When he opened his eyes, Taeui’s head was dizzy, as if he had just gone through a long dream. He stared blankly at the white ceiling in front of him for a few seconds until he heard footsteps passing by outside, snapping him back to reality.

As soon as he regained consciousness, the first thing that hit him was the pain. A dull ache from his arm and leg reminded him of why he had these injuries.

‘…… Ah, that’s right. Aquino had twisted my arm and shot me in the leg.’

Taeui recalled what had happened, trying to endure the pain that had somewhat subsided, then struggled to sit up. The glaring sunlight and breeze drifting through the slightly open window beside the bed gently brushed against his cheek.

It felt like waking up from a nightmare and suddenly finding himself in paradise. Taeui scratched his cheek as he looked around.

Across the bed where Taeui was lying was a door that appeared to lead to a bathroom, with a large TV mounted on the wall above it. Opposite was a sofa and a large table, and behind them, a small, cozy kitchen space.

For a moment, Taeui thought he was in a hotel or an apartment, but he quickly realized this was a hospital room when he saw the IV stand and medical equipment beside the bed. He only now noticed the faint scent of antiseptic lingering in the air.

He vaguely remembered being brought to the emergency room by Alain last night and waiting his turn for treatment, but after that, he recalled nothing—likely because he had fallen asleep from exhaustion.

Taeui looked down at his carefully bandaged arm and leg, then glanced up at the wall clock. The clock hands indicated that it had passed 12. It was now midday, the sky clear and bright, meaning he had slept for almost 12 hours.

“……”

Taeui raised his unharmed hand to scratch his head. Although this was reality, he felt an unreal sensation, as if he had just experienced a dream……. But looking at his arm in a cast and his leg thoroughly bandaged like this, it was definitely not a dream.  

Sitting alone in the quiet hospital room, Taeui glanced around but saw nothing special. In fact, he was searching for his phone, but since the day Alain unexpectedly dragged him here four days ago, he hadn’t had a phone anymore, so how could it magically appear by his side now?

Anyway, he had to go outside and find a nurse to inquire about his condition, Taeui thought, then got out of bed. His leg was still aching and numb, but it was not unbearable. It seemed like someone had prepared a pair of crutches for him by the bedside, so he leaned on them and hobbled toward the door.

Just as Taeui was about to open the door, it suddenly swung open as if someone had been waiting outside. The person who stepped in stopped in front of Taeui, and it was a familiar face.  

“…… Ilay.”  

“You’re up? I was just about to wake you, what a coincidence.”  

Ilay stepped in, looking like he had just taken a walk somewhere, dressed very casually and comfortably. He gestured for Taeui to go back inside, and Taeui reluctantly returned to the bed.  

Suddenly, Taeui caught a whiff of a pleasant aroma, so he turned his head and saw Ilay holding a large paper bag. Taeui immediately recognized what the aroma was, and his eyes sparkled as he alternated glances between Ilay and the paper bag.  

“Why is there soybean paste soup here? It even smells like there’s braised ribs. Oh, is that braised fish too?”  

“……, …… Sharp nose you’ve got.”  

Ilay looked at Taeui with admiration, then placed the paper bag on the table and started taking the food out. There were 7-8 large glass containers of food neatly arranged, quickly filling up the tabletop.  

It seems like the food was just freshly cooked; the glass containers were still steaming, filled with soybean paste soup, braised ribs, braised fish, along with kimchi, fermented shrimp paste, and various other panchan to go with the rice.

Taeui wasn’t picky about food at all, but he particularly loved Korean cuisine. He suddenly realized it had been a long time since he last had Korean food. While softly humming a tune, he searched for a spoon for himself. Witnessing this, Ilay chuckled softly before sitting down opposite Taeui.

“Is there a Korean restaurant around this area?”

Remembering that this was just a small town, Taeui asked while diligently scooping rice continuously. Every dish looked appetizing and tasted just right. He thought to himself, ‘If opened as a restaurant, it would definitely attract a ton of customers.’ But Ilay shook his head.

