“Ah…… I must have fallen asleep.”
Siwoo muttered as he opened his heavy eyes. When he was with Evan, there were often times when he’d fall asleep as if his memory had been cut off. Siwoo was about to shake his head lightly and rub his face to shake off the sleep that wouldn’t easily go away, when he saw Evan’s hand tightly holding his own and gave a faint smile.
“We’re back at the dorm. Should I carry you on my back?”
At Evan’s affectionate voice, Siwoo, unable to properly open his eyes, rubbed his face with just one hand and smiled softly. Although fatigue clung to his entire body, thanks to sleeping deeply, his condition was better than before.
“Yeah.”
At first, he had intended to refuse his offer to carry him. What he felt the moment Evan’s hand, which had been touching his until just now, let go of his hand was a strong sense of regret. That’s why he spoke as he felt. Thinking deeply and worrying would only interfere with his relationship with him. There wasn’t enough time just to love.
“Really? You want me to carry you?”
Even knowing that surprise was seeping into Evan’s voice, Siwoo nodded his head slightly. He just kept smiling. It seemed rational thinking was impossible because he was sleep-deprived. Maybe this was a dream. Normally he would never do this, but after taking a quick look around, this was the underground parking lot of the dorm.
The only people here would be the members and managers. It wasn’t the broadcasting station where everyone’s eyes were directed. There were no cameras, no fans, no staff.
Noises could be heard in the distance, as if the other members were also getting out of their cars.
Even at the sound of the car door opening, Siwoo just unfastened his seatbelt and remained still with his eyes closed.
“Get on.”
At Evan’s voice, which had regained its calm, Siwoo opened his eyes briefly and without hesitation got on his back. Then he relaxed all the strength in his body and closed his eyes. His whole body swayed at a steady rhythm. He could hear the voices of the members and manager, and the sound of Evan having a conversation.
Because his ear was pressed against his back, Evan’s voice sounded like it was resonating, and he liked that resonance. He wanted to hear what they were talking about, but Siwoo, who had woken up briefly to get out of the car, fell back asleep just like that.
“Siwoo. Are you sick somewhere?”
“No. He just won’t wake up. It makes sense that he’d be exhausted.”
At Sangjun’s words as soon as he saw them while waiting for the elevator, Evan answered in a small voice.
“I’m tired to death. Really.”
When Sangjun massaged his own neck and let out a long sigh, Yechan, who was standing behind him, placed his hand on his shoulder. When Yechan put strength into his large hands and massaged Sangjun’s shoulders and neck, Sangjun’s face, which had surrendered his body to those hands, gently furrowed.
“You’re all knotted up, our hyung.”
“Yeah. There, press the left shoulder a bit harder.”
“Tomorrow we have an evening schedule, so everyone rest comfortably. I’m thinking we should all go to the hospital before the schedule starts, what do you think?”
Myunghun, who had followed them at some point, joined the conversation.
“The hospital?”
“The three of you alphas are due for checkups, and Sangjun and Siwoo can get pumped full of nutrients with an IV or something. You guys know too, right? It’s going to be a forced march until January.”
When Myunghun briefly explained in response to Chan’s words, everyone nodded their heads.
“My medicine is supposed to come from England. Tomorrow I’ll go to a Korean medicine clinic with Sangjun hyung and Siwoo.”
When the elevator door opened, at Evan’s words as he got right on, everyone’s gaze turned to him. Siwoo, being carried on his back, seemed to be in a deep sleep.
“Huh? A Korean medicine clinic? You know about places like that? Are you sure you lived in England?”
“They say in Korea, when your body gets weak, you take Korean medicine. Rather than an IV that’s done in one shot, Korean medicine can be taken for a long time, so it would be better.”
At Chan’s words, Evan recalled the conversation he had with his mother right after finishing his call with Fayden. He felt like he hadn’t contacted her much using the excuse of being busy with work, so he called her out of courtesy. Since it would soon be cold winter, he was planning to ask her to send things like vin chaud and other things Siwoo would enjoy eating.
During the conversation with his mother, when she asked if it wasn’t hard, he casually said that Siwoo was having a harder time than himself.
‘Then make him some restorative medicine. Now that I’ve seen him in person, he looks weak. Sangjun and Siwoo are betas, right? You need to take better care of them.’
‘What’s restorative medicine?’
Anyway, rather than just buying something, his mother’s last words after explaining content Evan couldn’t easily understand, saying something about meeting a Korean medicine doctor and feeling the pulse and whatnot, were to just go to a Korean medicine clinic.
Because each person has a different constitution, the medicinal herbs they take would be different.
“…… Gong…… Gongjin, Gongjindan? What was it? Anyway, that’s also good, but directly feeling the pulse and matching it to the body……”
Evan recalled his conversation with his mother.
“Gongjindan…… That’s good. So you want me to take restorative medicine too?”
At Sangjun’s words, Evan nodded his head slightly.
“Huh? What about us? Me too, me too, I want to take some. My body’s also weak these days and I’m really tired.”
At Yechan’s behavior of suddenly pretending to be tired, Chan, who was standing next to him, hit his back quite hard.
Ah, this guy. What kind of restorative medicine does an alpha need, restorative medicine.
And even if you’re clueless, there’s a limit. Honestly, does it look like Evan’s going to take care of you right now? He’s trying to feed it to Siwoo because he’s having a hard time. And he’s also taking care of Sangjun hyung because he’s a beta too. Ah, seriously. What am I going to do with this guy.
“Why! Why are you hitting me?”
“Hey. I’ll buy you red ginseng, red ginseng. I heard kids’ red ginseng is coming out well these days. The sweet stuff is better to eat than the adult version.”
Though the fairly loud voices continued, the sleeping Siwoo didn’t wake up.
