#067
When Jiwoon opened his eyes, he stared blankly at the ceiling of Yechan’s room. As he sat up, his face naturally crumpled from the pain he felt in his waist.
Unlike his messy memories, both his body and the bed were clean. He seemed to remember Yechan washing him in the bathtub while he was half-asleep. His head hurt as if it might split.
“Ah…”
Jiwoon staggered into the bathroom and washed his body again, stained with hangover and sex. Dizziness was added to his already aching head.
Fuck buddies. Hah… Jiwoon bit his lips hard. Although it wasn’t like they were only kissing now anyway, this wasn’t simply a relationship for satisfying desires like before.
The relationship mixed with Yechan’s revenge and his own guilt was heading toward an unexpected phase. A new countdown had begun.
And that deadline was until the moment Yechan fell in love with someone. Fuck, I’ll have to devotedly serve him with my whole body and then send him off. Jiwoon finished his shower thinking it wouldn’t be unfair even if someone erected a monument to his chastity.
When he came out of the bathroom, a delicious smell was spreading through the house. The milky white soup on the dining table was steaming.
Jiwoon sat at the dining table with a haggard face. Yechan set down a water glass in front of Jiwoon and took his seat.
“Is your face okay?”
Yechan’s cheeks and lips were swollen. Looking at that face, Jiwoon suppressed the self-loathing rising from within.
Yechan picked up his spoon and spoke.
“It’s fine. Yesterday… I’m sorry.”
“Me too. Sorry for hitting you.”
Jiwoon spat out an apology. Although Yechan had forcibly cornered him, it was ultimately Jiwoon who had raised his hand.
The two finished their meal in silence. Even though half his rice remained, Jiwoon put down his chopsticks and drank water.
“Tell me about the person you like.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Did you confess and get rejected?”
Yechan kept his mouth tightly shut and picked up his water glass. Seeing Yechan’s dejected eyes, Jiwoon guessed the situation on his own.
They rejected that face and that body? Does this make sense? Unable to understand the person Yechan liked, Jiwoon pondered and asked.
“Is it a guy? Or a married woman?”
“…Hyung.”
At Jiwoon’s words, Yechan’s heart dropped and he frowned. Jiwoon chuckled.
“Contact?”
“I don’t contact them.”
“At all?”
“…It’s been a long time since contact was cut off. I’m just the only one who can’t forget.”
At those words, Jiwoon nodded. Cowardly relief flowed from one corner of his chest.
Jiwoon let out a small breath and continued.
“If you want to sleep with me, do it. Do whatever you want.”
With a calm face, Jiwoon declared that he would willingly endure Yechan’s revenge and comfort him. Yechan quietly stared intently at Jiwoon’s eyes.
“But whether it’s them or anyone else… if you get someone serious, tell me. Let’s clean things up then.”
“…Yes.”
Yechan, who had been staring at Jiwoon’s eyes, answered briefly. Jiwoon handed over the initiative of their relationship to Yechan. Jiwoon’s words contained nothing about his own dating life.
But Yechan didn’t bother to ask more. He felt this was enough. He felt like writing a contract right now.
“While you’re sleeping with me, don’t sleep with other people.”
“You too, hyung.”
Going around and around, they were back to square one. Why are you and I like this? Jiwoon, who was thinking such things blankly, soon stood up from his seat.
While Yechan cleared the table, Jiwoon changed clothes and finished getting ready.
“Don’t come out. I’ll smoke and leave on my own.”
Jiwoon said as he put on his shoes at the entrance. Jiwoon, who was about to leave, paused for a moment.
Jiwoon’s gaze lingered for a while on Yechan’s swollen face. Jiwoon raised his hand and lightly pressed Yechan’s lips.
“Ah…”
Yechan made a short sound. In the meantime, Jiwoon rolled up Yechan’s t-shirt.
“Hah…”
Jiwoon frowned as he exhaled. Dark bruises were rising on Yechan’s ribs.
“Medicine will help.”
Yechan pulled down his t-shirt to cover the bruises. Jiwoon, who was biting his tongue in regret, let out a long sigh.
Yechan opened the front door with a click.
“Be careful going home. I’ll pick you up on Monday.”
“I’ll come over. Make sure to apply medicine.”
Jiwoon soon turned around and walked out the door.
Yechan stood there for a long time even after the door closed. Both the house and his heart felt empty.
* * *
Monday morning, Jiwoon, who had left home early, turned up the speakerphone volume. The dial tone rang and a familiar voice echoed through the car.
―Yes, hyung.
“I’ll arrive in ten minutes.”
―Yes.
After parking in the underground garage of the officetel, Jiwoon saw Yechan walking over. Jiwoon unlocked the car and took in Yechan’s neat appearance as he got into the passenger seat. The scent wafting over made his vision slightly dizzy.
“It’s a car that suits hyung.”
