“Yeah.”
Still, Go Hoon hadn’t expected Bae Jung-yoon’s voice to sound so flat. As he stared at the other’s emotionless, eerily calm expression, his own face grew more serious.
“…Did you get bullied at school or something?”
From where he stood, it was the only explanation that made any sense. Otherwise, how the hell was he supposed to understand a guy jerking off another guy, gripping his dick like that?
Then something occurred to him—Bae Jung-yoon could have sex with men. Maybe he’d known that about himself since he was a kid.
But people are unpredictable. Even someone like Bae Jung-yoon, who looked perfect on the outside, could be hiding something. Everyone had a scar or two no one else knew about.
Maybe that’s what made him this emotionally unstable guy with anger issues.
“You think I got bullied at school?”
But instead of answering, Bae Jung-yoon let out a quiet laugh.
Go Hoon had no idea what was so funny about what he’d just said. He’d asked seriously, even carefully, worried he might have touched on something painful.
The longer Jung-yoon laughed, the darker Go Hoon’s expression grew. That look on his face—like this was the funniest thing he’d heard in ages—was starting to piss him off.
Shouldn’t have said anything. He was already regretting it before Bae Jung-yoon even gave an answer. Meanwhile, Jung-yoon finally calmed down and looked over at him, still smiling.
“What about you, Hoon?”
“What about me?”
“What kind of student were you? Did you get bullied too?”
Was he mocking Go Hoon for asking such a stupid question? Or was he seriously saying he’d been bullied? It was impossible to tell.
“Did people beat you up?”
Slouched deep into the couch, Go Hoon kept his eyes fixed on Jung-yoon’s glittering, curious gaze and shrugged.
“Nah. I was more the one doing the beating.”
And right now, I’d love nothing more than to deck you once—just one solid hit. The same way he’d dealt with guys who used to mess with him for no reason.
But he swallowed all of that down. He had a gut feeling that if he actually said it out loud, Bae Jung-yoon wouldn’t be shocked or offended—he’d probably be even more amused.
Even though the punch hadn’t landed with full strength, it was still a guy’s fist—it had to hurt. And yet, even after taking a hit, the guy’s dick hadn’t gone soft. He’d even looked up at Go Hoon, dead serious, and said it only happened because he struggled too much.
Fucking psycho. The thought almost slipped out again, so Go Hoon clenched his teeth to keep it in. But Bae Jung-yoon, seemingly unfazed, just let out a thoughtful hmm through his nose and nodded.
“Yeah, the way you threw that punch… didn’t look like your first rodeo.”
He peeled back the cold pack to check the redness spreading across the back of his hand and muttered under his breath. His eyes and tone were cheerful. Not a single trace of resentment about being hit.
“Then what was that about?”
Still looking down, Bae Jung-yoon spoke again. Go Hoon raised an eyebrow.
“What was what?”
“You asked if I got bullied at school.”
Go Hoon instinctively shut his mouth for a beat. Had he really said that? It had slipped out without thinking, but of course the guy caught it. He was sharp like that. In the end, it was Go Hoon’s own careless mistake.
“Did I?”
He responded flatly, casually trying to slip his hand away.
“It’s cold. Just stop.”
“Nope. You could be bruised.”
But Bae Jung-yoon immediately caught his hand again.
He gripped Go Hoon’s forearm firmly to keep him still and pressed carefully over the swelling. He adjusted the cold pack with practiced precision, lifting and reapplying it in gentle intervals so the chill didn’t fully numb the pain.
Go Hoon just watched him. Even though bruises were starting to form around his mouth too. He had to force his eyes away from the redness near Jung-yoon’s lips.
He asked for it, Go Hoon reminded himself. No reason to feel guilty.
“Forget the ice. Just bring me some ointment.”
But today, for some reason, his body and mind weren’t on the same page.
***
A few days passed.
Go Hoon lay sprawled on the couch, blinking up at the ceiling. For once, Bae Jung-yoon had gone out—said he was heading to the gym.
Honestly, it made sense. The guy had always been consistent with workouts, but thanks to Go Hoon, he’d been stuck in a dull loop between school and home for almost a week.
So now, on a lazy Saturday afternoon, Go Hoon was alone in the apartment, enjoying the rare peace and quiet.
That morning, the Factory Manager called.
When he asked about his condition, Go Hoon answered honestly—he wasn’t well enough yet to return to work. The man told him to reach out again once he felt ready.
“Don’t go wandering around and wreck your recovery. Just stay home and lie around like a corpse.”
The call ended with those parting words—he couldn’t even tell whether it was scolding or concern. Either way, the guilt only deepened afterward.
I need to get back to work as soon as I’m better.
But first, the wound had to heal. Once the stitches were out, he’d probably be able to live on his own again. Which meant if he just held out for another week, he could finally get out of this place.
With that conclusion, Go Hoon glanced around the silent living room. Being alone in someone else’s house felt strange in a way he couldn’t quite put into words.
For a moment, it felt like being back in his cat days. And honestly, the situation wasn’t that different. He was staying in Bae Jung-yoon’s home, relying on his help.
Still, it somehow felt more humiliating now than it did back then. It might’ve been better when he was Kkongddeok-i, just quietly being cared for. If they hadn’t started interacting like this as two human beings, they probably would have avoided that deeply awkward incident.
What’s done was done. No point dwelling on it. …Given the current situation, it was best not to think too deeply at all.
He knew that—but lately, his mind and body just wouldn’t sync. Things had grown unbearably awkward between him and Bae Jung-yoon. Whenever they were alone together, everything felt stiff and disjointed.
