“Come to hyung’s place anytime. I’ll keep the door unlocked.”
That would be dangerous. Eunho lightly shook his head. A faint crease formed between Eunchan’s brows.
“Hey, Jung Eunho.”
“……”
“Did you know rabbits actually have nasty tempers?”
Hyung’s temper had always been nasty. Thinking of the words that would’ve earned him a smack if Eunchan heard them, Eunho nodded.
“And their hind legs are insanely strong. If I quit my job, I’m gonna become a martial arts fighter.”
“……”
“So if President Kwon pisses you off, kick him. Okay?”
“……”
“You understand, Jung Eunho?”
Yi-beom, who had been watching with clear displeasure the whole time, stepped forward. He gently took the rabbit’s paw from Eunchan’s hand.
“There won’t be anything to make him angry.”
A familiar scent reached Eunho—one that belonged only to Yi-beom. Sniff, sniff. Eunho wrinkled his nose and burrowed into Yi-beom’s arms. Seeing the rabbit wiggle its fluffy rear as it settled in, Yi-beom let out a quiet chuckle.
“I’ve already seen his kicking skills.”
The memory of the rabbit charging fiercely at him in the movie theater filled his chest warmly. The corners of Yi-beom’s lips lifted.
Chanwoo watched the scene with an odd expression.
“…Then please take good care of him. And contact us if anything happens.”
“Yes.”
Only after repeating his reminders until the very end did Eunchan finally leave.
Once the two were gone, the house fell silent. Neither Eunho nor Yi-beom moved from the entrance for a long time.
The motion-sensing light went out, unable to detect movement, and Yi-beom’s shadow stretched long across the floor. There were two people, but only one shadow. Somehow, that no longer felt strange.
“Thank you.”
At the low voice, Eunho lifted his head. Yi-beom’s expression was hidden in the darkness.
“You stayed as a rabbit.”
“…It was manageable.”
It was already the second lie he’d told. Something felt lodged in his chest, making it tight, and Eunho answered in a faint, crawling voice.
“Thank you for opening the door too, Ahjussi.”
“That’s… something to be grateful for?”
At the slow tone, Eunho curled into himself. This time, irritation seeped heavily into Yi-beom’s voice.
Ha… shit. Suppressing the curse that almost slipped out, Yi-beom stroked Eunho’s back with one hand. Leaning into the gentle touch, Eunho pressed closer.
“Kissing you and holding you used to be something you were grateful for.”
“……”
“Being told I love you, too. Baby.”
“……”
Both Eunho and Yi-beom looked at the front door at the same time. Several door locks were visible on the closed door.
“I know it’s shitty of me to ask, but… can’t you stay with me just a little longer?”
Yi-beom tightened the arm holding him.
“Just a little longer.”
“……”
“Until I feel at ease.”
Eunho stared quietly at the floor. Yi-beom’s shadow looked strangely small today—even though that couldn’t be true.
He wanted to promise he’d stay by Ahjussi’s side forever, to kiss him and reassure him… but he couldn’t. He couldn’t lie again.
Instead, Eunho placed his tiny paws on top of Yi-beom’s arm.
That was the only answer he could give.
***
It was Eunho who broke the silence at the entrance.
Grrrgl.
The loud rumble echoed through the house. Surprised by how loud it was, Eunho looked down at his belly.
A plump pink stomach greeted his eyes. Did that really come from me? He shook his belly slightly.
“Ahjussi, did you hear that just now?”
“Hear what?”
“…If you didn’t hear it, that’s good.”
Eunho let out a sigh of relief. The sound had been unbelievably loud, but maybe Yi-beom had been distracted… or maybe his hearing had gone out for a second…
While Eunho was coming up with hundreds of excuses, Yi-beom finally stepped away from the entrance. Passing through the living room, he headed straight for the kitchen.
The corners of Eunho’s eyes drooped downward.
“You heard it.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then you shouldn’t have come to the kitchen.”
As Eunho muttered with a pout, Yi-beom replied calmly.
“I thought something collapsed, so I came to check.”
Casually, he opened a kitchen drawer. He even peered deep inside as if really checking for damage.
“It sounded like something completely broke. That’s strange.”
“…Nothing collapsed.”
The only thing that had collapsed was his heart. Completely sulking now, Eunho squirmed inside Yi-beom’s arms, burying his face where Yi-beom couldn’t see it.
Even while holding a rabbit whose round tail was the only thing visible now, Yi-beom moved smoothly around the kitchen. With one hand, he set a frying pan and a pot on the stove, quickly grilling steak and heating soup.
