Outside the door, Seung-hyeon’s voice could be faintly heard trying to speak to him. With only a single door between them and the volume too low, Seon-woo couldn’t make out the words.
So he casually ignored whatever Seung-hyeon was saying and walked further inside.
Since he’d come into the bathroom anyway, he figured he might as well get washed. Seon-woo began stripping off his clothes without much thought and glanced toward the bathtub. Sleek and modern in design, it was large—but one he’d never actually used before. The water had been filled to just the right height, and something about it made him want to reach in and test the temperature with his hand. Fighting the urge with difficulty, he cast a quick glance toward the shower booth.
…Maybe just dipping a foot in wouldn’t hurt, right?
The system had gone quiet at some point. It could suddenly snap back to attention and hit him with a penalty, but even if that happened, it’d probably just cost him a few Gwanggong Score points—no real loss.
Seon-woo cautiously inched toward the tub and reached out with a hand. As soon as he dipped it in, the perfectly warm water wrapped around his skin pleasantly.
Unable to resist the temptation of the heat, he went ahead and stuck a foot in too.
Nothing happened.
Almost entranced, he dipped in the other foot as well. Still nothing. The water was hot enough to sting, but Seon-woo had already fallen into a kind of blissful trance. One knee, then the other, then his waist—before long, he had submerged himself halfway into the water, staring blankly up at the ceiling.
A ceiling so entirely black, it felt like something only a true Gwanggong would install. That thought sent Seon-woo’s mind spinning again.
Now that he thought about it… at some point, he’d stopped even trying to use hot water when showering. He’d just instinctively turn the knob toward cold without thinking. When had he gotten the ability to bathe in hot water again? More importantly, when had the system grown this silent?
It had been quite a while since the system had actively meddled with him like it used to. Especially after he met Eun-jae—after that sarcastic jab about how Eun-jae was more of a Gwanggong than the actual Gwanggong—the system hadn’t said much of anything.
Could it be that ever since that “critical choice,” the system had lost its power? Had Gwak Seon-woo adapted so well to this world inside the Gwanggong’s body that the system was gradually losing control over him? Or had it decided he was finally “Gwanggong enough” and recognized him as such? Countless thoughts jumbled inside his head.
And then, one final, hopeful thought emerged… maybe—just maybe—he could now live without the system’s interference.
“But that easily?”
Given everything the system had put him through, he couldn’t help but feel suspicious. He had to test it out and see for himself if the Gwanggong Score wouldn’t drop anymore. It was too risky to do anything strange while Gwak Seung-hyeon was still around, but once he left, Seon-woo would head to the kitchen and see if he could cook himself a decent homemade meal without issue…
As that pleasant daydream mingled with the warmth of the water, a deep drowsiness began to settle in. His body, loosened and languid, gradually sank deeper into the tub. Just as he was watching his hand beneath the water, feeling the tip of his chin dip below the surface—
“Director.”
The door suddenly burst open. Seon-woo jerked upright on reflex. Predictably, the face peeking through the slightly opened door was none other than Seung-hyeon.
Internally, Seon-woo panicked.
Should I cover myself? But we’re both men, aren’t we?
It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen countless naked men in public bathhouses before. Suddenly getting self-conscious now felt ridiculous. Besides, even if they weren’t blood-related, they were family.
With those thoughts, he didn’t bother to shield himself from Seung-hyeon’s view. And yet, regardless of gender, things between them had already gone far—far enough that modesty at this point seemed even more pointless.
Caught in that storm of confusion, Seon-woo ultimately decided to hold his ground—brazen and unbothered. More than anything, panicking, scrambling to hide, or shooing the other away would be unbecoming of a Gwanggong. That would make him look like someone who’d just backed out of a bold resolution to defy the Gwanggong’s rules and eat a homemade meal for once.
“What is it?”
The words came out cold and firm.
One would expect Seung-hyeon to at least look flustered trying to find somewhere else to look—but his expression remained calmly composed. He wasn’t even sneaking glances up and down Seon-woo’s body. His gaze stayed right where it always did, as if Seon-woo were still fully dressed.
