LS 69

He’d rarely been to anyone else’s home. He didn’t exactly have friends who would invite him over. Even in Moonhyuk’s inexperienced eyes, though, Dohee’s place clearly wasn’t like a typical guy’s apartment.

The house was exceptionally neat. The interior, with its smooth lines and flawless design, looked straight out of a model home you’d occasionally see on TV. Moonhyuk didn’t know much about style, neither in clothing nor home décor, but even he could see Dohee’s place was bright and lovely. It suited its owner perfectly. Soft, walnut-toned furniture stood against pristine white walls. Tastefully arranged picture frames and carefully placed furniture made it clear Dohee cherished his home dearly.

Didn’t he say he lived alone…?

The place was bigger than he’d expected. Moonhyuk had thought Dohee must be well-off, but he hadn’t imagined him living alone in such a spacious home. The rustling sounds of Dohee unpacking groceries echoed softly through the spacious, quiet apartment.

Standing awkwardly in the middle of the living room, having just taken off his coat and scarf, Moonhyuk hesitated uncertainly. He wasn’t sure where to put his things. The ivory-colored sofa looked far too pristine to casually toss his clothes onto.

“Hyung.”

“…Hm?”

“You can just leave your clothes on the sofa and go wash up.”

“Oh… okay!”

“Use the guest bathroom. I put the underwear I bought on the table, grab them when you go.”

At that, Moonhyuk quickly grabbed the underwear and toothbrush from the kitchen island and headed to the bathroom.

Earlier, after parking at the building, they’d stopped by the convenience store downstairs. Moonhyuk had bought underwear and a toothbrush, while Dohee had grabbed spam and two cans of beer. Dohee paid so smoothly that Moonhyuk missed his chance to offer his card. All he could do was thank him awkwardly.

He’d felt embarrassed enough to die, so much that he hadn’t even wanted to respond to Dohee’s messages, yet somehow, he found himself showering in Dohee’s bathroom. It had always been like this since meeting him. Before he knew it, Moonhyuk found himself quietly going along with whatever Dohee suggested. Not that he disliked it. It just felt… like he was under some sort of spell.

Listening to the sound of the shower running, Dohee picked up Moonhyuk’s discarded coat and scarf and brought them to the dressing room. He carefully hung the oversized coat and scarf on hangers, then sprayed them lightly with his favorite fabric freshener. Seeing the neatly arranged scarf again brought a proud smile to his lips, recalling how perfectly it had suited Moonhyuk.

As Dohee showered briefly in his en-suite bathroom, he began making small plans. Calling them “plans” might be too grandiose, really, he was just thinking things through.

Bringing Moonhyuk home had been more than 80% impulsive. But regardless of how it happened, Moonhyuk was here now, and Dohee figured he might as well let him sleep comfortably, feed him well, and then play games together tomorrow. They could do their daily quests, join the server raids, and tackle Moonhyuk’s hidden class quest, too. Given the quest was just starting, it would take at least two days. If they got through half tomorrow, they could finish the rest after Moonhyuk’s part-time job. It’d be good to get new skills before the next scheduled maintenance and join the guild in running the World Raid.

When Dohee emerged from his room wearing soft navy-striped pajamas, Moonhyuk was once again standing awkwardly in the middle of the living room, looking completely lost. As Moonhyuk glanced nervously around, their eyes met. Dohee couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“Uh… w-what?”

“The clothes. They’re small.”

“Ah…”

“And that’s the biggest size I’ve got. Those pants belong to Yeohoo, he’s a few centimeters taller than me.”

Moonhyuk, already pink-cheeked from the shower, flushed even redder. He awkwardly tugged at the sleeves and cuffs, but it was no use, his wrists and ankles were fully exposed. Dohee had always known Moonhyuk was tall, but seeing him wearing his own clothes made the difference even more obvious. Moonhyuk was truly massive.

“Bring comfortable clothes next time, hyung.”

“Huh?”

“You want to wear that again?”

“N-no!”

“Then bring your own.”

“O-okay.”

“Sit down over there.”

Dohee pointed at the small table and chairs near the balcony. Moonhyuk carefully walked over, and Dohee nearly burst into laughter again. Freshly showered, Moonhyuk’s pale skin was tinged a soft pink, like a ripe peach. Dohee swallowed dryly without thinking.

God, Baek Dohee. Get yourself together.

Sweeping his damp hair back, Dohee pulled two beers from the fridge, feeling Moonhyuk’s eyes carefully watching him from the table.

Seriously, why does he look even better after a shower? His heart raced embarrassingly. Unbelievable.

Dohee took a few slices of leftover cheese and some fruit from the fridge, placing them on a plate. He set the snacks and cold beer on the table, sitting opposite Moonhyuk, who was busy gazing out at the nighttime view from the window.

“Do you like it?”

“Huh? Oh–”

“The view. My place is pretty high up, so you can see the whole area clearly.”

“Oh… it’s really pretty.”

Dohee cracked open his beer, and the satisfying fizz of carbonation filled the air. Only then did Moonhyuk turn back and accept the beer Dohee offered him. They tapped cans lightly, and Dohee took a long sip, finally feeling some of his tension melt away. Moonhyuk, meanwhile, cautiously sipped his beer, unlike Dohee’s carefree gulping. Observing him quietly, Dohee spoke first.

“Hyung, are you good with alcohol? I didn’t even ask before buying these.”

