#70
He opened his eyes in the room that had become quite familiar by now. Ha-seong was sweeping up his messy hair when he suddenly paused. Come to think of it, he had unconsciously raised his right arm just now, but it didn’t hurt much. He felt some pain, but it wasn’t to the extent that he couldn’t raise it or move it like before.
“Oh.”
Ha-seong looked down at his right hand and made a fist, then opened it. It didn’t hurt as much as he thought. Moreover, seeing that he could easily move his fingers, it finally seemed to be showing signs of recovery. Well, recently he had been able to do things to some extent by himself even without Cha Do-hyeok helping him wash his face.
Why hadn’t he thought he was getting better all this time?
Ha-seong immediately opened the door and went outside. Cha Do-hyeok always drank coffee before going to work. It seemed to be his routine. So if he went to the dining room now, he would be able to meet him.
“Hey hey, Cha Do-hyeok!”
And indeed, that thought was correct. When he entered the dining room, Cha Do-hyeok, already fully dressed, was sipping warm coffee.
Do-hyeok, who was about to bring the cup to his mouth, slightly widened his eyes upon seeing Ha-seong bursting in.
“What?”
Seeing Ha-seong running over excitedly with his hair all sticking out, Do-hyeok barely managed to suppress the corners of his mouth from rising. Did he dream about lottery numbers again? Actually, Ha-seong had occasionally excitedly told him about dreams where he picked up money or dreamed of lottery numbers.
Each time he would tell him with such a bright expression, and the feeling of watching that wasn’t too bad.
“Hey, awesome. I think I’m all better.”
Ha-seong playfully swung his right arm. Certainly, there was no more pain in his right side where the wound hadn’t been that deep compared to the others.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really. It hasn’t hurt recently, and there’s not much pain even when I use my right hand.”
Ha-seong stretched his hand toward Do-hyeok and repeated opening and closing it like before. Of course, it didn’t not hurt at all, or wasn’t one hundred percent healed, but his movement had become comfortable and most importantly, the pain had decreased significantly. This much could be considered almost healed.
“That’s a relief. Still, just to be safe, I think it would be good to get an examination.”
“Yeah.”
Though Ha-seong thought he knew his own body condition best, anyway, if he went to see Seo Ha-jun for an examination and heard confirmation that he had improved a lot, he would feel more at ease.
“Finally, this day has come. There aren’t many days left for me to be at your house.”
Although it was almost like forced kidnapping, he was able to have proper recuperation while staying at this house. Clearly, if Ha-seong had been alone at home, he would have moved around just from restlessness, and it was obvious he would have eaten carelessly while resting.
He probably wouldn’t have applied ointment to his side properly either. Thinking about it, he felt that staying at Cha Do-hyeok’s house wasn’t entirely bad, even if just a little.
“Ah.”
But if he was all better now, there was no more reason to stay here. He was moved with the thought that he was finally returning to his own home, when Cha Do-hyeok made a low sound beside him.
“You have to go back.”
That wasn’t a statement directed at Ha-seong. He was muttering lowly as if he had just realized it himself. Ha-seong opened his mouth with an expression as if asking why he was stating something so obvious.
“Of course. I have to go to work now too. I don’t know what excuse you made, but if I rest too much, people might think it’s strange.”
Even at Ha-seong’s words, Do-hyeok gave no response. He didn’t nod and just stared at Ha-seong, who was saying he would go back, with quiet eyes.
“So, when exactly……”
“Hyung, I have to go to work, so let’s talk later.”
“Huh?”
It was before he could even say when he would go back. Suddenly Do-hyeok slammed down his cup, which was still half full of coffee, and shot up from his seat. Looking at the clock, there was still quite a bit of time before work.
“Rest well.”
But it was before he could point out that part. While Ha-seong was dazed with confusion, Do-hyeok quickly exited the dining room.
And a few seconds later, the cheerful sound of the front door closing could be faintly heard.
“……What the hell. That guy.”
Ha-seong, left alone in the dining room, scratched his head and muttered. It became empty so quickly that it was hard to believe someone had been there just moments before.
“Looks like he doesn’t want to let you go.”
Then Dal-pyeong came in, laughing as if something was amusing.
“What? What do you mean by that?”
“What do I mean? Exactly what I said. He’s acting like that because he doesn’t like that you’re leaving.”
It took some time for Ha-seong to understand Dal-pyeong’s words as they were. So Do-hyeok had just avoided the situation because he didn’t like him leaving this house, but that seemed like a far-fetched speculation. Because Cha Do-hyeok had no reason to do so. Whether Ha-seong was in this house or not, it wouldn’t particularly affect Do-hyeok.
“Nah, that can’t be it.”
Ha-seong chuckled and waved his hand. But Dal-pyeong just smiled mysteriously.
* * *
But Dal-pyeong’s story might, just might, be right – he was gradually starting to think so.
“Hey, Cha Do-hyeok. I’m going home……”
“Hyung, grandfather said not to chatter during meals.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Since an adult had said so, Ha-seong couldn’t say anything more and just stuffed rice into his mouth.
“Hey, Cha Do-hyeok. So anyway, I’m going home……”
“I’m tired today so I’m going to sleep early.”
