Touched by Fingertips (2)
Upon arriving at the center, we finished reporting to each center director and returned to the office. The team that had remained to protect the center welcomed us.
“Great work everyone!”
“I’m glad it ended quickly. Is everyone uninjured?”
“Yeah, we’re fine. Whew, Sa Hae-geon did so well that it ended quickly. Right, team leader?”
“That’s right. Everyone worked hard. Hae-geon worked hard too.”
Jong-hyeok hyung gently patted Sa Hae-geon’s shoulder and gave a slight smile. Even as Sa Hae-geon heard his teammates praising him, he maintained his expressionless face, but I could see it clearly—the slight, proud twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Even though he didn’t show it much, Sa Hae-geon seemed to be feeling quite proud and satisfied inside.
“So can we disband now? Can we go now, team leader?”
“Make sure to come to work on time tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Thank you for your hard work!”
“See you tomorrow!”
“See you tomorrow!”
The team members exchanged energetic farewells and left the office one by one. Sa Hae-geon and I also followed them out. I wanted to take a taxi for his sake since he must have been tired today, but Sa Hae-geon strongly refused, saying he could drive.
In the end, I had no choice but to be led by Sa Hae-geon’s hand into the car. After confirming I had fastened my seatbelt, Sa Hae-geon started driving. The car moved smoothly on the road.
Sa Hae-geon’s face as he gripped the steering wheel looked strangely refreshed and happy. Was he that pleased about dealing with Shin Woo-jun? Or perhaps he felt refreshed after freely using his abilities.
I’d heard that Espers feel refreshed when they use an appropriate amount of power, and I wondered if Sa Hae-geon was experiencing the same thing.
“Hae-geon.”
“Yes.”
“What do you want to do when we get home?”
Sa Hae-geon seemed to think for a moment before answering.
“I want to sit on the sofa and rest with you, hyung.”
“Is that really all you want?”
“For now.”
For now? Does that mean he might want to do something else later or change his mind? Despite making such a meaningful statement, Sa Hae-geon’s face remained impassive. I tried to read his intentions by glancing sideways at him, but ultimately had to turn away without gaining any insight.
After driving for a while, Sa Hae-geon’s hand, which had been resting on the gear shift, suddenly covered the back of my hand. The body temperature I felt on the back of my hand was lukewarm. It seemed he had become quite skilled at regulating his body temperature as he grew accustomed to using his abilities.
I glanced at Sa Hae-geon, who had subtly taken my hand, then pretended not to notice and turned my head away. Perhaps gaining confidence from my reaction, he more actively wrapped his hand around mine. In the past, I might have asked what he was doing with bewilderment, but now I just wanted to let him do as he pleased.
I also found Sa Hae-geon’s warmth somewhat welcome. And above all, remembering how tired he had looked earlier, I wanted to comfort him even in this small way.
The fact that I was holding hands with Sa Hae-geon in the same space, without any particular reason or condition, honestly didn’t feel quite real… but it was quite nice. Even though we were just silently looking forward, somehow it felt like we were having a conversation through our clasped hands.
Perhaps that’s why this ordinary moment felt somewhat special.
When we arrived home, Sa Hae-geon and I opened the front door wide and entered. Even though we had only been gone for half a day, I felt as tired and exhausted as if returning home after several days. How I had missed this comfortable home.
“Myaaaaak!”
Cream, who had been in the living room, raised her tail straight up and ran toward us with quick little steps. Her round eyes were filled with joy and surprise.
“Cream, were you okay? We came back quickly today, right?”
“Myak!”
Cream expressed how happy she was by weaving between our legs and bumping her head against us forcefully. I stroked Cream’s soft fur, then gloriously collapsed onto the sofa.
Sa Hae-geon gave me a strange look, then took my outer clothes and headed to his room. I continued to lie face down on the sofa, staring at the TV until he returned.
The news was busy reporting on Shin Woo-jun’s arrest, discussing the results of his trial and what kind of life he would lead from now on. Sa Hae-geon sat below the sofa and naturally began massaging my hand. I was now so used to him doing such things that I paid little attention and focused on the news.
