Chapter 90: The Unexpected Confession

Fortunately, Jitae’s test results were normal.

There was no major issue with his head, and there were no irregularities in the other areas they had checked while he was there.

Following the doctor’s recommendation that he could be discharged, Jitae packed his bags the very next day.

“Is your manager coming?”

“Yeah. He said he’d take care of some work at the office and come pick me up soon.”

Wooju was helping Jitae pack.

He had acted as his caregiver, sticking by his side for the entire day.

“Kang Wooju, what about you?”

“I have to head straight home, too.”

Jitae was staring intently at Wooju, who was helping him pack his bag, when his pocket started to vibrate.

“Yeah, hyung. I’m packing right now.”

It seemed to be Suhan, his manager.

“Really? You’re sure you’re alright, hyung? Then I’ll just find my own way.”

At the words that soon captured his ears, Wooju slowly lifted his head.

Jitae was reassuring the person on the other end, acting as if he were in a difficult spot.

“Why, is something wrong?”

Wooju asked directly toward Jitae, who had hung up the phone.

“He said his car got a flat tire on the way.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. It happened when he was leaving the parking lot, so luckily it doesn’t seem to be anything major.”

With that, Jitae added that he would have to call a taxi.

“Hey, why bother? I’ll take you.”

“Do you have your car?”

“Dongha brought it to the hospital parking lot yesterday.”

At the mention of Dongha’s name again, Jitae’s eyes turned cold.

He felt the strength leave his body at the thought that they were on a level of closeness where they could entrust not just his house but even his personal car.

“Let’s go.”

After appropriately finishing the discharge procedures, the two came out to the hospital parking lot.

Thinking that it had been quite a while since he’d ridden in Wooju’s car, Jitae climbed into the passenger seat.

“Put in the address.”

Jitae entered his home address into Wooju’s navigation system.

He received a mouthful of teasing from Wooju, who asked if he was making tons of money since he lived in such an expensive place.

Fortunately, the distance from the hospital where Jitae was admitted to his house wasn’t very far.

At the final intersection heading home, they were caught at a red light.

As the car came to a smooth stop at the stop line, a loud ringing sound spread through the car.

It was the sound of the car’s Bluetooth connected to a phone.

Wooju, confirming the name ‘Dongha’ on the screen, operated the button on the steering wheel to answer the call.

– Hyung, where are you?

“Oh, I’m currently taking Won Jitae home. Why? Is something wrong?”

A youthful voice echoed through the car.

Wooju glanced at Jitae subconsciously.

A thought crossed his mind a bit too late—what if the sound was too loud and made him uncomfortable?

But fortunately, Jitae was focused only on the view through the window, showing no interest at all.

– A-ah, no. It’s not that… but do you happen to have time in about 30 minutes?

“Yeah. I don’t have any particular plans today.”

– T-then, I’ll head over to near your place, so could we talk for a bit?

Dongha’s voice sounded somewhat excited for some reason.

“Sure. But what do you want to talk about? I don’t mind doing it now.”

– I-it’s an important matter, so… I wanted to do it in person…….

Wooju said he understood and hung up the phone.

Meanwhile, the car had entered Jitae’s officetel complex and pulled into the underground parking lot.

After parking in the spot Jitae indicated, Wooju got out of the car, carrying Jitae’s luggage for him.

“I’ll take you up to your door.”

He didn’t have much luggage, but for some reason, he didn’t want to send the sick guy home alone.

He felt he would only be at ease if he saw him enter his home safely, at the very least.

Fortunately, Jitae accepted it without saying anything.

When they reached the high floor, the elevator doors swung wide open.

While waiting for Jitae to open the door lock, Wooju felt a strange sense of disturbance.

“Try… living a little cleaner.”

“I-it’s not usually like this.”

However, the expression on Wooju’s face upon entering Jitae’s home crumpled instantly.

He had known for a while that he wasn’t interested in organizing, but this was much worse than when they had lived together.

“Just get some sleep for now.”

Having handed the luggage to Jitae, Wooju insisted that he must take absolute rest.

“Are you going?”

“I have to. Dongha asked to meet up.”

“…….”

Jitae flinched at the name that had popped up again.

Wooju, unaware of the reason, scratched his head awkwardly.

“He’s not the type to ask to meet up privately, so I’m a bit worried in case something happened. I’m going to go. I’ll contact you later, so answer it.”

Just as Wooju turned to leave, he felt a hot touch on his wrist.

He hesitated.

Looking down, he saw Jitae’s large hand gripping his wrist.

