"Sung Sol, the bathroom is free."
Sol had been staring at his phone, grinning to himself, until Tae-oh came in while fixing his damp hair and called his name.
"Oh, yeah."
At Tae-oh's words, Sol hurriedly got up from the bed and rushed into the bathroom. With five guys sharing two bathrooms, just waiting for one to be free was a task in itself. Eager to remove his heavy makeup, Sol even tossed aside the phone he'd been clutching for so long.
Tae-oh looked at the empty spot Sol had left behind. He straightened the blankets that had been messed up from rolling around and turned up the electric pad so it would be warm for sleeping. The phone Sol had been holding while laughing just moments ago was lying carelessly on the bed. Lately, the time Sol spent glued to his phone in the dorm had increased noticeably. Tae-oh hesitated for a moment, then gently flipped the vibrating phone over.
Tae-oh went back to his own bed and lay down, but he also tossed and turned before grabbing his own phone. He searched for various videos to use as reference material, thinking about the next mission. He must have been focused for quite a while. His eyes were tired and the back of his neck was stiff from staring at the phone screen for too long. Tae-oh briefly looked away from the screen, which was still playing a cover video by a foreign choreography team, and rolled his head in a big circle. As he did this short stretch, his eyes fell on the pile of clothes placed on the table.
"Hmm..."
Had Sol forgotten to take his change of clothes? He must have left in such a hurry that he didn't notice. Looking at the neatly folded pajamas, Tae-oh thought for a moment.
Meanwhile, Sol, who had just finished his shower, also rubbed his chin and let out a thoughtful "Hmm..." He had taken off his clothes without thinking and finished his shower, but when he looked at the shelf, he realized he hadn't brought a change of clothes.
He was clean from his shower, and the thought of putting his dirty clothes back on was deeply unappealing. Sol opened the bathroom door a crack and peeked his head out. He was thinking of calling out to anyone in the living room to ask them to bring his clothes for him.
It didn't feel like he had spent that long in the bathroom, but the living room he peeked into was dim, with only a single indirect light softly on, and there was no sign of anyone. It was extremely quiet, as if everyone had gone to sleep early, tired. In the midst of the silence, Sol felt too awkward to call out to anyone. Holding the doorknob, he made a troubled face. A chilly draft seeped through the slightly open door, making Sol shiver and close the door again.
Sol quickly scanned the steam-filled bathroom. He wrapped a towel around his waist to cover himself. Since everyone seemed to be asleep, he planned to be quiet but move quickly, darting straight to his room. He secured the towel firmly around his waist and draped another towel over his shoulders.
Sol opened the bathroom door, intending to dash quickly through the cold air, and began moving his legs nimbly. The moment his slightly damp soles pushed off the floor, a booming voice rang out.
"Tae-oh hyung."
"Yeah."
"Huh? Sol hyung?"
Just a moment ago, it had seemed like everyone was asleep and the place was quiet, but now, standing right in front of Sol as he threw the door open and rushed out, was Tae-oh, holding his clothes. A step away, Deuk-yong was standing with a water cup in his hand.
Startled by Deuk-yong's sudden voice, Sol jumped like a frightened stray cat. Leaping into the air, Sol let out a dazed "Huh?" and collided squarely with Tae-oh, who was standing there holding the clothes. His damp foot slid straight across the floor, causing him to lose his balance and fall backwards.
Sol's clothes, which were in Tae-oh's hand, fell to the floor with a soft thud. Tae-oh stretched out his arm and caught Sol by the waist as he fell back. Thanks to the warm shower, Sol's smooth skin was hot to the touch. Tae-oh was startled by the sensation he felt in his hand, and Sol was flustered by the embarrassing situation, the two people he'd run into, and the feel of Tae-oh's cool hand on his waist. Both of them, unable to hide their panic, flailed. Their legs tangled, and Tae-oh lost his grip.
In his fluster, Tae-oh ended up pushing Sol away instead. Shocked by his own action, he pulled the flailing Sol back toward him. Everything was a mess, like a discordant sound. The two of them, tangled together, fell to the floor in a heap with Deuk-yong's call as their background music.
With a loud clatter, Sol fell on top of Tae-oh. Absurdly, Sol was now lying neatly on top of Tae-oh's body. Deuk-yong, seeing this, let out an exclamation.
"Wow. Sol hyung, your butt is totally like a baby's butt."
Having fallen on top of Tae-oh, the towel around Sol's waist had shifted slightly, revealing a glimpse of his pale buttocks. True to the mischievous nature of boys his age, Deuk-yong, who had probably seen and run around naked himself often, commented in a very nonchalant tone, still holding his cup. Instantly, Sol's face—no, his entire body—flushed a bright red. Flustered, flapping like a startled bird, Sol scrambled off of Tae-oh and plopped down onto the floor.
Frantically pulling the towel down to cover himself, Sol finally hid his face with both hands. Tae-oh, who had sat up, also coughed awkwardly and turned his head sharply, unable to look directly at Sol. Leaving the two sitting there with bright red faces, Deuk-yong, as if it were nothing, took a sip of his water and went into his room. The embarrassment was left solely to the two of them.
