Chapter 34
[Professor, this is Lee Seungwoo. Do you have a moment to talk right now?]
Lee Seungwoo on the phone was very polite. It seemed believable that he could be a team member working on a joint project.
He frowned around his eyes several times, not knowing what to say, but obediently answered for now.
“…Yes. What is it?”
[I’d like to speak to you in person.]
“…Now?”
[Yes, if it’s alright with you.]
Lee Seungwoo’s voice was strangely calm. But the content wasn’t calm at all. It was 10 PM now, it had been 10 PM earlier, so much more time had passed now. It was because he’d spent quite a lot of time searching for where the utility room was, turning the whole house upside down.
‘What on earth is this about…’
They weren’t on informal enough terms to make plans to meet late at night, nor were they close. There was only one situation worth calling about—the fact that he and Lee Seungwoo had parted after about 30 minutes of whatever that was, kissing or Guiding. Even after that, Lee Seungwoo hadn’t contacted him, and with that he thought Lee Seungwoo had no intention of improving their relationship.
Lee Seungwoo wasn’t normal right now. Had he been drinking? As the silence lengthened, ‘Professor?’ Lee Seungwoo called him again. A bit of anxiety was mixed in his tone.
He finally came to his senses at that call. Whatever state Lee Seungwoo was in right now, he’d called him Professor, so he couldn’t childishly ask back what if it wasn’t alright.
He coughed lightly.
“It’s quite late now.”
[Mm…]
When he gently refused, Lee Seungwoo spoke soothingly in a soft voice.
[How about I come to you? It’ll really just take a moment.]
“……”
Thinking about it, Lee Seungwoo wasn’t exactly a reasonable person either. He was just a lunatic pretending to be reasonable. Realizing this, Ko Eungyo spoke in an unprecedentedly cold tone.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
[Professor.]
“I’m hanging up.”
What kind of ridiculous thing is he saying?
With those final words, he hung up the phone abruptly. No matter how polite he seemed, Lee Seungwoo was Lee Seungwoo. He probably thought making unreasonable demands while pretending to coax gently would somehow make it okay. Whether he called him Professor or not, he should have asked how he got his phone number and hung up right away.
He felt like he’d entertained him for nothing. He shook his head and forgot about the phone call.
A shower before bed is a good habit. It clears away stray thoughts and refreshes the body. Ko Eungyo, who was coming out of the bathroom shaking his wet hair, heard a strange sound.
A thud. It didn’t seem like the sound of rain, more like something dropping. Was it raining? He hadn’t heard rain in the weather forecast. Listening carefully, he realized this wasn’t the sound of rain.
‘It doesn’t seem to be coming from inside the room…’
The living room?
The sound was strangely rough and irregular. No, it seemed like he couldn’t hear it now. Thinking it might be his imagination, the moment he concentrated on drying his hair with the towel, he heard that sound again.
Ko Eungyo narrowed his eyes, opened the bedroom door and went out to the living room. That sound was a bit dull and at the same time light. Like a knocking sound.
Half-believing, half-doubting, he turned on the living room light.
“…What?”
But there was nothing in the living room. Was it just his imagination? As he slowly looked around the living room, he heard the dull sound once more.
Ko Eungyo turned his head sharply toward the source of the sound and stopped in place, startled.
His living room window was tilt-and-turn style, and while the large window that opened brightly could be opened, he’d never actually opened it. For ventilation, he generally used the small window attached to the side.
Someone was standing there. Right in front of the brightly lit window.
“……”
When Ko Eungyo looked at him, Lee Seungwoo politely knocked once more with the back of his hand from outside the living room window…
He had to put strength into his lips to keep from asking if he was insane.
As he approached the living room window, Lee Seungwoo looked at Ko Eungyo and smiled. With just one window between them, Lee Seungwoo was right in front. Waiting for Ko Eungyo to open the window for him. He was pretending to be polite now, but if he didn’t open the window, he’d break through it to get inside.
‘How did he even know my home address…’
Was Ko Eungyo’s personal information that cheap?
Feeling somewhat indignant and also somewhat entranced, he opened the large window. As soon as Ko Eungyo opened the window halfway, Lee Seungwoo bent at the waist and entered.
