* * *
“How bad is it?”
“Just a little! You know I have trouble stopping the bleeding. The doctor told me not to move too much while it clotted, that’s all. It’s nothing serious!”
Jingyeom flailed his arms in an attempt to explain.
He hadn’t planned to meet Soohyuk during the week and had intended to tell him later when it healed a bit.
He hadn’t expected Soohyuk to find out so soon.
Thinking about how Soohyuk must have rushed over upon hearing he was injured made Jingyeom’s chest tighten.
“Did you get proper treatment?”
Jingyeom nodded slowly, using his uninjured hand to gently stroke Soohyuk’s cheek.
“Don’t make that face. I’m really fine…”
“Don’t say you’re fine anymore. I don’t believe it. Quit your job. You promised to quit if you got hurt, remember?”
On that point, Jingyeom had no retort.
He’d made that promise himself, in front of both Jinwoo and Soohyuk, so there was no taking it back now.
But he didn’t want to quit. He had finally become a full-time employee, was getting the hang of the job, and had started to get along with his coworkers.
Seeing Jingyeom’s dejected expression, Soohyuk softened slightly but held firm.
“I know you want to keep working at the café. Just wait until your hand heals. I’ll let you work again.”
“…You’re not planning to buy a café for me, are you?”
It wasn’t the first time the thought had crossed his mind, and knowing Soohyuk, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
“Why aren’t you answering? Are you serious?”
As Jingyeom’s voice rose, Soohyuk avoided his gaze.
“If you do, I won’t just sit back and take it!”
“Did I say I’d buy you a café? I said I’d let you work at one.”
“…Well, that’s true.”
“Anyway, it’s already arranged. There’s no undoing it now.”
Soohyuk had always been shameless, and dating him hadn’t changed that.
If anything, it had gotten worse.
Jingyeom had his reasons for not wanting to quit.
He still planned to repay Soohyuk’s loan, even though Soohyuk had torn up the contract.
He wanted to support Jinwoo’s dreams with his own earnings and someday repay Wonbeom for his help.
When Jingyeom glared at him with determined eyes, Soohyuk, now a bit more relaxed, teased him.
“What’s the point of having a rich boyfriend if you don’t spend his money? I even gave you a card.”
Soohyuk had indeed given him a card, which Jingyeom had stashed in his wallet and never touched.
“How could I use that?”
“If you don’t like cards, should I give you cash?”
“Didn’t we agree you’d ask, not force things on me? And I’m refusing this one!”
Jingyeom’s firm rejection left Soohyuk annoyed but compliant.
When Jingyeom moved to pull his hand away, Soohyuk clasped it and pressed his cheek against Jingyeom’s palm.
Jingyeom gulped.
“…Isn’t it weird to find a man his age cute?”
He couldn’t help it.
Watching Soohyuk, a man much larger than him, hunch over to lean against him in the cramped car was almost unbearably endearing.
“Get it together, Baek Jingyeom!”
He closed his eyes tightly, but the feeling didn’t go away.
“Is it because we’re dating?”
He had noticed a change in Soohyuk, but now it was undeniable.
This had to be the effect of love.
Jingyeom exhaled a shaky breath, his thumb gently brushing against Soohyuk’s cheek.
“I’ve always thought this, but your skin is amazing, hyung.”
“…”
“Your skin is surprisingly soft and white.”
When Jingyeom remarked casually with a wink, Soohyuk scoffed, a small incredulous laugh escaping his lips.
‘Who is this white fox calling white?’
Smiling faintly, Soohyuk fiddled with the hand that was resting on his cheek before pulling Jingyeom closer and giving him a light kiss on the lips.
Straightening his posture, Soohyuk looked completely at ease with the action, and Jingyeom was no longer startled by such gestures.
After checking for approaching cars, Soohyuk started driving again.
“I’d love to stay longer, but I need to drop you home and head straight to the office. Sorry.”
“Working at this hour is perfectly normal. If anything, I should be thanking you.”
“You’re too sweet.”
“And yet you threw work aside to rush over when you heard I got hurt.”
At Jingyeom’s words, Soohyuk puffed up his chest for a moment, only to let out a soft chuckle, deflating slightly.
“I didn’t abandon work. I just paused it.”
“…Thank you. It feels reassuring to have a boyfriend who’d drop everything and rush to me when I’m hurt.”
“…”
The car swerved slightly.
Surprised, Jingyeom turned to look at Soohyuk, who had his hand covering his mouth and was facing away.