Of course, it was clearly just his issue. While he struggled under the weight of discomfort, Jung-yoon seemed completely unaffected. Relationships, sex—it all seemed effortlessly simple for that guy.
Go Hoon’s brow twitched. His gaze dropped to the back of his hand. Thanks to the cold compress, it had mostly healed by now. But as expected, Jung-yoon’s face had bruised badly.
Thinking about it… it seemed like he was always the one hurting Bae Jung-yoon. Sure, that punch was something the guy had brought on himself—but still. Maybe they just weren’t compatible.
Yet another reason to leave this house as soon as possible.
Lost in thought, Go Hoon was startled by the sudden buzz of his phone. He sat up from the couch and reached for it on the table.
Yoon Seong-gon.
Seeing the name flash on the screen, he suddenly remembered—Seong-gon had gone on that trip last Saturday. It had been a week, so he must be back in Korea by now. Why had that completely slipped his mind?
He hurriedly pressed the call button.
“Hello?”
— Hyung! I’m back in Korea!
The moment he heard that bright, excited voice, a wave of guilt washed over him. Right… he’d crashed the guy’s bike. His stomach sank as Seong-gon continued, his voice full of energy.
— I brought you a souvenir from Japan! When can we meet? Huh?
“Seong-gon, slow down. There’s something I need to tell you first.”
His tone came out unusually soft for him. Seong-gon fell silent for a moment, then cautiously asked:
— …Something to tell me? What is it?
He’d picked up on the shift immediately—he knew something was wrong.
“Don’t freak out. Just listen.”
— What the hell, now you’re making me nervous.
He was always sharp in moments like this. Go Hoon could easily imagine him frowning at thin air, suspicion all over his face. Clearing his throat, he began.
“There was a bit of an… accident. With Carolina.”
He expected a reaction the moment the bike came up—but nothing came through the receiver. The silence was longer than expected, and Go Hoon’s brow furrowed slightly. Was the guy that shocked?
“Hey. Yoon Seong-gon. You there?”
Surely he hadn’t passed out, right? Was the bike really that expensive? His thoughts tangled up as the guilt started to gnaw at him. Scratching his brow, he waited—until finally, Seong-gon spoke.
— …Who’s Carolina?
…Wait. Wasn’t that her name?
“Then… was it Katarina?”
— ………
Catherine? Katusa? What the hell was it again?
He searched his memory, trying to piece together the vague name, when finally Seong-gon’s doubtful voice came through the speaker.
— …You mean Catherine?
“Oh, right. Catherine.”
— Hyung, I’m seriously disappointed. How could you forget the name of our beautiful, precious Catherine? Can you even call yourself her guardian?
Typical. The guy never knew when to stop. He’d always take it one joke too far and ask for a slap. Go Hoon narrowed his eyes and answered coolly.
“Gross. Knock it off.”
— Anyway, what happened to my Catherine?
Seong-gon sounded casual again. Staying calm, Go Hoon explained what had happened. He’d been doing a delivery run on the bike when he nearly collided with a child and got into an accident. He went to the ER, but—he emphasized—the bike didn’t have so much as a scratch.
He explained it all as gently and thoroughly as he could.
— Why the hell are you telling me this now?!
After a long stretch of silence, Yoon Seong-gon suddenly shouted. Go Hoon jerked the phone away from his ear—his voice was so loud it felt like his eardrums had just taken a hit. He adjusted his grip and brought the phone back to his ear.
“I didn’t want to ruin your mood while you were on your trip.”
— Still! Who waits a whole week after an accident to say something that important?!
Go Hoon wanted to snap back and ask why he was yelling so much—but no. This time, he had no excuse. He clamped his mouth shut and swallowed it.
“Sorry. But the bike didn’t even get scratched, so don’t worry.”
— Who said I was worried about the damn bike?! You seriously don’t understand people at all, do you?!
Naturally, Go Hoon had assumed that was the issue. The guy hadn’t shut up about how expensive that bicycle was before lending it out. But now he was yelling for an entirely different reason. Go Hoon’s brow twitched.
“Oh yeah? Then what is it?”
— I’m asking if you’re okay! Your body, hyung! Not the bike—you!
Go Hoon went momentarily speechless. And yet, something inside him settled, quiet and still.
“I’m fine.”
He murmured it under his breath. On the other end, Seong-gon started grumbling again.
— Stop scaring me, seriously. You’re worse than me with this stuff. It’s like there’s never a quiet day with you. What kind of person gets into more trouble than I do? You’re completely out of control, man.
He sounded exactly like a parent fed up with a rebellious kid. It was annoying as hell—but today, Go Hoon couldn’t say anything back. He’d earned it. This was his own doing.
“I didn’t crash on purpose. Cut me some slack.”
— Ugh… well, what choice do I have? I guess kind, generous me will let it slide.
Seong-gon made it sound like he was granting royal mercy, but then—of course—he followed it up with a demand.
— But you owe me a good meal.
Unbelievable. Go Hoon was starting to suspect this guy cared more about what he could get out of it than the accident itself. The thought passed quickly, and he let out a dry laugh.
“Alright. Think of something good.”
— Yesss. But don’t think you’re getting away with soondae soup this time. I want actual food.
So predictable. Just a minute ago he’d been yelling his head off, and now he was giddy over food. But maybe that was a good thing. Go Hoon had something to ask him anyway.
— So when are you free?
Perfect timing—Seong-gon brought up the meeting. After a short pause, Go Hoon replied evenly.
“How about today, since we’re already talking about it?”
