do not repost or share on ANY social media. Do not make epubs of my translations.
「cm dwn」
It was a text from Kang Inheon. Lee Juwon tilted his head as he looked at his phone. What? Did Nabi send it by accident?
「undrgrnd crprk」
「4-A6」
The texts came again, one after another. Only then did Lee Juwon understand what the texts meant. Come down to the 4th floor of the underground car park A6? After deciphering it, it was nothing much. It was like sending a coded text from the company. He laughed because it was as if they were having a secret relationship.
Relationship, Lee Juwon rolled the word around in his mouth. It was an awkward word, like wearing something that didn’t belong to him, but he tried not to think about it now.
Weren’t relationships things that made you feel like you weren’t yourself in the first place? The awkwardness he unknowingly felt was natural. It was a problem to surmount.
「k」
「5m」
He replied like Kang Inheon. To get downstairs in five minutes, Lee Juwon roughly finished his work and switched off his computer. As he walked out of the representative’s office with his jacket on his arm, the secretary at the desk stood up and said, “Are you getting off work now?”
“Yes, Secretary Kim, you should leave too.”
Humming a tune, Lee Juwon stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the underground fourth floor. He looked at Kang Inheon’s face on the elevator wall and smiled delightedly. Hmm, yeah. That’s my lover. He’s handsome. Lee Juwon felt unnecessarily proud, even though it wasn’t his own face.
It wasn’t time to get off work yet, so the car park was empty. He saw Kang Inheon’s back standing next to a massive pillar with A6 written on it. Lee Juwon wanted to approach without any sign and surprise him, but he heard Kang Inheon’s voice in his ear.
– Lee Juwon…!
Not only was it desperate, but the voice was also fearful. Surprised, Lee Juwon ran to him, and Kang Inheon turned his head. When they made eye contact, Kang Inheon grinned. His eyes and lips drew an arc and were beautiful, but they didn’t match the voice he heard.
“I-Inheon-ah…?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay…?”
“No, I’m upset.” Kang Inheon opened the passenger door and said, “I heard Mother came by? Ah, I should’ve gone to see her.”
“…Ah.”
Lee Juwon swept a hand across his chest. Truthfully, he wasn’t reassured. Still, he continued, “…Well, we’ll go on the weekend.”
They talked about little things as the car pulled out of the car park. The afternoon road was relatively quiet. The sky was clear, and the trees planted along the road were green. Fluffy clouds were blooming in the sky, like a computer background.
Though it was routine, it felt unrealistic, and Lee Juwon continuously stared out the car window. It was like a warm, peaceful picture of simple, everyday life. To the point that, if it were a dream, he would want to dream forever.
At some point, it was July, and the green grapes were ripening. The rainy season of midsummer was over, the cicadas were chirping loudly, and the air was thick with humidity. There were soft clouds in the blue sky, but there wasn’t all that much of a lukewarm wind, so it looked like a still picture.
Since Kang Inheon’s days off were irregular, Lee Juwon matched his days off with Kang Inheon’s. On their days off, they would visit his parents, go out to the suburbs, or visit exhibitions, but most of the time they would stay home. Today was no different. Now he was getting used to this routine.
Lee Juwon was connected mentally and physically to the floor, as if the floor were him and he were the floor, and was reading a book when he suddenly felt a cold feeling and looked out the window. He thought a shadow had just suddenly been cast on the cream-coloured paper, but the sky, which had been so clear just a moment ago, quickly became cloudy. The shutters rattled in the wind, and a few raindrops pattered against the pane, leaving diagonal lines.
“Shoot…”
When the rain that wasn’t even mentioned in the weather forecast came down, Lee Juwon jumped up. He needed to quickly gather the blankets and pillowcases he had hung up in the yard when he thought the weather was good.
He hurriedly opened the front door. A shower poured down in front of his eyes. Lee Juwon ran through the rain, which pelted him like water from a shower head.
