DPGR 42

Why aren’t you lying down?

Jiho mouthed the question and then, realizing the room was dark, patted the space next to him invitingly.

Catching the gesture, Dojin gave a small smile.

“I’m already wide awake. You go ahead and sleep, Guide Jiho. I’ll rest soon too.”

He averted his gaze slightly as he spoke, almost like he was trying to avoid Jiho entirely.

That was when Jiho began to worry—was something actually wrong with his guiding?

The wavelength definitely matched…

But he had no idea what the problem could be.

Even as those thoughts swirled around his head, Dojin’s hand patting gently over his chest was warm and comforting. Jiho ended up dozing off with a small groan, deciding to ask Guide Geonwoo and Guide Sena for more advice tomorrow.

***

“Mmm….”

A gentle ray of sunlight pierced his eyelids. Jiho buried his face deeper into the pillow, squirming as he reached out to the side, groping at the space next to him.

The blanket there was perfectly smooth,m and cold, not a trace of warmth left.

As always, Jiho stretched out his arms with a yawn and shuffled out to the living room.

He fully expected Dojin to greet him from the kitchen, preparing breakfast like usual.

“……?”

But the living room was dark and silent. Not a sound of movement, no sign of anyone.

Baek Dojin…?

Where had he gone now?

Jiho frowned deeply, glancing around in search of any trace of Dojin.

Then—he spotted him.

Lying stretched out across the sofa, sound asleep under a thick blanket.

“……!”

Startled, Jiho found himself walking over before he could stop.

Tap, tap.

His bare feet made small, sticky sounds on the floor as he moved. The noise startled Dojin awake.

“Oh, ah—what time is it already… Sorry. I overslept…”

He scrambled up, muttering excuses, and rushed into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water filled the apartment.

What…?

Jiho watched Dojin return, now washed up and casually preparing a late breakfast. He couldn’t help but stare at the older man’s back, full of questions.

Why had he slept on the sofa?

And since when did he ever oversleep?

Jiho wanted to ask, but seeing how busy Dojin was, he just sat quietly in the spot where Dojin had been lying, folding the blanket neatly to suppress his curiosity.

And the afternoon was no better. Jiho didn’t have the strength left to ask questions, anyway.

“Huff… Huff…”

Today was physical training with Kijoon.

Usually, it was nothing more than light treadmill walking, just enough to break a sweat.

That’s what it should’ve been.

But today was different.

“Your stamina’s improved, so we can step it up a little.”

Dojin—who normally treated Jiho like a fragile doll who might blow away in a breeze—suddenly said this to Kijoon.

“Huh? You want to go harder?”

Even Kijoon was surprised enough to repeat it back. Dojin nodded, then leaned in to whisper something.

Jiho could barely make out fragments: “deep sleep,” “restful…”

“Aha, say no more! Leave it to me!”

Puffing up with confidence, Kijoon exaggerated a salute and marched Jiho off to the training room.

What followed was nothing short of a full-body takedown. Jiho was absolutely wrecked from head to toe.

“Hnghh…”

By the end, he couldn’t even lift a finger. He collapsed on the mat like a rag doll.

He was so exhausted he had to nap on the floor for an hour just to muster the energy to shower.

By that point, the events of dawn and the morning were long forgotten.

All he could think was: I wanna go home… I wanna sleep in my bed…

“Let’s all head home for the day.”

Thankfully, before Jiho could fully crash, Dojin called for an early end to the workday.

The rest of the team cheered as they left the Center, and Dojin followed shortly after, helping a very floppy Jiho off the sofa and out the door.

Watching Jiho melt into the passenger seat, Dojin smiled fondly.

“You’ll sleep very well tonight.”

Very well?

So he’d thought Jiho woke up in the night because he still had too much energy?

Jiho shot him a pouty look, but Dojin was focused on driving and didn’t notice.

“First, we’ll buy bedding and a night lamp… Ah. We’ll need curtains, too. Once we’ve got everything, let’s have dinner before heading back.”

“……?”

We’re not going straight home?

Jiho tilted his head in confusion. As the car slowed to a stop at a traffic light, he reached out and tapped Dojin’s arm.

Where are we going?

