DI Ch 166

I was afraid to look too far down because it was dangerous. I swallowed my tears and prayed earnestly. As I trembled, modestly hoping he wasn’t completely naked, I heard a light chuckle above my head.

“Why worry about that? I wore it.”

Thank goodness. I almost thanked him sincerely. I was so relieved that I tried to calm my pounding heart, but when I saw Tae Seong-je’s thighs as he got up, my mind froze. Pants made of what looked like thin, soft material, and the explicit contours visible through that fabric. …That’s way too visible.

“…What about underwear?”

“I’m not wearing any.”

“…”

Even without seeing it directly, the brief glimpse I got was enough to show how massive and long it was. Fighting the mix of human astonishment and male admiration, I slipped down off the bed and crouched, clutching my knees and rubbing my face.

“Why… Why did you sleep here?”

Morning erections are natural. I get them too. But this isn’t right. It’s really not. I don’t want to see or feel someone else’s erection. I rubbed my contorted face roughly, filled with distress. What’s with him lying here so casually?

“… Wait, have you been sleeping here this whole time?”

Unable to believe it, I looked across the bed and saw Tae Seong-je, who was leisurely putting on his shirt, and nodding.

“Are you crazy? Why?”

“This is my room. More precisely, the room I used when I was young. It’s not strange for me to be in my own room, is it? Ah, no need to apologize. You couldn’t have known since I didn’t tell you. Don’t go. Sit down.”

I was about to apologize and say I’d leave, but he made it impossible to argue. Is this what it means to be completely shut down? I stood up abruptly, then hesitantly sat back down.

Tae Seong-je, who was now fully dressed, drew the curtains. I squinted against the dazzling sunlight. Once my eyes adjusted, I saw him standing by the window, softly smiling with a still sleepy face.

“Don’t stay on the floor. Go to the bed.”

“…”

It wasn’t a strange statement, but it sounded suggestive to me for some reason. I stood up but couldn’t easily go to the bed. Perhaps I hesitated for too long, as Tae Seong-je, leaning against the window, crossed his arms. He seemed to be watching to see how long I would stand there.

Perhaps it was because of the sunlight, but he seemed softer and more radiant today. It was unfair that he looked so perfect for someone who just woke up from sleep. I glanced at him and met his gaze again. This time, his smile was deeper, and his dimples made him look unexpectedly attractive.

“…”

I stopped glancing around, worried my gaze might wander to inappropriate places, and just stared at my own feet. As I curled my toes, I suddenly noticed how short my toenails were. They looked neat as if they had been cut a few days ago. With a sinking feeling, I couldn’t take my eyes off my toenails when he asked something obvious.

“Is it that uncomfortable to sleep together?”

“…”

As I nodded silently while wiggling my toes, I heard a short sigh. When I looked up, he had a serious expression on his face, as if deep in thought. But soon, in a playful tone:

“You, how do you think you’d feel waking up with me next to you?”

What an absurd question. Did he think I’d be overjoyed? I was too dumbfounded and replied sternly.

“I’d be so shocked my heart would drop. I was so startled just now, I almost had a big problem.”

“Why? Were you dizzy?”

The person who had been leisurely leaning back and smiling erased his playful expression and approached me in one swift move. He cupped my cheeks and brought his face close to mine. I almost jumped. I was filled with the urge to protest, but I kept my mouth shut because of his upright presence. 

Regardless of how I felt, he was busy examining my complexion closely. His face was so close that my knees weakened. I ended up slumping down onto the bed I had been trying to avoid. Even when I said I was fine, he kept checking until he was sure, then stepped back. I glared at him quite fiercely. He seemed to think I would just let this slide, but that was not going to happen.

Two grown men sleeping so close together in the same bed isn’t right. Now that I’m feeling better, I won’t take caretaking as an excuse. I was ready to refuse outright, but unexpectedly, he spoke in a weak voice.

“Cut me some slack. I can’t sleep without you. When you weren’t here, I couldn’t get a wink of sleep.”

Was it because he was worried? His faint sigh answered for him. Sensing his weariness, my conscience pricked me. In the end, guilt made me give in a little.

“…Alright. I’ll sleep on the floor, so you take the bed.”

“Why sleep on the floor when there’s a bed?”

“I can sleep well anywhere as long as I can lie down, so it doesn’t matter to me.”

