Formless Chapter 71

Even while receiving treatment and having the cast applied, it was like that. He only briefly got up when his bones were being set, looking around with a scared face. When Gangwoo stroked his head, he moaned with his face buried in Gangwoo’s stomach, then quickly fell asleep again. He didn’t even wake up when they moved him home.

Gangwoo gazed at Heewoon’s face, sleeping and softly breathing, as he lay on the bed in his room. His leg, in a cast, was propped up high on a pillow.

“Hey.”

Gangwoo poked Heewoon’s cheek, but Heewoon, in a deep sleep, didn’t stir.

“Ugh…”

Gangwoo made a low sound, then propped his chin on his elbow on the bed. As he quietly watched the sleeping face, an incident from a few months ago suddenly came to mind. The day Heewoon, who had always just trembled on the bed, first fell into a deep sleep.

Even nowadays, Gangwoo often watches Heewoon’s sleeping face, but he remembered the face he saw that day most vividly. His hollow cheeks, the dark circles under his eyes from fatigue, his brows slowly relaxing, his slightly parted lips, and the even breaths flowing between them.

There was another vivid memory. A bouquet of flowers, white hands, cheeks flushed in the cold air, and deep brown eyes meeting his. As Gangwoo gazed at the memory preserved in a photo all night long this morning, he thought it was fortunate that Heewoon was foolish.

‘I’m just like a dog that listens to you well, aren’t I?’

‘You’re just playing with me…’

Thanks to that, didn’t he come to his senses?

‘I’ll follow you! Take me with you.’

Gangwoo recalled Heewoon clinging to him, never deviating from his predictions by an inch. His blood boiled hotly. But there was no need to rush. Because Woo Heewoon would now be unable to escape the trap.

🧸

It was very late at night when Heewoon opened his eyes. He was startled by the dark view even after opening his eyes, but soon smelled a familiar scent. It was Gangwoo’s room. The tension that had momentarily entered his entire body eased, and a sigh escaped him.

“You’re awake?”

Following the low voice, Heewoon turned his head. Seo Gangwoo was there. He seemed to have been working with the stand light set to its dimmest.

Heewoon answered with an “Yes,” then immediately cleared his throat. His voice was very hoarse and didn’t sound like his own. Gangwoo propped a pillow behind Heewoon’s back and handed him a water bottle. Heewoon watched Gangwoo’s retreating back for a moment as he left the room, saying he needed to eat something and take medicine, then slowly turned his head.

He saw the blanket bulging up. His memory was completely cut off after getting into Seo Gangwoo’s car. He was a little flustered because he didn’t even remember getting a cast. Seeing that he had a cast, his bone must have been broken, but it seemed he hadn’t been admitted to the hospital and had come home instead.

Looking at his swollen leg, pain slowly crept up. His foggy mind gradually cleared. After finishing the simple meal Gangwoo brought, his head felt clearer. So he was able to refrain from asking Gangwoo anything recklessly.

As Gangwoo removed the tray that had been placed on the pillow on Heewoon’s lap, he said indifferently,

“I told your mother that you were my junior colleague.”

“…What did Mom say?”

“Hmm, she said thank you.”

Gangwoo said, stroking his chin.

“Is that all?”

Heewoon asked cautiously. Gangwoo watched Heewoon’s hand, holding the water bottle, unable to stay still. He raised an eyebrow slightly and said, as if giving in,

“I’ll let you talk to her tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

It didn’t seem like he intended to let them meet directly. However, Heewoon thought a phone call would be better. The expression on his mother’s face when he last saw her was vivid. His chest tightened.

🧸

After taking his medicine, Heewoon fell asleep again a while later. When he opened his eyes again, it was early dawn. He remembered someone lying next to him and hugging him in his sleep, but the spot next to him was empty.

Heewoon groaned and barely managed to sit up. He was at a loss because he wanted to go to the bathroom when the door opened. It was Gangwoo in workout clothes.

“Are you already awake?”

He felt a cold chill from him as he approached with long strides. He must have been jogging. Then it must be around 6 AM.

“I want to go to the bathroom.”

“Ah.”

Gangwoo nodded as if he hadn’t thought of it, then lifted Heewoon into his arms.

“I should get crutches.”

He sounded regretful. Heewoon realized that Gangwoo had intentionally put the crutches away.

“I’ll help you.”

Gangwoo said, carefully setting Heewoon down in the bathroom.

“It’s okay.”

“Are you really going to be okay?”

Gangwoo asked with a hint of a smile.

“It’s okay.”

When Heewoon pushed away the hand that was tickling the loose waistband of his pants, Gangwoo clicked his tongue. Withdrawing his hand, he said with a sigh,

“There’s a lot you can do even with one broken leg.”

“…Help me wash.”

A broken leg hurt more than he could imagine. Gangwoo curled the corners of his lips at Heewoon’s words, spoken with a hint of caution.

“You’re shy about me helping you pee, but not about me helping you wash?”

Heewoon nodded. That and this were on different levels.

“Touching a penis is the same for both, though. That’s strange.”

