TG Ch 3(1) Part 7

In the early hours of the morning, Sijin woke up with pins and needles in his limbs. His stomach churned uncomfortably, making it difficult to lie still. 

“Ugh…”

He curled up in bed, clutching his stomach. He shouldn’t have mixed so many different types of alcohol. Hangovers always hit his joints particularly hard, making the simple act of getting out of bed a monumental task. 

‘My glasses…’ 

Sijin frowned, groping around blindly on the nightstand. Where were his glasses? Please let them be within reach…

Thankfully, they were exactly where he hoped they would be. After finally managing to put them on, he checked the time. 5 a.m.

He sighed, taking a look around the room. Ham Geonwu’s dorm was cozy and lived-in, radiating a sense of familiarity.

‘This is my first time in Ham Geonwu’s dorm…’ 

It was surprisingly spacious and well-furnished, like a decent hotel room, befitting an A-rank Esper.

However, a closer look revealed a certain disarray. The bedside lamp had been left on, and the desk was cluttered with an open laptop, a hand gripper, and numerous car magazines, hinting at Ham Geonwu’s interest in automobiles. Sijin’s belt and clothes were draped haphazardly over a single-seater sofa.

The only item that seemed to be in perfect order was Ham Geonwu’s black Esper uniform, hanging neatly on the wall. The sight of it brought back Ham Geonwu’s voice.

‘That’s why I’m here. What’s there to be nervous about?’

Come to think of it, Ham Geonwu had always seemed proud of his abilities and his profession, and he had every right to be. Sijin felt a strange sense of pride as he looked at the uniform. His gaze then shifted to the side.

‘What’s with that door…?’

He noticed a door set into the wall, next to the desk. Given the layout of the dorms, it couldn’t possibly be a storage closet since the wall separated this room from the one next door. 

Then, Sijin noticed a small inscription next to the door that explained its purpose. 

[Guide-Esper Emergency Access]

‘It’s a guiding door…’

Sijin stared at the inscription, a bitter feeling settling in his stomach. While the door was meant to be used in case of emergencies, such as an Ability User losing control, it also meant that Guides and Espers could freely enter each other’s rooms at any time. Sijin wondered if Jeong Taeyul was behind that door. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

‘He wouldn’t just barge in, would he?’

He felt uneasy being alone in Ham Geonwu’s room, especially with that door staring back at him. He kept glancing at it nervously. Then, a wave of nausea hit him, and he stumbled towards the bathroom.

“Ugh…!”

He dry-heaved over the toilet bowl. He had absolutely no idea how much he’d drunk last night. Judging by the burning sensation in his stomach, it was probably the penalty drinks that were doing him in.

Despite the urge to throw up, his stomach remained stubbornly empty. He wished he could just get it over with.

“Haa… haa…”

He rinsed his mouth at the sink, trying to catch his breath. He felt grimy, his body coated in a thin layer of cold sweat. He decided to take a quick shower and then get back to his own dorm as soon as possible.

Whoooosh…

Sijin stood under the spray of the shower, his eyes fixated on the bathroom door. As usual, he’d left it slightly ajar. His claustrophobia made it impossible for him to completely close it.

‘I need to buy Geonwu a meal sometime…’

He felt a pang of guilt for imposing on him. Not only had Ham Geonwu taken care of him last night, but now Sijin was even using his bathroom. He hurriedly finished his shower. He still had some time before work, but being in Ham Geonwu’s dorm made him anxious.

Thud!

As he reached for the soap, he accidentally knocked over a nearly empty shampoo bottle, the sound echoing loudly in the small space. Sijin quickly picked it up and placed it back where it belonged. 

Click.

Just then, the peace was shattered the moment he sensed someone’s presence with acute awareness. 

He heard rapid footsteps approaching.

“You’re really something else, aren’t you?”

A low, gruff voice cut through the air, followed by the sound of the door slamming shut. Sijin, caught completely off guard, instinctively turned towards the voice, forgetting to even cover himself. 

“…Doctor Baek?”

Jeong Taeyul stood in the doorway, his eyes wide with surprise.

He was shirtless, dressed in a pair of comfortable gray sweatpants, his brown hair tousled as if he had just woken up. His sharp eyes narrowed as they met Sijin’s. If Sijin hadn’t been standing there completely naked, he would have offered him a polite greeting.

For a split second, Jeong Taeyul’s gaze swept over Sijin’s bare body, lingering on the water cascading down his skin. He seemed frozen in place, as if he’d never seen a naked body before. 

“Uh… uhm… Esper Ham Geonwu isn’t back yet…” 

Slam!

The door slammed shut before Sijin could finish his sentence. Jeong Taeyul cursed under his breath, “Shit,” seemingly startled by his own actions.

“Doctor Baek, I, uh… didn’t know you were… showering. Ahem. Sorry…”

Before he could even finish his apology, the doorknob rattled as Sijin frantically tried to open the door. 

He flung the door open again. 

“Don’t close the door.” 

He said breathlessly, his hand gripping the doorknob, his nakedness completely forgotten. 

“…What?” 

Jeong Taeyul leaned against the doorframe, one eyebrow raised as he looked down at Sijin, whose eyelashes fluttered nervously. 

Taking a deep breath, Sijin forced his voice to remain calm. “Don’t close the door. I’ll be out soon.” 

“…What’s going on?” 

