Double Junk - 191

Ajin licked the ice cream from the corner of his mouth and asked,

“What do you like, hyung?”

“Hm?”

“Things you like.”

“Things I like…?”

“Yes. I like ice cream, yakgwa, chocolate, cola, stuff like that. Oh, and I like air conditioners too. What about you, hyung?”

Seokju blinked slowly. Things he liked. It was a common question, but no one had ever asked him before. He had never thought about it. It was a tough question. If someone had asked him about the company’s financial situation, he could’ve answered easily. While Seokju mulled over the lingering bitter taste of coffee on his tongue, Ajin offered a hint to help him.

“If it’s something I can, um, buy for you, that would be even better.”

“…”

“Oh, do you like Rolex or Patek Philippe watches? Should I buy you one of those?”

Ajin widened his eyes as if suggesting a brilliant idea. Seokju chuckled, and Ajin immediately pouted in annoyance.

“Why are you laughing? I can buy it for you. My mom said I have no credit card limit. She said there’s nothing in the world I can’t buy.”

“Pfft, it’s fine. I already have plenty of those, thanks to you.”

“Really? I already bought them for you? Hmm…”

Ajin groaned softly at the unexpected remark, furrowing his brows in dissatisfaction. Seokju sipped his coffee again and asked,

“Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?”

“Well… we’re lovers now, aren’t we? It’s a special relationship, so I wanted to do something nice for you. In dramas, the wealthy main characters always buy lots of things for their partners—delicious food, clothes, even cars. They say it’s a way of showing their affection and care…”

“…”

“I want to show you my affection too. I want to give you my heart.”

Ajin smiled while taking a big bite of his ice cream, which was a mix of strawberry pieces and chocolate. Seokju quietly watched Ajin’s bright expression and let out a long sigh through his nose.

“If affection is expressed through things like that, there wouldn’t be much I could give you.”

“Why not? You bought me this.”

Ajin held up his ice cream. Seokju let out a dry laugh. Expressing his feelings with something as trivial as that felt inadequate.

“That’s too insignificant.”

“It’s not insignificant. This is my favorite time of the day—eating with you and then having ice cream.”

Ajin grinned innocently, his eyes crinkling softly as sunlight danced across his delicate features. Seokju suddenly stopped in his tracks. Ajin also came to a halt, rolling the ice cream around in his mouth while looking up at Seokju. His gaze seemed to ask, What’s wrong?

Seokju’s Adam’s apple bobbed visibly.

“I…”

“Yes?”

“I like tying your tie.”

“…”

Ajin blinked rapidly before breaking into a laugh. He found it amusing and strange that Seokju liked something so mundane, something that should have been annoying.

“Something else.”

“Hmm. I like so many things that it’s hard to pick just one.”

“Come on…”

Ajin pouted as if disappointed, and Seokju chuckled lightly as he resumed walking. Simple things were nice precisely because they were simple. They didn’t have to be grand, expensive, or extraordinary.

“I just like being by your side like this. I like talking to you, and I like watching you eat ice cream.”

Seokju spoke plainly, but this time, Ajin stopped in his tracks. He stared up at Seokju, his face unusually serious. Seokju instinctively drew his chin inward, his back stiffening with tension as he wondered if he’d said something wrong.

“What’s wrong?”

Seokju asked. Ajin sucked on the ice cream-covered spoon before replying.

“Us.”

“Yeah?”

“Can we not go to work?”

“…What?”

“I don’t know, I just suddenly don’t feel like going.”

Seokju’s tense shoulders relaxed. Letting out a short sigh of relief, he nodded.

“Sure, then.”

“Wait… you’re letting me off the hook that easily?”

Ajin raised an eyebrow, surprised by the unexpected response. Seokju gently brushed his thumb against Ajin’s cheek. Despite eating cold things like soy milk noodles and ice cream, Ajin’s cheek was warm to the touch. Seokju spread his hand to cast a shadow over Ajin’s face.

“You’ve been diligent about going to work recently. One day off won’t hurt.”

“Wow… Being a bit of a slacker pays off in moments like this.”

“But where do you want to go? Are you tired? Or is it the heat? Should we just head home?”

Seokju bent down slightly to meet Ajin’s gaze, asking with concern. Ajin reached out and grabbed Seokju’s hand. Their palms pressed together, fingers intertwining. Ajin tilted his chin upward and whispered secretively,

“Let’s go on a date.”

“…A date?”

“Yes, you said you enjoy being with me. Then a date is perfect. I saw it in a drama. Eating together, kissing under a streetlamp, holding hands while watching a movie, chatting over coffee, and wearing headbands at an amusement park.”

“……”

“Let’s do that too. Let’s go on a date.”

