Chapter 62
“You won’t be hated. Don’t worry.”
“…Why?”
Eun-hwi knew that even the closest friends could suddenly grow to dislike each other and drift apart. A prime example of this was Mr. Kim of the blue-tiled house and Mr. Kim of the green-doored house in Wolhwa village.
The two Mr. Kims were neighbors who had been as close as brothers, but for some unknown reason, they suddenly became mortal enemies, growling at each other on sight.
When Eun-hwi had visited the village wearing the dokkaebi hat, he witnessed their petty fight, which looked so trivial and pathetic. The shock of that moment still hadn’t faded.
If even the Mr. Kims who had spent so much time together could end up like that, how could Moon-beom be so confident that he wouldn’t come to hate Eun-hwi? Just as Eun-hwi was about to ask this, Moon-beom’s eyes curved into elegant, rounded lines. The seriousness that had been there disappeared, instantly replaced by a mischievous expression.
“Because Eun-hwi is fucking cute and fucking sexy.”
“…Huh?”
“How could I hate someone so adorably cute?”
Come to think of it, Eun-hwi felt he could never hate his adorable rabbits no matter what happened. Thinking about it that way, he could somewhat understand what Moon-beom meant.
Having been called ugly all his life, Eun-hwi still couldn’t agree with being called cute, but…
“I’ll become even cuter and sexier, Yeo Moon-beom.”
He had no intention of acting recklessly and doing things to be hated just because he was reassured by being called cute. If possible, he only wanted to be loved.
As Eun-hwi pulled on the arm he had grabbed to convey his sincerity, deep dimples formed on Moon-beom’s face, which had been as dry as a drought.
As if he had never worn that lonely smile, Moon-beom naturally smiled and leaned in to whisper to Eun-hwi.
“So you can act more on your desires. As long as you’re not in pain after sex like today.”
* * *
“Wow…”
After sleeping for over half a day and no longer feeling sleepy, Eun-hwi sent Moon-beom back to the village and opened the book Dr. Hong-salgwi had given him.
Riding position: A sexual position where the penetrating male lies down and the receiving male sits or lies on top to have intercourse. Typically led by the male on top, the dick is inserted deeper than in other positions, so it’s better to try this after becoming somewhat accustomed to sexual activity.
Fascinated by the illustration that looked similar to but reversed from the missionary position, the half-dokkaebi marveled at the dick of the figures in the picture several times.
Thinking he should definitely try this tomorrow once his body recovered, he turned to the next page, which showed an even more interesting position with two people standing.
“My goodness. You can do it in all sorts of positions…”
Although play was forbidden, practicing positions wasn’t explicitly prohibited. Curious, Eun-hwi lifted one leg while sitting to imitate the position in the picture.
“Standing position. The penetrating male stands while the receiving male is standing or being held up during intercourse.”
He read the paragraph carefully, enunciating each word. Although some words were a bit difficult, it was written in Hangul, and with the example illustrations, he could read it quite interestingly.
The half-dokkaebi, who had previously disliked books so much, was now absorbed in learning about sexual positions, slightly moving his hips as he read, losing track of time.
“Dokkaebi-nim! Hong-salgwi is here!”
Just as he was about to stand up to get some water from the refrigerator because his throat was dry, a familiar voice called from outside the door.
“Dr. Hong-salgwi?”
He thought the doctor would be busy with national affairs, going in and out of the sea, but apparently that wasn’t the case. It seemed he had visited again following yesterday.
Although his legs were still shaky, he could move more easily than before thanks to sufficient rest. Eun-hwi filled a pale green porcelain bowl with water and opened the front door, holding it.
He thought he should at least thank the doctor for the gift, even if they couldn’t talk for long like during the picnic.
“Did you sleep well last night? I see you’re wearing hanbok today, Dokkaebi-nim.”
As he stepped outside, Dr. Hong, wearing a dragon’s eye wood rosary around his neck, came into view. Eun-hwi had thought he couldn’t sense the doctor’s presence because he wasn’t feeling well, but that wasn’t the case.
“You don’t need to hide from Moon-beom anymore, so why are you wearing the rosary, Dr. Hong-salgwi?”
“Actually, I came here secretly without Manager Yeo knowing again today, Dokkaebi-nim.”
Secretly again today?
Eun-hwi quickly looked around, worried that Moon-beom might suddenly appear wearing the dokkaebi hat, and whispered in a low voice.
“Why did you come secretly again? What if you get caught and scolded like last time?”
“Well, how should I put it… It’s the heart of a father caring for his child, I suppose?”
Dr. Hong scratched the back of his head under his hat with a sheepish expression.
“A father’s heart?”
“Yes. Although I don’t have children, watching you makes me feel like I’m observing my own child growing into an adult… So I made time to come up here, even though I know there could be trouble if I’m caught.”
