Dirty Switch

Joo Taehyun couldn’t understand what Seo Baekhan meant by saying that, so he just blinked for a while. Besides, why was the fact that Cheon Seungpil called him at this hour being interpreted as the two of them being in a relationship?

While he was confused, the loud ringing stopped with a thud, then repeated again after a short pause.
“You can answer it if you want.”
As he quietly flipped the phone over, Seo Baekhan gave a short jerk of his chin in that direction. Joo Taehyun chewed the inside of his lip harder, not understanding what he was up to. How was he supposed to take the call comfortably when Seo Baekhan wasn’t even giving up the seat? On top of that, his disapproval of Seungpil was written all over his face.

“It’s fine. It’s probably nothing important.”
“I told you, it’s okay to be honest.”
“No, really. Seungpil is just, you know how he is. He doesn’t care if it’s early morning in the U.S. or early morning in Korea... He’s just really informal, that’s all.”

Seo Baekhan stared at Joo Taehyun’s phone, which kept ringing for longer intervals—probably from repeated message notifications since the call wasn’t being answered—but didn’t say anything for a while.
“And really, there’s absolutely nothing going on between me and Seungpil.”
Even though he mustered the courage to quietly add that, Seo Baekhan didn’t offer any response.

No matter how he looked at it, it didn’t seem like a mere misunderstanding that Seo Baekhan had suddenly become sharp like this, but Joo Taehyun couldn’t guess the reason.
A long time ago, Seo Baekhan had subtly hinted that he wouldn’t mind if Joo Taehyun dated Seungpil. But even that was only during the early stages of their marriage, and he hadn’t even mentioned his name recently. Why now?
Ah, maybe he’s assuming I’m secretly dating Seungpil? That I told him all about what happened yesterday the moment I woke up?

“You said you weren’t dating him at all.”
Right, it wasn’t just a guess—it sounded more like a conviction. There was no doubt that Seo Baekhan believed he’d lied to him.
Seungpil, of all people. Joo Taehyun almost let out a laugh at the ridiculous misunderstanding, but then his heart sank. If Seo Baekhan was already this tense over something this minor, just how disappointed would he be when he found out Joo Taehyun had lied about not being a Switch user just to marry him...?

Anyway, now wasn’t the time for that, so he forced himself to focus on the present.
Like a child who thinks hiding their eyes makes them invisible, Joo Taehyun quietly chose to turn away from the pile of lies he had built. For now... for now, it’s okay if hyung doesn’t know.
“Um, hyung.”

Joo Taehyun opened his mouth while fiddling with his hair and sneaking glances at Seo Baekhan.
“You want me to date Seungpil, don’t you? I know.”
He expected Seo Baekhan’s usual expression—scrunching the bridge of his nose—but instead, Seo Baekhan narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he’d just heard something absurd, and looked at him.
“Me? Why?”

The topic was ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) meant to lighten the awkward mood, but instead it seemed to have backfired. Seo Baekhan furrowed his brows tightly, clearly showing he didn’t like the question.
“What? Well, you did ask me before if I’d consider someone you knew. That made me think you wanted me to be with someone familiar to you.”
“…That was—.”

“And you brought up Seungpil a few times after that... So I figured maybe he was someone who met your standards.”
Looking at Seo Baekhan staring directly at him like someone who’d been struck in the gut, Joo Taehyun regretted not phrasing things more tactfully. Not that it would’ve changed much—he didn’t really have that kind of finesse.
“Cheon Seungpil, grandson of the Yoonra Foundation... Yeah. I did think he wasn’t a bad match. Better than you running around with random bodyguards or whatever.”

Seo Baekhan ran a hand through his hair as he began, looking as composed as ever.
Calmly listing Seungpil’s credentials and pondering aloud, Seo Baekhan felt more like an older cousin than a husband. Like a brother seriously considering who his younger sibling should date, there wasn’t even a hint of personal emotion in his demeanor.
Unconsciously, Joo Taehyun flicked the corner of his phone hard with his fingernail. Even though he knew Seo Baekhan was doing this for his sake, he still felt a twinge of petulance.

