Yoon Seo, satisfied, patted his belly as he sat in front of the table filled with empty dishes. He knew Kwon Jihan was watching him, but he couldn't hide his content expression.
"How was it? Did you enjoy the meal?"
It was damn good.
"Well, it was decent."
"What time are you getting up tomorrow? Anything you want for breakfast?"
"I'll get up around six and go for a run. For breakfast, marinated short ribs would be nice."
"Marinated short ribs?"
"Yes."
Seeing Yoon Seo's eager eyes, Kwon Jihan chuckled and nodded.
"Got it. I'll have to marinate them in advance."
"Want me to help?"
"No need. Instead, why don't we run together in the morning?"
"If I run with you, it'll turn into a race again."
"I run every morning too, you know. Come on, join me. The jogging course along the Han River is really nice."
Yoon Seo glanced out the large window. The night view of the Han River was always beautiful. The thought of running along the quiet riverside with Kwon Jihan in the early morning, when twilight and dawn coexist, made his heart race a little.
"Alright. If you insist, I'll join you."
Yoon Seo's cool reply made Kwon Jihan laugh softly.
Kwon Jihan's smile was so innocent, like a boy's, that Yoon Seo found it hard to believe this face could ever look arrogant. As Yoon Seo stood up, he said, "Since I ate for free, I'll handle the dishes."
"The dishwasher will take care of that."
"Is it really that convenient?"
"Hyung, you don't have a dishwasher? How have you lived without one, especially when you eat so much?"
Yoon Seo felt a bit emotional. His house didn't have much in the way of appliances. He had a piano, something most homes didn't have, but he didn't bother with a dishwasher or dryer, thinking he wouldn't need them since he would die soon anyway.
"They say it's not entirely hands-free. You have to soak the dishes first, and it doesn't always clean them properly. Plus, dishwashers require maintenance."
"That's old news, Chaeyoon hyung. Things have changed in the last 10 years. With dungeon byproducts and items, home appliances have made revolutionary advancements."
Kwon Jihan teased with a grin.
"Want me to get you one? The exact same model?"
"No, thanks. But I would like to wash up now."
"Feel free to use the guest bathroom. I've prepared everything—your toothbrush, toothpaste, towels, even pajamas. Just put your clothes in the basket. By morning, everything will be washed, dried, and ready."
Since the house was spacious, Kwon Jihan guided Yoon Seo to the bathroom. Yoon Seo quickly went inside.
As soon as he heard the lock click from inside, Kwon Jihan shouted loudly on purpose, "Don't worry, I won't barge in like last time." No response came, only the sound of running water.
Kwon Jihan leaned his forehead against the door for a moment, but stopped, thinking Yoon Seo might sense his presence.
When he turned away, his face had grown thoughtful, a stark contrast to the smile he wore just moments before.
***
It was Kwon Jihan who finished washing first. Dressed in comfortable navy pajamas, he noticed that Yoon Seo was still in the bathroom and felt a bit flustered for some reason. He recalled the scar-covered body he'd seen before and was about to shake his head vigorously to clear the image when his eyes landed on the large egg on the sofa.
Kwon Jihan sat next to it.
"Hello."
The 'giant bird egg' quivered slightly.
Having often come into contact with rare and special items, Kwon Jihan was no stranger to such oddities. Many unique items that hit the market typically passed through his hands first. He had even found treasure chests in dungeons and received several unique items as rewards for his contributions. Yet, this was the first time he had ever encountered a weapon item born from an egg.
The Seokyoung Guild executives often spoke of Seo Chaeyoon, the one who slaughtered monsters with a dagger inlaid with blue gems.
They praised his unparalleled strength with admiration, envy, and reverence in their eyes and voices.
Kwon Jihan should've felt excited at the thought of soon witnessing that strength firsthand, but instead, his mood sank. He vaguely understood why he, who usually welcomed the arrival of a powerful figure, felt this way.
A while later, Yoon Seo emerged from the bathroom in pajamas. In truth, since the night before, when they made plans to hike, Kwon Jihan had prepared food and even pajamas with the intention of letting Yoon Seo stay over. The pajamas he had picked out were ivory with a small embroidered whale on the chest, and when Yoon Seo came out wearing them, Kwon Jihan was certain he had made the right choice.
However, Yoon Seo's face looked unusually grumpy.
"Aren't these a bit small for you? Why do you even have pajamas in this size?"
"Oh, I bought them thinking they were one-size-fits-all, but they were too small for me. They look great on you, though. You can wear them whenever you come over."
Yoon Seo's face brightened slightly, but his reply remained aloof.
"I'm not planning on coming here again."
"You will. Tomorrow's breakfast will be damn delicious."
"...."
Yoon Seo had no comeback to Kwon Jihan's confident statement.
"But hey, hyung, that egg looks like it's about to hatch. Are you going to sleep with it in the bed?"
