If You Want Me - Episode 14
<Episode 14>
Why would he run away when he’s not a criminal? Seon-won wondered if he had caused some kind of problem that would make Do-gyeom think he had to run away from him, but Do-gyeom mentioned his leave.
Seon-won had written the reason for leave as ‘family travel’ instead of ‘sick leave’, worried they would inquire further about it. But since he was perfectly at home, it seemed Do-gyeom thought Seon-won was deliberately avoiding him.
But even so, Seon-won couldn’t understand why Do-gyeom was so furiously angry about it. Did some issue happen at the company, and he thought Seon-won caused the problem and ran away? Or was he just hypersensitive from not releasing pheromones for a week?
Seon-won felt he should clear up the misunderstanding first, so he hurriedly explained that he wasn’t running away, but had put ‘family travel’ instead of ‘sick leave’ to avoid worrying others. And since this was Do-gyeom’s apartment, there was no reason for him to run away here.
Seon-won added that if he really was running away, he wouldn’t be staying home like this. This was because the apartment Seon-won lived in was under Do-gyeom’s name. When Do-gyeom proposed the partner arrangement, one of the benefits he offered was providing housing.
Thanks to that, instead of renting a cheap studio after leaving the mansion, Seon-won could immediately live in a nice place. And since no rent was charged, it was an extremely good benefit.
Seon-won’s explanation seemed to get through, as the stiff, frozen look on Do-gyeom’s face softened. Then, with a strange worried expression, he cupped Seon-won’s cheek and asked,
“Sick leave? What’s hurting?”
The touch on his cheek was excessively gentle.
This was the problem when with Do-gyeom. Normally he was as stingy as a needle that wouldn’t draw blood, but when Seon-won said he was unwell, he suddenly became affectionate. It made it seem like more than just a physical relationship, making Seon-won raise his hopes.
He was already used to the physical intimacy, but why did he react to every little thing like this? Seon-won felt his ears grow hot as he gave a small reply.
“Just a regular illness.”
Specifically, it was from experiencing the heat cycle with a rut partner, but saying that would be blaming Do-gyeom. After he had already suggested ending their partnership for breaching the contract, Seon-won held back those words.
However, Do-gyeom didn’t seem satisfied with that answer either, furrowing his brow deeply.
“Regular illnesses don’t last a whole week. You didn’t look well even back then. Did you go to the hospital?”
“No…”
“I told you to go.”
Do-gyeom had told him to go to the hospital the day they returned from the US. He thought he meant to go to the obstetrician…… but it seemed he was just worried.
To get an accurate pregnancy test, one usually has to wait some time after intimacy before going, which is why Seon-won didn’t go right away…… But it seemed he would have to go to the hospital regardless.
“I’ll go next time…..”
“…..”
Do-gyeom’s dissatisfied gaze lingered after Seon-won’s reply. His face showed he wanted Seon-won to go to the hospital right away.
He looked like he was about to say more, but fortunately he didn’t pry further into the hospital issue and changed the subject.
“Why did you turn off your phone?”
“…It was turned off?”
Seon-won asked back with a surprised look at Do-gyeom’s question. Come to think of it, he didn’t seem to have charged his phone since he was so distracted. There was also nowhere he expected calls from…
Seeing Seon-won’s dazed reaction, Do-gyeom paused, then suddenly let out a hollow laugh. And in a self-mocking tone, he muttered a small aside.
“Ha… Driving a person crazy by any means.”
“Um, did something happen at the company? About that running away comment…”
“You don’t need to know.”
“…..”
Seon-won carefully asked after hearing the aside, but Do-gyeom didn’t answer.
What was it? Was there some secret issue within the company?
Although he was curious about what happened, it was a relief the misunderstanding was cleared up. As Seon-won let out a small sigh of relief, Do-gyeom continued stroking his plump cheek and asked,
“Did you eat dinner yet?”
“I just got up… Not yet.”
Why was he stroking his cheek like that? Had his face heated up again even though the fever had gone down earlier? It was possible since he often felt his face grow hot around Do-gyeom.
“Do you have food at home?”
“I was going to make porridge.”
“Then lie down.”
“Huh?”
He clearly said he was going to make porridge, so why was he suddenly telling him to lie down?
As Seon-won looked up at him with puzzled eyes, as if to ask what he meant, Do-gyeom took his hand off Seon-won’s cheek and said,
“I’ll go buy it, so wait.”
“Huh? I can just make it with what’s here…”
“All you can make is plain rice porridge. Just wait.”
“But…”
That was true… As Seon-won hesitated, Do-gyeom left without a backwards glance.
Left alone, Seon-won blinked as he watched the front door slowly close. What had just happened?
From Do-gyeom suddenly visiting, to outright saying he would buy porridge so wait, it all felt surreal.
They say people do things they normally don’t when about to die. But Seon-won was the one who was unwell, so why was Do-gyeom doing things he normally wouldn’t? Seon-won couldn’t get used to it.
* * *
“Eat.”
“…Thank you.”
