Mint Candy Love - Chapter 2.4

There wasn’t much left to discuss, he thought. This first meeting was supposed to give enough material for their individual reflections, and he had plenty to say: a poor first impression, missed deadlines, and an apparent lack of basic communication skills.

With nothing else to say, he glanced at Yoon. Their eyes met. Oddly, Yoon’s eyes weren’t dark; they were a lighter shade, a soft brown in the sunlight, almost amber. There was a strange depth to them.

“Well, should we just call it a day?” he said, the words coming out sharper than he intended.

“Huh?”

“I mean, there’s nothing else left to discuss. I’ve got enough material for the report.”

“Oh…” Yoon hesitated, as though weighing whether or not to say something.

Finally, he asked, “Do you have any siblings?”

“…Why do you care?”

“Your tone is really abrasive, you know that?”

Yoon’s brow furrowed, looking genuinely put off. Despite himself, Young-han felt a twinge of unease. If Yoon decided to put his personality flaws into the report, it would be entirely within his rights. And knowing how much he planned to document every tiny annoyance, he suddenly realized that Yoon could do the same.

With a deep breath, he forced himself to respond civilly, “A younger brother.”

“I’m an only child.”

“Good for you.” He couldn’t bring himself to ask why Yoon cared, and the conversation fell flat.

Curiously, he thought back to his own dating history. He couldn’t remember ever genuinely wanting to know things about his exes. Dates followed a formula: meals, movies, routine. He’d answered questions because it was what couples did. Now, though, he felt strangely out of place.

Before he could dwell on it further, Yoon looked at him and spoke. “So, how many times have you dated?”

“Twice.”

“How long did they last?”

“Why would you ask that?”

Yoon shrugged. “Curiosity.”

Yoon’s lips curled into a gentle smile, his eyes crinkling in that soft, familiar way. He’d done it with the professor, with friends, and now here, casually, effortlessly. He had that face, soft eyes, a little birthmark under his left eye, and the way his cheekbones rose every time he smiled.

“Only a few months. Is that enough?”

“Sounds about right,” Yoon replied with a chuckle, his smile widening slightly.

Instantly, Young-han felt his hackles rise. His fingers tightened around his coffee cup as he glared back.

“Then, how about you? How long do your relationships last?”

The question was sharp, defensive. He was sure Yoon was no better than him at keeping people around. How could he be with that social cluelessness?

Yoon’s response was maddeningly calm. “About a year, give or take.”

Damn, he thought, his own bravado wilting. He’d expected something short, laughable. He’d practically set himself up for this, and Yoon was reeling him in like a fisherman with a prize catch.

“I guess I just don’t go around being openly rude to people,” Yoon said, an amused glint in his eye.

Rude? Me? Young-han gritted his teeth, his mind racing with a dozen retorts he forced himself to swallow.

“You know, Yoon Ye-jun,” he said finally, tapping his fingers on the table to draw Yoon’s attention. Yoon met his gaze, looking unimpressed.

“We’re going to have to meet more than a few times for this project, whether we like it or not. And what I put in that report about you? It might not be flattering. So maybe watch what you say.” He paused, allowing himself a smirk. “Funny, you act all sweet and charming in front of the professor, but here…”
Yoon raised a brow, eyes narrowing slightly. “And I’m sure your report will be a masterpiece of glowing praise?”

“Don’t worry,” he replied, voice calm. “I won’t leave anything out.”

“……”

Yoon Yejun kept a blank expression. Gi Younghan clenched the inside of his cheek with a less-than-pleased face, biting down and releasing repeatedly. The more he snapped back, the more he felt like he was losing ground.

Yoon Yejun chuckled lightly. At the sound of his short, snide laugh, Gi Younghan looked at him with a silent glare. Yoon Yejun, holding his expression, pressed his lips together as if swallowing his feelings, nodded slowly, and spoke up.

“Mr. Gi Younghan.”

“What?”

“I’m only good to people I want to be good to. Only to people I feel are worth my respect.”

“…Ha.”

It was absurd. Unbelievable.

“I don’t care what you put in your report. You know I have plenty to say too. I told you when we scheduled this—I work late at my part-time job, but you insisted on meeting at 9 a.m.”

“……”

“Who sets a first meeting at 9 in the morning? And, yeah, I was two minutes late. I apologize for that. But do you really have to make such a big deal out of it?”

“You know, two minutes is enough to cook cup noodles.”

“You must enjoy eating stiff cup noodles, huh?”

Yoon Yejun didn’t back down an inch. Gi Younghan was about to explode with anger. He’d never met anyone like this in his life. And given the way this guy talked, he was bound to keep up this nasty attitude every time they met. Just thinking about the time he’d have to spend with him was enough to make his head spin.

Gi Younghan shut his eyes tightly. There was a saying that you avoid stepping in shit because it’s dirty. But there was no such phrase in his vocabulary. Even if he had to scoop it up with a stick, he’d never walk away from it.

He licked his lips and folded his arms, leaning back in his chair. He wasn’t genuinely interested in hearing more; it was just that having his body slightly ahead of Yoon Yejun’s bruised his pride.

Yoon Yejun stared at him in silence. His pretty face was covered with visible annoyance. But since he didn’t continue, it seemed he wasn’t planning to nag any further. Had he gone too far with his snapping? He felt a slight pang of guilt. But thinking it’d be better to set things straight from the start, he pulled out his wallet from his pocket.

