Chapter 57: The Reason for Sharing a Bed
After dinner, time flowed quietly until past 10 PM. Since neither Yeon nor Dohyuk was particularly talkative, they didn’t even try to maintain a conversation. Dohyuk appeared busy with some work, alternating his focus between his laptop and tablet.
Yeon’s mind was crowded with various thoughts. What would happen now? Would he be unable to return to Muryeong and have to continue staying with Kang Dohyuk? Dohyuk had said he had Muryeong under his control. What did that mean? Were Muyeong, Sana, and the Muryeong people safe? At times like this, not having a way to contact them was frustrating. Even if he asked Dohyuk, he didn’t think he’d get a proper explanation.
At the sound of the laptop closing with a snap, he looked up and met Dohyuk’s eyes staring at him. Wondering if Dohyuk had something to say, Yeon maintained eye contact until Dohyuk turned away first.
“I’m going to bed now.”
Dohyuk said as he stood up. Unsure of what response was expected, Yeon simply stared at him without answering.
“Get up.”
Did he mean Yeon should go to bed too since he was going? Was he going to make him sleep in his room again? The reason had been that Yeon sneaking into his bedroom at night was bothersome.
“There won’t be a repeat of what happened before. So please sleep comfortably.”
Yeon had learned his lesson. He still wanted to help with the bad fate entangled with Kang Dohyuk, but Dohyuk wouldn’t let him touch it, and now Yeon knew what would happen if he snuck into his room. Back then, he had wanted to finish Dohyuk’s request as quickly as possible and return to being complete strangers, but now he had given up even on that.
He had directly witnessed and experienced a situation where Dohyuk’s life was nearly in danger. After seeing that, he couldn’t leave Dohyuk’s side until his bad fate was completely eliminated. He didn’t want Dohyuk to die. That’s why he had decided to stay by his side to protect him and had accepted Kang Sunhyuk’s request.
There would be another moment when that bad fate pulled taut. Until that time came, he planned to quietly do as Dohyuk instructed.
Displeased with Yeon’s answer, Dohyuk gazed at him with cold eyes. Yeon stared back blankly, unable to understand what Dohyuk wanted.
“Have you given up on breaking the bad fate?” Dohyuk asked after a while.
“No.”
Dohyuk’s eyebrow quirked at the unhesitating answer.
“Then why won’t there be a repeat of what happened before?”
He pulled his lips into a smirk.
“Are you asking me to believe that? Knowing your stubbornness?”
“I’ve decided to take a different approach, so you can believe me.”
Despite Yeon’s answer, Dohyuk scoffed as if finding it ridiculous.
“Basically, I don’t trust anyone, but I especially can’t believe that statement right now. So sleep in my room as before.”
So that’s what he wanted to say. He meant that Yeon should go to bed with him now that he was going to sleep.
Yeon quietly swallowed and agreed. It would be laughable to resist sleeping in his room at this point. Removing the bed from the room he had given Yeon was probably done with this intention. Whether he slept sitting on the living room sofa or slumped over the table in Dohyuk’s room, it made no difference.
After obediently following him into the room, Yeon found Dohyuk staring intently at him after getting ready for bed and sitting on the mattress.
“Why are you standing there like that?”
Yeon realized Dohyuk had been bothered by him standing since earlier. He silently pulled out a chair from the table in the corner of the room and sat down, but Dohyuk’s expression showed even more dissatisfaction.
“Come here.”
Though Yeon clearly heard him, he only blinked. Come here? To the bed?
“Surely… you don’t mean to share the bed?”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
Yeon was taken aback by the easy answer.
“Why…?”
“I’m the one who doesn’t understand why you’re making that expression.”
Dohyuk instead suggested Yeon was the strange one.
“I told you last time too that I have no intention of making you stand all night.”
He had indeed said that before. Back then, Yeon had tried to stay by the sleeping Dohyuk’s side to break his bad fate, and Dohyuk had told him not to stand as punishment and to sit on the chair. But now, even though Yeon was sitting in a chair, Dohyuk was saying the same thing, so he didn’t know how to respond.
“Pretending to be innocent at this point is amusing.”
Dohyuk chuckled and looked Yeon up and down.
“When you first snuck into my room, didn’t you say you might sleep with me if it were possible?”
Yeon felt his mouth go dry at the desire clearly visible in Dohyuk’s eyes.
“That was…”
Because you didn’t desire me then. That’s why he had been able to respond provocatively. But if he said the same now, he felt like the answer would be that it was entirely possible.
“That was because Kang Dohyuk-ssi was my client then.”
“And now I’m not?”
Yeon swallowed dryly at the returned question and nodded. Kang Dohyuk was no longer his client. Muryeong had officially terminated the request, and he had returned to Dohyuk’s side following his own fate, regardless of the request.
“So you’d sleep with someone if they’re a client?”
“That’s not…!”
He started to deny it but closed his mouth because it would contradict what he had just said. His own words had trapped him.
