IH Ch 85

Chapter 85

What was that? I thought he was sleeping soundly—did he have a strange dream or something? Not knowing how to speak in moments like this, Jae-i hesitated before moving his hand. Carefully, he reached over and tucked the strands of hair that had fallen alongside Dohwa’s face behind his ear and asked,

“…What’s wrong?”

“…….”

Dohwa’s lips parted slightly. Jae-i bent down, then decided to lower himself completely, kneeling on one knee. As soon as he did, Dohwa suddenly wrapped his arms around Jae-i’s neck.

“…!”

The unexpected embrace, the scent of another’s skin that filled his nose, the warmth—it all made Jae-i suck in a breath.

“…Jae-i.”

The moment he heard his name followed by a faint sniffle, Hwang Jae-i’s face immediately hardened. Almost reflexively, he raised both arms to pull Dohwa’s thin frame into a hug, tilting his head.

“Are you crying?”

That sniffle just now had definitely sounded like crying. Was he really crying? To be sure, Jae-i reached a hand toward the back of Dohwa’s head to see his face. Sensing that Dohwa’s breathing had become erratically shallow, Jae-i immediately grew serious.

What was he supposed to do at times like this?

Still wearing a stiff expression, Jae-i abruptly stood up. Caught off guard by the sudden movement, Dohwa nearly lost his hold and looked up in surprise. Jae-i plopped down onto the sofa with an audible thud, then pulled Dohwa onto his lap and wrapped his arms around him tightly.

“……”

Blinking in surprise at the sudden action, Dohwa glanced at Jae-i. He didn’t know why this was happening, but one thing was clear—Hwang Jae-i had probably never hugged a person, not even an animal, in his life.

Jae-i’s expression was blank, like he was wearing a mask, his thighs tensed and his arms just as rigid. He didn’t look comfortable in the slightest. If he felt awkward, how must the person being held feel? Holding his arms tightly against his chest, Dohwa blinked slowly.

Even so, Jae-i’s hands continued to gently stroke Dohwa’s arms and back. That clumsy, awkward touch suddenly put Dohwa at ease. Just moments earlier, he had been seized by a deep, inexplicable sense of anxiety…

Relaxing his body, Dohwa rested his face against Jae-i’s shoulder and closed his eyes.

“Right after your vacation, you’re leaving work a whole hour early? That’s cold, Guildmaster.”

Though she sounded like she was complaining, Ahn Yuna’s expression was cheerful. It made sense—today, Hwang Jae-i had completed about ten days’ worth of work in one sitting. If he was capable of this, he should have done it sooner. But she didn’t want to stir unnecessary trouble.

Ahn Yuna tilted her head toward Dohwa, who stood close behind Jae-i.

“Dohwa, it was really nice seeing you today. You’ll come again tomorrow, right?”

Dohwa, who had only meant to say goodbye before leaving, paused.

Was it okay for him to come again tomorrow? He hadn’t really done anything today, just hung around. While he struggled to answer, Jae-i stepped forward, placing himself in front of Dohwa without a word, clearly signaling, “Don’t ask unnecessary questions.” But Ahn Yuna ignored the hint and continued.

“Please do come. I’ll have even better snacks ready tomorrow. Let’s go out for lunch instead of having packed meals. I’ll grill some meat for you.”

“What are you going on about?”

Ahn Yuna acted as though she was trying to flirt with Dohwa. Jae-i shot her a sharp look, clearly disapproving of her strange behavior, but Yuna’s eyes were focused solely on Dohwa. She was clearly sending a desperate signal—‘Please come again tomorrow.’ Whether Dohwa noticed or not, he pulled his hood further over his head.

Sensing Dohwa’s discomfort, Jae-i immediately reached out and took his wrist. It looked forceful, but in reality, his stride was short enough for Dohwa to follow without difficulty.

“Guildmaster, don’t be late to work tomorrow either!”

Ignoring Ahn Yuna’s shout, Jae-i closed the elevator doors. He pressed the parking lot button and glanced at Dohwa, who was holding the strings of his hoodie in each hand. He had pulled them so tightly that only his nose and below were visible. Jae-i turned slightly and tugged at the back of the hoodie Dohwa was wearing.

“Isn’t that uncomfortable?”

As the hood lifted, his eyes were revealed.

With his nose, eyes, and mouth peeking through the round opening, Dohwa looked at Jae-i in silence before shaking his head.

“It’s not uncomfortable. But… are you going home early because of me?”

He was still bothered by Ahn Yuna’s earlier comment about Jae-i leaving work an hour early. If it was just because of him, Jae-i didn’t need to—he had only been in a bad mood earlier because of a strange dream…

“I already finished everything I needed to do today. There’s no point staying longer.”

“……”

“Let’s go. Come on.”

