Black & Grey

“That’s… I usually fall for a girl if she smiles at me even a little. It doesn’t mean much, really. When I got home, I didn’t even think about Dahee Noona. I’m not lying; it’s true.”Though fleeting images of the subtle atmosphere between Jungeol and Dahee popped into his mind, they were limited to the scenes in that room. Even when they had a private conversation in the smoking area, he didn’t feel particularly nervous, and his memories of it were faint. For this reason, Yoochan could confidently say,“What I mean is, I don’t have any feelings for Dahee Noona anymore.”“I see.”Jungeol, seeming to catch on to Yoochan’s sudden effort to draw a line, curled his lips into a slight smile.“Did Jung Dahee reject you?”“Hyung…! Who said I got rejected? That’s ridiculous…!”Startled by the blunt question, Yoochan raised his voice.“I didn’t even ask for Dahee Noona’s number, okay? So it’s not like she turned me down.”“Alright. Got it, so stop moving. You’ll mess up the design.”With a face full of amusement, Jungeol spoke as if coaxing him. Realizing he should focus on the tattoo, Yoochan reluctantly straightened his posture.“You didn’t say anything to Dahee Noona, right?”“Say what? That she rejected you?”“Ugh, I told you, I didn’t get rejected! Believe me!”“Then what are you talking about?”“That I was interested in Noona. I thought you might’ve mentioned it to her. You two are close… I mean, you two are friends.”“Why would I bring that up? That’s something you should talk about with her.”It sounded almost as if he thought he had no right to interfere because they weren’t officially dating yet.Yoochan felt like a massive third wheel wedged between a pair of destined lovers. He couldn’t help but think about how deeply Jungeol must feel for Dahee to even tattoo her stage name on his body. Sighing heavily, Yoochan asked,“Wait, did you do that lettering tattoo yourself? Like, with your left hand, making it all uneven?”Jungeol paused his work, bent his elbow, and glanced at the amateurish tattoo on his arm—its uneven thickness a clear sign of a novice’s handiwork. He let out a sigh, almost like a lament.“I wasn’t even this bad when I first picked up a machine.”“Huh? Then Dahee Noona did it? Was it her first time learning tattooing?”“Yeah.”Jungeol answered quietly, resuming his work. The sound of the tattoo machine had long stopped, but Yoochan hadn’t noticed. His mind lingered on something Jungeol had once said.“Hyung, you mentioned having someone to do your left arm. Was that Dahee Noona too?”“Yeah.”Of course. Yoochan muttered to himself before asking,“Then why haven’t you gotten it done yet?”“Good question. I wonder that myself.”“Sorry, what?”Surprised by Jungeol’s detached tone, Yoochan turned to look at him. Jungeol furrowed his brow, seemingly dissatisfied with the design, and said,“It seems like Jung Dahee isn’t interested in doing it.”Wait, what? So they’re not even seeing each other?Yoochan tilted his head, confused, as he recalled moments he’d witnessed between them.Dahee lowering her gaze shyly, her words becoming fewer. To Yoochan, her expressions undeniably looked like those of someone in love. Similarly, Jungeol, while not as overt, had softened his usually stoic demeanor, his face uncharacteristically gentle when around Dahee. Even Yoochan, who wasn’t particularly perceptive, had immediately noticed the shift in the air.Deciding there must be something he didn’t know, Yoochan resolved to stop overthinking.“I’m gonna nap for a bit. Wake me up when it’s done, Hyung.”One spot Jungeol touched made him itch. Yoochan shrugged his shoulders, closing his eyes in an attempt to ignore it. But each time Jungeol pulled the skin taut, wiped the area with damp tissue, or gently smoothed something over, the scene with Dahee and Jungeol returned to his mind.Even as he struggled to sleep, Yoochan couldn’t understand why he kept replaying that moment. Still, for some reason, it felt like a good idea to focus on other things.He tried to think about judo, school, his ex-girlfriend Eunbit, or his unresolved conflicts with Kihang and Jinhong. Yet no matter what, Jungeol and Dahee found their way back into his thoughts. Before long, his closed eyes were filled with that room again.This time, Yoochan stood as a third party, observing the pair from afar. As his eyes roamed behind his closed lids, he seemed to inch closer and closer to them—or perhaps they drew nearer to him.Before he knew it, his view narrowed to Dahee’s collarbone as he reached the edge of the bed where she lay. His focus zoomed in on her pale skin and the floral tattoo there, leading him to question if he still harbored feelings for Dahee.Fingers brushed against the tattoo. A neatly trimmed hand grazed Dahee’s skin, and Yoochan suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine. The sensation came not from his imagination but from reality. As he realized the hand belonged to Jungeol, Yoochan gasped and opened his eyes in shock.“Holy… crap…”“Holy crap?”Jungeol frowned, glancing over as Yoochan buried his face in his hands. Yoochan flinched at the sound of his voice, the memory of the sensation flashing vividly again. Panicked at the thought of what he’d just imagined, Yoochan shook his head furiously.“That wasn’t about you, Hyung! I just had… this weird thought.”