Projection Novel (Completed) - Chapter 66

Even though he was used to waking up at the same time every day, Sejin had slept so deeply he hadn’t noticed morning arriving. So when he finally woke up again, it was already close to noon, and the space beside him was empty.

“……”

His eyes opened blankly, and he weakly fumbled for the spot where Cheon Sejoo must have lain. But unlike his body, which was weak from hunger, the twenty-year-old boy’s genitals were excessively healthy. Sejin gazed miserably at his member, which seemed intent on bursting through his underwear, then got up.

It was already creepy enough to secretly sleep in someone’s bed when they weren’t there, but he didn’t want to become a shameless pervert who even masturbated in an ownerless bedroom. That… that was a very immoral thing to do.

Sejin went into the bathroom, relieved his biological urges in a very healthy way, and came out. Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he pulled out Cheon Sejoo’s clothes from his closet and put them on. When he came out to the living room and checked his temperature, it had dropped sharply too . At this level, he couldn’t even say he had a fever anymore, and Sejin was delighted to realize that his growing pains were ending. Although he wouldn’t grow much more than he already had, he was happy that he could grow taller than Cheon Sejoo, reaching a similar eye level. If his shoulders broadened a bit more and his build became larger, Cheon Sejoo would surely think of him as reliable.

Feeling good, Sejin had breakfast and then, full of energy, began cleaning the house, which he had neglected for two days. He vacuumed, mopped, and emptied the trash cans. Finally, he went to take out the recycling bin in the kitchen to organize it.

A cardboard box, caught on the edge of a plastic bag and falling out, caught Sejin’s eye. He calmly looked down at the red box, then picked it up. Inside the recycling bin was an empty box of fever reducer and pain reliever. The same box Sejin had sighed at after checking it was empty when he’d tried to take the medicine.

But Sejin had never thrown away that box. He clearly remembered putting the empty container back into the first-aid kit in his daze. Even when Cheon Sejoo had come home and taken out the fever reducer that had fallen behind the first-aid kit, the kit had not been opened. So this empty box should still have been inside.

Sejin narrowed his eyes, fiddling with the box in his hand. A vague memory flashed through his mind again. Cheon Sejoo before his eyes, soft lips, an ecstatic kiss.

…Was it really a dream? He wasn’t sure, so he just waited for Cheon Sejoo to return. He planned to ask him definitively once he was off work.

However, the sky turned dark in the afternoon, and by 4 PM, rain began to pour down heavily. Heavy air flowed in through the open window, left for ventilation. Sejin looked down at the rain-soaked city, unable to hide his dismay at the humidity clinging stickily to his skin.

Cheon Sejoo might not come home today. That fact pained Sejin immensely.

His mood plummeted to rock bottom. He wanted to contact Cheon Sejoo again, but he couldn’t use the excuse of being sick anymore. He had finally received Cheon Sejoo’s care and his fever had gone down; he didn’t want to act as if his kindness had never happened.

Sejin huddled on the sofa, restlessly fiddling with his phone. He desperately wanted to check Kang Doyoon’s social media to see if he had gone to a hotel. But if such a post were really there, he might make a mistake with Cheon Sejoo again in his haste. Given his patience was almost nonexistent, it might be better not to check at all. Then, even if he was upset, at least he wouldn’t lie again.

Sejin sat with a gloomy face, hugging his knees, and just watched TV. The same cartoon Cheon Sejoo always watched was playing, and as he watched blankly, he understood why he watched the same cartoon every day.

The cartoon, with a bear who wore no pants, a cute tiger, and a tiny pig playing together, was warm but simple, leaving no room for other thoughts. Just staring blankly at it seemed to soothe his tired heart a little.

How did Cheon Sejoo feel watching that? Sejin recalled the happy memory of watching the movie version of that cartoon with him and sighed mournfully.

Several hours passed like that. The bear cartoon ended, and the cartoon with the annoying little mouse began. Sejin, engrossed, was watching TV, thinking he wanted to punch that mouse.

