Chapter 79: Rainy Day Fever

Yoonwoo’s gaze fell upon a pair of sneakers. They were white, splattered with rainwater, and looked quite soiled. Not long ago, Yoonwoo had meticulously washed them and told Yeon-chae to wear them often, saying they looked good on him.

Yet, Yeon-chae hadn’t even pretended to glance at them back then.

‘But you wore them,’ Yoonwoo thought, his face blank with surprise.

“You don’t even have an umbrella. Why didn’t you reply?”

Yoonwoo slowly, almost stiffly, lifted his head. Yeon-chae was looking down at him, a displeased smile playing on his lips. His brows were deeply furrowed, yet his long, elegant eyes and the corners of his mouth curved into an arc.

“I thought you wouldn’t come…”

Yoonwoo had genuinely believed Yeon-chae wouldn’t appear.

They had agreed to pretend the night they spent together during their honeymoon never happened. However, what had happened could not simply be erased. After Yeon-chae’s rut, a fragile truce had been called following days of icy silence, but his demeanor had subtly shifted.

It wasn’t merely a change in attitude; it felt as though his very personality had transformed. The once gentle, occasionally charming and childlike Yeon-chae now spoke far less and exuded an undeniable coolness.

His long, expressive eyes, which used to curve as he looked directly at Yoonwoo, were now more often cast downwards. Yoonwoo could barely recall the last time he had seen Yeon-chae smile.

Thus, Yeon-chae’s sudden appearance was a shock. His true feelings tumbled out inadvertently, catching Yeon-chae by surprise. Yeon-chae’s eyes widened, as if he didn’t know what to say.

Yoonwoo was equally flustered, a flush creeping up his forehead and neck. He felt both embarrassed and bewildered, but more than that, his cheeks burned with the sheer joy of Yeon-chae’s presence.

Yeon-chae remained silent for a moment too, his lips parting and closing as he mumbled incoherently, before finally letting out a sigh. Yoonwoo, his voice barely a whisper, spoke again.

“Because I’d be upset if you didn’t come.”

“…Why wouldn’t I come?”

“So, you did come?”

“I’m here now, aren’t I?”

“Will you come next time too?”

“I’ll come next time. I’ll keep coming, always.”

His voice, though a low grumble, was undeniably affectionate. Yeon-chae had certainly grown colder, yet he remained tender. Perhaps, he was even more so than before.

A large hand extended towards him. When Yoonwoo took it and allowed himself to be pulled up, Yeon-chae said, “Let’s go home.”

Yoonwoo hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“But did you only bring this one umbrella? It’s tiny…”

“I barely found this one in the corner of my locker. Who knew it would rain?”

“Ah, did you come straight from school? Right. But isn’t it your class time right now?”

“…”

“You left in the middle of class?”

“It was raining too hard…”

“Huh?”

“You shouldn’t get rained on. What if you get sick?”

“Oh…”

The subject-less sentence tickled Yoonwoo’s heart. With that brief reply, their conversation ceased.

Under the pouring rain, they shared a small, three-fold umbrella. Yeon-chae’s opposite arm was completely soaked. Their shoulders brushed with every step, prompting Yeon-chae to pull Yoonwoo closer, his arm around his shoulder. They walked on in silence, without another word.

It truly rained heavily that day. A single three-fold umbrella was far too small for two men to share. They only managed to reach home, drenched to the bone, looking like drowned rats.

Stepping into the entryway completely soaked, Yoonwoo shivered violently, splashing water everywhere. Yeon-chae, his lips tinged blue, laughed aloud.

His eyes, curving beautifully as he laughed, were so captivating that Yoonwoo couldn’t help but smile along.

Yoonwoo caught a cold. Yeon-chae gazed at the groaning Yoonwoo, a look of utter bewilderment on his face.

Yoonwoo’s shivering had been suspicious from the moment they entered the apartment, completely drenched. Despite Yeon-chae’s insistence that he shower with hot water immediately, Yoonwoo stubbornly argued that Yeon-chae, having been out all day, would be more uncomfortable and should wash first.

Yielding to Yoonwoo’s stubbornness, Yeon-chae showered first. When he emerged, Yoonwoo lay sprawled on the bare living room floor, his face weary, refusing to sit on the sofa for fear of soaking it with rainwater.

By the time Yeon-chae rushed to him, Yoonwoo was already half-asleep. It took several gentle shakes of his shoulder before he finally managed to open his eyes.

“Yeon-chae, have you washed?”

Unable to steady himself, Yoonwoo managed a faint, wobbly smile. The sight of his pale, feverish cheeks appearing almost giddy with delight made Yeon-chae angry.

