A while later, Kang-woo entered the room.
He found Hee-woon asleep, face down on the bed.
“Are you sick?”
Kang-woo clicked his tongue lightly and approached the bed.
Hee-woon seemed not to sense any presence.
He only let out soft, even breaths.
Kang-woo was about to put a hand on Hee-woon’s shoulder but instead knelt down.
Resting his cheek on an arm draped over the bed, he watched Hee-woon’s sleeping face.
The peacefully closed eyes.
The straight eyebrows.
The cheeks tinged with a flush.
The slightly parted lips.
“Hey.”
He poked a soft cheek, but there was no movement.
He stared intently at Hee-woon’s face for a while.
Then he glanced at the clock and shook him awake.
Hee-woon blinked slowly and got up.
Grabbed by the hand, Hee-woon was led down to the kitchen by Kang-woo.
His mind wasn’t fully clear.
He bumped his nose into Kang-woo’s shoulder a few times.
“Don’t you have eyes?”
Kang-woo teased, turned around, cupped Hee-woon’s face, and rubbed his cheeks hard.
The soft cheeks under the hands covering his entire face were kneaded like dough.
Hee-woon sat down at the table and dazedly lowered his gaze.
In the earthenware pot placed before him was a whole white chicken.
So that’s where the medicinal smell was coming from, he thought.
Kang-woo said it was good for his health.
He said that he absolutely had to finish the whole chicken.
At this, Hee-woon thought: Today, I’m going to throw up a whole chicken.
Kang-woo spoke to Hee-woon, who was just staring at the bowl.
“Eat quickly.”
“Don’t whine about being late again.”
“Okay.”
“Ah.”
Kang-woo, wearing a mischievous smile, deliberately picked up some ginseng and garlic and popped them into Hee-woon’s mouth.
But Hee-woon, unaware, just moved his lips.
“Is it good?”
When Kang-woo giggled and asked, Hee-woon vaguely answered, “Uh-huh.”
Kang-woo glanced at the clock.
It was already past 6:30 PM.
Woo Hee-woon, with dark circles under his eyes, didn’t seem in his right mind.
His eyes weren’t closed.
But the chopsticks holding the meat dropped the meat with a thump and only touched his lower lip.
Still, he moved his mouth as if something was in it.
Kang-woo, who had been silently watching, stood up, his chair making a screech.
Only then did Hee-woon snap to his senses.
Since he was just picking at the food, it seemed Seo Kang-woo was coming to hit him now.
He’d been told many times that he just picked at his food.
“I, I’ll eat properly now!”
Hee-woon tightly gripped his loosely held spoon.
He might get sent flying backwards.
Instantly, his mind became very clear.
It felt like all the fear he hadn’t felt while sleep-drunk came rushing at him at once.
Pale with fright, Hee-woon followed Kang-woo’s movements.
But contrary to Hee-woon’s expectations, Kang-woo grabbed his arm, pulled him up, hugged him by the waist, and sat down.
Suddenly seated between Kang-woo’s thighs, Hee-woon blinked foolishly.
“What’s the point of just having your eyes open?”
“You’re not in your right mind.”
Kang-woo spoke as if scolding him and took the chopsticks from Hee-woon’s hand.
He tore off a large piece of meat and pushed it into Hee-woon’s mouth.
“Is the seasoning right?”
Since he hadn’t really tasted it before, Hee-woon hesitated.
Kang-woo clicked his tongue, took a sip of the broth, and added some salt.
“You don’t even know the taste.”
“There’s no reward in feeding you good food.”
Kang-woo whispered, gnawing on the area connecting Hee-woon’s ear and jaw.
Hee-woon, now fully awake from sleep, rolled his eyes and reached out for his chopsticks, which Kang-woo had taken.
“Seeing you eat is frustrating; I can’t stand it.”
“No.”
“I can eat properly.”
Kang-woo evaded Hee-woon’s hand and spoke as if warning him.
“Put your hands.”
“Between your thighs.”
When he uses this tone, you have no choice but to listen.
