Lim Soohyun didn't say anything for the whole time it took Kiho to bring him to his bedroom. Shifting his weight to the bed's mattress, Lim Soohyun sat down and saw Kiho leaving the room instantly.
"Where are you going? I told you to just take the bed. I can sleep on the couch just fine."
He hit his left foot on the wooden floor hard a few times, adding sound effects as Kiho glanced back at him with an exhausted expression as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"To get ice for that..."
Putting a hand on his waist, Kiho sighed in exasperation as he spoke, prompting him to finally stop hitting his heel on the ground as he realized why Kiho was reacting this way.
"Oh, it doesn't hurt that much now. I have high pain tolerance. When I was in my twenties, I had a broken bone almost every month, but it always got better if I just ignored it and went along with my day."
Raising an eyebrow, Kiho stared down at him. Lim Soohyun, for the first time, felt judged by Kiho.
"Sorry...after you had to carry me all the way here. I'll just take the couch. You sleep here for the night."
Already back on his feet, Lim Soohyun patted Kiho on the shoulder as he passed him to go back downstairs when Kiho gripped his arm with surprising strength.
"Mr. Soohyun, the bed isn't that small. We can both sleep here."
Hearing Kiho's words, Lim Soohyun turned around to examine the bed. Kiho was right. The bed could easily fit two adults. In his mind, he had automatically thought that sharing a bed wouldn't be inappropriate despite both of them being males. Now that he thought over the fact, he was kind of dumbfounded.
"You're okay with sharing a bed?"
"Yes."
Seeing he wasn't going to leave the room, Kiho let go of his arm and undid the belt of his black blazer as he walked to the other side of the bed. Lim Soohyun watched with interest, thinking Kiho liked to sleep without a shirt too. Kiho noticed the gaze while taking the blazer off his shoulders.
"Mr. Soohyun, can I borrow sleepwear from you? I would prefer if it hasn't been worn previously, but it's alright if that's not possible."
Still shamelessly staring at Kiho, he nodded and slid the closet door to get a pair of pajamas he had bought but never worn because he was the type to sleep with barely any clothes on his body.
"You didn't bring anything of your own? I mean, it was getting late. You should've expected to stay the night, especially after seeing the location on the map."
He asked as he handed the set to Kiho.
"No, I was planning on doing the séance and leaving right away."
"Driving at night here?"
"Yes."
Kiho replied, not thinking much of it. Lim Soohyun, who usually went to bed before midnight, was a little envious of this kid who was still young and energetic enough to drive on the hills at night. It was also a long drive from here to Seoul. A three- to four-hour drive at night from here.
Why am I worrying for no reason? He's staying the night anyway...
Then he remembered that Kiho hadn't eaten anything either. It was normal for him to skip dinner sometimes, so he completely forgot to even ask.
"Kiho, what about dinner? Are you hungry?"
"I don't eat after sundown."
As soon as Kiho appeared out of the bathroom, he spoke up. Carrying his folded clothes to the chair, Kiho replied to him before getting in the bed next to him. There was only one blanket he had washed too, so they'd have to squeeze in it somehow. Deciding to not take off his clothes, Lim Soohyun snuggled in the blanket. His sleeping position was always of a shrimp while hoarding all the blanket in his arms, which might not be accommodable, so he had to try and sleep like a mummy instead.
"Do you also sleep this early, Kiho?"
"No."
"Then... never mind."
He was about to suggest they go and play a game or watch a movie if he wasn't sleepy, but then closed his mouth as he was reminded that Kiho had just moved him here.
"You're a good kid, Kiho. Thank you for the help."
"I don't think I did anything too grandiose. Besides, anyone would have done the same, Mr. Soohyun."
"Except not everyone would have done the same."
Just hearing him out without imposing on him to differentiate was something that only Kiho had done. The other people who knew of this had only tried to change his mind to not think this way, which might have stemmed from their worries for Lim Soohyun, but he didn't appreciate it. That was also the reason Lim Soohyun had changed his mind to cancel the séance. Dragging in an innocent into this was crossing the limit. He should just keep the quests to himself.
Lim Soohyun was well aware of the dangers that came with these suspicious quests. Though he looked forward to discovering the next ones and uncovering their ultimate goal, that didn't mean he was ignorant of the risks involved.
Pondering over this, Lim Soohyun stared at the ceiling. The bedroom was quiet. Kiho must've fallen asleep since he didn't hear anything from his side. Time passed ever as slow as Lim Soohyun continued to keep his eyes open. He knew it was time for him to sleep, but he also couldn't fall asleep. He was still craving for entertainment. It was like a night craving that stuck with him until he satisfied it. His mind kept wandering to the basement. He wanted to explore more of the space.
An hour or two might have elapsed when Lim Soohyun finally couldn't take it anymore and silently got out of bed. He glanced back at Kiho, still sleeping without any movement, before going back downstairs.