“ Hate Me Better"
Seoul looked particularly beautiful when it rained, or perhaps Donghyun only thought so because he was watching the city from the enormous windows of his apartment, comfortably seated on a cream-coloured sofa with his legs crossed and a glass of iced water resting on the coffee table, the lights of Hannam-dong glittered beneath the dark evening sky, expensive cars moved along the wet streets, and the rain kept tapping against the windows with a persistence that was beginning to irritate him, he had been in a terrible mood for approximately forty minutes, which, according to his standards, was an unacceptable amount of time to spend without receiving the attention he wanted, his boyfriend was working, again, Donghyun glanced at his phone, unlocked it, checked their conversation, and locked it again, nothing, he opened it once more, scrolled through their previous messages, and stared at the last thing Dongmin had sent him almost two hours earlier "I’m working, stop bothering me " Donghyun’s lips parted in disbelief, "stop bothering him?" "Seriously? "he stared at the message as though it might magically change into something more appropriate, then threw his phone onto the sofa and leaned back, looking thoroughly offended, he had absolutely no intention of admitting that he missed Dongmin, that would be ridiculous, he simply wanted his boyfriend to remember that he existed, preferably without being reminded seventeen times. Unfortunately, Dongmin was an exceptionally difficult man, and Donghyun had discovered that being beautiful, wealthy, and accustomed to getting everything he wanted did not necessarily make him easier to deal with, in fact, Dongmin seemed to take particular pleasure in refusing him, it was infuriating. It was also, rather embarrassingly, one of the reasons Donghyun had fallen so hopelessly in love with him
At twenty-three, Kim Donghyun had never experienced the particular inconvenience of having to worry about money, he had grown up in a world where problems were solved with phone calls, inconveniences disappeared with a signature, and practically every door opened before he even reached it, his parents had given him everything they could possibly give an only son, and while their affection was occasionally expressed through expensive gifts and extravagant gestures rather than actual attention, Donghyun had never considered himself deprived, he had a beautiful apartment, a collection of designer clothes, a car he barely bothered driving himself, and a lifestyle that allowed him to wake up whenever he pleased without having to explain himself to anyone, he also had Han Dongmin, which was considerably more complicated than all his other possessions combined, mostly because Dongmin refused to behave like something that belonged to him ,he could be stubborn, unpleasant, sarcastic, and unbelievably difficult, with an attitude that made Donghyun wonder whether somebody had personally offended him at birth, yet Donghyun wanted him around constantly, he wanted his hands, his attention,his anger, his voice, his ridiculous expression whenever he was annoyed, and even the occasional arguments that left them both furious. He wanted him in the morning, in the afternoon, at midnight, and during every insignificant moment in between, sometimes he wondered whether there was somethin fundamentally wrong with him, then Dongmin would kiss him, and he would decide that whatever was wrong could wait
His phone vibrated against the sofa, dnghyun immediately reached for it, expecting, rather optimistically, a message from his boyfriend, Instead, it was a notification from a shopping application, he stared at it for two seconds before opening their conversation and typing with considerably more enthusiasm than he intended to demonstrate, "are you coming home tonight?" the message was delivered almost immediately, but there was no response, Donghyun waited, thirty seconds, one minute, two, he began tapping his fingernails against the phone, then sent another message" i'm hungry "still nothing," dongmin !??"he watched the screen, his expression growing increasingly displease, finally, the typing indicator appeared, donghyun straightened, "order something". he blinked, that was it? he read the message again, his eyebrows drawing together, "i want you to bring me something " this time, the response came almost instantly, "then order something you want " Donghyun actually laughed, although there was nothing remotely amusing about the situation, he tossed his phone onto the cushion, stood up, and walked towards the kitchen, muttering something unpleasant under his breath, he was going to remember this, he was going to be extremely difficult when Dongmin eventually came home, and he was certainly not going to kiss him first, he opened the refrigerator, stared at its contents, closed it, and returned to the living room. Three minutes later, he picked up his phone again. Come home early, no response " I miss you "he hesitated, stared at the words, then deleted them. Absolutely not, instead, he sent, "don't forget to buy strawberries" It was a much more dignified request.
