Seo Jeong-won, who had been avoiding eye contact the whole time, finally met Kwon Taehee’s eyes near the end of his story.
“I said I had a normal upbringing… I’m sorry. That was a lie.”
“Is that why you don’t resent your brother for leaving you behind? Because he protected you?”
“Even if he hadn’t… I don’t think I would’ve hated him.”
“I’ll forgive the lying. After hearing your story, I just feel too sorry for you to be angry.”
Looking at Seo Jeong-won with pity, Kwon Taehee lifted his hand from the wound he had been gently rubbing with his fingertips and asked casually, as if changing the subject:
“Are you uncomfortable anywhere else?”
“I… I’m not really sure.”
“You’ll have to keep doing this from now on. What if it hurts every time?”
“I’ll… try to get used to it.”
The moment Taehee’s hand left the wound, it stopped again on Seo Jeong-won’s warm, soft cheek.
It wasn’t the answer Taehee expected.
He thought Seo Jeong-won would naturally say he wanted to stop — that it was too much after just one try.
He’d briefly thought about how to talk him down gently, but Seo Jeong-won gave a completely different answer.
And a confession, like a small act of penance, came with it.
“Okay. That’s a good decision.”
Kwon Taehee chuckled softly, like air escaping a balloon.
His large hand gently stroked Seo Jeong-won’s forehead, nape, and cheek in turn, then he turned off all the bedroom lights, leaving only the bedside lamp on before lying down in the empty space beside him.
“I couldn’t sleep. Your body suddenly got so hot.”
“Ah…?”
“Does sex make you feverish or something? Or did you cry so much that it gave you a fever?”
Though the tone wasn’t scolding, Seo Jeong-won still felt embarrassed and looked away.
Honestly, he didn’t expect to have a fever either.
He didn’t think it was because of the sex with Taehee.
Seeing how he only started feeling ill right when his financial situation improved and someone started staying by his side… maybe, deep down, he just wanted someone — anyone — to care for him, even like this.
He’d been too busy making money to even have time to get sick.
It was a convincing theory.
“I won’t be sick. This time was just… the first.”
“What if you’re still sick tomorrow?”
“Maybe I should… take fever reducers or something…”
Seo Jeong-won opened his lips slightly, trailing off as if unsure how to finish his sentence.
Taehee, who had been lying flat, turned to his side and pulled Seo Jeong-won close.
Seo Jeong-won burrowed into the warm embrace that felt cooler than his own overheated body.
“I brought muscle relaxants but forgot to take them. I read that Betas feel better when they take them, so I bought some.”
“You really put in the effort.”
“I meant it.”
“Good boy.”
Taehee gently stroked Seo Jeong-won’s back, then began to pat him in a slow, rhythmic manner.
He told him to sleep more and closed his eyes.
Contrary to what he’d expected — that sleeping with someone else would feel uncomfortable — holding that warm body brought peace.
But when Seo Jeong-won shifted slightly, Taehee opened his eyes.
“Are you in pain?”
“Not pain, just… uncomfortable. Hard to move…”
“Probably gonna take about an hour.”
Seo Jeong-won nodded at Taehee’s low voice.
Even while lying still, listening to the even breathing, he somehow felt discomfort in his back.
He wiggled his fingers, then gave in and rolled over.
Taehee, who had been lying with his eyes closed, let out a soft chuckle.
“Should we lie like this then?”
Taehee turned Seo Jeong-won and hugged him from behind, resting his chest against Seo Jeong-won’s back and gently stroking his hair.
“Sorry…”
“You seem to be acting spoiled because you’re in pain. How did you manage before?”
“I… wasn’t like this.”
As if prompting him to make more excuses, Taehee’s fingers tickled the nape of his neck, making Seo Jeong-won shrink his shoulders as he continued.
“And I didn’t get sick that much. If I did, I’d take medicine right away and get better quickly.”
“I doubt it, but… was there anyone who looked after you or checked in on you?”
“I did fine… on my own.”
“That must’ve been lonely.”
People had told him he’d grown up well, but no one had ever said, “That must’ve been lonely.”
His nose stung.
Seo Jeong-won pressed his lips together to hold back the sudden swell of emotion.
Thankfully, his back was turned to Taehee.
“Do you want to keep running the flower shop?”
“I’ve been looking for someone to take it over… but now that I’m thinking of quitting, I feel kind of sad. Or maybe… bittersweet?”
“I wouldn’t know. But it looks good from the outside. The humid air… smell of soil, the rusty iron table, the mossy fish tank.”
Taehee’s pleasant voice continued.
“And Seo Jeong-won walking through the narrow aisles.”
