Gentle Giant Chapter 61
Dain scratched his nose while looking at the empty space that didn’t even have a sofa.
For now, he headed toward the bed, which was the only place he could sit.
It wasn’t that it looked small because of the spacious room. No matter how he looked at it, the bed was exactly the same size as the one in his studio apartment.
Super single size. Such a small bed in such a big house. Does this mean I’m supposed to sleep on the floor now?
“Hey, Juho. Did you prepare the bed?”
Dain said while touching the fluffy mattress. Hearing this, Juho sat down next to him with a grin.
“Yes. It’s exactly the same size as your current house. It’s fine, right?”
“Hmm, so, super single?”
“Yes! Why?”
“Ah, no, won’t the bed be too narrow?”
The house was big enough to fit two king-size beds instead of a super single. But he deliberately prepared a super single. Dain’s fingers fidgeted.
Juho looked at Dain with an expression that seemed to ask what he meant.
“Narrow? Hyung, you sleep just fine in your current house. And I thought I might not be able to sleep if the sleeping environment changed, so I deliberately chose the same size as your current house.”
“Ah, right!”
“Yes. If hyung isn’t uncomfortable, I’d like to sleep together with hyung like at your current house.”
“What would I be uncomfortable about! I said that because I was worried you might be uncomfortable. Of course it’s fine!”
“Really?”
“Mm-hmm!”
“Is it okay if I give hyung arm pillows and sleep holding you like now?”
Juho’s eyes curved into crescents. Dain was enchanted by that smile and just kept repeating answers like ‘Of course, everything’s fine!’
Juho decided to ride this momentum and ask for the most necessary permission.
“Hyung, but there’s something I need to ask your understanding about.”
“Huh? Understanding? What kind?”
“You said there have been a lot of burglaries near your current house.”
“Mm-hmm, that’s right.”
“So, the thing is…”
Since Juho seemed particularly reluctant to bring it up, Dain got up from the bed and approached him. The sight of him slightly frowning and biting his lips looked so pitiful. Dain was even more worried.
“Yeah. What is it that’s making your expression so bad? What’s wrong, Juho?”
“I think I’ve developed anxiety symptoms. I know the security here is good too, but I still keep feeling anxious.”
“What?! You’re that scared??”
“I’m sorry, hyung. For showing you such a scared side over something like this.”
“No, there’s nothing to be sorry about for something like that. It’s okay.”
“Still. Being a tiger beast-man and all…”
Juho let out a sigh. At the sound of his deep sigh, Dain was startled and circled around trying to comfort Juho.
“Juho, it’s okay. Both your current house and here, there will absolutely never be any burglars or bad things happening. Okay? If you’re really anxious, should I stay by your side all night and watch over you? Would that help you sleep better?”
“Ah…”
“Yeah! Starting today, hyung will watch over you until you fall asleep!”
“You don’t need to go that far. It’s ridiculous for hyung to lose sleep because of me.”
“Why is it ridiculous? I didn’t even know you were having such a hard time, and I always fall asleep first and wake up later than you.”
Dain said while gauging Juho’s reaction. Thinking about it, he mostly lived a regular life of falling asleep before 11 PM and waking up at 7 AM. In contrast, Juho always put Dain to sleep first and woke up first to wake Dain up.
So this was the reason Juho couldn’t sleep…! Shocked by this revelation, Dain wanted to lay Juho down on the bed right away, forgetting about the house and everything else.
“I didn’t say this to burden hyung! Really, just.”
“Mm-hmm, just?”
“I wanted to get permission from hyung to mark this house with my scent.”
“Scent?”
“Yes. Since I’m a tiger, if I mark it with my scent, at least male beast-men won’t be able to enter this house carelessly.”
Seeing Dain’s attitude that suggested he would stand night watch starting tonight if not stopped, Juho quickly changed the subject. He was also a bit flustered by Dain’s more serious reaction than expected.
He thought he’d ask how to not feel anxious, but suddenly night watch came up. It was far from Juho’s expected answer.
It was very much like Jung Dain, but also flustering because it wasn’t going as planned.
Anyway, having successfully changed the topic, Juho put effort into controlling his expression so the pitiful look he had worked hard to create wouldn’t fade.
“Hmm. That’s true, but.”
Dain, who Juho expected would immediately say he understood, once again gave an unexpected reaction. He was looking at Juho with a face that seemed to have a lot to say.
What…? Is he really going to say it’s inconsiderate like that Kim Sujeong bastard said?
Juho swallowed his saliva. Dying of curiosity about what would follow, Juho grabbed Dain’s shoulders and asked.
“Hyung…? Is it not okay?”
“No, it’s not that it’s not okay. I mean, hmm.”
“Hyung?”
“That scent thing means it’s your territory, right? But I was wondering if it’s okay for me to be there too.”
