Recently, Cha Jae-woo had gone off the deep end. This was a very well-founded claim. It was presumed that his madness began after he drank Feleil’s blood. Saying he had gone “mad” might sound a bit extreme, but there was simply no better way to put it. What else could you call it… lost his mind?
“Are you heading to school?”
Either way, it amounted to the same thing. The only certainty was that these days, Cha Jae-woo acted like he had a few screws loose. Otherwise, there was no explaining how he could approach with that drowsy face, dragging his feet lazily, and speak to Lim Haeyul in a strangely gentle tone.
“Y-yeah… after I eat.”
It was a trivial answer, yet it came out unbelievably awkward. Still, Cha Jae-woo only nodded as if it was nothing, saying, “Yeah,” in a calm voice. Whether he was genuinely uninterested in Lim Haeyul’s state or simply didn’t care was unclear, but either way, it didn’t sit well with Haeyul.
As soon as Cha Jae-woo moved closer, Lim Haeyul stiffened instinctively and shuffled away, widening the distance between them. There didn’t seem to be any particular reason for Cha Jae-woo to approach, and in such a large space at that, so why insist on standing right next to him?
‘Well, it’s Cha Jae-woo’s house, so I guess he can stand wherever he wants…’
Lim Haeyul tried, in his own way, to rationalize it. It wasn’t necessarily strange for Cha Jae-woo to be standing silently next to him while he leaned against the sofa in the second-floor living room, waiting for the housekeeper to call them.
Yeah, right. What utter nonsense. How was that not strange? It was completely weird!
If anything, he should just sit down. Why was he standing there, leaning on the sofa just like Haeyul? He didn’t even seem like he was about to leave! Cha Jae-woo just stood there quietly near him. And somehow, that wasn’t supposed to be weird?
‘When he doesn’t even have anything to say.’
Lim Haeyul pressed his lips tightly together, swallowing down the rising annoyance inside him. He had already asked several times if Cha Jae-woo had something to say. Long enough to realize it was a pointless question.
It had been days since Cha Jae-woo started acting strange. During that time, Haeyul had asked multiple times why he was behaving that way.
“Is something wrong with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Uh… you keep just standing there.”
“I’m just standing.”
“…Really?”
“You were standing too.”
But every time, the conversation ended with no real answers. That’s why Lim Haeyul firmly believed now: Cha Jae-woo had absolutely lost it. He had started hovering around him for no apparent reason, openly and blatantly.
The change had begun the very next day after Cha Jae-woo had carelessly drunk Feleil’s blood. That day had been so shocking that it was impossible not to notice how different he had become since then.
Afterward, Cha Jae-woo started lingering near him without any clear reason. Fine, Haeyul had thought at first, it wasn’t that big of a deal. If it had stopped there, he probably wouldn’t have paid it much mind.
“What time are you coming home today?”
But Cha Jae-woo’s bizarre behavior didn’t end there. Lately, he had even started blatantly urging Lim Haeyul to come home early.
At first, Haeyul thought he was just casually asking. Maybe even Cha Jae-woo felt awkward standing there silently without saying a word? Haeyul knew Cha Jae-woo wasn’t the type to be uncomfortable with silence, but perhaps it had been particularly awkward that day.
“Today? Um… I don’t think it’ll be too late. Why? Is something going on?”
Maybe there was something urgent that needed Haeyul to be back quickly. Otherwise, why would he ask?
“Just curious.”
“…Huh?”
“Come home early.”
But the answer Cha Jae-woo gave was entirely different from what Haeyul had expected. Lim Haeyul doubted his ears at first. “Just curious”? “Come home early”? How could he not find that suspicious?
Maybe the side effects had gotten worse and he was just hearing what he wanted to hear? Even that absurd thought seemed more believable than Cha Jae-woo speaking to Lim Haeyul in a gentle tone and telling him to come home early.
‘Feels like something serious must be going on…’
When Lim Haeyul had mumbled that without thinking, Cha Jae-woo’s eyes had immediately narrowed.
In any case, thanks to that, their short conversation had come to an end. Haeyul wondered if maybe Cha Jae-woo had been in a particularly good mood, unless he was just feeling unusually awkward. Or maybe he was simply bored and desperate to talk to someone—anyone.
“Do you only have one class today?”
If it had been just that one day, Lim Haeyul might have brushed it off without a second thought. However, Cha Jae-woo’s strange behavior didn’t end there. In fact, it repeated itself every single day afterward. Each morning, as if fulfilling some kind of daily chore, Cha Jae-woo would ask Haeyul the same question.
