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The kiss that began suddenly, without mood or preparation, seemed to go on endlessly. Just when it seemed their lips might finally part, their mutual hunger had them hastily reconnecting their breath, without anyone taking the initiative.
After Jang Yeonhu lost his memories… Perhaps because he had actively participated in the outrageous scam that he had continued to stay by his side all this time? Han Jaekyung, whose remaining conscience had been pricking at him, hadn’t dared to attempt such long and deep contact beyond small physical touches like hand-holding or hugs, or light kisses.
His partner’s aggressive breathing was overwhelming. As his breath quickened, his muddled mind seemed to spin. When had the other’s hand reached out? The firmly held nape of his neck felt unbearably hot. Jaekyung barely managed to pull his head back and inhale the air he lacked. He hit the back of his head against the window with a thud.
“Mmm, I don’t want to separate. Just a little, just a little more… hmm?”
“Ugh…”
Jang Yeonhu wouldn’t consider such circumstances. He firmly pulled on the hand that had been holding the back of Jaekyung’s neck, and whined like a child as he rubbed his lips near Jaekyung’s slightly swollen ones. The lip stamps being pressed down one after another left Jaekyung completely dazed. And that watery gaze dripping with affection—what about that?
A red light blinked, bliinked, slowly flickering in his mind. Han Jaekyung unconsciously closed and opened his eyes to the rhythm of that signal. When was the last time he had kissed Jang Yeonhu? It was shortly after returning from America, when they had used the excuse of having a welcome party to drink heavily together and roll around on the sofa, so let’s see… Good heavens. It seems at least half a year had passed.
He decided not to waste any more effort defining the identity of the familiar yet strange man before him. Whether he had his memories or not, if this man was truly Jang Yeonhu, then regardless of what state Jang Yeonhu was in, he was undoubtedly Han Jaekyung’s rightful share to enjoy.
“Jaekyung…”
The low voice, thoroughly soaked as if trying to coax him, made his eardrums tingle. Jaekyung tightly closed his slowly blinking eyes and strongly embraced Jang Yeonhu’s neck.
With his eyes closed, he saw nothing. The subtle scent of cologne. Familiar hair and body temperature. Han Jaekyung’s Jang Yeonhu, unchanged in any way. He greedily parted his lips. Even the screams of his spine, trapped in the narrow front seat, weren’t a problem.
The car that had remained in the parking lot for at least another thirty minutes soon left the campus at high speed. The destination of the hastily moving vehicle was not Jang Yeonhu’s house. The navigation screen clearly displayed the address of the nearest hotel.
* * *
By the time they returned home, it was well past midnight. Concerned about his and Jang Yeonhu’s dazed expressions—the latter still unable to regain his composure since the end of their kiss—Han Jaekyung couldn’t immediately open the front door after parking the car. Instead, he kept checking every corner of his appearance in the side mirror. His eyes had started to swell from crying loudly in bed, failing to act his age. That wasn’t his only concern. His recently washed but not fully dried hair and the top button that had come off all bothered him. Like a thief feeling guilty.
“You’re pretty even if you don’t keep looking in the mirror.”
Though his hair was disheveled and his lips slightly swollen as well, Jang Yeonhu seemed completely uninterested in fixing his appearance. This was clear from how he had been sitting fully turned to the side, resting his chin on the back of his hand, and staring intently at everything Jaekyung was doing. His emotion-filled gaze was explicit. Though it shouldn’t be possible, it felt as if his gaze had a physical touch. Han Jaekyung felt his cheeks, which he had barely managed to cool down as they hurriedly left the hotel room, heating up again.
Feeling awkward, he pretended not to hear and just smoothed out his crumpled shirt. Then came Jang Yeonhu’s voice, stretching out his name, “Jaekyung, Han Jaekye-ong.” Rather than having something specific to say, his tone suggested he simply couldn’t bear not calling Jaekyung’s name right away. Though the tone was clearly playful, strangely enough, hearing that voice made Jaekyung vividly recall the image of Jang Yeonhu who, just an hour ago, had been holding him tightly and whispering sweet nothings in his ear.
“Your face is red, our Jaekyung. When are you planning to go inside at this rate?”
“…Shut up, will you.”
Damn it, damn it, damn it. He was completely done for. His body, still with a slight fever, caught fire like dry straw at the smallest spark. Quick-witted Jang Yeonhu noticed Jaekyung’s state and began gently coaxing him, saying it wasn’t too late to turn the car around and spend the entire night out before coming back.
Jaekyung, precariously balancing on his thin thread of reason, soon regained his senses at the weight of his mobile phone pulling down his jacket pocket. There were already numerous missed calls from Madam Yu and the Vice Chairman. Jang Yeonhu’s phone situation was probably the same.
