WOEIWHMB – Chapter 12

Chapter 12

“Have you been in touch with him?”

At the low voice that suddenly sounded beside his ear, Yeon Dong-woo answered reflexively.

“No.”

“You don’t even remember things right now. How do you know whether you kept in touch or not?”

“H h here. You see the date, right? I haven’t checked it for over three years.”

Kang Mu-hyeok’s gaze moved to the message inbox. The aggressive intensity with which he stared at the screen made Dong-woo’s chest shrink.

“I really just checked it now. I’m serious.”

“Alright.”

At the dry reply, a breath of relief slipped out.

And yet, his mood soured. He didn’t like himself for feeling anxious over a past he couldn’t even remember.

An aggrieved tone escaped him on its own.

“You dated a lot too.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“You know it too. That I was in that phase where I was kind of seeing Hyun-do hyung back then. I was just curious and checked. It’s not like I’m trying to start anything again.”

“That person was naturally sorted out once we started dating, so don’t worry about him.”

“……”

Kang Mu-hyeok’s last words, telling him not to worry about it, lodged sharply in his chest.

Still, he was right. Dong-woo shouldn’t be paying attention to Cha Hyun-do anymore. That relationship was already over, and he was married to Kang Mu-hyeok now.

The guy who placed fruit in front of him for dessert asked, as if changing the subject,

“Is your stomach okay?”

“…Yeah.”

Yeon Dong-woo picked up a piece of pineapple, chewing as he asked,

“Our marriage… you told everyone around you, right?”

“To an appropriate extent.”

“Appropriate?”

“If you get a wedding invitation from someone you’re not even close to, it’s uncomfortable.”

“That’s true. But you don’t even use social media. Oh, when people at your company found out we were dating, weren’t they surprised?”

“Were they?”

When Dong-woo grew flustered at the counterquestion, Mu-hyeok shrugged lightly.

“No one quit.”

“Uh… right.”

Come to think of it, most people seemed to have attended the wedding. Looking through the wedding photos again, nearly everyone he knew was there.

Even so, he felt vaguely unsettled, like he hadn’t truly been acknowledged.

His close circle knew he was married…

They had filed the marriage, so it was on record too.

But people say bisexuals eventually go back to women. Still, since his memories were returning, they should be able to get along well.

Right…?

“Why are you sighing in the middle of eating?”

“Huh? Ah… I just feel frustrated. I wish my memories would come back faster.”

“One important thing did come back, though.”

“Oh, our bike date?”

At his question, Kang Mu-hyeok leaned forward. Dong-woo, growing tense without realizing it, listened closely.

“Hyung really likes my body. You touched me all the time, no matter when or where, and sometimes you even ate while keeping it inside.”

“When did I ever…”

“Always.”

At the short reply, Yeon Dong-woo’s face flushed bright red. Lowering his voice as much as possible so others wouldn’t hear, he protested,

“I’m not that shameless.”

“You are.”

“You can’t frame someone like this just because I don’t remember.”

“Did you know there’s a full length mirror in our newlywed bedroom?”

“Th that, so what?”

“The one you put there. In the bedroom.”

At the word bedroom, his response slipped out reflexively.

“So what? What’s wrong with having a full length mirror at home?”

He had a pretty good idea what it was for, but when he played dumb, amusement filled Kang Mu-hyeok’s eyes.

“I usually sleep without underwear.”

“…So yesterday you were being considerate for my sake?”

“But I don’t think that was really necessary. You don’t even see me as a man, and your hand moved without you realizing it. As for me, if my husband wants to touch me, there’s no reason to refuse.”

“Why are you talking about that in a crowded restaurant?”

Yeon Dong-woo glared at him with his voice lowered. Kang Mu-hyeok slowly curled up the corners of his mouth.

“We’re the only Koreans here.”

“…What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to be conscious of me as a man.”

At the half commanding tone, Dong-woo’s lips pushed out into a pout.

Persistent bastard.

To think he’d keep holding onto the fact that I said I don’t see him as a man.

My mouth is the problem. I really need to watch what I say.

As Dong-woo bit down on his lower lip and resolved this inwardly, Kang Mu-hyeok leaned forward slowly.

“I’m good at kissing too.”

At the sudden addition, Dong-woo snapped back,

“I know, so just eat your food.”

“Do you remember?”

“No, just… I know. I feel like I know. No, I’ll… I’ll know eventually.”

