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It was in front of the portrait that Gio asked,
“May I embrace you?”
What?
Yoo Sungwoon blinked. Gio stood in front of him with that same stare of mystique and an endless depth of pitch blackness.
There was no way he could have heard it right. An Origin existence wanted to hug him? Yoo Sungwoon? Was he going senile from all the stress and overtime?
“Apologies, Gio, but I don’t think I heard you right. Did you ask to… embrace me?”
“Yes.”
Gio nodded as if everything was completely normal.
“If it bothers you, then we don’t need to.”
Yoo Sungwoon thought quickly. Innocent requests could turn out poisonous— that such was the nature of monsters, including benevolent ones— but it wasn’t right to assume Gio’s request would be the same when it was hard to even categorize him.
In the first place, what did it even mean to “embrace” him?
By human conventions, it probably meant the action of hugging him. Perhaps in an attempt to foster closeness? Gio’s previous behavior replicated human culture for that very reason— though, with varying levels of success considering his soul’s disposition scared people immediately.
However, when looking at the definition of embrace, it held a multitude of meanings. One was as he thought, to physically hug someone. However, it could mean to accept or to encompass something.
That was a scary concept. Yoo Sungwoon shivered.
He didn’t want to be potentially accepted nor encompassed into whatever Gio was. It would probably be something similar to how Gio happened to have almost a separate identity within him— Giovianni. Yoo Sungwoon certainly didn’t want that.
But he didn’t want to gain the ire of potentially disappointing this Origin existence. Even if Gio has been favorable to humans this entire time, Origin existences were unpredictable, and Yoo Sungwoon didn’t dare to take a risk.
Fearing that he was taking too long to respond, Yoo Sungwoon ultimately decided on a choice.
“No, it’s alright. I was just a little surprised.”
A little was a severe understatement— he thought he was going to get a heart attack.
As if the entity had just understood, it took a moment before the realization that this was odd behavior seemed to register.
“Ah. I’m sorry if the request was sudden. I will gift you a token of apology when I can.”
Knowing the 1:1 ratio Gio preferred, Yoo Sungwoon knew better than to overtly refuse.
“Thank you for your consideration.” Then, he focused on Gio’s request. “Do you prefer to embrace right here? Or should I prepare a more comfortable room away from potential onlookers?”
Honestly, it was a bit much to suggest for embracing, but this was an Origin existence, so no expense was too much.
“A room would be preferred, please.”
“Alright then. Please follow me.”
He already knew a convenient spot; his office. It hadn’t been used for a while because of the sheer amount of work given to him, but it would make do.
_____________________________________________________________________
Gio followed Yoo Sungwoon dutifully to the office.
It was a strange, impulsive request to make, even Gio could see and admit that, but he was glad Yoo Sungwoon accepted.
Mr. Yoo Sungwoon is truly a good man with kind manners.
He just felt the urge to embrace someone after recalling his grandmother used to hug him.
However, the problem was that Gio had no friends or family to embrace, and Honey was too tiny, so his closest person could only be considered the curator, Yoo Sungwoon.
Yoo Sungwoon stopped by the office’s sofa.
“Should we ‘embrace’ standing as we are, or shall we sit down? It may be more comfortable for you.”
“Sitting would be preferred.”
“So we shall.”
However, instead of both of them sitting down, only an awkward silence occurred. Yoo Sungwoon was waiting for Gio to sit first to be courteous except Gio was also waiting for Yoo Sungwoon to sit first.
Realizing this, Yoo Sungwoon asked but not without slight trepidation, “…Should I sit down first?”
“Yes.” Gio nodded.
He knew just how to embrace someone.
Once Yoo Sungwoon settled down, Gio shuffled to be in front of the curator, bent a knee into the sofa until he was directly above and hugged the waist.
“…!”
With Gio’s large frame, Yoo Sungwoon had to adjust until his back laid against the sofa’s arm rests. And even with Gio purposely placing himself lower, the entity was tall enough to still be able to rest his head on the curator’s shoulder and make himself comfortable.
Yoo Sungwoon was pleasantly warm, albeit skinny. Gio suddenly felt the urge to feed him until he was all fattened up.
A meal would make for the perfect gift for Mr. Yoo Sungwoon. But he’s quite skinny… so maybe I’ll treat him to a full dinner?
