Chapter 08

It’d been three days since Ji Geon-hyung offered me the part-time job.

With a tired face, I went to visit his office. He said he’d give me money just to hold hands and help him fall asleep, so although I didn’t want to, I said it was fine because I needed sleep, too. The guilt that had been sitting in my heart the past few days till now didn’t seem like it would go away.

‘I shouldn’t have gone to Ji Seok’s house that day.’

In that case, the ring wouldn’t have been able to manifest.

I never imagined I’d have a ring on my finger in my entire life, and I was distressed about it up until now. Even more so, the other person is the older brother of my unrequited love.

In the high-rise building, I carefully got off on the floor where Ji Geon-hyung’s office was located. As Ji Geon-hyung had said, leaving work on time was their motto; all other employees must’ve already left as it wasn’t even seven o’clock yet but it was quiet all around.

I walked down the corridor, glanced at the unlit offices and then stood in front of the president’s office at the end. I looked around in vain and — ddok ddok1— knocked. I heard a voice inside tell me to enter.

As soon as I turned the door knob, I heard the sound of busy typing inside. All the other employees were off work, but he was still busy working even at this time.

“I’m almost done, just sit for a moment.”

I furtively sat down on the sofa in front of the desk, watching him busily move his swift hands without even glancing at me.

Tadak-tadak2, the speedy noise of the keyboard sounded nice, like a lullaby. Burying myself into the sofa, I closed my eyes tightly.

However, I couldn’t fall asleep. The fatigue that accumulated in my body made it creak in places, putting pressure on it like it was tightly grasped by something. My mind was strangely clear to the point that I kept thinking about things over and over. ‘This wasn’t such a good idea.’

‘What would Kang Ji Seok think if he found out?’

I know what kind of person Ji Seok is. Although he’s completely straight, he has no prejudice against homosexuality and was rather supportive of them. So it might be alright if he knew about the ring on my left hand. If only the other person wasn’t Ji Seok’s brother.

‘As expected, his friend and brother being connected by rings… It’s awkward. We’re even the same sex…’

Just because the ring connection was with Ji Geon-hyung, didn’t mean I had to do anything magnificent. It was just a matter of sleeping together for a few hours a day. Sleeping together is something friends do enough, there’s no need to think deeply about it. I thought as much, but if Ji Seok found out, he won’t be able to take the problems I caused for his own brother lightly.

As I was thinking about it, at some point the typing sounds stopped. I heard the sound of the wheeled chair being dragged and could feel Ji Geon-hyung approaching me. With my eyes closed, my ears were more sensitive so without looking, I could discern his movements.

It felt like I was sitting next to him. Even though the sofa was one that two people could sit on comfortably, Ji Geon-hyung was sitting close enough that our shoulders could touch.

Only when I opened my eyes, I met Ji Geon’s, who was looking at me.

For a moment, I thought he was Kang Ji Seok.

Sometimes, Kang Ji Seok’s eyes would look like Ji Geon-hyung’s and from time to time he would quietly stare at me. Usually, at those times, it was for the sake of looking over my complexion or to read my thoughts. Not only did they look alike, but they also acted alike which was bound to make my heart race.

“You look very tired.”

So he said, but Ji Geon-hyung’s eyes were still bloodshot and dark around them.

“So do you, hyung.”

“That’s as expected, I haven’t slept well these past few days.”

Ji Geon-hyung said tiredly and chuckled. As a result, the raised tails of his eyes lowered, and his seemingly cold appearance became a little softer.

I looked at his face and asked carefully.

“Hyung, are you not upset?”

“About what?”

When I saw he was unperturbed, it made me think I was the only one who had mixed feelings.

“I was wondering if you were uncomfortable…with me. And being connected by the rings.”

Instead of answering, he looked at me silently for a moment. I was about to turn my head away, embarrassed by how he was looking at me without a word.

“I thought so.”

He smiled bitterly and placed his hand on my head.

“I’ve never been uncomfortable with you, either in the past or now. Because of work, I haven’t been able to have a proper conversation for a long time, so I’m a little cautious.”

I felt more at ease after he said so. He wasn’t keeping me at arm’s length because he didn’t like [the ring] or me, like I’d thought. I could fully understand how busy he was, even now, with the company he founded because I’d been told through Ji Seok.

“Me too, I’m not uncomfortable. Just…”

I was picking at the words in my mouth. I liked Ji Seok, but I couldn’t express my complicated feelings for the ring being connected to someone else, so I composed myself and looked into his eyes.

“Ji Seok shouldn’t know because it’ll give him too many ideas.”

Unconsciously, I gently stroked the ring on my left ring finger with my fingertips.

