Not Imprisonment, but Living Together (3)
Sa Hae-geon seemed at a loss for words as he stared at me blankly. It seemed he couldn’t accept this situation as reality. After being dazed for nearly five minutes, his eyes finally lit up, and suddenly he dove into my arms.
I momentarily lost my breath as his large, heavy body hugged me tightly.
“Huk…”
“Meow!”
Cream, who had been lying on Sa Hae-geon’s lap, jumped down to the sofa with an annoyed cry after being caught in the crossfire.
“…Hyung.”
Like a large puppy seeking affection, Sa Hae-geon mumbled enthusiastically in my arms about how happy he was.
“I’m so, so happy. Really.”
“Yeah…”
“This isn’t a dream, right?”
“No, it’s not.”
“And you’re not trying to run away again, right?”
“…That’s not it either.”
Finally reassured, Sa Hae-geon rubbed his forehead against my chest. I couldn’t keep up with how naturally his skinship had developed, or rather, I couldn’t even notice when it had happened. It was as natural as flowing water.
I awkwardly patted Sa Hae-geon’s back while being half-forced against the sofa backrest. The cool body temperature I felt through his pajamas had become quite familiar by now. Even his habit of warming his hands almost to the point of burning them so as not to surprise me had diminished significantly.
But I had something to tell him.
“There’s something you should know, though.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know how long we’ll be living together.”
Sa Hae-geon, who had been steadying his breath with his forehead against my chest, looked up at me. My reflection was captured in his eyes, which sparkled as if they contained the night sky.
“It could be a day, it could be a week… I just don’t know. Is that okay?”
“Yes. I don’t mind. Whatever works for you, hyung. I’m just happy that I’m really ‘living together’ with you.”
“Oh, really…?”
I thought he would throw a tantrum asking for more time, but Sa Hae-geon surprisingly agreed easily. Not only that, he blushed and smiled shyly as if he would be happy even if it was just a one-day arrangement. If that was the case, why had he previously refused to let me even mention going out? Why had he tried to put shackles on me to prevent me from leaving?
‘The more I get to know him, the less I understand him.’
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with an answer, so I decided to completely give up on understanding him. Cream, who had been looking at us strangely—me shaking my head and Sa Hae-geon uncharacteristically making no attempt to hide his smile—sighed deeply and headed to the bedroom.
“Hyung, by the way.”
“Oh, yes.”
Sa Hae-geon, who had been openly showing his emotions until just a moment ago, suddenly lowered his gaze and continued hesitantly. He seemed embarrassed. I wondered what kind of conversation he was trying to lead into with this setup. As I looked at him with narrowed eyes, he moved his lips.
“Since we’re living together now, does that mean we’ll sleep in the same bed?”
Sa Hae-geon asked carefully as he raised his head.
“…What?”
Sa Hae-geon had a talent for saying things with very impure intentions while wearing an innocent face. I thought he had become somewhat normal since he hadn’t brought up any outrageous topics for a while, but of course, that wasn’t the case.
I gave a firm answer to Sa Hae-geon, who was looking at me with expectant eyes.
“Of course not.”
Contrary to my expectation that he would sulk, Sa Hae-geon nodded obediently and changed the subject.
“What about hugging for Guiding?”
“What?”
The other topic he brought up was also outside the realm of normalcy. I had no idea where to start criticizing. His face was too bright and innocent to scold him for saying such terrible things.
Seeing his eyes glistening with anticipation, all I could do was swallow hard.
“Actually, I’d be happy with anything we do together. I just want the time you spend with me to be enjoyable for you too.”
Sa Hae-geon’s sudden sincerity made me ramble in response. It would be more accurate to say my lips moved on their own.
“Well… I don’t exactly dislike being with you. It’s closer to the good side, I think. I’m not sure yet, but anyway, it’s not bad.”
“Yes. I believe you.”
Sa Hae-geon subtly intertwined his fingers with mine and burrowed into my arms. His unusually strong display of affection today didn’t feel entirely bad, so I gently stroked his round head while feigning distraction. I felt somewhat uneasy, with a churning sensation in my stomach.
