Contract Marriage with Memory Loss on Top - Chapter 82

Gratitude? He had just expressed that a moment ago. Perhaps material gratitude was desired. Yeon-woo, who had become quite serious, nodded as he thought and answered to himself. Right, gratitude should be expressed through material things, not just feelings.

Come to think of it, while Ki-won had given him gifts many times, the opposite was rarely the case. Now that things had turned out this way, he should get a gift for him. With the 300 million won back from the loan shark, what couldn’t he do?

“What on earth are you thinking about?”

Ki-won tapped Yeon-woo’s forehead with his finger as he watched him roll his eyes, seemingly lost in deep thought. He added that Yeon-woo was having another strange idea, which only increased Yeon-woo’s curiosity. If material gratitude wasn’t the answer, then what could it be?

“Your passport.”

“Passport…? Passport…. Ah!”

Yeon-woo exclaimed after mouthing the word a few times. He had handed over his passport to the loan shark’s manager but couldn’t remember getting it back. He was aware that he needed to report it lost but had forgotten due to being preoccupied. Should he go report it now? Leaving it be made him uneasy.

“You should be scolded.”

“…What?”

“Who gives away their passport so carelessly? To a loan shark, no less. Hm?”

“…Ugh.”

Even though he wanted to make excuses, no sound came from his quivering lips. Ki-won was right. At the time, he had made the wrong choice out of anxiety about Ki-won finding out about his debt. No matter how urgent it was, he shouldn’t have handed over his passport.

“With just a passport, they can do a lot. It could be forged and used for crimes, or they might suddenly demand you pay back money you never borrowed.”

“…You’re right. I was careless.”

Ki-won stared at the dejected Yeon-woo for a moment before touching the tip of his nose. Yeon-woo, who didn’t like being scolded by Ki-won, rubbed his nose and pouted. This should be enough for him to be more careful next time. Ki-won relaxed his stern expression.

“I’ve had the passport destroyed and reported it lost.”

“You did it for me?”

“Yes, it’s better to handle it quickly, right?”

“…Thank you.”

Although it would cost money to reissue the passport, Yeon-woo didn’t want to continue using one that had been compromised. After briefly thanking him again, Yeon-woo glanced at Ki-won. Having apologized and expressed gratitude, Yeon-woo neatly wrapped up the subject and eagerly looked for an opportunity to change the mood.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Yeon-woo cleared his throat, bringing his lightly clenched fist near his mouth, and glanced at Ki-won. He was looking down at him with a face that seemed to ask if he had something to say.

“Um, hyung…. By the way.”

“Yes, Yeon-woo.”

Ki-won sat Yeon-woo down on the sofa, saying they should sit and talk. The question about to burst from his lips was a rather awkward topic, but it was an issue that needed to be confirmed. Advertisements kept playing on the TV that had been left on, but they didn’t reach Yeon-woo’s ears.

“Yesterday….”

“Yesterday?”

“No, dawn….”

“Dawn?”

Should he say yesterday evening or early this morning? It was such an ambiguous time that Yeon-woo shook his head after hesitating. The exact time wasn’t really important.

“As a way to recover memories, we did that… you know… thing.”

“That thing….”

There was a brief sound of Ki-won’s Adam’s apple moving, and then his dark pupils moved towards Yeon-woo’s lips. Yeon-woo’s feelings seemed to show through his fidgeting lips.

“Ah, we did. Something really naughty.”

“Don’t say it like that…!”

Yeon-woo quickly covered Ki-won’s mouth with his shoulders raised. Since losing his memory, Ki-won had become unpredictable, so he might say something strange again.

Yeon-woo blocked Ki-won’s mouth, which might spout embarrassing words, and bit down hard on his molars. After preparing himself mentally one more time before starting, Yeon-woo poured out the words he had been holding in his mind.

“Anyway, you said that repeating past events might help recover memories. So… did you remember anything?”

“Remember anything?”

Ki-won seemed to be thinking deeply. Yeon-woo held his breath and quietly waited for the words to come out of his mouth.

“Well, it feels like I almost remember… Maybe once wasn’t enough. It’s not satisfying.”

“Uh… what?”

“We might need to do it several times to be effective, Yeon-woo.”

