Irresponsibility Chapter 4.2

“Hey. Be a little, a little quiet.”

Lee Hyeonkyu snapped his head up. Feeling a light shiver run down his spine, he looked back and forth between the two men.

I really can’t get used to this…. Lee Hyeonkyu thought, looking at the pale face.

“I’m just saying it because it looks like it’ll be hot.”

“I, I can bear it.”

“Tell me if you can’t.”

“Yeah….”

Watching Baek Geonhyuk peer into Joo Yeoun’s face, Lee Hyeonkyu felt a faint sense of incongruity. It wasn’t just that the two were speaking informally to each other, but something more….

Lee Hyeonkyu, who was deep in thought, was brought back to his senses by the clear eyes glancing his way.

“I’m putting it back in.”

Baek Geonhyuk’s gaze once again followed Joo Yeoun’s hand as it went into the machine. His attentive gaze lingered inside the machine for some time before moving to Joo Yeoun’s face. And if the lowered eyelashes so much as flickered upwards, his gaze would move back to the hand.

Lee Hyeonkyu realized the source of this strange sense of incongruity. It was Baek Geonhyuk. The man himself was completely unfamiliar. His gaze, his tone, the way his body was slightly turned toward Joo Yeoun.

“Yeoun-ah, are you not watching TV?”

“Yeah…. D, don’t turn it off, but.”

“What should I put on?”

“J, j, just do whatever.”

At the words Joo Yeoun uttered while darting his eyes, Baek Geonhyuk raised the corners of his mouth slightly. Seeing that, Lee Hyeonkyu felt a little shiver.

Now that he himself was out in the working world and treated Baek Geonhyuk with a certain degree of ease, but in the past, it would have been unimaginable. Even though he didn’t act unfairly, Baek Geonhyuk was a person for whom hierarchy was clear-cut.

“Want some coffee?”

“After this is done….”

But right now, wasn’t Baek Geonhyuk, in a way, serving Joo Yeoun? It was too much to even call it nursing.

Moreover, Joo Yeoun’s complexion had gotten considerably better recently. His once hollow cheeks had filled out, and color had returned to his once pale skin. It meant he was not in a state that required care for every single thing.

“Oh, right. There’s n, no coffee.”

“I bought some. I’ll buy the eggs tomorrow.”

“Yeah….”

“Yeah.”

“D, don’t copy me.”

Lee Hyeonkyu looked at Joo Yeoun. The expression he wore as he glared at Baek Geonhyuk was prickly. It was not a particularly threatening face, but it was an expression Lee Hyeonkyu was seeing for the first time. Not only Baek Geonhyuk, but this one was unfamiliar too.

“How scary. A wildcat, indeed.”

“It’s because you co, copied what I said.”

Lee Hyeonkyu, who had been watching the two men dazedly, finally came to the conclusion that it was better not to watch. I should just finish my work quickly and go.

It was truly, difficult to get used to.

*

After receiving physical therapy a few more times, the condition of his hand improved a lot. It seemed that receiving treatment consistently was really important.

Yeoun belatedly realized that he had been worrying a lot about his hand. Today, when he felt no pain at all, his heart felt much lighter.

“Is it a little salty?”

Baek Geonhyuk said as he placed some bulgogi on Yeoun’s spoon. Yeoun naturally brought it to his mouth and chewed.

“Yeah. A little….”

Still, it tasted good, so his eyes were drawn to it. At that, Baek Geonhyuk moved some more bulgogi onto his rice.

Yeoun, who had thoroughly chewed and swallowed what was in his mouth and was about to pick up his spoon again, froze for a moment. His hand didn’t even hurt today, yet he had been meekly accepting the side dishes Baek Geonhyuk placed on his rice.

“……”

Getting used to things is truly a scary thing. He was sure he had thought it was gross when he first started picking up side dishes for him, but now, wasn’t he accepting them so naturally? Suddenly, it felt like heat was rising to his cheeks.

Joo Yeoun took a large bite of rice as if to erase the traces of the side dish Baek Geonhyuk had placed. As he stuffed his mouth and immediately picked up his chopsticks to eat another side dish, Baek Geonhyuk glanced at him. Seeing Joo Yeoun holding his chopsticks defiantly with his cheeks puffed out, Baek Geonhyuk let out a small laugh.

“You’re eating well.”

“No,” Joo Yeoun began to say, but clamped his mouth shut again because of the food filling it. He tried to swallow quickly to speak, but Baek Geonhyuk said, “Eat slowly,” and placed another side dish on his rice.

This isn’t right. Joo Yeoun, his eyes fixed on his rice bowl, chewed for a long time and finally swallowed what was in his mouth. Then he made a slight gesture with his chopsticks and said.

“Now, I, I’m g, good with chopsticks, so.”

It was meant to say that he didn’t need to be given side dishes. But Baek Geonhyuk said something completely different.

“Do you have to be good with chopsticks to eat?”

