By Zephyria Following Yoon Joo-ho, who was carrying Monroe’s cage and the shopping bags, Song Hyun-soo asked, “Was there another empty room downstairs?”
“More like an alpha room.”
While eating the ‘kimchi pot rice’ Song Hyun-soo made, the two exchanged information about cats. Since it was a sudden adoption, studying was urgent.
After the meal, they decided to officially designate Monroe’s living space first. This was based on the advice that it’s best for a cat to find stability in a quiet space of its own until it adapts to a new environment.
“Wow… Every room in this house has a Han River view.”
As soon as they entered the long, rectangular room, Song Hyun-soo exclaimed. He didn’t know what an alpha room was, but it was only slightly smaller than the other rooms in the house. Despite being north-facing, the Han River view, combined with floor-to-ceiling windows and no obstructing buildings, allowed plenty of sunlight. It was perfect for a cat.
“It’s probably best to put it by the window, right?”
Holding the food and water bowls, Song Hyun-soo stood by the window and looked around for the best spot. Yoon Joo-ho carefully placed the cage on the edge by the window.
Although they had gotten through the night safely, Monroe was still scared and huddled in the innermost part of the cage.
“Here, Sunbae. Wouldn’t it be perfect to put a cat tower here? So it can see the outside world and bask in the sun.”
Song Hyun-soo pointed to the space right in front of the window and said excitedly.
Yoon Joo-ho, who had opened the cage cover and placed cushions and toys appropriately around it, snorted.
“Who said they’d bring a cat tower?”
“I saw you searching earlier.”
“I was just searching.”
“Ah, I see.”
The person who spent a million won at the animal hospital’s pet supplies corner this morning is talking big. He could clearly see a future where he’d set up a top-of-the-line cat tower with a spiral staircase and slide, and even a silent cat wheel.
“Where are you going?”
Song Hyun-soo, who was looking into Monroe’s condition after bending down, called out to Yoon Joo-ho, who was about to leave the room.
“You said we’d leave it here.”
“Still, it feels a bit much to leave it completely alone. It’s still a baby.”
“Then what’s the point of having this room?”
“We can be a little distance away. It needs to get used to us being together too. Stay here for a bit.”
Song Hyun-soo sat on the floor diagonally across from the cage and patted the spot next to him.
Nyah, nyang.
“See? Monroe doesn’t want you to go either.”
Yoon Joo-ho sighed as if reluctant, but approached Song Hyun-soo.
Leaning against the wall, the two sat side-by-side on the floor. The room contained only two or three unidentified boxes and no furniture at all.
“Ah… I must have been really tired yesterday. I slept like a log.”
“You slept well?”
“…Yes.”
Yoon Joo-ho turned to look at him and suddenly pushed his face closer. Song Hyun-soo was too surprised by the sudden facial proximity to even think about pulling back.
Yoon Joo-ho’s hand, which had a lower body temperature, reached out and gently swept Song Hyun-soo’s hair back from his forehead. Then, he meticulously examined his left and right eyes alternately.
“Your eyes are completely bloodshot.”
“…”
Still unnecessarily meticulous.
In reality, he had barely slept, busy planning his confession strategy. His body was dead tired, but his brain was tense, preventing him from sleeping soundly. He kept waking up every 30 minutes, and in the end, he woke up before Yoon Joo-ho, who had fallen asleep first.
In contrast, Yoon Joo-ho looked refreshed, as if he had slept for over 10 hours.
“I slept well, but I had a strange dream,” Song Hyun-soo replied sulkily, pushing his bangs back.
“What kind of dream did you have?”
“Senior… a dream where you’re wearing a wedding dress and marrying me.”
I’ve never had a dream like that.
But it was Song Hyun-soo’s way of laying the groundwork before his confession.
Yoon Joo-ho let out a wry laugh, not even looking up from his phone screen. It was as if he found the idea something that could only happen in a dream. He clearly hadn’t caught onto the foreshadowing.
“And it seems like you slept like a log, Senior.”
“Slept like a log, my foot. I can never sleep well when someone’s next to me.”
Wow, I almost let out a snort.
I watched him all night, and Senior slept just fine, you know? He held me from behind, wrapped his thigh around my leg, breathed on the back of my neck, and endured that position for an hour, torturing me… And you’re saying you can’t sleep well with someone next to you?
I have so much I want to say. But I’m holding back today because I need to match your mood for my confession.
“Senior… did you have any dreams?”
“…”
Song Hyun-soo definitely saw it.
He saw Yoon Joo-ho’s fingers, busy scrolling up and down the screen and typing search queries, suddenly freeze for a moment.
“I don’t remember.”
Yoon Joo-ho is a liar today.
