Chapter 20: Boundaries and Bait

“You could have just kept reading.”

“It’s fine. I’ve read it once before.”

Yunhwan’s gaze drifted to the book Seonghye had set down.

Does losing one’s memory change their tastes and habits too? As he remembered it, the Seonghye before the accident was a man far removed from contemplative activities like reading—unless, perhaps, he was using the book as a weapon.

“You must be tired from the treatment today. Get some sleep.”

After Yunhwan dimmed the bedside lamp to its lowest setting, the room felt cozy rather than sweltering, despite the summer heat. The refreshing scent of the diffuser Yunhwan had bought recently paired perfectly with the warm glow filling the rectangular space.

With the pleasant scent cooling the tip of his nose, Yunhwan spoke in a much softer tone.

“Goodnight, Seonghye.”

He began to quietly step back. But through the steady flow of lamplight, Seonghye’s gaze reached out and caught him.

“Hyung.”

Seonghye leaned his left hand on the mattress, tilting his upper body forward to close the distance. Even though Yunhwan was the one standing over him, Seonghye—looking up from below—seemed much more composed. Their gazes met only for a second before Yunhwan reflexively looked away.

Seonghye offered a faint smile.

“I want to hold your hand.”

“…….”

“Just your hand.”

He slowly lowered his feet over the edge of the bed, his eyes fixed on Yunhwan. Under that magnetic gaze, Yunhwan’s pupils, which had been wandering near his own feet, wavered like a tide.

In the midst of his hesitation, the warning Junseong had given him drifted back into his mind.

‘There will be times when he wants to touch you, hug you, and feels like he can’t stand it if he isn’t in contact with you. It’s not an Alpha’s rut, but there are definitely moments where emotions toward the imprinting target become excessively amplified.’

‘What… what should I do if those moments come?’

‘Refuse him. If you grow weak and accept it, the boundaries of physical contact will become blurred, and Seonghye’s demands will only get stronger.’

I shouldn’t accept it. Yunhwan thought it wasn’t right, even for the sake of the treatment. If he wavered now and did as Seonghye wanted, he didn’t know what kind of regret he would face later.

Standing in an awkward posture, Yunhwan spoke while stealing glances at Seonghye’s reaction.

“…Well, come to think of it, I think we touched briefly at the hospital today. No, I’m not saying I don’t like you… I mean…”

Yunhwan wiped his dry palms on his trousers and took a step back.

He suddenly remembered the minor commotion at the hospital. He had been startled when the counter clerk nearly lost consciousness, and in that moment, Seonghye—who had been waiting for him—had wrapped an arm around his waist.

“I mean, I can hold your hand, I really can… but doing that might have a bad effect on the treatment.”

Using the dim line of light as a boundary, he increased the distance between them and added awkwardly:

“It sounds funny saying this now, but still.”

“Hyung.”

Yunhwan clenched and unclenched his fists.

“I’m sorry….”

Despite the clumsy excuse, Seonghye remained sitting, staring at him. His breath, following his gaze, was calm and quiet as always.

However.

Yunhwan had no idea that Seonghye’s eyes—which had been perfectly empty and desperate only to be filled by Yunhwan—had just cracked with a splintering sound.

“Just how stupid a bastard do you think I am?”

Seonghye looked up at Yunhwan from the bed. He let out a low, mocking laugh.

“That clerk who collapsed was an Alpha.”

“…What?”

“He was interested in you. I knew it.”

“…….”

“How do you think I feel when my imprinting target—who hasn’t even accepted the bond—is with another Alpha?”

As Yunhwan processed Seonghye’s words one by one, the puzzle pieces clicked into place. “Oh,” he breathed, his mouth hanging open slightly.

A thick sense of gratification filled the dark eyes staring back at him. Seeing that Yunhwan finally understood, the corners of Seonghye’s mouth curled upward.

“It drives me crazy, obviously.”

“…So, he was an Alpha. That man.”

As Yunhwan stammered out the words, Seonghye’s voice dropped significantly.

“Did you really intend to take his business card?”

Yunhwan blinked. A business card? Was that clerk trying to give me a card? While he racked his brain to recall the hazy memory, Seonghye checked again.

“You don’t even remember, do you? Things like that.”

I think something fell before he collapsed… But when Yunhwan failed to answer readily, Seonghye slowly lifted his head again. His eyes now looked clear and bright, unlike before.

“I understand, Hyung.”

