? I’ll go buy some later.”

“Ah, that.”

Cheon Sejoo, who had been pushing the cart thoughtlessly, following behind Sejin, suddenly bit his lip. Ah, damn it… A look of embarrassment crossed his face as he recalled the origin of the cookies. The cookies Sejin had eaten were given by Doyoon. Cookies that his older sister had ordered together because they were near his family home… Not knowing things would turn out like this, he had fed Sejin everything he received, and Cheon Sejoo didn’t even know where they were sold. He didn’t even know where Doyoon’s family home was. He seemed to have mentioned it a few times, but he couldn’t remember.

When he paused mid-sentence, Sejin turned his head in confusion. “Where?”

At the repeated question, Cheon Sejoo had no choice but to sigh and smile. “That… I’m sorry. Kang Doyoon gave them to me as a gift.”

“…”

It was clear that trying to deflect would be futile, and he couldn’t lie. At his calm confession, Sejin’s face stiffened, his lips pouting. The smile on his pale face vanished, and his lips jutted out.

Cheon Sejoo cursed under his breath as he approached Sejin. He transferred the heavy items from Sejin’s cart to his own and kept talking to him. Sejin quickly adopted a sulky expression, but he seemed very upset. Every reply was a monosyllabic “Yes” or “No.” In such a precarious atmosphere, the two finished their shopping, and Friday ended.

Kang Doyoon Ah, hyung! LOL No, I hadn’t heard from you lately! It was raining that day, so I called you, but you answered and didn’t say anything. I happened to be passing by your neighborhood and wondered if you were sick, so I stopped by your house. I rang the doorbell and waited, and someone answered the intercom? I thought it was you, but seeing that there was no sound, I wondered if it was Sejin? Your dongsaeng… Then it hung up without a word, and suddenly I felt like I might have overstepped, so I just went back home! I thought you were angry since you didn’t say anything after that, but you blacked out? XD 8:29 I was busy with a company dinner yesterday, so I’m replying now! Shall we meet today if you have time? 8:30

Doyoon’s reply arrived in the morning. Cheon Sejoo, who had finished his morning workout and returned, checked the message and pressed the keypad, glancing at Sejin, who was eating breakfast.

“No, Doyoon. I’m sorry, but I can’t meet you anymore…”

However, after writing that far, Cheon Sejoo thought he couldn’t end a three-year relationship like this and finally pressed the call button. When he switched to the speakerphone, Sejin raised an eyebrow at the sudden ringing and looked at Cheon Sejoo. To soothe Sejin’s feelings a little, he clung to his back, who was sitting on a high chair, placed his phone on the table, and called Doyoon.

• Yes, hyung!

“Hi. Do you have a moment?”

• Of course, of course. Have you been well? Did you see my message?

“Yeah. I called you after seeing that.”

Sejin’s chopsticks, which had been moving, slowed down. If Sejin were a cat, his ears would have visibly perked up. Cheon Sejoo, aware that he was focusing on his conversation with Doyoon, lightly kissed the nape of his neck. Then he spoke to Doyoon. “I don’t think I can see you anymore.”

• Oh.

At that simple remark, Doyoon gasped in surprise, a sound like a moan. Then, he quickly asked again in an excited voice, “Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend? Is it him? The one you have at your house?”

“…Yes.”

It was Sejin who was surprised by Doyoon’s incredibly candid reaction. He had secretly considered Kang Doyoon his rival, but what was this reaction, as if he were hearing news about someone else? Sejin frowned and glared at the phone on the table, and then Doyoon continued.

• Wow. Seriously… Amazing. Congratulations, hyung. No, wow…

Doyoon was speechless for a while, wondering what had surprised him so much. Then, a moment later, he said with envy, “Seriously, to meet someone like hyung, you have to be at that level. Wow. You two really suit each other so well. I was also surprised when I saw that kid. I wondered who such a beautiful kid would end up with. And it was you, hyung.”

“Yeah, that’s how it turned out.”

• Well, it can’t be helped. Actually, I somewhat expected it. It’s been well over six months since we last saw each other, so I’d be a fool not to expect it.

Doyoon giggled, then said to Cheon Sejoo in a cheerful voice, “Anyway, I get it. Thanks for telling me, hyung. Stay well, and if you ever have someone to introduce me to later, let me know.”

“Okay. You too, stay well.”

• Yes, yes. Have a beautiful love.

Doyoon left a comment like a wedding planner and hung up with a laugh. It was a very clean ending. This should be okay, right? Cheon Sejoo sighed in relief and stretched his neck to look at Sejin’s face.

