107.
#Did You Know Everything?
How did Haram know? Surely Grandfather hadn’t said something?
“What do you mean by studying abroad…?”
“My teacher said so. She said Hayun hyung asked her to prepare the necessary documents for me to study abroad.”
This was news to Dawoon. He had never heard about Haram studying abroad before.
“If I go abroad, does that mean I won’t be able to see you anymore, hyung?”
Haram asked, looking gloomy. Dawoon, who hadn’t even processed the fact that Haram was going to study abroad, was at a loss for words.
“Did Hayun hyung say that? That you’re going to study abroad?”
Haram shook his head.
“Hayun hyung never told me directly. It’s just what the teacher said.”
It seemed Hayun had contacted the school. The teacher must have let it slip to Haram during the preparation process.
He was still just an elementary school student, how could he study abroad? Dawoon couldn’t understand what Hayun was thinking.
“Can’t you come with me, hyung?”
Haram asked, tugging at the hem of Dawoon’s shirt. Dawoon swallowed a rising sigh and met Haram’s eyes.
“If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. I’ll talk to hyung about it.”
Even if he was to study abroad, there was no need to rush like this. He didn’t know why Hayun suddenly wanted to send Haram abroad, but remembering how Hayun had been more openly showing his emotions recently, he had a feeling that he wasn’t unrelated to this matter. If Hayun was trying to send Haram away to avoid their relationship being discovered, he couldn’t allow it.
It should be him leaving, not Haram.
“It’s not that I don’t want to go, but being separated from you feels a bit…”
It was an answer that mixed maturity with childlike innocence. Haram had an unusually mature side to him in all matters except Dawoon. Perhaps as an extension of that, he didn’t seem to have any aversion to studying abroad itself. He even asked if it wouldn’t be good to go abroad and learn more.
The only thing bothering him was having to be separated from Dawoon.
“Hyung, when do you graduate from university? Can’t you come with me after you graduate?”
Dawoon hadn’t told Hayun and Haram about his application for early graduation. So Haram, thinking he was still before graduation, pleaded that he would wait patiently for one semester if Dawoon could come to where he was studying abroad after finishing the next semester.
Seeing the child plead, believing that Dawoon would naturally come along, he couldn’t bring himself to say that it wasn’t about Haram’s study abroad, but that he was planning to leave first.
“I’ll talk to Hayun hyung when he comes.”
He avoided answering by using Hayun as an excuse.
“What do you want to talk to me about?”
Hearing a voice from behind, they turned to see Hayun standing at the living room entrance, watching them.
“Hyung! Welcome home.”
Haram ran to Hayun to greet him. Hayun patted the smiling child’s head and sat down opposite Dawoon.
“What were you two talking about that you need to speak to me?”
Hayun asked with a smile, but Dawoon looked at him with a stern face.
“What’s wrong?”
Guessing that something had happened from Dawoon’s expression, Hayun dropped his smile.
“Are you sending Haram to study abroad?”
“Ah.”
As if it were nothing, Hayun nodded and gestured for Haram to come closer. When Haram approached and sat next to Hayun, he smiled at him.
“Did you hear from your teacher?”
Haram nodded at Hayun’s question. Judging by Hayun’s tone and expression, it didn’t seem like he had asked Haram to keep it a secret.
“I was planning to talk about it today anyway.”
Unlike with Dawoon, Haram’s reaction was calm, but Hayun added as if making an excuse.
“I’ll be going to the London branch soon. I thought it might be good for Haram to attend school there at the same time.”
“I’m not going alone?”
Haram’s expression brightened, seemingly relieved that he wouldn’t be alone since Hayun would be going too. Hayun nodded and turned to Dawoon.
“You’re graduating this semester too, right?”
Although Dawoon had never mentioned early graduation, Hayun already knew everything. This fact itself wasn’t surprising, but Dawoon felt a pang of guilt because he had been planning to use studying abroad as an excuse to run away.
“Go to graduate school in London. I’ve looked into schools there for you too.”
“Oh? Is hyung coming too? Really?”
Haram was so happy he was practically jumping. However, Dawoon froze, his eyes wide open, staring at Hayun. Studying abroad in London… It didn’t seem like a coincidence that he was making this proposal at this time.
“I need to talk to you for a moment.”
He stood up and pulled Hayun’s arm. Haram looked back and forth between Dawoon and Hayun, sensing something was off.
“Hyung…”
“Quickly.”
