Go Hoon came to a sudden stop. Then he turned to Bae Jung-yoon with a look that said, Seriously? You call that a reasonable thing to say?
Bae Jung-yoon, reading the unspoken language in that glare with ease, responded with a bright, breezy smile.
“Okay, maybe that came out a little weird.”
Despite his words, his face remained completely composed. That unwavering attitude made it impossible for Go Hoon to tell whether he was joking or being serious.
“A little weird? Try really weird.”
“It just means I enjoy spending time with you. A lot.”
That reply left Go Hoon momentarily speechless.
Bae Jung-yoon’s deep, jet-black eyes stared straight into him.
He held Go Hoon’s gaze persistently, lips sealed in silence, before taking a step forward and saying in a low, offhand tone as he passed by,
“Honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever felt what it’s like to live with someone.”
Go Hoon began walking slowly, following behind him.
“But… you have a family. So why?”
“Family, huh… Yeah. I guess I do.”
He nodded vaguely, the corner of his mouth curling up into a crooked smile.
“But for some reason, I feel the most at ease when I’m with you.”
You feel at ease with me? That’s ironic. I’m the exact opposite. I feel most on edge when I’m with you.
No—if I’m being precise, it’s not my body that’s uncomfortable. It’s my mind.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Bae Jung-yoon chimed in with perfect timing.
“What about you? Do you hate living with me?”
What was he supposed to say to such a direct question? Caught off guard, Go Hoon scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“…I don’t hate it.”
Going from living alone to living with someone—sure, there were inconveniences. But it wasn’t all bad either.
His place had always been wrapped in silence, the kind that clung like fog. But ever since he started staying at Bae Jung-yoon’s officetel, there hadn’t been a moment to notice it. They were together almost constantly.
He found himself wondering—what would it have been like if Bae Jung-yoon hadn’t been there? If he hadn’t shown up at all…
Truthfully, Go Hoon would’ve managed. He always had.
But looking at it now, from his current situation, he couldn’t deny that life without him would’ve looked unbearably lonely.
“So don’t even think about moving out, Hoon.”
Lost in thought, Go Hoon looked up. Their eyes met. Bae Jung-yoon gave him a soft, reassuring smile.
“I like having you at my place.”
“……”
“And let’s be honest—who takes care of you like I do?”
The teasing lilt in his voice somehow sounded incredibly affectionate.
In truth, it was only Go Hoon’s own caution that made him keep his guard up.
Bae Jung-yoon wasn’t a bad roommate.
Sure, the sleeping-naked habit and those occasional oddball behaviors were hard to overlook—but at least he didn’t treat Go Hoon like some bothersome guest.
Since he’d started living there, life had gotten… easier.
He ate meals Bae Jung-yoon made, hitched rides in his car, relaxed in a cozy home. Of course his body felt at ease.
“Right, Hoon?”
The sweet smile directed at him felt almost disarming. For a moment, all the wariness and fear he’d harbored toward Bae Jung-yoon seemed to vanish completely.
Maybe that’s why—
Before he even realized it, Go Hoon found himself nodding.
***
He might’ve agreed in the moment, but that didn’t mean he was planning to settle down at Bae Jung-yoon’s place for good.
So how did things end up like this?
Puzzled, Go Hoon looked back on the past few weeks.
Two weeks after the surgery, his stitches were removed. The wound had healed nicely, and the bandages came off too.
He still wasn’t well enough to go back to the factory, but he could manage on his own again.
He’d already filed for workers’ comp and received full reimbursement for his medical bills from the other party.
With things more or less sorted out, it felt like time to go back to his own place. But that was turning out to be harder than expected.
The biggest reason?
Bae Jung-yoon’s words kept echoing in his mind.
“But for some reason, I feel the most at ease when I’m with you.”
“I like having you at my place.”
That soft voice kept replaying in his head.
It was like a spell—one that slowly dissolved the firm decision he’d made to leave the moment he recovered.
And there was something else.
A nagging hunch that if he said he was going back home, Bae Jung-yoon would be genuinely hurt.
Still, he couldn’t just crash there indefinitely.
His own place was still under contract; he couldn’t just leave it sitting empty.
