By Zephyria 
After putting down his phone, Haon fidgeted with his hands and feet. As soon as he finished the call with the man, the trembling in his body stopped as if by magic.
The man probably hadn’t even left yet, but Haon already felt as if he were nearby. An indescribable sense of relief gradually chased away the chill in his body.
“I’m really grateful…”
He murmured, massaging his legs, which had cramped up from kneeling. He was grateful enough that the man had answered the phone at such a late hour, let alone agreeing to come personally right away.
Haon wanted to repay him somehow. He looked around the house, wanting to give him something, but naturally, nothing caught his eye. He felt that even if he gave the best thing he owned, it would only be a burdensome item to the man.
Still, maybe something to eat would be okay.
A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he opened the drawer under the sink. Inside were a few energy bars Haon ate instead of meals and a large box of soy milk. Fortunately, it was a new, unopened box.
After checking that the expiration date was far off, he meticulously wiped the dust off the box. He checked for any scratches before placing it inside a large backpack. It was the bag he had carried when he first moved to the city.
Along with the soy milk, he packed a set of clothes to wear before work tomorrow. After debating what to do about his underwear, he decided to just change into fresh ones now.
Since he tended to move slowly, quite a bit of time had passed by the time he finished packing and changing. Just as he was turning off the electric blanket and unplugging it, the man called again.
“Yes, hello.”
I’m here.
Haon thought he would say he was nearby, but he had already arrived. Haon hurriedly slung his bag over his shoulder, telling him he was coming out now. As he stood before the entrance, his feet felt heavy again, but he summoned the courage to grab the doorknob. The fear diminished when he thought about the man being right in front of him.
Ah, shoes.
He almost walked out without putting on shoes. Just as he was about to open the door and scramble into his shoes, a sudden knock echoed.
At that, Haon froze like a stone and slumped down onto the floor.
“Haon, it’s me.”
The suffocating tightness in his chest cleared at the sound of the man’s voice. He felt as if he might have fainted from the sudden release of breath.
“Are you okay? Are you at the door?”
The man, who seemed to be standing right against the front door, turned the knob. Just like that day, it made a loud clatter! and this time he shook the knob as if he intended to rip it right out. He must have used less strength back then.
“I-I’ll open it!”
Haon hurriedly opened the door and stepped out before the knob was torn off. Supporting the stumbling Haon, the man peered into the house with a fierce gaze. With his brow furrowed, he looked like a completely different person.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere?”
He shifted his gaze away from the empty house and checked Haon’s condition. Only after determining there were no obvious problems did his expression soften.
“You’re not injured, right?”
“Yes, yes… I’m not hurt.”
Haon let out a long breath. The man suggested they go to the car first and tried to support Haon by grabbing his shoulder.
“Um…”
However, Haon stopped in his tracks and looked up at the man with a worried expression.
“By any chance… have you been drinking?”
A strong smell of alcohol wafted from the man. The scent of alcohol was so pungent it stung his nose, as if the man had been drenched in it. It was almost impressive that the man could speak so coherently while smelling like that.
“Does it smell that much?”
The man stepped back a pace and covered his mouth with his large hand. However, a thick scent of alcohol still leaked through his breath. Haon lied, saying it only smelled a little.
“Then the driving…?”
“I called a designated driver. Don’t worry.”
The man smiled softly and increased the distance by another step.
“Shall I carry your bag?”
Seeing Haon’s heavy-looking bag, he asked while still covering his mouth. Haon shook his head, saying he was fine, and slowly followed the man out of the house.
Contrary to his worries, the man descended the stairs briskly. Still, fearing he might trip, Haon awkwardly reached out toward the man’s broad back.
“Um, thank you…”
He offered his thanks while preparing himself to catch the man if he fell. In response, the man shook his head and waved his pale hand. It seemed to mean not to worry about it.
“I was on my way home anyway.”
Even though Haon was behind him, the man continued to speak while keeping his mouth covered. You could just speak comfortably… Haon started to say something, but he missed the timing because the man’s fast pace widened the gap between them.
* * *
“Are you cold by any chance?”
The man, sitting in the back seat with Haon, asked while slightly lowering the window.
“No, I’m okay.”
“Tell me if you get cold.”
Answering with a “yes,” Haon placed his heavy bag on his lap. He didn’t think he would be cold even if the window were fully open. The air in the car was moderately warm, and the seat was toasty, just as it had been when he first got in. His stiff body soon relaxed against the warm seat.
“I was very worried.”
The man, leaning his head against the window, looked at Haon while resting his chin on his hand. His gaze seemed to ask what had happened.
“Ah… well…”
Fiddling with the strap of his bag, Haon cleared his throat and explained what had happened a few hours prior. The man, whose lips were half-covered, listened attentively to Haon’s slow explanation.
After conveying the situation, which wasn’t very long, Haon scratched the back of his hand. Now that he had said it all, it didn’t seem like such a big deal. He felt a slight pang of regret for calling the man over for something like this. Or rather, he was worried that the man might regret coming.
“You must have been very surprised.”
The man, who had been listening calmly, spoke. He let out a small sigh toward the window and looked back at Haon.
“Still, I’m glad nothing happened.”
Because his mouth was partially covered by his fingertips, the man’s slow pronunciation was slightly slurred. His eyelids were gradually becoming heavy as he looked at Haon.
