The sound of a swallow echoed loudly in his head. Hong Seong-jun’s slow blink drifted into view, playing out like a scene in slow motion.
Damn, this bastard really is absurdly good-looking.
Even though he was on guard, Lee Haru found himself momentarily captivated by Hong Seong-jun’s face. The gentle smile that played on his lips carried an air of warmth and sweetness, like the lingering scent of a cream latte.
“You stopped wearing it for a while. Where did you find it?”
“…Sorry?”
He was slow to react again. Not only had Hong Seong-jun suddenly broken his silence, but Haru had been so focused on admiring the well-balanced features of his masculine yet soft face that he completely missed the right moment to respond.
To snap out of it, Haru bit the inside of his cheek hard. But the next words made him fall into silence all over again.
“You said you lost it.”
“Ah…”
Right. I, or rather, the original Lee Haru, said that.
Of course, Hong Seong-jun was probably correct. Even after Haru had entered this body, he had no idea the ring existed—until he found it in the mansion’s basement, driven there by the persistent sound of crying he kept hearing.
“In the basement. It was just lying there on the floor.”
Haru offered a vague explanation. Since it was not a lie, his tone remained neutral.
But Hong Seong-jun’s expression shifted in a subtle way. His lips were still curved into a smile, but his brows drew ever so slightly together.
“You went… into the basement?”
“…Yeah.”
Wait—was that somewhere off-limits?
He suddenly remembered the heavy lock—one he never could have opened without Yu Je-hyun’s help. If he had tried going down there alone, he likely would have turned back, unable to get past the obstacle.
Hong Seong-jun gave him a look as if he had just said the sun rose in the west.
Haru held his breath, unsure what to make of the reaction. Then, without a word of farewell, Hong Seong-jun abruptly stood and walked off.
Did I mess up somehow?
Even replaying their conversation in his head, there was nothing particularly odd about what he had said. The only strange thing had been Hong Seong-jun’s reaction.
Something told him Hong Seong-jun was the one who had put that lock on the basement door. He was about to chase that thought further when his stomach let out a loud growl.
He had made delicious kimchi fried rice to share with Ji Yeon-woo. But thanks to Yu Je-hyun’s sudden interruption, he had not even taken a single bite. By now, it had probably gone cold and crusty on the table.
Hunger was making him irritable, and the once warm breeze had turned chilly. Thinking clearly required a full stomach.
“Ugh, my legs…”
He could not stay there forever, so he tried to stand—but froze mid-motion, hunched over in place. His legs, starved of circulation for too long, throbbed with sharp, shooting pain the moment he moved.
Unable to take even a step, he had no choice but to catch his breath.
“So this is where you were. What are you doing?”
After Hong Seong-jun came Yu Je-hyun. Not wanting to be caught looking so pathetic, Haru tried to force himself upright—only to lose his balance.
“Whoa—”
He tipped forward, but instead of hitting the ground, he landed squarely in a firm chest.
The scent that brushed his nose was completely different from Hong Seong-jun’s. Before he could tell whether his racing heartbeat was from surprise or embarrassment, his body was suddenly hoisted up.
“Ah—!”
In an instant, he was bent in half—slung over Yu Je-hyun’s shoulder, his stomach draped across it.
The rush of blood to his head made him dizzy. He beat his fists against Yu Je-hyun’s back in protest.
“Put me down! I am getting dizzy!”
It was true, the dizziness was real—but more than that, he was mortified. The arm supporting the backs of his thighs felt solid, the muscle pressing through the fabric as if branding his skin.
Smack—
“Hold still. You could not even move because of a cramp, remember?”
Wait—what the hell did he just hit?
His mind went blank for a moment. It did not hurt, but the sensation that radiated from his ass was enough to fry every functioning brain cell.
Maybe he liked how quiet Haru had suddenly become, because as Yu Je-hyun walked, he gave the same spot on Haru’s rear a few gentle pats, almost like soothing a child.
Tap, tap, tap—
With each soft pat, whatever composure Haru had started to recover scattered like dust in the wind.
***
“Ugh, no—stop that already…”
This was insane. While he was still in a daze from the shock, Haru somehow found himself seated on the living room sofa.
The phantom sensation of being patted on the ass still lingered so vividly that all he could do was blink.
Then, as if that were not bad enough, Yu Je-hyun knelt down in front of him on one knee.
What the hell was happening? The sheer absurdity of it left him too stunned to respond in time.
Before he could stop him, Yu Je-hyun reached out and began massaging Haru’s still-tingling calves.
