Before being discharged, the two heard precautions from the hospital room manager, and Eunchan was prescribed ointment. Remembering the earlier story about taking psychiatric medication, Eunchan looked at Miro, but Miro left the hospital without being prescribed any medication. He must be okay now? The comfort doll might really be that effective.
Eunchan held Miro’s hand and boarded a taxi parked under the summer sunlight. The driver who said he would safely take them to their destination safely brought the two home as promised.
It was still a desolate house. The taxi driver dropped the two off and disappeared with the car. Crossing the gate and garden that looked like a psychic spot, Eunchan thought. Living alone in a place like this would make you sick. He was clicking his tongue when Miro opened the front door for Eunchan.
“L-let’s go in.”
“Excuse me.”
Taking off his shoes and entering, Eunchan slowly looked around. Nothing had changed. Of course, the homeowner had been in the hospital the whole time. Should he not clean? While Eunchan was distracted looking around the house, Miro obediently put down the luggage and turned on the air conditioner.
“I’ll give you Eunchan’s room.”
“I just need a place to rest my head.”
He could live even if told to stay in the living room. It was a really spacious house, to the extent that someone could hide and live there without anyone knowing. Miro pondered for a moment and soon began opening all the room doors on the first floor.
“I said anywhere is fine.”
“Mm-hmm,”
Following behind Miro, Eunchan appealed that it was okay, but Miro didn’t even pretend to listen. Come to think of it, he’s secretly quite stubborn. He pretends to listen but ends up doing what he wants anyway. Eunchan held his head while contemplating Miro’s personality. He’s a difficult person to win against, like Han Inju.
He needed to contact the lawyer. Since his phone was completely smashed, there was no way to contact him. He hadn’t memorized the number separately, so he had to get the business card from the boss again. Watching Miro going back and forth between rooms, Eunchan came out to the living room and sat down leaning against the wall.
“It would be nice to bring in some furniture.”
At the very least, he wanted to bring bedding from his own house. His phone was smashed, and there was no television either. Eunchan blankly looked out the window. Only Miro’s footsteps echoed through the house. In a space completely separated from the outside, Eunchan became intoxicated by the tranquility.
The setting sun stretched long, scattering sunset light everywhere. Looking at the orange beam of light crossing the floor, Eunchan stretched out his legs. He felt somehow comfortable. He was attacked and hurt his head, and nothing about the stalker or Kim Noeul had been resolved, but he also had the thought of “so what.”
Eunchan closed both eyes and thought of his grandmother. And he pictured the house where only the two of them lived. A cozy space that had only each other’s warmth, smell, and sounds. When grandmother went out to work, Eunchan had to be alone, but he wasn’t that lonely. There were neighborhood friends to play with and there was always a hyung waiting for Eunchan. The hyung who would pace around the garden wondering when Eunchan would come…
“Eunchan-ah.”
Eunchan, who had dozed off for a moment, woke up at Miro’s voice. Unable to gather his dazed mind and only blinking his eyes, Miro squatted down in front of Eunchan and met his gaze.
“Sleepy?”
“Yeah…”
Miro, who had been gently stroking his head, soon lifted Eunchan in his arms. Even though he must be heavy, there wasn’t a single sign of hesitation. As his body floated in his drowsy state, Eunchan naturally wrapped his arms around Miro’s neck. Miro’s warmth felt under the cold air conditioner breeze was warm.
Miro, who took out the ointment from his pocket, applied medicine to Eunchan’s cheek and chin. He also unwrapped the bandage to confirm that the head wound hadn’t gotten worse. After finishing treatment, Miro rocked Eunchan’s body as if soothing a younger sibling and also kissed his cheek. Occasionally, as if he couldn’t hold back, he hugged him tightly with force. Eunchan, who wanted to sleep but disliked being constantly touched, complained irritably in his sleep.
“…Don’t.”
“Sorry, you’re pretty.”
Holding Eunchan in his arms, Miro entered a small room located on the second floor. However, in the room with only a bed sitting alone, Miro pondered for a moment, then only grabbed a blanket and walked back out of the room. Returning to the living room, Miro sat leaning against the wall as Eunchan had done. Before long, Eunchan was breathing comfortably and falling into a deep sleep.
Miro let Eunchan rest his head on his chest, then trapped Eunchan’s body between his legs. Miro supported Eunchan with his whole body and carefully covered him with the blanket. He wanted to stroke and fondle sleeping Eunchan, but unable to wake him, Miro had to be satisfied with loosening his arms and embracing him.
Without a single light on, pitch-black darkness filled every corner of the house. Miro giggled in the darkness. It was a perfect and precious moment.
When early morning came, Eunchan woke up. Having slept lying on and leaning against someone for the first time, Eunchan sat up abruptly in confusion.
“Miro-ssi.”
“…Yes.”
At Eunchan’s call, Miro rubbed his eyes and yawned softly.
“Why are you sleeping like this? Isn’t it uncomfortable?”
