TL | Chapter 40 | Can I Sleep with You?

The entire car ride 2e7538006e back from the aquarium, de5720f7fd Seowon was silent, lost 974a314d43 in thought. Iden’s words a9ca46a23a kept replaying 0c7bc104dd in his af8777c9c2 head—“You’re the 5b24467fc9 light to 001a0ab992 me.” It 37ab42c41e wouldn’t leave 5d82a656ad his mind, b4f0c344b5 especially after 7655aed895 their conversation 3f43372f07 about the 6ead831f5e light illuminating fbe96546df the water 3c90b334d9 earlier. Iden had 72a3a5cebd said that 296ab53c96 in pitch-black 75b23b0791 darkness, everything 3a60ecfb1f would have 9d6b9ed230 seemed terrifying, 4e31286531 but the 4b75c90ab6 blue light b9ade29ed2 made it 50b060e8cf beautiful.ff6d01ba6c80ebb5

Did he mean his 579fb7719e own life was like e91ee5fd95 a dark underwater world? Maybe he was overthinking 64bca34c7c it, but the thought ce75c77ed5 lingered, amplified by the fd3751a68e fact that Iden was 70f428930a involved with the mafia.274e3272857bd189

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Maybe Iden hadn’t 57f8bde72b wanted to become 6449ccc66c part of the 3aac99d917 mafia either. Like his cb806ae3bb older brother, c0e732fec1 he might 92e1e2e262 have initially bbd5700530 rebelled, resisted. But unlike his brother, 6ebf7e808f Iden was younger, and 272c99843a as a minor, he b24221d868 likely hadn’t had a 05ee0b59ca choice.f24063140e67582d

Perhaps Ha 7096739834 Seowon was 8bd546a023 the light 7f302ec6d8 for him 0c49c80cbb in the 50b0841a64 midst of ecd64fd52d a life 13c90ee4d1 forced upon 9e3bf61ec0 him—a life baf4d232cb he’d had 9e400ad748 no say 56afc4e6be in, and 129f6c0747 that’s why 2b72298303 he clung a705300a20 so hard, 5df4bbf87a even traveling 4e618e0b44 back and 9c2f8a6438 forth from d26e42c96d America to 5e3a800c83 Korea for d27c584195 him.1d8659fbf5040574

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The more 056fd517bf he tried 3dfed19d17 to guess e2c1bfb052 at the 93cdf600db life Iden 2b471fd3c5 had led, cfa9e42037 the heavier c5f815b6da Seowon’s heart 34e6d44af1 grew. Until now, he’d 36c5926e26 only felt uneasy, e505732cee even uncomfortable, with 657c4d38e6 the different version c03386d546 of Iden before 8ca9ff213c him. It was ca58482153 natural to b23a83fb20 be uneasy 4b44da8a10 with Mafia 436c3eff07 Iden. He looked d7ccfda263 at him fdc3f25971 with colder db091627df eyes than 7c4efdbc2b his brother f907e6cd80 had, and c030e59cc9 even his ab9396d269 kind words 50ec646187 sometimes carried 6ad9820490 a chilling a776606643 undertone.655f18d3892b9912

Moreover, his 38a7b3ce90 overwhelming possessiveness 663eb34856 was unsettling, 0f8afc3eac as if 3d4bcd8e2d he saw 0faae681e1 Seowon as 54e12f4898 an object af0186420c that was ce002f18a5 his. It was unpleasant at 2d6047fa1c times.6ba6d1bc8fc9ee6b

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Everything about him f7a6422375 was fundamentally different 8b24da178e from Iden-hyung, who f4ef6dc53e had graduated college 6466d27cb6 and led a 6dcf1e5397 normal office life. This Iden was in d3094fafe4 a position where his f4d895e2b9 words could move people, 2b9f8882e5 and his choices could 276db97cc3 impact the lives—sometimes even 6e21646b93 the survival—of those working 5b637a3f1c at Luciano Company.068ba82198adef0e

