FHO 33

After waking up from a deep sleep, In-ho first suggested that Haon take a shower. He personally filled the bathtub with warm water and even lifted Haon up to set him in the tub. Completely naked, without even a piece of underwear.

“I-I can do it myself…!”

If he stayed still, it felt like In-ho was poised to help him wash as well. As if he truly intended to, In-ho picked up a shower ball, then set the body wash back down with a look of regret.

“Isn’t it difficult? I’ll do it for you.”

“No, no. I can do it on my own.”

Haon emphasized the word ‘on my own’ and lowered his head deeply. Not knowing where to look, his eyes darted around frantically. Even when he tried not to, his gaze kept drifting toward the space between In-ho’s thighs.

To think something that big… was inside my body.

Even seeing it with his own eyes, Haon couldn’t believe it. Wondering if he had seen wrong, he checked one last time, only for his face to turn even redder.

“Then call me if you need help.”

“Yes, yes. Thank you.”

He lowered his head further to hide his face, which had turned a bursting shade of red.

In-ho, who was accustomed to their naked bodies, quickly left the bathroom for the sake of the embarrassed Haon. Having been one body in nudity for four straight days, he hadn’t quite managed to gauge Haon’s current state of mind.

Left alone in the warm tub, Haon blew bubbles with his mouth. Even after In-ho left, the heat in his body refused to subside.

“Ah…”

As he shifted his hips to slightly lower the water temperature, he clenched his teeth at a throbbing pain. There wasn’t a single spot on his body that didn’t ache, but his waist and hips were particularly sore.

“Haon-ssi, are you okay?”

While spreading his legs to check between his buttocks, Haon heard In-ho’s voice and hurriedly closed his knees. He hadn’t realized In-ho was standing by the door.

“W-why are you there?”

“I’m here to bring you your clothes. Do you need help? Can you wash by yourself?”

“Yes, I’m fine!”

Startled by the sound of the voice getting closer, Haon even waved his hand. Only after confirming one last time if he was truly okay did In-ho leave.

Haon splashed water over his flushed face and went back to blowing bubbles. While he felt grateful and sorry toward In-ho for taking such tender care of him, he also felt a shame so intense it felt like his insides were stinging.

He was deathly embarrassed that he had been moved while fully conscious and naked, and that he had shown In-ho his state of being in heat. He thought it might be okay since he had shown that side of himself before, but he was completely wrong.

How unsightly must he have been?

Burying his head in his knees, he imagined his appearance during the gaps in his memory. The movie theater had been a place filled with the smell of various foods. Which meant it was the perfect place for him to exhibit all sorts of disgraceful behavior.

After letting out a series of sighs, his eyes widened as he saw his reflection in the showerhead.

“Uh…”

What is this?

There was a deep purple bruise on his left cheek. Since he hadn’t looked in a mirror yet, Haon didn’t know the state of his face. The awareness that he had injured his cheek while asleep in In-ho’s arms had completely vanished.

The moment he rushed to the sink and checked the mirror, he froze. His lips were scabbed, and his left cheek was severely swollen. He had simply thought it was swollen from sleeping too long and crying too much, but seeing the horrific sight, it looked as though he had been slapped.

As he touched the purple bruise on his left cheek, a pain far greater than that in his waist or hips surged. It hurt so much that tears welled up in his eyes.

No way…

He glanced at the firmly closed bathroom door, then quickly shook his head. He had no memory of it, but he didn’t believe In-ho would have hit him. There was no way that could be true. Absolutely not…

After staring at himself in the mirror for a long time, Haon returned to the tub with a weary expression. He was upset that a mark had been left on his face.

If he hadn’t seen this, he would have just passed over it without knowing anything, as usual.

“Haa…”

Overwhelmed by a gloomy mood, Haon’s sigh deepened.

* * *

Isn’t he taking too long to wash?

With nothing to do, In-ho paced the living room, keeping an eye on Haon’s bedroom door. He had left the door slightly ajar so he could hear the sounds from inside the room.

It had been nearly two hours since Haon entered the bathroom, and he still hadn’t come out. Judging by the faint sound of washing, it didn’t seem like he had collapsed. But why was it taking so long?

Just as his worries were piling up, he fortunately heard the bathroom door open. At the sound of footsteps plodding out, the crease between In-ho’s brows smoothed over. With a relieved expression, he headed to the kitchen.

