By Zephyria 
172
Ho-eun was sitting in front of a brazier where charcoal was burning red. He wiggled his toes, curling and uncurling them, and asked in a small, hushed voice.
“Do you usually sing often? Everyone seemed so used to singing…”
His cheeks were flushed. It wasn’t just from washing with hot water a little while ago. It was because he had drunk the alcohol Man-soo had given him. Tae-muk had told him not to drink it, but Ho-eun, caught up in the excitement, had insisted on having just one cup.
“Well, sometimes.”
Tae-muk replied nonchalantly. He was sitting behind Ho-eun, drying his wet hair. Sometime ago, Tae-muk personally drying Ho-eun’s hair had become one of his daily routines. Ho-eun, who had been awkward at first, now accepted his touch naturally.
“Will there be something like this again?”
“Why?”
“I hope there will be. It was really fun. It was the first time I sang with so many people.”
“……”
“I didn’t know the songs well today, so I couldn’t sing, but I’ve memorized them this time, so I’ll be able to sing more enthusiastically next time.”
“……”
“Ah, but how can Man-soo hyung sing so well? I was so surprised because his voice was so good when he sang.”
Ho-eun chattered on about things he hadn’t even been asked. Then, he tapped his toes and hummed, “The joy is coming.”” Tae-muk didn’t give any particular answer. But Ho-eun knew he was listening.
“Today feels like a dream. No, it’s been like that since yesterday.”
Yesterday, he had received an apology from Tae-muk and had been told that he was precious. Today, Byeonguk, who had gone on a long journey, had returned safely, he had received a letter from his father, and everyone had eaten delicious food and sang songs together.
It was the first time he had experienced such noisy joy. Ho-eun’s life until now had been just quiet and monotonously sinking. So the joy he felt now was truly new and precious.
Ho-eun, reminiscing about the past, hugged his knees and laughed like a child, “Hehe.”
“I couldn’t ask for anything more if every day was like this.”
No Devouring Ghouls, no one in pain, no one suffering, no worries. Just peace and happiness. It was truly a dreamlike day. Someone might say it was ordinary, but in the battlefield, there was nothing more precious than that ordinary day.
“……”
Tae-muk still didn’t answer. It wasn’t that he was ignoring Ho-eun; he was just completely focused on drying his hair.
Ho-eun’s hair was long. It took a long time to dry. It was quite a troublesome task, but the glossy black hair was worth the trouble.
But Ho-eun, who had been chattering away, suddenly turned around to look at Tae-muk.
“What about you, General?”
“What about me?”
“How was today for you, General?”
Tae-muk stopped his hands for a moment and looked at Ho-eun. Ho-eun’s eyelids, blinking slowly, were languid and hazy, unlike usual. It was only natural, since he had cried his eyes out and drunk alcohol.
Tae-muk stared at Ho-eun and thought. How was today? He didn’t know. It was a day filled with things he didn’t quite welcome, like Ho-eun’s canker sore and tears. But, despite that.
“…I enjoyed it too.”
It was quite enjoyable. Because Ho-eun smiled by his side. He smiled at him, and he laughed with him. Also, he didn’t encounter a single disgusting Devouring Ghoul, his subordinates had a feast for the first time in a while, and thanks to that, they would fall asleep happily tonight, patting their full bellies.
So it was definitely a good day.
“Really?”
Ho-eun smiled brightly, as if he liked Tae-muk’s answer, and turned his body completely to sit facing Tae-muk. Tae-muk thought that it would be difficult to dry his hair like this, but he didn’t bother to turn him back. Because he liked facing him.
Tae-muk pulled Ho-eun’s hair forward, gently combed it with his fingers, and murmured.
“Yeah. I was thinking, should we just… live like this, forgetting about Devouring Ghouls and everything else.”
“Like this?”
“Yeah. You and me, and those guys outside, eating delicious food like today, singing, drinking alcohol. Just wasting time, whether the days go by or not, just living like that.”
“……”
Ho-eun took a shallow breath. It sounded good just hearing it. How wonderful would it be if he could live like this every day with Tae-muk, Dong-ja, Man-soo, Byeonguk, Gil-sang, Seong-im, Chilbok, and many other soldiers.
But it was impossible. No, in fact, it was possible to do it right away. The Crimson Rain Brigade was strong, and if they just dealt with the Devouring Ghouls that came and took root here, they could create their own town.