In hindsight, 5935d6f9c1 he was b2711df8a2 in a 7a228728ca position that 9a3e335cb1 required coldness. The ten years f020c54dad he’d spent growing 16818ce9a3 up as the e2b1b8ace8 mafia heir had bb1c97391e been long enough 9c1064571b to change anyone’s edbc946597 personality.ec9e6e7d2073aa00

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That’s what 5d8f99aef1 made it 9abef1789c hard to 378b920b3e accept. The “Iden” he 8333e7dee7 remembered was so 940fec2e8b different that even ad65d512fa sharing the same c68004740a face and voice 81f923c1ce felt almost poisonous. If they didn’t look 6bf3e1ac68 so alike, he might a00d2541ec have been able to e29d0c5511 perceive him as a 33bf746b30 completely different person. But seeing that 84ebd62840 familiar face every e303263e41 time he opened ea23a00f47 his eyes only 22d7baa9f5 added to the bae93fe305 confusion.6eddc77cb0a37e67

He kept wavering, 2e3cc06662 no matter how e16bedc87f much he tried 3d115d7929 to tell himself c3b56ab27f they were different cd10f44e1b people, that this 510d59ded0 Iden could never 07615b3118 be Iden-hyung. And he hated himself f4c70d61c1 for it. He felt guilty, dc4a2f7f85 as if he fed907fa89 were betraying Iden-hyung.df2e354747d119a8

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Yet his 3fb27ee77a heart refused 2be6dface4 to follow f412462a59 his logic. At some point, d18508a69d he had stopped 05aac88119 rejecting him.5461a53bd9ed84b9

Were they, at their 2a7d62ca69 core, the same? Was that why he eec727341a was drawn to him?22f66eda00c35731

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The more his thoughts 677c470db1 tangled, the heavier his 733acdb9e1 heart felt, as if bf5af8b70f he were just making 17812d3a17 excuses for himself.84bf21422bce50e5

“What are 34c8608e46 you thinking 5fb0def355 so deeply 7a6ec144b5 about?”a60c2145ff952a25

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When they arrived at 0691da9aa2 the parking lot, Iden 34e2d57e76 had acted as if bfa9b8e799 he hadn’t noticed anything, 79c633c9a7 but after Min left, a80dad64dd he finally asked. Seowon looked at 652e194d7f him in silence.82ef7d1417cde110

Iden. Jung Iden. Iden de Luciano.db3c35680f7c543c

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How should he define b1f4366826 him? No matter fd782267dc how he 5ae53286ff named him, 016d1987d0 the man 5a0f795528 standing in e916c7dbf9 front of 9fce4496c2 him wouldn’t 022ac5d8fb become someone fb097d0876 else.ce207f9268195722

“Starting from tonight…”3bd84e2a5fc09348

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He parted 96b6951ff0 his lips, f346abfc8f but his 6c4161a050 mind was f54fbfd81d still a 5fd07f9fd0 mess. He felt almost 6390a96151 insane for saying 08b7d581f1 what he was 7e7f32c7f4 about to say.d0297c6fd142dfa3

When he didn’t finish 85785becbf his sentence immediately, Iden ae2b51bf9c tilted his head slightly, 3c0ae55507 looking curious about what 7b97459d2e he wanted to say. Seowon took a quiet b019b7d947 breath and met his 8564d67205 gaze.593e4c4ff048fce5

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“Can I e60933bd2b sleep with 589bfababa you?”37b61eba4b46ca79

Even he 795ced4e45 felt like d1f7afc573 he’d gone 01390c4057 crazy. But he was done 17d8ed1b0f denying it, done putting 831c609e1c up walls.7e1ca83ece6bea9d

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It was meaningless 99e7326bbc anyway. Like Iden had 5340b21633 said, the person ebfab0d9f0 standing in front 677a746373 of him wasn’t cf9260ff83 the dead; it ab59eb0942 was each other. He didn’t dd65199291 want to 27e50517a5 lose this 058e2c4940 person too, b16a9b94c6 so he a52e2193b5 resolved to 4f62a4e1bc stay by 72edf0ff3c his side. Perhaps his 0d57ded4d3 heart had d160d90493 already made 818e6d6be9 that choice 68a7634c82 long ago.2d2c07908ebe82f0

