Romantic Gangster

#25

“I don’t think you would.”

“Why?”

“What kind of ball could you kick with that ankle? One kick and you’d need an ambulance.”

“Have you seen my ankle?”

Hyun-joon’s gaze lowered. If the pants were just a little shorter, the ankle might be visible, but now, even when the hem seemed to rise slightly, it completely fell back down, making it hard to see. Of course, he could guess without seeing, but somehow he felt like he wanted to see Ji-woo’s ankle once. Even he thought it was a perverse thought, so he didn’t voice it.

“What do I need to see? Looking at your wrist tells me everything.”

As they crossed the skyway, Hyun-joon casually grabbed Ji-woo’s wrist and lifted it. The long sleeve of the school uniform shirt slid down a bit, revealing a thin wrist with a protruding bone in his hand. It was enough to make him wonder what kind of part-time job he could do with such a wrist, and Hyun-joon clicked his tongue, tapping the protruding wrist bone with his thumb.

“Look how skinny it is.”

“It’s not that my hand is skinny, isn’t it that your hand is too big?”

Ji-woo raised his free hand and grasped Hyun-joon’s hand, which looked much larger even to the eye. The moment Ji-woo’s hand touched him, Hyun-joon couldn’t breathe for a moment. It was just a guy’s hand touching him, but he couldn’t breathe properly, his stomach was churning, and even his hunger disappeared.

“It really is big. It’s hard to hold with one hand.”

Taking advantage of the moment when Hyun-joon’s hand, tense, lost its strength, Ji-woo withdrew his wrist and held the large hand with both of his. Then he spread one hand and compared it to Hyun-joon’s. Seeing the significant difference in finger length, size, and thickness, Hyun-joon somehow felt like a full-grown adult while Ji-woo seemed like a not-yet-grown child.

“Don’t you use hand cream?”

“What’s that?”

“Cream you put on your hands.”

“Why would you put cream on your hands?”

“If you don’t, they get rough, don’t they?”

Hyun-joon forgot to breathe again when he saw Ji-woo’s fingertips touch the back of his hand. He seemed to be checking if it was rough or not. The moment those white hands that looked soft to anyone’s eyes held his hand, and those slender, pretty-nailed fingertips rubbed the back of his hand… He felt a surge of energy in his lower abdomen. It was similar to the feeling when he wanted to masturbate. Hyun-joon, sensing danger, withdrew his hand.

“…Why are you fiddling around like that?”

Hiding his hand in his pocket, Hyun-joon climbed towards the cafeteria, trying to think of things that would make his arousal disappear. The faces of guys kneeling and roaring as if they’d become national athletes after scoring a strike at the bowling alley, the atmosphere of a kind godfather, the fear of the moment when he almost died in an accident while delivering on a motorcycle.

As if it had never happened, all the arousal disappeared. Hyun-joon finally felt relieved as he entered the cafeteria and picked up a tray to hand to Ji-woo.

Today’s lunch menu was rice topped with bulgogi mayo. With the addition of sweet and spicy chicken, it was very popular. Hyun-joon slightly bowed his head in thanks as they served him plenty of rice and side dishes, saying he’d eat a lot because he was tall, and then looked for a seat.

He wanted to eat quietly with Ji-woo alone, without being disturbed by anyone, but it was practically impossible in this crowded place. Still, he wanted to find such a place as much as possible, and spotted an empty space in the corner.

With six empty seats, if he and Ji-woo sat facing each other in the middle, they could eat comfortably throughout. No one would dare sit around him anyway.

“Let’s go over there.”

“Okay.”

Hyun-joon, nodding to Ji-woo, moved first. With each step, he could feel the gazes of random people, but unlike before, he didn’t care at all. It was because he had no attention, heart, or anything else to give to such places. All of Hyun-joon’s interest and attention was focused entirely on Ji-woo.

Hyun-joon, who sat in the middle of the three empty seats in a row, gestured for Ji-woo to sit in the middle when he tried to sit at the end.

“But then it’ll be uncomfortable for other kids to sit.”

“I’ll be uncomfortable if other bastards sit.”

“…”

“I want to eat comfortably. You saw how everyone was staring when I came in just now, right?”

“Okay. Let’s eat comfortably.”

Ji-woo easily agreed. Even now, he could see the glances from people sitting at the same table occasionally falling on Hyun-joon. He put his tray down across from Hyun-joon and sat down, and Hyun-joon smiled again. Ji-woo smiled back once and then put a piece of sweet and spicy chicken in his mouth. It wasn’t spicy, but sweet and very delicious.

“…”

Hyun-joon’s gaze fell on Ji-woo’s puffed cheeks and then on his white, clean, and long fingers holding the chopsticks. Seeing those hands reminded him of Ji-woo talking about hand cream earlier.

“So, do you use hand cream or something like that?”

“Yes. When I was doing dishwashing part-time before, an auntie I worked with gave it to me as a gift, saying even men should use it. When I tried it for the first time, my hands didn’t hurt and became so soft, it felt nice. So I’ve been using it ever since.”

So that’s why his hands are so white and soft. Hyun-joon recalled the moment when Ji-woo’s hand touched his earlier. It felt warm and soft, just like Ji-woo’s pheromone scent.

“…How about my hands? Do you think I should use it?”

“They’re not too rough, but they are a bit on that side, so it might be good to use some. Next time you come to the convenience store, I’ll apply it for you. No, they sell hand cream at the convenience store too, so I’ll gift you one.”

…Damn, he’s going to apply hand cream? What does he mean by applying it? Is he saying he’s going to apply that cream directly on my hands? Holding my hand, that slippery cream… Shit.

“First! If I try it and it’s okay then… Are you going to apply it for me when I come today?”

“Yes. Come later.”

Hyun-joon, naturally gaining an opportunity for a date at night as well, clenched his fist once under the table to express his joy. If he’s going to apply hand cream, he’ll have to hold my hand, and if we start skinship from the hands like that, surely Ji-woo will come to like me too.

Even now, isn’t he showing interest by personally offering to apply hand cream because he doesn’t want my hands to get rough? He might not be showing it openly on the outside, but it was clear that Ji-woo’s feelings for him had already begun.

“Have you ever applied that to Choi Young-jae too?”

“No, never.”

“Why? Does he apply it himself?”

“No, I don’t think he uses it.”

“Then what, is his skin so soft like yours that he doesn’t need to use it?”

“Well… I’ve never paid attention to that, so I’m not sure.”

You’ve never paid attention? You hang out together so much but you don’t know if Young-jae’s hands are rough or not? Then why my hands…?

…He definitely likes me. Absolutely.

Hyun-joon, excited by the feeling that his heart was about to burst, straightened his back from his somewhat slouched position and leaned forward. It wasn’t in his nature to keep things inside, and he felt like he needed to voice at least a few of the questions filling his head and heart to relieve the frustration. Just as he was about to ask why Ji-woo had become interested in his hands, he sensed a sweet and soft scent. It was such a sweet scent that he wanted to bury his nose in it and even taste it.

“…What’s this?”

This is the scent of castella, isn’t it?

Hyun-joon’s gaze, which had turned to the other side to find the source of the fragrance, landed precisely on Ji-woo sitting across from him.

“…Ah, why suddenly… It’s too, ah, my head hurts.”

“Hey, what’s wrong? Are you in pain?”

“…Suddenly I feel nauseous and my head is so…”

Seeing Ji-woo’s hand holding the chopsticks trembling, Hyun-joon sprang up from his seat. He could feel the gazes from around. This time, they were directed at Ji-woo, not him. Hyun-joon quickly went to Ji-woo’s side and helped him up as he curled up, trembling and dropping his chopsticks.

“Can you walk?”

“Yes…”

“Hold onto me. Let’s go to the infirmary.”

Ji-woo nodded and grabbed Hyun-joon’s arm. Even at that moment, his body didn’t stop shaking.

“…Shit, do you know your pheromones are coming out like crazy? Did you take suppressants this morning?”

“I did… I was fine…”

“Lean on me completely. I won’t let you fall, trust me.”

Hyun-joon, who firmly held Ji-woo’s body leaning into his arms as if embracing him, left the cafeteria. The gazes of alpha bastards who had smelled the sweet omega pheromone scent, which could make one’s eyes roll back if inhaled, all moved following Ji-woo’s movements. Among them, there were even some who unconsciously approached.

“Hey, fuck off. Get lost.”

Hyun-joon, frowning fiercely, pushed the shoulder of one guy who was getting close, kicked the leg of another trying to approach from behind, and went down the stairs. Every time Ji-woo’s body lost strength and leaned into his arms as if falling, it was truly hell. Hyun-joon clenched his teeth to avoid causing trouble and made his way towards the infirmary.