Projection Novel (Completed) - Chapter 89

“Can’t do anything without me, huh?”

Who was the one who skipped setting up the tent and ran off?

Sejin glanced at Cheon Sejoo, narrowing his eyes without saying anything. While he panted and ate ice cream, Cheon Sejoo began organizing the luggage piled in a corner.

Tables, chairs, a fan… were all taken out and placed under the tarp. Inside the tent, he laid out the vacuum topper he had prepared. It was a new set bought after their two air mattresses deflated during sex. Although a bit heavy and cumbersome, it was much more comfortable than air mattresses. At least he didn’t have to worry about it exploding.

A magnificent bedroom, grand enough to be called a newlywed home, was about to be created. When Cheon Sejoo finished his work and stepped out of the tent, Sejin was sitting alone on a camping chair, looking out at the sea. The sea breeze gently ruffled his hair. Fine strands flew up on his white forehead, his eyelashes fluttered in the wind, and his cheeks were slightly puffed as he rested his chin, looking adorable.

The image of the little girl from their first meeting had long disappeared, but Sejin was still very beautiful and cute. Even after ten years, that feeling had not faded. Perhaps this feeling would stay with him for a lifetime.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Huh?”

“The sea.”

It was a moonless night. Because it was summer, the sun set late, so there was still a faint trace of twilight on the other side of the sea. But gradually, the sea deepened into indigo until the very last point their eyes could reach.

“…Yes.”

Sejin softly replied, then tore his gaze from the sea and turned to look at Cheon Sejoo standing beside him. Looking at the man who was always his solid support, Sejin gently nodded.

“Beautiful.”

The sentence sounded as if he was saying that Cheon Sejoo was beautiful. Cheon Sejoo bent down and looked at Sejin with mischievous eyes, then gently placed his lips on the top of his head. A light, loving kiss. Only the rippling sea witnessed it.

“Shall we go eat?”

“Yeah, let’s go right now… Cheon Sejoo!”

Suddenly, Cheon Sejoo messed up Sejin’s hair and ran off as if escaping, climbing into the driver’s seat. How childish, Sejin blushed, fixed his hair, and trudged after him, sitting in the passenger seat.

Their dinner spot was a nearby Korean beef restaurant, famous for only serving beef slaughtered on the same day.

“Welcome, both of you! Sit over here. How many portions of meat? Special assorted! That’s the best. So, is that okay?”

“Hello, sir, yes, please give us that.”

“Hmm, for two people, three portions? If you’re big eaters, four portions would be fine too.”

“My friend eats a lot, sir. Can we have ten portions to start?”

Hearing Cheon Sejoo order ten portions at once, the staff member’s eyes widened in surprise, but then seeing the tall figures of both men, especially Sejin who was silently bowing his head, he nodded.

“Well, eating a lot is good. If you can’t finish it, you can take it to go. Ten special portions, noted.”

“Thank you.”

When the staff member left, Sejin glared at Cheon Sejoo with a pouting face. Cheon Sejoo poured water, smiling as he asked, “What’s wrong?”, and Sejin pouted, grumbling:

“Did you really have to say I eat a lot? I’m not a kid. And I don’t eat that much either.”

“Yes, you are a kid. And you really do eat a lot.”

Cheon Sejoo chuckled, delivering a firm declaration. Almost thirty, and still being called a child? Sejin frowned. If anyone else heard it, they’d surely think Cheon Sejoo had issues. A man who had served in the military, with strong, healthy limbs, nearly 1.90m tall, and a body as muscular and solid as a wild beast, yet Cheon Sejoo was the only one who could call him a “child.”

“If I’m a child, then you’re an elementary school student. So childish.”

“I’m just learning from you, Sejin.”

“I’m very mature out there, you know! It’s only because I’m with you, and you keep teasing me, that I act like this.”

“My dear, isn’t it strange to call yourself ‘mature’ when you’re almost thirty? The truth is, you know deep down you’re not mature enough, so you have to emphasize it, right?”

It should have been “I’m an adult,” not “I’m mature.”

