Just when his ass started twitching from the prickly tension, Lee Kangjoo called out, “Mr. Cha Haejun.”

The low voice rang clearly inside the cramped car.

Startled, Haejun grabbed the overhead handle with a jerk. He quickly turned his head, but Lee Kangjoo was still staring straight ahead.

“Quit the delivery job.”

“...What?”

“Asking back isn’t a very good habit. Fix it.”

“No, I mean—I thought I heard you wrong...”

“If you heard me telling you to quit, then you heard correctly.”

Haejun fumbled, caught off guard. He hesitated instead of answering right away.

No matter who it was—even if it was Lee Kangjoo—that wasn’t something he could just agree to.

“That’s a bit... I told you before, I’ve got debts I need to pay off. And Yohan introduced me to that job, so quitting early feels... wrong.”

“The money you get from me should be enough.”

“It’s not just about the money... Could you please think about it one more time?”

The car stopped at a red light.

For the first time since getting in, Lee Kangjoo, who had been ignoring him, finally turned his head. Their eyes met.

“What’s your priority right now, Mr. Cha Haejun. The delivery job?”

When it was put like that, there was nothing he could say.

Haejun shook his head and answered.

“No.”

“Then what would be the smart choice here.”

The answer was already decided.

What he couldn’t read from the reflection in the window was now painfully clear. Honestly, Lee Kangjoo might as well have spelled it out for him.

If he said something stupid here, the atmosphere would turn colder than a Siberian field.

“...You, sir.”

As soon as he forced out the hesitant words, the thin layer of ice in the air melted instantly.

Lee Kangjoo’s stiff lips and eyes softened—just barely.

“Call them tomorrow and say you’re quitting.”

“...Yes.”

Gripping his seatbelt, Haejun repeated “sorry” to Yohan in his head a hundred times over.

Didn’t bother keeping in touch with the people he introduced him to over drinks. Now he was even throwing away the job he’d set up for him.

There was no way a simple apology would fix this. Unless he showed up bragging about getting gold bars out of Lee Kangjoo or something, Yohan was definitely going to sulk for a long time.

“......”

But what the hell was this feeling?

Putting aside how sorry he felt toward Yohan, his heart suddenly started pounding.

Why did something like “quit your job and wait for me” sound good at all? It basically turned him into a dog waiting around all day for its owner.

So why did it make him feel like this?

Maybe because that “owner” was Lee Kangjoo.

Because it felt like Lee Kangjoo was letting him step into his territory.

His chest fluttered on its own.

When he opened his eyes, he’d see Lee Kangjoo.

He could watch him read the morning paper from up close. He could be the first to greet him when he got home at night.

And those nights when Lee Kangjoo left in the middle of the night—how miserable had that been?

Even when he felt like he might pass out from what they’d just done, the moment he was left alone in that empty house, he couldn’t fall asleep until dawn.

Those sleepless nights were gone now.

As long as he could stay in the same space as Lee Kangjoo—even if it was on a hard floor—it would feel better than the softest mattress and the fluffiest duvet.

Haejun checked that Lee Kangjoo was looking ahead, then secretly knocked the back of his head against the seat a few times.

Pathetic. Wagging his tail over a single command like that.

The light turned green. The car glided forward.

But instead of turning where it should have, it passed right by.

“Sir, the way to my place is that way...”

Maybe he didn’t notice since the navigation wasn’t on. Haejun pointed back the way they’d passed. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

“I know.”

“...What? Then why—”

“We’re going to my place. And you’re coming with me.”

The corner of Lee Kangjoo’s lips lifted slightly. For someone basically committing a kidnapping, it was an oddly playful expression.

Haejun stared at him blankly, then let out a small laugh.

Relief at not being discarded—and the loosened atmosphere—melted his anxiety away.

At the same time, anticipation started to build.

How long would he get to stay this time?

At least until his leg healed, right?

If that was the case, he almost hoped his ankle would take longer to recover. Even one more day with Lee Kangjoo—he wanted that.

He was probably grinning like an idiot.

To hide it, Haejun glued his gaze to the window, not realizing that his reflection in the glass was fully visible to Lee Kangjoo the entire way home.

***

He told the delivery company owner the truth—that he’d gotten a crack in his ankle and wouldn’t be able to work for a while.

He said it would take at least a month to fully heal, and that he felt too bad to just say he’d take time off, so he thought it’d be better to quit.

