Gentle Giant Chapter 58
“……What?”
“So I was trying to take care of him without it being obvious, but I got caught. Sujeong hoobae-nim is really quick to notice things. But Juho, there’s one more problem……”
“What’s that?”
“Sujeong hoobae-nim doesn’t seem to know that I know he’s a carrier. What should I do? He might not have wanted me to know……”
Dain let out a small sigh into Juho’s ear. At the hot breath that tickled his ear with a “whew” sound, Juho’s back hair stood on end, but given the situation, he could only twist his waist once.
Dain, who wasn’t aware that he had already told Juho the fact that Sujeong was a carrier, glanced at Sujeong.
Juho blocked Dain’s gaze with his body. He couldn’t understand at all what kind of family education would make someone feel responsible for caring for a beast-man with a bigger build than himself just because he was a carrier.
But how did hyung know? That Kim Sujeong was a carrier? While he had reasons to know that Kim Sujeong was a carrier, how did Dain, who had zero intuition, figure out that Kim Sujeong was a carrier?
Juho became more curious about how Dain found out than about Kim Sujeong’s welfare, who had ended up standing there blankly without rhyme or reason.
“Excuse me. Don’t you both have something to say to me?”
Finally, Sujeong asked accusingly with a dissatisfied expression.
Dain’s head was complicated thinking about how to explain everything from seeing Sujeong on the weekend until now in a good way.
He already looked unhappy, so if he found out that Dain had a bad encounter with the person Sujeong was meeting in the bathroom…… he thought he might have to finish the research alone.
Still, he couldn’t just stay quiet seeing that face demanding an explanation. Just when Dain was about to explain what had happened so far, though he wasn’t confident he could organize it coherently.
“I told him.”
“……?”
“……?”
Juho, who had completely hidden Dain behind his back, spoke. Not only Sujeong but Dain also widened his eyes wondering what he meant.
Feeling two pairs of eyes focusing on him, Juho clicked his tongue briefly and continued the rest of the story.
“I told Dain hyung that you’re a carrier. So hyung was being considerate of you, that’s why he did that. There probably wasn’t any other meaning. Right, hyung?”
“Uh……?”
“See? Right? If you wanted to keep it secret, I’m sorry. But don’t say anything to hyung. Hyung only tried to take care of you. Well then. Take care.”
“N-no……!”
Dain tried to quickly say no to Juho’s answer that was half truth and half lie, but he was already being led down the stairs by Juho’s hand. While following Juho down, he looked up and saw Kim Sujeong just looking down at the two of them with his usual calm expression.
“Juho!”
“Yes, hyung.”
“Wait, let’s talk for a moment……!”
“Get in the car first. I have a lot to say too.”
Dain shook his wrist that was caught by Juho as if telling him to stop. However, Juho only slightly loosened his grip on Dain’s wrist but didn’t slow his walking pace.
Unlike when he had hurried his steps as if angry, Juho carefully put Dain in the passenger seat, then walked around the car and sat in the driver’s seat himself.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah……?”
“How did you know?”
“Know what……?”
“That Kim Sujeong is a carrier.”
At Juho’s question, Dain bit his lower lip once. It seemed like he could talk more comfortably than when he was trying to explain to Sujeong earlier.
Of course, he felt a bit sorry for conveying Sujeong’s personal affairs, but he didn’t want to hide something Juho was curious about.
“Well…… when we went to eat, you saw Sujeong hoobae-nim, right? And that man who was with him. The one whose foot I stepped on in the bathroom.”
“Yes, I know.”
“That man was cursing about Sujeong hoobae-nim on the phone. Saying he didn’t like him because even though he’s a carrier, he’s big, tall, and has a blunt personality. That’s how I found out……”
“And then? Wait, hyung. Then you couldn’t have……”
Juho looked at Dain with an expression of disbelief. No way…… did you step on his foot on purpose?
Seeing Juho’s shocked expression, Dain raised his eyebrows.
“I didn’t step hard, and I apologized too……”
“Ha……!”
“Really, but Juho, someone was cursing about a person I know like that, and I was too upset to just listen quietly! And I’m good at fighting.”
“Hyung is good at fighting?”
“Yeah. I’m good at fighting!”
I even won a keyboard battle recently! Though this was a top secret he couldn’t mention…… Dain puffed up his cheeks while loudly declaring he didn’t regret his actions.
Juho let out an “oh my” automatically. To think that Jung Dain, who he thought was timid and gentle, would step on someone’s foot. Juho found the action both absurd and adorable, so he could only laugh helplessly. It was also ridiculous that he called that level of action “fighting.”
“Still. Hyung, I understand you’re good at fighting…… but don’t do such dangerous things from now on. If I hadn’t been there, who knows what that man would have done to hyung.”
“……Okay. I won’t do things that worry you anymore.”
“Thank you, hyung. I was really shocked then.”
“Yeah. I’m really sorry.”
“Ah, so that’s why?”