Ajin smiled brightly while holding up his hand, which was clasped with Seokju’s.

In the end, Seokju yielded to Ajin’s persistence and went to the cinema. The theater was quiet since it was a weekday afternoon. Seokju quickly contacted the secretary’s office, informing them he and Ajin would be unavailable for two or three hours.

Myungjin, who took the call, sounded surprised, asking, “Even if it’s you, sir, and Secretary Kang too? Are you catching a flight or something?” But Seokju couldn’t provide an answer. How could he admit he was skipping work to go on a date at the movies?

With a sigh, Seokju used the downtime to check his emails. Meanwhile, Ajin, wandering around the neon-lit theater lobby, tugged firmly on his tie.

“It feels odd for both of us to be dressed like this. Maybe we should’ve gone home to change first.”

Even though theaters existed in the 1950s, and Ajin had never been to one, he knew it wasn’t a place for formal attire.

Ajin clicked his tongue in regret, but Seokju lightly patted the back of his head and neck.

“It’s fine. There aren’t many people here. Besides, watching movies is part of our job anyway. While we’re here, let’s see that one.”

Seokju pointed at a poster among the rows of movie advertisements. Ajin followed his gaze.

“It’s a film produced by our company. I’ve seen the rough cut, but you haven’t. This is a good opportunity to—”

“What? We’re not here to work! We’re on a date!” Ajin protested with wide eyes. Seokju tapped the corner of his phone with his index finger.

“Then shall we watch something else?”

“……”

“Do you have anything you want to see?”

Ajin scanned the posters before casually pointing to one. Nodding, Seokju headed to the ticket counter, with Ajin trailing closely behind.

However, the movie Ajin chose wasn’t playing until the evening, so they ended up buying tickets for the film Seokju had suggested. Feeling slightly defeated, Ajin bit his lower lip.

“Buy me popcorn,” said Seokju.

“What?” Ajin blinked in confusion. Buy what?

“Popcorn. Buy me some, Ajin.” Seokju gestured toward the concession stand next to the ticket counter and repeated himself. Ajin stared at him before grinning mischievously.

Ajin hurriedly patted his pockets. Seeing this, Seokju pulled Ajin’s wallet from his jacket and handed it to him. Taking the wallet, Ajin strode over to the concession stand, where a brightly lit menu displayed a variety of snacks—popcorn, cola, hot dogs, nachos—most of which Ajin had never tried.

He pulled out a black card from the wallet. Though he had rarely used it, he knew from dramas and from watching Seokju that this rectangular piece of plastic held money.

“What do you want? I’ll buy everything you want,” Ajin said, his eyes sparkling. Across both his past and present lives, this was the first time he could buy something for Seokju. Naturally, he was thrilled.

Standing beside him, Seokju pointed at one of the popcorn options. “Popcorn. Caramel flavor. It’s sweet, so you’ll like it.”

“Caramel flavor? Sounds good.”

Ajin handed the card to the cashier with unnecessary determination. “One large caramel popcorn, please,” he said firmly.

“Got it. One large caramel popcorn. Would you like any drinks with that?” the cashier asked politely.

“The most expensive one,” Ajin replied without hesitation.

“The most expensive…?” The cashier’s eyes widened in confusion. After a moment’s hesitation, she listed a few options.

“We have pink lemonade and iced tea. Would you like either of those?”

Ajin hesitated. “Uh, iced…” He glanced at Seokju, then asked the cashier, “Is there anything warm?”

At that, Seokju suppressed a chuckle, brushing his hand over his mouth to hide his amusement.

Inside the theater, it was quiet. There were only a handful of other patrons. Seokju and Ajin chose seats in the very back row. As Ajin nibbled on his popcorn, he looked around in awe at the plush seats—numbering in the hundreds—and the massive screen that seemed as big as the ocean.

Seokju placed a pink lemonade in the cupholder attached to Ajin’s armrest, his expression showing concern. “It might get a bit cold. Since we’re not alone, we can’t adjust the air conditioning. If I’d known earlier, I would’ve asked the theater to reserve an entire screen for us—”

“It’s fine. You’re here with me,” Ajin interrupted.

“……”

“As long as you’re here, I won’t feel cold,” Ajin said, grinning like a child before shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth. Despite his tailored luxury suit, his innocent smile was disarming. Watching him quietly, Seokju let out a small laugh and leaned back against his seat.

From time to time, Seokju accepted the popcorn Ajin fed him while checking his overflowing work emails and messages. Soon, the commercials began to play. Ajin’s eyes sparkled as he watched the screen, occasionally exclaiming in awe. Even so, his hand never stopped reaching for more popcorn.