It was quite a contrast to the times he had only timidly grabbed his sleeve.

Now, he was holding onto Wooju firmly, with more strength than ever before.

“Can’t you stay?”

“Huh? But you heard it earlier, too. Dongha……”

“You said you wanted to talk to me.”

Wooju’s eyes widened, as if he hadn’t expected Jitae to bring that up himself.

“Then are you going to tell me everything? No matter what I ask?”

“…….”

Jitae’s mouth still didn’t open at that question.

But as if he had expected it, Wooju nodded.

“First of all, Won Jitae, I’m sorry about back then. For grabbing your collar and forcing things you didn’t like onto you.”

Since he had been quite emotional himself back then, this was something he had wanted to say at some point.

Furthermore, grabbing someone by the collar was something he had to apologize for, regardless of the reason.

“But I was hurt by your words, too. The words saying you didn’t mean it when you asked to be friends, and saying you couldn’t do something like that even if you died.”

Jitae flinched. He felt the grip on his wrist slowly loosening.

“Honestly, I understand why you won’t tell me about your past. I’m also aware of my own greed in simply wanting to know. But more than that, I was most shocked by those last words you said back then.”

It was true that his desire to know his past remained and that he was still curious about the 7 years of Won Jitae that he didn’t know about, but the thing that kept echoing in Wooju’s ears after he had returned home from all the filming was none other than those words.

Wooju actually knew very well that the reason he had felt so annoyed and frustrated—as if a heavy stone was sitting on his chest even when he tried to live normally—was entirely because of what Won Jitae had said.

“That’s where my heart is, at least.”

Wooju sighed and scratched his head.

“You should get some rest. Let’s talk after your body and mind have recovered. That would be better.”

Wooju patted Jitae’s right shoulder.

“…Kang Wooju, I like you.”

Just as he was about to walk toward the front door, a heavy voice sounded from behind him.

Wooju’s footsteps came to a dead stop.

“Huh?”

“Wooju-ya, I like you.”

Wooju opened his mouth slightly, his expression dazed.

Perhaps it was because he couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of the words coming for the first time from a guy who had always kept his lips tightly sealed.

Or perhaps it was because that gaze brought a completely different feeling than the Won Jitae he had seen until now.

The turbulent emotions he had felt when entering the house seemed to be reviving.

“I, I like you too. I don’t really dislike you, do I?”

For some reason, he couldn’t meet those eyes directly. It was strange. It couldn’t possibly be, but Won Jitae had a face like someone confessing their love.

The spot where his gaze touched felt as hot as if it were burning.

“When I said I liked you, I meant……”

At that moment, Jitae walked over and leaned in.

After trapping Wooju’s gaze so it couldn’t escape, he gave him a light kiss.

Their lips touched softly and then fell apart immediately.

“…….”

Wooju’s pupils dilated widely.

“It means this.”

And then, his lips descended once again.

A strange smack sound echoed throughout Jitae’s spacious house.

“It’s also the reason why I said I didn’t want to be friends with you.”

They say that when a person is too flustered, all their reasoning stops.

Wooju was currently experiencing a state where not only had his reasoning stopped, but it felt as if all his nerves and senses had been blocked.

It was definitely Won Jitae in his sight, and he was the one who had just kissed him.

The place where that intense gaze was directed was himself, and his lips felt numb and completely devoid of sensation, as if they had been paralyzed.

“Sorry, for doing it without permission.”

His entire body froze stiff.

The things he needed to say were fragmented into vowels and consonants, swimming randomly inside his head.

He couldn’t even understand why Won Jitae was apologizing.

After offering his apology, Jitae didn’t say anything else.

He stood quietly, as if waiting for Wooju—who had fallen into chaos—to regain his senses.

“A-Are you serious? You aren’t teasing me?”

After a few minutes of silence, Wooju slowly opened his mouth.

His voice, filled with bewilderment, was dry and cracked like the parched sand of a desert.

“Yeah.”

Won Jitae nodded without a moment’s hesitation.

He wasn’t adding any extra fluff; he was only letting out resolute, affirmative words.

“W-Won Jitae, if you’re playing a prank, then even now……”

“Can you kiss a man even if it’s a prank?”

He couldn’t. There was no way he could.

Wasn’t it the case that even toward the opposite s*x, you shouldn’t do such things under the guise of a prank?

That meant that the actions and words Won Jitae had just performed were all sincere.

Words of disbelief swirled in Wooju’s mouth, but looking at that face before him, he couldn’t bring himself to open his lips.

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