Page 80 of Scarbound

Noeul managed a small smile.

“There’s a nice café I used to visit when I walked along the Namsan Dulle-gil.” He settled back into his seat. “Why don’t we go there? You can choose what we do after.”

CHAPTER 32

Half an hour later, they sat across from each other beside the café window. During the drive, Chung-Hee had spoken as though their argument were over, and Noeul had allowed him. Now, with coffee between them, the afternoon felt almost normal.

“So... you hate movies?”

Chung-Hee laughed, stirring his Americano even though he had stopped adding sugar several minutes ago. The spoon scraped lightly against the rim.

“I don’t hate them,” he said. “I just think they demand too much time. Two hours for a story that might not interest me at all feels like a waste.”

Noeul’s smile deepened.

“But how do you know if it’s worth it if you don’t finish it?”

Chung-Hee shifted in his seat and rested both hands on the table.

“The same could be said about people,” he replied quietly. “You can’t always know whether they’re worth the investment of your time.”

Noeul looked at him.

The air between them changed. Only slightly. But enough.

Nearby, a group of teenagers laughed loudly, talking over one another about where they planned to go next.

Noeul glanced toward them before looking back at Chung-Hee.

“And yet, here we are,” he said softly. “Or are you implying that I’m worth your time?”

There was warmth in his voice now. A gentle challenge.

Chung-Hee’s lips trembled into something close to a smile.

“For me,” he said quietly, “it simply has to be you.”

Chung-Hee’s gaze remained on Noeul’s face a second longer than necessary, studying him as though trying to memorize something. Noeul felt his pulse quicken. There is no love between us. The thought came automatically. Yet he was still smiling.

“Is that the only way to make you happy?” he asked. The playfulness disappeared from his voice.

Chung-Hee watched him carefully, and Noeul suddenly wished he hadn’t asked. The words from the car returned to him. You still haven’t asked me what would make me happy. His fingers tightened around the cup.

Chung-Hee leaned back slightly. “Would the answer frighten you?”

Noeul’s stomach tightened. “Maybe.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Chung-Hee laughed softly. Not mockingly. Almost sadly. Noeul cleared his throat and looked toward the window.

“So… what do you do when you’re not working, not training, or avoiding movies?”

Chung-Hee smiled at the obvious change of subject. “I enjoy chess.”

“Chess?”

“The strategy. The intuition it demands. Every match is a puzzle, but the pieces keep changing depending on the person sitting across from you.”

Noeul tilted his head. “You make chess sound much more dramatic than it is.”