That was the perfect plan, Gio decided as he snuggled even closer to warmth and curled his arms tighter.
“You are very warm,” Gio complimented the curator.
“…aha, thank you for the compliment.” It was strange being praised by an Origin existence. “Is there anywhere you’d like me to put my arms? I don’t wish to offend you, so I’d like to know if anywhere is comfortable.”
Gio noticed a subtle uncertainty in the voice, but was too enchanted by the cozy warmth to point it out.
“I have no preference for such things. Anywhere as you please.”
“I see.”
Yoo Sungwoon gently placed two hands on Gio’s back.
However, Gio began to notice a faint beating sound. He sunk down, and pressed his ear against Yoo Sungwoon’s chest.
It was the heart, beating way too rapidly for a casual hug.
“…Mr. Yoo Sungwoon.”
“H, Huh? Yes?”
Then, Gio asked the billion won question.
“Am I… perhaps too burdensome for you?”
It’s not like he regretted being a pig, but if Yoo Sungwoon was currently struggling underneath his weight…
“Burdensome? Not at all. I enjoy your company.”
Yet, as the curator spoke, his heart rate only thumped stronger and faster.
Mr. Yoo Sungwoon is just being considerate. I can’t just let him suffer while I’m the only one enjoying this.
“Apologies, Mr. Yoo Sungwoon, but allow me to make a small adjustment.”
“Yes..?”
Gio felt even more sorry when he picked the curator up by the waist. Either Gio was aforementionedly stronger, or Yoo Sungwoo was insanely light for a man. However, with how skinny the curator was, Gio was more inclined to believe the latter.
It took nearly no effort to swap their positions so that he was under while Yoo Sungwoo was on top of him, resting on Gio’s chest.
“There,” Gio nodded satisfactorily and then hugged the waist yet again. “That should prove to be more comfortable for a human like Mr. Yoo Sungwoon, yes?”
“…”
“Is it comfortable, Mr. Yoo Sungwoon?”
“Oh— uh, yes it is. Thank you. I…” a brief pause, “I appreciate it.”
“Good.”
Gio applauded himself mentally when he felt Yoo Sungwoo’s breathing and heartbeat begin to slow.
Maybe I’m not unteachable when it comes to modern Korea’s social etiquette. I even noticed when Mr. Yoo Sungwoon is uncomfortable.
Yoo Sungwoon rested his hands underneath Gio’s back. He didn’t dare move too much in fear of angering or disturbing Gio, but laid still onto the soft black cloak.
It was a comfortable scene that had no business existing in the hard modern hell that was Korea’s bitter cold capitalist climate— but it existed anyway.
Though…
“Mr. Yoo Sungwoon.”
A repeat pattern was starting to become obvious.
“…Yes?”
The curator looked up at him. Against the white hair and blue eyes, his red face became especially apparent.
“Should humans be easily susceptible to illnesses?”
Gio said it in a strange way that made perfectly sense to himself. In the mountain village, he rarely got sick courtesy of a strong, healthy body that his grandma always praised— so it was odd seeing how easily red Yoo Sungwoon became in a matter of seconds.
“Sorry? I don’t understand—?”
Gio pressed his hand against Yoo Sungwoon’s forehead. It was hot— except, it really wasn’t. It was just Gio’s deathly cold hands that made a slightly warm and flustered face feel like lava. He then cupped one side of Yoo Sungwoon’s face, and tilted the other’s head from side to side.
“You seem to be sick. Have you been eating well?”
Subconsciously, Gio held the curator tighter. Being sick wasn’t good at all and it seemed like Yoo Sungwoon had to be nursed quickly back to health since Gio caught it early.
“Uh..?”
Yoo Sungwoon was in a daze. First, he was flipped over to lay on the Origin existence— which was something he could’ve never guessed to happen in a billion years, and then, Gio started asking if he was sick? If he was eating well?
“Have you been eating well?”
The awkward repetition struck the curator with cold water. Right. Gio was far from human— as much as the entity disagreed.
“Oh— yes, I have been. Thank you for the concern, however, I’m not sick, just a little—“
BANG!
“If it isn’t my dear little curator, Yoo Sungwoon— oh!”
Bisabeol burst through the doors with excessive excitement like a boss right about to torture his employee with more back-breaking work.