The moment his words ended and Kang Mu-hyeok tried to speak, Dong-woo hurriedly stuffed a piece of pancake into his mouth.

“Your memories are coming back one by one, so just eat.”

Kang Mu-hyeok chuckled softly and spread jam on a roll, holding it out. After glancing around at the other people, Dong-woo accepted it with his hand.

Being alone with someone who kept forcing thoughts on him like this was mentally exhausting.

“I feel pretty good physically. Want to go check out Angkor Wat?”

“Angkor Wat.”

“I said Angkor Wat.”

“Stay in the hotel today. You went out yesterday and ended up in the ER.”

“That was because I suddenly ran. The doctor said there was nothing wrong.”

“No.”

There was firmness in Kang Mu-hyeok’s voice. Dong-woo couldn’t bring himself to insist on going out anymore.

Thinking rationally, it was better not to wander around when there could be aftereffects.

“…Then what do we do?”

“Rest properly today.”

“I need to buy shoes.”

“Tomorrow.”

At Kang Mu-hyeok’s look, clearly saying he wouldn’t let him go outside, Dong-woo’s expression drooped.

After finishing their meal, Dong-woo was about to head back to the room when he noticed the swimming pool.

It was quite large, and his eyes sparkled.

Up close, the water was so clear it looked refreshing.

“I must’ve packed my swimsuit, right?”

“If not, we’ll buy one.”

Hearing Kang Mu-hyeok’s indifferent reply, Dong-woo hurried toward the elevator.

Back in the room, he rummaged through the suitcase and found that his past self had carefully packed not only a swimsuit but even a rash guard.

Then, in a small pouch he opened absentmindedly, he found money.

“Ah!”

“What is it?”

“This is Cambodian currency, right?”

“Yes.”

Kang Mu-hyeok nodded, lifting the corner of his mouth.

“You entrusted some to me too.”

“Huh? Oh! I split it up, didn’t I?”

“Yes.”

Dong-woo broke into a wide grin at his own smart decision.

Every time he traveled to a country with lots of pickpockets, he split his money into several places. The suitcase, the sling bag, the soles of his shoes.

As his thoughts moved to the soles of his shoes, Dong-woo stood up. He pulled the shoe he had thrown into the trash and lifted the sole.

“Yes!”

Two dollar bills came out. Finding the emergency cash he’d forgotten about put him in a good mood, and he smiled broadly.

Kang Mu-hyeok, who had come up beside him, ruffled his hair as if finding him cute.

Flustered by the unfamiliar skinship, Dong-woo stuffed the money into his sling bag.

Then, trying not to show how awkward he felt, he quickly went into the bathroom, changed into his swimsuit, and came out.

Kang Mu-hyeok had his back to him, stepping into his swim trunks. Dong-woo’s gaze fixed on his solid thighs and the muscles shifting beneath his skin.

“Hyung, there’s no drawstring at the waist.”

“A d drawstring?”

Dong-woo approached and checked the suitcase, but there was nothing like a waist string.

“Is it really loose?”

“No.”

After flicking the waistband a few times, Kang Mu-hyeok spoke as if it were no big deal and put on his sunglasses.

On his shoulders and arms were faint marks that looked unmistakably like bite marks.

They were barely noticeable, but to Dong-woo’s eyes, what he’d done stood out clearly.

I’m not even a dog. Why did I bite him like that…

“Not wearing a rash guard?”

“I’m fine.”

Gesturing that it wasn’t a big deal, Kang Mu-hyeok headed out with a self satisfied expression.

When he stretched his arms and flexed, the muscles bulged clearly.

Dong-woo followed behind him, twitching his lips.

I’m jealous. I want back muscles like that too.

His admiring gaze kept sticking to Kang Mu-hyeok’s body.

Noticing the intense stare, Kang Mu-hyeok made a gesture as if telling him to hang off his arm.

“I’m going to work out too…”

“You don’t need to.”

At the murmured addition, ‘I like it soft and squishy,’ Dong-woo’s face warmed slightly.

He felt Kang Mu-hyeok’s gaze on him.

Wondering why, he glanced at the elevator mirror and saw his cheeks red as if painted on.

Startled, Dong-woo turned to face the wall, and Kang Mu-hyeok tapped his cheek lightly with a finger. A low, amused chuckle followed.

When Dong-woo shot him a glare, Kang Mu-hyeok asked quietly,

“How old are you?”

“Shut up.”