After that incident, I noticed that the furniture and windows in the house were strangely dark-colored and mostly opaque.
Most of the furniture was made of sturdy wood, with surfaces so matte and smooth that they hardly reflected anything. The windows, too, seed heavily tinted; one had to get close to them to notice even the slightest change in the shade, and they didn't reflect images as normal glass should have.
Above all, there were no mirrors in this house, including in the bathroom. There were faint traces where mirrors might have been, like inside the shoe rack and above the bathroom sink, but I couldn't rember when they had been removed.
I lay in bed as I contemplated.
‘There was that ti when I was seriously ill for about a month…'
I rembered that Seo Dawon nursed back to health when I had suffered from a high fever, but my mories were frustratingly vague. Of course, despite my suspicions, I didn't feel creeped out or unsettled. I was just curious. Why did Dawon adopt such a cold expression?
‘Was I really that sick?'
Dawon-ie wasn't the type to get angry at , but he was quite sensitive when it ca to my safety and well-being. Perhaps this was an occupational hazard…or perhaps he had beco obsessed with my health after my repeated bouts of illness.
Sotis, his mindset–his perspective–generated, at least from my point of view, nonsensical actions, but I trusted that Dawon-ie generally had the right judgent. Therefore, I followed him in most matters…
‘When did he clear away all the mirrors? This actually bothers .'
The more I was left alone in the house, the more strangely low-spirited I felt. So, wanting to shift my train of thought, I stood up from bed and slowly walked out of the bedroom.
"……"
As soon as I exited, I could see Dawon's busy back–he seed to be cooking sothing in the kitchen. Though he looked as if he were imrsed in cooking, he looked back casually when I stood there, staring at him. "Did you sleep well?"
His tone indicated that he’d known I was watching him for quite so ti.
I nodded slightly, "Yep… What are you making?"
"Just, this and that? I read a cookbook while you slept earlier; I saw a few things that looked tasty, so I tried my hand at them."
"……"
Dawon-ie smiled nonchalantly, but I couldn't return that smile. Recently, he had been forgoing going into the guild office and instead spent his ti cooking for and entertaining .
"You're hungry, right? Just wait one minute," he said.
"……" I was happy that Dawon-ie was focusing solely on and neglecting his work to do so… but, I couldn't help but feel like a burden. Furthemore, I was skeptical about how long this lifestyle could last.
‘…He might get tired of this.'
No matter how much Dawon loved , wouldn't there co a point where he couldn't cling to like this anymore? Even if his current actions were out of consideration for his sick partner, he was still the guildmaster of the best guild in South Korea… Knowing how busy Dawon usually was, my guilt only deepened.
‘Soday, Dawon-ie… will get tired of this.'
I knew I had the morbid habit of being unable to focus on the present and instead fixating on a future that may never co… But, the sight of Dawon's back as he cooked brought more sorrow than joy. What should I do if he ever says he can't accommodate anymore?
‘I should have kept quiet…'
If only I had exited the bathroom calmly and fell deeply asleep in his arms as if nothing had happened…Then, I wouldn't have needlessly wasted his ti.
Heart laden with regret, I bowed my head. However, Dawon-ie suddenly embraced , "Why do you look so depressed?"
"Ah–it's nothing…"
"You sound a bit choked up. Did you have a nightmare again?" Dawon's whispers were so sweet; his embrace made a delicious sll waft over . I couldn't help but feel emotional…and hungry… Caught in this strange mood, I looked up at Dawon.
In the end, I couldn't help but confess everything when I saw his sweetly receptive expression, "It's not that. It's just… You're not going to work; you're stuck here cooking because of …"
"Mmm? Usually, it's the boss's job to avoid work and instead delegate everything to their subordinates."
"……" I'd known for a long ti that he was a perfectionist and a micro-manager. Once again, wasn't it all my fault that Dawon-ie was telling such an obvious lie?
So, I closed my mouth; soon, his lips touched all over my face. Dawon gently pressed his lips over my eyelids and whispered, "You get a little pessimistic when you're hungry. That's why I need to feed you every day."
"…Are you saying I'm depressed right now because I'm hungry?"
"I find that you've gone without food for at least six hours when you're having these useless thoughts."
"……"
He then picked up and sat at the table.
"I just need one minute. Hang it there, alright?"
"……"
True to his word, Dawon ca back in just one minute with a large plate of delicious food. After eating a serving of the fried dish after it cooled down enough, I actually started feeling better just as Dawon had said (even though I was a bit angry and resentful just earlier). As I delicately nibbled on the hot fried food, Dawon said, "If you're feeling unwell, you should tell right away. Don't hide it from out of misplaced concern."
He must have read my previous thoughts. I was a little surprised, but Dawon-ie was always quick-witted and emotionally intelligent. I answered quietly, "I'm just… I'm afraid I'll beco a hindrance to your work."
"Do I look like a workaholic?"
"No, it's not that… I know you're busy… You've got to be honest–I am being a nuisance."
Dawon didn't agree with my stutters. He snorted and pushed the sauce bowl right in front of . "Even if I retire right now, I can live off my savings for the rest of my life. Also, it's not as if the guild is going to collapse without ."
"……"
"Frankly, they might like not having there. Kyung-sik-ie's face brightened when I said I was going to take a month off."
"……"
Despite his relaxed smile and joking deanor, I was still worried that he was delaying or giving up on his own career because of .
"I…I like the version of you that is the guildmaster of the Red Lotus guild…" I couldn't find the right words to express myself, so after that abrupt statent, we fell into a long silence.
Dawon, however, seed to understand my inner feelings as he smiled and said, "Is that so?"
"Yeah. So… Don't talk about stopping or anything like that… Alright?"
"Got it. What else do you like about ?"
"I-I'm not joking. Just… Work. Don't retire."
Dawon giggled at my muttered words, "Understood–I'll make a living for us for a long, long ti."
"……"
"Are you relieved now?"
"Yeah."
"You feel better?"
"…Yeah."
"As I thought, eating sothing makes you feel better, right?"
Instead of answering, I took a bite of the crunchy fried food in front of . Dipping each piece into the sauce that Dawon gave , I polished off my plate, relishing in the delicious taste.
Dawon was right. My belly was full, and he was by my side; my emotions soon stabilized. Nothing strange was happening. I was happy, as if I believed this mont could last forever… No, rather, I believed I could beco happy.
[Is that really true?]
However, once again, I heard an auditory hallucination; I lowered my head to hide my distorted expression. Fortunately, Dawon didn't notice anything amiss this ti, so he continued to speak, "Aren't you a bit frustrated being at ho all month?"
"……"
"Do you want to go play on an island next week? The place belongs to Kim Olim; just before I went on vacation, she said she'd lend it to us if you liked the idea."
"Ah, Olim-ssi said that…?"
"Yeah. I've been there with the other guild mbers before. The villa is well furnished, and outsiders can't co near unless they're on a boat. It's a great place to have a vacation. Plus, the beach there is great too." Dawon smiled prettily; his excitent was apparent. My heart began to beat, infected by the cheer of his smile. An island where I could spend alone ti with Dawon?
However, once again, the chilling auditory hallucinations kept ringing in my ear.
[If you go that far, it'll really be the end, Choi Lee-kyung.]
"……"
I flinched; my shoulders shook. Dawon continued to look at with his pretty smile, waiting for my answer. Therefore, I of course needed to say ‘I want to go…'
[This place will be so beautiful and fun–like a paradise. It'll be everything you've dread of. The weather will always be sunny, and Dawon will be even more loving and affectionate than today.]
"……"
The hallucination persisted in speaking to , and I couldn't answer. The voice was accompanied by a piercing headache, as if soone was poking my head with a skewer.
[Therefore, if you go all the way there, you'll never wake up from your dream. How could you? If you stay here, you'll receive Dawon's eternal love…]
"Lee-kyung-ah?"
[If you were to open your eyes and wake up, you would have to accept that everything is a dream.]
Beco a mber!
TL: It's the calm before the storm, ya'll. It gets… pretty intense from here.
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