By Zephyria 
Good things come in succession, or so they say.
Kim Ju-won’s Spirituality had returned.
Whether his efforts for the past few days hadn’t been a complete waste, his runaway guardian spirit had returned.
“Oh, that’s great……!”
Rarely, Ki Jae-eon also expressed joy. It was a natural reaction. Now he didn’t have to share a narrow bed, and he didn’t have to suffer from his cannon-like snoring.
It was truly freedom!
Kim Ju-won and Ki Jae-eon were experiencing intense happiness, only without hugging and jumping around. More than anything, Kim Ju-won was excited.
As soon as his hellish ban on going out was lifted, he packed his bags like the extreme extrovert he was.
“I’m going to offer a hundred-day prayer and come back.”
Kim Ju-won was acting as if his body was burning. He clearly wanted to get out of this stuffy room as soon as possible. The way he packed his bags seemed very excited.
“Hyung, why are you going all the way to Sagsaksan Mountain?”
“That’s right. A hundred-day prayer is too much. The General only went out for a little while.”
“Are you going to sleep outside by yourself? Your mouth will be crooked in this weather!”
The children tried to stop him, but it was no use.
A guardian spirit who had run away and returned was said to have a lot of impure energy, so he stubbornly insisted that he had to offer a purification prayer as soon as possible. In the end, as soon as Kim Yeong, unable to overcome his stubbornness, gave his permission, Kim Ju-won left the main office.
[Gonna go n come back lol]
He plopped a message in the group chat.
Ah, well, one more thing.
“Hey.”
Ki Jae-eon, he left a direct message only to him.
“If anything happens, you protect the kids.”
It was a designation, but not quite.
It was a very confusing statement, whether it was a warning or a request.
However, if interpreted differently…… it also meant that he acknowledged Ki Jae-eon’s skills.
Because the main office was Kim Ju-won’s weakness. Humans want to hide their weaknesses. So, he entrusts it to the strongest person and leaves. It was a very instinctive choice.
“I’ll be back.”
Kim Ju-won took his steps without regret.
‘I’ll be back.’
Ki Jae-eon repeatedly mulled over those words.
I’ll be back.
……He’ll be back again.
That probably meant see you soon.
It felt like he had made a friend his age.
[“Dinner?”]
“Y, yea, I ate…… alread, already.”
[“What did you eat?”]
Ki Jae-eon held his phone tightly and explained every single dish that was on the dinner table today. Black beans and soft tofu stew…… seasoned bean sprouts.
It was a fairly meaningless phone call, just listing the dinner menu.
[“I wonder if there’s anything our son likes……?”]
However, the other person didn’t seem to think so. The voice sounded very focused. It was unexpected. He was someone who hated talking about useless things. Ki Jae-eon rolled his eyes and then answered, “So, soft tofu…… wa, was delici, delicious.” Then he heard a slight laugh. Surprisingly, he was happy with just that answer.
[“Soft tofu? Okay, Mom will make it for you when you come home.”]
……Home.
Ki Jae-eon thought, ‘Will I be able to go?’ and hurriedly answered, “Ye, yes……”
Recently, there had been many phone calls like this. Every day at nine in the evening, he would invariably receive a call. But it wasn’t like there was anything special about it. It was mostly a series of awkward questions about what he had done today, what he had eaten for three meals, whether his sleeping arrangements were comfortable, whether he needed anything, and how he was feeling.
To be honest, it was uncomfortable. Because it had never been like this before.
But he didn’t…… dislike it.
‘Is it a check-up call?’
Ki Jae-eon switched his grip on the phone and wiped his sweaty hands on his pants.
[“……”]
[“……Good night, our son.”]
There were many times when there was a long silence in the middle of the call because there was nothing to talk about, but still.
“……Ye, sleep we, well.”
Being able to say good night to his mother was quite a special feeling.
Ah, and one more special thing.
Beeeeep.
[Chicken + Cola 1.25L]
[Cheese Ball Plentiful Set]
His Hyung kept sending him gift certificates.
‘Today it’s chicken……’
Ki Jae-eon looked at the message window with a confused expression. There were already dozens of gift certificates piled up. The sender was all Ki Jae-ha, his Hyung. From food to clothing or gift certificates from every brand in Korea, there was nothing he didn’t have. At worst, there were even hotel vouchers.
‘……Why?’
It was even more difficult because there was no additional explanation.
Ki Jae-eon wrote a reply [Hyung, I think you sent it to the wrong person] and then deleted it. If he didn’t use it and left it alone, he would get a refund someday. Instead, he quietly got up and headed to the kitchen.
After finishing the call, he was always thirsty because he was nervous. Without even turning on the lights, he slightly opened the refrigerator door and took out a bottle of strongly brewed barley tea.
Glug- A clear sound of water.
That was when he had poured about half a glass.
“Hyung?”
Someone appeared in the darkness.
Hah- Ahem, the person who yawned turned on the indirect lighting in the kitchen. Click. Ahn Seo-myeong was visible under the light. He was rubbing his sleepy eyes as if he had just woken up, and he approached Ki Jae-eon. Hello, he was always polite with his greetings, as usual.
“Ah…… Ah, hello.”
“Hyung, after you drink, give me some too.”
Ahn Seo-myeong stuck close to Ki Jae-eon’s side. Both of them were wearing short-sleeved pajamas, so their bare skin touched. The skin that touched felt hotter than expected, and he flinched. Then Ahn Seo-myeong looked up at Ki Jae-eon. In his black eyes, filled with the question of why, Ki Jae-eon shrank back.
‘Does he…… have a fever.’
It was a temperature that he should ask about.
But he didn’t know if he could. The distance between them was ambiguous.