* * *
Autumn, when a cold energy fills the air morning and evening.
Siwoo instinctively moved his body seeking warmth. When did his soft and squishy carrot change like this? It was a bit hard and firm, but the warmth transmitted was nice. It seemed to have gotten bigger too.
With his eyes closed, feeling the sleepiness slowly disappearing while smiling, the smile on Siwoo’s face instantly vanished. Separately from the refreshing feeling of morning after sleeping comfortably and deeply, he could roughly picture the situation even without opening his eyes.
Something that happened in the not-so-distant past.
Siwoo slowly opened his eyes and swallowed the saliva that had pooled in his mouth. Right, my carrot couldn’t be like this. Siwoo’s body, which was pillowing somewhere around firm shoulders and chest, rose and fell up and down minutely at a steady speed. And he could also clearly hear someone’s heart beating with a thump-thump.
What was a little different from that time was that it was his room, not Evan’s room, and blackout curtains were drawn so dim light was hazily illuminating the room.
After confirming through the even breathing sounds and Evan’s stable scent that he was asleep, Siwoo slowly raised his head. A comfortable expression, tightly closed eyes. Siwoo quietly looked at Evan’s sleeping face.
It was like a drizzle. Rather than a passionate and hot emotional whirlwind, it approached silently and gradually melted into him. Unlike the past time when he was desperate to avoid it, tried to hide it, and somehow turned away from it, now that he had acknowledged and accepted everything, it was comfortable.
Dozens, hundreds of times a day, gazes that met without people knowing.
Hands that brushed past while passing by. Things like putting arms around shoulders disguised as filming.
He naturally fell into Evan’s arms because of the choreography incorporated in ‘Lucifer.’
All those moments and times were so precious. Even if he regressed again, if he had these things, he could endure. It seemed like he couldn’t do without Evan now. Strangely, when he was next to him, he could rest comfortably.
Siwoo, who had no memory after being carried by Evan, suddenly lowered his head to look at himself. Who put on these pajamas that I like to wear? He touched his face, but heavy makeup didn’t come off.
“If you’re done looking, you should give me a kiss. Didn’t you learn that when you wake someone up, you do it with a kiss?”
Siwoo, who had been lost in thought looking at his clothes, suddenly raised his head at the languid voice. Evan still had his eyes closed. But he could feel his heartbeat, which had been steady, quicken a little. Because it was comfortable just staying like that, Siwoo was still half lying on top of his body.
It wasn’t that he didn’t know Evan would wake up. He should have escaped from his embrace as soon as he opened his eyes, but because they were in an excessively intimate physical contact situation, Siwoo pursed his lips and tried to get up.
“Where are you going? Give me a kiss before you go.”
Because Evan’s arm wrapped around his waist, blocking his escape route, Siwoo couldn’t even speak and buried his face in Evan’s shoulder.
“I haven’t opened my eyes yet. Hurry.”
At his playful voice, Siwoo’s face and ears turned red.
Who wakes someone up with a kiss? You kick them with your foot, steal their blanket, or wake them with a loud voice.
When Evan hugged Siwoo with both arms as if urging him and shook his body, Siwoo buried his face in his shoulder even more. Then a small laugh burst out from Evan’s mouth. Eventually, Siwoo also followed him and giggled while laughing.
Evan’s lips touched Siwoo’s forehead.
“Don’t do it.”
“Do what?”
“I…… didn’t wash up. I don’t even remember putting on these clothes.”
“I changed your clothes. I removed your makeup, but I couldn’t do anything about your hair. But hey, Mr. Kim Siwoo. I’m next to you and you fall asleep? Huh? Kim Siwoo, let me ask you seriously. I’m next to you and you fall asleep? You do. Even when I change your clothes and wipe your face, you don’t even wake up.”
“Haha. Wait. Don’t…… Ahahaha, that tickles…… Yesterday…… haha…… I was so tired.”
Evan’s hands, which had been hugging Siwoo tightly, playfully caressed Siwoo’s body, and because that touch tickled, Siwoo laughed while struggling to avoid his hands.
“So if you’re even a little sorry, a peck. Wow, I’m so nice. Lowering it from a kiss to a peck.”
Siwoo, who avoided Evan’s hands, rolled on the bed while curling his body into a ball.
“Wait…… just a moment……”
Whether it’s a kiss or a peck, just stop those hands. Even if he ran away, it was only on the bed.
Before he knew it, Siwoo had to face Evan, who was on top of him.
As expected, he’s also human. The naturally sticking-up hair instead of neatly arranged hair, or the appearance of wearing a comfortable t-shirt, struck him as new.
At the sudden change in atmosphere, Siwoo slightly avoided Evan’s gaze and wet his parched lips with the tip of his tongue.
“Will you do it? Or should I?”
Ah, I shouldn’t laugh. At Evan’s whining, the corners of Siwoo’s mouth twitched. His gaze was still directed elsewhere, but Siwoo naturally put both arms around Evan’s neck and pulled him slightly toward himself.
“Hyung! They’re telling you to get up.”
With Yechan’s voice heard along with the door that suddenly burst open, even the air froze perfectly.
“Have a good time.”
Along with those absurd words, the door closed again with a thud.
“I’m going crazy, seriously.”
Evan’s lips touched Siwoo’s lips slightly and disappeared. Then Evan, who had sprung up from the bed, opened the door and went out.
“Kang Yechan, you bastard. Won’t you get over here right now?”
“Hyung! On purpose, absolutely, on purpose I didn’t…… Aaah…… Chan hyung.”
Hearing the clattering sounds from outside, Siwoo slowly got up and headed to the bathroom while scratching his forehead. It seemed he’d have to explain well to Yechan a little later. But what should he explain? His head suddenly throbbed.
