* * *
Back home, Saewoo started cleaning.
He tossed out all the old food in the fridge and wiped every corner meticulously with freshly boiled cloths.
He took down the duvet covers that had been drying on the laundry rack and repotted some of the plants that had grown too crowded.
Pitter-patter.
Though the sky had been clear at midday, clouds had gathered before he knew it, and now rain began to fall.
Saewoo was relieved he had taken in the laundry beforehand.
Stepping into the kitchen, he decided to make himself a cup of jujube tea using the dried jujubes Baekseol had given him, mixing them with hot water and honey.
Rustle.
“Should I take it now…?”
Along with the dried jujubes, he had also received the heat suppressant for avian beastmen.
It was a tasteless powdered medicine—one packet mixed with water or tea daily until symptoms improved.
“……”
Fiddling with the packet, Saewoo gazed out at the falling rain.
Something about the steady drizzle made him feel sentimental.
“Haa….”
Sitting down at the dining table, he tried to calm his thoughts.
But less than a minute later, he found himself searching the suppressant’s effectiveness on his phone.
He needed to be sure it would actually work.
Fortunately, it was registered with the Avian Medical Association and had almost no side effects—it was a safe, reliable medication.
That was enough.
There was no reason to hesitate. He’d mix it into his jujube tea, drink it all in one go, and sleep it off.
Then, he’d go back to his usual self—no racing heart, no feverish heat, just like normal.
If the symptoms returned, he would simply take another dose.
That way, meeting Jinho or the new tenant wouldn’t be a problem. And even if he saw Jibeom…
“……!”
Saewoo abruptly stood up.
The moment he thought of Jibeom, his heart immediately started pounding.
It wasn’t an unbearable rush, but he gulped down cold water in an attempt to stop it from escalating.
“Hah….”
After finishing his drink and taking a few deep breaths, he managed to regain his composure.
But what was the point?
Even calming his body didn’t change the fact that just thinking about Jibeom made him overly sensitive.
Honestly, his sudden burst of cleaning had been his way of sorting through his thoughts.
He had been trying not to think about Jibeom, yet the more he tried, the more his mind was consumed by him.
More specifically, by their relationship.
He had known all along.
He had used the excuse of being “just heat partners” to avoid acknowledging Jibeom’s true feelings.
[Actually, my boyfriend’s place is really close by. I just wanted to be near him, even a little.]
[I feel uneasy.]
[Baek Saewoo, I’m saying I want to get closer to you.]
‘Because if I don’t get closer, I’ll feel uneasy. So, with me….’
Piecing together Minho’s words and Jibeom’s, Saewoo’s eyes widened.
…Could it be?
He wanted to see Jibeom and confirm it for himself.
Ding-dong.
“Took your damn time.”
The doorbell rang just as Jibeom stepped out of the shower.
He roughly toweled his wet hair and tossed the towel onto the sofa without a second thought.
Click.
Without even checking the intercom, he pulled the door open—only to freeze when he saw Saewoo standing there with an unusually determined expression.
“Baek Saewoo…?”
Jibeom’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting Saewoo to show up at his doorstep.
Likewise, Saewoo hadn’t expected Jibeom to greet him in nothing but a bathrobe, leaving him struggling to find a place to look.
“S-Sorry for coming unannounced. If this is a bad time, I can—”
Seeing Saewoo flustered, Jibeom casually pulled his loosely hanging robe closed.
He had only come home for a moment to drop something off for Soo-ha—he hadn’t expected this visitor.
“Ahem. I was in the middle of a shower. …Come in.”
Clearing his throat unnecessarily, Jibeom stepped aside, and Saewoo entered, carefully handing him a 30-pack of toilet paper.
“…What’s this?”
“Oh, did you… remember something?”
“Huh?”
Jibeom took the tissue, grinning slightly as he asked, but Saewoo only blinked in confusion.
His face was the picture of innocence, as if he had no idea what was going on.
With a chuckle, Jibeom set the tissue aside in a convenient spot.
“Never mind, then. Are you just gonna stand there like that? Oh—”
Noticing Saewoo still standing stiffly by the door, Jibeom trailed off and grabbed the towel he had tossed onto the sofa.
“Here, use this for now. I’ll go get a fresh one.”
Saewoo had used an umbrella, but his shoulders were still damp—probably from carrying that roll of tissue.
Jibeom handed him the towel and quickly disappeared into the bathroom.
“…….”
