# Chapter 61
Dohyuk had never lived with another person before. His memories from before entering the facility were blurry and vague, and while at the facility, Dohyuk was assigned a private room due to his high grades. The dormitory for Espers at the headquarters also operated on a single-occupancy system.
In fact, Espers had to be extremely cautious when staying with non-Espers or Guides. If they failed to control their abilities, it was the people around them who got hurt, not the Espers themselves.
There was no reason why Junseo, a Guide, would willingly take such a risk and suggest living together with Dohyuk, an Esper.
‘Don’t you think he has ulterior motives toward you?’
He wasn’t sure why Seungmin’s voice suddenly came to mind so vividly. Dohyuk fidgeted with his fingers as if he had been pricked, rolling his eyes around. Thanks to the cold air blowing through the window that had been left open for a long time, his face didn’t feel ridiculously flushed.
“Junseo, you…”
Dohyuk held onto his rationality. What was he saying? For a moment, Dohyuk imagined asking Junseo the embarrassing question, “Do you like me?” He even imagined Junseo answering with a simple “Yes.”
Dohyuk knew that Junseo liked him quite a bit. How could he miss such obvious signs of affection? Especially for Dohyuk, who had fairly attractive qualities to the opposite sex, receiving inexplicable kindness from others wasn’t particularly unfamiliar. And there were plenty of reasons for Junseo to like him.
The only Esper with a high compatibility rate. But would that ‘only’ truly last forever? If only he liked Junseo ‘quite a bit’ just as Junseo liked him ‘quite a bit,’ it would have been fine. But he knew better than anyone that wasn’t the case, and that’s what made him hesitate. Romantic feelings burn out faster than expected, disappearing in an instant like scattered gas. Enough that just maintaining the status quo would be satisfying.
Dohyuk was afraid of the beginning of every moment. Everything comes to an end, and he feared both the wounds he would receive in the process and the wounds Junseo would receive. Dohyuk wanted Junseo to smile happily for his entire life. The time when he was passionate enough to dive into someone’s slight show of affection and curiosity had already passed.
He preferred things to remain stagnant like now, without any changes.
It was a bad habit, but it was also a kind of survival instinct. Reality wore entirely different colors than dreams.
‘No way. I’ve been showing you everything. If you still don’t know, it’s because you’re pretending not to know, hyung.’
The sweet voice that had been completely obscured by their kiss echoed in his mind again. Dohyuk could only belatedly respond to the Junseo in his imagination. No, you’re wrong. That’s what Dohyuk wanted to say. That Junseo had never been easy for Dohyuk to understand.
Dohyuk felt a sigh coming on and chose to just close his mouth. After his lips moved silently a couple of times, Dohyuk finally opened his mouth again, his dark brown gaze lowering slightly.
“No, never mind… So I’ll just stay there until next week’s mission?”
He hoped that after Junseo had his fun with him, he would put him back in his place even if he got bored.
Since there was no way Dohyuk could push Junseo away first, that was all he could hope for.
***
It had clearly been just a vague question expressing his thoughts. But Junseo’s urging poured out as if he couldn’t hold back any longer. After packing his few belongings and checking out of the lounge, Dohyuk was somewhat reluctantly carried off to the officetel he had left empty for so long.
In truth, given his physical condition, Dohyuk should have been the one desperately asking Junseo to stay with him.
Although only two hours had passed since he received guiding, his head was already throbbing again. Thinking that he should get a thorough check-up on his current condition if he went to the lab tomorrow, Dohyuk’s eyes trembled at the severe headache he was experiencing for the first time in his life. Even shifting his body buried in the car seat felt difficult and heavy.
He had merely clenched his fist a bit tighter than usual without even frowning, but Junseo, who keenly noticed Dohyuk’s poor condition, increased his speed.
He might have dozed off while looking at the scenery quickly passing by outside the window. Without realizing it, Dohyuk had let a short time slip away meaninglessly, and he shook his head as if to clear his foggy mind. The entrance to the officetel, which was close enough to walk from the headquarters, suddenly opened up right in front of him. He must have really fallen asleep. Dohyuk sighed, having no memory of getting out of Junseo’s car after parking. Despite the familiar shape of the building, in his spinning mind with short intervals, the structure felt strangely unfamiliar.
“You still look very tired.”
“I know. I guess lying down has become a habit.”
When Dohyuk narrowed his brow saying he felt like he was sleeping as much as a newborn these days, gentle fingers softly smoothed out his furrowed brow.
