CTL 20

“Running?”

“Yes.”

It really was an exercise that did not suit him at all. To think that this guy who had no interest in exercise had even waged a war against him in the past. Yoongeon looked him up and down as if sizing him up.

“…What is it now.”

Seohwi asked sullenly. Yoongeon thought deeply and then furrowed his brow.

“No, I just feel a certain way.”

“About what.”

“…Annoyed.”

“……?”

Seohwi looked at him as if asking what he was talking about, but Yoongeon did not answer any further. He did not want to say something like, ‘You were born talented, so you overpowered me with strength in the past,’ with his own mouth.

Well, in any case, his nagging, which wasn’t really nagging, was not entirely without reason. After all, it was rare to find someone who sparred as ferociously as he did. In today’s world, hurting another person was a crime.

“Really, move now. Stop blocking the way.”

When Yoongeon pushed his shoulder, Seohwi meekly moved back. He was about to pass by him when he grabbed his arm and caressed the crook of his arm.

“Let go.”

The touch that caressed the deeply torn wound was excessively careful, so Yoongeon forcefully pulled his arm away. He hated it when he treated him like this.

Seohwi, who saw the annoyance creeping into his expression, was momentarily flustered, but he soon composed his expression and followed behind him. Yoongeon bit his lip as he escaped as if running away.

“Why are you getting angry.”

“I didn’t get angry.”

“You don’t like me touching you?”

“Yes, I don’t.”

“……”

Yoongeon, who had been striding towards the kitchen, turned around with an angry face.

“Don’t touch me carelessly.”

He hated that he casually touched his wounds, his scars. He hated it when he caressed him as if to comfort, as if to soothe. Acting as one would to a cherished person….

“I was worried.”

“……”

“That’s all it is.”

Seohwi said calmly. It meant that he had not done it with any other intention, so he should not be so angry.

“Stop getting on my nerves.”

But Yoongeon said this while glaring at him fiercely.

“Don’t pity me.”

He did not care about other emotions. Resentment, or awkwardness, anything was fine. But he did not want to receive pity, compassion, or comfort.

“……”

Seohwi looked at him quietly for a while, then nodded his head.

“Okay.”

That was all. Seohwi maintained a step’s distance without adding any other words. Yoongeon looked at him with wary eyes before sitting down on the sofa. In truth, if he had his way, he would have wanted to escape to the study, but he did not because his pride was somehow hurt by the thought of running away.

Yoongeon, sitting on the sofa with his arms crossed, closed his eyes to suppress his emotions. It would be nice if Seohwi would give him some space, but he simply sat down across from him nonchalantly.

“……”

“……”

He did not do anything. He just sat there silently. The standoff between Yoongeon and Seohwi continued in quiet silence.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Why is he doing that again. What on earth does he want. Whenever Seohwi sat firmly in front of him without saying a word, Yoongeon would always feel anxious. He must want something, that’s why he’s doing that. He will wait until I get tired of it myself and give up, and then, when it’s impossible to refuse, he will finally open his mouth.

Let’s just make the first move. In the end, it was Yoongeon who gave up this time as well. He decided to escape to the study and stood up from his seat.

“Get it treated properly.”

It was then. Seohwi suddenly spoke to him. As he looked at him as if asking what he was talking about, his gaze landed on the crook of his arm.

“Ah, I thought the nagging was over?”

“……”

Yoongeon deliberately sneered, but Seohwi just looked back at him calmly.

“I’ll take care of it myself.”

“I thought it’s because you can’t handle it.”

“……”

He should have asked what he meant, but unfortunately, Yoongeon understood Seohwi’s words at once.

“Do I look like that?”

At his question, which he deliberately asked as if it was nothing, Seohwi quietly nodded his head.

“I’ll stay by your side.”

“There’s no need for that.”

It was true. There was no need for Seohwi to do anything for him. If one of them had to do something, it was Yoongeon’s share, not Seohwi’s. But Seohwi just grabbed Yoongeon’s arm.

“Let go.”

Yoongeon tried to shake him off, but this time he did not let go.

“I said to let go.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Why are you being like this. Let go. I’m busy.”

The atmosphere is getting strange. As Yoongeon furrowed his brow and tried to twist his arm to pull it out, Seohwi looked at him intently and said.

“I won’t let go.”

“……”

“I won’t leave you alone.”

At such a simple phrase, his heart threatened to well up again. What do you know to say you won’t leave me alone like before. As Yoongeon bit his lip while trying to suppress his emotions out of habit, Seohwi gently caressed the corner of his mouth.

“……”

“Why do you have those eyes again.”

Seohwi asked, but Yoongeon could not answer because he did not know what kind of eyes he was making.

It’s strange. He keeps seeing right through me. Just like before. Just like in the past when he knew Yoongeon very well.

“……Let go. Don’t hold onto a person over something trivial.”

He said he was busy. Of course, Yoongeon was always busy, so it was not a lie, but from the moment Seohwi held onto him, Yoongeon had forgotten everything he had to do and could not remember anything, yet he still said it.

Greed was ignited. If he could, he wanted to pull him into his arms again and go to bed. That was why. Yoongeon momentarily pushed Seohwi away with force and changed the subject.

“…Go.”

“I said I’m not going….”

“No.”

Yoongeon shook his head.

“I have to go to my parents’ house today too.”

He was not just saying it. It was the condition he had set in exchange for receiving his mother’s help when Seohwi was sick. When he had asked her to take care of Seohwi for a bit, his mother had hesitated but said she wanted to spend a long time with her son after so long. Yoongeon used that as an excuse to push Seohwi away.

“…So go. I’ll be coming tomorrow too.”

Seohwi, who seemed not to believe his words, reluctantly nodded his head.

“I understand.”

“Ugh…!”

He seemed to answer meekly, unlike him, but then he grabbed Yoongeon, pulled him close, and kissed him. It was not a deep kiss, but for some reason, his face turned bright red.

“……”

He thought it was silly since they had already slept together, but at the sudden event, Yoongeon covered his lips with his forearm. The color of Yoongeon’s half-hidden face showed no sign of returning to normal.

“What, are you doing….”

“Have a good trip.”

“……”

Seohwi smiled faintly as he looked at him. That face was so excessively bewitching that Yoongeon unknowingly swallowed dryly. At that moment, Seohwi seemed to be fiddling with his fingers, then whispered this to the extremely tense Yoongeon.

“And come back again, to me.”

It was such a simple phrase, but for a moment, Yoongeon could not say anything.