And to make matters worse, it happened just as he was holding Ketron’s cheeks in both hands, scrubbing them vigorously, so their eyes met with their bodies practically glued together.
Eddie’s face momentarily forgot how to express emotion.
What kind of expression should I make?
Eddie had that thought for a moment. He didn’t know what kind of expression to wear.
Ketron, his cheeks still grabbed by Eddie’s hands, wore his usual stoic face, while only Eddie was flustered, at a loss, and the silence stretched on.
Since Eddie’s share of the conversation between the two of them was more than 80%, the surroundings became quiet in an instant when Eddie shut his mouth.
Only the sound of water dripping somewhere broke the silence, and Eddie felt the tips of his ears turn red for some reason.
He didn’t even know why himself.
Something’s been weird since a while ago.
Ketron’s gaze also had a strange feeling, unlike usual, as if Eddie wasn’t the only one who thought so. A gaze that felt somewhat lingering and sticky.
Besides, for some reason, it felt like he was staring intently at only one spot.
Following that gaze, Eddie realized one thing.
Lips. Ketron was staring intently at his lips.
Lips? Why his lips?
As Eddie pondered that question, unable to shake off the awkwardness of staring at each other, he was just about to open his mouth to blurt out anything when.
Screech.
The bathroom door opened.
Since Ketron had his back to the entrance, Eddie, who was facing the entrance, saw a stranger entering the bathroom.
It was another guest coming in to wash. The man, quite drunk, stumbled as he tried to enter the bathroom, and Eddie saw him flinch at the sight of the two men strangely clinging to each other.
“Oh…”
Then he made a strange noise.
Ah, right. He had completely forgotten, but this wasn’t a private space. Wasn’t this a public bath that any male guest could enter?
Eddie thought it would be best to ignore each other and quickly wash and leave, but the other person didn’t seem to think so.
Whatever he was thinking, the guest’s face turned red and he looked very flustered.
“Oh, um… Oh, I’m really sorry!”
Then he shouted that out of nowhere and suddenly slammed the door shut and left.
Eddie blinked blankly.
“…Huh?”
Eddie made a dazed sound, but the person who could resolve his question had already disappeared behind the door.
Afterwards, he washed without even knowing how to wash properly and came out in a daze, and it was completely dark night.
Whether it was because it was a wooden building or because this inn was particularly like that, the boisterous voices of the drunks coming from the tavern on the first floor could be heard quite clearly on the second floor, so it wasn’t a very good place to sleep.
But Eddie welcomed the noise.
He thought that if it weren’t for that, the room would have been quite awkward because of the silence.
This strange silence flowing between Eddie and Ketron had occurred after the problematic bath.
No, to be exact, unlike the original purpose of taking a leisurely bath and coming out, they only washed their bodies and quickly escaped from the bathroom, so it couldn’t even be called a bath.
Come to think of it, why did that person suddenly apologize and leave?
The question about the guest who had entered while they were washing also occupied a corner of his mind for a moment, but Eddie soon erased that thought. That wasn’t the problem now.
The problem was this silence. This subtle and extremely awkward silence that had been lingering between Eddie and Ketron since a while ago.
Eddie was going crazy because he couldn’t bring himself to speak, even though he usually tried to chatter somehow, but he couldn’t say anything because he was conscious of trying to open his mouth, so he unintentionally kept silent.
No, why is this happening all of a sudden!
If he had known this would happen, should he not have washed together? Where exactly did the problem start?
He couldn’t understand himself since a while ago. What’s the big deal about that bath! He washed well without any major incidents, so what’s the problem!
Of course, there was no way he could find the answer by scolding himself.
“…Ugh.”
Eddie buried his face in the rough pillow and groaned. He didn’t even notice that the cleanliness of the pillow wasn’t very good.
After washing, Eddie taught Ketron how to apply skin lotion, creaking like a robot with insufficient oil.
Originally, he would have been proud and talked to Ketron about trivial things, and then fallen asleep while chatting, but he wasn’t doing that now, so time didn’t pass at all.
The fact that there were no smartphones in this world, no TVs, and no things to do at night was also a problem.
When night comes, you have to turn off the lights and sleep.
Especially since this inn didn’t have magic lamps installed in each room like Eddie’s inn, and the only light they could rely on was the candles lit everywhere, so it was dark all around.
If they weren’t going to talk, there were almost no options other than sleeping.
Mr. Han Seok-bong, is this how you felt…?
Eddie, who thought of something completely different, wiggled his feet on the bed he was lying on.
Haa.
Eventually, Eddie, who sighed deeply, turned his gaze to Ketron, who was polishing the Holy Sword in the corner.
Whether he noticed that Eddie was suddenly awkward or not, Ketron was doing his own thing in the corner, just as quiet as Eddie, since Eddie wasn’t talking to him as usual.
