After arriving at the hospital, Haeseong, who was diagnosed with a fracture, was told he needed to be hospitalized for a day or two. Even when getting X-rays and receiving treatment, he had no intention of separating from Euiju, causing endless trouble.
-Oh my. I had no idea such a famous person would be stuck like glue to his manager. Hoho…….
-Haha… He’s just very shy.
Shy. It was an excuse that would make Kim Jaeho or the people at J Entertainment laugh. Did he not realize he was a celebrity? The hospital staff looked at them so strangely. Euiju had to keep holding Haeseong while breaking out in cold sweat.
They arrived at the assigned hospital room. It was when Euiju tried to step out briefly while Haeseong changed into a patient gown and opened the door.
“Fuck, where are you going!”
“…I’m not going anywhere. Can’t I just make a phone call?”
“You can do it here. I’ll stay quiet and not say anything, so stay here!”
Just before leaving the hospital room, his arm was grabbed. Since Haeseong had run out in the middle of changing with all his buttons undone, Euiju turned and approached to button them up. But before his hand could reach, Haeseong jumped right into his arms.
Haeseong firmly grabbed Euiju’s waist and led him toward the hospital bed. It was such a desperate gesture that anyone watching would think he was a police officer holding onto a thief and refusing to let go.
Euiju answered the urgently ringing phone while being dragged along in bewilderment.
[Hey, Euiju-ssi. How’s Haeseong doing?]
“They said he needs to be hospitalized for a day, so I’ve completed the procedures and entered the hospital room. Isn’t any of Haeseong-ssi’s family coming?”
[Doesn’t look like it. I know you really had a hard time today, Euiju-ssi, but I need to ask you for just one more day. I’m heading straight to Seoul to make a report. The director is quite angry, but since they’re not in Korea right now, the company will proceed with legal action as soon as they return. It’s a big incident, so even without us making extra efforts, articles will come out tomorrow. I guess they thought we’d let it slide this time too since we did before, but that’s not going to happen.]
“Understood.”
[You really worked hard today. So about that, it looks like articles about you will come out tomorrow too, will that be okay?]
“Pardon? What do you mean……”
[A manager threw his body to save his actor, of course it’s going to be a huge deal. The incident today wasn’t ordinary, so rumors have already spread everywhere.]
“I see… As long as my personal information doesn’t get out, I don’t mind.”
[Right. You won’t have to worry about that.]
“Understood. Then have a safe trip up.”
Click. The call ended. The luxurious, spacious hospital room given only to VIPs filled with silence.
“Um… how long are you going to keep hugging me?”
He looked down at Haeseong, who was hugging his waist with all his strength using his arm that wasn’t in a cast. His wet hair, which he couldn’t dry, was right below. Haeseong didn’t answer the question and just buried his face in Euiju’s chest.
As expected of a fracture patient, his forehead was covered in cold sweat. He should be lying in bed, so what was with this stubbornness? Wiping away the beaded sweat with his hand, he gently said.
“Let go.”
“No.”
“Patients should lie down.”
“I said no.”
Since he kept insisting stubbornly, Euiju pushed Haeseong away with force. But it was completely useless.
“Haha. Really……”
Euiju, who had been lost in thought for a moment, lowered his head and patted his shoulder, saying.
“I know you’re shocked, and I know you’re scared. I also know that Haeseong-ssi’s family isn’t coming. So I’ll go to the bathroom, wash up clean, and come back here. I got rained on and sweated a lot from holding Haeseong-ssi continuously. If we’re going to sleep together, I should clean my body, shouldn’t I?”
At those words, Haeseong’s body, which had been hugging Euiju, flinched and instantly stiffened.
“…Sleep together?”
A slightly muffled voice flowed out since he was speaking with his face buried in Euiju’s chest.
“Yes. The bed looks spacious.”
Thump-!
Haeseong shoved Euiju away. Euiju, who had been in an unguarded state, helplessly stumbled back several steps. He had pushed so roughly that he almost fell backward.
Sparkling eyes. He glared at Euiju with hot eyes that seemed somehow overwhelming, yet also absurd. At the same time, Haeseong’s face flushed so red it would put a pomegranate to shame. At that pretty, beautiful sight, Euiju’s words were momentarily blocked.
“Hurry up and wash. If you’re lying, I really won’t let it go. I’ll really cut it off!”
Sharp, prickly words that contrasted with his expression popped out of Haeseong’s mouth. He quickly covered his reddened face and lay down on the bed.
