[T/N] I apologize for grammar mistakes and incoherencies
Special Chapter 1: Exception #1.
The fact that Android robots can feel and have emotions is indeed interesting, but that’s all.”
Sangwoo spoke after the screen turned black and the End Credits appeared. Jaeyoung, who was lying stretched out, grabbed a piece of fried potato chip from the table and started eating.
“Really? It means it wasn’t very enjoyable.”
“The process of self-control and having original thoughts went too far. Plus, someone repaired it, updated it, gave it synthetic skin, and installed the reproductive organs without any desire. This is damn expensive science fiction.
It’s like having a supernatural being.”
Jaeyoung laughed without saying anything, while the ever-critical critic’s skills were continuously developing. Sangwoo took a sip of beer before running his fingers through Jaeyoung’s hair.
“It’s funny because it’s an android robot designed to assist in everyday life, but it’s language application skills are so low that it doesn’t understand specific terms at all. The plot is that he is tasked with making a music box with his hands and ends up becoming a millionaire... The scene where the androids talk loudly is just ridiculous.”
“You lack imagination, don’t you?”
“I get frustrated because I don’t see anything that reflects reality.”
“So that’s why it frustrates you, huh? It’s a great movie.”
“This group doesn’t care what kind of movie it is. Sangwoo, who doesn’t watch movies as a hobby, watches them attentively. Normally, he is interested in science fiction genres that are far from reality, while historical and cyberpunk genres with potential for errors receive low ratings. However, if there is content that stimulates the desire to win, such as sports competition, gambling, or game shows, it will receive high ratings.”
“So, what do you think?”
Jaeyoung turned his head to face up, in a position perfect for admiring the handsome face of his boyfriend. Jaeyoung gently placed his hand on the side of his own face, near the corner of his mouth before giving a loud kiss. At that moment, Sangwoo, who was looking at the TV, secretly glanced down and caught the kiss.
“It’s normal. I just don’t like that the problems are too easily resolved. But I focus more on the direction of the story rather than the sci-fi elements.”
“Oh.”
“If you look at it in terms of emotions, love, creativity, and the changes in emotions that wish to have a life that could die, it’s not bad... The amount of drama is still minimal, and it’s true that I feel like the scientific details are too sensitive for your taste.”
Sangwoo paused, his face blank, and looked at the screen again without any emotional expression, muttering to himself.
“And the subtitles are also typed wrong, and there are so many spacing errors that it distracts attention.”
“That’s right. Did they translate it wrong? They should pay more attention.”
It should have ended there, but Jaeyoung casually spoke without thinking, unaware that he was interrupting the sleep of the lion that was snoring.
“But don’t overlook the matter of spacing, it’s only exhausting to pay attention to you all the time.”
Darkness fell for five seconds. Jaeyoung yawned. When he lifted his gaze, he met Sangwoo’s slightly cool eyes. Sangwoo looked down at Jaeyoung and spoke.
“Spacing is a form of alliteration [1], isn’t it?”
“Who would care if they’re not linguistic freaks or grammar police?”
Up until this point, Jaeyoung still couldn’t perceive the tension of the situation and continued speaking without thinking. Sangwoo just laughed.
“Why do we need rules if no one enforces them? I’ve been wondering all along, but now I think I understand.”
Sangwoo continued speaking with a somewhat mocking tone.
“Why don’t you use spacing?”
Jaeyoung felt a pang of unease as the words left, he rubbed his cheek and fidgeted with his spoon, then hesitantly replied.
“They use that time to think about you instead.”
“Are you always like this even before you started dating me?”
“...”
This is not a situation that can be just let go. Sangwoo picked up his phone from the table and looked at the screen for a moment before handing the communication device to Jaeyoung. When Jaeyoung took a look, he discovered that it was a message he had previously sent to the other party. [♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: Come back today no matter what, prepare yourself for 15 punishments _6 days ago.]
And so what? It’s just a regular message. Jaeyoung looked at Sangwoo with an unfamiliar gaze. Sangwoo took the phone back, his expression didn’t look good.
“Now I see that spacing while writing is not the only problem.”
“It’s not that important, why are you like this?”
“The text doesn’t follow grammar rules, so it takes a long time to decipher.
It may be convenient for yourself, but it wastes other people’s time.”
He never really thought about it before. And more than that, decipher it like this...It doesn’t even have a secret code. Jaeyoung felt slightly annoyed, but then he stood up and pulled Sangwoo close, hugging him before the atmosphere could worsen. Meanwhile, the other side was still staring at the mobile phone, annoyed.
“If it’s a strategy to increase typing speed, I don’t think it’s a good thing, but
I understand.”
“Yes, that’s it.”
“Not at all. If you look at this, you’ll see that it’s only using the same unnecessary sentence structure.”
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: “Picture.” _9 yesterday.]
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: Actually, Sangwoo, this is a suit that I made for you, so I’ll order it right away for you to wear for the upcoming Red vs
Blue game. _9 yesterday.]
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up! _9 yesterday.]
“...That’s right. Why did I type like that?”
Sangwoo’s expression turned sour as he continuously looked back at the messages. He handed his phone to Jaeyoung and hugged him.
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: Ah, today I’m going to uni. I love you. _17 yesterday.]
“The difficulty level of deciphering it is extremely high.”
“...I must be drunk.”
“That’s why I released it. I won’t say anything.”
“Then why did you act all jealous just now?”
Jaeyoung’s tone became more aggressive without him realizing.
As he started dating Sangwoo, he made an effort to be a perfect lover and only focused on the matters of the current week. On Saturday morning, he coerced himself to stay up late and traveled to the beautiful lakeside of Chungju City. He took a single-track train and a tourist boat, and at night, they enjoyed a barbecue at a pension guesthouse, followed by a warm evening together full of love making escapades. On Sunday, they went parasailing and had fun in the lush green fields, with a panoramic view of the city. Then they returned to Seoul, where the atmosphere was truly superb, suddenly something happened just because of a poorly translated movie subtitle.
“Am I not enough for you? If you just cared a little bit, wouldn’t that be enough? Why can’t you do it?”
Jaeyoung leaned back on the sofa, exhausted, and covered his face with his hands as he spoke sternly.