“Damn it…”
He tried to hurry and gather the white blanket hung on the clothesline, but the moment he reached for the fabric, he realized he was too late. The thin summer blanket was completely soaked through and was now as heavy as a cotton comforter.
Soaking wet and sighing, Lee Juwon turned around, rubbing the back of his neck. Unlike the rain pouring down from the sky, he felt a stream of water coming from a different direction behind him.
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.
Lf aegcfv jgbecv ab olcv Bjcu Pctfbc rajcvlcu lc atf ujgvfc, qeiilcu kffvr. Lf ibbxfv ilxf j sbecu ojgwfg, kfjglcu vlgas mbaabc kbgx uibnfr jcv j ugffc jqgbc. Lf, abb, kjr vgfcmtfv lc gjlckjafg ogbw atf revvfc vbkcqbeg tf mbeivc’a jnblv.
Cr atfs rabbv atfgf, ijeutlcu ja fjmt batfg’r kfa jqqfjgjcmf, Bjcu Pctfbc atgfk rbwfatlcu ja tlw. Off Aekbc mjeuta atf bypfma jr la oifk lc j qjgjybilm jgm lc atf mbcoerlbc bo atf wbwfca.
It was a dolphin-shaped water gun made of transparent blue plastic. The dolphin, about the size of a monkey banana, was filled with water.
“You aren’t even a kid…” Saying this flatly, Lee Juwon turned and walked towards the front door, his rain-soaked slippers squeaking with each step. Grabbing the doorknob of the front door, whish, he swung around.
He fired his water gun at Kang Inheon’s off-guard forehead. But whether it was because he was firing one-handed with a flick of his wrist to show off, or because he wasn’t a very good shot to begin with, the stream of water flew in the wrong direction.
Kang Inheon twirled the trigger part of the water gun around his index finger and tak, catching it before firing it at Lee Juwon. His stance and shooting technique were professional. Lee Juwon was hit square in the centre of the forehead. The cold water, not quite the same temperature as the lukewarm rain shower, trickled down his eyebrow.
“Ugh…!”
Lee Juwon changed his mind, took aim, and shot the water gun at Kang Inheon, but unlike the pouring rain, it didn’t hit him at all. He easily dodged with a tilt of his head.
“Why didn’t you get hit?!”
“Water never wets the sea.”
Hearing his calm nonsense, Lee Juwon gave up on the water gun, which had already run out of water. He threw the water gun on the ground and headed for the tap in the yard. He picked up the hose, which was curled up in a circle.
Creak, he turned the silver tap, and the easygoing look on Kang Inheon’s face waned.
“Isn’t that kind of cheating?”
Soon, the water running through the hose stiffened the hose’s plastic. He pressed his thumb and forefinger firmly on the centre of the end of the hose, causing water to pour out in two streams and widening his attack scope. The range was also no match for the water gun.
Swaaaa! Kang Inheon was drenched in the torrent of water. He was already soaking wet, so he couldn’t get any wetter, but Lee Juwon laughed triumphantly at the sight.
“You broke the Hunter Code, didn’t you?”
The stream of water coming from the dolphin that fit right in his hand looked endlessly weak in front of the hose. There was an old saying that a master craftsman did not differentiate between tools, but there was also a modern saying that low-level players get carried by items.
As a tool-using homofaber, Lee Juwon ran after Kang Inheon as he fled, spraying water from the hose without hesitation. Even though he was suddenly playing with water in the middle of the rain and was soaking wet, he burst into laughter without realizing it himself.
At some point, Kang Inheon, who had been running away, quickly turned back. Lee Juwon thought this was his moment and aimed the hose at him. But the stream of water narrowly missed him.
“Uh…”
The length of the hose was insufficient and tense. Kang Inheon took a half-step back from where the water touched and grinned. A little more, Lee Juwon thought, and the back of the hose stretched as he moved forward. The water flow weakened, possibly because the other end of the hose completely separated from the tap. Soon, even the trickle coming from the hose came to a complete stop.