“Ket.”
“Yes.”
Ketron answered immediately as if he had been waiting for Eddie to call him.
“Let’s sleep.”
It was nothing special, but it was a word that required some courage for Eddie. Ketron turned his gaze to Eddie. Unlike usual, it was dark in the room, so his expression wasn’t clearly visible.
“Yes.”
Ketron replied, leaned the Holy Sword against the wall again, turned off the nearby candle, and approached.
Ketron, who was wearing light clothes after washing, smelled of the skin lotion that Eddie used, unlike usual.
As Eddie lay down close to the window, just like he had done once at Eddie’s inn, Ketron looked down at him for a moment before slowly climbing onto the bed and lying down. In an instant, the bed was full, and Eddie was in a position as if he were trapped between the wall and Ketron.
Of course, then and now, Eddie still felt a sense of comfort as if he were in a nest.
The problem was that this bed was a bit smaller than Eddie’s bed, and if he couldn’t shrink his body, there was only one thing he could shrink.
Eddie hesitated for a moment, then wriggled and crawled into Ketron’s arms.
“It’s too cramped, so it can’t be helped, right?”
Ketron’s body flinched greatly, but Eddie understood that it was natural to be surprised by the sudden skinship.
Since he couldn’t see his face and it was natural to maintain silence because he had to sleep, this side was rather comfortable.
“Ket, good night.”
Ketron didn’t answer, but whether it was because he had been lying down in the dark all along, or because he had been active all day moving and walking around, even though it was just the next city, drowsiness washed over him and Eddie closed his hazy eyes.
Ketron’s embrace was warm and, apart from the awkwardness of this moment, comfortable.
Eddie, who had been internally screaming about how to sleep and how awkward he was, soon fell into a deep sleep.
“…”
Only when he was sure that Eddie had completely fallen asleep did Ketron finally exhale the breath he had been holding in all day.
No, of course, he had felt an unknown stirring in his heart while walking around with Eddie all day, but especially since he had entered the bathroom with Eddie, his heart had been pounding strangely and he had felt an unknown physical reaction.
Ketron couldn’t exactly tell what it was, but for some reason, he had been on high alert since a while ago, thinking that Eddie shouldn’t find out.
Eddie, who wasn’t very perceptive, didn’t seem to notice anything, but that was fortunate for Ketron.
“…”
Ketron quietly closed his eyes and looked at Eddie, who had fallen into a deep sleep.
His chest was throbbing. His heart was stirring.
It was an unfamiliar sensation, but it didn’t feel bad. Rather, if he had to say, it was on the good side.
Ketron quietly closed his eyes. Not to fall asleep, but to organize his thoughts.
What he had been thinking about earlier, what it was.
When Eddie washed his hair, when Eddie washed his face, when he smiled while holding his cheeks, when his gaze went to Eddie’s lips.
Why he couldn’t come to his senses in the face of the emotions that were jumping and stirring like waves each time.
Why his heart was pounding as if it would jump out of his chest now that Eddie was hugging him in his arms.
About what the reason was.
Ketron knew what the feeling he was feeling now was similar to. It was a sensation he had felt once before.
The sensation of tossing and turning without being able to sleep, feeling nauseous, and feeling like something hot was welling up and filling his chest stuffily.
It was a similar sensation to when he couldn’t bear it and relieved his desires in the bathroom.
“Ket.”
Eddie’s voice, calling Ketron normally, echoed in his head.
“Ket…”
But that voice was somehow more languid and sticky than usual.
“Haa…”
Ketron took a small breath. That breath was surprisingly hot. The moment he realized that fact, Ketron had to consciously try to block one thought.
Because he wasn’t alone in the room like he was back then. This wasn’t Eddie’s inn with a bathroom attached to each room. He had to endure because this wasn’t a place where he could relieve his desires alone and quietly get away with it without being caught by anyone like he did back then.
They say that a thief who learns late is scary? Ketron felt like he was going to die because he was so awkward with his body’s reaction, which suddenly wanted blatantly raw sensations.
Besides, why is it that Eddie is the one who comes to mind in moments like this? Isn’t it a sin to think of this kind person, who just washed and comforted Ketron, in such a way?
But even though he knows it’s a sin, why does he keep wanting to reach out when he looks at Eddie? To touch that brilliant silver hair, to bring his hand to his soft cheeks, to put his finger in his plump lips. Then, would this person bite that finger with his lips?
No, that couldn’t be. He would definitely look up at Ketron with a bewildered face. Ket? What’s wrong? He would ask in a puzzled voice.
In the first place, why was he even imagining that? If those lips bite his finger? Then? What is he even thinking of doing, not even knowing what he’s going to do with that hand afterwards?
Ketron couldn’t know why his body was acting like this these days. But one thing was certain.