By Zephyria 
Flustered, I shifted my gaze away unnaturally. If the room had been brighter, my flushed face would have probably been completely exposed.
“……I just wondered what kind of trick you were trying to pull by crawling over here.”
“Trick? It would be a headache if you caught a cold. This is a preventative measure.”
Gyu-oh chuckled and flicked the blanket aside. Then, he blindly pushed his way into the gap. The bed was the perfect size for one person, so it became quite cramped when a large guy squeezed in.
“……It’s narrow.”
“Stop playing hard to get. It’s warm.”
Unlike me, who had been covered by the duvet the whole time, Gyu-oh had only been draped in a thin blanket, and a chilly aura clung to him. That was why I shifted my body, wrapping an arm around his side to make room.
“If you do anything reckless, I’m pushing you out.”
“Yeees.”
Though I still had to lie awkwardly on my side, Gyu-oh seemed quite satisfied with this. After pulling the duvet up to his shoulders, he crossed his arms and stared intently at me.
Sharing one large pillow was uncomfortable, but it was difficult to move easily. I felt that if I turned my head even slightly, I might be caught by that burning gaze and easily give him an opening again, just like last time.
“Hyung.”
“Sleep.”
Min-ho replied curtly with his eyes closed. He feared the situation might turn against him, or that he might unconsciously stare at Gyu-oh’s lips again.
Despite that, Gyu-oh kept calling him. Hyung, Min-ho Hyung. Cha Min-ho. When he finally heard a “Hey” after the familiar calls, he snapped his eyes open fiercely and turned his head.
“You want to talk down to me?”
“I wonder what’ll happen if the bed breaks.”
The first thing he asked as soon as our eyes met was such an absurd thing. I really have no idea what goes through his head sometimes. I relaxed my tense body and replied indifferently.
“What do you mean ‘what’ll happen’? You’ll have to pay for it.”
“Just me? We’re lying here together.”
“You idiot. If it collapses, it’s because of your size, so why would I pay for it too?”
After that, Gyu-oh began asking all sorts of nonsensical, strange questions. I answered some and completely ignored others, continuing a trivial conversation. After a while, I felt warmth spreading through my body, and a sense of languor washed over me.
“Do you think there are people who steal patient gowns?”
“……Probably.”
There was no Rain-Sound Mixed Musical Piece to soothe my tired mind, yet strangely, Gyu-oh’s voice and breathing lingered in my ears like a lullaby.
“Goodnight, Hyung.”
You too. The answer lingered in my mouth before scattering. It was a night where I slept so deeply that even nightmares didn’t dare peek in.
“Any word on catching Son Pro’s tail?”
“None. I told you to stop worrying about it.”
Gyu-oh, who was pouring water, glared at me with sharp eyes. He became sensitive the moment Son Pro’s name was mentioned.
After the accident at the warehouse, Son Pro had vanished without a trace. He was likely surviving by finding another benefactor somewhere. The only meaningful result was that the Executive Director of T Corporation, who had heard the news, had completely turned his back on Son Pro.
“You know, right? If you just trust the police and wait, you’re wasting your time.”
Since the police and we had different approaches to begin with, the speed was bound to differ. Procedures are shortened when there are no rules to follow. It had already been over five days since I stepped away from the work, and Min-ho was starting to get restless. However, whenever I brought up work, Gyu-oh made it very clear that he wasn’t pleased.
“Is that a statement disregarding public authority?”
“Something like that.”
I shrugged and answered nonchalantly. Gyu-oh tore open a packet of medicine and handed it over with water.
“Just take your medicine.”
Without suspicion, I popped it into my mouth and swallowed. Naturally, Gyu-oh’s hand followed. As he wiped my wet lips and began to pull away, I firmly grabbed his wrist.
“Be honest. This is some weird medicine, isn’t it?”
“Why? Do I look more handsome after you take it? Do you suddenly want to date me?”
The guy thrust his handsome face forward and spoke with a playful, rising intonation. Fearing my gaze would get locked, I quickly looked down, but coincidentally, Gyu-oh’s lips caught my eye again. Why have I become so conscious of them since that kiss? Thinking about it, it made sense. Even though I’d rolled my body around like a rag, I’d never done anything as embarrassing as kissing.
“…….”
The soft, hot sensation that had invaded my mouth kept pushing its way into my mind. Just as the atmosphere was about to turn strange, a loud ringtone went off. Only then did Min-ho, who had been staring at Gyu-oh’s lips, snap back to his senses.
“……Aren’t you going to switch that to vibrate?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll do it later.”
As he tried to grab my shoulder while ignoring the ringtone, I quickly pushed him away. Contrary to my expectation, Gyu-oh backed off easily.
“Go answer your phone.”
At my firm voice, Gyu-oh clicked his tongue and ruffled his hair. Then, he checked his phone while grumbling loud enough for me to hear.
“Who calls so tactlessly?”
He checked the screen but didn’t answer immediately. After running his tongue along the inside of his cheek, Gyu-oh turned away.
“Wait a second.”
I stared blankly at his back as he left the hospital room with quite hurried steps.
“……Is there progress on Son Pro?”
