“Then does that mean I don’t have to go to school?”
“School?”
“I had a mock exam tomorrow. I didn’t study that much, but……..”
“I did solve the workbook, though,” Eun-jo added quietly.
Just then, as if he had been waiting for the red light, Jung Tae-seok turned his head.
“You said you were eighteen. Hyu—no, Eun-jo.”
“The doctor said I’m twenty-three.”
The way he answered so crisply was unbearably cute. Holding back a laugh, Tae-seok gripped the steering wheel tightly instead of pulling Eun-jo into his arms.
“Right. Eighteen.”
“……How old are you, hyung?”
“Hyung?”
“You’re older than me, so that’s why you’re driving, right? Or are minors allowed to drive here?”
“Hyung……? Hyung……..”
Instead of answering his age, Jung Tae-seok kept muttering “hyung, hyung” like he was possessed, making Eun-jo tilt his head. The way he kept snickering meant he was definitely strange somewhere, no matter how handsome his face was.
“Hyung, that’s right. I’m the hyung now…….”
A laugh slipped past his lips.
When he’d first heard about the amnesia, it had felt like the world was collapsing, but this didn’t seem so bad in its own way. The doctor had also said there was a high chance his memory would return within a few days as long as nothing unusual happened.
The attending physician had called it temporary amnesia. He’d added that, from the shock, Eun-jo had lost his memories after age eighteen and seemed confused about some memories from before then as well. Since having multiple Espers might confuse him, the doctor said it would be better for Tae-seok, who was closer in age, to stay with him for the time being. If the doctor hadn’t said that, Jin Mu-seong would have had this adorable sight all to himself.
So this means it’s basically a reset.
It meant Eun-jo didn’t remember the past where Tae-seok had treated him carelessly, the memory of running away to the airport, or those other trash-like Espers. Once his thoughts reached that point, Tae-seok’s smile deepened.
“You can call me Tae-seok hyung. And…….”
He naturally took Eun-jo’s hand, which had been gripping the seat belt. Then he suddenly pulled it toward himself.
“As you can see.”
He pressed a soft kiss to the ring neatly fitted on Eun-jo’s finger.
“We’re married.”
Eun-jo’s face went as white as it had when he first opened his eyes. Watching his eyes roll around in panic, Jung Tae-seok curved his eyes. It was a sweet, gentle smile, the kind a newlywed groom might wear.
“M-married? Me and you, hyung?”
“Yeah.”
“Who—no, why…….. Why would I, with you, um……..”
“I chased after you like fuck—no, a lot.”
Not knowing what to do, Eun-jo turned his head. His eyes darted all over the window’s reflection.
Is s-same-sex marriage legal here?
Unable to even throw off the hand holding his, Eun-jo bit his lip.
What is this…… What the hell kind of situation is this…….? He’s not lying, right?
Seeing how flustered he was, Jung Tae-seok held back his laughter again. When he tightened his grip on their joined hands, Eun-jo finally turned his head back.
“Ask me anything you’re curious about.”
Then he added briefly,
“Honey.”
Eun-jo’s expression went blank.
It was far too heavy a form of address for an eighteen-year-old to handle.
***
As soon as the car stopped in front of the house, Eun-jo shot out of it like an arrow. Watching him rush as if someone were chasing him, Jung Tae-seok leisurely opened the door for him.
The inside looked much bigger than it had from outside. As soon as Eun-jo turned from the entryway, a large, beautifully maintained yard spread out beyond the full-length windows. Sunlight streamed down from the high ceiling, and closed doors lined each room.
Every space he could see suited his taste. The sofa, the table, even the tiny stools.
“Let’s change clothes first.”
Tae-seok took Eun-jo’s hand as he stood there staring blankly. Then he led the way upstairs.
When he opened the bedroom door deeper inside, the first thing Eun-jo saw was a bed huge enough for two people to lie down with room to spare.
“……”
Eun-jo’s eyes trembled uneasily, as if he had accidentally seen something obscene.
So here, the two of them.
Normally, he might have just thought, Wow, a bed as big as a body, but after hearing they were married, his thoughts kept drifting in that direction.
Leaving the flustered Eun-jo behind, Jung Tae-seok headed to the wardrobe. Behind him, Eun-jo hesitantly shuffled after him.
Tae-seok opened a drawer with practiced ease and took out pajamas. It was a short-sleeved T-shirt with a baby duck on it.
“I slept in this? All this time?”
“Yeah.”
It feels like a lie…….
