# Chapter 10
“Today, you sleep on the mattress, hyung.”
“Really? Alright.”
Jiho had been sleeping just fine on the mattress all this time while Yeomin, the actual owner of the place, slept on the floor. What’s this all about?
Yeomin didn’t refuse and promptly climbed onto the mattress. But then he shook his head.
“…Never mind. You just sleep up here.”
“Or we could sleep together? Like before.”
Jiho’s face, as he seized the opportunity to lie down next to him, looked too dangerous. Especially after the recent surprise kiss incident, Yeomin’s wariness was at its peak.
Yeomin lightly hit Jiho with a cushion. It was even more irritating that Jiho blocked it in one go without getting hit.
“From now on, stay at least one meter away from me.”
“In this house? Then I’d have to sleep in the bathroom.”
“I’m saying don’t touch me!”
“You do seem to get hot easily, hyung. You fidget so much when you sleep…”
“Just do the first verse.”
“Yes~”
After checking Yeomin’s mood, he hugged the flattened cushion and lay down.
Jiho’s long body filled the narrow mattress. Looking at him, Yeomin suddenly felt a sense of incongruity.
Short pajama pants that came up above his ankles and a yellow hoodie with ducks printed on it. Not a single thing on his body seemed to suit Seol Jiho, yet why did he look so comfortable…?
Surely, he would have been sleeping at home wearing a silk robe, drinking water from a glass bottle, in a room with an air purifier running 24 hours, covered in the finest bedding?
‘Is this guy really not rich after all? Otherwise, how could he adapt so well to this kind of living?’
Doubt blossomed in Yeomin’s mind.
“Hyung.”
“……”
There he goes again. Why this commotion every night, seriously.
Yeomin deliberately ignored Jiho’s call and pretended to sleep. But Jiho was a very persistent guy.
“Hyung… hyung, hyung.”
He keeps calling because I’m not answering.
“Ah, what!”
Yeomin couldn’t bear it and snapped. Even though he knew he shouldn’t, he kept getting drawn into Jiho’s pace.
“I can’t sleep.”
“Close your eyes and count sheep.”
“I don’t want to sleep.”
What do you want me to do about it? Are you a kindergartner? Should I sing you a lullaby?
Yeomin didn’t have the energy to answer. He had eaten a lot for dinner and his body was tired. He had to go to work tomorrow too.
“Yeomin hyung…”
“I told you to count sheep.”
“Aren’t you curious about me?”
“What?”
“I’m curious about you. I have many things I want to ask. But you find everything annoying.”
Even after interrogating Taeyang like that, he still had more questions? It’s exhausting. Should I just give him my family register certificate to satisfy him?
“Haah…”
Yeomin sighed deeply and turned over. Who knows how long he’d been there. Jiho was perched at the edge of the mattress, looking down at Yeomin.
“Of course I’m curious about you too.”
“What is it?”
Yeomin looked at Jiho’s eyes, colored with expectation, and said:
“When are you going back home?”
In an instant, Jiho’s excited expression changed to disappointment.
He had been grinning just a moment ago, but his serious face now was quite chilly.
“Am I that bothersome to you, hyung?”
“I’m not thinking of kicking you out. I received something from you anyway… and personally, I feel indebted.”
I almost cracked your head open, you know. But you’re fine, so all’s well that ends well, right?
“But you have money now, don’t you?”
“……”
“I’m wondering if you’re staying here because you want to, or because you have no choice.”
Should I ask about that black car that came that time? But if I bring that up, I probably won’t get any sleep tonight.
“Forget it. Let’s just sleep… don’t talk to me anymore.”
As Yeomin gave up and tried to turn back around, his body turned completely toward Jiho. His shoulder and collarbone, grabbed by Jiho, started to hurt.
“You picked me up, hyung.”
Just at that moment, a loud car noise came from outside. Who would drive into this alley at this hour?
The headlight beams seeping through the semi-basement window poured onto Jiho’s face.
Only then did Yeomin properly see Jiho’s expression…
“……”
Surprisingly, it was pitifully miserable. Like a teddy bear abandoned on the street, or a puppy whining and following its owner.
“You brought me here with your own hands, so you should take responsibility. You should love and cherish me.”
“……”
This crazy bastard. Responsibility? Love? Cherish? Joo Yeomin doesn’t have the luxury to show affection to anyone.
Yeomin showed his cynicism.
“Seol Jiho. The same goes for you, but no matter how poorly I’ve lived, living with someone, sharing a life—all this is my first time. You’re my first, so all of this is awkward for me.”
“…I’m your first?”