“……”

“It’s a song. You don’t know it?”

“Ye, ye, it’s an old song. I know it.”

Baek Geonhyuk, who had nodded, glanced to the side. Then, as if making an excuse, he said.

“That song came out when I was also very young.”

“But I, I wasn’t born then?”

“Ah.” Baek Geonhyuk let out a short word as if in realization and fell silent for a moment. He rubbed the back of his neck and then picked up his chopsticks again.

He was wary that those chopsticks might come toward his rice bowl again, but thankfully, he did not pick up any more side dishes for him after that.

*

“A, are you n, not going out today?”

Joo Yeoun asked, puzzled by Baek Geonhyuk sitting on the sofa after clearing the breakfast table. Come to think of it, his clothes were also a comfortable outfit of a t-shirt and shorts.

“Yeah.”

Baek Geonhyuk answered casually and leaned back against the sofa. The sofa leather sank in a wide area around where he sat.

Even though it was a standard-sized three-seater sofa, it looked much smaller when he sat on it. Joo Yeoun tore his gaze away from the massive frame and opened the refrigerator door.

I was going to drink coffee and watch TV. I should just go to my room.

Yeoun, holding the coffee he took out from the refrigerator, immediately turned to leave. But a low voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Yeoun-ah.”

When he turned his head, Baek Geonhyuk was patting the spot next to him.

“Come here.”

“Wh, why…?”

Being told to come over for no reason felt a little scary. To the hesitant Yeoun, he added an explanation.

“For a hot pack.”

What hot pack? Yeoun blinked, watching Baek Geonhyuk reach his hand to the side of the sofa. In his hand when it returned was a rechargeable hot pack. Only then did Yeoun start walking.

As he approached, Baek Geonhyuk patted the spot next to him again. Instead of that spot, Joo Yeoun sat perched on one end of the sofa. Even so, the thick thigh was close to his own.

The fabric of the hot pack was clean and crisp, looking as if it were new. As if interpreting Yeoun’s gaze as curiosity, Baek Geonhyuk explained.

“They said a warm compress would be good.”

“Yeah….”

Baek Geonhyuk turned on the power and then placed the back of his own hand steadily on the hot pack. While he was staring blankly at the sight, he muttered.

“I wonder if this would be a little hot for you.”

“……”

Is there such a thing as something that’s hot for me but not for Baek Geonhyuk?

After testing it on the back of his hand for a while, he said, “I’ll get a towel,” and stood up. When the large body suddenly stood, it cast a shadow. Yeoun scooted a little closer to the end of the sofa.

Baek Geonhyuk, who returned quickly, unfolded the towel he brought and held it out to Yeoun.

“Hand.”

“I, I c, can do it myself.”

“You’re holding your coffee.”

Baek Geonhyuk gestured lightly with his chin.

He hadn’t even opened the can, so he could just set it down beside him. But because he was urging him, he held out his hand as if mesmerized.

The fluffy towel carefully wrapped around Yeoun’s hand. And over that, the hot pack was placed.

It was warm. He thought he probably didn’t need a hot pack since his hand didn’t hurt much right now, but it wasn’t bad.

“Is it not hot?”

“Yeah….”

Baek Geonhyuk gently placed Joo Yeoun’s hand, which was tightly wrapped in a bundle of cloth, between himself and Joo Yeoun. At that, the cloth bundle slowly slid over and pressed snugly against Joo Yeoun’s thigh.

“Tell me if it gets hot.”

Joo Yeoun, who had nodded, glanced at the can of coffee he was holding in his left hand. He could have just put it on the table and done it himself.

As he was looking at the coffee, Baek Geonhyuk’s hand approached. He wasn’t startled, as it had approached slowly from a distance.

He figured that since he was taking the can, he would put it down for him. But instead, he opened the can and then placed it back in his hand. He had intended to go to his room with the hot pack, but the coffee made it a little difficult.

Joo Yeoun had no choice but to drink the coffee. One hand was warm and toasty, and the coffee going down his throat was sweet.

Watching the white face sipping the coffee, Baek Geonhyuk smiled faintly.

“Should we watch a movie?”

“……”

“Have you seen this?”

“No….”

“Perfect,” Baek Geonhyuk said and played the movie.

“H, how long do I do the hot pack for?”

“About 20 minutes.”

Joo Yeoun nodded and fixed his gaze on the TV. I’ll watch for a bit and go to my room when the hot pack is done.

…He had definitely thought that, but Joo Yeoun did not go to his room even after 30 minutes had passed. The musical movie, which seemed calm, was surprisingly engrossing.

Moreover, when Yeoun finished his coffee, Baek Geonhyuk took the empty can and brought out some juice. And he placed that in his hand again, so he had no choice but to put the straw in his mouth. Sipping the grape juice little by little, Yeoun focused on the movie.

Then, suddenly feeling his hand become lighter, he turned his head.