And more than that, living with Bae Jung-yoon made him uneasy.
He’d tried—really tried—not to let him get under his skin.
But for some reason, unlike Yoon Seong-gon or Jo Seong-il, Go Hoon couldn’t interact with him casually.
And that was despite the fact they shared more personal space than either of them ever had.
After mulling it over, Go Hoon even thought about bringing it up—telling Jung-yoon that it was time to head back to his own place.
But every time, Bae Jung-yoon would effortlessly steer the conversation elsewhere.
And even when Go Hoon had finally built up the nerve, the words never quite made it out of his mouth.
After everything that kept happening, Go Hoon started to wonder—had Bae Jung-yoon said all those things just to lure him into this situation?
And so, without any real decision being made, their third week of cohabitation began.
These days, Go Hoon’s emotions swayed like reeds in the wind. He wasn’t normally this indecisive, but when it came to Bae Jung-yoon, it felt like he was getting swept away with no end in sight.
One moment he’d think, What’s so bad about living together? and the next, No, this definitely isn’t right. His heart flip-flopped a dozen times a day.
And then this morning, it finally happened.
It had started off like any other day. The moment he opened his eyes, Go Hoon felt Bae Jung-yoon pressed up tightly against his back.
The guy clung to him like a bolster while he slept, and by now, Go Hoon had just gotten used to it.
He couldn’t even remember when this kind of thing had started feeling normal. Maybe it was just from sleeping in the same bed every night—it had become second nature before he realized it.
Half-awake, he thought vaguely to himself: This is why they say getting used to something is scary.
And then—
He suddenly felt something pressing against his butt.
What the…?
The thought hadn’t even finished forming when his brain froze.
It was Bae Jung-yoon’s erection.
All traces of sleep vanished instantly. Go Hoon stayed completely still, only his eyes rolling nervously. From the lack of movement behind him, it didn’t seem like Bae Jung-yoon was awake.
So… this must’ve just been a natural reaction.
Morning wood.
It wasn’t uncommon for guys to get hard while they slept. A sign of healthy sexual function, especially in your twenties.
But this was just… unbearably awkward.
Stiff with tension, Go Hoon made up his mind. He’d quietly slip out of Bae Jung-yoon’s arms without waking him.
“Mmm…”
As he began inching away carefully, trying not to disturb the sleeping figure behind him, a low groan slipped out.
At the same time, the arm around his waist tightened.
Instead of escaping, he ended up being pulled even closer—now with that thick, hardened shaft pressing more firmly against his ass.
…Fuck.
Go Hoon bit down on a curse.
The distinct weight and pressure right between his cheeks sent a cold shiver down his spine.
For a moment, he wondered—did Bae Jung-yoon wake up just now?
He froze completely, holding his breath.
But nothing more happened.
Over his shoulder, he could feel the calm, steady rhythm of Bae Jung-yoon’s breathing.
That warm breath brushed the back of his neck, and it felt like the heat was spreading across his skin.
“Hey… Bae Jung-yoon.”
He called out softly.
“…You awake?”
No response.
Thinking he was still asleep, Go Hoon quietly resumed his slow attempt to get away.
He reached up cautiously, trying to lift the heavy arm wrapped around him.
And then—
A low chuckle came from behind.
“…At that pace, you’re never getting out of here.”
A warm, teasing laugh followed, tickling his ear.
Go Hoon froze on the spot.
And just like that, he understood.
Bae Jung-yoon had been awake the whole time.
He’d been pretending to sleep, just to see how Go Hoon would react.
“Let go.”
This asshole… Even in a situation like this, he had the nerve to joke around?
Swallowing back the string of curses ready to fly out, Go Hoon growled through clenched teeth.
Then came Bae Jung-yoon’s voice—low, drowsy, still heavy with sleep.
“I helped you out once, didn’t I? Can’t you return the favor, just once?”
He didn’t say it outright, but there was no mistaking what he meant.
He wanted a handjob.
This crazy bastard.
He hadn’t pulled anything like this in a while, but now he was back at it again, like a complete lunatic.
Go Hoon cursed him out silently in his head—but despite himself, a faint heat began to stir in his lower abdomen, as if his body remembered exactly how good it had felt that day.
