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By some stroke of luck, both Nakwon and Mokhwa had an off day which coincided with each other. The former was elated when he found out, whereas Mokhwa remained straightfaced as ever, not really understanding why he was so excited about this.
"Why don't we go out? It doesn't have to be far. Our daily supplies are running low, and we could do a quick shopping trip." Nakwon suggested, already looking fired up.
Mokhwa nodded, his contagious energy making him crack a smile. Even though Nakwon wasn't the type to like being around people, he's surprisingly open to going out when it's with him. Mokhwa was still coming to terms with that kind of complicated reasoning that Nakwon treated him differently because he genuinely liked him.
Sure, he had to change some parts of himself for the sake of Boss Gwangwoo, but that was out of loyalty as one of his men, and they had a definitive boss and subordinate relationship. He learnt how to forget his fear, to face pain head on - in exchange for a new life with his boss.
Nakwon was different, though. Even without any adversities... Even though he wasn't forced to be here, he oftentimes felt compelled to compromise with what Mokhwa liked. That part was made deafeningly clear from Nakwon's angry venting session back when they were in Busan.
But why be with him, when he's so overwhelmingly popular with others? He could so easily have found someone that didn't clash with his way of doing things, but instead he's here.
Mokhwa didn't understand, but he felt that Nakwon didn't, either.
Nakwon was in an exceptionally good mood that day. He had strange mood swings - one moment he could be fuming, the next he'd be grinning foolishly to himself for some unknown reason. Mokhwa just learnt to take things as they come.
He pushed the shopping cart while following him, watching Nakwon drop items in the trolley without even looking at the price.
For someone who's forced to be in a frugal situation, he doesn't seem to play the part.
"Mokhwa." The other suddenly stopped, and Mokhwa stopped the cart just in time. "For our shampoo and body wash... They're running out, no? Do you want to choose a brand that we can both use?"
He smiled faintly. "It takes more effort to find if we use different brands. You could choose one you like, and I'll use the same one as you."
"Okay."
Nakwon beamed. "Then, I'll be at the meat aisle?"
Even though that guy was very much a control freak who obsessed over only using the best, he'd surprisingly just left it to him to decide.
There wasn't any brands he would strongly encourage Mokhwa to buy, then? It was just left open for him to choose?
He could never understand Nakwon. One minute he'd be all particular about something, even going to absolute lengths just to achieve his goal, and within that same exact minute, he'd pull something like this.
It'd be better to take into consideration what Nakwon would like, though, right...?
Mokhwa silently moved towards the aisle, taking time to go through the different scents of each sample product displayed on the racks. It felt oddly calming, just coming out for a walk like this. He had never thought such a mundane life would be one he'd live. Nakwon's presence no longer bothered him as well, and he felt comfortable. There wasn't any hints of threat here.
He stopped at one of the products, partial to the scent.
...
"Nakwon." Mokhwa returned with two bottles.
"You're done? That's fast." The other was loading up prime beef packages in the trolley.
"Mm. These ones." Mokhwa nodded, handing it to him. Nakwon froze for a moment as he glanced at the bottle.
"The ones I'm originally using?" He asked, his voice slightly more flustered than usual. He started to blush, with the pink undertones becoming especially obvious as Mokhwa's gaze settled on him.
Hm. Had he picked these bottles because he recognised the scent? No wonder it grew on him quickly. He thought silently. It wasn't anything he focused on excessively, but he probably did get used to the pleasant aroma that emitted off Nakwon, with that guy always clinging to him.
"If it's expensive..."
"It's not!" Nakwon cut in quickly, his face burning hot. "We're using the same brand now, so we're saving instead. Why don't we go check out the items now? I'm done here, too."
"...? Okay."
He's suddenly in a rush to go home...?