VI | Chapter 12

How did I end up worrying about the young master’s lower half? I don’t know. Taehwon threw the wet towel into the bathtub with a splash and wiped his face with his palm, doing a dry wash. He couldn’t tell if he was the one who had changed or if the world had gone mad. He wished all of this was just a dream. There was no nightmare more dreadful than this.

A droplet of water fell from his chin.

✧✧✧

Autumn arrived after the rainy season had passed.

Through the window with the curtains drawn back, the wide-open sky was visible. It seemed to have cleared up after pouring down rain for so long, and the soft golden sunlight seeped through the sturdy iron bars on the window. The leaves were turning yellow and red, swaying gently in the cool autumn breeze.

The room was as peaceful and quiet as the serene natural scenery outside.

Taehwon sat quietly in the spacious bedroom, while Kwon Rae was changing his bandages.

Swish. The white bandage slowly unraveled, revealing the wound. New skin was growing and healing, but the area where the skin had split was still red. The area around the wound was slightly swollen, and there was a faint purple bruise on the skin.

Kwon Rae carefully examined the area around the wound, blew on it gently, and smiled at Taehwon.

“Fortunately, it’s healing well. There might be some scarring, though.”

Kwon Rae dipped a cotton swab in antiseptic and carefully cleaned the wound. Each time the swab touched the skin, Taehwon inhaled sharply, feeling a sting. But he quickly maintained a calm expression. He had no intention of showing any sign of pain in front of the young master.

Next, Kwon Rae took out some ointment and gently applied it with his hand. He meticulously spread it along the long cut across Taehwon’s chest, blowing gently on it with a tender touch.

Each time the warm breath touched the tender area, Taehwon’s forehead tensed slightly. It wasn’t painful, but it was awkward. He wondered if it was necessary to be so meticulous while changing a bandage, as he wasn’t a child.

“Does it tickle?”

Perhaps sensing his thoughts, Kwon Rae chuckled and asked. Taehwon didn’t answer and instead reached into the first aid kit to find a new bandage himself.

“Are you teasing me? It’s not funny.”

“Just curious. I wanted to see your reaction, Taehwon-ssi.”

Kwon Rae puckered his lips and blew again. Taehwon’s gaze was inadvertently drawn to those pink lips, knowing how soft and warm they were, which made him feel awkward and troubled.

Kwon Rae took the new bandage from Taehwon’s hand and unrolled it. He spread his arms wide to wrap it around Taehwon’s chest, embracing him as he wrapped it around his back. Taehwon turned his gaze aside, avoiding looking at Kwon Rae, and just endured it.

“Taehwon-ssi.”

“…….”

“Taehwon-ssi? Are you ignoring me?”

Even though he didn’t respond, Kwon Rae was persistent. By now, he should have stopped calling, but instead, he seemed to become more determined, continuing to call Taehwon. Eventually, Taehwon surrendered.

“I was just lost in thought.”

“Lost in thought? About what?”

“Well……. Various things.”

“What kind of things? I’m curious.”

His inquisitive gaze seemed genuine. He truly seemed curious. Perhaps he wanted to understand Taehwon’s current thoughts or concerns. After a moment of contemplation, Taehwon decided to speak his mind.

“When did you move out and start living independently? This seems like a private house.”

“What?”

“You’re no longer living in the Gyeongjeong faction’s annex, are you? My last memory is of staying at the annex.”

“Oh…… I recently got this house. I was living in the annex until recently.”

“Did you get it because of me?”

“Haha, of course. I couldn’t keep you in the middle of the Gyeongjeong main house. It worked out well. Even though I got it in a hurry, isn’t it perfect for the two of us? Like a newlywed house.”

Kwon Rae spread his arms again, embracing Taehwon as he wrapped the bandage around him. Each time he got closer, Taehwon felt as if the long, white eyelashes would brush against him.

“Besides, I’m an adult this year. With my father gone, there’s no reason for a half-blood like me to stay at the main house.”

“Is that so…….”

“Yes, that’s it.”

The newly wrapped bandage comfortably encased the wound. With the treatment finished, Kwon Rae looked down at Taehwon’s lower body. Taehwon’s thighs, clad in shorts, were also wrapped in bandages.