But Song Hyun-soo had no intention of digging into his lies today.
He was so nervous that sweat kept seeping into his palms, forcing him to discreetly wipe them on his pants.
Meanwhile, Monroe cautiously walked out of his cage. To avoid disturbing him, the two tried their best to act nonchalant, as if they weren’t particularly proud or happy, watching him with a calm demeanor.
After looking at the two sitting far away for a moment, he ate the slightly dampened food, drank some water, and began to explore the area near the cage.
The two felt relieved and continued their search. Although their fingers kept moving on the screen, Song Hyun-soo couldn’t concentrate. He was too busy reciting the confession lines he had prepared in his head, making the information on the screen hard to process.
Then, as he scrolled through one page, Song Hyun-soo’s eyes widened.
“S-Senior… Senior, what do we do?”
“What is it?”
He couldn’t bring himself to speak. With the face of a guilty person full of despair, Song Hyun-soo swallowed dryly, looking at Yoon Joo-ho.
Yoon Joo-ho, unable to wait any longer, snatched Song Hyun-soo’s phone away.
“Perfume, scented candles… they’re all bad for cats.”
“…”
Yoon Joo-ho’s expression stiffened for a moment as he read the information on the screen. But with a tut, he clicked his tongue, then returned the phone to Song Hyun-soo as if it were nothing.
“What’s the big deal? Don’t overreact.”
“It’s something Senior likes.”
“Forget it. I’m tired of using strong scents anyway.”
“But that’s your trademark.”
“My charm isn’t so meager that something like that is my trademark.”
“That’s true. It is, but…”
Knowing that lighting scented candles and watching their flicker was one of Yoon Joo-ho’s few pleasures, Song Hyun-soo felt as if he had taken something too valuable away from him.
Even if he had known beforehand, Yoon Joo-ho might still have brought the cat home. He probably would have. But there was a difference between deciding with prior knowledge and preparation versus deciding without it.
“I didn’t research properly and pushed you…”
“Do you think I’d be swayed just because someone pushed me? Don’t think strange things. I brought him here because I wanted to.”
Yoon Joo-ho placed his hand on the back of Song Hyun-soo’s neck as he bowed his head. Then, he gently massaged it as if giving a massage. Resting his chin on Song Hyun-soo’s shoulder, he gestured with his chin towards Monroe.
“I haven’t lit scented candles since I brought that guy home. That’s a relief, at least.”
A soft smile suddenly spread across Yoon Joo-ho’s face as he finished speaking. As if mesmerized by the smile, Song Hyun-soo also turned to look towards the window.
Monroe, who had been circling the cage, was now curled up on his cushion, fast asleep. He was basking in the warm sunlight pouring through the large window.
Yoon Joo-ho was always like this.
He might growl and snap verbally, but he was generous at crucial moments.
Could this mean there was hope for my confession?
“Shall we go?”
Yoon Joo-ho whispered, getting up first and extending his hand. Song Hyun-soo, who was about to get up, paused for a moment and took his hand. The pulling force was stronger than expected. “Whoa?” he exclaimed as his body, leaning forward, fell into his embrace.
Yoon Joo-ho wrapped his arms around Song Hyun-soo’s waist and gazed down at him from beneath the dark shadows of his lashes.
“Tired?”
“…Not really.”
“If you’re not tired, let’s go to the bedroom.”
Only then did Song Hyun-soo let out a chuckle.
He realized Yoon Joo-ho was recalling their conversation from the previous dawn inside the Escalade parked in the Myung Hae-ri lot. Yoon Joo-ho also chuckled shyly at Song Hyun-soo’s laugh.
“But Senior.”
Song Hyun-soo called out to Yoon Joo-ho, who was about to leave the room and head towards the living room.
“Won’t you have a cocktail?”
“Now?”
“I won’t go anywhere if we have a cocktail first.”
Yoon Joo-ho chuckled at Song Hyun-soo’s playful, deliberately arrogant attitude.
“You want to have a drink in the middle of the day?”
“Is going to the bedroom in the middle of the day okay, then?”
As if acknowledging that, Yoon Joo-ho let out an awkward snort.
He wasn’t against day drinking anyway.
“I promised to make you a cocktail for your birthday, but I never got around to it.”
Yoon Joo-ho turned back and headed towards the room with the bar.
“Did you think of something stronger than Kiss of Fire?”
“I’ll make whichever one you want out of the two.”
“What are they?”
“Sex on the Beach. Or, Orgasm.”
Instead of typing the password, Yoon Joo-ho unlocked it with his fingerprint. Then, he opened the door wide and looked back at Song Hyun-soo.
“I guess we’ll have two drinks, then.”