“Ah, sorry.”
“…”
“…What?”
“Are you blushing right now?”
Jingyeom noticed the very faint, almost imperceptible redness at the tips of Soohyuk’s ears. Seeing a side of him he had never seen before, Jingyeom’s face lit up with a wide smile.
“I’m not.”
“It really looks like you are.”
“I’m not.”
Soohyuk reached out to cover Jingyeom’s face, but Jingyeom grabbed his hand tightly and pulled it down.
Since he was driving, Soohyuk couldn’t properly resist and ended up stuck, his hand firmly held by Jingyeom.
Even if they weren’t driving, Jingyeom wouldn’t have let go.
Realizing that Soohyuk blushed because he called him “boyfriend,” Jingyeom chuckled softly and kept playing with his large hand for the rest of the ride home.
Meanwhile, Soohyuk’s ears stubbornly refused to return to their normal color.
When Jingyeom informed Hoonil about his injury, he was met with a barrage of worried scolding, including strict instructions to head straight to the hospital if the bleeding restarted instead of trying to stop it at home.
Jinwoo, who had just come home from work, chimed in with his own long-overdue lecture.
Jingyeom hung his head low, nodding occasionally to show he was listening.
“What about work? What’s the plan?”
“…I’ll go in tomorrow. I’ll need to work until they find someone to replace me. The boss said I’d just handle the counter.”
“You’re quitting after that, right?”
“I already said I would. But if I quit, are you going to be the one working alone again? I don’t like that.”
Jinwoo’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
“Have you seen the state of your hand? How can you even say that after getting such a deep cut?”
“Well, I—”
“I get it, you’re frustrated. I understand you want to work and earn money, I really do. …But you need to take care of yourself, too.”
Though Jingyeom knew Jinwoo’s words came from concern, he also understood he couldn’t live this way forever.
And Jinwoo understood that too.
He just wished Jingyeom could relax and rely on him a bit more, at least while he was still around.
But Jingyeom didn’t see it that way, and that hurt.
Even so, Jinwoo couldn’t bring himself to be too harsh.
He’d need to find a compromise, or this same argument would play out over and over again.
Seeing Jingyeom looking so dejected, Jinwoo softened.
“I know you can’t avoid every injury. But it’s only natural for me to want you to stay safe.”
“I know. I know you’re worried. I was trying to be careful, but it just… happened.”
“Thanks for understanding. I’ll help you wash up for now. If you do it yourself and reopen the wound, it’ll be worse.”
“…Oh.”
In all the fuss about the injury, Jingyeom hadn’t thought about that.
He had hurt his dominant right hand, making even basic tasks like washing his face or brushing his teeth challenging, let alone washing his hair.
He tried to picture managing on his own but realized it would be impossible without aggravating the wound.
“…Just help me with my hair.”
“Alright.”
When Soohyuk heard about this, he was furious.
He couldn’t believe Jingyeom would let another man help him, no matter the circumstances.
Jingyeom crouched in the corner of the rooftop, speaking as quietly as possible.
“It’s Jinwoo. Not just some guy.”
― That’s exactly the problem! I’ll come over. No, I’ll just move in. I’ll wash your hair every morning myself!
“…Didn’t I say this before? Are you a child? Why are you sulking?”
― If it were you, how would you feel? Imagine I couldn’t bathe because I was hurt, and some other guy offered to help. Would you be okay with that? Would you just let someone else see me like that?
At a loss for words, Jingyeom let out a breathy laugh.
He and Jinwoo had shared such moments countless times before.
Why was this suddenly an issue now?
Then it hit him: Did Soohyuk know something? Could he be aware of Jinwoo’s feelings?
‘…It’s not impossible.’
Even if Soohyuk didn’t know Jinwoo had confessed, he might still sense something.
Maybe that’s why he was reacting so strongly.
‘…Could he have known all along?’
Jingyeom’s mind raced.
Thinking back, Soohyuk had always been wary of Jinwoo, even before they started dating.
It was different from the usual overprotective behavior between siblings.
Besides, Soohyuk knew they weren’t blood-related.
If that’s the case…
‘…Since when?’
At this point, Jingyeom couldn’t deny the possibility.
― Darling? Why aren’t you answering? Are you ignoring me? This is really upsetting. Hello? Baby? Jingyeom?
Soohyuk’s voice dragged him back to reality.
Hesitant, Jingyeom finally asked:
“…Why do you dislike Jinwoo so much?”
* * *
Soohyuk 😂
Cute