ETP Ch 89

Yoohyun was a major contributor to Bokseung’s anxiety because of his desire to be close to him. Bokseung stoked his guilt once more.

“When other people’s hands touch my body, I get goosebumps, and I’m so surprised that I involuntarily lose all my strength.”

“…?”

“So, I thought I should get counseling before it gets more serious.”

“Wait.”

Yoohyun felt dizzy upon hearing about Bokseung’s surprisingly serious condition.

He gets goosebumps when others touch him? And he loses strength in his body? No, then how has he endured living in the same house with me until now?

Yoohyun recalled his actions since living with Bokseung again, such as unconsciously stroking Bokseung’s hair or poking his cheek.

The fact that he had been digging his own grave all this time hit him hard.

“Then, then what I did… too?”

Yoohyun agonized over how to apologize to Bokseung.

No, this guy should have told me right away if something like that was happening! So I could be careful!

Yoohyun clenched his fists, unable to bring himself to get angry at Bokseung, who was clearly already having a hard time.

“Ah, that’s not the case.”

Huh?

The refreshing answer “no” came back to Yoohyun’s question, which he was prepared to kneel to ask. Yoohyun’s facial muscles, including his brow, crumpled.

“No?”

“Uh, yes.”

Sungyeon scratched Bokseung’s round cheek with an awkward expression.

He hadn’t expected Yoohyun to be this sorry and surprised. Sungyeon’s intention was just to inform him that such a schedule was coming up, not to surprise him this much.

“Why?”

“Pardon?”

“Why not? You said you get goosebumps and lose strength all over your body when others touch you. But not me?”

“Exactly.”

“Huh?”

Sungyeon chimed in with agreement to Yoohyun’s words.

Seeing Bokseung suddenly point a finger at him, Yoohyun cautiously lowered his finger. Even now, he had unconsciously touched Bokseung, but the boy’s face was calm.

What is this?

“Strangely, it’s okay when Sunbae-nim touches me! If you think about it, I touch Sunbae-nim often too, right?”

“Uh, uh-huh.”

“But I don’t get goosebumps, and I don’t feel bad or surprised.”

It was really fascinating.

Sungyeon gently wiggled the finger Yoohyun was holding. Of course, he didn’t feel bad; instead, a faint smile escaped at the warm sensation felt from where they touched.

Yoohyun tilted his head, looking at Bokseung, who genuinely seemed unaffected.

“It’s okay?”

“Yes, Sunbae-nim is okay!”

“Only me?”

“Hmm, honestly, only Sunbae-nim is okay.”

‘Only Sunbae-nim is okay.’

Bokseung’s words echoed in Yoohyun’s ears. As time passed, the tips of Yoohyun’s ears became redder and redder. He felt embarrassed, somehow as if he had received a confession.

And at that un-Yoohyun-like reaction, Sungyeon also felt his body twist awkwardly.

“Sunbae-nim? Ah, anyway, Sunbae-nim is okay, but I feel like I won’t ever get used to touching other people.”

“Uh, uh-huh. I’m okay. Yes, I’m okay.”

Sungyeon pouted, watching Yoohyun keep repeating that he was okay.

No, what’s the point of only you being okay? If this continues, Bokseung’s life won’t be okay!

“So, I’m telling you this because I want to first check if it can get better through counseling, and if not, I might have to go to the hospital.”

Yoohyun nodded at Bokseung’s continuing words. An absurd solution, that no one but himself should touch him, crossed his mind, but he knew he shouldn’t say it.

Hmm, in that case.

“Then, would you like to go to a center run by my family?”

“Pardon?”

“If the hospital is still too much of a burden, aren’t you looking for a counseling center?”

“Ah, I’ve already decided on a counseling center.”

Sungyeon shook his head at Yoohyun’s suggestion. Sungyeon was planning to go to ‘Saebit Psychological Counseling Center,’ a place Bokseung had been going to since childhood and where he himself had worked.

He was thinking of going anyway to inform Juhyeon, who must be worried about the Kim Taeon incident, that the matter was resolved.

However, Yoohyun frowned upon hearing that.

“Already?”

“Ah, yes. Um, because there’s a place I used to go to…”

“You used to go there?”

“Yes.”

To be precise, it was a workplace where he had commuted steadily for five years, but it was still a place he used to go to.

“Hmm.”

Yoohyun fell into thought for a moment, looking at Bokseung, who spoke of a counseling center he used to frequent with an unbothered face.

Come to think of it, judging from the story he heard last time and the recent Kim Taeon incident, the days Kim Bokseung had lived seemed quite complicated. However, although Bokseung was a bit poor, his bright image made it easy to forget.

