Chapter 46: A Morning of Tangled Limbs

When Kang Woo-joo’s competitive streak was ignited, he wasn’t the type to listen to what others had to say.

Not even considering the possibility that the scent might be gone after a shower, Woo-joo lifted his body slightly and lunged toward Ji-tae’s neck.

Oh, shit.

Ji-tae’s body froze instantly.

He felt soft hair brush against the skin below his face.

Whether he realized it or not, Woo-joo was frantically sniffing, hell-bent on finding the scent.

The area touched by Woo-joo’s breath grew hot, as if it had been burned.

Just as Woo-joo gripped Ji-tae’s shoulders and tilted his head to search in earnest—

“Hey!”

Feeling that he couldn’t take it anymore, Ji-tae grabbed Woo-joo’s shoulders and lifted him straight up.

Woo-joo, suddenly distanced, blinked his wide eyes.

“I already showered. There probably isn’t a smell.”

Ji-tae barely managed to squeeze out the words he wanted to say, struggling to steady his trembling voice.

“Ah, I guess so. I thought something was wrong with my nose.”

Only then did Woo-joo clap his hands and lie back down.

Ji-tae reflexively checked below his waist.

Fortunately, his front was still behaved.

If there was one thing he had gained since starting this filming, it was undoubtedly a superhuman level of self-restraint.

Losing interest, Woo-joo let out a long yawn as sleepiness began to wash over him.

After a few minutes, his large eyes began to flutter and slowly close.

Ji-tae took in the entire sight.

This was a side of Kang Woo-joo he hadn’t known and couldn’t have seen in the past.

“Filming commercials for famous perfumes and all…….”

Woo-joo’s voice began to trail off slowly.

“You’ve made it, Won Ji-tae.”

“…….”

With those words, Woo-joo didn’t make another sound.

The faint sound of soft, rhythmic breathing spread through the quiet room.

Ji-tae couldn’t easily close his eyes, replaying Woo-joo’s final words over and over, and savoring the lingering warmth of his breath.

Woo-joo, tossing and turning, eventually turned his body toward Ji-tae.

His slightly parted lips and defenselessly messy hair were adorable.

Ji-tae reached out slightly and smoothed the hair.

“Goodnight, Kang Woo-joo.”

Ji-tae finally closed his eyes to try and get some sleep.

However, even as it passed midnight and into the deep hours of the early morning, Ji-tae couldn’t fall into a deep slumber.

It wasn’t because of insomnia.

It was because every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the moment Woo-joo leaned in with his nose buried in his neck.

It seemed sleeping was out of the question.

Since he couldn’t skip sleep entirely, he figured it would be better to head out to the sofa rather than stay here with his nerves on edge.

He might end up disturbing Woo-joo’s sleep by tossing and turning.

Ji-tae took one last look at Woo-joo’s face and carefully pulled back the covers.

However, there was one more fact Ji-tae had overlooked.

“Mmm…….”

Woo-joo let out a soft groan and suddenly clung to Ji-tae, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist.

Ji-tae froze, his eyes darting around while his lips remained pressed together.

Right, he finally remembered.

The words Kang Woo-joo had said during the pre-interview.

‘According to my teammates, I have a habit of hugging the person next to me when I sleep.’

Ji-tae let out a silent groan and buried his face in one hand.

He shouldn’t have just agreed and laid down when Woo-joo suggested sleeping together.

Technically, this was no different from walking straight into a trap designed to consume him.

While Ji-tae was busy cursing his own stupidity, Woo-joo nestled deeper into his embrace.

He wanted to do something about the arms wrapped around his waist, but perhaps because Woo-joo was a volleyball player, the strength in those arms was no joke.

“It’s warm…….”

Woo-joo muttered in his sleep.

At that moment, all of Ji-tae’s movements ceased.

“…….”

Come to think of it, would an opportunity like this ever come again?

This might be the last time he ever gets to lie in the same bed as Kang Woo-joo and try to sleep.

Besides, Woo-joo was the one who approached him first.

Sure, it was just a sleep habit, but isn’t that the most honest, unconscious part of a person, free of any malice?

He felt a bit sorry for Seon-hyeok, but Ji-tae’s head was now filled only with the thought that he should make the most of this opportunity.

Ji-tae slowly lowered his hands and wrapped them around Woo-joo’s waist.

It was on a completely different level from touching him in a dream.

He wanted to pull Woo-joo, who fit perfectly in his arms, as close as possible, but he still had some self-control left.

He knew he shouldn’t get too greedy.

Ji-tae closed his eyes again.

The thought of going out to the sofa had long since vanished.

He felt like he should mark today as his second birthday.

***

Even without setting an alarm, Woo-joo always woke up on time.

