Kiss the Ground

This was right after the contract between them had ended. It had been less than a day since Misha had announced the end of their contract to Chahyun. Misha’s painful voice saying he was sorry and couldn’t continue the promise any longer was still vivid.Even giving time and distance wouldn’t be enough. Since their intimate contract had been broken, Misha probably didn’t want to see Yoon Chahyun’s face, at least for a while. Thinking about that made Chahyun’s throat ache as if he had swallowed something sharp.Chahyun took a long breath and then broke the silence as if spitting it out.“Misha, I’m sorry.”His voice spreading in the quiet car felt awkward. Chahyun awkwardly continued speaking.“I know it’s uncomfortable for you to be with me now. The game is over, and you must be really tired…”Misha kept looking straight ahead without answering. It was probably for the best.“Thank you for letting me stay. I’ll leave in a few days once things calm down a bit. Nothing much will happen, I think.”“……”“I don’t know how the story leaked out, but it might just be some copycat crime or something. I usually get photographed a lot. It’s always like that…”His tongue felt stiff as if it wouldn’t move properly. Chahyun frowned and squeezed his vocal cords.“Our, our contract… didn’t work out, but that…”“That doesn’t matter.”Misha spoke clearly, gripping the steering wheel tighter. Unlike his expressionless face, his knuckles turned white.“It’s a different issue from the contract. I don’t want you to go back to that house.”“……”“Stay at my place. Until this matter is resolved, stay there for the time being.”“Misha.”When Chahyun tried to say something, Misha cut him off. His tone was firm yet gentle.“Don’t go back. Don’t think about anything else and just stay there.”Chahyun leaned his head against the window. His chest felt hot, and his heart was unbearably tight. He felt like something would burst out if he opened his mouth. Misha remained silent until the cold window became warm from his body heat.Soon, the car entered a residential area. Misha’s house, located about an hour away from Chahyun’s neighborhood, was quiet, clean, and just as large and impressive as Chahyun’s house. It felt oddly new to realize that Misha lived in a proper house.Following him inside, Chahyun felt like he was entering a model home. They passed a few wooden white corridors and doors. Misha guided Chahyun to an inner bedroom and said,“There are many rooms, but I haven’t made one for guests. I didn’t think anyone would come… You can use the bedroom.”“What about you if I use this room?”When Chahyun turned his head, Misha shook his head.“I can sleep anywhere. Even in the living room.”“But you’re the owner of the house.”“It doesn’t matter. You did the same for me.”When you let me stay over last time. Saying that, Misha disappeared into another room as if to prepare something. Chahyun belatedly looked around the stark interior and swallowed his misplaced feelings.Misha’s house was as desolate as Chahyun had imagined. Not just the corridor, but the bedroom with only a bed and a table was empty, despite its high ceiling. It felt more desolate and cluttered than simple.It was only recently that he thought he would never see this house, yet now he was standing inside it. It felt like a dream.Chahyun put his team bag down near the table. He hadn’t been able to pack anything from home, so his luggage was the same as when he returned from the trip. As he wandered around the bare floor for a few steps, Misha returned and handed something through the door.“Here. It’s mine, so I don’t know if it’ll fit, but wear it.”“Oh, okay… Thanks.”“You can use the bathroom or any other room however you like.”What he handed over were some clothes—tops and bottoms that could be used as pajamas. They were from an expensive brand, too nice for indoor wear, and clearly too large, with sleeves and pants that would be too long by about a handspan. But Chahyun wasn’t in a position to care about that right now.Misha, as if worried Chahyun might change clothes immediately, turned away abruptly. In his other hand, he held a thin blanket, intending to let his guest use the room and sleep on the sofa himself, just like Yoon Chahyun had done for him before.An inexplicable feeling welled up inside Chahyun. His lips tingled, and a surge of impulse shattered like foam beneath his feet. In a brief moment, that impulse turned into action.Chahyun grabbed Misha’s arm as he turned away. The sound of his own heartbeat roared in his ears, just like at the climax of a match.“Misha… that.”Misha turned his head to look at Chahyun, his brown hair swaying. Chahyun, almost in a trance, continued.“Would you sleep with me in the bed? If you’re okay with it…”A moment of silence passed. Misha’s eyebrows furrowed.Chahyun knew what that expression meant. It couldn’t be more uncomfortable. Allowing him into his house was already more than enough.