But Ho-eun knew that Tae-muk wasn’t the kind of person who would do that. Even if he did live like that, he knew that he would immediately rush to help if someone asked for it. That’s why he could think like that. Because he could only ‘think’ about it.
Still… someday… in the distant future… could it be possible? Could a day when ordinary days become truly ordinary come?
“Will that day come? A day when all the Devouring Ghouls disappear and people can sing every day… will it come?”
“We have to make it come.”
Tae-muk replied with his characteristic expressionless face. At first glance, he seemed indifferent, but Ho-eun saw a lot in his face. Responsibility, burden, and fatigue. Also, longing and hope.
It was the face of an adult.
It was also the face of a general.
Ho-eun stared at Tae-muk quietly. He moved his head to the left and then to the right, persistently observing Tae-muk, then pulled his hips closer and sat closer to him. Then, he called Tae-muk in a whisper.
“General.”
“What.”
“General.”
“What.”
“Genera-a-al……”
“……”
Tae-muk, who had been focusing his gaze on Ho-eun’s hair, raised his head at the continuous calls. Why was the young master, who was always neat, tidy, and never said unnecessary things, acting like this? Was it because he was drunk? He didn’t seem to have drunk that much, he thought, but then.
Ho-eun put his hands on the floor, stood up on his knees, and stretched his face out towards Tae-muk. It was like a cat stretching. Tae-muk unconsciously pulled his chin in at the sudden close approach of the beautiful face.
Ho-eun, slightly lowering his abundant eyelashes, whispered again.
“I want to kiss you.”
“……What?”
“Let’s kiss, us.”
“……”
Tae-muk’s steady breath was cut off for a moment. His slowly moving eyelids also stopped. His black eyes scrutinized Ho-eun closely.
“…Are you drunk?”
“Um……. I don’t know.”
Ho-eun said in a nasal voice. But Ho-eun looked different from usual at first glance. His loosened eyelids, his strange words and actions, and his sluggish movements were all like that.
“Can’t I if I want to? You do it often, General.”
“That’s……”
Because I like you, Tae-muk couldn’t bring himself to say those words and trailed off. Then, having nothing else to say, he simply shut his mouth. He felt awkward and strange about the aggressive Ho-eun and wanted to run away somewhere. But Ho-eun called him with an expression as if asking how long he was going to make him wait.
“General?”
Tae-muk snapped back to his senses at the sweet and ticklish voice. He hesitated for a moment, then realized that hesitation was meaningless and useless. If he wanted to kiss, he could just kiss. He had nothing to lose. What was he hesitating about?
“Yeah, well. It’s not difficult.”
He roughly threw away the cloth he had been using to dry Ho-eun’s hair. Then, he grabbed Ho-eun’s small chin and slowly lowered his head. He was just about to touch his lips.
“Hup!”
Suddenly, Ho-eun covered his mouth with a look like a squirrel with its tail on fire. Tae-muk’s lips collided with the back of Ho-eun’s hand.
“What is it?”
Tae-muk frowned. Ho-eun mumbled, covering his mouth with both hands.
“I hope the canker sore isn’t contagious?”
“……Is that a contagious disease?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never kissed anyone with a canker sore before……”
At those words, Tae-muk’s eyes narrowed. It was a strange thing to say. Something felt uncomfortable and dirty.
“You’ve kissed when you didn’t have a canker sore?”
“Of course not. You’re my first for everything, General.”
Ho-eun said clearly, still covering his mouth. The answer, without a moment’s hesitation, was just pure and truthful.
“……”
Tae-muk’s lips twitched. He almost laughed out loud without dignity. Of course, he didn’t have any dignity, had never had it, and didn’t plan to have it in the future, but he still wanted to save face in front of Ho-eun. He didn’t mind being seen as a beast or a lowly person, but he didn’t want to be seen as a fool.
Tae-muk cleared his throat unnecessarily and hugged Ho-eun, placing him on his lap.
“I don’t care if it’s contagious.”
“But……”
“What does it matter? If I kiss you, it’ll all be cured. It’ll be cured before the disease even spreads.”
“……”
At those words, Ho-eun’s large eyes blinked. Then, he slowly lowered the hand that had been covering his mouth, with an expression that said, ‘Is that so?’
Tae-muk chuckled at the clear face that showed his thoughts. How cute……. He was pretty, cute, and precious, and he seemed to be monopolizing all the good things, as expected of a nobleman.