Sejin pouted at his irrefutable words. As he glared at Cheon Sejoo with an “I know, you’re so smart, aren’t you” look, a glistening mountain of beef was placed in the middle of the table. It was 1.3kg of assorted special cuts.

“Alright, the grill is hot, be careful. I’ll grill the meat for you, you two just enjoy. Okay?”

When they looked it up on blogs, it said you grilled it yourself, but perhaps because they ordered so much, they got extra service. Although Sejin was excellent at grilling meat, in places like this, it was better to let the professionals handle it. If the server understood the characteristics and heat of the charcoal grill here, they would surely bring out the best flavor of the meat.

Sejin’s sharp gaze gradually softened. Cheon Sejoo watched Sejin’s enraptured face as he gazed at the A++ grade beef, unable to resist covering his mouth to suppress a laugh. Sejin, engrossed in the meat, was completely oblivious to his amusement.

“Oh my, you eat so well. You should do mukbang videos on YouTube, you know? This won’t do. Owner! Get us another grill next to us!”

But the grilling speed couldn’t keep up with Sejin’s eating speed. Piece by piece, the staff member grilling the meat finally had to call the owner to light another grill at the empty seat next to them. Another staff member came and stood there, placing meat on the grill. It was a rare sight that made those around them keep glancing at their table.

“Oh my, it’s great to see someone eat so much! Are you two brothers? You’re both so handsome, you can tell at first glance. Does your younger brother always eat so well? Is that why he’s so tall? Huh?”

“We’re family. He’s been a big eater since he was little. I don’t know how much money we’ve spent on food… In high school, he’d eat two fried chickens at once.”

“Goodness gracious, really…”

“…Shut up.”

Sejin’s face flushed as he shot Cheon Sejoo a sharp glare. But even with a red face, his chopsticks didn’t stop. Sejin seemed to devour each piece of beef grilled by the staff, eating until they added more meat, totaling about 2kg, before finally putting down his chopsticks with a look of satisfaction. It must truly be a delicious restaurant. Although there was a long gap between lunch and dinner, he clearly ate much more today than usual.

“Full yet?”

“…”

Seeing Cheon Sejoo glance at his stomach, Sejin immediately crossed his arms to cover his slightly protruding upper abdomen. Seeing this, Cheon Sejoo burst out laughing. Haha, his clear laughter echoed, making even those secretly watching him freeze.

That gaze was not only irritating but also scorching. Sejin’s eyes darted around, then he picked up his chopsticks again with a scowl. He unhesitatingly picked up the last piece of meat on the grill and placed it on Cheon Sejoo’s plate.

“You eat it.”

“Every time you do this, I feel like you truly love me.”

“…Even when I don’t give you meat, I still love you.”

The calm yet emotional whisper made the corners of Sejin’s eyes redden as he replied. Cheon Sejoo looked at him intently, smiling softly, then picked up the piece of meat and put it back into Sejin’s yawning mouth. Receiving the returned affection, Sejin lowered his eyes, smiling shyly.

After the meal, while Cheon Sejoo declined the staff’s matchmaking attempts, Sejin got up first. He intended to pay and get the car ready.

“Did you enjoy your meal? Let’s see, 15 portions of assorted special cuts, 2 portions of sirloin, 5 bowls of white rice, 1 portion of soybean paste stew, 1 portion of raw beef, and two bottles of Coca-Cola. The total is 766,000 won, but you can pay 750,000 won!”

The owner, sitting in front of the POS machine, smiled extremely happily. Hearing the price, Sejin couldn’t smile.

Was his stomach currently holding seven hundred thousand won? He was shocked and looked down at his belly. Thanks to diligent training, his stomach wasn’t bulging like a fifty-year-old man’s, but for some reason, it felt like belly fat was protruding.

“Here you go…”

Sejin, with a gloomy expression, finished paying and kept holding the short receipt, disproportionate to the amount, reading it over and over as he left the restaurant. It was as if doing so would reveal that the staff had made a mistake in calculation, but even when he got into the car, he couldn’t find any errors. Fifty thousand went into Cheon Sejoo’s stomach, and seven hundred thousand was clearly in Sejin’s.