“Don’t do that. Let’s just sleep together, I’ll only hold your hand.”

“…”

He had already hugged and kissed me, and now he was shamelessly saying this. I shrank back, feeling it was already generous to share the room. He was asking for too much.

“No. I’m uncomfortable sleeping together.”

“Then I won’t sleep either. I’ll just lie next to you for six hours.”

“…”

I’m so dumbfounded that even my startled heart seems to be settling back into place. He’s been saying nonsensical things all this time. What should I say? Should I just take back what I said? No. He’s a pitiful person. I should endure. And since I can understand the feelings of an anxious person, I changed my mind again.

“From tonight, please lay out a blanket on the floor.”

“That’s too much.”

“How is this too much?”

“Did I ask to live together again or what? I just said I’d lie down with you.”

This guy, really. What if it becomes embarrassing like before with physiological reactions? I don’t know how he plans to handle it if something indecent happens. Too embarrassed to explain my concerns, I rubbed my throbbing forehead, but then my thoughts stopped. Wait, live together?

“Live together? …Did we live together? No, listen… You shouldn’t move in so quickly with someone you haven’t known for long.”

“…”

I had suspected something from the moment he made that ridiculous offer to give me a house.  He seems to have an unexpectedly naive side, which worries me, but Tae Seong-je’s face was slightly crumpled.

“…It’s common sense, but why does it irritate me when you say it?”

His temperament was worse than I thought. I didn’t say anything wrong. As I rolled my eyes and stared blankly, he smiled as if he had no choice. His smile was always breathtaking. How could someone be that good-looking? From now on, I’d try to avoid looking at his face when I talked. If I talk while looking at his face, I feel like I keep losing.

“We woke up too early. Want to sleep some more?”

As I was firmly resolving, he made a tiresome suggestion. I really don’t want to sleep anymore. Before opening my mouth, I shook my head while rubbing my throat, unsure if it was hoarse or just not fully recovered.

“No. Rather than that, do something about that first.”

“Huh?”

Tae Seong-je blinked slowly and finally looked down at his lower half, which was still as stubbornly erect as ever.

“Ah, this.”

He muttered nonchalantly, not seeming embarrassed at all. Then he suddenly grabbed his center and asked me:

“Should I go take care of it?”

“Are you crazy? Why are you asking me that!”

Why was he holding it? And why was he asking me about it? I barely managed to keep my panic in check and let out a rough breath. Driven by a moment of human curiosity, my gaze dropped downwards. His hands were so big, and from the way they enveloped it, it was clear in both size and shape. …Is he even human? More than a sense of defeat as a man, I felt a mix of awe and fear as a human being.

“Hmm. I should take care of this. It’s not going down since it’s been a while.”

“Don’t touch yourself in front of me…”

Why was he still rubbing it while speaking indifferently as if uninterested? While I was freaking out, unable to remove my hands from my face, Tae Seong-je casually strolled into the bathroom. Though I wasn’t able to completely shake off the shock, I felt slightly relieved and slowly lowered my hands.

“…Close the door! The door! Hyung, close the door when you do it!”

Ah, I saw it! Just a glimpse of his skin, but I saw it! I didn’t see the exact shape. But because I really didn’t want to see it, I rolled under the bed as if escaping and covered both my ears. I could faintly hear him calling me through the muffled sound. He must be out of his mind.

I buried my flushed face deep between my knees. The more I pressed my hands against my ears, the closer his voice seemed to get. The more strength I put into it, the more my hands trembled. Then a hand rested on my head and roughly tousled my hair. It was more like shaking my hair than stroking it.

“What’s this? Were you really surprised?”

A droplet of water splashed onto my forehead. I reflexively closed my eyes, then opened them slightly to see him standing there, looking as if he had just showered.

“We’re both guys, so what’s the big deal?”

“…Even between guys, that’s out of line.”

“Do you think I actually did something that far out of line?”

“You didn’t?”

“I didn’t.”

“…Really?”

He chuckled at my serious and cautious doubt. Maybe it was because of the water, but even his faint smile seemed somehow suggestive. Then, he gently tapped my cheek.

“Like I’d do something in front of a kid. Of course, it was just a joke.”

“….”

I suddenly became a child who couldn’t take a joke as a joke. What kind of vulgar joke is that? And more importantly, it wasn’t funny at all!