Ch 23

After sending Ji-an to the bedroom, Ideun’s attention remained intensely focused on him. Despite the considerable distance between the bathroom connected to the bedroom and the living room, Ji-an’s movements and sounds, like the water running, suitcase opening and closing, and rustling of blankets, reached Ideun with surprising clarity. When he turned off the music, each sound Ji-an made as he moved seemed to linger provocatively.

Ideun, who was trying to look out the window, soon found himself distracted by a single file protruding from a stack on his lap—it was Ji-an’s file, which he’d kept close. Though he’d requested more information, Ideun hadn’t expected much. People could conceal anything if they tried, and for many, even amounts in the tens of millions were child’s play to hide. Ideun had only bound Ji-an with a nominal 50,000-won monthly rent, which allowed Ji-an to open up, at least a little.

He recalled Ji-an’s apartment—he’d left with the lights still on but then shut them off on the way out. If Ji-an had woken briefly and faced the darkness, would it have triggered some trauma, causing him to spiral into a shock?

Realizing one can of beer wasn’t enough, Ideun stood up and moved toward the wine cooler.

“Meow!”

“Oh, sorry.”

Without thinking, Ideun almost stepped on Bobo, the small cat Ji-an had brought. “Why didn’t you stay asleep with Ji-an?” He crouched down, gently petting the soft fur ball winding around his ankles.

“Snacks are out of the question. You saw how scolded I got for giving you treats earlier.”

“Meow!”

“Still no.”

This house, often quiet even when Taemin visited, felt warmer since Ji-an and Bobo arrived. As he walked back to the living room with his wine, Bobo suddenly tugged at his pant leg and meowed insistently, pulling him toward the bedroom. Surprised by the cat’s unusual behavior, Ideun followed.

There, Ideun found Ji-an in bed, clutching the blanket tightly and curling up as if cold, though he seemed to be sleeping deeply. Smiling at the sight, Ideun approached to fix the blanket. But as he looked at Ji-an’s face, he noticed the tear tracks on his cheeks. It was like a silent cry in his sleep, and Ideun, unaccustomed to comforting anyone, didn’t know where to start. Gently, he placed a hand on Ji-an’s forehead, feeling the warmth that radiated from him.

He frowned, realizing Ji-an was burning up. Without thinking, he moved swiftly, grabbing the fever medication he’d prepared earlier but hadn’t administered. Holding Ji-an as he murmured in his sleep, Ideun searched for emergency contacts, wondering if he should call an ambulance, a doctor, or even Rowoon.

“Undress him…?” 

He read an online suggestion about relieving fever by cooling the body but hesitated, seeing Ji-an huddle up more tightly. Gently unbuttoning Ji-an’s shirt, Ideun managed to place a cold compress on his forehead, watching him breathe more evenly as the fever slowly came down.

Hours later, with Ji-an finally resting peacefully in his arms, Ideun couldn’t help but feel oddly drawn to the small, unconscious movements Ji-an made toward him, like curling up against him. Ideun leaned back into the bed, never fully able to look at the file in his hand, feeling somehow anchored to the presence of the man he held. Even though the dawn was breaking and he’d soon have to let go, for now, he let himself drift, watching Ji-an rest in the quiet intimacy of the morning light.

In such a short time, Ji-an had stirred up such complex and varied emotions in Ideun—something no one had ever done before. Claiming he could handle everything on his own, boasting that he managed everything well—yet, this wasn’t really handling things; it was simply enduring.

Enduring pain as if it would go away on its own, enduring struggles as if time would just take care of it all… Was he mistaking endurance for living well?

As Ideun gently patted Ji-an’s hair, which had dried after being damp, he felt an odd sensation and looked down at him. Ji-an was resting his head on Ideun’s arm, his arm and leg draped over Ideun’s body, exuding a scent that felt unfamiliar. Hadn’t he said he was scentless?

Ideun was more sensitive to scents than most people. He was always careful about air fresheners, his own pheromone management, even his cologne, which he used liberally. And yet, Ji-an had no particular scent—just the usual hints from fabric softeners or body products.

Gripping Ji-an’s wrist that was lying across him, Ideun brought his nose to the inside of Ji-an’s wrist and took a slow inhale. He detected a scent that was oddly familiar, almost as if Ji-an had absorbed his own pheromone and was now giving it back. The sensation of a space filled entirely with just one person’s pheromone made Ideun’s head throb. He’d never shared a bed with anyone before, nor been this close to someone else. And yet, Ji-an was an exception from the start.

Ji-an, who had insisted he had his own personal space, had casually leaned on him. Ideun, who hated having his personal space invaded and resisted physical contact, had now somehow become someone’s body pillow.

Instead of feeling discomfort or irritation, he found himself enjoying it. While Ji-an slept, Ideun gently touched his brows, nose, cheeks, and lips, and even embraced Ji-an’s frail body, musing about feeding him well.

“What are you really?”

Unable to define the situation precisely, Ideun kept searching for Ji-an’s scent. It felt like his own heavy musk had filtered through Ji-an. If his senses weren’t failing him, there was now a light, soft musk coming from Ji-an’s wrist—a scent that seemed to suit him perfectly.

* * *

Crash!

Startled by the loud noise, Ji-an sat up abruptly in bed.

“Ji-an’s sleeping, keep it down.”

“Just close the door.”

Hearing the low voice behind the louder sounds, Ji-an looked around, letting out a brief sigh. Then, he rubbed his face, wiped the sleep from his eyes, quickly smoothed his hair, and got out of bed.

“Good morning.”

With both Ideun and Taemin present in an already awkward space, Ji-an blew out his cheeks before biting his lower lip. When Bobo first came to his place, rather than showing fear in the unfamiliar setting, she seemed to embrace the adventure. And after just one day, she appeared completely settled in this house as well.

“Meeow!”

Bobo, seemingly excited upon seeing him, sprinted toward him, only to skid on the marble floor and come to a halt in front of Ji-an’s slippers.

“Heh…”

As Taemin burst out laughing at Bobo’s dramatic entrance, Ji-an found himself joining in with a grin, while Ideun simply shook his head in amusement.

“Mrow. Nyaa. Aoo.”

You’re the one who came running, the one who slipped on the floor, ended up colliding with soft slippers, and yet you’re the one showing attitude?

Scooping up the now-battling Bobo, Ji-an saw Taemin laughing loudly and Ideun shaking his head. Ji-an couldn’t help but chuckle as he stroked Bobo, who nestled her head against his chest, purring happily.

“Forehead.”

At that one word, Ji-an blinked as a large hand suddenly covered half his face and his forehead. Then, Ideun muttered, “Neck,” and his hand, which had been on Ji-an’s forehead, brushed down and cupped the nape of his neck, causing Ji-an to freeze in surprise.

“No fever. Anywhere else that feels off?”

While Ji-an was still piecing together what had just happened, Ideun had already moved over to the coffee machine on the other side of the island.

“I’m fine.”

“I know.”

“Ah… that was hilarious. Hey, Kitty, are you shy?”

Still chuckling from Bobo’s sliding antics, Taemin moved closer, and Ji-an instinctively held his breath.

Just as Taemin’s hand was about to reach for Bobo, who was purring and snuggling into Ji-an’s chest, Bobo acted first. Quick as lightning, before Taemin could even touch her, she whipped around, swatted at him with a paw, then promptly nuzzled back into Ji-an.

“What, hey—did you just slap me?”

Ji-an knew that Taemin’s attention was on Bobo, not him, yet as Taemin’s musky scent approached, he found himself taking a step back instinctively. Both men appeared to be getting ready for work, their hair still slightly damp and wearing dress pants with crisp white shirts.