LS 144

—No, no…

—Then from now on, we’re talking casually, okay?

Moonhyuk hesitated, then nodded. He also added that he might not be able to switch right away, but he’d try. That made Dohee smile in satisfaction. This was why he liked Kwon Moonhyuk, because he didn’t make empty promises about what he’d do right now, but said he’d try, that he’d do his best. That was enough. Moonhyuk would need time to adjust anyway.

As Dohee stared at the rear bumper of the slow-moving car ahead, he suddenly remembered there was still something he hadn’t brought up. It was important. He glanced at Moonhyuk, who was busy cleaning up the disposable container from the potatoes. The words came out of his mouth before he could even think them through.

“Hyung.”

“Huh? Yeah?”

“When we get back… we’re gonna keep living together, right?”

A brief silence settled in the car. Moonhyuk blinked, looking dazed. He clearly hadn’t thought about it yet. Not surprising. Honestly, it was no shock anymore. There might never be a day when Kwon Moonhyuk could keep up with Baek Dohee’s pace. But that was fine. Dohee had plenty of patience.

He decided to finally ask something he’d been curious about for a while.

“How much time is left on your lease? Is it under your name?”

“Ah… no, not really. I was supposed to renew it next month…”

“Then don’t renew it.”

Moonhyuk hesitated at how naturally Dohee said it. Sure, they’d agreed to live together until Demon Hunter ended, then figure out the rest. And of course, Moonhyuk liked being with Dohee. In fact, he probably hated the idea of being apart even more than Dohee did. But now that it was actually happening, all sorts of worries filled his head. As if reading his thoughts, Dohee asked again.

“Are you still scared of living with me?”

Moonhyuk quickly shook his head. He knew well enough that no relationship was permanent. He was too realistic to believe in romantic fantasies. But he’d decided not to be afraid anymore. He was going to do his best to keep this going for a long, long time. And he trusted that Dohee would, too.

“I’m not scared anymore…”

“Then what? Got some kind of emotional attachment to that place?”

“No, it’s not that… I want to live with you. I like living with you, Dohee!”

He ended up almost shouting by the end. Dohee glanced at him in disbelief, then burst out laughing. Moonhyuk’s ears turned bright red.

“I like it too. So let’s move your stuff gradually and cancel the lease next month.”

“Um…”

“Hmm?”

“I mean… I was wondering about rent and living expenses… if we should split those…”

His voice got quieter and quieter, practically mosquito-sized. Finally, Dohee understood what had been holding Moonhyuk back. Of course. He was worried about being a burden. Again. Dohee didn’t quite get it, but he opened his mouth calmly. It was something they needed to talk about sooner or later.

“Hyung.”

“Y-yeah?”

“This isn’t me bragging, and I don’t want you to feel bad, so don’t take it the wrong way. I have a lot of money. And the place we’re living in now is under my name anyway. Besides utilities, there’s not much to pay. If it really bothers you, you can just pitch in for the utilities. Sound okay?”

Moonhyuk nodded after a moment. He wasn’t offended. He already had a sense that Dohee was wealthy. Most guys their age didn’t drive cars like his or live alone in places that big. Still… he felt a little down. He wanted to look good for the person he liked, but here he was, worrying about money.

Watching Moonhyuk silently nod, Dohee spoke plainly.

“I’d rather you not spend money while you’re with me.”

“….”

“You like studying, right? I want you to save what you earn and use it for what you want. Honestly, I just want to feed you good food every day, keep the house warm, and make sure you laugh a lot. No guilt, no feeling like you owe me anything.”

Moonhyuk couldn’t say anything. He’d never met someone who wanted to give so much without asking for anything in return. It overwhelmed him. He was happy, but it hurt, and it made him feel helpless – but also unbelievably loved. A storm of emotions churned inside him.

“You still don’t get my personality, do you?”

Dohee asked playfully. Moonhyuk just blinked. Dohee chuckled and went on.

“I’m not someone who pretends. If I can’t do something, I say so. I’m not the type to force myself to do what I can’t. I only say what I can handle. I’m not showing off. I’m just being honest. I can do this forever. I want to.”

After a moment, Moonhyuk carefully opened his mouth.

“Then…”

“Then?”

“I just feel like… I’m not doing anything for you…”

Dohee gently stepped on the brake. The car ahead had come to a stop in traffic. As they slowed and stopped, he turned to look at Moonhyuk, who met his gaze. For a second, he was speechless. Why did he think that? Why would he say that?

