Dylan was very intrigued by the two people before him. One was just a handsome middle-aged man to him, so he was probably his mother's supposed husband, but the other… he stood out so much.
The poker face, which he remembered clearly, his strong hands, and that handsome face that had left a lasting impression—Dylan knew he could never forget it. A smirk appeared on his lips as he looked at his mother.
"Before I praise you, who are these people?"
"Sorry, I should've introduced them," Catherine said. Somehow, since dusk fell, she had been saying sorry more than she realized, and it was exactly how she felt.
"So," she started, gesturing at her husband, "this is Fred, my husband."
Then, pointing to the other, she added, "And this is Sebastian. He is Fred's son."
Upon hearing this, Dylan started chucking. It was actually so funny to him that he… was going to be his stepbrother.
He looked at his mother and said, "Somehow, you did something amazing."
"Oh…" Catherine responded cautiously. "Really?"
But Dylan was already past that. His eyes were fixed on Sebastian. He stepped forward and stretched out his hand.
Sebastian took it, and they shook for a few seconds before Dylan said, "It's really a pleasure to meet you."
"Okay," Sebastian replied.
The ride back home was silent, everything awkward. Dylan had his head resting against the window as he thought about how life would be for a while, moving from one country to another.
Life and culture in Korea, the country he grew up in, were certainly different from America, where he was about to start living again, so he felt a bit down.
Sebastian, however, had the liberty to steal glances at him. As he stared ahead, his eyes couldn't help but drift toward Dylan from time to time.
They trailed over the small tattoos on two of his fingers, then to his right hand, the drawing of a teddy and another he couldn't quite make out.
Moving up to his neck, he carefully studied the ink there—a tattoo resembling a rainbow.
The moment he noticed that, he was thrown off guard. He fell silent, and just then, Dylan turned, their eyes meeting. Sebastian kept staring, not wanting to lose face.
Dylan asked, "Do you know me?"
Sebastian kept staring at him. Whether he was mesmerized by his beauty and cuteness or simply too speechless to respond, Dylan couldn't tell.
So he asked again, "Do you remember me?"
That jolted Sebastian. It was too direct, almost a confrontation. One he wasn't ready to acknowledge. He shook his head.
"No. I've never seen you before."
"Then why do you keep stealing glances at me?"
Color rushed to Sebastian's ears and neck as he was clearly caught. His hand moved to his ear as he tried to cover his embarrassment.
"You just look unique, so I was observing you," he said, trying his best to maintain a poker face.
"Feel free to do that. I don't mind your ogling eyes," Dylan replied, which only made Sebastian sink deeper into embarrassment.
And just like that, the already awkward ride became almost unbearable for the man sitting in the backseat.
As long as the ride felt, they finally arrived.
Dylan couldn't help but be wowed. He knew his mother wasn't poor as she would be considered average in terms of wealth, but her husband… he was definitely a big fish.
He glanced at her and nodded absentmindedly. It was the second thing he had approved of since returning to America.
They drove into a massive estate, and inside stood a mansion too beautiful to ignore. Maids were already waiting outside, and as the luggage was brought out of the trunk, they took it and carried it inside.
Fred said, "Welcome home."
"Thank you."
They entered the mansion, and Dylan was just as awed, if not more than when he saw the exterior. The sitting area was beautifully arranged, and the dining space looked just as impressive.
As he looked around, Sebastian approached him and said, "Come. Let me show you the room you'll be staying in."
As they walked toward Dylan's room, Dylan kept asking the same question.
"So, you don't remember me? This cute face? What a pity…"
It only irritated Sebastian more than he let on.
Dinner was just as formal as Dylan had imagined it would be.
He sat opposite Sebastian. His mother sat across from him, with Fred beside her.
They began eating, and being famished, Dylan was the first to dig into the unfamiliar dishes before him.
He had been used to pork, hotplates, noodles, spaghetti, tofu, sushi, and more. What was in front of him now felt different, though still good. He did like Western food, it just wasn't something he had often at home.
By the time he was halfway through satisfying his hunger, Dylan started talking again.
Looking directly at Sebastian, he said, "You know, you look like one of my fuck buddies."
The words made the spoon fall from Catherine's hand as color rushed to her face.
But Dylan wasn't done.
"He also had a poker face and was handsome. Looking at you reminds me of the time we shared together."
Catherine coughed.
Dylan turned to her. "Do you need water?" he asked with feigned concern, which didn't reach his face as he turned away almost immediately without offering any.
Then he looked at Fred. "Why is it suddenly silent? Do you have a problem with this?"
"With what?" Fred asked, setting his spoon down as he focused on Catherine's son.
"Though your jokes are… extreme, I don't have an issue with them."
That made Dylan laugh.
"A joke…" he muttered, suppressing another laugh. "I'm not joking. I'm serious."
He leaned back slightly.
"Didn't my mother tell you? I'm gay."