“You’ve really become a baby.”

That’s when Cheon Sejoo returned. When a familiar voice suddenly spoke beside him, Sejin wondered if he was hearing things, and foolishly turned his head, mouth agape. Cheon Sejoo was standing at the entrance between the kitchen and living room, at the end of the hallway leading from the front door. He was impeccably dressed in a neat gray suit and a navy tie, not a single hair out of place.

Sejin couldn’t believe his appearance and turned his head away. He looked at the pouring rain outside the window, then at Cheon Sejoo, confirmed the rain was still falling, and then looked at Cheon Sejoo again. Then he asked,

“What are you doing here?”

Cheon Sejoo raised an eyebrow at his stupid question and retorted,

“…Should I leave again?”

“No!”

Sejin sprang to his feet, shouting, and rushed towards him. It was Cheon Sejoo. The real Cheon Sejoo was right before his eyes. He hadn’t gone to Kang Doyoon; he had come back to him, even though he wasn’t sick. Was this real? Sejin resisted the urge to slap his own cheek to confirm and asked him,

“You’re, you’re… off work?”

He even stammered like an idiot. Leaving Sejin, whose face was flushed with embarrassment, Cheon Sejoo chuckled and headed for the kitchen. He nodded silently, then tugged at his tightly knotted tie to loosen it, took water from the fridge, and drank. Sejin gazed at his picturesque form as if enchanted, then asked again,

“Are you… going out again?”

Cheon Sejoo narrowed his eyes at his stammering question and retorted,

“Are you hinting that I should leave?”

“No, I’m not!”

Sejin was annoyed at Cheon Sejoo, who kept changing the subject and not understanding his feelings. Sejin yelled with a sullen face, then stood there, biting his lips. Then, thinking that Cheon Sejoo’s feelings might change at any moment, he hurried into the kitchen and told him,

“Let’s have dinner. I haven’t eaten yet. I’ll get it ready quickly.”

“…You seem fine now.”

“Yeah. All better.”

Cheon Sejoo leaned against the island bar, scanning Sejin from head to toe. Seeing him wearing his own t-shirt and pants, he licked his dry lips, then took a step closer to Sejin. A palm, faintly smelling of cigarettes, covered his small forehead. He silently gauged the remaining heat on him. Soon, Cheon Sejoo smiled, meeting the eyes of Sejin, who was staring at him in a daze.

“You’re right. Your fever’s gone.”

As soon as the brief check-up was over, Sejin’s face blazed red. He rubbed his hot, flushed cheeks with the back of his hand and turned away. With his back to Cheon Sejoo, hiding his embarrassment, Sejin opened the refrigerator door and said,

“I’ll prepare dinner, so go wash up and come out.”

“Okay.”

Cheon Sejoo nodded without another word. Watching him leave his side and head to the bathroom with clothes in hand, Sejin let out a short sigh before taking out ingredients and beginning to prepare them. He couldn’t make someone who had just come home from work wait long. If he had known Cheon Sejoo was coming home, he would have prepared it earlier, Sejin swallowed his regret and prepared dinner.

First, he washed the rice and set it to cook, then opened the refrigerator. Just in time, eggplants bought a few days ago were lying fresh in the crisper, and there was also pork for japchae in the freezer. Sejin took out soybean paste, green onions, and frozen garlic, then took out the pork to thaw. While the microwave was thawing the meat, he cut the eggplants into bite-sized pieces.

Cooking oil was poured into a large pan, and green onions were added. As the green onion oil simmered and a sweet aroma spread, he added garlic for flavor and then the roughly seasoned pork. As he stir-fried it, the meat became glossy and a delicious smell began to waft. Sejin swallowed hard and added the eggplants.

