PP Chapter 9

Tilting his head, Dohwa soon changed the subject with an “Anyway.”

​”So, am I—no, is my character pretty?”

It seemed like he would keep asking persistently until he got an answer.

Knowing his friend’s personality all too well, Sohyun let out a small groan and fell into thought.

It was true that Dohwa was pretty, and it was true that the polygons he had crafted looked similar to him.

So he should say he was pretty… but for some reason, he didn’t want to admit it.

As he remained silent with that thought, Dohwa pestered him, asking what he was doing instead of answering quickly.

In the end, Sohyun gave up and nodded obediently.

However, Dohwa complained that his answer lacked soul, and Sohyun, not wanting to be more bothered, suggested a solution.

“Then why don’t we go see an older guy I know. That hyung is someone who gets stressed out when he sees ugly men. If he maintains a benevolent expression while looking at you, it means you’re pretty, okay?”

“Let’s go.”

Sohyun, who had shamelessly sold out an older acquaintance as an NPC that evaluates looks, spoke with a brazen face.

Dohwa, who was desperate to find a solution right now, immediately agreed.

Thus, the two decided to go together after school to the appearance-evaluating NPC—no, the older guy Sohyun knew.

The hyung’s opinion wasn’t taken into account at all, but the promise was made anyway.

---

For that reason, Dohwa and Sohyun came to face ‘Seon U-won.’

Seon U-won wore a strange expression as he stood before the two who had suddenly stormed into the cafe where he worked part-time: one crazy guy asking if he was pretty, and the other beside him asking if he looked like he was going to throw up.

“…Pretty?”

“Yes.”

When he asked back, Dohwa nodded seriously.

Staring intently at Dohwa, Seon U-won turned his head to look at Sohyun.

​”You’re asking if I look like I’m going to throw up looking at him?”

“Yup.”

This time, a reply came back so light it felt like it could float away.

​He had expected it, but this confirmed the culprit who had created this situation.

Seon U-won let out a light laugh as he ruffled the hair of the culprit, Sohyun.

“What is this nonsense you’re spouting right after coming in? For the record, your friend is pretty. I’m not just saying that, he’s genuinely pretty.”

“He says he’s not gonna throw up. Congrats.”

“Ha.”

After he had gone out of his way to speak kindly, he added a useless remark.

​Finding it absurd and amusing, Seon U-won let out a crooked smile, firmly pinched Sohyun’s nose, and let go.

Ignoring his exaggerated groans of “Ow,” he began making drinks suitable for the kids.

“We haven’t paid yet.”

“Hyung says he’s treating us.”

“Yes, I’ll treat you. You too, pretty friend, please feel free to sit down.”

At those playful yet kind words, Dohwa’s face flushed red.

It was because he realized belatedly how absurd his actions were.

It was a problem that he strangely rushed into things without thinking whenever it involved Won.

“O-kay.”

Answering softly, Dohwa fidgeted and sat down.

Sohyun, who had already taken the seat next to him, was demanding Seon U-won to put lots of whipped cream on top.

While Dohwa was letting out a sigh—though not quite a sigh—at his friend’s brazen behavior, Seon U-won placed a light pink drink in front of Dohwa.

“You can’t have coffee because you need to sleep. It’s a peach smoothie that looks similar to our pretty friend. I figured you’d like sweets, so I made this, but do you like it? I should have asked beforehand, but I was so flustered that I only thought of it after I started making it.”

Dohwa rubbed his cheek for no reason at the husky yet languid voice that somehow made the listener feel strange.

While he was delayed in answering because of that, Sohyun, who was scooping up his chocolate frappe overflowing with whipped cream, answered instead.

“He loves sweet things like crazy. Hyung, I guess you’re good at reading faces.”

“And I guess you’re good at talking nonsense. Your nonsense is a work of art.”

“Yes, I have a talent for it.”

Dohwa continuously stole glances at Seon U-won, who smoothly played along with Sohyun’s jokes.

He had jet-black hair and eyes with a reddish tint, all of which suited his almost palely white skin perfectly.

‘I never thought I’d have such impressions about a man.’

