IPSTDS Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Lee Kangil’s offer to follow made Kim Daon react.

“I’ll go too.”

“I hear that Park Sangcheol already knows you. With him trying to secretly meet Yoon Noah, there’s no way I can bring you along.”

“Then I’ll just watch from behind.”

“Still no. You should know when to step in and when to step out, Kim Daon.”

Nahyuk thought it wouldn’t be so bad if the three of them went together. But the two men looked at each other with sharp eyes, as if accepting the other was impossible.

Unfortunately, it seemed the argument would drag on again. Nahyuk looked back and forth between the two and raised his voice sternly.

“Please stop fighting and let’s just eat.”

The two men turned toward Nahyuk as if to make excuses, but he didn’t soften his stern expression. At this rate, they would argue all night and not even get dinner.

Realizing that there was no room to press further, the two finally raised the white flag. Only then could Nahyuk escape from what seemed like an endless debate.

* * *

After dinner, it wasn’t until Kim Daon and Lee Kangil finally fell asleep—still bickering right up to the end—that the surroundings grew quiet. The way both men insisted on sharing the bed with him was ridiculous, yet somehow endearing.

He could understand Lee Kangil doing so, given his interest in him, but why Kim Daon felt the need to guard his bed so fiercely was a mystery.

Maybe it was because his heart was unsettled. Or maybe it was simple competitiveness.

Whatever the reason, Nahyuk enjoyed the moment of being with the two of them.

Though he had scolded them to stop fighting, the truth was that even when they argued, Nahyuk didn’t feel bad.

He liked being in the middle of noisy, bustling situations.

It was something he’d rarely experienced when living as Lee Nahyuk. With almost no friends, even his birthdays would pass by like any other day.

He didn’t want a life constantly surrounded by people or overflowing with drama, but sometimes he longed for warmth from others. For noise so loud it hurt his ears, for laughter and liveliness… even just once, he wanted to be thrown into that kind of moment.

Lee Kangil and Kim Daon filled that emptiness in him. Because of them, his life wasn’t entirely silent anymore.

Thinking this far, a sudden question crossed his mind.

If he really started dating Lee Kangil, would that mean he couldn’t see Daon as often?

Daon might become more cautious around him.

And given how surprisingly jealous Kangil seemed, he might dislike the idea of Nahyuk meeting Daon at all.

If they truly became lovers, it would only be natural not to do something Kangil disliked…

Nahyuk shifted his body away from Kangil, who had been holding him tightly. As if proving his boast that he would hold him all night, Kangil’s arms still wrapped around his back even in sleep.

But since he was asleep, there was no real strength in his grip, and Nahyuk slipped out easily.

Half rising from bed, he gently brushed Kim Daon’s forehead where he lay sleeping. A quiet murmur escaped his lips.

“I really liked spending time with you…”

If I end up with a lover and can’t see you anymore, I’ll really feel sad.

It didn’t matter how much time they had spent together. What mattered was the depth of it.

Every moment with Kim Daon had been comfortable. Sometimes his heart had fluttered, and sometimes he had even entertained forbidden thoughts he could never confess.

The possibility that he might have to distance himself from Daon already felt disappointing, even though no one knew how the future would turn out.

It was then that a soft voice cut through the silence.

“Hyung, are you planning on never seeing me again?”

It was Daon’s voice. Nahyuk had thought he was asleep, but it seemed he had been awake for some time.

“…Da, Daon.”

The moment Nahyuk called his name, Daon’s eyelids lifted.

“That hurts. I want to see you more often, for a long time.”

Though he was just as big as Kangil, Daon drooped his eyes like a lost puppy.

It was impossible for Nahyuk’s heart not to weaken.

“I only have you now.”

He must mean that, after things ended with Seo Dowoong, Nahyuk was the only one he could lean on.

But Nahyuk couldn’t help swallowing dryly. Daon’s words sounded strangely suggestive. He couldn’t let himself misinterpret them.

So he lowered his voice so as not to wake Kangil.

“No, you’ve misunderstood. That’s not what I meant.”

“If you say so, I’ll believe you.”

Daon whispered back, rising from the bed. He stepped down gracefully and reached out his hand.

“Since I’m awake anyway, let’s talk a bit.”

Instead of answering, Nahyuk nodded.

Together, they quietly left the bedroom. Even then, Kangil, sunk in deep sleep, did not stir.

He must be exhausted. Even in sleep, his face was heavy with fatigue. Nahyuk hoped Kangil would rest peacefully without waking halfway.

Nahyuk and Daon sat side by side on the sofa in the upstairs living room. Daon yawned prettily and tilted his head toward Nahyuk.

You don’t realize how much that look makes someone’s heart race. Nahyuk couldn’t take his eyes off him, sneaking glances at Daon’s face.

“Hyung, I really like this pajama set. Figures it’s high-quality—suits a rich guy living in such a huge house.”

Daon was wearing pajamas made of fine fabric.

They were ones Nahyuk had bought in a large size, just in case, after Daon and Kangil had stayed overnight once before. He had thought Kangil might wear them someday, but in the end, Daon was the one who did.

As they say, a face completes fashion. Even in pajamas, Daon looked striking, and his face wasn’t swollen in the least despite just waking.

Nahyuk was reminded again how handsome he was. And he was glad someone like Daon wore the pajamas he’d prepared and liked them.

“If you like them, you can take them with you. And stop teasing me about the huge house already. You know my bank account is miserable…”

Daon replied with a hint of laughter.

“I won’t take them.”

“Why not?”

“I’ll just wear them again next time.”

“You’re going to sleep over again?”

“There’s no reason I can’t. Didn’t I say I’d take care of you?”

“I remember. Those were your words, Daon.”

Daon’s long lashes fluttered. He blinked slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on Nahyuk.

His face didn’t look weak or childish at all. Despite being younger, his features were firm, and his gaze burned hot.

Nahyuk felt his cheeks grow warm. Maybe it was just that the living room air was stifling without the AC running.

But even as his face heated, he couldn’t look away from Daon, whose gaze seemed to ensnare him. Then a voice, quiet like the night itself, brushed against his ear.

“How long are you going to keep up this fake relationship with Lee Kangil?”

Nahyuk’s answer came a beat late.

“Until our feelings are clear? Or maybe until Seo Dowoong stops showing that strange obsession with me?”

How much time would that take? Nahyuk couldn’t tell.

“I want to stay close to you and look after you too.”

“What?”

“I want Lee Kangil’s place.”

…It was as if Daon had just confessed that he wanted to be his lover. Truly bizarre.

Nahyuk was flustered, while Daon only smiled smoothly, leaving the meaning of his words up to Nahyuk’s interpretation.

Nahyuk’s lips parted and closed a few times without producing words. He didn’t want to say something careless and ruin the strange mood.

The silence was so sharp that even a breath sounded loud.

And then, a vibration broke it.

Nahyuk quickly realized it was from the phone he had brought with him.

“Don’t tell me it’s Park Sangcheol again?”

He switched on the screen and shook his head.

‘Even in Ruins, Flowers Bloom – Chapter 78 uploaded!’

The familiar alert felt strangely different this time. As he tapped it, the new chapter appeared on the screen before his eyes.

“Hyung, what is it?”

Daon’s expression turned curious as he saw Nahyuk’s suddenly serious face.

With no other choice, Nahyuk showed him the screen. It was the first time, since possessing Yoon Noah’s body, that he had shown anyone the original novel’s updates.

Would Daon be able to see this screen too?