VDN Ch 24

Squeak.

Seo-oh was the first to open the gate and enter. Nam-woon hesitated but followed him in.

As they entered, he saw a small garden that he hadn’t properly seen before. There were various vegetables, including lettuce planted, but something particularly eye-catching was there. It was a large white label stuck in front of a plant with small bells hanging. On it was scribbled writing that seemed to go on forever.

「TomatoTomatoTomatoTomatoTomatoTomatoTomatoTomatoTomatoTomato……」

“……”

Click. Seo-oh unlocked the door and turned on the fluorescent light inside. With a small buzzing noise, the flickering light stabilized. The tiny one-room space with a small sink was no different from last time.

Last time, Nam-woon had woken up buried in Seo-oh’s embrace and had been scolded right away, and he was too busy playing with Se-han to pay proper attention but now Nam-woon quickly scanned the surroundings.

The small, old house seemed to be kept as tidy as possible. Mold had formed where water had leaked, and the yellowed wallpaper was covered in drawings, presumably by Se-han, stuck on with Scotch tape. Standing against the wall, Nam-woon squinted at the drawings and murmured.

“Is that a rock?”

“It’s me.”

Startled by the response from behind, Nam-woon’s shoulders twitched. This was Seo-oh? No matter how many times he looked, it didn’t seem to have a human form. Even as Nam-woon looked at him with a doubtful face, Seo-oh continued firmly.

“It’s my portrait.”

“Amazing.”

He was so surprised that he was amazed. That was a portrait? But Seo-oh stood quietly behind Nam-woon as if waiting for further comments. Eventually, Nam-woon reluctantly spoke.

“Wow, it’s well-drawn… You seem to have a talent for painting.”

Pleased with Nam-woon’s compliment, Seo-oh went to the corner and turned on the fan. Listening to the rattling noise of the fan, Nam-woon asked something he had been curious about.

“But where did Se-han go?”

“To the academy.”

“Se-han goes to the academy?”

Seo-oh gave no answer. Nam-woon suddenly realized.

Ah, he told me not to touch Se-han anymore.

He had just been curious when he asked, but now even asking feels awkward. Seo-oh said as he was picking up Se-han’s socks and small clothes scattered around from the morning.

“He’s alone at home every day.”

“Why send him to the academy? Just when I have time…”

Nam-woon closed his mouth awkwardly. As soon as it was discovered that he had been meeting Se-han separately, Seo-oh sent his brother to the academy.

The academy fees must be expensive. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable as if he were being told not to meet Se-han at all, Nam-woon wondered why Seo-oh had suddenly brought him here but felt he should leave quickly. Nam-woon extended the shopping bag he was holding to Seo-oh.

“This.”

Seo-oh, who had been folding clothes, stared at the shopping bag Nam-woon offered.

“Give it to Se-han when he comes.”

He hoped it would be accepted.

In truth, Nam-woon rarely bought gifts for anyone. There weren’t many people to give them to. That’s why, when he bought the puzzle, he only thought of Se-han’s smiling face, and when he went to the perfume shop, he was excited about handing this shopping bag to Kwon Seo-oh.

Things had gotten complicated somehow. He would have preferred to give it directly to Se-han, but he didn’t know when they would meet again, and there was no chance he would visit Seo-oh’s house again. Then an unexpected answer came.

“Se-han will come later. Give it to him directly.”

Nam-woon looked at him with surprised eyes and Seo-oh, who took a box from the shelf in the corner, gestured to Nam-woon.

“Sit there.”

As Nam-woon stood still, Seo-oh grabbed his wrist. Nam-woon’s eyes widen as it was the first time he had made contact in this way.

As Seo-oh sat down on the floor, pulling Nam-woon’s wrist to sit opposite him, Seo-oh set down the box he was holding and opened the lid, revealing its contents.

Ointment, disinfectant, gauze…

He took out a few medicines and then handed Nam-woon a light green hair tie.

“Tie up your bangs.”

Although a bit perplexed, Nam-woon accepted the rubber band. He tried to tie up his bangs, but surprisingly, it didn’t go well, and he fumbled a few times.

Why isn’t this working? Do I need a mirror?

Seo-oh, who had been silently watching Nam-woon’s struggle, smoothly took the rubber band from Nam-woon’s fingers. Then he reached out to Nam-woon’s bangs. Nam-woon instinctively closed his eyes tightly.

Rustle, rustle.

Seo-oh’s touch, which Nam-woon feared might be rough, was actually very tender.

Maybe he’s this gentle with Se-han. They really seem like a close family.

Maybe it’s because I’m hurt. The thought of having a family to rely on made Nam-woon feel a bit envious today. In the small room filled only with the sound of the fan, Nam-woon felt awkward and broke the silence.

