Chapter 36: Where truth begins
Eun-woo walked out of the bathroom with slow steps, his hair damp and his T-shirt stuck to his body from the steam. The hallway was silent. The occasional creaking of the old wood beneath his feet was barely audible.
As he descended the stairs, a faint scent of mint and ginger wafted from the kitchen. He blinked, curious. Turning toward the entrance, he saw Caelan with his back to him, leaning over the stove, a teapot in his hand.
Hearing the faint creak of the steps, Caelan raised his head slightly, though he didn’t turn around. His shoulders tensed slightly, as if confirming that he was no longer alone.
Eun-woo stood at the threshold, watching him silently. Their eyes didn’t meet, but they both knew the other was there. For a few seconds, neither of them said anything. The silence was a little awkward, as if each was waiting for the other to speak first.
Then Caelan turned around, a cup in his hands. He didn’t say anything at first, just looked at him calmly. Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he slightly raised his cup.
"Tea?"
Caelan’s voice was so calm, so neutral, that it completely threw Eun-woo off. After everything they’d said earlier, he hadn’t expected such calm. Nor such naturalness.
Eun-woo looked down, embarrassed by the way he had spoken to him earlier.
"Thank you," he murmured, taking the cup with both hands.
Caelan nodded and gestured for him to follow. They walked together to the living room. A gas lamp flickered on a small table. They sat on the sofa, one at each end.
For a few minutes, all that could be heard was the clinking of pottery as they sipped their tea.