“…”
“…”
He stared at the scene.
The ‘Black Cloak’ and Yoo Sungwoon, two grown adults cuddling hugging on a sofa, stared at the Collectors’ guildmaster. Gio was cupping Yoo Sungwoon’s cheek with another hand wrapped around the waist, while Yoo Sungwoon himself had his arms around Gio.
“Oops. Seems I’ve interrupted an important scene between my work and my curator.”
BANG!
Bisaboel made as much of a loud exit as he made his entrance.
They looked at each other.
Timid Gio was about to faint. Really.
“I think I will return to my painting.”
He’s tired.
“…Yes. That’s fine.”
Yoo Sungwoon is too.
_____________________________________________________________________
“I’m sorry— it was a sincere mistake. Though it was worthwhile!”
“Is that an apology or a proud admittance to your crimes?”
“Pssh. What crime? Is it a crime for the Collectors’ guildmaster to go wherever he pleases in his own building?”
“You interrupted us!”
Even a simple disturbance to Gio could cause a calamity. Yoo Sungwoon was already taking on a major risk to agree to being embraced, and Gio specifically asked to be undisturbed.
Unfortunately, Bisaboel did not care. If his art were to destroy the world, he’d simply marvel at his work’s creation.
“Oh, you had that kind of relationship with my work? Well. I did promote strong bonds between works and curators but from you… I didn’t expect it—“
“It is not like that!”
“So you say.”
“Guildmaster—!”
“Yes, yes. I hear you well. So how was it?”
Yoo Sungwoo opened his mouth, closed it and sighed. Arguing with this guildmaster was nothing but a drain to energy. It’d be better if he just ignored it and focused on work.
Yoo Sungwoo thought back to the experience.
It was… downright terrifying at the worst, and absolutely exhilarating at the best.
He couldn’t help but feel such a complicated mix of emotions.
As a human, he knew with one mishap, his doom would be spelled in a matter of mere milliseconds. And it wouldn’t be just his doom. Gio’s power was above a mere petty killing of just one person. It could be the entire population of humans if it so wished.
But as a gardener, Yoo Sungwoon couldn’t help but be thrilled at the prospect of an Origin existence acting this close to him. He was fascinated about Gio’s being, and this occurrence was as rare as impossible.
Where else would he find an Origin existence who not only existed, but even communicated and asked for human things like physical touch.
But in actuality, hugging the entity was deeply unsettling. Gio’s body was dead with skin as pale and cold as a corpse. Yet, even with that large frame that certainly towered over Yoo Sungwoo, he was as light as a feather— as if he might float away at any second. That was simply impossible for a human.
Back then, his heart was beating wildly from fear and excitement plaguing his emotions, and the being mistakenly took it as discomfort. He wanted to correct it, but the deed was already done so all Yoo Sungwoo could do was steady his heart so that the entity would cease fussing about if he was uncomfortable or not.
Once it did adjust their positions, Yoo Sungwoon thought it looked deeply comfortable, despite how unsettling and devoid of emotion those eyes were. That is, until suddenly it was rambling on about how he was sick, and then, someone had to barge in.
Yoo Sungwoon continued to relay all these experiences and emotions to the surprisingly quiet Bisaboel.
What he didn’t mention, however, was that the experience wasn’t… admittedly bad. Scary at first, yes, but Yoo Sungwoon couldn’t help but feel a sense of cozyness under the arms of an Origin existence. Like Gio was simply a person who wanted a hug and worried for Yoo Sungwoon like a normal human being.
I think I’m going crazy. I’m starting to have dangerous thoughts.
He thought this, all while not knowing what Gio really thought.
_____________________________________________________________________
Which was simply nothing— nothing besides the fact that Yoo Sungwoon was simply too skinny and light for a man. What kind of man working a dangerous hunter job in modern Korean hell is as frail and as light as that?
Gio fed Honey some of the sauce he was making to marinate meat in.
That’s right. I’ll make sure to feed him well until he’s full and fat as repayment. I also need to make extra dishes as part of my apology.
He was going to make a hearty seven side dish-seven main dish course meal plus extra dishes for Yoo Sungwoon to enjoy.
He hummed while chopping vegetables, not knowing the disaster of overtime he would spell for Yoo Sungwoon.