Cha Eui-sung had no idea what percentage Moon Tae-young’s gauge would have to reach before he spilled all his secrets.
But that moment definitely existed somewhere just short of 100%, and Tae-young probably had a vague sense of when that would be.
It wasn’t something you sat down and calculated. Especially when you weren’t even sure if the lover you’d stumbled into would ever make it that far.
That must be why he was giving that evasive little smile right now, convinced he’d never actually have to say anything.
Still, because Cha Eui-sung kept staring, Moon Tae-young let out a shallow sigh, perhaps feeling the pressure of his gaze.
“…I’ll just tell you now.”
It sounded tempting enough, but Eui-sung immediately knew this wasn’t going to be one of those after-everything-is-over kinds of confessions.
No one in their right mind would suddenly blurt out, “I’m the Demon King and I came down here plotting revenge,” right here and now.
So he was just going to sit back and watch what kind of story Tae-young would make up this time. Probably laugh at him inwardly while doing it.
Moon Tae-young cleared his throat theatrically, and Cha Eui-sung, pretending to be eager, perked up and listened.
“Actually, I’m a servant of Cthulhu, and I came to Cheongseri to offer Earth up to him.”
“…What?”
“There’s actually a secret base here. I come and go often to keep an eye on it.”
“What the hell…”
His mind instantly went blank.
“Still, before I get fed to Cthulhu, I’ll make sure to give you a heads-up at least once.”
Wham!
Without a word, Eui-sung slammed his fist into Tae-young’s stomach, as if to say, Then don’t say anything at all, asshole.
Coughing, Tae-young hunched forward and glanced up at Eui-sung’s now very close face with a crooked grin.
And in that moment, his eyes curved into a striking, alluring crescent.
Eui-sung caught a glimpse of his real face in that fleeting instant and forced himself to keep a straight expression.
What the… fuck…
Was this guy insane? His damn heart was pounding.
He hadn’t actually expected Tae-young to say it out loud, no matter how unbelievable it sounded. Which meant Cha Eui-sung now had to act thoroughly offended after having hoped for something real.
The shock had his heart practically drop out of his chest. Before his pulse could spiral out of control, he mentally scrambled to recall a sacred hymn—anything to steady himself.
Of all the goddamn things, he was lying with his head on this guy’s lap, which made it ten times harder not to react.
“Cthulhu, really? What kind of resurrected sashimi squid bullshit is that?”
“Not a fan of that scenario? How about this—I’m a Northern spy trying to take over Cheongseri in a surprise invasion.”
“I’m gonna beat the crap outta you.”
Finally regaining his composure, Eui-sung raised a fist threateningly, and Tae-young actually burst out laughing.
As his boyfriend, Eui-sung really should’ve been pissed at how much fun he seemed to be having messing with him. But as Hero Cha Eui-sung, all he felt was a cold sinking in his chest.
Yeah, hilarious, you bastard. You told me the actual truth and this is how I react…
It was absurd. Completely absurd. Knowing the truth and still unable to acknowledge it, all he could do was pout like a child.
If he’d just played dumb from the start, he could’ve at least freaked out and gone, “What?! Seriously? Oh nooo~”—something to pretend like he believed it.
“…Whatever. I’ll just wait and hear it later.”
“What if it’s still Cthulhu then?”
“Then I’ll cling to his servant and beg for my life.”
And if he doesn’t save me, I’ll drag the Outer Gods, the System, the Demon King—all of them—down with me and die together. Joke’s on you, watch me.
While gritting his teeth internally, suddenly a shadow fell over Cha Eui-sung’s face.
Smack. Out of nowhere, Moon Tae-young pressed a kiss to his lips and then pulled back.
Eui-sung’s eyes widened. He stared at Tae-young’s retreating face, then shot upright.
“What the hell was that?”
“Shouldn’t I be the one asking that?”
“No, definitely not.”
“Then get down here and prove it.”
As Eui-sung slowly climbed onto Tae-young’s half-crossed legs, the latter let out a faint chuckle.
But that ended the moment Eui-sung’s arms wrapped around his neck—his expression turned serious.
Chup, chup. Eui-sung gave him soft, fluttering kisses like a bird. Thinking back on all the veiled confessions this sly bastard might’ve dropped before gave him chills.
“…Haaah… mm…”
The moment his hand touched Tae-young’s back, he exhaled deeply—and watching that annoyingly smooth face flush red was immensely satisfying.
Even just brushing lips like this is enough to get me swayed. And yet he never gives me a damn inch. We’re clearly messing around together, but he acts like he’s just humoring me.
Still, for this lunatic to talk about Outer Gods, the end of the world, and why he came down to Cheongseri—even if it was in that roundabout way—was real progress.
He said there was a secret base here, didn’t he? Maybe it’s a location somehow connected to the Outer Gods. Or maybe it’s just structured in a way that hides a lot.
Come to think of it, didn’t the System say something about a Gateway?
“Mnngh…!”
Moon Tae-young’s tongue slipped between his lips, prying into his mouth with a forceful swirl. Like it was chiding him—You’re the one who climbed on top of me, and now you’re zoning out?
Cha Eui-sung grabbed the back of his head and let out a heated breath. Tae-young’s grip tightened, pulling him in.
