OGHOU C16

Chapter 16

 

Following the sound, he found a figure crouched down with their back turned.

Who was it? Muho?

What was he doing outside in the middle of the night?

“What are you doing there?”

At Cheongyeon’s voice, the splashing abruptly stopped. Muho slowly turned around, his gaze sharp.

“Why are you out so late? Doing laundry?”

In the basin were only a few pieces of clothing soaking in water. It was unclear why he was washing so few garments at such a late hour.

“Just leave it. I’ll gather them later and wash them all at once.”

But why did his expression look like that? Muho seemed angry, yet also somewhat uneasy. It looked like he had been caught doing something secretive.

“I’ll finish. You go inside.”

“…Fine.”

“If you go to bed late, you won’t grow taller.”

That thought was scary, though the fear was more about whether he would grow at all.

Cheongyeon sat beside Muho and pulled the basin closer toward himself. Since he wasn’t sleepy anyway, it was good to have something to do.

“Go rest inside.”

“I said I’m fine!”

Muho grumbled irritably, dragging the basin back. He was strangely stubborn over just one washload of laundry.

Suspicious.

“Is there something on your clothes?”

“……”

“Are you perhaps…”

“Perhaps what!”

“Ugh, my ears are falling off. Why are you shouting? Did you have a naughty dream?”

Muho jumped up, his face burning bright red as he looked down at Cheongyeon.

“Are you serious? I was just joking.”

“Get lost!”

“You say get lost every time. You’re so young it’s scary. Fine then, I’m getting lost. Get lost.”

Cheongyeon had no choice but to brush himself off and stand.

Let him have the laundry to himself then.

“Wait!”

As he turned to leave, Cheongyeon froze. Thoughts flickered through his mind.

“How long am I supposed to cater to him? I’m already struggling because of the dream, and now I have to tiptoe around him too?”

Providing lodging, meals, and even literacy lessons—how much more should he do? No matter what he said, Muho told him to get lost and threw tantrums.

Growing angrier at these thoughts, Cheongyeon felt his pent-up stress explode inside him after possessing this body.

He returned to Muho, still flushed and standing, and murmured firmly,

“If you dislike me that much, just leave.”

“……”

“You said you’d leave. Go then. I don’t need payment or anything.”

“……”

“I’m tired of this now.”

Leaving Muho behind, Cheongyeon turned his back and walked away.

Regretting it instantly, he collapsed on his bed and buried his face in the blanket.

“Acting just as childish as a kid… I should have just held on a little more and spoken kindly. I hope he doesn’t get hurt and really leave.”

Resolving to apologize tomorrow, he kicked the blanket in frustration.

Muho watched Cheongyeon’s back until it disappeared.

“Sigh…”

Pathetic guy. What was he planning to do?

It was all because of that damned dream. That bothersome person who even appeared in his dreams—right when Cheongyeon was teaching him to write.

The inn in the dream was steeped in a mysterious atmosphere unlike usual. Was the weather really so fine that day? Warm sunlight streamed through the windows, and a gentle breeze blew. A brush in hand smoothly traced lines on paper.

‘This is your name.’

Soft hair brushed his neck.

‘This is my name.’

A pleasant scent drifted from the white chest glimpsed through his shirt collar.

‘How is it? Easy, right?’

Not easy at all. The letters barely registered—only that person did. Time seemed to stop like when they first met.

‘Why are you looking at me when I told you to watch the characters? Did you watch carefully?’

Don’t know. I did watch your face carefully.

‘Was I too fast? I’ll write it again, so watch.’

The skin against his own prickled, and he squeezed the brush tighter without realizing it. The brush crumbled to powder and broke apart.

Good riddance. That didn’t matter anyway.

Muho grabbed the brush and threw it aside, then wrapped his arm tightly around Cheongyeon’s slender waist, pulling him close. His long hair fell like a curtain, and the fragrance of his favorite flower wafted.

Cheongyeon looked up at Muho with a gentle smile, unstartled.

‘You wanted to do something like this with me?’

No, that wasn’t what he wanted to say. Yet he could utter no words as if his mouth were sewn shut.

His gaze drifted down from Muho’s face to his neck, shoulder, and collarbone.

He wanted to touch him just once.

Wait, what was he thinking?

He must be losing his mind. No sane person would feel that way about this man.

“Cheon Muho, why do you look at me like that?”

The laughter from above made his mouth go dry. A thirst that no water could quench rose inside him. No clue why.

Following the supple yet strong contours of Muho’s body, his eyes settled on the narrow waist and hips. The cloth wrapped tightly around him was almost hateful.

