# Chapter 2
Yeomin’s precious sanctuary and 350,000 won monthly rent semi-basement apartment. This place became twice as damp and musty on rainy days.
The small room, which already felt cramped with just the 173cm Yeomin lying down, felt even more confined with Seol Jiho, who was easily over 185cm, taking up space.
“Mmm…”
Fortunately, it seemed he wasn’t dead, as Jiho was tossing and turning. Just to be safe, Yeomin checked his head thoroughly, but there were no visible wounds.
Yeomin gazed at the soundly sleeping guy with anxious eyes.
Should I take him to the hospital? He seems to have passed out from being drunk. What if he throws up? I only have one blanket. What if he lunges at me trying to kiss me again like before?
Haa… I don’t know.
“By the way, did he lose his wallet? What if he suspects me first when he sobers up?”
Just to be sure, Yeomin searched his pockets to find his address, but there was no phone, wallet, or anything else.
Maybe he got robbed while sleeping on the street. Yeomin was worried he might be accused of theft because of this.
‘No, if he’d really been robbed, they would’ve taken that watch on his wrist first.’
He might have dropped his phone and wallet somewhere.
“But where’s his car?”
Wasn’t he always being both criticized as an attention-seeker and envied for driving around in his supercar?
If even Yeomin, who couldn’t care less about others, knew about him, he was practically celebrity-level famous.
Jiho had been the talk of the entire school since enrollment. Everyone was desperate to befriend the handsome, elegant Jiho.
As a result, he was always surrounded by people. Occasionally, Yeomin found this irritating.
Isn’t he just living comfortably because he got lucky in the birth lottery? Meanwhile, some of us have to split a pack of ramen in half because we don’t have money for tomorrow’s meal.
“I have a morning part-time job tomorrow too… I’m dead tired.”
Yeomin decided to take a shower first. Having carried that huge body all the way here and getting caught in the rain, he felt grimy all over.
While showering, Yeomin came up with a plan.
‘I’ll just say I found you drunk on the street, and out of kindness, I brought you here because I was worried.’
That story conveniently omitted the part where Jiho tried to kiss him and where he almost cracked Jiho’s skull with a baseball bat.
When he finished showering, there was no need to wake Jiho. The very Jiho whom Yeomin had worried might never wake up was already awake, looking bright-eyed.
Not realizing this, Yeomin came out in just his underwear and quickly covered himself with a t-shirt hanging on the wall.
As Yeomin was pulling the t-shirt over his head, Jiho greeted him.
“Thank you for bringing me here, sunbae.”
Seeing Jiho bow politely and mind his manners, Yeomin became even more concerned.
‘Did he really hurt his head?’
He shouldn’t normally be this polite. If he had woken up and immediately started giving Yeomin a hard time, he wouldn’t have felt this uneasy.
Yeomin decided to play along for now.
“Oh, you’re up. Do you remember anything?”
“No. I don’t remember anything at all. I was too drunk.”
Yeomin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“You brought me here, right? Because you were worried?”
“Uh? Y-yes, that’s one way to put it.”
Yeomin immediately agreed.
“I was passing by and recognized you. It was raining, and I was afraid you’d catch a cold, so I brought you here.”
Jiho looked touched. Thankfully, he seemed to be a gullible type.
“By the way, you didn’t have your wallet or phone? Now that you’re sober, maybe you should look for them first…”
“Sunbae. Please help me.”
Before Yeomin could finish, Jiho abruptly asked for help. His gaze was so desperate that Yeomin was startled.
‘What is he saying?’
Looking around this apartment, as Jiho could see, Yeomin was in no position to help anyone.
“I was kicked out of my house. I have nowhere to go. Could I stay here for a while?”
So that was the situation. Nodding his head, Yeomin immediately replied.
“Of course not.”
Yeomin was very firm. Whatever Jiho’s circumstances were, it wasn’t his business.
Besides, kicked out of his house?
That means he didn’t have to tremble in fear about what the Ian Group might do to him, right?
He had been scared for nothing.
“Be reasonable. How can we stay together in this tiny place?”
“But… I really have nowhere to go.”
“You could contact your classmates. Tell me the names of your close friends. I’ll contact them for you.”
“I don’t have close friends.”
That was unexpectedly resolute. Yeomin, who had been looking for his phone, was dumbfounded.
“I don’t have close friends.”
Jiho emphasized once more.
What about all those people who were desperately trying to get on your good side?
Yeomin wanted to ask, but there was something oddly concerning about Jiho’s expression.
‘I think I picked up the wrong person.’
Seeing Yeomin’s dubious expression, Jiho quickly relaxed his face. Then, rubbing the back of his head, he muttered.
“Ah… why does my head hurt so much?”
Yeomin flinched. Moreover, Jiho was touching the exact spot where he had hit him earlier.
‘No way, does this guy remember everything?’
“Even if I wanted to get a room, I lost my wallet… and it’s hard to explain my situation to my classmates. My body doesn’t feel great either.”
“So you can’t tell your classmates, but you can tell me?”
“You and I aren’t close, sunbae.”
That’s true. Nothing to argue there. Even though just an hour ago, they had kissed with their lips pressed together.
As a traditional Korean man, Yeomin found it extremely uncomfortable just looking at Jiho’s face.
With an expression that screamed he didn’t want to take responsibility, Yeomin asked.
“What is this situation that…”
Let me just hear what this unspeakable situation is…
“Actually—”
“No, never mind. I don’t want to hear it.”
Somehow, it felt like things would get complicated if he heard it. Like he’d have to get involved. Yeomin changed the subject.
