UR Chapter 99

Chapter 99

“Gasp… What is all this?”

When he carefully opened the shopping bag, inside were a brand-new, shiny padded jacket, a thick fur scarf, a hat, and gloves neatly arranged.

“A gift. For you, I-bom.”

Wide-eyed, I-bom pulled out the padding. The thick, light beige jacket was brand new and looked like it would suit his pale, lightly pigmented skin perfectly. It was on a completely different level from his worn, old cotton-padded jacket—luxurious and high quality.

“This is a padded jacket. I already have a winter coat at home.”

“I know. But your winter clothes always seemed too thin, so I picked this up while I was at the department store.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just take the thought. I don’t get cold easily, so I’m okay…”

Hunching his shoulders, I-bom let his words trail off. He wasn’t used to receiving things, so he instinctively refused.

“I know that. But it’s cold there, so you have to dress warmly. I’m the one taking you, so at least let me do this much.”

“…Oh.”

He had just been planning to layer a bunch of thermal underwear.

“This is a brand recommended by some colleagues. Even though it’s light, it’s well-insulated and quite warm. I thought it would look good on you, so I bought it. It’s not too expensive, so please don’t feel pressured—just wear it.”

“It looks expensive…”

I-bom looked at Beom-ho with a hint of reproach. He understood the sentiment, but even without knowing the brand, it was obvious to anyone that this jacket cost far more than a day’s part-time wage. He swallowed dryly without realizing it. The fabric stirred a flicker of desire in him, but more than that, embarrassment came first.

“If you don’t dress properly, you’ll catch a cold. The average temperature in the Gangwon mountains is at least five degrees lower than Manwol Mountain. Ah, and since it’s snowing, the air will feel even colder. You have to stay warm to avoid catching a cold.”

So the resort they were going to must be in snowy mountain terrain.

“Oh, and I didn’t just buy the padding. There’s also a hat, gloves… and, well, I also bought some underwear. I didn’t know your preferences, so I just picked what I thought would suit your style. It’s inside there—check if the size is right.”

He gestured toward a smaller shopping bag. I-bom thought he looked like Santa Claus delivering Christmas gifts. In truth, just spending this winter with him felt like a gift.

Hiding the flutter in his chest, I-bom opened the smallest bag. Inside was a neatly folded pair of cute bear-print boxer briefs made of soft cotton. Compared to the stiff, cheap underwear he usually wore, the stitching looked much more delicate. Is this really the kind of image I give off…? Fearing someone might see, he swallowed nervously and answered quickly.

“Y-yes. The size… fits.”

“Good. Is there anything else you need?”

“No! Just… thank you so much…”

How did he even know his underwear size? What exactly was this part-time job, and what would he have to do there? He had so many questions, but his mouth refused to form the words. Bringing up underwear size only made him imagine that scene—Beom-ho’s unruffled expression as he held I-bom’s hips and took him into his mouth.

Ah, forget it.

With his face slightly flushed, I-bom kept his gaze lowered and smiled awkwardly.

* * *

He must have been more worn out, both physically and mentally, than he’d realized—or maybe it was just that the time spent with Eun Beom-ho was so warm and comfortable. Without meaning to, he had closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, he was in an unfamiliar place.

“Uh…?”

Rubbing his eyes with a sleepy face, I-bom sat up straight. A large, soft blanket that had been draped over his chest slipped down.

“I recommend we leave early since Gangwon-do is far away.”

He suddenly remembered Beom-ho saying that earlier. I-bom realized that his plan of eating snacks together, listening to music, and chatting cozily on the way had been completely ruined. Never mind losing that sweet alone time, he also worried that Beom-ho might think he was rude and shameless for sleeping through the trip.

“B-Beom-ho.”

Looking to the side, he didn’t see the man who should have been sitting in the driver’s seat. When he carefully touched the seat, it was still warm. He didn’t know where he’d gone, but the air inside the car was still heated. It must not have been long since he’d turned off the engine. Looking up at the still-lit interior lamp above the driver’s seat, I-bom turned his gaze out the window.

