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His hyung -his boyfriend, now, he’d finally made his decision!- Lee Sa-young thinks, is adorable in the mornings.
Ever since Cha Eui-jae had finally agreed to move in with him a few days ago, he had been having to wake up at the crack of dawn to get to the hangover soup restaurant in time for its opening, and Lee Sa-young had finally had enough of waking up to a too-big bed and cold sheets.
Sure, he always wakes whenever Cha Eui-jae has to leave their bed, but the way that his hyung always smooths a gentle hand over Lee Sa-young’s head before he leaves, and the way he always presses the lightest of kisses to his lips when he thinks that Lee Sa-young is still asleep is too tempting to pass up, most days.
Not today, though. Today, as Cha Eui-jae shifts into wakefulness through some godforsaken innate sense of timing and lifts the blankets, Lee Sa-young jerks into action and rolls over to wrap himself around his boyfriend’s body, whining low in the back of his throat when Cha Eui-jae wriggles in his hold.
“Sa-young-ah,” his boyfriend sighs, and Lee Sa-young buries his pout in the side of Cha Eui-jae’s neck, making sure that the purse of his lips can be felt against thin skin. “You brat, you know I have to get up or I won’t be able to get the restaurant open in time-”
Lee Sa-young presses his pout further into Cha Eui-jae’s skin, and lets his voice take on a high whine even as he mumbles, “But the bed is so cold after hyung leaves, and I have to wake up all alone…”
Cha Eui-jae sighs again, and wriggles harder. “I have to make it to the restaurant to prepare the first batch of soup before the zombies come streaming in, let me go.”
Lee Sa-young shakes his head petulantly, and begins mouthing lazily at his boyfriend’s throat. He’ll have to look into getting a house near the hangover soup restaurant, it wouldn’t do to have Cha Eui-jae spend more time away from him than was necessary, but for now-
“We can use an escape button later,” he mumbles into warm skin. “Stay with me a little longer, hyung, it’s so lonely when you’re gone and I don’t even see you in the mornings anymore…”
Cha Eui-jae stops wriggling, at least, but there is still tension in his shoulders when he twists around to look at Lee Sa-young.
Lee Sa-young immediately raises his head to meet his boyfriend’s gaze, widening violet eyes and blinking slowly, sleepily. He curls his arms tighter around Cha Eui-jae’s waist, and begins rubbing soothing circles into the soft skin right above Cha Eui-jae’s hips.
“Please, hyung?” He asks, adding a few more languid blinks for effect, and sees the moment that his boyfriend gives in. Cha Eui-jae’s shoulders sag, his head drooping to rest against Lee Sa-young’s collarbone, breath puffing warmly against his skin.
“...I’ve spoiled you, you little menace,” his boyfriend says, but Lee Sa-young can’t even muster up the mildest indignation when Cha Eui-jae is warm in his arms, ashy hair brushing softly over his skin. “What happened to the polite boy who would wait so patiently for his hyung’s next visit?”
“He finally got his hyung to share his bed,” Lee Sa-young says, grinning when Cha Eui-jae’s head snaps up at the words, bright flush already spreading over his cheeks and ears.
“You-!”
Lee Sa-young laughs, and leans in to press his lips to his Cha Eui-jae’s, coaxing stiff lips into pliancy, slipping his tongue past unresisting flesh and into that familiar warmth. He slides calloused palms against the leanly corded muscles of Cha Eui-jae’s back, one hand thumbing at the divots at the base of his spine while the other comes up to tangle in soft hair. He curls his fingers into those ashy locks, tugging lightly, and huffs an amused breath against Cha Eui-jae’s lips when his boyfriend lets out a low gasp that quickly fades into a cut-off moan.
“I thought-” Cha Eui-jae manages, words muffled against Lee Sa-young’s lips. “I thought you wanted to sleep-”
Lee Sa-young hums, and decides to have mercy on his boyfriend. He breaks away from the kiss, tucking his head back into the crook of Cha Eui-jae’s neck and gnaws at the soft skin under his lips instead.
“I don’t care about sleep,” he says finally, when he’s done imprinting small red marks into Cha Eui-jae’s fair skin. He raises his head, meeting dark eyes, and says, “I only care about hyung spending more time with me, it doesn’t matter what form it’s in.”