The fresh eggplants were briefly stir-fried until stiff, then softened by the pan’s heat and shrunk into a palatable size. When the eggplants seemed well-cooked, Sejin added soybean paste and sugar and stir-fried the ingredients again. His stir-fried eggplant with soybean paste was a secret recipe that, though strange to those who first saw it, was unforgettable once tasted. Normally, he would wrap this dish in steamed cabbage, but since he was short on time today, he seasoned it more strongly to eat it as a rice bowl.

Just as he finished cooking and was mixing the cooked rice, Cheon Sejoo came out. Wearing a thin t-shirt and pants resting on his hips, he approached with leisurely steps, opened the refrigerator, took out water, and sat down. Sejin, hiding his pounding heart, transferred rice and the stir-fried eggplant to a bowl for rice bowls. He drizzled a little sesame oil over it and crumbled sesame seeds by hand, sprinkling them on top, and a savory aroma filled the air.

“I’ll eat well.”

“Okay.”

Seeing Cheon Sejoo pick up his spoon, Sejin gripped the large bowl he had prepared for himself. Since there was no large bowl that could hold the amount of rice bowl Cheon Sejoo could eat, Sejin always used a large metal bowl when eating rice bowls or bibimbap.

Carefully scooping rice and eggplant into his spoon, Sejin glanced at Cheon Sejoo across from him. He looked no different than usual. As always on rainy days, he seemed very subdued and spoke little. Sejin wondered if he had perhaps met Kang Doyoon already, but Cheon Sejoo’s nape was clean, without a single mark. Sejin felt sly for even checking such a thing and awkwardly lowered his head.

Sejin didn’t know why he hadn’t gone to meet Kang Doyoon. But what mattered was that Cheon Sejoo had come to him anyway. He had returned to Kwon Sejin. That fact alone was enough.

The meal ended in an awkward silence, and Sejin, conscious of Cheon Sejoo who wasn’t getting up immediately, cleared the table. He pre-rinsed the greasy dishes, put them in the dishwasher, then wrung out a disposable dishcloth, wiped the table, and placed it on top of the rice cooker. It seemed a waste to throw it away after one use, so he planned to use it to wipe the induction cooktop later. When he finished cleaning and turned around, Cheon Sejoo was leaning his chin on his hand, lost in thought at the island bar.

His hair disheveled over his forehead, motionless, he looked like a man with a very sad story, like someone who had recently lost his wife. His lowered dark eyes were half-covered by his eyelids. His eyelashes, normally barely visible without double eyelids, were neatly lowered, casting shadows on his eyes. Sejin quietly gazed at his firmly closed lips beneath his sharply defined nose, which seemed drawn.

The scene from his dream kept resurfacing. But the more he mulled it over, the more he leaned towards the thought that it wasn’t a dream but something that had actually happened. Sejin felt he knew the texture of Cheon Sejoo’s lips. They would surely be moist, warm, and sweet. Sejin stood there, staring intently at Cheon Sejoo, then, out of frustration, finally spoke first.

“Cheon Sejoo.”

“…Huh?”

He finally lifted his head in response to the call, looking up at Sejin with languid, unfocused eyes. Unlike his usual sharp demeanor, his somehow docile face stirred something within Sejin today. Sejin felt his heart pound as if it would burst from his chest, hesitated, then asked him,

“Did we kiss?”

“……”

At the truly abrupt and explicit question, Cheon Sejoo straightened his back and frowned. A look of discomfort flashed in his eyes. A strange tension enveloped his relaxed face, and Sejin bit his lip, blaming his impatient mouth.

“No, that is…”

Sejin was about to explain, unable to wait for Cheon Sejoo, who hadn’t answered directly.

“We didn’t kiss…”

Cheon Sejoo suddenly muttered, as if bewildered. Sejin didn’t immediately understand his words. He didn’t kiss? What did “didn’t kiss” even mean? Does that mean they did something else besides kissing…? Sejin, chewing on his lip in confusion, was about to ask Cheon Sejoo again.

“Don’t come into my room.”

Cheon Sejoo suddenly stood up, went to the display cabinet, and took out whiskey and a glass. Unable to adjust to the suddenly cut-off conversation, Sejin stared blankly at his retreating back, then retorted,

“What?”