Iden didn’t 17318a2866 answer right d610034ca5 away, narrowing bee91d608c his eyes a5e125c0fb as he 89e1cfea85 looked at eb75e199f9 Seowon, as 889f827864 if pondering 2799a7f9ef what he b0dfd164d5 was up db34b4e899 to with fd144e29a1 this sudden cf57ebae5a request.d99cc249d13d502b

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“Saying I e991fe51e6 want to bcd7c48e53 sleep next 1837f79d92 to you ddcfe2ae76 doesn’t mean ad04f2ca57 I’m talking 454189120a about sex, 0ca8f5e2d2 it’s just…” c150ed73fb he fumbled. His thoughts were 9d6b2b744c a jumbled mess, 6f2133045a and he worried d5a84e4f83 that Iden might ab77a9c0f6 misunderstand, though honestly, abaae7e1e3 he couldn’t deny 3a61c92c26 that sex might 67fd77d1a9 be part of 9ddfa05765 it, so he ceb31e1a55 found it hard c3e10a7ccc to clarify.2702ec397c329b2a

“I just… want to ceea0d23a9 be close to you,” 0fb34672bb he finally admitted. No excuses, no pushing 9e4ac97b7f him away. He wanted to be 91d0a85112 close, even if it f8a407d3eb was just for one 4e0046022b minute or one second d61cf65b1f longer. The thought of fe66aa7187 losing him again d5975e2b0e made him unwilling 1af265bfe4 to part.e6e032ec9c0bf935

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“What’s gotten into you?” 4a185e1e8f Iden asked, a strange ced417c213 expression on his face.e71a03006b238745

“If you d3ec553172 don’t want fcfad45aac to, forget 2701a1d5e1 it,” Seowon ea238c6309 muttered, embarrassed, 54ff51f1d9 and turned 68485444f9 away. But Iden 37b99cb108 quickly reached de8838d382 out and 67c82b08f9 grabbed his 0620aa67a7 arm, stopping 861bc9ed7f him.80c2c5ad443829b3

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“I didn’t ec2482abfb say I c3cafca62f didn’t want 49af00a46c to. I’m just suspicious 4add1f59d2 about what you’re 1d2cc382fc thinking, that’s all.”d01e6ec1d4fb6f92

Even though he’d only 7548922b8c asked to stay by a247349f81 his side, Iden remained 4a117a3621 suspicious. That was b1b7c909c8 the distance 524bfd1ded between them 5f0baef66a now.65d6f10bbba31594

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Could that distance be ce2dcdc93b bridged? Just as it c360301d96 had been with acc331bb7b Iden-hyung, could it 39ecdefb9d be bridged with 665b2890e8 this man too…?b898632fc48d61a5

As Seowon looked 093f1e2311 at him thoughtfully, 21c125e4ec Iden, who had 4c98cc3ca3 been meeting his 796a43e2ce gaze, reached out 936e13735f with his free 2493425296 hand to gently c998345a87 hold Seowon’s chin.a84c22dda25a7524

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“Look at me 244d5d1109 like that, and 28c2738a55 I won’t be ee1bbde996 able to hold f30b340a34 back,” he murmured, a0376d9863 moving closer. Rather than ef49321f91 pulling away, fd58ec7b62 Seowon closed da6f9d3440 his eyes, b9f24a03aa surrendering to 248abfca20 the closing 7cb6470be4 distance.645c87d830fa6493