He seemed a bit surprised that I was indulging his affection and hesitated briefly before continuing.
“…But how can I make our living arrangement last longer?”
“Longer?”
“Yes, longer. Of course, I’d be happy even if we only lived together for a day, but just in case. I don’t want to miss any opportunity to extend our time living together.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Though he had acted as if he didn’t care whether it was a day or a week, he seemed to have been disappointed deep down.
“Well, I don’t know. This is my first time living with someone too. Usually, people live together longer if their lifestyles are similar or compatible, right?”
“What about you, not the usual case? What about you? Do you want to stay with me for a long time?”
“I told you, I’m not sure yet…”
Despite my weak response, Sa Hae-geon didn’t give up and continued asking various questions. And so the night passed.
The next day. My eyes flew open at the delicious smell coming through the crack in the door. As I blankly stared at the white ceiling, the events of yesterday came back to me.
‘Yes. I don’t mind. Whatever works for you, hyung. I’m just happy that I’m really ‘living together’ with you.’
Sa Hae-geon’s words, spoken with a shy smile, also echoed in my ears. I quietly pondered his voice and yesterday’s events before slowly getting up and leaving the room. As soon as I opened the door, a sweet and savory smell entered my nostrils.
‘What on earth is he making so early in the morning…’
I tilted my head in wonder as I headed to the kitchen, where I could see Sa Hae-geon and the table he had set. He must have been in an exceptionally good mood today, as he had prepared enough food to nearly break the table legs. Braised ribs, beef seaweed soup, various namul side dishes, and jeon pancakes? Was today a holiday?
“What’s all this?”
At my bewildered question, Sa Hae-geon, who had been standing in front of the stove, turned around. He greeted me with a bright smile, wearing a yellow chick apron with sprouts on it.
“I was about to come get you, but you’re here just in time, hyung. Did you sleep well?”
“Huh? Yeah… I slept well, but isn’t breakfast a bit excessive?”
“What’s excessive? Don’t you like Korean food?”
“That’s different from liking it. I thought today was Lunar New Year or something.”
“It’s not Lunar New Year, but it is a special day.”
A special day? As I blinked my eyes looking at him, Sa Hae-geon replied nonchalantly.
“It’s the first day of us living together, hyung.”
“Ah, that’s right…”
“Yes.”
I hadn’t noticed it yesterday, but there was something strange about the term “living together.” I subtly scratched my ticklish chest area and sat down at the table. A bowl of fluffy white rice was placed in front of me.
“Thank you. But isn’t it tiring to prepare so much food in the morning? Wouldn’t it be better to eat something simple?”
“Yes. I’ll try.”
Sa Hae-geon nodded and replied, but he didn’t seem to be taking it to heart at all. After scooping his portion of rice and sitting across from me, he glanced at me and said:
“Hyung, enjoy your meal.”
“Okay. I will. You enjoy yours too.”
The meal began in a quiet but somehow strange atmosphere. As I quietly observed Sa Hae-geon eating with a relaxed face, I remembered something I had temporarily forgotten.
‘Right, the wrist. I still haven’t asked if it was really me who grabbed his wrist.’
I should have asked that before deciding to live together, but I was so overwhelmed that I completely forgot.
I wasn’t sure if this was the right atmosphere for such a question, but it seemed better to ask before I forgot again.
“Hae-geon.”
Sa Hae-geon’s hand, which had been scooping seaweed soup, stopped. Surprised by the sudden call, he looked at me with round eyes.
“No, I just have something to ask.”
“What is it?”
Seeing Sa Hae-geon immediately put down his spoon, I thought I should have waited until after we finished eating.
“Sorry for interrupting your meal.”
“It’s fine. What do you want to ask?”
“Ah, well… it’s nothing major. Um, just a second.”
After asking for a moment, I took a sip of water to rinse my mouth before continuing. Meanwhile, Sa Hae-geon was quietly waiting for my question, looking only at my lips.
“You mentioned before that I grabbed your wrist. When was that? You’re not confusing me with someone else, are you?”
Sa Hae-geon blinked slowly and then replied indifferently.
“It was definitely you. How could I confuse you with someone else? I’m not an idiot.”
