“Ah… I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize, I just thought you might have something on your mind.”
Yigyeom watched as Kwon Taejung spooned out some peach mousse and handed the plate over. Taking a mouthful of the fragrant and slightly warm mousse, Yigyeom spoke up.
“It’s not really a worry… sometimes I wonder if it’s okay to live like this.”
“Living like what?”
“Well… living without any worries feels awkward at times… Chief said it was fine to live like this for a few months, but I guess I haven’t adapted yet.”
Kwon Taejung could somewhat understand Yigyeom’s words. It might resemble how he felt when transitioning from working in a comfortable office at Taesung Group to arriving at the red container. The abrupt change from his usual routine might naturally cause discomfort.
“It’s not that I dislike living like this.”
“I see. It’s not that you dislike it… Everything is better than before… I don’t dislike it, but sometimes, my mind feels a bit uneasy… I’m not sure why.”
After taking another sip of tea, Kwon Taejung set down the cup and turned to face Yigyeom.
“You’re just not fully adjusted yet. Everyone needs time to adapt to a new place. I remember when I first started working at the company, I was stressed for about a month. And when I first came to this house, I couldn’t sleep properly for a week. It’s all about adaptation.”
“…”
“I still haven’t fully adapted to the red container. It’s less bothersome than before, but it’s still not familiar.”
“…”
“On a small scale, your house changed, but on a larger scale, everything surrounding you changed. Your bed, not having to work anymore, even your phone model changed. So, naturally, it takes time to adjust, right?”
Yigyeom appreciated hearing Kwon Taejung’s words. Despite his playful nature that often teased and surprised Yigyeom, at times when he displayed a maturity that stemmed from experiencing and contemplating more, Yigyeom’s heart leaned toward him as if it wasn’t his own feeling.
“It’s not like you’ve been here for a month; it’s only been a week or so. Don’t rush it. If you still can’t adapt, let’s find a solution together. If the place is too spacious, we can move to a cozier place.”
I wondered why I was thinking like that. Most people would either let the adaptation happen or simply overlook it, but Kwon Taejung was different. He didn’t show any pretense, nor did he expect anything in return. Yigyeom felt in those moments that Kwon Taejung was an adult.
“Do you have trouble sleeping? Like, waking up in the middle of the night and staying up?”
“No, that’s not it. I sleep well. I wake up later than you every day. The bed is too comfortable, and the blanket is too warm… I sleep without dreaming, it’s just too comfortable.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Well, that’s good. Um, does it bother you that we spend every day together? If you want more personal time, just tell me.”
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“Vb, cbk la’r cba jkxkjgv ab yf klat wf?”
“…It’s less awkward than at the beginning.”
“So, do you like me now?”
“…?”
“Embarrassed to speak? You said something like that when you were half-asleep back then. ‘I like you, Chief.‘”
“I-I never…”
The moment Yigyeom was about to deny it, a flashback rushed through Yigyeom’s mind. Even though he were completely out of it, Kwon Taejung’s question stood out vividly.
“Yigyeom, answer me. Do you like me?”
And Yigyeom remembered distinctly answering yes to that question from Kwon Taejung. Despite feeling hot and bothered all over, Yigyeom averted his eyes and lowered his head.
“T-That was… I mean, I wasn’t in my right mind…”
“Oh, just a slip of the tongue because you weren’t in your right mind?”
It was true that it was said when Yigyeom was not in his right mind, but it wasn’t entirely a slip of the tongue. It’s not like there were no feelings involved. It’s just that expressing it so openly in that state was due to being disoriented and not knowing what he was saying. He wouldn’t have confessed so openly when sober because it would have been too embarrassing.
“It wasn’t exactly a slip of the tongue…”
“I guess I read too much into it since you were out of it.”
“…?”
“I get what you’re saying. I’ll just forget about it, too.”
Kwon Taejung, who had lowered his arm from the sofa headrest, turned his body to face Yigyeom again. Yigyeom stared at Kwon Taejung, unsure of what to do. It might not have been meant as a confession, but from Kwon Taejung’s perspective, it would have sounded like one. Yigyeom placed the dessert plate he was holding on the table and scooted a bit closer to where Kwon Taejung was.
“Chief…”
Seeing Kwon Taejung absorbed in watching TV without any reaction to being called, Yigyeom tentatively reached out, grabbing Kwon Taejung’s arm and gently shaking it.