When Do-gyeom extended the paper bag containing the porridge, Seon-won carefully took it.
He really returned quickly. Their walking pace was usually similar, so Seon-won didn’t know how he managed to go and come back so fast. It would take at least ten minutes to walk to the porridge restaurant, plus time for ordering and preparing it…
As Seon-won set the porridge Do-gyeom bought on the table, he discreetly glanced at Do-gyeom’s face after he had washed his hands. His hair was a bit disheveled, perhaps from the wind outside.
Seon-won liked how Do-gyeom neatly slicked his hair back with pomade, but he also liked his naturally tousled look.
It was a bit disappointing that his pretty forehead and straight eyebrows were partially obscured. But since it was a private look he couldn’t see in formal settings…… he liked it for no particular reason.
As he was stealing glances here and there, his gaze suddenly met Do-gyeom’s.
“What are you doing, not eating.”
“Oh, I’ll eat.”
Feeling like he had been caught staring for no reason, Seon-won hurriedly opened the lid of the porridge container. Inside was steaming hot abalone porridge.
Since he didn’t have much appetite lately and lacked ingredients, he had only planned to make plain rice porridge, so he swallowed thickly at the delicious dish in front of him as he didn’t often have abalone.
Suddenly, he felt Do-gyeom’s gaze on him. Do-gyeom was staring at Seon-won intently enough to make him feel burdened.
“…Will you have some too, my lord? Should I portion some for you?”
“You eat it all. You like this, don’t you?”
Seon-won found Do-gyeom’s words a bit strange. It was true he liked abalone porridge, but had he eaten it in front of Do-gyeom before?
Thinking back, there was a time they went to Jeju Island following Do-gyeom’s schedule, and abalone porridge was served for breakfast. The fresh Jeju abalone with the savory sesame oil flavor was truly delicious…… But it didn’t seem like he had eaten it since then, yet Do-gyeom remembered.
Well, he did graduate from a university only 1% of the world could attend, so he had an excellent memory and tended to recall even trivial things well.
Seon-won brushed it off casually as he took out a bowl and portioned half the porridge, saying,
“Either way, I can’t eat all this alone. You haven’t had dinner yet, right?”
“….”
“…Ah, did you already eat? Then I’ll put half in the fridge.”
“Then let’s eat together.”
Just as Seon-won was going to store half in the fridge since it seemed Do-gyeom wouldn’t eat, he suddenly changed his mind and sat across from him at the table. Seon-won had thought he already ate since he didn’t seem like he would, but apparently not.
In any case, it was better to eat with someone than alone. Especially since Do-gyeom had bought the porridge.
As he took a spoonful and blew on the hot dish, it didn’t taste as good as he expected. The abalone porridge he usually found savory and delicious tasted oddly bland today.
Given Do-gyeom’s discerning palate, and his lack of comment, it didn’t seem spoiled…… Seon-won must really be unwell somewhere.
As Seon-won picked at it like a picky eater, Do-gyeom stopped eating to ask while looking at him,
“Why are you eating like that?”
“I don’t have much appetite…”
“That’s why you’re not getting better, eating like a bird. Eat even if you don’t have an appetite.”
“….”
It aligned with Seon-won’s usual thinking, but it wasn’t easy. What could he do if his body wouldn’t accept it?
Still, since Do-gyeom had bought it out of consideration, Seon-won tried to finish it all. But he felt Do-gyeom’s watchful gaze after he finished eating first.
Normally Do-gyeom’s gaze alone would make him heat up, but today it felt burdensome, as if he was monitoring whether Seon-won finished eating or not.
It somehow felt like he would be scolded if he didn’t, but Seon-won couldn’t bring himself to ask him to look away. There was also the thought of when he would get this chance again, and after revering Do-gyeom as his lord for so long, he couldn’t boldly make such a request.
Having to force himself to finish despite not wanting to, it took over half an hour. With a slightly tired face, Seon-won reported to him,
“I’ve eaten well.”
“Good. I’ll clean up.”
“…You’ll clean up, my lord?”
“Why?”
Seon-won asked with an incredulous look, but Do-gyeom shamelessly asked back as if Seon-won had said something unbelievable.
“You usually don’t do such chores. Just leave it there, I’ll take care of it.”
“If I leave it piled up like that, it’ll be a mess. Take a break when you get the chance.”
“….”
At Do-gyeom’s frank remark, Seon-won lost his words and tightly shut his mouth. He hadn’t been able to properly clean for a week while suffering from his illness.
Do-gyeom probably understood it was an unavoidable situation, but Seon-won still felt embarrassed and ashamed to show such an unkempt state.
As Seon-won stood there hesitantly, insisting he would do it, Do-gyeom let out a small sigh.
“Would you rest if I said it was an order from your boss at work?”
“…But I took leave today.”
“Just because you’re on leave means you can ignore your boss’s orders?”
“Well, no, but……”
Seon-won trailed off, unable to retort. What kind of boss would order an employee to let them clean their house so they could rest……?