His chest felt crushed under the pressure. As Eui-sung licked Tae-young’s lips and tried to pull back, Tae-young followed without hesitation, sealing their mouths again.
The wet, sloshing sound echoed in his ears, sending a strange shiver down his spine. Flushed red, Eui-sung finally let himself lean forward again.
“What the hell… haa… what do you even see in me that’s got you doing this…”
“Haaah… Tilt your head down a bit.”
“For a tentacled minion, you sure are bossy.”
The way he bit Eui-sung’s lips—gentle, not painful—was frustratingly satisfying. This guy clearly wasn’t new to physical affection. Probably had experience.
Well, there was a seven-year age gap on his national ID. Of course he’d dated someone. Eui-sung had done a background check and seen how flawlessly he lived, so he’d briefly wondered if he might be his first. But in hindsight, people still had kids during wartime—it wasn’t like nothing would’ve happened.
Fidget. The position was getting uncomfortable, so Eui-sung shifted his hips. Tae-young’s hand trailed along his waistline. Then it slipped inside, sliding up along the lean muscles of his back.
Startled, Eui-sung released his grip on his hair. That hand kept going, didn’t stop, creeping up to the nape of his neck—it tingled.
And while doing so, it dragged up his shirt, leaving his stomach exposed.
His well-toned torso twitched under the touch. Tae-young narrowed his eyes slightly, then gently grabbed the back of Eui-sung’s neck.
“Cthulhu… haaah… says I should undress you too.”
“…I didn’t mean it like that.”
And yet his voice was already thick with heat. Maybe it was the effect of being apart for a few days. His hands kept creeping forward like they were slipping out of restraint.
“So, once you offer Earth up, where am I supposed to live?”
Eui-sung rubbed his lips against him like he was joking, but Tae-young didn’t answer. Instead, his hand stroked his stomach.
Ah, this is bad…
His lower half was already aching—and if Tae-young kept touching him there, he was in real trouble. Eui-sung clenched his jaw and glared at him through half-lidded eyes.
He slumped forward as his strength drained, only to feel something hard pressing against him. Surprised, he blinked.
He’d thought Tae-young was wearing loose pants… until he realized what that pressure was.
Shit. He’s hard. And… it’s big.
Okay, sure, riding his lap like this was bound to cause something, but actually feeling it was another matter. Thankfully, Tae-young adjusted, groping his side and shifting his hips slightly to make space.
Right. You’re at that age too, huh.
Even as his own body burned, Eui-sung muttered inwardly. Meanwhile, Tae-young kept kissing him, roaming hands moving up.
“My guess is your chest’s probably bigger than mine, Tae-young.”
“Knew you’d say that.”
He answered with surprising composure, but it was the most unguarded Eui-sung had ever seen him.
What the hell got him so worked up? Was it just meeting again after a few days? Sitting on his lap? Or maybe he was never that mild to begin with, and all that Outer God talk pushed some twisted button in his brain?
At least Eui-sung had fished out some good intel through playful teasing, but now they were both way too heated.
He squeezed his eyes shut, debating with himself, then pretended to reach for Tae-young’s head—only to raise his hips instead.
That managed to lift the spot that had been uncomfortably pressed against him… but unfortunately, it meant something else ended up touching instead.
“Ah.”
The fuck? What the hell is he biting?!
Eui-sung’s eyes shot wide open. Goosebumps crawled across his skin as his entire body froze.
“Ugh… This is…”
It felt so weird. He was nibbling on that extra-sensitive ridge, and Eui-sung instinctively released his arms that had been wrapped around him. As he tried to pull back, Tae-young lowered him to the floor and hovered over him.
Now pinned beneath the larger man, Eui-sung lay stunned, staring at the flush of energy pulsing from him in waves.
He swallowed hard, the thudding heartbeat in his ears echoing through the silence.
So that’s why he smelled freshly showered. Had he been waiting for tonight?
When Eui-sung had asked, “Did you enjoy yourself while I was gone?”—he never really got a straight answer.
Now, Tae-young buried his face into the pale curve of his neck and inhaled deeply. His shoulders shuddered, whether from excitement or unease, Eui-sung couldn’t tell.
And suddenly, without knowing why, Eui-sung had a hunch.
This bastard… even though he’s the Demon King…
Was he feeling anxious because he brought up the Outer Gods? From someone who knew the truth, it was a heavy topic.
Of course, he was the idiot who blurted it out himself—but still, even as his body burned up, Eui-sung couldn’t shake the guilt that maybe he’d pushed a little too hard on the apocalypse talk.
No. No, that’s not it.
He quickly corrected himself and silently visualized the gauge. He’d waited a month for it to crawl from 0% to 3%. It was about time to give it another push.
And now, after all that touching, all that kissing, his whole body throbbed with heat.
Even if he went home, all he’d do is lie there, twitching and frustrated.
Still wearing a shirt half-ridden up, Eui-sung reached out and pulled Tae-young’s head to his lips.
A faint tremble traveled through their kiss, then slowly stilled. Chup. Chuuup. The soft, ticklish sound filled the quiet room.
A cold thrill ran from the crown of his head straight down his spine.
