He lifted his heels and hurried down to the first floor. As expected, the master bedroom door was still closed. The master bedroom and Cha Dobum’s room had only the kitchen between them, so even the knocking sound could be heard. Cha Ihyun carefully opened Cha Dobum’s door, went inside, and immediately closed it.
‘…Why is it so clean?’
Cha Ihyun had hardly ever been in Cha Dobum’s room except when he was very young. That’s why it felt even more unfamiliar. Not a single piece of clothing was lying around; everything was folded inside the closet, and neither the floor nor the desk was messy. It even smelled quite nice, unlike the cigarette smell he’d always bring to school. If anything, his own room was dirtier, which made him feel a bit embarrassed.
Still, there was one thing where he was better than Cha Dobum. Cha Ihyun’s gaze moved to the body tangled up on the bed.
Hair disheveled like a magpie’s nest, a pillow that had rolled onto the floor, blankets pushed to the edge from tossing and turning all night. Plus, the body clad only in underwear was far from the neat feeling of the room.
Just then, Cha Dobum scratched his stomach. Naturally, his gaze shifted to follow that hand.
Even lying down like that, his muscles were so defined you could clearly see how many ridges they split into. Watching his chest move up and down with each breath, he looked more like a wild animal than Ggumdungi.
‘Disgusting.’
Who would think that was a high schooler? Cha Ihyun frowned and turned his gaze away, but he couldn’t help his eyes wandering back. Maybe because it was so completely different from himself, his curiosity kept being drawn there.
So muscles can form there too. After the unconscious admiration came the conscious thought: ‘Still disgusting.’ As if to reproach Cha Ihyun, Ggumdungi rustled inside his clothes. Ggumdungi poked his face out from the front of his neck, and as soon as he spotted Cha Dobum, he launched himself with a “Myah!”
When a rather hefty weight jumped down onto his solar plexus, Cha Dobum bolted upright with an “Ugh!” sound. Despite that quick reaction, his half-asleep, disheveled face looked stupid. Even so, seeing him cradle Ggumdungi in one hand made a smile leak from Cha Ihyun’s lips.
‘He’s really weird anyway.’
With that burly body, he handles cats so gently, and despite looking like a thug, when he just woke up he’s unmistakably just a high schooler—Cha Dobum was definitely strange. The most strange of anyone he’d ever seen.
Cha Dobum muttered with a still-dazed face.
“Ah shit, that scared me… What is it?”
“What do you mean. You said you’d come pick me up in the morning.”
Cha Dobum looked at the clock.
“It’s dawn right now though?”
At his befuddled expression, Cha Ihyun giggled quietly. It felt like revenge for how he’d startled him yesterday.
Cha Dobum grumbled something and approached the window. Unlike the wide-open view outside Cha Ihyun’s room, the view here was blocked by a wall. The wall behind the building, where no sunlight reached, was covered in vines. When he opened the window, Ggumdungi jumped up onto the wall as if he’d been waiting.
Eyes widening, Cha Ihyun scurried over to Cha Dobum’s side. Looking up outside the window, he saw two more cats sitting on top of the wall besides Ggumdungi. They were all familiar stray cats.
‘So that’s how he brought him.’
At the peaceful scene that could only appear in a cartoon, Cha Ihyun hung on the windowsill and watched the cats. His lips naturally relaxed at the cute sight.
Then rough fingers pressed against Cha Ihyun’s cheek. Tracing over his dimples, Cha Dobum giggled.
“Cat whiskers.”
But Cha Ihyun couldn’t laugh. The suddenly close distance made the scene from the middle of the night flash through his mind. But then Cha Dobum suddenly put on a serious face.
“Are you a cat too by any chance?”
“Not funny.”
Cha Ihyun’s face hardened as he swatted the hand away. It was annoying that unlike himself, Dobum looked completely unbothered.
He’s done it a lot, that’s what this is. I was the first time. …No, first time what? I said it’s not that.
Unlike his head that chattered nonstop, a carefree voice flew over.
“Since that one’s Ggumdungi, you should be Huindungi.”
“……”
“Huindungi, want some food?”
“I said it’s not funny.”
“Then why are you whispering like that?”
“They’ll hear everything in the master bedroom.”
“Is it bad if they hear?”
Cha Ihyun hesitated. Come to think of it, why am I being so secretive about coming into Cha Dobum’s room? The cat was safely sent outside, so it doesn’t matter whether they hear us talking or not.
