SOG Ch 176

From Woo-jin’s unwavering stance, Jae-chan could read his intentions.

“……”

Woo-jin must be worried. Just worried. But for some reason, it was difficult to make eye contact. Seon Jae-chan averted his gaze with a somewhat uncomfortable feeling.

His hesitant hand grasped the waist of the loose hospital gown. His gaze was still fixed on an irrelevant spot, and his face flushed despite trying not to. While Seon Jae-chan never explicitly said he disliked it, it was clear he was reluctant.

Woo-jin sighed, running his hand through his hair. He approached Jae-chan, embracing his thin body and stroking his back.

“I’m sorry. I…”

He started to speak but bit back his excuse, feeling it might make the atmosphere more tense. He just lightly kissed Jae-chan’s feather-soft hair before letting him go.

“Go wash up.” Watching Woo-jin’s brief exit, Jae-chan blinked at the retreating figure, momentarily caught off guard. He knew Woo-jin wouldn’t get angry, so why did it feel like he looked upset?

Still, it was a relief that he seemed like his usual self at the end. Jae-chan sighed in relief and turned around. The next moment, Seon Jae-chan’s mouth fell open as he faced his appearance in the mirror.

*

This really doesn’t look good.

After showering, Jae-chan sighed deeply in front of the mirror. He always wanted to show his best self to Woo-jin, but he looked terrible. One side of his hair was shaved off, and even his eyes, which he was usually confident about, had to be covered with an eye patch.

Before putting on the eye patch he had removed to avoid getting wet, he checked the mirror once more. His right eye looked normal at a glance, enough that the difference in vision wasn’t noticeable. Aside from the small, unfamiliar scar etched just above his thin double eyelid.

There were other faint scars, like around his ear and neck—injuries that might have still been not healed if it weren’t for an Esper healer’s efforts. This was thanks to the healing-type Esper’s efforts. Compared to his past injury where the mole on his cheek had been completely scraped off, this was relatively minor. Though his vision would need to return.

Jae-chan took a moment to check the rest of his body, now noticeably leaner, for any lingering wounds. Where he had been cut by a knife and shot in the side, only reddish scars remained. They might fade with time or leave permanent marks, but he felt either outcome would be fine.

Once his body fully healed, he would need to verify thoroughly… but they had truly eliminated the Technician.

And he had protected Woo-jin’s eyes.

Jae-chan left the bathroom looking refreshed, like a plant after rain. There was only a robe available, and though he considered putting his discarded hospital gown back on, he left it due to discomfort. He walked out leisurely in just the robe, starting to dry his hair with light movements.

Woo-jin was in the kitchen. As soon as he left the bedroom, Seon Jae-chan could identify the warm aroma that had captivated his nose when he saw the elegant table setting.

“Oh… seaweed soup.”

Clearly meant for a patient like him, there was seaweed soup cooked with finely chopped abalone beside a bowl of white porridge. Woo-jin, lighting candles on a chocolate cake adorned with fruit decorations, spoke up.

“It’s your birthday. I ordered it from a Gorean restaurant and had it delivered. I’m glad you woke up in time.”

Come to think of it, the day of the terror incident was the day before Seon Jae-chan’s birthday. Having lost consciousness that day and being unable to wake up for over a week, he hadn’t even remembered, let alone expected such a surprise birthday meal.

This is why having a lover is wonderful.

A bright smile gradually spread across Seon Jae-chan’s face. Woo-jin’s eyes naturally softened as he looked at him.

Sharing small smiles, they blew out the candles together and began eating. Everything was delicately delicious – the soft and tender white porridge, seaweed soup, and even the small side dishes of sliced deodeok^[1] kimchi and pickled dureup^[2]. As Jae-chan tasted each dish, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

“You couldn’t find my phone, right?”

After the GPS jammer blocked his phone, Seon Jae-chan had kept it in his work uniform pocket—until Seon Eun-soo took it from him.

Now that he thought about it, he wondered what had happened to that guy. He felt uneasy recalling his encounter with Seon Eun-soo, now a Black Swan member, even though he had no lingering feelings for his estranged brother. As Jae-chan frowned slightly, Woo-jin, who had been nudging some soft side dishes toward him, replied.

“I found your phone, but I’m not giving it back.”

“…?”

“Take some time away from the world and rest for a while. You’re on extended leave. I told the Center that too.”

“Until when?”

“Until I say it’s okay.”

Woo-jin answered quietly. Staring blankly at the pitch-black eyes looking back at him with a faint smile, a carefree grin soon spread across Seon Jae-chan’s lips. This guy, his jokes have improved a lot. It’ll probably be until the doctor says it’s okay.