“Of course you can be there too. No, this is something I’m doing to be together with hyung even a little more safely.”
“Still… Dad told me that sharing territory is only done by family or mates.”
Dain looked at Juho with a worried expression. Maybe because he’s still young, he doesn’t seem to know much about these things. That scent marking isn’t something you do carelessly.
Hearing Dain’s words, Juho looked at Dain with a rather surprised expression.
Scent, territory – he thought Dain was completely clueless about such things. Surprisingly, he had accurately established the concept of territory that beast-men think about sensitively.
Even though he can’t even detect his own scent that’s already marked in the current house.
“Ah, I see.”
“Yeah, so scent marking needs to be done carefully. Got it? So Juho, wouldn’t it be better to find another method? I think it would be better for me to stay by your side and watch over you until you fall asleep after all.”
“No, hyung! I don’t like that. If hyung is just okay with it, I’ll mark my scent…”
“Hmm!”
Looking at Juho who was still obsessing over scent marking even after hearing his words, Dain fell into contemplation.
Of course, doing as Juho said would be best. Juho was a top-tier species, and if he marked his scent, it seemed like Juho’s anxiety about the house would decrease a lot. Along with marking it as his territory, he could easily deter beast-men who are more threatening than ordinary people.
Still, would it be okay for him, who was neither family nor mate, to enter his territory?
Moreover, he would soon go through secondary gender characteristics too, and he was certain to become a male. When that happened, they might become uncomfortable with each other because of Juho’s scent.
Dain’s nose bridge twitched restlessly. Even thinking through various plans from 1 to 10, he couldn’t find a clear solution.
“Hyung. I really don’t want to burden hyung. Just this once, can’t I do what I want to do?”
“Hmm…!!!”
“Hyung!”
Juho hugged Dain tightly and rubbed his nose against Dain’s hair. The voice was getting increasingly watery, and it seemed like Juho might cry, so Dain hurriedly patted his back.
“Ju, Juho. Don’t cry. Okay?”
Damn. Who’s crying? I’m just frustrated because it’s taking longer than expected to get permission. Should I really poke my eyeball or something to make tears come out for permission?
With his nose buried in Dain’s hair, Juho was busy thinking about how to persuade Dain to give in.
While Juho was busy scheming how to coax Dain, Dain was frantically checking on Juho’s condition.
Without even answering his words, Juho just shrugged his shoulders and let out shallow breaths. Seeing Juho struggle like this for the first time, Dain’s heart was already heavily leaning to one side.
It also helped that he thought of a solution: if Juho became uncomfortable later and told him to leave, he’d be a little – no, very – hurt, but he could just go back to his current house.
“Juho, if we really do that, will it make you feel much more at ease?”
“…Hyung? Are you giving permission?”
“Yeah, do what you want to do, Juho. But if you become uncomfortable with me being in your territory later, you must tell me. Got it?”
“Yes. I will. No, no. Hyung, that won’t happen. Absolutely not.”
Juho moved his hands from holding Dain’s shoulders to firmly grasping both hands. Not satisfied with just holding hands, he even interlocked all ten fingers and shook their arms up and down, openly showing how happy he felt.
Seeing Juho’s face bloom brightly like a flower at his words, Dain’s ears turned red. Thinking that it seemed to work out well for both of them anyway, he smiled as brightly as Juho.
His parents’ words about entering someone else’s territory being a really, really important matter were now pushed to a corner of his mind.
While Dain was following Juho’s lead and letting out happy laughs, Juho, having shaken off all his earlier irritation, looked around the house with a satisfied heart.
He wouldn’t tell anyone about this house, but even if other people came to this house by any chance, they wouldn’t be able to rudely interfere like Kim Sujeong.
Marking this house with his scent was something Dain had permitted.
And before Dain became uncomfortable in his territory, he planned to become his mate, family, or whatever. If that was Dain’s worry, he just needed to create a situation where it wouldn’t become uncomfortable.
Juho took Dain around and freely marked the walls with his scent.
“Juho, but I can’t smell your scent at all??”
“Really? Maybe it’s because hyung hasn’t gone through secondary gender characteristics yet.”
“I guess so. I’m a little curious though.”
Dain made sniffing sounds as he pressed his nose to the wall that Juho’s hands had touched, but he couldn’t feel any scent. Dain scratched his nose tip with a disappointed expression.
Seeing that cute complaint, Juho pointed to the inside of his wrist and said.
“Hyung, smell here too.”
“Here?”
“Yes.”
Seeing Juho’s white skin where blue veins showed through clearly, Dain brought his nose close as if enchanted. However, what entered Dain’s nose was only Juho’s usual refreshing body scent, and he couldn’t detect the unfamiliar smell called beast-men’s scent.
“Mm, I can’t smell anything here either.”
“I see. Then, how about here?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
