Actually, It’s a Messy Melodrama Chapter 79

“……”

As Haeshin fell asleep and began to breathe evenly, Taejun opened his eyes, which he had been forcefully keeping shut, cursing under his breath.

It really was maddening and exasperating. It had been a long time since he lay back down on the bed, but he absolutely could not fall asleep. All his bodily senses seemed to have become several times more sensitive.

Only after lying in the same bed and under the same blanket with Haeshin did Taejun realize what he had done. It was true that he did not want to leave Haeshin alone and that he wanted to sleep with him. It was definitely his own will.

The problem was that he had not considered at all whether he was prepared to handle it.

Realizing that something was wrong as soon as he lay down, Taejun turned his back on Haeshin and lay down. It was useless.

Perhaps his other senses became more sensitive because Haeshin was out of sight; things like Haeshin’s breathing and the scent of ‘the same’ shampoo that he emitted kept crossing over to his back and tormented Taejun.

The bigger problem lay in the fact that even in this situation, he did not regret telling Haeshin to sleep in his room.

That was right. At this moment, Taejun was experiencing an excitement so huge that it could not be compared to his uncomfortable and awkward feelings. That excitement was the very emotion that was actually keeping Taejun from sleeping.

The fact that the person he liked, the person he had fallen in love with for the first time in his life, was in the same bed as him made his head feel like it was going to burst. Furthermore, the thought that the other person did not feel the same way made his heart even more intensely anxious.

How could he not even openly express it when he felt so affectionate and earnest? Was unrequited love always this difficult? Taejun’s expression, as he stared endlessly at the dark empty space, became gloomy.

The sound of Haeshin’s even breathing right behind him made Taejun even more sorrowful. While he was kept awake by excitement and tension, Haeshin seemed to have fallen asleep again quickly after tossing and turning a little.

While he was relieved by that fact, he became depressed at the thought that Cha Haeshin did not regard being in the same bed with him as anything special.

“Eugh…”

How much time had passed like that? A small moan was heard from behind Haeshin, who had been sound asleep.

Taejun instinctively turned his body. He saw Haeshin curled up toward him. Cha Haeshin, frowning intensely, was groaning softly.

“…I knew this would happen.”

Taejun murmured lowly. Nightmares were inherently like that. They rarely ended in one go. They were vicious things that even made the great Han Taejun fed up and give up on sleep altogether.

“Shhh… Cha Haeshin, it is alright.”

Taejun moved his body closer to Haeshin and reached out his hand. He did not think with his head about what he should do before moving. His body just moved naturally.

“I am here.”

Taejun drew him into his arms, whispering while pressing his body close to Haeshin. With a distance so close that they could feel each other’s breath, Taejun cautiously cupped Haeshin’s cheek.

“Wake up. That is a dream, Cha Haeshin.”

It was a small, soft voice, as if he were being careful not to hurt Haeshin even with just his voice. It was Taejun’s intention not to startle Haeshin even the slightest bit.

As if responding to Taejun’s effort, Haeshin, who had been fluttering his eyelashes, slowly opened his eyes at last.

“Mr. President…?”

His voice was hazy, as if he was not fully awake yet. Taejun gently rubbed Haeshin’s slightly damp eye area with his thumb.

“Yes. It is safe here. There is nothing for you to worry about.”

“Ah, ahh…”

Haeshin seemed relieved by those words from Taejun and uncurled his body. At the same time, Taejun felt a huge sense of satisfaction wash over his entire body.

He was unbearably happy in this moment where Cha Haeshin depended on him and he could protect Cha Haeshin. So, Taejun decided to be a little more greedy.

He subtly pulled Haeshin’s body closer, who was slowly closing his barely open eyes again, and wrapped his arm around his neck. Haeshin naturally rested his head on Taejun’s arm and leaned his body into his embrace.

“Darn…!”

Taejun, who had almost let out a curse without realizing it, quickly closed his mouth. The moment Haeshin’s arm wrapped around Taejun’s waist as if it were accustomed to it, his heart began to pound as if it would burst.

Cha Haeshin in his arms felt so familiar. It felt as if they had been doing this their whole lives. It was strange, as Taejun had never embraced anyone like this, not even Cha Haeshin.

“Eugh…”

Haeshin also seemed accustomed to this situation. Haeshin instantly fell asleep again, like someone who had been held in Taejun’s arms for a long time.

Thump. Thump.

The sound of a heartbeat, whose owner was unknown, resonated in the quiet early morning air. Taejun felt his eyelids grow heavy and slowly closed his eyes. At last, sleep was coming.

☂️

“Ahem, ahem ahem.”

Haeshin had a special ability.

“Uh… that… Mr. President, breakfast is ready.”

