Ch 55

Ideun didn’t yet know that he had been his rut partner, but he did know that he had suddenly run away on his own. On top of that, he must have received a report from Secretary Baek that he had been spotted in the town market. And yet, as soon as he returned, he went to his grandmother and threw a fit demanding food…

Was there any reason for such luxurious treatment?

The only possibility seemed to be that he was terminally ill. Maybe they were treating him well one last time before he died… out of pity…

“Did they say I have a terminal illness? How long do I have left? Three months?”

“…Seo Ji-an. What are you talking about right now?”

“I mean, I’m hooked up to an IV at home, and as soon as I wake up, you’re telling me to eat porridge. You’re helping me with everything, but I ran away on my own and caused a scene at Grandma’s house—what other reason is there for you to be treating me this well?”

When Ideun suddenly reached out and flicked his forehead, Ji-an urgently wrapped both hands around it. Maybe it was just a light tap by his standards, but it hurt enough to make him let out an “Ouch” without thinking.

“There’s a limit to wild imaginations. Who said you were dying? Do you want to walk to the table yourself, or should I carry you?”

“No, that’s not what I meant—”

“Is there no way to stop you from overthinking? Leave you alone for a moment, and your imagination runs wild in completely unpredictable directions.”

As Ideun sighed and effortlessly lifted him up, carrying him out of the room, Ji-an was still clutching his forehead.

“I’m not dying?”

“You’re not. You just almost died a few times.”

Ji-an, who had been trying to confirm the state of his mortality, tilted his head at Ideun’s murmured words, spoken as he kissed the back of Ji-an’s hand. It seemed like there were quite a few things he didn’t remember or wasn’t aware of.

Even though Ideun had said they’d eat beef porridge, it turned out to be just an appetizer. Ji-an was seated in front of a grand feast spread across the table, and he stared at Ideun, who was moving about in the kitchen. How was anyone supposed to eat all this? Even if Ideun ate well, this was too much.

“Ahjussi.”

“Eat first. Whatever you want, as much as you want. I won’t force anything or make you eat more than you can handle.”

After moving around the kitchen, Ideun approached with a mug in hand and took a seat across from him. A deep aroma of coffee beans drifted toward Ji-an’s nose. Suddenly, he thought of warm, low-acidity coffee, a slice of toast fresh from the toaster, and sweet whipped cream.

Soon, the two of them moved to the terrace, leaving the lavish spread behind. In front of Ji-an, everything he had just thought about was now set before him—along with neatly sliced fruit.

Ideun’s expression seemed somewhat dissatisfied, but he sat across from him with his long legs crossed, sipping coffee. Ji-an rolled his eyes. If he wasn’t dying, then what was the reason for all this kindness…?

“Seo Ji-an. Eat the toast before it gets cold. And don’t drift off into space coming to weird conclusions—if you have questions or things you want to know, just ask right away.”

His moment of hesitation was short-lived. At Ideun’s words, Ji-an grabbed the toast. As he tore off a piece, the crisp sound and the deepening aroma made him smile involuntarily. Dipping it generously into the fluffy, sweet whipped cream, he took a bite. The moment the taste spread through his mouth, it felt like his entire body melted. And when he followed the sweet, chewy, buttery flavor with a sip of slightly cooled coffee, it truly felt like heaven.

The sofa was more comfortable than those in Parisian hotels, with a perfectly sized table in front of it, beautifully plated food on top. Beyond the arch-shaped windows, just like in a hotel, was a blue sky with just the right amount of clouds, and below it, a river reflecting the sky’s hue, shimmering under the light.

As he chewed his toast and watched a few water birds drift along the river, his heart naturally felt at ease. But when he turned his head, there was a man in front of him who looked like he was filming a coffee commercial.

Was encountering that black snake a dream, and this reality the actual dream?

It was past 11 a.m. He was having brunch with Ideun in such a scenic place? And just before waking up here, he had been causing a scene at Ideun’s grandmother’s house. The stark contrast between the two situations made Ji-an discreetly pinch his thigh.

