Confinement Constitution Guide

Life in Confinement, Hard Ver. (10)

After struggling to escape from underwater, I opened my eyes to find Cream sleeping soundly on the pillow, tickling my nose with her tail. I carefully moved Cream’s tail aside and sat up.

My mind was still hazy, as if I was still dreaming.

‘I was definitely sitting on the sofa watching a movie.’

Did Sa Hae-geon move me? Scratching my head, I got up from the bed and pulled back the blackout curtains, letting bright sunlight flood into the room.

“…Meow.”

Cream meowed in displeasure, probably because the harsh sunlight reached the pillow where she was lying.

“Sorry, sorry.”

I closed the curtains again and was about to go to the bathroom when I suddenly noticed the shackle on my ankle. Only then did I remember the forgotten existence of the shackle, and I let out a hollow laugh. The chain attached to the shackle extended out of the room.

‘Come to think of it, where did he fix the chain?’

Until I was watching the movie yesterday, the chain was just lying on the floor, not connected to anything. So I could move around without much restriction. Knowing Sa Hae-geon’s unique way of thinking, he probably didn’t fix it to a normal place.

I became curious. It would be better to wash up first before looking for it.

After brushing my teeth and washing my face in the bathroom, I came out to find Cream getting up and stretching.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Meow.”

Cream briefly answered, then came down from the bed, walked back and forth between my legs, and went to her food bowl. The bowl I had filled to the brim with food last evening was completely empty.

“Cream, are you really a pig?”

“Meow.”

“If you’re not a pig eating like this, then what are you?”

“Meow.”

The pig-cat seemed displeased, sitting in front of the food bowl and tapping the floor with her tail. I had to stop teasing and apologize before Cream really got upset.

“Sorry, sorry. I was just impressed by how well you eat. I won’t tease you anymore. Go ahead and eat.”

I poured a scoop of food and sprinkled some nutritional supplement, and Cream started eating as if she had been waiting for it. While watching Cream, I followed the chain out of the room.

“…What the?”

The chain extended all the way to Sa Hae-geon’s room across from mine. Surely he didn’t fix the chain to his own wrist to prevent my escape. No matter how unique Sa Hae-geon is, he couldn’t be that out of his mind.

I carefully opened Sa Hae-geon’s half-closed door and went inside. Sa Hae-geon was sound asleep in a straight position on his wide bed. And the chain was firmly fixed to the leg of his bed.

“…”

How thorough, there were even a few more strings wrapped around the chain. I alternately looked at that ridiculous sight and the shackle on my ankle, then quietly left his room. Somehow, I had a feeling that the confinement life, which had been quite peaceful until now, might become a bit more difficult.

I decided to check how far I could go with the shackle while waiting for Sa Hae-geon to wake up and prepare breakfast. Cream, who had finished eating at some point, was watching me while grooming herself.

It was easy to move around the living room, kitchen, and even enter other rooms. However, the problem arose when I tried to go near the entrance. Although it didn’t seem so at first, the length seemed to have been carefully calculated, as the chain became taut just as I approached the shoe rack.

As I sat on the sofa with a small sigh of admiration, an unknown sound started coming from Sa Hae-geon’s room.

A loud beeping sound was heard, and then Sa Hae-geon rushed out of the room looking for me.

“…Hyung, hyung!”

“Yes. What is it?”

Sa Hae-geon visibly relaxed when he saw me answering calmly, then came and sat next to me. Then, as if complaining, he rubbed his forehead against my shoulder and muttered.

“I thought you had run away.”

“What?”

“The alarm connected to the shackle went off.”

“…Was this some kind of high-tech shackle or something?”

An alarm? It doesn’t make sense for something that looks so ordinary to have such a function.

“Yes. I was worried, after all.”

“Geez. How can a shackle have such a function?”

“The world has improved. But did you go to the entrance?”

“Ah, I was just checking how long the chain was. I didn’t intend to run away. Sorry for startling you.”

I tried to push Sa Hae-geon, who was clinging to my shoulder, away while responding nonchalantly, but he wouldn’t budge easily. Instead, he clung even closer, making me feel uncomfortable.

“I was surprised, but I didn’t think you would run away. You liked my food, my bed, and even the shackle, so there’s no way you’d run away.”

Sa Hae-geon, who naturally inserted nonsense in the middle of speaking, rested his head on my shoulder. Whether there had been some change in his mood, Sa Hae-geon was unusually clingy today. Usually, he was even careful about touching me.