Tae-oh, keeping his head firmly turned to avoid looking at Sol, gathered the clothes that had fallen to the floor. Sol, overwhelmed with shame, hid his face in his hands, bowed his head deeply, and didn't move. After collecting Sol's clothes, Tae-oh, still unable to look at him and with his own face red, held them out.
Tae-oh couldn't look at Sol, and Sol, with his face hidden in his hands, couldn't see the clothes Tae-oh was offering. For a moment, the two of them shared a time of complete miscommunication. When Sol didn't take the clothes no matter how long he waited, Tae-oh cautiously glanced over, then jumped and stared off into the distance again.
His ears, red-hot in contrast to his black hair, were so flushed they looked ready to burst. Tae-oh could almost hear the pounding sound coming from his own heated ears.
"Oh... I didn't think you brought your change of clothes."
Since Sol didn't take it, Tae-oh thrust his hand out further a few more times. Only when the soft, well-dried sleepwear touched his arm did Sol hurriedly snatch the clothes Tae-oh was holding out.
"Th-thanks."
After taking the clothes, Sol scrambled to his feet and retreated back into the bathroom he had burst out of, like a startled deer. Tae-oh didn't turn his head, which had been staring into the distance, until he heard the sound of the bathroom door closing.
Sol, who had firmly locked the bathroom door, silently grabbed at his own hair in frustration. He had done something so unnecessary. Calling himself an idiot, he buried his forehead into the clothes in his hands. He was unbearably embarrassed. Remembering Deok-yong's comment about his backside, Sol screamed internally, 'He couldn't have seen anything else, right?'
A little later, after calming his startled heart from the incident and neatly putting on his sleepwear, Sol came out, trying hard to act normal and hide his embarrassment as he opened his room door. Tae-oh, equally embarrassed, had already turned off the lights and crawled into his bed.
Sol fanned his still burning cheeks, trying to cool them down as he slipped his feet under the warm blanket. He moved cautiously, as if he weren't there, trying hard not to make a single rustling sound. He was so mortified that his burning face refused to cool down.
'I just need to fall asleep quickly.'
Trying hard to calm his shame, Sol checked his phone, which was lying face down. It seemed Eun-gyeom had sent him a few more songs, but Sol sent him a "good night" message to end the conversation.
Overwhelmed by embarrassment, he pretended to sleep and then, faster and deeper than usual, truly fell asleep. The culprit of the incident was soon emitting only soft, steady breaths, but Tae-oh couldn't fall asleep easily. The faint, regular sound of Sol's breathing felt like it was right next to his ear.
When it seemed Sol was completely asleep, Tae-oh cautiously turned over. He had wished, just like Sol, to fall asleep quickly, and closed his eyes pleadingly. But as darkness fell over his vision, the memory of Sol's touch against his body only seemed to grow more vivid. Tae-oh shook his head vigorously, trying desperately to shake off the thoughts seeping into his mind. But the more he tried, the more clearly they came back to him.
The thigh that was exposed when Sol had stepped out, the towel around his waist coming loose. He had always thought Sol's wrists were too thin and fragile, but his legs had quite defined muscles. Was it from dancing? The curve of his shoulders and the line of his waist, which he had only ever guessed at under those big hoodies.
"Got a good look at him in such a short time, did you?"
Tae-oh let out an exasperated sigh, annoyed by the lingering images that were clouding his mind. He found it ridiculous that he had observed Sol in such detail amidst all the chaotic, frantic moments. He tossed and turned once more. No matter how he lay, he was uncomfortable; every part of his skin that touched the blanket felt burning hot, as if he were feverish.
Feeling short of breath and his chest tight, he let out a deep, heavy sigh for no reason. The sound came out much louder than he expected, and Tae-oh flinched, glancing over at Sol. Fortunately, Sol was fast asleep, his face looking completely at peace. The memory of Sol's warm, soft skin against his fingertips lingered, tormenting Tae-oh. He absentmindedly clenched and unclenched his fist under the covers, chasing the fading sensation.
In stark contrast to Sol's peacefully sleeping face, Tae-oh's insides were in turmoil. After tossing and turning for what felt like an eternity, he could no longer bear the stifling feeling. He kicked off the blankets and got up. Despite his abrupt movement, he made sure to muffle his footsteps as he carefully slipped out of the room and sank onto the cool living room sofa.
As the cool air touched his flushed cheeks, his tight chest seemed to open up just a little, feeling a bit clearer. He pressed his cheek against the cool surface of the cushion. Even as the heat that had been boiling inside him gradually subsided, sleep didn't come easily. It was only after a considerable amount of time had passed that Tae-oh finally managed to fall asleep there on the sofa.
"Tae-oh-yah, why are you sleeping here?"
Yeong-ho's voice, clear and bright, woke Tae-oh, who had been sleeping uncomfortably on the sofa late into the morning. The sound lodged itself in Tae-oh's ears as he furrowed his thick brows, his face scrunched in a scowl.
"Was Sol snoring?"
"Huh? Was Sol snoring?"
In response to Yeong-ho's question, Ji-ho sounded confused as he asked back. Hearing their conversation, Tae-oh got up from his spot with a completely expressionless face, as if nothing had happened at all.
"The room... felt a little hot, so I slept here."
It had been a night that was only hot for Tae-oh.
