Chapter 29: A Dream of Wounds and a Morning of Confusion

However, just as Ji-ho was about to follow Yi-won,

“Joo Yi-won.”

His father called Yi-won, his expression quite serious.

Yi-won glanced at Ji-ho, shrugged, and then followed his father. His father cleared his throat loudly and disappeared into a room with Yi-won.

Ultimately, Ji-ho sat in the living room, waiting for Yi-won to emerge, rather than entering the room himself. Yet, no matter how long he waited, Yi-won did not appear.

It wasn’t the kind of atmosphere where he could ask when they would finish. When he approached the room, he heard his father’s harsh shouting from within.

“This brat, trying to pull a fast one on whom…!” His father’s harsh words echoed from within. Ji-ho couldn’t decipher their exact meaning, but if the conversation concerned a specific person, he knew he couldn’t simply barge in without understanding the context.

As Ji-ho waited anxiously, Jae-woon, who had been preparing to return home, approached him.

“Uncle, what are you doing?”

“Joo Yi-won said he’d give me some information, and I was about to talk to him, but then Father suddenly called him. I’m waiting, but… I don’t know what they’re talking about; there’s no sign of it ending.”

Ji-ho, growing serious alongside him, nervously darted glances at the door.

“What are they talking about? It sounds like Joo Yi-won is getting a serious scolding.”

Unlike the worried Ji-ho, Jae-woon remained unperturbed.

“Is that hyung the type to get scolded? He’s more likely to smash someone else’s head in.”

“True. But he wouldn’t smash Father’s head, would he…?”

Joo Yi-won wasn’t inherently a terrible person, and even if he were, he wouldn’t be the type to defy a figure like his father, who had raised him.

At Ji-ho’s reaction, Jae-woon shook his head.

“Well, he wouldn’t smash Grandpa’s head, but he’d probably provoke him.”

“Why would he provoke Dad?”

“Because Grandpa was the only one oblivious to the relationship between hyung and uncle. That’s why Grandpa is sulking.”

What utter nonsense was this? Ji-ho sighed.

Earlier today at the dinner table, his brother had chided Jae-woon for spouting strange things instead of focusing on his studies, and it seemed that lament hadn’t been for naught. He should have joined in the scolding instead of feeling sorry for him and taking his side.

“That’s just the kind of nonsense Joo Yi-won always spouts when he’s joking around… Just stop watching that blasted MyTube. Even if he is a bit crazy, he’s not so crazy as to joke like that with Dad.”

“Uncle, that hyung *is* crazy…”

“I’ll tell Joo Yi-won you called him crazy.”

“Ah, no, don’t!”

Just as expected, it seemed Jae-woon was receiving a good allowance from Joo Yi-won, as he vehemently tried to stop Ji-ho.

Only after Ji-ho promised not to tell, to Jae-woon who was practically clinging to his pants, did the cheeky nephew grin and leave, announcing he was going home.

After the other family members left, Ji-ho stood waiting a little longer, eventually making his way upstairs.

Since it wasn’t too far to commute from here, he planned to sleep over for the night.

Entering his room, Ji-ho washed up, changed into his pajamas, and then sat on the edge of his bed. He yawned, leaning against the pillow, then suddenly shot up from his spot.

“Why is it taking so long?”

Ji-ho frowned, looking at the clock that now read eleven.

Tomorrow, Yi-won was leaving for an overseas business trip. Even for an SS-rank, sleeping late would surely leave him tired.

His father, holding Yi-won for so long, felt almost cruel.

No, more than that. If he kept waiting like this, Ji-ho himself would surely fall asleep from sheer exhaustion.

Having worked diligently every day, then eaten his fill and relaxed, his body felt even more sluggish.

After a brief moment of deliberation, Ji-ho entered Yi-won’s room next door.

It was a familiar room. Of course, having lived together in the same house for so long, it couldn’t be anything but familiar.

Immediately upon entering, the display cabinet in the small inner living area of the room was filled with certificates and trophies, neatly arranged by his mother.

Perhaps SS-rank Hunters were different from the start, for even as a child, Yi-won excelled not only in academics but also astonishingly well in every sport he tried.

He was so good at every casual sport he touched that he was repeatedly urged to become an athlete, with people remarking, ‘This child is a future gold medalist.’

However, Yi-won ultimately chose to major in liberal arts, entering the same school and the same department as Ji-ho. Thanks to that, even in the short time he attended university, the top spot was out of reach for Ji-ho…

Ji-ho, having idly recalled an unpleasant memory, turned his back to the display cabinet, entered the bedroom, and lay down on the bed. Ji-ho buried his head in the pillow, lost in thought.

The freshly laundered bedding smelled clean and crisp. Of course, it had been a long time since anyone had slept in this room, so Yi-won’s scent would naturally have faded.

His eyelids grew heavier. Ji-ho didn’t bother resisting the encroaching drowsiness. Soon after closing his eyes, Ji-ho drifted into a peaceful sleep.

****

It was a dream again. The vivid and clear dream felt less like something from the realm of the unconscious and more like a real-life event that had truly happened.

But what unfolded before him couldn’t possibly be reality.

Ji-ho was lying collapsed, gravely wounded. Blood gushed from a long, diagonal gash that stretched from his shoulder to his side.

Ji-ho felt his life rapidly ebbing away. At this rate, he would soon breathe his last and fall into an eternal sleep.

Through his blurring vision, he could only see a pool of his own blood, the burning cityscape, and someone’s legs and feet.

