Shortly after getting home, their lunch order arrived. They’d chosen salads and soups with grilled meat from a nearby salad place, following Dr. Gleason’s advice to avoid McDonald’s for a while.
Jaekyung intended to take a nap after eating, so he went for a light meal. However, the food that was delivered exceeded their expectations with its variety of salads and more meat than they’d anticipated. He particularly enjoyed the steak, which had a delicious grilled flavor.
But for some reason, Jiheon couldn’t eat much. It might have been due to his hospital visit in the morning, or a loss of appetite as a side effect. He had a bit of soup and eventually put down his spoon first.
“You’re done eating, hyung?”
“Yeah.”
“You barely had anything.”
When Jaekyung asked if he was full after eating that, Jiheon poured some water into a glass and replied:
“No, I don’t have much of an appetite today for some reason. I’ll eat more if I get hungry later.”
He casually spoke and drank some water. Jaekyung, who had been observing quietly, suddenly leaned in and spoke in a low voice.
“Hyung.”
“Hmm?”
Jiheon muttered without taking his mouth off the glass. Jaekyung put down his fork, rested his elbows on the table, and clasped his hands. He had a serious and concerned look on his face, an expression Jiheon had never seen before.
“You’re not pregnant, are you?”
“…….”
Jiheon pondered his response in this unexpected situation and then gently placed his cup down. Like Jaekyung, he leaned forward, rested his elbows on the table, and spoke with the same seriousness.
“Why? Jaekyung-ah, do you think your sperm is strong enough to withstand modern medical technology? Are you that confident?”
It was a very polite way of telling him not to speak nonsense, but it came off a bit blunt. Jaekyung was clearly confused and maintained his serious demeanor as he responded:
“I don’t know. They say the only perfect contraception is by not having sex. All it takes is one sperm to succeed anyway, so if there’s one like me with a lot of grit and is a really good swimmer—”
“There’s no such thing.”
Jiheon stated firmly.
“If there’s a sperm with that much grit and swims really well, it’s no longer a sperm. And if there really is one like that, I’d be scared. How would I give birth and raise it? Taking care of you is already hard enough. I can’t imagine raising another one like you.”
When he said that, Jaekyung looked at him as if to say, “Hyung, why are you talking like my mother?” and picked up the fork again.
“Anyway, that’s a relief.”
Jaekyung even let out a brief sigh.
Jiheon was somewhat surprised that he didn’t just express it in words but genuinely appeared relieved. Given Kwon Jaekyung’s personality, Jiheon expected him to be quite disappointed upon hearing this, as he had been fantasizing about marrying Jiheon or even getting him pregnant.
“Why? You don’t like children?”
“No, I don’t like them.”
Jaekyung replied without hesitation.
“But it’s not that I dislike them as children. I just don’t like people of all ages and genders.”
Seeing Jaekyung freely showing off his wrecked social skills and lack of sociability while misunderstanding the question, Jiheon could only mutter:
“I see… How about your own child, not someone else’s?”
When Jiheon inquired if Jaekyung had ever thought about it, Jaekyung appeared lost in thought as he nibbled on cranberry salad. Finally, after swallowing the salad, he said:
“I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about that.”
“Then why did you say it was a relief just now?”
“That’s because I don’t want you to suffer.”
Jaekyung said indifferently, casually picking up a water bottle.
“You said you don’t like feeling pain. And you don’t like being tired.”
He added as he started pouring water into his glass. Jiheon gazed at him, propping one leg up on the chair.
“Yeah, I don’t like feeling pain. I really hate it”
Jiheon said with a smile.
Jaekyung furrowed his brow slightly as he handed Jiheon containers of broccoli soup and potato salad.
“Then go ahead and eat some more, hyung. You can take your meds afterward.”
Both were the foods Jiheon ate in small portions.
“Eat this and then take your medicine.”
Jaekyung also held out a glass of water in front of him.
Jiheon initially assumed Jaekyung was pouring it for himself, but apparently he was preparing it for Jiheon to take his medication.