“I can do it.”

“It’s done.”

Seo-oh was very skilled at tying hair. After Seo-oh let go, Nam-woon raised a hand and felt his bangs. His hair dangled over the rubber band.

Ah, this is a bit embarrassing.

As Nam-woon awkwardly fiddled with his bangs and forehead, Seo-oh said,

“Don’t touch it. It’ll get worse.”

Then he picked up the gauze from the floor and pushed his face close to Nam-woon’s. Startled by the sudden closeness, Nam-woon tried to move back, but Seo-oh firmly grasped the back of Nam-woon’s head with his large, solid hand. Looking intently at the wound on the forehead, he asked,

“How did you get hurt?”

“…I fell.”

“Fell? Does that make any sense?”

“It’s true. I fell off my bike. Last time.”

After letting go of Nam-woon’s head, Seo-oh gently applied an ointment-soaked cotton swab to Nam-woon’s forehead.

“Does it hurt?”

“A little.”

At Nam-woon’s response, Seo-oh’s touch became even gentler.

“……”

The distance was too close.

Looking at Kwon Seo-oh’s face from such a short distance always elicited admiration. His long eyelashes and the black pupils beneath them looked sometimes sad, sometimes cold. Moreover, his skin was so flawless that even the fine hairs seemed to vanish.

I want to pinch those cheeks.

While admiring Seo-oh’s face with thoughts that would usually be reserved for Se-han, Nam-woon suddenly caught Seo-oh lowering his eyes. Startled by the sudden eye contact, Nam-woon quickly looked down. Seo-oh spoke in an oddly gentle tone.

“You carry a helmet around.”

“I didn’t have it then.”

“How did you only hurt your forehead if you fell off your bike?”

Seo-oh stared intently into Nam-woon’s eyes. Feeling as if their breaths might touch, Nam-woon unconsciously lowered his head slightly and mumbled.

“Ah, only the back wheel lifted off the ground, so my forehead hit first.”

“…Is your head made of stone or what?”

Nam-woon couldn’t help but laugh at Seo-oh’s muttering, making a strange sound as he chuckled softly. Seeing this, Seo-oh suddenly stopped his hand. When Nam-woon asked, “What’s wrong?” Seo-oh silently moved the cotton swab. The touch seemed rougher than before, and Nam-woon frowned slightly.

After applying the ointment and neatly attaching the gauze, Seo-oh asked,

“Anywhere else?”

“No.”

Then, as Seo-oh was staring intently at Nam-woon’s shoulder, he began to tidy up the ointment and bandages. Nam-woon quickly grabbed the first-aid kit.

“Hey, you need to apply it too.”

“It’s fine.”

“What do you mean it’s fine? Just apply it since we’ve got the ointment out.”

Nam-woon used a cheat code as Seo-oh kept insisting that he would not apply it.

“Hey, Se-han would feel terrible seeing you hurt. At least you should heal that scab on your lip quickly, right?”

Nam-woon said as he squeezed out the ointment. Watching Seo-oh silently accept his touch, Nam-woon felt strange. Kwon Seo-oh was not frowning and was very quiet. He looked so innocent and kind like Se-han.

“How could you hit someone like this so brutally?”

Nam-woon, who hadn’t yet thought of the villainous acts that Seok Nam-woon had committed, felt a sudden surge of anger and muttered,

“That bastard…”

He hit Kwon-Seo-oh twice, I should have hit him once more.

As Nam-woon murmured softly, Seo-oh, who had slowly opened his eyes, asked, “Why?” Unable to contain his anger, Nam-woon frowned.

“Why? Because that guy ruined your face!”

At that, Seo-oh’s lips parted slightly. Seemingly taken aback by the unexpected remark, Seo-oh soon regained his composure and retorted gruffly.

“For just this little thing.”

“Just this little thing? Hey, your handsome face is all messed up.”

“What did you say?”

[Handsome face warning!]

Damn it. Did freedom really go up? Nam-woon, now feeling everything was bothersome, blurted out as if he had attained enlightenment.

“Okay, I take back the handsome face comment.”

“Why are you taking it back?”

“No, I mean, your face is just…”

His expression became even more menacing. Nam-woon felt very awkward. It was hard to openly compliment him with the system in place. He had no choice but to test it little by little.

“Everything else is above average, right? Your head is smart… and your body is above average too. You’re tall, and your hands are big, everything is big.”

Nam-woon mumbled and quickly changed the subject.

“Turn your face this way, let me see if there are more injuries.”

But suddenly, Seo-oh asked with a serious face.

“…Is it your type?”

“What?”

“Am I your type?”

A statement that can’t be ignored came from Seo-oh’s mouth.