Different Dreams in the Same Bed (6)
[Dogyeom: Kim Sejin, where are you? Jeongbae hyung broke his arm. Contact me.]
Sejin’s face clouded with worry as he looked at his phone while wiping away sweat.
‘Jeongbae hyung’s arm… how did that happen…’
His heart sank, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask Dogyeom directly. A month had passed since he’d ignored all calls and texts, even taking days off from work to avoid Dogyeom here and there. More than avoiding him, it felt closer to hiding so he wouldn’t be found out.
‘Crazy bastard. Disgusting.’
That had been Dogyeom’s reaction to his clumsy kiss. Turning around and leaving had been the last of it.
‘I miss him.’
With cat-like big eyes and delicate features on a pretty face. Even his shimmering blonde hair made Dogyeom popular wherever he went, like a doll. He knew he himself was quite lacking in comparison. But still… being coldly rejected had hurt.
‘I should just work. Stop thinking useless thoughts.’
Sejin was working on the produce team at a large supermarket. Fortunately, the supermarket work suited him well with his strength and diligence. Plus, being under a major corporation, the treatment and benefits were decent. Being able to secure such a stable job was all thanks to Jeongbae hyung.
Jeongbae had mobilized all his connections to search for a suitable job for Sejin. When the interview date was set, he bought Sejin a suit, took care of him from head to toe one by one, and helped him prepare for the interview from the side.
“Sejin, if you’re done unloading the goods, go help with the display.”
“Yes.”
The produce team leader had a prickly and difficult manner of speaking, but after seeing Sejin work silently without cutting corners, his gaze gradually softened.
“Just finish that and go take a smoke break.”
“Thank you.”
It was also the team leader who subtly showed consideration for Sejin, who kept working without taking breaks. He always gave Sejin separate rest time even though he didn’t smoke. Sejin bowed his head slightly in greeting and picked up another heavy box to head to the display shelf. These days, he was grateful that his body was exhausted.
Kim Sejin had been short and small as a child. On top of that, with his gentle temperament, kids would tease or hit him at the drop of a hat. The person who always stood up for him in those moments was none other than Lee Dogyeom, aka the ‘mad dog’ of Haetsal Orphanage.
A pretty face like a girl with a rough mouth.
‘Ow ow ow. It hurts. Uwah. Blood… Mommy…’
The big kid ran away crying after getting his ear bitten. Dogyeom spat out the blood pooled in his mouth. The kids around them also backed away stealthily and all ran off.
‘Get up.’
When Sejin got up, Dogyeom roughly wiped his face, a mess of tears and dust, with his sleeve.
‘Why are you crying?’
‘I wish I had a mom too. *sob*…’
‘Don’t cry, you idiot. What’s so great about a mom who abandoned you?’
‘But… still…’
Even though he said that, Dogyeom held Sejin’s hand tightly.
‘Dogyeom, don’t you want to see your mom?’
‘I don’t want to see her.’
A firm answer came without even looking back. To Sejin, the strongest and coolest person in the world was always Dogyeom.
“But I ruined everything…”
Sejin bitterly looked at the text Dogyeom had sent again.
‘When was payday…’
After doing rough calculations, he sent all the money in his bank account to Jeongbae hyung’s account, leaving only 100,000 won. He’d just barely gotten off probation so it was tight, but he could just skip some meals and walk around.
It had been quite a while since Jeongbae hyung had cleaned up his motorcycle accident. He’d needed to pay him back anyway; the timeline had just moved up.
‘I should ask the dojo if I can increase my work hours.’
At the judo dojo he’d attended since childhood, Sejin often took on evening session lessons. It was essentially just a waiver of his own tuition fees, but if he took on a few more sessions, he could at least cover transportation costs. Right now, even that was desperate.
***
It was the moment Jeongbae stepped out of the emergency room automatic doors with a despairing heart.
“Jeongbae.”
A familiar voice. And a silhouette standing under white lighting. It was Woohyun. Of all things, the closest emergency room was the university hospital where Woohyun worked. Whether he’d come knowing or it was a coincidence didn’t matter. Jeongbae instinctively lowered his head. The thick cast wrapped around his left arm felt even more conspicuous.
“…Doctor.”
Woohyun took in a breath. Just as he was about to speak.
“Why are you pretending to know him? Fuck off.”
Jaehyuk immediately blocked Jeongbae’s front. It looked like he was hiding him carefully so their eyes wouldn’t even meet.
“You look hurt, so I’m worried. How did it happen?”
Woohyun also didn’t back down and stepped forward. Then Jaehyuk stood out even more blatantly to shield Jeongbae.
“It’s none of your business.”
Short and fierce tone.
“Jaehyuk…”
Jeongbae carefully admonished him. But Jaehyuk only glared at Woohyun without looking back.
“If you’re a doctor, go examine your patients. I’ll take care of things here.”
“Jeongbae, are you really okay?”
Woohyun asked gently without giving up.
“Yes, I’m fine. I just… fell.”
Jeongbae instinctively clutched his left arm. In the already crowded area in front of the emergency room, eyes began to turn toward them one by one at the quarrel between the two giant alphas. Jeongbae just wanted to avoid both Woohyun’s concern and Jaehyuk’s protection.
That’s when it happened.
“They fell while fucking in the bathroom, so mind your own business. Doctor sir.”
Dogyeom’s voice, who’d been silently watching until now, rang loudly through the emergency room corridor. People’s gazes focused even more sharply.
“Lee Dogyeom!”
Jeongbae raised his voice, but it was already too late.
Woohyun’s face hardened. For a moment, an expression like his soul had left his body.
