While handling work by taking on Miro’s request, it occurred to him that he surprisingly didn’t know much about Miro. He didn’t know whether Miro exercised or not, and why was he left alone in this spacious house where his whole family must have lived together? Was his relationship with his younger brother good, or truly bad? Looking at how he took care of him, it didn’t seem like the worst relationship.
“Tell me about your family.”
“What are you cu-curious about?”
“You said both your parents passed away, right? Did they pass away when you were young?”
Since family talk was a sensitive topic, Eunchan asked lightly as if it were nothing.
“Yeah, when I was very young…….”
The tone was comfortable despite the content. Miro leaned his head on Eunchan’s shoulder.
“Really? So you’ve been living with your younger brother this whole time?”
Did relatives take care of them? For having parents pass away when young, it seemed like they’d enjoyed a very affluent life.
“No.”
“Your younger brother seemed to be sick. Does he have a chronic illness?”
There was no need to mention he’d seen him at the hospital. Eunchan recalled his younger brother being carried out.
“He’s si-sick. Eunchan doesn’t ne-need to worry about it.”
“Miro-ssi, what exactly do you do for work?”
“A company…….”
He said he had a lot of shares. Eunchan stroked Miro’s hair. Perhaps the stalker could be someone close. Eunchan put Miro’s younger brother on the list of suspects. A person who could freely enter and exit the residential complex, a man who could also move freely in the hospital.
But why would his younger brother stalk Miro? Their relationship wasn’t good. Because of company shares? Even though money talks. Perhaps there’s a different purpose. An attack that’s not enough to threaten life…… To instill fear? Was he blocking Miro from being able to function in society?
Thoughts connected by question marks led one after another to a conclusion. He needed to look into the younger brother.
“I can be alone while you go out to work, right? I can’t go around together like today.”
“Mm, will you come back quickly?”
“I’ll try.”
It seemed like things were roughly falling into place. There were many things in the world without reason, but this stalker seemed to have a reason.
“I’m happy because Eunchan is here.”
Miro’s confession pierced straight into his heart. Living alone in this lonely house was something even Eunchan couldn’t do. How had Miro endured all those countless nights? Did he wet his pillow with tears alone like Eunchan had done, or did he curse the night with resentment?
“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely catch them.”
I’ll return you to your normal life. Eunchan patted Miro’s shoulder. Miro listened to the sound of Eunchan’s heart beating steadily. A firm and healthy sound. He wanted to hold it in his hand. Miro relaxed his body, intoxicated by the peaceful and gentle atmosphere, and looked up at Eunchan.
“……Don’t kiss me.”
It felt like an atmosphere where he’d definitely kiss, so Eunchan spoke first. Last time he just couldn’t refuse because it was so sudden.
However, even with Eunchan’s warning, Miro didn’t back down. Rather, he pressed his body even closer, so Eunchan gradually scooted his butt toward the headboard of the bed.
“Hey, I said don’t.”
He’s not even pretending to listen. Eunchan frowned while looking at Miro’s glass-bead-like eyes. No matter how weak I am to pretty faces, no matter how beautiful that man is…….
When there was nowhere left to retreat, Miro grabbed Eunchan’s wrist. The approaching face was both frightening and thrilling. Eunchan’s eyes trembled, then he tightly shut them. Miro’s breath circled around Eunchan’s nose tip. A warm presence was felt close to his face, and soon soft lips touched. Miro’s pounding pulse was transmitted through the lips.
Since he was holding out, not wanting to open his mouth, Miro grabbed Eunchan’s face with both hands. Miro, who had been sticking out his tongue like a puppy to lick his lips, soon began to open Eunchan’s mouth with grip strength. A hot tongue kept pushing into his mouth. Eunchan grabbed Miro’s shoulders and just trembled, not knowing what to do. The touch caressing the nape of his neck and the pouring breath were unfamiliar.
When the tongue that had been thoroughly licking inside his mouth eventually pushed in as far as his soft palate, Eunchan struggled and pounded Miro’s back hard. He couldn’t breathe. Before he knew it, Eunchan had been pushed down onto the bed and Miro was mounted on top of him. When Miro briefly pulled his lips away, Eunchan burst out with the breath he’d been holding.
“This is a kiss, right?”
Miro spoke a confirmation disguised as a question. If I kiss twice like this, I’ll suffocate and die. Miro smiled while licking around Eunchan’s mouth area covered in saliva. Eunchan nodded his head without realizing it.
Early in the morning, Eunchan opened his eyes along with the doll. Miro, who had insisted on sleeping with Eunchan among the many rooms, had really closed his eyes on Eunchan’s bed.
When Eunchan woke up and felt around the spot next to him, Miro who had tormented him with kisses during the night was gone. Instead, a rabbit doll wearing the same pajamas as him was guarding Miro’s place.