Across the city, Dongmin was having a considerably less comfortable evening, the small clothing store where he worked part-time was unusually busy, and the rain had apparently convinced half the neighbourhood to spend their evening shopping rather than staying home, he had spent the last four hours registering purchases, rearranging shelves, carrying boxes from the storage room, and dealing with customers who seemed to believe that standing in front of him while changing their minds every thirty seconds was an acceptable way to spend an afternoon, his black shirt was slightly creased, his hair had fallen messily over his forehead, and his patience had practically disappeared, he checked the time on his phone while standing behind the counter, then glanced at the notification waiting on his screen," don't forget to buy strawberries "he stared at it, expressionless,of course, his boyfriend had an entire refrigerator filled with food, a kitchen larger than Dongmin's living room, and enough money to have a private chef prepare whatever he wanted, but somehow strawberries were his responsibility, he typed," You have legs, use them "he put the phone away before Donghyun could respond, already anticipating the argument, a few seconds later, his coworker approached him with a cardboard box in her arms, looking between Dongmin and the phone he had just put down "your boyfriend?" she asked, smiling. Dongmin gave her an unimpressed look "Unfortunately " she laughed. "You always say that." He picked up the box from her hands "Because it's true." his coworker shook her head, clearly unconvinced, she had met Donghyun once, when the long-haired man had appeared at the store wearing an expensive coat and an expression that suggested the establishment was personally inconveniencing him by existing, he had waited near the entrance for almost twenty minutes, refusing to sit down, and had complained twice about how long Dongmin was taking, yet the moment Dongmin finally approached him, Donghyun had casually taken his hand and demanded a kiss, it was difficult to reconcile that ridiculous display of affection with Dongmin's usual expression whenever somebody mentioned his boyfriend "Is he coming today?" she asked "how would I know, he's crazy he could do it ?" Dongmin replied, carrying the box towards the storage room, his phone vibrated again. He didn't need to look to know who it was
Donghyun arrived at the store twenty minutes before closing, he didn't announce himself, didn't call ahead, and certainly didn't consider the possibility that Dongmin might be occupied, he simply walked through the glass entrance, dressed in a long charcoal coat over an expensive black outfit, his dark hair falling beautifully over his shoulders, he looked completely out of place among the fluorescent lights, discount signs, and shelves of folded clothes, but that didn't seem to bother him. His eyes immediately found Dongmin behind the counter, the older-looking expression on his boyfriend's face was enough to make him smile, although he quickly concealed it, Dongmin looked up, saw him, and visibly lost what little patience he had left. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, donghyun approached the counter, placing both hands on its surface "Shopping." Dongmin glanced around him "For what?"
"Things." "Very informative " Donghyun tilted his head, looking at him with an expression of exaggerated innocence "are you going to greet your boyfriend or interrogate him?" Dongmin looked at him for a moment before returning his attention to the register "Hello." Donghyun's smile disappeared. "You're unbelievable ", "And you're interrupting my work." "I came to see you " "Congratulations." Donghyun narrowed his eyes, he hated that tone, he hated it particularly when Dongmin used it in front of other people, as though he were just another irritating customer instead of the man who slept beside him almost every night, he leaned closer, lowering his voice "you're being an asshole." Dongmin didn't even look up "and you're being annoying " Donghyun straightened, his jaw tightening, for a moment, he considered saying something particularly unpleasant, instead, he glanced towards the entrance, then back at Dongmin "I'm waiting outside." "I didn't ask you to." "I don't remember asking for permission " Dongmin finally looked at him, their eyes met, and something passed between them, something familiar enough to be almost comfortable, Donghyun held his gaze for another second before turning around and walking towards the door, his coat swinging behind him. Dongmin watched him leave, then exhaled through his nose, god, he was exhausting.
When Dongmin finally finished his shift, the rain had become heavier, he stepped outside, pulling his jacket over his shoulders, and immediately spotted Donghyun standing beneath the shop's narrow awning, the younger man was looking at his phone, one hand holding a small shopping bag, his hair was slightly damp, and his expression was so displeased that Dongmin almost smiled, almost. "why are you still here?" he asked, approaching him, Donghyun looked up slowly "Waiting for my man." "Your man told you he was working and u should go home" but I waited." "Nobody asked you to " Donghyun's eyes narrowed "can you stop saying that?" Dongmin unlocked his car "saying what?" "That nobody asked me to do anything, I know, I have ears." Dongmin opened the driver's door but didn't get inside, he looked at the beautiful, irritated man standing in front of him, then at the shopping bag in his hand. "What's that?" Donghyun lifted it slightly. "Strawberries " Dongmin stared at him "you came all the way here to make me buy strawberries?" "I bought them myself, since apparently I'm the only person in this relationship capable of doing anything." Dongmin let out a short laugh "You're unbelievable " "You've already said that today " "and I'll say it again." Donghyun stepped closer, his expression changing as he looked up at him.
"are you going to fuck me?" Dongmin glanced at the street, then back at him "We're outside." "and?" "And people wouldn't like to see that " Donghyun's lips parted "Oh, now you're shy?" "get in the car " "Kiss me first." Dongmin stared at him for a long moment before reaching out, catching him gently by the waist, and pulling him closer, the kiss was brief, almost impatient, but Donghyun immediately leaned into it, one hand finding the front of Dongmin's jacket, when they separated, he looked considerably more satisfied "that wasn't satisfying at all " Dongmin opened the passenger door "Get in before I change my mind." Donghyun smiled and climbed inside, carefully placing the strawberries on his lap.