Judging by the neat furniture, it didn’t seem like his taste had changed. With a suspicious expression, Eun-jo held the T-shirt up in the air.
“What about pants?”
“You never wore any. We’re newlyweds.”
“Liar…….”
His true thoughts popped right out of his mouth.
“It’s true. Do I look like someone who’d lie to you?”
Eun-jo’s gaze landed on him, then dropped away.
After a moment, Eun-jo slowly nodded.
“Yes. Very much.”
“……”
Easy to read or not, Yeo Eun-jo was still Yeo Eun-jo.
Unable to hold back anymore, Jung Tae-seok burst out laughing and ruffled Eun-jo’s hair. Through the disheveled strands, he saw the eyes that immediately sharpened at him. The eyes he loved.
“Why are you so smart? If you’d taken that mock exam, you would’ve scored 100.”
“A 100 would mean I messed up.”
Lightly pushing his hand away, Eun-jo scurried over to the wardrobe. Then he found the drawer Tae-seok had opened and determinedly pulled out pajama pants.
As Eun-jo scurried toward the bathroom again, Tae-seok grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. Eun-jo slipped easily into his arms.
“Ah…….!”
He felt a firm chest against his back.
Even though they were both clothed, Tae-seok’s body felt so vivid it was as if they were embracing bare-skinned. His high body heat, the lean muscles carved like sculpture, and something thick pressing below Eun-jo’s waist.
Eighteen years old.
Old enough to know things, but not old enough to have experienced them all.
Eun-jo, whose experience with physical intimacy amounted to nothing more than kissing a co-star, went rigid.
“Hyung, hyung!”
Flushed bright red from his neck to his ears, Eun-jo pleaded desperately.
“Please let go…….”
Tae-seok’s heavy gaze lingered on his earlobe.
He wanted to put that soft earlobe in his mouth and suck on it. Mark it with teeth until moans burst out, then trail down the line of his neck until a restless Eun-jo clung to him for more.
Since Tae-seok didn’t move at all, too busy undressing Eun-jo in his head, Eun-jo grew urgent and stamped his feet.
“Hyung……. stop……”
When he turned his head, he met Tae-seok’s deeply lowered eyes.
Gasp.
Eun-jo unconsciously sucked in a breath and bit his own lip.
At the same time, Jung Tae-seok’s arms moved.
A large hand pulled Eun-jo’s lower lip away from his teeth. Frowning fiercely, Tae-seok rubbed the already wounded lip.
“I told you not to bite your lips.”
“When did—ah…….”
Heat rushed to his face.
He could feel both his cheeks turning red without even looking. With Jung Tae-seok glaring at his lower lip, Eun-jo didn’t know what to do, so he grabbed his arm.
“I’ll go change!”
Lowering his head deeply, Eun-jo disappeared into the bathroom.
Bang.
Tae-seok’s head turned toward the door that had slammed shut in a rush.
“Haa……..”
He exhaled deeply and dragged a hand down his face.
The eighteen-year-old Yeo Eun-jo was cute and lovable too, but he missed the Yeo Eun-jo who, instead of biting his lip, would give him a soft kiss.
“……Aren’t you being too cruel, hyung? We’re newlyweds.”
Flopping onto the bed, he muttered to himself.
For now, those words wouldn’t reach him.
***
After an awkward dinner, the two of them sat side by side on the sofa. Laughter from panelists flowed from the TV across from them, but neither of them paid any attention to the content.
All the while, Eun-jo worked hard to sneak sideways glances at Jung Tae-seok. The pajamas with baby ducks on them suited him surprisingly well. Was it because of his handsome face? Then again, even if someone dressed him in some bizarre leopard print, his face would probably still shine.
Objectively speaking, Jung Tae-seok was a decent husband candidate. It didn’t feel real, but apparently he was the highest rank among Espers and was treated well by the country too. On top of that, he was young and handsome.
The problem was right now.
Because he had to sleep with that outstanding husband.
Then do we have to do those kinds of things too?
But I have amnesia?
Remembering the strange atmosphere in the bedroom, Eun-jo pressed his lips shut. As he fidgeted with his fingers for no reason, the ringtone broke the silence.
“What amazing patience.”
Clicking his tongue, Jung Tae-seok picked up his phone and disappeared. From the terrace, his irritated voice could be heard in bits and pieces. It seemed like he was talking to the man Eun-jo had seen at the hospital.
“This is no time for this…….”
No matter how they had lived in the past, he couldn’t do those kinds of things with a man he was seeing for the first time.
Rising onto his toes, Eun-jo quietly headed to the bedroom.
