DL Episode 42
by Brie#042
Even though Ha-gyeom had already decided to do as Dr. Cha suggested, he made unnecessary comments. Dr. Cha’s eyes sparkled, but Baek Sa didn’t seem to be listening. Removing the sensor with a somewhat displeased look, he said,
“It’s not a bad idea to find out how incompatible we are in advance.”
Even though his words were annoying, it ultimately meant he would follow Dr. Cha’s instructions.
Standing next to Baek Sa’s bed, Ha-gyeom was naturally pushed aside as soon as Baek Sa stood up. The uniquely warm body temperature and scent briefly touched and disappeared. In that fleeting moment of daze, Dr. Cha’s clapping sound struck his ears.
“That’s it, that’s it! Don’t forget to always stay in physical contact!”
Baek Sa, who looked at Dr. Cha’s fussing with somewhat sympathetic eyes, exited the small space. Ha-gyeom turned towards where Baek Sa was.
“Follow me.”
It was a stern command as if treating him like a subordinate. Ha-gyeom didn’t like the glance Baek Sa threw at him, but he rubbed his warm neck and followed him, pretending to be relaxed.
* * *
Back in Baek Sa’s room, Ha-gyeom was on high alert. He had to acknowledge again how poor his training results were because his heart rate wouldn’t calm down. Separately from that, he was determined to find any clue, so he couldn’t overlook even a speck of dust.
The clue could be in Baek Sa’s room, on his lips, or in his eyes. Baek Sa was not an easy person, so the easiest approach was likely the clue in his room.
“Why don’t you sit?”
“…In a little while.”
For some reason, it was awkward to face him, so he kept looking outside. Ha-gyeom stood in front of the large window where he could clearly see the left area he had secretly visited recently. Wisps of smoke occasionally rose over the pitch-black landscape. Beyond the overwhelming purification system and power plant, the calm sea was visible.
He was poking at the glass and playing dumb when someone knocked on the door not long after. It seemed to be meal delivery. Tae-seong, who suddenly appeared, held a tray that looked abundant at a glance.
“What, are you guys on a date or something?”
Ha-gyeom almost choked even though he hadn’t swallowed anything. Seeing Baek Sa’s hollow smile, lightly taking it as a joke instead of reacting sensitively like himself, made his ears burn even more.
“Ask Dr. Cha.”
Baek Sa, giving a lazy answer, looked at Ha-gyeom. Then he gestured towards the table opposite his desk.
Ha-gyeom glared at Tae-seong for no reason before sitting across from Baek Sa. On the tray were actual foods that were rare in the detention center’s meals.
There were warm rice and stir-fried vegetables, even meat side dishes, instead of canned and processed foods. Although he knew that food cultivation and livestock farming were possible due to the purification system, it was his first time sitting at a table that was no different from before the monster invasion.
“Why are you giving me something so precious?”
He asked because he thought such high-quality food could only be enjoyed by leaders in Zone 0. Tae-seong was about to answer, but Baek Sa raised his hand to stop him.
“Leave now.”
With a furrowed brow, Baek Sa’s displeased expression made Tae-seong nod and leave immediately. Hearing the door click shut, Ha-gyeom looked at Baek Sa again, seeking an answer.
“Are you always this curious?”
It wasn’t even a sharp question, but Baek Sa drew a line right away. So that’s how he’s going to be…. It might be easier to hide his impure intentions if he openly asked instead.
“Yeah. I’m very, very curious. I’m curious about why I can eat this kind of food and about who you are. The more you don’t tell me, the more I want to know. Do you even know that you haven’t explained the operation properly?”
Baek Sa openly touched his ear as if Ha-gyeom was being noisy. Despite snapping at him, Baek Sa stayed silent and just handed over a spoon.
“Just eat. Unless you plan to protest.”