In that moment, the figure standing with their back to him felt vaguely cruel. As if sensing Ji-ho’s thoughts, the other person turned around.

They bent down towards the dying Ji-ho.

“I will never let you die.”

It was Joo Yi-won’s voice, terribly familiar. However, his slightly hoarse voice was much lower and heavier than what Ji-ho usually heard.

The Ji-ho in the dream parted his lips. Yet, even as he spoke, Ji-ho didn’t know what words he was uttering.

Instead of answering, Yi-won let out a deep sigh. Then he raised a large hand and wiped the tears from Ji-ho’s eyes.

“It’s alright, Ji-ho.”

“……”

“You’ll be alright again. And we’ll be able to see each other once more…”

“……”

“Let’s start anew next time.”

A low, tear-filled whisper. The soft touch of lips brushed against his cheek.

Ji-ho then reached out a hand towards Yi-won, who was standing up again.

“……”

He parted his lips, trying to call out to Yi-won, but he didn’t turn back. Then, everything was enveloped in a dazzling light and vanished.

****

Sometimes, there are moments. Moments when, upon waking, you immediately sense, ‘Ah, I’ve overslept.’

Ji-ho, waking from a deep sleep, opened his eyes with a start, only to be startled once more.

A broad chest filled his vision. It was Joo Yi-won, the owner of this room.

Shamelessly, Yi-won, clad only in boxers, had wrapped an arm around Ji-ho’s waist, pulling him close. As a result, Ji-ho’s nose was pressed firmly against Yi-won’s chest.

Ji-ho gasped in alarm, raising a hand to touch Yi-won’s chest.

His frame was naturally large and robust, and with his physique meticulously maintained, his chest muscles were firm. Yet, in their relaxed state, they felt surprisingly less rigid than he’d expected. Realizing these thoughts, Ji-ho was immediately filled with self-loathing.

He found himself absurd for appraising his childhood friend’s body. His pride also stung, as he’d clearly been taller than Yi-won as a child, but now, Yi-won was almost twice his size, a slight exaggeration notwithstanding.

Awakening didn’t immediately improve one’s physique, but combat-type Hunters found it easier to build muscle. However, even before he was a combat-type, Ji-ho’s body wasn’t prone to developing such thick musculature.

Now, with his entirely support-oriented skills, it would be even harder to bulk up.

Swallowing a sigh, Ji-ho pushed Yi-won with force. But Yi-won’s arms, which seemed even thicker than when he was dressed, held Ji-ho immobile.

“J-Joo Yi… ”

“Mmm…”

Joo Yi-won groaned softly and stretched out his arm. The strength of an SS-rank combat Hunter was formidable; with a mere flick of his wrist, Ji-ho was pulled in as easily as a piece of paper.

“Ugh!”

Ji-ho’s face was buried in Yi-won’s chest. As Yi-won exerted more pressure, his muscles tensed further against Ji-ho’s face, making it difficult to breathe.

He squirmed, barely managing to turn his head, only to feel Yi-won’s free hand slowly creep up towards his waist.

Just as he was about to tell Yi-won to get up, Yi-won’s hand slipped inside Ji-ho’s clothes. It then traced and massaged his waist, which felt considerably slender compared to Yi-won’s.

“Hey, are you out of your…!”

“Honey…”

Yi-won mumbled, his voice heavy with sleep. At that, Ji-ho’s wildly beating heart instantly cooled.

‘Who on earth was he confusing him with?’ Yi-won might have claimed to be inexperienced, but that couldn’t possibly be true.

Even as a student, Yi-won had received countless confessions, and after becoming an SS-rank Hunter, he had faced even more temptations. He must have started mornings like this with someone else before.

Falling asleep together the night before, holding each other through the night, and waking up together in the morning. Yet, despite all that, he was using Ji-ho as a smokescreen and causing friction with his father.

A wave of irritation surged through him, and Ji-ho angrily smacked Yi-won. At that, Yi-won opened his sleep-heavy eyes. He then gazed steadily at Ji-ho.

“Honey, did you sleep well?”

‘He should save that ‘honey’ for his real lover.’ Ji-ho grumbled internally as he sat up.

“I couldn’t sleep well because you’re so heavy. Why are we sleeping together?”

“Why? Well, you were already sleeping in my bed.”

“Why did you have to sleep right next to me in such a cramped space?”

“Honestly, it’s not cramped.”

Indeed. The king-sized bed, which comfortably filled a considerable portion of the large room, was spacious enough for two. They were just sleeping too close, leaving plenty of empty space.

Ji-ho awkwardly shifted his gaze.

“Just go sleep in my room then…”

“Sleep in your room, you say?”

Suddenly, Joo Yi-won’s expression turned serious. Ji-ho looked at him, wondering if he’d said something wrong, but Yi-won merely grinned playfully.

“You sometimes sleep there when you visit.”

“Yeah. I come over more often than you do, after all…”

“Right, exactly. I’d never fall asleep there. I’d just be up to all sorts of mischief.”

“……”

‘What mischief could he possibly get into? Was he planning to rummage through the room?’ But even after careful thought, Ji-ho realized he didn’t have many secrets to hide.

He didn’t keep a diary, nor did he hide any explicit books; his room was impeccably tidy, devoid of anything strange. He couldn’t guess what Yi-won intended, but the thought made him uneasy, so he resolved to prevent Yi-won from entering his room again.