Silence.
Only the clicking of a mouse echoed in the quiet examination room. Nam Woojin turned to look at Lee Sayoung, who was lying on the bed.
"Judging by the bruising, it looks like a contusion. What the hell did you get hit by? It's not like you lost your abilities." Sayoung kept his mouth shut, invoking his right to remain silent. He couldn't exactly say he'd been kicked in the ribs by a heel while trying to have sex with J, resulting in a fractured rib. This was a serious matter involving the human rights and social standing of the former 1st and 2nd ranked players.
Nam Woojin scratched his head, examining the medical record the boy had handed him.
"Physical strength is... still quite high. It'd take a lot to even scratch you. What, did you get hit with a hammer? Or a chunk of concrete? Rebar?"
A heel.
Sayoung's gaze flickered towards Euijae. Euijae kept his head bowed low. The guilty party had nothing to say. Seeing the patient still silent, Nam Woojin sighed and tapped on the keyboard.
"Well, it'll heal on its own with time. I'll prescribe some painkillers and anti-inflammatories, apply cold compresses for three days, then warm compresses after that. Come back in about a week. It'll probably be healed by then."
"...Yes. Thank you."
Euijae trudged over and helped Sayoung up. Nam Woojin shook his head and stood up.
"Honestly…. I thought someone was dying with all the fuss."
"Um, the consultation fee..."
"What money? Just go. I'm busy."
"Then, come to the hangover stew restaurant sometime. It's on the house."
"Ah, I will."
Nam Woojin nodded as if to say, do as you please. The boy escorted the three of them to the entrance of the Seowon Guild.
Seo Mingi pushed up his sunglasses.
"Anyway, I'm glad it wasn't a major injury. Romantic Opener's emergency dispatch fee will be billed at the end of the month. I'll return to the field now."
Ah, right. He said he was in the middle of catching a criminal. Uijae asked,
"Need any help?"
"I already asked Director Jung Bin, but he told me to catch the small fry myself without bothering J-nim. I just got scolded."
Sayoung cut in with a sulky face.
"That guy's got a point."
"Indeed. You're the owner of a restaurant now, after all. I won't ask for your help unless it's something really big. Guild Leader, please take care of yourself as well. Then, farewell."
Seo Mingi melted into the shadows. Now it was just the two of them. Euijae squeezed his eyes shut.
"...I'm sorry, Sayoung-ah."
Sayoung sighed, leaned his head against Euijae's, and muttered.
"Let's just go home..."
* * *
The morning after the rib fracture incident, a sheet of A4 paper was taped to the door of the hangover stew restaurant.
Closed for a while.
Duration: Undetermined
Reason: Nursing
The regulars, worried that Grandma's knees had gotten worse again, each wrote a message of hope for a speedy recovery on the A4 paper.
Get well soon!
Wishing you a speedy recovery
Don't be sick
Little did they know. They were cheering for Lee Sayoung's rib to heal.
***
Whether it was thanks to the warm support of the regular hunters, Euijae's nursing with homemade bone broth, or just Lee Sayoung's exceptional recovery ability, the fractured rib healed cleanly in three days. Nam Woojin was indeed a master physician.
On the day they returned home after receiving the all-clear, the two of them knelt facing each other. The sound of wind swept through the living room. Euijae opened his mouth with a serious expression.
"Sayoung-ah."
"Yes, Hyung."
"I'll apologize again. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to attack you."
"That's the 48th apology already. Should I say what you're going to say next instead? You were so nervous and embarrassed that your body moved first, instinctively releasing the ankle restraint and trying to subdue the opponent. Fortunately, you applied minimal restraint, so the unfortunate event of you strangling me with your legs didn't occur."
"...Oh, have I apologized that much already?"
Euijae awkwardly avoided eye contact. He was so shocked by the minor yet powerful injury of a fractured rib that he kept apologizing at every opportunity.
"Well... it's not that big of an injury. It's my fault for not dodging it."
Sayoung shrugged. He was sincerely reflecting. He knew that Hyung's condition wasn't normal, but he didn't realize he was that nervous. He also overlooked the fact that his body would react first if he lost his reason.
Euijae sighed and ran a hand over his face.
"Anyway, for our smooth... um, whatchamacallit. Relationship, I think we need some... um, conversation."
"Uh-huh... You can be honest. If you don't want to."
"What?"
What was he talking about? He looked up sharply, and Sayoung replied casually.
"Sex isn't essential between lovers. And... we're both guys."
Euijae wore a dumbfounded expression. He was clearly speaking Korean, but he felt like they weren't communicating. Sayoung shrugged.
"I thought... you might not feel sexually attracted to me."
"That's not true, you idiot!"