It hurt—but it also felt good. And for reasons he could not explain, a strange tingling sensation buzzed through his lower abdomen.
Overwhelmed by the muddled swirl of sensations, impossible to sum up with a single word, Lee Haru’s body slumped into the sofa as if it might melt into the cushions. Practically reclining, he lazily waved a hand through the air, but Yu Je-hyun silently continued massaging him without pause.
“Still tingling? Try standing up.”
Yu Je-hyun finally lifted his hands from Haru’s calves and straightened his back. His tone was firm, almost commanding, but the look in his eyes was unmistakably one of concern.
Worrying over something as trivial as a leg cramp… It was so unlike Yu Je-hyun that Haru was caught off guard. While he fumbled for a response, Yu Je-hyun once again moved him like he was made of cloth.
His feet touched the floor—and nothing felt wrong. It had hurt a bit when Yu Je-hyun was massaging him, but now there was only a cool, soothing relief.
“…Thanks.”
Even if it had all happened without his say-so, the truth was, Yu Je-hyun’s help had completely taken care of the numbness.
Though his voice came out barely above a whisper, soft as a breath, Yu Je-hyun responded not with words, but by gently patting him on the head.
“Come eat. Your stomach just growled loud enough to scare the neighbors.”
The tips of Haru’s ears turned hot with embarrassment. Rubbing his belly awkwardly in a defensive crouch, he glanced at the back of Yu Je-hyun’s head as he walked toward the kitchen.
His hearing’s insane, seriously.
The sound had been barely audible, just a soft rumble inside him, and yet Yu Je-hyun had caught it. But Haru was hungry, so like a puppy trailing after its owner, he followed behind.
When they reached the dining room, Ji Yeon-woo was already seated at the table. He was stirring his kimchi fried rice with a gloomy expression, barely touching it. But the moment he saw Haru, he set down his spoon.
“Haru hyung…”
His voice trembled with emotion. Haru glanced at the plate—almost untouched. Had he eaten anything at all?
No matter the situation, Haru could usually force a smile and eat through anything with thick-faced indifference. But for Ji Yeon-woo, the tension must have been too much. Not even a single bite had gone down.
Those eyes, wide with relief, looked at him like he was a lifeline. Haru wordlessly sat across from him.
“How is it?”
“I-It’s really good.”
Ji Yeon-woo finally began to eat properly, spoon moving with intent. One of his cheeks puffed out adorably like a chipmunk’s. Maybe he could actually taste the food now—color had returned to his face in the form of a faint blush.
Watching that made Haru suddenly eager to try the kimchi fried rice he had made. He picked up his spoon and reached to scoop a heaping mouthful—only to cut through air.
“…That was mine.”
He murmured to himself, eyes fixed on the plate now in Yu Je-hyun’s hand. If Yu Je-hyun wanted it, Haru would give it up—he had helped, after all—but still.
First he teased him about his stomach growling, and now he was stealing his food? That stung just a little.
“Wait here.”
Yu Je-hyun turned on his heel and disappeared from the room. Haru’s face drooped at the sight of his kimchi fried rice slowly fading into the distance.
Seeing this, Ji Yeon-woo quietly pushed his own plate toward him.
“Here. You can have mine instead. I’ll give up the fried rice.”
But Yu Je-hyun was faster. Haru’s eyes landed on a plate of steaming pasta.
It was just a ready-made meal, but served on a proper plate, it looked surprisingly appetizing.
“Thanks for the food.”
Haru picked up the fork resting on the plate and twirled the noodles into a tidy swirl. The tangy scent of tomato sauce hit his nose, instantly sharpening his appetite.
Ji Yeon-woo, still holding his plate out in a half-hearted gesture, gave up and quietly returned to his own meal.
Yu Je-hyun, meanwhile, kept a close eye on Ji Yeon-woo as he polished off Haru’s kimchi fried rice without leaving a single grain behind.
Only the soft clink of cutlery echoed through the dining room.
When all three had finished eating, Kang Min entered. His arms were full—bedding and shopping bags packed with supplies, all stamped with the logo of a nearby mall Haru recognized.
“Guide Ji Yeon-woo, I’ll show you to your room. Come with me.”
“…Okay.”
Ji Yeon-woo hesitated before slowly rising. It was clear he wanted to stay near Haru, but ignoring Kang Min’s words was not an option.
He really is treated differently compared to me.
Watching Kang Min lead Ji Yeon-woo away, Haru followed them with his eyes, silently swallowing the bitterness that rose in his throat.
