LS 94

“Okay.”

Dohee’s answer was simple. In response to Moonhyuk’s hesitant words, he didn’t even pause for 0.1 seconds before replying. He let go of one of the hands he was holding and cupped Moonhyuk’s cheek. His palm brushed along his face, and his thumb rubbed under the corner of Moonhyuk’s eye. As he wiped the wetness from Moonhyuk’s cheeks, Dohee let out a soft chuckle.

“You’re really hard to deal with, hyung.”

“S-sorry…”

“I wasn’t saying it to get an apology.”

Because of the tears, Moonhyuk’s whole face was flushed pink. Should he bite that cheek? Or maybe nibble on his lip? All kinds of impulses swirled inside Dohee. He didn’t know. This wasn’t a confession, and they weren’t dating, but what if he just went crazy for a second and kissed him? Had this man ever even been kissed before?

At some point, a devil had started whispering in Dohee’s ear, swelling up and growing louder: Just do it! Just go for it! But thankfully, Baek Dohee was still a man with a shred of reason left.

“Go wash your face, hyung. Before you go to your part-time job, stop by your place and grab your stuff, okay?”

“…Okay.”

“Leave your things here, study for a bit, and we’ll have dinner together later. Then I’ll take you to work.”

Moonhyuk nodded and stood up. As he walked away toward the bathroom, Dohee carefully laid out the plan in his mind.

If you move too fast, he runs.

Even just today, he’d almost lost him by trying to get him to stay over. Unlike himself – who made decisions fast and acted even faster– Moonhyuk was slow about everything. So he needed to be patient. If he suddenly blurted out, Hyung, do you like me? Moonhyuk might actually pass out on the spot.

Dohee didn’t know if Kwon Moonhyuk liked him. But he was sure of one thing: to Moonhyuk, Baek Dohee was someone special, someone who made him happy, someone he didn’t want to lose. And for now, that was enough.

In truth, Dohee was about halfway convinced that Moonhyuk did like him. Still, he couldn’t rush it. Not if he wanted to grow this relationship, not if he wanted Moonhyuk to stay by his side for a long, long time. That made patience all the more essential.

He’d already succeeded in getting Moonhyuk to move in, now it was time to take it slow, to nudge gently. Like a drizzle soaking clothes before you even realize it, he’d have Moonhyuk soaked through with Baek Dohee before he knew it.

Most likely, Moonhyuk hadn’t even considered the possibility of a man liking another man. Actually, no, he definitely hadn’t. Even when they got the couple avatar, he clearly thought of romance as something only between a man and a woman.

Dohee wasn’t blaming him. There are all kinds of love in this world, but just as many people don’t know those different kinds exist. It wasn’t strange that Moonhyuk had never thought that way.

Dohee remembered how confused he’d been when he first realized he liked men. If it hadn’t been for Yeohoo, who shared similar worries, he might’ve struggled with it for much longer. Accepting that you’re “different” takes time. And for someone like Moonhyuk, who was slow in everything, it might take even longer.

Dohee stood up and put on his outerwear again. He grabbed his car keys. Just then, Moonhyuk came out of the bathroom after washing up. They still had a long road ahead, but as the saying goes, even a thousand-mile journey starts with a single step. The first step was taken. Now all that was left was not to stop.

As he stood by the shoe cabinet tying Moonhyuk’s scarf neatly, Dohee thought:

He’s still an unripe handsome man I can’t taste yet, but he’s more than worth taking poking at.

8. It just keeps getting better

The belongings Moonhyuk brought from his place were modest. So modest that a single crossbody bag was enough. Truthfully, Dohee’s place already had everything needed for daily life. All Moonhyuk brought were a few changes of clothes and underwear, some study materials, and a couple of tutoring notebooks.

He only packed what he’d need until the Demon Hunter event ended, he’d think about the rest later, after seeing how things went. But when they got back and Dohee opened the bag, he couldn’t help but freak out.

“…Fuck.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing, hyung. I’ll hang up your clothes, so you can sort out the rest.”

How many plaid shirts could one man have? There were three of that one particular pattern he always said was his favorite. On top of that, two more plaid shirts in completely new patterns.

I swear I’m going to burn these one day.

