189
The small white paw reflexively grabbed the Churu treat.
Siwoo, who had been staring at his still-favorite snack in the world, turned his eyes back to Taebeom. Then he transformed into human form.
“What are you sorry for?”
He asked abruptly without even thinking of covering his exposed naked body. Though his tone sounded demanding, his expression had already softened.
Siwoo’s lips twitched upward at the thought that Kang Taebeom had brought Churu treats for him. And he was apologizing too. It was surprising to hear the word “sorry” come from his mouth not once, but twice.
“What are you sorry for?”
He asked again, barely holding back his emerging smile.
“Everything.”
Siwoo’s twitching lips suddenly went still. He had heard the exact same words from Kang Geonho. Hearing the same words from both brothers gave him a strange feeling.
“…Apologize properly.”
Siwoo muttered while touching the Churu treat. Though his mood had already improved, he didn’t want to let it go so easily.
Unlike Geonho, Taebeom had made Siwoo feel lonely. It wasn’t just once or twice that he had fallen asleep waiting for him.
“For not keeping my promise.”
Taebeom, sitting on the edge of the bed, continued his apology in a monotone voice.
“I’m sorry for pretending to be busy.”
Siwoo looked up at Taebeom, who had come closer, and rolled his lips inward. He must have read the texts I sent.
Siwoo had texted Taebeom, criticizing him for not keeping his promises after becoming the leader and telling him to stop pretending to be busy. The message was so long it needed to be expanded to full view.
He hadn’t replied for so long that Siwoo thought he hadn’t seen it, but apparently he had read everything.
“Apologize for not contacting me too.”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
Taebeom pulled up the blanket to cover Siwoo’s thighs. Siwoo, who wasn’t wearing underwear, was sitting boldly with his legs spread. However, he swiftly pushed aside the blanket that Taebeom had covered him with.
His heart felt completely relieved now that Taebeom was apologizing so readily. The resentment that had built up dissolved instantly, almost unreasonably so.
It was all thanks to this Churu treat.
With his twitching lips now spreading into a full smile, Siwoo gathered the Churu and doll and stood up. He crawled to the nightstand next to the bed and opened the first drawer.
He made space in the drawer already filled with other snacks and stored the Churu and doll in the innermost part. Though he knew no one else would touch them, he hid them securely.
Meanwhile, Taebeom gazed at Siwoo’s white back. He maintained a quiet gaze, slowly looking at Siwoo as if engraving him in his dark pupils.
His fingertips moved slowly and touched Siwoo’s ankle bone.
“Put on some clothes.”
Siwoo, startled by the touch on his ankle, turned his head.
“I don’t want to.”
Without pulling away his captured leg, he turned his body to sit facing Taebeom. He had no intention of putting on clothes or covering his naked body.
“Today was the last day of my check-up.”
As he mentioned the check-up, the arm where the needle had been inserted throbbed unnecessarily. He rubbed that spot with his hand and nudged Taebeom’s knee with his toe.
“They said there’s no problem.”
The touch that had been caressing his anklebone gradually moved upward. The thumb, longer and straighter than most people’s, gently pressed against the inside of his thigh. At this, Siwoo’s chattering voice became a little quieter.
“Now I… can do as much guiding as I want.”
“I heard.”
Siwoo’s cheeks grew warm as he looked down at the hand that had stopped on his thigh.
“You knew when you came…?”
Instead of answering, Taebeom stroked his thigh lengthwise. With his right hand, not his left.
Taking his silence as confirmation, Siwoo lowered his head deeply to hide his blushing face.
So he knew. He came right on the day my check-ups ended. To see me.
He probably didn’t literally rush here, but Siwoo imagined it that way. Typical Kang Taebeom. He must have kept his distance thinking it was for Siwoo’s own good.
Honestly, given his personality, Siwoo had expected this, but it didn’t lessen his hurt feelings. Instead, it made him even angrier.
Siwoo hit Taebeom’s shoulder hard. It only made a loud sound but didn’t hurt at all.
“I told you that day. Even if I understand the reason, it still hurts, so take it easy.”
He touched the shoulder he had hit and moved a little closer to him. Taebeom’s upper body also leaned toward Siwoo.
Siwoo didn’t press the issue further. He knew that people don’t change easily. It was the youngest and Kang Geonho who were unusual cases, changing day by day.