“Were you dreaming?”“A dream… Yeah, that’s it. It was definitely a dream. A really messed-up dream.”Yoochan hurriedly tried to rationalize it, denying any deeper implications. Still, goosebumps prickled his skin, and his face burned at the thought of what he might have almost done in Jungeol’s presence.Imagining himself aroused by another man was horrifying. Yoochan awkwardly smiled at Jungeol, who was staring at him as if he were strange, and desperately wished for the tattoo session to end quickly.“Done. You can get up now.”It was about fifteen minutes later. Still burying his face into his forearm, Yoochan was unable to shake off the shocking imagery in his mind. Slowly, he lifted his head.“Can you brighten up the tattoo area here?”Sitting up straight on the bed, Yoochan shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts.“It’s so dim and gloomy like a cave that I keep having weird thoughts.”“What weird thoughts?”At Jungeol’s question, Yoochan made a sullen expression as if he had swallowed a rock, then let out a long sigh.“It’s… something I can’t even say.”Muttering, Yoochan rubbed his lower abdomen, where the heat had only just begun to subside.Yoochan thought it was all because Jungeol and Dahee fit so well together, and the tension between them had somehow passed onto him, causing such bizarre imaginings to surface unconsciously.After repeating to himself a few times that he was definitely not gay and harbored no inappropriate feelings toward Jungeol, who was neither a woman nor someone he was attracted to, Yoochan finally regained his composure.“Anyway, did the tattoo turn out okay? Can I look at it now?”“Yeah, check it out in the bathroom.”With a subtle expression, Jungeol replied. Since there was no mirror in the room, Yoochan eagerly grabbed his shirt and rushed out.Yoochan dashed to the bathroom, careful not to bump into the manager at the counter, and quickly turned to face the mirror over the sink. He angled his body to reveal his back and let out a loud, dinosaur-like roar.“What is this?! Ah! Seriously, what is this?!”“Why, what’s wrong, Yoochan? What’s happening?!”Hearing Yoochan’s wailing from the couch, where she was enjoying a snack, the manager called out in alarm. Jungeol, entirely indifferent to the commotion outside, casually pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his jumper and headed to the smoking room.Bang.Just as he lit his cigarette, the door to the smoking room burst open with a loud noise.“Hyung!”Yoochan stormed in, shouting. Jungeol took a drag from his cigarette and looked at the half-naked, panting Yoochan in amusement.“Explain yourself! What is this?!”Incensed, Yoochan yelled louder at the sight of Jungeol sitting there so leisurely.“Did I do something wrong to you, Hyung? Why would you do this to me?!”His chest heaving in frustration, Yoochan’s defined pecs rose and fell dramatically. The manager and Taeho, startled by the noise, peeked into the room but stopped short upon spotting the tattoo on Yoochan’s shoulder blade.Jungeol held up a hand to signal them to stay out and, leisurely flicking his cigarette ash into the ashtray, replied nonchalantly.“You said you’d take any design I chose, didn’t you? Or not?”Yoochan stood there, mouth agape, disbelief plastered across his face. After a few stunned seconds, he finally erupted.“Hyung! That’s not what I meant! Come on, that’s not fair!”“What you meant doesn’t matter. You said anything.”“But I meant like the designs you post on your Instagram! Stuff you put real effort into, things that show off your skills and style!”“You said ‘anything,’ so I gave you ‘anything.’ What’s the issue?”“How could you just draw anything because I said that?! Oh, my god… I mean, seriously…!”Furious, Yoochan trailed off as his emotions bubbled over. Finally, he let out an anguished wail.“Of all things, why Sailor Moon?!”Amid the jagged contours of his well-defined shoulder muscles sat a large illustration of the iconic character’s face. The manager quietly stifled her laughter with her hand at the sight. Yoochan, oblivious to the muffled chuckles behind him, continued to express his frustration.“I’m not saying anime characters are bad! But if you were going for a new-school vibe, you could have done Popeye or a robot! Why Sailor Moon of all things? Hyung, do you even like Sailor Moon?!”Flicking the ash off his cigarette into the ashtray, Jungeol leaned back in his chair and replied, deadpan.“Yeah, I like Sailor Moon.”“Don’t lie! There’s not a single Sailor Moon post on your Instagram!”“I like her secretly.”Casually puffing on his cigarette, Jungeol delivered his reply without batting an eye.“Wow, just… wow!”Yoochan, flustered and red-faced, turned to the manager, wide-eyed.“Manager Noona, did you see that? This Hyung lies without even blinking! He’s clearly messing with me, right?! Tell me I’m right!”With his face flushed bright red, Yoochan lunged toward Jungeol and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him.“If you were gonna do Sailor Moon, you could’ve just done the line art or something! This realistic shading makes it even worse! You’re so mean! Didn’t you say you hate it when clients regret their tattoos?! Aren’t tattoo artists supposed to be better than this?!”Watching Yoochan whine like a sulking child, the manager finally stepped into the smoking room, her head peeking in as she said.