By Zephyria 
✽ ✽ ✽
Kim Si-baek’s sense of fashion was closer to wearing whatever others gave him. Since he generally accepted things without much thought, he simply shrugged it off when he saw the clothes Tae-un had bought for him.
[Death and Beauty remarks that the author knows nothing but black and white.]
Had Biyendwe not pointed it out, he likely wouldn’t have paid any mind. Upon hearing this, he took a fresh look at the wardrobe and found it entirely pitch-black. Regardless of the type, the pants were all black, and the tops were a mix of white and black. The only colored items were a few sets of loungewear for wearing at home.
‘Come to think of it, Un-i’s clothes were only black, too.’
Not only the coats and suits, but even the ties and dress shirts were dark colors. He didn’t seem to find it uncomfortable, as he wore suit pants and dress shirts even at home. On top of that, he always wore black gloves whether he was inside or out, so the only white thing about him was his face. Though his face was exceptionally fair and milky-white.
[Death and Beauty shudders and tells you to stop adding useless descriptions. He adds that he would understand if it were due to mysophobia.]
“He didn’t have mysophobia. I don’t think he has it now, either…”
Kim Si-baek, who had never seen him in anything other than a suit, tilted his head. Surely not all of his clothes are black?
[Death and Beauty asks if the interior of the room where my apostle stays isn’t also composed only of black and white.]
“That is true.”
Unlike the rest of the house, which was decorated like something out of an interior design magazine, the guest room where Kim Si-baek stayed was in monochrome black and white. It wasn’t that it was off-putting, but it was curious that only one room’s interior stood out so much.
Holding onto this curiosity, he waited until lunchtime. As soon as Tae-un came up with lunch packed, he asked.
“Since when did you like black clothes so much?”
“All of a sudden?”
“I just suddenly became curious.”
“Hmm… rather than liking them, it became a habit. You see, back when I was trapped in old Seoul, it wasn’t easy to find clothes to change into. I got used to wearing black because it doesn’t show dirt as much and bloodstains aren’t as noticeable. Oh, of course, not human blood or magical beast fluids, but blood from nursing injured people.”
It meant the cause was the hardships he faced as a child. Feeling a pang of sympathy, Kim Si-baek patted his backside comfortingly.
“Can I take a look at your wardrobe?”
Tae-un fiddled with his reddened earlobe.
“It’s fine if you just go into the room. It’s not like there’s anything I can’t show you, Hyung.”
“It feels a bit wrong to just barge into a grown man’s room.”
“I’d welcome it even more if you came in at night. I’d love it if Hyung warmed up the bed for me.”
“Huh?”
Before Kim Si-baek could fully grasp the intent, Tae-un subtly linked arms with him and guided him to the room. When he finally opened the wardrobe, it was even more monochromatic than expected. He had thought the casual clothes might be different, but that was a mistake. Even the casual wear was entirely black.
“Un-ah, by any chance, did you do the interior of my room yourself too?”
“Yes. Whenever I missed you, I imagined you living here and bought furniture and props one by one.”
“Aha…”
At this point, hadn’t black become a firm preference without him even realizing it? Kim Si-baek reached out and gently stroked Tae-un’s deep black hair.
While black suited him well, he also wanted to see him wearing bright, cheerful clothes befitting his age. In the past, when he wore loose, light-toned, pretty clothes and trotted along, he was as cute as a chick.
He felt a heavy pressure on the back of the hand that was grooming the hair. Kim Si-baek, who had been reminiscing about Tae-un’s childhood, snapped back to reality, feeling awkward as a hand larger than his own covered his. What ‘child’? This guy had grown up to be so dependable.
Tae-un slowly pulled the overlapping hands downward. The sensation of moving as if caressing smooth skin, regardless of his own will, felt unfamiliar. He reflexively curled his fingertips and tried to pull away, but Tae-un instead interlaced their fingers and pressed his lips against the palm.
The breath touching his skin was ticklish. The faint stimulation that gnawed at his nerves and flowed down his wrist was a strange feeling—both familiar and foreign. As soon as strength entered the captured hand, Tae-un beamed, his eyes crinkling.
“Since we’re on the subject, let’s go buy Hyung some clothes.”
“…Uh. O-okay.”
Unlike the low press of his lips, his voice was refreshing, and Kim Si-baek answered instinctively.
The hand that had been held was released very easily. Even after returning to his room to change, the strange tingling sensation wouldn’t go away, and Kim Si-baek rubbed his palm for a long time.
