TG Ch 9 Part 10

No matter how tired he was, Sijin always woke up at the same time. 7 AM every day. He’d been waking up at that time for so long that his body now did it automatically.

But today, Sijin wanted to stay in bed a little longer. It was partly due to the lingering ache in his hips, but also because Jeong Taeyul’s embrace was so comfortable that he didn’t want to leave.

Whoosh…

Then, Jeong Taeyul got out of bed like a ghost. Sijin, separated from his warmth, pouted slightly.

Jeong Taeyul, noticing this, carefully pulled the blanket up to Sijin’s waist before leaving the bed.

‘Cold…’

Sijin, left alone in the bed, clutched the sheets, feeling a pang of disappointment. Just as he was thinking how nice it would be if Jeong Taeyul held him a little longer…

“What.”

Jeong Taeyul suddenly spoke to someone at the door.

Just hearing his grumpy voice, Sijin could picture his expression. He would be standing at the doorway, leaning against the frame, looking disheveled and sleepy, his demeanor as casual as ever.

Then, a tense reply followed.

“E-Esper Seo Gyuho. Reporting for urgent duty.”

“I know. Report.”

Why had Gyuho come all the way here? Sijin frowned slightly in his sleepy state. He wished Jeong Taeyul would quickly send him away and come back to bed. His shoulders, uncovered by the blanket, felt cold.

Then Seo Gyuho spoke in a formal tone, “Reporting for duty. Doctor Baek did not return to the dormitory last night, and upon confirmation, he has been absent from the examination room as well…”

“Yeah. It’s fine, he’s here.”

“Yes…?”

Seo Gyuho’s voice suddenly trembled.

Sijin instinctively flinched. A strong sense of foreboding washed over him.

The next words were laced with shock, “Then, is… the person lying there… Doctor Baek…?”

“Yeah. …What are you looking at?”

Sijin’s eyes flew open at Jeong Taeyul’s chilling voice.

The thought of his bare back partially exposed and the bed visible from the doorway made him break out in a cold sweat.

And Sijin could see their reflections in the window. He watched anxiously as the confrontation unfolded at the door. He could only see Jeong Taeyul’s back reflected in the glass, but he could practically feel his chilling aura.

“Why…”

Seo Gyuho hesitated, intimidated by Jeong Taeyul’s menacing presence.

“What.”

Jeong Taeyul murmured in a low voice, as if ready to explode. Even without seeing him, Sijin could imagine the Shark’s cold, sharp gaze.

Seo Gyuho finally managed to ask, “Why is Doctor Baek… here…?”

Seo Gyuho’s voice was now on the verge of tears. Sijin felt as if he’d somehow shattered his innocent worldview, though he didn’t know why.

Despite the pitiful question, Jeong Taeyul leaned casually against the doorframe, tilting his head. He exuded a superior’s composure, as if challenging Seo Gyuho to continue.

“Is there a problem with Doctor Baek being here?”

“That’s, not it, but…”

Seo Gyuho’s voice wavered, and he stopped, then finally spoke, “I don’t know. It’s just… shocking…”

“What’s so shocking?”

“Doctor Baek…”

Seo Gyuho lowered his head, his voice barely a whisper. But Sijin, his hearing heightened in his anxious state, heard every word of his mournful whisper.

“I thought… he liked… me…”

‘Me? Gyuho? Why?’

Sijin was dumbfounded. What had he done to this young kid, almost a dozen years his junior, to make him have such a misunderstanding?

But Sijin, completely at a loss for how to react, just lay there, sweating nervously.

Then, Jeong Taeyul chuckled and said, “Doctor Baek… likes you?”

Sijin knew that the Shark only smiled when he was angry, so it was definitely a dangerous situation. He heard the sound of metal crumpling and was shocked to see that the metal doorframe Jeong Taeyul was leaning against was warping. It was a phenomenon that occurred when a strong negative energy was concentrated in one spot.

Sijin’s heart pounded nervously at the sight. Just as he was about to sit up, Jeong Taeyul glanced back.

He checked on Sijin in bed, then let out a deep sigh.

Then, removing his hand from the doorframe, Jeong Taeyul said, “Yeah. All the naive ones have that misunderstanding.”

He deliberately acted kind. He patted Seo Gyuho’s back and continued speaking casually, as if he’d never been menacing just a moment ago.

“Seo Gyuho. Now you see, don’t you?”

“Sob… What do you mean?”

“This kid is still frozen…”

Jeong Taeyul suddenly seemed exasperated. Sijin quickly turned his back. Then, Jeong Taeyul, without even looking back, suddenly put his arm around Seo Gyuho’s shoulder and said in an overly friendly tone, as if he understood, “Right. You must be… shocked.”

“Yes…”

And Seo Gyuho actually agreed. It was so like him. 

Just as Sijin was pressing his hand to his forehead in exasperation, Jeong Taeyul continued in a conspiratorial tone, “So, you can just… blame Doctor Baek’s kind nature to yourself. Get some alcohol secretly, without me knowing, drink yourself silly, and come to terms with your misunderstanding.”

