OMLM | Chapter 42

Honestly, Yebon thought that by now, Cha Hyuk would have taken the food for himself.

But it seemed like Cha Hyuk had no intention of picking up the spoon himself; whenever the spoon approached, he just opened his mouth like a baby bird and mumbled.

His lips curled up in a strange way, looking pleased.

Yebon felt awkward and embarrassed about spoon-feeding porridge to a man much larger than himself.

“I’d be embarrassed if someone fed me porridge like this,” Yebon tilted his head and asked.

“Hyung, does your hand hurt too?”

“Yeah, hyung’s hand hurts too.”

With such a straightforward response, Yebon sighed, realizing and dismissing his suspicions. If his hand was hurting, that was that.

Cha Hyuk never once used his hands until the bowl of porridge was completely empty.

After cleaning up, Yebon examined the numerous wounds on Cha Hyuk’s face.

There were marks near his forehead where stitches had been removed, his left cheek was purplish with a bruise, and there was a scab at the corner of his lip.

These were clearly injuries from a beating.

Seeing them, Yebon’s lips turned downwards, feeling even more upset.

“This is really… too much.”

Why did Cha Hyuk have to be hurt like this? What had happened to him?

Yebon had many questions, but the only one he could ask was this.

“Where are the medications? I think I need to reapply the bandages. You have fever reducers, right?”

That’s all he could do.

“Over there.” Cha Hyuk pointed towards a shelf in the kitchen.

Yebon quickly grabbed the first-aid kit. His actions were clumsy as he applied the ointment and bandages.

Nevertheless, Cha Hyuk just quietly watched Yebon fumbling with his face.

When was the last time someone looked at him with such concerned eyes?

“Yebon.”

He almost wanted to lean in on that concern.

“Yes?”

“Why haven’t you been in touch lately?”

As Yebon was applying ointment on his left cheek, a large hand softly covered his own.

“Did hyung do something wrong? Don’t push hyung away too much. Just a little.”

Yebon’s hand was fully pressed against Cha Hyuk’s cheek. The ointment made his palm slippery and warm.

Cha Hyuk playfully rubbed his cheek against Yebon’s hand.

Yebon’s thought processes tangled up with this excessive contact.

Cha Hyuk’s expression, hidden under his damp and disheveled hair, looked gentler than usual, and his cheeks were flushed, perhaps from the fever.

In that moment, looking straight into Cha Hyuk’s pleading dark eyes, Yebon blurted out.

“Hyung, can I kiss you?”

Cha Hyuk furrowed his brow.

He was confused by what he had just heard.

At that slight frown, Yebon, feeling rushed, leaned in closer.

“Before…you said I looked too good to pass up… just once.”

He knew it was crazy. But who could resist when the person they liked was flirting like this?

Yebon wasn’t saintly enough for that.

Rather, if it was lewd, then let it be lewd.

“Kang Ye…” a soft flesh touched his lips briefly.

Yebon half-closed his eyes and parted his lips, then pressed them against Cha Hyuk’s again. It was a brief, almost innocent kiss.

‘Should I just go for it now?’ Yebon wondered.

A terribly bad impulse kept nagging at him. It was the kind of thought that would give God a heart attack if He were watching.

But Yebon’s body was already leaning towards Cha Hyuk.

Just as Yebon was about to press his lips again.

“Eek!” A strong arm wrapped around Yebon’s waist and pulled him in forcefully.

Startled, Yebon’s eyes went wide, and it was then that he finally met Cha Hyuk’s gaze.

Those cool eyes seemed like they could devour him.

Suddenly realizing what he had done, Yebon started to panic.

The youthful impulse to pounce had long evaporated.

“Ah, I, my mind went blank for a moment… Uh!” His babbling was abruptly silenced.

The tongue that invaded his mouth was excessively hot and aggressive. Chasing after the retreating tongue, it rubbed and poked beneath it.

As their lips sealed tightly, Yebon forgot how to breathe and pushed against Cha Hyuk’s shoulders, but the more he pushed, the tighter Cha Hyuk held him.

“Ah…”

As soon as their lips separated, Cha Hyuk bit and sucked on Yebon’s lips repeatedly.

A dizzying pain followed by a sensation of being sloppily licked sent tingles down Yebon’s neck.

