He scratched his fingertips where they touched, digging in with his nails and abusing his skin. He kept his mouth firmly shut like someone who had swallowed honey. He filled his glass with more alcohol, though some still remained. Then without hesitation, he poured it down his throat.
It was good. It was the first time he’d liked Sa Gong-hyun’s straightforward personality, and it couldn’t have been better that he’d given him an excuse to break things off first.
It was definitely good. It was good. It should be good… So why was he so irritated? Jae-young refilled his instantly emptied glass. The strong liquor slid down his esophagus.
It seemed like it wasn’t just irritation. His pride was hurt. Those words essentially meant that Sa Gong-hyun was telling him in advance that after having his fun and doing everything he wanted, he would discard him.
That couldn’t happen. Sa Gong-hyun needed to love Jae-young so much that he couldn’t even control himself. He needed to love him so desperately that he wouldn’t recognize him even if his body was broken, and he should deeply regret their ending.
He couldn’t calm down at all. His insides were boiling, and he was so irritated that it gave him goosebumps. The alcohol he had lavishly praised for its deep, clean aroma tasted bitter today. He was hesitant to drink more, fearing he might black out in this mental state.
Jae-young finally stood up.
“…I’ll go to the bathroom for a moment.”
He didn’t make eye contact with Sa Gong-hyun while getting up. Just as Jae-young was hurrying to leave, his listlessly hanging hand was suddenly grabbed.
Jae-young opened his eyes wide and surrendered his balance to his helplessly pulled body. The space was too narrow to be fully pulled in, so he ended up sitting on Sa Gong-hyun’s thigh.
“What’s so complicated? The point is that right now I’m attracted to Do Jae-young-ssi, and Do Jae-young-ssi is attracted to me.”
He spoke affectionately words that would have made Jae-young frown and ask ‘what nonsense is that?’ if he had been sincere. Jae-young just looked down at him without any response.
Sa Gong-hyun smiled sweetly and grabbed the nape of Jae-young’s neck. The hand that had been holding Jae-young was now caressing his inner thigh.
Sa Gong-hyun pulled Jae-young’s neck slowly. Soon their lips met, and Jae-young closed his eyes slowly with a still subdued expression. It was a somewhat bitter kiss.
***
Jae-young disliked sharing a bed with someone else.
He was bothered by someone tossing and turning beside him, and he disliked feeling that there wasn’t enough space when he stretched his arms out. He had even insisted on the largest bed size because he hated his arms falling off the edge of the bed.
Though it had always been this way, he thought this time it couldn’t be helped. Even if he had to share a bed with Sa Gong-hyun, he would have grumbled a bit internally before falling into a deep sleep.
However, it was only Jae-young lying on the bed. Though it was narrower than his own bed, he didn’t particularly feel uncomfortable.
He had thought they would sleep together. He had fully expected it. Wasn’t it natural? They were alone after having been intimate multiple times, and they had kissed while entering this room.
The next step should have been to undress, make love, and then fall asleep together. But Sa Gong-hyun had left Jae-young alone and exited the room. Jae-young had thought he would return for sex, but he never came back.
He hadn’t realized that “sleep here” literally meant to sleep.
I thought we were going to do it here. After all, he’d intimately fondled my thighs and wetly rolled his tongue around.
His erection, which had inevitably risen during their kissing, gradually subsided as time passed.
Today he realized something. When he’d had sex with Sa Gong-hyun in this room the first time, he’d thought they’d fallen asleep together, but he had never actually lain beside him.
He began to think that this might not even be Sa Gong-hyun’s bedroom. Though he couldn’t know its actual purpose, Jae-young felt this room was prepared for enjoying nights with one-night stands.
The thought made him uncomfortable. Though the sheets and blankets were different from that first time, it didn’t lessen his displeasure.
Now he understood why Sa Gong-hyun’s one-night stands hadn’t tried to form deeper relationships with him. Sa Gong-hyun drew the line explicitly. Who would continue pursuing someone who set boundaries so clearly?
It wouldn’t make a difference even if Sa Gong-hyun’s good qualities were brought to the surface. Being handsome, having a good body, and being able to easily arouse excitement with skilled physical contact—all these conditions were just for one night. Even Jae-young himself wouldn’t have exchanged words with him if it weren’t for the job.
Though he felt uneasy, he decided to think positively. Being left alone in this house was actually an opportunity for Jae-young.
Jae-young quietly opened his eyes. Moonlight seeped through the window, allowing him to see the room’s interior without turning on the lights. He got up and checked outside the window. He could see Ver lying down in front of the doghouse.