Jiho grabbed Yeomin’s hand and pleaded.
“If you help me, I’ll definitely repay the favor.”
Yeomin’s interest was piqued.
“How will you repay it?”
Jiho seemed flustered, not expecting such a direct question.
Above all, Yeomin valued “give and take” the most. He was the type of person who would track down a boss who withheld his pay for two months until he got every penny.
After thinking for a moment, Jiho silently unfastened the watch he was wearing. Then he pulled Yeomin’s wrist and put the watch on him.
Yeomin’s heart raced at the heavy, unfamiliar sensation he’d never experienced before. Even when they kissed, he hadn’t felt this way. Ah, back then his heart was racing from disgust.
“I’ll give this to you, sunbae.”
“This? Is that really okay?”
Yeomin’s voice trembled with excitement. The feeling of the watch wrapped snugly around his wrist was ecstatically blissful.
‘Yes. I’m materialistic. I’m crazy about luxury goods. They’ve never been part of my destiny.’
Yeomin was very quick to change his stance. Suddenly, Jiho seemed like a windfall that had rolled right into his lap.
“Make yourself comfortable. Really comfortable. Feel free to use anything here. There’s not much to eat… but if you need anything, I’ll buy it for you from the mart.”
“Thank you, sunbae.”
“I’ll stay at a friend’s house, so rest well.”
“Why?”
Jiho immediately questioned. Yeomin explained.
“The place is so small, it would be uncomfortable for us to stay together.”
It’s not like he could honestly say, ‘It’s awkward to sleep in the same house with someone I’ve kissed.’
Yeomin was planning to leave Jiho here and crash at a classmate’s place.
But Jiho grabbed Yeomin’s hand again. Yeomin tensed, thinking he was going to take back the watch.
Still holding Yeomin’s hand, Jiho said pathetically.
“I don’t want you to leave because of me.”
“No, really, I’m fine with it.”
I prefer being away from you, okay?
“I’ll breathe quietly, won’t move around, and won’t bother you, so please stay with me! Yeomin hyung, please?”
“…Hyung?”
Since when did you call me ‘hyung’? We had barely even spoken to each other before.
Was he always the type to act so familiar? I don’t think so. Yeomin felt slightly uncomfortable.
Even in that moment, he discreetly pulled his hand away while covering the watch Jiho had given him.
“Are you sure you won’t be uncomfortable with me here?”
“Yes! Not at all. I won’t be uncomfortable at all.”
Really? I think I’ll be too uncomfortable… actually, I’m already uncomfortable.
“…If you’re okay with it, then I guess it’s fine.”
Anyway, from tomorrow through the weekend he had full-time part-time jobs, and on weekdays he could stay late in the department room. It wouldn’t be a big issue.
‘He’ll leave soon. How long could he possibly stay in a place like this?’
Especially for the young master of the Ian Group. He’ll probably get fed up and run away soon.
Yeomin offered kindly.
“Do you want some comfortable clothes?”
“Thank you, hyung.”
Jiho looked like he might burst into tears of gratitude. What a truly burdensome type.
“You got pretty wet in the rain earlier. You should shower and sleep first.”
“What? Sleep, you say?”
Why is he so surprised? Damn, what is he thinking…
When Jiho suddenly blushed, Yeomin was exasperated.
“I’ll leave some clothes out and go to the convenience store, so take a shower. You smell damp.”
Yeomin pushed Jiho into the cramped bathroom. Only then did the apartment become a bit quieter.
Left alone, Yeomin looked at the watch on his wrist and blushed.
“Is this really… mine?”
It was like the moment when Joo Yeomin’s frozen heart melted like snow for the first time.
Capitalism is truly the best.
* * *
Jiho had insisted that he would sleep on the floor, but how could Yeomin allow that? If he hadn’t accepted the watch, maybe.
After receiving such compensation, he couldn’t let the kid sleep on the hard bare floor. Especially after having hit Seol Jiho’s head earlier.
In the end, Jiho took the mattress, and Yeomin lay on the floor. Without enough blankets, Yeomin covered himself with his winter padding jacket.
He wasn’t picky about where he slept, but lying on the floor after so long made his body stiff and achy all over.
Finally, uncomfortable and waking up in the early morning, Yeomin tossed and turned until he made eye contact with Jiho. He thought his heart would stop.
Trying hard to hide his surprise, Yeomin asked.
“…What are you doing? Is the bed uncomfortable?”
“I can’t sleep.”
There wasn’t a trace of sleepiness in Jiho’s voice. Had he been lying like that the whole time? It’s creepy.
‘Why are you lying there looking at me of all directions…’
“I have to leave early for my part-time job, so don’t worry about it and sleep in. Oh, and when you wake up, look for your phone and wallet first.”
“…”
Jiho didn’t answer. While maintaining a certain distance from Jiho, Yeomin cautiously asked.
“Do you have any habits when you’re drunk or asleep?”
…Like kissing, for instance.
“Or maybe are you—”
Are you into men? He wanted to ask, but the words wouldn’t come out.
“…Never mind. You must be tired, go to sleep.”
He didn’t think any answer would make him feel better. Yeomin, tired of everything, turned away.
“Hyung.”
Yeomin deliberately pretended to be asleep.
“Snore~ Phew~”
Hearing the fake snoring, Jiho soon fell silent. But still, Yeomin could feel Jiho’s gaze lingering on him.
He heard Jiho muttering into the air.
“I want to see your face…”
He wasn’t sure who those words were meant for. Yeomin just thought it certainly wasn’t directed at him, and desperately needed it not to be.
