Choi Sang-hyuk woke up around 2 p.m. Despite having slept only a few hours, he emerged from the shower looking as fresh and intense as ever—a man in his full vigor.
“Do you have to go to work again?”
Kim Min-seok, who was getting dressed in the master bedroom, asked as he watched Choi Sang-hyuk preparing to leave. Working from morning until late at night was already exhausting, but now he had to go back in after pulling an all-nighter? It seemed like too much.
“If I want to keep feeding someone here, I have to work hard.”
Choi Sang-hyuk spoke bluntly, his tone a mix of jest and sincerity. As he walked over, his large, firm hand ruffled Kim Min-seok’s hair, turning it into a tangled mess. Apparently, the sight of his disheveled bedhead amused him.
“Go hang out at Ha Jun-seo’s place.”
Choi Sang-hyuk said suddenly.
“Huh?”
Kim Min-seok looked up at him in surprise.
“Yeah. You can’t just leave Cheol and Soon home alone all the time. Come over to my place and hang out.”
Ha Jun-seo chimed in enthusiastically.
At that moment, an image of a certain room in Ha Jun-seo’s house flashed through Kim Min-seok’s mind, sending a chill down his spine.
“Ah, Ha-yoon, you just got goosebumps on your arm. What were you imagining to get that creeped out? Were you thinking about that room in my house?”
Ha Jun-seo asked with a knowing look.
“Stop scaring him and just watch over him properly.”
Choi Sang-hyuk shot Ha Jun-seo a glare, his eyes practically cursing him out.
“Alright, alright. We’ll keep that room sealed off for now, so don’t worry and come over. Even Choi Sang-hyuk is telling you to. Besides, Cheol and Soon are probably out of food by now.”
Kim Min-seok hadn’t been planning to go, but Ha Jun-seo’s last comment made him waver.
“It’s fine. Just go there for now. I’ll call you when I get off work.”
Choi Sang-hyuk insisted again. Kim Min-seok had thought he’d been acting a little strange since yesterday, but it felt awkward to outright ask him what was going on.
“You’re coming, right?”
Ha Jun-seo asked. Choi Sang-hyuk stood tall in front of him, staring intently, waiting for his response. With both of their eyes fixed on him, Kim Min-seok felt unbearably pressured. Without even realizing it, he found himself nodding.
“Then hurry up and get changed. Now that it’s been decided, let’s go already.”
Ha Jun-seo jumped up from his seat, urging him along.
“Right now? Immediately?”
Kim Min-seok looked at him, flustered.
“Cheol and Soon might be starving, you know? Don’t you feel bad for them?”
Ha Jun-seo kept pressing him. Choi Sang-hyuk, on the other hand, remained silent, simply gazing at him. It felt like he was wordlessly telling him to hurry up and move.
In the end, Kim Min-seok sighed and got up from the sofa, heading into the dressing room. He hastily picked out some clothes and changed.
When he stepped back into the living room, he saw the two men standing side by side. Their towering height and well-built physiques were striking enough to be impressive.
It was clear that they had exchanged a few words while he was in the dressing room. Honestly, what else could the “wife” and the “mistress” talk about other than their “husband”? The thought made Kim Min-seok incredibly curious about what they had discussed, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask.
The three of them left the house together. In the elevator, Kim Min-seok stood in the center, with the two men flanking him on either side. Their reflection in the elevator doors felt strangely surreal. Now that he thought about it, it hadn’t even been that long since he met these two. And yet, this kind of routine already felt so natural and familiar. It was oddly fascinating.
Ding—
The elevator stopped on the first floor. As the doors slid open, Ha Jun-seo casually draped an arm over Kim Min-seok’s shoulder and guided him outside.
“See you later.”
Kim Min-seok turned slightly and gave a small wave toward Choi Sang-hyuk, who was heading down to the underground parking lot. In response, Choi Sang-hyuk gave a slight nod.
Ha Jun-seo hadn’t been exaggerating. The moment they stepped into his home, chaos erupted.
The two cats were in front of their empty bowls, yowling at the top of their lungs.
“Oh, for—”
Clicking his tongue, Ha Jun-seo hurried inside, grabbing the food container and filling their bowls. The moment the food hit the dishes, the cats ignored both him and Kim Min-seok entirely, devouring their meal as if they were starving.
“You live right next door. You could’ve just dropped by to feed them real quick.”
Kim Min-seok commented as he watched the two eat like their lives depended on it.
“I actually left them a good amount before I went out. But since they used to be strays, they have this food obsession. They eat like they’ll never see another meal again.”
Looking at their round, plump bodies, Ha Jun-seo’s words didn’t seem like an exaggeration. But then again, chubby cats were undeniably adorable.