“Ah.”

As he let out a small yelp and quickly released his fingers, Ideun spoke up.

“No more thinking. If you have something to say, say it immediately.”

“Where is this place?”

“My house.”

“……”

He had told him to ask whatever he wanted, but the curt response made Ji-an wrinkle his nose. Expecting another short answer, he didn’t ask further and simply scooped up more whipped cream with his toast.

“Why am I here?”

“Because you kept wandering around, getting into trouble and getting hurt, so I brought you here to lock you up.”

Kidnapping and confinement were crimes, though.

“If you want to leave, you can anytime. But this place is remote, with no public transportation, so you’ll have to call a taxi or drive yourself. There are people managing the house, so if you tell anyone you want to go, they’ll take you anywhere. Same for coming back.”

Did he just tell me I have a chauffeur?

Ji-an swallowed his toast and reached for his coffee cup, but when he noticed Ideun furrowing his brow while looking at his hand, he opted for the glass of orange juice instead.

“What about work…?”

“Your resignation has been processed.”

“Oh, my house… I listed it with a real estate agent—”

“I contacted them and canceled it.”

“Oh… and…”

What else? What was something I absolutely needed to do…?

As he struggled to recall, opening and closing his mouth like a fish, Ji-an met Ideun’s gaze and lowered his eyes, choosing to stay silent.

“Why did I almost die?”

“Do you remember passing out at my grandmother’s house?”

Ji-an honestly nodded, as his last memory was making eye contact with Secretary Baek just as he was about to leave the room after exchanging greetings.

“As soon as you arrived, you were transferred to the hospital where Rowoon was. You underwent tests and rested, but you went into shock a couple of times. After stabilizing, there was nothing more the hospital could do, so I brought you here. The IV is just glucose—since medication couldn’t be administered carelessly, it was only to keep your energy from dropping while you were unconscious. Oh, and it’s been five days since the night you fainted.”

Not just a day or two, but five whole days? Ji-an had troubled Ideun again. As he processed Ideun’s words, he suddenly realized that today wasn’t the weekend but a weekday. He quickly looked at Ideun. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

“…Until you get better. And until I get better too, I’ll be working from home. If there’s an important meeting or something urgent, I’ll step out for a few hours.”

Had this man learned telepathy in the meantime? Ji-an sipped his refreshing orange juice as Ideun answered the very question he had been wondering about. They had exchanged some surface-level questions to get a general grasp of the situation, but what Ji-an truly wanted to know lay much deeper. Yet, none of it was easy to put into words.

What was Ideun thinking now? How much of a burden had he placed on his grandmother? How much did Ideun know about him? And Secretary Baek—what kind of tangled relationships were at play?

Ji-an had always been used to mulling things over alone, agonizing over them, and falling into a pit of unanswered questions. He honestly had no idea where to start or how to ask.

“What… do you want to do with me?”

It was the most pressing, most important question. As he asked, Ji-an’s heart pounded violently. It was the answer he most wanted to hear, but it was also the one he feared the most—depending on Ideun’s response, he could be shaken, hurt.

“Should we just get married first?”

He had been caught off guard and surprised multiple times today, but now—marriage? There were countless steps between meeting someone and getting married. Where did all those steps go?

Ji-an had been looking straight into Ideun’s eyes from the moment the word “marriage” came out, so he couldn’t avoid his gaze. Through his slightly parted lips, the words slipped out. “Why?”

“Because you’re pretty, cute, I like you, you’re lovable, and when you suddenly disappeared, I thought I’d go crazy. When you collapsed from exhaustion, I felt like I was going to die. When I’m with you, I’m so happy. That’s why.”

This man—had he lost his mind? How could he say such words so effortlessly, as if reading from a book?

“But I…”

“Seo Ji-an. How did you feel when you couldn’t see Bobo anymore?”

“I missed him, wanted to cuddle, sleep next to him, and kept thinking about him.”

“I feel the same.”

“…You’re comparing me to Bobo?”