“Huh?”
“Sleep well, hyung.”
During meals, he said not to chatter, so he couldn’t speak, so when he tried to talk when they weren’t eating or doing anything, he suddenly said he was tired and shut his door. A guy who usually sleeps around midnight is going to sleep when it’s not even 9 PM yet? Ha-seong’s face crumpled.
He thought about just going home like this. But that didn’t seem right as someone who had stayed several nights, so he tried to talk and consult about it, but he kept acting like that.
Really like someone who didn’t want to send him away, as Dal-pyeong said.
Ha-seong also went to his room, vowing that tomorrow he would definitely, absolutely have to talk. But that resolve was shattered the next morning. As soon as he woke up in the morning, he looked for Cha Do-hyeok first, but what do you know – he was nowhere to be seen in the house.
When he asked Dal-pyeong and heard that he seemed to have gone to work early in the morning, he couldn’t have been more dumbfounded.
“See, what did I tell you?”
When Dal-pyeong said triumphantly, Ha-seong had nothing more to say.
“But there’s no reason for that. There’s no problem for him if I leave the house……”
“He just doesn’t like you leaving. If you’re curious, grab him by the collar and sit him down to ask.”
Ha-seong stared blankly at the empty seat in the dining room where Do-hyeok had always sat.
* * *
Do-hyeok carefully closed the door as soon as he got home from work. He had come to his own house but couldn’t enter comfortably and was trying to enter while minimizing his footsteps as much as possible, when Ha-seong was sitting right there in the living room.
“Hey, Cha Do-hyeok.”
Ha-seong, who had just discovered Do-hyeok coming home from work, strode toward him.
“I……”
“Hyung must be hungry, so if you eat first……”
“Listen to me until the end.”
Ha-seong smiled with anger and placed his hand firmly on Do-hyeok’s shoulder. Somehow it felt like he would get hit if he said one more word, so Do-hyeok kept his mouth shut tight.
“I need to go get a check-up. When are you going to let me go?”
“Ah.”
Come to think of it, he had forgotten. Actually, when he went to work today and told Seo Ha-jun about Ha-seong’s condition, he said to bring him anytime and he would take a look. Of course, for security reasons, he didn’t forget to ask them to come as late as possible.
“I’ll call.”
Whether Ha-seong left this house or not, recovery was the most important thing anyway. Meeting a doctor and knowing what condition he was in was the urgent priority.
“……Yeah, okay.”
Do-hyeok, who hung up the phone, looked at Ha-seong with a somewhat deflated expression.
“He says we can come tonight.”
“Great. Then let’s go later.”
Cha Do-hyeok nodded a beat late, and somewhat weakly at that.
Fortunately, Ha-seong’s strategy was working better than expected. Since Do-hyeok would quickly run away whenever he brought up going home, he changed his strategy to first mention wanting to see a doctor.
He planned to meet Seo Ha-jun and make him say that he had recovered a lot to this extent, and this time he would definitely say he was going back home.
So Ha-seong had dinner with Do-hyeok and headed to Nameless Guild late at night. As soon as they entered, Seo Ha-jun welcomed the two. He said he was on night duty today and it was good they came, and Ha-seong followed him to the examination room.
After all the tests were finished, Ha-jun entered the consultation room where the two were sitting side by side.
“First, let me tell you the results – you’ve definitely recovered a lot. The decreased lung function I mentioned before is also at normal levels, and there’s nothing wrong with your body condition.”
Then Ha-seong’s face brightened a little. On the other hand, Do-hyeok was just listening to the results with an emotionless face.
“And the gunshot wound area that was the most severe has healed a lot too. The side area has almost completely healed, and while the arm area can’t be said to be completely healed, it seems to have recovered quite a lot. I think there should be no problem using your arm slowly.”
It was as Ha-seong had expected. Even with the positive words that he had recovered a lot without problems and was continuing to recover, Do-hyeok said nothing. Ha-jun looked at him somewhat puzzled, then soon wrapped up the consultation.
“Still, if there’s even the slightest abnormality in your body or any discomfort in moving your arm, please come anytime.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Ha-seong once again thanked Ha-jun, who had worked hard secretly taking care of him from behind, then left the treatment room with Do-hyeok.
“You heard that? I’m okay now.”
The two slowly got on the elevator.
“Yes.”
“I’m really going back home now.”
“……Yes.”
It seemed to be right. Cha Do-hyeok was noticeably lacking energy right now. He wasn’t angry, just…… how to put it, he looked dejected. This made Dal-pyeong’s words feel even more true, making his feelings strange.
“Hey, why did you keep avoiding me all this time when I said I was going back home? I was really dumbfounded. How much must it have been for grandfather to say that. That you were acting like that because you didn’t like me going back.”
Just then, the elevator that had arrived at the basement opened with a cheerful sound. Ha-seong was getting off while shrugging his shoulders when he felt like the hem of his clothes was being pulled from behind.
“……What.”
When he turned around, Do-hyeok was holding Ha-seong’s clothes and staring at him intently.
“That’s right.”
“What is?”
“I really don’t want to send hyung away.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