In his arms, Cha Eui-jae seems to untense at the words, body melting against Lee Sa-young’s, and Lee Sa-young can see the way that that dark gaze softens before his boyfriend flushes red and buries his face in Lee Sa-young’s chest.
“Sa-young-ah…” The call is muffled, barely a wisp of breath against his skin, but to the hyperactive senses of a S-grade, it might as well have been a shout. Lee Sa-young chuckles lowly, and cups his hand against the back of Cha Eui-jae’s head, fingers massaging his scalp.
“Next time…” Cha Eui-jae starts, and his cheeks are warm where they are pressed against Lee Sa-young’s skin. “Next time, if you miss me too much- you can come by the restaurant, okay?”
You can come by the restaurant, Cha Eui-jae had said, like an idiot.
You can come by the restaurant, he had said to a literal walking biohazard.
At least Lee Sa-young had had the courtesy to leave him be for the morning rush and only come in during ingredient preparation time.
Cha Eui-jae sighs, mentally hitting the past version of himself that had been too weak to pleading violet eyes and a mournful tone. There was really no one but himself to blame for the situation he now found himself in-
Well, no one but himself, and the octopus in human form that was currently clinging persistently to him.
“Lee Sa-young, I’m trying to prepare the dishes before the dinnertime customers come in, let go of me-!”
Silence but for the disgruntled hiss of air through the filter of a gas mask, and the gloved hands around his waist tightening their grip.
The hard plastic edge of the gas mask knocks against Cha Eui-jae’s jaw, and he sighs. “Sa-young, you menace, if you’re not going to help, at least let me work-”
…well, he didn’t really want Lee Sa-young’s help here, anyway. Even if he could trust him to control his poison, Cha Eui-jae was fairly certain that he would lose a good ninety percent of the restaurant’s customers if any of them were to see Lee Sa-young in the kitchen.
Another hiss of the gas mask, and a low grumble.
“...Sa-young-ah,” Cha Eui-jae sighs again, finally giving into the unspoken protest. He’s still weak to this man’s pitiful looks, it seems, no matter how much he knows it’s an act.
(And, if he privately thought that Lee Sa-young’s clinginess was a little cute… well, no one had to know.)
Finally, Lee Sa-young detaches himself from Cha Eui-jae’s back, leaving to lean against the back wall, although not before pressing a kiss to Cha Eui-jae’s cheek.
Sometimes, as his cheeks warm and his heart stutters a little in his chest, Cha Eui-jae wishes that his Poker Face trait worked around Lee Sa-young.
“Brat,” he mutters, knowing that his words are loud enough for his boyfriend to hear them, especially when the resultant low laugh reaches his reddened ears. “If you’re so free, go make sure all the chairs and tables are in order before the restaurant opens.”
“I see how it is,” Lee Sa-young grumbles even as he obediently makes his way out into the main section of the restaurant to do as Cha Eui-jae had said. “Hyung doesn’t want me by his side.”
Cha Eui-jae rolls his eyes, turning back to chopping vegetables as his brat of a boyfriend sulkily rearranges the chairs in the main area.
Finishing up on chopping the last few stalks of green onion, Cha Eui-jae is just turning to check on the soup simmering lowly on the stove when his gaze catches on the wall clock.
Ah- it’s almost six, he has to open the restaurant-
“Sa-young-ah,” he calls over his shoulder, skimming foam off the top of the soup. “Can you open the door?”
He hears the padding of Lee Sa-young’s footsteps across the floors, then the sound of the restaurant door sliding open-
The clamour from outside the door immediately becomes clear. “Part-tim- the Pado guild leader?!”
“What is Lee Sa-young doing here?!”
… fuck, he’d forgotten that there were always customers who waited outside the door even before the restaurant opened.
“What, I can’t decide to have hangover soup for dinner?” Lee Sa-young’s voice says, and the mockery in his tone makes Cha Eui-jae’s hand itch.
(It’s almost a habit, reaching out to smack Lee Sa-young when he’s being too rude.)
“But you- you were here before-”
The brief flare of power that emanates from the main area is immediately recognisable to Cha Eui-jae, and he is striding out from the kitchen to cuff Lee Sa-young on the back of his head before he can even register that his body has moved.
“You menace, stop intimidating my customers,” he scolds, ignoring the wide, betrayed eyes that stare at him from beneath the lenses of that gas mask.