“There are so many strange people in the world…”
The man, slowly closing his eyes, paused for a moment. His lips, which murmured “there are,” soon closed along with his eyes.
He was sleepy.
Haon checked his phone while looking at the man, who had fallen asleep in an upright position. It was five in the morning. Since he had been drinking until this hour, he must have been even sleepier.
On the other hand, Haon was wide awake. From the moment he faced the man, both his fear and his sleepiness had vanished. When he heard the man say he had been worried about him, a subtle strength returned to his relaxed body.
Hugging the box of soy milk that sloshed inside his bag, he looked out at the fast-moving scenery and then slowly turned his head toward the man. This time, he looked at the real man, not the reflection in the window.
“…….”
The man slept soundly without even making a sound. He didn’t wake up once until they arrived at his house.
Haon stared at the sleeping man for a long time, as if observing a mysterious creature. Then, he looked down at his own hand and spread four fingers. He hadn’t forgotten to remember the things he had noted down.
Thank him, ask about clothes, refuse help, and find out about the house.
Staring intently at his four fingers, Haon glanced at the man and folded all of them except for one.
* * *
The moment the car engine stopped, the man opened his eyes and walked as if he had never fallen asleep. Haon, who had no memory of entering the house on his own feet, shifted his awkward gaze and glanced at the unfamiliar hallway of the entrance.
“Haon.”
The man, placing his hand on the door lock, gestured for Haon to memorize it. He pressed the number buttons slowly so that Haon could clearly see the eight-digit password for the entrance.
“Did you memorize it?”
“Yes…”
He wondered if he was allowed to know it, but he nodded for now. The man, with a smile in his eyes, opened the front door wide to let Haon enter first.
Haon stepped hesitantly into the house. For some reason, the house felt even wider than the first time he had visited.
“Do you want something to eat? Aren’t you hungry?”
The man, who had gone to the kitchen, asked while taking a blue bottle out of the refrigerator. Tsh— as he opened the cap, it made a sound like opening a beer can. Is he really drinking again?
“Hmm, I have some fruit… if there’s something you want to eat, I’ll order it for you.”
Placing the mouth of the blue bottle to his lips, he lightly scanned the refrigerator and closed it again.
“There isn’t much to eat at home right now.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m not hungry.”
“If you get hungry later, call this number.”
The man took out his phone and sent a number to Haon.
“You should be able to order most Korean food. Or you can just tell me.”
After finishing his sentence, the man emptied half of the liquid in the blue bottle in one go. He must have been thirsty.
“Want some?”
Since his eyes had been drawn to the pretty blue bottle, Haon didn’t refuse. He was a bit worried it might be alcohol, but he was curious about the taste. The man immediately took another identical bottle from the fridge, opened the cap, and handed it over.
Uh… this tastes bad.
Haon, who drank from the bottle following the man’s lead, frowned. It tasted like cider without the sweetness.
“You can stay in the room you slept in last time. If you want to look around other rooms, feel free.”
The man, who didn’t see Haon’s expression because he was pointing toward the house, finished his bottle. Haon thought it was impressive that he could gulp down something that tasted so bad.
“Use the toiletries inside. They’re all new. And…”
The man seemed to be thinking about what else Haon might need. Having already received excessive kindness and consideration from the man, Haon couldn’t possibly impose any further. Haon quickly swallowed to wash away the taste of the sparkling water and spoke up.
“I can just sleep on the sofa.”
He had just fallen asleep there last time, but he didn’t want to take over the man’s bedroom again.
“Please sleep inside. I’m fine sleeping anywhere. Even the veranda is okay.”
He wasn’t just saying it. As long as he was given a thin blanket, even the entrance would be fine.
The man, who placed the empty bottle on the kitchen table, tilted his head slightly. He gazed steadily at Haon and then walked ahead toward the room.
“I have a separate bedroom. This is a guest room, so don’t feel uncomfortable.”
Turning his head toward Haon, he added the explanation. Instead of going inside, he simply opened the door and waited for Haon to enter on his own.
“Then… could I possibly stay just until this week? I’m going to find a place to move into over the weekend.”
If there were no spots in the Omega-only goshiwon, he intended to push himself to move into a studio apartment. He felt he could no longer fall asleep alone in that house.
“You can stay longer.”
The man, who had turned on the light in the room Haon would stay in, continued slowly.
“I have plenty of spare rooms, and I’m a pretty safe person.”
The man, placing a hand on his chest, felt his eyelids becoming heavy again.
“If you say you don’t like it, I’ll never touch you.”
“No, it’s not that… I just feel bad.”
Haon first entered the room the man pointed to. At this, the man’s languid smile deepened.
“I like helping people.”
He continued the conversation with his hand still on his chest. A strong scent of alcohol still emanated from the man, but it no longer stung his nose. Perhaps because it was mixed with his perfume, it felt strangely fragrant. Is my nose numb?
“I was happy that you called me, Haon. I’d be even happier if you stayed comfortably in this house.”
However, unaware of Haon’s thoughts, the man covered his mouth with his fist and stepped back one by one. It was amazing how he could walk straight without stumbling, despite looking as if he were about to fall asleep at any moment.
“And right now… I’m so sleepy.”
The man murmured softly and finally turned around. Even though the man wasn’t looking, Haon bowed his head and thought to himself.
He’s quite a bit more drunk than he looks.