Jeong Taeyul stared at Sijin’s bowed head, his expression unreadable, as if he were about to pick a fight. Droplets of water dripped from Sijin’s wet hair, mirroring his anxiety. 

Sijin retreated back into the shower stall without another word. Jeong Taeyul, still leaning against the doorframe, asked sharply, “What are you doing? Why are you showering in Ham Geonwu’s room with the door open?”

 “…It’s not like that.”

“Then are you doing this for my benefit?”

“…..”

“…Doctor Baek?” 

Sijin, unable to respond, hurriedly rinsed off and began drying himself with a towel. He wasn’t about to explain his claustrophobia to Jeong Taeyul.

“…Doctor Baek.”

Jeong Taeyul’s voice softened, his tone concerned. It seemed that he’d picked up on Sijin’s distress. He was incredibly perceptive, after all. 

Sijin stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist. Jeong Taeyul was still standing by the door frame, his eyes scrutinizing Sijin’s dripping figure. Sijin stood there, frozen like a deer caught in headlights. 

“…Are you okay?” Jeong Taeyul asked, his voice laced with an unfamiliar gentleness. He seemed to be feeling guilty about his earlier outburst. 

But Sijin was too overwhelmed to even register his change in tone. A dull ache throbbed in his head, intensifying with each wave of dizziness brought on by the lingering alcohol in his system. 

Jeong Taeyul opened the closet and pulled out a bathrobe, handing it to Sijin. “Here. Put this on.”

“I-I’m okay… I’ll just get dressed…” 

“Just put it on.” 

“…..”

This felt like an act of kindness from a thug. As Sijin hesitated, Jeong Taeyul stepped closer, wrapping the robe around him. The soft, fluffy material felt comforting against his bare skin.

“T-Thank you…”

Sijin mumbled his thanks awkwardly, reaching for his clothes. He could feel Jeong Taeyul’s gaze on him. 

“You’re not hungover, are you?”

“Ah…” 

Sijin was startled by the sudden touch on his forehead. Jeong Taeyul was standing right behind him, his other hand resting on Sijin’s shoulder. 

Sijin could see their reflection in the window. Although they were both men, Jeong Taeyul was taller, his shoulders broader and more muscular. From this angle, it almost looked like Sijin was being held in Jeong Taeyul’s arms.

“…What is this?”

Jeong Taeyul muttered, his voice laced with concern. Sijin braced himself for another round of scolding. But then he turned around to find Jeong Taeyul kneeling on the floor.

“You’re hurt.”

“Huh…?”

“You didn’t even notice? There’s so much blood.” 

Jeong Taeyul was examining Sijin’s foot, gently dabbing away the blood with a tissue. Sijin hadn’t even realized that he had a long cut on the side of his pinky toe. He must have scraped it against something sharp while rushing out of the bathroom earlier. 

“Sit down.”

Jeong Taeyul stood up, his expression serious, and gently pushed Sijin towards the bed. Sijin found himself sitting on the edge of Ham Geonwu’s bed, his wet body sinking into the soft mattress.

Jeong Taeyul blocked his view, his toned abs on full display. The scene felt strangely surreal. Sijin stammered, “W-Wait… I can do it myself.” 

“I hate repeating myself.”

“…..”

“You got hurt because of me.”

That wasn’t how Sijin saw it, but Jeong Taeyul’s serious expression made it difficult to argue. 

He sat awkwardly on the bed as Jeong Taeyul rummaged through Ham Geonwu’s closet. He was tall enough to easily reach the top shelf where a first-aid kit was stored. Despite being in Ham Geonwu’s dorm, he moved around with an air of familiarity.

Returning to the bed, Jeong Taeyul knelt down again. “Let me see your foot.”

“Just give me the antiseptic. I can do it.”

“No. Just stay still.”

“…..”

Jeong Taeyul ignored Sijin’s protests, firmly grasping Sijin’s pale ankle in his hand.

Sijin had no choice but to surrender his foot, a strange feeling of vulnerability washing over him. He had never let anyone tend to his feet before, and he couldn’t help but feel self-conscious. 

‘Is this… okay?’

It wasn’t even that big of a deal, but Sijin’s anxiety soared. The situation was just too awkward. His hair was still wet, he was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist and Ham Geonwu’s bathrobe, and Jeong Taeyul was sitting on the floor in front of him, shirtless. It was a recipe for misunderstanding. He hoped Ham Geonwu wouldn’t suddenly walk in. Sijin’s gaze darted nervously towards the door.

Meanwhile, Jeong Taeyul, his sharp eyes focused on Sijin’s foot, asked, “Does it hurt?” 

“No, not really— Ow!”

Jeong Taeyul pressed a clean gauze pad against the wound to stop the bleeding. Sijin’s lie was immediately exposed. 

He glared at Jeong Taeyul accusingly, but then his gaze softened as it fell on the other man’s handsome face. He couldn’t bring himself to be truly angry, afraid of being scolded by someone with such a striking appearance.

Once the blood was wiped away, a cut about an inch long was revealed. Thankfully, it wasn’t deep. 

“That’s quite a cut.”

“It’s not that deep.”

Sijin’s dismissive reply earned him a frown and a sigh from Jeong Taeyul.

“You should be more like Ham Geonwu and exaggerate your pain. Don’t you know how to take care of yourself?” 

“…..”

Sijin was speechless. He didn’t expect to be scolded like this. 

However, the scolding didn’t bother him as much as it should have. He actually found himself grinning as he looked at Jeong Taeyul’s handsome face.