Juho blinked as if realizing something.
Forgetting what they were talking about, Dain stared as if mesmerized at Juho’s eyelashes fluttering as his eyelids closed. Even in the dark evening, Juho’s pupils and eyelashes sparkled and shone. Juho really shines even in the evening.
While Dain was absent-mindedly captivated by Juho’s face, Juho moved his body closer to Dain’s side and said.
“You asked if I would dislike it if hyung became a carrier. That was because of Kim Sujeong.”
“Ah! Yeah. Since I’m similar in build to Sujeong hoobae-nim……?”
“Hyung, what are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
“How are you and Kim Sujeong similar? You’re not similar at all. If Kim Sujeong is roadside weeds, then hyung is an orchid that was carefully raised in a greenhouse with the finest nutrients.”
The embarrassment from Juho’s serious words was Dain’s to bear. If you asked 10 random people on the street, all 10 would say Juho’s comparison the opposite way. In other words, he was more like the weed. Objectively, Sujeong had decent looks. Really. Dain put his palm against his heating cheek.
Finding that gesture incredibly cute, Juho placed his hand over Dain’s hand and showered kisses on Dain’s lips with smacking sounds.
After receiving a barrage of kisses for a while, when Dain’s lips became moist, he turned his head.
With regret, Juho made a “tsk” sound, then gently stroked Dain’s lips that were covered with his saliva with his thumb, before licking that thumb with his own tongue.
“Ugh……!”
That’s gross……! Dain stopped looking for tissues in his bag and frowned. Regardless of Dain’s expression, Juho only smiled satisfactorily.
“Ah, anyway. So I guess I was more concerned about Sujeong hoobae-nim……? It’s not like I didn’t know, and knowing he’s a carrier, I couldn’t make him do hard work or let him go around dangerously.”
“Hmm.”
“Right? Don’t you think the same way, Juho?”
At Dain’s question, Juho pretended to think. It was really just pretending to think.
Even listening to Dain’s words, even hearing talk about carriers and such from the side, Juho felt no inspiration. He was just an annoying guy who meddled in things that weren’t his business. And now that he was receiving Dain’s attention too, he had upgraded to an annoying bastard that made him want to chew him up.
However, Juho crumpled up these thoughts inside and lifted the corners of his mouth.
“Of course. I think it’s good to be considerate.”
“Right? As expected, I knew you’d think that way too, Juho.”
Dain smiled with a relieved expression.
“But, hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“Hyung has a boyfriend, right? Me.”
“Yeah yeah, I have a boyfriend!”
Dain nodded his head largely. When saying “boyfriend,” a more cheerful voice popped out.
“Hyung, think about it. Kim Sujeong knows that hyung has a boyfriend too, right?”
“Of course he knows.”
“But if hyung, under the pretense of being considerate of Kim Sujeong, doesn’t give him hard work, worries beside him about dangers, says he should be more caring…… what would he think?”
“Uh……?”
“Of course hyung didn’t treat Kim Sujeong well with that intention, but wouldn’t the receiving side kind of take hyung lightly…… and misunderstand?”
Dain, who had opened his mouth when Juho’s words began, couldn’t close it even after his words finished. It was that shocking.
Could someone think that way……? Could that happen……? Just from me being nice?
“B-but Juho. I’m not you……?”
“Hm? Why is that? Of course hyung isn’t me.”
“N-no. I’m not incredibly handsome or kind like you, so would they really misunderstand……?”
“They would. Hyung. Hyung! When people see someone being nice to them, everyone thinks that way.”
“Re…… ally?”
“Really.”
Juho finished his last words and ground his teeth. How far was this dense cat planning to turn his insides upside down?
After thinking for a long time about what Juho said, Dain carefully asked him.
“Then you must also dislike me acting that way toward other people……?”
“Of course.”
“Huk, I see. So that’s why…… yeah, sorry, Juho……! I was too short-sighted. Were you very upset?”
“Hyung. Earlier I really……”
I thought my eyes would roll back. Fuck. Swallowing the harsh words that were about to come out, Juho gently stroked Dain’s head. The fluffy hair tickled his hand as it swayed.
Dain was looking up at Juho with moist eyes full of apology. Thinking he wanted to lick those pupils, Juho continued in a low voice.
“So, you won’t do that anymore from now on, right?”
“Yeah! I won’t do it!”
“Acting that way toward other people really hurts me as your boyfriend.”
“Sorry. Sorry, Juho. I really didn’t know! I won’t act that way toward other people anymore!”
“That’s right, hyung. Promise.”
Juho brought his straight pinky finger in front of Dain’s face. Dain hurriedly hooked his pinky finger. Not satisfied with just that, he wrapped Juho’s large hand with his other hand.
“I’ll really be good to hyung. Ah, no, not to other people, only to you!”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really.”
“Good job, hyung.”
At Dain’s big resolution, Juho gave a bright eye-smile and hugged Dain tightly.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
