Alpha Trauma Novel (Completed) - Chapter 102. Side Story 4. Guardian (4)

He had never celebrated anniversaries, but with Wooyeon, he wanted to try. He imagined Wooyeon’s eyes sparkling with delight if he put candles on a cake and gave a small gift. No, since it was Wooyeon, perhaps a new experience like a trip would be better than something material.

“…Anyway.”

Wooyeon subtly avoided Dohyun’s gaze and changed the subject. He had said it quite boldly, but now he seemed suddenly embarrassed. Perhaps it was because he was four years younger, or simply because Dohyun was smitten, but he truly was an undeniably cute lover in many ways.

“I’ll book you a hotel, so stay there. How long will you be in Korea?”

It meant he couldn’t house him, but he would arrange a place to stay. It was the least Wooyeon could do, and a normal friend would have been grateful.

“…Wooyeon.”

However, instead of thanks, Daniel’s lips trembled with a crestfallen expression. He frowned deeply, shaking his head.

“I want to visit a normal Korean home. There are plenty of hotels in America, aren’t there?”

It was a shameless and contradictory statement. If he wanted a normal home, Wooyeon’s place would be even less suitable. Neither his family home nor the penthouse he was temporarily staying in could be considered ‘normal.’

“And I don’t want to stay alone after coming all this way. How lonely and boring would that be?”

“Danny… then you shouldn’t have come on this trip alone.”

“What are you talking about? I came to hang out with you.”

Daniel retorted shamelessly, smiling innocently.

“I told you to clear your schedule because I was coming to see you. Don’t you remember?”

Dohyun vaguely remembered. The morning after he took a drunken Wooyeon home, the words Wooyeon exchanged on the phone. He couldn’t hear Daniel’s voice, but Wooyeon’s words gave him a rough idea of the conversation.

“That’s true, but…”

Wooyeon trailed off ambiguously, rolling his eyes. Since Daniel was a friend who had flown a long distance, he seemed reluctant to treat him poorly. But really, wasn’t just booking a place to stay enough? Dohyun, deliberately holding back his words, glanced out the window.

“Wooyeon, why are you making it so difficult?”

Beyond the window, the vibrant colors of summer filled the view. Green leaves, people in light clothing as if ready to fly, the slightly stinging sunlight, and cars parked on the main road.

Dohyun suddenly felt a subtle sense of incongruity and frowned. Trees, people, main road. The unremarkable scenery felt strangely unfamiliar.

Especially a heavily tinted van.

“Just for a few days, stay with me at the hotel…”

He abruptly moved his arm. As he spread his large hand, Wooyeon’s profile was completely covered. Dohyun stared intently out the window and whispered in a low voice.

“There’s a reporter.”

The table fell silent as if a mouse had died. Both Wooyeon and Daniel clamped their mouths shut and looked out the window. He shouldn’t have seated them by the window. Dohyun mumbled, then sternly warned.

“Don’t look. You’ll get photographed.”

“Uh… it doesn’t really matter.”

“It matters to me.”

Wooyeon seemed used to it, but Dohyun was far from it. Every time he felt someone’s gaze like this, his heart pounded with anxiety. It was just a photo, they wouldn’t even publish an article. But the “what if” scenarios constantly plagued him.

“First, let’s move seats…”

What if it was a strange person, what if bad things were said, what if Wooyeon was hurt by it?

His fears, one after another, led to the desire to hide Wooyeon somewhere unseen. Because Wooyeon was precious, and cherished. If he could, he wanted to keep him hidden in a place only he knew.

Funnily enough, this impulse was not so different from how Soohyang treated him. If Wooyeon heard it, he might be disgusted and reconsider their relationship.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

Dohyun looked at Daniel, then back out the window. Amidst the various thoughts swirling in his mind, only one phrase escaped his lips.

“Let’s go home.”

On the way home, Daniel chattered incessantly. Dohyun drove in silence, focusing on the road, while Wooyeon, sitting in the passenger seat, occasionally turned back to reply. Sometimes, when Wooyeon glanced at him, it seemed he noticed Dohyun’s unusually serious mood.

“Oh, wow, it’s so tall.”

Daniel couldn’t stop exclaiming from the moment they entered the apartment complex. He was so excited that Dohyun could barely understand half of what he was saying. There must be apartments in LA too. His fantasies about Korea seemed immense.

“Is this all your luggage?”

A small carry-on, a wallet, and a phone. Despite flying over 10 hours, Daniel’s luggage was remarkably simple. Wooyeon’s eyes widened as he watched Dohyun take out the carry-on.

“Are you really going to let him stay here?”

“Yeah, he said he had nowhere to go.”

“Even so…”

Wooyeon seemed reluctant, but for Dohyun, this was the best option. He had overheard Daniel saying he didn’t want to be alone, so he couldn’t let him go to a hotel together. Especially not with someone Wooyeon had mentioned in bed, of all people.

‘Ah, Danny…’

That day, when Daniel’s name came up, Dohyun experienced the feeling of being blinded by jealousy for the first time. The sensation of sparks flying before his eyes and a burning in his chest was enough to bring out a deeply hidden ambition. It was incomparable to the feelings he had for Taegyeom a long time ago.