“I called you, but you didn’t answer.”
Seon-woo had been about to snap back, When exactly did you call me?, but the thought that struck him next made him keep his mouth shut.
He’d been lost in thought and nearly submerged in water—maybe he hadn’t heard him. And come to think of it, not locking the door in the first place might’ve been his own mistake. Instead of getting angry, he repeated his earlier question in that same cold tone.
“So why were you calling me?”
Seung-hyeon casually stepped one foot into the bathroom as he replied.
“You looked really tired before you came in. I thought maybe you’d fallen asleep and slipped under.”
Seon-woo let out a short scoff, like he’d just heard something ridiculous.
Seung-hyeon stood just inside the doorway, smiling lightly. If he’d approached the tub right away, Seon-woo might’ve chased him out immediately—but by keeping that frustratingly perfect distance, he’d made it awkward to drive him out now.
No openings. That’s the kind of person Seung-hyeon was.
Whether or not he knew how Seon-woo was sizing him up, he slowly took another step forward and spoke again.
“You still look tired.”
The bathroom was large enough that even with the distance closing slightly, it didn’t feel too close just yet.
Seon-woo shot him a sharp glare, eyes narrowing toward Seung-hyeon’s feet.
“So… what? You gonna wash me now or something?”
“Should I?”
Of course, he couldn’t just let the joke slide.
Seon-woo scoffed again and opened his mouth to throw back a “Don’t talk shit, I was just joking”—but stopped short.
It wasn’t like he’d felt nothing the moment the door opened and he saw Seung-hyeon’s face.
He didn’t have some fetish for bathrooms, but he wasn’t clueless, either—and it wasn’t like he was completely innocent in matters of sex. Especially not after everything that had happened between them—whatever name one could give to their strange, ambiguous, and impossible-to-define relationship…
A sudden wave of embarrassment rushed over him. This time, brushing it off half-heartedly and telling Seung-hyeon to get out would only make things more awkward.
So, just as he was about to speak, Seon-woo changed direction—tossing out a joke as if what he’d just said meant nothing at all.
“What, you gonna scrub my back or something?”
It was the kind of line completely devoid of sexual tension. Just imagining Seung-hyeon holding a scrubbing towel and saying, ‘Shall I scrub it for you?’ was enough to break the mood and draw out a hollow laugh. Of course, in a Gwanggong’s bathroom, there was no way something like a green scrubbing towel even existed—so the image remained purely in his imagination.
Now that he’d said it, Seung-hyeon would surely laugh it off or let out a deflated chuckle. But once the words were out, Seon-woo couldn’t help wondering if he’d misstepped.
Maybe I should’ve just let things take their course…
After all, if he really wanted to check whether the system was still functioning, a bit of intimate contact with Gwak Seung-hyeon would be a more definitive test than eating a home-cooked meal.
Amused at his own foolish line of thinking, Seon-woo let out a faint smile.
Seung-hyeon, watching him with that inscrutable expression, replied casually—like it was no big deal.
“Your place doesn’t even have a scrubbing towel, Director.”
Exactly what Seon-woo had just been thinking.
So people really do all think alike.
Seon-woo started to lift his head to respond—only to realize Seung-hyeon was already approaching.
With complete nonchalance, Seung-hyeon crouched down beside the bathtub, dipped his hand lightly into the water, and without hesitation brought it to Seon-woo’s back.
He felt two long fingers begin to gently rub against his skin. That slick, gliding touch trailed down his spine, sending a tingling sensation all the way through him. Seon-woo flinched instinctively, and at that moment, Seung-hyeon spoke.
“Nothing’s coming off, though…”
It took a second for the meaning to click.
But really? Gwak Seung-hyeon doing all this just to check if dead skin would come off his back? No way in hell.
Stuck somewhere between disbelief and a strange surge of emotion, Seon-woo acted on instinct—his hand shot up and grabbed Seung-hyeon’s wrist.
Their eyes locked.
Seung-hyeon’s gaze—still smiling—filled Seon-woo’s field of vision.