Though it’s not like he doesn’t listen other times either.
Between thighs….
Hee-woon pondered for a moment.
Then he wriggled his hands into the space between Kang-woo’s thighs and his own.
“…What are you doing?”
“Huh?”
Hee-woon turned his head and looked at Kang-woo.
Kang-woo, who had been frowning in absurdity, suddenly let out a laugh.
“Ah.”
“Ah….”
Following the laughter-tinged voice, sticky rice and meat popped into his slightly open mouth.
Hee-woon ate what Kang-woo fed him while glancing outside.
He was worried someone might come.
A full-grown adult sitting between another man’s thighs being fed.
Since they’d had s*x in the room a few times, they probably knew.
He wondered what they thought of him and Seo Kang-woo.
Having s*x, eating together, but sometimes getting beaten.
He also wondered how much they knew about Seo Kang-woo.
“Did you swallow it?”
Kang-woo, tilting his head to look at Hee-woon, tore off more meat.
Chew it well.
Listening to the affectionate voice from behind, he thought that, no matter what, this was much better than getting hit.
After Hee-woon ate half, the meal ended.
When Hee-woon said he was full, Kang-woo frowned and suddenly slipped his hand under Hee-woon’s t-shirt.
Kang-woo slowly felt Hee-woon’s stiffened belly and muttered.
“Is your stomach a bit small?”
“Getting full from just that.”
The large hand gently stroked the full belly and went back outside the clothes.
Hee-woon glanced back and stood up.
7 PM.
If I say I have to go right now, will he let me go?
Probably not.
Since s*x was the purpose from the start.
Then I’ll probably throw up again.
Watching Kang-woo’s back as he led him by the hand upstairs to the bedroom, Hee-woon bit his lip hard.
He was really tired today.
But instead of groping Hee-woon’s body, Seo Kang-woo just hugged him tightly and lay down.
When Hee-woon looked at him bewildered, Kang-woo spoke.
“Let’s sleep for a bit.”
“Don’t doze off like a sick chicken.”
“Th-then s*x…?”
“Why.”
“Do you regret it?”
“Shall we do it?”
The firm arm around his neck twitched as if about to move.
Hee-woon panicked and grabbed Kang-woo’s shoulder.
“No!”
“…Saying you dislike it that strongly is making me feel a bit bad.”
Glancing at Kang-woo’s expressionless face, Hee-woon stammered an excuse that he was sleepy.
Kang-woo, who had been staring intently at Hee-woon, burst out laughing.
“It’s a joke.”
“Go to sleep quickly.”
“I’ll wake you at eight.”
Hee-woon looked up at Kang-woo intently.
After seeing him beat Lee Hyeok-jin, he had been afraid he could get hit like that too.
But it seemed he needed to adjust his line of thinking a bit.
Just like earlier in the car.
Seo Kang-woo was handling him incredibly gently.
Of course, the problem was that ‘gently’ was by Seo Kang-woo’s standards.
“Sleep, I said.”
A large hand thumped over his eyes.
Flustered, he blinked.
A soft voice said, don’t blink, close your eyes.
Hee-woon closed his eyes.
The hand that lingered over his eyes for a while brushed through his hair and patted his back.
The fluorescent light was bright.
So Hee-woon squirmed and completely buried his face in Kang-woo’s chest.
The hand that had paused briefly began patting his back again.
Hee-woon quickly fell asleep.
And faintly thought:
What if he really hits me for sleeping?
At some point, Hee-woon opened his eyes.
The light was bright, so he rubbed his eyes, and his head was stroked.
“There are still 10 minutes left.”
Lifting his head, he saw Kang-woo wearing an affectionate face.
10 minutes.
Hee-woon muttered and rubbed his cheek against Kang-woo’s shoulder.
It was because he wasn’t fully awake.
“Are you cold?”
“Yeah.”
Kang-woo pulled the blanket covering his waist down and hugged Hee-woon’s body even more tightly, leaving no gap.
Hee-woon blinked languidly.
Looking down at the pale face, Kang-woo smiled slightly.