Thinking it wasn’t a big deal, Jae-chan started scooping up the rice porridge heartily. “You eat quickly too,” he said, even putting some savory grilled fish on Woo-jin’s spoon when he paused eating.

However, his overflowing enthusiasm and decreased digestive function were separate issues. After just three or four spoonfuls, Jae-chan’s appetite suddenly dropped as if a balloon had inflated in his stomach, forcing him to put down his spoon. He could only handle a few more bites of the chocolate cake, reminiscent of creamy bonbons, and a few pieces of fruit.

“Rest.”

When Jae-chan tried to help clean up and even offered to do the dishes, Woo-jin rolled up his sleeves and nodded toward the living room. Something about his expression, soft but firm, felt a bit unfamiliar, so Jae-chan stepped back and let him handle it.

Perhaps because of everything that had happened, Woo-jin’s officetel felt especially unfamiliar. As Jae-chan was slowly wandering around the spacious area for exercise, he discovered something quite striking in the open study.

“…?”

It was the black panther pendant on the desk.

Seon Jae-chan didn’t know, but Go Woo-jin had been frequently looking at the pendant he had taken from Gyeong Chang-hyun before. He had taken it out while dwelling on memories and handling various items related to Jae-chan during the time he was unconscious.

Unaware of the circumstances, Jae-chan just saw the black panther pendant as an interesting coincidence. He was about to open the souvenir pendant, not knowing it had a tracking device he had personally bought and installed at Underpass 68, when Woo-jin, having finished cleaning up, entered the study looking for Jae-chan.

“Woo-jin, this pendant—”

He turned around, holding the black panther pendant in his hand, only for Woo-jin to pull him close and press a kiss to his lips.

“……”

As he accepted the warm kiss that smelled of the same mint as himself, Jae-chan suddenly realized. The sensation of Woo-jin’s soft touch stirred something in him that had long lain dormant.

Like reacquainting himself with a forgotten native language, his guiding wavelength, which had been silent for so long, began to reawaken. He wondered why he hadn’t noticed sooner. Woo-jin’s incoming wavelengths were slightly unstable.

In fact, Go Woo-jin had been refusing all physical contact guiding since Seon Jae-chan collapsed. Woo-jin, who had lightly bitten Jae-chan’s lips and pulled away, confessed at close range.

“This is the first time I’ve touched you.”

“……”

“I couldn’t lay a finger on you while you were sick.”

He took Jae-chan’s hand in his own, lightly stroking the small nail on his pinky finger with his large palm. He sighed faintly as he stroked the smooth surface of the neatly trimmed nail. The memory of not being able to even approach Jae-chan to cut his nails himself, as Jae-chan would unconsciously try to guide him at the slightest touch, was vivid.

Moreover, moving Jae-chan, washing him, inserting the catheter – all had to be left to others. Although he watched every moment without fail, the feeling of helplessness at only being able to watch was indescribable.

And all those emotions were evident even in the silence. Jae-chan realized once again how much he had worried Woo-jin.

“…I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry for?”

Woo-jin gave a bitter smile. However, the bitter feeling melted away as he pressed his forehead against Seon Jae-chan’s and gently entangled their hair. Their noses brushed and lips met. Just feeling Jae-chan’s warm breath while firmly pressing against his soft skin felt like enough to live on. Like a tree finally feeling a drizzle after a drought.

Of course, that didn’t mean he was satisfied. He wanted more contact. Even knowing Jae-chan’s body wasn’t well yet, he wanted to kiss him, to overlap their bodies. He felt parched to death.

In the end, the black panther pendant was dragged away by Woo-jin’s hand like a beast caught by its leash. “Shall we go to the bed?” Woo-jin asked in a heated voice as he carelessly placed the pendant on the desk.

*

Since it hadn’t been long since Jae-chan woke up, the two initially only shared a light skinship. All morning, they lay in bed like beasts huddled close to a bonfire sharing warmth. Facing each other with arms around shoulders and waists, they gently sucked on each other’s lips and constantly planted ticklish featherlight kisses all over each other’s faces.

However, it was impossible for two young men in their prime to be satisfied with just that. It took no time for the light touches to inflame their bodies. After lunch, they shared deep, tongue-entwining kisses and pressed their d1cs together intensely. That day, they engaged in every explicit act possible except for penetration.

By the following midday, after sleeping in and sharing a meal that doubled as breakfast and lunch, Jae-chan found himself back in the bedroom, where he gave in to Woo-jin. The midday sun poured white light over Jae-chan’s back, which was moist with sweat.