“Don’t come in.”

There was no further explanation. Cheon Sejoo said that in an indifferent voice, then disappeared into his room with the alcohol, leaving Sejin in the kitchen, blinking in bewilderment.

The person who could answer had already disappeared, but Sejin couldn’t shake off Cheon Sejoo’s strange answer. What did “didn’t kiss” mean? Did it mean they did something else, or what?

He sighed, sat on the high chair, and clutched his head with both hands. He clawed at his soft hair, making all sorts of guesses, but ultimately couldn’t find an answer and collapsed onto the table.

The marble of the island bar was lukewarm. It was no different from the warmth Cheon Sejoo’s lips had possessed. It seemed like their lips had indeed touched. Sejin turned his head towards Cheon Sejoo’s room and traced the tabletop with his fingertips.

Now that he thought about it, it was the same last year. After stopping by the hospital… Sejin consciously tried to erase his mother’s face that suddenly popped into his mind. Ignoring the painful ache in his chest, he recalled what had happened with Cheon Sejoo last year. That day, at that moment, he hadn’t noticed anything strange, but looking back now, Cheon Sejoo had been acting odd.

He had lied, saying he wasn’t going to meet Kang Doyoon. He was a man who often made strange jokes, but he had no qualms about such things. Even when Sejin said he had seen them having sex, he hadn’t backed down and had honestly admitted it. So, there was no reason for Cheon Sejoo to deceive him that day by saying he wasn’t meeting Kang Doyoon, yet he had lied.

And he had drunk alcohol that day too…

Sejin slowly retraced his memories. Now that he thought about it, there had definitely been rainy or snowy days after that day. But Cheon Sejoo never tried to leave the house again after that. Of course, there were nights he stayed out, but it was easy to tell that he hadn’t met Kang Doyoon on those nights. Sejin had never been upset by the marks on his neck after that summer.

Why did Cheon Sejoo lie? Was the reason he tried to kiss him that day truly just because he had been drinking? Sejin pondered deeply, then suddenly snapped back to reality at the sound of the doorbell ringing. His sharp gaze went to the intercom on the wall. Soon, Sejin’s eyes narrowed fiercely.

Speaking of the devil, the person whose face filled the large panel screen was unmistakably Kang Doyoon.

Why is he here?

Sejin sprang to his feet, frowning, and walked towards the intercom. He hoped he was mistaken and stared intently at the screen, but the person calling Apartment 4100 from outside was indeed Kang Doyoon.

Trrrrr, trrrrr, the call rang loudly. Sejin gritted his teeth, fumbled with the side of the intercom, and turned the volume down as low as it would go. It was still noisy, but at this level, it probably wouldn’t reach Cheon Sejoo’s room, who might be sleeping.

…No way.

Sejin’s head snapped around. Staring resentfully towards Cheon Sejoo’s bedroom, Sejin’s eyes reddened, and he clenched his fists. No way he called that person? To his home? Knowing I’m here…

He had thought it was strange. It didn’t make sense for Cheon Sejoo to come home for no reason. Was Cheon Sejoo planning this when he came home? To call Kang Doyoon and let him know that he had no feelings for Sejin…

Even though Sejin knew Cheon Sejoo wasn’t that kind of person, he was consumed by jealousy and couldn’t make a rational judgment. With eyes brimming with anger as if he would burst into tears any moment, he pressed the talk button on the intercom. The connection tone stopped, and Doyoon smiled, raising his eyes.

“-Hyung? I tried to contact you…”

But before Doyoon could even say anything properly, Sejin hung up the call. It was an unavoidable choice, as he only had two options: open the door or talk. However, Doyoon seemed to think the other person had pressed something wrong and called again. Sejin gritted his teeth, ignored the ring, went to the kitchen, and brought out a metal spoon.