“Oppa, stop it now. Yoochan’s about to cry.”“What’s the point of stopping now?! My life is already over…! Ah, Jungeol Hyung! What are you going to do about this?! Fix my life!”Jungeol calmly pushed Yoochan’s arms away as he smoked in silence, then got to his feet. Yoochan clung to Jungeol’s waist, practically collapsing onto the sofa with him.“Cover it up! Please! If I show up to the dojo like this, the Hyungs are going to tease me to death! Make me something cool! Something edgy like the stuff on your Instagram! I’m not letting go until you promise! Never!”Still shouting, Yoochan eventually ended up sprawled on the couch, clutching Jungeol’s waist. Just when it seemed like Jungeol would go along with it, he glanced at the cigarette in his hand and pushed Yoochan’s face away with a firm grip, as if he were holding a bowling ball.Yoochan’s lips and nose were squished under Jungeol’s large hand, but he refused to let go. Jungeol, left with no choice, began to sit up to toss his cigarette into the ashtray, but it was at that moment.“Where do you think you’re running off to after ruining my tattoo?!”Mistakenly thinking Jungeol was trying to escape, Yoochan stretched out his sturdy calf like a snake and wrapped it tightly around Jungeol’s long leg in an attempt to pin him down with his signature move. But just as Yoochan moved energetically to lock Jungeol in place, the tip of their feet struck something hard.“Huh? Oh…! Oh no…!”Taeho’s startled voice grew louder. Yoochan, mid-move to trap Jungeol’s neck, glanced over Jungeol’s broad shoulder to see what they had hit. A large stainless steel ashtray, nearly as tall as an adult’s waist, was tipping over.The manager reached out with a horrified expression, and Taeho dashed forward, but it was already too late. With a loud clatter, the ashtray toppled toward the two of them. Black ash water spilled out, soaking the hem of their jeans and sneakers. Yoochan let out a wail, equal parts anguish and fury.* * *“Wow, it’s going to take a while for that smell to go away,” Taeho said, glancing at their legs while attaching a hose to the short faucet used for mopping. Yoochan immediately turned to glare at Jungeol.“This is all your fault, Hyung.”“You’re the one who kicked it.”Jungeol responded nonchalantly, eyes closed as if tired. Yoochan raised his voice in protest.“It’s because you gave me such a weird tattoo!”“You’re the one who asked for it.”“Both of you were at fault, so stop it already. A customer will be here soon, and what are we supposed to do about this smell? Even air freshener probably won’t help.” Manager, arms crossed at the bathroom entrance, shot a sharp look at the two of them. Jungeol ignored her and took the hose from Taeho, rinsing off his shoes and pant hems. Meanwhile, Yoochan, with a sullen face, waited his turn, taking off his soaked sneakers. When his socks, completely blackened from the ash water, were revealed, everyone grimaced.“Yoochan, those socks are beyond saving,” Manager said.“I was planning to toss everything anyway—shoes and pants included,” Yoochan replied, pulling off both socks and throwing them into the bathroom trash bin along with his sneakers. Following suit, Jungeol took off his shoes and socks and discarded them as well.Holding her nose, Manager said, “If we leave those there, the smell will linger. Taeho, let’s empty the trash now. Today’s the trash collection day for burnables, right?”“Yes, Noona,” Taeho replied, tying the trash bag and taking it outside. As Manager and Taeho put the bag into the designated trash sack outside, Jungeol finished rinsing the ash water from his pants and feet. He suppressed a chuckle as he noticed someone approaching barefoot.Yoochan walked right up to Jungeol, glancing at his back in the nearby mirror. With a gloomy expression, he stared down at his feet.“You’ll cover it up for me, right?”Looking at Yoochan’s dejected face, Jungeol sprayed water onto Yoochan’s ash-covered feet.“Relax, it’s not a real tattoo.”Yoochan looked at Jungeol with suspicious eyes.“…Are you saying it’s just a drawing?”“Yeah.”“…You’re not lying, are you? If you’re tricking me again, I might actually grab you by the collar this time, Hyung.”Jungeol tilted the hose slightly, spraying water onto Yoochan’s face as if telling him to get a grip.Startled by the water hitting his forehead, Yoochan flinched and stepped back, then looked at his shoulder blades in the mirror with doubtful eyes. On closer inspection, he noticed the unnatural pen-like lines, far from a real tattoo.“Seriously…! Hyung…!” Yoochan let out a mix of relief and exasperation.“It’s a permanent marker, so it’ll take a few days to come off. Rubbing alcohol might speed it up,” Jungeol explained matter-of-factly.“So the stencil, the water application, all of that was just part of the joke? You don’t look like the type to put so much effort into a prank,” Yoochan muttered, shaking his head.“I was debating whether to actually do the tattoo right up until the stencil. I changed my mind at the last minute,” Jungeol replied.“Wow, that’s cold. You promised to do it if you had a free slot, but then you just didn’t feel like it?” Yoochan said, looking hurt. Amused by Yoochan’s ever-changing expressions, Jungeol aimed the hose at his face again.