“Finding someone to take over won’t be hard, so take your time to think about it.”
Taehee had originally planned to help him close the shop.
He wanted to set Seo Jeong-won up somewhere near his own house and call him over to his company or home whenever he wanted.
But suddenly, the idea of Seo Jeong-won working at his own place didn’t seem so bad.
Seo Jeong-won who belonged there was pretty nice.
Since it wasn’t a busy business, he wouldn’t meet many people, and Taehee liked that it was in a closed-off space surrounded on all sides.
That way, he wouldn’t wander or encounter anything strange.
“Sorry for always just receiving help…”
So naïve and good.
Taehee smiled softly and reassured Seo Jeong-won that it was okay.
With the soothing pats and the IV drip bringing his fever down, Seo Jeong-won fell asleep quickly.
Taehee slowly closed his eyes, listening to his calm breathing for a long time.
Morning had come without them noticing.
Taehee checked the IV line connected to Seo Jeong-won’s thin arm and loosened the arm holding his warm body.
He moved carefully not to wake him.
After removing the needle, he debated whether to stay in bed or get up.
Looking at Seo Jeong-won’s peacefully sleeping face, he felt like it wouldn’t be so bad to sleep beside him for a few more hours.
Taehee, unable to reject Seo Jeong-won who had pulled him in, laid down beside him again.
This time, he held Seo Jeong-won even closer and shut his eyes.
Unlike his usual self, who needed sleeping pills to rest, he soon fell into a deep sleep.
He buried his nose in Seo Jeong-won’s nape, breathing in the faint scent of fresh skin as if to fill his lungs.
***
When Seo Jeong-won opened his eyes, the blackout curtains had made the entire room pitch dark, making it hard to tell the time.
He lay still, blinking in the dimness.
The firm, warm presence at his back told him Kwon Tae-hee hadn’t woken yet either.
He listened to the steady breathing for a while longer before moving his body, ever so slightly.
Rustle, rustle—each shift in the cool bedding fabric made him pause, worried it might wake Tae-hee.
Finally managing to swing his legs off the bed, Seo Jeong-won realized he’d been holding his breath the whole time.
A tingling pain spread from his lower back.
Grimacing, he barely managed to stand upright, clapping a hand over his mouth to muffle the groan that almost escaped.
Just as he was about to stumble, his weak legs giving out beneath him, an arm shot out and wrapped around his waist.
“Where are you going?”
“J-Just… to wash up. You were still sleeping, so I tried to be quiet…”
“How’s your body?”
Just as Kwon Tae-hee intended, Seo Jeong-won sat at the edge of the bed.
Before he could even part his lips to answer, Tae-hee’s large, gentle hands were already touching him here and there.
Though the touch was only to check his temperature and nothing more, his face grew hot.
Seo Jeong-won rubbed his flushed cheeks with the back of his hand and turned his head away.
“It’s better than yesterday. I feel much better now.”
“There’s a wound… You’ll need to apply medicine down there.”
Even his languid voice made Seo Jeong-won feel strange.
He nodded, but as he realized exactly where the wound was, his shoulders gave a nervous shudder.
“I-I’ll do it myself…”
“You can’t even see it, can you?”
“Still, I… I’ll manage…”
“Have you ever put your finger in… there?”
The question made him freeze.
He couldn’t answer and just blinked. Kwon Tae-hee chuckled and reached out.
Seo Jeong-won flinched, expecting to be touched, but Tae-hee’s hand passed him by, making him awkwardly scratch his hand.
Kwon Tae-hee adjusted the bedroom light to a brighter level.
His gaze met Seo Jeong-won’s beet-red face.
Maybe he’s at that age where talking about these things directly is still embarrassing.
Should I try putting it more gently?
Kwon Tae-hee licked his lips as he looked at the faintly blushing nape.
He couldn’t quite tell if his thirst was because he wanted to suck that spot—or because he was simply thirsty.
“Shall we shower together?”
It was phrased as a question, but Seo Jeong-won reminded himself he wasn’t in a position to say no.
He shut his mouth, which had almost reflexively replied “no,” and nodded.
“I… don’t mind.”
Kwon Tae-hee stood up first and helped Seo Jeong-won to his feet.
When his slender legs touched the floor, Seo Jeong-won looked up at him with an embarrassed expression.
Kwon Tae-hee, not understanding why, met his gaze quietly, then noticed the faint traces of cloudy fluid on the bed sheets and floor—and let out a soft “Ah.”
“I did wash you off before your fever spiked, but you kept clinging to me saying it hurt, so I couldn’t finish properly. Can you walk? Or should I carry you?”
“I-I’m fine. I can walk on my own…”
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