Normally, Shin Woo-jun would have been sent back to prison to await trial on charges of “escape,” but this time was an exception. The trial proceeded unusually quickly.
Shin Woo-jun was an S-rank Esper who had caused numerous damages during his escape. The court ruled for “capital punishment,” citing that most of the damage occurred in densely populated urban areas, that he had tried to kidnap Jeon Ju-hwan—the victim of his previous crime—again, and that he had formed an illegal organization with other independent Espers and illegally occupied an abandoned building, among other crimes.
Of course, the death penalty wouldn’t actually be carried out, but it was clear that Shin Woo-jun would face a much stricter and more inhumane prison life than before. Even without that, an ability user’s prison life was said to be incomparably harder than a regular one, and for Shin Woo-jun, who had an escape record and had received a death sentence…
Perhaps unhappy with how intensely I was focusing on the news, Sa Hae-geon, who had been massaging my right hand, suddenly bit my index finger lightly.
“…Ouch. Why suddenly?”
“Can’t you stop watching the news? It keeps talking about Shin Woo-jun. Don’t tell me you were interested in him?”
“W-what? What kind of nonsense is that? I’m not interested. I was just curious about what happened to him.”
“I worked hard so I could spend time alone with you, but why are you just watching TV?”
Sa Hae-geon asked in a voice full of disappointment. I was at a loss for words. As I stared blankly at him, unable to respond, Sa Hae-geon said:
“And you haven’t changed your clothes or washed up yet.”
“…Ah, that’s right. Um, I’ll be quick. Let’s do whatever you want after I wash up. Just wait a moment.”
I hurriedly got up. I took off my knit sweater, draped it over my arm, and began unbuttoning my shirt one by one as I headed to the room, when suddenly I felt a presence behind me.
“What is it? Why? Do you have something to say?”
Sa Hae-geon just looked at me silently in response to my question as I turned around. I thought he had followed me because he had something to say, but that wasn’t it? As I tilted my head in confusion and turned back to continue walking, Sa Hae-geon followed me again. By this point, I began to wonder if he was checking whether I was actually going to wash up or not.
After putting my socks, knit sweater, and shirt in the laundry basket, I opened the bathroom door, conscious of Sa Hae-geon standing behind me. Sa Hae-geon was watching the entire scene from right behind me.
Since I felt a bit embarrassed to show my bare body to Sa Hae-geon, I tried to close the bathroom door intending to undress inside, but his large hand suddenly reached out and firmly grabbed the door.
“…Why?”
Sa Hae-geon just looked down at me silently again. Somehow it felt like the atmosphere was flowing in an unusual direction. Sa Hae-geon’s lips, which had been staring intently at my face, opened.
“Can’t we shower together?”
“W-what?”
He asked with flushed cheeks. I stumbled over my words for a moment. Can’t we shower together? Is that something to ask with such an innocent face? I stood still, unable to continue speaking due to embarrassment and bewilderment.
That’s when Sa Hae-geon forcefully pushed me and entered the bathroom. Pushed by him, I ended up with my back against the shower booth. I didn’t understand why Sa Hae-geon suddenly wanted to bathe together, or why we needed to shower together at all.
What exactly did he want to do with me?
As I simply stared at Sa Hae-geon, unable to figure out his reason, he mumbled with reddening cheeks, as if embarrassed:
“I didn’t notice before, but it seems my muscles expand on days when I use my abilities a lot.”
“…And?”
“My body will look better than usual.”
“…So?”
“I want to show you. Hyung, you like my body, don’t you?”
“That’s true… no… w-what?”
What nonsense is this? How could he reach such a conclusion? Of course, it was true that I liked Sa Hae-geon’s body. In fact, when I once tripped and fell with Sa Hae-geon, I had some rather perverted thoughts while touching his firm chest.
But that was one thing, and this was about showing my naked body to him. Imagining showering with him in that narrow shower booth, our bodies brushing against each other, I somehow felt heat rising to my face.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