“Y-yeah…”
“Then you’ll come straight home?”
“…I think so.”
A satisfied look appeared on Cha Jae-woo’s face—at least, if Haeyul was interpreting his expression correctly. Feeling awkward, Lim Haeyul lowered his head. For the past few mornings, he had been undergoing this same exchange like some kind of morning ritual.
Depending on Haeyul’s answer, Cha Jae-woo’s reaction would change. If Haeyul said he’d be late, Cha Jae-woo would show open displeasure; if he said he’d be home early, he looked pleased. Unless the side effects were so severe that he was seeing what he wanted to see, it had to be intentional.
Well, maybe it wasn’t impossible. If it were anyone else asking about his return time, Haeyul wouldn’t have thought much of it. Maybe they just hated being alone at home. Or maybe there could be plenty of other reasons.
The problem was that the person asking had always been someone who didn’t care one bit whether Haeyul wandered around, as long as he was accompanied by the chauffeur—Cha Jae-woo. It was obvious that he hadn’t suddenly become lonely. Nor would Haeyul’s staying at home make Guiding any more effective. So it was only natural that Cha Jae-woo suddenly asking about his return time or hanging around him from the crack of dawn felt suspicious.
“…Um, Cha Jae-woo-ssi.”
At this point, Lim Haeyul felt like he had to ask again, even if it led nowhere. He was convinced now that something must be wrong with Cha Jae-woo. Come to think of it, wasn’t it strange in the first place for someone to drink monster blood and not lose their mind a little?
“Why?”
“Would you consider going to the hospital?”
If there was a problem, then obviously, he should go to the hospital. If something was wrong, getting checked out was the right thing to do.
“The hospital?”
Cha Jae-woo’s face twisted as if the suggestion was too absurd for words. Haeyul almost shrank back, but he straightened his back, reminding himself that he was doing this for Cha Jae-woo’s sake.
“You seem… really unwell.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Quite a bit, actually…”
But the conviction lasted only a moment. Their eyes had barely met before Haeyul instinctively dropped his gaze. Maybe he had overstepped.
‘No, that’s not it.’
He was worrying about Cha Jae-woo. If something was wrong, it was better to catch it early. Sure, it wasn’t the kind of thing you blurted out to someone’s face, but a little hurt feeling was better than a serious health issue later.
“Where exactly do I seem unwell?”
By then, Cha Jae-woo had crossed his arms and asked the question. His earlier frown had smoothed out, replaced by a face that looked thoroughly amused, as if daring Haeyul to explain.
“Well, it’s just that…”
“Yeah, just that.”
“…Um.”
The words were hard enough to say already, but with Cha Jae-woo practically egging him on, it became even harder to speak.
Still, Lim Haeyul felt a duty to say something. Maybe Cha Jae-woo wasn’t even aware of what he was doing. That made it all the more important for someone else to point it out.
It was something that needed to be said. He repeated that to himself again and again to gather the courage to open his mouth.
“You keep… hanging around me.”
Cha Jae-woo tilted his head slightly. Though he said nothing, it almost felt like he was silently asking, “And what’s wrong with that?”
“And, like… it’s to the point where it feels like you want something from me. You keep staying by my side and, um, you keep talking to me…”
Naturally, Haeyul’s confidence deflated even further. After all that mental preparation, actually saying it out loud made it sound so trivial that he felt like he was the weird one for even bringing it up.
“That’s the problem?”
As expected, Cha Jae-woo repeated his words like he’d just heard something utterly bizarre.
“So what, I should go to the hospital and tell them I came because I’m sticking to my Guide too much?”
There was even a faint laugh woven into his voice. Lim Haeyul clamped his mouth shut, at a complete loss for words. Even he had to admit, if he were a doctor, he’d find that pretty absurd too.
‘Then why are you acting so differently from usual?!’
He knew it sounded strange. But he still felt wronged. Haeyul struggled to keep his thoughts from spilling out, knowing that if he spoke further, it would only reveal just how much he was overthinking everything Cha Jae-woo did.
“…Never mind.”
In the end, Lim Haeyul turned his head sharply and swallowed a sigh. Honestly, it wasn’t that he disliked Cha Jae-woo hanging around him. It just bothered him that there seemed to be a reason behind it. If he knew the reason, he’d at least feel at ease.