It was evident that Jaekyung cared so much about Jiheon’s well-being.
Jiheon, hugging his leg on the chair, chuckled.
However, he didn’t need to take the medication right away, as it was prescribed in case the side effects worsened. Jiheon rested his chin on his knee and said:
“I took some medication from the pharmacy earlier. I don’t have to take it right now.”
After they finished their meal and tidied up, it was just one o’clock in the afternoon. Jiheon was sitting on the sofa and checking emails on his cell phone when Jaekyung, who had just brushed his teeth in the bathroom, asked:
“Hyung, are you going back to work?”
“I have to.”
“Even though you’re not feeling well?”
Jaekyung frowned.
“Does your company have to make their sick employees work to make them feel better? Just take a day off.”
Sitting down next to Jiheon, Jaekyung suggested.
“You can tell them you’re going with me to the afternoon training.”
As soon as he settled beside Jiheon, he naturally hugged Jiheon’s waist and nestled his face in his shoulder. It seemed like second nature to him, and Jiheon no longer found it shameless; he just thought it was cute.
Jiheon tossed his phone on the sofa and, while gently stroking the back of Jaekyung’s head, said:
“Should I?”
“……You’re really gonna do that?”
Jaekyung raised his head and asked again. Jiheon looked at the guy whose eyes were wide in surprise when he said he would do so. He laughed and muttered:
“Hey, why the hell are you so surprised? You’re the one who told me to do that.”
“I thought you’d definitely refuse.”
From Jaekyung’s response, it seemed that he suggested it even though he knew it wouldn’t work.
“Are you really not going to work this afternoon?”
Jaekyung asked, still somewhat disbelieving.
“Well, yeah, I’m not.”
Jiheon responded nonchalantly. He caressed Jaekyung’s cheek, who still had a disbelieving expression, and continued.
“Are you gonna sleep now? Shall we sleep together?”
Jaekyung’s eyes widened in surprise. Eventually, he gazed at Jiheon, as if asking, “Hyung, seriously, why are you like this? Are you really this sick?” But then, he suddenly straightened his posture and put on a serious face.
“Hyung, you’re not going to say things like, ‘Did you enjoy spending the night with your lover today? Then use this to endure until the Olympics and stay strong,’ and then go on a business trip, right?”
“The heck are you saying?”
Jiheon burst into laughter at this specific delusion. He found it even funnier because it was something he might actually do.
“I’m not going on a business trip.”
“You’re not going at all?”
“No, I’m not going. Everything’s canceled.”
Jiheon said with a smile and got up from the sofa. He took Jaekyung’s arm and helped him stand.
“Let’s go to the bedroom.”
Jaekyung still appeared bewildered but stood up and followed Jiheon into the bedroom. Jiheon gently laid him down on the bed and lay down beside him. As they lay face to face, Jiheon pulled the blanket over them and said:
“I’m telling you in advance—don’t think about doing anything weird.”
Jaekyung’s eyebrows twitched slightly. Maybe he really was planning to do something weird.
Nevertheless, he quickly feigned innocence and replied:
“I don’t. Why would I do anything to someone who’s sick? I have some conscience, too.”
Jaekyung lied shamelessly.
“And it’s not even the weekend yet.”
Jaekyung added with a more serious expression, perhaps because he wanted to somehow show that he had no intention of doing anything weird.
Jiheon observed him in silence, rested his arm on the pillow, placed his head upon it, and continued.
“We’re lovers now, so does it really matter if it’s a weekday or the weekend?”
Jiheon’s unexpected tone momentarily left Jaekyung speechless, and all kinds of expressions crossed his handsome face. He seemed to think about all sorts of things to himself for a while, and then he finally spoke quietly.
“……Then why can’t we do it now?”
“Why else, huh?”
Jiheon pulled the blanket over Jaekyung’s head and chuckled.
“You have training in three hours. I’d be a crazy management staff if I just sat on the sidelines and watched you do something that drains all your energy right before that.”
“Oh, what the heck.”
Jaekyung said, appearing bewildered as he pulled the blanket back.