“No, there’s none nearby.”

“Huh? Then where did these dishes come from?”

“There’s no Korean restaurant, but there are Korean people.”

“……”

Although Taeui didn’t know how Ilay had discovered this or whom he had asked to get these dishes, he was no longer surprised by Ilay’s extraordinary abilities. He thought to himself: ‘Throw him into the middle of a desert, and he’d probably still manage to pull out a case of water.’

“These are seriously delicious. The person who cooked them could probably open a restaurant right away.” – Taeui muttered as he silently ate his rice. The indistinct, bustling sounds of the daytime echoed faintly from outside the window.

In that tranquil and peaceful atmosphere, Taeui suddenly asked:

“Is everything resolved already?”

Ilay nodded calmly. Taeui nodded back in response and then continued to ask:

“Did everything get handled properly?”

Ilay glanced at Taeui. He stared at Taeui intently for a moment, then suddenly smirked.

“You’re really selfish, you know that? You only think about yourself. Berating me left and right, forcing me to do things—wasn’t it all just because you wanted me to handle everything properly?”

“……”

Taeui was rendered speechless for a moment. He mumbled: “Um, maybe yes, maybe no……” while focusing on eating his meal.

Once again, silence engulfed the scene.

When more than half of the food, probably enough to feed five people, had been eaten, Taeui suddenly asked:

“Still alive?”

Faced with such an ambiguous question, Ilay glanced at Taeui again. As he continued eating calmly, he asked back:

“Who? Alain? Or Aquino?”

“…… Alain’s been caught too?”

Taeui swallowed the words: ‘That was fast’, along with his food.

He recalled Alain’s figure from the night before. After taking him to the emergency room and quickly completing all the necessary procedures, Alain had vanished in haste. Waving goodbye, Alain had told him to send his regards to Rick if he met him. But now…… in the end……

“I knew exactly what he was planning. That’s why I went to the airport to intercept him.”

Hearing Ilay speak so nonchalantly, Taeui took a moment of silence for Alain.

“So…… is he still alive?”

“Who do you mean by ‘he’?”

“…… Let’s start with Alain.”

When Taeui asked, his mood dampened somewhat as he thought about having to confirm the life status of not just one but two people. Ilay casually nodded.

“Oh, he’s fine. He’s currently cleaning up the house that Shima Qinwei had rented.”

“Really?”

Strange indeed. There’s no way Ilay would let Alain off the hook so easily. As Taeui was half doubting, Ilay continued.

Because we’ve known each other for a long time. I just broke one of his arms and shot him once in the thigh.

“……”

Taeui’s pace of eating rice slowed down. He started to feel full and couldn’t quite taste the food anymore. In short, Ilay had ‘retaliated’ against Alain in exactly the same way as what happened to him…… Alain was completely unscathed, still tidying up the house, while he himself was gravely injured and bedridden.

As Taeui silently scooped rice into his spoon and thought, he suddenly wanted to see Alain’s face at that moment. Surely that face, which always had a bright smile, would now clearly show some bitterness.

“What about Aquino?”

After hearing about Alain, Taeui didn’t really want to ask about Aquino, but he still inquired out of formality.

“That guy’s still alive too.”

Ilay still responded with an indifferent tone as if it was nothing significant. By now, he had become more skillful with chopsticks than Taeui, and deftly picked up a piece of braised fish soaked in sauce, placing it onto Taeui’s spoonful of rice.

“Probably by now, that guy is lying asleep in some hospital room in this building. Who knows when he’ll wake up again.”

Seeing Taeui grow gloomier after hearing those words, Ilay slightly curled up the corners of his lips into a smirk.

“He’ll be fine. Just needs to stay here for a few months, then go out and do physical therapy for a few months more, that’s all.”

“……Oh……”

‘Why does it suddenly taste so bitter……?’