“I… I’ve never said something like that… I mean, I wasn’t myself at that time, and I felt less embarrassed… It feels like I said it.”
“…?”
“…It’s not that I slipped up or said something I didn’t mean.”
“…?”
“Even though I was out of it… th-that’s not something you just say to anyone…”
Yigyeom wanted to somehow clarify Kwon Taejung’s misunderstanding, but he couldn’t grasp what he was saying properly at that moment. Yigyeom still stared at Kwon Taejung, feeling like tears would flow at any moment.
“Really, not something you’d say to just anyone?”
“No… I mean, really, no. I’ve never said such things, not even once…”
“You must have liked someone when you were in school.”
Yigyeom quickly shook his head. He might have received a confession before, but he never reciprocated or liked someone in that way. Reality felt too daunting to like someone, and his concern for his body, altered by medication side effects, never gave him a chance to feel anything.
“Then, can we interpret that again?”
With his arm held firmly and Yigyeom nodding, Kwon Taejung gestured more closely. As Yigyeom was drawn in closer, unsure of what to do, Kwon Taejung looked at him.
“Come and sit up here.”
Yigyeom was afraid he might feel too embarrassed to do it just by words, so he pulled Kwon Taejung closer, wrapping his arms around Kwon Taejung and lifting himself up onto his lap. Kwon Taejung chuckled softly as he watched Yigyeom’s reddened neck and cheeks after the last statement.
“Why are you trying to cry? Do you not want to sit here?”
“I… I feel like I’ve made angry…”
“I wasn’t angry. I… was just a little hurt. It’s frustrating, but it’s unavoidable. It’s not like the feeling of liking someone forces you, and as you said, in such situations, there can be moments when feelings that weren’t there can be mistaken… Well, back then, both of us were just in a daze.”
“…?”
“I guess I read too much into what was said during sex… Ah, I guess Yigyeom just used and tossed me away.”
Looking surprised at the last words, Yigyeom gazed blankly at Kwon Taejung. Kwon Taejung, who seemed like he might cry or looked surprised, gently wiped Yigyeom’s flushed cheeks with a tender smile.
“But it’s not like that; you said it wasn’t. That’s enough. Don’t cry, okay? It hurts to see you cry.”
Seeing Kwon Taejung pressing his hand over his chest in pain, Yigyeom gently placed his hand over his. Looking at Yigyeom like that, Kwon Taejung’s face softened, and he held Yigyeom’s small hand, pulling him closer to hug.
The feeling of their bodies embracing completely felt good. Yigyeom hugged Kwon Taejung’s neck with both arms. The sensation of being tightly wrapped around by arms around his waist and back brought about a strange sense of comfort. Closing his eyes, Yigyeom rested his cheek against Kwon Taejung’s shoulder.
At some point, Yigyeom wanted to convey this sense of comfort back to Kwon Taejung.
***
Roused by the early morning vibration, Kwon Taejung reached for his phone in the darkness. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he checked the name ‘Noona’ and quietly went out of the room to take the call.
“Yeah, Noona?”
-Did you sleep well, youngest?
“Yeah, I did. How about you, Noona?”
-I slept well, too. I have some work to do, so I’m heading out to the office.
“Oh, you’re diligent, Noona.”
Amazed that his sister was getting ready for work even before 8, Kwon Taejung sat on the couch, leaning his head back against it.
– It’s not about being diligent but having a weird personality. If there’s work left, I can’t sleep. It torments me. Anyway, I thought today would be really busy, so before I forget, I wanted to tell you about what you asked.
“Oh, about the broadcasting station?”
– Yeah.
After bringing Yigyeom home, Kwon Taejung had blocked all the contacts from the broadcasting station on Yigyeom’s phone. Since there was no intention to appear on the show, there was no need to create unnecessary trouble.
He’d stopped going to the cafe, even blocking numbers. Now, after about a week of cutting off any possible communication, Kwon Taejung was curious about the situation at the broadcasting station, so he asked his sister, who had a friend there, to find out the situation.
– It’s in complete chaos there. Without that friend, there’s no impact on the show, so they’re desperately trying to recruit. It seems they’’re in a frenzy because he suddenly disappeared without a trace.
“Really? That’s somewhat good to hear.”
