* * *
If Wonho didn’t complain, it meant he could endure it—at least, that’s how she saw it.
A stark contrast to Haebom, who prioritized Wonho’s suffering above all else.
“You’re not here for guiding, are you?”
Yoonseo blinked at him, looking utterly lost.
It was the first time Wonho had ever rejected her, and her face reflected her confusion.
But she had never initiated physical guiding before, so she couldn’t tell if this was a genuine rejection or if he was just saying it.
Other than the compatibility test, they had never done direct guiding.
So she couldn’t quite process the situation.
“I already get guided by my Guide, so don’t worry about it. And don’t worry about me. That’s what I came here to say.”
Huh?
A stupid-sounding noise escaped Yoonseo’s lips.
She had never been rejected by Wonho before.
She was always the one rejecting him.
So she wasn’t sure if she had heard him correctly.
Because Wonho had just rejected her.
She had never even considered the possibility that he would.
But the firm look on his face told her he meant it.
“I said, don’t worry about me. And stop calling me in. Not that you ever did much before.”
“…Then what about you? Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? I have my Guide.”
Yoonseo looked stunned.
She knew, of course.
She had even met his Guide in person.
And yet, she had never thought that it would change anything between her and Wonho.
Because Wonho had told her himself.
That for the first time in his life, he had received guiding without pain.
Hearing that had made her briefly consider becoming his Guide.
But she had already given her heart to Hyunjoon.
And besides, she had never doubted that Wonho would remain by her side.
“Yoon Haebom is my Guide. I have a Guide now, so you don’t have to worry about me anymore.”
Seeing that Yoonseo still wasn’t getting it, Wonho repeated himself, driving the point home.
Honestly, he wanted to brush all of this aside.
He wanted to ignore Yoonseo and everything between them.
Their past ties were something he was willing to throw away without hesitation.
After all, outside of Jin Seyoung, human relationships had never meant much to Wonho.
Yoonseo was nothing more than a highly compatible Guide to him—nothing more, nothing less.
Yes, he had once entered a gate, prepared to die, to protect her.
But that had been for himself.
Because the pain of being unable to receive guiding had nearly driven him insane.
Because he hadn’t wanted to suffer that agony any longer.
He had said he didn’t want to see Yoonseo cry again, but even that had been selfish.
When she cried, it evoked an unfamiliar emotion in him—an emotion that clashed with the peace he felt when she guided him.
He had wanted to erase that feeling.
But now, none of that mattered anymore.
Ever since Haebom appeared, his entire life had been turned upside down.
And yet, Wonho didn’t hate it.
If anything, he liked it too much.
That was the real problem.
That was why he was standing here now.
“Uh… Wonho-ya, why don’t you come inside?”
Yoonseo’s gaze wavered as she tried to process his words.
In the end, she invited him in, thinking that if she could get him to receive guiding, he wouldn’t be able to refuse.
Wonho just stared at her for a moment before letting out a short sigh.
“…Hot… It’s so stuffy…”
Deep in sleep, Haebom frowned, shifting uncomfortably.
As he slowly woke up, his memory returned—he had fallen asleep in Wonho’s bed.
The bed was wide enough that he could roll around freely.
For a moment, he wondered if he had somehow ended up back in his own place.
His eyes snapped open.
“…Huh?”
But something was off.
Everything was pitch black.
He blinked several times, opening and closing his eyes, but his vision remained dark.
A frown formed on his face.
‘…What the hell…?’
Was this a dream?
It had to be.
No matter how many times he opened his eyes, everything remained dark—there was no other explanation.
“Mm—!”
Suddenly, something pressed against the back of his head, pushing him forward.
His face collided with something firm and hot—not the soft, plush blankets he had expected.
“Why the hell are you waking up at this hour? Go back to sleep, Yoon Haebom.”
“…Huh? Wonho?”
Haebom flinched at the sudden voice.
Why was Wonho’s voice coming from above him?
“…Why are you calling someone else’s name? Were you dreaming?”
As the pressure pressing down on Haebom’s head loosened slightly, he managed to peek out.
Looking up, he saw Wonho’s crimson eyes staring down at him.
Shocked, Haebom swallowed hard.
Was this a dream?
It felt too real.
Why wasn’t it a dream?
It was baffling.
He could remember the exact moment he had drifted off to sleep.
He was certain he had fallen asleep not long after Wonho took away his bowl of porridge.
Honestly, since this was Wonho’s room, even if he had come in and slept here, Haebom had no right to complain.
After all, Wonho wasn’t just the owner of this room but of the entire house.
Still, Haebom hadn’t expected Wonho to sleep in the same bed as him.
“Uh… no, I wasn’t dreaming…”
“Then why did you call my name? Did you have something to say? Are you hungry?”
“No…”
He wasn’t a pig, so why was Wonho asking if he was hungry?
It made no sense.
He couldn’t recall ever telling Wonho he was hungry or eating in front of him.
Yet, unlike Haebom, who was lost in thought, Wonho had asked without any deeper meaning.
The reason he asked was simple—porridge was too light to be a proper meal.
And since Haebom wasn’t hungry, Wonho simply patted him gently, encouraging him to sleep more while pulling him closer into his embrace.
Haebom thought the situation was strange, but as the comforting hand patted him, his eyelids involuntarily grew heavy.
“…Time to wake up now, Yoon Haebom.”
Lost in the hazy state between dreams and reality, Haebom flinched at the low, ticklish voice calling his name.
The arms wrapped around him tightened slightly.
It wasn’t painful, just a bit suffocating…?
“Sigh… Yoon Haebom. I know you’re awake, so open your eyes.”
“…Huh?”
Haebom’s eyes snapped open.
Just because they were open didn’t mean his vision was immediately clear.
It was still blurry, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t see Wonho’s face right in front of him.
He blinked repeatedly, trying to make sense of what he was seeing, and then it dawned on him—waking up in the middle of the night feeling hot wasn’t a dream.
He was really in the same bed as Wonho, wrapped in his arms.
Of course, two men sharing a bed wasn’t necessarily unusual.
The real issue was how tightly they were holding each other.
“Are you sleeping with your eyes open? Get it together.”
Wonho’s voice was gruff.
And it wasn’t just his voice—his furrowed brows made it clear he was annoyed that Haebom wasn’t responding properly.
Even so, he didn’t let go of him.
“Ah… I’m awake. Mm…”
Haebom wondered if he should ask why they were sleeping like this, but he hesitated.
His eyes darted around nervously.
Wonho noticed and clicked his tongue before attempting to sit up.
“Lift your head.”
“…Huh?”
* * *