“Not falling for it twice,” Yoochan said, darting aside and pushing Jungeol’s hand away. Jungeol, deciding to stop teasing, turned off the water and answered calmly.“It’s not that. I just couldn’t bring myself to slap on a random leftover design.”“Ha, great excuse,” Yoochan muttered, rolling his eyes.“Actually, seeing your scar made me think about what kind of cover-up would work for you. I also got an idea for a design that suits you,” Jungeol added.Hearing this, Yoochan, who had been resting his elbow on his knee, looked up in surprise.“You’re saying you’ll create a custom design for me?”“Yeah.”“So, it’ll be unique, not something anyone else has?”“Of course. I never repeat designs.”“…You’re really going to do it?”“Not right away, I’m busy for a while. But I’ll start working on it when I have time. Don’t rush me, okay? No more last-minute decisions like today. We’ve got six months to work it out anyway.”The thought of getting a custom design from Jet himself made Yoochan’s worries about the Sailor Moon on his shoulder completely fade. A faint smile spread across his face.“Ah, you should’ve said that earlier. Do you have to use shock therapy like this? I seriously thought my life was over when I found out about Sailor Moon. I was about to go straight to get a laser treatment.”“If I had told you, would you have listened?”“Am I some kind of bear? Can’t even understand a word? Anyway, fine, I’ll wait until Hyung finishes the design. But you know, I can’t wait six whole months, right? You know how impatient I am.”Jungeol, who had coiled the hose and pushed it behind the sink, made a face as if to say, “What did you expect?” Yoochan, trying to hide his rising laughter, lowered his head and alternated glancing at their pants.Although some of the ash was washed off, the pants were still stained, and wearing them felt uncomfortable. Yoochan nonchalantly nudged Jungeol’s shoulder with his own and asked,“If we leave it like this, it’s going to cause a skin infection. Want to go up and wash it off? I’ll give you clothes to change into.”It seemed like Jungeol had the same idea and didn’t refuse.Taeho, having somehow found a pair of large striped slippers, and the two of them went up to the 14th floor. As they stepped into the enclosed elevator, the faint smell of ash from not having been properly washed rose up.As soon as the door opened, Yoochan rushed inside, unbuckled his belt, and took off his pants without hesitation. He then pulled off his wet T-shirt and shoved both into the laundry machine.Seeing the Sailor Moon tattoo that didn’t match the muscular frame, Jungeol bypassed the room and went straight to the bathroom. At that moment, Yoochan, confidently wearing only his drawers, extended his arm toward the bathroom and said,“Hyung, wash yours with mine. It’s a long ride, and it’s a bit awkward to walk out wearing stinky clothes. Just throw it here.”While wearing slippers, Jungeol glanced at the half-naked Yoochan, then crossed his arms and grabbed the hem of his clothes. In one smooth motion, he pulled them up, undressed, and tossed them to Yoochan.The black sweatshirt landed squarely on Yoochan’s arm, then slid off to the floor as he didn’t grab it.“……”Yoochan stared blankly at Jungeol’s thick muscles, his abs, and chest, but then his gaze shifted as he noticed the faint tattoo peeking out on the upper part of Jungeol’s shoulder and trapezius muscles. The chest and abs were clean.“You didn’t put a tattoo on the front?”Yoochan mumbled to himself, and Jungeol, who was unbuckling his pants and pulling them down, didn’t hear him.“Didn’t you say you were going to get a full-body one in the U.S.?”Yoochan, who had been talking nonstop, suddenly stopped. His eyes widened as he saw something sticking out from Jungeol’s underwear, on the left thigh, and he gasped.“Wow, crazy…! That’s one hell of a snake…!”Bang.The door slammed shut with a loud noise in an instant. Yoochan, briefly stunned after seeing Jungeol’s furrowed eyebrows, soon realized what had happened and hurriedly knocked on the door.“Hyung! I’m sorry…! Hyung…!”There was no response from inside. Yoochan, more flustered, continued apologizing.“I was just really surprised, I didn’t mean to call it a snake…! Please open the door, I really want to see the tattoo on your back…! I didn’t even notice the upper part because I was too shocked by the lower part…! I swear I wasn’t mocking you…! Hyung…! Hyung…!”But Jungeol never opened the door.After about 20 minutes, the sound of water stopped. Yoochan, who had been about to apply some water paste on his Sailor Moon tattoo drawn with a marker, knew that Jungeol was done with his shower and quickly rushed to the wardrobe. After preparing a T-shirt, sweatpants, and underwear, he went to the bathroom door and spoke.“I’ll leave your clothes right outside, Hyung. As a gesture of remorse, I won’t keep bothering you about showing the tattoo, so don’t be petty and mad about the snake, okay?”After placing the clothes neatly next to the bath mat, Yoochan went to the water dispenser. Shortly after, the door opened. Hearing the rustling sound of clothes being changed, Yoochan couldn’t hold back his curiosity and poked his head toward the bathroom, speaking.