“Well……. You keep saying you don’t care, but I have to address it. The chairman’s death is my responsibility. Do you really not feel any resentment?”

“Well, not really.”

“Not really?”

“Of course, I do resent you. I resent that you tried to leave me and run away with money. But as for my father, well, I’m actually relieved he’s gone.”

Kwon Rae rolled up Taehwon’s shorts. His hands were slower than before as he unwrapped the bandages. His gaze, fixed on Taehwon’s thighs, was unsettling.

“Relieved? He was your biological father and the chairman of Gyeongjeong.”

“Yes, and that biological father and chairman took you away from me. If anything, it’s resentment.”

“…….”

“Or maybe it’s jealousy? Haha. You being chosen directly by the chairman was a success, but for me, it was a disaster.”

Kwon Rae chuckled as he gently unwrapped the bandages. He then applied antiseptic to a cotton swab. The cut on Taehwon’s thigh stung. At the same time, Kwon Rae pressed on Taehwon’s knee, spreading his legs wider. The wound extended to the inner thigh, but the sensation of his legs being spread was far from pleasant.

Moreover, Kwon Rae’s focused gaze between his legs was unsettling and bothersome.

The long cotton swab approached as if to pierce between his legs, and Taehwon’s knee twitched.

‘Tsk. It’s unnecessarily distracting.’

There was nothing to be embarrassed about. In a bathhouse, everyone walks around naked. It’s no different. They’re just legs. A man’s legs. Two legs with cuts from a knife. But.

<The past me and the present me are different.>

<See me properly.>

<Be aware of me. Clearly.>

‘Ha…….’

Unnecessary tension filled his leg muscles. He was so tense that it felt like sweat was forming on his back. While Kwon Rae gently disinfected the wound with the cotton swab, Taehwon tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. The golden autumn sunlight shimmered on the white ceiling.

“Does it hurt here?”

Kwon Rae asked gently as he began applying ointment to his leg. The contact felt like a burn. His low voice was unfamiliar.

“You seem tense.”

“…….”

“The inner muscles are trembling.”

Kwon Rae cupped Taehwon’s knee with his palm and observed his lower body intently. The persistent gaze was hard to bear.

The Kwon Rae before him was Kwon Rae, yet not Kwon Rae. Similarly, even he felt like Woo Taehwon, yet not Woo Taehwon. Who was this young master, and who was he?

“Is Taehwon-ssi’s weakness his thighs……. That’s valuable information. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Keep it in mind for what? It’s a misunderstanding.”

“Really?”

Kwon Rae squeezed a generous amount of ointment onto his fingers and applied it to the wound. As he began to rub it in, Taehwon’s body shivered, and his hair stood on end. Taehwon clenched his teeth, trying not to show any reaction.

“If it’s a misunderstanding, that’s a shame. It seemed like you were sensitive.”

The ceiling seemed to sway. His focus was slightly off.

“For the record, my ears are sensitive.”

“……Hmm.”

“They turn red and ticklish when touched.”

Kwon Rae brought a new bandage and wrapped it around his thigh. Taehwon sighed in relief, leaning his head back. However, the other thigh still remained.

“In fact, sometimes I touch my ears when I’m alone.”

What?

Taehwon instinctively inhaled sharply. Hearing that, he imagined Kwon Rae touching himself, and it drove him crazy. Unwanted thoughts filled his mind.

“Young master. I don’t think that’s appropriate for me to hear.”

“Haha, I touched myself thinking about you yesterday too.”

“That’s enough. Let’s stop talking about that.”

“Do you want to try touching them?”

Kwon Rae grinned as he unwrapped the bandage on the other leg. Taehwon couldn’t bring himself to look at his face as he approached with his eyes narrowed. His gaze lingered on Kwon Rae’s ear for a moment before returning to the ceiling in annoyance. But the white ceiling resembled the pale Kwon Rae, so there was no point in avoiding it.

“I’m curious how much I’d feel if Taehwon-ssi touched me.”

“Instead of being curious about such useless things, sit at a desk and study more. Read a book or something.”

“Nagging. You don’t even like books yourself.”

“You and I are different.”

“How are we different? I feel it in my ears, and you feel it in your thighs?”

“No. I said it’s not, so why are you being stubborn?”

“Really not? Is that so? Then it doesn’t matter if I touch you like this, right?”