“This isn’t bad either.”
At Kang-woo’s words, which sounded like a soliloquy, Hee-woon pretended to react with an ‘Mmm’.
Kang-woo brushed aside the tousled hair sticking to his forehead and stroked his head.
10 minutes later, as Hee-woon looked at the clock and tried to get up, Kang-woo playfully pulled him into a tight hug.
Hee-woon ended up flopping back onto the bed sideways.
Kang-woo kissed the top of his head and muttered.
“I wish you wouldn’t go.”
“I don’t want to go either.”
Today, Hee-woon felt unusually exhausted.
That’s why those words slipped out.
It was also because of the soft, warm air lingering around.
“Is that so?”
“Then don’t go.”
Kang-woo said nonchalantly.
“…Then I’ll get fired.”
Hee-woon’s voice held gloom.
If even one more student quits, there will be a hole in the money he needs to repay next month.
He needs to find another student quickly.
But he should get through the midterms first.
Should he ask the kids about group tutoring?
Exclude the ones who’d be upset, maybe Ji-yeon or Seung-hyeon….
Kang-woo, who had been staring intently at Hee-woon, got up from the bed.
Hee-woon’s eyes followed Kang-woo as he brought the wallet from the desk.
Kang-woo sat on the edge of the bed, and Hee-woon also sat up.
“Here.”
Hee-woon stared blankly at the card Kang-woo took out of his wallet.
When Hee-woon looked at him questioningly, Kang-woo beamed.
“You can buy a thousand of the snacks you like.”
‘Snacks’ probably meant macarons.
Seo Kang-woo’s use of polite speech was really worse than not using it at all.
As Hee-woon just looked at the card, Kang-woo gently unfolded Hee-woon’s hand and placed the card on it.
“…This, for me to use?”
At Hee-woon’s question, Kang-woo nodded.
Hee-woon looked alternately at the card and Kang-woo, then cautiously opened his mouth.
“Uh… thanks, but I don’t have the ability to pay it back.”
“Who said anything about paying back?”
Hee-woon stared at Kang-woo’s impassive face.
Whether he was teasing or had some other scheme, he couldn’t read anything from Seo Kang-woo’s face.
“…Why?”
“Just because.”
“It’s a bit annoying.”
“So quit everything you’re doing right now.”
Kang-woo rubbed Hee-woon’s cheek with his thumb.
Getting some sleep had improved his complexion.
But Hee-woon still looked at Kang-woo with hollow eyes.
Nothing in the world is free.
If he used Seo Kang-woo’s money, he’d get entangled even deeper than now.
So he shook his head.
“You refuse?”
The well-shaped eyebrows furrowed.
Slightly frightened, Hee-woon answered, “Yeah,” and got up.
It seemed better to put some distance between himself and Seo Kang-woo.
“Why?”
“Is it your pride?”
“No.”
There was no pride left to speak of.
Watching Hee-woon pick up the bag from the floor, Kang-woo twisted his lips.
“That wasn’t a suggestion earlier.”
“I told you to do it.”
“Quit everything by the end of this week.”
Understand?
Locked in eye contact with Kang-woo, Hee-woon fidgeted with the bag strap he was holding.
Money is truly terrifying.
No matter how much money Seo Kang-woo has, there’s no guarantee he won’t later demand the money back.
Hee-woon has seen clearly how cruel and ugly people entangled by money become.
It’s similar to not asking Seo Kang-woo for anything.
Waiting quietly, without getting further entangled, until his interest wanes.
So that when that time comes, he can disappear cleanly.
It shouldn’t take long.
Reciting it like a mantra, Hee-woon opened his mouth.
“I refuse.”
And he immediately left the bedroom as if running away.
His heart pounded madly, afraid he might be chased.
Perhaps he did this because Seo Kang-woo had been so gentle today.
Only after leaving the mansion did he realize he was tightly clutching the card in his hand.
Hee-woon looked at the card and let out a hollow laugh.
Then, his phone vibrated.
[What do you plan to do tomorrow?]
Seeing the message, his heart sank with a thud.