“I… I feel uneasy letting you sleep somewhere else.”Would Misha accept this excuse? This flimsy pretext.Right now, Yoon Chahyun needed Misha. Not anyone else, but him. Though he had been criticized countless times for being mentally weak and overly emotional, he realized for the first time how deeply it affected him. Ignoring all circumstances and shamelessly clinging to someone he shouldn’t…I’m this selfish, Misha.Silence stretched. Chahyun looked up at Misha, who was gazing at the floor, then slowly lifted his head. He nodded.“Alright.”It was a quiet voice. Misha didn’t refuse.After changing clothes and showering in the bathroom, Chahyun entered the room with his long pants dragging. Misha was already ready for bed. Despite the busy day, it was almost midnight. After a trip, Chahyun would usually crash like a corpse, but staying up this late was a first.Misha took his place on one side of the bed without saying a word. Chahyun watched him lie down for a moment, then turned off the light switch in the bedroom. Darkness filled the room. Settling on the opposite side of the king-sized bed, Chahyun could see Misha’s form illuminated by the moonlight seeping through the window.Misha lay with his back to Chahyun. His broad, firm shoulders were a reassuring presence. As Chahyun lay on the edge of the opposite side, he felt a crushing sense of guilt mixed with a warm sense of relief.What should he do? These were emotions he had never felt before.A vast empty space lay between them. Exhausted to the point of collapse, Chahyun couldn’t sleep for a while, staring at the unfamiliar wall.***The unfamiliar sound of the door creaking woke Chahyun. Sitting up groggily, he recalled the events of yesterday.Yoon Chahyun had decided to stay at Misha’s house since yesterday. For his safety, and to gather his thoughts before the remaining games. But more than anything, it was Misha’s insistence that had kept him there.Even after breaking the contract as if it were a lie, Misha had held onto Chahyun, supporting him.“Are you up?”As Chahyun stumbled into the living room, Misha turned from the kitchen. He was holding cereal and milk in both hands. It looked like a poorly edited photo.“Is that breakfast?”“Yeah. It’s nothing special, just what I usually eat.”As he spoke, Misha glanced at Chahyun in the slightly oversized clothes. His eyes visibly traveled up and down. Feeling awkward, Chahyun rubbed his arm. Misha approached and placed two bowls on the dining table.“Sit down. We need to leave for the club in 30 minutes.”Looking at the two plates set out like a still life, Chahyun finally felt the reality of staying in the same house as Misha. Last night, they had even slept in the same bed. Although they stayed at opposite ends like strangers, not touching even once…‘Is this what they call living together?’Pondering over the unfamiliar term, Chahyun picked up the spoon and scooped some cereal. It was sweet enough to make his dietitian frown, but otherwise, it tasted quite ordinary. While he stirred the spoon around, feeling slightly awkward, Misha sat down across from him.The only sound was the clinking of cutlery. Until the morning sunlight streamed through the kitchen window and cast a glow on the table, neither of them spoke a word.The heavy silence was enough to dredge up the bad memories from the night before that Chahyun had buried in his heart. Though not as intense as at that moment, the dark feelings resurfaced. Chahyun stared blankly at the table, reliving the events.Someone’s clear malice, his own pathetic self-reassurance that everything would be fine.An unfamiliar fear he’d never felt before, the despair from that moment of weakness.And… despite all that, the person now sitting with him.Chahyun glanced up slightly to look at the person sitting opposite him. Misha was eating his cereal with a blank expression. It seemed more like he was mechanically consuming the necessary nutrients rather than enjoying a meal.What was Misha thinking? Despite the awkward and uncomfortable situation, why was he still sitting at the same table as Yoon Chahyun?At that moment, their legs brushed under the table. The table, usually used only by Misha, was slightly narrow for two large men sitting opposite each other. When Chahyun’s knee bumped into Misha’s leg, Misha abruptly moved his leg away and straightened up. Then he looked up at Chahyun.“Oh, sorry…”Chahyun lifted his head and was momentarily speechless at the expression on Misha’s face.It was a familiar look. A gaze mixed with discomfort and pain, like someone trying to endure something. His eyebrows and eyes were twisted in displeasure, his lips tightly pressed as if holding something back. His sharp eyes were fixed on Chahyun’s face.A strange feeling surged up in Chahyun, and he widened his eyes. Misha held his gaze for a moment before looking down at the table again. The expression he had just seen quickly vanished under a mask of indifference, making Chahyun wonder if it had been his imagination.It was a fleeting moment, but it left a long-lasting impression on Chahyun’s heart.