“Oh, I think I’ve gone too far with this. It looks a bit excessive.”
“...”
As he lowered his hands and looked around, Sangwoo noticed that Jaeyoung was staring at the floor with an uneasy expression. It seemed to be a matter of great concern. Jaeyoung couldn’t find the right words to say and couldn’t even bring himself to give in to Sangwoo, as he usually would. He threw an empty beer can far away, the can floating in an elegant arc from Jaeyoung’s fingertips before landing gracefully in the trash bin.
Sangwoo glanced at him, then quickly got up from his seat and walked tensely towards the trash bin to retrieve the beer can. He placed it neatly in the recycling box before walking back. Sangwoo stood in front of him instead of sitting on the sofa. Jaeyoung hugged his chest and looked up at the other.
“It’s not that difficult, really. You can do it, but you choose not to.”
“It may be easy for you, but it’s not for me.”
“What’s difficult about this? You just don’t make any effort for me, that’s all, isn’t it?”
“...How did it come to this conclusion?”
“Don’t just say ‘I love you.’ Show it through your actions.”
Jaeyoung felt so overwhelmed that he couldn’t find the right words to say. Should he say that he doesn’t show it through his actions? But if that’s the case, then what has he been trying to do all this time? Every morning, he had to wake up an hour earlier to prepare breakfast for Sangwoo. After work, if it wasn’t necessary to go out to eat, he would rush home immediately. He constantly thought about what he could do for Sangwoo, and while living together, he tried his best to understand and comply with Sangwoo’s rules. He maintained it throughout his life, and he even quit smoking.
“I’ll just think that I can’t help with what happened in the past. From now on,
I’ll just do good things for you.”
Sangwoo talked with mercy before starting to collect the table. Jaeyoung looked at the other side holding a plate of fried potatoes and a can of beer to the kitchen and decided to step back a step, because he didn’t want to cause any arguments.
When Sangwoo returned from the kitchen, Jaeyoung immediately pulled to the other side to sit on the stool before he could complain about anything else. He glanced at his wristwatch and found that it was already five minutes past midnight. So by going to bed now, it would turn into Monday.
[Rule No. 32: No sex on weekdays.]
That was a rule set up after they had been together for about a month. Back then, they only flirted with each other, but they did have sex like animals, causing many problems. When Jaeyoung slid his hand into the shirt and brushed the back, Sangwoo raised his arms around his neck and tapped their foreheads together.
“You only have forty-five minutes, not another second , okay?”
“I understand.”
When he closed his eyes, the other side gently pressed their lips together. As the kisses began, all the sadness and confusion that had plagued them disappeared. Jaeyoung hugged Sangwoo around the waist and lifted the other side. At first, Sangwoo was very surprised, but after doing it several times, it seemed like he was used to it. This time, he entwined his legs around the waist, laughing. It must be fun for him.
[Rule No. 33: No sex outside the bedroom.]
He used the back door of Sangwoo’s bedroom instead of his own room, which had a lot of junk on the bed that made it impossible to sleep.
Although there was more food than before, everything was organized. Next to the table with a lamp was a cabinet, and on it were cameras, DSLRs, recently purchased professional cameras placed, and hanging beside them were Sangwoo’s original dark-colored clothes. “Jaeyoung filled the closet with clothes, but the rule is that it can only be opened on the day of going on a date.” There were posters on the wall, versions of musicals with Jaeyoung’s invitation to perform attached.
Jaeyoung laid Sangwoo down on the bed and climbed up to straddle him, they closed their eyes and kissed for a long time. At the same time, Jaeyoung reached out to open the drawer next to the bed and took out ‘what was for preparation’. Jaeyoung’s shirt was quickly removed by Sangwoo. Although it has been three months since they confirmed their feelings for each other and started dating seriously, the passionate heat still hasn’t cooled down. Jaeyoung felt the rush that was similar to every time he took off Sangwoo’s pants.
“Hello.”
“Uh, why?”
“About the spacing, can we fix it?”
However, if it’s about determination and firm belief, he must understand. As Jaeyoung flicked his side-colored bangs, Sangwoo shifted his gaze and twisted his body. Jaeyoung laughed and kissed Sangwoo’s cheeks, forehead, and nose affectionately.
“Are you still thinking about that? Lie down ass up.”
“I just asked out of curiosity.”
Sangwoo grumbled in dissatisfaction but still turned around.
***
As he raised his gaze, Jaeyoung quickly grabbed his phone to silence the alarm. It was 7:30 a.m. displayed on the screen above the image of a man eating pasta at the table.
Once he tossed the phone onto the blanket and turned around, he came face to face with the man on the screen. Jaeyoung hugged the waist of the other person lying face up, pressed his body against theirs, and gently kissed their neck, but Sangwoo did not wake up. He only made a small noise, and his lover Jaeyoung would always go to bed at around midnight and wake up at eight o’clock. And he would sleep soundly for those eight hours without waking up.
Jaeyoung hugged Sangwoo, and after a while, he rolled off and lay there for about ten minutes before getting up. He came out of the room wearing only his underwear before closing the door carefully and going to take a shower. After getting dressed, he headed straight to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator wide and took out chicken, various vegetables, coconut oil, eggs, and others, placing them on the table. Once they were both there, Jaeyoung would cook rice, while Sangwoo would take photos as his hobby. When Jaeyoung started cracking eggs into the pan, Sangwoo walked out of the room.
“You appeared in my dream just now.”
“What was the dream about?”
“It was a scary dream. I have nothing else to tell you.”
After that, he walked into the bathroom. When Jaeyoung finished making the chicken salad and omelet and arranged a complete plate, Sangwoo came out again in jeans and a black long-sleeved t-shirt, with wet hair.
“Did you sleep comfortably?”
Sangwoo sat down at the table and asked. Jaeyoung stopped and put the dishes on the table, after pouring milk into the glass until it was full, he sat down across from Sangwoo and crossed his legs.