“Hyung, it’ll be uncomfortable for you.”

“This is more comfortable for me too.”

Well, knowing Wooyeon, it was highly likely he had only seen him while changing clothes at most. The reason he had been vague in his answer was probably because he was upset about Dohyun having liked Yoonwoo. If it was retaliation, it was successful, but the problem was that it still lingered in his memory.

“Your name is Daniel, right?”

“…Huh?”

Daniel blinked in surprise as soon as Dohyun spoke to him. He seemed not to have expected Dohyun to speak English, given how quiet he had been. Dohyun offered him the carry-on, smiling kindly.

“There’s a spare room in our house, so you can stay here for a while.”

It was the same smile Wooyeon had called fake. It was also the expression that made everyone but Wooyeon drop their guard. Fortunately, Daniel was the latter, so Dohyun decided to press his advantage.

“Hotels are boring, aren’t they?”

The three of them went up to the house side by side. Inside the ascending elevator, Daniel observed Dohyun with a somewhat ambiguous gaze. It was an unmistakable look, a mix of curiosity and hostility.

But Dohyun didn’t bat an eye, ignoring all the stares. He also pretended not to hear Wooyeon whispering, asking him to reconsider even now. Maintaining a poker face wasn’t that difficult.

“Come in. Take off your shoes.”

A house excessively large for one person was quite useful in situations like this. Even after creating a bedroom, study, and dressing room, there was still a guest room left over. Dohyun gave Daniel the guest room next to the bedroom he shared with Wooyeon.

“Unpack your bags in this room. The bathroom and toilet are in the living room, but I can use the one attached to my room, so feel free to use it.”

The room, equipped with a large bed and wardrobe, was occasionally used when his younger sister, Jinah, visited. The night Wooyeon was drunk, he should have originally been put in this room. Yet, the desire that made Dohyun insist on having him in his own room was something Wooyeon would never know, even if he died and came back to life.

“If I use this room, where will Wooyeon sleep?”

Daniel, as if he had never been wary of Dohyun, looked around the room with bright eyes. He put his carry-on aside and opened the wardrobe and drawers. Wooyeon, who had been standing there with a sullen expression until then, replied as if it were no big deal.

“I’ll use the room next door.”

“Hmm… I see.”

Dohyun leaned against the doorway, gazing intently at Daniel. Daniel sat on the bed, pressing down on the mattress, and then a smirk played on his lips.

“Then let’s sleep together here.”

Dohyun’s face stiffened. After going to all the trouble of bringing him home, he was saying something that would upset him again. Whether he knew Dohyun’s feelings or not, Daniel slyly added.

“You can sleep in another room for a few days. The bed is big, so it’s perfect.”

His smiling face was annoying. Friends could share a room, but it was a different story if a lover was firmly present. He wondered why Daniel had asked which room he used, even though he hadn’t said they lived together.

“No, you can’t.”

Dohyun flatly refused Daniel’s suggestion. Wooyeon, who had just parted his lips, glanced at him. Dohyun, without changing his expression, grabbed Wooyeon’s arm.

“I can’t sleep alone at night.”

He slowly lowered his hand and intertwined his fingers with Wooyeon’s soft hand. The intertwined fingers twitched. Daniel stared blankly at their clasped hands and asked.

“Why can’t you sleep alone?”

“Because I’m scared.”

It was a truly shameless answer. Wooyeon also chuckled, trailing off with “Scared…” Dohyun didn’t let go of his hand and pulled Wooyeon towards him.

“Unpack slowly and come out. Let’s eat something.”

With those words, Dohyun led Wooyeon out of the room. Daniel didn’t follow, and instead, a deflated laugh was heard from behind. Wooyeon silently followed Dohyun, then playfully spoke.

“Are you scared to sleep alone?”

“Yeah, didn’t you know?”

He chuckled even as he answered. He found it absurd himself. Scared to sleep alone. Had he ever thought such a thing in his life? Wooyeon also seemed dumbfounded, his voice tinged with laughter.

“Then how did you sleep when I wasn’t there?”

“I cried myself to sleep, hugging a pillow, because I was scared.”

“Wow… you don’t even bat an eye.”

Dohyun abruptly stopped walking and turned to Wooyeon. They were in front of their bedroom door. Before Wooyeon could say anything more, Dohyun suddenly bent his head.

“…”

Mwah, an embarrassing sound, and their lips parted. Wooyeon, perhaps regretting the short contact, blinked his closed eyes. Dohyun smiled beautifully, rubbing his nose against Wooyeon’s.

“I batted an eye.”

It was a childish joke, but Wooyeon didn’t scoff. He simply blushed and wiggled their intertwined hands.

“If you’re going to tell lies like that… isn’t this not enough?”

Wooyeon’s free hand subtly grasped Dohyun’s collar. In a clearly intentional gesture, Dohyun gently caressed the corners of his eyes. And their lips, meeting again, didn’t part for quite a while this time.