Why, of all times—
Why, of all times, did they have to be talking about dating Seungpil the day after they’d had sex?
“So, if I told you to date Seungpil, would you?”

If it were anyone else, he might have hoped it was jealousy, but this was Seo Baekhan. He wasn’t the kind of person who’d allow a line to be crossed just because they’d had sex once.
“No, that’s—.”
“If I really—.”

Just as he opened his mouth, struggling to settle the turmoil inside him, their words overlapped.
“…What?”
Seo Baekhan hadn’t spoken loudly, and the sentence was short, so Joo Taehyun completely missed it and had to ask again like an idiot. Seo Baekhan pressed his lips together and firmly shook his head.

“…No, you go first.”
“Ah, okay... If you really want me to date Seungpil, I’ll think about it.”
“You’ll think about it.”

“Yes, just think about it. But hyung, even putting me aside, Seungpil doesn’t see me that way at all.”
Joo Taehyun smiled faintly, hoping his overly serious and somewhat gloomy face would come across as silly at least a little.
But contrary to his hope, Seo Baekhan’s face remained as impassive as ever. His cold, dry gaze felt like he was watching a dull play, and Joo Taehyun’s lips drooped in embarrassment.

“Seungpil, Seungpil.”
“Yes?”
“Let’s talk about that again once your body’s fully recovered. Since the semester hasn’t started yet, just stay home for now.”

Before Joo Taehyun could stiffen from embarrassment, Seo Baekhan casually changed the subject. It felt so nonchalant, it made him wonder if the whole Seungpil conversation had been a test to see if he’d act obediently.
“I looked into it, and apparently it’s effective to stay close and naturally exchange pheromones even without going all the way to sex. But I can’t exactly take you to work with me.”
“Ah, yeah. That makes sense.”

“I’ll ask my assistant to bring some of my clothes or bedding, so you can wrap yourself in them at home for now.”
…What?
Wrap myself in them?

His cheeks flushed hot, but there was nothing he could say. If Seo Baekhan had told him to take off his underwear so he could check his asshole’s condition, he could’ve accepted that. That kind of logic—personally verifying the result of what he’d participated in—was very Seo Baekhan-like.
But telling him to wear his clothes around the house? It wasn’t a big deal, and yet it felt so unexpected, so strangely provocative.
“Depending on how you’re doing, I might have you sleep in my room too. Honestly, Dr. Woo said this was the most recommended method along with sex.”

Joo Taehyun shifted uncomfortably and sat back against the bed’s headboard, drawing his knees slightly up. Seo Baekhan had only said two things—wear my clothes and sleep in my room.
And yet here he was, cheeks blushing, fidgeting awkwardly, even getting a damn erection—how pathetic.
His face might’ve been impossible to hide, but if nothing else, he didn’t want Seo Baekhan to notice the erection. So he kept shifting around, almost chaotically.

When the blanket rustled, maybe some of his pheromones leaked out, because Seo Baekhan’s gaze flickered briefly and then dropped. Only after receiving that unreadable look did Joo Taehyun manage to stop squirming.
“You won’t be able to move tomorrow, most likely... Let’s see how you’re doing the day after and go out.”
Just hearing that made the tension drain out of him.

He’d forgotten the most important part. Since they did that in the palace, of course he should go apologize. But how was he supposed to explain it...?
And what happened to the event? It was an important occasion, and considering Seo Baekhan had spent the time taking care of him—or more precisely, pouring his cum inside him—it was unlikely he had time to attend.
“I was thinking of making a reservation again at that restaurant we had to leave early last time. What do you think?”

“…Huh?”
“I already promised them we’d return, and since it’s a hotel restaurant, it seems like a good place to take care of both what you wanted from me and the task we still need to finish.”