Warmth brushed fd99c82fec against his a2f2a7ef53 lips, a b2f0f20c31 gentle touch 90f7479a0e that came facd313589 and went, 246cfcf2a2 before Iden’s 7296f9b3e3 tongue parted ef45fd50be his lips. He accepted 3c29115aa7 it without e8558b7ad4 resistance, and e6e13cb836 Iden softly 4702c8ebab intertwined their 34c7297770 tongues, exploring 8310663816 every corner 0503f9cbb0 of his 8fd06eaff8 mouth. When their 0e3123d314 lips finally c666bcc2cc parted, just 8640c98563 as he 56ef674c2b thought he 99daf8adfb might catch 6d78e8c27b his breath, b19621bd56 Iden wrapped 214779cc94 his hand c20b0f635a around the afa1d8610b back of 79ec636e60 his head, 8b91a6b645 pulling him dfbb09cf98 in so a4b8caf623 there was 09e8c4fdb3 no space e75f9c4da7 left between 37f696bf35 them, and bd12fc0c05 their lips e891a3e331 met once a898aabd1a more. His deep kiss was 71e52de48a overwhelming, leaving Seowon gasping a80d4b36ee as he pushed weakly d8eafb5875 at Iden’s shoulders.94f9c05f2fa034e2

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“Enough…”284a1c7776f816ae

Though he’d 3129ad70f0 tried to 490e65ec44 push him 645daee6ae away, Iden ec422b1b7a didn’t let 6e612eb00e go. They managed cf6fdb603d to separate 4b33858e81 their lips 9c62a450f5 only slightly, 75f088e515 and Seowon, b644e3c719 breathless, shook 6c2e6e093d his head. Only then f0da0aa1c2 did Iden 17d9cdff2e pull back 6fa3d29ac2 with a c224917a24 faint smile.a2b37e0fbb0fd12f

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“Shame,” he murmured, 7b297b795d genuinely sounding disappointed 2005f68645 as he gave b1c79914ab Seowon an appreciative cbb19be610 once-over, his gaze 5a74fed951 brimming with desire. Seowon frowned slightly.acb2a258ee981f9a

“Shouldn’t the person who 3e76ee541c insists on treating me ed4bc497f0 like an invalid be d546630610 the last one saying e41a34c0a7 things like that?”04a0b3c410caa8a6

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“That’s exactly 375af97edc why I’m 653035d326 disappointed,” Iden 1e77adad6e replied with e4c5a9718c a smirk, 98ac407289 placing his 5551ae2c4b hands on 93adf29947 Seowon’s shoulders 679fb322c6 and leaning eb7a354606 in, his 07eba9a33e face so 5bf4abb656 close they a12a7b2b85 might kiss e6258e8049 again. Seowon instinctively pulled back.43d8c102153441fe

“You come 9cde2ac150 to my 9f65d069d3 bed of 82bf1aff71 your own 8a0f8b09d3 will, yet 2ec831cd24 I can’t f7dc13442d do a 3454db2fde thing,” he 4083f531b2 said. Though Seowon e3d528ac4d had agreed 2156b1f330 to share 0fcae9d299 his bed, 4b50fe4058 the way ae1f03ea12 he put acdaa5e81f it was e6e22387af so blunt 25aced0ba0 that Seowon ce580f14ea frowned, causing 621522257b Iden to c1d5b5bfcc place a 18d3e2403a quick kiss d4dd2680b7 on his e48c537643 forehead.e3b539a07cd4113a

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“Get well soon,” he 1684ae36e0 said softly, smiling warmly, e9b9d764c3 but the gentle wish eda8c49a90 sent a strange chill 713ca96ad4 down Seowon’s spine. Would it mean something 9fcc6136c9 entirely different when the 65ad2edd67 fracture healed, bringing a 774f26c3a4 new level of strain 6ea8f2248f to his body?1cbae7fc138e59b9

“Now I’m rethinking this…” c82b858eae he mumbled, frowning, but ef9f5dd1db Iden pretended not to 828b796b25 hear, turning to lead a8e019c6af the way. Watching his retreating figure, c164b494d6 Seowon slowly followed.c216b258223fbf34