“Haha.” Kang Inheon laughed like a villain and aimed his water gun. There was just enough water left for one shot at the bottom of the dolphin in Kang Inheon’s grasp.
Lee Juwon threw the empty hose away and raised his hands in the air.
“This is overkill when you have a civilian as an opponent.”
Perhaps because it was just a passing shower, the rain had weakened at some point. The dark clouds that had shaded the sky gradually lifted. The rain-washed blades of grass and petals bloomed more vividly, and the chirping of cicadas returned.
As the sun reappeared, the few drops of rain still falling were dazzling in the sunlight. Through the iridescent droplets, Kang Inheon approached him. He tucked the dolphin water gun into the pocket of his green apron and knitted his fingers with the hands Lee Juwon held in the air.
Their wet hands intertwined, their eyes met, and their foreheads touched. Their body heat was lightly cooled by the lukewarm rainwater and ran through their hands and foreheads.
“The winner gets their wish granted.”
“…What is it?”
If Kang Inheon’s wish was to pick a star, he was willing to call NASA to buy a meteorite. Kang Inheon whispered in his ear, “Please choose me.”
“…Huh?”
He felt a tepid breath on his ear. Soon, soft lips tickled his damp earlobe and cheek, the corner of his eye, and his eyelashes. The soles of his feet tickled as if wet sand had found its way into his slippers.
The rain washed away the dust of the sky, clearing the colour of their surroundings, but it also raised the humidity just as much, making it instantly sticky and humid. The temperature of the heat on his ear was similar.
At some point, the shower stopped. Under the blue sky, a white blanket dripping with rainwater blew in the summer breeze.
“Oof…”
After taking a shower, Lee Juwon shook his head and went out to the living room. By the living room window, Nabi was watching the clear sky, as if wondering when it had rained. Instead of the blanket that was put back in the washing machine, a rain-soaked T-shirt and two pairs of pants hung on the clothesline in the yard.
“Ah… again.”
Lee Juwon dried his hair harder with a towel. He heard an auditory hallucination of Kang Inheon desperately calling out his name again. It sounded as anxious and frightened as the voice of a parent who had lost their child. Ignoring the auditory hallucination he almost forgot about, Lee Juwon called out, “Nabi-ya,” but Nabi didn’t even pretend to hear him.
Turning the air conditioner down to its lowest setting, Lee Juwon sprawled out on the couch and opened the book he was reading. Looking refreshed, Kang Inheon also came out of the bathroom. Lee Juwon asked him, “…By any chance, did you call me?”
Kang Inheon just grinned.
“Would our Juwonie like some tonics? Seems like you’ve lost your energy.” He sat down on the floor in front of the sofa, switched on the television, and continued, “Is the book fun?”
“Somewhat.”
Kang Inheon, who had just come back from washing up, smelled the same as him. He closed the book he was reading and put it down in a spread-out state, then hugged Kang Inheon from behind. He rested his chin on his shoulder, and they both stared at the flickering television screen. Kang Inheon kept pressing the remote controller and said, “There’s nothing to watch.”
“Try turning on National Singing Contest.”
Kang Inheon laughed lightly and tuned in to the public channel. In a sunny outdoor plaza, a group of high school students sang Amor Party with red rubber gloves on each hand.
The cameras often panned to the audience, too. ☆Haewoon’s pride Lee Pilsung Yoon Chaekyung Kim Suyeon☆ was printed on a large banner, and a vigorous folk dance ensued amid cheers from the crowd, not knowing whether they were boasting about the singing or the dancing.
Just when he thought he would gasp for air if he did that, ding dong daeng–. A cheerful xylophone sounded. Thunderous applause erupted, and the high school students scurried offstage. A well-dressed invited singer was up next, and it somehow felt boring.
“Nabi-ya.”
With nothing else to do, Lee Juwon called out to Nabi, but it only looked out the window as if it were thinking of something.
“Seems like Nabi doesn’t like its own name…” Lee Juwon tapped the copy of T.S. Eliot’s Nursery Rhymes he had been reading and continued, “Here, it says that cats have three names.”