Sangwoo drank a glass of milk before scooping a spoonful of porridge and putting it in his mouth. Why did he have to sit still and watch the other person eat? Jaeyoung always wondered, but he couldn’t know for sure. Chu Sangwoo thought that eating was just a way to replenish energy. He didn’t eat fancy or delicious food, just sat politely and ate in the same posture. He looked at the hand holding the spoon, the corners of the mouth chewing slowly, the moving Adam’s apple, and even the elbow resting on the table.
‘Does it give a feeling of nurturing animals?’
Jaeyoung wanted to take care of the rare and beautiful black mamba snake with all the good things in this world. Sometimes his father’s love might give him a similar feeling. Jaeyoung tried to capture an image of Sangwoo. Then he realized that Sangwoo had been in the same position in the album for about thirty pictures before giving up his intention. At that moment, his eyes met with Sangwoo.
“Are you not eating?”
“Eating.”
“Hurry up and eat, or you’ll be late.”
“That’s right. If I don’t take my eyes off of you, I will definitely be late.” Jaeyoung didn’t miss the faint smile that appeared on the corners of Sangwoo’s lips before it disappeared. In the third month of dating. Although it might have been enough time, on the contrary, Jaeyoung became more and more submissive. Now, he could only hear Sangwoo’s breathing, he knew what state the other party was in.
________________________________________.
[1] Typography, the writing method and the use of the writing system of a language correctly, “In one language, there may be more than one writing system, such as the word language.”
[2] Paragliding. It resembles a parachute, vibrant colors, and players sit and slowly descend. There are tools to control the direction.
To be continued.
Special Chapter 2: Exception #2.
Jaeyoung picked up a fork when he started the meal. After a few bites, Sangwoo asked.
“Did you drink carrot juice yesterday?”
“Hmm...”
“You didn’t listen to me, I told you to drink it before bed.”
Last month, after saying just one word about dry eyes, Sangwoo started making 500 milliliters of carrot juice every day. It seemed like a good thing, but the problem was that it didn’t taste good. In the first few times, he was still under the influence and drank what the other party gave him. But after that, it became annoying to the point where he had to find an excuse not to drink it and secretly threw it away several times.
“Did you throw it away?”
“...”
“It’s okay. I can make it again.”
Sangwoo responded nonchalantly before picking up the last piece of tomato in the salad bowl to eat.
“I’m full.”
After speaking, he got up from his seat, put the used utensils in the sink, then walked back to find Jaeyoung and leaned down to kiss his cheek, as a reward for the meal. Although it was a learned action, not a natural display of love, Jaeyoung couldn’t help but smile.
He hugged Jaeyoung around his waist, but Sangwoo easily avoided him and went to brush his teeth in the bathroom. Jaeyoung took care of the remaining food before clearing the table, feeling a sense of regret.
‘I don’t want us to separate.’
Sangwoo usually wakes up at the same time, eats at the same time, brushes his teeth at the same time, and leaves the house at the same time. In eight minutes, that side would have left already. Jaeyoung rushed to finish washing up so he could go out with the other person. The two men moved in and out of the bathroom.
Sangwoo, who finished brushing his teeth and put on his backpack. Jaeyoung was wearing an oversized cardigan while Sangwoo bent down to put on his shoes at the entrance. Jaeyoung handed an old baseball cap he heard was used since high school to be worn by the other side. Then he stood waiting for Sangwoo to get up and hugged him from behind.
“Is it okay if I resign from the company?”
“...”
“So that I can go to university with you.”
The teasing words heated up Sangwoo’s neck, making it turn red. “Why did I have to ride a real bicycle? It makes me uncomfortable.” Jaeyoung hugged him tighter and whispered softly.
“Uncomfortable? Are you sick? Maybe it’ll be better if you get an injection.
How about taking off your pants and I will give you a physical examination?”
“You pervert!”
Sangwoo released his arm from Jaeyoung’s embrace and unlocked the door.
As the door opened, the cool autumn air brushed against their cheeks.
Jaeyoung put on his sneakers and followed Sangwoo out.
They stood facing each other in front of the elevator. Jaeyoung adjusted Sangwoo’s bomber jacket and zipped it up to his chest. Then, he lowered his head and lightly kissed the same organ of the other party. They were about to continue, but Sangwoo turned his head, kissed him deeply, and held him tightly, while he was still unable to maintain his composure due to the passionate display of affection. As the elevator doors opened, Sangwoo withdrew his lips as if nothing had happened and led him inside.
“...”
They went too far. They should have enticed each other until they reached the stairs and kissed there, or they should have returned to the bedroom? These two were teasing each other almost to the point of missing the elevator, or at the very least, they should have passionately kissed each other until the elevator could go up and down twice more, right? The start and end of Jaeyoung’s love affair was too direct.
“Won’t you come in?”
It was clear that if left like that, the other party would have to go down first, so Jaeyoung quickly entered the elevator. Sangwoo pressed the 1st floor button and muttered.
“Why did I have to ride a real bicycle for this?”
“There are good ways to solve problems.”
“No matter what, I can’t do it. It may be okay for you to be flexible with work hours, but I can’t change my school schedule. Don’t forget that I’m a student.”
“So what? Don’t forget that I’m your boyfriend.”
“...Whatever.”
After exchanging a few short sentences, they parted ways. Sangwoo checked his watch before hastening his steps, while the other party went to retrieve his parked bicycle. Jaeyoung looked back briefly and made eye contact with Sangwoo.
“I’ll go first. See you later.”
“Take care and be safe while cycling.”
“Focus on your studies. Eat well. Concentrate on reading. Don’t let anyone distract you. I miss you a lot...” Jaeyoung muttered to himself, gazing at the distant figure. He then walked straight to the parking lot.
After driving to the company building, he immediately went into a meeting. Once finished, he sent a couple of emails and did some work. Soon it was almost lunchtime. Jaeyoung checked his phone, which he hadn’t looked at for several hours.
[Ru Jihye: Nothing unusual today, oh, by the way, I can’t have lunch with Sangwoo today~ _11:51.]
Fate was fate, this semester Ru Jihye had the same class as Sangwoo again. It wasn’t like they consulted each other, but on Mondays and Thursdays, they took the same elective. If it had happened before, Jaeyoung would have been heartbroken, but he easily solved this problem when he made Jihye have a boyfriend. It was an opportunity to establish a platonic relationship between a crocodile and a bird[1]. In this secret operation, Jihye acted as Jaeyoung’s loving and devoted spy.