Taeui clicked his tongue lightly as he ate the piece of fish Ilay had just placed for him. While he was in the middle of enjoying his meal, he suddenly felt a gaze resting on him. When he looked up, he saw Ilay silently watching him. Ilay’s steady gaze swept over Taeui’s cast-bound arm and bandaged leg. He lightly clicked his tongue and picked up his chopsticks again. Taeui spoke nonchalantly:

“It’s nothing significant, just something that occasionally happens when being around you, that’s all.”

Ilay slightly furrowed his brows, and rather than responding, he merely shrugged. It seemed Ilay didn’t quite agree.

“What’s with you, you bastard? Someone who’s been shot in the stomach or had it slashed open yet casually walks around like you do. This kind of injury is nothing for you.”

“You’re different.”

“What’s different?”

“Different.”

Though Taeui was smiling as he spoke, Ilay’s response was firm.

Taeui blinked at him and lightly scratched his neck, feeling a bit self-conscious. After a moment of silence, Taeui furrowed his brows slightly and clicked his tongue.

“There’s no difference.”

“Different.”

“Whether you’re injured or I’m injured…… it’s all the same, isn’t it?”

Taeui’s words were also resolute. He looked directly at Ilay and calmly spoke.

“That’s exactly why you’re selfish.”

Ilay hesitated, remaining silent, then gazed at Taeui with a perplexed expression. Taeui observed him for a moment before suddenly breaking into laughter.

Taeui felt relieved. He felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted off his chest. It was like letting go of something that had weighed down his heart.

Ilay continued to look at Taeui, who was unpromptedly laughing, with a bewildered expression. He seemed as though he wanted to say something in response but couldn’t find the words. Seeing his expression like that made Taeui burst out laughing.

“Come to think of it, Ilay, ever since meeting you I’ve come close to dying several times, gone through countless unlucky incidents, and gotten injured quite a bit too. But, strangely enough, in the end, everything always turns out okay.”

Although everyone might define ‘okay’ differently – some might feel sorry for Taeui and think how unfortunate his fate has been – Taeui felt that everything had always gone smoothly for him up until now.

Anh suddenly remembered a quote from somewhere: ‘All is end well that end well.’

It does seem to be true.

Perhaps later on, he would keep getting injured, face countless hardships, and might even have close brushes with death. But regardless of what happens, in the end, everything would still be fine like this. As long as he lived with this man.

“That’s why being hurt like this is no big deal at all.”

Taeui shrugged and said: “Aquino isn’t that much of a villain anyway.” Ilay silently looked at him. In the end, Ilay clicked his tongue and murmured:

“Sometimes you’re way too soft-hearted.”

“Not sometimes, always.”

“I’m kind of indecisive.” – As Taeui finished speaking, Ilay immediately retorted:

“Yet I think, once you’re dissatisfied, no one is harder to please than you.”

When Taeui fell silent and glared at him, Ilay added: “That’s a compliment.” But to Jeong Taeui, hearing words like that from Ilay, someone he truly knew well, didn’t feel like a compliment at all.

“I’m as patient as the deep sea…… Do I often do things that irritate you?”

Taeui asked with an annoyed tone, and this time Ilay quickly shook his head: “No, not at all.” Then he added:

“But there’s no need to be patient. Even if it’s frequent, it doesn’t matter. I’ll indulge you.”

Ilay spoke while casually placing the last rib onto Taeui’s bowl of rice, then ate his own last spoonful of rice.

Taeui stared intently at Ilay, then smiled.

Exactly. As long as they went along with each other, that was enough.

Both he and this man, the two of them were gradually adapting to one another. So naturally that they didn’t even notice.

Because of this, in the end, everything would be all right.

“I’m seriously done for…… Why do I even find him so adorable……”

Taeui sighed and muttered to himself.

“Hmm?”

Ilay seemed to have heard the mutter and glanced at Taeui. Taeui looked at him for a moment, then shook his head.