The drive to Hannam-dong was accompanied by the sound of rain against the windshield and Donghyun's increasingly irritating commentary about the evening, he complained about being hungry, about the weather, about the fact that Dongmin had taken too long to finish work, and finally about the music playing through the speakers, Dongmin listened without responding, one hand resting on the steering wheel, the other occasionally adjusting the volume whenever Donghyun decided a song was particularly unpleasant "You're not listening to me," Donghyun announced "I'm driving." "you can do both." "Apparently not " Donghyun turned towards him, looking offended "You're in a horrible mood." "I've been working for seven hours " "I've been waiting for you for two "
"You weren't working." "Oh, so now waiting for you is easy?" Dongmin glanced at him "I didn't say that." "You implied it." "Donghyuna." "What?" "Please shut up for five minutes."
Silence followed, dongmin almost appreciated it until he noticed the way Donghyun had turned towards the window, his mouth pressed into a thin line, he knew that expression, It meant he had been offended, and it meant that the rest of the evening would probably become unnecessarily complicated. He reached over and placed his hand on Donghyun's thigh, the younger man looked down at it but didn't move "baby don't start ," Dongmin muttered. Donghyun slowly turned his head "I'm not doing anything." "exactly, you're making that face." "What face?"
"That one " Donghyun looked at him for another second before turning away again "I hate you." Dongmin’s fingers tightened slightly against his thigh "Sure "
By the time they reached the apartment, Donghyun had recovered enough of his usual personality to start issuing instructions, he wanted food, he wanted Dongmin to shower first because he didn’t like the bathroom getting cold, and he wanted him to put his phone away because he had barely looked at him during the drive, dongmin listened to all of this while removing his shoes near the entrance, then looked at his boyfriend with an expression of profound disbelief "do you ever get tired of hearing yourself talk?" Donghyun, who was already taking off his coat, turned around "Do you ever get tired of being unpleasant?" "No " "Clearly " Donghyun disappeared into the bedroom, returning a few minutes later wearing a loose black shirt that belonged to Dongmin and a pair of shorts, his hair fell freely down his back, and he looked almost offensively comfortable in the apartment, Dongmin watched him for a moment before looking away "That’s my shirt " Donghyun glanced down "I know." "You have hundreds of your own " "I don’t like them." "You bought them " "And?" Dongmin shook his head, walking towards the kitchen "You’re a fucking headache." Donghyun followed him "You love me." "Yeah ." "Say it properly ". , "No." Donghyun approached him from behind, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his chin against his shoulder " babe " , "What?" "Say it " Dongmin continued opening the refrigerator, although the slight smile tugging at his mouth betrayed him. "You’re heavy."
"I'm not " "Then stop hanging on me " Donghyun tightened his arms deliberately "Make me." Dongmin finally turned around, catching him by the waist and lifting him just enough to make him squeal in surprise "You're such a brat " Donghyun laughed, immediately grabbing his shoulders "Put me down, idiot!" "Thought you wanted me to make you." "Dongminaaa!" the older man set him down, but before Donghyun could retreat, he caught his face and kissed him again, this time, the kiss lasted considerably longer, Donghyun's hands moved into his hair, and Dongmin's settled against his waist, pulling him close enough that the space between them disappeared, It was ridiculous how quickly their irritation could dissolve into something else, how easily Dongmin could forget the exhaustion in his body when Donghyun looked at him like that. When they finally separated, Donghyun brushed his thumb across Dongmin's lower lip, smiling faintly. "You taste so good " Dongmin looked at him. " I know".
