By Zephyria 
“You’re acting like a lover who’s expecting praise after building a newlyweds’ home,” Yeon-rok said with a look of disbelief, though he answered obediently.
“You built it well. The two of us could practically hole up here for months…”
“Right? I put quite a bit of effort into it.”
Yeon-rok had been so worried when he heard about the “ceiling of the sky,” but seeing how proud the man was after kidnapping him made him want to ruin his mood a little.
“But there’s something missing…”
At those words, the smile vanished from Moon Gyeon-woo’s face. His well-shaped eyebrows drooped with concern. He asked anxiously, “What’s missing?”
“I like fire gazing and looking at the stars from the rooftop, but I can’t do that here.”
Immediately, Moon Gyeon-woo led Yeon-rok to the rooftop. There, a brazier for fire gazing and the familiar telescope from the previous hot spring resort were waiting. He had even perfectly equipped the area with a wooden platform and a parasol. Seeing the proud look return to his face, Yeon-rok forced himself to squeeze out another flaw.
“Isn’t this place too isolated? What if we get trapped by a sudden heavy rain, snow, or a landslide?”
Then, Moon Gyeon-woo led Yeon-rok to the basement. There were several rice bins, perfectly sealed and kept refrigerated, along with multiple refrigerators dedicated to food storage. There was even a wine cellar.
“It’s a self-generating facility,” he said shyly.
In the end, Yeon-rok couldn’t help but be impressed.
He had overlooked Moon Gyeon-woo’s thorough nature. He could probably stay here for three months, not just one.
After the house tour, Yeon-rok stopped attempting to escape. He didn’t get angry and demand to be let go, nor did he go on a hunger strike.
‘Surely I won’t live here for eternity?’
He trusted Yeom Cheon-ho. Since he was a capable man in many ways, he felt that Yeom Cheon-ho could easily find Moon Gyeon-woo, who had disappeared with him. As for Choi Hwan… he didn’t particularly expect him to be active in that sort of way…
And above all, life here was too peaceful. When he woke up after a deep sleep, Moon Gyeon-woo would have a meal prepared. After that, they would peacefully read books together, engage in hobbies, look at the stars, or play games, then eat, wash, and sleep.
Beyond that, Moon Gyeon-woo remained consistently gentlemanly. This meant he never touched Yeon-rok’s body without permission. Since the other man was so devoted, Yeon-rok didn’t feel much resentment. Nevertheless, he acted out. It was generally like this:
“Hyung, don’t drink coffee starting today.”
Yeon-rok spoke firmly to Moon Gyeon-woo, who was trying to make coffee first thing in the morning. Moon Gyeon-woo’s hand trembled—he had been eating porridge made by Yeon-rok until the very day before, yet he was trying to drink coffee, and a strong Americano at that.
“I’ll mix it with milk.”
“No.”
“Then just half a cup.”
“Absolutely not. If you want to drink it, kick me out of here first.”
Moon Gyeon-woo closed his eyes tight and gave up on the coffee. It was a level of willpower that surprised even Yeon-rok. Then, the following day, Yeon-rok said:
“I want coffee with Yeondu and Yeoneo drawn on it.”
“Coffee with what drawn on it?”
“Yeondu and Yeoneo. As latte art. Otherwise, I’m leaving this place.”
Despite his wavering eyes, Moon Gyeon-woo began attempting latte art from the next day. He must have wanted coffee desperately since it had been so long, yet his will to follow Yeon-rok’s command to abstain was steadfast. No matter how one looked at them, they didn’t look like a puppy doll and a dinosaur doll, but Yeon-rok drank them appreciatively for the sake of the effort. He didn’t give a single sip to Moon Gyeon-woo, who was watching him with an anxious gaze. How dare a gastric ulcer patient.
And the day after that, he said:
“I want to eat bean rice.”
“…Huh?”
Moon Gyeon-woo, who had quit coffee and been eating three meals a day with Yeon-rok since they started their quasi-cohabitation, blinked.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Bean rice. I said I want bean rice.”
“Bean rice…?”
His voice sounded as if he couldn’t believe anyone would want to eat such a thing. It was a menu item that Moon Gyeon-woo, who had spent a long time in the US and had a picky palate, would never choose. However, at Yeon-rok’s request, he steadfastly ordered beans and cooked bean rice for them to eat together. Yeon-rok felt true love. The bean rice tasted truly awful even to him.
