Chapter 43: The Fragility of the Past

Seonghye’s voice was low and sharp, cold enough to cut skin.

Yunhwan instinctively took a step back, but Seonghye let out a ragged breath and hooked an arm around his waist, pulling him flush against him. Yunhwan’s shoulders flinched at the force of the touch.

Swallowing hard, Yunhwan finally managed to force out a sound.

“…It was nothing. You were looking at something on the laptop, and I just asked if your memory was back—”

“Don’t lie. Your eyes are shaking.”

A pale thumb pressed hard against Yunhwan’s lips as if punishing him. As his breath hitched, his lips parted to reveal his tongue. Seonghye’s gaze dropped to it instantly. At the sight of that moist, slick surface, the arm wrapped around Yunhwan’s waist tightened with crushing strength.

“Ah….”

Beads of sweat formed on Yunhwan’s forehead. Even as he braced his legs, his body was drawn forward like a magnet. His efforts to treat Seonghye like a younger brother crumbled every time Seonghye bared his predatory instincts.

Those obsidian eyes seemed to swallow him whole. The atmosphere was turning dangerous. A thick sense of dread washed over Yunhwan as he felt the heat radiating from the man.

If I leave it like this, it’s dangerous. A red warning light flashed in his mind. To escape the situation, his thoughts raced in every direction.

“Tell me. Now.”

The voice was dangerously low and damp, seductive in its intensity. The arm around his waist, veins bulging, yanked him closer.

Desperate, the words tumbled out of Yunhwan’s mouth.

“Yo—!”

Just before their lower bodies collided, Yunhwan squeezed his eyes shut and shouted.

“You cursed at me! You were angry!”

“…What?”

The heat in Seonghye’s eyes vanished instantly, as if doused with ice water. His thin eyelids blinked several times in shock.

Yunhwan’s lips parted, and his voice, stiff with tension, rushed through his constricted throat.

“You… you got mad at me for saving you! You said I shouldn’t have bothered!”

“…….”

“So… I said I was sorry. And I thanked you for saving me, too.”

Twisting his upper body to break free from the embrace, Yunhwan swallowed dryly. Without even a moment to wipe his damp palms on his pants, he began to pile lie upon lie to make the story stick.

“You know how it is, Seonghye. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have lost your memory in the first place.”

“Well, that’s….”

Seonghye looked down at his own body, trailing off. A strange, distorted look crossed his face now that his arms were empty.

But Yunhwan’s nerves were too frayed to interpret the expression correctly; he simply forged ahead.

“I kept saying I was sorry, but you didn’t really say much back. I get it. You were probably furious. Especially since, well… you ended up with an unwanted imprint on top of everything.”

Even while speaking, he didn’t forget to take another step back to escape the stifling heat. Having successfully put distance between them, Yunhwan fanned his flushed face and turned away.

He couldn’t let himself be dragged along anymore. The memory of that accidental-feeling kiss made his brow furrow like crumpled paper.

“Hyung.”

Seonghye, who had been staring at him, reached out and turned Yunhwan’s head back toward him. Forced to face him again, Yunhwan lowered his eyes to avoid the pale, handsome face.

“By any chance.”

“…….”

“Did ‘Min Seonghye’ say he hated the imprint? Was he angry at you because of it?”

Yunhwan’s eyes snapped back to the front. Seonghye’s face was dark. His Adam’s apple bobbed heavily as he repeated the question.

“Did my past self… say he hated being imprinted with you? Was he angry with you for that?”

The voice was thick with hope, desperation, and even a hint of a plea. But before Yunhwan could process it…

“The past has no power, Hyung.”

“…….”

“Memories are always incomplete, and recollections fade easily.”

Seonghye leaned in, burying his forehead against Yunhwan’s sturdy shoulder, and whispered.

“The Min Seonghye who lost his memory trying to save you… isn’t here right now.”

There was a strange sorrow in his voice. He sounded like a man on the verge of breaking, his voice damp with unshed tears.

“Even if he luckily came back for a moment, he’s gone again like this.”

Every time his warm forehead shifted against Yunhwan’s shoulder, the thin fabric of the T-shirt tickled Yunhwan’s skin. Seonghye breathed out a hot, ragged breath. His throat ached from filtering the words he wanted to scream.