Is it right to earn three million and spend seven hundred fifty thousand on one meal? Sejin chastised himself as he got into the car and gripped the steering wheel.

Cheon Sejoo came out late, stood outside tapping on the driver’s side window, and held up a cigarette. He had said he would quit countless times, but he still hadn’t managed to.

Sejin didn’t reply, just started the engine and entered the address of a nearby gelato shop. The famous shops were already closed, so today they planned to have dessert at a nearby cafe that stayed open late.

After setting the navigation, Sejin leaned back in the driver’s seat and looked out the window. Although the car’s tint was so dark that he couldn’t see inside, Cheon Sejoo stared as if he could. His gaze was certain that Sejin was looking at him.

Even though he was in his early forties, Cheon Sejoo was still the same, still handsome, still with the cold demeanor he had when they first met, a face that always made Sejin’s heart flutter and attracted the attention of everyone around them.

Cheon Sejoo wanted to quit smoking, but Sejin didn’t really care much. If it was the smell of smoke from others, he found it unpleasant, but not from Cheon Sejoo. Sejin loved his face late at night, when the light from the cigarette tip cast shadows on his features.

Knock, knock.

After finishing his cigarette, instead of going straight to the passenger seat, Cheon Sejoo pressed his face against the driver’s side window as if he could see inside, silently looking at Sejin, then suddenly pressed his lips against the window, gave a firm press, and walked away.

It must be dusty… even though he thought that, Sejin couldn’t do anything about his burning cheeks. He opened the car door, pulled Cheon Sejoo in, and gave him a kiss along with a whispered “I love you.”

At the cafe they visited afterward, the giant gelato cup was completely devoured, but the mukbang wasn’t over yet. Back at the campsite, they both brought out beer and made snacks by lighting a mini stove to grill squid. After finishing the beer, they ended with grilling marshmallows for s’mores.

“Is it good?”

“Mmm… it’s really good.”

The crispy biscuit, grilled marshmallow, and melted chocolate spread their flavors in Sejin’s mouth. He nodded with a satisfied face, while Cheon Sejoo, sitting next to him, just smiled quietly.

In the early morning, the campsite by the sea was still bustling with conversation. The sea breeze was quite cold, but the campers still sat in front of their stoves, wrapped in blankets, leaning into the darkness and starlight to share their innermost stories.

Cheon Sejoo and Sejin were no different. Cheon Sejoo added a small log to the stove, quietly looked around, then leaned towards Sejin. He took Sejin’s hand, which was holding a s’more, pulled it closer, then intertwined their fingers inside his pocket, whispering:

“How have you been lately, Sejin…?”

“I’m fine.”

“Not tired?”

“Work, you mean?”

“Yes.”

It had been quite a while since Sejin transferred from the university hospital to the pediatric hospital. At his first job, he was often exhausted from shifts and dealing with drunk people, but here, those difficulties seemed to be gone. Just by his voice, Cheon Sejoo could tell.

But sometimes he still wanted to ask, just to confirm. Because he too had things he couldn’t tell him. He just thought perhaps Sejin also had something similar.

At Cheon Sejoo’s question, Sejin was silent for a moment. He thought for a while, then followed Cheon Sejoo, resting his head on his, leaning into each other. Then he slowly began to speak.

“It’s not a difficulty… it’s just… sometimes I think about this.”

“Think what?”

“That I’m living well.”

At that calm answer, Cheon Sejoo felt an immeasurable surge of emotion. Without words, he knew that Cheon Sejoo himself was the one who had reached out, helping Sejin escape the ups and downs of his life. So he fully understood the emotion hidden behind that simple sentence without any explanation.

Adorable, and also full of pride.

Cheon Sejoo leaned into Sejin, who had grown much stronger than in the past, and smiled with a face that looked like it was about to cry.

“What about you?”

“…”

“Do you think you’re living well?”

Sejin, too, knew Cheon Sejoo’s winding path well; he knew what awaited Cheon Sejoo on his way back. And yet, it was Sejin who asked, “Are you okay?” Cheon Sejoo just smiled quietly.

“Yes, I am.”

