Contract Marriage with Memory Loss on Top - Chapter 25
Throughout the meal, Ki-won’s reaction was plain. Yeon-woo’s expectation that he would try to snatch the spoon or show signs of agitation was completely off the mark. It wasn’t that he disliked it though. He felt proud as if he was now in a position to take care of him when he had always been the one receiving help.
“You should eat too.”
When Yeon-woo excitedly tried to add this and that, Ki-won lightly grabbed Yeon-woo’s wrist and pulled it down.
“I’m fine! I ate it with water because it was hot, so my stomach got full quickly.”
Yeon-woo tapped his lower abdomen, emphasizing that his stomach was full. Then Ki-won laughed as if he couldn’t help it and let go of Yeon-woo’s hand he was holding.
“Hyung, do you want to eat shiitake mushrooms?”
The documents that had gotten wet at some point were long forgotten. Perhaps because he felt like playing house. Yeon-woo began earnestly putting various things into Ki-won’s mouth.
***
Yeon-woo, who had tousled his damp hair with a towel, knocked on the door of the study. He had just filled the bathtub with fresh water so that Ki-won could use it right away after washing up. Ki-won said he didn’t need to, but Yeon-woo wanted to help the man even in small ways.
“Hyung, I filled the bathtub with water.”
Usually, he would have gotten a response right away, but for some reason, it was quiet today. Yeon-woo tilted his head and turned the doorknob of the study to open it. Peeking his face through the crack and looking around, Ki-won’s side profile came into view.
“Hyung?”
The man seemed to have dozed off for a moment, with his upper body leaning against the back of the chair and his eyes closed. Just as he was about to tell him to get in before the bathwater got cold, his eyes met Ki-won’s.
‘Oh my…’
Even though he didn’t approach closely, his presence was detected. Yeon-woo pulled his face out of the doorway, stopped peeking at Ki-won, and swung the door wide open.
“I filled the water so you can wash right away.”
“I said you didn’t need to.”
Ki-won, as usual, replied while touching Yeon-woo’s hair that had gotten closer to him. Yeon-woo glanced at the laptop placed in front of the man. Come to think of it, if he could use a laptop, he could get the documents without going to the court.
“Hyung, can I use this? It’ll only take 5 minutes.”
The moment Yeon-woo pointed to the powered-off laptop, Ki-won’s movement of fiddling with his hair stopped.
“Why?”
Ki-won asked for a reason when Yeon-woo thought he would readily agree. Since it wasn’t a difficult question to answer, Yeon-woo quickly informed him of the reason for use.
“If there’s a printer in the study, I’m going to try printing out the divorce application with this. If we finish signing today, it’ll be more comfortable for you too, hyung.”
“Hmm…”
Ki-won, dragging out an ambiguous sound, closed his eyelids as if tired. Ki-won didn’t make Yeon-woo wait long. Soon after opening his eyes, Ki-won rubbed the back of his neck and parted his closed lips.
“What should I do about this. The laptop just happened to break down.”
“Oh no, really?”
“Yeah. So I was in a bind too.”
Ki-won, who got up from his seat, picked up the laptop placed in the corner of the desk and immediately shoved it into the trash can. Startled, Yeon-woo awkwardly lowered his head and alternately glanced at the trash can and Ki-won.
“You could get it repaired, so why…”
“Why bother? I’m planning to buy a new one this time. There’s a product being released next month that looks nice.”
Yeon-woo’s lips quivered. Is he saying he’ll endure without a laptop until next month? He could use the repaired laptop until then, but it felt unnecessarily wasteful.
‘Is it better to get a new one instead?’
No matter how much the repair estimate was, it would be pocket change for Ki-won, but Yeon-woo couldn’t come up with any other plausible reasoning.
“Let’s go.”
Ki-won, who got up from his seat, took Yeon-woo, who was lingering in front of the trash can unable to let it go, and strode out. His steps were so fast that by the time Yeon-woo came to his senses, he was outside the study.
“It must be hard for you to wash with one hand like this.”
Yeon-woo ruminated on Ki-won’s words that the wound seemed to have worsened because he used his hands a lot at work. He should move less than usual so that the wound doesn’t open up, but he was worried it might worsen while washing. Of course, there was a waterproof cover to put over the cast, and Ki-won himself would probably be careful, but it still bothered him quite a bit.
Yeon-woo hesitated and carefully opened his mouth.
“Is there anything I can help you with? When washing.”
“Are you trying to run away again?”
“No…”
That’s not it… Yeon-woo muttered and pressed his lips together. This time, he had clearly imprinted in his mind that Ki-won was definitely in pain. He was determined not to misunderstand on his own and have perverted thoughts again.
“Like washing your hair…? Or, that shower… No, a shower would be a bit much, right?”
Touching a naked body wasn’t something he could do in his right mind. Thinking Ki-won would probably do it himself, he was about to retract his suggestion when Ki-won’s answer came first.
“No, I’d like that.”
