Osratida - Chapter 20

It had been quite a while since Shinhee, crouched down, dozed off into a light sleep when Gyojin opened his eyes. For a moment, he rolled his eyes around at the unfamiliar scenery. What is this? What’s going on? Where am I? And who is this man sitting here like this?

Even the sharp and capable Ha Gyojin, who prided himself on never losing to anyone in mental prowess, couldn’t comprehend the situation at hand. He felt like he could offer a blank check to anyone who could come and explain this situation to him clearly.

Gyojin shook his head, trying to wake his drowsy mind, and slowly looked around to assess the situation. His eyes, now accustomed to the darkness, began to recognize the surroundings. A small but practical room, neatly arranged decorations, a painting of bamboo, and clothes hanging in order. One thing was certain—it wasn’t the room he had been staying in. Was this really this man’s room?

If so, why was he lying here, and why was Shinhee sleeping in such a pitiful position? Moonlight poured in through the large window, settling on the Shinhee’s pale neck. A white face. Big eyes.

In that instant, the face of a pale, terrified man flashed through the cracks of his fragmented memory. Gyojin let out a low sigh and covered his face with one hand. For whatever reason, he must have caused quite a bit of trouble during the night. He figured this man must have temporarily moved him here after he had suddenly collapsed.

His mind was a chaotic mess. Even amidst the confusion, he found himself bothered by the man, who must have checked on him while sitting in that uncomfortable position. He couldn’t help but notice that pale neck, the dimples that appeared when he smiled awkwardly, the fresh scent of soap, and those slender hands.

The white, delicate hand that had guided his own to rest on its thin wrist lingered in his mind, tugging at his nerves and leaving him speechless.

Gyojin’s eyes fluttered slightly, and an inexplicable irritation arose from his inability to define this feeling. It felt like something beyond logic was flowing from this man, maliciously influencing him.

Who are you? What kind of person are you to shake me like this? What exactly are you?

He stood up and hurried toward the door. He felt it would be better for him to leave before Shinhee woke up. But just as he was about to open the door, he couldn’t help but glance back at him. Though it was nearing summer, Shinhee seemed to be shivering as if he were still cold.

Gyojin hesitated by the door for a moment before turning back. He intended to wrap a blanket around him and then return to his own room.

He grabbed the blanket he had just been using and was about to drape it over his shoulders when Shinhee, who had been nodding off, opened his eyes.

Blink. Blink.

The two of them locked eyes in silence for a moment. Gyojin, flustered, and Shinhee, still half-asleep, stared at each other without a word. In the quiet, Gyojin swallowed nervously. Shinhee was the first to break the silence.

“…You’re awake?”
“…Yes.”
“Are you feeling better?”

After a long pause, Gyojin barely managed to respond.

“I’m sorry for troubling you.”

Shinhee slowly shook his head. Having missed the right moment to leave, Gyojin hesitated before eventually confessing.

“…Actually, I’ve been experiencing something like sleepwalking lately.”
“Sleepwalking?”
“While I was in Japan for the past three days, I kept having dreams where someone was calling me.”
“…And when you woke up, were you somewhere else?”
“Yesterday, I woke up lying in front of the door. Today… well, as you can see.”

Gyojin gestured toward Shinhee’s sleeping spot with a nod. Shinhee briefly stood up and headed for the door.

But contrary to his confident start, his legs, numb from sitting too long, betrayed him, causing him to collapse in a clumsy heap. The child spirit stared at Shinhee, who had fallen with a dull thud, with pity. Lying face down on the tatami mat, Shinhee debated for three seconds. Should I just pretend to faint from embarrassment?

Gyojin chuckled softly at Shinhee’s unintended mistake and slowly stood up.

“Stay here. I’ll leave instead.”
“No!”
“Pardon?”
“No, I mean…”

Shinhee, still lying face down, mumbled awkwardly as he slowly got up. He couldn’t bear to look Gyojin in the face out of sheer embarrassment.

“You should sleep here tonight. It’s probably safer that way. I’ll check your room and let you know afterward.”
“And where will you sleep, Mr. Go?”
“I can sleep sitting up or outside, it’s no problem.”
“Why would you do that?”

Gyojin glanced at the door and asked nonchalantly.

“What exactly did I do earlier?”
“You walked down the hallway without turning on the lights, and it looked dangerous, so I brought you here. You had no focus in your eyes.”

