/
It was early in the morning, and everyone was sound asleep. I strolled out into the dark kitchen on tiptoe, like a thief who had crept in. I took one of the containers I had washed the night before. I carefully opened the lid, careful not to let any sound escape.
I proceeded to the refrigerator with my entire weight on my toes once again. I reached for the refrigerator’s handle and turned to look around. I cast a glance across the kitchen to my parents’ room and carefully opened the refrigerator door. The waist and head bowed toward the brightly illuminated refrigerator in the darkness.
The boiled jangjorim with meat and boiled eggs, dried squid mixed, spinach with savory sesame oil smell, and japchae, which my father likes, were all placed in the container in order. In a separate container, I add three or four eggs. Seasonings such as salt, pepper, and kelp at home were packed in a little plastic bag to eat later, and soy sauce for soup was put in a small container just in case. I put in a root of green onion. I also packed Cheongyang peppers to make fish cake soup spicy. No matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find any fish cakes in the freezer, so I decided to buy rice and fish cakes at a convenience store near Dae-han’s house on the way.
I tried to keep it simple, but the quantity was bigger than I expected. It was a hassle to move them all into the container. I glanced to my parents’ and older brother’s rooms. It was a bit after 4 p.m., so if my parents or elder brother showed up, they’d give me an odd look.
As carefully as I could, I brought the container with the green onion, the egg, and the seasoning into the room. I was thinking of packing up and leaving right now. I thought it would be fine to sleep with Lim Dae-han. I was curious how he would react when he awoke and saw me beside him. Laughter flowed for no apparent reason.
I returned to the kitchen and was going to get some side dishes when I heard the sound of a door opening. I turned my head straight to my parents’ room, but it was still tightly closed. Then the other room…
“I was wondering as to how the cat got in.”
“…”
“What time do you think now and you’re wandering around.”
It was my older brother. He stared at me with a frowned brow and spoke in a muffled voice while half asleep. I was holding the side dish in both hands meekly, but I straightened and raised my eyes to my older brother.
“I, I’m going to school now…”
“School?”
I lied without realizing it. My older brother messed up his hair. His expression was still stiff. Yawning- my older brother asked me.
“Go to school knowing what time it is now.”
“Uh, I, I forgot about my performance review… I have to do that. I was supposed to finish it, but I forgot. I will eat breakfast at school in the morning.”
Oh, I shouldn’t have stuttered. Since my older brother was quick-witted, he would undoubtedly pick up on my lies. I was nervous. Even in the dark, I could see my older brother’s face quite well. I was scared. I wanted to cry.
“Well done.”
However, contrary to my expectations, my older brother passed it quite smoothly. He was probably more sluggish than usual because he didn’t sleep well. I guess I was lucky. It was a relief if I was lucky. My older brother then took the key from the kitchen shelf. It was the key to the car my parents had bought for him after my older brother had been discharged from the military. What’s wrong with him…? I glanced into my older brother’s eyes quietly.
“Take your bag and come out. I’ll take you there.”
“What?!”
My older brother tried to enter his room with the car key as if he was going to get dressed. I really shouldn’t go to school. I grabbed my older brother right away. He looked me up and down with a confused face. It was my older brother’s habit to scan people from head to toe.
“What.”
I tried not to stutter in response to the stern question.
“I can go alone. You don’t have to take me.”
“Why. You asked me every morning to take you to school at first. Why do you say it’s fine now?”
It was like that at the beginning of the semester, but not now. Lim Dae-han comes to pick me up every day, so I didn’t beg my older brother to take me to school anymore.
“Hyung, you had the first period anyway. It’s not too dangerous… I like to go for a walk as well.”
“…”
I was amazed at myself who roughly read my older brother’s schedule. It wasn’t such a plausible proposal, but he thought about it. It looked like he was tired. After stroking his chin for a moment, he nodded slowly.
“Then do that.”
“Yes. Sleep a little more.”
My brother tossed the car keys on the shelf. Then he went into the room as if there was nothing more to see. I clenched my eyes tightly and gulped my breath because I couldn’t breathe a sigh of relief.
That’s right. My older brother was originally a light sleeper. When he slept in his room, he would lock the door and go to sleep. He would open his eyes just by the sound of turning the doorknob, and even if there was a little noise outside, he would wake up immediately. Perhaps it was natural for him to have a sensitive personality. He couldn’t even sleep properly, so there was no way he had generous patience.
Click. I heard my older brother lock the door.
“Phew.”
Only then did I exhale quietly. After staring at my older brother’s room for a moment, I went into mine. I could wear my school uniform. I have clothes to wear in Lim Dae-han’s house anyway. I thought while taking out a hanger with a school uniform hanging on it. Anyway, I was glad I was able to get through it.
***
Lim Dae-han’s house was so quiet. The middle door between the living room and the bedroom was closed. I was able to enter his home without difficulty. I had a fleeting thought in front of the house that he would sleep with the latch locked, but that was not the case. Lim Dae-han was unconcerned about his personal security.