“Hyung, I wasn’t-”
“Whoa, the part-timer is so brave.” The whisper reaches Cha Eui-jae’s ears, effectively diverting his attention from his (once again) sulking boyfriend.
“ Hyung? The Pado guild leader called the part-timer-”
“Shh! Do you want him to hear you?”
Damn it. It had become such second nature to let his guard down around Lee Sa-young that he had acted before thinking, and forgotten about their little audience.
[Trait: Poker Face (B) activated.]
Well, at least his trait still worked when he really needed it. He still needed to get the hunters’ attentions away from the situation at hand, though-
“Please have a seat. How many bowls of hangover soup would you like today?”
Cha Eui-jae could see the moment the hunters were reminded of their growling stomachs, rushing to take their seats as far away from Lee Sa-young as possible after blurting out their orders. Shaking his head, Cha Eui-jae headed back into the kitchen to begin preparing the orders, narrowing his eyes at Lee Sa-young when his boyfriend follows him into the kitchen to the raised whispers of the seated customers.
…As long as Lee Sa-young doesn’t touch any of the food, he supposes it’s fine.
Cha Eui-jae is just bringing out the first few trays of soup when a familiar figure appears in the doorway.
Honeybee waves. “Part-timer! I brought a friend this time, I don’t think you guys have ever met-”
Bending to step through the low doorway, stepping into the restaurant right behind Honeybee, is a man tall enough to dwarf even Lee Sa-young.
…As if it wasn’t bad enough having Lee Sa-young, Honeybee in the same restaurant among countless other hunters, now she had brought Matthew as well?
They just needed Jung Bin and Gyu-gyu to complete the set now, didn’t they?
Just as the thought popped into his head, Cha Eui-jae swatted it away as quickly. What was he thinking? He couldn’t curse himself like that!
“Hello,” Matthew’s low voice broke his train of thought, and Cha Eui-jae looked up to see the man in front of him, smiling. “I’ve heard a lot about this place from Honeybee, I’m looking forward to trying your hangover soup.”
Ah. Of all the ranking hunters, there really was only one who was too genuine for Cha Eui-jae to take offense with.
“I hope you enjoy it,” he says instead, and watches tiredly as Honeybee and Matthew walk further into the restaurant. They are just seated when Lee Sa-young walks out of the kitchen and makes a beeline for Cha Eui-jae, curling an arm briefly around his waist in a quick hug.
Of course, this prompts another series of hushed murmurs and hunters trying to avoid being in Lee Sa-young’s radius, and then a surprised, “Lee Sa-young?” from Matthew.
Honeybee whips around in her seat, so quickly that Matthew has to catch her ponytail with a raised hand before it hits him in the face.
“Lee Sa-young?” Honeybee all but yells. “What are you doing here?”
“Why can’t I be here?” Lee Sa-young asks, words snide even through the filter of his mask. “You’re here too, aren’t you?”
“Lee Sa-young, you-!”
Cha Eui-jae sets down two bowls of hangover soup in front of the pair, and barely manages to stifle his sigh when Honeybee only then stops her tirade in favour of the food instead.
“Hyung, you forgot the soju,” Lee Sa-young calls from a few steps behind him.
“Oh,” Cha Eui-jae says, turning to pluck a bottle of soju from the fridge. “Thanks, Sa-you-”
A loud, hacking cough interrupts his words, and Cha Eui-jae whips around in alarm only to see Honeybee choking on her food.
“Hyung?” She repeats, eyes wide. “ Hyung? Lee Sa-young, since when are you so buddy-buddy with our part-timer? And you shouldn’t be standing so close to him, he’s just a D-rank, what if your poison- mmph!”
Blinking, Cha Eui-jae watches as Matthew pops a spoonful of hangover soup into Honeybee’s mouth.
“Mmf, but- anyway, why are you so close to our part-timer, don’t you have a thing with J goin- what? Matthew, I’m in the middle of something-”
Another spoonful of soup, and Matthew just shrugs as Honeybee narrows her eyes at him. “Eat, the food is getting cold.”
Honeybee stares a little longer, then blinks and reaches up to take the spoon from Matthew’s hand. “Oh, you’re right. The soup is really getting a bit cold, you should eat it while it’s hot as well, Matthew.”
Matthew nods, and as Honeybee’s attention turns to her food, he raises his head to meet Cha Eui-jae’s gaze, one hand coming up to lay a finger over his lips with a smile.