[Why? _12:01.]
[Ru Jihye: I have a date with Hyojin ^-^ _12:02.]
I just told you to have lunch together with him twice a week, is it that difficult?
When Jaeyoung thought that Sangwoo would eat alone, Jaeyoung called the other party but did not expect him to answer because Sangwoo had set his phone to silent mode. Even though Jaeyoung persuaded him to set the notification sound only for his number, he still left a message, but the response came back faster than expected.
[Chu Sangwoo♡♡: How are you doing? Eat well. 12:05] [Chu Sangwoo♡♡: I’m doing well. I also ate well. 12:06] Jaeyoung stared at the phone screen for a moment.
“Jaeyoung! What are you doing? Let’s go eat together.”
“Uh, sure.”
After that, he couldn’t say anything because he was speechless, so he put his phone in his pants pocket.
‘Yesterday, after saying that, I thought I would let it go, but I didn’t.’
Then, until they finished eating, until they drank coffee and chatted with other employees, until they returned to the company and used the mouse again, the frustration remained. When there were ten more minutes left to finish work, Jaeyoung decided to prove that suspicion. [Tamaraya _18:20]
- [Chu Sangwoo♡♡: What are you doing? _18:21]
- [Chu Sangwoo♡♡: Reading. _18:21]
[Yuhinai _18:22]
- [Chu Sangwoo♡♡: Where are you? _18:23]
- [Chu Sangwoo♡♡: Home. _18:23]
- [Chu Sangwoo♡♡: When will you come back? _18:24]
[Igchamchịbna telekngụn _18:24]
- [Chu Sangwoo♡♡: Cannot be fixed. _18:27]
The suspicion was correct. Chu Sangwoo was engrossed in his typography.
Jaeyoung knew well that if the other party started to focus once... no matter what he did, he would not give up. If he wanted to avoid a war, he had to make adjustments, but a corner of his mind refused.
‘Why is it always me who has to give in and go to him?’
Is this a one sided love or not, this is a relationship where we both love each other equally. Does he have to bow his head like this? Sangwoo didn’t have to give in or try anything. It’s not like Jaeyoung. The other side always went to university at the same time, studied the same way, just used the remaining time with Jaeyoung only. The disappointment and regret that I order and contain constantly filled my heart in an instant.
“Doesn’t anyone plan to leave work?”
“Let’s go drink today. The team leader isn’t here.”
“Oh, good deal! Daehyun, Jinjoo, are you okay? What about Jaeyoung?”
Jaeyoung, who was sulking with his raised handphone, looked up, and the employees sitting next to him looked at him with hopeful faces.
“Oh. I have to go home.”
“Going home every day. Anyone who sees it would think you’re a small child’s father.”
“I have not a child. But there’s something similar at home.”
“You don’t seem to be. I thought you got a girlfriend again.”
As he laughed without answering, the employee sitting opposite shouted.
“I want to talk to you, Jaeyoung! Let’s go together today.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll tell you straight. I want a new character in the game. I’ll raise it with liquor, okay?”
Hearing that, many people laughed. In this company, there are only a few who play <Veggie Venturer>. Sometimes, that might be normal because it became the number one game in the App Market for a whole month. The assistant Park, for example, was heard to have spent 120,000 won.
“Update on Friday, did you release the new map and new item, assistant?”
“As soon as it was updated, I persuaded myself to buy it.”
“...Because I don’t have to be like that, I don’t want to.”
“I don’t care how much, so give me a new character. Is the new character being made?”
“I think we should talk to our developers first.”
“Let’s not talk here. Everyone, leave together first.”
Jaeyoung released the person who was going to have dinner together and headed towards the parking lot before calling Sangwoo. Before the third ring, he heard the voice of the other party.
[Hello.]
“I am leaving the office. I was thinking of buying dinner. Do you want anything?”
[Buy whatever you want.]
“There’s a newly opened restaurant near the company called Le Bonne. Let’s try it.”
[Sure.]
After hanging up, he went to the restaurant, stood in line in front of the popular restaurant, bought bread with soy sauce dip, Arab dumplings, kabob, tamarind, and fried rice with strong spices inside. Then he drove back home.
As he opened the door, he found Sangwoo cutting carrots in the kitchen. He hugged the other person from behind and rested his chin on their shoulder.
The other person then stopped their hand.
“I’m doing this. If you continue getting frisky I might get a wound.”
“I miss you.”
“I feel the same.”
Even though the dry and rough voice almost broke his heart, he knew that the other person wasn’t saying anything meaningless. Still, Jaeyoung felt a little sad. Sangwoo stirred the carrots in the blender like someone who was working on something very important before pouring it into a large glass, then looked at Jaeyoung.
“Drink.”
“...”
Jaeyoung didn’t dare to refuse, so he took the glass and moistened his lips before placing it on the table. Once the food was arranged on the plate...
Sangwoo sat down on the chair. “So, today...”
The other side raised its head and looked at Jaeyoung with a smirk.
“You look like a kid, huh?”
The other side understood that teasing a little like this, does Sangwoo look like a kid? Jaeyoung noticed that Sangwoo’s language suddenly changed after washing his hands. After sitting opposite Sangwoo, they started eating quietly. “Didn’t you ask today if there was something I wanted to say?”
“Is there something?”
“In the computer class, I received praise for having all the excellent qualities of a developer. It seems that I am the first in the past five years to get full marks for the homework.”
“The teacher should be proud.”
Jaeyoung tore off a piece of bread to eat. At the same time, he felt a chill in his heart. He enjoyed the time when Sangwoo told stories about his daily life in great detail. During this time, he got to listen to stories that weren’t really new, got to look into his eyes, and listen to Sangwoo’s voice while eating together.
“But in the advanced English conversation class, it doesn’t seem high enough. I have to pair up and keep introducing myself for a long time, ‘Hi, I’m a major in computer engineering’, something like that.”
Recently, he had been studying hard, wanting to be great. Although his abilities didn’t really match that level, Jaeyoung was still pleased.
