by the time jangmi had finished with her answer, han seyoul was already smiling from ear to ear, almost as if he had given up with the whole “i don’t want to look easy” act. it was just too hard to keep it up, especially when she was so actively showing affection for him—the leaning onto him, the sweet smiles, the looking into the eyes. it was too hard.
after the taxi pulled up to the tavern, seyoul thanked the driver and paid him, allowing him to keep the change. he was in a good mood tonight, definitely a good mood, and honestly, he wasn’t in the mood to spend more time on counting useless change. that time could be used on getting jangmi into his place instead. loosely looping his arm around her thin waist, his jacket still draped over her pale shoulders, seyoul led her into the tavern.
“this is my business,” he stated to her. it wasn’t much of a boast, but more of a fact. seyoul didn’t feel the need to prove, but more to show; he wanted to show her that he wasn’t just some younger guy who worked part-time jobs and an unstable life. sure, he could be unstable, but his life was generally well routined. seyoul had a well-paying job, had a hobby, and didn’t have any debts. i mean, how can someone get better than that at a place like michigo?
he lead her to the back stairwell, where seyoul pushed open a door after inputting a code. closing the door behind him, he busied himself with turning on numerous lights. they were leds, but soft, just as how he liked his place; lit with dimmed gold, made to feel more like home than just a mere basement. and he had done wonders with the place; it was a stark contrast from how he had found it, when it had been nothing but a mere storage area for the tavern.
seyoul had a decent kitchen near the main door, with a bar counter for a table. a decently sized tv was propped on a stand in front of a cozy futon with a fuzzy rug (yes, a fuzzy rug), and he had a couple of shelves with different books and magazines on auto-racing. seyoul also had a couple of personal car designs on display, showing that he wasn’t necessarily a bad artist at all. at the end of the large, spacious place was his bed.
he knew the obvious reason why, but seyoul was taking notice of his bed so much more than usual. feeling a little embarrassed and telling himself thank the mothereffin lord that he had taken the time to clean his place before grabbing a drink at the club, he cleared his throat.
“well,” seyoul said, rubbing the back of his neck as he separated from her for a brief moment. “this is it. uh, it’s not much, but… i guess it’s home.”
it warmed her heart that he was slowly opening up to her. it wasn’t too much, but how much more profound could it be for two people who had met not even an hour earlier. nonetheless, she appreciated that he had begun to smile brighter and, obviously, she had used her best skills that she had to get it out of him.
the red herring tavern. she finally pieced everything together. she had heard of him and what kind of illegal activities would take place there, she had heard stories from the leaders of the gangs in the resort, both of them being friends of hers.
she followed him all the way to his place, eyes taking in every corner of the area. once again, he kept on surprising her again and again. he had a job, but it wasn’t just any job: he was the owner of a popular tavern, his place looked more than decent despite actually being a basement.
jangmi took time for her gaze to scan his actual place, catching on little things that defined him. liked confort, reading and apparently, racing. he was organized and open minded and she could see it just from the way the space he called home was decorated. of course, there were a few things that were not where they were supposed to be, but she didn’t mind it as everyone had a few similar items.
she finally turned her attention to him, lifting her gaze to meet his eyes. she could tell that he was a bit nervous yet again, so she took her time when taking off her shoes and the coat that he had drapped over her shoulders before leaving the club. placing the jacket on a hanger.
“i didn’t expect anything in particular so you don’t have to explain yourself to me.” she smiled when she finally approached him, arms snaking around his neck as she began to leave butterfly kisses along his jawline since it was the only place she could reach without standing on her tip toes.
