Chapter 78 - Promise to Meet

“Oh, you picked up. I didn’t expect you to since I’m calling late on a weekend,” Yoonshin replied.

“You weren’t calling because of work? Summarize in less than five words,” Sehun said callously.

“It’s not because of work but personal reasons.”

“You called for personal reasons. That’s over five words. I see.”

“Yes, so I was—” Just then, the call ended abruptly. Yoonshin didn’t even get to his main subject. Taken aback, Yoonshin looked at his phone, wondering if his device broke or the battery lost juice, but Sehun truly did hang up on him.

Frustrated, Yoonshin tried to call him again. Sehun didn’t pick up despite the call ringing several times, so Yoonshin sent a message as if he had something important and work-related. When he called again, thankfully, Yoonshin heard the other man.

“Say it in five words,” was how Sehun answered the call.

Yoonshin counted the words that he wanted to say with his fingers, then he hurriedly replied, “Let’s meet up now!”

The other man didn’t react for a moment. Then, a beat later, he asked, “Why should I meet you? Today’s Sunday.”

“Did you have dinner? If you haven’t, let’s eat together.”

“I ate. You would have already eaten too, no?”

“Then, how about coffee? I’ll buy you a cup.”

“I drank already. My veins are already pulsing with caffeine.”

“Then, aren’t you going on a walk tonight? The snow piled up on the trees in the park behind the building is very pretty.”

“I walk when I need to think. Walking with someone is distracting. Is that all you have to say? Then hang up.”

As Sehun was about to one-sidedly hang up again, Yoonshin changed his tactic to the offensive. “This is what people call giving room for opportunity. When I sent you the message, you knew that I didn’t have anything work-related to talk about. Yet you still picked up. You’re either a suuuuper loose and easy person, or you’re interested in me. Isn’t the latter more palatable than the former?”

Sehun’s appearance was excellent, but he was just that—Yoonshin wasn’t gay, to begin with, so he couldn’t arouse any other emotion. He was envious of the other’s well-stacked career, but knowing the rough trajectory of it, he didn’t completely look up to Sehun. Even so, Yoonshin kept being swept up by him. His concern for Sehun evolved, making him want to get more involved with the older man.

Yoonshin’s desire was projected in his question, and the other laughed hollowly. That subdued sound was strangely soft and sweet, lingering in Yoonshin’s ears and flustering him.

“Narcissism is your hobby, isn’t it? Don’t you think I might have picked up by giving you the benefit of the doubt and for the possibility that you really had something work-related to say?”

“No, you definitely knew that I wasn’t going to talk about work.” His second attempt at approaching Sehun was shot down. However, Yoonshin felt like he needed to try one last time to not regret anything. “You’re not the only one who’s hurting. My head hurts because of you too.”

Perhaps that was a more critical hit than anything else he had said because a sigh followed instead of a reply. Yoonshin didn’t think he had ever heard such a deep and heavy sigh coming from Sehun before. Yoonshin instinctively knew that this was the prime opportunity to bring up the topic for conversation, so he bit his lower lip. “Did you forget that I had a blind date today?”

“Do I look like a goldfish to you? I remember,” Sehun retorted.

“But you didn’t call me.”

“Was there a rule that said I had to call? You should have told me.”

“Did you make me call you on purpose, or do you truly have no interest in me?”

Sehun didn’t reply, so Yoonshin pressed on harder, “I just came back from my prospective marriage meeting.”