Moonhyuk quickly swallowed the beer he’d been holding in his mouth and blinked rapidly before slowly shaking his head.

“No… I’m not good at drinking.”

“You’re not?”

“Yeah, not really. Uh… one beer is enough to get me pretty buzzed, I guess…?”

“Your limit’s one beer?”

“Seems like it… So I usually avoid drinking gatherings during the semester…”

“That’s good to hear.”

Dohee said something, but it was too quiet to make out. Moonhyuk widened his eyes in confusion.

“…Huh?”

“Never mind. Hyung, you see that room over there? The door that’s closed.”

Moonhyuk turned halfway, following Dohee’s pointing finger, and saw a firmly shut door.

“Yeah.”

“That’s the game room. After lunch tomorrow, let’s go in there so you can check out the computer. I reset the keyboard and mouse, but if you don’t like them, you can switch. We’ll do our dailies, join the server raid, and start your hidden quests together.”

“…Okay.”

Moonhyuk’s voice was tiny as an ant’s, and he nodded slightly. Honestly, even that was so adorable that Dohee felt speechless again. While Dohee diligently emptied his beer, Moonhyuk took a few more cautious sips. Then suddenly, Moonhyuk spoke first.

“This place is…”

“Hm?”

“I mean, your house… It’s really big for someone living alone.”

“Oh, yeah. It just turned out this way. I like clothes, so I wanted a dressing room, and I like gaming, so I wanted a separate gaming room. Plus, I prefer having my bedroom separate. Oh, hyung, you’ll sleep in the dressing room tonight. There’s a mattress standing upright in there; I’ll lay it down later. I bought it for guests, but honestly, it’s rarely used. The twins always sleep on the sofa when they visit.”

“Oh… I could sleep on the sofa too…”

“Why would you? It’s better to use the mattress and be comfortable.”

Dohee’s tone left no room for argument, so Moonhyuk eventually nodded. Whether the twins got drunk and crashed on the sofa or not wasn’t Dohee’s concern, but Moonhyuk being uncomfortable and cramped on a sofa was absolutely unacceptable.

Dohee continued speaking casually.

“The place is kind of spacious… but I think I’ve just gotten used to it.”

“Still…”

“Hm?”

“Living alone… it’s lonely, and a big space can make it even lonelier. That’s something you don’t really get used to easily… Ah, wait–no, I mean, that’s just me! I’m not saying you’re like that, Dohee. I just thought I’d feel that way…”

Moonhyuk’s voice grew smaller and smaller until it was almost inaudible.

So sweet.

He was actually worrying whether Dohee felt lonely living by himself in this big apartment. How on earth was he so sweet?

Holding back laughter that threatened to escape, Dohee slowly nodded. If Moonhyuk thought it was reasonable, there was no need to deny it. Besides, Moonhyuk wasn’t wrong. He’d felt lonely plenty of times.

“You’re right.”

“Huh?”

“It is lonely.”

“Ah…”

“So come visit often, hyung.”

As Dohee said this, he smiled warmly, propping his chin up with one hand and looking at Moonhyuk. Their eyes met slightly askew. Moonhyuk’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously.

“Oh, y-yeah…”

Moonhyuk nodded obediently.

Cute, gentle, and sweet. Dohee smiled softly as he took another sip of beer. It tasted like the freshest beer he’d had in ages.

💎

After leaving Moonhyuk sitting at the table, Dohee tidied up, threw away the beer cans, and then went to the dressing room to prepare Moonhyuk’s sleeping area. He lowered the mattress onto the floor and took out a soft pillow and blankets. Honestly, he wouldn’t have minded sharing his own bed, but Moonhyuk would probably panic, so Dohee quietly arranged this setup instead.

“Hyung.”

Coming out of the dressing room, Dohee called out, but there was no response. Moonhyuk had already fallen asleep, face-down on the table, arms folded beneath his head. Had it really been that long…? Dohee approached silently, careful not to make any noise. Maybe Moonhyuk was exhausted from crying, or maybe it was the beer, but he was sleeping deeply, breathing softly.

Dohee reached out a hand to wake him, but then suddenly stopped.

It was impulsive. Everything Dohee ever did was impulsive, he was always like this, someone who acted without thinking too much about it.

Slowly, Dohee leaned down.

He pressed his lips briefly to the crown of Moonhyuk’s head, lingering for just a moment before pulling back. Moonhyuk remained completely oblivious, fast asleep. Dohee gently brushed Moonhyuk’s hair. His short hair smelled comforting, like a puppy that had dried in the warm sunlight.

“Hyung.”

“…”

“Moonhyuk-hyung.”

Eventually, he gripped Moonhyuk’s shoulder and shook gently. Only then did Moonhyuk’s eyes flutter open. Realizing he’d dozed off, Moonhyuk jolted upright like a spring.

“Huh? I wasn’t sleeping…!”

“You were.”

“Oh…”

“Go brush your teeth and lie down comfortably. I set up your bed.”

“Ah… O-okay, then!”

Moonhyuk hurriedly rushed to the bathroom. Judging by the urgency of his footsteps, he must’ve felt pretty embarrassed about falling asleep.

Dohee pushed Moonhyuk’s chair back into place, then slowly walked to his bedroom. He opened the door quietly. He could hear water running from the bathroom.

And suddenly, once again, he found himself wanting even more.