Walking down the hallway… I have no memory of that at all.

After a brief moment of thought, Gyojin took out a futon and pillow from the wardrobe, spread them on the floor, and lay down. He looked up at Shinhee, who was watching all of this with a puzzled expression.

“Then let’s sleep together.”
“Pardon?”

Shinhee’s voice cracked in surprise. What is this situation? Shinhee, overwhelmed, didn’t know what to do, while Gyojin simply turned away.

“This is your room. Don’t go anywhere and just sleep here. We can check my room tomorrow.”
“……”
“We’re both men. What’s the big deal?”

At those last words, Shinhee suppressed his surprise. Gyojin’s breathing soon became calm and steady, indicating that he was already drifting off.

But Shinhee couldn’t sleep for a long time. The sound of Gyojin’s peaceful breathing kept him awake until morning.

Gyojin, too, lay awake the entire night.

Having barely slept through the night, Shinhee blinked his dazed eyes and headed toward Gyojin’s room. Since it wasn’t even six o’clock yet, Gyojin was still asleep in Shinhee’s room.

In the dim light of early morning, Gyojin’s accommodation turned out to be twice the size of Shinhee’s. Aside from being a suite room with a living area and a terrace, there was nothing unusual about it. The room was eerily quiet, with not a single ghost in sight.

Shinhee thoroughly inspected the large bathroom connected to the room as well as the terrace overlooking a bamboo forest, but he found nothing out of the ordinary. By now, his curiosity outweighed his concern. Even the baby spirit he had brought along for verification shook its head, finding nothing suspicious.

What could it be? What had possessed him? A sense of foreboding crept in.

After pondering for a moment, Shinhee scribbled a message on the hotel notepad and slipped the note into a hidden space in the wardrobe. He hoped Gyojin wouldn’t experience the bad luck his premonition warned of.

Leaving the note behind, Shinhee quietly exited Gyojin’s room.

—

Would you like to know what the note says? I can add that!

Gyojin’s schedule for the fourth day was simple: a business meeting in the morning and attending a department store’s new store opening party in the afternoon. While Gyojin was organizing his schedule, Shinhee received an invitation to an art gallery from Yukie. Hyunwoo, who brought the news, giggled as he carefully read the card aloud.

“Dear Shin-chan, I would like to invite you to the Special Exhibition of Contemporary Japanese Paintings at Hinori Museum at 7 PM today. I was deeply moved by the purity of your eyes that truly appreciate art. I hope you have a wonderful time. From Yukie! Kya!”

“Please stop.”

“How could I stop? Anyone can see she’s interested in you.”

“That’s nonsense. It’s just an invitation. Stop teasing me.”

“Looks like Yukie has a thing for you. Fair-skinned and delicate men.”

“I’ve always been bothered by that word—delicate.”

“Bothered or not, it’s the truth.”

Despite Shinhee’s growing discomfort, Hyunwoo just kept grinning and pushing his buttons.

“Are you really going?”

“Since I’ve been invited, I should go.”

“…I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why are you making such a fuss? Or are you jealous because you like her?”

As Shinhee adjusted the sleeve of his navy knit sweater, he added with a sarcastic look. Hyunwoo’s expression turned blank, as if caught off guard.

“Jealous? No way… I know my place. Someone like her is way out of my league.”

“Then why do you keep meddling in my business? You did the same thing last time, and it wasn’t even remotely amusing.”

Shinhee gave him a pointed look, signaling him to leave. But instead of leaving, Hyunwoo shrugged and flopped down on the tatami floor of Shinhee’s room.

“Ugh, I don’t want to go to work.”

“Do you earn money for free? Hurry up and go, and don’t cause trouble for the director.”

As Shinhee adjusted his bangs in the mirror, Hyunwoo pouted and glared at him.

“What’s with you, anyway? Do you like the director? Why is it a big deal if I give him trouble?”

At that moment, Shinhee’s hand froze in the middle of fixing his hair. Hyunwoo, sharp as ever when it came to others, didn’t miss the subtle reaction.

“Oh? What’s this? Why are you so flustered? Is there really something going on?”

“Ugh, stop saying nonsense and get out!”

Shinhee grabbed Hyunwoo by the scruff of his neck and dragged him out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Through the mirror next to the door, Shinhee’s face was noticeably flushed.

It took him quite some time to leave the room again.