"…Please describe it properly. That phrasing makes me feel weird."
"Ah."
"I'll leave it on the sofa. By the way, where am I supposed to sleep? Surely not on the couch or the floor, right? Do you have a guest room with a bed?"
"A bed?"
"Yes, I can only sleep in a bed. I didn't think to check."
Yoon Seo frowned slightly, looking a bit troubled.
Kwon Jihan was puzzled.
You can only sleep in a bed? Yoon Seo never struck him as someone who would be particular about where he slept. It seemed strange that a seasoned warrior who had spent so much time in such a horrific place would claim he could only sleep in a bed. His tone wasn't that of someone simply seeking comfort; it was unusually rigid.
After a moment of thought, Kwon Jihan narrowed his eyes.
"Is that part of the will too?"
"...."
"Did the Revenger leave you a will that said you should only sleep in a bed?"
"...."
Yoon Seo, who had been silent, nodded.
Kwon Jihan felt as if something inside him was crumbling. It was like the ceiling was collapsing, or perhaps the ground beneath him was giving way.
Or maybe it was his heart that was falling apart.
Why? Why was he feeling such intense emotion over something as simple as a will telling Yoon Seo to sleep in a comfortable bed?
As Kwon Jihan covered his face with his hand, Yoon Seo, looking puzzled, asked, "What's wrong?"
"No, hyung. Ah, damn."
"What is it?"
"Those people… really…"
"...."
"They must've wanted you to live so badly."
The words spilled out before he could stop them. It was only after he had said everything that Kwon Jihan quickly shut his mouth. He wanted to take it all back. Rarely had he felt this sense of awkwardness after saying something insensitive, but lately, he had been feeling it often around Yoon Seo.
With a slightly anxious heart, Kwon Jihan glanced at Yoon Seo's expression, only to find him merely frowning slightly.
"That's right. Selfish people."
Yoon Seo said lightly, and that was the end of it.
"Anyway, if there's no bed, I'm going home. This is a non-negotiable issue, and it has nothing to do with our bet."
"Ah, hyung, why are you in such a hurry?"
Suppressing the storm of emotions swirling inside, Kwon Jihan called out to Yoon Seo. His voice cracked.
"There's a bed in the guest room. You can sleep there."
"That's a relief."
Yoon Seo sighed in relief. His expression relaxed, and he walked over to the sofa with an easy stride, plopping down next to Riceball.
Then, suddenly, with a mockingly disappointed look, he added, "Ah, what a shame. I could've gone home. I really didn't want to sleep here."
His playful demeanor should've made Kwon Jihan laugh, but he didn't.
"There's still time before bed. Should we watch 'Love in Han River'?"
"Sure."
Kwon Jihan nodded reflexively but then furrowed his brow and asked seriously, "Is rewatching 'Love in Han River' before bed part of the will too?"
Yoon Seo rolled his eyes in discontent as he looked at Kwon Jihan.
"This is just something I want to watch."
"Sure, then… go ahead. Watch to your heart's content."
Yoon Seo instantly perked up and grabbed the remote. Kwon Jihan thought Yoon Seo might take Riceball back, but surprisingly, he left it for Kwon Jihan to pet.
***
The two sat side by side, watching the drama together. In this scene, the male lead should have confessed to the female lead; from the male lead's perspective, this was the best option; it's so frustrating; he was worried the female lead might be shocked, and so on…
As Yoon Seo shared his thoughts with Kwon Jihan, he became engrossed in the moment. Watching a favorite drama while discussing it with someone else was truly enjoyable, especially since that someone was Kwon Jihan. If he could, he would want to rewatch every episode with him.
After binge-watching episodes 11, 12, and 13, they finally turned off the TV as it approached midnight. Yoon Seo made a firm decision, knowing they would stay up all night if they didn't.
"Good night, hyung."
"If you don't wake up on time tomorrow, I'll finish my run and go home by myself."
"That's scary. You'd better wake up on time."
They each went to their rooms. Although the guest room and the main bedroom were quite far apart, both being S-rank hunters, they could hear each other tossing in bed.
Kwon Jihan lay in bed, blinking.
Until now, the only other person who had stayed at his house was Yoo Juncheol. He had wanted to kick Yoo Juncheol out because he was noisy while sleeping, but the sound of Yoon Seo tossing and turning felt like a peaceful natural sound he wanted to hear more of.
His mind was troubled.
Talking about the drama with Yoon Seo had been enjoyable, but as silence settled in, a ghostly heaviness filled his chest.
'Looks like I won't be sleeping tonight.'
Kwon Jihan gave up on sleep and sat up.
Turning on the soft lighting, he leaned against the wall and listened to Yoon Seo's breathing.
There were various reasons he couldn't sleep, and all of them were related to Yoon Seo.