SU | Chapter 3.7

Yoo Han woke up feeling remarkably refreshed, more so than he had in years. Lifting his swollen eyes, the first thing he saw was the opalescent light fixture hanging from a white plaster ceiling. The square-shaped chandelier sparkled under the sunlight filtering through the window.

“……”

Surprised by the unfamiliar and strange scenery, Yoo Han involuntarily held his breath. As his senses gradually awakened, he felt the cloud-like duvet covering his body. It was too cozy, excessively comfortable. Yoo Han shifted his body slightly, and as the high-quality cotton met his skin, a contented sigh escaped him without him realizing. The comfort was so profound it almost immediately quelled any rational judgment or anxiety.

‘What the hell have you been up to that you’re groaning in the office?’

Just then, Ji Youngwon’s icy voice and his sneering expression flashed through Yoo Han’s mind.

‘If you’re awake, take your medicine.’

“Crazy.”

Scenes began to flicker through his mind like a film projector, and Yoo Han let out a sigh. His entire body stiffened as he lay there.

So this place is Ji Youngwon… Director Ji’s house….

Yoo Han surveyed the room with just the movement of his eyes, without getting up. The bedroom, presumed from its size, was overall brightly decorated with simple white wallpaper. The bed he was buried in was wide enough to fit three people easily, and the wall-mounted TV in front faced him with an overwhelming presence.

This time, he only lifted his neck to see his reflection on the TV. His face looked smooth and shiny, like a boiled egg peeled cleanly, after receiving care overnight and being deeply buried in the fluffy duvet. His eyes rolled again to the stool next to the bed where a damp towel was carelessly hung.

“Towel…”

Yoo Han sat up abruptly and stared at the towel with a blank expression. Director Ji’s voice was clear, but the circumstances leading here or the details of the situation didn’t connect smoothly, as if cut with scissors.

‘Don’t toss and turn, just lie down straight.’

Slowly, Yoo Han raised his hand to touch his forehead. His hair was a mess, sticking out everywhere.

“Is this really not a dream?”

Scenes of Ji Youngwon placing a towel on his forehead with rough hands, or speaking to him, came to mind one after another. Yoo Han’s eyes widened as he pieced together the puzzle in his brain. He hurriedly lifted the duvet to check his body.

“……”

Fortunately, an old t-shirt and training pants were neatly worn. But despite the clothes being neatly put on, his face started to heat up involently as memories of someone sweeping over his bare body surfaced.

‘Are you conscious?’

Yoo Han couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from loosening instinctively. It was clear that Ji Youngwon had taken him here last night, given him medicine, and tenderly wiped his fevered body with a cold towel. Fragmented memories of Ji Youngwon carrying him upstairs princess-style even jolted through his mind.

The feverishly hot body temperature against his and the distinctive scent of Director Ji that lingered at the tip of his nose. Yoo Han swallowed a scream and clutched his burning face, overcome with emotion as a strange moan escaped him.

“Kkhh…”

How did he know I was sick and come to find me? I hadn’t really seen him properly lately…. No. It’s clear he’s been paying attention all along. He must have come to check on me secretly while I was asleep yesterday and found me sick…. Maybe he even changed the office sofa suddenly because he was worried it was uncomfortable? Yes. He replaced it with a new one, so he must have just come to check if I was sleeping comfortably.

Unaware that the TV in front of him could be running CCTV for surveillance purposes, Yoo Han got lost in his rational fantasies.

“…Hehe.”

He laughed like someone delirious. It was serious. He actually liked Director Ji. The feelings he vaguely sensed even subconsciously, but denied without enough justification because it seemed too immature to fall for someone just because their face and body were attractive.

“Pretending not to, but he’s really… so kind.”

Ji Youngwon was kind to him. That alone gave his fragile feelings a striking coherence.

Going back, it might have started with the electrolyte drink Ji Youngwon handed him at their first meeting. If he said he was hungry, Ji Youngwon bought him food, didn’t ignore him despite sticking around stubbornly, retrieved clothes taken by a client with just a word, and even showed up out of nowhere to save him from a thug in a critical moment. Most of all, how could he not like Ji Youngwon, who didn’t just pass by his sick self but brought him into his bedroom to care for him personally?

For Yoo Han, who had never received such protection from an adult man, every casual word and action from Ji Youngwon was significant. Having someone care for him by his side when he was sick was an entirely new experience.

“Ah, really….”

The more he thought about it, the more overwhelmed he felt. Yoo Han pulled the duvet up to his face and took a deep breath. The duvet smelled of a pleasant fabric softener, seemingly mingled with Ji Youngwon’s scent. Overcome with emotion, Yoo Han bit his lip and shook his head.

It’s a common affliction for those in love to desperately assign meaning only to things they want to remember. Ji Youngwon, who had scolded Yoo Han for having two assignments while sick, hurled insults when Yoo Han wanted to rest, and snapped ‘Do you want to get hit?’ when Yoo Han squirmed in pain, had long been forgotten. Moreover, Yoo Han could hardly have known about Ji Youngwon’s ferocious member that had brutally invaded his mouth.

“What are you going to do, Yoo Han?”