After a short silence and a sigh, the boss accepted.

—You were fine yesterday.

“It suddenly got worse in the evening.”

—Said you’d work long-term, you little bastard.

“...Sorry.”

—Go boil some bone broth or something. You’re young and already this weak...

Click.

The boss hung up after clicking his tongue. The curses weren’t even personal—just the way he talked.

He’d told the company. Next was Yohan.

As if on cue, there was already a message from him asking if he’d gone to the hospital.

They said it’s a crack in my ankle

Are you fucking kidding me where are you right now

The reply came instantly. A call followed right after.

Haejun steadied his breathing, bracing himself for the lecture. As soon as he picked up, Yohan’s voice came through, mixed with the sound of wind. He sounded like he was riding his bike.

“Why are you calling while driving? That’s dangerous.”

—This is nothing. But a crack? Is it bad? Is it a fracture?

“No, just a small hairline crack. They said it’ll heal in about a month.”

—Then the delivery job?

“I told them I’m quitting... Sorry. You were the one who introduced me.”

—You sure have a lot to apologize for.

He’d expected at least one round of swearing, but Yohan sounded oddly indifferent.

Maybe he’d pulled over—because the background noise suddenly died down.

—How are you supposed to climb stairs in a cast? You’ll have to rest for weeks. The boss wouldn’t like that anyway.

Working deliveries, you ran into buildings without elevators all the time. No way he could climb up to the third or fourth floor on crutches.

—Where are you now. At home?

This was the moment.

The important part.

But even this—Yohan wouldn’t be able to say much. Lee Kangjoo had paid for the hospital, after all. And the reason he moved houses in the first place had been to help him.

If anything, Yohan’s opinion of him might even improve.

“I’m going to stay at the CEO’s place for a while.”

—What? Didn’t you stay there before too, when that psycho next door was around? Again?

“He said he’ll help me until I recover.”

Of course, Lee Kangjoo had never actually said that.

But he’d shown it through his actions.

Just this morning, before leaving for work, he’d taken Haejun into the bathroom and washed him thoroughly, from head to toe.

Even when Haejun insisted it was his leg that was injured, not his hands, and that he could wash himself, it didn’t matter.

“Someone will be coming starting tomorrow.”

Sitting in the bathtub under the warm water, Haejun had looked up at him.

He’d heard about a helper coming before, when he stayed there last time. But back then, he’d been working deliveries himself, so he never ran into them. He’d only guessed someone came because the house was always spotless when he returned.

“The same person as before?”

“No. Someone else. They’ll handle the housework, so you don’t need to worry about anything. Especially cooking.”

Lee Kangjoo had emphasized that.

Apparently, all the little things Haejun had been making every morning hadn’t sat well with him at all. It had been his own way of trying to make a good impression, but apparently it would’ve been better if he hadn’t bothered.

“...That guy?”

Yohan’s voice pulled him back to the present.

“Yeah. The CEO.”

Haejun answered shamelessly.

Not a complete lie—since he’d shown it through actions.

There was a brief silence on the other end. When Haejun called his name, Yohan finally responded.

—...Sigh. So I have to eat alone now? That’s boring. Hurry up and heal, Cha Haejun. I hate eating alone.

“Yeah.”

—Take care of yourself. Call me when you’re going out again. I’ll come pick you up.

For someone he’d expected to yell at him, Yohan’s reaction was surprisingly calm.

Then again, there wasn’t really anything to scold him for.

Or maybe, after that drinking night, he’d decided not to say anything about Haejun’s feelings anymore.

No matter how harsh his words were, once feelings took root, they weren’t something you could just cut off cleanly.

After ending the call, Haejun sat on the sofa and looked around the living room.

Nothing had changed.

A lifeless space, with him as the only living thing in it.

Afternoon sunlight filtered through the window, spreading across the floor.

Haejun suddenly stood up and moved to where the sunlight had warmed the ground. As his back touched the heated floor, his body melted into it.

The air inside was already warm, but maybe because of the sun, this spot felt especially cozy.

The sunlight pouring over his face felt nice, too.

Come to think of it, even back when he stayed here before, whenever he was alone on weekend afternoons, he’d lie like this, basking in the sunlight.

Sometimes he’d fall asleep without realizing it, only waking up late at night when Lee Kangjoo returned.

Before meeting him, he’d always lived in cold, dark, north-facing apartments.

He hadn’t known sunlight could feel this warm.