Ch 42

As the snake backed away first, Ji-an curled his outstretched fingertips.

So, you’re fine being close but don’t want to be touched?

Then let me go.

Can I?

Ji-an’s lips curled slightly as he watched the snake, which seemed to be gauging his reaction after backing away. The idea of a snake hesitating and checking for his response was absurd. There was no way such a thing was possible.

At this point, Ji-an no longer felt like the snake before him would harm him. Cautiously, he took a step back.

Crack.

The sound came from beneath his foot—he must have stepped on a twig. At the noise, the snake’s head snapped back toward him, and it quickly slithered closer. Startled, Ji-an stumbled backward in a panic.

“Ahh!”

Everything happened in an instant. The snake moved, and before he knew it, he was caught within its coiled body. Ji-an reached out urgently, his palm pressing against its thick body at his eye level. Tilting his head back, he darted his gaze around, searching for its head.

Huff.

The snake exhaled sharply, sending Ji-an’s hair fluttering. Its brazen expression seemed to say, Go ahead, try running if you dare. Ji-an’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

“Hey!”

The snake’s split, red tongue flicked out and brushed against his hair. Then, its head, which had been held high, descended to rest atop its coiled body, bringing its eyes level with his face.

The moment it opened its mouth wide, Ji-an instinctively recoiled, attempting to back away—only to bump against the firm coils behind him.

Just how wide does its mouth open? And those sharp fangs… fangs…

The suffocating sensation jolted him awake. Ji-an’s body thrashed slightly, and when the terrifying scene from moments ago vanished, he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

Dim light.

A soft “meow.”

Something gently tapped his leg with a paw.

As Ji-an processed what it was, tension drained from his body.

A dream?

Why had it felt so vivid?

Relieved that he hadn’t been swallowed by a snake, Ji-an exhaled, lifting his hands to rub his face—but then pouted. His body felt stiff, refusing to move freely.

“…Ha.”

No wonder I had a dream like that.

Realizing that Ideun’s body was pressed snugly against his back, encasing him like a snake, Ji-an carefully tried to shift within his embrace.

When he had thrashed earlier, Ideun’s hold had tightened. But now that he was moving gently, the tension in Ideun’s arms eased.

Ji-an had rarely shared a bed with anyone. During Ideun’s rut, they had both collapsed into unconscious sleep, waking up almost exclusively in a hospital. Though there were times when Ideun embraced him, they were so few that he could count them on one hand. It seemed that Ideun had a habit of hugging something in his sleep.

But didn’t he say he wouldn’t come back last night so I could sleep comfortably?

So why was he here instead of the guest room?

Judging by the state of his body, nothing had happened between them.

Thanks to the dim lighting in the bedroom, Ji-an could see Ideun’s sleeping face.

So this is what he looks like when he sleeps.

Usually, Ideun woke up before him, or Ji-an would be in the bed alone. It was likely the first time he was looking at him like this.

His steady breaths brushed against Ji-an’s face, even grazing his hair. The snake from his dream came to mind.

Big. Dark. The two resembled each other.

Ji-an lingered in the warmth of Ideun’s breath, his solid presence, the quiet sense of security he provided. But soon, he chuckled softly at Bobo, who wriggled under the covers as if he couldn’t bear to be left out.

Startled, he quickly covered his mouth with one hand, wary of waking Ideun. He let out a quiet sigh of relief as Bobo finally settled, lying against Ji-an’s back.

He had been worried that Bobo might cause a commotion and wake Ideun.

Ji-an had no idea what time it was or why Ideun was in his bed, but he didn’t want to disturb his much-needed rest. Carefully, he reached for the arm draped over his waist.

However, as soon as he tried to lift it, he found himself being pulled even closer into Ideun’s embrace.

The distance that had allowed him to see Ideun’s face was suddenly gone. Now, if he moved even slightly, his lips would brush against Ideun’s collarbone.

