After washing thoroughly, Seoheon carefully wiped the moisture from Bowon’s body and brought a large towel to wrap snugly around him. Just as he had carried him to the bathroom, he lifted him in his arms and moved him to the living room.
Seoheon embraced Bowon from behind as he sat sprawled on the sofa, then brought a hairdryer and began drying his hair.
On the TV, which had been showing a variety program, a drama was now broadcasting. Though the dialogue was hard to hear over the hairdryer noise, he knew what was happening since he’d seen this drama before.
A boy with sparkling silver hair swept up to fully reveal his forehead was dancing magnificently. The actor playing the charismatic popular idol performing group choreography fit the role perfectly.
“Even watching it again, I think he could really debut as an idol.”
At Bowon’s words, Seoheon raised his head and looked at the TV screen. Even at the sight of Maeng Moa successfully pulling off his first leading role, Seoheon maintained an indifferent expression and ruffled Bowon’s wet hair vigorously.
Water droplets flew up and stuck to his own face, but he didn’t seem bothered at all as he did it several more times, and before long the hair was completely dry and fluffy.
Bowon pulled his upper body forward to escape from Seoheon’s embrace. It was a gesture indicating he wanted to get up, but Seoheon moved his hips to stick close as if telling him not to go. When thick arms trapped and embraced his upper body, Bowon raised his eyebrows and looked back.
“Where are you trying to go?”
Meeting Bowon’s puzzled expression, Seoheon soon buried his lips against his nape, slowly inhaling and exhaling. Bowon could feel the humid air and rising corners of lips between Seoheon’s lips touching his neck. At the ticklish sensation, Bowon trembled slightly in his shoulders and roughly ran his hands through his tousled hair.
“Let me change my clothes. Let go of this.”
“Are you cold?”
“No.”
Thanks to the heated floor and Seoheon embracing his body, warm temperature was being transmitted so he wasn’t cold. Still, because his top had gotten wet and uncomfortable from the dripping water, he pushed weakly at Seoheon’s upper body with his elbow.
Since Bowon couldn’t handle Seoheon’s strength even in perfect condition, he wasn’t displeased with Seoheon who didn’t budge at all. He simply smiled back at the guy’s playful attitude.
At the sound of laughter, Seoheon lifted his lips and rested his chin on Bowon’s shoulder, staring at him intently. When their eyes met as Bowon lowered his gaze, he kissed his nape and earlobe in succession.
The lips that gradually rose climbed up his cheek and reached his forehead. Bowon watched with an expression of exasperation as Seoheon pressed firmly and released on multiple spots as if taking his temperature, then relaxed his body and leaned back.
“Your fever seems to have gone down, but how’s your head?”
“Mm, it hurt when I just woke up, but maybe because I feel refreshed after washing… it’s fine now.”
“You definitely seem much better than yesterday.”
Until yesterday, he’d been lying down listlessly all day, barely managing to move only when going to the bathroom. He couldn’t even respond properly, but now his speech was clear and his haggard face was showing signs of life, so he seemed much better.
Secretly relieved, Seoheon slightly lifted his clothes and slipped his hand inside. Since his own hands were warm too, the hot skin he touched felt lukewarm.
“What about food? You only ate porridge yesterday.”
“…I still have no appetite.”
“You still have to eat.”
Seoheon spoke in a worried tone while rubbing his stomach as if checking the temperature. The muscles he’d built through consistent exercise to improve his stamina seemed to have all disappeared while he was sick in bed—so flat it was gaunt. Still, it felt quite nice to touch since it was soft.
Bowon briefly considered whether he should get angry at Seoheon who was subtly fondling not just his stomach but his waist too. In the end, he decided to let him do as he pleased and stretched his legs forward for a more comfortable position.
Seoheon, who glanced at Bowon’s white legs, momentarily tensed his arms. It was an action driven by a strong impulse.
A groan of “Ugh” escaped from Bowon’s mouth at the pain of his waist being squeezed. As the pain surged, he unconsciously twisted his body, but Seoheon firmly held Bowon captive as if not to let him escape. Instead, Seoheon buried his face in his elongated nape and rubbed his cheek against it. Along with the sound of smooth skin rubbing against each other, Bowon’s heart pounded wildly.
After some time passed, the pain inflicted on his waist gradually disappeared. As Seoheon relaxed the strength in his arms, the arms wrapped around his waist repeatedly lifted and touched.
When he was securely embraced in a stable position again, Bowon let out a low sigh.
It was more nerve-wracking when Seoheon couldn’t hold back his lost reason and showed intense desire like just now, rather than when he deliberately pressed down with his full weight. His mind went blank with a dizzy sensation intense enough to cause momentary vertigo.