“You really look down on me, don’t you.”
Dohyuk got up from the bed and approached Yeon. Standing right in front of him, he grabbed Yeon’s chin and forced him to meet his gaze. Yeon could see his own reflection in Dohyuk’s shiny black eyes.
“I can tell just by looking that you’ve never slept with anyone. You probably acted like an emotionless doll with other clients too, just like you did with me at first.”
Yeon couldn’t deny the assertion, which seemed to penetrate him completely.
“But in front of me, you waver and become agitated. Whether it’s because of that red thread binding us together or whatever, I’m a special existence to you.”
As if responding to Dohyuk’s intensifying emotions, a red thread rose and undulated between them. Yeon felt an illusion that the pressure on his finger where the thread was wrapped also grew stronger.
“Feel free to deny it and try to run away if you want. But I have no intention of letting you go.”
Dohyuk bent his waist, bringing their faces closer.
“If you need an excuse, I’ll pay you. Under the pretext of a service fee.”
The mention of money made Yeon’s heart sink. He pushed Dohyuk’s chest with both hands, and Dohyuk obediently stepped back.
“You choose. Either sleep beside me for payment as a service, or sleep beside me submitting to fate, blaming that red thread you hate so much.”
Either way, the answer was the same. It was annoying how Dohyuk pretended to give him a choice.
“So why must I sleep beside Kang Dohyuk-ssi?”
When asked for a reason, Dohyuk raised one eyebrow.
“Well?”
Even he didn’t seem to have a clear answer.
“Because I can’t trust you 100% yet.”
Ridiculous. How does it make sense to ask someone you don’t trust to sleep in the same bed?
Swallowing his retort, Yeon stared at him.
“Another reason is…”
Dohyuk’s gaze swept over Yeon. It felt like being stripped naked in front of him, just like before.
“I’m curious if I’ll come to want you.”
Yeon’s eyes widened at the unexpected reason.
“I’m curious how powerful this red thread you mention is. It can’t be explained by logic or reason, but strangely, I keep feeling certain that you’re mine. If there’s no other connection for me besides you, then you’re my only partner, which means sexual relations should be possible, right?”
Dohyuk reached out and caressed Yeon’s cheek. His hand slid down smoothly along Yeon’s neck. Yeon shuddered at the eerie sensation, and Dohyuk’s lips curved into a playful smile, as if he found it amusing.
“I don’t see you as a sexual object yet. Fortunately, I confirmed last time that I can sleep with you beside me. So stay by my side. I’m curious to see how far my feelings will develop.”
Dohyuk’s proposal was dangerous for Yeon. He already knew what would happen if Dohyuk’s current possessiveness developed further.
“I don’t want to know—”
“I’m curious. Your opinion isn’t needed.”
Dohyuk’s hand, which had been trailing down Yeon’s neck, gripped his shoulder tightly. Yeon frowned at the strong grasp.
“Besides, you have a responsibility. The responsibility of making me aware of a fate I didn’t need to know. So feel free to run away. I’ll just catch you and set you down in front of me again as many times as it takes.”
Dohyuk kept emphasizing the running away part, even though Yeon had never said he would run.
“I won’t run away.”
Yeon shook off his hand and met his gaze directly. Anyway, even if Dohyuk didn’t come after him, they would somehow meet again as long as this thread wasn’t broken. He wouldn’t run away.
“I don’t need payment. Instead, I have one condition.”
He had no intention of taking money from him. But he wanted to make this clear.
“I…”
He had no idea how this would sound to Dohyuk. Whether he would take it as Yeon’s feelings for him or just as interference, it was unpredictable.
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I know.”
Dohyuk answered more easily than expected. Since Yeon had jumped in front of a bullet to save him, he seemed to acknowledge that part. In truth, Yeon hadn’t even thought about being shot that day. He had just moved instinctively to block the murderous intent directed at Kang Dohyuk. He only realized it was a bullet after being hit.
“That’s why I also don’t want you to hurt others.”
Dohyuk’s expression stiffened slightly at these words.
“I don’t simply mean don’t accumulate more bad fates. Since I don’t want either of us to get hurt… Please promise. Promise that from this moment on, you won’t kill anyone. Won’t hurt anyone either. If you keep that, I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Anything?”
Dohyuk narrowed his eyes and asked. Anything. Even knowing how dangerous that word was, Yeon nodded. Whatever it might be, nothing could be worse than death.
“I’ll try to keep it.”
It wasn’t the perfect answer he wanted. Still, Yeon knew this was a significant concession from Kang Dohyuk.
“So now lie down and sleep quietly.”
Dohyuk grabbed Yeon’s arm, pulled him up, and led him to the bed to lie down.
“Looking forward to our nights together, starting tonight.”
Dohyuk planted his arms on either side of Yeon’s face and looked down at him. Yeon looked up at him and gulped. Despite Dohyuk saying he had no sexual desire yet, Yeon felt like he might be devoured by those pitch-black eyes.