***As the Champions League approached the finals, the interval between matches grew shorter. There was a month between the first and second matches of the round of 16, but only a week between the first and second matches of the quarterfinals. The players, having just returned from an away game, didn’t even have a day to rest.Despite this, Winchester FC’s momentum was unstoppable. Thanks to their big win in the first match, they were riding high. Scoring two goals first in a challenging away game was a significant advantage.With such promising prospects, the players performed beyond their abilities despite the tight schedule. The club was buzzing with energy, and the practice matches held daily were fiercely competitive, making it hard to predict the winners.Yoon Chahyun was no exception.Since the first match, he had played several practice matches, but his condition never dipped. With this momentum, Winchester’s advance to the semifinals seemed almost assured, a sentiment echoed by the media and everyone else. The only one secretly doubting this was Yoon Chahyun himself.‘This is strange.’The contract was over, and since then, he hadn’t kissed Misha even once.Far from a kiss, Misha avoided even the slightest touch. Reflecting on their first night at Misha’s house, he realized that Misha had been like that ever since they shared the bed. He seemed to avoid Chahyun as if afraid of getting burned.Yet, despite this, there was no trace of Chahyun’s previous slump in his football performance. It felt as if the past few weeks of struggles and setbacks had been a mere illusion, as he returned to flawless form.Frankly, it was baffling. More than the joy of overcoming the slump, a strange sense of curiosity lingered in his heart. Was a jinx really such a fleeting and convenient concept, appearing and disappearing in an instant?If so, what did that risky and secret contract mean for Misha and Yoon Chahyun?Despite living in the same house, sharing breakfast, and commuting together for several days, neither Chahyun nor Misha spoke about the contract. On the surface, everything seemed perfectly normal, as if the passionate encounters between them had been nothing but a daydream…The dog was left with a sitter, and they were so exhausted when they returned home that there was no time for other conversations. That was a small blessing. Once they turned their backs to each other and closed their eyes, Chahyun didn’t have to see Misha’s uniquely pained gaze.Time was indifferent to Yoon Chahyun’s inner turmoil. The second match was upon them before he had a chance to catch his breath.***“How’s the pain, Yuan?”“It’s uncomfortable to move my arm and shoulder… It feels a bit worse than during the game. Is it still looking bad?”“The hematoma hasn’t gone down much. It’s natural for the pain to increase after the initial injury…”Alana spoke worriedly as she touched Chahyun’s bare back with her fingertips. Her movements were careful and thorough. Sitting in the medical room chair without his shirt, Chahyun waited patiently while she examined his bruises.The tackle he received right after scoring in the first match wasn’t severe enough to put him in bed, but it was uncomfortable. Rolling on the ground had caused extensive bruising on his shoulder and back.He couldn’t see the state of his back easily, but judging by his teammates’ gasps when he changed into his training clothes, it must have been bad. The pain in his body when doing push-ups had persisted for four days since the match.“I’ve done everything I can for now, but there’s no specific treatment for this kind of bruising. Time will heal it. Fortunately, it’s not a bone or muscle issue.”“Right.”“And you can’t take anti-inflammatory or painkillers right now. Sorry, Yuan.”With only a few days left until the second match, using medication was out of the question. This wasn’t so much a rule as a matter of principle. He wanted to avoid any potential doping allegations at all costs. Chahyun nodded in understanding.“But this should help. The cooling effect will also alleviate some of the pain.”Alana showed him a small tin of cream, opened it, and applied a generous amount to his bruises. The touch of the cream on his skin brought a cooling relief, easing the dull pain.“It lasts about half a day, so apply it twice a day. Don’t forget to stop by the medical room.”“Thank you, Alana.”“No problem. It’s my job. I’ll give you some extra, just in case.”Chahyun accepted the small bag Alana handed him. She nodded, looking at him with a mixture of encouragement and concern.