Get Taeleeverse25’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Later that night, they were sitting on the living-room sofa, a half-finished dinner on the coffee table and a film playing that neither had been paying attention to for the past twenty minutes, Donghyun was lying against Dongmin, scrolling through his phone while the older man absentmindedly played with his hair, It was one of those rare moments when neither felt particularly inclined to argue, and the apartment had settled into a comfortable silence, then Donghyun’s phone lit up, he glanced at the notification, smiled faintly, and began typing, dongmin noticed, he didn’t immediately ask anything, although his fingers stopped moving through Donghyun’s hair, a few seconds passed "Who’s that?" he eventually asked "Nobody " Dongmin looked down "Interesting." Donghyun continued typing "What?" "Nothing " "Then stop looking." Dongmin leaned back against the sofa "I wasn’t looking." Donghyun smiled at his phone again, that was enough, Dongmin’s jaw tightened, and he reached for his glass of water. "Someone funny?" he askedb "a friend." "you have friends?" Donghyun looked up, offended "Excuse me?" "I asked a question " "you’re being rude " "And you’re being secretive " Donghyun locked his phone and placed it on his chest "You’re jealous " Dongmin laughed once, without humour "Of what?" "I don’t know, you tell me." Dongmin looked at him for a moment, then removed his hand from his hair "Go talk to your friend, then." Donghyun immediately sat up "Don’t do that." "do what?" "you know exactly what." "I’m not stopping you " Donghyun stared at him, his expression becoming colder "you know what? Sometimes you’re genuinely impossible to love .." The words landed between them, heavier than either expected, dongmin’s face changed almost imperceptibly, he looked at Donghyun, then away, reaching for the remote to turn off the television "Good thing nobody asked you to." Donghyun’s expression faltered, he hated that answer, he hated the way Dongmin could take something he said in anger and return it to him with twice the damage "Han Dongmin " the older man stood up "I’m going to shower " "I wasn’t finished talking " "I am " he walked away before Donghyun could respond, leaving him sitting on the sofa with his phone forgotten in his lap, for several seconds, Donghyun didn’t move, then he looked towards the hallway, his pretty face tightening with frustration ,he wanted Dongmin to come back, he wanted him to sit down, pull him close, and tell him that he hadn’t meant it, but he also wanted to make him regret leaving, those two desires had always existed together inside him, and he had never been particularly successful at choosing between them.
Dongmin stood beneath the shower for longer than necessary, letting the hot water run over his shoulders while he stared at the tiled wall, he was tired, not just from work, but from the constant emotional negotiations that seemed to accompany loving Donghyun, he knew his boyfriend was spoiled, knew he could be cruel when he wanted attention, and knew that sometimes he deliberately pushed him until he reacted, but knowing all that didn't make it easier to walk away, It never did ,he remembered the expression on Donghyun's face when he had said those words, the slight hesitation that had followed, and felt a familiar irritation settle in his chest, he could have ignored it, he could have gone back, kissed his forehead, and pretended nothing had happened, Instead, he finished showering, dried his hair, and returned to the bedroom.
Donghyun was already there, sitting on the edge of the bed with his legs crossed, wearing the same black shirt and looking at him expectantly "are you still angry?" he asked, Dongmin opened the wardrobe "No."
"Liar." "then why ask?" Donghyun watched him take out a pair of sweatpants "come here " Dongmin looked at him through the mirror "What?" "I said come here " "And I heard you " Donghyun’s eyebrows drew together "You’re doing it on purpose"
Dongmin turned around, leaning against the wardrobe "Doing what?" "Being difficult" "Learned from you" Donghyun rolled his eyes, then got up and approached him. He stopped directly in front of him, looking up with that familiar mixture of arrogance and expectation " I wasn’t wrong " Dongmin looked down at him "You have a mouth, use it to apologize " Donghyun’s expression immediately hardened "For what?" "Exactly " he stepped around him, but Donghyun caught his wrist. "Don’t walk away from me " Dongmin stopped, for a moment, neither spoke, Donghyun’s fingers remained wrapped around his wrist, and although his expression was still stubborn, there was something much less confident in his eyes "I don’t like it when you do that," he said quietly, Dongmin looked at his hand, then at his face "And I don’t like it when you say things just to hurt me " Donghyun swallowed, his grip loosening, he looked away first "Fine " It wasn’t an apology, not quite, but it was the closest thing Donghyun could offer without feeling as though he had surrendered, dongmin sighed, reached for his waist, and pulled him closer "Come here, you idiot." Donghyun immediately wrapped his arms around him, pressing his face against his chest as though he hadn’t spent the previous hour insisting that he was perfectly capable of living without him Dongmin kissed the top of his head "You’re exhaustingn" "you keep saying that ,” "Because you keep proving it." Donghyun pinched his side, dongmin caught his hand, kissed his knuckles, and held it against his chest, for a while, that was enough