When he asked what about the company during lunch, he received a confident answer that he had taken a half-day off. There was nothing to complain about when the CEO took a half-day off from his own company. No, wait, do CEOs even have annual leave?
Kim Si-baek, who had never worked at a regular company even on Earth, tilted his head in confusion, and by the time he snapped out of it, he was already in the car. He thought they would just go to a nearby store, but Tae-un took him to a department store.
Tae-un first bought a cap and placed it on his head. He was wearing black and white from top to bottom, but the hat he bought was a vivid red. Biyendwe, who ended up sitting on the hat instead of the crown of the head, became a bit irritable.
[Death and Beauty complains that sitting on a hat is uncomfortable.]
The store manager, who had thought it was just a strange doll, flinched upon realizing it was a real bird.
“I don’t really need a hat, though.”
“I think it’s better to cover your face.”
“…?”
He didn’t understand why, but since it was given to him, he wore it for now. Before they could look around a few more stores, the staff of MA Department Store rushed over to greet them.
“We didn’t know you had arrived, so we are late. We are truly sorry. We will escort you to the private room immediately.”
Glancing at the name tag, he saw the title of General Manager of the VIP Lounge. Tae-un frowned and declined.
“We’ll look around on our own, so that’s fine.”
“Then the Guild Master’s dedicated personal shopper and a staff member to carry your bags will accompany…”
“Don’t be a nuisance and get l—”
“Un-ah.”
Tae-un, who was about to finish with “get lost,” changed his words to something milder when Kim Si-baek looked at him with a face that said, ‘You shouldn’t be rude to someone who is just doing their job.’
“We’re on a date, so please don’t disturb us.”
Then, with a smile, he linked arms with Kim Si-baek.
“Let’s go, Hyung.”
Leaving behind the employees, who for some reason looked more shocked than when they had heard Tae-un’s harsh words, Kim Si-baek sank into deep thought as they walked.
Tae-un, blinking and gauging his mood, slowly lowered his head and pressed his lips. Right against the nape of Kim Si-baek’s neck.
“Gah!”
At the sensation of his neck being lightly bitten, Kim Si-baek jumped in shock. Biyendwe, startled as well, fluttered upward.
Tae-un smiled brightly and innocently.
“Why are you thinking so deeply? About me?”
“What did you just do!”
“I felt upset because Hyung was thinking about other things while walking with me. I wanted to get your attention.”
“No, what kind of attention do you…”
Kim Si-baek sighed and pressed his forehead.
“Fine, I was thinking about you. I just wasn’t sure if it’s okay for me to nag you since you’re all grown up.”
“Hmm, I think I know what kind of nagging it is, so I’ll just pretend I heard it. I just need to show half as much ‘attitude’ to other people as I do to Hyung, right? So relax your expression. You’re going to get a wrinkle between your brows.”
He was appalled that Tae-un would bite his neck like a puppy just to get attention, but Tae-un chirped and this time massaged the nape of his neck. With a playful gesture of pressing the furrowed brow with his thumb, the soft-hearted Kim Si-baek let it slide.
‘This kid is a total flirt in front of me…’
He remembered how many times he had been called to school as Tae-un’s guardian instead of the priests or nuns at the orphanage. A child who wasn’t even that large for his age was such a tenacious fighter that whenever a fight broke out, he would cling and bite, and the medical bills paid to the other children’s parents were considerable.
“Do you want to look at comfortable clothes first?”
The gentle voice scattered the shadows of the past. Kim Si-baek decided to just enjoy shopping with him for now.
“It’s okay to buy a lot of clothes, right?”
[Death and Beauty says that clothes are not bought, but offered as tributes.]
“Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I spent my own money on clothes.”
“Why? Did you only wear those… flowy clothes you wore at first? Is that the priest’s uniform?”
“I wore casual clothes other than the priestly robes, but they were all offerings.”
He explained the offerings that came into the religious sect. In short, corporations and others offered handmade pieces specially commissioned from famous designers. It served as both a proof of faith and a form of promotion.
Tae-un clenched his teeth slightly.
“…Wow, it’s been a long time since I felt this kind of defeat.”
“Why you?”
“I was going to buy you suits too, but I guess that won’t work. Let’s do custom-tailored suits for the formal wear later.”
“Huh?”
Tae-un’s gaze was determined as he led the puzzled Kim Si-baek toward a nearby store.