“Oh, that’s what you consider high? Recently, your abilities have increased a lot. It’s not only because of your abilities.”
“That’s it. I know I shouldn’t think like that, but I think you teach better than Linsey. I enrolled because it’s an elective course. Otherwise, I would have dropped it before. Ru Jihye always acts like I’m like this and that, she can’t do it herself.”
“Jihye is jealous, huh.”
“Not to the point of jealousy, but she likes to gossip.”
“Improve yourself first, being a seriously funny kid.”
He reassured Sangwoo, trying to boost his confidence. Why is he trying to decrease trust in odd places? Jaeyoung mentally noted what he would say to Mrs-Jihye and continued chewing his fried rice.
“After having a meal, I drank coffee and took a walk...”
“Alone?”
“Yes. Then I went to study the courses, Mobile Computing.”
“Is it said that the course is too easy because you already know the content?”
“It’s a fourth-year major course. I am a bit disappointed that I hardly learn anything new.”
“It’s good to get an easy grade. That’s what they say.”
“That’s what my seniors said.”
“And then?”
“I thought about going home... and I spent an hour reflecting on your flaws.”
The mouth of Jaeyoung, who was chewing his food with determination, stopped moving instantly.
“I tried to think whether personal freedom should come first, but I think for people in a relationship, it should be something to ask for.”
Sangwoo put down his chopsticks before wiping his mouth with a tissue.
Then, he looked into Jaeyoung’s eyes.
“Next time, try to use proper grammar when texting.”
“...”
Sangwoo got up from his seat, walked into the room, and came back with thick documents in his arms. The documents were stacked and had more than two hundred pages, and the title was...
________________________________________.
[1] Crocodile and bird crocodile, a situation where both types benefit from each other, “protocooperation.” Crocodiles provide food, and the bird helps clean up food scraps from between the teeth, but there is no bondage. Even if they are separated, both can live normally.
[2] [Chu Sangwoo♡♡: How are you doing in school? Please enjoy your meal. _12:05]. Sangwoo corrected the sentence that Jaeyoung typed.
Special Chapter 3: Exception #3.
Jaeyoung was stunned and speechless, gazing at the other party in astonishment as Sangwoo was busy with the show, staring at various points that caught his attention, such as the refrigerator, the wall-mounted shelf, the large door, and more.
Rules, rules, rules. Jaeyoung knew well that Sangwoo was someone who had to create rules and follow them in order to feel at ease. Even his personal preferences were similar. Therefore, he had been continuously trying for three months to adjust himself to the other party’s thirty-three rules. Sangwoo had to reluctantly admit the effort, but he could still endure it. However, the fact that he had to make such small adjustments just because he didn’t like himself was too much to bear.
“Hey, Chu Sangwoo.”
Jaeyoung’s tone was cold. Sangwoo, who was putting up papers on the wall, turned around slightly surprised.
“You started dating me without knowing what kind of person I am.”
Sangwoo looked at Jaeyoung and then turned back to finish putting up the papers on the wall before sitting on the opposite side of the dining table with a stern expression.
“I know that, and I don’t like it. How would you like me to fix it?”
“Why do I have to fix it? Can’t you be the one to fix it?”
“The root cause of the problem is that you don’t use grammar properly.
How can I be the one to fix it?”
“It’s not that important. You can just overlook it after reading it, right?”
Both parties started talking faster, and Sangwoo’s once calm face began to show signs of annoyance without him realizing it. Jaeyoung just kept looking at the ceiling for a moment before hugging his chest and making eye contact.
“I’ll say one thing clearly. We need to maintain grammar for effective communication. Do you agree?”
“I disagree. Text messages are not a thesis. I think it’s enough to convey the meaning. Besides, it’s not something you go back and read again.”
“I backup everything indefinitely to keep it for the long term.”
“... If I destroy your hard disk, will the problem be solved?”
“It’s useless, because I can retrieve a copy from the cloud [1].”
“...”
Jaeyoung looked at his watch, regretting the wasted dinner time. This was the time when he should have been able to look into Sangwoo’s eyes, talk, and exchange feelings through eye contact. But Jaeyoung thought he couldn’t do that now. Everything that the other party has asked for until now has made everything worse. And he can’t fix everything just because of the word “love.”
“I, myself, am trying and making efforts in every possible way to be a good enough man for you. Isn’t that enough?”
“Trying?”
Sangwoo’s expression did not understand even a little bit, and in that instant, Jaeyoung’s feelings collapsed completely.
“What are you trying to do... No. It’s beyond that. Why should it be such a big deal? Just paying a little attention should be enough.”
“I don’t want to do that.”
“It’s a waste of time. Just five seconds, that’s all, and you can’t give me that?”
“Then why do I have to adjust everything to suit your likes?”
“Ah... really annoyed.”
At first, it was just a small complaint about not leaving spaces, but now it has become a big problem because of other hidden issues.
“Just do whatever you want! Saying that you love me is just words. Did I say something wrong?”
“What are you talking about? I have sacrificed so much to adjust myself for you. If everything has to be adjusted to your liking, then I should just be with a robot like yourself. Why should you be with someone like me?”
“How can you say things like that?”
“Don’t do this in the morning, don’t do this on a regular day. Don’t do this in the bathroom.”
Sangwoo was about to argue back, but Jaeyoung quickly continued speaking.
“I’m not that kind of person! Sometimes when I’m drunk, I just want to sleep without taking a shower. If it’s interesting, I want to take my holiday to travel around on a regular day. I want to love you passionately wherever and whenever I want. I want to read a book anywhere other than a desk. I want to sleep anywhere other than a bedroom. I want to eat and leave my dishes without washing them and throw them away like that. I want to leave a messy room for a few days without cleaning it up. But you don’t let me do anything. I feel like I have become a part of your perfect program.”
“What are you saying? You leave dishes every day and never clean the room when you should.”
“Look, you only see my flaws. Do you really love me?”
Jaeyoung clenched his fists and looked down at the floor. Meanwhile, his increasing sadness gradually turned into layers of dust like a strange creature. Jaeyoung realized that during the three months living with Sangwoo, he had both happiness and discomfort.
