DP Episode 18

Deep Pivot Episode 18

After that, a strange silence lingered. While sipping his liquid food, Seo-joon watched Yeon-woo eat with delight, as if enjoying a mukbang.

Every time Yeon-woo put something in his mouth, one cheek would puff up. The way he chewed reminded Seo-joon of a baby. Perhaps this is why parents say they feel full just by watching their kids eat.

“Does it taste good?”

“It would taste better if the lieutenant ate with me.”

Yeon-woo said this while putting a Vienna sausage, scored to look like an octopus, into his mouth.

“This is tasty…”

“…”

“Vienna sausage is really good.”

With one sausage tucked in his cheek, he picked up another with his chopsticks and looked at Seo-joon. Seo-joon chuckled at the obvious look.

“Yeon-woo, you’re unexpectedly playful.”

“Me? …I am?”

His eyes widened as if he’d heard something he couldn’t believe. He looked quite cute. Even though it might embarrass him, Seo-joon couldn’t resist teasing further because of Yeon-woo’s charming reaction.

“Weren’t you just being playful? I almost fell for it.”

“No, I just…”

Yeon-woo’s eyes and ears flushed red as he lowered his gaze.

“I thought it’d be nice if you ate with me.”

“Alright then, let me have one,” Seo-joon said, opening his mouth. Yeon-woo hesitated for a moment but then carefully fed him the sausage. Now his cheeks, neck, and even the tips of the fingers holding the chopsticks had turned red.

“It’s… tasty.”

“Lieutenant, your expression right now is just like a kid being forced to eat carrots.”

“You caught me.”

“If you don’t like it, don’t force yourself to eat. I’ll finish your portion too.”

Young creatures are generally cute, like puppies or kittens. Naturally, a fresh-faced 20-year-old who hasn’t yet taken his first step into society would also look adorable.

Seo-joon rationalized why he found Yeon-woo particularly endearing: like how kittens and puppies are cute, so too is young Cha Yeon-woo.

“I’m all done showering, Lieutenant.”

Seo-joon, who had finished his shower quite a while ago, was placing dishes from the dishwasher onto the drying rack. He turned around absentmindedly and gave a small smile upon seeing Yeon-woo.

Since he didn’t have any fitting clothes, they had to settle for a pair of gray sweatpants that Cheong-oh had left behind. Even then, the pants ended at Yeon-woo’s ankles, which looked a bit comical.

“At least the waist fits.”

“Does Captain Jin visit often?”

Seo-joon answered Yeon-woo’s question as he organized the dishes.

“Yeah, Cheong-oh comes by, Chae-won too, and so does Yeong-gyo. The SAU team members often visit each other’s homes, so we tend to keep spare clothes at each other’s places.”

As Seo-joon put away the last glass, he caught a whiff of body wash that smelled just like his own from behind.

“Need help?”

“No, I’m fine—”

Turning around without thinking, Seo-joon instinctively held his breath. Yeon-woo, who had moved closer, immediately stepped back when they found themselves face-to-face.

“…I’m sorry. I just wanted to help.”

“It’s all done.”

The distance was too close. Yeon-woo’s nose almost brushed against Seo-joon’s chest. Even between men, contact is approached cautiously if one person is shirtless. Seo-joon purposely smiled to ease the awkwardness.

“Come this way, Yeon-woo. Your room is on the second floor.”

As they climbed the stairs, Yeon-woo hesitated as if he wanted to say something. He looked at Seo-joon like he was about to speak, but whenever Seo-joon glanced back, Yeon-woo looked away. It’s rare for someone to be so transparent with their feelings.

“You shouldn’t feel uncomfortable. This is the room where team members sometimes sleep, so my aunt always keeps it clean. The bathroom is next to it, so you don’t need to come down to the first floor to use one.”

“…Thank you.”

After a few seconds of delayed response, Seo-joon turned to face him.

“Do you have something to say? You’ve been wagging your tail since earlier.”

“Wagging my tail?”

“Never mind. Do you have something to say or not? Otherwise—”

“Lieutenant, um… that…”

As Seo-joon was about to leave the room, Yeon-woo hesitantly caught his pinky finger, then spoke up timidly.

“…Are you sure you don’t need guiding?”

Seo-joon couldn’t help but laugh.

“How long have you wanted to ask that? When you finished showering? Or when we were coming up here?”

He teased, and Yeon-woo immediately lowered his gaze like a tail being tucked.

“I had been thinking about asking since I was showering.”

I shouldn’t have too much fun teasing him. Seo-joon smiled and shook his head.

“If I need it, I’ll tell you first. But not today. I don’t usually ask for guiding, because I don’t want to get too attached.”

As Seo-joon tried to leave, the hand that held his pinky moved up to gently grasp his wrist.

“…I’m already attached.”

The shy fingertips tickled the inside of Seo-joon’s wrist. He furrowed his brow lightly and asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“You took care of me all day today. You’re the first person I’ve gotten this close to at SAU. You’re basically my best friend, so that’s what I meant by being attached.”

“Ah.”

For a brief moment, Seo-joon misinterpreted the meaning of attachment in a less-than-pure way and found himself at a loss for words as he looked at Yeon-woo. He had meant a physical attachment, but Yeon-woo was so pure that it left him feeling like he alone had dirtied things.