Then, he grabbed Yunhwan’s hand. Yunhwan’s pupils shook violently.

The hand that had been snatched up was pulled forward with force. Yunhwan’s mouth fell open with a gasp. As he stumbled forward, he dug his toes in to stop himself, and his right hand landed on something soft.

“Then let’s do this,” Seonghye said in a strange tone. “If you don’t like me touching you.”

“…….”

Yunhwan’s eyes went round as he realized his palm was resting on top of hair as dark as the night sky. His palm rubbed slowly against the smooth, straight hair. Seonghye, who had pulled Yunhwan’s hand onto his own head, muttered with the tips of his ears turning red.

“…Just like this.”

“…….”

“Letting you be the one to touch me.”

Beneath his neatly brushed bangs, Seonghye’s eyes turned toward Yunhwan, glistening with a hint of moisture.

“Did you hate it because I told you to come today?”

The gaze he threw while furrowing his brows was incredibly serious and heavy. Just as the steady light seemed to ripple like a wave in Seonghye’s eyes, Seonghye—unable to bear the silence—spoke again.

“Or were you offended because I touched you carelessly at the hospital?”

Suddenly, Seonghye stood up. As he rose, a different kind of pressure than before overwhelmed Yunhwan.

“I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”

Yunhwan shook his head.

“…No. I’ve never been afraid.”

“Liar. When you lie, the corner of your left eye twitches slightly.”

Seonghye’s fingertip lightly pressed beside Yunhwan’s left eye and then pulled away.

“And when you’re in a good mood, the right corner of your lip goes up.”

“…I-is that so?”

As Yunhwan blinked, the hand that looked like it might touch his lips at any second curved back like a hook. The look in Seonghye’s eyes as they lingered on Yunhwan’s lips sank even deeper.

“…….”

After a moment of thought, as if having made a decision, Yunhwan applied a bit of pressure to his fingertips.

His long, blunt-tipped fingers began to move slowly through the dense hair. Seonghye’s eyes wavered, and then his stiffened features softened into a gentle expression.

“I think I know why dogs rub their heads against their master’s hand.”

Yunhwan’s fingers flinched at that. Like a well-behaved dog, Seonghye kept his head lowered, and a satisfied laugh broke from his lips.

“A dog? What a thing to say.”

“Why? I don’t mind being that.”

A pale, clean hand carefully came to rest over the hand on his head. Soon, the two hands overlapped, drifting together in a movement where it was impossible to tell whose was leading.

The countryside during the busy farming season always greets the morning early, thanks to its diligent residents.

It was now the transition from mid to late July. Since pests and diseases become a serious issue around this time, the village was noisy from early dawn with the sound of chemicals being sprayed over rice paddies and fields.

However, what woke Yunhwan wasn’t the sound of spraying or the roar of tractors, but the presence of an intruder from outside.

And it was an intruder he had met before.

Since living with Seonghye, the only person Yunhwan knew who could bypass the double and triple-layered security was—

“Mr. Kwon Yunhwan, is the work treatable?”

Manager Park, sitting on the wooden porch, flicked the dirt off his shoes. Yunhwan wondered how a man who only ever rode in cars driven by others got dirt on his shoes, but he pushed the useless thought aside and focused on the man’s voice.

“I spoke with Dr. Kim yesterday, and he mentioned it. Said you’re going through a lot of trouble.”

Just then, the loud roar of a tractor erupted between them. Manager Park glanced back and saw a piece of farm machinery starting to plow up a field ridge.

“How much does one of those cost?”

He then pulled a wallet from his jacket. His fingers, adorned with gold rings of various styles, rummaged through the bill compartment until three checks popped out.

Yunhwan, who had been trying not to get his hopes up, felt his gaze waver at the sight of the zeros.

Before long, the checks held between thick fingers were pointed toward him.

“I’ll give this to you every time there’s progress in Seonghye’s treatment.”

“…This is a huge amount of money. No, thank you. I’ve already received the down payment.”

“Then why are your hands twitching?”

“…….”

Taking it felt like a burden, but refusing it felt like a crime against his own bank account. While Yunhwan remained silent in conflict, the three checks were dropped onto the porch.

“And if you’re bored, why don’t you go visit your field, Mr. Kwon?”

“Why the field…?”

Manager Park’s behavior and tone were different than usual. While Yunhwan pondered how to interpret this, the manager looked toward the small farmhouse behind them.