In the end, Han Jaekyung, giving up on fixing his wrinkled shirt caught in a rough grip and the torn-off top button, merely swept his bangs back once more before resolutely opening the driver’s door and getting out. If they had continued to stay together in the confined car, he might have given in unconsciously. Jang Yeonhu grinned and immediately followed.
“You must be tired, let’s go in quickly.”
Then, walking ahead, he firmly pressed his lips against Jaekyung’s cheek again. His smiling expression and voice seemed to overflow with endless happiness and satisfaction. His face, which had always had a gentle smile, now looked like it was bursting with joy beyond measure.
It seemed impossible to keep their physical intimacy a secret from the family. Even if they were lucky enough to reach their room tonight without encountering anyone, seeing Jang Yeonhu so obviously elated, anyone could easily guess that something had happened between them.
Han Jaekyung’s head was throbbing. The results of giving in to impulse were always this unsightly, but… he didn’t want to regret it. Today’s sensations were too exquisite to be dismissed with the excuse of impulse that he always used after sleeping with Jang Yeonhu.
Jang Yeonhu, while embracing Jaekyung, didn’t have to hold back from saying “I love you,” and Han Jaekyung could also freely receive that love and return those words as much as he wanted. A relationship filled with nothing but affection, without crude alcohol influence to maintain the boundary of friendship, or ambiguous delays. This was truly a first for Jaekyung too. Enough to make him burst into tears while lying bare-chested on the bed. Because of this, Jang Yeonhu had worried for quite some time, thinking that perhaps his lack of memories had made him clumsy, hurting Jaekyung.
“…Ah, stop grinning so much.”
They were halfway across the garden. Jaekyung finally couldn’t stand Jang Yeonhu’s foolish, beaming expression and gave him a harsh rebuke.
With these speech habits of his. He could have spoken more gently, saying “stop smiling so much.” Jaekyung deeply regretted his rougher manner of speaking that emerged when he felt shy. He wanted to bite his tongue off.
“Huh?”
Having been walking just fine, he seemed confused by this sudden comment, his downward gaze filled with questions. …Ha, nevermind. It’s not like Jang Yeonhu doesn’t know my personality. Half-resigned, Jaekyung poked a finger at his still-upturned mouth corners and blurted out:
“I said stop smiling. Unless you plan to advertise to your family that we’ve been rolling around in bed.”
“Ah. Are you embarrassed? Okay, okay. I’ll be tactful.”
Looking at Jaekyung with a gaze that suggested he found him as adorable as a playful young animal, Jang Yeonhu kissed the finger still pointing at his mouth. The smile spread across his face had intensified even more. Han Jaekyung couldn’t believe Jang Yeonhu’s promise to be tactful, not even a little bit.
The discomfort in his lower body made it difficult to walk quickly. The remaining distance to the front door seemed particularly far. Jaekyung moved his legs while practically placing all his weight on Jang Yeonhu’s arm.
Click.
“You’re back now?”
Hoping everyone would already be asleep given the late hour, he cautiously opened the front door. As expected, Madam Yu, who had brought a low stool and was keeping watch beyond the inner door, immediately welcomed the two of them. Jaekyung hurriedly let go of Jang Yeonhu’s arm and bowed his head. Feeling uneasy inside, even his greeting, “I’m back,” came out somewhat weakly.
“Mother, why are you still up?”
“I was waiting for my son. But where have you been to be this late? I was worried something might have happened. Neither you nor Jaekyung answered your phones. Hmm?”
Rising to her feet, Madam Yu gently patted her son’s shoulders and subtly glanced towards Jaekyung. She likely wanted a plausible explanation. Fortunately, the lighting was dim due to the late hour. Jaekyung hoped Madam Yu wouldn’t notice his disheveled appearance as he spoke.
“Madam, I’m sorry. Today I took Yeonhu to the university campus where we used to study. We had dinner and walked around in that area, but being in a college neighborhood, all the stores stayed open late, so we didn’t realize how late it had gotten.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“…Yes. I also thought maybe seeing the campus might trigger some memories.”
What a lie. They hadn’t even eaten dinner, too busy moving their bodies relentlessly, to the point where hunger had turned into nausea. Jaekyung met Madam Yu’s gaze directly and bowed his head once more, saying “I’m sorry.” Jang Yeonhu, seemingly displeased with Jaekyung’s submissive attitude towards Madam Yu, secretly squeezed his hand behind his back. Well, when Han Jaekyung was in high school, he would have been ready to give anything, even his liver or gallbladder, at Madam Yu’s word, so Jang Yeonhu probably couldn’t bring himself to openly stop him.
“No, what are you sorry for? But next time, please let me know if you’re going to be late. Especially when you take Yeonhu out. Understood?”
“Yes.”
The fortunate thing was that Madam Yu was the only person still awake. Looking as if keeping her tired eyes forcibly open had been a struggle, Madam Yu disappeared with a long yawn after confirming her son’s safety, and the two had to sneak into the kitchen to hastily find and eat their belated dinner.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