After staring blankly at Ver who seemed to be guarding the house, he carefully took a step. Habitually, he looked around the room and pressed his ear against the door. There was no sound from beyond the door.
Jae-young minimized any noise as he grabbed the doorknob. When he opened the door, the dark interior of the house was revealed. His eyes, accustomed to the darkness, gradually made out the furniture placed here and there.
There were no rooms with light seeping through the door cracks. All rooms had their lights off.
Is Sa Gong-hyun sleeping? Not knowing even this made him afraid to step out boldly. One mistake could always ruin the job, so he had to be cautious.
He deliberated whether to move around stealthily or to search openly. If he were caught sneaking around, it might look even more suspicious. But he couldn’t leave obvious footsteps either. Reluctantly, he moved carefully.
He planned to search the first floor first. He approached the room visible right in front of him. He pressed his ear against the door and confirmed there was no sound. Quietly, he opened the door, turned on the light, and thoroughly scanned the interior. After examining whether there were any suspicious spaces or objects, he turned off the light and headed in another direction. The residence was large and had many empty rooms. Warmth lingered, but it was mostly desolate.
Jae-young exhaled through his nose, and just as he was about to pass the terrace—Thud! Suddenly, a heavy sound was heard from somewhere. From above? His pupils calmly scanned upward.
There was a staircase leading to the second floor just a few steps to the side of the dining room. Given that Ver hadn’t barked, it didn’t seem to be an intruder.
Somehow feeling that Sa Gong-hyun was awake, Jae-young climbed the stairs. At that moment, he didn’t hide his presence.
Where did that sound come from? Jae-young searched for the source of the sound as he walked down the long corridor. While looking around, he suddenly stopped breathing.
He discovered a camera barely visible in the corner of the second-floor ceiling. There were a total of two cameras hung at both ends of the L-shaped corridor.
Taking a deep breath, he turned in the most natural motion possible.
“…Hyun-ssi?”
Jae-young slowly moved forward. As soon as he took one nervous step, the door right beside him suddenly opened.
To express his feelings at that moment honestly, his heart shrank and twisted so much from shock that it felt like it would shrivel up. Jae-young stared with wide eyes at the figure looming over him. It was Sa Gong-hyun.
“…”
He wanted to ask nonchalantly what the noise was, but his lips wouldn’t part. His sharp gaze remained the same, but his eyes were cloudy. Sa Gong-hyun was breathing heavily.
Could he be on drugs? He led with what might be a reasonable suspicion.
Jae-young’s eyes, filled with bewilderment, trembled slightly. Sa Gong-hyun wore a robe over his bare upper body, and cold sweat had formed between the open lapels.
Beyond Sa Gong-hyun, Jae-young could see a bed. Then his vision caught the disheveled blanket. An orange light filled the room. The light was so bright it made him wonder why it hadn’t seeped through the door crack—it was a painfully bright, almost tacky intensity.
“…What is it.”
Sa Gong-hyun’s voice sounded tired. It was cracked and somehow strained. Jae-young rolled his eyes upward to look at Sa Gong-hyun.
It wasn’t drugs. He couldn’t sleep. Not just insomnia, but…
A nightmare? Realizing this, his tension dissipated instantly. Jae-young extended one hand to cup Sa Gong-hyun’s cheek.
“Did you have a bad dream?”
He moved his thumb as if caressing his face. Sa Gong-hyun narrowed his eyes in an instant and slightly twisted his head. The hand that had lost its purpose retracted its fingers.
“I don’t think that’s any of Do Jae-young-ssi’s business.”
Sa Gong-hyun’s complexion had already returned to normal. Jae-young had to admit that. If Jae-young hadn’t been acting as Do Jae-young, whether Sa Gong-hyun had a nightmare, attempted suicide, or whatever else, it wouldn’t have concerned him at all.
Rather, he would have used the opportunity to scout around the house.
Sa Gong-hyun passed by Jae-young and went down the stairs. Jae-young’s eyes scanned Sa Gong-hyun’s room. He then turned his head and followed him down.
Sa Gong-hyun was drinking water. Jae-young stood behind him and lightly bit the inside of his mouth. After wetting his throat, Sa Gong-hyun turned around. Jae-young gazed at him with a caring expression. He slowly approached Sa Gong-hyun.
“If you’re okay with it, would you like to get some fresh air together? When I wake up in the middle of sleep, I can’t fall back asleep right away.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