In the end, after a fierce debate, he cautiously asked, “A, a cold……?”
“Yes?”
Why would he ask about a cold when he was asking for water? Ahn Seo-myeong tilted his head with an expression that he didn’t understand the sudden word. Then he soon let out a short exclamation, “Ah.” Like someone who had perfectly adapted to Ki Jae-eon’s way of speaking, he easily found the answer. He shrugged his shoulders and replied.
“I’m a baby, you know.”
……?
Ki Jae-eon looked down at Ahn Seo-myeong with an expression that he had misheard.
But what came into his view was…… messy hair and chubby cheeks with heavy blanket marks.
“……”
“Hyung, why?”
He asked while looking up, and even the lips that were asking were small.
He even smelled of the unique warm, savory scent that only came from someone who had slept well.
He was reminded of a baby puppy he had seen by chance one day. It was a puppy that lived in a house in some distant rural village. Every time it ran after people, its ears, which looked like they had been cut out of sujebi dough, fluttered so much. Ah, he’s similar. Ki Jae-eon suddenly had a great realization.
Baby…… Yeah, that’s right. Ahn Seo-myeong was a baby.
At first, he was surprised by the absurd words, but no. He was just good at self-objectification.
‘His round face is the same too.’
He felt like he was going to laugh, so he quickly covered his mouth with barley tea.
“Hyung, I’m thirsty.”
“Ah, uh-huh. So, sorry.”
At Ahn Seo-myeong’s urging, Ki Jae-eon hurriedly emptied his glass. He had become so flustered by the ‘baby’s’ grumbling that he couldn’t even suggest a very simple solution, which was to just pour some into a spare cup and drink it himself.
“Gi, give you a lo, lot of water?”
Instead of answering, Ahn Seo-myeong nodded his head while looking up at Ki Jae-eon.
Because…… that would make him look cuter.
Those were actions prepared under thorough calculation.
If Kim Ju-won had seen it, he would have immediately cursed, ‘Are you fucking kidding me, do you not have hands or feet.’ but…… he didn’t care. He wouldn’t ask a gorilla for a favor in the first place.
“He, here.”
“Thank you.”
But in fact, Ahn Seo-myeong wasn’t very fond of being treated like a ‘baby’ to begin with. He knew it sounded like bullshit even as he said it himself, but it was true.
Having grown up with an elderly mother since he was young, Ahn Seo-myeong had become an early adult, and as a result, he regarded compliments such as ‘cute- looks young-’ as simply looking down on him. Or perhaps it was because he was born with a moderately dry personality.
Anyway, in a similar vein, he didn’t like it when someone took care of him either.
That was Ahn Seo-myeong’s life motto.
But dating, that was different.
Of course. Because dating is something you do together.
Fundamentally, dating is the ultimate self-promotion that begins with a desperate courtship.
And he thought that the most effective thing among them was ‘cuteness.’
For reference, it has been historically proven that ‘cute creatures’ are more likely to survive.
That’s not to say that other charms are meaningless. Of course, it’s good to look cool, sexy, and intelligent to someone. But those are additional factors.
Now, let’s think about it. A small, cute puppy that you just had to cherish suddenly saves you from a robber? Fights off a stray dog that’s attacking you? The unexpected reliability increases the charm by dozens of times.
It can be said to be a victory of reverse charm.
And although he hated to admit it, he was even born with a fairly cute appearance.
It’s only right to take advantage of your innate strengths.
*
“Can’t you sleep?”
“Ah, ah……”
Ahn Seo-myeong stayed in his spot even after emptying a glass of water.
Ki Jae-eon also missed the timing to return because of his small talk.
“Um-.”
“……”
“Is it because Kim Ju-won Hyung isn’t here?”
A sudden sound was heard.
What did not being able to sleep have to do with Kim Ju-won? Just as he was about to find a connection between the two, a warm body was suddenly hugged into his arms. The unexpectedly heavy weight made Ki Jae-eon’s body sway slightly from the weight, as he had been off guard.
“-Ah.”
When he blinked his surprised eyes, all he could see was Ahn Seo-myeong.
His small head rubbed against Ki Jae-eon’s collarbone as if he were being spoiled. His hair fluttered and gave off a cute scent.
“……?!”
The moment Ki Jae-eon shrugged his shoulders, a firm arm wrapped tightly around his waist. His thin waist, which was thin for his height, was held without any gaps. The hot temperature of his arm was transmitted through the thin cloth.
“I guess it’s true that you can tell when a spot is empty, even if you don’t know when it’s filled.”
Ahn Seo-myeong said while hugging Ki Jae-eon.
“Are you lonely by yourself?”
“……Lo, lonely, I…….”
“Because you kept sleeping with Kim Ju-won Hyung. Like this-.”
“Ah, ugh!”
The force tightening his waist increased in accordance with his nonchalant voice. He couldn’t help but groan at the pressure pressing on his bones. Then Ahn Seo-myeong gave a strange smile. It was a very mischievous expression, just like when he had sprayed him with fabric freshener, saying he smelled bad.
“I was wondering if your side was cold.”
In other words, should he interpret it as he couldn’t sleep because of Kim Ju-won’s absence?
……There’s no way.
Ki Jae-eon hurriedly shook his head. Just thinking about his thunderous snoring made him feel drained.
“Hyung.”
Ahn Seo-myeong called out to Ki Jae-eon.
His unusually black eyes stubbornly met his gloomy face.
No, it was too sticky and stubborn to be expressed as ‘met.’
“I’ll grow up soon.”
He thought he had an impression like soft tofu, but his curving eyes weren’t quite like that.
“It’s growth period.”