Dohee ground his teeth silently. Still, despite his inner curses, he gently hung each one on the hanger with care. Seeing Moonhyuk’s shirts lined up neatly at the end of his own shirt rack gave him a strange sense of pride, even if the patterns were hideously tacky.

Right now, even if he gave Moonhyuk a box of brand-new clothes, Moonhyuk would probably refuse them. He’d gotten better, but he still wasn’t used to receiving things. Dohee hoped that someday he would be. He wanted to do everything he could for Moonhyuk. If there was something Moonhyuk wanted, he’d buy it for him in a heartbeat. The problem was that Moonhyuk never wanted anything.

Anyway, someday, he would take Moonhyuk on a proper department store tour. Dress him up from head to toe just the way he liked and stand him right next to him. He could only imagine how beautiful he’d look, people on the street would stop and stare.

Once he finished putting the clothes away, Dohee looked around the dressing room. Was it really okay to have Moonhyuk sleeping here?

“Hyung.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you really okay sleeping in here? Should I rearrange the furniture?”

“Huh? Oh, no! It’s fine! Really, I’m fine with it.”

“It’s kind of uncomfortable, though, right? Doesn’t really feel like a bedroom. I was thinking of moving the hanger to this side, putting a real bed frame here, adding a dresser over there, and a small table next to it. Maybe a rug under the bed and a lamp by the door. That might make it feel more like a proper bedroom?”

“I-it’s really okay…”

Moonhyuk waved his hands in protest, clearly uneasy about the idea of remodeling a whole room just for him. But Dohee didn’t mind and gently kept nudging him.

“Or should we rearrange the living room? It’s spacious, with lots of empty space. We could move a few pieces of furniture and put a bed there. If you need personal space, we can put up a partition.”

“I…!”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t really need personal space or anything…”

“Yeah? But imagine if you’re using the dressing room as your bedroom, and I walk out and we bump into each other. Wouldn’t that be awkward?”

“Yeah…”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I mean… I’m okay sleeping anywhere. Even on the couch…”

“Why would you sleep there? The couch is for watching TV or studying. You should sleep comfortably.”

“I sleep well anywhere…”

“Then do you want to sleep in my room?”

The answer came after a brief pause.

“…What?”

“You said you don’t need personal space and can sleep anywhere. My bed’s really big. The room is spacious. It even has its own bathroom. Have you ever shared a bed with someone?”

“Ah… With my grandfather…”

“Your grandfather?”

“Yeah. Just laid out the blankets… but then I’d be getting in your way…”

“You wouldn’t be. Want to see my room?”

Seizing the moment, Dohee gestured for Moonhyuk to follow. Moonhyuk, who’d just tucked his last pair of underwear into a drawer, stood up. What was he supposed to do with this adorable guy who came when called and went when told? He couldn’t just swallow him whole.

“Maybe you’ve never come to wake me up in the morning because you’ve never seen my room.”

“That’s… not why…”

“You’ll be living here now anyway. Even if I’m asleep, you can just come in. I don’t lock the door.”

“Okay…”

Dohee opened the door and led Moonhyuk inside. He tiptoed into the room, looking around nervously, then swallowed hard.

That’s the bookshelf, this is the dresser, it has this and that inside. Here’s the vanity, use whatever you need… Watching him quietly explore the room while listening to the running commentary filled Dohee with satisfaction.

“For now, keep sleeping in the dressing room, and if it ever gets uncomfortable, we can share this room. If you’re not uncomfortable sleeping with someone else.”

“Ah… I’m not uncomfortable, but…”

“But?”

“It’s just… I feel like I might not sleep well. I’m not sure.”

Moonhyuk answered with a glum expression. Dohee hadn’t expected him to jump into things right away. Just letting him know the option existed was enough for now.

While he was at it, he showed Moonhyuk where all the kitchen utensils were and explained what was in the bathroom. Moonhyuk explored the apartment like someone touring an exhibit. Maybe it was because, unlike the times he stayed over for a night or two, this place was going to be his home now. It was sweet how hard he was trying to familiarize himself.

Once they finished the house tour, Moonhyuk sat at the table in the living room and started studying. Watching that, Dohee quietly retreated into the game room, making sure to shut the door so as not to disturb him.

And that’s how their impulsive, haphazard cohabitation began.