“Come, in.”
The mechanical sound and creaking noise were heard together. Miro stepped aside by the opening gate to welcome Eunchan. It felt like standing at the opening of a horror movie. Eunchan wiped his forehead, which had become damp with cold sweat, with his sleeve.
Beyond the gate, a garden chaotically tangled with weeds and plants came into view. The house itself was nice. The windows were large, and it appeared to be three stories or more. The yard and garden were also spacious, but… they were desolate, as if unmaintained. Eunchan walked along the stone path leading to the door. Weeds growing between the stone gaps made it hardly look like a path. There was also a path leading behind the house, but somehow it gave him chills, so he didn’t even want to look at it.
“It’s hot, right?”
“Let’s hurry.”
Rather, it was a bit cold from the chilly air. Thanks to Miro, who kept turning back with a pale face to check if he was following well, it was even scary. Eunchan urged the homeowner to quickly open the house door.
The sound of slowly pressing the door lock password was heard, and soon the door opened. Miro walked ahead, opened the inner door, and waited for Eunchan to enter. Eunchan gave a small “excuse me” greeting as he entered the dark house. It felt like he was greeting something inside the house rather than the fragile homeowner.
“Something to drink…”
The front door closed, and Eunchan entered inside the inner door. Only then did Miro seem to think about getting water for Eunchan, muttering in a small voice as he began walking down the entrance corridor.
“Aren’t you taking off your shoes?”
“…”
The house being dark without a single point of light was strange, and the owner entering the house without taking off his shoes was peculiar too. Eunchan looked at Miro’s back as he glided like a ghost across the cold marble floor. Eunchan hesitated for a moment, then soon walked down the corridor without taking off his sneakers. The sensor lights in the entrance repeatedly turned off and on again in response to Eunchan’s movements.
The corridor leading to the living room was longer than expected. There were paintings hanging here and there along the corridor, and tightly closed rooms. After passing about three rooms, a spacious living room was finally revealed. A high ceiling and large windows. The lack of a boundary between the kitchen and living room made it look even more spacious.
“…There’s nothing here.”
“Th-thirsty, right?”
There was no furniture arranged. No sofa, no television. Was this really a house where people lived? Eunchan clicked his tongue at the sight of exposed electrical wiring. A house where sunlight didn’t enter well. Even lacking warmth. Unaware of Eunchan’s troubled mind, Miro hurriedly filled a cup with water and approached.
“You really live here? For real?”
“Yes, yes.”
From the looks of it, the kitchen also seemed to only have the originally equipped built-in refrigerator and water purifier. Eunchan just sat down on the floor in exhaustion. Even a model house would be better than this.
“Where do you sleep?”
“Second floor.”
Miro pointed with his finger at the stairs going up. It probably wouldn’t look any different from here even if he went up. This person seems a bit strange. Unaware of Eunchan’s suspicious inner gaze, the homeowner couldn’t hide his smile, looking pleased.
“You said you wanted to wash up, right?”
“…Yes.”
Actually, he just wanted to go home. However, since what he was wearing happened to be patient clothes, Eunchan had no choice but to nod.
“Th-this way.”
Like a child playing house, Miro stretched out his hand and grabbed Eunchan’s arm to pull him up. Despite being an adult male of considerable weight, Miro easily lifted Eunchan up. Unlike his shy expression and corpse-like face, the strength with which he lifted was fierce.
Even after standing on both feet, Miro didn’t let go of Eunchan’s hand. Instead, as if worried he might go somewhere even after bringing him inside the house, he held the hand tightly.
“It’s like a horror game.”
The kind of game where choosing one wrong option leads straight to a bad ending. Eunchan looked at Miro’s broad back as he walked with hurried steps. If we fight, I’d win, right? The real patient is that guy. Eunchan imagined emergency situations while drawing out routes to escape from the house.
“Use this…”
Contrary to his dangerous imagination, the kind homeowner guided Eunchan to the shower room attached to the master bedroom. He was surprised that the room was big, but the shower room was also spacious, so Eunchan couldn’t close his gaping mouth. Is that a sauna room? Admiration came out at the sight of the sauna visible beyond the transparent glass. It’s a complete miniature version of a bathhouse. It was also surprising that it was connected to a powder room.
“I’ll, I’ll give you clothes to change into.”
“Ah, yes, yes.”
The homeowner said something, but it wasn’t audible. So even the bathroom is different in rich people’s houses. Eunchan swallowed his belated regret at the gap that became newly visible. Fuck. I made it one million won for nothing.
“…”
“…”
“Aren’t you leaving?”
“Shall I, shall I undress you?”
Saying he’d give clothes to change into, Miro didn’t move from the shower room and waited for Eunchan. Eunchan asked if he wasn’t leaving, but instead he said he’d undress him. As if the word “undress” embarrassed him too, Miro stammered twice before properly spitting it out.
“You might be uncomfortaable.”
“I’m not a patient though.”