Haeyul’s sharply turned head swung back toward Cha Jae-woo. He hesitated for a moment, but this time, it didn’t take long. He voiced the most plausible explanation for why Cha Jae-woo was acting this way.
“Do you need Guiding right now?”
Of course, if Cha Jae-woo had really wanted Guiding, he would have said so directly, but still, Lim Haeyul stubbornly wanted to find a cause. And the only fitting explanation he could think of was Guiding. Honestly, he even wished it were because Cha Jae-woo desperately needed it.
“Who knows.”
“…”
“You said you’d be home early anyway.”
As expected, he was wrong. Seriously, what the hell was going on? He wasn’t crazy, and it wasn’t because he needed Guiding! Lim Haeyul shook his head vigorously and took a step back. Maybe it was better not to question it anymore.
There must be a reason. But from past experience, no matter how much he obsessed over it, nothing would change. Better to drop the conversation, eat, and head to school.
“But would it be alright to do it now?”
Cha Jae-woo, whom Haeyul had thought wouldn’t speak further, suddenly asked. Lost in his thoughts, Haeyul needed a moment to process what had been said before he nodded slightly. If it was Guiding, then it didn’t really matter if they did it now—
“I’m all ready to head out.”
“…”
“Your hair will get messed up. Your clothes will wrinkle too.”
—except not at all.
As soon as Cha Jae-woo finished speaking, silence crashed down between them. Lim Haeyul had heard him clearly and understood the words, yet no response came out.
The first to react was his face, burning up in a flash. His mouth opened next, and though he hadn’t meant to, a loud voice burst out.
“See?! I told you you’re acting weird, Cha Jae-woo-ssi!”
“What’s weird?”
“That! What you just said! You seriously don’t see it?”
His voice was loud enough that anyone would believe he was actually angry. Yet, infuriatingly, Cha Jae-woo just curled the corners of his mouth up into a smile. It was only Lim Haeyul, his face bright red with frustration, who looked ridiculous.
“Haa…”
Maybe that’s why. The fierce combativeness that had been ready to explode just a second ago deflated in an instant. Facing Cha Jae-woo, who tilted his head like he genuinely didn’t understand, anyone would have felt the same. That infuriatingly innocent face seemed completely earnest.
“Right… I’m just trash, huh.”
The muttered words carried no strength at all. Maybe… maybe he was just being teased? But then again, teasing required some level of interest, didn’t it? Which would mean… that Cha Jae-woo was interested in him? But why? Why all of a sudden?
“Haa…”
While Lim Haeyul’s mind was on the verge of exploding, Cha Jae-woo let out a light laugh. It was only natural for Haeyul to heave a long, exhausted sigh.
“Cha Jae-woo-ssi.”
It was still early morning, and yet his head was already pounding. Whatever the reason, Haeyul didn’t want to keep getting toyed with by Cha Jae-woo’s antics. Sure, it was nice to be treated comfortably by him, but not like this.
“Please… exercise a little caution.”
“What nonsense are you spouting now?”
Normally, Cha Jae-woo’s face didn’t show much emotion, but today it shifted through a full range of expressions. Facing his baffled look, Lim Haeyul’s own face was halfway to tears.
“Right now, you’re completely entrancing me…”
In the end, Lim Haeyul confessed the painful truth in a voice utterly devoid of strength. The biggest reason he was so bothered by Cha Jae-woo constantly hovering around him was exactly this—he was getting entranced by him, over and over again.
He already liked him, and if Cha Jae-woo kept acting so familiar, there was no way he wouldn’t fall even harder! That’s why Cha Jae-woo needed to restrain himself. At least if he cared even a little bit about Haeyul!
“Seriously, you should either go to the hospital… or do something. I’m telling you this because it really seems like you’re not aware of it… You seem a little out of it right now…”
Ah, maybe he shouldn’t have said “out of it.” Regret immediately followed, but the words were already out.
Fortunately, Cha Jae-woo neither frowned nor showed any sign of discomfort.
“That’s about right.”
Instead, he smiled. And frankly, his smiling face was even scarier. Lim Haeyul had no idea which part of what he said Cha Jae-woo was agreeing to. Was he saying yes to being crazy?
The confusion didn’t last long.
“I’m entrancing you. On purpose.”
“…What?”
“And it’s working, isn’t it?”
Cha Jae-woo casually dropped an earth-shattering bombshell in the calmest voice imaginable.