Turning his head, Ji-an pressed his cheek against Ideun’s chest.

Then, as if instinctively seeking comfort, Ideun exhaled and pulled him even closer, resting his chin atop Ji-an’s head.

Too close. This is way too close.

With his ear against Ideun’s chest, Ji-an could hear his heartbeat. It meant Ideun could probably feel how fast Ji-an’s own heart was racing.

He wanted to calm his heart rate, but since when had that ever been something he could control?

If he stayed like this any longer, his feelings for Ideun might become obvious.

So Ji-an slowly slid his hand between them, trying to create some space.

“I came in at dawn,” Ideun murmured from above his head. “I don’t think I’ve been asleep for even two hours. Just stay like this for a while.”

Ji-an froze, his breath catching for a moment.

After a pause, he let the tension in his arm fade.

He couldn’t bring himself to wake someone who had only just fallen asleep.

More than anything, he didn’t want to leave this warm, comfortable space.

From head to toe, the soft musk scent surrounding him felt like it was soothing and embracing him.

He hadn’t realized how warm another person’s body could be.

Or how comforting it was to be held by someone with no ulterior motives.

I can’t get used to this.

The more he realized how good of a person Ideun was, the more these small, tender moments between them accumulated. It made him happy—but also scared him.

I’m preparing to leave. But what about him?

Ji-an’s chest ached. It felt heavy, like something was lodged inside, making it hard to breathe.

The words Haneul had once spoken to him resurfaced in his mind, piercing his heart like sharp needles.

His arms, which had been trying to push Ideun away, instead wrapped around him.

Let this pain be hidden. Let it heal.

I want to cherish this moment forever, untouched by pain or difficult memories.

“Breathe comfortably.”

A large hand gently stroked Ji-an’s back. Sometimes, it patted him softly. Other times, it smoothed over his back in calm, deliberate motions.

The pain that had gripped Ji-an gradually eased.

“There you go. That’s good.”

Ji-an didn’t know what he was doing well, but as he surrendered to Ideun’s touch, his eyelids grew heavy.

His lingering pain faded, and drowsiness took its place.

With a quiet sigh, he nestled deeper into Ideun’s warmth.

All night, Ideun had watched over Ji-an in his arms. When he felt Ji-an stirring to leave, he gently soothed him back to sleep.

Then, reaching out, he grabbed his phone.

After sending a message, he silenced and disabled vibrations before setting it aside.

Next, he picked up Ji-an’s phone, gently guiding Ji-an’s sleeping hand to unlock it.

He disabled the alarm.

There were things he needed to figure out, things he had to act on quickly.

But right now, the most important thing was letting Ji-an sleep in peace.

If left alone, Ji-an would only overthink things—spinning worry upon worry.

 

* * *

 

Ji-an eventually opened his eyes, unable to withstand Bobo’s relentless antics as the cat dashed across his body, trying to wake him up. He curled up under the covers, pulling the blanket over his head in an attempt to sleep a little longer, but there was no way to outmatch the overly excited feline.

Seeing that he was awake, Bobo became even more enthusiastic, meowing loudly, pressing his head against him, and causing a commotion. Ji-an picked up the noisy cat with one hand, got out of bed, and let out a yawn so wide it nearly split his face. Stiff from sleep, he shuffled out to the living room, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight that greeted him.

Judging by the delicious aroma filling the air, the caretaker must have come by. What time was it? He felt like he had slept longer than usual, but since he hadn’t checked his phone because of Bobo, Ji-an frowned and looked at the clock on the wall.

“Ah, did the alarm not go off?”

Not ten, but eleven? Well, at least he wasn’t late. As long as he got up, washed up, ate, and took his time getting ready, he could make it to work.

“Haa…”

A sigh escaped Ji-an’s lips as the thought of work surfaced naturally in his mind. He had so much to do, yet he had slept so soundly. He hadn’t even taken any sleeping aids, but just as Ideun had suggested, he had taken a warm shower and drunk the beverage Ideun had bought for him. Then, he had climbed into bed and pulled the blanket up to his neck.

