I Hurt Him Because He Touched You

After the meal, Haejin ended up helping Beomwoo with the cleanup after trying to push him away from doing it himself.

When living alone in this house, he had thought, ‘Does the kitchen really need to be this spacious?’

But with the large-framed Beomwoo present, no space felt narrower.

While putting the dishes in the sink and washing them, their forearms subtly brushed.

A faint alpha pheromone that didn’t seem intentionally released tickled his nose, making his attention drift toward him despite his efforts not to.

Since it was a simple meal and only dishes for two, there wasn’t much to clean.

With both of them working, it was done in an instant.

After leisurely finishing breakfast and brushing his teeth, he finally noticed the time.

It was already past eight.

Given his work start time, he should have left long ago.

Isn’t he late?

Or… is it a day off?

Those aren’t common.

Haejin was lost in thought, not asking him, when Beomwoo, wiping the dining table as if it were his own home, spoke as he saw him come out of the bathroom.

“There’s something I need to discuss regarding yesterday. Do you have a moment?”

“Ah, yesterday? Yes…”

At Beomwoo’s words, Haejin snapped out of his thoughts and replied promptly.

He didn’t have any particular plans, and had been inwardly worried if Beomwoo wasn’t busy.

So if he was okay with it, a conversation was fine, but… more than that, Haejin tensed up at the mention of talking about yesterday.

Although they were experiencing the most peaceful morning ever, it was because both had deliberately avoided bringing up last night.

Last night’s memory was too hazy, and it was something he never imagined would happen.

If Beomwoo hadn’t been there this morning, and if he hadn’t spoken up like now, he would have thought it was just a bad dream.

At the words that clearly reminded him it was reality, not a dream, Haejin stiffened.

Beomwoo, noticing his tension, smiled slightly bitterly and got to the point.

“It’s nothing serious, so no need to be tense. Last night, I mentioned they took your blood for a drug test. The results came in overnight.”

“Huh… That fast? Wh-what were the results?”

“Fortunately, none of the drugs you ingested contained narcotics. It was just a mix of several low-quality drugs.”

“R-really? That’s a relief…”

As soon as Beomwoo answered, Haejin let out a sigh of relief, sweeping his hand over his chest.

Beomwoo had said yesterday it probably wasn’t narcotics, but without certainty, he had worried he might have taken drugs.

Now that the test results were clear, he could finally relax.

Seeing Haejin relieved, Beomwoo added that it wasn’t something to be completely at ease about.

“Even if not narcotics, since multiple drugs were mixed with alcohol, it would be good to get checked at a hospital. There might have been adverse chemical reactions. I’ll look into hospitals for you.”

“Ah, that… Thank you.”

Indeed, even if not narcotics, mixing various substances could cause unknown problems.

Some medications shouldn’t be taken together either.

He likely needed to get tested.

For a brief moment, he thought, ‘Do I really need to go to a hospital he recommends? Asking for this much feels a bit…’

But considering he would have to explain to a doctor the situation of being given drugs mixed in alcohol, it was difficult.

That alone was embarrassing, and if serious problems could arise from chemical reactions, he should go to a major hospital.

If unexpected issues occurred, he might not be able to handle them himself, so following Beomwoo’s suggestion seemed better.

Thinking practically, Haejin couldn’t refuse his consideration and accepted.

Strangely, even though Haejin agreed, Beomwoo only looked at him seriously without saying anything.

The silent, intense stare was burdensome.

His uneasy eyes and twitching lips showed he was hesitating about something, which made Haejin anxious.

Was there more bad news?

He couldn’t let his guard down for a moment, so he watched him seriously again.

Beomwoo hesitated before speaking.

“And… think carefully about how to handle punishment for Jeong-yeon.”

“Punishment?”

“He attempted to establish a relationship by drugging your drink without your consent. Even though it was an attempt, it’s a clear crime.”

When Haejin didn’t understand immediately and asked back, Beomwoo explained how serious Jeong-yeon’s actions last night were.

