BCGWR Chapter 52 Part 2

As the chaotic thoughts swirling in his head quieted down, and he let out the breath he had been holding, his breathing became ragged, like someone pulled from water.

Had he been holding his breath? But why?

Even amidst his confusion, not knowing why his own body had done so, he didn’t dare to turn and look at the person firmly supporting him from behind.

As he stood awkwardly leaning forward, staring ahead, the hand covering his forehead dropped, then wrapped around his waist and pulled him back, as if telling him to lean back comfortably.

By the time his strained breathing stabilized again, the window slowly began to close. Thinking the closing speed was strangely slow, he looked down and saw a small furball pushing the enormous window.

Jung Ha-jin, reflected in the tightly shut window, was looking at Ji-su with his usual unreadable expression. He didn’t ask Han Ji-su why he was like that, nor did he ask what was wrong.

Ji-su wondered if he should at least offer some explanation for why he had stuck his head out the window, and why he had been holding his breath, but before he could open his mouth, Jung Ha-jin posed an unexpected question.

“Do you want to go outside?”

“…Huh?”

Flustered, Ji-su couldn’t answer immediately. He only hesitated, wondering if Jung Ha-jin was going to scold him for doing something dangerous.

Jung Ha-jin watched Ji-su, reflected in the window, merely parting his lips without giving a proper answer, for a moment, and realized his question had been misunderstood. So, he rephrased his question clearly, in an even softer voice.

“Shall we go out for a bit to get some fresh air? Although the weather isn’t good, a walk wouldn’t be bad.”

“…? Right now, outside, with all that snow…”

Dumbfounded, Ji-su pointed outside, unable to finish his sentence, as if to ask, “Can’t you see that blizzard?” Jung Ha-jin, taking Ji-su’s bewildered gaze casually, fastened the window lock and added,

“Well, sometimes becoming a human snowman isn’t so bad.”

“…”

Ji-su turned, wondering if this person was actually joking, but saw a man with an utterly serious expression.

‘Is it because I’ve been lying down too much lately…?’

Ji-su, after briefly glancing at Jung Ha-jin’s expression, turned his gaze back outside the window. It was the kind of weather where he could guarantee he’d be a snowman within 10 seconds if he went out now.

He was about to say that it was nothing, that they could just stay home, that there was no need to go out, when he noticed Toto, plastered against the window, watching the swirling snowflakes with his mouth slightly open and his eyes sparkling brightly.

“…”

“It seems Toto wants to go out too. Shall we take a quick stroll?”

“Squeak!”

“…”

Ji-su’s gaze returned to the window. Due to the increasingly severe blizzard, not only was the ground obscured, but even nearby buildings were invisible. Unless there was an unavoidable reason, like for a worker, who would be crazy enough to voluntarily go out in this weather?

“…Fine. Let’s go out.”