“……”

“For now, just be mindful of me and say, ‘Then, since Doctor Baek is safe, I’ll be going,’ and leave.”

That was truly evil. Seriously. Sijin thought, dumbfounded. He could have just sent him away, but Jeong Taeyul was being unexpectedly cruel.

Seo Gyuho, trembling pitifully, finally lowered his head like a sad puppy surrendering to the world.

“…Then, since Doctor Baek is safe, I’ll be going…”

“Right. Go.”

Jeong Taeyul patted Seo Gyuho’s back dismissively, practically pushing him out. His voice was kind, but its very kindness made his cruelty stand out even more. Was it Sijin’s imagination, or did Jeong Taeyul exude the air of a victor as he sent Seo Gyuho away?

The situation seemed to be resolved. But Sijin felt embarrassed and exhausted, and he lay back down, pressing his hand to his forehead. He hadn’t expected things to turn out this way.

Then, Jeong Taeyul, as if remembering something, called out to Seo Gyuho, who was turning to leave dejectedly.

“Ah, Seo Gyuho.”

“Y-Yes… Esper, Seo Gyuho…”

“If you ever see anyone else in bed with Doctor Baek…”

What? Sijin’s anxiety spiked, and he strained his ears. But Jeong Taeyul only gestured with his arm, giving a silent order.

Seo Gyuho, his face gloomy, mumbled hesitantly, “But… lethal force…”

What!? Just as goosebumps erupted all over Sijin’s body, Jeong Taeyul cut him off and practically shoved him out the door.

“Yeah, just go for a walk. And don’t report this to the entire Alpha Team.”

Slam.

Jeong Taeyul closed the door after sending the kid away with a few comforting words.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he walked around the room, his demeanor smug and arrogant, then picked up the water bottle on the table and muttered, “What a load of crap.”

He walked back to the bed and said with a smirk, “Baek Sijin likes me.”

It sounded like he was talking to himself, but it wasn’t. Their eyes met in the reflection of the window.

Jeong Taeyul clearly knew Sijin was awake. Sijin’s face crumpled. Jeong Taeyul was still truly awful.

“Why are you doing this to a kid who doesn’t know anything…”

Sijin said sadly, pulling the blanket over his head. Even if Seo Gyuho had misunderstood his kindness, Jeong Taeyul had been too harsh, rejecting him without a shred of sympathy.

“Does that gloomy kid look like a child to you?”

“Still, Gyuho is young…”

Sijin said worriedly, rubbing his forehead against the pillow. He couldn’t understand where things had gone wrong.

“Young, my ass.”

But Jeong Taeyul, as if unwilling to give Seo Gyuho any leeway, dismissed Sijin’s concern.

‘Wait, this is…’

Sijin felt a strange sensation.

It was the first time he had seen Jeong Taeyul’s cruelty directed at someone other than himself. Sijin didn’t know whether to be happy or sad.

One thing was certain: things had gotten complicated.

‘How am I supposed to face Gyuho now…’

Seeing Seo Gyuho’s shocked reaction had made the situation feel all too real.

Confused, Sijin hid under the blanket and replayed the events in his mind.

Last night, he had pathetically confessed his feelings to Jeong Taeyul and had slept with him after his forceful advances. That part was fine. It was the biggest transgression of Sijin’s life, but he had wanted it.

The problem was that the wrong person had witnessed it.

‘To be caught in bed with Jeong Taeyul…’

Perhaps because of the significant age gap between him and Seo Gyuho, Sijin felt like a child had witnessed his adult activities. The thought made him dizzy.

Moreover, the F12 Center was his workplace. Naturally, it was best to keep his private life separate from his professional one.

‘What would they think if they knew an examiner slept with an ability user…’

Diagnostic examiners had to conduct s*x counseling with ability users based on trust. If this were to come out, people’s perception of him would definitely change.

Therefore, Sijin wanted to keep it a secret, at least until their relationship was established. It was a natural concern for a working professional.

Sijin asked anxiously, “Gyuho won’t tell anyone, will he…?”

“It’s an internal Alpha Team matter; who would he tell?”

“Still, Gyuho seemed really shocked…”

“Why do you care about him?”

Jeong Taeyul said languidly in a low voice. Unlike his sharp tone with Seo Gyuho, his voice now was sweet enough to melt butter. He didn’t seem worried at all, judging by his relaxed demeanor.

Seeing this, Sijin guessed that Seo Gyuho had been assigned to the Alpha Team because of his trustworthiness. Even though he was naive, Seo Gyuho wasn’t the type to scheme.

‘Right, Gyuho wouldn’t just tell anyone…’

Letting out a small sigh, Sijin tried to wriggle out of bed. He was still weak, and it took him a while just to sit up. Then, Jeong Taeyul grabbed his waist and pulled him back under the covers.

“Stay in bed a little longer.”

“I have to get up…”

“Your morning schedule is just examining me anyway.”

Jeong Taeyul acted as if he intended to laze around as long as possible. He carefully excavated Sijin from the white blankets and hugged him tightly from behind, stubbornly trying to maximize their skin contact.

Then, Jeong Taeyul nipped at the back of Sijin’s pale neck.