Perhaps sensing his complicated thoughts, Bobo curled up beside his neck. At some point, he must have dozed off, but now… what was he supposed to do? He only had a week.

“You’re finally up? Wash up and come eat.”

Still holding Bobo in one hand and unable to lower his other hand from his face, Ji-an was startled by the voice and turned his head abruptly. Across the kitchen island, Ideun was standing there, meeting his gaze. The scent of soybean paste stew and ribs filled the air, and Ji-an’s eyes instinctively flickered back to the clock on the wall.

It was still eleven. Shouldn’t Ideun be at work? More than that, hadn’t he said he wouldn’t be coming home last night? No—wait—hadn’t Ideun told him to sleep? The snake? The black snake. Ji-an blinked in confusion as his thoughts tangled messily, and even when Bobo leaped from his hand with a meow, he couldn’t quite grasp the situation.

Where did the dream end, and reality begin?

“No thinking. Right now, your only task is to get in the bathroom and wash up.”

As Ideun wiped his hands with a towel and walked around the island toward him, Ji-an found himself nodding instinctively. Right. He needed to wash up first.

“I’ll give you ten minutes. Can you manage that? Need more time?”

“A-Ah, no.”

“Good. Go.”

As Bobo attempted to climb up Ideun’s pant leg, Ideun caught him effortlessly and pressed a light kiss to the small cat’s face as he squirmed in protest. Paying no mind to Ji-an, he strode past him and opened the drawer containing Bobo’s treats.

“Bobo, Churu? Or what should we go with today? A canned treat?”

“Meow!”

“Want me to wash you up?”

Their eyes met again just as Ideun picked out a can, and Ji-an, who had been staring at his moving lips in a daze, suddenly spun around the moment he understood the meaning behind his words. Without hesitation, he dashed into the main room’s bathroom.

Despite his earlier confusion, Ji-an somehow managed to wash up and return to the living room. Now, he found himself sitting across from Ideun at a table laden with an abundant meal.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work…”

“I came in at dawn, and you expect me to go back right on time? That’s cruel. I’m human too.”

“Then when…”

“You start work at two. We can go together.”

Why would I go to work with the CEO? It was bad enough that Haneul had been making comments yesterday about how close we were—now going to work together? No way. Besides, things were already getting too complicated between us, and before anything else, I needed to tell him I was moving out.

Ji-an bit his lower lip tightly, his chopsticks untouched. Would he even get another chance to have a quiet conversation like this? If not now, when? Choosing his words carefully, he rehearsed what to say in his head over and over.

No matter how he phrased it, it was bound to upset him, so he wanted to avoid provoking him as much as possible.

“Uh?”

Just as Ji-an was about to ease into the topic by first expressing gratitude for Ideun’s kindness, his vision was suddenly obscured. Something warm and soft draped over his head, covering his eyes.

“Why’d you come out without drying your hair properly? You’ll make your cold worse. When is that cold going to go away? Are you even taking your medicine properly?”

As Ideun’s hands rubbed at his damp hair, Ji-an hurriedly reached up, twisting his body to take the towel from him. The house was warm, his hair wasn’t even long, and it would dry on its own while he ate.

“I-It’s fine. I can… I can…”

His hands moved frantically, and as soon as he grasped the towel, he clenched it tightly.

“Then, let’s do it together.”

What now?

Just as Ji-an had been about to haphazardly rub at his hair to prove he could dry it himself, Ideun’s large hand covered his, guiding it. Before he knew it, his hands were moving under Ideun’s control.

What the hell is this?!

“A-Ahjusshi! No, come on!”

Ji-an, who had been caught off guard by Ideun’s relentless handling since the moment he woke up, finally lost his composure and burst out in frustration. At the same time, the hands that had been maneuvering his to dry his hair came to a halt. A brief silence settled over them.