Even so, he didn’t forget to shield Eunho from the flames with his hand.
Today’s garnish wasn’t asparagus—it was carrots. As carrots sizzled on one side of the pan, Yi-beom curled his lips into a smile.
“I’ve turned into a housemaid.”
If the other organization members saw him, they’d probably say, “Boss, you can use a knife for this too? You look like someone who wouldn’t even cut cake.” That was how natural Yi-beom now seemed in the kitchen—a change that had started after Eunho moved in.
“Are you not going to eat?”
Yi-beom looked down at the rabbit wiggling only its hips.
“I even grilled carrots.”
“……”
“Shouldn’t you fill your stomach before we check if something else collapsed?”
Eunho’s ears perked up sharply as he turned around. His features were little more than sesame-seed eyes and a tiny ‘ㅅ’-shaped mouth, but he somehow looked visibly sulky. Suppressing his laughter, Yi-beom muttered,
“Can rabbits even sulk?”
That was the last straw. Does he really think I’m just a rabbit? Trembling, Eunho suddenly—
Poof.
He transformed back into a human.
His clear face appeared, lips still jutting out in a pout just like when he was a rabbit. His soft cheeks puffed out more than usual. This time Yi-beom couldn’t hold back his laughter and approached him.
“Humans can sulk too, you know?”
“You still look like a rabbit.”
“Hmph.”
Eunho let out a small snort.
“I’m not talking to you, Ahjussi.”
As Eunho tried to head toward the table, Yi-beom grabbed his arm. In an instant, his small body spun halfway around.
Like snatching prey, Yi-beom pulled him into his arms. A large hand cupped Eunho’s cheek, and Yi-beom lowered his head.
“Mmh…!”
The moment their lips touched, Yi-beom urgently slipped his tongue inside. He’d wanted to taste those lips all day.
They were unbearably sweet. As if tasting honey, Yi-beom bit and sucked Eunho’s lower lip, moving busily inside his mouth. Every time their lips parted, a faint, breathy sound escaped. Watching Eunho remain in rabbit form all day to keep their promise had made him want this endlessly.
The fact that Eunho had even kept secrets from his own hyung for his sake filled Yi-beom with a strange satisfaction.
I’ve really turned into a pervert.
It was an odd kind of fulfillment. Feeling his chest swell, Yi-beom licked along Eunho’s palate.
Eunho, who had been wide-eyed at first, gradually relaxed into the deepening kiss. Their bodies pressed closer together.
“Haa…”
When their lips finally parted, Eunho exhaled heated breaths.
“Ahjussi…”
Excitement colored his flushed face. His half-lidded eyes turned toward Yi-beom. Fighting the urge to lay him down immediately, Yi-beom nodded.
“What? Should we go to the bedroom?”
“The… the carrots are burning…”
The words didn’t quite register in Yi-beom’s mind. As he blinked blankly, Eunho pushed him away.
“If the carrots burn… they won’t taste good.”
Slipping toward the induction stove, Eunho lowered the heat. Seeing that, Yi-beom growled low.
“Is that really what matters right now?”
Word by word, he bit out the sentence.
Then what matters? Eunho blinked wide-eyed. Looking down at the frying pan, he suddenly gasped.
“Ahjussi, th-the steak matters too!”
“……”
“You should’ve said so… I’ll move the steak next to the carrots.”
Eunho hurriedly grabbed the tongs and shifted the steak to the edge of the pan beside the carrots. One side was already burnt, but it was still edible.
Unaware that Yi-beom was watching him like a predator waiting for the perfect moment, Eunho snipped off the burnt part with kitchen scissors.
Unable to hold back any longer, Yi-beom sank his teeth into Eunho’s neck.
“Aah…!”
As Yi-beom nipped at his neck, Eunho let out a soft moan. Catching him as he toppled backward, Yi-beom pulled him into his arms.
“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
“D-doing what?”
“You’re tired today, so you’re fucking doing this on purpose.”
Licking over the red bite marks he’d left, Yi-beom added,
“That’s why you keep pretending not to understand. You damn rabbit.”
“Huh?”
Only then did Eunho realize what had actually mattered to Yi-beom. It wasn’t the carrots. It wasn’t the steak.
“The right answer… was the bedroom?”
“Yeah.”
“No, but right now that— ahh!”
But it was already too late. A rabbit’s sulk didn’t last long—but a tiger’s sulk did. In the blink of an eye, Eunho was already seated on the kitchen table.