Neither of them noticed the notification that appeared on Donghyun’s phone, lying forgotten on the bedside table, it was a message from someone he had met at a private gathering the previous weekend, someone who had apparently decided that their brief conversation had been an invitation to become considerably more familiar, Donghyun would have ignored it under ordinary circumstance, tonight, however, he was still thinking about the way Dongmin had looked at him when he mentioned his friend, and about how easily he could make that expression return, he glanced at the screen, then at Dongmin, who was busy adjusting the blanket over their legs, a small, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his face, he reached for his phone, Dongmin noticed immediately "Who is it?" Donghyun looked up, his expression perfectly innocent. "Nobody " Dongmin stared at him. "Donghyuna!" "What?" "Put the phone down " donghyun tilted his head, studying him for a moment before slowly placing it on the bedside table "You’re so controlling " Dongmin gave him a flat look "And you’re so fucking annoying " Donghyun smiled, leaned forward, and kissed the corner of his mouth "You love me." Dongmin caught his chin, turning his face towards him. "Unfortunately, more than I should " Donghyun’s smile softened, and for one brief moment, the room was quiet, then he whispered, almost teasingly, "Good, because you’re not getting rid of me." Dongmin looked at him, his thumb brushing his cheek "Wasn’t planning to" and perhaps that was the most dangerous thing about them, neither had any intention of leaving, neither knew how to love without wanting too much,and neither had yet understood what would happen when wanting each other stopped being enough
chapter one 02 : a terrible Boyfriend
Donghyun woke up in an exceptionally bad mood, which was unfortunate because he had absolutely no intention of being reasonable that morning, the first thing he noticed was the empty space beside him, and the second was the faint sound of water running somewhere in the apartment, he reached across the mattress, expecting to find Dongmin’s warm body, only to encounter a cold pillow, his eyebrows immediately drew together, he rolled onto his back, stared at the ceiling, and listened for a moment before reaching for his phone, 8:17 a.m, dongmin had been awake for at least half an hour, possibly longer, and had somehow managed to leave the bedroom without giving him a proper kiss, unacceptable. Donghyun unlocked his phone and opened their conversation, where he found a message sent twelve minutes earlier, ‘went to get coffee, There’s food in the kitchen “ he read it twice, his expression growing increasingly offended. Coffee? Food? Was that supposed to be a romantic morning message? He typed, “You left without kissing me”, he waited, staring at the screen, but no response came, he sent another message, you’re actually a terrible boyfriend, then, after considering it for a few seconds, he added, Bring me something sweet, he threw the phone onto the mattress and climbed out of bed, dragging his feet towards the bathroom, his reflection greeted him with slightly messy hair, sleepy eyes, and the unmistakable expression of a man who had been personally betrayed by the person he loved most, he brushed his teeth, washed his face, and spent considerably more time than necessary fixing his hair, when he finally walked into the kitchen, Dongmin was standing near the counter, wearing a black T-shirt and grey sweatpants, drinking coffee while scrolling through something on his phone, there were two paper bags on the kitchen island, one containing breakfast and the other containing a small pastry box, donghyun stopped, glanced at the bags, then at his boyfriend "you bought me smth ?" Dongmin didn’t look up "no, they’re for the neighbours " Donghyun ignored the sarcasm and approached the island, opening the pastry box "what did you get?" "Something sweet, since apparently you’re incapable of surviving without it " Donghyun selected a pastry, took a bite, and nodded approvingly "you remembered what I like " Dongmin finally glanced at him. "You remind me every three business days " donghyun smiled, pleased with himself, and walked around the island until he was standing directly in front of him "Good morning " Dongmin looked at him over the rim of his coffee cup "morning" Donghyun waited. Nothing happened, he tilted his head, dongmin took another sip. "what?" Donghyun’s eyes narrowed "You’re forgetting something." "Am I?" "Yes " Dongmin put the cup down, looked at his boyfriend’s expectant expression, and sighed before leaning forward to kiss his forehead,Donghyun immediately pulled back "My forehead?" "Would you prefer your elbow?" "Dongminaa!" the older man laughed, caught him by the waist, and gave him the kiss he had been demanding since waking up, Donghyun accepted it with considerably more enthusiasm than he intended to demonstrate, his fingers curling into the fabric of Dongmin’s shirt, when they separated, he looked at him with a satisfied little smile "Better “ Dongmin shook his head "you’re a fucking princess " "Yes I am ."