“No, it’s nothing…… Ouch, that hurts……”

Taeui had just put down his chopsticks when he leaned back on the sofa, slightly retracting his plastered arm, and grimaced in pain. Ilay frowned and got up, moving to Taeui’s side.

“What’s wrong?”

As Ilay leaned down to check Taeui’s arm, he was suddenly kissed by him.

Because the distance was so close, it was impossible to discern Ilay’s expression clearly, but Taeui could see his eyes widen slightly. Taeui chuckled softly. As his laughter faded into Ilay’s mouth, it seemed like Ilay was also chuckling quietly.

Shortly after, Ilay strongly sucked on Taeui’s tongue. They kissed for a while, savoring the taste of each other in their mouths. Taeui briefly thought: ‘Ah, it tastes like braised ribs’, but then found that thought amusing and chuckled quietly again.

“You just said it hurts.”

Ilay whispered as he released Taeui’s lips, after lightly biting them one last time.  

“Even if it hurts, I have to do what needs to be done. I’m not as obsessed with sex as Shima Qinwei, but isn’t this something everyone does? By the way, I also want to see how good I really am at this.”

Hearing what Taeui said, Ilay laughed and nodded: “Good idea, Taei.”  

“For the record, even if you were as obsessed as Shima Qinwei, I wouldn’t mind. These past few days have been fun. Oh, and doing that in an alleyway where people pass by is actually quite thrilling, don’t you think? Next time, let’s not stop at just kissing, let’s go all the way.”  

“…… Uh…… No, I didn’t mean to go that far……”  

Seeing Taeui, who had just spoken confidently, suddenly become timid and mumble like that made Ilay laugh out loud.  

After the meal, Ilay stood up and went to the refrigerator to get a beer. Taeui was finishing his last spoonful of rice, watching Ilay with envy, muttering: “Why is there beer in a hospital room?” Thinking about how someone with a broken arm and a puncture wound in his leg like him couldn’t drink such things made Taeui crave it even more.  

Taeui bit the spoon in his mouth, watching Ilay open the can and take a sip of beer with great longing.  

As Ilay walked to the window while looking at Taeui, their eyes met. Then Ilay glanced repeatedly at the beer can in his hand and back at Taeui, seemingly hesitating – in that fleeting moment, Taeui tried his hardest to look as pitiful as possible – until finally, Ilay clicked his tongue lightly and handed the beer can to Taeui.  

“Just one sip.”  

Taeui was overjoyed as if he’d struck gold, quickly snatching the beer can as though afraid it would be taken away, and downed a big swig. Ilay looked at the now half-empty can with a helpless expression – though he seemed to have anticipated this – before sitting by the window.  

‘Ahh, it’s amazing!’  

Taeui savored the beer in his mouth, his cheeks puffed out, taking small sips to cherish it with regret. When he got to the last sip, he looked over and saw Ilay sitting by the window.  

Ilay was leisurely drinking beer, watching him, and smiling. Taeui’s gaze lingered for a moment on that face, and his own lips curved into a smile, his eyes arching slightly.  

Ilay seemed no different. It took him a few seconds to realize Taeui was looking at him, so he raised an eyebrow as if to ask: “What?” Taeui just shook his head and replied: “Nothing.”  

A warm and peaceful feeling rose, not just because of the lingering taste of beer on his lips. Jeong Taeui sighed contentedly and stretched out on the sofa.  

The bright sunlight shone through Ilay’s back as he sat by the window. The blue, cloudless sky unfolded. No day could be better than this, and this time, the weather forecast was probably right.  

‘Ah. It’s over.’

In that moment, Taeui suddenly realized that the three difficult and troublesome days had come to an end.  

Though his body still bore wounds on his arms and legs, Jeong Taeui now felt very happy. These injuries were nothing, something he could easily overlook.  

A relaxed and joyful day.  

Everything was truly wonderful.  

**************

*Panchan: