Phone Calls
Epilogue: Monday
Seunghyun wakes up to the chime that means he has a new message on LINE. He knows before he even opens his eyes that it’s early in the morning, some time in between the alarms that get him out of bed for work, but he has no idea what day it is. Half awake, he finds his phone on his nightstand and holds it over his face. The message is from Jiyong: Did you sleep well?
Seunghyun smiles, pleased Jiyong thought of him first thing in the morning. What’s he doing up so early, anyway? Seunghyun tries to remember Jiyong’s schedule – did he tell him about anything unusual going on today? – and a moment later the events of the day before come back to him. He turns his head and there’s Jiyong, sitting up beside him in bed, watching him and grinning. “It’s cute, right? Like you calling me yesterday,” he says.
It’s a little too early for Seunghyun to form full sentences, so he just nods and reaches for Jiyong. They curl up together, which is a dangerous thing to do if Seunghyun wants to get to work on time, but too tempting to resist. “I’m glad you stayed,” Seunghyun says in his croaky morning voice.
“Me too,” says Jiyong.
Yesterday evening Seunghyun had asked – perhaps somewhat bitterly – if Jiyong had dinner plans he needed to get to.
“No, I don’t have anywhere to be. Why?” Jiyong had replied.
“Well, I just thought… Because yesterday, I wanted to have dinner, but you changed it to lunch.” He chews on his lip. “Actually, when you said that, I was sure that meant you weren’t interested in me. Friends have lunch.”
Jiyong bursts out laughing. “You wanna know why I wanted to have lunch and not dinner? So we’d have more time to have sex, because I know you have to get up early to get to work.” (And Seunghyun has to admit, he appreciates Jiyong planning ahead – they used all the condoms Jiyong brought and still got to bed at a decent hour.)
They cuddle until alarm number two goes off, at which point Jiyong gets up and manages to pry Seunghyun out of bed before alarm number three even sounds. Seunghyun cobbles together breakfast while Jiyong showers, and after they eat he takes his turn in the bathroom and Jiyong cleans up the kitchen. He also picks out an outfit for Seunghyun, citing it as one of the many benefits of dating a stylist. Seunghyun lends Jiyong a shirt; it drowns him, but Jiyong looks himself over in the mirror and announces that he’s pulling it off.
And then they’re saying their official goodbye in the apartment (it involves a lot of tongue), and then they’re on the street, preparing to go their separate ways.
“Well…” Seunghyun says, struggling to come up with a parting line. They’re boyfriends now, but he’s never become someone’s boyfriend the same day he met them. Or even been that many people’s boyfriend, period. What’s the protocol on second dates in a situation like this?
“Um, are you free, like…” Jiyong runs a hand through his hair. “Well, tonight? Is tonight too soon?” He laughs.
“Tonight’s not too soon,” Seunghyun says, relieved. “Um, I might have to work late, but I would love to see you. We can...uh...we can do whatever you want, actually. I don’t care. But I’d love to see you.”
Jiyong bites his lip, but it does little to hold back his smile. “Okay. Good. Me too.” He nods. “Well, um, I’m this way,” he says, indicating the opposite direction of Seunghyun’s bus stop. “So, you’ll let me know about work?”
“Yeah, absolutely. It just depends on my boss… Well, we’ll figure it out.”
“Okay.” He smiles and shrugs. “Call me.”
