By Zephyria 
“Why? Where else would you get an opportunity like this? I don’t know when your memories will come back, but right now your mental age is twenty. You’re exactly the same age as me, so I think it’s just fate.”
“What…! Stop saying such nonsense. Goodness, I can’t say anything carelessly in front of you, young master.”
“But I’m right, aren’t I? You can’t even argue.”
“Are you going to act like a child until the end? And while we’re on the subject, let me tell you, if I’m twenty, that means you, Rae-i, are ten. You’ve only grown in body, you’re still a baby. What do you mean, the same age?”
“Do you really think so?”
Kwon Rae-i slowly moved closer, bringing his face near Tae-hwon’s chin.
“You still think I’m a kid?”
His hot breath touched Tae-hwon’s skin.
Kwon Rae-i approached as if he would kiss him any second, and Tae-hwon, trying to avoid him, gradually leaned back against the sofa. However, as much as he retreated, Kwon Rae-i followed.
“The injured Tae-hwon can’t use his arm, limps, and has lost his memory, so he doesn’t know anything about the outside world… If I had decided to act like a little shit, would Tae-hwon be arguing with me like this right now?”
“……”
“It would have been easier to just overpower you and take your body. Or, I could have lied from the start. Told you that Tae-hwon and I are deeply in love, and that we’re so obsessed with each other that sticking together and fucking every day is an essential part of our routine. What could Tae-hwon have done then? You would have had no choice but to endure it, right?”
That made the fine hairs on his body stand on end, and he felt a chilling gooseflesh.
Looking at him again, he saw an icy, transparent blue-gray gaze scrutinizing Tae-hwon’s reaction. It was a blatant and persistent desire, as if looking at prey to be swallowed whole. He could even sense a kind of anger stemming from suppressed passion.
Tae-hwon, speechless, quietly pursed his lips, and Kwon Rae-i chuckled, giving Tae-hwon a light kiss on the forehead.
“See? I’m mature, aren’t I?”
“Young master…”
Tae-hwon hesitated and frowned, but his lips simply touched and parted. It seemed more like he was just finding Tae-hwon cute rather than anything sexual.
“You’re the one who’s acting like a child, Tae-hwon. How can you be so adorable…? I should stop teasing you.”
Kwon Rae-i repeatedly pecked Tae-hwon’s forehead and got up from the sofa. Tae-hwon curled up and remained stuck on the sofa, then was half-forcibly pulled up by his hand.
“Aren’t you hungry? Shall we have breakfast together?”
“Yes? Yes…”
And Kwon Rae-i led Tae-hwon into the kitchen and sat him at the table. Tae-hwon could only blankly watch his back as he busily moved around the counter, preparing rice porridge.
* * *
“Is there anywhere itchy?”
A large hand shampooed every corner of his scalp. Cool aquatic scents filled the air, and fluffy bubbles swelled up. Buried in the freestanding bathtub, wearing comfortable white t-shirt and shorts, Tae-hwon replied with a low rumble in his throat.
“No.”
His voice echoed in the bathroom as if he were in a cave.
The bathroom was strangely clean and spacious. The necessary items were neatly arranged on the shelves, and there wasn’t a trace of water stains. Tae-hwon scanned the bathroom once and closed his eyes.
If water got into the wound, it would fester, and with his right arm in a cast, he had no choice but to get Kwon Rae-i’s help to wash his hair. Of course, if he tried hard, Tae-hwon could do it himself, but Kwon Rae-i eagerly stepped forward, insisting on doing it himself, so there was no way to refuse.
‘Young Master Rae-i has grown up to be very stubborn.’
He kept saying he would do it, insisting that he would wash his hair, just leave it to him, so what could he do? He had no choice but to give in. In the end, Tae-hwon lay in the bathtub with only his head outside the tub, entrusting his hair to him. And Kwon Rae-i, true to his confident and insistent words, wasn’t bad at it.
His meticulous and careful touch was quite pleasant. It was actually as comfortable as having a professional do it. It could be because Tae-hwon wasn’t too picky about his hair.
‘If I had done it, I would have just scrubbed and rinsed roughly and been done with it. Tsk.’
Kwon Rae-i shampooed twice, rinsed the bubbles twice, and then gently applied conditioner. Just as he was getting a little drowsy with his eyes closed, he heard Kwon Rae-i’s whispering voice.