“Is that why you’re making a big deal out of this?”
“Making a big deal?”
“Yeah. Why would I get tired from doing something like that? Huh? Aren’t you underestimating my stamina too much, hyung?”
“I’m not underestimating you. But let’s be a bit cautious before training. Don’t waste protein unnecessarily. You might lose muscle.”
When Jiheon told him that, Jaekyung suddenly made an expression as if he belatedly understood. He lamented.
“Haa, I’m going crazy. Where the hell did you learn to make jokes only sports fanatics ahjussi would say?”
“Well, I am a sports fanatic ahjussi.”
“Why are you calling yourself an ahjussi?”
Jaekyung retorted, genuinely annoyed.
If he left it at this, this guy would only ramble on and on about how cool Jiheon would be for the rest of his life, so he quickly pulled the blanket and covered it all the way down to Jaekyung’s neck.
“Alright, let’s get some sleep. Are you 21 years old or 21 months old? Why are you complaining so much about sleeping?”
Jiheon even patted him on the blanket, but Jaekyung showed no signs of closing his eyes.
“Hyung, do you think I can fall asleep like this?”
He didn’t say this without reason; he genuinely seemed restless.
“But why the hell? You’ve slept with me in bed even before we became lovers, right? There were many nights when you just slept without doing anything.”
“That’s because we didn’t lie facing each other like this.”
‘Oh, is that so…?’
Jiheon realized belatedly.
Right. Come to think of it, it was the first time they were lying face to face like this. Jiheon always slept facing the wall, and Jaekyung would sleep while hugging Jiheon from behind. Sometimes, Jaekyung would ask him to turn around, but he’d always say, ‘Just go to sleep, man,’ with his eyes closed.
He wasn’t sure if that was the reason, but even when they had sex, Jaekyung had never opted for a doggy-style position. He always preferred positions where he could see Jiheon’s face. He didn’t like it when Jiheon covered his face, so he would often say things like, “Don’t hide your face, hyung. Look at me,” many times already.
Shortly after getting home, their lunch order arrived. They’d chosen salads and soups with grilled meat from a nearby salad place, following Dr. Gleason’s advice to avoid McDonald’s for a while.
Jaekyung intended to take a nap after eating, so he went for a light meal. However, the food that was delivered exceeded their expectations with its variety of salads and more meat than they’d anticipated. He particularly enjoyed the steak, which had a delicious grilled flavor.
But for some reason, Jiheon couldn’t eat much. It might have been due to his hospital visit in the morning, or a loss of appetite as a side effect. He had a bit of soup and eventually put down his spoon first.
“You’re done eating, hyung?”
“Yeah.”
“You barely had anything.”
When Jaekyung asked if he was full after eating that, Jiheon poured some water into a glass and replied:
“No, I don’t have much of an appetite today for some reason. I’ll eat more if I get hungry later.”
He casually spoke and drank some water. Jaekyung, who had been observing quietly, suddenly leaned in and spoke in a low voice.
“Hyung.”
“Hmm?”
Jiheon muttered without taking his mouth off the glass. Jaekyung put down his fork, rested his elbows on the table, and clasped his hands. He had a serious and concerned look on his face, an expression Jiheon had never seen before.
“You’re not pregnant, are you?”
“…….”
Jiheon pondered his response in this unexpected situation and then gently placed his cup down. Like Jaekyung, he leaned forward, rested his elbows on the table, and spoke with the same seriousness.
“Why? Jaekyung-ah, do you think your sperm is strong enough to withstand modern medical technology? Are you that confident?”
It was a very polite way of telling him not to speak nonsense, but it came off a bit blunt. Jaekyung was clearly confused and maintained his serious demeanor as he responded:
“I don’t know. They say the only perfect contraception is by not having sex. All it takes is one sperm to succeed anyway, so if there’s one like me with a lot of grit and is a really good swimmer—”
“There’s no such thing.”
Jiheon stated firmly.