“If it’s okay, you can show me a little bit of your back.”By the time Jungeol had put on his sweatpants and held up his T-shirt, he pretended not to hear Yoochan’s words as he slid his arms into the sleeves. Yoochan’s nose scrunched up in disappointment. Once again, he failed to see Jungeol’s tattoo.Putting down his water glass, Yoochan grumbled.“Do you have your ex-girlfriend’s face there? I’m really curious why you won’t show it.”“Are you a zoo monkey? Why do you keep asking to see it?”“Well, even if tattoos are for personal satisfaction, you must have spent a lot of money on it, so don’t you want to show it off? You even said you don’t go to public baths. If it were me, I’d be posting pictures on Instagram and going to the pool every day.”“If I wanted that, I would’ve gotten it in a visible spot.”“Yeah, I guess so.”After the shower, Jungeol seemed relaxed as he closed his eyes and rotated his neck. Yoochan, noticing the tightness of Jungeol’s T-shirt around his shoulders and chest, pointed to the hair dryer in the basket by the bathroom door.“You can use the dryer if you want. I don’t use it much since my hair’s short.”“I’m going down right after. I have an appointment.”“Again? Wow, how many things do you schedule in a day? But hey, after my shower, just apply some water paste to my back. The upper part is fine, but the lower part doesn’t reach. I’ve got some biceps, you know. I’ll finish the shower quickly.”Checking the time on his phone, Jungeol decided to help and sat down at the table. Yoochan, seeing this, smiled and grabbed the waistband of his underwear, then unceremoniously took it off.“……”Seeing Yoochan in his bare form, Jungeol furrowed his brow. Yoochan, noticing that Jungeol was looking at him in shock, turned around sharply, bent both arms at his waist, flexing his abs as he spoke.“Not bad, huh? After hearing what you said, I’ve been focusing on my obliques and doing side crunches and side knee crunches whenever I can.”“…Aren’t you worried about your lower body?”Jungeol spoke as though in disbelief, leaning on the chair back with one arm. Yoochan, with wide eyes, looked down.“Why, what’s wrong with my lower body? My calves are fine.”“Not the muscles, I’m talking about the thing you pulled out.”Yoochan, who had been pressing his calves and calf muscles, finally shifted his gaze to the middle of his legs, as if speaking in a tone that suggested he found it unpleasant to mention. “Oh, this?” Yoochan straightened his back and reflected his naked body in the large mirror across from the open bathroom door, then shrugged at Jungeol.“Honestly, I’ll admit you won in terms of thickness. I’ve never lost to anyone, but Hyung, you transcend the limits of race.”“Stop talking nonsense and go wash up.”“Yes, Hyung. Just wait for ten minutes. If I go first, it would be a betrayal, you know?”Then Yoochan dashed into the bathroom. Jungeol, sipping the water Yoochan had set aside, lazily turned his gaze toward the television.A little later than promised, Yoochan emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Jungeol, who had been watching TV, looked at Yoochan walking directly toward the dining table rather than the wardrobe with a slightly disapproving gaze.Yoochan, seemingly not planning to put on any clothes, sat down on the chair in a precarious outfit, then, as if suddenly remembering something, grabbed the chair and crawled toward Jungeol.Jungeol scanned Yoochan from top to bottom and said,“At least put on some underwear.”“Oh, if I put on clothes before the moisture’s fully gone, they’ll feel stiff and uncomfortable.”“…Bring the water paste.”Perhaps feeling that further words were futile, Jungeol pointed toward the water paste on the sofa with his chin. Yoochan grabbed his waist and dashed toward the sofa.Jungeol, who had been casually glancing at Yoochan, began to stiffen. The towel, both too short vertically and horizontally for Yoochan’s body, barely covered his waist, leaving his backside and what shouldn’t be shown peeking out.In the end, as Yoochan bent down to pick up the water paste, the knot holding the towel loosened helplessly, revealing his round, taut backside. Jungeol put his hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. Yoochan, oblivious, casually picked up the towel that had fallen onto the carpet, covering only the front of himself and then ran back to Jungeol.“Hyung, here.”Jungeol, who received the water paste, glanced up at Yoochan and asked,“Do you have an exhibitionism fetish? Cover up.”“This is my house, what exhibitionism? Did I ever walk around naked outside? Why are you so uptight, even though you’re the same gender? You don’t want to show your body, but you don’t like seeing other people’s either. Do you have some sort of obsessive-compulsive disorder, Hyung?”Jungeol waved his hand as if dismissing him and told him to turn around. Yoochan, turning his back, tied the towel around his waist again.The cold water paste touched his shoulder blades. Yoochan wrinkled his nose at the smell of the paste and, trying to see his shoulder blades, turned his head and said,“But Hyung, why do you draw Sailor Moon so well? You drew this spontaneously without a template, right? Honestly, the fact that you know about Sailor Moon is shocking. I didn’t think you’d watch cartoons.”“When I was young, I got along well with my cousins, the Noonas, who lived in the same neighborhood.”