Pouting his lips, Ha-gyeom decided to eat properly and took the spoon. He planned not to make a big deal out of it even though it was his first decent meal in years, but the moment he put the well-cooked beef in his mouth, a shiver ran through his body as if it had been waiting for this.
“……!”
He hid his surprise with a slight flinch and cleared his throat. The rice was glossy and sticky. Taking a spoonful and putting it in his mouth, the sweet flavor made his mouth water.
“……!”
This time, his eyes widened. Flustered, Ha-gyeom put down his spoon for a moment. Just a moment ago, he was watching the desolation of the left area, and now he felt guilty for enjoying such a meal alone.
He could have composed himself if given some time, but as he uncrossed his legs, he accidentally nudged Baek Sa’s foot. It wasn’t a hard kick, but it was enough to draw his attention. Looking up, he met Baek Sa’s intrigued gaze.
“How delicious must it be to bring tears to your eyes.”
The quiet, muttering tone was strangely familiar. In moments like this, the boundary between Baek Seung-woo and Baek Sa often blurred. Eating, sleeping, washing, dressing. Ha-gyeom felt bitter remembering Baek Seung-woo, who had made every effort to ensure he could manage even the most basic things.
Lost in old memories, Ha-gyeom couldn’t tell if Baek Sa’s words were a tease, a joke, or just meaningless chatter. Suddenly, the gaze he was meeting elevated. Baek Sa, who had risen from his seat, pulled a chair and sat right next to Ha-gyeom.
“What are you…?”
Baek Sa’s calves crossed and his knees wedged deeply between Ha-gyeom’s legs. He looked at his watch and said,
“We have 24 hours, so every second and every minute of physical contact is mandatory.”
While Baek Seung-woo felt almost like a guardian to Ha-gyeom, he felt no such intimacy with Baek Sa. The word “date” that Tae-seong had mentioned earlier came to mind only because it was their first time being so close during a meal.
Ha-gyeom scratched his neck while glancing under the table. His heart was pounding and he felt uncomfortable. The discomfort wasn’t due to posture but to proximity.
“Is it necessary?”
If he truly hated this discomfort, he would have flinched…. Though he felt bad about invoking him, if the person approaching had been Seok Ji-ho instead of Baek Sa, he would have already hit him over the head.
Ha-gyeom belatedly lifted his gaze and looked into Baek Sa’s eyes, just two hand spans away. The cold eyes, yet more mature than those of his peers, made him tense. It was also because he wore Baek Seung-woo’s guise.
A strange atmosphere lingered.
Ha-gyeom, bothered by his tingling hands, clenched and unclenched his fists, breaking eye contact with Baek Sa. He resumed eating but Baek Sa didn’t move. While physical contact was one thing, enduring his unwavering gaze was tough, so he asked,
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
He asked while putting another piece of meat in his mouth. As he licked his lips, wet from either saliva or meat juices, Baek Sa suddenly pulled at his T-shirt.
The pull was less forceful than the speed at which Baek Sa leaned in. Ha-gyeom stiffened as Baek Sa’s lips touched the exposed skin above his T-shirt.
“I prefer when my partner follows their desires.”
If it were a proper guiding session, it would be one thing. It was awkward to be called “partner” and uncomfortable to have to engage in such physical contact during a meal.
So, if Baek Sa was referring to appetite as a desire, Ha-gyeom wondered if it was even correct to describe it as following a desire.
Ha-gyeom couldn’t hide the confusion in his eyes. He was acutely aware of Baek Sa as he kissed and then kissed again. His unstyled, soft hair kept brushing against Ha-gyeom’s ears. His hand holding the spoon trembled.
“What do you mean?”
“Appetite and sexual desire have a lot in common, ultimately.”
Honestly, it sounded like crazy talk.
‘…Does that mean my appetite triggered his sexual desire?’
Ha-gyeom’s mind couldn’t comprehend the connection.
Yet, he couldn’t outright reject the firm hand that was now slipping to his waist. The urgency in Baek Sa’s embrace hinted at a deeper need.