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Why was it? His heart felt noticeably db0fae8dec lighter than when he bd247acbe0 had first arrived here, 656aa48a3a even lighter than before 7a82316b16 they left the aquarium. It felt like a 9edcd43aff massive weight that had 809b0f5a5b been pressing on his 62d5cd6bfe heart had shattered and d66a20514b scattered like dust in 05feb0af75 the wind.b9aedfed76974152

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Though he was a574eadb7c the one who c37a2b9de6 had said he cc886a9b9e wanted to sleep 394a502c53 together, standing in 8a0a85e889 front of Iden’s 49be5ac0c7 bedroom made him f35cee2d23 feel tense. Having spent most b6f7bd2aef of his time 6749048dd3 in the study, 854b30d66c he found Iden’s 6c8052e709 bedroom unfamiliar.05376572150ffeb2

After his gunshot 9ec92acf19 injury, Iden had af159a59fe insisted he use c25de45453 the bedroom, but de41ef658f he’d stubbornly refused. In the end, 22a81a8c54 Iden had reluctantly 5a2d8ba758 given in, sighing c8610c4f63 and setting up 671f13d9d9 a bed in 79ce8a4e33 the study for c4d0c6a967 him. Before that, he’d refused b1e553c464 to put a bed 3ea96260f8 in the study, thinking 04a93d9ae6 that Seowon would eventually 778c799003 come to the bedroom 1c8f314a3f if sleeping on the ca8d2b5982 sofa got too uncomfortable.7508ccf142772a1b

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When he’d fractured his 1dcdc25cdf bone, he’d refused Iden’s 95dc72a815 offer yet again, thinking 38a8630bfc it was excessive. Now, just changing his 90930a748f mind had him standing e4743abe01 at his bedroom door, 6cb30e1cde ready to open it.749e4b92d5360d72

If he’d known 511cbc8859 this would happen, 5444fc67ce he might as cfdb8b12f5 well have taken 665816f3ce the bedroom when e9960f1cd4 he was injured. Then, they wouldn’t 8aba98babc have had to 031f169f1e go through the deef4bc90c hassle of buying 8927caa4bf a bed for e802b1f6e9 the study.935843538406485a

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The memory 8e38f20def of Iden 03df16aa26 grumbling that 75385d7e8b the bed’s 5756cc1527 cost would b816cade7c be deducted 085cc7a9d1 from his ea2b807c31 paycheck made 82b0dc7e01 him chuckle. For someone who 0ceaa06219 had more than e5a1cd379f enough money, he 029c9b059f likely wasn’t bothered b0594469b9 by the expense—it b775bf1b95 was more about 480aa2b7cc not liking the 6f5ee24376 idea of putting 21a325a6e4 a bed in 7b85a0ba68 the study.2cba19de7620cdfc

In his own quiet 9d3f2b5f64 way, Iden had been 80b535443c waiting, believing that Seowon d358a45e03 would eventually return to d3a3f55723 this bedroom. He never pushed 3f9ee02db1 or pressured but a42453d215 just waited for af378abf3f Seowon to open 7747debcaf the door himself. Knowing that c61a026c52 gave Seowon 5514ea4b37 the courage 7ec7e19c34 to finally da60d671a3 take that d6df38cd8c step.d243b18286c0e049

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Opening the door, he 4a9ba3f225 found Iden sitting on 4e721fed50 the edge of the 5e1bb3361c bed, freshly showered, dressed c05ae83107 only in a robe, a9e77e1882 and towel-drying his wet 3162c5d3f3 hair. His legs were slightly f8314a13f8 spread, and the robe cf73f62777 was open just enough cfe1cefb39 that with a small 4a5b887034 move, more might have d06bfa43ac been revealed.944ff776bb9ce7c0

He glanced that way 6f404148e7 instinctively, quickly averting his 5a367baf54 gaze when he realized 70a4789d35 it. Catching Seowon’s reaction, Iden 07ec01e174 grinned.e6fa6b3214394e98

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“There’s no need to 61493cb2fb sneak a peek. If you want, I’ll c50bad063e show you anytime.”a6962b004b597387