“Don’t I love you? Have I done something to make you think like that?” Jaeyoung couldn’t say anything. Sangwoo was a genuinely loving and cute person, except during study time. The other side also used Jaeyoung’s time to participate in Jaeyoung’s hobbies, willingly watching even movies that didn’t suit their taste with full dedication, and being passionately intimate in bed like fireworks.
However, Sangwoo was too meticulous. He had excessive reasoning and strictness for a lover. Checking the time before going to bed, always keeping track of time, and after making love, immediately starting with cleaning up. Even after the most passionate lovemaking, he would meticulously shower and put the wet clothes and sheets in the laundry basket.
If asked what flaws his partner had in being meticulous and perfectionist, he had nothing to say. Jaeyoung felt sad about the truth that the other side was too perfect, but at the same time, he felt frustrated to complain about it with that excuse.
‘Seems like a fool, huh.’
There was a small dissatisfaction and repeated conflicts. And then, goodbye. Jaeyoung remembered the statistics of past relationships that usually ended within one to two months. In previous relationships, Jaeyoung didn’t try anything, didn’t care about what the other party wanted, and if it didn’t work out, he would break up. But in this relationship, even though he tried every possible way with the intention of not making it end like that, conflicts still arose. This time, the one who needed to ask for something was not the opposite party, but himself. Jaeyoung didn’t know what he should do at a time like this, which made his heart endlessly chaotic.
‘No, I can’t just break up like that.’
This relationship was serious and meant a lot to Jaeyoung. It wouldn’t be long before they would celebrate one hundred days together. “He is preparing for the ‘Event 100 Days’, the first time in his life, which is like a tradition celebrating one hundred days that was rare during a time when there were frequent wars because it was difficult for a baby to survive for three months.” Next month is Sangwoo’s birthday. “He already ordered birthday presents and kept them at the company.” They had never tried skiing together. “He already prepared goggles, ski suits, and a snowboard for Sangwoo.” But he, who was afraid of being left behind, was overly worried.
“Why don’t you answer? Did I do something wrong?”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, everything is my fault.”
At a point where they should try to resolve conflicts, his way of speaking sounded challenging. If he could adjust everything to fit Sangwoo. If he could do everything that the other party desired. If he could be a more complete person than this. If he didn’t have such an easily irritated personality, would they still have conflicts?
“I don’t want to impose on you, I’ll go outside for a while.”
“Don’t go, please.”
“I’ll calm down a bit and then come back.”
“I said don’t go.”
Jaeyoung got up without caring, thinking that arguing with Sangwoo in this situation would only lead to more fights. He put on a jacket for exercising that hung on a hanger and walked towards the front door. Sangwoo sat quietly in front of the table eating. Meanwhile, Jaeyoung put on shoes before grabbing the doorknob.
“Sometimes I might not be able to see you.”
“...”
“But don’t say that I didn’t try enough. I quit smoking because of you.” With that said, he walked out.
***.
‘What did we do wrong?’
Sangwoo tried to think carefully, but couldn’t come up with an answer. Usually, it takes 5-30 seconds to type a message, depending on how fast you type and how many spaces you tap. Each word doesn’t increase the typing time by that much. But Jaeyoung seemed to interpret Sangwoo’s request as disrespectful and excessive.
‘I just don’t understand.’
Sangwoo looked out the window and called Jaeyoung. The call was cut off midway, and a message came in instead.
- [♥Jang Jaeyoung♥:. Will be back in a moment _20:06.]
[Will be back in a moment/ /be back in a moment/ / _20:07][2.]
‘Oops.’
After sending the amended message, Sangwoo realized his mistake. This action clearly provoked an argument, but he couldn’t take back the message he had sent. Sangwoo anxiously waited for a reply, feeling as if he could see Jaeyoung’s disappointed face on the screen.
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: It’s quite entertaining _20:11.]
“...”
Just as he had thought. The other side was intentionally making mistakes, clearly trying to pick a fight with him. Sangwoo fought back, thinking he couldn’t surrender. Then a message, even more difficult to read than before, arrived.
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: H-EY _20:13.]
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: N-1orrP-Yook, SongjangOf? _20:14][3.]
As soon as he saw the message, Sangwoo felt a sharp pain in his temples.
This was the first time he had read a text and felt such intense frustration. Sangwoo tried his best not to focus on the emotive words and abandoned the thought of fixing and tapping an offensive response.
[I understand now _20:14.]
- [♥Jang Jaeyoung♥:. I / /understand/ /now/ / _20:15.]
- [♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: Why don’t you reply, yadaa _20:16.]
‘What is that?’
[Ignore. _20:16.]
- [♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: Ignore _20:17.]
- [♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: ㅁ@ri음데g#로ㅎ*wrㅅHr요qqqq^ㅡ&
_20:18][4.]
‘Are you really crazy?’
If his fingers were not disabled, there would be no way to type such a long letter. Sangwoo tried to respond calmly, but the continuous incoming messages made him lose his focus.
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: 뿛쭋뚮뚢ㄹ꿁ㄹㄹㄹㄹ _20:20][5.]
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: my, ne”m, ei, sJang Jae.young _20:20.]
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: abcdefghiJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJwJJJㅈJJJJJ _20:20.]
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: Why can’t it be fixed? _20:21.]
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: Is it really ignored??? _20:23.]
Sangwoo hesitated as he didn’t know what to answer. At that moment, he saw a white box-shaped car moving away from the parking spot. Sangwoo leaned his face against the window and looked, but the car disappeared from his sight in an instant. He then returned to sit at the table to eat with a feeling of despair.
Sangwoo himself didn’t want to control someone as free-spirited as Jaeyoung. He was worried that the other party would feel confined and would try to avoid conflicts in their daily lives as much as possible. The rules were minimal, like leaving small problems outside without discussing them, or dealing with things like taking off socks and leaving them scattered without mentioning it repeatedly and finding a way to handle it himself. Even though they both had their own rooms, Jaeyoung still slept with Sangwoo every day, but he never considered it a problem at all, to the point that he made the other party escape outside.
‘Is it my fault?’