“Tae-hwon’s hair is always so beautiful whenever I see it. It’s black, so it’s completely different from mine.”
What’s so beautiful about it…?
He was hearing such praise for the first time in his life.
“Korean hair is mostly black, isn’t it? I think it’s common.”
“No. It feels good. The texture is smooth and the roots are strong.”
“Is that so…”
He was hearing all sorts of things.
Even if he wanted to reply, he didn’t have anything to say, so he just let it go. Kwon Rae-i seemed satisfied even though Tae-hwon didn’t react much, and he kept smiling as he combed his hair with his fingers.
“It’s really nice. Ah… it’s good.”
“……”
“It’s terrible that Tae-hwon got so badly hurt, but it’s nice that I can wash you like this.”
He didn’t know how many times the word “good” was used in just a few words. Tae-hwon’s hair was already clean and rinsed, but Kwon Rae-i still fiddled with Tae-hwon’s hair for a long time, enjoying it. It was openly satisfying his personal desires.
‘Is it that good?’
He couldn’t understand at all. It didn’t seem like it should elicit such a reaction. What was so special about Woo Tae-hwon?
‘Why me? Of all people…’
With that face. With that body. At that age. It was still a mystery why the young master, who could have anyone he wanted, would turn his eyes to Tae-hwon and cling to him. It was just strange.
Woo Tae-hwon was ten years older, a dark man, and his body was a mess of scars. Compared to Kwon Rae-i, who had grown up like an elegantly crafted, top-grade diamond, he was just a rough boulder lying around.
‘Is this just a temporary infatuation? Although it’s hard for me to judge.’
Tae-hwon was a person far removed from romance. He had never even had a crush, let alone a relationship. The burning passion like a fever, the bittersweet devotion that people talked about, had no place in Tae-hwon’s harsh life.
For over twenty years, Tae-hwon’s life had been nothing but survival and struggle.
Since he was young, he had been busy taking care of himself, and after crossing the boundaries of Gyeongjeong and becoming a member of the organization, he had been busy overcoming all kinds of oppression and abuse, just like the saying that the nail that sticks out gets hammered.
He could say with certainty that the only emotion that could be considered affection in Tae-hwon’s life was what he felt when taking care of young Master Rae-i. It was a sense of kinship and responsibility towards a child who resembled him, a paternal love that made him want to care for and cherish him.
“I really wish we could just live like this, Tae-hwon.”
“What’s so good about taking care of a patient? I’ll get better soon.”
“It’s easy for Tae-hwon too, isn’t it? Since I wash you like this.”
“Are you trying to spoil me?”
“Exactly. Don’t we look like a couple right now?”
“…Young master. I think my hair is all rinsed, so I should get up now.”
Tae-hwon tried to support himself on the edge of the tub and raise his upper body. However, Kwon Rae-i pressed down on his shoulder with his wet hand, forcing him to lie back down. The white t-shirt was wet in the shape of his hand, feeling slightly damp.
“Just stay still. You have to wash other places anyway.”
Other places?
He had a bad feeling about this.
“Aren’t you uncomfortable since you haven’t taken a bath? I’ll wipe you down with a wet towel.”
“It’s okay. I’ll do it.”
Tae-hwon immediately refused. He felt like he shouldn’t accept. But Kwon Rae-i was unyielding.
“Then I’ll just wash your back. You can’t reach it by yourself.”
…His back?
Just his back, was it okay to believe those words?
Tae-hwon glanced at Kwon Rae-i with suspicious eyes. As if he knew he was trying to read his intentions, Kwon Rae-i chuckled and wore a languid smile. Seeing him smile like that with his face as white and clear as freshly fallen snow made it a little difficult to look at him.
“When you were young, you used to wash me, didn’t you? Do you remember? When I had a fever, you would wipe my back with a wet towel.”
“…That’s true, but it’s been ten years for you, young master. Do you even remember things like that?”
“Of course. I remember everything. Just think of it as repaying you for then. Of course, it’s not like I don’t have ulterior motives to undress Tae-hwon and touch you. But that’s that, and this is this, right?”
He suddenly reached out and grabbed the hem of Tae-hwon’s t-shirt. He was quick and had long arms, so he immediately caught the fabric.