He wanted to shout that he was the one who had imprinted on him, not that other version. He wanted to spend every night with him until Yunhwan understood. His reddened eyes and the heavy heat below the belt proved his desire, but he clenched his fists so hard his palms felt ready to tear.

Instead, a pained groan leaked through his lips.

“…It hurts.”

At those words, Yunhwan gently lifted Seonghye’s face from his shoulder, handling him as carefully as a piece of precious porcelain.

He narrowed his eyes, asking in a worried voice, “Where? Where does it hurt?”

“My head… and… I have a fever.”

Yunhwan tilted his head slightly at the words Seonghye had intentionally omitted, but seeing the bloodshot eyes, he didn’t hesitate to reach out and touch Seonghye’s forehead. His touch was full of concern.

“You don’t usually get fevers… Is there anywhere else that hurts?”

“…Hmm….”

Seonghye dragged out his answer. His throat moved in the silence.

The person standing in front of him was someone who triggered a sudden surge of pleasure and desire regardless of time or place. The sweat-dampened bangs, the cheeks flushed from the heat, and the wet tongue that drove him mad every time those lips opened and closed—Yunhwan’s very existence was enough to rip the brakes out of Seonghye’s system.

Because of this, his body had been suffering for a long time. Unless something changed, he was going to have to spend another night face-down on the bed, dealing with himself like a dog.

After staring into Yunhwan’s eyes as if possessed, Seonghye finally answered.

“No. I’m okay now.”

It had been a few days since his medication method changed from injections to oral pills.

“How is it, taking the pills? Is it okay?” Yunhwan had asked him once.

“I didn’t think much of it at first… but lately, I want to eat something other than medicine.”

“…Does having an appetite mean the treatment is working?”

“Maybe. I’ll have to try eating to find out.”

The conversation had ended there, so Yunhwan never found out what he craved. Even though they shared the same meals under one roof, Seonghye generally ate well; it was Yunhwan who was the picky eater.

“Ah.”

As a sweet piece of fried chicken was popped into his mouth, Yunhwan’s gaze naturally drifted to the side. There stood Min Seonghye, who had just fed him.

Seonghye was already carrying several black plastic bags in both hands. Yet, he didn’t seem to mind the weight at all, busy peering at the stalls over Yunhwan’s shoulder. Seeing as he was leading Yunhwan around and feeding him, he clearly knew exactly who he was supposed to be taking care of.

Initially, Yunhwan had been the one to bring Seonghye to the market, but his original goal had long since been derailed. He had come to feed Seonghye, who had mentioned having a craving for the first time since coming to Sanghee-ri, but the one whose mouth was constantly being stuffed was Yunhwan.

By the time he swallowed the chicken, a piece of traditional taffy was in his hand. They happened to be passing a stall piled high with old-fashioned snacks.

Yunhwan looked at the man beside him.

“Seonghye-ya, isn’t there anything you want to eat? There’s a buckwheat noodle place near the town terminal. Sang-pil recommended it.”

“I don’t think I can trust Sang-pil’s taste buds.”

“Or there’s a place up ahead that sells ginseng. I saw them frying it fresh earlier.”

“…You’re going to feed me ginseng?”

Seonghye stopped dead in his tracks and rolled his eyes toward Yunhwan. For some reason, his gaze was intense and burning.

Yunhwan cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck. “I just don’t know what you want.”

“Are you really that curious?”

“If you tell me, I can try to get it for you. When you’re recovering, you have to eat well. Especially in this heat, it’s easy to lose your strength.”

“If I ‘eat well,’ it won’t be good for you, Hyung.”

Seonghye pulled Yunhwan further into the side of the road, looking behind him. Despite the crowded market day, several pairs of eyes were still fixed on them.

Seonghye glared back at a few of them and asked, “Should we sit and rest for a bit? It’s hot.”

“I’m fine, are you hot?”

“No, but I feel like it’s about to get much hotter.”

A firm palm wrapped around Yunhwan’s shoulder. As Seonghye gestured with his chin toward a cafe across the street, Yunhwan’s gaze naturally followed.