For a while, breakfast was surprisingly peaceful, Donghyun sat on one of the kitchen stools, eating his pastry and occasionally stealing pieces of Dongmin’s food, while Dongmin stood beside him, answering a few messages and checking his work schedule, it was an ordinary morning, the kind they had become accustomed to sharing, and perhaps that was why neither paid much attention to how quickly the atmosphere could change, donghyun had finished eating when he noticed Dongmin’s phone lighting up on the counter. He wasn’t particularly interested in his boyfriend’s messages under normal circumstances, but the name displayed on the screen caught his attention, a woman’s name, he glanced at it, then at Dongmin "Who’s that?" Dongmin looked at the screen "Someone from work " "what does she want?" "Probably something about my shift " Donghyun picked up his glass of water, taking a slow sip "She texts you quite a lot." Dongmin raised an eyebrow. "You’ve been counting?" "no, I have eyes " the older man reached for his phone, read the notification, and placed it back down "She asked me to cover an extra shift next week " Donghyun hummed, looking at the pastry box "She’s very comfortable asking you things " Dongmin stared at him for a second "She’s my coworker baby" "I know what a coworker is, thank you" "then what’s the problem?" Donghyun shrugged, his expression deliberately indifferent "there isn’t one " Dongmin knew that tone, he had heard it enough times to recognize the warning signs. "Donghyun " "What?" "Don’t start " the younger man looked up, his pretty face arranging itself into an expression of exaggerated innocence "I’m literally eating breakfast " Dongmin picked up his coffee again "and I’m literally asking you to behave " Donghyun laughed, but there was no real amusement in it "you love telling me what to do " "Somebody has to " the younger man’s smile disappeared "Careful " Dongmin looked at him, unimpressed "Or what?" Donghyun held his gaze for a moment before looking away, picking up another pastry, he wasn’t going to argue over a woman who probably meant absolutely nothing, not this early, besides, he had other ways of making his boyfriend understand that certain things irritated him
Dongmin left the apartment shortly after nine, having received a call from his manager asking him to come in earlier than scheduled, he had initially refused, explaining that he wasn’t supposed to start until the afternoon, but the manager insisted that somebody had called in sick, Donghyun, who was standing near the entrance in a beautiful oversized sweater, listened to the conversation with growing displeasure, the moment Dongmin ended the call, he spoke. "You’re not going " Dongmin looked up from his shoes "Excuse me?" "you heard me " "I have work " "You weren’t supposed to work this morning " "Plans changed." Donghyun crossed his arms "Then tell them you can’t " Dongmin straightened, looking at him with an expression that suggested he was already regretting the conversation "I can’t just decide not to go because you don’t like it." "Why not? You do it all the time when I ask you to stay " "that’s differentn" "How?" Dongmin exhaled slowly "because I don’t get paid to sit around your apartment." The words came out sharper than he intended, and he noticed immediately how Donghyun’s expression changed, the younger man looked at him for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly "Right. Of course, you have to work." Dongmin rubbed his forehead. "Don’t twist my words " "I’m not twisting anythingb" "Donghyuna" "Go, then " he stepped aside, making a little theatrical gesture towards the door "your precious job is waiting " Dongmin stared at him "You’re acting like a child." "And you’re acting like you can’t stand spending time with me " "That’s not what I said " "You don’t have to say it " Dongmin picked up his keys, jaw tighteninz ,he wanted to kiss him goodbye, wanted to smooth over the conversation before leaving, but something about Donghyun’s expression made him hesitate "I’ll be back later," he said,donghyun didn’t answer, the door closed a moment later, and the apartment fell silent. Donghyun stood there for several seconds, looking at the entrance before turning around, he hated this, he hated how easily Dongmin could leave after an argument, how he could simply put on his shoes and walk out while Donghyun was still standing there with a hundred things he wanted to say, he hated even more that he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to call him back or make him regret leaving
By lunchtime, Donghyun had already found three different ways to occupy himself and rejected all of them, he had taken a long shower, ordered lunch, watched half an episode of a series, and spent twenty minutes browsing through clothes he didn’t need, he had also checked his phone approximately every four minutes. Dongmin had sent one message. “Got here, eat something” Donghyun had responded with a simple thumbs-up, which was perhaps the most insulting thing he could have sent, he was still irritated when his friend called, inviting him to meet at a café in Gangnam, normally, Donghyun would have declined without thinking, but the idea of spending the afternoon somewhere other than his apartment suddenly seemed appealing, he got dressed carefully, choosing fitted dark trousers, a soft cream shirt, and an expensive coat, then spent a few minutes arranging his long hair. Before leaving, he looked at himself in the hallway mirror and decided he looked beautiful. Dongmin could have appreciated that instead of spending his morning arguing with him, his phone vibrated just as he reached the elevator, a message from Dongmin “Did you eat? “donghyun stared at it, smiled without humour, and typed,” No, I’m starving, lrobably going to die”the reply came almost immediately. “There’s food in the fridge” Donghyun rolled his eyes,” idon’t want that”,” then order something” He locked his phone, he was going out, he was going to have a perfectly lovely afternoon, and he was absolutely not going to spend it thinking about a man who believed sending instructions through text messages counted as affection
