Novel depth

I wanted to share with you guys the fragments of the novel that this chapter was based on because i think A LOT was missed in the illustration. Especially about how euijae sees their relationship waaaay more in detail. Enjoy

First the way he describes Sayoungs blushing:

Their eyes met only briefly before Lee Sa-young shyly averted his gaze. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand as an added gesture. It was a terribly unfitting metaphor for Lee Sa-young, but only one comparison came to mind. Yes, it was the bashful gesture of a new bride.

And then to me the most important part is euijae finding out how close (really really close they are in detail):


Leaving Lee Sa-young standing there, Cha Eui-jae practically fled into the nearest room, slamming the door behind him. Fortunately, the first-aid kit was right there on top of the drawer. Of course— it’d be useless if it was hidden somewhere hard to find in an emergency.
Inside the kit, essential medicines, a familiar-looking purple antidote, and hard-to-find potions were neatly organized. Except for the bandages, most of the items were new.
‘…This kind of neatness doesn’t seem like something I’d do.’
Did Lee Sa-young from this world organize this? Cha Eui-jae tucked the first-aid kit under his arm and took a quick glance around the room, using his slow steps as an excuse.
A bed that was quite large for one person was prominently placed in the center of the room. It was odd that there was a lamp on each side of the bed, and it was even stranger that, clearly, two different people’s belongings were on the small drawers underneath them.
On the left drawer was an Awakened Management Bureau pager, and on the right drawer, a pair of glasses.
‘Glasses.’
Cha Eui-jae cautiously picked up the glasses and held them to his eyes. His vision blurred so much that it made him dizzy just from holding them up.
Lee Sa-young of this world, whose vision had deteriorated due to the aftereffects of poisoning.
Now that he thought about it, didn’t the Lee Sa-young he knew also wear glasses at one point? Just once, though. The one time he had seen him wearing glasses was right after they were stranded at Incheon Port.
A strange and unsettling feeling pricked at the back of his mind.
‘…Could it be?’
Cha Eui-jae froze, holding the glasses.
‘Do we… sleep in the same bed?’
He and Lee Sa-young?
Cha Eui-jae’s face paled. He felt that if he kept thinking along these lines, something irreversible would happen.
‘No, there was no such story in the memories that were crammed into my head earlier!’
But there was enough evidence in plain sight to arrest him on the spot.
‘…No, it can’t be. Definitely not.’
Having finished his self-hypnosis, Cha Eui-jae flung the door open with such force that it nearly broke and stepped out into the living room. Lee Sa-young, who was still standing there, looked up. The apron he had taken off was draped over his arm. Thankfully, his face had returned to its usual pale complexion.


The teasing with their feet:

“So, the thing you needed most was me.”
“…”
“Well, that’s…”
“…”
“That’s good to hear.”
Following that, there was a rustling sound.
“Of all the things I’ve heard since coming here, that’s the best one.”
Something warm suddenly nudged his foot. Cha Eui-jae, pretending not to notice, froze mid-bite. The tickling sensation on the top of his foot was likely…
‘A foot?’
Cha Eui-jae sneaked a glance at Lee Sa-young, who was now resting his chin on his hands, staring directly at him. The bandaged finger lightly tapped his cheek playfully. When their eyes met, Lee Sa-young’s gaze narrowed into a slight smile.
Meanwhile, the foot that had been tickling the top of Cha Eui-jae’s foot was now gently rubbing against the ankle bone. The unfamiliar sensation made his toes curl. Hastily swallowing the bread, Cha Eui-jae spoke.
“…Hey.”
“Hmm?”
Lee Sa-young tilted his head slightly, wearing an angelic smile.
“You, your foot…”
“What about it?”
Lee Sa-young asked calmly, as if enjoying himself. His violet eyes, narrowed slightly, were filled with Cha Eui-jae. Cha Eui-jae unconsciously tightened his grip. The foot that had been rubbing against his ankle lightly brushed against the hem of his pants. Cha Eui-jae quickly put down the bread.
“Hey, wait a minute.”
“It’s not ‘hey.’”
As the foot moved, the hem of his pants swayed helplessly, tickling his ankle. Cha Eui-jae, with his eyes tightly shut, gave the answer that was wanted.
“…Lee Sa-young.”
“Yes. I’m right here.”
“Why are you touching my foot?”
“Well…”
Lee Sa-young smiled gently.
“Because I want to.”
“You think you can do anything just because you want to?”
“But.”
Just as Cha Eui-jae thought the foot that had been lingering at the hem of his pants was about to withdraw, it slid up, softly filling the hollow of his sole as if it belonged there.
Lee Sa-young slightly lifted his chin.
“You’ll accept it, won’t you?”
‘This guy, why is he so restless with his foot?’
Was the strange feeling because of the scenery he’d seen in the room earlier, or was it because of Lee Sa-young’s face that had flushed red? He couldn’t tell. His foot curled up.
“What kind of nonsense is this… Hey, get your foot off.”
Just as Cha Eui-jae was about to hide his foot under the chair,
“Can’t handle even this? After biting my finger like that.”
Lee Sa-young raised his finger, with a bandage still wrapped around it, showing it off. Seeing the bandage on his left ring finger, Cha Eui-jae was left speechless. Now, Lee Sa-young would bring up his finger whenever he got the chance. With a conflicted expression, Cha Eui-jae picked up the bread again. The soft skin rubbed against the hollow of his sole. Lee Sa-young, resting his chin on his hand, muttered lazily.
“It seems like… the versions of us in this world are pretty close.”
Close… Cha Eui-jae coughed lightly, covering his mouth. The memory of a bed large enough for two people and two items clearly belonging to different people was vivid. The heat rising in his cheeks and ears was unmistakable. Even if it wasn’t as much as Lee Sa-young, he was probably blushing quite a bit.
‘Damn, why doesn’t my poker face trait activate in times like these?’
Cha Eui-jae, who had been coughing sporadically, suddenly paused.
‘…Now that I think about it, it’s like it disappeared entirely at some point…’
But before he could continue his thoughts, Lee Sa-young smirked, lifting the corner of his mouth.
“What on earth were you thinking… Your face is bright red.”
“…I just choked on something.”
“Oh, I see…”
“I’m serious.”
“Sure, sure. But I was talking about us as family…”
Lee Sa-young shrugged and gestured toward the living room with his eyes.
“…There was a picture of us together.”
“Picture?”
“You didn’t see it? You must’ve been really out of it… Take a look later.”

Picture frame:


Cha Eui-jae picked up the small frame placed in the living room drawer. It was a photo of Cha Eui-jae and Lee Sa-young, warmly embracing each other around the shoulders and waist, smiling at the camera. A world where the West Sea rift had not occurred.

If the West Sea rift hadn’t happened, could they have lived like this? Like a family.


Before euijae opened the door and before he looked at the picture frame there was also something they didnt illustrate idk if they will, about Sayoung being able to taste food for the first time in a long time:

“You didn’t see it? You must’ve been really out of it… Take a look later.”
Lee Sa-young said, then picked up a piece of egg roll with his fork and started eating it, nibbling slowly. He had been smiling just a moment ago, but as soon as the food went into his mouth, he frowned. It was odd.
“Is the egg roll not good? If you don’t like it, don’t eat it.”
“No…”
Lee Sa-young grimaced slightly.
“I just thought… it’s been a while.”
“What’s been a while?”
“Well…”
Lee Sa-young mumbled as he slowly chewed and swallowed the egg roll.
“Eating while actually tasting the food.”
“…What?”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s nothing.”
Lee Sa-young, who answered dismissively, started spreading jam on his bread. Cha Eui-jae pressed his lips together.
Had he not been able to taste his food all this time? But he seemed to enjoy the food at the hangover soup restaurant.
Then, suddenly, a memory surfaced. The day Lee Sa-young first came to the hangover soup restaurant, the first time he ate hangover soup. Cha Eui-jae remembered clearly because he watched intently from the moment Lee Sa-young took the first bite, just to see how he would react.
Come to think of it…
“The broth is hot.”
“The meat is tender.”
There was no evaluation of the taste.
‘This damn poison.’
“Why, do you feel sorry for me?”
Cha Eui-jae lifted his head. Lee Sa-young took a deliberate bite of the jam-covered bread and chewed it slowly. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he swallowed, and he wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth with his thumb.
“If you feel sorry for me.”
The soft skin rubbed against his foot again. Lee Sa-young smiled gently.
“Don’t push me away.”
Cha Eui-jae stayed silent. In truth, both of them knew. That Cha Eui-jae didn’t truly pity Lee Sa-young, and that he wouldn’t push Lee Sa-young’s foot away. This was just…
“…”
An excuse. An excuse for Cha Eui-jae.
Sometimes, there are things that must be left unsaid, even when understood.
There are also emotions that one doesn’t know how to name.
That’s why Cha Eui-jae didn’t avoid the warmth pressing against him. Instead, he lightly tapped Lee Sa-young’s ankle with the tip of his foot. Pretending it was an accident.