Honestly speaking, at first he just thought it was the sound of wind…
Lee Seungwoo seemed to have come as soon as he learned Ko Eungyo’s home address. Since he was a wind Esper, he probably could have flown at a very fast speed. But when he confirmed that there was nothing beneath Lee Seungwoo’s feet, his heart sank even though he knew he was a wind Esper.
“…Can’t you visit normally?”
“This way is faster.”
Lee Seungwoo, who entered through the window, looked around the house and grinned.
Well, this way would be faster—Ko Eungyo’s house was on the 37th floor. He was about to mention that the elevator installed in his apartment was a high-speed elevator, then just closed his mouth.
Because he’d come riding the wind, Lee Seungwoo’s hair was slightly disheveled. Since he always kept it neat at school, Lee Seungwoo’s appearance now felt quite unexpected.
“What on earth were you thinking…”
Should he ask why he came all the way here? Or should he ask how he came?
When Ko Eungyo couldn’t finish his words with a face full of confusion, Lee Seungwoo smiled, crinkling the corners of his eyes. Why does he keep smiling? Though slightly sulky, he moved aside from the window for now to let Lee Seungwoo come further into the living room.
‘Well… what can I do.’
Though not a typical guest, Lee Seungwoo was anyway the second guest to visit this house after Secretary Shim. Since he said he had business on the phone, he figured he’d naturally leave on his own once his business was done. Ko Eungyo said while mentally going through what was in the refrigerator.
“Would you… like something to drink? Sit down for now.”
“I’m fine. I didn’t come to be a bother.”
Lee Seungwoo took off the glasses he was wearing and put them in his pocket, then walked toward him.
He was a bit flustered. As if that wasn’t satisfying enough, Lee Seungwoo, who’d approached with large steps, grabbed his arm and pulled him close. In an instant, the distance between the two narrowed. There was no smell of alcohol.
‘If he didn’t even drink, why is he like this?’
He tried to back away from Lee Seungwoo in great surprise. Of course, Lee Seungwoo’s strong hand didn’t allow Ko Eungyo to move away from him.
“What’s wrong with your face?”
“…Ah.”
Of course, since he’d been beaten up by Woo Sihyun not long ago, the wounds would still remain. His cheek throbbed as if Lee Seungwoo’s finger had touched the wound.
“Who?”
With a face that was too outrageous and angry, Lee Seungwoo opened his mouth then quickly closed it. From the moment Lee Seungwoo started examining the wounds, Ko Eungyo was much closer to Lee Seungwoo. Close enough for their breaths to mingle.
“Who did this… Who is it?”
Lee Seungwoo pulled Ko Eungyo’s chin with one hand and supported his waist with the other, practically lifting him in an embrace. In other words, Ko Eungyo had been suddenly pulled tightly into this man’s arms.
He had no immunity to this sort of thing.
He tried not to look too flustered and placed his hand on Lee Seungwoo’s chest. Then put strength into pushing him away.
But just like at the Center, Lee Seungwoo didn’t budge, and rather twisted his face and brought it close to see the wounds in more detail. So he could see Lee Seungwoo’s flashing eyes head-on.
“Stop, just… move back.”
“Professor.”
This bastard’s eyes have lost it.
“Ah.”
Whether he was angrier at the attempt to push him away, his hands absolutely wouldn’t let go. Rather, he felt strength pressing into the hand supporting his waist.
Momentarily, he couldn’t breathe.
“Argh…”
“Professor?”
The problem was that spot happened to be where Woo Sihyun had kicked.
The arms that had been holding him tightly as if they’d never let go immediately released at his pained expression. Unable to see Lee Seungwoo’s startled face, he groaned while clutching his side.
He slid down from Lee Seungwoo’s arms and crouched, trembling. Lee Seungwoo also bent down and crouched as much as he did.
“I didn’t know… there were wounds there too.”
Lee Seungwoo said haltingly. Then naturally lifted Ko Eungyo’s indoor clothes to check the wounds. He opened his mouth in disbelief, watching Lee Seungwoo push up his clothes and touch various parts of his body.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
