“Huh?”
“…….”
“……Kim Seunghyun?”
His face hardened as if he were angry, and then he fell silent.
His lips were pressed into a tight, straight line, looking fierce enough to be chilling.
It was an expression I had never seen on him the entire time I’d known him.
“They really chewed you up, didn’t they?”
Flustered, I hurriedly pulled at my clothes to cover the marks.
Because I was always with the three of them, I hadn’t felt the need to be careful about hiding the traces.
With an embarrassed face, I awkwardly set down the container I was holding.
“Aren’t you hungry? You said you had an empty stomach. Let’s eat before it gets cold.”
“……Did you sleep with them? Is that why those marks are there?”
“Kim Seunghyun.”
Even for a friend, that was crossing the line.
I set the empty paper bag on the floor and pulled my wrist out of his grip.
“That’s personal privacy.”
“I hate it. Having secrets between us.”
“…….”
“Are you still not going to tell me? We’re friends.”
“Even if we’re friends, there are things I might not want to say. What exactly are you curious about?”
Kim Seunghyun had already concluded that I had sex with my lovers.
Seeing him stubbornly persist as if he absolutely had to hear it from my mouth made me feel a bit unpleasant.
When I lowered my tone slightly, Kim Seunghyun stared at me intently, looking like someone whose condition was at rock bottom.
“For someone with three lovers, there’s only one marking. Who was it? Moon Dowon?”
“I don’t know why I have to listen to these questions. I’m actually quite offended right now.”
“I’m right. That’s why he came with you. But I’m also in a very bad mood. When I bit your arm, you acted like you were absolutely disgusted.”
That was because he had suddenly changed and lunged at me like a madman, which shocked me.
I would have avoided it even if he were sober, but Kim Seunghyun’s face grew grave and he suddenly started shaking his legs restlessly.
“Ah, I hate this. I really hate it……”
“……Kim Seunghyun?”
“Are those guys really that great? More than me? I’m your friend, and I became close to you before they did. Why do I feel like I’ve lost?”
“What are you talking about? There’s no winning or losing. To me, you’re my only friend.”
“Only one……? Right, that’s right. I’m the only one, right? The only person for you.”
Like someone suffering from separation anxiety, Kim Seunghyun showed signs of instability before he began muttering to himself, as if spinning a positive circuit in his mind.
Seeing him look somewhat strange, I approached him and crouched down to meet his eyes.
“Seunghyun. What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“……Sorry. My mind is foggy right now because of the medicine. Like brain fog.”
“……What kind of medicine?”
“Heat suppressants. When I take them, I can’t control my emotions. My nerves go wild, and I get sensitive. Like I’m going to explode.”
It seemed that because he was a Dominant, the side effects of the suppressants were even more severe.
Normally, Kim Seunghyun would respond calmly, but now everything had become sensitive, and he couldn’t seem to settle down.
Kim Seunghyun clutched his head and mumbled in a low voice.
“Ha, I’m going crazy. Why am I so anxious?”
“Is it very hard for you?”
“Yeah. It makes me furious and jealous that you came here with those marks. You said I was a precious person to you too. But there’s nothing I can do with you. I can’t reach you, and I have to walk on eggshells just to meet you.”
“I’m sorry. But I had my circumstances.”
“I know. It’s because those bastards are trying to bind you. But to me, you’re the only one. Whether as a friend or in my personal life, it’s not just a simple relationship.”
Clearly intoxicated by the side effects of the drugs, Kim Seunghyun’s nerves appeared incredibly sharp.
Seeing him even show symptoms of anxiety, I placed a hand on his knee with a calm gaze.
“Yes. I know. For both of us, we’re each other’s only friend. Remember? You said you only need one true friend. That’s why I came running. Because I was worried you’d be hurting alone.”
“…….”
“So Seunghyun, let’s eat the porridge first. I bought it because I was thinking of you. It won’t taste good if it gets completely cold.”
I spoke softly, matching his eye level as if soothing a child.
That was the best I could do, and the final way to calm him down.
Fortunately, Kim Seunghyun seemed to soften as he nodded.
“Then, let’s eat.”
Since Kim Seunghyun had always shown a bright side, I placed the spoon in his hand with a worried face.