“……”

Where was this?

All around was nothing but mountains. By the pale glow of the interior light, he could see that mountain ranges overlapped like shadows in the depths of the forest. There was nothing else in sight—no sparkling buildings, not even a single rest stop building. It was clearly deep countryside.

Pressing his cheek against the window to get a better look, he felt the cold seeping through the glass, so different from the warmth inside the car. Frost in delicate snowflake patterns clung to the edges of the window, a sure sign of the harsh winter outside.

“…It must be really cold.”

As he murmured to himself, his breath fogged the glass. He tugged at the hem of his jacket and wiped the foggy window.

“……”

Beyond the cleared glass, he caught sight of a dirt lot with parking spaces marked out by ropes. He guessed it was a parking area, but it was large and completely empty except for their car—no other vehicles, no parking attendant.

I-bom pricked up his ears. With his naturally sharp hearing, he could usually get a sense of his surroundings from ambient sounds, but here it was utterly still. None of the bustling city noise or highway roar from earlier remained.

Even on a mountain road, if there was a nearby highway, he should have heard something, but all he caught was the faint rustling of the wind and the soft chirping of insects. Thinking about it, this place reminded him of somewhere he’d been before—Guhochdae, the place where Beom-ho had first taken him after he collapsed.

I-bom carefully pulled the handle of the passenger door. With a small clunk and thud, the door opened slightly. A sharp gust of wind cut through the thin barrier of his jeans and the blanket, chilling his toes. He hesitated for a moment before closing the door again. Wandering out into a dark forest like this could easily get him lost. Better to stay put and wait for him to return.

“…I’ll just wait.”

Leaning carefully back in the seat, he picked up the blanket that had fallen to the floor. The soft, warm fleece carried Beom-ho’s faint, bitter scent. Shyly glancing around, he pressed his nose to it and sniffed.

Knock, knock—

“Wah…!”

He had just been trying to calm himself with the lingering scent of Beom-ho’s cologne when a sharp knock sounded nearby. Like a child caught doing something naughty, I-bom flinched and let out a short yelp.

“…I-bom? Are you alright?”

Perhaps startled by I-bom’s cry, Beom-ho quickly opened the driver’s side door. With a muted thump, the face I-bom had been longing to see appeared.

“……”

In the dim glow of the interior light, his sharp features were outlined in soft shadow. I-bom instinctively tried to steady his rapidly pounding heart as he looked at him.

“Did I scare you? Are you alright?”

As soon as the door opened, cold air rushed in, fogging the windows almost instantly. The clear, crisp air was so cold it stung his cheeks.

“Uh… yes. I-I was just startled because you knocked so suddenly.”

I-bom pressed his palms to his flushed cheeks to cool them down.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

As he exhaled, a faint scent of grass wafted over.

“Your face is red… Do you have a fever?”

His touch brushed over I-bom’s face without hesitation. Fingers slipped under his fringe, palm grazing through his hair and tickling his lowered brows.

“Uh… n-no. I’m just… warm.”

I-bom fanned himself clumsily with his hands.

“…I was worried something had happened.”

Shaking his head, I-bom tried to calm the thudding in his chest.

* * *

He had thought there was nothing out here in the dark mountains, but when he followed Beom-ho out of the car, he saw a building with a pointed roof behind the parking lot.

When he’d heard “resort,” he’d pictured something like the white concrete retreat centers from his school days. But now, eyes wide, he stared blankly at the structure before him.

The entrance was marked with the characters “삼호 (三虎),” so he could tell it was operated by the Samho Group, but it didn’t match the image most people would have in mind.

“……”

The resort was set so deep in the mountains that it was hard to understand why it would even be here. And it had an imposing, weighty atmosphere.

“It’s called a resort, but in truth… it’s more like a family villa. There won’t be any outside guests, so it should be quiet.”

Perhaps guessing his thoughts, Beom-ho smiled gently as he opened the trunk. He took out the large shopping bag he’d said was for I-bom and a small silver suitcase that appeared to be his own. With a dull thud, the suitcase landed on the dirt.