His throat felt like it was closing in. The thirst worsened, as though he might wither away from thirst.

Muho vaguely realized this was not something water could fix.

He’d heard tales from street gossipers about jiangshi1) drinking the blood of the living.

Maybe he needed to bite Muho’s neck, suck him dry like a jiangshi until Muho begged for mercy.

Imagining teardrops hanging from those long lashes made his mouth water.

His long, pale neck caught his gaze—the very neck he had clutched tightly that first night, leaving red marks, now seemed to ask to be bitten.

Just once… just one time…

Muho slowly moved toward him. Just as his dry lips were about to touch soft skin, he suddenly jolted awake from the dream.

What a ridiculous dream…

Why that person? Why that scene? And why such disgusting desires?

Tossing and turning in bed, Muho suddenly felt uncomfortable below the waist. Inside his pants was damp.

Oh, no…

He pulled back the blanket and was stunned for a while.

That explained why he had come out to do laundry…

In his embarrassment, he inadvertently snapped at Cheongyeon, who had arrived at an opportune moment. He hadn’t meant to be rude, but his slender neck caught Cheongyeon’s eye again. The detestable dream came back to mind.

Had living with that strange person made him lose his mind?

Cheongyeon thought he’d just say “get lost” again and Muho would shrug and disappear as usual.

But today, his eyes were red, his face gloomy. Like someone who had been crying for hours. Then, in a tired voice, he uttered cold words, telling him to leave, to go away.

Why?

When he once wanted him to stay, why was he telling him to leave now? Had he really done something that wrong?

He had been crying so much in the dream. Seeing what might be a real tearful face before him made his heart sink.

Everything was a mess.

The next morning, Muho, unable to sleep, sat in the restaurant waiting early. The morning service had started, but Cheongyeon was nowhere to be seen.

“What’s going on, at this hour?”

As always, Haeryeong spoke.

“Want some breakfast?”

Ignoring her, Muho’s thoughts were fixed on the stairs. When would Cheongyeon come down? Should he go upstairs? Anxiety gnawed at him.

After pondering all night, he concluded one thing.

‘I don’t want to leave.’

So… he should apologize first. He admitted he’d been rude all along.

Since he had never said anything so embarrassing before, just imagining it made his fingertips cringe.

Muho waited a long while. Cheongyeon appeared as breakfast service was nearly done.

Fortunately, he looked a little better than last night. Their eyes met, and Cheongyeon gave him a small smile.

That smile triggered memories of the dream again, making Muho almost slap his forehead. He struggled to push away the creeping obscene images and quietly approached Cheongyeon, struggling to speak.

“Last… last night…”

“Last night, I’m sorry.”

“Huh…?”

“I was a little on edge because of other things. Still, I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. Sorry.”

“……”

Cheongyeon smiled, lightly tapped Muho’s shoulder, and passed by.

Clearly, he had intended to apologize.

Taken off guard, Muho froze.

He’d fought and won against many people all his life. For the first time, he wanted to apologize, but the other person had gone first. He didn’t know how to respond. He just stared blankly at Cheongyeon greeting guests with his usual bright face.

…Was he really that handsome?

At that moment, a young man in flashy clothes entered the inn.

The smug-faced man smiled broadly, greeted Cheongyeon, draped an arm over his shoulder, and whispered something close to his ear.

‘Who’s that brat? Do they know each other?’

They seemed close—otherwise, why would he touch him like that? The hand on Cheongyeon’s shoulder annoyed Muho deeply.

Glowering at the two, his anger simmered until Haeryeong’s muttering interrupted.

“Master Song Danju, long time no see.”

‘Danju?’

“Who’s that?”

“You’re unusually interested in someone else.”

“I’m asking who.”

“That person? The Daoist Master Songwon of Dae-gyeong Merchant Group. Known for his boisterous personality and extensive connections—the whole neighborhood knows him. Recently, he’s been friendly with our innkeeper.”

“…Friendly?”

“Yes. They sometimes go out drinking together. But why?”

Drinking together? With that guy? What for?

A surge of anger boiled up. Like in the dream, an unbearable thirst rose within Muho. He shot a murderous glare at the hand resting on Cheongyeon’s shoulder.

I want to break everything.

I want to rip every tendon in that wicked finger and stuff it in his mouth.

Footnotes

1. Jiangshi (강시, 僵尸): In East Asian folklore, a reanimated corpse, often depicted as a hopping vampire or zombie that feeds on the life force or blood of the living.