The ability to easily ease an awkward atmosphere anytime, in any situation.

“Oh? Ah, oh oh.”

Furthermore, Haeshin was someone who could skillfully act cute to lift the mood even in front of the person who tormented him.

“Um, would you like some cold water?”

“Oh? Oh oh.”

Therefore, this situation was quite embarrassing for Haeshin. Usually, breaking this kind of awkwardness was no big deal, but strangely, he could not do it.

Han Taejun was just as awkward. Starting with the fact that he kept asking, “Oh?” no matter what Haeshin said, he was extremely awkward.

From the moment they woke up until now, the two of them had been dealing with each other in an ambiguous atmosphere. It was so bad that Younghwa, the housekeeper, even asked Haeshin if something had happened with Mr. President.

Haeshin replied to Younghwa that nothing had happened. It was a lie, but there was no way he could say that it was because he woke up in the same bed with Mr. President.

That was right. There was a reason for the awkwardness between the two of them. It was embarrassing enough that he had a nightmare and suddenly went into Taejun’s room and made a commotion, but not only that, they even slept together.

If that was all, they might have been able to pretend that nothing happened somehow.

However, the fact that the two of them not only slept in the same bed but also woke up in the morning tightly embracing each other was a problem that even Han Taejun and Cha Haeshin could not skillfully gloss over.

“Um, please enjoy your meal.”

Haeshin respectfully said as he placed a glass of water on the dining table. Taejun, who had been deliberately avoiding looking at Haeshin, finally turned his gaze toward Haeshin.

“What? Are you not eating?”

“Pardon? Me? Ah, I was planning on eating later…”

“We have to go to work soon, do not be ridiculous and sit down quickly.”

“Ah…”

Haeshin rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward face. Since Taejun was also showing signs of awkwardness all morning, he did not particularly plan on eating together, thinking it might be uncomfortable to eat with him.

“Why are you not sitting? Madam, excuse me, but please set a place for Haeshin.”

“Ah, no! I will do it!”

At Taejun’s action of asking Younghwa, Haeshin was startled and quickly moved. Haeshin’s cheeks, as he put rice in a bowl and prepared the utensils, were slightly flushed. This was because Taejun’s actions of taking care of him even in this situation felt incredibly tender.

Taejun was someone who would just push away anyone he felt uncomfortable with, so it was surprising and good that such a person would endure the awkwardness just to ensure he had a meal. He felt like he must have gone mad.

“Yesterday… thank you.”

Haeshin, who finally sat across from Taejun, carefully spoke. Although he acted unlike himself for a short while, keeping the awkwardness lingering did not suit Haeshin’s temperament.

“Thank you for what… Thanks to you, I slept well too.”

“Oh? Really?”

Haeshin, who was about to ask, ‘You could not sleep comfortably because of me, could you?’, was surprised and asked back at Taejun’s following words. Taejun, who had finished half a glass of water in the meantime, nodded his head.

“Yes. I tend to have nightmares often, but yesterday I slept soundly without even dreaming.”

“Ah…”

Taejun’s words were true. Even if it was not a nightmare that made him wake up with a start, Taejun usually had bad dreams almost every day and could not get a good night’s sleep, but yesterday, he slept soundly without any dreams for a change. Thanks to that, even though there was a commotion in the early morning, his body felt quite light.

“So, do not worry or apologize that I might have not slept because of you.”

“Wow, really… Mr. President, why are you speaking so well all of a sudden?”

“What?”

“No, because you said everything I was going to say first.”

Taejun let out a chuckle, finding Haeshin cute, as he was immediately chattering like normal, despite avoiding eye contact and trying to steer clear of him just moments ago.

“Do you think I cannot speak? It is just that I get strangely tangled up only with you.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Teasing again.”

Even though he pretended to scold him, there was no harshness in Taejun’s eyes or voice, so Haeshin also responded playfully as usual. The rigidly hardened atmosphere instantly dissolved.

As Taejun started eating, Haeshin picked up his spoon and suddenly spoke again.

“Um, but I also slept well thanks to Mr. President.”

Taejun’s spoon paused in the air for a moment before moving again. Taejun did not look at Haeshin, but Haeshin continued speaking regardless.

“I thought I would not be able to fall asleep again, but I fell asleep quickly… and I do not think I had any more nightmares thanks to Mr. President.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. So, Mr. President does not have to thank me or anything either.”

Taejun finally lifted his head and met Haeshin’s eyes.

“Can I ask what kind of dream you had that made you so scared?”

The question was somewhat impulsive, but the curiosity had been there since yesterday. He wondered what the nightmare was that could make the great Cha Haeshin, who was so calm even in the face of his own death, break down like that.

“It felt like it was a dream that involved me.”