“Huh? Did you draw for them?”Jungeol nodded. Yoochan folded his knees and rested his chin on them as he laughed.“I find it kind of funny to think you just willingly drew for them. I bet if they raised their fists, you’d have refused.”As Jungeol enjoyed hearing Yoochan’s chuckle, he suddenly asked,“About your scar cover-up, how about doing it with an animal?”“An animal? Why suddenly an animal?”Jungeol set the water paste down for a moment and rubbed the scar on Yoochan’s shoulder, saying,“If you make it around 15 to 20 centimeters, you could fit an animal’s eye right there. The scar shape happens to be round too.”“I’m fine with it, Hyung. A lion, tiger, or something like that would be cool. What animal are you thinking of?”Jungeol picked up the water paste again and asked,“Do you have a favorite predator?”Yoochan, gazing at the television from a distance, frowned in thought.“I like all animals, but since you’re asking about a favorite, I’m a bit torn. Lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards—honestly, they’re all equally handsome. Oh, please leave out hyenas. They’re just not my type. Hyung, you’re a lion, right? I don’t want to do the same thing, so let’s skip the lion.”The water paste touched his back again. Yoochan tilted his head.“Wow, I didn’t think much about it, but picking just one is really hard.”“If nothing else comes to mind, you could choose a zodiac sign or one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac.”“My zodiac is Sagittarius. A horse wouldn’t be bad, but I want something stronger. My Chinese zodiac is the dragon—should I go with that? Actually, thinking about it, a dragon sounds great. Let’s go with a dragon.”While hurriedly deciding on an animal for the shoulder, Yoochan’s phone, which had been left on the dining table, vibrated. It was his mom. Yoochan answered with a cheerful voice.“Oh, what’s up, Mrs. Park?”[Are you at the dojo?]“I’m home after class. How about you?”[I’m out for a moment.]“Is something up?”[No, Yoochan, did you register for the academy? I told you to do it quickly.]Yoochan, sensing his mom was about to lecture him, shook his wet hair and replied,“I’m going to the army soon, so what’s the point of buying a car? I heard it’s hard to get a license these days; it’s a waste of time.”[How long are you going to rely on buses and subways?]“I’ll do it after I come back. Right now, I’m too busy with training. School, the office, and the dojo are all close by, so the subway is much faster and better. Besides, more of my friends don’t have cars.”[Still, now that you’re an adult, you should get your license…]“Oh, right. Mom, I miss you and Dad so much, should I come over and stay this weekend?”[…You’re trying to get out of something again.]At that moment, Yoochan lowered his head and covered his face.“Ah, Mom. Please don’t talk about the snake for now.”[Why?]“There are things I can’t explain to you.”Yoochan’s back trembled as if he was trying to hold in a laugh.Although it wasn’t on speakerphone, the voice coming from his phone was loud enough that the conversation was clearly audible. Jungeol looked at Yoochan with a disapproving gaze as he removed the water paste.“Anyway, I’ll come down this weekend, so we’ll talk about the license then. I’ll hang up now.”In the meantime, Yoochan ended the call with his mom in a hurried and slightly amused tone. Seeing Jungeol putting the water paste down, Yoochan quickly stood up.“Ah, shit. I didn’t expect the snake talk to come up there. Sorry, I tried to hold back my laughter, but I couldn’t.”Jungeol, who didn’t seem to care much, stood up, grabbed his phone, and said,“If you think of any animal, text me. And if you have other tattoo artist work to refer to, send the link.”“By the way, we keep talking about snakes, and I’m starting to feel attached to the idea of a snake tattoo. It’s kind of similar to a dragon, right?”Jungeol narrowed his eyes, leaning against the table.Seeing the sharp look in Yoochan’s eyes between his wet, curly bangs, Yoochan, realizing it too late, clenched his fist and ran it across his lips. As he made the gesture of zipping up, Jungeol nodded in satisfaction and told him to contact him before heading out the front door.After Jungeol left, Yoochan lay back on the sofa with the towel still covering only the front of his body. While flipping through television channels with the remote, Yoochan suddenly sat up as if remembering something. He pulled the towel off his lower body, then, thinking of Jungeol’s and comparing it to his own, murmured in admiration.“…Damn, this could work as a belt…”No matter how much he thought about it, the lingering impression of the size wouldn’t fade, and Yoochan stayed deeply absorbed in the mystery of the human body for a while.* * *Yoochan met Jungeol again two days later. While working as usual, Jungeol stopped what he was doing and checked his phone, which had been buzzing continuously with messages. It was Yoochan. Yoochan still hadn’t decided on which animal to choose for his tattoo and had been sending a flurry of messages.“Wouldn’t a lynx be too cute?”“What about a puma?”“Wow, jaguar tattoos look so cool. Hyung, do you know this tattoo artist? They seem pretty famous. Not as famous as you, though. They seem to be quite good at animal tattoos.”