“Why do you have that?”
As Han Jigang walked toward Nabin, something caught his eye—the blanket draped over Ryu Somin’s shoulders. It was the very one he had searched for earlier, the one that had vanished when he’d taken Nabin out into the garden.
And now, Ryu Somin was wearing it as though it were his own. For reasons he couldn’t explain, the sight left Han Jigang with a sour, unsettled feeling, as if something were lodged uncomfortably in his chest.
“Oh, this?”
At the question, Ryu Somin glanced at Nabin, who was still trembling. His offhand reply, spoken as if it meant nothing, made Han Jigang’s expression harden with quiet chill.
“Nabin-hyung gave it to me. I said I didn’t need it, but… he insisted it was useless to him. Isn’t that right, hyung?”
Nabin’s eyes flew wide. That wasn’t true. At first, he’d told Ryu Somin that it was hard to give him the blanket since it had been a gift from Han Jigang. He had even offered to buy him a new one. But when Ryu Somin’s face fell, looking so hurt, Nabin had forced down his fear and handed it over.
Frantic, Nabin lifted his head to stare at Ryu Somin, silently demanding to know why he was twisting the truth. But Ryu Somin only smiled slyly at Han Jigang.
“N-no, that’s not what happened…”
Han Jigang’s gaze remained locked on Nabin. Though Ryu Somin looked directly at him, trying to catch his eyes, he never once looked away from Nabin.
Nabin pleaded in a trembling voice. He wasn’t lying—it really hadn’t happened that way. But his fear made his words shake so badly they sounded like flimsy excuses, even to his own ears.
He had never once thought of the blanket Han Jigang gave him as something he could just give away. He had only given it up because Ryu Somin had wanted it so badly, and he had stifled his own fear to oblige him. He never imagined Ryu Somin would twist it into this.
Taken at face value, Ryu Somin’s words made it sound as if Nabin had casually discarded a gift from Han Jigang. But that could never be true.
And yet, the one who had spoken was Ryu Somin—Han Jigang’s most cherished, irreplaceable person. Between Ryu Somin’s word and his own, Nabin’s voice didn’t stand a chance.
Memories of Ryu Somin’s past kindness flashed through his mind. Had he done something wrong? No matter how he searched, he couldn’t understand why Ryu Somin would speak against him so maliciously.
Biting down hard on his lip to hold back tears, Nabin lowered his eyes to the floor again. The mansion had always been lonely, but now it felt as if he had been stripped bare and thrown into a snowstorm. The chill spread up from his feet, gnawing at every part of him.
Now it was Han Jigang’s turn to be angry. Just as Tae Yishin had been yesterday, surely Han Jigang too would treat him as harshly as he had on the day they first met. The fear of that made Nabin’s vision blur. Even the warmth Han Jigang had once shared with him on the swing felt like nothing more than a mirage, soon to vanish.
Each step Han Jigang took toward him made Nabin’s frail body flinch and recoil. When shadows fell across his face, he instinctively raised his arms to shield himself—a reflex born of conditioning, like a dog trained to brace for blows.
“I’m not mad. Stop shaking already. Let’s eat.”
Han Jigang, watching his pale, terrified face with an unreadable look, slowly reached out and pulled Nabin into his arms.
Nabin, who had braced himself for pain, opened his eyes in surprise at the unexpected gentleness of the touch. When he dared to lift his gaze, Han Jigang’s rosy eyes held no trace of anger—only a subdued dimness.
“…What the hell, Han Jigang?”
Tae Yishin’s brow arched. He had expected Han Jigang to lash out after hearing Ryu Somin’s words. Instead, Han Jigang simply led Nabin into the kitchen as if nothing had happened.
As if feeding Nabin mattered more than the fact that Nabin had given the blanket away. Tae Yishin found himself staring after him, wondering if this was truly the Han Jigang he knew. But Han Jigang’s every sense was focused solely on Nabin.
Of the three, Han Jigang had always been the most hot-tempered, the one who acted on impulse. He had just been through something that would have irritated anyone. Yet he hadn’t shown it—he had kept it inside. For no one else but his Guide.