Since coming here, he had never missed his wake-up time, except for the days he had been drinking.

This morning was no different.

He opened his eyes at around the same time.

“…….”

However, the view was quite different from the usual.

Normally, he should see the open view of the room or the high ceiling upon waking, but today, his vision was completely blocked.

His entire field of vision was black, and it was quite easy to realize it was someone’s clothes.

A black t-shirt, and a thick chest rising and falling with steady breaths.

Wait? A chest?

As he fully woke up, his reason began to return.

When he lifted his head slightly, he saw Won Ji-tae’s peaceful face.

It didn’t take long for Woo-joo to fully grasp the situation.

A familiar hand resting on Won Ji-tae’s waist, and conversely, Won Ji-tae’s hand wrapped around his own waist.

That was it.

On this wide bed, the two of them had fallen asleep while embracing each other’s waists.

In an instant, memories of what his teammates used to say during training camps came flooding back.

‘I—I can’t share a room with Woo-joo hyung.’

‘He hugs you, doesn’t he?’

‘Yes, I feel like I’m going to die from the heat. And he doesn’t let go easily. So, is there anyone who will swap rooms with me?’

To the youngest player’s plea, the teammates had heartlessly turned their heads away.

After that, Woo-joo was often relegated to a single room.

He still vividly remembered being cursed out when he argued that it was a mild habit since he didn’t snore or grind his teeth.

Since he usually slept deeply, Woo-joo wasn’t even aware of his own sleep habit.

As sleep habits usually are, it was clearly an unconscious action, and because he usually woke up to find himself sleeping normally, he never felt the severity of it.

So, it was safe to say this was the first time Woo-joo had ever witnessed his own sleep habit firsthand.

Hearing about it from others was one thing, but seeing and feeling it right before his eyes was on a whole different level.

Moreover, the fact that it was Won Ji-tae.

He could feel a thick waist beneath his hand.

Their legs were intertwined and crossed.

Beyond simply hugging as a sleep habit, this was more like a cozy, intimate embrace.

Woo-joo instinctively lifted his head, thinking he was screwed.

“…….”

“…….”

Then, as if he had already been awake, Ji-tae was staring down at Woo-joo with a dazed look in his eyes.

Judging by his blurred, unfocused gaze, he seemed to be intoxicated by sleep.

And that was the moment.

Ji-tae wrapped his arm tighter around Woo-joo’s waist and pulled him in slightly.

“Ack!”

Startled, Woo-joo’s eyes flew open and he pushed Ji-tae away with all his might.

There was silence for a while from Ji-tae, who had fallen off the bed with a short cry.

Woo-joo bolted upright.

A strange sensation surged through the area where Won Ji-tae’s touch had lingered.

“What was that for? Why did you push me! What if I got hurt?”

Ji-tae rubbed the back of his head, which he had hit when he fell.

The guy glared fiercely at Woo-joo with a deep frown.

“…….”

Strangely, Woo-joo couldn’t find his voice.

He needed to say that he had unintentionally made things uncomfortable because of his sleep habit, but the words got stuck in his throat.

He found it strangely impossible to make eye contact with Won Ji-tae, who was staring straight at him with messy bedhead.

“Kang Woo-joo? Are you okay?”

Ji-tae tried to climb back onto the bed.

As soon as he saw the thick hand and the veins bulging on his forearm, Woo-joo jumped out of bed.

“I’m showering first.”

Woo-joo headed straight for the bathroom.

His heart was beating more vigorously than usual.

Even though he was away from Won Ji-tae, the sensation of being embraced by him still seemed to cover his entire body.

It was the first time in his life he had ever felt this way while hugging someone.

Have I finally gone crazy?

Woo-joo quickly stripped and turned on the cold water.

The water fell fiercely from the showerhead.

As if to wash away the sensations left by Won Ji-tae, Woo-joo showered longer than usual that day.

Despite that, his heart continued to race.

Was it because he took a long shower in cold water?

Or was it thanks to his momentarily crazed mind returning to its original state?

In any case, Woo-joo barely managed to return to his usual self.

Yes, now that he thought about it, he was just surprised.

He was just embarrassed because he had witnessed the sleep habit he had only heard about from others, and because the partner was Won Ji-tae.

Woo-joo organized his tumultuous thoughts and sat down across from Ji-tae, who was already eating breakfast.

“Why did you take such a long shower?”

“Well, that’s my business.”

Suddenly, Ji-tae leaned forward and reached out.

Startled, Woo-joo quickly pulled his body back.

But to his surprise, Ji-tae was simply pushing a spoon that was far away toward him.

Feeling sheepish for no reason, Woo-joo cleared his throat.