Yebon had never experienced such a beastly kiss before and gasped for air in confusion.

“Ahjusshi… uh… ah… stop…!”

The hand that was tightly wrapped around his waist now wandered to his side.

His vision blurred, and every touch from Cha Hyuk sent chills through him.

Yebon whimpered.

He hadn’t expected this. Overwhelmed by Cha Hyuk’s unyielding advances, Yebon suddenly burst into tears.

The sound of him trying to hold back his sobs made Cha Hyuk suddenly pull back.

With his cheeks flushed red, Yebon was trembling all over.

“Wait, stop…!”

Embarrassed about having initiated it, Yebon cried even harder.

His fierce gaze instantly warped. Cha Hyuk looked down at him in confusion and hurriedly helped him up.

“What have I done… Yebon, I’m sorry. Hyung isn’t in his right mind, I’m sorry…”

While wiping his wet cheeks with his hand, Cha Hyuk didn’t know what to do.

The tears had stopped, but the lingering embarrassment made Yebon unable to lift his face.

‘Why, why did I start crying.’

It wasn’t that he disliked contact with Cha Hyuk. He just hadn’t expected it to be so urgent and rough, and he hadn’t known it would go this far, which scared him unexpectedly.

Even though Yebon had liked someone for a long time, he hadn’t actually dated much.

And almost half of that time, his partner had been cheating, so it hardly counted as a proper relationship.

Maybe that was why he couldn’t handle the intensity of Cha Hyuk’s advances.

“Yebon…” Cha Hyuk called him desperately, even though he was the one who had ignited this situation. The fingertips brushing his cheek felt burning hot.

‘What have I done to someone who is hurt.’

He felt utterly useless. He had even forced himself on without proper consent.

Yebon wanted to bash his head in for lacking self-control, biting his lip hard as he inhaled deeply.

“…I’m sorry, really… I think I lost my mind too…” Yebon cautiously raised his head.

Cha Hyuk’s forehead was slightly wrinkled. He didn’t look too pleased.

Was he also upset? Of course, it was an upsetting situation, but then why had Cha Hyuk suddenly been even more aggressive?

The place where his hand had touched below his waist still burned.

Amid the guilt and embarrassment, a selfish hope emerged. Maybe Cha Hyuk wasn’t completely indifferent to him.

Just when Yebon was about to ask.

“Let’s never do this again.” His tone left no room for further discussion.

Yebon closed his mouth again and just nodded.

A moment later, he barely moved his lips.

“…Yes, I won’t do it again… I’m sorry…”

After another apology, only a fragile silence lingered, like cracked glass.

Unable to either get down from the table or just sit still, Yebon kept nervously picking at his nails.

The heavy sigh from above made Yebon realize he had a huge mess and trouble to clean up.

Having gotten down from the table, Yebon rubbed his neck awkwardly and said,

“I’m sorry, you’re not feeling well, and it’s all because of me… I think it’s best I leave now.”

His eyes were red from a bit of crying, and his swollen lips were slightly wet.

As Cha Hyuk scanned every trace on him, he swallowed hard and nodded.

“Yeah, that would be best.”

“…Right.” Yebon hastily gathered his bag and outerwear, and Cha Hyuk followed him.

At the entrance, with his shoes on, Yebon fidgeted and watched Cha Hyuk’s reactions.

“I… I won’t ever do this again.”

“…Yeah.”

“Get some rest and take your medication. Get well soon.”

“Should I drive you?” Yebon, startled, waved his hands.

“No, no, it’s fine. I can call a taxi. You should rest. I came here on my own accord, so you should get some rest.”

Cha Hyuk seemed to think for a moment but eventually nodded.

Yebon awkwardly smiled and opened the front door. A cold wind brushed past his skin.

“I’ll be going then. See you next week…!”

Yebon left as soon as Cha Hyuk slightly waved his hand. He rushed out as if fleeing.

Standing at the entrance, Cha Hyuk watched Yebon leave and then swept his face with his hand.

Though he had taken fever reducers and his temperature had gone down, he still felt like he was burning inside.

The soft flesh and the small figure that had fit perfectly in his arms were vivid in his memory.

And the face streaming with tears, looking terrified.

“Ah…”

Now I’m really screwed.