By Zephyria 
Side Story 3
Silence.
Only the clicking of a mouse echoed in the quiet examination room. Nam Woo-jin turned to look at Lee Sa-young, who was lying on the bed.
“Judging by the bruising, it looks like a contusion. What on earth did you get hit with? It’s not like you lost your ability.”
Sa-young kept his mouth shut, invoking his right to remain silent. He couldn’t exactly say he’d been kicked in the heel while trying to have sex with J and ended up with a cracked rib. This was an important matter involving the human rights and social standing of the former top two Hunters.
Nam Woo-jin scratched his head and examined the examination record the boy had handed him.
“Physical strength too… still on the high side. It would take quite a bit to even scratch you. What, did you get hit with a hammer? Or a chunk of concrete? Rebar?”
A heel.
Sa-young’s gaze flickered towards Eui-jae. Eui-jae kept his head bowed low. The guilty party had nothing to say. Seeing the patient still refusing to speak, Nam Woo-jin sighed and tapped on the keyboard.
“Well, it’ll heal on its own with time. I’ll prescribe some painkillers and anti-inflammatories, apply cold compresses for three days, then warm compresses after that. Come back in about a week. It’ll probably be healed by then.”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
Eui-jae trudged over and helped Sa-young up. Nam Woo-jin shook his head and stood up.
“Honestly… you made such a fuss about someone dying, I wondered what was going on.”
“Um, the consultation fee…”
“What money? Just go. I’m busy.”
“Then, come to the Hanover Soup Restaurant sometime. I’ll give you a free Hangover Soup.”
“Ah, I will.”
Nam Woo-jin nodded as if to say, do as you please. The boy escorted the three of them to the entrance of the Seowon Guild.
Min-gi Seo pushed up his sunglasses.
“Anyway, I’m glad it wasn’t a serious injury. Romantic Opener’s emergency dispatch fee will be billed at the end of the month. Then, I’ll return to the field.”
Ah, right. He’d said he was in the middle of catching a criminal. Eui-jae asked.
“Shall I help you?”
“I asked Director Jung-bin about that, but he told me to catch the small fry myself without bothering J. I only got nagged.”
Sa-young cut in with a sulky face.
“That guy’s right for once.”
“Indeed. After all, you’re the owner of a store now. Unless it’s something really big, I won’t be asking for your help. I hope the Guild Leader also takes good care of himself. Then, farewell.”
Min-gi Seo melted into the shadows. Now that they were completely alone, Eui-jae squeezed his eyes shut.
“…I’m sorry, Sa-young.”
Sa-young sighed and leaned his head against Eui-jae’s, muttering.
“Let’s just go home…”
* * *
The morning after the rib fracture incident, a sheet of A4 paper was posted on the door of the Hanover Soup Restaurant.
Closed for a while.
Duration: Undetermined
Reason: Nursing
The regulars worried that the grandmother’s knees had gotten worse again, and wrote messages wishing for a speedy recovery all over the A4 paper.
Get well soon!
Wishing you a speedy recovery
Don’t be sick
Little did they know. That they were cheering for Lee Sa-young’s rib to heal.
* * *
Whether it was thanks to the warm support of the regular Hunters, thanks to Eui-jae nursing him with homemade bone broth, or just thanks to Lee Sa-young’s exceptional recovery ability, the cracked rib healed cleanly in three days. Nam Woo-jin was indeed a master physician.
On the day he was declared fully recovered and returned home, the two men sat facing each other on their knees. The sound of wind swept through the living room. Eui-jae opened his mouth with a serious expression.
“Sa-young.”
“Yes, Hyung.”
“I’ll apologize again. I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to attack you.”
“That’s the 48th apology already. Shall I say what you’re going to say next for you? That you were so nervous and embarrassed that your body moved first, and you instinctively released the ankle restraint and tried to subdue the opponent. Fortunately, Hyung put a minimum restriction on it, so the misfortune of you strangling my neck with your legs didn’t occur.”
“…Oh, have I apologized that much already?”
Eui-jae awkwardly avoided his gaze. He had been so shocked by the minor yet impactful injury of a cracked rib that he kept blurting out apologies at every opportunity.
“Well… it’s not that big of an injury. Isn’t it my fault for not dodging it?”
Sa-young shrugged. He was sincerely remorseful. He knew that Hyung’s condition wasn’t normal, but he didn’t think he’d be that nervous. He’d also overlooked the fact that his body would react first if he lost his reason.
Eui-jae sighed and ran a hand over his face.
“Anyway, for our smooth… um, whatchamacallit. Relationship, I think we need a little… um, conversation.”
“Uh-huh… You can be honest. If you don’t want to.”
“What?”
What was he talking about? As he raised his head sharply, Sa-young replied casually.
“Sex isn’t essential between lovers, is it? Well, and… since we’re both men.”
Eui-jae wore a dumbfounded expression. He was clearly speaking Korean, but he felt like they weren’t communicating. Sa-young shrugged.
“I thought… that Hyung might not feel any sexual attraction to me.”
