Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Misunderstanding

Yohan and the man sat at their table, consuming their meals in silence. Luckily, the act of eating seemed to take the edge off of the awkward atmosphere that had settled between them earlier. After finishing their food, Yohan knew this was his chance to explain what had happened before - both in the restroom and outside the man's hotel room.

However, much to his surprise, it was the cold and distant man who spoke up first, with an unusual look on his face that bordered between guilt and... something else entirely.

"Let's talk now..."

"Okay."

Yohan nodded slowly with curiosity bubbling inside him.

The usually cold man appeared softer than usual, as if he felt guilty for something that had occurred between them. A sense of unease grew within Yohan as he wondered where this conversation was heading towards.

The man cleared his throat nervously before speaking again.

"Although I'm fine with men, it doesn't mean I'll accept them..."

"....?"

Confused by his sudden confession, Yohan couldn't help but look puzzled while trying to make sense of it all.

The man paused for a moment before continuing, "I thought our meeting was just a coincidence. But there are too many coincidences lately... and I'm not sure if it's really just a coincidence."

He looked at Yohan seriously, as though searching for something in his eyes.

"Yohan, I know you like me. That's why you've been following me around..." the man said with certainty.

"....?????????!!!!!!!"

Yohan felt his mind fill up with countless question marks and confusion. He couldn't believe what he was hearing and shouted internally.

Wait, what?! Who is this guy? Since when did he become so delusional?! In the previous life, he never acted like this!

"I understand that you have feelings for me. You always take every opportunity to touch my body, stand outside of my hotel room, and even confess your perverted thought to me." the man's words hit Yohan like a ton of bricks, causing him to feel as though he might faint.

Why did this man make him sound like a sexual offender? Even the waiter passing by their table stopped in shock upon hearing the man's words, casting a look of disgust towards Yohan that made him feel like he was beneath contempt.

"Wait... I..." Yohan tried to speak up but the man kept talking, drowning in his own guilt for rejecting someone so young and infatuated with him.

"I thought you were just another person trying to get close to me because of my family status... But then again... you don't seem smart enough for that..." The man's voice sounded softer than before when he said those last few words.

By now Yohan had given up any hope of clearing up the misunderstanding, choosing instead to listen quietly as he sipped on his orange juice, watching the man's every move like it was a scene from a drama.

"You're still young, so you shouldn't like an old man like me." the man continued, "I can't accept your feelings... I'm sorry."

Yohan felt like he was looking at a stranger in front of him, someone who bore no resemblance to the cold and callous person from his past life. All of the scenes from his past life flashed through his mind, including those cold words that this same man had spoken about Yohan's feelings for him.

But now, he could see how gentle and considerate this current version of this man was being towards current Yohan, even though they had only met four days ago.

Why is it so different... Why are you more gentle to me, someone you hardly know, than me, someone you've known for years?

Yohan thought to himself, trying to make sense of this new dynamic between them.

He sighed inwardly, acknowledging that there were many misunderstandings between them in the past that had led to this rift. Yet despite everything that had happened before, he still wished the man could trust him more.

Kian... A person whom he trusted completely in his previous life...

His brother-in-law...

Mini theater:

Janitor: "So when I went to work to clean the toilets, I saw a beautiful man grabbing a handsome man's ass while shouting that he was a pervert."

Waiter: "I was just at work serving food when I overheard a conversation at the next table. A man said he knew that the beautiful man in front of him was a perverted stalker who followed him to the hotel."

The two men exchanged looks of confusion and uncertainty.

Both: "Does this mean that every beautiful man is a pervert?"

Yohan: 'sneeze!'