At Jiho’s silent question, Dojin blinked in surprise.

“We agreed to go shopping for your new bedroom, didn’t we?”

Only then did Jiho remember their conversation from earlier that morning. So Dojin had meant it—he really was setting up a separate room for Jiho.

Is that why he let us off work early?

Jiho pouted. Leaving work early, going shopping with Dojin, eating out—he liked all of that. But the idea of using separate bedrooms? That he didn’t like.

He never even mentioned sleeping apart until now…

It felt way too sudden. Jiho couldn’t help thinking that this, too, must be because of a problem with his guiding.

His usual spiral of self-doubt began to creep in again. Meanwhile, seeing Jiho’s downcast expression, Dojin just assumed he was hungry.

“Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

Jiho shook his head.

“There’s a nice restaurant at the department store. Shall we go there?”

A little nod.

The light changed, and with that tiny exchange over, Dojin focused back on the road.

Jiho stared out the window, thoughts swirling with images of his new room and the fact that he’d be sleeping apart from Dojin. He swallowed a sigh.

The new bedroom was located right across the hall from the master bedroom he used to share with Dojin.

A soft bed had been made with brand-new bedding from the department store, and a sleek night lamp now sat atop the once-empty bedside table.

The plush carpet on the floor, the thick curtains to block the cold—all of it had been chosen with care by Dojin, just for Jiho.

There wasn’t a single corner in the room that hadn’t been shaped by Dojin’s attention and thoughtfulness.

“Sweet dreams.”

Leaving Jiho behind, Dojin offered a gentle goodnight and disappeared.

The room was warm, cozy, and quiet.

Perfect, really, for falling into a deep sleep.

But—

“……”

Jiho, lying in the dark, couldn’t seem to fall asleep. He tossed and turned restlessly.

Sure enough, being alone—separated from Dojin—made all sorts of negative thoughts bubble up.

His body was tired, practically limp, but his mind stayed wide awake. Sleep just wouldn’t come.

Probably because of that late-night guiding.

He regretted doing it now. What if my guiding really is the problem? Why does Baek Dojin keep avoiding it? If only he would just say something…

“Haa…”

His sigh echoed in the quiet room. Every shift he made rustled the blankets.

Jiho spent the night tangled in doubts about his guiding ability, sinking into gloom until he finally drifted off in the dead of night.

“Ngh…”

Jiho opened his eyes in the dim light of dawn, stirred from shallow sleep.

His hand reached instinctively to the side—and then he remembered. He was alone in bed.

“Hngh…”

The loneliness hit harder after waking from sleep.

His face crumpled, and he let out a tiny whimper as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

He glanced back and forth between the tightly closed door and the empty space beside him, then hugged his pillow and climbed out of bed.

Following the tug in his chest, he wandered out, feet dragging softly on the floor. Unintentionally, his steps led him straight to Dojin’s bedroom.

Stop.

Jiho stood in front of the closed door, unmoving.

I just… want to hear him breathing.

After all those sad thoughts before bed, he craved warmth. But not knowing the real reason Dojin had split their bedrooms made it hard to go in.

What if I wake him up?

He didn’t want to bother him.

So Jiho stood there for a long while, hugging his pillow, then slowly slid down against the wall.

It was a little chilly sitting there, but somehow, it felt more comforting than his unfamiliar new room.

And then, just as Jiho began to nod off again in his crouched position—

“Guide Jiho?”

The door creaked open without a sound. Dojin’s voice filtered through the gap.

Startled, Jiho jumped, shoulders twitching, and scrambled to his feet—only to trip. Dojin caught him before he could fall.

“What are you doing out here?”

It was a simple question—just asking why he was up at this hour—but to Jiho’s ears, it sounded like a scolding.

“Hnnngh…”

He let out a teary whine, and Dojin, alarmed, reached out to feel his forehead.

“You’re not running a fever. Are you feeling unwell?”

Jiho shook his head.

“Then… did you have a bad dream?”

Jiho went quiet again. No, he wasn’t sick. No, he hadn’t had a nightmare. There wasn’t really any reason to be out here.

Dojin would probably tell him to go back now, to return to his room and sleep.

Jiho took a step back, already deflated—when suddenly…