Mudoo - Chapter 38

Seula had only meant to stay at the hotel until Kang Tae-shin got better, but somehow, morning had already come. She opened her eyes and mentally replayed what had happened.

Evidence of their night together was still in the trash can. She’d lost count of how many condoms they’d gone through. When they woke up again near dawn and things heated up once more, they had none left. Tae-shin had to settle for thrusting between her thighs to take the edge off.

The feeling of a warm blanket brushing her bare skin was oddly comforting. She turned her head and saw Tae-shin sleeping next to her—just as bare.

She couldn’t help admiring his face again. From his smooth forehead down to the sharp line of his nose, every feature was sculpted to perfection.

She remembered being shocked by his looks the first time they met—he was the kind of handsome you’d never see in Korea, no matter how hard you looked.

As she secretly watched him sleep, Tae-shin turned toward her without opening his eyes. He reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

“Still surprised every time, even though I’m next to you every day?” he murmured in a low, sleepy voice.

“Hearing you say that about yourself out loud is just… yeah.”

“You could’ve said it before I did, you know.”

His rare, half-whining tone made Seula chuckle. Then suddenly, a strange old story came to mind.

“There’s this tale that butchers used to be really tall and handsome back in the day.”

“Butchers? What now?”

“Yeah. But because their social status was so low, they couldn’t pass on their genes, and all that superior DNA just disappeared.”

Tae-shin opened his eyes, lifting a brow. Seula shrugged, realizing she might’ve gone too far with the random comment.

“I just heard it somewhere—I don’t know if it’s even true.”

“So my face reminded you of some old butcher? You think I look like one?”

“I, uh… I didn’t mean it like that! I wasn’t trying to connect the two—it just popped into my head, that’s all. No hidden meaning.”

“That’s… funny.”

He said it with the flattest expression imaginable. The mismatch was honestly kind of hilarious.

Seula reached for her phone on the nightstand to check the time, but before she could grab it, Tae-shin pulled her closer, wrapping her arms around his back.

“It’s probably around 7 and 9 a.m.,” he said.

“You knew I was trying to check the time?”

“It was obvious.”

“How’d you know it’s around 7 and 9 a.m.?”

“Look at the sun. You can tell where it is.”

He sounded like one of those old-timey people who told time based on shadows. Well, maybe he really was—if that whole ‘lived for 500 years’ thing was true.

It wasn’t even the end of winter, but so many bizarre things had already happened. And now she was lying naked in bed, tangled up with the center of it all. Her mind wandered to the people probably waiting for them back at the house in Cheonghae-dong.

“Think Dong-gil and Hobun are doing okay?”

“They should be. I need to send that little fox back home soon though.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice if we all just lived together, crowded and cozy?”

“My house isn’t a shelter for drifters, you know.”

He said that, but Seula knew better. He was soft at heart, always too kind to kick anyone out. Even though he constantly grumbled about Hobun staying there, he’d probably be a little sad if he left.

“Then why haven’t you kicked me out?” Seula teased, curious about why he only acted that way with Hobun.

Tae-shin stared at her, then bit his lip like he was thinking hard.

“Because I’ve decided to take responsibility for you.”

His answer felt a bit anticlimactic, considering the dramatic pause before it. Still, Seula smiled and closed her eyes again—she was still bone-tired from the night before.

***

When they finally got back to the house in Cheonghae-dong and changed into something comfortable, Seula felt the heat of someone’s glare.

“So you two had all that fun without us, huh?” Dong-gil growled, clearly annoyed that they stayed out without telling anyone. His voice was sharper than usual.

Seula held up her finger and shook it firmly. “We did not have fun. It was basically work.”

Tae-shin, being too weak to return home, had been part of that work. And since their night together was physical labor in its own way, she figured she wasn’t lying. At least, that’s how she justified it.

“I’m so tired, like my whole body’s aching and I’m still sleepy even after resting. I might not be able to do anything today except lie down again.”

“That rough, huh?”

Tae-shin walked out of his room with a small smile, catching Seula completely off guard.

“I mean… yeah, it wasn’t easy, but I could handle it.”

“Now you’re changing your story.”

Unable to find a middle ground, Seula started rambling. Hobun, watching from the side, added with a gentle smile.

“When you’re that exhausted, it’s good to take a half-bath and eat something warm. Really helps.”

The way he said it made Seula break into a cold sweat—it felt like Hobun knew everything that had happened last night. Suddenly, Tae-shin’s wish to send him home made perfect sense.

Trying to escape the awkwardness, Seula slipped out to the porch and sat there, breathing in the crisp winter air. She ran her fingers through her hair and let out a yawn, her breath rising in a soft white cloud.

Then, something warm and soft settled over her shoulders—Tae-shin had come out and draped a blanket over her.

“Want some cocoa?”

It was funny—he didn’t exactly scream ‘sweet tooth,’ but he always reached for cocoa. He looked like the type to sip double espresso, but he’d been spoiled by the stuff. Now, whenever it got chilly, he’d ask for cocoa without fail.

“Yeah. Make it so sweet it stings my tongue, please.”

She had a feeling that every time she drank cocoa from now on, she’d think of this winter with him.

***

Following Hobun’s advice, Seula took a half-bath, ate a warm dinner, and plopped down on the rocking chair in front of the fireplace.

As if they’d planned it, everyone in the house ended up gathering there. Dong-gil lay belly-down on the floor, Hobun leaned back reading a book, and Tae-shin lounged in a solo chair, scrolling through his phone.

The peace was a stark contrast to the chaos from yesterday, and Seula felt a strange kind of calm.

“Should we order fried chicken for a late-night snack?”

“They don’t deliver here.”

“Oh…”

Come to think of it, they hadn’t ordered anything since moving to Cheonghae-dong. It wasn’t even a countryside area, but the place felt oddly removed from the modern world. It was like living in a temple retreat—isolated, but not unpleasant.

Still, she missed coming home after work, turning on a comedy show, and eating spicy chicken feet with a cold beer. She missed it especially tonight.

As she stared into the crackling fireplace, Tae-shin suddenly got up and grabbed his car keys.

“Where are you going?”

“To get chicken.”

The idea of him going out late at night just for her made Seula feel guilty.

“I was just saying. I don’t need it that bad. I’m full from dinner anyway.”

“I want some, though.”

Even then, she still felt uneasy about him going alone. She got up and followed him.

“Then I’m coming with you.”

“Didn’t you say you were so tired you couldn’t move?”

She hadn’t expected him to remember that throwaway comment. Feeling a little shy, she followed him to the porch and slipped her fingers between his.

“Still. I want to go with you.”

Tae-shin looked down at their joined hands and smiled softly. Then he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. The moonlight lit up his face, and Seula could see the faint blush on his cheek.

“I feel like I’m being bewitched by a fox right now. Not sure if this is okay.”

“Hobun would laugh if he heard that.”

Seula swung their hands back and forth lightly. Their steps felt light as they walked out the gate.

“Do you like spicy or classic fried?”

“Whatever you like, Seula.”

As they made their way down the hill, trading silly words under the night sky, the moment felt straight out of a dream.