“I’m…Ji Seok’s best friend. I don’t want to be hated by Ji Seok because of this. Surely, you don’t want to be either.”

Ji Geon-hyung’s eyes seemed to waver for a moment when I explained it like that, but the small smile around his mouth remained unchanged.

“Okay. Let’s keep it a secret from Ji Seok, as it is now. I’ll look more into the ring, too. We can’t live like this forever.”

“Yes. Thank you, hyung.”

When I relaxed my tense eyes, he grabbed my hand and stood up.

“Let’s order room service for today. If you have anything you want to eat on the way, just tell me.”

“Isn’t room service too expensive? It’s just a few hours of sleep and then just coming back out…”

“It’s alright. I have that much money.”

He said that as if he really didn’t care, but I cared. Everyday, he paid for dinner and the hotel by himself, and I felt so sorry for him. He needed sleep, and so did I.

‘I should have asked him to sleep at my studio apartment.’

Although it’s a little cramped, I thought it was enough for two people to hold hands while sleeping separately; I couldn’t readily suggest it, though. My studio had a bed, just that it was a small mattress for one person, and it wasn’t a very clean or nice environment. In many ways, I’d be sorry to drag him to sleep in a place like that when he could have been at a hotel.

“It’s too expensive…”

As if hearing my small muttering, Ji Geon-hyung chuckled and gently stroked my head.

Eventually, I followed him to bed early at the hotel that day. We each lied at one edge of the large bed, lightly holding hands under the covers and falling asleep. That alone gave me a pleasantly warm feeling that would come and go, and I was able to sleep deeply.

When I was asleep, it was blissful enough that I thought this wasn’t so bad. But we can’t stay like this forever, and all of a sudden, my mind was a mess.

++++++++++

Tok Tok3–

“Woo Seo-ya4, sleeping?”

I was lying down at the library with a stack of books, I turned my head at the feeling of his finger slightly touching my shoulder and looked at the other person. As expected, with a worried face Ji Seok pulled out the chair and sat down next to me with a serious expression.

“It’s been a few days but what are you doing that makes you so tired everyday? It’s not an illness, is it?”

“… No. I told you that I started a part-time job in the evenings. Rather than tired, there’s just something on my mind.”

In fact, I wasn’t actually working part-time, I was just sleeping with Ji Geon-hyung, but it was a good excuse for times like this.

“What part-time job are you doing while going to school? It’s hard enough to do the assignments. Don’t you have enough pocket money?”

Eyes still filled with worry, Ji Seok pouted.

Another reason why Ji Seok and I got along so well was because, like how his parents were abroad, mine were both working far away. It was good being accepted into the university of my choice but it was a distance away and I couldn’t live with my parents, so I found a studio apartment alone.

Sitting next to me and resting on his chin, Ji Seok reached out with his hand and placed it on my forehead. I had a slight fever so it felt nice with his slightly cooler hand on my forehead. Of course, it’s also largely because the hand belongs to Kang Ji Seok.

“You have a fever.”

“I know.”

“Let’s go to the hospital before I nag you, Woo Seo-ya. You know, once the floodgates are open, I’m a rapid-fire canon, don’t you?”

“Don’t mention the hospital. If I go to the hospital with just this much, I’ll be blamed for making a fuss, stupid.”

He smirked at what I said with a stern look on his face. Someone who’d naggingly worry about others, that’d be Kang Ji Seok.

I still felt his hand and closed my eyes, and in that instant Ji Geon-hyung’s face flashed by.

‘If I close my eyes, I won’t be able to tell whose hand it is.’

Their faces resembled each other, their physiques resembled each other, even the size of their hands were alike. At this point, I wouldn’t doubt if they were actually twins.

However, even though it’s Ji Seok’s hand, I couldn’t sleep. If it was Ji Geon-hyung, I would have pleasantly fallen asleep.

‘There’s nothing for me to be sorry about…’

I felt fluttery with Ji Seok’s little bit of skinship5, but at the same time, I wished it was Ji Geon-hyung’s.

Just as I was thinking that, I heard Ji Seok’s voice in my ear.

“Woo Seo-ya. How long do you have left on the lease for your apartment?”

I opened my eyes at the sudden question. For some reason, there was a bit of vivacity in Ji Seok’s face. It must be an illusion from my expecting something.

“I signed a lease after midterms…probably need to extend it in a few days.”

“That’s good. Then, by any chance…”

Ji Seok lowered his voice and asked secretly.

“You, with me, want to live together?”

As soon as I heard that, my upper body sprang up, which I hadn’t even realized was lying down. Although I could feel that the several students around were looking this way, I didn’t have the time to care.

“Come live at my place, Woo Seo-ya.”

‘What are you talking about?’