Fixating only on the word “first,” color returned to Jiho’s face. It’s amazing how he can change his expression in one second.
“Yeah. You’re my first. So let me tell you what you need to be careful about.”
“Yes. Good.”
Yeomin spoke like a teacher to the suddenly docile Jiho.
“Don’t interfere with my school life. And avoid being careless at home too.”
“Like what?”
“No suddenly hugging my shoulders from behind, or grabbing my arms. Absolutely hate it.”
“Tsk… so firm. I understand.”
“I’m not done yet. And don’t come to where I work. We’re about to finish the semester anyway, but go to and from school separately. Oh, and about KakaoTalk,”
“You’re saying don’t text you either? Even though you hardly reply.”
Seol Jiho asked with a gloomy face. Why on earth does he have the face of someone who’s been rejected?
Yeomin felt extremely uncomfortable.
‘What kind of relationship do I have with this guy? We’re not even flirting, so why do I have to have this kind of conversation?’
Yeomin sighed. Saying not to text at all seemed a bit too harsh.
It’s not like he’s some big shot.
“If I don’t answer your texts, just think ‘he must be busy’ and let it go. Don’t flood the chat room.”
“……”
Seol Jiho nodded reluctantly. Yeomin made a final, almost pleading request.
“Let’s sleep now, please.”
Then he turned over and pulled the blanket up to his ears. Of course, even then, he could hear Jiho’s words too clearly.
“If I keep all your rules, you’ll let me stay with you, right?”
“…Huh?”
Somehow, it seemed like I shouldn’t answer that…
Yeomin pretended not to hear. But he wasn’t the type to let things slide so easily.
“Answer me. I won’t sleep until you answer.”
Persistent guy. What is he, a Venus flytrap? Why is he so clingy?
“…Fine.”
At that moment, Yeomin was too tired, too exhausted, and too fed up, so he reluctantly answered.
“Really. You promised, hyung.”
‘Yeah, promise or whatever, do as you please.’
Using Jiho’s voice speaking to the back of his head as a lullaby, Yeomin escaped into sleep.
Looking back, the biggest mistake in Joo Yeomin’s life was knocking Seol Jiho unconscious on the street and bringing him home.
And the second biggest mistake was answering “fine” to Jiho’s words back then. Those were the two.
* * *
Surprisingly, after that, Jiho didn’t cross the line like before.
Of course, he was still annoying, and in their tiny place, he kept watching whatever Joo Yeomin was doing, and he would text from time to time…
But he didn’t pretend to be friendly with Taeyang to ask about him, nor did he hang around him at school. When they happened to pass by each other, he naturally pretended not to know him.
Ironically, only then did Yeomin finally remember how distant he and Jiho actually were.
Just because they were seniors and juniors in the same school and department didn’t mean they lived in the same world.
Jiho didn’t come to school often originally, and even when he did, he was always surrounded by people.
Even seniors several years ahead tried to exchange a few words with Jiho and make connections with him. Before, it had seemed ridiculous and futile, but…
Come to think of it, Yeomin himself had been happy to benefit from the crumbs that fell from Jiho’s table, so he was in no position to laugh at others.
“Jiho’s been coming to school a lot lately.”
“It’s exam period. I need to attend diligently.”
“By the way, were you in the self-boarding area yesterday? I saw someone who looked like you while passing by.”
Yeomin’s ears perked up as he was taking books from his locker. His heart nearly sank at the conversation of people surrounding Jiho in the hallway.
‘That’s why I told you not to wander around.’
It was only natural for anyone to find it strange that Jiho, rumored to be the son of the Ian Group, was hanging around the self-boarding area near the school.
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before rumors spread that he was staying at Yeomin’s place.
Yeomin cleared his throat loudly, “Ahem! Ahem!” as he pulled out his textbook. Jiho, who was being bombarded with questions, answered smoothly.
“Ah. You saw me? I was looking around for a place to live.”
“What? A place? You’re going to live on your own, Jiho?”
“It’s hard to commute.”
“Seol Jiho, you have a car!”
Someone made a sharp observation. Jiho glanced at Yeomin, who was standing at a distance.
Seeing Yeomin’s tiger-like expression, he quickly explained to his classmates.
“Driving is hard too, noona~”
Sure~ If Jiho says it’s hard, then it must be hard~ Even though it’s only a 20-minute drive from his family home to school, if our Jiho says it’s hard, then it’s hard!
Leaving the exaggerating people behind, Yeomin walked away.
‘Yes, yes. Jiho who finds commuting hard should go home… I have to go to work.’
Today, Yeomin became one more meter emotionally distant from Jiho.
