# Chapter 82
“Haaah…”
Tae Igyeol sighed for what must have been the umpteenth time, looking down at Mo Eunje who had fallen asleep with his lips swollen and red. If he hadn’t discovered that two pills were missing, he wouldn’t have realized that Mo Eunje was acting that way because he was intoxicated by medication, and he would have misunderstood everything. He couldn’t calm his rising anger, wondering who Mo Eunje had been thinking about while clinging to him like that.
More unbearable than that was the reality that he had satisfied his own desires with someone who was sick, moreover knowing full well that he wasn’t in his right mind due to medication. No matter how much pent-up frustration he had from holding back for so long, that was no excuse. It couldn’t serve as absolution.
But he simply couldn’t find the strength to push away Mo Eunje when he pressed their lips together and clung to him. His tongue, holding such fevered heat, was unbelievably sweet and ecstatic. When something he had only imagined countless times actually happened, his reason and self-control flew out the window in an instant. It wasn’t something human power could prevent.
What would have happened if he hadn’t grabbed that hand that approached so unhesitatingly?
At that precarious moment, if he hadn’t stopped him and had just let him do as he wanted, could he have won over his heart a little faster?
No. Even in his drug-induced state, he would have been startled to realize he was kissing a man, recoiling in horror. That fear was why he had no choice but to grab his wrist.
“You…”
Who were you thinking about when you kissed me?
The question pooling in his mind couldn’t be voiced aloud. Futile distractions tormented his thoughts. Unable to look at Mo Eunje any longer, he rose to his feet. If he continued sitting here, he might wake up and confront the one who had passed out like that mid-kiss, and in the end, lacking confidence to hear the answer, he would just end up kissing him again. Cowardly taking advantage of Mo Eunje’s weakened state.
Now he truly didn’t know what to do. After properly kissing him once, having discovered how good it was, he could no longer bear to just look and endure. If he had aggressively made his move like investing in stocks, they would have married long ago and had enough children to form a soccer team, but Mo Eunje was the only person Tae Igyeol was cautious around, so he couldn’t freely show his feelings.
He wanted to possess Mo Eunje completely.
Would it be better if he remembered today’s kiss, or better if he didn’t…
Without knowing the answer, Tae Igyeol arranged the blanket, carefully kissed Mo Eunje’s forehead, and left the bedroom. Ignoring his uncomfortable gait, he headed to the bathroom in the living room. Tonight was far too dangerous to lie down beside Mo Eunje and fall asleep.
&&
The next morning, Mo Eunje woke up feeling exceptionally light and refreshed. His temperature was normal, his throat was fine, and the muscle aches that had been throbbing and stinging were completely gone. The fact that he’d suffered terribly for just one day and then recovered cleanly showed his incredible recovery ability. Feeling pleased with himself, he jumped out of bed and went to the living room.
“Hey, what’s up with my recovery ability? I’m completely fine now.”
Tae Igyeol, who was spraying water on plants flaunting their green vitality, turned his head. Mo Eunje, as if he’d been waiting for this moment, showcased various poses that bodybuilders might strike.
“Stop fooling around and put some clothes on.”
After scanning Mo Eunje from head to toe with a sidelong glance, Tae Igyeol lightly reprimanded him before turning his attention back to the fresh green leaves. Mo Eunje glanced down at himself and saw he was wearing just a white brief that he’d put on after showering yesterday. Though this wasn’t the first time, and he could have given up by now, the tireless Tae Igyeol nagged him every single time.
“I’ll put something on after I shower. I can’t wear anything now because I smell unpleasant.”
“Then go shower.”
“Yeah. Let me order delivery first. Is there anything you want to eat? You took care of me, so as a thank you, it’s on me.”
“Shower first.”
“Ah. Do I smell that bad? Okay, I’ll go wash quickly. Decide what to eat and order using my account.”
Afraid he might have unintentionally terrorized Tae Igyeol’s sense of smell, Mo Eunje quickly ran to the bathroom. Since they had registered their cards as a family account in the delivery app, Tae Igyeol would order whatever he wanted.
After organizing the bedding and grabbing his underwear, he entered the bathroom. While squeezing toothpaste onto his toothbrush, he suddenly caught his reflection in the mirror. His lips were swollen red and puffy like sausages. It must have been from the high fever he’d suffered. Although they were puffy, they were just a bit dry, not particularly painful or uncomfortable, so it wasn’t something to worry about.
After brushing his teeth, he let the flowing water envelop his body, feeling so happy and refreshed that there was nothing in the world to envy. He was so delighted about his recovered condition that he couldn’t help but hum. He seemed to have had a very tender and distant dream last night—the sense that it had been pleasant remained, but like something from a previous life, he couldn’t remember the details.