The SUV from a manufacturer whose name alone would make your jaw drop was severely expensive for a freshman to drive, but if the driver was Jiwoon, the story was different. Inside Jiwoon’s car, which he was riding for the first time, it smelled like Jiwoon. Yechan’s heart stirred pleasantly.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Yechan, who had clenched and unclenched his fist, carefully examined Jiwoon’s profile as he started the car. Jiwoon’s eyes remained focused ahead as he skillfully drove with one hand on the steering wheel. Yechan wanted to turn that small face to look only at him.
Jiwoon and Yechan, who had parked at the business school, bought coffee. The two attended lectures while each holding a cup of iced coffee, ate lunch together, and then attended another lecture.
Yechan constantly placed candies on Jiwoon’s palm. Except for occasional trips to the bathroom or when Jiwoon disappeared to the smoking area, the two stuck together like one body all the time.
“See you tomorrow.”
“I’ll come tomorrow.”
“It’s fine.”
Yechan, sitting in the passenger seat, slightly protruded his lips. His lips were still swollen.
Staring at that, Jiwoon finally couldn’t overcome the curiosity that had been scratching at him all day. He suddenly leaned toward Yechan. Jiwoon opened Yechan’s coat collar and rolled up his knit shirt, then cursed.
“Fuck…”
The bruises, worse than yesterday and turned dark blue, had spread to various parts of his ribs. Thinking that Yechan had wandered around school all day with such a body, Jiwoon bit his teeth hard.
“Let’s go to the hospital.”
Jiwoon grabbed Yechan’s belt. From his body leaning toward Yechan as if pouring over him came a sweet and bitter scent. Drawn by the fragrance, Yechan raised his arms and embraced Jiwoon.
“Hyung.”
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t want to go to the hospital.”
“Why?”
“It’ll get better with hot compresses and medicine. I’m also taking painkillers.”
“If your family runs a hospital, are you all that knowledgeable?”
“Pretty much.”
Finally, Jiwoon tried to let go of the belt and sit up. However, because Yechan put strength in his arms and held him, he couldn’t move at all.
“Give me a hot compress before you go.”
The voice whispering in his ear had suddenly become much lower. At his heart ringing with a thrill, Jiwoon cursed inwardly.
It’s only been one day and it’s already like this. The days ahead seemed endless. Thinking it would be better to set a limit on frequency, Jiwoon answered.
“I understand, so let go.”
Yechan slowly released his arms. Jiwoon turned off the engine and got out of the car.
* * *
For a week, Yechan didn’t leave Jiwoon’s side. In lecture halls, he always occupied the seat next to Jiwoon, ate with him, and went home together. They spent more time together than even in high school.
After the welcome party, both Jiwoon and Yechan received contacts several times a day asking to buy them meals or drink together.
However, neither Jiwoon nor Yechan was interested in such occasions. The classmates they encountered in lecture halls seemed inwardly disappointed, but that was ultimately their business.
Lee Hayeon: Hello Jiwoon oppa! ㅎㅎ
Lee Hayeon: The seniors are buying food, want to come?
Lee Hayeon: It would be even better if Seo Yechan oppa came too~~~~~~~!!!!!!!!
Me: No
Me: Busy
Lee Hayeon: ㅠㅠ
Checking the contact from Hayeon, Jiwoon thought Kwon Jiyeon might be among the seniors she mentioned. He was the one who had moderately declined Kwon Jiyeon’s request to help her get along with Yechan.
Still, it was fortunate that she didn’t bother him. Kwon Jiyeon was often encountered at the business school, and each time she would act noticeably friendly toward Yechan.
Then Yechan would always have an appropriate conversation and return to Jiwoon. Of course, there were far too many other girls who showed interest in Yechan.
Moreover, Yechan sometimes laughed and chatted with girls he knew in the lecture hall. And watching such Yechan, Jiwoon carefully examined his own feelings once again.
As expected, it was bearable as he thought, or even more so. After all, don’t various forms of love exist in the world? So his way was just one of them.
They had relations at Yechan’s house at least three times a week. While having sex with Yechan, Jiwoon offered comfort and received his share of compensation.
Yechan sharply rejected Jiwoon’s suggestion that it might be better to cover his eyes and think of the person he likes. Jiwoon respected Yechan’s opinion.
…That was their relationship. His pride wasn’t particularly hurt. It was just a little bitter. And pity for Yechan, who would be struggling with unrequited love, bloomed abundantly.
Jiwoon was honest about his desires. He loved Yechan and wanted Yechan. As much as that, he always tried his best to enjoy his relationship with Yechan.
Physical comfort, physical revenge received—that’s what it was. Jiwoon would let Yechan take his revenge on him to his heart’s content and comfort him with all his might.
Yechan constantly pressed his body against him. While listening to lectures, he would scratch down Jiwoon’s palm or pretend to whisper and press his lips to his earlobe.
At the increasingly dense sexual contact, Jiwoon had to recall memories from the military several times. Although he wasn’t a patriot, the national anthem echoed in his head every day.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
