By Zephyria Eui-jae was so shocked that he stared at him with trembling eyes, bewildered. Why was he suddenly like this? Sa-young even subtly backed away, as if he would burst through the door and escape at any moment. And he was the one who was always desperate to stick to him!
Why is he doing that? Eui-jae was about to touch the chin part of his Gas mask when he stopped moving.
‘Wait a minute.’
What did I say? Let’s sleep together?
He felt strangely déjà vu. It seemed like they had argued about something similar before. He vaguely remembered the conversation from that time.
‘I’m saying this in case you misunderstand, but it’s not a weird suggestion, I really meant let’s close our eyes and sleep.’
‘I wasn’t even thinking of misunderstanding, isn’t Hyung the one with the weird thoughts?’
No way.
Soon, a look of shock slowly appeared on Eui-jae’s face as well. He unconsciously took a step back and pointed his finger.
“Hey, hey, you, you…. What are you thinking? Why do you have that expression?”
“…….”
Distrust lingered in the eyes seen through the Gas mask lenses.
Who does he think is weird right now! He was suddenly being treated like a shameless person. Eui-jae, feeling wronged, put his hands together next to his cheeks and ears, pretending to sleep.
“No, let’s sleep! Head on the pillow, covered with a blanket. Nothing weird… not like that! Last time you said you weren’t even thinking of misunderstanding, why are you suddenly like this?”
“…Who said anything?”
“Your eyes are impure right now. Why are you going backwards?”
“I just wanted to go backwards. You’re making me look weird…. Wasn’t Hyung the one who said it weird in the first place?”
“You were the one who misunderstood it weirdly first!”
Sa-young crossed his arms and snorted. Of course, the distance between them didn’t narrow. No way. He’s becoming more and more impudent. The Sa-young he knew was gradually taking the lead.
Growing desperate, Eui-jae strode forward and grabbed Sa-young’s shoulders. Sa-young narrowed his eyes. Eui-jae asked in a voice trembling like a goat.
“Sa-young, aren’t you sleepy? I wish you were sleepy.”
“…Why are you suddenly like this?”
“You have to sleep. Please, let’s sleep.”
“Why are you saying let’s sleep? In the middle of the day.”
“It’s a long story to explain. Let’s talk lying down first.”
“Explain it even if it’s long. It’s not like we don’t have time….”
“No, it’s because we don’t have time.”
“What’s going on?”
Eui-jae gritted his teeth, holding onto Sa-young, who was stubbornly resisting. He clenched his shoulders and squeezed his eyes shut. Then, he lowered his head and shouted.
“You and I have to sleep together to stop Doomsday!”
Go! Go! Go…!
Was it because the only furniture was a bed? The end of his words echoed through the room like a whine. Damn it. Eui-jae wanted to cry. Sa-young, who had been blankly staring at Eui-jae, grabbed the filter part of his Gas mask and sighed deeply.
“Hyung is…. really.”
“…….”
“I’m speechless….”
Haa, Sa-young sighed again and covered the hand holding his shoulder.
“Okay…, let’s lie down. Explain it once we lie down.”
“Really?”
Eui-jae raised his head in a flash. Not missing the opportunity, a finger dug under the mask.
Click, the mask came off, revealing a flushed face underneath. Sa-young stared blankly at the sparkling eyes, then poked Eui-jae’s forehead with the filter.
“Hyung is taking responsibility.”
A little later.
‘I should have bought a bigger bed like Auntie said….’
Eui-jae was regretting his past choice for the first time in 8 years.
On the floor of the room with only a bed, Gas masks and masks, black coats and jackets were scattered, making it look more like someone lived there than before.
On top of that, the weight felt on his back was no joke. It was impossible for two adult men to lie side by side on a super single bed, so the two lay on their sides, back to back. Even so, it was cramped.
Eui-jae, who had given the pillow to Sa-young, glared at the wall with his arm as a pillow. He needed to brainwash himself.
‘This is more comfortable than sleeping with bones in the Rift.’
The sensation of breathing back to back was clearly transmitted. They were so close that they couldn’t even wiggle their toes carelessly. Then, the back that was touching him vibrated. Lee Sa-young was speaking.
“To summarize, Hyung can see the past world through the watch…. The other guy inside me can see it too. If we stick together, we can share the scenery in front of us. Is that right.”
“…Uh. That’s right.”
“The reason you suddenly said let’s sleep together… was because if I slept with you when I was influenced by that guy, I could see that world without sleeping with him. Is that right?”
“That’s right.”
“It’s a commendable thought, but….”
A large foot nudged Eui-jae’s foot.
“Uh-huh. You hid it and are only telling me now?”
Eui-jae bit his inner cheek hard. Here we go again! He gritted his teeth and replied.
“No…. I didn’t hide it, I just missed the timing to say it. I was out of my mind too….”
“Aha…. You had time to run away, but no time to talk?”
“I was out of my mind back then too.”
“Well…. Let’s say that’s the case.”
After a moment, the blanket rustled and a disgruntled voice followed.
“But do we have to sleep like this? It’s uncomfortable.”
