“Where’s your room?”
I asked as I pushed away the fingers that seemed like they wouldn’t let go all day if I left them alone. Vin, his eyes filled with reluctance, followed my hand with his gaze before answering.
“The first floor.”
“There aren’t any private rooms there.”
Vin nodded. If this were Zone 5, there wouldn’t be anything to worry about. But the problem was that we were outside. I couldn’t risk anyone seeing me, even while I was asleep, and having to be mindful of my wig the entire time.
“Do you want to stay here with me?”
“Here?”
“Yeah, let’s share a room.”
The room was too big for just me anyway, and more than anything, I didn’t want to see Vin struggling to sleep because he was worried about his wig and glasses.
It was funny how I was so averse to sharing a room with Han Jae-hoon, yet I was fine with Vin being here. But given the situation, I justified it to myself.
“You can sleep here.”
“Really?”
Vin’s eyes widened as he asked. When I nodded, a bright smile spread across his pretty face. He bounced in place, overjoyed like a child.
“I want to stay with you, Seo-yul hyung.”
“Alright. Let’s stay together.”
***
Being stuck in a car all day had left my entire body stiff. If it had been the car I usually rode within the zone, it would have been better. But the new car that the butler had prepared, claiming it would draw less attention, was cramped and uncomfortable.
By the time I finished my shower—longer than usual because I needed the warm water to ease my tense muscles—Vin had already fallen asleep, curled up on the bed from exhaustion.
“He’s asleep.”
He had insisted that he would wait for me, but I guess he was more tired than he thought. Holding back a chuckle, I draped the towel from my wet hair around my neck and crouched in front of the sleeping Vin.
‘He’s so pretty.’
The words almost slipped out before I swallowed them down. It was something I always thought when I looked at Vin. One would think I’d get used to it, but no matter how many times I saw him, he was always beautiful, like it was the first time.
From his slightly parted red lips to the trembling tips of his long eyelashes, my quiet gaze traced every feature of Vin’s face. I clenched my fists unconsciously, resisting the urge to touch him.
“Mm…”
Vin let out a soft groan and shifted in his sleep, his hand brushing against my shoulder. It was a meaningless touch, yet an odd sensation crawled over me, making my shoulder go rigid where his fingers had landed.
Calming my suddenly racing heart, I carefully moved Vin’s hand aside. Just as I stretched out my legs to stand up, a warm grip suddenly caught my wrist. Looking down, I found Vin awake, gazing up at me.
“When did you come out?”
His voice, thick with sleep, was lower and more languid than usual. It tickled my ears, delaying my response for a moment before I finally answered, “Just now.”
“You should’ve woken me.”
Still holding onto me, Vin sat up and rubbed his sleepy eyes. My gaze instinctively dropped to check if his robe had come undone. Fortunately, the belt was tied tightly enough to keep anything indecent from showing.
“Hurry up and take a shower.”
“I will.”
Letting go of my hand, Vin got out of bed. I watched his unsteady steps toward the bathroom before finally taking his spot on the bed.
“I’m exhausted…”
I still had to dry my hair and get dressed, but I couldn’t be bothered. The moment my body recognized the comfort of the bed, a deep fatigue washed over me, leaving me too sluggish to even lift a finger.
My eyes started to blur, and before I knew it, I had dozed off for a moment. Startled awake, I quickly sat up—only to lock eyes with Vin, who had just stepped out of the bathroom.
“Did you fall asleep?”
Lowering the towel he had been using to dry his damp hair, Vin smiled as he asked. Wondering if I had drooled in my sleep, I hastily rubbed my lips with the back of my hand. Luckily, I hadn’t been out that deeply.
“You’re really tired, huh?”
“A little…”
Perched on the edge of the bed, Vin reached out and smoothed down my tousled hair. The warmth of his damp fingers against my scalp made my eyelids droop again, and I barely managed to keep them open.
Droplets of water dripped from Vin’s still-wet red hair, seeping into his pale shoulders. I stared at them for a moment before realizing he was wearing a bathrobe, just like me.
“You’re wearing a robe?”
“Yeah, I saw you wearing one, so I tried it too.”
Spreading his arms wide, Vin did a little spin on the spot, as if showing off a new outfit. I had worried he might walk out completely naked, but thankfully, he hadn’t.
However, unlike mine, which was fastened securely, his robe was loosely tied, revealing glimpses of damp, bare skin beneath.
I should do something about that.
Mulling over it for a second, I deliberately narrowed my eyes and motioned for him to come closer with a lazy wave of my hand.
“Come here.”