When he twisted his head, he met vivid brown eyes revealed above his nape. The shining eyes beneath the pure white forehead were full of heat.
Bowon reached his arm back and stroked Seoheon’s head soothingly. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, when in the blink of an eye Seoheon’s hand suddenly approached.
The words about to come out were swallowed back. Bowon wrinkled his eyebrows in displeasure at the fingers that pressed firmly as if covering his mouth then released, but soon smirked.
At that reaction, Seoheon kissed his cheek several times as if acting cute, then smiled affectionately. Bowon’s face, which had softened gently at some point, was flushed.
He touched his head in case a fever had risen and he might hurt again, but that didn’t seem to be it as he blinked. Still, just in case, he asked.
“You don’t have a fever, do you?”
“…Yeah.”
Bowon, who had hesitated briefly, wiped his wet lips while twitching his legs. In fact, since the heat had rushed to a strange place, it was difficult to say his condition was fine, so he looked down with an extremely awkward expression.
Then when he met those brown eyes, he suddenly straightened his upper body and pretended not to notice while looking at the TV. When he happened to make eye contact with Maeng Moa’s face facing forward at an odd timing, it felt like heat was rising to his head too.
“…Turn that off. Or put on something else.”
Seoheon looked at where Bowon’s eyes were directed and bit his exposed shoulder where his clothes had slipped down, a bit harder, with a displeased face.
“Ah!”
Startled, Bowon opened his eyes wide and slapped Seoheon’s back. There was no impact, but he lowered his eyebrows as if playfully hurt. Not satisfied with that, contrary to having Bowon lean against him until now, he leaned his head against Bowon’s chest, making Bowon let out a small sigh.
“I’ve held back for half a year, so pay attention to me now.”
“…I am… but I’m the patient right now.”
More than anything, they’d been home together for three straight days, so he didn’t know what the complaint was. From Seoheon’s perspective, he had been taking care of a patient, but saying it was fine to transmit the cold, he’d been kissing him at every opportunity, so affectionate displays weren’t lacking either.
Now that he thought about it, feeling truly absurd, Bowon glared at Seoheon. Perhaps that gaze was conveyed, as Seoheon spoke in a voice that sounded properly sulky.
“You received a confession from Junhee hyung, exchanged pen pal letters with Seungha, and what else… you went to the amusement park alone with Moa and readily agreed to model for Hyoin.”
At the nagging he was hearing yet again, Bowon opened his mouth in disbelief then composed his expression. At first, he’d been truly sorry and couldn’t settle down, but wondering how long this would be milked, he was now getting sick of it.
Bowon recited the same words he’d said back then exactly as before. He was at the point of memorizing the words themselves now.
“I properly rejected Junhee sunbae and I also shared my ID with Byeon Seungha. So should I ignore letters from someone who went abroad to study? Also, the amusement park was supposed to be all of us going together, but what could I do when you couldn’t come because of soccer practice… He said it was his wish because now that he’s famous, he can’t go to amusement parks. Jung Hyoin was a request for a practical exam.”
“You should have firmly refused.”
Originally, far from trying to get close, he’d been avoiding them, but now he was getting along casually with everyone. Since they’d been close with The Four since childhood, it wasn’t a relationship that would be easily severed by simple discord, but Seoheon occasionally found this thick friendship displeasing.
Still, should he say it was fortunate that those who knew Bowon was dating him didn’t cross the line? The moment they crossed the line, he didn’t know how he himself would react, but he didn’t think deeply about it.
Seoheon tightly closed his eyes at the sensation of his insides trying to heat up, then opened them at the touch on both cheeks and slowly raised his head.
Instead of apologizing to Seoheon like before, Bowon pressed his lips briefly against his forehead then released. Silently watching Seoheon’s dazed expression, this time when he kissed his forehead, the guy’s face had softened gently.
It was a situation that was already over, but he was soothing what was literally sulking behavior.
“Are you not angry anymore?”
“…Yeah.”
At his own state where the anger that had been surging up actually subsided, Seoheon laughed emptily in disbelief. Bowon confirmed that Seoheon was fine and soon released his cheeks.
Seoheon was rubbing his cheeks where Bowon’s hands had touched when he remembered the meal concern he’d briefly forgotten and was about to get up.
Because of sitting with legs stretched out, the shape bulging up above the towel covering Bowon’s crotch was starkly visible.
Seoheon sat his hips back down on the sofa inconspicuously. And as soon as he made eye contact with Bowon, he smiled mischievously.
Understanding naturally what that smile meant, Bowon swept the back of his neck at the cold sweat flowing of its own accord.
