Right Swipe
Chapter 1
Jaeyel stepped off the bus, his heart beating fast with excitement and nervousness. The busy streets of Seoul were bright with neon lights, filled with people talking, and the sound of K-pop playing everywhere. He held onto his backpack tightly, feeling the big change of leaving his small hometown.
“Alright, Jaeyel. You can do this,” he whispered to himself, taking a deep breath before walking into the crowd.
Jaeyel came to Seoul because his uncle had offered him a two-week part-time job at his company. It was a solid opportunity—way better than being stuck in his small hometown with nothing new happening. If he got some job experience in the city, maybe it would open more doors for him when he went back. At least, that’s what he told himself.
When he arrived at his uncle’s apartment, he took a quick look around. It was nice, modern, clean, and totally different from the countryside. But he’d been here plenty of times before, so it wasn’t like he was in awe or anything.
“Jaeyel! You finally made it,” his uncle greeted him with a pat on the back.
“Yeah, the bus ride was long, but I survived,” Jaeyel joked, setting his backpack down.
His aunt chimed in, “You must be tired. Go rest for a bit before dinner.”
Jaeyel didn’t need to be told twice. He headed straight to the room he always used when visiting, flopped onto the bed, and let out a deep sigh. But instead of feeling exhausted, a sly grin crept onto his face.
Sure, the part-time job was great and all… but that wasn’t the only reason he was here.
Seoul was big.
Seoul was exciting.
And if he played his cards right, Seoul might just be the place where he finally found love.
Jaeyel had come to the city not just for work but also in search of love. Somewhere in this huge, crowded place, there had to be someone meant for him, right? Someone who could make his heart race, just like in the BL dramas he secretly binged late at night.
A few days into his stay, he was sipping coffee at a café when he overheard two guys at the next table chatting excitedly.
“Dude, I swear, this app has the hottest guys.”
“No way. Show me.”
Jaeyel nearly choked on his drink. His ears burned as he tried to focus on his phone, but curiosity kept pulling him back to their conversation. A dating app? He had never really thought about it before. Was that really how people met in the city?
For the rest of the day, the thought lingered in his mind. Even as he wandered through the busy streets, passed by couples holding hands, and watched friends laughing together at cafés, he couldn’t shake the idea. Maybe… maybe it was worth a shot.
Later that night, back at his uncle’s apartment, he found himself staring at the download button. His heart pounded as he hovered over it, hesitating for just a second before finally pressing install. As the app loaded, his fingers trembled slightly while setting up his profile.
It felt weird. Exciting. A little embarrassing.
With a few swipes and taps, he suddenly had a match.
Bo.
The guy in the profile picture was tall, handsome and honestly, the kind of guy Jaeyel wouldn’t expect to be on a dating app. His description was barely there, just a few vague words, which only made him seem more mysterious. Jaeyel couldn’t help but wonder… why was a guy like him even on here?
As he sat there debating whether he should send the first message, his screen suddenly lit up.
Bo: Hello. 🙇🏻
Jaeyel blinked. He hadn’t expected Bo to message first. The simple greeting, paired with the cute bowing emoji, made him smile.
He quickly typed back.
Jaeyel: Hello.
And then… silence.
Jaeyel stared at the screen, waiting. A minute passed.
Then five.
Then ten.
…
Was Bo just being polite? Should he say something else?
His mind raced as he debated whether to send another message.
Just as Jaeyel was about to type another message, his phone buzzed with a new one from Bo, making him flinch.
Bo: “Sorry, I got caught up with something. Can we meet?”
Jaeyel stared at the screen, his heart skipping a beat.
Already? Wasn’t this too fast?
They had barely talked. But then again… he only had two weeks in Seoul. If he wanted to take this chance, he couldn’t afford to wait too long.
At least, that’s what he told himself, because the truth was, he didn’t want to admit that he was already attracted to this Bo guy just from his profile.
After a moment of hesitation, he typed back:
Jaeyel: “Uh… sure?”
And just like that, they made plans to meet at a trendy café in Hongdae over the weekend.
Days passed, and Jaeyel found himself feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. By the time the weekend arrived, his stomach was doing flips.
When he reached the café, it didn’t take long to spot Bo.
Even just sitting there, the guy had a natural charisma that made heads turn. He was calm, composed—so different from what Jaeyel imagined someone from a dating app would be like.
Taking a deep breath, Jaeyel approached, feeling both hesitant and nervous. As soon as he got close, Bo glanced up and greeted him with a simple nod before motioning for him to sit.
Jaeyel awkwardly slid into the chair, only to realize that Bo had already ordered him a coffee.
The silence between them was thick. Jaeyel fidgeted, unsure how to start a conversation. Meanwhile, Bo just… looked at him. Calm, unreadable.
Just as Jaeyel was overthinking himself into oblivion, Bo finally broke the silence.
“You look different from your photos,” he said casually.
Jaeyel froze. His mind spiraled into panic, did he look worse in person? Was Bo disappointed?
Before he could overthink it any further, Bo leaned back slightly and added, “You actually look better.”
Jaeyel’s face warmed up in an instant. He wasn’t expecting that.
For some reason, he had assumed Bo was just a quiet and innocent guy, but maybe he had misread him.
Still flustered, Jaeyel quickly picked up his coffee, trying to hide his blush behind the cup.
They talked—well, kind of.
Bo wasn’t much of a talker, and Jaeyel wasn’t exactly a pro at small talk either. So, for the first few minutes, it was just… quiet. Not the comfortable kind of quiet, but the awkward, should-I-say-something-or-will-that-make-it-worse kind.
Jaeyel fiddled with his coffee cup, sneaking glances at Bo, who seemed completely unbothered by the silence. He just sipped his drink, looking as calm and unreadable as ever.
Is he bored? Jaeyel wondered. Does he regret meeting up?
But strangely enough, as time passed, the awkwardness started to fade. Bo wasn’t silent in a cold way—he just spoke when he needed to, no unnecessary words. And somehow, that made Jaeyel feel a little more at ease. There was no pressure to force a conversation or fill every gap with words.
It was… different. And honestly? Kind of refreshing.
Instead of feeling nervous, Jaeyel found himself watching Bo more closely. The way he answered questions simply but thoughtfully, the way he never looked restless or impatient. There was something about him—something quiet and steady.
And before Jaeyel even realized it… he wanted to know more.
Maybe, Bo wasn’t as distant as he seemed.
Maybe he was just the kind of guy who only spoke when it really mattered. And for some reason, that made Jaeyel think—maybe this date might actually work out.