“…Right. I guess we are already attached, Yeon-woo.”

Seo-joon smiled and answered belatedly. The hand around his wrist felt warm. Not like a burning flame but like a cozy ray of sunlight. That small touch spread warmth under his skin, making him want to lean in endlessly.

“So, let me know whenever you need help. …I’ll try my best, without messing up like I did on the first day.”

Seo-joon impulsively reached out. He felt Yeon-woo’s neck tense up under his touch. With one arm, Seo-joon gently hugged him and whispered with a smile, “Yeon-woo, our pairing rate is high.”

When Seo-joon finally pulled Yeon-woo fully into his embrace, the chest he held swelled greatly.

“Even a light hug like this is more effective than kissing dozens of other guides.”

It really was. Seo-joon felt that the pain that had been throbbing through his joints vanished momentarily. If he could stay like this longer and touch more, it’d feel incredible.

But it’s wise not to desire more. Regardless of who the other person is, if things go wrong…

“Not having a dedicated guide is my own issue, so you don’t have to be perfect, Yeon-woo. Don’t feel too pressured.”

Seo-joon released the hug and stepped back. Yeon-woo stood frozen, his lips slightly parted, as if time had stopped.

“Goodnight, Yeon-woo.”

Seo-joon smiled and left the room.

Click. The closed door took away the faint light that had lingered in the room. In the pitch-darkness, Yeon-woo’s body sank slowly to the floor.

“Goodnight, Lieutenant…”

His belated greeting slipped out like a thin thread as he covered his face with both hands.

Yeon-woo couldn’t move from that spot for quite some time.

---

When he opened his eyes, he found an unfamiliar ceiling. Instead of a ceiling marked with old water stains and faint traces of mold, it was clean and high.

Morning had come, and as light filled the room, the surroundings became clear after a night of sleep in a daze. Despite containing only a single bed and a small nightstand, the room didn’t feel empty, likely due to the sunlight streaming through the window.

Seeing his neatly folded school uniform on the nightstand, Yeon-woo covered his face with his hands. When he picked up the folded uniform shirt, it still retained warmth, as if fresh from the dryer.

Did the lieutenant do this for him? If so, he felt both embarrassed and apologetic. Nearby, he noticed jelly and caramel candies that he had stuffed in his pockets and forgotten.

After showering and changing in the second-floor bathroom, he headed down to the first floor, where he heard someone moving around in the kitchen.

“Oh my, you’re awake, dear?”

Yeon-woo assumed it would be Seo-joon, but instead, an unfamiliar woman greeted him.

“Hello.”

“Come and sit down. The soup is just heated up.”

Smiling, she set down the soup bowl and gestured to the table. He was about to ask where the lieutenant was when he heard a voice from behind.

“Did you sleep well?”

Seo-joon, who looked like he had just showered, was drying his hair with a towel and took a seat across from Yeon-woo.

“Yes, did you sleep well too, Lieutenant?”

The subtle scent of shampoo spread across the table to Yeon-woo, who took a small breath and felt a tickle in his chest. Although it was the same shampoo scent that he used, for some reason it felt different coming from Seo-joon.

Yeon-woo received the utensils from the woman and bowed.

“Thank you for the food.”

“Yes, yes. Seo-joon, you’re not eating, right?”

The woman poked Seo-joon’s shoulder, almost as if to inform Yeon-woo.

“He’s always drinking things like soy milk. You haven’t seen Seo-joon eat yet, right?”

Reaching over his shoulder with a smile, Seo-joon gently took the woman’s hand.

“Thanks to you, I had a nice dinner last night. The sausage stir-fry was great.”

His wet, tousled hair, casual sweats, and relaxed expression made Yeon-woo smile, feeling like he was seeing a side of Seo-joon that others didn’t know.

“Really? You like that stuff too? Just like my daughter. The woman, rinsing empty side-dish containers and putting them diligently in the dishwasher, then asked Yeon-woo.

“Are you an esper too, dear? But if you’re in high school, you haven’t gone to the training camp yet?”

“No, I’m repeating a grade, so I’m 20.”

“Ah, I see.”

She shook her damp hands dry, took off her apron, and picked up the bag she’d set aside. “I’m heading out. There’s not much to clean today.” She patted Seo-joon and Yeon-woo on their backs before leaving, her cheerful energy trailing after her.

With just one person gone, the house fell into a quiet stillness.

“She’s the lady who helps manage the house. All these dishes are her doing.”

She comes once a week to clean and restock the fridge. She wasn’t supposed to come this early, but today, she had to leave early for her daughter’s piano competition.

Feeling strange, Yeon-woo silently ate his meal. He was struck by the reality of being part of the mundane daily life of a person he’d only ever seen through videos.

“Why are you smiling?”

“…Because I’m happy.”

At Yeon-woo’s simple response, Seo-joon chuckled casually and stood up. By the time Yeon-woo finished his meal and set down his utensils, some time had passed.

“If you’re done eating, get ready for school. I’ll give you a ride.”

Yeon-woo wondered if he was still dreaming. But the scent of shampoo that lingered from Seo-joon as he passed by stirred his senses.

It wasn’t a dream.

Tl/N: Captain jin = Jin Chung-oh