“Yes.”
But Sirius’s answer was different from what Yan expected. Yan’s mouth hung open stupidly until he realized he was nearly drooling and came to his senses.
“Um, really…?”
“Yes.”
The calm answer came without hesitation.
In truth, it wasn’t just concern for Yan Circuitz. What Sirius was worried about was Procion, who had performed the bonding ritual on Yan without prior planning, even if it was only the first stage. While he was concerned about Yan, that was merely a secondary consideration related to the bonding ritual.
‘I’m so happy…’
But Yan didn’t know these circumstances. He believed Sirius had come to visit him out of concern. He was so happy he forgot about the various aches in his body. Yan gazed at Sirius with dreamy eyes.
Perhaps that gaze made Sirius uncomfortable. Sirius stood up from his seat.
“I should be going now.”
“Yes, thank you for coming despite your busy schedule. Take care on your way back.”
Though Yan was secretly disappointed that Sirius was leaving the hospital room, he responded courteously. His thanks were sincere. So was his wish for Sirius to return safely. As always, Yan conveyed only sincerity to Sirius.
“Get plenty of rest.”
It seemed his sincerity had finally reached through. Before leaving, Sirius turned around and spoke as if remembering something he’d forgotten to say. His lips bore a faint smile.
“Wow. Wow, that’s crazy. Wow, did you see that smile?”
As soon as Sirius left, Yan expressed his amazement repeatedly. Though he was in a two-person room, the neighboring bed was empty, so there was no need to hide his emotions. Yan was panting like someone who had swallowed hot food, and eventually kicked off his blanket. His body felt hot from the joy coursing through him.
“My plan must be working!”
The plan to seduce Sirius by becoming a masochist was somewhat bizarre. Yan, who had devised the plan, wasn’t unaware of this. He had only put it into action because he couldn’t think of any other method.
Fortunately, the plan seemed to be heading toward success. In the past, even if Sirius had visited his hospital room, he would have merely conducted a brief interrogation and left—now he was actually showing concern.
“I have to work harder.”
Filled with motivation, Yan renewed his determination. He glanced at the small desk beside the bed. His mobile phone was placed there. Although the screen was cracked from falling to the ground when he collapsed, it appeared to still be functional.
Yan turned on his phone and searched for Procion’s number. He wanted to report his progress to his teacher. However, he wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to call without knowing if Procion was safe.
After some deliberation, Yan finally pressed “call.” It seemed best to try contacting him regardless.
The ringtone sounded for a long time. Just as Yan was about to hang up, thinking Procion might be unavailable, the call connected, and a voice even deeper than usual suddenly flowed through.
“Hello.”
“Hmm-hmm. Hello.”
Yan’s voice faltered slightly. Although he had been speaking just fine until moments ago, for some reason his throat tightened upon hearing Procion’s voice. Fumbling, Yan thought to inquire about his wellbeing.
“Um, yesterday… did you get home safely?”
“Yes.”
For someone who had experienced a major incident, his tone was strangely composed. Though it was just one syllable, it conveyed a sense of composure—it was hard to pinpoint exactly, but he didn’t seem alarmed at all. Yan was relieved by this.
“That’s good. I’m also safe, more or less.”
Though being hospitalized might not qualify as being completely safe, his physical condition wasn’t bad, so this was good enough. Procion’s response followed.
“I suppose so.”
His tone was so indifferent that it was almost deflating for Yan, who had been concerned about him. It had been a potentially dangerous situation, yet Procion didn’t seem to have worried about Yan at all. Yan felt a little hurt, but reminding himself of the nature of their relationship, he deliberately pushed aside his disappointment.
“Um, about our lesson…”
He wasn’t sure what to call that activity. ‘Sex’? It couldn’t simply be called sex, and to term it ‘torture’ would be inaccurate since it was mutually consensual. As he chose the somewhat childish word ‘lesson,’ Procion laughed softly—a sound that seemed to vibrate in his throat.
“Are you already craving it? Such a lewd slave, what can I do with you?”
“No, that’s not it…!”
He just wanted to work harder to completely capture Sirius’s heart as soon as possible. Yan was about to retort vehemently when a thought suddenly struck him. He gently bit his lower lip and spoke in a small voice.
“…I just wanted to work hard on my… lessons.”
Procion burst into laughter at these whispered words. Unlike before, it sounded like genuine laughter from real amusement.
Yan was relieved by his reaction. It seemed he had correctly gauged when he should assume the role of a slave.
“Your bottom probably hasn’t fully healed yet, but you want to be spanked again? Are you in heat or something?”
At those words, Yan recalled the cat they had collectively raised in college dormitory. That creature, “Kitty,” would wiggle its rear whenever it was in heat. When students took turns patting its bottom, it would meow loudly.
While that had been quite adorable, applying the same situation to himself was just creepy. As Procion suggested, he did appear to be in heat.
“…Maybe I am.”
That answer was half-sincere, not just immersion in the roleplay.
Procion stopped teasing and mentioned a date. Since Yan’s physical condition was fine, he could probably receive discharge permission right away, so Yan replied, “That day works for me.” The call ended after a few more mundane exchanges.
“Haah.”
Yan exhaled a short sigh as he dropped his arm holding the phone. Conversing with Procion left him feeling drained.
“Still, he’s a good person. Teaching me without charge…”
Regardless of how difficult he was to deal with, Yan genuinely liked Procion. Of course, it was a different kind of ‘liking’ than what he felt toward Sirius. In today’s world, it was truly remarkable for someone to volunteer as an instructor without receiving a penny. Of course, his bottom would ache after each lesson, but that was unavoidable given the nature of the course.
“Ah! Come to think of it…!”
Reminded of his bottom, Yan quickly placed his hand on it. His bottom would likely be swollen and red. Not only that, but his perineum would also be inflamed.
Having been hospitalized after collapsing, he must have undergone a thorough examination, which meant doctors had seen his condition. Judging by the hospital gown he was wearing, someone had undressed him, making it obvious that they had discovered the suspicious marks.
“W-what should I do?”
It wouldn’t be long before rumors spread that ‘Officer Yan Circuitz had spanking marks on his bottom.’ Given their profession, people would immediately recognize what kind of injury it was and could deduce what Yan had been doing.
Panicking, Yan narrowed his eyes and pulled at the waistband of his pants. The loose hospital gown stretched easily, revealing pale flesh.
“…Huh?”
Pale flesh? Yan forgot his tension and opened his eyes wide. He must have seen incorrectly.
“What’s going on…?”
But his bottom was indeed pale and unblemished.
Yan was so dumbfounded he couldn’t continue speaking. Not only had the red swelling subsided, but even the marks from the switch were nowhere to be seen. While this was fortunate, it was strange—his bottom couldn’t have healed in just one day.
Yan felt as though he had experienced a dream. Like the memory of having his stomach pierced by vampires, perhaps being spanked by Procion had also been a dream?
But while he couldn’t be sure about the former, he could distinctly remember the latter. The moment he recalled the large palm striking his bottom, Yan swallowed dryly.
For some reason, his lower abdomen tightened pleasurably.