“Why would you think that?”

“Because you… can do everything. And I…”

“Just stay by my side.”

“…What?”

“For a long, long time. I don’t care about anything else. Just make me smile until I die. Whatever you do, I’ll like it.”

“….”

“How is it that you think you’re not doing anything for me? Just being Kwon Moonhyuk beside me is enough to make me happy for life. Nothing else compares. Just stick to me like a tick and love me forever. That’s all I want.”

Moonhyuk swallowed hard. The tone sounded playful, but Dohee’s voice was more serious than ever. His eyes weren’t joking. It was real.

“Just love me forever. That’s all I want.”

No one had ever said something like that to him before. His throat felt tight, like something hot was stuck in it. It was a terrifyingly blissful request. But Moonhyuk nodded with all his strength. Even someone like him, maybe he could do it. Love someone for a lifetime. How could he not love someone like this?

“Yeah.”

Thankfully, his voice didn’t tremble when he said it. Dohee smiled brightly, clearly satisfied.

Was that enough for Dohee? He didn’t know. But one thing was certain, right now, Kwon Moonhyuk wanted to promise forever, even though he didn’t believe in it.

“I… I like you.”

“I like you too.”

Dohee smiled at him. The late afternoon sunlight shimmered through the car window. In that moment, Moonhyuk was sure of it, he would fall more in love with this person every day.

For a long, long time. Maybe forever.

“Oh, finally picking up speed.”

The hum of the car accelerating filled the space.

“So now it’s our home, huh?”

Dohee said excitedly. Moonhyuk nodded in agreement.

“Yeah. I want to… get home soon.”

“Let’s go, then. To our home.”

Dohee’s laughter filled the car again. As a silent promise of forever lingered in the air, the pleasant afternoon rolled on.

💎

As soon as they got home, Moonhyuk left for a tutoring session. Dohee had wanted to drive him, but decided to stay and tidy up a bit instead. He told Moonhyuk he’d come pick him up later, then watched him disappear out the front door.

It felt strange. They’d just decided to live together so quickly, but now that it was real, there were a hundred things he wanted to change.

First off, he had to get Moonhyuk out of that damn dressing room. They were dating, and they were using separate rooms? Separate rooms? That word didn’t even exist in Baek Dohee’s vocabulary.

He’d get rid of the mattress entirely… Oh, and first, he had to change the door lock code. No more of those twins barging in without notice. He’d have to tell them soon that he was officially living with Moonhyuk.

Or maybe… maybe they should move altogether. He’d bought this place planning to stay a while, but moving wasn’t a bad idea. Somewhere a little closer to school would be nice.

Or if Moonhyuk decided to take a break from school, they could move to an officetel a bit farther out. A change of scenery might feel good during a break. There was a unit Dohee had bought a while back, about an hour away. It had better sunlight than this place and was more spacious. Rebuilding the gaming setup would be a hassle, but nothing time and effort couldn’t fix.

Either way, this wasn’t a decision to make alone. He’d talk to Moonhyuk about it when he got back.

Right now, the most urgent task was to erase all traces of the mattress from the dressing room. Dohee acted fast. It was a perfectly fine mattress, but he didn’t feel a bit of regret. He wouldn’t be letting the twins crash here anymore anyway. And if they had any awareness, they wouldn’t show up unannounced again.

He put the mattress out by the front door and carried Moonhyuk’s pillow into his own room. The bed there always seemed a little too big before, but today, it felt just right. He placed Moonhyuk’s pillow beside his own and couldn’t help smiling.

He pulled out a bigger, warmer blanket. Moonhyuk got cold easily, so he picked something thicker and softer than what he usually used. It was one he’d never used because it was too warm, but now, he was glad he hadn’t tossed it.

When he told Moonhyuk they’d be living the same room, he’d looked totally dazed. Dohee had secretly watched that expression and laughed to himself for ages. Moonhyuk had turned beet red, but still managed a shy nod. He was so cute, Dohee wanted to bite those peachy cheeks right then and there. He wondered what was going through that small head of his.

Humming to himself, Dohee sprayed his favorite linen mist over the blanket. Whatever Moonhyuk was thinking, Dohee knew one thing for sure, this cohabitation was going to be perfect. For him, at least.