The quiet of the night and the biting chill of the wind did nothing to soothe the palpable tension. Faint noises from the distant traffic buzzed in the background, but they felt far away, dull and muted beneath the pounding of Jihoon's heart.
His legs trembled beneath him, threatening to give out at any second. Pressing his palm against the rough wall, he steadied himself as the dull ache in his stomach flared painfully with each breath.
"Did you get hurt?"
The low voice broke through the haze clouding his mind. Jihoon blinked up and saw his neighbor crouched down, picking up his bag from the ground and brushing off the dirt with a swift motion before holding it out to him.
"Y-yeah… a little." Jihoon forced a smile, but his voice wavered, the tremor betraying his attempt at composure. His shaky hand reached out to take the bag, but to his surprise, the man slid it onto his broad shoulder without a word.
Ryul had been watching him closely, so he quickly noticed when Jihoon was about to stumble. He stepped in instantly, steadying him. His fingers brushed Jihoon's shoulder briefly before pulling away, the movement so subtle Jihoon might have missed it if not for the faint trace of warmth left behind.
"Should we report him to the authorities? What do you want to do?"
Ryul stepped back as he studied the young man struggling to stay upright.
Jihoon's eyes widened and his head shook in refusal. "No, no… it's fine. He was just drunk… it's nothing."
His lips pressed into a thin line as the words left his mouth, the lie sitting heavily on his tongue. It hadn't been "nothing" for a long time now. But going after Hyunwoo would only make things worse. He had a history of walking away from trouble with barely a slap on the wrist.
Trying to gather himself, Jihoon took a shaky step forward, but his knees buckled beneath him. Pain shot through his ribs, and he clutched his side with a sharp inhale.
"Aghh…"
He let out a strained gasp, his eyes watering from the soreness and blurring his vision. His stomach twisted painfully, and for a moment, his body threatened to collapse.
Through the haze, he saw a hand extending toward him. Jihoon lifted his gaze and saw Ryul standing before him. While his hair partially obscured his face, Jihoon could still see the languid eyes studying him with quiet focus. His hand remained open, waiting.
"I can guide you since we're heading the same way."
Jihoon stayed silent, his mind wandering over his next step. He didn't really want to trouble his neighbor, but his body wasn't giving him much of a choice. Besides… the thought of walking back alone, with the possibility of Hyunwoo lurking nearby, made his chest tighten.
Slowly, he slid his hand into the open palm, his fingers grazing against the calloused warmth of Ryul's hand. Jihoon's breath stirred as Ryul's grip tightened securely around his hand.
Ryul's gaze lowered, skimming over the faint red mark marring Jihoon's pale cheek—a stark imprint of forceful fingers. His jaw tightened for a moment before his gaze flicked away as soon as Jihoon looked up at him.
"Ajeossi… you're not carrying any box today?" Jihoon's voice was soft, an awkward attempt to cut through the tension.
"…Yeah. I guess so." Ryul's reply was short as they began walking slowly. Jihoon winced, clutching his side as the strained muscles in his abdomen screamed in protest.
"Do you… always come out around this time?" Jihoon asked, his tone light despite the strain in his voice.
Before Ryul could answer, Jihoon's ankle twisted sharply against the patchy ground, and he stumbled forward. Ryul's grip tightened instantly, and a strong arm wrapped around Jihoon's waist, steadying him before he could fall.
"Ah… sorry." Jihoon's face burned with embarrassment as he straightened himself, his heart pounding from the sudden rush of adrenaline.
"Be careful," Ryul said calmly as he adjusted his hold on Jihoon's waist to support him better. "We can walk slowly. No need to rush."
Jihoon swallowed, nodding weakly in response.
As the silence stretched between them again, Jihoon cleared his throat. "Ajeossi… you're really tall, and you seem to fight well. What kind of exercise do you do? I want to get stronger too."
Ryul's gaze slid down toward him, his dark eyes calm beneath the sweep of his long hair.
"Does every kid nowadays talk this much?"
Jihoon blinked as he tried to decipher his words, and then his lips curled into a pout. "I'm just trying to lead the conversation since you seem to be bad at it," Jihoon retorted, feeling unfair. "And I'm not a kid."
"As if…" Ryul looked up at the path ahead, his mouth curving faintly at the edges. "I can smell the baby powder from here."
Jihoon's eyes widened. Flustered, he pulled up the collar of his shirt and sniffed it.
"T-this is because I use the same product as my brother!" Jihoon's cheeks burned as he tried to pull away from Ryul's side, but the hand on his waist remained firm, holding him in place.
They stepped into the elevator as the door opened, and Ryul pressed the button for their floor. From the reflection, he noticed Jihoon's change of mood and how his mouth pressed into a subtle downturn.
After a beat of silence, Ryul sighed. "…Sorry if I was mean. I haven't interacted with many people lately. Seems like I've forgotten how to have a conversation."
Jihoon's head tilted slightly as he studied the older man's closed-off expression. After a moment, Jihoon smiled faintly and leaned into Ryul's side again, resting more of his weight on him.
"It's okay," Jihoon said softly. "I can tell you haven't had much interaction with others."
"…"
Ryul didn't respond.
Silence settled between them like usual, but it was no longer strained. Instead, it felt strangely comfortable. The guarded tension between them seemed to melt away as they stood side by side, the walls of caution slowly beginning to crumble.