Ryu Somin, unable to tear his eyes from this strangely changed Han Jigang, finally shrugged off the blanket. It had already become worthless to him.
Forcing his stiff expression to relax, he tugged gently at Tae Yishin’s arm.
“Yishin-hyung, let’s go eat too. I’m hungry.”
Tae Yishin cast a sharp look at Han Jigang, now sitting with Nabin in his arms. But when he felt the faint warmth of Ryu Somin’s small hand on his arm, his gaze shifted.
Those sky-colored eyes shimmered as they looked up at him. Only then did Tae Yishin realize: while Han Jigang’s change filled him with nothing but irritation and bitterness, for Ryu Somin it was a profound shock.
Until Nabin appeared, Ryu Somin had been the most important person not only to him, but to Han Jigang—and even to Gong Min. But just as Ryu Somin had admitted he hadn’t seen Gong Min in a long time, Gong Min too seemed lost in Nabin now, neglecting Ryu Somin.
The sight of Ryu Somin clinging to him with tearful eyes, trying to hold back sobs, made Tae Yishin’s chest ache. His anger threatened to burst free at any moment, but he clenched his teeth and swallowed it down.
He had always wanted to show Ryu Somin only his best side. So Tae Yishin buried the seething rage deep inside and gave him a gentle smile.
“Yeah, let’s eat.”
In the kitchen, Han Jigang was spoon-feeding Nabin like a mother bird with her chick. The Guide’s hands were fine, and he wasn’t sick—yet Han Jigang cradled him and fed him with such tender care it was almost nauseating to watch.
“Ah, open up.”
“I-I can eat by myself…”
“Ah.”
When Tae Yishin and Ryu Somin entered, Nabin squirmed in Han Jigang’s arms, desperate to get free. But Han Jigang acted as if he didn’t even notice, blowing softly on the steaming risotto before pressing the spoon gently to Nabin’s lips.
It seemed only Nabin could feel Tae Yishin’s sharp gaze stabbing at them. Han Jigang treated Tae Yishin and Ryu Somin as though they weren’t even there.
Nabin’s cheeks burned crimson with embarrassment. He looked at Han Jigang pleadingly, silently asking to sit in another chair. But Han Jigang’s eyes remained fixed, unyielding.
In the end, Nabin had no choice but to part his lips slightly. He decided it was better to finish quickly and escape. At that, Han Jigang’s tense lips softened into a faint smile.
The risotto, simmered in a creamy sauce rather than with tough meat, was easy to swallow. And since Han Jigang cooled each spoonful with his breath, there was no risk of burning his mouth.
Had he eaten alone, Nabin likely would have rushed the hot food down just to flee the situation, scalding his tender palate in the process.
“Somin-ah, let’s eat too.”
“…Mm.”
Tae Yishin, still wondering how to snap Han Jigang out of this, noticed Ryu Somin biting his lip until it turned white as he watched the scene. Taking his hand, Tae Yishin guided him to their seats.
At their usual spots, neatly plated risotto already sat on black dishes.
Nabin’s seat was the same as always: the far end of the eight-person dining table, one seat removed from the three of them. At mealtimes, that spot always made the line between them painfully clear. But today, Han Jigang had erased even that line.
While Nabin’s plate emptied spoonful by spoonful in Han Jigang’s hand, the risotto before Tae Yishin and Ryu Somin hardly diminished.
Especially Ryu Somin, who barely touched his food, only stirring it gloomily with his spoon.
“After we eat, let’s go out together.”
“…Where to?”
“Anywhere you want.”
Seeing Ryu Somin so downcast, Tae Yishin suggested an outing. It seemed to work—Ryu Somin lifted his head slightly, eyes red as though he had just been crying.
“So hurry and eat. You’ll need energy if we’re going out.”
Ryu Somin gave a small nod and finally began eating the now-cold risotto. Only when he saw him eat did Tae Yishin quickly clear his own plate as well. Anything was better than staying here, watching the sickening display between Han Jigang and his Guide.
