Destruction — Chapter 21

Woobeom carefully removed Saejin’s bandages and then applied a waterproof patch over the gauze. Watching him quietly, Saejin muttered.

“You really do have everything, huh?”

“I told you I did.”

Woobeom led Saejin to the sink and asked him to lean forward slightly, then pulled out some soap.

“Hold your breath.”

“Hnn.”

Woobeom splashed lukewarm water onto Saejin’s face and began to lather the soap. Feeling the large hand gently washing him, Saejin felt strangely emotional. It reminded him of when he was little and the assistant teachers had taught him how to wash.

“Blow your nose.”

“…That’s a bit…”

“Suit yourself.”

Woobeom kept rinsing Saejin’s face until all the suds were gone, then handed him a towel.

“Use this to brush your teeth later.”

Saejin noticed a still-wrapped toothbrush, neatly placed next to what must’ve been Woobeom’s own. Woobeom then guided him over to the bathtub, saying he’d start by washing off the vomit. He filled the tub just enough so the water wouldn’t reach the injury and gave Saejin a look that clearly meant: take off your pants and underwear.

“Even my underwear…? Isn’t that a bit much for my human rights…?”

“Don’t make me say it twice. Take it off.”

“Yes, sir.”

They’d already seen each other naked once, so it wasn’t like it mattered—but Woobeom’s firm tone made it impossible for Saejin to argue. Moving slowly, Saejin took off his pants. He wanted to be quick, but it was hard to bend his waist properly, so his movements were sluggish. He glanced toward Woobeom, who had tactfully turned his head away to give him privacy.

‘Maybe I can use this towel to cover myself.’

After undressing, Saejin grabbed a towel hanging on the tub and wrapped it around his waist.

“If you’re done, get in.”

Once he stopped fumbling, Woobeom turned his head back. Saejin stepped into the tub carefully to avoid slipping and eased himself down. Since the water level wasn’t very high, even with his legs stretched out, it barely reached his hips. It was a bit disappointing that he couldn’t soak up to his chest, but the warm water still relaxed his stiff leg muscles, and that alone felt satisfying.

Woobeom sat on the edge of the tub, checked the shower’s temperature, then pressed his hand to Saejin’s forehead.

“Think you can tilt your head back?”

Leaning against the back of the tub, Saejin gently tilted his head.

“Ah, wait a sec… okay!”

Since no pain came, he smiled in relief. Woobeom silently supported the back of his head and wet his hair. As he began shampooing, a soft lavender scent spread through the bathroom. It didn’t suit Woobeom at all. He probably just bought whatever or maybe it had been a gift. Just as Saejin was letting his mind wander, Woobeom spoke in a much more serious tone.

“Don’t ever throw yourself in like that again.”

“Huh? Oh… this.”

Saejin lightly touched the waterproof bandage. The injured area and the surrounding skin were badly bruised and discolored, looking too painful to even lay a hand on.

“But hyung, you were in danger…”

“Fuck that. Me getting hurt and you getting hurt are not the same thing.”

“…But still.”

“I said don’t, so don’t. Even if I’m in danger, you only think about yourself.”

“Then what about you? Why did you save me?”

“You really love back-talking, huh. Is that what they teach you in college?”

“Yes. The first thing you learn in college is how to back-talk.”

Pouting, Saejin let out a childish “hmph” like he didn’t want to talk anymore.

“You’d get hurt just like I would. If anything, now’s not the time to say ‘don’t jump in.’”

“……”

“Of course, we can’t let something like that happen again. But! In an emergency, helping each other out is what you’re supposed to do in a disaster, right?”

“Huh?”

“Though… I guess I’ve been the one needing help more than anything. Still… when I jumped in, it helped, right?”

Saejin had been proudly talking, but he trailed off when he realized that, right now, he was nothing but a burden. Woobeom clenched his jaw and had to restrain himself from blurting something like, “You were such a damn big help.”

“Anyway, I don’t think I can promise I won’t run out like that again in the future.”

“That’s how you end up dead in a second.”

Saejin pouted at the harsh comment and didn’t put his lips back in for a while. Woobeom, unfazed, rinsed the last of the suds from Saejin’s hair and stood up, towel-drying his head.

“Even with the waterproof bandage, you won’t be able to shower for a while. So just settle for this.”

Woobeom motioned for him to lean forward a bit, then gently wiped him down with a warm wet towel. Saejin had been drenched in cold sweat and felt sticky, but Woobeom’s thorough hand cleaned him up, leaving him feeling refreshed. Listening to the occasional drip of water from the towel, Saejin took the chance to rub his own legs. Massaging his thighs and calves reduced the lingering fatigue.

“All right. Wrap this around yourself, brush your teeth, then go get dressed. Don’t stumble around and fall again.”

The bath towel Woobeom handed him was large enough to be a blanket. Wrapping himself up in it, Saejin caught a pleasant scent lingering on his skin as he stepped out of the tub.