To Dohwa, who was only used to seeing high school boys with raw appearances like wild monkeys, Seon U-won was beautiful enough to seem like a new species of human.

‘How can a guy be so soft, pretty, and handsome?’

Dohwa knew it was a ticklish thought to have about another guy, but he couldn’t help it.

Today was the first time Dohwa learned that he had such a weakness for pretty things.

Like a kindergartner hovering around a new friend they wanted to get close to, Dohwa kept striking up conversations with Seon U-won.

“Which university do you go to?”, “What are you studying?”, “Do you have a favorite movie?”, “What’s your major?”, and so on.

Despite being busy with a constant stream of customers, Seon U-won kindly answered all of Dohwa’s questions.

“Hankuk University.”, “I’m in art school.”, “I don’t really have a favorite movie. I watch everything.”, “My major is Sculpture.”, etc.

At his answers, Dohwa let out a small ‘wow’ as his cheeks flushed.

“I want to go to art school too… I want to go to the same school as you, Hyung.”

“I’d love it if Dohwa went to the same school as me too. There aren’t many cute younger brothers like you.”

Sohyun, seeing his friend talk this much to someone he’d just met for the first time, widened his eyes.

Looking at the two of them exchanging words incessantly with a surprised face, Sohyun even polished off the dessert Seon U-won had specially brought out for them.

It was when some time had passed and they were rummaging through their things to leave.

Dohwa asked Seon U-won a question that was a bit late.

“Hyung, what is your name?”

At those words, Sohyun, who had been standing nearby with his bag on his shoulder for a while, frowned.

“What kind of nonsense is that all of a sudden? I told you it’s U-won. Seon U-won.”

“No, his name could be a single syllable… and Seonu is also a surname.”

Seon U-won quietly looked down at the round crown of Dohwa’s head, who mumbled timidly, a certain someone coming to mind for no reason.

‘His head is really round.’

While having such thoughts, he soon slowly curved the corners of his mouth and answered.

“U-won. It’s U-won.”

---

Since that day, Dohwa began frequenting the cafe where Seon U-won worked as if it were his own home.

Seon U-won, resting his chin in his hand, watched Dohwa, who had run to the cafe the moment school ended and claimed the seat right in front of him.

It was amusing to see the area around his eyes, slightly hidden by light, wavy hair, gradually turned red whenever their gazes met, and finding that amusing, he kept looking at him.

A new younger friend introduced by the friend he’d become close with thanks to their shared interest in Betting Bad.

Dohwa would sit quietly, contributing to the store’s sales, and then leave for somewhere whenever it was time for Seon U-won to get off work.

It felt like he was spending most of his day with Dohwa.

Though when it was busy, there was no conversation—just the feeling of a gaze following him intermittently.

Perhaps it felt more so because when it wasn’t too busy, he would stand in front of him and talk.

Maybe because he was a kid, his taste buds were also childish.

Yesterday, even though U-won told him it would be bitter, he insisted on drinking the Peach Blending Tea, but it seemed it wasn’t to his taste after all, as today he was sipping on a peach iced tea.

It seemed he wasn’t lying about liking sweet things.

Pressing down a laugh as he watched Dohwa’s face, which looked much more comfortable compared to when he was drinking the tea yesterday, Seon U-won suddenly spoke up.

“Is it good?”

Dohwa flinched at that gentle yet playful question and slowly nodded his head.

As he did so, his large eyes rolled around; he looked so innocent that it made one want to tease him for no reason.

Thinking, ‘I should hold back since he’s much younger,’ but also, ‘Does it really matter since he’s a guy?’, Seon U-won lightly poked at Dohwa.

“On the first day, you asked me all sorts of things like we were on a blind date. But you haven’t been asking lately. Have you lost interest in your hyung? Hm? Is that it?”

The fair face turned bright red at the mischievous words.

Watching Dohwa, who had truly turned into a peach, Seon U-won laughed under his breath and reached out to stroke the boy’s hair.

“I’m joking. Sorry for teasing. Enjoy your drink.”

Leaving those words behind, Seon U-won went to greet the customer who had already walked in and was standing at the register.