Euiju, who had been standing awkwardly where he’d been pushed, was dazed for a moment, not knowing what had happened. Soon, empty laughter began to slip out.
‘Anyway, that temper really……’
Was the personality of not being able to honestly say he was happy when he was happy something created, or was it innate? Euiju looked at Haeseong buried under the blanket as if he was cute, shook his head, and started heading to the bathroom.
Though it was a university hospital in the provinces, the VIP-only hospital bathroom that only notable people could be admitted to was as nice as Haeseong’s home bathroom.
‘To have a bathroom like this in a hospital room.’
Entrusting his body to the hot water, he really felt like he might live. Though Haeseong’s physique was small and thin, he was a boy with a solid frame. Because he’d been carrying him around all day, his shoulders and arms were incredibly stiff.
“Haah……”
Euiju began kneading and loosening the muscles in his pulling shoulders and forearms.
Haeseong had been trembling all day while clinging to him. Like a baby koala that didn’t want to separate from its mother, Haeseong didn’t know how to separate from him. Just like when youngest Roun had a scary nightmare and whined to be held. Like thinking he wouldn’t be safe if separated from his hyung.
‘He must have been very scared.’
The case of dangling from a building rooftop about 20 meters high due to a safety device malfunction was a major incident that would remain as trauma even for an adult actor. Moreover, Haeseong was a teenager who had just turned seventeen. It would be worse than for adults, not less.
“Haha. Drawing lines, my foot……”
Euiju, who kept worrying without realizing it, recognized himself and let out a chuckle. Hadn’t the atmosphere with Haeseong been tense just this morning?
He had deliberately tried to draw a line without making efforts to ease the atmosphere to avoid getting closer to him. Far from keeping distance, from the moment he ran to the rooftop for Haeseong, that method became ruined. He had already crossed the line, crossed it by far.
Knock-.
Euiju, who had his eyes closed while entrusting his body to the pouring hot water, didn’t hear the sound of someone knocking on the bathroom door. It was buried by the sound of the water being too loud.
Knock knock knock-.
Soon the knocking sound came again. This time it was a bit louder, and more frequent.
‘Then what happens to the drama? This time the company won’t stay quiet either, and there will be talk among investors too. A young actor almost had a major accident, so won’t there be chaos when articles come out?’
Euiju, already worrying about what was to come, was lost in his own thoughts. As a result, it led to one excited boy outside kicking the door hard.
BANG-!
Flinch, startled by the loud sound, Euiju looked toward the door in shock. Euiju, who looked at his wristwatch and thought ‘oh no,’ turned off the water and roughly wiped off the moisture. Even though moisture remained on his body, he put on clothes. His actions were urgent.
When Euiju hurriedly opened the door, the steam inside began billowing out. In front of the door stood Haeseong with a sulky face.
His lower lip was sticking out and his eyes were triangular, so he was clearly thoroughly sulking.
“I’m sorry. I was too late……”
“Don’t think weird thoughts. I didn’t rush you because ahjussi wasn’t coming out. I just wanted to use the bathroom.”
“……Yes.”
Even though Euiju hadn’t finished speaking, Haeseong poured it all out. Haeseong, who glanced at Euiju sulkily, pushed the awkwardly standing Euiju aside and went into the bathroom.
‘There was no need to kick the door though.’
Looking at the closed door, Euiju clicked his tongue quietly and approached where the hairdryer was to dry his hair. But then he heard the sound of the door opening and Haeseong came right out.
Looking at him questioningly, Haeseong turned his body around as if embarrassed and started heading to the bed. Looking closely, his hands were soaking wet with moisture.
It seemed he had come out after washing his hands.
There was no need to go into the bathroom—the hospital room had a simple sink near the bed where one could wash hands or briefly wash one’s face.
“Pfft……”
Euiju quickly turned his body and covered his mouth. It was to hold back the laughter that was about to burst out. Barely suppressing his laughter, he turned on the hairdryer and vigorously dried his hair. After roughly removing the moisture, he approached the bed.
Haeseong was curled up lying at one corner edge of the bed.
‘It’s only nine o’clock.’
Though it was still early to sleep, he decided to lie down a bit early for Haeseong, who had experienced something major today, and lifted the thick blanket.
With the sensitive and prickly boy lying next to him, his movements naturally became careful. He slowly burrowed into the blanket so the bed wouldn’t shake.