“That’s not true, you idiot!”
Cha Eui-jae shouted, his face flushed red. If he didn’t feel any sexual attraction, would he have kissed him or anything like that? His violet eyes widened, then narrowed slightly.
“Ah…”
“……”
“Is that so…?”
Sa-young’s voice lowered softly. His rose-like face came close to Eui-jae’s nose.
“So you are horny… for me.”
Ah, damn it. He’d been drawn in again. Eui-jae threw one of the cushions lying on the sofa.
“Shut up!”
Sa-young hugged the leather cushion that had been thrown at him and grinned. Eui-jae cleared his throat and continued.
“…Anyway, I’ve been thinking.”
“Uh-huh, it’s probably a weird idea, but well… tell me anyway.”
Neatly folded hands suddenly entered Sa-young’s field of vision.
“Will you try tying me up and doing it?”
See? He knew it would be a weird idea, Sa-young twisted his lips.
“Ah. That kind of taste? I didn’t know Hyung had that kind of taste…”
“No, I might swing my fist or foot again.”
“Even if you’re tied up, you can break most things. The only thing that can tie up Hyung is Jung-bin’s chain, but why, shall we borrow that?”
“No, that’s a bit…”
Eui-jae seemed truly sorry for hurting Sa-young. The two put their heads together to figure out a smooth relationship. Or rather, it was a process of Eui-jae unilaterally coming up with solutions and Sa-young logically refuting them.
This discussion continued until their knees hurt, so they got up, and they were hungry, so they ordered food, and it continued even while they were eating. Eui-jae finished his portion of Hangover Soup cleanly and said with a serious face.
“Okay, this one’s really good. You touch me while I’m sleeping.”
It was another load of nonsense.
Sa-young was starting to wonder what was in this guy’s head. Was he doing this on purpose? If he was doing it without knowing, that was also a talent. He slammed the spoon down.
“Hyung.”
“Why, is this one not good either?”
“Are you a pervert?”
“Ah, why!”
Sa-young closed his eyes and agonized.
Honestly.
To be really honest,
“……”
It was fucking hot.
Everything Cha Eui-jae had come up with as a solution.
Tie his hands, blindfold him, and observe his reactions while touching the sleeping Hyung here and there? With no minimum rules or restrictions, all at his own discretion?
‘Fuck.’
His mouth went dry and he gulped down cold water. While listening to Hyung’s nonsense disguised as a solution, his crotch was already bulging. However, he tried hard to maintain his composure. If one of them lost their reason, the remaining one had to maintain it. Especially if the other person was someone like Cha Eui-jae, who acted with his body first.
Sa-young deliberately closed his eyes and asked.
“Hyung, are you thinking before you speak right now?”
“Sa-young, I’m really serious.”
“How serious are you?”
“As serious as when I met you in the back alley, smashed you with a ladle, and was racking my brain to escape.”
If that was the conclusion he’d come to after thinking that seriously, it wasn’t worth considering. Sa-young reached out and firmly grabbed Eui-jae’s hand.
“Hyung.”
“Uh, uh. Sa-young.”
“Just…”
And, he sighed deeply and said.
“Let’s take it slow. Only as much as Hyung won’t kick me away.”
“…Shall we?”
And so, after countless loads of nonsense, the two agreed to make progress little by little every day.
* * *
The most urgent thing was to eliminate the awkwardness.
Cha Eui-jae was used to Sa-young resting his chin on his shoulder like he was being affectionate, rubbing his head against him, or hugging his waist. But as soon as the atmosphere became even slightly more intimate, he froze like a wooden doll.
‘It’s not that he has a revulsion to physical contact itself.’
When they fell asleep in the same bed, Cha Eui-jae was the one who offered his arms and embrace when Sa-young snuggled into his arms. Sometimes he would be the first to hug him and fall asleep, or kiss him on the forehead or cheek.
In the end, it was a matter of atmosphere and flow… Sa-young leaned back on the sofa and observed Eui-jae, who was cracking walnuts.
‘He likes kissing too…’
He approached Eui-jae and bent over.
“Hug me, Hyung.”
“Huh?”
Eui-jae looked up at Sa-young, then shook off the crumbs on his hands and spread his arms wide.
“Why, was today hard?”
“Uh-huh…”
As he hugged Eui-jae, his hand stroked his back gently, as if he had been waiting for it. Like this, if he asked him to do it first, he would accept it without revulsion. Sa-young rubbed his cheek against his cheek.
“Kiss me too.”
“Oh, you’re already bossing me around.”
Eui-jae scolded him for no reason, but he cupped his cheek with his hand. Their lips met cautiously. Soft skin touched, and breaths mingled. A touch of lips to lips without mixing tongues or saliva. Strangely, that alone made him feel ticklish.
‘Does he feel less nervous if he has the initiative…?’
Then like this, in a way that he asks him. Little by little.
Their lips parted. Sa-young raised his head and met his gaze. For some reason, Cha Eui-jae’s face seemed a little redder than usual.