“If there’s a sperm with that much grit and swims really well, it’s no longer a sperm. And if there really is one like that, I’d be scared. How would I give birth and raise it? Taking care of you is already hard enough. I can’t imagine raising another one like you.”
When he said that, Jaekyung looked at him as if to say, “Hyung, why are you talking like my mother?” and picked up the fork again.
“Anyway, that’s a relief.”
Jaekyung even let out a brief sigh.
Jiheon was somewhat surprised that he didn’t just express it in words but genuinely appeared relieved. Given Kwon Jaekyung’s personality, Jiheon expected him to be quite disappointed upon hearing this, as he had been fantasizing about marrying Jiheon or even getting him pregnant.
“Why? You don’t like children?”
“No, I don’t like them.”
Jaekyung replied without hesitation.
“But it’s not that I dislike them as children. I just don’t like people of all ages and genders.”
Seeing Jaekyung freely showing off his wrecked social skills and lack of sociability while misunderstanding the question, Jiheon could only mutter:
“I see… How about your own child, not someone else’s?”
When Jiheon inquired if Jaekyung had ever thought about it, Jaekyung appeared lost in thought as he nibbled on cranberry salad. Finally, after swallowing the salad, he said:
“I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about that.”
“Then why did you say it was a relief just now?”
“That’s because I don’t want you to suffer.”
Jaekyung said indifferently, casually picking up a water bottle.
“You said you don’t like feeling pain. And you don’t like being tired.”
He added as he started pouring water into his glass. Jiheon gazed at him, propping one leg up on the chair.
“Yeah, I don’t like feeling pain. I really hate it”
Jiheon said with a smile.
Jaekyung furrowed his brow slightly as he handed Jiheon containers of broccoli soup and potato salad.
“Then go ahead and eat some more, hyung. You can take your meds afterward.”
Both were the foods Jiheon ate in small portions.
“Eat this and then take your medicine.”
Jaekyung also held out a glass of water in front of him.
Jiheon initially assumed Jaekyung was pouring it for himself, but apparently he was preparing it for Jiheon to take his medication.
It was evident that Jaekyung cared so much about Jiheon’s well-being.
Jiheon, hugging his leg on the chair, chuckled.
However, he didn’t need to take the medication right away, as it was prescribed in case the side effects worsened. Jiheon rested his chin on his knee and said:
“I took some medication from the pharmacy earlier. I don’t have to take it right now.”
After they finished their meal and tidied up, it was just one o’clock in the afternoon. Jiheon was sitting on the sofa and checking emails on his cell phone when Jaekyung, who had just brushed his teeth in the bathroom, asked:
“Hyung, are you going back to work?”
“I have to.”
“Even though you’re not feeling well?”
Jaekyung frowned.
“Does your company have to make their sick employees work to make them feel better? Just take a day off.”
Sitting down next to Jiheon, Jaekyung suggested.
“You can tell them you’re going with me to the afternoon training.”
As soon as he settled beside Jiheon, he naturally hugged Jiheon’s waist and nestled his face in his shoulder. It seemed like second nature to him, and Jiheon no longer found it shameless; he just thought it was cute.
Jiheon tossed his phone on the sofa and, while gently stroking the back of Jaekyung’s head, said:
“Should I?”
“……You’re really gonna do that?”
Jaekyung raised his head and asked again. Jiheon looked at the guy whose eyes were wide in surprise when he said he would do so. He laughed and muttered:
“Hey, why the hell are you so surprised? You’re the one who told me to do that.”
“I thought you’d definitely refuse.”
From Jaekyung’s response, it seemed that he suggested it even though he knew it wouldn’t work.
“Are you really not going to work this afternoon?”
Jaekyung asked, still somewhat disbelieving.
“Well, yeah, I’m not.”
Jiheon responded nonchalantly. He caressed Jaekyung’s cheek, who still had a disbelieving expression, and continued.
“Are you gonna sleep now? Shall we sleep together?”
Jaekyung’s eyes widened in surprise. Eventually, he gazed at Jiheon, as if asking, “Hyung, seriously, why are you like this? Are you really this sick?” But then, he suddenly straightened his posture and put on a serious face.