Without knowing why I was calling him, Vin hesitantly stepped closer. I pulled him in and averted my gaze downward to avoid looking at the gap in his loosely tied robe. Carefully, I retied the sloppy knot, securing the fabric properly. Only then was his bare skin finally concealed.
“…It’s too tight.”
“That’s how you’re supposed to wear it, so don’t even think about undoing it.”
I warned him when he kept fidgeting, trying to loosen the knot. Vin pouted but eventually nodded in understanding.
“Do you want me to dry your hair?”
“Yeah.”
I handed him the towel draped around my neck and turned around. Large hands, warm and gentle, wrapped my head with the towel. His fingers softly massaged my scalp, sending a pleasant tingling sensation through me. Before I realized it, a chuckle slipped out.
“All done.”
“Thanks.”
Shaking out my now-dry hair, I finally slid under the blanket. Vin stood up and walked off to dry his own hair. I stared blankly at the ceiling, my mind empty, until Vin finished and climbed onto the bed beside me.
“The bed makes noise.”
Vin pressed down on the mattress with his palm, which responded with a long creak. His brows furrowed deeply, as if he were seriously concerned the bed might collapse at any moment.
“It’s just old. Everything here is old.”
“You think it’ll be okay?”
“Well, it’s not like we’re gonna be jumping around on it, so who cares?”
To tell him to stop worrying and just lie down, I patted the space beside me. After hesitating for a moment, Vin obediently settled down next to me.
“Seo-yul hyung.”
“What.”
“Thank you. For not sending me back.”
I lost count of how many times he had thanked me. If I included the ones from earlier, it had to be at least twenty times by now. Smirking, I closed my eyes and reached out, patting Vin’s head.
“Enough talking, let’s sleep. We have a long way to go tomorrow.”
“…Right.”
Satisfied, I stroked his hair one last time before pulling my hand away. After exchanging a quick goodnight, I let myself sink into deep sleep again.
But Vin didn’t seem tired. His eyes remained wide open.
He lay still for a while, staring at the ceiling, before eventually rolling onto his side to face me. Even with my eyes closed, I could feel his gaze lingering on me. It was distracting enough that my drowsiness faded, so I cracked my eyes open and met his.
“Why are you staring? You’re gonna burn a hole through my face.”
“Because you’re pretty.”
The hell? This ridiculously pretty guy was calling me pretty? Was he messing with me? I wouldn’t put it past him—Vin had a playful side, and he loved teasing me.
“You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”
“No. I mean it.”
A hand slowly reached out and tapped my forehead. The touch was cooler than most, making my shoulders twitch slightly. Then, those fingertips began to trail downward, drawing a straight line from my forehead to my nose, stopping at my lips.
“Every time I see you, I think it. You’re really beautiful.”
Vin’s gaze, flickering like a small flame, was fixed on my lips. His fingertips, still lingering there, gently pressed against my lower lip, parting the closed seam ever so slightly.
A floral scent slowly began to fill the air, making my vision waver. With each slow blink, Vin seemed to come closer, only to pull away just as suddenly.
At some point, the weight on my lips disappeared. But in its place, for the briefest moment, I thought I felt something warm and soft brush against them. I wasn’t sure—it all happened in an instant, just as that overwhelming fragrance took over my senses.
“You’re really tired, aren’t you?”
Vin’s voice returned to its usual brightness, as if nothing had happened. Snapping out of my daze, I nodded slowly.
Then, Vin spread his arms wide and pulled me into an embrace.
I stiffened as he patted my back rhythmically, like he was trying to lull a child to sleep. When I lifted my head in confusion, Vin opened his gently closed eyes and smiled at me, completely unfazed.
“What the hell is this?”
“I’m putting you to sleep, Seo-yul hyung.”
“I can sleep just fine on my own.”
“I know. I just wanted to do it.”
And with that, he pulled my head back against his chest.
My cheek pressed against his firm chest, and beyond it, I could hear the steady thumping of his heart.
“This is uncomfortable.”
“Then do you want me to give you a pillow arm?”
“No, I’m fine.”
With every breath, Vin’s lingering scent filled my nose. It wasn’t as overwhelming as before, but it was still enough to unsettle me.
‘Might as well just fall asleep quickly.’
I forced myself to ignore everything—his scent, his heartbeat—and focused only on sleep.
Tomorrow, we’d be stuck in that cramped, uncomfortable car again. My body was already weak, and if I overexerted myself any further, I’d end up seriously sick.
By the time the hand on my back stilled, Vin’s breathing had evened out, quiet and steady. My body relaxed, the distant sounds fading away.
Only then did I finally sink into deep sleep.