“Ah, no…”

The hand supporting his lower back moved forward and rudely squeezed the front of his pants. As Heewoon swayed, Gangwoo supported his body with his chest and let out a laugh. Smack, soft lips gently pressed against Heewoon’s cheek.

“Call me when you wash.”

Gangwoo whispered, then squeezed and released Heewoon’s penis before withdrawing his hand. After helping him stand on one foot, he left the bathroom.

Heewoon let out a sigh of relief. Gangwoo, who helped him wash simply, laid Heewoon back on the bed. He propped a pillow under his casted leg and adjusted the pillow behind his back.

Since his leg wasn’t supposed to touch the floor, he had to stay in bed the whole time. He felt frustrated. And yet, strangely, he also felt a sense of stability. Because as long as he was on this bed, there would be no danger.

Gangwoo, who had brought breakfast and finished getting ready for work, sat on the edge of the bed. And he held out something. It was a mobile phone. Heewoon took the latest model phone, which looked brand new, and stared blankly at Gangwoo.

“I went to sunbae’s house to see if there was anything to pack and saw your phone was broken.”

The phone with the shattered screen had been placed in front of the TV. He had never given him the password, nor had he given him permission, but he had entered someone else’s house. However, Heewoon was neither angry nor scared.

“From now on, use this. Oh, and I didn’t pack clothes or anything. Buy new ones.”

“Yes. But Gangwoo. How did you know I was gone?”

Heewoon suddenly asked as if curious.

“I called in the morning, and you didn’t answer. So I went to your house.”

Gangwoo answered calmly. He hadn’t called, but it didn’t matter since Heewoon wouldn’t know anyway.

Gangwoo smiled gently as he watched Heewoon mutter “Thank goodness.” Heewoon had taken his words about not watching him at face value. Even though he had said he was paying attention to his ‘surroundings’. Instead of just watching Heewoon, he ended up watching Heewoon’s mother, hyung, the loan sharks, and even the doctors working with them, but Gangwoo considered it an investment not wasted at all.

“Really… Really, thank you, Gangwoo.”

Hadn’t Woo Heewoon fallen into his hands this way?

“It’s nothing. I have to go to work now, can you be alone?”

Gangwoo put on a worried expression. When Heewoon nodded indifferently, Gangwoo suddenly felt mischievous and pinched his cheek hard. Heewoon let out an “Ow!”

“Call me if you need anything.”

“Got it.”

Gangwoo ruffled his hair and stood up. Heewoon stared blankly at Gangwoo as he adjusted his tie, then asked,

“When are you coming?”

“In the evening.”

Gangwoo answered and stared intently at Heewoon. Then his head gradually came closer. He lightly sucked Heewoon’s upper lip first, then met his eyes again before pushing his tongue in. It was a ticklish and warm kiss, like the morning.

After Gangwoo left, Heewoon remained sitting there. When he woke up in the morning, there was a spacious table right next to the bed. On it, there was everything he needed: water, snacks, a few books, and even a mobile phone.

Heewoon looked at the phone within reach. Mom must be worried. He should call quickly. He only thought about it, but his hand wouldn’t move.

I’ll do it after lunch. Heewoon thought.

After lunch, his thoughts changed. His leg hurt, so he should just take a nap and then call. That thought changed again after he woke up from his nap, and now it was dusk. Seo Gangwoo would be here soon.

Heewoon gazed at his hand, moving as slowly as his broken leg. Dozens of seconds, perhaps minutes, might have passed before he picked up the phone.

He fumbled a little with the still unfamiliar phone before dialing his mother’s number. And he pressed the call button all at once. He put the phone to his ear and listened to the ringtone. His heart beat fast at the sound.

—Hello?

His mother’s voice sounded not bad. Heewoon’s lips parted.

—Who is this?

Perhaps the number had changed too.

“It’s me. Heewoon.”

—Heewoon?

His mother asked a little urgently.

“Yes.”

—Heewoon. My son, are you okay? Where are you now? Huh? Are you hurt anywhere?

Heewoon bit his lip, hearing her trembling voice full of worry. He saw his leg, bulging in the cast.

“I’m fine. Are you hurt anywhere, Mom?”

—Yes. I’m perfectly fine. You don’t know how worried Mom was because that Secretary wouldn’t tell me anything when I asked about Heewoon.

‘What? Is that Woo Heewoon?’

His hyung’s voice, a little further away than his mother’s, was heard.

‘Where the heck is that bastard and what’s he doing? No, damn it. And who’s that guy who saved us? Let me talk to him.’

—No. Mom needs to talk first.

Heewoon heard his mother moving as if going somewhere, and the sound of a door closing. His hyung’s voice, shouting that it was suspicious, was blocked. Heewoon took a small deep breath.

“Is Mom still at the hospital?”

—Yes. That Secretary said that since I was here anyway, I should get all sorts of tests too.

I see. Heewoon gave a mechanical answer. He wasn’t frustrated with his mother for readily accepting a favor from someone she didn’t even know well.

—That young man. Who is he?

His mother had seen Seo Gangwoo.