“That’s why I said I’d sleep on the floor.”
Hmph. Sa-young snorted. Eui-jae grumbled for no reason.
At that time, ‘Lee Sa-young’ was sitting on a chair next to the bed. It seemed that as long as the two of them were close to the watch, they could connect without physical contact. After finishing the brief explanation, Eui-jae suggested that he would sleep on the floor. It was obvious that it was too narrow for two men to lie down. However….
‘Who said you could?’
‘Huh?’
‘Lie down. If we stick together, we can both lie down.’
He couldn’t shake off Lee Sa-young’s hand pulling his arm. That was the result. Eui-jae turned over and said to Sa-young, who was rustling.
“Even now, if I go down to the floor….”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Then what do you want me to do? You said we have to sleep.”
“Haa…….”
Sa-young sighed irritably. Then he got up. What, is he going to go down to the floor and sleep? Eui-jae was about to turn around.
An arm wrapped around his waist, and their bodies were close together. He felt hot breath on the back of his neck and in his ear. Eui-jae unconsciously held his breath. A low voice muttered.
“Raise your head a little.”
“…….”
“Quickly.”
Eui-jae stiffly raised his head a little. A firm arm filled the empty space between his neck and the mattress. What, now. Eui-jae blinked his eyes, frozen like a stone statue. What? Eui-jae’s back, waist, and even his legs. He was completely wrapped in a snake-like warmth. What touched his back wasn’t his back, but….
‘Chest?’
Eui-jae, who had suddenly been hugged from behind, froze, and Sa-young neatly covered his body with a blanket. The soft blanket wrapped around his body. Legs intertwined with legs. A large foot brushed against his calf. Eui-jae clenched his fist. Sa-young muttered.
“It’s a little better now.”
Not for me!
Eui-jae barely swallowed the scream that was about to burst out. Wasn’t this the first time he had been hugged so closely? In such a narrow place? Thump, thump, thump, his heart was beating fast. Lee Sa-young must know too. After all, they were stuck together like one body.
The heat rising from the tips of his toes and fingers was spreading throughout his body. Eui-jae squeezed his eyes shut. The hand wrapped around his waist and on his stomach felt too heavy.
A low voice whispered from behind.
“…It’s noisy.”
“What is?”
“Your heartbeat.”
Eui-jae flinched and snapped.
“Be quiet.”
“Can you stop fidgeting?”
“It’s not like I want to? Our bodies are so close….”
It was the moment Eui-jae grumbled and turned his body.
“…….”
He felt something.
“…….”
“…….”
Silence fell. After a moment of hesitation, Eui-jae suddenly raised his upper body. Sa-young frowned.
“Why…. again.”
“I can’t do it.”
I can’t sleep at all! Eui-jae grabbed his head and messed it up. Sa-young buried his face in the pillow and sighed, then raised his head again.
“What can’t you do again? You’re the one who said let’s sleep.”
“Should we hit each other on the head once? Fainting is also sleeping.”
“Are you… saying that seriously?”
Sa-young gritted his teeth and wiped his face with his hand. Eui-jae rubbed his burning neck for no reason, avoiding his gaze. It was obvious that his face and neck were red.
“Cha Eui-jae.”
A cracked voice called Eui-jae. Eui-jae’s body trembled. He didn’t even have the mind to shout, ‘How dare you call Hyung’s name?’ A finger with a black tip wrapped around his side.
“You don’t have to be so conscious….”
“…….”
“I’m holding back too, so lie down.”
“…….”
“Damn it, we have to save that precious world first….”
After finishing his words irritably, Sa-young forcibly laid Eui-jae down. Once again, warmth wrapped around his whole body.
Damn it! Eui-jae squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ignore the approaching sensations. His heart was beating fast, his breathing was a little heavy, and there was a rustling sound every time his feet moved. And at some point, the surroundings became quiet. Soon, Cha Eui-jae realized.
The heartbeats that were ringing loudly were not just his own.
As soon as he realized that fact, he strangely fell asleep. Eui-jae closed his eyes without resisting.
When he opened his eyes again, a familiar yet unfamiliar landscape came into view. The wallpaper and other things were exactly the same as the room he was in until he fell asleep. However, he felt a strange sense of incongruity.
Eui-jae got up. The texture and color of the blanket are also the same. The difference is…. There was a lot of furniture. Things like desks, bookshelves, drawers, and wardrobes. It looked much more like a person’s house than the existing room. And,
‘Am I alone?’
The point is that Lee Sa-young, who had been stuck to his back, had disappeared.
‘Did I come properly….’
Judging by the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like reality. Eui-jae scratched his head and got out of bed. Then he realized. He was now wearing some silk pajamas. Something that Cha Eui-jae would never buy with his own hands.
Eui-jae slightly lifted the collar of his pajamas with his thumb and forefinger. The soft texture was strangely familiar.
I should go out first. Because this seems to be his house. Eui-jae carefully opened the closed door. Squeak, light poured through the crack in the door. And,
“…….”
He saw Lee Sa-young wearing the same pajamas as him.