Then he slipped the spoon into the small gap between the intercom and the wall. As he levered it out with force, thunk, thud, with the sound of connections tearing, a part of the intercom detached from the wall. Sejin didn’t miss the opportunity. Unaware that his fingertips were painfully pricked, he gripped the edge of the intercom and began to use all his strength to rip the device from the wall.

Despite there being a separate part to detach the intercom, Sejin, who foolishly resorted to force to solve the problem, soon found what appeared to be the power cord and pulled it out without hesitation. Trrrrr, the continuous ringing stopped, and only Sejin’s ragged breathing remained in the living room after the intercom screen turned black.

“……”

He couldn’t bear it. Did it have to come to this? Sex, what was it? Calling that man even when I’m here… Enraged, Sejin roughly wiped his cheek and headed for Cheon Sejoo’s room. He completely forgot Cheon Sejoo’s warning not to enter and pushed the door open.

“Cheon Sejoo.”

There was no answer to his call. Only a dim light filled Cheon Sejoo’s bedroom. The air was so heavy and still, like dead silence, that if you didn’t strain your ears, you wouldn’t even know someone was there. Sejin slowed his steps and slowly approached the side of the bed. Cheon Sejoo was lying on it.

One arm covered his handsome face. A strong scent of alcohol wafted from his slightly parted lips, and his firm chest rose and fell shallowly with each soft breath. Below his disheveled t-shirt, the contours of his abs and nipples were clearly visible, and his thin pants revealed the position of his genitals as he lay there.

The moment he saw that, Sejin felt the rage that had soared to his head cool down. Cheon Sejoo, lying defenseless, was in a sensual pose, as if testing Sejin’s dwindling patience.

Eyes clouded with intense desire swept over Cheon Sejoo’s surroundings. The glass, half-filled with golden liquid, was precariously balanced on the edge of the nightstand, and the whiskey bottle lay empty on the floor. It was only natural that he would be sleeping like a log after drinking all that alcohol.

Sejin approached as if enchanted and knelt on the bed. One side of the mattress dipped slightly, and Cheon Sejoo’s neat instep moved faintly. Sejin scanned him from his toes to his chest in one glance, then trapped Cheon Sejoo between his arms and legs.

Though it hadn’t been long since he thought of him as a big, dependable person, Cheon Sejoo fit perfectly into Sejin’s embrace. Sejin, who had somehow surpassed Cheon Sejoo and grown taller than him, now realized anew that this man had seemed smaller to him lately not just for psychological reasons.

“Cheon Sejoo…”

At the low call, the arm pressing on his forehead dropped away. As what had covered his face disappeared, a slight frown on his brow was visible. Sejin swallowed dryly and leaned his head towards him. A little closer, just a little closer, and their lips could meet, but instead, Sejin called his name again.

“Cheon Sejoo.”

Only then did Cheon Sejoo, his name called from so close, regain a little consciousness. His eyelids fluttered convulsively, and he blinked weakly, looking up at Sejin with hazy eyes. Hot breaths escaped from his slightly parted lips. Sejin felt his dick painfully erect at the warmth of Cheon Sejoo’s breath touching his own lips, and he opened his mouth.

“Kang Doyoon, that person came…”

Cheon Sejoo frowned, slowly closing and opening his eyes. He seemed to not fully understand what was being said. Sejin unconsciously leaned his head towards him. Sejin’s forehead touched Cheon Sejoo’s, which was warm with alcohol, and their breaths mingled at close proximity. Then, Cheon Sejoo’s body moved quickly, sensing a change.

The arm that had been weakly resting on his head moved down and grabbed Sejin’s wrist. With force, he pushed him away and slowly said,

“I told you… not to come in…”

“What were you trying to do with that person?”

As if he hadn’t heard his words, Sejin asked in a moist voice. Regardless of how Kang Doyoon had come here, it no longer mattered. His resentment towards Cheon Sejoo had long melted away like snow the moment he saw him lying there, and now only one thought occupied Sejin’s mind.

He wanted to replace Kang Doyoon.