Divorce in Bed Chapter 14

Yeohwi was so focused on his task that he didn’t even notice someone had entered.

Dowon stood in the doorway of the powder room with his brow furrowed. He had already changed into a black silk robe in his own room. Since Yeohwi hadn’t come out of the bathroom for a long time, it seemed he had come to check if there was a problem.

Dowon watched in silence as Yeohwi struggled, unable to undo a single small piece of metal, before finally muttering as if he couldn’t stand to watch any longer.

“Can’t you even undo one of those?”

Dowon strode inside. Yeohwi tried to hide his hands behind his back in surprise, but Dowon snatched his wet wrist before he could.

“…!”

“Stay still.”

Dowon’s cold, long fingers pushed Yeohwi’s wandering hands away and covered the cufflinks.

Yeohwi quickly held his breath.

He felt as though Dowon’s hand—and the cool body temperature transmitted through it—was spreading throughout his entire body via the pulse in his wrist.

Dowon undid the cufflinks skillfully and quickly, like an expert who easily untangles complex knots. After releasing the other sleeve as well, he looked at Yeohwi’s wet shirt.

“Take the rest off.”

“Ugh… Yes.”

Yeohwi swallowed a short breath despite himself.

Everywhere those cool fingers brushed against his bare skin felt as hot as if he’d been burned by fire. No, it was as cold as being burned by a shard of ice. Either way, it felt as though only the senses in those specific areas were becoming acutely alive.

Yeohwi quickly shoved his face toward the floor to hide his reddening cheeks and began to unbutton the rest of his shirt. From the neck down. The first, the second, the third… finally, the last button was undone, and the wet shirt fell wide open.

Indeed, his solid bare chest was quite firm, proving that his efforts to exercise for this day had paid off. His flushed white skin was revealed, glistening under the lights.

At that moment.

Dowon’s gaze stopped for a very brief second.

His eyes lingered for a moment on the exposed bare skin. He could see Yeohwi’s chest rising and falling sharply with tension.

But that was all. Without saying much else, Dowon grabbed both sides of the wet shirt, stripped it off as if peeling an onion, and tossed it to the floor.

Then he turned, grabbed the largest towel from the shelf, and thudded it over Yeohwi’s head.

“Don’t space out. Wash up.”

Leaving those final words, Dowon tried to leave the powder room without lingering. It was just as he took a step away.

“Excuse me…”

A hesitant voice caught his back.

“Aren’t you… sleeping together today? The bed is big.”

Here we go again.

It was a tiresome repertoire. Dowon did not look back. Just as he was about to ignore it as if it weren’t worth the effort and push the door open, Yeohwi’s voice followed urgently.

“No! That’s not what I meant…!”

Dowon turned his head irritably.

“You said it clearly with your own mouth. That this was only for this one time.”

“Mister Dowon, but.”

“You said if I took you to the party, you wouldn’t be a nuisance anymore. The game is over now, Seong Yeohwi.”

It was as he was snapping coldly like that.

Dowon’s gaze halted.

Under the bright lights of the ceiling, he saw Yeohwi’s face with wet hair clinging to it.

And… the vivid red line drawn across his cheek.

It was a wound caused by a shard that flew when the champagne glass shattered at the party.

Dowon’s brow furrowed fiercely. Seeing that expression, Yeohwi slumped his shoulders as if all hope had been crushed.

‘That’s right… I did say that. I hung on to him, begging that it would only be this time, just this once…’

“…I understand. I’ll wash up… and sleep alone.”

Yeohwi bowed his head gloomily, waiting for Dowon to leave. But Dowon did not go out.

He pushed the door he was about to exit closed again and passed by Yeohwi with slow steps.

“…?”

A surprised Yeohwi raised his head. He saw Dowon opening the storage cabinet behind the mirror and taking out a pristine first-aid kit.

His face was still cold. He was the embodiment of unpleasantness, looking as though everything was bothersome and unnecessary. Yet, he turned around holding tweezers, a disinfectant cotton ball, and a small tube of ointment.

“Come here.”

Yeohwi stared at him blankly.

