Love Born of Pity Chapter 138

Kwon Jiho sighed as he looked at Do Yeonjae, who was speaking so shamelessly with such a handsome and refined face. He made him reconsider whether it was really “too much” to call him out on it. Since he was the one who couldn’t hold back and committed such an impropriety on his face, if one were to analyze it, Do Yeonjae might not be the one who deserved to hear such resentment.

His light brown eyes, filled with confused emotions, wavered. Kwon Jiho’s hand busily traveled over the area around his mouth, cheeks, and the bridge of his nose, which were now perfectly clean.

Do Yeonjae smiled languidly as he received the busy touch. To think he would find pleasure in an act he never once imagined he would be doing himself. Hiding his dark and lewd feelings, wanting him to do it often, he caught and pulled Kwon Jiho’s hand.

“Does it still feel like something is on you?”

“…No.”

“Did you hate it?”

“It’s just…”

He thought the difference between doing it and receiving it was enormous. When he received Do Yeonjae’s fluid on his face, he hadn’t thought much of it, but now that he was the one doing it, it felt dizzying and embarrassing. He felt a strange sense of conquest from the messy face, the pleasure that blossomed erotically within that act, and the question of why on earth he was doing this.

“I think… I’ve become a pervert.”

Do Yeonjae barely held back his laughter at the words muttered with a serious expression. A pervert for just that much? If he were to peer into his own head, he would probably faint, calling him a beast.

“That’s just what sex is like.”

“…This isn’t that.”

“Whether it’s a similar sexual act or a sexual act.”

Aren’t they all the same? Do Yeonjae muttered as if questioning whether it even made sense for Kwon Jiho to distinguish between them. Kwon Jiho chewed on his plump, swollen lips and substituted a response by turning his head away.

“I liked it, but I wonder if it was not so great for Mr. Kwon Jiho.”

“…”

Kwon Jiho pushed Do Yeonjae’s shoulder at his sly attitude and the honorifics that were clearly meant to tease him. Even though he asked to be put down, he ignored it and headed to the dressing room while carrying Kwon Jiho. He sat Kwon Jiho on a stool placed inside and scanned the clothes that were hung quite densely.

Truly, there wasn’t a single piece of clothing here that was to his taste. Everything was filled with styles preferred by his grandfather. He touched and checked them one by one with his long fingers. Every design and color looked like it would make whoever wore it look old.

Even if he had just provided the age, body type, and vibe of Kwon Jiho to each brand, they would have sent appropriate things to wear on their own; had he picked these out himself?

“Why on earth would anyone…”

Muttering to himself in dismay, he picked and chose until he finally pulled out top and bottom pieces of suitable material and thickness and hung them in front of the mirror. After picking out everything down to a pair of socks that were at least somewhat satisfactory to him, Do Yeonjae dressed Kwon Jiho one by one.

“Is it uncomfortable?”

“No, it’s very comfortable.”

“Does it pinch?”

“It has an elastic band, so it’s fine, but…”

It was certainly cute when Kwon Jiho wore it, but it wasn’t exactly to his liking. Do Yeonjae carefully sat him down, crossed over to the inner wing, and quickly changed his own clothes. Even while throwing them on roughly, he picked out a thick-textured cardigan from his own wardrobe and returned.

“Let’s wear this and go out. It’s not cold, but it’s chilly since it’s morning.”

“Okay.”

It was fortunate that he had a mild personality and didn’t insist on things he wore, used, or ate. If Kwon Jiho had been as sharp-edged as his own fussiness, there wouldn’t have been a single day that passed without a trivial conflict. Do Yeonjae habitually supported Kwon Jiho as he led him out. He checked several times while crossing the garden to see if he was cold.

“It’s really warm. But isn’t it too early?”

“I don’t think it’s that early… If it’s before the cafe opens, couldn’t we just wait at the academy? Do you not want to?”

“No, I don’t mind.”

Although he couldn’t be honest with Do Yeonjae, who asked if he disliked it while stepping out of the gate, Kwon Jiho was feeling a bit excited. Just the thought of finally visiting his piano academy, which he hadn’t been able to leave for months, made his mood float like a balloon. Even if he couldn’t meet the children because it was the weekend, he wanted to see the traces of the children with his own eyes. A sense of longing welled up.

“I miss them.”

Do Yeonjae’s expression was complex as he confirmed the moist, glistening eyes—though he wasn’t crying. Affection and guilt were written all over his face.

“…It seems so.”

He opened the passenger door, seated Kwon Jiho, and even buckled his seatbelt for him before finally getting into the driver’s seat. It took quite a while to get from the main house to the academy. It was fortunate that the road wasn’t congested because it was an early hour.

Familiar buildings filled Kwon Jiho’s field of vision one by one. One more block from here was the academy. He shone with sparkling eyes and clung to the car window. His voice was high as he muttered that nothing had changed.