But the face he thought would be okay was again sulkily puffed up. Why was he like this, when he didn’t even call him Doyoon, nor did he respond gently like usual? Cheon Sejoo swallowed dryly and tightened his arm around Sejin’s neck. Then Sejin frowned and turned his head to look at Cheon Sejoo. “This person doesn’t like you?”

“They don’t like me. We really just… had a relationship without feelings. We started with the agreement to stop as soon as either of us got a partner, and we never crossed any lines.”

He didn’t particularly want to talk about this in front of Sejin, but since Sejin already knew about Doyoon, it was better to address it clearly. Cheon Sejoo confirmed to him that there were no lingering feelings between him and Kang Doyoon. He figured this would appease him. However, Sejin’s reaction was unexpected.

“How can he not like you? Who is he to not like you?”

“…What?”

Sejin was getting angry about something strange. Cheon Sejoo, who couldn’t immediately understand his reaction, straightened up and leaned his back against the island bar, looking down at Sejin. Whatever he was thinking, Sejin’s expression was full of discontent. “How can he not like you when you treat him so kindly? Is he a psychopath?”

“…”

Sejin truly couldn’t understand. Cheon Sejoo had brought Kang Doyoon home when he was drunk and let him sleep there, and he had been incredibly gentle during sex that day. Given Cheon Sejoo’s usual behavior, he likely would have been just as kind even when they weren’t having sex, so Sejin couldn’t believe that Kang Doyoon didn’t like such a handsome, kind, and good-natured perfect man. If he were in Kang Doyoon’s shoes, he would have cried and begged him not to break up, but “have a beautiful love?” How could he say such a thing? Sejin, feeling frustrated, chugged the water on the table and looked up at Cheon Sejoo.

A faint smile graced his handsome face. Instead of his usual cool gaze, the corners of his eyes were gently lowered, and the left corner of his mouth was slightly turned up. Cheon Sejoo always raised the left corner of his mouth first when he was in a good mood. Sejin stared intently at that spot, meeting his gaze.

“If it were me, I would have come to you, knelt down, and begged you. To be with me.”

At Sejin’s disgruntled remark, Cheon Sejoo let out a small laugh. He smiled, squinting his eyes, then gently lowered his head and kissed Sejin’s forehead. The hand holding his shoulder moved slowly. Sejin felt a strange sensation as his fingertips softly rubbed his collarbone. With a flushed face, Sejin reached out his arms. With trembling hands, he grabbed Cheon Sejoo’s waist and caressed his skin beneath his T-shirt. Then, he raised his head to kiss Cheon Sejoo, but he naturally straightened up as if he had remembered something to do, pulling away from Sejin.

“…”

Sejin, with narrowed eyes, glared at Cheon Sejoo and bit his lip. Regardless, Cheon Sejoo, smiling, removed Sejin’s hand that lingered around his waist, kissed the back of his hand, and then released it. “I’ll go wash up.”

Between lovers, saying “I’ll go wash up” might imply the act to follow, but Sejin knew this was Cheon Sejoo’s way of avoiding him. Why? He said I was good that day, but was I actually so incredibly bad? That couldn’t be. Sejin shook his head. He had watched many videos and done a lot of mental rehearsal in his dreams, so it didn’t seem like his actual performance could be the reason for the lack of sex. In fact, Cheon Sejoo had seemed to enjoy it greatly that day, hadn’t he?

…Or perhaps he’s just not in the mood yet? Sejin pondered, then nodded, recalling Cheon Sejoo tearing up at the charnel house. Indeed, now that he was finally able to face the past, he might need more time to sort out his thoughts. Or perhaps it was out of consideration for him, as tomorrow was his mother’s 49th-day memorial service. Cheon Sejoo was a kind person, after all.

Sejin concluded this and decided he would wait patiently for Cheon Sejoo to approach him first, and began tidying the kitchen.

That evening, after preparing the food for the ancestral rites table, Sejin took out the memorial portraits of Kim Hyun-kyung and Cheon Hyein. The two portraits were placed side by side on the ritual table. They were not blood relatives, but that didn’t matter.

Cheon Sejoo became quiet as they prepared the memorial food, and by the time midnight arrived for the 49th-day memorial service, his face was expressionless. Instead of making unnecessary conversation, Sejin silently held his hand. As if that warmth was enough, Cheon Sejoo smiled weakly, his hand intertwined with Sejin’s.

The ancestral table was filled with food Sejin had meticulously prepared. The bright yellow pan-fried dishes were garnished with red chili and mugwort, and the fruits, carefully wiped with a dry cloth, gleamed. Kim Hyun-kyung’s favorite braised short ribs, Hyein’s beloved spicy braised chicken, and Sejin’s confident seasoned vegetable dishes… The memorial table boasted a splendid appearance, enough to make one believe it belonged to a prestigious family.