“Bobcats look too much like grandpas, don’t they?”“Hyung, do you know what an ocelot is? It looks incredibly beautiful, like a cat. But I don’t think it suits me. It looks like something I’d recommend to a girlfriend who wants a tattoo.”“Should I just go with a dragon? Everyone thinks of dragons for back tattoos, right?”“Hyung, can I see your lion tattoo on your back? I think it would be amazing if I could see it, even for just a second.”Jungeol excused himself to his customer and called Manager who was outside. When Manager arrived, Jungeol asked, “What time is Youngsik Hyung coming today?”“He said he should be in Seoul by half-past nine. He’ll probably have dinner with you and start work in the early morning, right?”“How many appointments do we have before that?”“One mini tattoo and two 20-centimeter ones on the calf.”After confirming with Manager, Jungeol removed one of his gloves and replied to Yoochan,“If you’re free, drop by the shop around 9. We can choose an animal together.”Yoochan quickly responded, as if he had been waiting for that message.“Oh, really? Got it, Hyung. See you later!”It almost felt like he could hear Yoochan’s cheerful voice through the message. Jungeol, with a slight smile on his face, put down his phone and asked Manager where the cloud file for his old animal tattoo designs was located.* * *Tattoo shop JET BLACK primarily consisted of fixed staff members Jungeol, Taeho, Manager, and Jaehyuk. Other artists joined for short periods due to their connections with Jungeol, and the team composition changed annually.The shop usually hosted ten to fifteen tattoo artists. After nine o’clock, most of the staff left, leaving Jungeol, Taeho, Jaehyuk, and Manager Min to handle the final cleaning.Today was no different. After a busy day, only the fixed staff remained after the customers left. Manager Min cleaned tables and beds while holding a drowsy Gaang, Taeho cleaned the bathroom, and Jungeol worked at spot number one.Jungeol’s project today was an eagle tattoo wrapping around a young male customer’s calf. Starting with the sharp eyes, Jungeol completed the eagle’s fierce talons in about four hours.Just as Jungeol finished shading the eagle’s wings, someone cheerfully announced, “I’m here!” and entered the shop.The weighty, rough footsteps grew louder. As Jungeol lifted the machine from the customer’s calf to wipe the ink, a large pair of sneakers appeared under the curtain.“Hyung, are you with a customer? Can I come in?”“Wait on the couch for five minutes.”“Yup!”The footsteps retreated, heading toward the couch.Jungeol, thinking about how Yoochan was stubborn yet surprisingly obedient, explained the aftercare instructions to the standing customer. As soon as the customer left, Yoochan entered and sat naturally on the opposite side, as if it were his usual spot.“Manager Noona told me to hang around here as she has another consultation soon.”“What about the consultation room?”“One is locked and cleaned by Manager Noona, and it looked like Jaehyuk Hyung was using the other for a consultation. Taeho Hyung is cleaning the tables and sofas, so it’s pretty messy.”Yoochan leaned his arms on the bed, looking eager to see the designs. Jungeol turned on the neon light switch on the wall, brightening the room, then took out his tablet from his bag.“These are the designs I drew a while ago and some photos I found earlier today.”“Do I choose from these?”Yoochan pulled the tablet PC toward him. Jungeol leaned back against the chair, crossing his arms.“Whether it’s a design or a photo, it won’t be used as is. We’ll finalize the details and pose later. For now, just decide which animal you want. I’ll design the tattoo based on that animal.”Yoochan tapped on the word “predators” on the screen. The folder divided into photo albums and design albums. He first opened the lion and tiger album, which had significantly more photos than the others. Resting his chin on his crossed arms, Yoochan said,“It looks like lions and tigers are the most common. But they might become boring quickly because they’re too popular.”Most were headshots, though there were a few showing front legs or the entire body.From a dignified lion with a tight-lipped muzzle to a lioness showing her lower teeth, and a young tiger baring all its teeth with a furrowed brow, Yoochan looked through them and moved to the next album.This album contained snakes and serpents. There were photos of small snakes slithering on grass and a design of a viper coiled from the shoulder to the wrist. Yoochan nodded as he looked at the pictures and let out a wow upon seeing a photo of a real serpent coiled around a model’s arm.“If you look closely, snakes and pythons are really my style… Oh, Hyung, what I just said had nothing to do with what happened a few days ago…. Don’t make that face. I had forgotten, but you made that face and reminded me again.”Yoochan mumbled defensively.Jungeol, who had been staring as if to see how long he would talk about the python, seemed to accept Yoochan’s desperate explanation and relaxed his frown as he took something out from below. It was a thick sketchbook and a thin, long pencil case.“Are you going to draw a design for me?”