“Still…”
Perhaps because he was wearing patient clothes, Miro looked at Eunchan with pitiful eyes as if he really seemed like a patient. Eunchan let out a hollow laugh, then soon raised his hands to unbutton the top buttons. At the patient clothes opening refreshingly, Miro couldn’t take his eyes away and blankly looked back and forth between Eunchan’s shoulders and chest.
“Cool, right?”
Thanks to work similar to manual labor, he hadn’t gained weight. His body, trained through running and strength exercises, was also Eunchan’s pride. Eunchan squeezed his muscles as much as possible to make biceps and showed them to Miro.
“Yees, pretty.”
“I’ve heard people say my body is pretty.”
His skin was also on the good side. Hyungsik sometimes touched Eunchan’s body and said he was envious that hyung’s muscles attached well. Eunchan responded in agreement to Miro’s compliment and roughly placed the top he’d taken off next to the sink.
“Who? Wh-who said it was pretty?”
“Well, various people.”
I totally went around looking like a beggar. Eunchan checked his worn face by looking in the mirror. It also seems a bit oily. Eunchan roughly pushed his bangs back behind his forehead, arranging his appearance.
“Really? Really? Other people looked at Eunchan-ssi’s body and said it was pretty? Who? Who said that? Can’t, can’t you tell me?”
“Huh?”
“Tell me.”
As Eunchan was startled by the words poured out in an instant and only gasped, Miro took one more step forward and asked. His eyes, why are this bastard’s eyes like this? Goosebumps rose on his back at the unfocused pupils.
“It’s bullshit.”
“Huh?”
“I’m saying it’s a lie. No one said that.”
“Ah, ah… Then you, you can’t do that.”
At the threat he felt, Eunchan quickly made excuses saying it was a lie. Miro tilted his head, but soon withdrew his suspicion at the repeated protest. Then, as if teaching a young child that lying is wrong, Miro placed both hands on his waist and lectured Eunchan. In absurdity, Eunchan stopped pulling down his pants and blankly looked at Miro.
“I’ll do that from now on.”
“Yees. Good boy.”
As if asking him to promise, he held out his pinky finger, so Eunchan just promised verbally that he wouldn’t do that in the future. Only after receiving Miro’s praise did Eunchan resolve to send Miro out of the shower room.
“Go out and get me some clothes to change into.”
“Yes.”
“I’m hungry, so give me food too.”
“O-okay!”
When he said he was hungry, Miro answered hurriedly with a worried face. As if he looked like he was on the verge of starvation, he rushed down the corridor. Eunchan confirmed the back figure moving away, then closed the shower room door.
“Crazy bastard.”
He’s a crazy bastard. He’d met countless crazy bastards until now, but this type was a first. Eunchan took off the rest of his pants and entered the shower booth. When he wetted his body with hot water, he felt his fatigue dissipating. A groan came out naturally. When he closed his eyes under the pouring water, everything in the world felt bothersome.
“Whatever.”
First, wash up. After washing, eat. And then… Eunchan postponed work while looking for shampoo among the wash products written in foreign languages.
* * *
There was the temptation of the sauna, but Eunchan ignored it and dried his body. Instead of covering his body with a towel, he decided to wear the hanging shower gown. In a space similar to a powder room, he roughly dried his hair with a dryer and applied the lotion in front of him. Only after applying it all on his face did he realize it was body lotion, but since it was all the same body anyway, it didn’t matter.
“Miro-ssi.”
Eunchan went out of the shower room with wet bare feet and called Miro’s name. Thanks to the still unlit lights, the corridor was dim and gloomy.
“Miro—”
“Did you finish washing?”
As he was about to call his name again, he saw the homeowner running with hurried steps from far away.
“Yes.”
“I, I put the clothes in front… Shall I help you?”
“These are pajamas though.”
“Yees.”
Having just barely taken off the patient clothes, now he was going to wear pajamas. Eunchan held the neatly folded navy blue pajamas from the shelf in his hand and looked at Miro again.
“How am I supposed to go home wearing these?”
“I, I finished making food…”
As if trying to change the subject, Miro bit his lips while showing the ladle he’d brought. It seemed like there was a curry smell coming from somewhere. Eunchan, whose favorite food was curry, silently took the pajamas and turned around. Anyway, he had to eat, right?
“I’ll put them on and come right away.”
“Yes!”
It strangely felt like he was being held back, but hunger was stronger, so he decided not to care. Is it silk? In the pajamas that softly clung to his body, Eunchan thought that he might even sleep here and go. Even the size fit perfectly.
After changing into the pajamas and coming out of the shower room again, indoor slippers were neatly placed in front of his feet. Indoor shoes with a bear drawn on them. He roughly shoved them on and walked over the quiet corridor. By the way, does this house’s person live without even turning on lights? Thanks to the high ceiling structure, it looked even colder.
“Excuse me.”
“Eat.”
At least the kitchen had lights brightly turned on. Eunchan came walking loosely with a towel around his neck, then stopped his feet again at the grand spread set on the dining table.