“Here.”

He took out a movie ticket from his wallet and placed it on the table. There was a movie theater about a ten-minute walk from campus. He had bought tickets for the most popular movie recently, and getting them this morning had made him late. Gi Younghan was openly hostile toward him, and knowing he’d get a prickly response if he tried to talk, Yoon Yejun thought they’d watch the movie and write the report afterward.

“What’s this?”

Naturally, Gi Younghan frowned as soon as he saw the ticket.

“I apologize for my outburst earlier. Let’s go watch this. We can’t sit in this cafe all day, can we?”

“Why would I watch a movie with you?”

As expected.

How am I supposed to deal with this guy…? Yoon Yejun ground his teeth.

“Look, I need things to write for the report too. The more material we have, the better it is for you too, right?”

In a slightly softened tone, he tried to persuade him, and Gi Younghan, who had been looking at him with a sulky face, lowered his gaze. He seemed to be considering as he read the ticket.

Then he looked up, and Yoon Yejun, meeting his eyes, noticed how strikingly beautiful his eyes were. They sparkled like polished jewels, enough to make him wonder about his parents’ looks.

If he talked less, he’d probably be pretty popular. Not that he’s my type, though.

“But why are you paying for it?”

“……”

“Ahh, just to have something to write in the report?”

That mouth of his.

It was early morning, so the theater was nearly empty. Yoon Yejun sat in the waiting area with the movie ticket in hand, waiting for Gi Younghan, who’d gone off somewhere. He’d complained so much on the way that Yoon Yejun’s ears were practically burning. The fact that someone had ever dated a guy like him was astonishing. They must be able to endure anything.

“……”

He lowered his gaze, looking down at the ticket in his hand. He hadn’t even seen the trailer; he just bought it because it was number one in ticket sales. When he checked, it turned out to be a romantic comedy. He preferred action movies. It was bound to be a predictable plot.

When was the last time he was even interested in romance?

Unlike the stubborn Gi Younghan, who only thought of himself, he had definitely liked someone before. Slowly counting back, he realized it was two years ago. Though it hadn’t even ended properly enough to call it a relationship.

With a wry smile, Yoon Yejun stretched his mouth, then returned it to its usual position. He had moved on. Now, maybe once a year, he’d briefly wonder how that person was doing.

“When is he coming…”

Muttering to himself, he looked up as Gi Younghan finally appeared. Lost in his somber thoughts, he couldn’t hide his shock at the sight.

“Is he out of his mind?”

Gi Younghan was carrying an armful of snacks: nachos, popcorn, hot dogs, even two drinks. It was impressive he could manage it all. Watching his precarious approach, Yoon Yejun stood up to help.

“Here, take some of this.”

Gi Younghan snapped at him. Accepting the nachos, a hot dog, and one of the drinks, Yoon Yejun asked.

“Did you skip breakfast?”

Plopping down, Gi Younghan put the popcorn beside him and took a big gulp of his drink.

“You know…”

Come to think of it, Gi Younghan hadn’t once called him “senior” or “hyung” out of politeness. Yoon Yejun, accustomed to using “Mr.” from his part-time jobs, knew some found it uncomfortable, but Gi Younghan seemed unfazed. He called him “Hey you,” “that guy,” or “Mr. Yoon Yejun,” even enunciating each syllable with a hint of attitude.

“It’s obvious you’re just trying to score well on the report alone. How could I just let that slide?”

Hearing the mocking tone in his voice, Yoon Yejun swallowed a sigh. Even twisted personalities couldn’t match his level. He’d never met anyone like him.

Under usual circumstances, he would’ve cowered and started calling him “hyung” by now. But no, this guy was either oblivious or stubborn as a mule.

Some people saw kindness as an entitlement, but seeing hostility as one was a first. Without masking his irritation, Yoon Yejun met his gaze, then brought a straw to his lips.

“…Thanks.”

What a bother. Still, the cola was unexpectedly refreshing.
As Yoon Yejun approached closely, Yoon finally opened his eyes, blinking. He slowly opened and closed his eyes twice, his long lashes parting to reveal eyes so close that Gi Younghan froze in place.

Yoon’s eyes widened gradually, and so did Gi’s. Without a moment to compose himself, Gi held his breath for quite some time, while Yoon shrank back, clearly misunderstanding. His face turned rigid as if he thought Gi was about to kiss him, twisting his torso away.

Gi Younghan’s face turned various shades of red. He felt wronged, deeply wronged. He wanted to snap and ask what ridiculous misunderstanding this was, but since they were in a theater, he held back. Sure, he had sneaked a quick look at Yoon’s face, but that was all.

Gi grudgingly forced himself to calm down and returned to his original seat.

Screw this, seriously.

He muttered curses under his breath, crossing his legs and leaning on the opposite armrest. He picked up his cola, taking a long, annoyed sip. The sweet coldness did little to ease the uncomfortable tension now filling the theater.

“Did I sleep a lot?” Yoon asked as they walked out of the screening room together. A couple nearby, presumably on an early date, was exchanging exaggerated comments on the movie.

Gi poured the remaining snacks he held into the trash. He wished he could dump the embarrassing moments he’d experienced in the theater along with them, much like the popcorn now falling into the trash.