The café was crowded when Donghyun arrived, but he immediately spotted his friend sitting near the windows, they greeted each other with a hug, exchanged a few comments about the weather, and settled into conversation, donghyun was in a considerably better mood than he had been that morning, especially after ordering an expensive dessert and a drink that he barely intended to finish, he was halfway through telling his friend about a recent family gathering when another man approached their table, he was someone his friend knew, apparently, and after the introductions, he pulled out a chair and joined them, Donghyun was polite, charming when he wanted to be, and perfectly capable of entertaining a stranger. He laughed at a joke, answered a few questions, and occasionally pushed his hair behind his ear. The man seemed particularly interested in him, which Donghyun noticed almost immediately, he didn’t encourage him exactly, but he didn’t make any effort to discourage the attention either, it was harmless, he told himself, he was allowed to have conversations, he was allowed to enjoy himself without having to worry about whether Dongmin would approve, then his phone vibrated against the table. “Where are you?” dongmin. Donghyun glanced at the message and left it unanswered, another notification appeared a minute later “At home? “he smiled faintly and turned his phone face down. The man sitting across from him said something that made him laugh again, and for a moment, Donghyun forgot about the messages entirely, until his phone started ringing
Dongmin was not having a particularly good afternoon either. The store was busy, his manager had already asked him to reorganize the stockroom, and a customer had spent ten minutes complaining about a price that was clearly printed on the tag, he had been patient for approximately as long as he could manage, which was not very long, and the only thing he had been looking forward to was going home and finding Donghyun there, he had expected another argument, perhaps a few dramatic complaints, and the usual ridiculous demands, but at least he would be home with him, instead, he had sent two messages without receiving a proper response, he wasn’t particularly concerned at first, donghyun often ignored his phone when he was occupied, especially when he was out with friends, but then he noticed that the younger man had read his last message and hadn’t answered, he called once, no response, he called again, nothing, Dongmin stared at the screen, his jaw tightening, he wasn’t going to chase him, he wasn’t going to spend his afternoon calling a grown man who was perfectly capable of answering a phone, he put it away, returned to work, and lasted approximately six minutes before checking again, when Donghyun finally answered, the background noise was loud enough to tell him he wasn’t at home "Where are you?" Dongmin asked without greeting him "Hello to you too." "Where are you,Kim Donghyun?" "Out " "I can hear that " "Then why ask?" Dongmin closed his eyes briefl "who are you with?" there was a small pause "Friends." "Which friends?" Donghyun laughed softly "are you interviewing me?" "I’m asking a question Donghyun" "And I’m answering it " Dongmin could hear a man’s voice in the background, followed by Donghyun laughing at something, his expression darkened "Who’s that?" he asked. "Who’s who?" "The man talking." Donghyun glanced across the table, then smiled "a friend of a friend " Dongmin’s fingers tightened around his phone. "Right " Donghyun heard the change in his voice and immediately recognized itb "what?" "Nothing." "Dongmin " "Enjoy your afternoon." he ended the call before Donghyun could respond.
Donghyun stared at his phone, genuinely offended, he had expected an argument, perhaps a few jealous questions, but not that abrupt ending, he looked at the screen as though Dongmin had personally insulted him, then placed the phone on the table with more force than necessary. "Everything okay?" his friend asked "Perfectly." he picked up his drink and took a sip, although his appetite had suddenly disappeared, the man across from him asked whether he wanted to join them for dinner sometime, and Donghyun, still irritated, gave him a polite smile "Perhaps." he knew exactly what he was doing when he said it, he knew Dongmin would hate hearing about it, and a small, ugly part of him wanted him to hate it, he wanted to know that his boyfriend was thinking about him, that he was jealous, that he cared enough to become unreasonable, he wanted to feel wanted without having to ask Unfortunately, Dongmin was not the only person capable of being difficult, and Donghyun had never been particularly good at recognizing when he was taking things too far
At seven that evening, Dongmin finally left the store, he had spent the last hour in an increasingly foul mood, barely speaking to anyone, and had ignored two more messages from Donghyun out of pure stubbornness ,the first was a picture of the dessert he had ordered, the second simply said, “You’re being mean “Dongmin had looked at both, sighed, and put his phone away, he was halfway to his car when he received another notification, this time, it was a photograph, Donghyun was sitting at the café, smiling at the camera, while the same man from earlier leaned slightly towards him, the caption read,” had a lovely afternoon” Dongmin stopped walking ,he stared at the photograph, then at the message beneath it, “you should have come” for several seconds, he didn’t move, then he laughed once, quietly, without a trace of amusement, of course, of fucking course., he called him, Donghyun answered after the second ring. "Yes?" his voice was sweet, almost deliberately so "having fun?" Dongmin asked "Very much." "Good." "Are you still working?" "No " "Oh, are you coming home?" Dongmin looked towards his car. "Do you want me to?" Donghyun paused "Obviously." "Interesting. You seemed pretty occupied earlier " "I was having coffee." "With your friend?" "Yes." Dongmin opened the driver’s door. "And his friend?" Donghyun smiled to himself "He’s nice." there was silence, then Dongmin spoke, his voice noticeably lower "Don’t play games with me " Donghyun’s smile disappearedb "I’m not playing anythingb" "then stop trying to make me jealous " "maybe you should stop being so easy to provoke " Dongmin laughed again, this time more sharply "You think this is funny?" "a little." "you’re unbelievable " Donghyun leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. "And you’re jealous " "I’m hanging up." "Don’t you dare " "Watch me." Dongmin ended the call