Other than that, he acted bothersome in various ways—asking for massages because his body felt stiff, asking him to read novels aloud, or asking him to find specific plastic models. Despite this, Moon Gyeon-woo complied silently without a hint of annoyance.
Actually, there was a reason for these childish tantrums. It wasn’t because he was resentful about being kidnapped.
Would his feelings for me remain the same even if the name disappeared? Whenever that question surfaced, he couldn’t help but act out. However, Moon Gyeon-woo’s heart did not change in the slightest. On the contrary, his cheeks often flushed noticeably. He was genuinely happy in every single moment he spent alone with Yeon-rok.
“Hyung, is the lab okay even if you take a break this long?”
Yeon-rok asked as he sat head-to-head with a Moon Gyeon-woo who had become even more docile than usual, working on a high-difficulty 1,000-piece puzzle with a space theme. It was the kind of puzzle where every star looked like every other star and every galaxy looked like the next.
“It’s fine. It’s like a sabbatical.”
“What’s a sabbatical?”
“A time when you can take about a year off.”
A sabbatical is not for idling but for researching, and Yeon-rok later found out that it wasn’t even a sabbatical, but that he had used up his annual leave in advance.
“I really love being alone with you like this. It should have happened sooner.”
Moon Gyeon-woo gave a soft smile that seemed to melt. Feeling suddenly shy, Yeon-rok avoided his gaze. As he focused on the puzzle, his hand suddenly brushed against Moon Gyeon-woo’s, and he was startled. He gripped the hand firmly without hesitation and frowned.
“Why are your hands so cold?”
In these times, where summers arrive early and last longer due to global warming, it was a season to be hot, not a season for cold extremities. Now that he looked, there was little vitality in Moon Gyeon-woo’s face. Though he wasn’t naturally an active person, it was a bit strange.
“I guess it’s because I just finished doing the dishes.”
Moon Gyeon-woo smiled brightly while letting his hand be held. His expression showed that he was simply happy to be holding hands with Yeon-rok. After holding them for a while, the temperature returned to normal.
However, after that, Moon Gyeon-woo’s condition didn’t seem very good. Yeon-rok watched him closely, wondering if it was because of the gastric ulcer, but Moon Gyeon-woo never placed his hand over his solar plexus. Sometimes he would sleep as if dead, appearing exhausted. On the other hand, Yeon-rok’s condition was good.
‘My condition is better than I expected.’
Since Moon Gyeon-woo’s name had disappeared and he couldn’t contact the other two, it made sense that Yeon-rok’s physical state should have dropped significantly. However, whenever they touched, that unique feeling remained. According to Moon Gyeon-woo, he was the only one who had been freed from the body that required contact. Whether that was true or not, it had been about a week since the kidnapping, and far from having nosebleeds, he hadn’t even felt dizzy.
That didn’t mean his condition was perfect. Perhaps it was just a feeling, but he seemed to be sleeping more. However, it was too ambiguous to call it a deterioration, so Yeon-rok brushed it off.
And after a few more days passed, Yeon-rok paused as he came out to the kitchen in the morning.
Breakfast was prepared. However, Moon Gyeon-woo, who had shared every meal with him, was not in his seat. Of course, there was a note left behind. It read:
I’m sleepy so I’m going to sleep more. Eat first.
Naturally, Yeon-rok didn’t even touch the food and went to find Moon Gyeon-woo. He knocked on the bedroom door.
“Gyeon-woo Hyung, Gyeon-woo Hyung. I’m coming in!”
He thought he heard a faint voice from inside telling him not to come in. Moreover, the door was locked. After knocking a few more times, Yeon-rok shouted:
“If you don’t open the door, I’m leaving this house!”
He was serious. Not because he was disappointed in Moon Gyeon-woo, but because his goal was to leave and somehow contact the hospital. Sensing that determination, the sound of rustling came from inside. A moment later, the door opened. Moon Gyeon-woo, looking as if he had tried his best to appear fine, gave a pretty smile.
“Why, what’s wrong…?”
“You’re not feeling well right now, are you?”
Yeon-rok pressed him. The voice that was not just hoarse but starting to crack, the unfocused eyes despite the effort to look clear, and the neck drenched in cold sweat all screamed that he was sick. Above all, wearing a mask inside the house was far too suspicious.