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Baek Cheon sighed, reaching for the cup where he had originally poured tea and made an exception, taking a long drink before he could repent.
Every day the new generation of disciples fell lower next to the future of Mount Hua.
"Drink, drink, Sasuk."
Along with the words of encouragement, Baek Cheon's ears slowly turned pink to match the soft blush on Chung Myung's face.
"Pah!"
The cup hit the table with a small sound.
"Good, one more!"
The alcohol was poured again until only drops clung to the spout of the jugful. Chung Myung looked disappointed, looking regretfully at the alcohol being consumed by Baek Cheon.
Baek Cheon let out a loud exhalation that smelled like bittersweet plum. His ever-upright spine seemed to have drooped a bit, leaning over the table.
"I already drank, brat, now you have to listen to me."
"Fine, fine, but we should enjoy the food before it gets cold."
Baek Cheon frowned, looking at the chicken as if it had personally offended him, though it was a bit childish. He quickly took a piece, chewing harder than necessary, spat out the bone and said, “I've already eaten. Now let's talk."
But Chung Myung had already started the process of vacuuming up all the dishes in front of him, ignoring any attempt at idle conversation.
"Haaaah."
With a sigh, Baek Cheon crossed his arms on the table, laying his head on them. He looked at his shape, his features slowly relaxing, tenderness overflowing from his eyes.
'I came specifically today, since you are always so busy.'
He played absentmindedly with the rim of the cup, running his thumb along the edge of the cracks.
'The disciples are always around us, they don't even let themselves be missed.'
Gently, he closed his eyes, letting the feeling of warmth lull him to sleep.
'Every time my thoughts linger on him, the urge to smile is too much...'
The thud of pottery against wood alerted him, raising his head from his arms.
Chung Myung was already looking at him, a bit disinterested. His concentration was on pulling a piece of lettuce from between his teeth with a toothpick.
'...'
The tenderness in his eyes died, leaving only a blank expression.
'Chung Myung-ah... Sometimes it seems like you make yourself hard to love on purpose.'
"So…" he drawled, "was there something Sasuk wanted to tell me?"
"Haaah ... Yeah..."
'You're not making it easy right now, you bastard.'
Baek Cheon cleared his throat and straightened his posture. Then, contemplative, stood up, coming around the table to sit next to Chung Myung, as well as being conveniently located near the door.
"..."
Looking at those sharp eyes, it was hard to just confess. It wasn't the first time that he sat next to Chung Myung, asking for a moment to have a conversation and then he was suddenly speechless.
Chung Myung was almost certainly mocking him by dragging things out to this point... But his actions helped him relax somewhat, weighing the words on the tip of his tongue.
In addition, his mental faculties were not fully functional thanks to the alcohol.
“Chung Myung-ah… Ever since you came to Mount Hua, I have looked up to you."
A scowl began to form on Chung Myung's face.
“Sometimes it's hard to think of you as just my sajil."
An eyebrow began to tremble.
“You are strong, but you are also kind."
His eyes looked at him suspiciously.
"You're also good looking."
Chung Myung interrupted him: "Sasuk, this isn't like you, are you going to blame me for one of your messes again?"
"... Shut up!" Baek Cheon clenched his fists, then loosened them, deciding to ignore that. "I think well of you."
"..."
"Also, also…" The pale pink of his cheeks began to shade, his unfocused eyes searching for the right words.
"Was it a too much liquor for Sasuk?"
Baek Cheon shook his head gently, even as the world was spinning. He frowned again, trying to focus on Chung Myung's face. "You're... You're... Handsome. Yes, very handsome."
"Pfft."
He saw a subtle movement in the blurred features in front of him that might have been a smile.
"I... I... To you..."
Slowly, his surroundings began to darken as he felt his body tilt without his consent. Strong arms caught him in his warm embrace.
"Pfft," he laughed softly, "Dongryong-ah... You're also quite handsome."
Baek Cheon leaned into the delicate brush of his fingertips on his forehead, tickling him by brushing aside the unruly strands of hair that had been getting in the way of his vision.
"Sleep."
Baek Cheon let out a low moan as the fingers stopped touching him, closing his eyes and leaning into the hug.
"Sasuk can still stammer and blush like a young maiden tomorrow."
If he had been more awake, he would have wanted to hit him. He, too, would have felt a glimpse of panic at the sensation of being discovered.
However, as drunk as he was, he only allowed himself to be handled by the other until he was positioned in Chung Myung's lap. One arm held him in place, the other reached out to grab something beyond.
The sound of pottery scratching against wood, liquid being poured, and a joyous exclamation followed.
"After all, good liquor is to be enjoyed alongside a beauty!"