People’s habits and attitudes don’t change easily. Just as Siwoo still ate hurriedly and hid his Churu treats, Kang Taebeom still didn’t share his inner thoughts and tried to handle everything alone.
That’s how he had lived his entire life. Siwoo understood. That’s why he had been patient until now.
“Aren’t you tired?”
Taebeom examined Siwoo’s complexion. At his irritatingly tender tone, Siwoo swallowed through his tightening throat and shook his head.
The hand that would have already reached below with other guys was still circling around the area. That made Siwoo even more impatient.
Kang Geonho was right. Kang Taebeom is different from others.
“Wait…”
Siwoo, already hardened by the touch on his inner thigh, stopped Taebeom’s hand. He raised his knees to cover himself and muttered in a shrinking voice.
“Bathroom.”
Speaking in a near-whisper, he got up from the bed. Taebeom quietly watched the white body running into the bathroom.
With the sound of the bathroom door closing, Taebeom’s broad shoulders sank slightly. If Jihan had been beside him, it was a reaction he would have teased him about for at least three years.
The great Kang Taebeom at a loss for what to do.
Siwoo, who had entered the bathroom as if escaping, washed his face first. After washing thoroughly with soap bubbles, he also took out his toothbrush.
He looked in the mirror the whole time he brushed his teeth. After shaking his wet hair, he thought it might be better with some moisture and dampened it slightly.
After thoroughly cleaning even his tongue, he applied scented lotion. It was a gift from Jihan.
Siwoo was currently making full preparations to seduce Taebeom. Though he knew Taebeom had already fallen for him, it wasn’t enough yet.
Siwoo wanted to imprint with Taebeom.
With imprinting, one could read the other’s emotions. Even from a distance, it would be possible to understand how the other was feeling.
Just imagining being able to look into Taebeom’s mind made him eager to do it quickly. If he could understand the feelings of someone who was expressionless in everything, he would no longer feel frustrated. The only anxiety remaining in Siwoo now was all related to Taebeom.
Not to mention Yoo Jihan, Kang Geonho and the youngest were growing day by day. All three visited him daily to make their presence known, leaving Siwoo no room to feel anxious. And that wasn’t all. They tried to hug and kiss him at every opportunity.
The problem was Kang Taebeom. The frustrating Kang Taebeom who only knew how to work. He never crossed the line unless Siwoo took the initiative.
Knowing his personality well, Siwoo went through the embarrassment of grooming himself. He spent a long time looking in the mirror, trying his hair this way and that.
Since he usually had no interest in his appearance, he had no sense of what to do. Maybe he should have learned a bit from Yoo Jihan.
Just as Siwoo was applying more moist lotion, Taebeom’s voice came through the bathroom door. Startled by the faint sound, Siwoo listened carefully.
He thought Taebeom might be speaking to him, but he was on a call.
“No, tell them I’ll go check that myself.”
He was on another work-related call in the middle of the night. Siwoo flung open the door and approached Taebeom, who was standing by the window.
Focused on his call with the secretary, Taebeom didn’t notice Siwoo’s presence.
With his eyesight deteriorated to the point of needing glasses, his hearing was also weakened. Taebeom could only hear through his left ear.
Even that wasn’t perfect, and he had to concentrate to not miss sounds. It was a body that could easily become fatigued.
Nevertheless, Taebeom never showed any sign of difficulty. When Siwoo made surprise visits to his office, he would even put away the glasses he had been wearing.
That’s the kind of person he was. So it was impossible not to worry about him.
Siwoo stared at Taebeom’s back as he stood by the window and then embraced him from behind. Only then did Taebeom turn around.
“Stop working.”
Siwoo looked up at Taebeom, blinking his large eyes. The moisture clinging to his wet hair also seeped into Taebeom’s clothes.
Through the settled silence, the secretary’s voice could be faintly heard from the phone.
— “Shall we schedule the meeting for tomorrow afternoon? I’ve already cleared your morning schedule as you requested.”
Siwoo gently pulled at Taebeom’s hand holding the phone. Meeting Siwoo’s eyes, Taebeom turned toward him and answered briefly.
“Tomorrow won’t work.”
At the same time, Siwoo snatched his phone and turned it off. He had intended to suggest going to bed quickly, but his timing was lost as Taebeom consumed his lips.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