Dawoon urged Hayun, ignoring Haram’s reaction. Hayun looked up at Dawoon, smiled faintly, and stood up.
“It’s late. Dawoon, start getting ready for bed. Let’s talk about studying abroad tomorrow. Okay?”
Hayun soothed Haram first, who was caught between the two, looking uncertain. After calling the housekeeper to take Haram away, the two went up to the study on the second floor.
“Why suddenly talk about studying abroad?”
As soon as the study door closed, Dawoon asked pressingly.
“I told you. I’m going to the London branch. I thought it might be good for you and Haram to study there while we’re at it.”
Hayun answered casually. At first glance, it seemed like that was really the only reason.
But there were no coincidences. It was Hayun who had taught him that coincidences were inevitabilities created by someone’s intention.
“Did you hear something from Grandfather?”
At Dawoon’s question, Hayun leaned against the desk and smirked.
“Is there something I should have heard?”
The question was returned with another question. Dawoon swallowed hard, his mouth tightly shut. He had been caught. He was sure he had been caught.
He didn’t know how to make excuses. There was a smile on Hayun’s lips, but his eyes were colder than usual. It was clear he was angry, but the fact that he wasn’t showing it made it even more frightening.
“Jeong Dawoon.”
Dawoon flinched involuntarily when Hayun called him by his full name.
“Tell me. I asked if there’s something I should know.”
At the lowered voice, Dawoon lowered his gaze from Hayun.
Haram’s study abroad was ultimately brought up because of him. Not just that. Probably Hayun’s decision to go to the London branch was also made because of him. Even if he and Hayun had made their own choices, Haram hadn’t. The thought that young Haram was getting tangled up in his problems and might have to go all the way to London made it hard for him to breathe.
“I’m not going to study abroad.”
Although it was study abroad ordered by Grandfather, it was meaningless now that Hayun had caught on. He didn’t want to send Haram abroad unnecessarily because of him.
Hayun chuckled and straightened up, coming right in front of him. He reached out and grasped Dawoon’s chin, lifting it. As his head was forcibly raised and their eyes met, Dawoon couldn’t even blink. The corner of Hayun’s mouth twisted up crookedly.
“Why? You were planning to go, weren’t you?”
He was asking, but this wasn’t a question.
“I’m not opposing it. I’ve been looking for an opportunity to take you abroad anyway. So you did well this time.”
The words “did well” didn’t sound sincere. It might have been better if he had just gotten angry and asked why Dawoon tried to run away. Every word Hayun spoke seemed to penetrate to his bones, freezing even his blood.
“However, I am angry about the fact that you tried to run away from me.”
Hayun tilted his head and came closer. As the distance shortened to the point where Hayun’s breath brushed against his cheek, Dawoon couldn’t even exhale deeply.
“It’s okay. This much. If it became an opportunity for you to realize once again that you can never escape from me, that’s enough.”
The distance narrowed to the point where their lips almost brushed against each other as Hayun spoke.
“You can do anything. As long as you stay within my sight.”
With those quiet words, their lips overlapped. Dawoon tried to push him away by pounding on his chest with his fist, but Hayun was quicker in grabbing his wrist. As their tongues intertwined, even his mind became a mess.
Where did it go wrong? Since when had Hayun known? If he had known all along and just pretended not to…
He was scared of Hayun, who hadn’t shown any sign all this time. When he pushed away Hayun’s tongue that was exploring his mouth and bit down hard on his lip, Hayun stepped back with a short groan. Dawoon glared at Hayun, gritting his molars.
“Ha, it’s been a while.”
Hayun muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Blood stained his hand. It was the first time Dawoon had resisted this strongly since he first slept with him three years ago.
“I told you back then too. If you’re going to bite, you should do it properly. Biting halfheartedly like this only serves to stimulate.”
At Hayun’s comment, Dawoon bit hard on the inside of his lip. His teeth dug into the flesh, and there was a tangy smell of blood, but he didn’t loosen his grip.
Tsk. Clicking his tongue, Hayun reached out and firmly grasped both of Dawoon’s cheeks. This caused his teeth to part.
“I never told you to bite me.”
His tone was even colder than when he had been bitten.
“Remember this. If even a single scratch appears on your body, I will never let the person who caused it go unpunished. Even if that person is you yourself.”
At this chilling warning, Dawoon forcefully knocked away Hayun’s hands that were gripping his cheeks.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