Sangwoo began to wonder who was really suffering. Jaeyoung always had a smile on his face, so he assumed the other party was happy. However, it seemed that the inner sadness was not just about two incidents.
‘I want to love you passionately anywhere, anytime.’
In the first month of dating Jaeyoung, Sangwoo was in a state of entropy
[5]. Sangwoo was on a school break, so he didn’t experience much impact, but Jaeyoung only slept for two hours, or went to work early in the morning. Even though Jaeyoung ate a lot, he lost three kilograms of weight that month. It was a period of extreme fatigue. There were instances like getting injured because he tried a move from a martial arts textbook and ended up exerting too much force, breaking the bathroom wall and having to repair it, having to buy a new dining table because the legs broke, and buying a new sofa because it was damaged. Despite all that, he was grateful for the limited time and space that allowed him to remain human up to this point.
‘Look, you only see my flaws.’
That was a serious misunderstanding. Sangwoo lost his sense of balance completely. Now he couldn’t remember what Jaeyoung’s flaws were, or if he even had any. Just seeing the other person made him feel content. He never found a time to think about flaws, he never did. When he heard words like that, it hurt his heart.
“...It’s frustrating, huh.”
________________________________________.
[1] Cloud computing - a tool for storing, processing, and managing data over the Internet in exchange for a fee, or it can be an online drive.
[2] [In a while/, I’ll go back in././,_ 20:07] Actually, this sentence is not a problem in Thai, but just to give readers an image that in Korean, Jang Jaeyoung typed it wrong without spacing according to the Korean typing rules and didn’t end the sentence with a punctuation mark, “..” and therefore, I would like to keep the typing format in Korean.
[3] [♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: น1อr1ปㄴ人ยุคเ, ซจงอ่F¿,_20:14] Are you a person from the era of King Sejong?
[4] [♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: ㅁ@ri음데g#로ㅎ*wrㅅHr요qqqq^ㅡ&,_
20:18] You can interpret it as 마음대로, 하세요, “Come as you please.”
[5] [♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: Blurred _20:20] It is a meaningless and random text.
[6] Entropy is a measure of the disorder of a system. The higher the disorder of the system, the higher the entropy value, but if the system has less disorder, the entropy value will be lower.
Special Chapter 4: Exception #4.
Sangwoo stood up to clean up the leftover food. When he saw the glass of carrot juice that Jaeyoung had touched and left, he felt even more hurt. He pretended not to know that the other party didn’t want to drink it, and he knew that if he didn’t keep an eye on it, Jaeyoung wouldn’t drink it. Because of that, although he wanted to give up, the desire to improve Jaeyoung’s dry eye condition was too much.
Sangwoo covered the glass with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Then he went to the sink to deal with the remaining dishes. He continued by cleaning the living room, and after that, his mind felt a little calmer. He leaned against the door of Jaeyoung’s room and thought about whether he should clean it well or give up his determination. No matter how effectively Sangwoo could sweep, the room would still take at least three hours.
Sangwoo quickly took a shower before returning to his own room and transferred the photo files from the camera to his computer for storage. The photo he liked the most was when they were at the lake. Jaeyoung was showing off a huge water bubble that he blew, and he took a perfect shot when it burst. Sangwoo set that photo as his desktop background and scrolled through the other photos. There was a photo of Jaeyoung smiling with a wooden stick in his mouth, a photo of him playing on the phone on the Gethost House bed, and a photo of him asleep with the morning sun shining through the screen in sequence.
Sangwoo suddenly became scared, wondering how it would be if one day Jaeyoung told him to break up. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t change the other person’s mind, and what would he have to do then? When he thought about the suffering that was equal to the happiness he had experienced during this time, his body trembled instantly.
‘To prevent such a situation, the power must be cut off at the root.’
Sangwoo made a definite decision that if it was a sprout that could grow into a breakup, no matter how small, he wouldn’t let it grow. Then he picked up his phone and checked the green sprout that had just sprouted again. Even though he could barely withstand about ten most recent messages, the remaining messages no longer affected his emotions as before.
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: Right now, I’m about to go home and get fried chicken _4 days ago.]
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: What are you wearing now? _4 days ago.]
After throwing accuracy away, he considered it a strategy to act nonchalant.
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: Why don’t you answer the phone????????? _1 month ago.]
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: Who are you talking to??? If you don’t answer within 1 minute, we’re done. _1 month ago.]
Using excessive punctuation is the least efficient way in terms of effectiveness, but it seems to be a way to emphasize emotions and feelings.
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: Why are you like this? _2 months ago.]
Overall, even though he didn’t like the format of the text, he enjoyed the content.
‘He has always been like this, isn’t it?’
Jang Jaeyoung wasn’t good from the beginning. Red clothes, odd gestures, and vulgar ways of speaking, he disliked them all. However, after coming to love the inner self the most in the world, even the disliked format became less annoying.
‘In the end, it’s not a big deal.’
He felt sorry for making the person he loved a little bit sad, no matter how much he tried to console them. Sangwoo picked up the phone and sent a message to the other party. Then he took out the bookmark with 243 pages from the library and put it in the recycle box. He pulled out all the notes attached to the paper before checking his phone and finding a message.
[♥Jang Jaeyoung♥: I love you/♡/. I miss you/♡♡♡/. _22:02.]
Anyway, it seemed like his boyfriend had calmed down. Sangwoo prepared to go outside, looked at the window with a nervous and expectant heart, waited for thirty-two minutes, and the familiar car appeared in his sight. He went straight to open the door and ran out.
Sangwoo got on the elevator and ran without consciousness. Coincidentally, as Jaeyoung’s car pulled into the parking spot, he wanted to see the other party as soon as possible, but the tinted windows made it hard to see inside, and soon the car parked in the empty space, and then the driver’s side door opened.
When Sangwoo first saw the man, he wondered, but when he got into the driver’s seat, he understood the situation immediately. Jaeyoung had flushed cheeks, and there was an alcohol smell in the car.
“Are you drunk?”
“Uh.”
“With who?”
“Daehyun and Jinjoo.”