Eun-hwi, who was drinking water from the bowl with both hands to quench his thirst, was startled by Dr. Hong’s words and asked without thinking.
“I really became an adult yesterday. How did you know that, Dr. Hong-salgwi?”
“I know Manager Yeo’s personality. I thought you would use the gift I gave you right away.”
That’s not it.
Dr. Hong-salgwi doesn’t know Moon-beom as well as he thinks.
Yesterday, Moon-beom asked for Eun-hwi’s consent several times before using the gifts Dr. Hong had given.
If Eun-hwi had shown even the slightest sign of fear or refusal, Moon-beom wouldn’t have touched him at all, let alone taken out the items from the pouch.
Strangely, Eun-hwi felt proud that the Moon-beom Dr. Hong knew and the Moon-beom he knew seemed different.
Because it felt like only he knew the real Moon-beom. Even if they weren’t lovers yet, it felt like they had become the closest of friends.
“How is your body, Dokkaebi-nim? I heard that using muscles you don’t usually use can easily cause body aches. Are you alright?”
“Mmm. My waist and legs hurt a little, but they’ll be fine by tomorrow. Dokkaebi are tough, you know.”
As much as he wanted to take care of household chores even if it meant pushing himself, he needed to recover quickly so he could enjoy sex play with Moon-beom.
Dr. Hong, who had been looking at Eun-hwi with concern as he showed his will to recover, rummaged through his turtle shell-like bag and pulled something out.
“I brought some pain relief patches for you, Dokkaebi-nim. If you feel any muscle pain, try applying these. They should help quickly.”
“Pain relief patches?”
“Yes. Pain relief patches are external adhesive medicines made by applying medication to fabric. They’re also called plasters. They relieve pain by using osmosis to penetrate pain-relieving or local anesthetic components into the body. It’s best not to leave them on for too long as they can irritate the skin, so try to replace them every half day or so, Dokkaebi-nim.”
The box Dr. Hong handed over had phrases like “Domestic Sales No. 1,” “Fast Pain Relief,” and “Stick-on Pain Expert” written on it.
Although it was something Eun-hwi had never seen before, judging by the doctor’s detailed explanation, it seemed to be a good medicine.
Unlike before when he had refused the red bean rice cakes offered as tribute, Eun-hwi quietly accepted the pain relief patches and said to Dr. Hong with teary eyes:
“Thank you, Dr. Hong-salgwi. What should I do? I keep receiving things but can’t repay you at all.”
“Not at all. Just appearing before me and showing your noble presence is a great reward. I really don’t need anything else. Just take care of your health, Dokkaebi-nim.”
“Nnng. But still… Then at least take this.”
Unable to shake off his guilty feelings, the half-dokkaebi handed the bowl he was holding to Dr. Hong.
“Oh. This is quite a well-shaped bowl. Judging by the clean surface and the evenly applied pure white glaze, it seems to be of the highest quality…”
Dr. Hong carefully held the bottom of the bowl with both hands, appreciating the curves flowing on both sides. When he saw the character for “heaven” (天) engraved on the base, he suddenly exclaimed excitedly:
“No! This, this, this is a white porcelain bowl used by the royal family in the early Joseon period, isn’t it?”
“It’s not from the royal family, it’s just a bowl we have at home.”
“Even though I collect antiques as a hobby, I can’t accept something this precious! I’d rather have another meal with you. That would be better for me!”
Eun-hwi giggled at the sight of Dr. Hong trembling and holding out the bowl with his fingertips raised, apparently afraid of leaving even a scratch.
It seemed ridiculous to make such a fuss over a common bowl that could be found in any Mr. Kim’s house, let alone from the royal family.
It seemed he might need to change his newly fitted modernization glasses again.
“Okay. I’ll do that.”
Unable to force a gift on someone who was adamantly refusing, the half-dokkaebi reluctantly took back the bowl.
Moon-beom would have to give permission for them to have a meal together like last time…
Although Moon-beom had said he could act on his desires as much as he wanted, Eun-hwi wanted to get his approval even for those desires.
Because right now, Moon-beom was Eun-hwi’s entire world.
“By the way, Dr. Hong-salgwi.”
“Yes, Dokkaebi-nim.”
“What does ‘flirting’ mean?”
“Pardon? You mean flirting?”
“Yeah, that. Earlier, when I kept asking questions, Moon-beom told me not to flirt.”
Dr. Hong exclaimed “Oh!” and replied with an interested expression.
“The term ‘flirting’ isn’t officially defined in dictionaries, Dokkaebi-nim. Generally, it refers to actions meant to charm or seduce someone to gain their favor.”
“…Charm or seduce to gain favor?”
Thinking about it, asking to “peel the skin” meant wanting to be touched intimately like yesterday.
In the end, he was rejected, so should it be considered a failed attempt at seduction?
Eun-hwi’s ears perked up as he asked:
“Then how should I flirt to make Moon-beom like it?”
