Yeon Yiseo was speaking calmly, but when he saw the expression on Alexander’s face, he felt a jolt of confusion. Something about his words wasn’t right.
“That was the first time Eunwoo called me at that hour… If it ever comes up again, I’ll make sure to call you too.”
As he tried to explain, Yiseo realized from Alexander’s expression that he was missing the point. He quickly changed tack.
“No, I mean… I’ll call you even if there’s no particular reason.”
“Promise me. Even if there’s nothing going on, call me anyway.”
“Yes. I will.”
Alexander smiled like he was pleased with that answer. Seeing that smile, Yiseo thought maybe it would be nice to call him just because, even if there wasn’t anything special to talk about.
“I’ll go make breakfast. Why don’t you rest a little here?”
“No, I’ll help too.”
“You’ve got more important things to focus on, Yiseo.”
Yiseo widened his eyes, unsure what “important things” Alexander was talking about. Before he could ask, Alexander adjusted the pillow behind him, helping him recline comfortably against the bed. Still a bit dazed, Yiseo let him. Then Alexander leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.
“Just rest until I bring the food, okay?”
“…Excuse me?”
Completely thrown by the unexpected statement, Yiseo blinked rapidly and stared at him. Alexander let out a laugh.
“Why that face? Did I say something weird?”
“It’s just that, uh… no. You mentioned you get bored cooking alone, didn’t you?”
Alexander had once asked him to watch while he cooked. At that, Alexander shrugged lightly.
“That was on a day off. Today’s a weekday. Just wait here for a bit, okay?”
“I think I can still come out and—ah!”
As he tried to stand, strength left his legs and he sank back down onto the bed. Thankfully, it wasn’t the floor he collapsed onto, or he might’ve gotten hurt. The mattress dipped under his weight.
He couldn’t even stand properly—that ruled out any pretense of being “fine.” Sneaking a glance at Alexander, Yiseo saw him tilt his head and speak.
“I know how stubborn you are, Yiseo, but in this case, you don’t really have a choice, do you?”
The words dropped with finality, like nails being hammered in.
“Then… I’ll wait here.”
“Good. If you need anything, just call for me.”
“I will.”
This time, Yiseo didn’t fake being fine—he answered honestly. After Alexander left the room, he picked up his phone and called Seo Eunwoo. The call rang, but no one answered, so he hung up and sent a message instead.
[I missed your call last night. Is something wrong? You can reach out anytime.]
Now that he’d left a message, Eunwoo would get back to him when he could. Yiseo considered asking Alexander if he knew anything, but figured if he had, he would’ve mentioned it already. He was still worried and curious, but all he could do now was wait.
“…Up we go.”
He forced strength into both legs and pushed himself upright. Alexander had told him to rest, but work wasn’t far off—he couldn’t just lie around doing nothing. He wanted to loosen up a bit, even just by moving around.
His back was stiff, his arms felt heavy, and most of all, he couldn’t seem to get proper strength into his thighs.
Standing was hard, but sitting back down was the real challenge. His legs still wouldn’t hold him, and when he lowered himself, a quiet grunt escaped before he could stop it. But at least this time he didn’t collapse.
He usually had no problems, but from having his legs spread so wide last night, the inner muscles of his thighs weren’t cooperating. He’d have to be mindful while walking, but he wasn’t completely disabled. As long as he was careful when sitting down, it should be fine.
He wiggled his toes and bit his lip. The heaviness in his lower back was something he couldn’t just ignore—it would be tough to walk normally today. Every movement sent aches through his whole body, and worse, there was still a strange sensation deep inside him, like Alexander was still there. He didn’t know how to describe it, but he hoped it would go away with time.
He tapped his waist with both hands, let out a sigh, then pulled his legs back onto the bed and leaned against the headboard. The faint kitchen noises from beyond the room felt oddly soothing.
But not comfortable. Someone else was up cooking while he sat here doing nothing—it didn’t sit right with him. His body might’ve been resting, but mentally, he was on edge.
Not wanting to just sit around, he went to the attached bathroom for a quick wash. When he returned and sat back down, the sound of toast popping from the toaster echoed faintly from the kitchen.
He was just about to go out and help when Alexander walked in holding a bed tray.
“Going somewhere? Need help?”
“Huh? Oh, no. I was coming to see if you needed anything.”
“You need to learn how to enjoy being taken care of, Yiseo.”
With a gentle smile, Alexander placed the wooden bed tray on the open space beside him.
The breakfast was similar to last time—bacon, scrambled eggs, and toasted multigrain bread—but with more additions this time: thinly sliced avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, and hash browns, all arranged beautifully.
“You made all this? That must’ve been a lot of work.”
“Not at all. I just grabbed whatever was in the fridge and threw it together.”
He said it like it was nothing, but Yiseo knew every piece of that meal took effort. Following Alexander’s instructions, he layered everything onto the toast and took a bite.
The warm, nutty bread, the salty bacon, the fresh avocado, the tang of sun-dried tomato—it was delicious. He could’ve eaten a few more, but while Alexander finished a third, Yiseo only managed two before he was full. He hadn’t been eating breakfast regularly lately, so it made sense.
“You could eat more, but don’t force yourself.”
Yiseo gave a reluctant nod. “Then I’ll stop here.”
Alexander took the tray out of the room and returned, lifting the blanket Yiseo had been covered with.
Caught off guard, Yiseo instinctively pulled his legs in. If this was going in that direction again, he was in no shape to handle it. The memory of what they’d done in the bathroom last night made him wary.
“Alexander?”
“Relax. I just want to loosen up your muscles a bit. I’ll be gentle, I promise.”
Hearing that, Yiseo realized he’d overreacted and bit his lip to hide his embarrassment. Keeping physical distance had felt like self-preservation, but now it just felt like he was overthinking things.
Alexander confidently reached for his legs and began massaging them. His hands were warm and skilled, working into the tense spots with such care that a satisfied sigh slipped out of Yiseo’s mouth.
Still, having Alexander of all people take such meticulous care of him made Yiseo uncertain how to react.
“I’m the reason your muscles are this tight—especially after what happened in the bathroom.”
“……”
Hearing it said so casually made Yiseo’s cheeks burn. The moment he said it, memories of their steamy encounter flooded back. He coughed, trying to shake it off.
“Feel good?”
“…Yes. Very.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Alexander smiled in satisfaction at Yiseo’s honest reply. He treated him with such tender attentiveness, it felt almost overwhelming.
As time ticked closer to their departure, Alexander even tried to help him change clothes. It took Yiseo insisting—twice—that he could dress himself before he gave up. The look Alexander gave him was like a mother watching a toddler take their first steps, ready to jump in at any moment.
Yiseo tried not to show it on his face, but he could feel just how cherished he was by Alexander. It was sweet… and a little ticklish inside.
He wished he could express his feelings more openly—but he wasn’t quite there yet.
The suit he’d worn yesterday was a mess. Not dirty, but it had been left crumpled on the floor and was far too wrinkled to wear. In the end, he had to choose from the luxury suits Alexander had bought for him in advance.
“I recommend this one.”
While Yiseo hesitated, Alexander picked out a Tom Ford suit. “A bit of a shame it’s not custom, though,” he added, handing it over.
The black suit gleamed with a soft luster. It wasn’t his usual notched lapel—it had a peaked lapel that gave off a clear air of luxury.
“Try it on.”
Yiseo decided to give it a shot. Buttoning up the shirt, he tried not to think too hard about how expensive it was. The fit was almost shockingly perfect—every outfit Alexander had set aside for him fit like it had been tailored.
When Yiseo stepped out in the suit, Alexander’s face lit up in admiration.