Sangwoo paused, looking at Kim Daehyun, aged 27, a high school friend of Jang Jaeyoung, currently a owner of a spicy stir-fried squid stall, and Lee Jijoo, aged 29, a company employee. Both of them were in a loving relationship, so they were not dangerous to Jaeyoung.
After the conversation ended, an awkward atmosphere filled the air. Previously, they would argue and fight with each other, but since they officially started dating, this was the first time they fought with painful feelings. Sangwoo felt heartbroken that their once perfect relationship had been destroyed, but he learned from books that this was normal.
“It is said that conflicts are evidence of good health.”
Jaeyoung just looked out the window without saying anything. Sangwoo continued to speak.
“It seems strange to not fight at all.”
Jaeyoung chuckled lightly, so Sangwoo gained some courage.
“The only three things I asked for when we started dating, that’s all. You are still doing well in all of them, so it’s okay.”
Jaeyoung contacted him too often, becoming a problem. He never raised his voice and helped with English tutoring honestly three times a week.
“What about the remaining thirty-three rules?”
“Those are additional rules for living, and can be adjusted. I don’t want you to be stressed, it’s better to let them go than to hate me because you feel controlled.”
“....”
“I didn’t plan on dating you for just two years. If we want to be together for a long time, we have to take it easy. You may not know due to being in a relationship for a few weeks or months, but it’s said that even if we are very passionate from the beginning, we won’t last long.”
“Who said that?”
“How to Marry Your First Love Volume 2, page 148.”
“....”
Sangwoo stayed quiet for a moment, organizing his thoughts before speaking calmly.
“So, we don’t have to do anything unnecessary. Just loving each other is enough. I know you smoke, so if you want to smoke, you can. If you’re tired, you don’t have to prepare breakfast. I eat cereal every morning, it’s fine. The spacing in the text doesn’t matter. It’s just my own greediness, it’s that kind of exception, handling [2], and it’s okay.”
He couldn’t send an error message [3] every day because of such trivial matters. Sangwoo was a developer who knew the importance of prioritizing.
“Exception? Handling?”
“Even if you break the rules, there is a way to return a value without causing errors in the program.”
“How?”
“For example, when an exception occurs in a method in Java [4], you use the try-catch command… mmmh.”
He was about to continue speaking but his mouth was shut. Jaeyoung, who didn’t know what was happening, approached and pressed his lips against him. His breath smelled of alcohol mixed with cigarettes. Jaeyoung simply closed his eyes and kissed without consciousness. He didn’t know if he had heard what he said. Sangwoo struggled to push the person in front of him away.
“I’m trying to... talk... uh, mmmmh.”
But Sangwoo continued to resist. As soon as he slightly opened his mouth, Jaeyoung’s hot tongue immediately intruded. Although it didn’t seem like he was very drunk, his hand that touched his neck felt warm. Jaeyoung forcefully pulled Sangwoo closer. Sangwoo gave in and hugged him back, feeling a dizzy intoxication.
At that moment, he crossed over to the driver’s side, squeezing his body into the narrow space and settling himself on Sangwoo’s lap. Sangwoo removed his lips and grabbed the hand that was unbuttoning his pants.
“Do you not think that attempting to resolve emotional conflicts through physical intimacy is a problem?”
“Not at all.”
Before Sangwoo could bury his lips on Jaeyoung’s neck, he pulled his shirt up and gently sucked his flesh into his mouth. Sangwoo struggled to open his mouth before losing himself.
“Rules 32 and 33....”
“Forget about them.”
“What do you mean?”
Jaeyoung raised his eyebrow and stared at Sangwoo, his gaze cold and dangerous.
“Don’t I want to love you? I do love you, and there’s no need to designate the place or time for our love.”
Sangwoo had a premonition that he would give in to the other party today, but he still responded quietly.
“But you have to go to work tomorrow. And it’s a rule we agreed upon after switching seats, isn’t it?”
“So what? I don’t care.”
“I understand. Move over there first.”
Sangwoo pushed Jaeyoung’s chest away, but the other party responded by pressing his body closer, leaving no room for retreat. “Go sit over there. I’ll use my mouth.”
The words ended with a grumble. Jaeyoung immediately looked shocked.
This was the first time Sangwoo had tried it again after tearing his mouth three months ago without fear. Sangwoo had practiced with a banana several times, but when he tried it for real, the size and slope were completely different, making the practice useless. However, when Jaeyoung wanted to do it, it meant the situation had changed and there was only one way to end it.
Jaeyoung moved again and sat calmly in the seat next to the driver. Sangwoo crossed over to that side and pulled down Jaeyoung’s light gray jeans, exposing the wet front of his underwear in the darkness. He took a deep breath and pulled down the thin fabric of the underwear, revealing a large male organ laying on his abdomen.
‘Why does it look bigger today?’
Sangwoo positioned himself on his knees between Jaeyoung’s legs, placing his elbows on both sides of the other’s knees, and took a deep breath, slightly looking up. Jaeyoung stared at Sangwoo’s head with half-closed eyes, and the touch was not gentle and tender.
“Just once and then we can go back to the room-... mmmhgrrr!”
Because Jaeyoung pressed the back of Sangwoo’s head, Jaeyoung’s hard cock entered his open mouth.
‘Today is high-speed train mode.’
Sometimes Jaeyoung becomes aroused with a special sexual desire. In such moments, the other person becomes quieter and the actions become rougher and more violent. In addition, there are modes such as gentle boyfriend mode, sports lover mode that focuses on sex, actor mode, AV mode, vulgar and rude talk mode, innocent and curious child mode, and lazy mode where Sangwoo does everything and Jaeyoung just lays there giving instructions. Sometimes, Sangwoo feels like he is dating multiple people. Not just one person.
________________________________________.
[1] In Korea, there is a service that provides a driver when one is drunk or unable to drive.
[2] Exception Handling, dealing with errors.
[3] Error Message, a window or text that alerts the user about an error that occurs in a program. In this context, Sangwoo compares it to having to send a message to correct a sentence to Jaeyoung.
[4] Java programming language, “Java.” Divides the errors that may occur while running a program into two categories: Error, an error that cannot be fixed or handled, and Exception, an error that can be fixed or handled using the Try-Catch method, which is a command used to handle abnormalities.
________________________________________.