“That’s not it—”
Jeongbae hurriedly reached out to deny it, but Jaehyuk grabbed Jeongbae’s arm first.
“That’s right, I told you to hold on a bit. I said let’s do it in the room…”
Almost in a whisper, low and heavy. Jeongbae froze in place, unable to even shake off that hand. What is this crazy bastard saying right now…
“I see.”
Woohyun nodded very slightly with a creaking head movement.
“I… I see. That can happen.”
With those final words, Woohyun turned around limping. The hem of his white coat receded to the end of the corridor. Jeongbae froze in place. It was ambiguous to call it a misunderstanding or to say it wasn’t. The timing to speak had already passed, and Jaehyuk’s hand was still gripping his wrist. Dogyeom said excitedly,
“Hey, rattlesnake. I helped you this time.”
“Nice assist.”
Jeongbae slowly took in a breath. It was true that he’d wanted to cut ties with Woohyun, but he hadn’t wanted to be humiliated like this in front of him. He was already frustrated and lost about being injured, but after being publicly executed regarding his private life, his teeth ground together.
“Shut up.”
A frightening, low voice. Like beagles and Dobermans, Dogyeom and Jaehyuk, who’d been frolicking, became quiet in an instant.
“Right now… don’t say anything.”
The emergency room automatic doors opened again with a beep. With his head lowered, Jeongbae walked outside, carefully clutching his left arm. Jaehyuk and Dogyeom quietly followed Jeongbae only after a moment.
The three walked in silence. At Jeongbae’s low reprimand, Jaehyuk and Dogyeom couldn’t say a word and just followed behind. Both of their respective crimes were too great. Jaehyuk had broken Jeongbae’s arm clean off, and Dogyeom had broadcast to everyone that they’d fallen while having sex.
The expressionless face of Jeongbae, who was always smiling, exerted power close to terror on the two men. Dogyeom was walking obediently like a puppy with its tail tucked, and Jaehyuk… even in the midst of this, like a crazy bastard, he was secretly thrilled on his own because he really liked Jeongbae’s cool expression too.
“I’m going to stop by the rice soup restaurant for a bit.”
Jeongbae spoke bluntly. Jaehyuk silently nodded. Dogyeom also stealthily followed along. Jeongbae clutched his left arm and let out a small breath.
When the rice soup restaurant sign appeared in the distance, Jeongbae’s steps naturally slowed. When the boss’s face came to mind, his chest tightened.
‘How should I say it?’
If he couldn’t work for a while, his wages would naturally be cut off. What was choking Jeongbae now wasn’t the pain of his injured arm or the embarrassing memory. It was livelihood, reality. Even in the moments when he’d fallen to the very bottom after being born, Jeongbae had always endured alone. That was Jeongbae’s only pride and belief. He absolutely didn’t want to ask Dogyeom, Sejin, or Jaehyuk for help. Jeongbae, who’d never relied on anyone and didn’t know how to lean on others, just bit his innocent lips hard.
***
“Oh my, what are we going to do about you getting hurt?”
The rice soup restaurant boss didn’t know what to do, feeling sorry for Jeongbae’s condition.
“I’m sorry. It seems like it’ll be difficult to work starting tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry about us. We’d already hired someone since you said you were quitting last month anyway. I thought you’d keep working… what a shame.”
The boss tried to speak as brightly as possible, but those words stabbed straight into Jeongbae’s chest.
“Ah… yes.”
Jeongbae forced a smile and barely pulled up the corners of his mouth. As expected, he couldn’t bring himself to say the words asking them to wait just one month. It was a place where he’d worked for over a year without rest, and to part ways like this in an instant. This was the problem with physical labor. When your body breaks down, you can’t do anything.
The boss gently patted Jeongbae’s shoulder.
“Jeongbae, since you worked so hard, don’t worry about this month’s pay—”
“Thank you.”
Jeongbae bowed his head in greeting.
“Well then… contact me again when you’re better.”
Hearing those words, Jeongbae’s mouth went dry.
The feeling that he could never return.
The hot steam of the rice soup restaurant.
The dishwashing tub where his wrists would ache.
The kitchen ajummas’ jokes.
The moments of running around during the busy lunch hour.
Recalling all of that, his chest hurt more than his left arm.
“Thank you for everything, boss.”
Jeongbae bent at the waist to bow. The moment he left the store, the bell hanging above the door rang with a jingle.
A small sound,
But strangely…
To Jeongbae, it sounded like a door closing. Jaehyuk and Dogyeom, who’d been waiting outside, watched his mood.
‘Now… what work should I do?’
Jeongbae swallowed once. Today, too much had collapsed.
***
“Jeongbae, I’m sorry. Because of me…”
Jaehyuk’s apology stuck in his heart. Normally he would’ve said it was okay first, but strangely his mouth wouldn’t open easily. In truth, nothing was okay at all.
Instead of answering, Jeongbae slowly moved his steps. One step, then another step.
“…When I’m better.”
Jeongbae muttered lowly.
“I’ll tell you then.”
Even he himself didn’t know if those words meant it was okay or that it wasn’t okay yet. Jaehyuk stopped as if swallowing his breath at those words. Dogyeom also erased his joking atmosphere and just dragged his feet silently from behind. Jeongbae lowered his head. Clutching his left arm, he breathed in very slowly. Right now, it didn’t seem like even a single word would come out properly.
‘I… right now, just a bit…’
It was an emotion even he couldn’t explain.
Disappointment, fear, despair, anger… none of it fell neatly into place and got tangled up, unable to come out as words. So in the end, Jeongbae chose silence instead of words. That was the best Jeongbae could do right now.