“Hyung, you’re not going to say things like, ‘Did you enjoy spending the night with your lover today? Then use this to endure until the Olympics and stay strong,’ and then go on a business trip, right?”
“The heck are you saying?”
Jiheon burst into laughter at this specific delusion. He found it even funnier because it was something he might actually do.
“I’m not going on a business trip.”
“You’re not going at all?”
“No, I’m not going. Everything’s canceled.”
Jiheon said with a smile and got up from the sofa. He took Jaekyung’s arm and helped him stand.
“Let’s go to the bedroom.”
Jaekyung still appeared bewildered but stood up and followed Jiheon into the bedroom. Jiheon gently laid him down on the bed and lay down beside him. As they lay face to face, Jiheon pulled the blanket over them and said:
“I’m telling you in advance—don’t think about doing anything weird.”
Jaekyung’s eyebrows twitched slightly. Maybe he really was planning to do something weird.
Nevertheless, he quickly feigned innocence and replied:
“I don’t. Why would I do anything to someone who’s sick? I have some conscience, too.”
Jaekyung lied shamelessly.
“And it’s not even the weekend yet.”
Jaekyung added with a more serious expression, perhaps because he wanted to somehow show that he had no intention of doing anything weird.
Jiheon observed him in silence, rested his arm on the pillow, placed his head upon it, and continued.
“We’re lovers now, so does it really matter if it’s a weekday or the weekend?”
Jiheon’s unexpected tone momentarily left Jaekyung speechless, and all kinds of expressions crossed his handsome face. He seemed to think about all sorts of things to himself for a while, and then he finally spoke quietly.
“……Then why can’t we do it now?”
“Why else, huh?”
Jiheon pulled the blanket over Jaekyung’s head and chuckled.
“You have training in three hours. I’d be a crazy management staff if I just sat on the sidelines and watched you do something that drains all your energy right before that.”
“Oh, what the heck.”
Jaekyung said, appearing bewildered as he pulled the blanket back.
“Is that why you’re making a big deal out of this?”
“Making a big deal?”
“Yeah. Why would I get tired from doing something like that? Huh? Aren’t you underestimating my stamina too much, hyung?”
“I’m not underestimating you. But let’s be a bit cautious before training. Don’t waste protein unnecessarily. You might lose muscle.”
When Jiheon told him that, Jaekyung suddenly made an expression as if he belatedly understood. He lamented.
“Haa, I’m going crazy. Where the hell did you learn to make jokes only sports fanatics ahjussi would say?”
“Well, I am a sports fanatic ahjussi.”
“Why are you calling yourself an ahjussi?”
Jaekyung retorted, genuinely annoyed.
If he left it at this, this guy would only ramble on and on about how cool Jiheon would be for the rest of his life, so he quickly pulled the blanket and covered it all the way down to Jaekyung’s neck.
“Alright, let’s get some sleep. Are you 21 years old or 21 months old? Why are you complaining so much about sleeping?”
Jiheon even patted him on the blanket, but Jaekyung showed no signs of closing his eyes.
“Hyung, do you think I can fall asleep like this?”
He didn’t say this without reason; he genuinely seemed restless.
“But why the hell? You’ve slept with me in bed even before we became lovers, right? There were many nights when you just slept without doing anything.”
“That’s because we didn’t lie facing each other like this.”
‘Oh, is that so…?’
Jiheon realized belatedly.
Right. Come to think of it, it was the first time they were lying face to face like this. Jiheon always slept facing the wall, and Jaekyung would sleep while hugging Jiheon from behind. Sometimes, Jaekyung would ask him to turn around, but he’d always say, ‘Just go to sleep, man,’ with his eyes closed.
He wasn’t sure if that was the reason, but even when they had sex, Jaekyung had never opted for a doggy-style position. He always preferred positions where he could see Jiheon’s face. He didn’t like it when Jiheon covered his face, so he would often say things like, “Don’t hide your face, hyung. Look at me,” many times already.