Kang Inheon flicked through the channels again and replied flatly, “Really?”
“First, the names that the family uses daily, like Peter, James, and George. In Korean, Nabi, Bori, Cheese, Dubu, that sort of thing?”
“Oh… it seems like everything except Nabi goes.”
“And the dignified names, Munkustrap, Jellylorum… It’s a one-of-a-kind name for a one-of-a-kind cat. Um… River Birch Tree Nabi?”
“Aren’t you naming it way too consciously as being one of a kind…?”
After exchanging a light, idle laugh, Lee Juwon continued, “Finally, a name that only the cat knows. It is said that when the cat is in deep meditation, it is thinking of that name.”
Kang Inheon’s gaze fell on Nabi. Perhaps because it finally realized they were talking about it, Nabi sharply cried out, “Nyaa,” as if they were being noisy.
“It’s like you. You have three names that I call you too. Kang Inheon, Hunter Kang, and honey.”
Kang Inheon laughed as if dumbfounded. He set the remote on the floor and stood up to head to the kitchen, saying he needed to get Nabi a snack. Watching his back, Lee Juwon muttered, “You too… Do you have a name that only you know?”
In the early hours of the morning, Lee Juwon opened his eyes. The room was bluish.
The sun hadn’t risen yet, but mountain birds chirped outside. Outside the window, blue rays of dawn fell.
“…What?”
His face was wet. He lifted his hand and wiped his face. It was covered in water, as if Nabi had licked his face while he slept.
“…Hah.”
He had a strange dream. Kang Inheon was looking for him like a madman. He was calling his name as if his throat was going to tear. He didn’t understand. I’m right next to you, so why…
“Huh…?”
The spot next to him was cold. There was no Kang Inheon. It felt chilly without the high-temperature Kang Inheon next to him.
What time is it? Did he go exercise? While reaching for the bedside table to check the time, Lee Juwon dropped his phone with a humph sound. At some point, Nabi leapt onto the bed and unapologetically took up residence in the centre of the bed.
Nabi acted confidently as if it were always its spot. It was a worthy existence. Its fur was fluffy in the dawn light, and its pink nose was moist. It was even more adorable in its sleep.
Lee Juwon reached out to stroke Nabi’s back. But as soon as his fingertips touched it, Nabi jumped up. It didn’t go far, but curled up near him again.
“What’s wrong with it this time…”
Nabi let out a long yawn, revealing its red mouth and white fangs. It seemed to be in some sort of bad mood. Thinking that he shouldn’t touch it unnecessarily, Lee Juwon also yawned heavily and laid back down.
He was lying on his stomach, arms outstretched to the floor, picking up his fallen mobile phone. It was 4:30, an early time to start the day.
“…Huh?”
Something was strange. Wondering if it was because he was half-asleep, Lee Juwon squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. He rubbed his eyes with his fingertips, but he still saw the same thing.
The left hand holding the phone was white. Not white as in the skin colour, but abnormally so.
At some point, Nabi had sat up stiffly and stared at Lee Juwon with yellow eyes in the early morning darkness. His breath caught in his throat at the cat’s cold gaze and the bizarre appearance of his hand.
His hand, with its strange change, was also strangely familiar. Like having a deja vu, he felt an odd shiver.
Thud!
At that moment, there was the sound of the door from outside.
Lee Juwon jumped out of bed. Nabi was still watching him, its eyes glowing in the darkness. He opened the door of the main room and went out to the living room, where he heard a noise from the kitchen. Kang Inheon, dressed in sportswear, placed a paper bag on the kitchen table and said, “You’re up already?”
Kang Inheon held a glass cup up to the water purifier, and clear water gushed out. It seemed like he tilted the cup a bit and took a sip, but before he knew it, the bottom was revealed. Without looking back, he poured another glass of water and continued, “There were fresh tomatoes in the early morning market, I’ll grind them for you.”