He himself was fine. Rather, it was embarrassing because he seemed to have slept more comfortably than when he slept at his own house. Eunchan reached out and sat Miro up.
“Is Eunchan hungry?”
“No, I’m asking if you’re okay.”
“Mm-hmm. I’ll give you food.”
One-sided communication again. Miro spoke as if Eunchan starving was the biggest problem and stood up. Watching the back of Miro heading straight to the kitchen, Eunchan laughed hollowly. Yeah, there’s still nothing in the house, so that could be. Eunchan turned off the air conditioner and opened the living room window. The hot morning breeze felt refreshing.
He arranged the blanket and pushed it to a corner, then opened the luggage bag. As soon as he opened it, he grabbed the rabbit ears that popped out and took out the doll. The clothes that Miro had carefully put on were all wrinkled. Feeling like it was complaining, “How could you leave me here and forget me,” Eunchan laid the rabbit doll face down on the blanket.
The clothes inside were the patient gown, the sweatpants he wore as pajamas, and the clothes he wore yesterday. For now, he took out the sweatpants and gathered his toothbrush supplies.
He wanted to shower. Going to the kitchen, Miro was wearing an apron and absorbed in cooking. All he was doing was making rolled eggs, but he looked exactly like a skilled chef.
“I’m going to wash up.”
“Ah! I, I need to wash too.”
“You want to wash together?”
“Really?”
Miro asked with sparkling eyes as if asking if that was really okay.
“The rolled eggs seem to be burning.”
“It’s, it’s okay!”
Miro, who immediately turned off the induction power, picked up his apron. Miro approached Eunchan with quick steps and spread his arms to embrace Eunchan.
“Go wash up in the other bathroom. I’ll use the one by the living room.”
The increased physical contact wasn’t uncomfortable. Eunchan patted Miro’s back.
“I’ll g-give you clothes to change into, Eunchan. Sit here…”
Telling him to wait a moment, Miro sat Eunchan in a dining chair. Clothes were a problem anyway, so it was fortunate that he said he’d take care of it. Wash up, eat breakfast, contact the boss. He should call the lawyer too. As Eunchan made plans, he first put the toothbrush in his mouth. He should also take a walk around and see what’s there.
“Wear, this.”
“Yes.”
Miro, who returned quickly, handed him comfortable-looking clothes. Both the top and bottom were the same color checkered pattern, making them look like pajamas.
“Shia jao…”
“……”
When Miro couldn’t understand because of the lisping pronunciation, Eunchan took the toothbrush out of his mouth and asked seriously.
“This isn’t pajamas, right?”
He thought he might be planning to make him wear pajamas again.
“N-no.”
Unable to remove his suspicious gaze but having no other choice, Eunchan accepted the clothes. He shooed away Miro, who followed him all the way to the bathroom, waving his hand, and finished brushing his teeth. When he took off his clothes to shower, the bandage wrapped around his head bothered him. Unable to gauge whether he could untie it or how big the wound was, Eunchan put his clothes back on and went outside the bathroom.
“Miro-ssi.”
He called Miro, planning to ask him to look at his wound. However, there was no answer back. He was probably washing up in a different bathroom. Eunchan walked to the kitchen, hungry enough to at least grab and eat the rolled eggs that Miro had left half-done. However, when he entered the kitchen, Eunchan had no choice but to bury his face in his hands and sigh deeply.
The rabbit doll was wearing the exact same clothes as Eunchan and was obediently placed in the seat where Eunchan had been sitting just moments ago. So that’s why he made me wear this. At this rate, won’t he put my hair or nails inside the doll too? Eunchan held the rabbit doll while having chilling imaginations. The rabbit’s charm is its fluffy white belly. For Miro, who didn’t understand that charm, Eunchan had to take off the doll’s clothes.
As he was unbuttoning the doll’s top, he heard the sound of the door lock being released from the entrance. Did Miro go outside instead of washing up? Eunchan approached the entrance holding the doll without thinking.
“…What?”
What he faced was a strange man. The man looked Eunchan up and down, holding the doll, and frowned. Eunchan, who hurriedly hid the doll behind him, belatedly asked for his identity. Was it the stalker? That was the first suspicion he had. However, seeing that he knew the entrance password and entered confidently as if he were the homeowner, there was a high possibility that he was someone Miro knew.
“Who are you?”
“Who are you.”
The man with crossed arms guarded against Eunchan with sharp eyes. Eunchan appealed his harmlessness to the fullest and introduced himself to the man.
“I’m Miro-ssi’s…”
Someone he knows? Hired employee? He didn’t know what to add. To simply say someone he knows, he was in a position hired for money, but to say hired employee, they were closer than a typical debt relationship.
“Is Jang Miro here now?”
However, regardless of Eunchan’s answer, the man’s interest was only in Jang Miro. Watching the man enter inside, passing by Eunchan without even taking off his shoes, Eunchan also hurriedly followed behind.