When Dohyuk pressed the button for the 7th floor in the elevator, Junseo casually canceled the button he had pressed and pressed the top floor instead. As Dohyuk turned to Junseo and raised one eyebrow, Junseo met his eyes and smiled mischievously. It was like a bad habit of Junseo’s that he had been seeing occasionally lately. Acting however he wanted and then flashing a pretty smile as if checking for a reaction.
Of course, Dohyuk overlooked this habit even though he had noticed it. If Junseo had smashed his phone for no reason and smiled like that, Dohyuk would never be able to get angry. He certainly wouldn’t raise his voice just because Junseo had canceled one elevator button.
Dohyuk was just a bit troubled. He had only planned to stop by his home briefly since he couldn’t just bring his body and nothing else.
“I need to pick up some clothes to change into at home and do some cleaning too.”
“I’ve already bought you clothes to change into. And I’ll take care of the cleaning for you later.”
As Junseo wrapped his arms around Dohyuk’s waist and started whining as if deliberately trying to be charming, Dohyuk became even more flustered. Talk sense, will you.
“Junseo… how can I make you clean my house?”
“It’s fine, I’ll hire someone.”
At Junseo’s argument that since he had plenty of money, it would be better for both of them if he hired professionals, Dohyuk finally agreed. But when Junseo said he would send a housekeeper three times a week as a service for residents, Dohyuk shook his head. What kind of service was that? It wasn’t a volunteer activity. He needed to correct Junseo’s habit of trying to give everything away. He was worried Junseo might get taken advantage of somewhere else. As if to put a period on that thought, the elevator arrival bell chimed.
“Actually, I was really curious. I decorated it myself, but I wondered if you’d like the interior. I was a bit short on time.”
As the elevator was about to open, Dohyuk carefully removed the arm that was still wrapped around his waist and asked:
“Was that what you meant this morning when you were talking about marble and wood? It was about interior design?”
Junseo nodded proudly, making Dohyuk sigh. Who decides on interior design in the same tone as asking “Would you like kimchi stew or soybean paste stew for lunch?” Also, now that he thought about it again, the gap between Junseo’s question and the result was so short that Dohyuk couldn’t help but express his doubts repeatedly.
“How did you get the construction done so quickly?”
“I did the interior work before. The place with the marble interior is on the market now. If you’re curious about that one too, I can show you. It’s right below.”
“This is crazy, Junseo…”
So he had prepared everything from the beginning and then asked? This dizziness he felt didn’t seem to be just because of his chronic illness. Dohyuk leaned halfway against the corridor wall, feeling drained, and quietly watched what Junseo was doing.
The hand movement entering the password was monotonous. Even Dohyuk, who didn’t have particularly good observation skills, could tell what the password was. Dohyuk whispered to Junseo in a small voice, as if reprimanding him. His expression was full of concern.
“Change the password, it’s dangerous. What kind of password is 0000?”
“You change it for me, to your birthday.”
Dohyuk raised one eyebrow. Perhaps due to his headache and hazy vision, his reaction was a bit slow.
“Is this how you ask for someone’s birthday?”
Along with the sound of the door opening, Junseo smiled like a flower in full bloom. Dohyuk noticed the implied agreement in that smile and shook his head.
“Just use your birthday. I would have told you my birthday if you had just asked.”
“Using the homeowner’s personal information as a password is a very dangerous practice. Then should we put the house in your name and use my birthday as the password?”
What an adorable way to talk nonsense. If someone else had said the same thing, Dohyuk would have thought they were making a tasteless joke and ignored it, but when Junseo said it, those absurd words felt like hyperrealism. Plus, Junseo had just confessed that he had already prepared two houses waiting for Dohyuk’s choice. It was frightening to think what else he might do.
Still smiling broadly, Junseo was about to conclude with “I would love that too,” when Dohyuk hurriedly stopped him.
“…I’ll change it right now, so calm down. You know I’m only planning to stay for a week, right?”
Convinced that those words weren’t just said thoughtlessly, Dohyuk quickly entered the house, leaving the door half open, and changed the password first. After pressing the keypad very slowly so that Junseo could easily see, Dohyuk turned his head to check Junseo’s expression. The corners of his mouth were gently pulled up, his moist eyes half-hidden. Junseo had a satisfied look on his face, like a child who had just been rewarded with cream. That subtle change in expression seemed so cute that Dohyuk thought to himself, I’ve gone as far as I can go.
