Eunho rolled his eyes around. It was so obvious he was agonizing over the reason that Yi-beom’s head grew hot.
His mind, which always worked rationally, felt like it broke down whenever Jung Eunho was entangled in it. If he wanted to find out what kind of relationship he had with Moon Sobin and why he was trying to run away from him, he should’ve let it slide calmly. But whenever he saw that face, deep in thought about how to escape him, his insides churned and anger boiled over.
“It’s been a long time since we took pictures…”
Eunho, who had been fidgeting with his fingers, finally spoke.
“The album’s pretty empty, and…”
When their eyes met, Eunho looked away. He didn’t have the confidence to lie while looking straight at Yi-beom.
“A-as a commemoration of being locked up…”
“As if it’s something worth commemorating?”
The corner of Yi-beom’s lips tilted crookedly.
“I didn’t know. I had no idea our Eunho liked his captivity that much.”
“……”
“I thought you didn’t like it, since you’ve been trying so hard to get out.”
“I-it’s because I’m with you, Ahjussi.”
Grind. The sound of teeth gnashing slipped out from between Yi-beom’s lips. Just how far was he planning to take this lie? He was still plotting his escape even now, yet pretending otherwise—it was absurd. Yi-beom rose from his seat and slowly approached Eunho.
Sensing something ominous, Eunho stepped back. Yi-beom was clearly smiling, but his eyes had sunk into a cold stillness.
“Ah…”
Eunho’s back hit the bookcase behind him. There was nowhere left to retreat.
Yi-beom caged him in with both arms and stared down at him without a word. His insides boiled. It would’ve been easier if he only hated him. He wanted to kill Jung Eunho for constantly lying to him—yet at the same time, the fact that he wanted to take his picture was unbearably lovable.
The conflicting emotions felt like they were splitting Yi-beom’s head apart. Unable to endure it any longer, he let out a low groan. Warmth immediately touched him. It was Eunho.
“A-Ahjussi. Are you sick somewhere?”
As if he hadn’t been cautious just moments ago, Eunho placed a hand on Yi-beom’s cheek.
“You feel like you have a fever. Shouldn’t you rest?”
“……”
“Just come here for a second—”
It happened in an instant, just as Eunho tugged at Yi-beom’s arm. Yi-beom suddenly seized Eunho’s wrist.
As if something forbidden had touched him, Yi-beom returned Eunho’s wrist to its place before finally loosening his grip. What just happened? Eunho blinked rapidly.
“Uh…”
His thoughts tangled in confusion. Did I pull his arm too suddenly? Did Ahjussi get startled…? It was the first time Yi-beom had rejected him like that, and Eunho couldn’t collect himself.
It was a mistake. It must’ve been a mistake.
He’ll apologize and hug me in a moment. Rubbing his throbbing wrist, Eunho quietly waited for Yi-beom.
But no matter how long he waited, Yi-beom’s hand didn’t touch him. When Eunho lifted his head, the spot where he had been standing was already empty.
“A-Ahjuss—”
He spotted Yi-beom standing out on the terrace. Even as he hurriedly lit a cigarette, he didn’t forget to move farther from the door so the smoke wouldn’t drift inside. Because of that, Eunho’s desperate voice couldn’t reach him either.
Staring blankly at Yi-beom, Eunho lowered his gaze at the sound of something dripping onto the floor. In that moment, a tear slid down his cheek.
“Hh…”
Eunho quickly turned away and wiped his tears.
If Ahjussi sees, he might get angry again.
It wasn’t like he’d done anything right. Scrubbing at his eyes, Eunho left the study.
All the way to the bedroom, tears kept spilling out. No matter how much he wiped them away, they wouldn’t stop. Even though he tried not to think about it, the image of Yi-beom snatching his wrist kept replaying in his mind.
“Hh-hhng…”
When the tears wouldn’t stop, Eunho finally resorted to his last measure. Pop! With a small sound, a rabbit sprang out from between the folds of his clothes.
I can just secretly take the picture.
It’s okay. Reassuring himself, the rabbit hopped toward the bed. Not onto the bed he shared with Yi-beom—but beneath it.
The rabbit, curled up in the corner under the bed, didn’t come out for a long while. It merely covered its mouth with its tiny paws and held its breath. The dust pit kept tickling and tormenting its throat, but it was still better than facing Yi-beom.
Yet even after Eunho stopped crying and washed his face—standing back up on two feet—Yi-beom did not come to find him.
***
After that, the cold war that wasn’t quite a cold war continued.
On the surface, nothing seemed different. As always, Yi-beom took care of Eunho’s meals and spent time with him. They even replayed the action movie Eunho had dozed off watching several times. From Younguk’s post on the terrace, it looked like a perfectly ordinary scene.
But subtly, it was different from before. Except for when he was working, Yi-beom stuck close to Eunho—not as if he enjoyed being together, but as if he were monitoring him. He hardly seemed to sleep, and there were more moments when he would simply stare at Eunho before going out to smoke. Eunho sensed that slight change with uncanny precision.