Cha Dobum lowered his voice to match Cha Ihyun’s.
“Are you trying to do something suspicious with me?”
“What are you—”
At the sound of the master bedroom door opening, Cha Ihyun shut his mouth. Then he heard Big Aunt and Big Uncle’s conversation. The moment he became aware of the voices passing through the kitchen and getting closer and closer, his body moved on its own.
Cha Ihyun climbed onto Cha Dobum’s bed, pulled the blanket over himself, and lay flat on his stomach. The room was so clean that this was the only place to hide. Cha Dobum laughed as if absurd, but immediately there was a knocking sound.
“Dobum-ah, can I come in?”
At Big Aunt’s voice, Cha Ihyun yanked the blanket closer. Covered by the blanket with barely any visibility, he could still feel Cha Dobum sitting on the edge of the bed. Cha Dobum’s voice fell from right above.
“Yeah, what.”
The door opened, and Cha Ihyun held his breath.
“Hm? I thought I heard talking.”
“Ah, I got a phone call.”
“Really? What about breakfast?”
Big Aunt’s voice was gentle as always. He thought their relationship had soured a bit from the school violence incident, but apparently not. Just as Cha Ihyun was about to feel relieved, he bit his lip at the hand that suddenly started patting his butt.
“I’ll straighten up the blankets first.”
His lips trembled at the cheeky voice. Just wait till you come out, Cha Dobum. I’ll kick you back the same way. Cha Ihyun ground his teeth, unable to even avoid the hand “straightening the blankets.”
The conversation between the affectionate mother and son continued and the door closed, but Cha Ihyun couldn’t rashly come out from under the blanket. He could hear murmuring conversation sounds from outside the living room.
Why did I even hide? I could’ve just said I came to hang out in his room. While he was having belated regrets, the blanket over his head was pulled back. Cha Dobum had already changed into clothes.
“Excuse me. When are you coming out?”
“…When Big Aunt and Big Uncle leave for work.”
It was about an hour until work time. Suddenly opening the door and leaving would be even stranger, so he decided to hold out just a bit longer.
“Does Huindungi want to hide in here? Should I carry you to your room?”
Just like Cha Ihyun had brought Ggumdungi, Cha Dobum pulled at the collar of his sweatshirt and grinned. Instead of answering, Cha Ihyun glared and pulled the blanket back over himself. Soon a cool breeze from the fan swept over the blanket.
“Where are you going?”
Seeing him change straight into outdoor clothes, it seemed he had plans with someone. That’s why he asked, but what came back was a bland answer.
“Going for a drive.”
“With who?”
“With the wind?”
“What are you really saying.”
It didn’t seem like he was meeting anyone. …Then can’t I come too? I still have time before my lesson. His lips that had been twitching said something different.
“Why didn’t you come yesterday?”
Cha Ihyun immediately bit his tongue. The voice that reached his own ears sounded exactly like he was sulking. And apparently it sounded the same to Cha Dobum’s ears too.
“Oh my, was the princess upset?”
“It’s not like that. Because of you, we had tons of food left over. No appetite my ass? You pig.”
“I wanted to eat like crazy too. But your hyung told me not to hang out with you.”
“…Since when did you listen to hyung.”
“Why. Do you want to hang out with me?”
With a subtle voice, the mattress tilted. Cha Ihyun squirmed toward the wall, but the blanket was trapped under Cha Dobum so it didn’t move well. Cha Dobum’s voice came from a bit closer.
“Doesn’t Cha Minhyun do that to you too? Tell you not to hang out with me.”
“Move away. You’re heavy.”
“Will you listen to your hyung, or hang out with me?”
“Hey, I’m not hanging out with you, okay? I’m… I’m monitoring you.”
“Wow, scary.”
“I’m serious? I’m monitoring where you’re going and what you’re doing after quitting school, whether you’re properly preparing for the GED. Because we’re family.”
At the lengthening words, Cha Dobum burst into a refreshing laugh and patted the blanket.
“Yeah yeah, I heard you well saying you want to hang out with me.”
“I said it’s not hanging out? Hey, won’t you move your hand? Ah, I said stop!”
At the raised voice, the conversation in the living room paused for a moment. So Cha Ihyun had no choice but to firmly shut his mouth at the hand that was patting his butt even more vigorously.
***
Inside Hankook University campus.