Living well? What an easy question. Despite enduring countless hardships, Cheon Sejoo finally found his path. And that path began with Sejin himself.

“From the moment I met you, everything changed.”

From the moment he turned his gaze to the child huddled in the hallway that day, Cheon Sejoo left his dark life and began to flow with the current of life. From the very first moment he saw Sejin, he stepped onto the path called “living well.” The memory of that day suddenly flooded back, making Cheon Sejoo tighten his grip on Sejin’s hand.

“You’ve done very well, my good boy.”

“…What?”

“Instead of crying alone, you bravely came to find me. You waited there until I came back. You did well.”

Sejin gently lifted his head at the soft words. Cheon Sejoo also looked up, meeting his gaze directly.

Under the moonlight of dawn, Sejin’s face appeared remarkably firm. Though he was easily sulky, though he often cried, deep inside Sejin had become surprisingly strong.

When did you grow so much?

Although he still felt Sejin was like a child, sometimes when he looked back, he realized that the other person had grown bigger than him without him knowing. Each time, a strange feeling welled up, as if only Kwon Sejin was growing, while he himself remained stuck in the first moment he met him.

Just now he teased Sejin for his mature behavior, but in fact, lately Sejin had frequently shown that mature side. On the contrary, he was the one who often acted spoiled. Even though he had teased Sejin for over 10 years, Cheon Sejoo never got tired of it; he still often played pranks.

Because he found Sejin’s angry face adorable, his glares and puffed cheeks so cute… or perhaps it was because at those times, he felt like he was facing Sejin at 18 again. Because the current Sejin seemed capable of living very steadily even in a world without him. That’s why he felt a sense of longing. He wanted to see Sejin’s naive, clumsy self from the past. It was selfishness, a little bit of sulkiness.

And as he secretly admitted that he himself wasn’t a person with a good personality either…

“You did well too.”

Sejin suddenly raised his hand, gently stroked Cheon Sejoo’s cheek, and whispered. Although the wind was cold, his fingertips were very warm. Cheon Sejoo blinked softly, feeling the hand caressing him and finding it strangely peaceful.

“You didn’t give up, you tried until you met me. You did very well.”

Sejin smiled, his eyes full of affection as he caressed Cheon Sejoo as if comforting a child. Even though he was treated like a child, at this moment, he didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. Cheon Sejoo wanted to open his heart and accept that comfort, as if he was embracing his past self, who had overcome difficult times with all his heart.

Truly… it was very hard.

Cheon Sejoo’s gaze softened, directed towards Sejin. What did the person he met after those long, stormy days give him?

The opportunity to forgive himself. If it wasn’t Sejin, someone exactly like him, Cheon Sejoo might never have been able to grasp that salvation.

“…I love you, Sejin.”

That confession suddenly burst forth from deep within Cheon Sejoo’s heart, so sincere it felt palpable. Sejin sensed that it was not just a simple confession.

Their gazes met, their skin touched, their heartbeats transmitted to each other, making Sejin feel as if Cheon Sejoo’s entire world was pouring into him. Sejin, overjoyed, spread his arms wide, embracing that world.

“I love you too, Cheon Sejoo.”

It was still April, so the air outside was chilly, but inside the small tent, it was scorching hot. The heat radiating from the two naked men’s bodies felt as if summer had arrived early. Cheon Sejoo felt his back drenched in sweat, silently gripping the blanket tightly. Sejin’s penis pressed against his back as he lay face down, slowly entering him.

“…”

Fearing the sounds escaping the tent, Sejin, on top of Cheon Sejoo, gritted his teeth, trying to suppress his moans on his flushed face. Only the faint, heavy breathing escaping through his teeth revealed his arousal.

One of Cheon Sejoo’s legs was spread wide to the side and pushed high. This allowed the penis to easily slide into the slightly parted gap between his buttocks. The small hole, carefully loosened beforehand, accepted Sejin without resistance.

“Hngh…”

The deeper he went, the clearer the curves of the inner wall became, making him eager to thrust deeper. The sensation was wonderful, as if his penis was about to melt. Sejin gasped softly, looking down at Cheon Sejoo.