His pupils shook.

“…Yes.”

Yeohwi approached him hesitantly. Dowon gestured downward with his chin.

“Sit.”

At those words, Yeohwi crouched down on the floor like a puppy obeying its master. A drop of water rolled off his wet hair.

A clean face looking up at him. Furthermore, his upper body was bare. Dowon’s brow furrowed again.

“Not there. Perch over there.”

As if he found it absurd, he tapped the wide marble counter next to the bathroom sink with his finger.

“Ah, yes!”

Yeohwi scrambled up and sat leaning against the black marble. Once his posture was stable, Dowon took a step closer. Holding the disinfectant cotton with the tweezers, he began to wipe away the bloodstain on Yeohwi’s cheek.

The strong smell of alcohol mixed with Dowon’s deep, smoky cedarwood scent that had drawn near.

Yeohwi held his breath, fearing his heated breath might touch him. He even curled his Pacific-wide shoulders inward, fearing that the loud sound of his heart might be heard.

Dowon’s touch was as precise and emotionless as when he had undone the cufflinks. It was as if he were repairing an expensive object.

After finishing the necessary treatment, Dowon took out a small bandage and carefully applied it over the wound. When his fingers brushed against his face, Yeohwi felt as if the skin in that area was burning up.

“Um, Mister Dowon…”

Yeohwi called out to him, thinking that this really was the last time.

“You said the game was over, so why are you treating me…?”

“…”

“You hate it when I cling to you. So why are you being kind? Like someone who is actually worried about me…”

Dowon looked away as he tidied up the medicine. A deep furrow formed between his knitted brows.

“Mister Dowon, I’m confused.”

Dowon answered him briefly.

“What you did today was dangerous.”

His voice was still laced with irritation.

“You might think you acted cleverly, but today you made a definite enemy. And a powerful one that someone of your stature could never handle.”

Yeohwi protested against that low voice.

“…Even so, I won.”

Dowon’s pitch-black eyes stared straight at Yeohwi.

“The result wasn’t bad.”

No way. He acknowledged it. Yeohwi’s heart gave a heavy thump. However.

“Don’t be optimistic that things will work out like today in the future.”

“…”

“If you keep sticking by my side, you’ll only become a target.”

Yeohwi’s eyes widened. Dowon’s cold face was reflected in his dilated pupils.

Without realizing it, Yeohwi’s hand slowly rose.

And he grabbed the collar of Dowon’s black silk robe.

“Was that why?”

Yeohwi gripped it tightly and pulled it toward himself. Dowon’s upper body was pulled close to his face.

“Is that why you kept pushing me away, keeping your distance, and ignoring me? Was that why?”

Dowon’s lightless eyes were inches away. His gaze was overbearing, asking what on earth he was doing, but Yeohwi did not avoid that look. Instead, he gathered his courage to face him and growled.

“Because I might be in danger? Because something might go wrong for me?”

Dowon looked down at him with dark eyes. Making their twelve-year age difference meaningless, the distance between their faces was now dangerously close.

“I simply deleted an unnecessary variable in advance.”

“No. You didn’t. You were worried about me!”

“Your delusions are excessive.”

“Don’t lie. I won’t be fooled anymore.”

Yeohwi’s hand gripped the robe’s collar even tighter. His gaze, which had been burning in defiance, slowly lowered to Dowon’s lips.

“Fine… it was because I’m a kid, right? In Mister Dowon’s eyes, I’m just an ignorant brat who needs to be looked after and protected.”

“…”

“I can understand. It’s true that I was born much later than Mister Dowon.”

Yeohwi exhaled a hot breath. And with a trembling voice, he made a declaration to him.

“If that’s the case, fine. Dowon-ssi, don’t touch the kid.”

“…”

“I’ll touch the adult.”

Yeohwi lunged at Dowon just like that, grabbing his collar and pulling him in before Dowon had a chance to avoid him.

And as if betting his entire bright future, he covered his stiff lips roughly and solemnly. It was a kiss mixed with an intensity and desperation that couldn’t even be compared to their first night, which had been filled only with hesitation.