As soon as they arrived at the parking lot, Jae-i stepped out first and waited for Dohwa to follow. Dohwa walked up beside him and quietly took hold of the edge of Jae-i’s sleeve. Jae-i’s pinky curled in response. If he had shaken it off, Dohwa would’ve let go—but he didn’t. Knowing this, Dohwa simply walked quietly alongside Jae-i toward the parked car.

The water against his palms was warm. Even though the bathroom was large, it wasn’t cold at all—he could’ve showered with cold water and still felt fine. But somehow, he always ended up using hot water. After splashing his face, Dohwa looked up into the mirror. He stared at his wet face, then tilted his head from side to side, even lifting and lowering it as he examined his reflection carefully.

It might have been a side effect of wearing the iron mask for so long. Dohwa still wasn’t used to seeing his own face. It was the same face everyone always complimented as being beautiful.

“……”

Wiping the droplets off his cheeks, Dohwa stepped out of the bathroom.

The room, just as warm as the bathroom, was spacious and clean. A neatly made bed. A spotless floor. A wardrobe filled with clothes. A desk. And…

Dohwa walked over to the clothes he had worn today. As he looked at the yellow hoodie hanging on the wall, he leaned against it. Burying his face into the fabric, he inhaled deeply—he thought he could smell Jae-i.

Though he didn’t use any scented lotions or perfumes, Hwang Jae-i had a unique scent. And he liked it. He wanted to keep breathing it in.

“……”

Hwang Jae-i is kind.

It might seem like a random thought, but it was true. Dohwa recalled the awkward way Jae-i had comforted him in his arms. The stiff thighs he’d sat on, the arms that had supported his back—nothing about it had felt natural. Yet it had been comforting. Very much so.

He also liked that Jae-i had brought him straight here from the Guildmaster’s office. He liked that when he’d been resting, Jae-i had told him it was time to eat. Today, he had eaten a lot—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. His stomach was full, but even more so, his heart felt full. He was so happy that it felt like his feet were floating. Of course, that couldn’t be true.

Being with Hwang Jae-i like this still felt surreal. Maybe this wasn’t reality—maybe he was dreaming. Maybe he was still alone in that small, dark room. Gripping the hoodie tighter, Dohwa slowly pulled his face away.

He gently stroked the chick-yellow hoodie before taking it down. Carrying the pants and hoodie over his arm, he stepped out of the room. He crept softly to the living room, but Jae-i wasn’t there.

“……”

Wondering where he might be, Dohwa considered calling out—but didn’t.

He passed the kitchen and headed to the side. Not to the front door, but the door in the middle. Opening it, he found an all-in-one washer and dryer. He crouched in front of it and checked the array of buttons.

Though he had seen it in videos, he had never used one himself—so even looking at it didn’t help much. Should he try pressing the power button first? No, what if he broke it by accident? Maybe he should just hand-wash the clothes… But what if he damaged them? Jae-i had bought them for him to wear.

“What are you doing?”

“……”

Startled, Dohwa’s shoulders shot up, then sank. Turning in surprise, he saw Jae-i standing there. Wearing gray sweatpants and a black short-sleeved shirt, Jae-i stood slanted, looking down at him. Dohwa fumbled to his feet with an awkward little sound.

Seeing the clothes in Dohwa’s arms, Jae-i didn’t say a word. He simply took them, placed them in the washer, and quickly pressed a few buttons. Dohwa, still watching in silence, crouched again in front of the washer.

“Do it again. From the start. After you press the power.”

Though he’d seen it once, he figured he’d remember it better if he watched one more time.

Jae-i obediently lifted his hand.

“Button. Wash. Set intensity. Start.”

When the standard wash was selected, the detergent was dispensed automatically. The cycle ended with drying, so once you put the laundry in, there was nothing else to worry about. Jae-i was about to explain that part too when he glanced over at Dohwa’s profile, still fixated on the machine.

Dohwa repeated what Jae-i had said as he carefully checked each button on the panel. Once he was confident he had memorized it, he looked at Jae-i and smiled slightly. Staring intently at that smiling face, Jae-i stood up. As though nothing had happened, he walked out to the living room.

He perched on the sofa, picked up the remote, and turned on the TV. Dohwa followed him out quietly and crept toward the sofa, gently lowering himself onto it. When Jae-i didn’t object, Dohwa gained courage and leaned against him. Pulling his knees up, he hugged them to his chest, and Jae-i grabbed a nearby cushion and tossed it his way. As the cushion fell next to him, Dohwa glanced at Jae-i and hugged it close. Sitting cross-legged in a relaxed posture, Dohwa settled in—and only then did Jae-i return his gaze to the screen.

When he was alone, Jae-i never turned the TV on unless there was something specific he needed to check. He didn’t have any shows he regularly watched, nor did he know what aired when. He couldn’t just keep flipping channels forever, and was starting to feel stuck—when suddenly, his own face appeared onscreen, larger than life.