It wasn’t that he was pushing back his own bangs—it was as if Yeo Dowoon had grabbed him by the hair to fully expose his face. He wanted to shove something in there to make those cheeks bulge tight…
*Gulp.* To quench his burning thirst, Yoon Minoh hurriedly swallowed his dry saliva.
“…Is it good?”
A husky voice slipped out. His mouth watered. His mucous membranes grew slick and wet. In truth, it wasn’t just his mucous membranes that were wet. A far more embarrassing part of him was also throbbing heavily, pounding with his pulse.
“Watching you suck, hyung…”
His lecherous gaze bore into Yeo Dowoon’s tongue as if he meant to devour it whole. Ko Ijae, who had been keenly observing Yeo Dowoon’s expression, hurriedly lifted his leg.
“It’s not my chest that’s going thump-thump, it’s down ther—ack!”
And then he kicked Yoon Minoh’s backside with full force.
Since it seemed too late to undo the punishment that was coming, he’d opted for physical intervention instead. When Yoon Minoh flopped forward onto the ground, Yeo Dowoon muttered “Crazy bastard…” as he stepped on his back and walked past him.
But Yoon Minoh didn’t let out a single complaint—he just melted into a puddle.
He’d really believed he wasn’t into this sort of thing… but it seemed the time had come to accept it. He found the sensation of being trampled and crushed by Yeo Dowoon bizarrely delightful.
***
The vagrants who had been wandering around looking for a place to sleep, as if planning to squeeze together in the hospital room, left in a swarm just as they had arrived.
This was because Kwon Jeonghoo, unable to bear it any longer, had used his ability to implant a homing instinct in them—even bleeding from his ears in the process. Yeo Dowoon maintained his sober state of mind, lonely among his departing colleagues who scattered like a flock of pigeons.
Not a nosebleed, but bleeding from the ears. Even a thriller movie director drowning in bad reviews would probably avoid such grotesque staging.
In the hospital room where only a stubborn silence remained, as if a wave had swept through, Yeo Dowoon casually said his goodbye.
“I should be going as well.”
In truth, he had just received a text from Cha Haseong. Since they had agreed that Shim Woomin would handle tonight’s dawn guiding session, the message asked to meet at the hospital’s main entrance once work was done.
Cha Haseong didn’t know how to drive, so he was probably waiting in the guide-exclusive waiting room right about now. It was obvious he was being treated like a chauffeur, but Yeo Dowoon didn’t mind.
He only felt a trivial sense of relief that he’d gotten his license.
He could have asked whether the man couldn’t just take a taxi since he was a full-grown adult, but Yeo Dowoon was extremely worried that something bad might happen to him when he wasn’t around.
“Should I turn off the lights before I go?”
As he was preparing to leave, he offered this kind question. Kwon Jeonghoo, who had pulled out a generous amount of tissues from the tissue box, answered as if puzzled.
“Go where? You’re staying here to take care of me.”
“…Me?”
“That’s right.”
“Why me?”
Kwon Jeonghoo kept furrowing his brow as if the aftereffects of the mental resonance were still ongoing.
Well, his eardrum had certainly burst and bled, so if he claimed it didn’t hurt, that would have been the bigger lie. Yeo Dowoon suggested with a dry expression.
“I think it would be better to hire a professional caregiver.”
“I’ll do that starting tomorrow, so stay with me today.”
But Kwon Jeonghoo kept being stubborn, which was unlike him. Yeo Dowoon had been observing him in case abnormal symptoms were starting, then asked in a suggestive tone. There was actually one thing that concerned him.
“Is it… because you’re scared?”
The esper-exclusive ward didn’t have many patients, so it had an atmosphere several times more eerie and desolate than a regular ward.
Medical staff did walk through the corridors once at set intervals, but depending on the person, even that could feel creepy.
As Yeo Dowoon tried to recall whether Kwon Jeonghoo disliked horror, he tossed out his characteristically indifferent voice toward the silent man.
“You’ll just have to endure it.”
“……”
“Think of it as building your inner fortitude.”
Fear is a wasteful emotion. Therefore, if one trained and trained again, whatever it was would eventually be digested thoroughly. Kwon Jeonghoo, having finally wiped away all the blood from his ear, replied lazily.
“…I’m just feeling regretful.”
He didn’t look at Yeo Dowoon. He only quietly watched Yeo Dowoon’s shadow rising like a silhouette on the hospital room floor.
Whether he was trying to find something within that dark mass, or whether he had found something, Yeo Dowoon somehow felt so suffocated himself that he took a step back. Kwon Jeonghoo continued.
“I wanted to see you as soon as I opened my eyes, but I couldn’t. So it’s still not enough.”
“……”
“Didn’t you want to see hyung?”
When he finally raised his gaze, Yeo Dowoon hurriedly turned off the hospital room lights, plunging his face into darkness. The sudden confusion made it difficult to look at Kwon Jeonghoo properly.