He felt like he could fly, as if his body had been completely renewed. Yet for some reason, he craved gumbo even more desperately than yesterday. The beef stew Tae Igyeol had brought wasn’t bad, but he wanted proper gumbo so badly, as if something terrible would happen if he didn’t have it right now. Having already made that bold statement, he seriously considered having whatever food Tae Igyeol wanted delivered for lunch, then going to Busan alone in the afternoon to have gumbo for dinner as he finished his shower.
He rubbed fragrant body oil over his still-damp body, humming a tune while shaking water from his hair. After washing the remaining oil from his hands and putting on blue briefs, he left the bathroom. Though he’d only been sick for a day, it felt as if a week had passed.
After putting the towel in the laundry basket, he applied basic skincare products to his face in the powder room. His skin showed noticeable dryness from just one day without moisturizing, so he applied a generous amount of cream. After completely drying his hair with a hairdryer, he put on a yellow short-sleeved T-shirt and blue sweatpant shorts and went to the living room. The fluffy freshness boosted his condition and energy to the maximum.
“Huh? You didn’t order delivery? I was going to treat you.”
Mo Eunje opened his eyes wide, watching Tae Igyeol moving around in the kitchen. He had planned to generously pay for something expensive today, so this was unexpected. But the ingredients laid out in the kitchen looked quite familiar. He quickly entered the kitchen and peered carefully over Tae Igyeol’s shoulder.
“Don’t tell me you’re making gumbo?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow, that’s crazy. Did you actually go inside my head? No, while I was showering, I was desperately craving gumbo. I was planning to go to Busan alone to eat some if you refused, but what’s all this?”
Mo Eunje’s mouth stretched to his ears as he followed closely behind Tae Igyeol, chattering away. Impressively, all the ingredients for his grandmother’s gumbo were right there, suggesting Tae Igyeol had gone out to shop for them this morning.
“Are you a genius? Why didn’t I think about making this at home? Grandmother used to make it at home too. You’re seriously like a genius.”
“Stop being distracting and go sit outside.”
Tae Igyeol smiled handsomely and stroked Mo Eunje’s head. In the past, he would have glared and snapped, asking why he was being treated like a younger sibling and if Tae Igyeol was showing off his height by patting his head. But now, he was willing to offer his crown for Tae Igyeol to stroke as much as he wanted. Banished from the kitchen, Mo Eunje sat at the dining table with a grinning face, watching Tae Igyeol prepare onions, bell peppers, and celery.
“But do you know how to make gumbo?”
“I learned from Grandmother last night.”
It was an indescribable feeling of being moved. How did he always manage to do such lovely things? Tae Igyeol was definitely the “pretty boy” his grandmother called him. However, a hint of uneasiness was also blooming.
“I’m not sick anymore. I’ve completely recovered.”
“I know.”
It was an ordinary response without emotional fluctuation. That made it more suspicious. Yesterday, Tae Igyeol had been generously kind because Mo Eunje had been seriously ill. In other words, now that he had recovered, the service period for the kind and caring version of Tae Igyeol had expired.
“I’m not sick, so why are you being so nice?”
Having caught this advantage, Mo Eunje rested his chin on his hands and batted his eyelashes with a flirtatious smile.
“You said you liked it when I treated you well.”
“What?”
“I said I’d treat you well even when you’re not sick.”
For words delivered so impassively as if they meant nothing, they conveyed quite significant meaning. Something about Tae Igyeol’s atmosphere seemed subtly different, but Mo Eunje couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed, which left him puzzled.
“If I say I like something, will you do everything for me?”
“That’s the plan.”
“…What’s going on? Did you eat something wrong?”
Genuinely perplexed, Mo Eunje jumped up and strode into the kitchen. The simmering stock was already emitting delicious aromas.
“Hey, you’re not Tae Igyeol. Who are you? Give me back Tae Igyeol.”
He grabbed Tae Igyeol’s collar without warning and thrust his face close, playfully growling. Suddenly, Tae Igyeol’s lips dominated his field of vision. His lips were slightly redder than usual and strangely swollen. He felt an inexplicable sense of déjà vu in that moment.
“Stop fooling around and go wait outside.”
“Ow…!”
A crisp “thwack” sound was accompanied by pain on his forehead. Having delivered the forehead flick, Tae Igyeol set aside the Creole seasoning and took out a pot, adding oil, butter, and flour, slowly stirring to make a roux.
“That’s strange, it is Tae Igyeol after all…”
Mo Eunje muttered timidly, rubbing his painful forehead as he left the kitchen. Perhaps Tae Igyeol’s heart had softened after seeing how pitifully ill he had been yesterday. With energy overflowing, bouncing around all healthy and vigorous, that sympathy wouldn’t last more than a few days.