The two pillows on the bed greeted him cheerfully. With a groan, Eun-jo quickly went back and forth through the bedroom. He spread a fluffy blanket on the floor and brought over another blanket that had been in the study.
Once he set down a pillow too, it looked quite decent. Eun-jo quickly lay down on the floor and pulled the blanket all the way up over his head.
Just as his breathing was getting stuffy, slow footsteps sounded.
The steps paused briefly in the living room, then soon headed toward the bedroom. Though he hadn’t committed a crime, Eun-jo’s heart pounded as he focused on the sound.
“Ha.”
Entering the bedroom, Jung Tae-seok let out a dry laugh.
“Yeo Eun-jo.”
“……”
“Yeo Eun-jo. Are you asleep?”
The blanket rolled up like gimbap flinched, but no answer came.
Looking down at the ridiculous bedding set up beside the bed, Jung Tae-seok rubbed his lips.
“Ah, seriously…….”
What am I supposed to do with that?
He felt like he wouldn’t be satisfied unless he stuffed him into his mouth and sucked on him right then and there.
Then the little shit would run away, wouldn’t he?
The other party was a high schooler.
If Eun-jo started crying and called the Center, Jin Mu-seong would be the first to come running happily. The instant Tae-seok imagined Eun-jo being carried away on Jin Mu-seong’s back, his face crumpled violently.
Barely forcing down his desire, Jung Tae-seok grabbed his own pillow from the bed.
Thud.
After dropping his pillow onto the floor, Jung Tae-seok lay down beside Eun-jo. Then he calmly wrapped his arms around the blanket roll.
“Uh, um……..”
After squirming, Eun-jo poked his face out from the blanket. He saw Tae-seok hugging his waist without even having a blanket of his own.
“Why…… aren’t you sleeping on the bed?”
“My hips have no use right now. I figured I’d at least abuse my back like this.”
“……”
“Why? Did you find another method? Or do you want to go up to the bed together?”
Eun-jo shook his head and hid back inside the blanket.
Even when he tried to force himself to sleep, his mind stayed clear, maybe because this was an unfamiliar place. On top of that, it had been so long since he had slept next to someone.
I’ve lived apart from my family ever since I debuted.
Even the manager hyung who was always with him only followed him around outside and never came into his home.
Blinking, Eun-jo spoke again.
“But.”
“Yeah.”
“Can’t you let go of this?”
“Can’t do that.”
At the immediate refusal, Eun-jo poked his face out of the blanket. His lips were sticking out sulkily.
“Why?”
“It’s a habit. I can only fall asleep if I’m hugging you.”
As if there was nothing more to discuss, Jung Tae-seok closed his eyes.
After watching him until his breathing grew steady, Eun-jo pulled out the pillow beneath his own head.
He lifted the two arms wrapped around him and inserted the pillow between them. Then, worried Jung Tae-seok might hug him again, he crawled to the very edge of the blanket and lay down there. A bit of his hair peeked out from under the blanket that covered him all the way to his head.
Huh.
He couldn’t tell whether to call this impressive or too cruel.
Though if Eun-jo had acted affectionate, that probably would’ve tortured him in its own way…….
Still, he felt hurt.
If it had been Yeo Eun-jo before he lost his memories, he would have grumbled but still hugged and soothed him. Tae-seok was pressing a hand to his aching forehead when—
At that moment, Eun-jo suddenly sat bolt upright.
There was a small rustling sound, and then Tae-seok felt the softness of a blanket. It seemed Eun-jo had been bothered by the fact that he was lying there bare.
Only after carefully covering Tae-seok up to his shoulders so the blanket wouldn’t slip did Eun-jo lie back down on the floor.
“……”
After pretending to sleep for a long while, Jung Tae-seok opened his eyes. In his field of vision, he saw Eun-jo sleeping quietly.
“……You really are Yeo Eun-jo.”
He muttered as he stroked Eun-jo’s soft cheek.
“The way you can’t stand seeing someone pitiful—that really is you, hyung.”
Even if this Yeo Eun-jo didn’t remember him, he would still reach out a hand whenever Tae-seok was rolling around on the floor.
Only then could he breathe.
He pulled Eun-jo fully into his arms.
As if doing so might make his scattered memories return.
His gaze never left him until the sun rose.
***
The next day, the place Tae-seok took him was a movie theater.
It was a movie theater on the eighth floor of a furniture mart that looked like it was falling apart and on the verge of going out of business. When they got off the creaking elevator, a clean movie theater lobby came into view.
“Wow……..”