“I told you to wash first. Why are you so disobedient?”

Yeon-chae’s voice rose involuntarily, fueled by the warmth radiating from Yoonwoo’s body as he helped him up.

“No, actually, I was just so sleepy…”

“…”

His face, as he confessed, was flushed. Touching his forehead, Yeon-chae found it burning with fever. With urgent hands, he peeled off Yoonwoo’s wet shirt, which clung to his skin.

“Ugh, I’m cold…”

His words trailed off, as if half-drunk with sleep. Yoonwoo leaned his forehead against Yeon-chae’s shoulder, nuzzling against him. Yeon-chae felt a surge of exasperation. ‘Is he only like this when he’s sleepy?’ he wondered. ‘He acts like I’m some sort of AI-powered body pillow.’ Yeon-chae’s lips pursed slightly.

“Hyung, Hyung. Try to wake up. You need to wash and change.”

“Ugh, mmm, sleepy.”

“That’s why I’m saying, let’s wash and then sleep.”

His hands kept slipping as he tried to pull off Yoonwoo’s jeans. A dull ache began to build in his lower abdomen. Yeon-chae bit his lower lip and let out a short curse, while Yoonwoo, barely able to open his eyes, flailed weakly in his arms.

“Don’t curse.”

“I didn’t curse.”

Yoonwoo’s lips were now pale and trembling.

Yeon-chae quickly scooped Yoonwoo up, supporting his back and the hollows behind his knees. Yoonwoo’s bare legs dangled, swaying in the air, as he mumbled, his eyes half-closed.

“Still, this is nice.”

“What are you talking about? You’re practically dying from sickness.”

“You came to get me.”

“…”

“The model student skipped class to come for me…”

Was he doing this on purpose? Yeon-chae glared resentfully at Yoonwoo, who was sending his emotions on a rollercoaster ride. Yoonwoo squirmed, resting his cheek against Yeon-chae, his feverish skin warm and soft against Yeon-chae’s chest.

Yeon-chae felt as though he could hear his own heart beating a frantic rhythm, so he deliberately spoke in a gruff tone.

“Stop sleep-talking and get up to wash.”

“I’m not sleeping…”

With that, Yoonwoo completely drifted off to sleep.

His softly breathing face was pure and lovely. No matter how much Yeon-chae tried to keep his distance from Yoonwoo, he found it impossible not to be tender with him. Yet, he also couldn’t allow himself to be truly tender.

Yeon-chae clenched his jaw and carefully lowered Yoonwoo into the bathtub filled with warm water. As he poured the warm water over Yoonwoo’s bare shoulders, Yoonwoo shivered even in his sleep. The gentle splashing of water echoed in the quiet bathroom, punctuated by Yoonwoo’s occasional soft groans.

He stared intently at Yoonwoo’s flushed face. Lately, Yeon-chae often found himself utterly unable to fathom what thoughts resided within that small head. Yoonwoo continually stirred hope in Yeon-chae, yet the fear of an endless fall should that hope shatter prevented Yeon-chae from reaching out.

‘Since when had he become so afraid?’

He bent down, bringing his face close to Yoonwoo’s. He watched him silently, almost touching, before pressing his lips firmly against Yoonwoo’s well-formed mouth, as if leaving a seal.

The soft touch sent a tickle through his chest. His soaring spirits rose for a moment, then burst like a soap bubble in the air, leaving behind only a bitter feeling.

Yoonwoo had been awake since Yeon-chae first lifted him. However, he kept his eyes tightly shut, enjoying Yeon-chae’s careful washing. The gentle splashing of the warm water in the bathtub echoed softly.

It seemed Yeon-chae intended to care for him until he fully recovered from his illness. Though he expected to suffer from the cold for a few days, it felt worthwhile. His heart fluttered with excitement from the long-awaited tender touch, tickling him inside and making him want to smile.

Yet, if Yeon-chae knew he was awake, Yoonwoo feared he would grow cold again, stop washing him, and leave. Yoonwoo struggled to keep his twitching lips from curving upwards, trying desperately to prevent his eyelids from fluttering.

His facial muscles twitched with the effort. It was then, as Yoonwoo’s heart swelled secretly, that it happened.

Something warm and soft touched his lips.

The languid sleepiness that had been creeping over him vanished instantly, and his mind snapped wide awake.

He wanted to confirm what was before his eyes, but a feeling so confusing, bordering on fear, made it impossible to open them. His eyelids, which had been trying to open just moments before, now felt heavy as waterlogged cotton.

‘What… was that just now?’