Beside him, Lee Sa-young snorts, and Cha Eui-jae blinks, replaying in his head what Honeybee had said before Matthew had distracted her- ah. Well, if he had to trust someone to mind his own business and keep the secret of J’s identity, Cha Eui-jae supposes that he could do far worse than Matthew.
《Pado Guild Blind Post》
[※Please use manners while posting!]
[※Posts that don't follow the rules may be deleted without notice.]
Title: [Anonymous] Might have to become a hangover soup ghost…
Why does it feel like there’s always drama happening at that one hangover soup restaurant?!
Comments (99+):
– Shield Guy, is that you?
⤷ nah can’t be, vice-guild is already a hangover soup ghost
⤷ oh yeah you right
– Anon what happened at the hangover soup restaurant don’t leave us hanging like this!
⤷ i was there i saw it go down!! 240 was flirting with the part-timer!
⤷ the hangover soup restaurant part-timer??
⤷ doesn’t 240 have something going on with J?? Why’s he flirting with some rando?
⤷ lol what?
⤷ hey our part-timer isn’t just some rando!! If he wants 240 he should have 240!!
⤷ …what is even happening right now
– I heard 240 was in the restaurant BEFORE it even opened!!
⤷ huh??? So 240 really has something going on with the part-timer??
⤷ isn’t 240 dating J??? Or now he’s dating the part-timer instead??
⤷ hey anon, do you want to be called into a meeting with 240?
⤷ I said nothing, i said nothing!!!
Title: [Anonymous] 240 spotted fighting with Honeybee
240 and Honeybee were fighting at the hangover soup restaurant (again) while Matthew watched???
– Isn’t this just normal 240 behaviour?
⤷ true LOL ㅋㅋㅋ
– Wild for Matthew though
– Ok but the part-timer didn’t do anything? Isn’t he famous for not taking nonsense in his restaurant
⤷ no here’s the CRAZIEST PART apparently they were fighting because?? Get this, 240 was HUGGING the part-timer???
⤷ no way…
⤷ is the part-timer ok??? Was 240 wearing his gloves and mask????
⤷part-timer’s fine! I heard he has some poison resistance trait, apparently someone saw him share food with 240 before
⤷ anon, that is a whole other can of worms…
Title: [Anonymous] What really went down
240 is a bastard who is cheating on J with the hangover soup restaurant part-timer. That’s why he was flirting with the part-timer and why Honeybee was yelling at him.
– Anon, are you insane?
⤷ someone really doesn’t want their job anymore…
⤷ for real, 240 is an asshole but not that kind of an asshole
⤷ someone has too much faith in this false anonymity ㅋㅋ
⤷ anon has not seen 240’s J shrine huh
⤷ 240 has a J shrine?? Where where, I want to pay my respects!
– Seo Min-gi come shut this crazy guy up!
– This post will be deleted. You have until tomorrow evening to pack up your desk.
⤷ savage.
⤷ Seo Min-gi works so fast lol
⤷ the devil works hard but Seo Min-gi works harder ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
⤷ good riddance!!!
⤷ wow so much drama
He must be the most exhausted, overworked, and stressed out person on this planet, Seo Min-gi decides as he puts his phone down. He barely manages not to slam it down in exasperation, only held back by the thought of having to replace his phone again after the last time the customer had broken it, and he rubs at his forehead in disbelief.
Of all places to appear without warning… Guild leader, why do you do this?!
It was one thing to fend off rumours of Lee Sa-young being in a relationship with J, or even him being in a relationship with the hangover soup restaurant’s part-timer, but… fending off rumours of both?!
Fending off rumours of Lee Sa-young cheating on J? J, the country’s beloved national hero? J, the number one hunter?
Seo Min-gi scrubs a hand down his face, rubs at the eternally present dark circles under his eyes, and slides his sunglasses down.
He lets out the weariest of sighs that would probably have made Choi Go-yo burst into laughter and call him an old man, then picks up his phone again.
You’re making more money than even some of the top rankers, he reminds himself. This is what you’re being paid for.
The guild leader is kind. (Think of the money.)
The guild leader is benevolent. (Think of the money.)
The guild leader is generous. (Think of the money.)
(…Just because he’s paid enough for this doesn’t mean he has to like it.)