After midnight, they both bowed together to the two portraits. Although it was generally not customary to bow to a younger sibling, Cheon Sejoo knelt without hesitation as he couldn’t do it for Kim Hyun-kyung and not for her.

Incense was burned, and alcohol was offered. Throughout the series of rituals, neither of them spoke. After the service, despite the late hour, they sat facing each other and ate, then fell asleep embracing each other tenderly in bed.

On Sunday, they left early in the morning by car. Carrying the simply packed memorial food, just in case, they arrived at the memorial park where Kim Hyun-kyung’s memorial tree was located and held another small service in the designated memorial room. Finally, they spent some time by the arborvitae tree planted over her urn before setting off for Seoul again.

Sejin, bravely, didn’t cry. “It’s okay to cry,” Cheon Sejoo whispered, but he only shook his head. He had cried enough already, and he didn’t want to worry Kim Hyun-kyung anymore; that was his reason.

However, he couldn’t help his gloomy feelings, so Sejin leaned his head against the window and stared blankly ahead during the drive to Seoul. He couldn’t say anything because he was busy trying to sort out the memories of his mother that flooded in.

Upon arriving home, the two spent a peaceful day. If he had been alone, it would have felt incredibly lonely and solitary, but with each other, Sejin and Cheon Sejoo had no time to feel loneliness or sadness. They were simply too busy talking, envisioning the days they would live together in the future.

After much deliberation, Sejin decided to resume his studies. He hadn’t yet decided on a major, but following Cheon Sejoo’s persuasion, he decided to prepare for the Suneung (college entrance exam) again. Sejin was going to fulfill Cheon Sejoo’s wish for Hyein to have a successful social life, taking her place. He also wanted to become a useful member of society himself.

However, they decided to change his study method slightly. Since Cheon Sejoo couldn’t be with Sejin every day, he decided to send Sejin to an academy while he was at work. Sejin seemed reluctant to attend the academy, but he decided to do so at Cheon Sejoo’s suggestion to try it for just one month.

Thus, on Tuesday afternoon, after having lunch, Cheon Sejoo left work early, and together they registered Sejin at a prep academy near Gangdong-gu. Although it was quite a distance from home, Sejin chose that location so he could commute with Cheon Sejoo every day.

“Yes, then we’ll see you on the 2nd of next month.”

The regular classes for the prep course started on specific dates every three months. Sejin, who was to start attending the academy next month, greeted the counseling manager with Cheon Sejoo and left the registration office.

“The academy is really nice.”

“Yeah.”

The newly renovated prep academy had a bright and cheerful atmosphere. Given the nature of prep academies, there were likely many disheartened students, but once inside, the atmosphere was so lively that you couldn’t help but perk up.

Cheon Sejoo worried if Sejin would adapt well as they got into the elevator. Taking advantage of the empty space, he lightly kissed his earlobe, then led the flushed Sejin to the parking lot.

Cheon Sejoo’s SUV, having left the academy parking lot, did not head home. Sejin, seeing the car moving towards downtown Gangnam instead of Gangbuk, belatedly turned to Cheon Sejoo and asked, “Where are we going?”

Today was the day. The day to compensate Sejin for their regrettable first night. Just thinking about it made his lower belly ache. When Cheon Sejoo softly mumbled, “Guess,” and smiled with his eyes, Sejin scrutinized him suspiciously.

“What is it…?”

“You’ll know when we get there.”

“…”

Where were they going that he would say something like that? Sejin, utterly bewildered, simply closed his mouth and stared straight ahead. The car was heading towards Songpa. About 20 minutes later, Cheon Sejoo’s SUV finally stopped in front of a tall building that Sejin knew well.

It was a place with both a hotel and a shopping mall. There, Cheon Sejoo handed the car keys to a hotel employee and got out. Sejin, curious, also got out of the passenger seat. He hurried over to Cheon Sejoo, who was waiting for him near the lobby entrance, and tugged on his arm. “Where are we going? Are we going shopping for clothes?”

“Let’s sleep here tonight.”

“In a hotel?”

“Yeah.”

Sejin’s eyes widened. Cheon Sejoo smiled with his eyes, gently patted his head, then turned and walked towards the hotel lobby.

Stay at a hotel…? Is this a date? Sejin mulled over the fact blankly, then belatedly followed Cheon Sejoo inside.

Passing through the large, silently rotating revolving door, a dazzlingly luxurious interior appeared. Sejin, for whom the department store was the most extravagant place he had ever been in his life, couldn’t hide his surprise and looked around. Then, worried about losing Cheon Sejoo in the crowd, he quickly ran and grabbed his sleeve, continuing to look up at the ceiling as they walked.