By the time Dongmin arrived at the apartment, Donghyun was already home, he was sitting on the sofa with his legs tucked beneath him, wearing an oversized cream sweater and scrolling through his phone, he didn’t look up when the entrance door opened, although he had been listening for the sound of Dongmin’s keys for the past fifteen minutes, Dongmin removed his shoes, put his jacket away, and walked into the living room. "You’re home," he said, Donghyun continued scrolling "very observant " Dongmin looked at him "are you going to keep acting like that?" "Like what?" "you know what " Donghyun finally raised his eyes "I had a nice afternoon." "Good for youn" "I met someone." Dongmin’s expression became unreadable "Congratulations." Donghyun put his phone down. "You don’t even want to know who he was?" "Not particularly " "Why?" "Because I don’t care " the younger man’s face changed immediately. "You don’t care?" dongmin took a step towards the kitchen "That’s what I said " Donghyun stood up. "Then why did you call me?" "Because I wanted to know where you were." "and why did you ask who I was with?" Dongmin turned aroundb "Because you’re my boyfriend " "Exactly." "Don’t use that word whenever it suits you." Donghyun stared at him, his expression becoming increasingly furious "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" "It means you don’t get to spend the entire afternoon trying to make me jealous and then act offended when I ask questions " Donghyun laughed, throwing his hands up. "Oh, please, you were jealous before I even said anything." "and you’re proud of that?" "at least it proves you care " Dongmin stared at him. "you need me to be jealous to believe I care about you?" Donghyun opened his mouth, then closed it, the question had hit somewhere he hadn’t expected, he looked away, picking up his phone from the sofa "Forget it." Dongmin shook his head "No, don’t do that, You start something, you say whatever you want, and then the second I respond, suddenly we’re supposed to forget it " "because I don’t want to talk to you " "then don’t." Dongmin turned away, but Donghyun caught his arm "don’t walk away." the older man looked down at his hand "Let go." Donghyun didn’t "No." "Donghyunb" "I said no." for a moment, they stood facing each other, neither willing to give an inch, then Dongmin gently removed his hand from his arm. "I’m not doing this tonight." he walked towards the bedroom, leaving Donghyun standing in the middle of the living room, furious and strangely close to tears.
Donghyun waited until he heard the bedroom door close before following him, he found Dongmin sitting on the edge of the bed, removing his watch, his expression exhausted, donghyun stood near the doorway for a moment, watching him, he had a hundred things he wanted to say, most of them unreasonable, and none of them particularly useful. He wanted Dongmin to come to him, he wanted him to apologize for hanging up, for being cold, for making him feel as though he were asking for too much, but he also knew he had deliberately mentioned the other man because he wanted a reaction, and he hated that Dongmin had noticed "Are you really going to ignore me?" he asked, dongmin placed his watch on the bedside table "I’m not ignoring you " "you haven’t looked at me properly since you came home " "I’m tired." Donghyun approached the bedb "I’m tired too." Dongmin looked upn "Then go to sleep." the younger man stared at him, visibly offended by the suggestion "You’re such an asshole, we’re supposed to have sex " Dongmin rubbed his face "I also wanna fuck you , but I swear I have zero stamina, I won’t satisfy you " Donghyun climbed onto the mattress, moving closer until his knees touched Dongmin’s "Look at me " Dongmin did, donghyun’s expression had softened slightly, although his stubbornness remained firmly in place "nothing happened between us , he’s just a freind" "I didn’t ask " "I’m telling you " Dongmin studied his face. "Why?" Donghyun hesitated, for once, he didn’t have an immediate answer, he looked down at Dongmin’s hands, then reached for one, playing with his fingers. "Because I don’t want you thinking I would " Dongmin’s expression shifted, some of the tension leaving his shouldersb "then don’t try to make me think otherwise." Donghyun swallowed "You make me so angry " "I know.l " "I hate when you act like you don’t care." Dongmin looked at him for a long moment before pulling him closer. "I care, that’s the problem." Donghyun’s face changed, and he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Dongmin’s shoulder "you’re still an asshole." Dongmin wrapped an arm around him "and you’re still a brat." "your brat." the older man exhaled a quiet laugh and kissed his hair. "Unfortunately " Donghyun smiled against his shirt, satisfied for the moment, but his phone vibrated on the mattress beside them, he glanced at it, the same man from the café had sent another message, asking whether he had arrived home safely, donghyun read it, then turned his phone face down without replying, dongmin noticed the movement "Who is it?" Donghyun looked up, a mischievous little smile appearing on his face "Nobody " Dongmin narrowed his eye "Donghyun .." "What?" he leaned forward and kissed him, deliberately interrupting whatever question was about to follow, dongmin caught his waist, returning the kiss, but his eyes remained slightly narrowed when they separated, he knew his boyfriend too well to believe that the evening was over. And, judging by the way Donghyun was smiling, neither was he