He couldn’t ask why. He couldn’t ask what he’d done wrong. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth once, Yi-beom might ask difficult questions in return.
And so, muddling through like that, the day of his appointment with Chanwoo arrived.
Eunho, who had gone to bed with Yi-beom, cracked his eyes open. When he turned his head, a desk clock came into view.
10 p.m.…
There were only about two hours left until the appointment time. Chanwoo was probably anxiously waiting for him with Sobin.
This is my last chance.
Clutching his lower abdomen, Eunho steeled himself.
I have to go. To protect the baby.
Suppressing his uneasy heart, Eunho wrapped both arms around his stomach. After thinking about it all day, there was only one way.
“Ow…”
At that tiny sound, Yi-beom’s eyes snapped open. A thick arm immediately wrapped around Eunho’s waist.
“Jung Eunho. Are you hurting somewhere?”
“……”
“Eunho.”
“……”
“Baby.”
At the careful hand gently shaking him, Eunho opened his tightly shut eyes. Then he let out a small groan and curled his body.
“Ugh, m-my stomach…”
“Your stomach hurts?”
Yi-beom’s face turned serious as he immediately got up. Grabbing his phone, he hurriedly called someone.
“What the fu—does he just throw his phone away and disappear?”
Still curled up, Eunho glanced up at Yi-beom. When Professor Hwang didn’t answer, Yi-beom muttered a curse.
Good thing I changed the number!
He had switched Professor Hwang’s number earlier, taking advantage of a rare moment when Yi-beom had let his guard down. After several attempts, Yi-beom hurled the phone off the bed. Then he pulled a jumper from the closet.
“Let’s go.”
“……Ugh, w-where…”
“We’re going to the hospital.”
After draping the jumper over Eunho’s body, Yi-beom lifted him up in one swift motion. He hadn’t even changed his own clothes.
He’ll be cold…
Eunho pressed his lips together as he looked at Yi-beom in just a short-sleeved shirt. It wasn’t quite full summer yet; the nights were still chilly. And once he disappeared, Yi-beom would surely wander outside all night.
“Ahjussi, your clothes…”
Yi-beom, who had taken out the car keys, lowered his head toward Eunho.
“What?”
“You need to put something on. It’s cold outside.”
“Getting you to the hospital comes first.”
Answering brusquely, Yi-beom fastened the jumper more securely around him.
“You said your stomach hurts. It’s not good to catch a chill, so stay covered.”
At that gentle voice, it felt like tears might burst out again. Biting his lip desperately, Eunho hid half his face beneath the jumper.
His heart hurt more than he expected. Using Yi-beom’s sensitivity about his health made his chest ache. It almost felt as if his stomach were truly stabbing in pain, and Eunho clutched it with both hands. Seeing that, Yi-beom’s face hardened.
“Just hang on a little.”
They left the house he hadn’t been able to step out of for weeks in an instant. After placing Eunho in the passenger seat, Yi-beom immediately grabbed the steering wheel. The sedan slid smoothly out of the parking garage.
He might not see Yi-beom for a long time. If Yi-beom never forgave him for running away… then this would truly be the end. Eunho’s chest throbbed violently.
I guess I love him more than I thought…
It truly felt like his heart was being torn apart. The more he looked at Yi-beom’s stern face as he drove, the worse it became. Wanting to memorize him even a little more, Eunho didn’t take his eyes off him.
The hospital wasn’t far from Central Park. If he ran, he could get there within five minutes. Since it was a general hospital, there would be many patients; he planned to slip out amid the chaos.
Ten more minutes.
Ten minutes until they arrived. Without blinking, Eunho stared at Yi-beom. Feeling the gaze, Yi-beom moved his hand.
“Go to sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there.”
A large hand covered Eunho’s eyes. He barely restrained the urge to grab onto it.
“It’s okay.”
“Then at least close your eyes. When your stomach hurts, you get carsick.”
At his words, Eunho had no choice but to shut his eyes. Unable to see him made Yi-beom feel even more precious.
It’s hard even when I can’t see him for a moment… what am I going to do?
Can I really live after leaving Ahjussi? Even for a little while…?
N-no. I can’t…
The resolve he’d built up so carefully began to crumble. Even if Ahjussi said he hated having a baby, wouldn’t our child be different? What if I just told him everything honestly and discussed it with him?
Eunho’s hopeful fantasies began spinning busily.
I can’t leave Ahjussi.
Finally reaching a conclusion, Eunho opened his eyes.
“Huh…?”
At that moment, his vision brightened and the road came into view. The hospital’s name on the sign was written in the opposite direction.
No matter how much he looked around, it wasn’t a familiar neighborhood. Taking in the unfamiliar buildings and apartment complexes, Eunho drew in a sharp breath.