I put down my luggage and put the eggs and fish cakes in the refrigerator. I also took out some pots and bowls. I cautiously opened the middle door after tidying everything. Lim Dae-han was soundly sleeping on his bed. He didn’t even seem to care that it was autumn now, as he was wearing only one pair of underwear and was roughly covered in a thin blanket. Whether he didn’t even need a blanket or whether he fell asleep, he cleverly covered only his lower body. He was properly dressed when he slept with me, but he sleeps like this when he sleeps alone. For some reason, seeing him defenseless made me feel strange.
Unlike how I thought I should change when I came to Dae-han’s house, I approached the bed without hesitation. As I saw Lim Dae-han lay down, I put my buttocks on the edge of the spacious bed and then lay next to him. I lay face to face with the sleeping Lim Dae-han.
“…”
I stuttered and placed my hand on Lim Dae-han’s waist. I leaned in close to him while touching his muscular body. Lim Dae-han wrinkled his face in his sleep. Just in case I might wake him up, I tried to get my hands off his body. But there was no need for that. Lim Dae-han reached out and grabbed my waist and hugged me.
Perhaps it was a habit. I felt weird.
Lim Dae-han was usually very mature, but there was an exception when it came to sleeping. Incidentally, when we just started dating, there was a time when he got annoyed at me for waking him up a bit. Except for a small wrinkle, it was the same as usual this time. It doesn’t matter if he sleeps at home instead of at school. I squirmed in Lim Dae-han’s arms and stared at his face.
“…”
“…”
Lim Dae-han slept calmly. It was different from me, who tossed and turned a lot when sleeping. Despite the fact that I slept with him several times, he never woke me up due to the noises. I looked closely at Lim Dae-han’s face. His eyes were quietly closed, and his eyelashes were short. His face was perfectly complemented by his strong brows and jutting brow bones. The bridge of the nose was also high and stout. So was the lip line.
“…”
I slowly lifted the hand that I had placed on Lim Dae-han’s waist and placed it on his cheek. I want to kiss him… As I thought to myself, Lim Dae-han’s lips, which had been calmly low, rose. In an instant, I was frozen in the face of his mischievous smile.
“What? Are you not sleeping?”
“…”
Lim Dae-han slowly opened his eyes after hearing those words. My plan to surprise him was failed. How shocked he would be if I had been by his side when he awoke in the morning. Lim Dae-han pulled my waist and tightened his hand. My and his bodies were stuck together.
“What.”
Lim Dae-han asked me in a low, cracking voice while half awake. It didn’t seem like he was actually asking. It was the first time I’d heard his voice like this.
“What time is it now?”
Lim Dae-han asked me and smiled helplessly. I turned my eyes and replied back.
“It’s a little before 5 o’clock.”
“Why are you here?”
“I…”
Lim Dae-han moved his arm and gave me an arm pillow. Then he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and hugged me. He lowered his head and rubbed his lips against my cheek. THe quickly moved away from the moment he was rubbing his lips as if caressing without making a sound. I was curious as to how long he had known. I put my hand over Lim Dae-han’s chest and asked.
“Since when have you been awake?”
“Since you came in.”
“Because of the sound?”
“What did you do outside? It was quite loud.”
“…”
I answered the question after a while. Perhaps what Lim Dae-han was talking about was the noise made while unpacking my belongings. Obviously, I was trying to do things quietly, but it seems it wasn’t easy. I was sure my older brother would have woken up to that sound as well. My cheeks were flushed with heat.
“…Was it too loud?”
“I was going to beat you up if you were a thief.”
Lim Dae-han smiled with his still sleepy eyes closed. If it was a thief, I would feel sorry for the thief. Lim Dae-han was the toughest person around me, in height, size, and appearance.
Lim Dae-han closed his eyes tightly and then opened them again after saying these words.
“I’m sleepy.”
He murmured to himself, but the end of his voice was elongated. The hand that was placed on my body gradually descended and tightly grasped my ass.
“Li, Lim Dae-han…”
I felt his lower body nude as he drew me closer to him. Lim Dae-han’s hand was constantly grabbing and releasing my ass. It seemed like I was going to get a palm mark.
I gave him a look before closing my eyes and kissing his lips. I fumbled and wrapped my hand around Lim Dae-han’s shoulder. He had just brushed his teeth, and his mouth tasted like a fresh mouthwash. I felt his breath and he sucked my tongue without hesitation. Uhmmm… Our tongues pressed against each other. It drooped playfully biting Lim Dae-han’s tongue and then moved away. I swallowed my saliva.
“It’s wet.”
Lim Dae-han looked at my lips and said that. I wasn’t the only one whose mouth was glistening with saliva. I brushed my lips with the back of my hand and asked.
“What time did you sleep?”
When I asked, Lim Dae-han answered, “I guess it was around 4 o’clock.” He acted like it was nothing. He only slept for around two hours. That was why he slept every day at school. I put my nose on Lim Dae-han’s neck while thinking. Sniffing, as I inhaled, I could smell his skin. It was a moderately crude and soft soapy scent, like Lim Dae-han.
“Sleep early from now on.”
I said quite cautiously. It could have been sound like nagging. Unlike me, who slept at 1 o’clock at the latest, I didn’t even think about going to bed after 4 o’clock. There was a student’s duty. Study hard at school and rest at home. Also, school life took priority at home and school. However, I couldn’t tell the whole thing to Lim Dae-han.