Is that why he left so urgently, so I wouldn’t hear? Scratching my eyebrow, Min-ho swung his legs down to the floor. If it was about work, the call would likely be long, so I figured I’d go get some fresh air. Since I was heading to the roof, it would be good to smoke a few cigarettes.
Min-ho rummaged through Gyu-oh’s jacket draped over the sofa armrest. I intended to just take the lighter and cigarettes, but I ended up picking up the oversized bike jacket as well. As I stepped out of the room, for some reason, Gyu-oh was nowhere to be seen.
“Where on earth did he go to take a call?”
What kind of secret call is it? If it were important, he should have taken it where he could be heard. I strolled along, glancing back and forth at the end of the hallway. I moved intentionally slowly, but Gyu-oh never appeared. With a strange sense of disappointment, I had no choice but to take the elevator.
“Ugh, it’s cold.”
Even though the sun was blazing since it was midday, the wind was biting. As soon as I stepped onto the roof, I hurriedly slipped into Gyu-oh’s jacket. As I fastened the front, the clothes felt incredibly loose. I thought there would be at most a one-size difference between me and Won Gyu-oh. But the jacket I was wearing now felt at least two sizes too big. The sleeves covered nearly half of my hands.
“……Why does he wear clothes so big?”
Knowing full well that it looked appropriately fitted when Gyu-oh wore it, I muttered to myself out of a sudden sense of embarrassment.
While smoking in the smoking area with a group of four or five people, I realized I’d forgotten my phone. Since Gyu-oh was handling all the urgent contacts, it shouldn’t be a problem. I took a deep drag of the cigarette, indulging in an uncharacteristic leisure.
“Whew.”
The pale smoke blurred my vision. The smoking area, which had been quite crowded earlier, now had only me left. Perhaps because it was less strong than what I usually smoked, one cigarette didn’t feel like enough. Just as I was about to take out another one.
Clang, the door to the smoking area swung open. A cold wind rushed in immediately. The wind carried a familiar scent and voice.
“Ah, Cha Min-ho.”
As soon as our eyes met, Gyu-oh bent his waist and exhaled sharply. I just stared blankly as his back heaved with labored breaths, his hands resting on his knees. He panted heavily for a long time, as if he had run all the way up. With the unlit cigarette still between my fingers, I stood up.
“Why are you so—”
“You scared me.”
A small mutter rolled to my feet. It was a voice carrying a strange emotion, situated somewhere between relief and anxiety. Min-ho’s steps came to a sudden halt.
“……Haa.”
Perhaps because my shadow was cast on the floor, Gyu-oh reached out blindly without even lifting his head. As if to confirm that Cha Min-ho was within reach.
“…….”
Looking down at the large, rough hand trembling slightly made me feel strange. It felt as if the ground were tilting, and the distance between us was repeatedly expanding and contracting. That was why I quietly wrapped my hand around his reddened fingertips.
The moment our body temperatures met, I was pulled in by a strong force. Without time to defend myself, Gyu-oh’s chest collided with mine, and a firm arm wrapped around my back. Even through the thin clothing, the intense heat was conveyed vividly.
“I thought you’d bolted.”
Gyu-oh muttered this while rubbing his forehead against my shoulder. He often acted spoiled like this, but only when it was just the two of us. In an open place like this, he was usually a guy who knew how to compose his emotions. Though I was surprised, I spoke without letting it show.
“Why would I bolt?”
As soon as I finished speaking, our bodies snapped apart. Since he held my shoulder to create distance, I could finally see Gyu-oh’s face fully.
“I keep……”
The pale face, the rigid expression, and the trembling end of his sentence soon subsided. Gyu-oh shook his head, composing his words. Soon, the emotion remaining on his cool face faded.
“You’re a workaholic, so I thought you’d rushed out of the hospital because you wanted to work.”
Pretending to be nonchalant, he pulled me out of the smoking area. Only then did Min-ho cross the threshold and stand side-by-side with Gyu-oh. Gyu-oh, who had hugged my shoulder tightly, let out a long sigh of relief.
“You should have reported it before leaving. I was so nervous because you suddenly disappeared.”
The reprimanding voice was full of laughter, making it sound like a joke. But Min-ho knew. This was Gyu-oh’s way of hiding his emotions.
“…….”
Won Gyu-oh is a guy who rarely gets flustered. Even if he were embarrassed, he wasn’t the type to show it plainly.
“Mu-gyeong Hyung said he’s almost here. I almost told him to turn the car around.”
And yet, just now, he had been pale and his hands were trembling. Simply because Cha Min-ho had left his spot without a word.
In the ten years I’d known Won Gyu-oh, I’d seen that expression only once. Not long ago, in the abandoned warehouse, just before my eyes closed.
“Why does a patient smoke so consistently?”
“…….”
Was he that afraid of me leaving without a word?
“I guess you really have nothing to say, huh?”
‘I keep……’
What were the words he had swallowed earlier? Could he perhaps be regretting the fact that he had let his emotions take precedence?
I’m not even looking at work, so how can my head be this complicated? Maybe I’d feel better if I actually worked.
Trapped in Gyu-oh’s embrace as he repeatedly adjusted how he held me, I couldn’t say a word as we left the roof, weighed down by the emotions pressing upon me.