Lee Juwon hugged Kang Inheon from behind. He could feel his warmth through the slippery material of his thin sportswear. A little heat remained on the nape of his neck, as if he had jogged before going to the market.
The scent of Kang Inheon’s body mixed with the smell of dawn. He could feel his pulse and his heart beating through his chest. When he spoke, even the echo of his voice was transmitted to his chest.
“You don’t want to eat tomatoes?”
Lee Juwon loosened his tight embrace, and Kang Inheon spun around to look at him, leaning against the shelf.
“Picky eater…”
Perhaps due to the early morning dew, his black hair was slightly curly. He thought he had monolids, but upon closer inspection when they kissed, he had thin inner double eyelids near the inner edge of his eyes. It was all just like Kang Inheon.
“I’ll go wash up.”
Kang Inheon put down his glass and tried to leave the kitchen, but Lee Juwon stepped in the same direction as him and blocked his path. It was the same even if he turned to the left. Kang Inheon was puzzled for a moment before grinning.
“Why are you already like this since early morning?”
“……”
“Aren’t you cute?”
“…Don’t leave without saying anything.”
“Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Hand…”
“Hand?”
“My hand is strange.”
Lee Juwon held his hand out in front of him. The unusually white hand was even grotesque. However, Kang Inheon shrugged.
“What is?”
“It’s too white.”
“You’ve always been white.”
“That’s not it…”
“It’s not strange.”
At his firm words, Lee Juwon didn’t reply further.
After blankly standing there as if nailed to the spot, Lee Juwon suddenly kissed him. He hugged his neck and rubbed his lips against his, impatient and inexperienced like a boy kissing for the first time.
He stood still and returned the kiss without a word. He didn’t suck on his tongue or lick the walls of his mouth as he had before. Lee Juwon whispered against his lips, “…Hunter Kang?”
“I told you it’s honey.”
“…Honey…”
“Yeah?”
He answered when he was called, and he felt warm when he touched him. He smiled when his eyes met his, and every word he spoke was sweet. So there was no doubting it, he must’ve seen wrong because he was half asleep. Or, he was mistaken because it was dark. No, it didn’t matter.
Unlike the soft feel of his lips on his, it felt like there was a thorn lodged in his throat, and his chest felt uncomfortable, but he didn’t want to think anymore.
Didn’t not remembering it mean that it wasn’t important? A heavy heart was proof that it wasn’t a good memory. There was no point in revisiting things that had been forgotten because they were worth forgetting.
If you open a jar you were told not to open, disaster will spread, and if you ignore the warning not to look back, you will be turned to stone.
orcinus comments:
did they take a shower together…? anyways, another cover detail, psyche is present!!
the next part will be the last one for chapter 5, slowly we’re reaching the end….
Well … He’s correct
The way Juwon is so obviously obsessed with Inheon is so fucking endearing. Evrn if he doesn’t realize it, he wants to be loved my Inheon so bad his literal dream reality has them living like an old married couple 😭 so cute
the two idiots are both respectfully tagged obsessive gong and unconsciously obsessive su 😭😭
😭🥲 I want the reality of them together not this… he is dying trapped by moths, and simply needs to wake up. But this is exactly what he wanted 🥲🥲🥲🥲
this chapter was so refreshing <3
They make such a sweet couple. So sad that this is not real. Somehow I feel like every where are small hints that are supposed to remind Juwon that this is not real.
The cover with butterflies in it and it’s even on ml’s side!!! (✪▽✪)
Glad that mc is starting to pick up
But yahh, a glimpse of their life together in this arc makes me 🥺 even the calling of ‘honey’ ＼(T▽T)／
‘He heard an auditory hallucination of Kang Inheon desperately calling out his name again. It sounded as anxious and frightened as the voice of a parent who had lost their child.’
It seems like the real Inheon keeps on calling for him…🥺It was like a warm, peaceful picture of simple, everyday life. To the point that, if it were a dream, he would want to dream forever. I just knew he didn’t want to leave because he got everything he ever wanted in this dream… T.T