Yeon-woo’s eyelids slowly opened and closed repeatedly. So now… is he suggesting we do that thing several times? Yeon-woo’s head lowered, and his gaze fixed on Ki-won’s lower body.

Fragments of memory came together like pieces of a video flashing before Yeon-woo’s eyes. No, this won’t do. He didn’t dislike the intimate moments they shared. However, there was a physical limit to receiving his thing at such short intervals.

“It’s not convenient right now.”

The response came that even he would feel embarrassed if stared at so intensely. Suddenly dumbfounded, Yeon-woo jumped up and shook his head vigorously.

“It’s inconvenient for me too! What are you saying…!”

“Really?”

Ki-won, who had moved close to where Yeon-woo was sitting, leaned his upper body. In an instant, the distance between them narrowed to the point where he could feel Ki-won’s breath. Gulp, Yeon-woo’s Adam’s apple bobbed with tension, and he swallowed dryly. A facial attack was unfair.

“I liked it. Very much.”

“…Hyung!”

Yeon-woo jumped up and hurriedly covered his face with his arms. He could feel the heat rising to his head. He was surely as red as a tomato by now.

“Hyung, you’re… always just teasing me!”

Flustered and at a loss for what to do, Yeon-woo finally scurried away to the bedroom. Behind Yeon-woo, who was moving so quickly his feet were barely visible, came the sound of Ki-won’s leisurely laughter.

***

“Sigh…”

Yeon-woo, sitting with his back against the headboard, released his knees that he had been hugging and picked up a stuffed animal. The silly teddy bear was giving him a teasing look as always.

It was still difficult to deal with Ki-won, who had lost his memory. Unable to distinguish between sincerity and jokes, Yeon-woo thumped the blanket with his unsettled feelings.

Sprawled on the bed, Yeon-woo blinked as he stared at the ceiling. It seemed to have become a habit to look up at the ceiling whenever he had a lot on his mind.

How many minutes had passed like that? Yeon-woo suddenly sat up and checked the date on his phone. The hospital had suddenly come to mind. He needed to get his pheromone levels checked, but he had been so preoccupied that he had let more than a week pass. Rubbing his nape, Yeon-woo decided it would be good to go now that he remembered and scrambled out of bed.

“I wonder if it’s okay to go without an appointment…”

He could have called to inquire first, but Yeon-woo deliberately didn’t. Being cooped up at home made him think too much, so he wanted to get some fresh air while he was at it. If same-day appointments weren’t available, he could make one in person and come back another time, so there was no need to overthink it.

Ah, Yeon-woo let out a small exclamation as he was taking out his clothes to prepare for going out. He thought he should let Ki-won know about his outing, just in case. Putting down the clothes he had been holding under his arm, Yeon-woo hurriedly moved towards the study where Ki-won would be.

‘Come to think of it, at that time… hyung’s eyes seemed a bit strange.’

Should he say his eyes looked off? It wasn’t a suitable expression for a person, but that was really the only thought that came to mind.

Is he not feeling well? It seemed like a good idea to suggest that Ki-won get a medical check-up too. Listing the things he wanted to say to Ki-won in his mind, Yeon-woo abruptly flung open the door of the study.

Ah, right. He belatedly realized he hadn’t knocked, but it was too late. The study door was open, and his eyes met Ki-won’s inside.

“…Huh?”

That was all the questioning sound that escaped through Yeon-woo’s slightly parted teeth. Ki-won was taking a pill, and whether it was just a coincidence or not, he seemed to hide the pill bottle the moment Yeon-woo entered.

“What is it, do you have something to say?”

Ki-won seemed to welcome Yeon-woo’s visit as usual, but Yeon-woo didn’t miss the momentary expression. There was clearly a hint of surprise mixed in Ki-won’s complexion.

“Ah… I’m planning to go to the hospital.”

“For your pheromone levels?”

“Yes, they originally told me to come back in a week, but I’ve been so preoccupied that it got delayed.”

“Make an appointment before you go.”

“I’m just going for a walk too. If I can’t get a same-day appointment, I’ll visit again next time. I have plenty of time anyway.”

They were having a normal conversation, but there was a strange sense of discomfort in the air. Unable to bear it any longer, Yeon-woo approached Ki-won.

“Hyung, by the way. What did you just take?”