"Really? You can’t go back on your words now!"
"Okay. That’s enough. Let’s go to sleep now."
Yoon Seoyul quietly gathered the crumpled popsicle wrappers, methodically cleaning the dining table before returning the remaining popsicles to the freezer. Cheon Areum watched him closely, eyes following every step. When Yoon Seoyul finally approached, he didn’t say a word—just reached out and framed his fingers around Cheon Areum’s wrist. Without resistance, he let himself be pulled along, their steps slow and quiet as they made their way back to the bed.
They slipped into the same spots as before—Rian on the left, Cheon Areum on the right, and Yoon Seoyul settling into the narrow space behind him.
"If you touch me—"
"Okay."
With a faint huff, he looked over Rian once more before shutting his eyes too. The last thought he had before he fell asleep was that he should’ve muted the doorbell before getting in bed.
*
"Hyung... Hyung!"
A soft whisper tickled his ear, threaded with urgency and the unmistakable voice of a child.
Rian.
Cheon Areum’s eyes snapped open, instinct cutting through the haze of sleep. Rian was inches from his face, breath warm against his skin as he cupped a tiny hand over his mouth, still whispering into his right ear.
"Hyung! Wake up quickly!"
He hadn’t noticed that he was already awake, too focused on the person behind him. His brows were furrowed, eyes wide with seriousness.
"What?"
Cheon Areum whispered back in a hoarse voice. Rian’s eyes shifted to his face.
"Hyung, why is he sleeping behind you?!"
Pointing his little index finger at the person, Rian spoke worriedly.
"He didn’t have a place to sleep, so I’m doing a kind deed by letting him sleep here. Helping those in need is a good thing, Rian."
Cheon Areum gently patted Rian’s cheek as he pushed himself upright. But the moment he tried to move, he felt resistance—a firm, unrelenting grip around his waist fastening him in place.
His breath hitched.
Strong arms encircled him from behind. His back was flush against Yoon Seoyul’s chest, rising and falling in slow, even breaths. But that wasn’t all. A hard, unmistakable pressure pressed into the small of his back, making him freeze for a heartbeat. The warmth from Yoon Seoyul’s body seeped through his shirt, his hold subconsciously tightening as if unwilling to let go—even in sleep.
"What’s wrong, hyung? Need me to push him away?"
Rian innocently mumbled, lifting himself on the bed, ready to kick him. Flustered, he held back the leg about to strike the person behind him.
"There’s ice cream in the freezer. You can have it for breakfast!"
"Really!?"
"Yes, go on. I’ll come over in a minute. Make sure to close the bedroom door."
Cheon Areum whispered back. Rian nodded vigorously, jumping down from the bed and running outside. He made sure to close the door as instructed.
"Ya... Yoon Seoyul!!"
Cheon Areum yelled, struggling to loosen the grip and get out. Fortunately, the blanket was covering them, so Rian hadn’t seen the worst of it. Just when he thought he could slip out, he was once again dragged back onto the bed in an embrace tighter than before.
"Don’t leave... just a few more minutes."
"Why do you need to hold me... I won’t leave the room, so let go."
As always, Yoon Seoyul chose what he wanted to hear and discarded the rest like passing air. Cheon Areum squeezed his hand into the space between them with difficulty. Lowering his arm, he reached the rigid object pressing in on him and, without a shred of mercy, scrunched it with all his might.
At the same moment, Yoon Seoyul jolted back with a sharp gasp, tumbling off the bed and hitting the floor with an ungraceful thud. His limbs flailed for a second before he lay there in stunned silence, blinking at the ceiling as if trying to process what just happened. Cheon Areum, finally free from the unwanted embrace, glared down at him with fire in his eyes. He yanked the blanket over himself with indignation.
"Keep that hideous thing away from me."
Yoon Seoyul, still sprawled on the floor like a fallen statue, winced.
"Uh... I’m sorry."
Yoon Seoyul’s eyes, heavy-lidded and rimmed with faint dark circles, betrayed the weariness that no amount of sleep seemed to erase. Presumably, he shouldn’t look this sleep-deprived after snuggling all night.
"Whatever. How long are you planning to stay here? This place is small enough even without another face lingering in the corner."
"I’ll leave after using the bathroom...."
***
That was a week ago, when Yoon Seoyul promised to take him to an S-Class gate. Regardless of barging in, messaging him day and night, he had yet to tell him when they’d enter the dungeon. Well, at least he got 3 million won for the B-Class gate he cleared previously.
"Where are you taking me?"
"Somewhere private where no one else can see us."
Cheon Areum typed back to Yoon Seoyul, putting the phone in his jeans pocket. The footsteps behind him belonged to Park Gunwoo, the same man who couldn’t stand the sight of him, yet still followed. He had kept Gunwoo’s number for a reason. The first time he called, all he got was a string of curses, venomous and unbated. But when he calmly suggested they continue where they had left off—behind closed doors, without eyes watching—Gunwoo had agreed to meet like an idiot. Just like he had wanted.
"Should we get something to eat first?"
"Let’s just get down to business."
They had agreed to meet in Hongdae under the cover of night. The place was alive even at this hour, buzzing with late-night chatter, flickering neon lights, and the distant thrum of music from nearby clubs. Cheon Areum had chosen the time and location deliberately—Hongdae at 2 a.m. was chaotic enough to offer privacy. A place where anyone could blend in or disappear without a trace.
This should do.
"You can’t even see anything in this alley. Why do you want to do it in such a dirty spot?"
"This is still better than a dungeon."
"Haha. I guess you’re right about that."
Reaching the dead end of the dark alley, Cheon Areum came to a halt. Without rest, Park Gunwoo grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around, breathing heavily. The next second, his rough lips crashed against Cheon Areum’s—forceful and oppressive.