He poured hot water into a pre-prepared teacup and waited for the tea to steep. He planned to enter Haon’s room under the pretext of bringing him the tea.

Creak. However, Haon opened the door and stepped out before he could.

“Do you need something?”

Seeing Haon come out without even drying his hair, In-ho approached him with quick steps. Haon shook his head, saying he didn’t need anything, and was smiling. A smile that was awkwardly bright.

“I…”

Looking up at the approaching In-ho, Haon took a subtle step back. At the same time, he lowered his head and pulled at his wet hair, as if trying to hide his face with the strands.

“Ahem, the thing is… actually, I have no memory of my heat period.”

In-ho’s eyes flickered briefly as he looked down at Haon. Because his gaze was fixed on the floor, Haon didn’t see this and diligently explained his condition.

“I can’t remember anything at all. Not even the smallest things.”

“I know. You told me before, Haon-ssi.”

Does he not remember things he said while lucid? In-ho found it strange but gestured for him to continue for now.

“Ah…”

Haon blinked rapidly and cleared his throat. After rolling his eyes left and right, he clenched his fists and continued with his organized thoughts.

“My last memory is washing my hands in the restroom. I was wondering what happened…”

“Haon-ssi.”

In-ho, who had been listening intently, stepped closer to him. The moment his gaze landed on the purple bruise on the cheek, his first thought was that he had to explain.

“I didn’t do that.”

In-ho explained the situation at the time. Of course, he couldn’t give all the details.

He summarized it simply: Haon had taken some food from a strange man, and the man, angered by this, used violence. He omitted the part where he had beaten the man until he passed out.

“Ah…”

As he listened intently, Haon’s expression grew strangely bright. Haon nodded repeatedly and asked cautiously.

“Then, that person…?”

“I reported him to the police. You don’t have to worry about him.”

“T-the police?”

In-ho looked at Haon as if wondering why he was so surprised, then touched the bruised cheek.

“Of course I had to report it. You’re hurt like this.”

“No, but still… I was the one who did something wrong first.”

To worry about a man who hit him hard enough to leave a bruise on his cheek. In-ho was momentarily speechless at Haon’s reaction. Lightly brushing over his face, which bore a hint of fatigue, he spoke in a tender voice, “Haon-ssi.”

“That is a very dangerous way of thinking.”

After confirming that Haon wasn’t pulling away, he cupped the cheek more broadly. Looking at the bruise, it was clear he hadn’t been hit just once, but several times in a row. In-ho regretted not beating that man more.

“You shouldn’t make someone’s face look like this just because they took some snacks.”

With a distressed expression, claiming that violence is bad, In-ho looked more harmless than anyone. His face looked as if he were saying he had never hit another person in his life.

“Haon-ssi, just focus on recovering. Don’t worry about anything else.”

He led Haon back to the bed and laid him down. He turned on the bedside lamp and handed him tea that aids sleep, urging him to get plenty of rest.

“You can’t catch a cold. Since you can’t take medicine right now.”

Haon did not decline and warmed his insides with the hot tea. He found himself wanting to simply follow In-ho’s words to not worry. In truth, because his body was so exhausted, he no longer had the energy to ask in detail or worry.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“No.”

After covering Haon with the blanket, In-ho lowered the brightness of the lamp by one level. When In-ho asked if he could stay by his side until he fell asleep, Haon answered “Yes” again and pulled the blanket up to cover the lower half of his face.

Thanks to the warm tea, the sleep that had been rushing in tried to fade slightly. A thumping heartbeat was chasing the drowsiness away.

“Haon-ssi, just in case.”

In-ho sat on the edge of the bed, patting Haon’s chest as he continued.

“If something like that happens again in the future, never apologize first.”

“……”

“If they try to force you to do something you don’t want to do, just start swearing.”

Haon, who had been listening intently to the gentle voice, blinked his round eyes.

“And then, just call me.”

Tilting his head toward the silent Haon, he emphasized in a firm tone.

“Got it?”

Haon replied only with a nod. He felt that if he opened his mouth now, the sound of his heart thumping inside his body would leak out.

After letting out a small chuckle at Haon’s diligent nodding, In-ho placed his hand over those round eyes, guiding them shut.

“Good night.”

The palm of his hand touching his eyelids was warm. To hide the thumping beat, Haon clasped both hands over his chest and kept his mouth tightly shut.

He was afraid that if he opened his mouth now, the emotions filling his heart would be discovered.