His head throbbed. His swollen lips hurt too. What am I doing right now? The rising morning sunlight came to Eunchan along with self-loathing. Eunchan made a groaning sound and buried his face in the pillow.
Are you crazy, kissing like that? Kim Eunchan, you stupid bastard…….
He was just scratching the innocent rabbit’s belly when he heard Miro’s footsteps beyond the open bedroom door. Eunchan hurriedly laid his body straight and pretended to sleep. He didn’t have the confidence to face him yet.
“Eunchan, are you sleeping?”
Yes, I’m sleeping. Eunchan answered inwardly, hoping Miro would leave quickly. But contrary to his hopes, Miro sat on the bed and began caressing Eunchan’s face. His forehead and cheeks, straight nose, and slightly swollen lips. When Miro’s fingers traced his lips, Eunchan opened his eyes and pretended he’d just woken up.
“Yawn, Miro-ssi, you’re up?”
“Yes.”
Eunchan pushed Miro away and sat up. Even when they slept together, Miro always woke up later than him.
“What time is it?”
“8 o’clock.”
Miro, who stroked Eunchan’s disheveled hair, smiled brightly. Eunchan swept down his face and worried about going to work. He had to go straight to work without stopping by the office. He had no way to contact them anyway since he didn’t have a phone.
“I ha-have a present.”
“A present? For who?”
“For Eunchan.”
Even though it wasn’t Christmas, Miro acted like a person desperate to give Eunchan one more thing. Following Miro who took his hand and led him, Eunchan went out to the living room.
“Did a delivery come?”
There were half-opened boxes as if he’d just moved in. What did he buy so much of? Eunchan was left speechless at the items filling the spacious living room.
“I’m going to decorate Eunchan’s room.”
Miro declared as if it were some grand plan. Even though Eunchan would leave the room as soon as the stalker issue was resolved, Miro put effort into it. Surely he doesn’t think I’ll live here forever? Eunchan hesitantly opened his mouth.
“I won’t be here long. Once the work is resolved,”
“Once it’s resolved?”
“Once it’s resolved…… Should we think about that when the time comes?”
Right, I haven’t even caught the stalker yet. Eunchan looked at Miro, who was making unfamiliar eyes and repeating his words, and took a step back. Sometimes Miro’s gaze was scary.
“Yes, Eunchan, I’ll take you there.”
“No. I’m going straight to work, not to the office.”
He couldn’t ask to be taken since he was going to the hospital where Miro’s younger brother was. Eunchan picked up the box in front of him. When he sent a look asking if he could open it, Miro nodded.
“Curtains?”
“Which one do you like?”
Holding various curtains as if he hadn’t bought just one, Miro asked.
“Any of them are fine.”
Miro had prepared well at the right time. And anyway, it was Miro’s house, so he should decorate it however he wanted—there was no need for an outsider’s opinion. Miro also looked quite happy. Eunchan left everything to Miro and turned his body toward the bathroom to prepare for work.
Today’s commute was very different from usual. When he checked his face in the morning, fortunately the bruises had mostly disappeared. After removing the gauze and finishing his shower, Miro was waiting and held out clothes for Eunchan to wear. Since he even decided underwear, Eunchan had to shriek in shock. Only after getting a promise not to dress him in the same clothes as the doll did Eunchan put on the clothes Miro chose.
Since he didn’t have the habit of eating breakfast regularly, he hadn’t even thought about it, but Miro had prepared a breakfast table and was waiting—he didn’t know when it was prepared. Since he was asked to eat at least a little, Eunchan couldn’t ignore the sincerity and stuffed himself from the morning.
Only when it was really time to leave did Eunchan tell Miro that he couldn’t contact him since he didn’t have a phone. Then Miro smiled shyly and presented Eunchan with a new phone as a gift. Since he’d been planning to avoid bothersome contact—especially Miro’s contact—using the phone as an excuse, Eunchan forced the corners of his mouth up to smile and said thank you.
Sleeping in the house Miro provided, eating the food he prepared, wearing the clothes he picked out. Come to think of it, lately it seemed like he’d given Miro everything of his daily life. Eunchan thought this while waving his hand to Miro who came out to the front garden to see him off. I shouldn’t get used to this life. When he returned to a daily life alone again, he didn’t want to shudder with loneliness.
Eunchan walked out to the front of the residential complex as morning exercise. He was going to take a taxi but decided to just take the bus. Eunchan, who got on the bus going to the university hospital, sat in a window seat and took out his phone.
Only Miro’s number was saved in the new phone.
[Come.back.quickly.^^.]
Without replying to Miro’s just-arrived text, Eunchan immediately called Hyungsik.
– Hello?
“Hey, Hyungsik. It’s me, did you go to work?”
– Hyung? Did you change your number?
“Yeah. Save this one.”
Would Miro get angry if he knew that as soon as he changed phones, he contacted Hyungsik? Eunchan laughed while having strange thoughts. No way, that couldn’t be.