“Hey, could you talk from a distance?”

“You gave me permission. You said I could stay close.”

“…Me? When? What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you remember?”

When I looked bewildered at this sudden statement, Sa Hae-geon raised his head and asked in a sulky voice. There was only so much I could say to Sa Hae-geon in this situation.

“I don’t remember. I don’t know anything about this.”

It really was something I didn’t know about. However, Sa Hae-geon maintained his brazen attitude despite my answer.

“You told me yesterday. That you could allow one arm.”

“What? One arm?”

“So you can’t push me away if I cling to your right arm all day. Your right arm is already mine.”

“No, I really don’t remember anything like that. What on earth are you talking about…”

Just as I was about to argue against this absurd claim, a scene flashed through my mind.

“…Wait. Just a moment.”

I covered my mouth, ignoring Sa Hae-geon who was trying to protest with an aggrieved look. What on earth happened last night? I shouldn’t have a habit of answering in my sleep. I let out a silent scream internally. The faint memories of yesterday in my mind were becoming clearer one by one.

* * *

Sa Hae-geon, who could finally empathize with the Esper feeling comfort while receiving the Guide’s guiding, watched the movie quite intently. That precious sensation that the person sitting next to him gave him every day seemed to bloom all over his skin throughout the movie.

Then, seeing the scene where the Guide holds the Esper’s hand while guiding, he unconsciously looked at Chae Do-min. His lips, which were about to ask about guiding while holding hands, closed tightly.

Chae Do-min was nodding off while sitting. Although he shouldn’t have been that tired while being here, he would doze off or yawn whenever he had the chance.

Sa Hae-geon closely observed Chae Do-min, putting aside the movie he had been watching with quite some interest. Just as his head, which had been swaying back and forth, was about to snap backwards, Sa Hae-geon reached out his hand and let Chae Do-min’s head rest on his shoulder. His jet-black, soft hair spilled onto Sa Hae-geon’s left shoulder.

“Hmm…”

Chae Do-min made a small groan and rubbed his head against the shoulder. The feeling of the soft-textured hair rubbing against his shoulder was very unfamiliar and also exciting. Before he knew it, Sa Hae-geon’s heart was beating wildly on its own. Sa Hae-geon swallowed dryly and looked down at Chae Do-min.

Chae Do-min was frowning deeply, as if his position was uncomfortable. Sa Hae-geon wanted to lay him down on the bed right away, but getting permission was the priority. However, it would be impossible to get permission from someone who was asleep.

“Cream, what should I do?”

As if seeking help, he looked at Cream, and the yellow-furred cat yawned widely and swished its tail. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like the cat was saying that human affairs should be handled by humans as it was too bothersome.

After pondering for a moment, Sa Hae-geon carefully tapped Chae Do-min’s shoulder.

“Hyung, hyung.”

“…”

“Hyung, wake up for a moment.”

“Mmm…”

“You should sleep in bed.”

“Mm…”

Chae Do-min mumbled responses without even opening his eyes, and Sa Hae-geon became even more troubled.

“Hyung, can you walk to the bed?”

“Mm…”

“I guess that would be difficult.”

It wasn’t said with any ulterior motive, Chae Do-min really wasn’t in a state to do so. By now, he had completely leaned his body towards Sa Hae-geon.

“Then I have no choice but to carry you or support you there.”

“…”

“But I want to carry you when you’re awake.”

“…”

“So I’ll support you instead.”

“…Mm.”

“For that, there’s something you need to allow me to do.”

Sa Hae-geon made a request to Chae Do-min, who was responding to his words with something like a sigh.

“You need to give me your right arm.”

“Mmm…”

“Really?”

“Mm…”

The sleeping Chae Do-min was really kind and gentle. He’s gentle usually too, but he tends to draw a line in a subtle way, so to make such a request, the situation had to be carefully considered. So he always had to think hard, but now, didn’t Chae Do-min allow his right arm so easily?

Even knowing that this permission came from sleep-talking, Sa Hae-geon’s heart was so full he didn’t know what to do with himself.

“Then from now on, can your right arm be mine?”

“Mm…”

“Really?”

“…Mmm.”

“Really?”

It seemed like Chae Do-min vaguely opened his eyes, but his eyelids, overcome with sleepiness, soon closed again. Would he remember what just happened? Sa Hae-geon gazed at Chae Do-min with eyes full of emotion.

It didn’t matter if he didn’t remember. Because he would remember it all. He could remember it for both of their sakes.