“Hang in there a little longer. We’re all rooting for you. Don’t overdo it, but the semifinals are…”“I have to do whatever it takes. Of course.”At this point, everyone at Winchester FC was eager for the next stage. The same held true for the medical and management teams, as well as the fans in Winchester and Korea, all waiting for good news.“I’ll be fine by the match. Don’t worry.”Feeling a strong sense of responsibility, Chahyun managed a bright smile. Thinking about the game helped ease both the dull ache in his back and the turmoil in his heart.After leaving the medical room, Chahyun leaned against the window in the break room. The name of someone familiar but unwelcome was displayed on his phone. With a sigh, he pressed the call button.―Yoon Chahyun! Are you crazy? How could you not tell me about this? Do you think this is a joke?As expected, a thunderous shout came through the speaker. Chahyun held the phone away from his ear until the angry breathing of his manager, Cheon Seongjoo, replaced the yelling.“Hyung. I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to hide it. I thought everything was over back then. They even caught the person we suspected.”―And you kept this to yourself until now? Something this important?“I’m telling you now…”For several minutes, Cheon Seongjoo’s tirade continued, his voice now coldly dissecting Chahyun’s complacency. Previously, when Chahyun had been dealing with the terror incident, he hadn’t mentioned the stalking, not wanting to burden Seongjoo who was already on edge. But looking back, he realized it was a grave mistake. Seongjoo had been livid when he found out about the second incident through the police and the club.― Are you at the club? Stay put. I’m at a shoot in Paddington, but I’ll be there soon.“No! You don’t have to come. I reported everything three days ago.”― You really are… I’ve told you a thousand times that you’re hopeless outside of football.“That’s harsh… I’m genuinely reflecting on my actions.”And he truly meant it. Though it was a while ago, Chahyun acknowledged he had been too naive. Trying to shield his busy manager had only added unnecessary worry. He regretted it deeply.After a series of apologies from Chahyun, Seongjoo’s voice finally softened, though it retained a sharp edge laced with concern.― So what did the police say? Have they found that lunatic?“Not yet. No updates. Even if they had, there’s nothing I can do.”A long sigh came from the other end. Seongjoo was undoubtedly swamped, and this unforeseen issue only added to his stress. Knowing that the sigh held more concern than reproach, Chahyun remained silent.― With the second match day after tomorrow, we should be focused on the game, not dealing with this. I still don’t get why you attract these kinds of people. You’re like a magnet for trouble.“Has this been reported back in Korea?”― Of course, we blocked the reports. If news got out, it would just add to your stress.“…Thanks.”Thinking about his overly anxious father who panicked over minor issues made Chahyun feel guilty. His younger brother, who always acted tough but was soft-hearted, would be even worse. The thought of Coach Kim’s reaction was nerve-wracking.There were no concrete answers yet. Most harassment from so-called fans was like this—senseless torment, attempts to alleviate boredom, or desperate bids for interaction with a celebrity…Seongjoo broke the silence with a firm voice.― Anyway, we need to ramp up security. I don’t want to hear any excuses about it being a hassle or uncomfortable. If you’re alone in that house…“Actually…”Chahyun hesitated before continuing slowly.“I’m not alone right now.”― What do you mean? You have a girlfriend now?Chahyun explained his situation to Seongjoo, including how he came to stay at Misha’s place and the few days that had passed since. Seongjoo was initially shocked to hear Chahyun had sought refuge at someone else’s house but then responded with a weary acceptance.― Well, it’s reassuring that you’re not alone… But did he really suggest it first? Not Jude, but Misha?“…Yeah, that’s how it happened.”― Seriously… Do you call that being close?Seongjoo’s voice was filled with disbelief. It was understandable. Moving in with a teammate out of the blue was quite unexpected. Even Chahyun himself still found it surreal.However, staying with Misha had indeed brought him a sense of stability. For over a decade, he had faced every problem alone. It was a new experience to find comfort in another person’s presence, even if they barely spoke.“Anyway, hyung, I’ll focus on the match first. I’m in good condition.”Seongjoo smacked his lips, pondering something. Known for his thoroughness, he remained silent for a moment before speaking clearly.― Alright. But if anything happens, you have to call me immediately.