It was his first time experiencing such a thing, and since it was attempted r*pe, he hadn’t thought that far.

Considering the previous incident where Beomwoo urged him to report his adoptive parents for abuse, it felt like Beomwoo was always reminding him what constituted a crime and how to handle it sensibly.

Although he agreed it was a serious crime, he also thought that for Beomwoo, Jeong-yeon was family, so suggesting legal action must be difficult.

He knew their family situation wasn’t normal and that mutual hatred ran deep, but from Haejin’s perspective, it was still a level of animosity.

Just as he needed great resolve to report his adoptive parents for child abuse and inheritance theft, it probably wasn’t easy for Beomwoo to suggest legal action either.

Even though it was a terrifying incident that happened to him, Haejin found himself concerned about Beomwoo’s feelings first.

When Haejin didn’t answer and only watched his reaction, Beomwoo seemed to read his complicated feelings and asked first.

“Is something wrong?”

“Well… I understand the situation, but I was wondering if you’re okay with it.”

“With what?”

“I know you don’t get along well… but still, you and Jeong-yeon are family. If I file a complaint, wouldn’t you… feel bad?”

“I don’t understand why you’re concerned about my feelings in this matter.”

When Haejin cautiously voiced his thoughts, Beomwoo muttered as if he didn’t understand.

It didn’t seem like a scolding in a bad way, but it felt like a hint that he was being too meddlesome.

As Haejin stood awkwardly silent, Beomwoo spoke.

“To answer your question first, I don’t care. Even if he’s family, a crime is a crime, and he should face the consequences. It’s not because I don’t get along with Jeong-yeon; I would have said the same even if we did.”

“Ah…”

“And I’ve already half-beaten that bastard. I don’t even consider him a brother.”

“…Huh? What did you just… B-beaten? You hit him?”

“Yes.”

Haejin nodded as if entranced by Beomwoo’s calm words, then snapped back to reality.

Beomwoo resorted to violence?

In the years they lived together, he had seen him angry a few times, but he usually resolved things through methods other than violence.

Like gathering evidence to report his adoptive parents, or cutting off business ties for work-related issues…

He tended to solve things coldly, which in some ways was scarier than violence, but he never lost his temper and swung his fists.

Come to think of it, around the time he lost consciousness, he seemed to hear dull thuds and screams as if something was being hit…

His senses were blurred, and he couldn’t tell if it was a dream, a hallucination, or real, so he didn’t know what it was.

Could that have been the sound of Beomwoo hitting Jeong-yeon?

He always seemed more rational than anyone, sometimes even emotionless like a robot…

The fact that he responded so emotionally was bewildering.

“Why, why did you?”

“You think I’d just leave that bastard there and walk out?”

When Haejin asked in surprise, Beomwoo retorted as if that was a ridiculous question.

Hitting the perpetrator in that situation or suggesting a report wasn’t strange, but Haejin stood frozen.

Beomwoo, as he spoke, seemed to recall the situation, furrowing his brow and looking irritated.

“I didn’t mean to let him off like that… but you didn’t look well, so I couldn’t do more.”

“Ah, no…! It’s good you didn’t do more… You could’ve gotten into trouble because of me…”

At Beomwoo’s muttering about doing more to Jeong-yeon, Haejin stopped him, saying it was enough.

He didn’t know how or to what extent he had dealt with him, but violence itself was an act that didn’t suit him.

Even if Jeong-yeon was in the wrong, this could backfire on Beomwoo.

It would be better not to give them any grounds for criticism.

As Haejin looked at Beomwoo with concern, he sighed softly as if understanding his thoughts.

“I think I’ve said this before, but think of yourself first.”

“……”

“You left that house to be happy, didn’t you?”

Beomwoo spoke persuasively, looking at Haejin.

Earnestly, as if pleading, and as if that’s what he wished for—for Haejin to be happy.

As if… he truly had feelings for him.