“What? No, doing it alone is better after all…”
Maybe he had dug his own grave. Even though he was gesturing with his whole body to take back the suggestion, Kwon Ki-won didn’t bat an eye.
“I’ll call you when I’m ready.”
And then the man went into the bathroom.
‘In this situation… am I the only one feeling embarrassed right now?’
It was ridiculous to say he would do it first and then go on about being embarrassed or whatnot, but at this point, he began to suspect if Kwon Ki-won was a person without emotions. Or perhaps he considered Seo Yeon-woo’s existence that comfortably. Yeon-woo blankly stared beyond the bathroom where Kwon Ki-won had disappeared.
‘If hyung said he would wash me… I think I would desperately refuse.’
He tried imagining it. Imagining Kwon Ki-won personally washing his body. In less than a few seconds, Yeon-woo’s cheeks turned peach-red. It was so embarrassing that just imagining it made his face heat up. After agonizing for a while, Yeon-woo clapped his hands together.
‘Ah…! We’re limited to a contractual relationship anyway, so he’s not bothered by it.’
When classified as an employer and employee, not as an alpha and omega or a spousal relationship, it seemed possible. After all, there was no reason for Kwon Ki-won to feel tense or shy towards him. Yeon-woo lightly slapped his cheeks so it wouldn’t hurt.
‘I’m the one who needs to come to my senses.’
Without realizing it, he must have been considering Kwon Ki-won as an alpha. Yeon-woo, reminding himself again that the other person was an employer, took a deep breath. It was natural for an employee to assist the boss.
– Yeon-woo-ya, you can come in.
Ki-won’s voice coming from a distance pulled Yeon-woo. Yeon-woo, who took a deep breath as if determined, swiftly turned his head towards the bathroom. Now that his head was clear, he felt less embarrassed than before.
‘Even if I see hyung’s naked body, I’ll act like it’s no big deal!’
He paid meticulous attention to not blushing or running out screaming even if he saw Kwon Ki-won’s nude body. However, contrary to Yeon-woo’s worries, what unfolded before his eyes wasn’t Ki-won’s naked body. He was in the bathtub filled with water. A waterproof cover was seen on his injured hand.
“Wear a gown while doing it.”
As Yeon-woo walked like a deflated balloon, Ki-won pointed to the gown hanging on the side. When Ki-won told him to wear it because foam or water might splash, Yeon-woo slowly nodded.
Yeon-woo, who had made all the preparations, stood in front of the bathtub and narrowed his eyes. It was because of a question that suddenly arose.
“Hyung, by any chance… are you not wearing anything right now?”
If he had entered the bathtub, there was only one answer. Despite the somewhat stupid question, Yeon-woo hesitated as if desperate for an answer.
“Why?”
“Why, you ask…”
Water is transparent. In short, it meant that he could see Ki-won’s intimate… those private parts. Yeon-woo, hesitating, soon pressed his lips together as if he had made up his mind.
‘Yeah, I just have to not look.’
Even if he ended up seeing it, it would be a bit embarrassing, but it wasn’t a big deal. Just as he was trying to put his mind at ease, Ki-won’s following words made Yeon-woo flutter again.
“See for yourself if I’m completely naked.”
“What?”
Eyes wide open like a rabbit blinked several times. Why is he doing this? Unlike Yeon-woo, who was full of bewilderment, Ki-won was relaxed enough to joke around.
“It’s fine.”
Yeon-woo’s rolling eyes were pitiful.
“Weren’t you curious?”
“No… If I don’t look down, it’s… what are you doing!”
Just as he was about to cut off the strange conversation flow, Yeon-woo’s voice grew louder. It was because Ki-won abruptly stood up with an unexpected action. A huge wave formed in the bathtub, and streams of water fell from Ki-won’s body. Yeon-woo, who hurriedly covered around his eyes, couldn’t hide his perplexity and kept moving his lips.
A few seconds of silence passed, and during that time, Ki-won didn’t say a word. Yeon-woo’s fingers, which had been densely covering his eyelids, slowly parted.
“Ah…”
He had a long towel wrapped around his lower body. Yeon-woo’s voice, making his Adam’s apple move, had a faint sense of relief.
“No matter what, aren’t you overreacting?”
“…Hyung, hyung would have done the same if you were me.”
“Me? Well.”
Ki-won shrugged at Yeon-woo’s mumbling words. It was a meaningful answer. Just as Yeon-woo looked up at Ki-won, Kwon Ki-won also looked down at Yeon-woo. An unfathomable emotion was read in his eyes.
“Of course… if you think you might suddenly see something like that… you can be startled and all!”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
However, a small response was heard that Ki-won probably wouldn’t be surprised, so Yeon-woo fidgeted with his fingertips. The atmosphere was about to become strange because of the somehow odd conversation. Yeon-woo hurriedly picked up the shower head.
“Anyway, I’ll wash your hair, so sit back down.”
When Yeon-woo tapped the bathtub, Ki-won tidied the loose knot at his waist and sat down.