Careful not to startle them, Kim Min-seok crouched down and gently reached out, stroking their backs as they ate. The cats, still munching away, let out deep, contented purrs. Even in the middle of their meal, they clearly enjoyed the affection.
A smile naturally formed on his lips. The softness of their fur made his heart feel warm and tender.
“They’re really that cute?”
Ha Jun-seo suddenly appeared behind him, running a hand through his hair as he spoke. Then, in a teasing tone, he added,
“I think you’re cuter, though.”
The way he petted his head made it feel like he was being treated like a cat himself. Strangely enough, it didn’t feel bad. If anything, it was nice—just a simple expression of affection.
Eventually, the two of them settled in the living room and turned on the TV. With nothing else to do, they decided to continue the horror movie series they had been watching before.
Before long, Cheol suddenly leaped onto Kim Min-seok’s lap with a dramatic “Ack!” sound. Unable to resist, he started petting him enthusiastically with both hands.
Then, from the other side, Soon approached, tail held high and quivering slightly, as if she were in an especially good mood.
“Soon, come here.”
Kim Min-seok called her softly. She paused for a moment, staring at him, then gracefully leaped onto the sofa. Walking up to him, she gently bumped her head against his forearm.
“Look at that. I’m the one who fed them, but they’re only affectionate with Ha-yoon.”
Ha Jun-seo said with a chuckle. He wasn’t wrong. Cheol and Soon were purring so intensely that the vibrations were almost tangible as they rubbed their entire bodies against Kim Min-seok. Their overwhelming display of affection left him unsure of what to do.
Somehow, the two of them ended up squeezed together on his lap, despite there not being much space to begin with. To keep them from slipping off, Kim Min-seok had to carefully support their bodies with both hands. Whether they were aware of how precarious their position was or not, the two cats purred contentedly as they settled in for a nap.
Ha Jun-seo watched the scene with a fond expression.
“I’ve seen this before.”
Kim Min-seok murmured, glancing between the two cats sprawled on his lap and Ha Jun-seo sitting beside him.
“This? What do you mean?”
Ha Jun-seo asked curiously.
“In a dream. I was with you, just like this, with Cheol and Soon curled up on my lap…”
“That happens a lot when you come over. These two are obsessed with you.”
“Yeah… I guess this is how it was in the dream, too.”
“What did it feel like? Were you happy?”
Ha Jun-seo’s voice was quiet, his gaze deep and searching. Kim Min-seok met his eyes for a moment before responding.
“I was happy. Warm… cozy… It felt really peaceful. Just like now.”
A smile deepened at the corners of Ha Jun-seo’s eyes. Slowly, he leaned in.
Kim Min-seok let his eyelids flutter shut as he accepted the kiss. Amidst the soft rumbling of purring, their lips met in a gentle and sweet embrace. The warmth in his chest spread, filling him with a quiet serenity.
When the kiss ended, the two of them, along with the cats, settled back onto the sofa, watching TV together. Kim Min-seok leaned comfortably against Ha Jun-seo’s shoulder, focusing on the horror movie playing before them. Even though he knew it was all fake, the occasional loud noise or tense scene still made his body unconsciously tense up.
As the pace of the movie slowed into a more relaxed moment, his tension eased, and sleepiness crept in. It was inevitable—his stomach was full, the cats’ rhythmic purring filled the air, and the warmth of another person beside him was lulling him into drowsiness.
His eyelids fluttered a few times. Just as he was starting to nod off, the movie abruptly cut to a sudden jump scare—a ghostly face flashing across the screen.
The TV blared a loud, jarring noise. At almost the exact same moment, his phone vibrated once in his pocket before going silent.
Startled, Kim Min-seok tensed up, his body stiffening. Instinctively, he glanced at Ha Jun-seo. But judging by his lack of reaction, he hadn’t noticed the vibration—probably because of the loud sound from the movie.
Just in case, Kim Min-seok pretended to stay focused on the film. He waited for a few more moments, letting an important scene pass, then subtly shifted, lifting his head from Ha Jun-seo’s shoulder.
“Why? Are you uncomfortable?”
“No, I just need to use the bathroom.”
Kim Min-seok kept his voice as calm as possible.
Ha Jun-seo nodded in understanding and smoothly lifted the cats off his lap, placing them onto his own.
“Meow!”
Cheol protested, letting out a small whine. Kim Min-seok gave his head a quick pat before heading to the bathroom.
Once inside, he locked the door and pulled out his phone from his pocket. He was glad he had set it to vibrate—if a notification sound had gone off, he would’ve needed to come up with an excuse.
As expected from the single buzz, there was only one new message.
The sender: Seo Chang-seop.
[*Incheon City, **-dong, ** Inn, Room **. Bank transfer unavailable—cash and goods only.]