“Only the leaves have fallen.”

“Because it’s going to be winter soon.”

“Right here… It feels like it’s been a very long time since I came here. It was only a few months ago, but it feels like such a distant past.”

“I feel the same.”

Do Yeonjae felt the exact same sentiment. It had only been a few months since he had cut off visits, and it was strange that everything remained in its place unchanged. The events that had happened in the meantime also felt like a very distant past. However, these sentiments were things he could only feel because he and Kwon Jiho had decided to stay together.

If they had decided to break up, it was certain he would never be able to look at things with the same perspective as he did now. There was no way the world could be pink. He wouldn’t even have been able to distinguish colors.

“Director, it’s the academy!”

Kwon Jiho’s eyes grew wider than before. He no longer hid his excitement. He naturally placed his hands on his swollen belly and even stomped his feet.

After entering the parking lot and finishing parking close to the entrance, Do Yeonjae quickly exited the driver’s seat. As he opened the passenger door and bent over to help him, Kwon Jiho wrapped his arms around his neck. Holding him by the waist, Do Yeonjae easily lifted his now-thicker body out.

“You’re really cute.”

Do Yeonjae muttered to himself without realizing it.

“Pardon?”

“Huh?”

He didn’t even know his own mutterings had come out of his mouth. Kwon Jiho thought about asking what was cute, but he shut his mouth quietly, afraid he might hear something embarrassing.

“Shall we go?”

Do Yeonjae headed toward the entrance. The academy would be organized, but what if Kwon Jiho felt uncomfortable? He hadn’t touched a single thing that filled the inside. The counseling room hadn’t been opened since he left, except when he dusted it.

“If today were a weekday…”

“…”

“I would have met all the kids, it’s a shame.”

Distracted by other things, he couldn’t quite hear what Kwon Jiho was saying. Do Yeonjae, nodding as he responded appropriately, pulled the hand that was clutching his clothes.

“You can just come back on Monday, so why is it a shame?”

He asked, feigning composure, but in reality, his anxiety was spreading like a wildfire. What if he remembers bad memories? If they go in alone together, he will surely remember. Sweat began to bead on his palms.

Kwon Jiho, noticing that Do Yeonjae’s hands—which were always warmer than warm, even a bit hot—had rapidly gone cold, lifted his head. Unlike when they set off, his expression was bad. He looked a bit pale, too. Was he sick somewhere?

He realized anew his habit of always asking if he was okay. And he felt a faint disappointment in himself for never having asked about his mood or physical state. It was sad that the most natural things weren’t returned, but Do Yeonjae never showed it, so he hadn’t known.

“Director?”

“Ah, yeah. Are you hungry?”

“No, it’s not that… are you okay?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

Do Yeonjae smiled while pressing the elevator call button. Kwon Jiho, reaching out his hand toward his pale face, touched his smooth forehead. It didn’t feel like he had a fever based on the lukewarm temperature. Why…

“That’s my line, Mr. Kwon Jiho.”

“Pardon?”

His gentle eyes turned toward Do Yeonjae. His face, which was nothing but mild and beautiful, even wore an awkward smile as if asking why he had called him over and then stayed silent.

“Are you… really okay with going inside?”

He had vaguely thought that taking him to the academy would make him happy, but he hadn’t considered how terrible that place must have been every day. It was a place with deep memories for him, but for Kwon Jiho, there couldn’t have been any good memories there.

“Why, why are you asking? I’m fine.”

“Because it seems like a place with only bad memories.”

“…The academy? For you, Director?”

“For Mr. Kwon Jiho.”

Kwon Jiho tilted his head at the inexplicable words. Even as he boarded the elevator that had arrived, he kept ruminating on the words he didn’t quite understand. The piano academy was always a place full of good memories for him, so why would he think that?

It didn’t take a few seconds to arrive at the first floor. Before he could answer Do Yeonjae that it wasn’t like that, the door opened. He smiled, unable to completely hide his uneasy expression.

“Let’s go.”

“…”

If you get off the elevator and turn the corner, it’s the academy immediately. As soon as he saw the small piano-shaped sign, Kwon Jiho smiled. He didn’t know about bad memories; he only felt happy to see it.

“Director, the sign light is on.”

“I told them to leave it on because I didn’t think I had turned it off originally. I turned off the indoor lights, though.”

“Ah, I see. I usually turn it off when I leave work, but if it was on, I must have forgotten. I was rushing to get home quickly.”

Kwon Jiho’s pace quickened. Standing in front of the glass door, he put his hand on the door lock. Even though he knew it hadn’t been changed, he felt nervous. As he pressed the password his fingers had memorized even without trying, a beep—the locking mechanism turned at the same time as the mechanical sound.