Amidst a beautiful view and a delicious brunch, Ji-an found himself struggling to keep up with the conversation. First, Ideun suggested marriage out of nowhere, then he blurted out all those heart-fluttering words, and now Bobo?

“Right now, Bobo is the most precious thing in the world to you. The one you love, worry about, and care for the most.”

Although filled with questions, Ji-an nodded, as Ideun’s words were true.

“You’d do anything for Bobo? Even sacrifice yourself?”

“Yes.”

“What if Bobo gets sick?”

“I’d take him to the hospital right away!”

“What if he cries because he’s sad?”

“I’d figure out why and make sure he doesn’t feel sad anymore.”

“What if Bobo was being chased and tormented by other people?”

“Who? What? Tell me. I’ll beat them all up! No way—I’d make sure they never mess with him again and take care of him myself.”

“Exactly. That’s what I’m doing right now. But unlike with pets, people have a way to make that bond even stronger, legally.”

“…?”

“Marriage.”

Ji-an, who had been answering every one of Ideun’s questions instantly, tilted his head slightly once again.

“The way you feel about Bobo—the things you want to do for him—that’s exactly how I feel about you.”

Ideun put down the mug he had been holding, now empty, and stood up. His large hand gently ruffled Ji-an’s hair, but Ji-an only blinked in response. So, what he felt for Bobo and what Ideun felt for him… were the same?

“You want to be with me, happily, for the rest of your life?”

At Ji-an’s question, Ideun smirked. He had already said so much, but it seemed his little one was finally starting to understand. It was an explanation tailored to Ji-an’s perspective—using Bobo as a reference.

“Yeah. And from now on, no more asking ‘why.’ Every time you wonder, ‘Why is this man acting like this toward me?’ just ask yourself—‘Why did I do that for Bobo?’ Then you’ll have your answer.”

Still staring blankly at him, Ji-an was suddenly lifted into the air as Ideun placed his hands under his arms and pulled him up. Lowering his head, Ideun lightly pressed a kiss to his lips.

“Do you need a reason to kiss Bobo?”

“…I just do it because I want to.”

“Same for me.”

After another kiss at eye level, Ideun’s lips curled into a soft smile. Then he pulled Ji-an into a firm embrace. It was the first time he had properly held him in nearly ten days since he had gone missing.

Ji-an was startled by the sudden embrace, but he had missed this broad chest, the warmth of his body, and the solidity of his frame. Quietly, he buried his face into Ideun’s shoulder. The usual woody scent, which always masked his musk, was now unmistakably present.

Ideun held him so tightly that Ji-an could barely breathe before finally letting go. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Ji-an quickly sat back down. He could hug and kiss Bobo, but… beyond that… uh… so, that’s it?

“…But I can’t marry Bobo.”

“Forget about everyone else’s opinions and feelings. Just focus on what you want. Marriage is obviously happening, so just take that as a given.”

The thoughts that had been running through Ji-an’s head unintentionally slipped out, and he was rewarded with a playful but painless flick on the forehead. Just as he reached for Bobo, who was lingering nearby, Ideun showed him his phone screen before heading inside. Ji-an instinctively scooped up Bobo and buried his face in the cat’s fur.

“Meowaang.”

As the short brunch conversation replayed in his mind, Ji-an’s ears turned bright red. His face grew hot, and the corners of his lips twitched upward, but Bobo’s fluffy fur conveniently hid it. He had tried pushing Ideun away, said harsh words, and even ran away in a panic.

Yet after all that, wasn’t this where he was meant to be? Not “Let’s get married,” but “Marriage is a given”? What even was that? Did… did he just get proposed to? While eating brunch? No ring? No necklace?

He had once heard about someone getting proposed to over a bowl of rice soup—“Have my child.” But a proposal over brunch, with a casual “Of course we’re getting married”? And hadn’t Ideun confessed his love before while boiling chicken breast for Bobo?

He had never had any illusions about love or marriage, but still, wasn’t this a bit much? What was with this man? But then… why was his heart pounding, and why couldn’t he stop smiling?