PP Chapter 10

The customer, who seemed to have come not for a drink but to see Seon U-won, let out small exclamations the whole time she looked at him, then left with a single iced americano to go.

And U-won, knowing that this cafe had become famous because of his face, accepted all those reactions with an unfazed expression.

Whenever he was doing something else, he often felt many gazes fixed on him.

Seon U-won leisurely approached Dohwa, who was likely one of the owners of those gazes.

No sooner had he wiped the remaining moisture from his hands with a handkerchief than Dohwa spoke up.

“……I have a lot of things I’m curious about. But I was afraid I’d be a nuisance to you, Hyung……”

Realizing that this random remark was the answer to a joke he had made a while ago, Seon U-won chuckled.

He had worked various part-time jobs and seen all sorts of guys, but even for him, a kid like Dohwa was a first.

‘What am I supposed to do with a guy this cute?’

Having that kind of thought in his head, Seon U-won stepped out from the register and sat next to Dohwa.

Taking his phone out of his apron pocket, he casually held it out to Dohwa.

“Give me your contact info.”

“My contact info?”

“Yeah. I want to get in touch personally. Don’t want to?”

Seon U-won’s voice, saying he’d take it back if he didn’t like it, was incredibly light.

In reality, he didn’t have much on his mind.

If anything, it was just something like, ‘I didn’t know I’d be the one to ask for a guy’s number first.’

But it seemed different for Dohwa, who widened his eyes in surprise and stuttered.

“Wh-Why……”

“I’m actually going to the military soon, so naturally, I’ll be quitting this job. If I quit, I won’t be able to see you or talk to you…… Just because. I want to become closer with you.”

Speaking nonchalantly, Seon U-won lightly tilted his phone.

It was his way of asking whether Dohwa was going to give him his number or not.

After hesitating for a moment, Dohwa carefully took Seon U-won’s phone.

Silently watching the long, slender fingers tap the screen, U-won muttered quietly.

“It’s my first time getting a guy’s number.”

​At the light muttering, Dohwa replied with an expression that was slightly flustered yet happy.

“It’s also my first time having a guy ask for my number……”

“Really? We’ve exchanged each other’s firsts. How romantic.”

After looking at Seon U-won as if glaring for answering playfully to his deeply emotional words, Dohwa soon lowered his eyes, saved his contact info, and handed it back to him.

Glancing at Dohwa’s number saved in his phone, Seon U-won said as he dialed the number.

“Save it as Won, not U-won.”

“Huh?”

“My name. It’s Seonu Won.”

“You said it was U-won.”

“It was just annoying to explain that it’s a single-syllable name. Honestly, boys aren’t that cute anyway……”

Dohwa looked at U-won—no, Won—with eyes that seemed to say, ‘What kind of nonsense is that?’

But Won didn’t even blink and just shrugged his shoulders.

“Even if I tell people it’s Won, most of them forget and call me U-won anyway. Even my boss does that.”

“But……”

“I probably told Sohyun it was Won too.”

“Why didn’t you correct him?”

“We’re only going to see each other briefly. Is there a need to correct it?”

It was a completely different reaction from most people, who would react sensitively if their name was called incorrectly.

​It was impossible to tell whether he had no attachment to his name or if he genuinely just didn’t care.

While Dohwa was struggling to find the words to say, Won rested his head on his arms on the table and stared up at Dohwa.

“Hyung, why… why are you like this? You’re really strange……”

“I’m just like that. If I’m too strange, you can just stop contacting me.”

“That’s not what I meant…… Can I tell Sohyun your name is Won? It’s better to know it properly, after all.”

“Is it?”

Won, who answered indifferently, let out a long yawn. It was a reaction a cat might show when its owner said something it didn’t want to hear.

Before Dohwa could even feel bewildered by that, Won said something even more absurd.

“But you’re prettier than Sohyun. I like pretty things.”

“……Hyung, you’re a bit strange.”

“You only just realized?”

Won laughed, saying he seemed to have viewed him only in a positive light.

The expression he made while saying that was a face one simply couldn’t hate.

Thinking how anyone could hate someone with a face like that, Dohwa unconsciously blushed.

That sight was also quite pretty, but unfortunately, Won, who didn’t feel much of a thrill from a boy blushing, naturally changed the subject.

“It’s about time for you to go today, too. Right? Whenever I look at you, Dohwa, you always leave exactly when I get off work.”

“Because I come to the cafe to hang out with you, Hyung……”

“Do you like your hyung?”

“No, just, actually…… You’re similar to someone I’m interested in lately…… And you’re kind, Hyung. That’s why I like you.”

“Someone you’re interested in?”

“It’s not that I like them! Just, literally someone I’m interested in? They’re a bit weird, but kind.”

At Dohwa’s words, Won took on an interested expression and said playfully.

“I’m a bit hurt that you’re seeing someone else in me.”

“You know that’s not what I meant! And why do you say things so, so weirdly…”

“What do you mean, how did I speak?”

Won said with a clear face, as if he knew nothing.

At that annoying reaction, Dohwa once again thought of ‘Won.’ That person who was kind but often made teasing remarks.

Won might not like hearing it, but he really was similar to the ‘Won’ Peach knew.

From his personality and way of speaking, even down to his name.

To be honest, he was startled today when he said his name wasn’t U-won, but Won.

He wondered how two people could be this similar…

Two people named Won fell into his life around the same time, and strangely enough, both of them easily gained Dohwa’s favor. So easily that he wondered if it was right.

Anyway, the two continued to share idle chatter after that.

​Taking off his cafe apron, Won playfully told Dohwa not to like him too much, and at those words, Dohwa blushed with an unidentifiable emotion and practically yelled back that he wouldn’t.

Leaving the cafe following Won’s departure, Dohwa naturally headed to the PC bang near his house, as he had for the past few days.

Even though it was near his house, it was quite a distance away, but he had no choice since his computer hadn’t arrived yet.

And there, he met the other Won.

Upon familiarly accepting the party request, a chat popped up that felt similar to whining, as if he had been waiting.

[Party] Won: You’re late today too. Do you know you’ve been a bit neglectful of me lately, Peach?

“What is he talking about. I think about him every single day.”

While snorting at the absurdity, Dohwa couldn’t entirely hide his joy.

At first, Dohwa was the one who waited, but lately, Won was the one waiting.

​As if that wasn’t enough, he was even whining about why Dohwa was late.

Just as he was bobbing his feet in a good mood, Won spoke up.

[Party] Won: Check your mail.

While tilting his head at those sudden words, he opened the mail to find a limited-edition cosmetic item that only came from the most recent random box.

As he stood with his eyes wide in surprise, another chat came from Won.

[Party] Won: If you’ve lost interest in me, I should at least appeal to you with money. So you won’t throw me away. Right?

Dohwa’s jaw dropped at those words.

“Is he crazy?”

As expected, Won was a bit unhinged.

While Dohwa was frozen in a daze, the culprit who had made him so troubled asked casually.

[Party] Won: I had a hard time getting it because the drop rate is low, but I managed to find one since I thought it would look good on Peach’s character.

“The game company released it to make money, so of course the drop rate would be low……”

It was an outfit that went for hundreds of thousands of won when traded for cash. To give such an outfit and then say something like that.

He was so dumbfounded that for a moment, he was speechless.

As Dohwa just moved his pretty, pinkish lips, Won sent a chat.

[Party] Won: If you’re really thankful, do you want to get on Discord with me? I have something to tell you… It’s a bit awkward to do it through chat.