As Saewoo dried his wet hair and shoulders with the towel, he took a subtle sniff.
A cool shampoo scent mixed with Jibeom’s scent lingered in the fabric.
‘Smells… nice.’
His cheeks flushed.
Just a few days ago, the mere scent of a predator had made him nauseous, but now, here he was, sniffing around like a dog, thinking it smelled good.
“What are you doing? Does it stink?”
“Ah—!”
At the sound of Jibeom’s voice, Saewoo panicked and flung the towel aside.
It smacked Jibeom square in the face before falling to the floor.
“Holy—! You— You were there?!”
“And that’s why you chucked it right at my face?”
“S-Sorry….”
“Here.”
Jibeom, unfazed, handed him a fresh, fluffy towel before casually mentioning that he was going to change and disappearing into the dressing room.
“…….”
Saewoo buried his face in the soft towel and took a deep inhale—only to frown in disappointment.
The fresh towel didn’t smell good anymore.
°❀•°❀°•❀°
“I’ll call you tomorrow. Yeah, come then. Alright, hanging up.”
Dressed in a simple black T-shirt and pants, Jibeom walked in with two cups of warm tea, having just finished a call.
Meanwhile, Saewoo sat quietly on the sofa, waiting for him.
Clack.
Jibeom carelessly set the cup down on the table.
It was rosemary herbal tea.
He didn’t seem like the type to drink this kind of stuff…
“You show up out of nowhere looking like a drenched rat. What’s up?”
“Huh? I wasn’t that drenched….”
“Oh, come on. You were soaking wet.”
Jibeom reached out, gently ruffling Saewoo’s damp silver hair.
His warm fingers trailed through the strands, still tinted red at the ends, sending tiny droplets cascading down.
“Want me to dry it for you?”
“…….”
Jibeom grinned slyly.
His face radiated pure amusement.
Saewoo had been sure Jibeom would still be upset after being kicked out so harshly the other day.
But seeing him act like nothing had happened only made the guilt weigh heavier.
“Or should we eat first? It’s late to go out now. How about some delivery food?”
“I already ate.”
Jibeom had assumed Saewoo came for a meal, but his offer was shot down instantly.
“Oh… yeah?”
Jibeom blinked, caught off guard.
It was clear that food had been the only thing on his mind.
But the confusion didn’t last long.
Smirking, Jibeom leaned in, resting his weight on Saewoo with a teasing glint in his eye.
“Then can I take a wild guess? You showed up this late, so that means…”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“Huh?”
“Jibeom.”
Saewoo tightened his grip on the towel in his hands and met Jibeom’s gaze head-on.
“Let’s sleep together.”
“…What?”
Jibeom blinked.
Did he hear that right?
There was no way Saewoo had just said that.
He was about to brush it off as a joke—until he saw Saewoo’s face.
Those stormy gray eyes, still glistening with raindrops, stared at him dead serious.
“…Did you eat something weird?”
That had to be it.
Otherwise, there was no way Saewoo would say something like that out of nowhere.
“Are you still sick?”
If not, then something had to be wrong.
Jibeom should’ve known when he kicked Saewoo out that night.
He had thought some time alone would help him recover, but maybe that had been a mistake.
“I’m not sick. That wasn’t it.”
Saewoo’s voice was firm.
And as if to prove it wasn’t a slip of the tongue, he looked straight into Jibeom’s eyes and repeated himself.
“Let’s sleep together. You said it yourself—it’s the fastest way to settle everything in one go.”
—You were the one who suggested it first.
The last part never made it past his lips, lingering in his throat.
“Ah… right. In one go….”
Jibeom let out a quiet sigh.
He held Saewoo’s gaze for a moment before finally looking away and stepping back.
‘Wait… what’s happening?’
Saewoo had expected Jibeom to jump at the chance.
But instead, he was pulling away?
Caught off guard, Saewoo clenched the towel in his hands tightly.
His palms were suddenly damp with sweat—he hadn’t even realized how tense he was.
“…Idiot. So you were just saying it.”
A bitter self-mockery slipped out.
He had gotten ahead of himself.
Overcome with embarrassment, Saewoo stood up, desperate to escape the situation.
But—
Thunk.
“…Ah!”
Before he could move, Jibeom grabbed him and pushed him back down onto the sofa.
A strong weight pinned him in place.
Jibeom’s large frame loomed over him, completely caging him in.
“What do I do?”
His voice was low, thick with something dangerous.
“One time won’t be enough. I’m starving.”
* * *