My heart wanted to feed him myself, but the obsession he had shown lately felt like it wasn’t just as a friend, so I was cautious.
When I gave him an urging look to eat, Kim Seunghyun took a bite of the porridge with a reluctant expression.
“It’s good, right? It’s the Octopus Kimchi porridge you like.”
“You knew this was the one I liked?”
“Of course. You always order this porridge.”
Even when he wasn’t sick, Kim Seunghyun tended to like porridge, so he always ordered the same menu.
One could say he was consistent.
Once he fixated on something, he would eat the same food every time until he got tired of it.
“Thanks. I do feel a bit better. Because you remembered the food I like.”
Kim Seunghyun’s face cleared up instantly, and he continued to scoop up the porridge.
Seeing his fluctuating mood swings, I thought of the other three—wondering if the side effects of the suppressants were just as strong for them because they were powerful Dominants.
Kang Taeyun had said they should send them off on their own, but I wondered if they would take medicine like Kim Seunghyun.
If so, it meant the aftermath of the drug’s side effects would be just as big for the three of them.
‘I’ll have to make sure I don’t get caught as much as possible……’
If their already strong personalities became violent, the mere thought of it was terrifying.
“Seo Siho, you’ve become ugly. Why are you frowning like that?”
“Ah. Did I?”
“Yeah. Did I eat too unappetizingly?”
“No. Eat comfortably.”
Changing the subject slightly, I sat down heavily on the cot next to him.
The three leads and Kim Seunghyun were supposed to meet this week, and I was wary of how to bring that up.
Judging by his reaction now, I was seriously worried it wouldn’t go well.
As I just stared blankly at him eating, Kim Seunghyun put down his spoon and turned his head.
“Do you have something to say? Just say it. Why are you walking on eggshells? It’s not like you.”
“No…… Just, it’s good to see you eating well even though you’re sick.”
“What’s with that weak response? I’m eating hard because you bought it for me. Honestly, I had no appetite and didn’t want to eat anything.”
It seemed so.
It felt like it hadn’t been long since we met, but Kim Seunghyun seemed to have thinned out a bit in the meantime.
Since he seemed to have no appetite, I popped open the sikhye (sweet rice drink) I brought and pushed it toward him.
“I heard that even if you take suppressants, pheromones leak out weakly. Is it okay for you to be here? It seems dangerous.”
“What can I do if it’s dangerous? I can’t see you if I’m not here.”
“…….”
“I stay where you might come because I can’t reach you. If I keep staying here, you’ll eventually show up. Why, are you worried about me?”
“Of course. Don’t do that from now on. What if some truly bad guy breaks in?”
“If you’re worried, then pick up your phone. What if it was a really urgent call? Don’t just say we’re close with your mouth; actually take care of me……”
Showing his disappointment clearly, Kim Seunghyun took the sikhye.
He sipped it with a gloomy face, then set it down and pointed to an emergency bell attached to the table.
“The police station is right nearby, so if I press this, they’ll come quickly. I also installed two CCTVs in the blind spots.”
“Well, that’s a relief then……. But I have something I’m curious about regarding you……?”
“What is it?”
“I’ve been thinking that you’ve been excessively obsessed with me lately. How about meeting some other friends besides me?”
“I don’t want to. Why should I? And I wasn’t that obsessed. It’s normal to have this kind of friend and that kind of friend. I try to understand even when I can’t reach you, so why are you trying to push me away?”
Kim Seunghyun wiped his mouth with a tissue and turned his body to face me.
It seemed my suggestion to meet other friends had hurt him.
“I heard you took a leave of absence from school. How do you think I felt hearing that from someone else? I can tell you anything…… no, I would have at least given you a hint. Is all of this because of those guys?”
“It’s not like that. It’s something I decided on my own.”
“It’s still annoying. Before, you only looked after me and stayed by my side. I thought even if you got a lover, my position as a friend would stay the same. You’ve changed a lot, Seo Siho.”
“Fine, I’ll admit it all. But a friend wouldn’t overreact just because their friend came with marks like these. Not a normal friend.”
“I’m different. Because you are a special existence to me. Because you are the only person who stayed by my side in a world where I’m alone.”
“…….”
“So, take this opportunity to let me meet your lovers.”