“My bag’s still in that bedroom, right?”

Thankfully, he had packed a few changes of clothes before leaving his apartment. Woobeom, now undressing for his own shower, replied with a short affirmative.

‘Whoa… he’s not even embarrassed, huh.’

Saejin quickly turned his head and slowly shuffled toward the sink. Crawling might’ve been faster, but for the sake of his pride, he waddled along awkwardly.

As he brushed his teeth, the bathroom began to fill with steam. Saejin kept glancing toward the shower stall, sneaking peeks at Woobeom, but the moment the other man moved even slightly, he’d quickly shift his gaze back to the sink and focus on brushing.

After drying himself, Saejin stepped out of the bathroom with the gait of a newborn foal. He left the living room behind and tried to recall which direction the bedroom was. With so many rooms and the villa being spacious, it was hard to remember. Relying on intuition, Saejin moved ahead, biting his lip as a sharp pain pulsed from his stomach.

Luckily, his guess had been right. Arriving at the familiar bedroom, Saejin reached for his bag sitting on the side table. His underwear and pants were there as expected, but the top was missing.

“Oh, right…”

As he tried to remember where he put it, he recalled hastily unpacking to hide the director from the infected. He hadn’t retrieved the clothes afterward, so it made sense they were missing. Scratching the back of his neck in mild embarrassment, Saejin opened the wardrobe to borrow something from Woobeom.

As expected, the wardrobe was full of unworn casual clothes. He picked a plain-looking T-shirt and cautiously slipped it on.

“This is killing me, seriously.”

It wasn’t a joke—just moving a little caused his stomach to ache, and groans spilled out without him meaning to. Though he’d told Woobeom he might throw himself into danger again, he wasn’t so confident anymore.

‘At least pain should come in moderation…’

Grumbling, Saejin reflected on what he lacked. He had spirit, but his ability to act in a crisis was poor. He wasn’t skilled in combat like Woobeom, nor was he built to take a hit. Tapping his lips in thought, he suddenly perked up like he’d had a good idea.

“Maybe I should ask hyung to teach me how to fight.”

The way Woobeom fought monsters and infected was honestly awe-inspiring. Anything in his hands became a weapon, and he didn’t show a single opening, finishing enemies off in one strike. Admiring his judgment and sharp movements, Saejin tilted his head as a strange thought occurred to him.

“…Maybe it’s not that he’s good at fighting—he’s just good at killing?”

He wasn’t sure, but in the end, what mattered was gaining skills like Woobeom’s. Nodding to himself as if making a decision, the door opened just then. Woobeom had returned from his shower.

As he walked in, he scanned Saejin, who was sitting on the bed, his eyes lingering on the oversized T-shirt. The shoulders dropped to his elbows, and the hem reached mid-thigh. Clearly not Saejin’s.

“Oh! I borrowed your shirt. That’s okay, right? I had pants, but no top.”

“Yeah.”

Woobeom responded shortly and began pulling something out from the wardrobe for himself. Having seen him always in suits before, this more relaxed look felt unfamiliar. With his wet bangs hanging over his forehead, he looked much younger—so much that Saejin momentarily doubted he was really thirty-two. But he didn’t bother saying that out loud.

‘He’d definitely cuss me out with his eyes.’

Saejin could already predict Woobeom’s reaction. Either he’d glare at him like he was ready to kill someone or ignore him entirely. While looking younger might be a compliment to some, Saejin held his tongue, knowing it wouldn’t land the way he meant it.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking your temperature.”

Still grumbling inwardly, Saejin asked carefully as Woobeom reached to touch his forehead. Woobeom responded casually, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, then withdrew his hand. Maybe it was because Saejin was young, but the fever from the wound had gone down surprisingly fast.

Woobeom had intended to lift Saejin up to feed him the porridge he had made but hesitated. He was worried Saejin might throw up again. Changing his approach, he simply extended a calloused hand in front of Saejin.

“Get up, you need to eat.”

Years of rough work had left Woobeom’s palm thick with calluses. There was nothing particularly special about his rough hand, yet Saejin stared down at it with a strange feeling. His stomach churned, his mouth went dry, and his chest throbbed in a way that left him slow to react.

“…Okay!”

Whatever this feeling was, he decided to shove it aside. Taking Woobeom’s hand, Saejin stood up and moved close by his side into the living room. Despite having just showered, Woobeom still carried a faint scent of cigarettes, which oddly made Saejin feel calm.

The porridge had cooled to the perfect temperature for eating. When Woobeom offered to reheat it, Saejin declined and took a spoonful. It was plain white porridge with no vegetables, so he hadn’t expected much—but the subtle nuttiness stirred his appetite.

“Wow, this is really good… Where’s it from?”

Scooping another generous bite into his mouth, Saejin guessed it must be store-bought based on the flavor. The savory richness somehow brought his appetite back in full.

“I made it myself.”