He managed his burning ears with a self-deprecating laugh. His heart raced uncontrollably with the love that had begun without his intervention, yet part of him felt uneasy. No matter how much he had fallen in love with Ji Youngwon’s handsome face and occasionally kind demeanor, he could clearly distinguish that Ji Youngwon was not a good person.

Moreover, considering Ji Youngwon’s actions, the likelihood that their feelings were mutual was nearly non-existent. The only hope might be that gender wasn’t much of an issue, considering the situation with President Sung or the interest he had shown in Yoo Han’s body.

Yoo Han lay down on the pillow with an expression that could not discern whether he was laughing or crying. His lips were chewed red and swollen.

When he woke up again, it was well past lunchtime. Having bid farewell to the irresistibly comfortable cloud-like duvet, Yoo Han finally sat up completely. Since Ji Youngwon hadn’t come by all morning, it seemed he had gone to work after laying him down.

Feeling sticky from the night sweats, Yoo Han was desperate for a shower. Seizing the moment, he left the bedroom, which had no door, and looked around. Stepping out of the arched bedroom entrance, he was greeted by a long hallway adorned with sensibly placed artistic paintings on every white wall. Even to Yoo Han, who lacked an eye for art, it was clear that Ji Youngwon’s collection was valuable.

Not just the artwork, but the entire house seemed to be designed as a piece of art space. Although he had never been there, it felt like what people probably mean when they talk about a hotel suite room. Exploring the house like an excited puppy, Yoo Han was struck by how little the thrift-minded Director Ji seemed to match the lavish objects around him. Passing through the glass doors of the bathroom and various closed rooms, he now entered the living room.

The living room was decorated with a densely woven jacquard herringbone carpet and a glass tea table. Instead of a sofa or TV, one wall was completely filled with a bookshelf crammed with frequently read books that Ji Youngwon had brought from his study.

Yoo Han walked slowly to the bookshelf, feeling the soft carpet under his feet. His mouth stayed agape as he examined the books intently. From economic textbooks to books on human psychology, novels from the Enlightenment period, essay collections, and abstract art books, the shelves displayed a wide variety of topics.

“Does he… really read all these?”

It seemed impossible. Ji Youngwon, who usually spoke crudely and carried himself with an air of ignorance, couldn’t possibly have read all these cultured books. Yoo Han shook his head dismissively and turned away.

Crossing the open living room, he came upon the kitchen opposite. The kitchen, lacking overhead cabinets on the sink side, appeared even more simplistic. The decor was similar to the bedroom’s white tones, but wooden stools under the home bar added a serene atmosphere.

Yoo Han, who had been frantically surveying the interior like something out of a TV show, swallowed dryly.

“I’m thirsty….”

He felt dehydrated from sweating out too much the previous night. Not daring to randomly use the dishes, Yoo Han turned on the kitchen faucet instead. Cool water poured out abundantly. Bending over, he tilted his head slightly and drank directly from the stream, reminiscent of someone at a spring.

After quenching his thirst satisfyingly, Yoo Han smiled contentedly.

“Nice.”

Ji Youngwon’s eyes softened as he watched Yoo Han’s silhouette moving about the house on his phone screen, apparently unaware of the multiple CCTV cameras installed in the ceiling. Yoo Han’s cheerful laughter, even from a distance, was clearly visible on the screen.

“Crazy guy, this one.”

Ji Youngwon chuckled lightly, comfortably leaning back in his seat, his legs crossed.

“Should we head back now? Or do you have other matters to attend to?”

Executive Director Gu, who had come along for the meeting, asked as he steered the car. Ji Youngwon shook his head without a word, a subtle smile playing on his face.

“What are you watching?”

Unable to curb his curiosity, Executive Director Gu asked.

“Ah. A rat is running around the house.”

“A rat? Should I call pest control?”

Misunderstanding him, Executive Director Gu frowned, but Ji Youngwon waved his hand dismissively.

“It’s fine, I’ll catch it myself.”

At that moment, Yoo Han, appearing on the screen, approached a bookshelf with curiosity. The “rat” in question looked puzzled as he shook his head at the collection of books, as if doubting Ji Youngwon could possibly read them all. Ji Youngwon snorted a laugh, biting the inside of his cheek at the ridiculous gesture.

After browsing the bookshelf, Yoo Han moved into the kitchen. He seemed thirsty, touching his throat a few times before heading towards the sink. Glancing under the cabinet, he then reached for the faucet. As water poured out, Yoo Han bent his head to gulp it directly.

“Always something new with him.”

It was a phrase Ji Youngwon found himself using more frequently since meeting Yoo Han.

Executive Director Gu glanced at Ji Youngwon, puzzled by the various expressions crossing his face as he watched the screen.

Upon returning to the building, Ji Youngwon took the elevator straight to the fifth floor. Using his card key, he entered through the front door seamlessly. He had expected Yoo Han to have fled back to the office out of fear upon waking, but instead, he had been roaming around Ji Youngwon’s space as if it were a museum.

Daring to use a mug was one thing, but now he had slipped into the bathroom?

Ji Youngwon paused in front of the bathroom door. Through the steamed-up glass, he could vaguely see Yoo Han’s silhouette.

“Huh.”