The *click* of the switch replayed several times near his ears.
The white lighting had completely disappeared, but even before that, Kwon Jeonghoo’s hungry face that he had seen kept asserting its presence even in his blocked vision.
Darkness sometimes bestows courage. Kwon Jeonghoo spoke with force.
“If hyung’s heart wears out from this, Dowoon-ah.”
So Yeo Dowoon should have shot back that he was sick of that “hyung” business—wasn’t it getting old by now? That it was absurd how the man only invoked the principle of respecting elders when it was convenient for him. But he couldn’t.
“What do you think I’m going to say to you, that you’re always so cold to me?”
It was because the rushing emotions had seized Yeo Dowoon and shaken him. Ah, he felt like he might throw up. Kwon Jeonghoo looked so unburdened, revealing his intentions as if he had no desire to hide them.
Yeo Dowoon pressed the switch again to turn on the hospital room lights. Just as Kwon Jeonghoo slightly lowered his eyes at the sudden flood of light—
*Thud, thud.* Yeo Dowoon walked over to the bed, pulled out a folding chair, and sat down. For some reason, his face looked deeply resentful. He recited in a fierce tone.
“I’ll stay with you so Captain’s heart doesn’t wear out, so please hold it in for the rest of your life and don’t say it.”
Even an outdated comedy skit wouldn’t be this ridiculous. Yeo Dowoon added coldly.
“I have no intention of crossing the line.”
“I think you already crossed it when you came to my house and kissed me.”
“…I mean I have no intention of crossing it ‘further.'”
“Right. Don’t cross it.”
Kwon Jeonghoo chuckled softly with his eyelids lowered, then whispered with conviction.
“But if you cross it one more time, then you’ll really be caught by me for good.”
“……”
“What I want to say to you, and when I started wanting to say it.”
“……”
“When the time comes, I’ll tell you step by step, Dowoon-ah.”
***
If he was going to do this, why did he even ask him to stay? Yeo Dowoon stretched as he watched Kwon Jeonghoo, who had fallen into a deep sleep like someone on the verge of death.
He had texted Cha Haseong that he would probably have to work overnight, but the only reply he got was a cheerfully smiling emoticon, which made his head complicated.
“…What does this mean?”
When he sent another text asking if he would go to a nearby hotel, another round emoticon came back. It was a strange emoticon with a long green tongue sticking out that looked like a banknote.
Eventually, he called after much deliberation. Fortunately, Cha Haseong answered after two or three rings. A gentle voice came through.
—Yes. This is Cha Haseong.
“…It’s me, Yeo Dowoon.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Yeo Dowoon fiddled with his face for no reason as he asked.
“Do you not want a hotel?”
—Hmm…
Cha Haseong drew out his words. His elegant manner of speaking was still undisguised even over the phone.
—Are you booking it for me, Dowoon-ssi?
“Well, of course…”
—You treat me like an escort in all sorts of ways.
His incisive way of speaking was the same too. Yeo Dowoon broke out in a cold sweat as he made excuses.
“I’m saying this purely, really purely, without any improper intentions. I was just going to make the reservation for you.”
—I can’t hear you well.
He’d been speaking quietly because he thought Kwon Jeonghoo might wake up if he spoke louder, but since he couldn’t explain the situation, Yeo Dowoon quickly got up from his seat. He intended to just step out briefly to finish the call.
But suddenly, his wrist was grabbed.
“…Do it here.”
A firm, low voice made its presence known. After saying that, Kwon Jeonghoo released his wrist again.
He’d thought he was sleeping soundly—what a surprise. Yeo Dowoon nearly let out a hollow laugh and quickly cleared his throat. He diligently explained.
“There are several hotels with good room conditions near here. You’ll probably be satisfied.”
With his confident assurance, Cha Haseong asked casually.
—How so?
“The beds are wide, the bathtubs are big, and everything is good overall. Oh, the service was good too.”
That was how it was until five years ago, so he could only hope they hadn’t lost their initial standards.
Yeo Dowoon recalled the days five years ago when he used to frequent hotels like it was nothing. Back then, it was common for him to sleep at a hotel and go to work the next morning.
Compared to those days, he had practically achieved enlightenment. It was like he’d been living alone for five years, preparing to become a monk.
—Sounds like you’ve been to a lot of them.
Cha Haseong said after a brief silence.
—I’ll take a taxi. Hanging up now.
*Click.* Yeo Dowoon heard the call end and was left dumbfounded.
*’What? What was that?’*
Bewildered, he was glaring at his phone when he suddenly sensed a persistent gaze that had been on him for who knows how long and whipped his head around. Sure enough, Kwon Jeonghoo was mocking him.
“Aren’t you going to sleep?”
To the sharp question, Kwon Jeonghoo answered in a drowsy, slurred voice. Honestly, what an irresponsible guy.
“Serves you right, you punk…”
Yeo Dowoon became even more dumbfounded, his lips just trembling.