Yoohyun, who concluded that he might have been okay because he consistently went to the counseling center, asked.

“Where is it?”

He still felt he needed to know where it was. He had heard that some places called themselves counseling centers but were poorly managed.

As soon as Yoohyun finished speaking, Bokseung brought his bag from his room. There were several business cards in the front pocket of the bag, and he showed one of them to Yoohyun.

“It’s here. Saebit Psychological Counseling Center!”

The front of the business card had the center’s name, main phone number, and address, and the back had the clichéd phrase, ‘When your heart is struggling, we will be by your side!’

Yoohyun furrowed his brow. He just didn’t feel confident about it.

However, Bokseung was busy praising the center’s teachers, suggesting he liked the center.

Yoohyun quietly examined the business card; it looked similar to the one those group project bastards had thrown at Bokseung last time.

How did those bastards get this?

Feeling another question growing in a corner of his mind, Yoohyun put the business card in his pocket. It seemed better to have someone look into the center.

“So when are you going?”

“Hmm, first, I’m going to contact Teacher Juhyeon and set up a counseling time.”

“Teacher Juhyeon?”

A vein throbbed on Yoohyun’s forehead at the quite familiar tone. That teacher wasn’t a woman close to 33 years old, was she?

Yoohyun recalled the ideal type Bokseung had stubbornly insisted on.

That ideal type shouldn’t have been a reference to a specific person. Even when deeply immersed in the subtle signs of affection Bokseung showed, he couldn’t help but be suspicious like this sometimes. Because a definite word hadn’t come out of Bokseung’s mouth yet.

Yoohyun found himself panting and anxious over the small piece of heart Bokseung seemed to be generously offering.

“Yes, she wasn’t the teacher in charge of me, but she’s the longest-serving teacher, so I know her well.”

“I see. Then give me that person’s number.”

“Eh?”

“‘Eh?’ is not the right reaction, isn’t that obvious?”

Why is that obvious?

Sungyeon sent Yoohyun a suspicious look at his confident demeanor. Despite this, Yoohyun didn’t care and held out his phone to Bokseung.

“Quickly put it in.”

“Tsk, why on earth are you asking for the number.”

Grumbling, Bokseung dutifully entered the number.

[Teacher Juhyeon: 010—xxxx—12xx]

Yoohyun glared at the number saved on his phone. He felt somehow annoyed.

🍑‧₊ ⋆˙

“Go on, I’ll wait at the cafe.”

“It might take some time, Sunbae-nim can go home.”

“It’s fine.”

Yoohyun dropped Bokseung off in front of the counseling center and looked around the area. There was a cafe nearby, so he thought he could wait until Bokseung came out.

Bokseung seemed uncomfortable with Yoohyun waiting, but there was nothing he could do.

He didn’t want to be separated from Bokseung any more if possible. This was due to his increasing personal anxiety over time. Even now, he was barely suppressing the desire to go into the counseling center with him.

Unaware of this, Bokseung was watching Yoohyun, worried that he might be tired.

Yoohyun subtly touched Bokseung’s hair and turned up the corners of his mouth.

“It’s fine, I have some assignment work to do anyway since I missed class last time. I’ll just do my assignment while waiting for you.”

“Ah, well. Then I’ll be back! And this.”

Bokseung held something out toward Yoohyun.

When Yoohyun checked what he had received unexpectedly, it was a check card. True to Kim Bokseung’s nature, a cute peach character resembling the boy was drawn on the front of the card.

Yoohyun smiled faintly at the cuteness for a moment, then his eyes held a question.

Why is he giving me this?

“Why this?”

Perhaps he had an errand for him. Yoohyun waited for Bokseung’s lips to open.

“Please buy yourself some delicious coffee with this!”

It was a mystery why saying this was so difficult. Sungyeon was sure his face was flushed red even without looking in a mirror.

“You’re telling me to buy something with your card now?”

“Yes. I feel sorry for making you wait, and…”

And I also want to buy you something delicious with my money.

However, Sungyeon omitted the latter part. Even he thought that was a bit too much and embarrassing.

Did he feel bad about just coffee? There was no answer from Yoohyun.

Sungyeon cleared his throat with a small ‘Ahem!’ and looked at Yoohyun. And his already flushed face grew even hotter.

Yoohyun wasn’t displeased. Instead, he seemed very happy, his neck flushed red, and his eyes curved into a smile. He was tightly gripping the check card Bokseung had handed him with both hands.

“Oh, thank you. I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Ah…!”

Yoohyun’s excited pheromones surged and enveloped Bokseung’s body.