Cha Euijae shouted, his face flushed red. If he wasn't sexually attracted, would he have kissed him or anything like that? Violet eyes widened, then narrowed slightly.
"Ah..."
"..."
"Is that so...?"
Sayoung's voice dropped smoothly. A face as beautiful as a rose suddenly came close to Euijae's.
"So you are turned on... by me."
Ah, damn it. He'd been drawn in again. Euijae threw a cushion that was lying on the sofa.
"Shut up!"
Sayoung hugged the leather cushion that had flown at him and grinned. Euijae cleared his throat and continued.
"Anyway, I've been thinking."
"Uh-huh, it's probably a weird idea, but... well, tell me anyway."
Neatly folded hands suddenly came into Sayoung's view.
"Wanna try tying me up?"
See? He knew it would be a weird idea, Sayoung twisted his lips.
"Ah. That kind of kink? I didn't know Hyung had that kind of taste..."
"No, I might swing my fists or feet again."
"You can cut through most things even when you're tied up. The only thing that can tie up hyung is Jung Bin's chain, but hey, should we borrow it?"
"No, that's a bit much."
Euijae seemed genuinely sorry for hurting Sayoung. The two of them put their heads together to find a solution for a smooth relationship. Or rather, it was a process of Euijae unilaterally coming up with solutions and Sayoung logically refuting them.
This discussion continued even after they got up because their knees hurt, ordered food because they were hungry, and ate their meal. Euijae finished his bowl of hangover stew cleanly and said with a serious face.
"Okay, this is really going to work. You touch me while I'm sleeping."
It was another load of nonsense.
Sayoung was starting to wonder what was in this guy's head. Was he doing this on purpose? If he was doing it without knowing, that was also a talent. He slammed his spoon down.
"Hyung."
"Why, is this also not good?"
"Are you a pervert?"
"Ah, why!"
Sayoung closed his eyes and agonized.
Honestly.
To be really honest,
"....."
It was fucking hot.
Everything Cha Euijae came up with as a solution.
Tie up his hands, blindfold him, and observe his reactions while touching the sleeping hyung? With no minimum rules or restrictions, all up to him?
'Fuck.'
His mouth went dry and he gulped down cold water. While listening to hyung's nonsense disguised as a solution, his pants were already bulging. But he tried to maintain his composure. If one of them lost their reason, at least the other one had to maintain it.
Especially if the other person was someone like Cha Euijae, who acted on impulse.
Sayoung deliberately closed his eyes and asked.
"Hyung, are you thinking before you speak right now?"
"Sayoung-ah, I'm really serious."
"How serious are you?"
"As serious as when I met you in the back alley, smashed you with a ladle, and was trying to figure out how to run away."
If that was the conclusion he came to after thinking that seriously, it wasn't worth considering. Sayoung reached out and firmly grabbed Euijae's hand.
"Hyung."
"Uh, uh. Sayoung-ah."
"Just..."
And, he sighed deeply and said.
"Let's take it slow. Only as much as hyung won't kick me away."
"...Should we?"
And so, after countless nonsense, the two of them agreed to make progress little by little every day.
***
The most urgent thing was to eliminate the awkwardness.
Cha Euijae was used to Sayoung resting his chin on his shoulder like he was being affectionate, rubbing his head against him, or hugging his waist. But as soon as the atmosphere became even slightly more intimate, he froze like a wooden doll.
'It's not that he has an aversion to physical contact itself!
When they fell asleep in the same bed, Cha Euijae was the one who gave his arms and embrace when Sayoung snuggled into his arms.
Sometimes he would be the one to hug him first and fall asleep, or kiss him on the forehead or cheek.
In the end, it was a matter of atmosphere and flow... Sayoung leaned back on the sofa and watched Euijae eating walnuts.
'He also likes kissing..'
He approached Euijae and leaned over.
"Hug me, Hyung."
"Huh?"
Euijae looked up at Sayoung, then dusted off the crumbs on his hands and spread his arms wide.
"Why, was today hard?"
"Uh-huh."
As soon as he was in Euijae's arms, his hands gently stroked his back as if he had been waiting for it. Like this, if he asked him to do it first, he would accept it without resistance. Sayoung rubbed his cheek against his cheek.
"Kiss me too."
"Oh, now you're just bossing me around."
Euijae scolded him for no reason, but he cupped his cheek with his hand. Their lips met cautiously. Soft skin touched, and breaths mingled. Lips touching lips without tongues or saliva mixing. Strangely, that alone made him feel ticklish.
'Does he feel less nervous when he has the initiative...?'
Then like this, by asking him. Little by little.
Their lips parted. Sayoung raised his head and met his gaze. For some reason, Cha Euijae's face seemed a little redder than usual.