“It’s not a design.”Jungeol took out a pencil from the case and swiftly sketched, quickly filling the paper with the back of a tall man.Yoochan tilted his head to look at the drawing. Only after seeing Jungeol draw two circles below the man’s shoulders with the pencil did Yoochan realize that the man was himself.“Oh, Hyung… What am I, an anchovy or a cotton swab? My torso is this thin.”“I just drew it roughly.”“Even if you drew it roughly, it hurts my pride. Please make the latissimus dorsi wider. Quickly.”Jungeol spun the pencil around and then widened the latissimus dorsi of the man. Only then did Yoochan look at Jungeol with a satisfied expression. Jungeol, drawing a rugby ball-like shape with a scar in the center on the man’s shoulder, said,“To match the python to these eye sizes, like this….”The head of the python, completed in an instant from the shoulder, followed a rounded zigzag along the armpit and spine and was finished at the man’s waist.“It looks like I need to use the entire left side of the back.”“Oh, it’s really cool.”Yoochan said, his mouth wide open.“It’s bigger than I expected, but it looks like a movie character. A character who’s really good at fighting.”Seeing the excited Yoochan, Jungeol erased the python except for the man’s body and scar with the eraser at the end of the pencil.“If you don’t match the scar to the eyes but match it to the body pattern.”This time, two scars were inside the body of the snake. Jungeol drew the snake’s head thinly toward the man’s shoulder.“If you want, you can finish it with a size of 15 to 20 centimeters, but then it might look like a pet snake rather than a python. Do you remember the size of the snake tattooed under Jung Dahee’s collarbone? It will be similar.”“Now that I see it, it does look like that.”Comparing the current drawing to the previous one, Yoochan thought the animal in the current drawing looked more like a small snake rather than a python. Yoochan, touching the man’s back with his finger where the eraser had removed the marks, said,“Then can’t you put the big python in as before? I don’t mind if it takes up the whole left side of the back.”“I don’t recommend such a big tattoo for the first one.”Jungeol, skeptical about a large python tattoo covering one side of the back, shook his head.“Well, that’s just my opinion, but if you really want it, I’ll do it.”“Why don’t you recommend a big one for the first tattoo?”Without moving his chin from his hands, Yoochan just lifted his eyes and asked Jungeol. Jungeol replied that it was because there was a high possibility of regret.“Have you thought about what you’ll do after you’re discharged from the military and graduate from school?”It was a sudden question. Yoochan, who had no particular worries about his future as he had a lot of freedom and little pressure from his parents, rolled his eyes to the ceiling and said,“I haven’t thought about it yet. Well, since I’m in a physical education college, I guess I’ll do something related to this field? But why do you ask suddenly?”Jungeol, shading the man’s back in the drawing with the pencil tip, answered.“Even though the perception of tattoos has changed, a half-back tattoo and a 15-centimeter tattoo have different impacts. Once you have it, that image will stick with you like a tag until you remove it with a laser. I want you to make a choice you won’t regret.”Yoochan slightly raised the corners of his mouth at Jungeol’s last words. His blunt tone sounded more like genuine concern rather than a nagging. Moreover, his desire to get a big python had completely subsided.“Then I’ll go for the 20-centimeter one. But since I don’t like it looking like a pet snake, I want a different animal instead of just a python.”Jungeol, pleased with Yoochan’s willingness to follow his opinion, nodded and told him to look at more photos. Yoochan moved the tablet screen. He examined it more carefully than before, but feeling more confused, Yoochan glanced at Jungeol.With a look begging for help, Jungeol leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, and said,“If you really can’t decide, start by eliminating the ones you don’t like. You said you didn’t like the hyena, right?”“Um… I don’t want a lion because you have one. I also think a tiger is too common. I like wolves. I also like leopards and cheetahs. Ocelots look like cats, so leave them out. Jaguars and pumas are similarly good… Also… Oh, I don’t like bears. Leave out bears too.”Jungeol wrote down and repeated what Yoochan said on the paper.“So the ones left are wolf, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma.”“Yep.”“If it’s 20 centimeters, the chest or upper arm is also good. Do you want to change the location?”“I haven’t paid attention to the scars on my back before because I don’t see them, but I want to cover them if possible. You’re going to do an amazing cover-up, right?”Despite Yoochan’s provocation, Jungeol didn’t seem to mind, underlining the names of the animals on the paper and telling Yoochan to take off his shirt and sit facing backward. Yoochan opened his eyes wide.“You’re going to do it now?”“I’ll just take some photos.”“…Where are you going to use photos of my body?”“Where do you think? I’ll overlay the design on the photos. Hurry up, we don’t have time.”“Oh.”Yoochan quickly pulled up his shirt and turned around. Jungeol took a few photos of Yoochan’s back with his phone camera.