“Jae-jin…… hurry up.”
“Hurry……?”
“Teach me how to date properly. Otherwise, I’ll just keep putting it in.”
“Huh? Oh…….”
Eui-woo leaned over Jae-jin, one arm propped against the bookshelf. Their faces were close, and Jae-jin could feel Eui-woo’s ragged breath. He could see Eui-woo’s wild, gray eyes, reminiscent of a beast’s.
He had seen that look before. Before Jae-jin regained his memories, when Eui-woo stubbornly refused to guide him, he had that same hungry gaze—the look of a predator restraining its hunger in the presence of prey.
“Actually, I want to put it in right now. I think I’ll come as soon as I put my cock in…….”
Eui-woo pressed his leg between Jae-jin’s. Through the stiff, black combat pants, Jae-jin could feel Eui-woo’s thick, hard cock bulging halfway down his thigh. Eui-woo ground against him, panting.
“I want to just shove it in like last time, ignoring whatever you say, and not pull out……. But you said that’s not dating. You’d want to break up with me again.”
The mention of breaking up had made Eui-woo more cautious. Before, he would have already torn off Jae-jin’s clothes in a frenzy, or even teleported them home to ravish him without a word.
Eui-woo was desperate. He craved a proper relationship, something even his future self hadn’t experienced. His mental hunger outweighed his physical desires.
Still, he couldn’t completely suppress his instincts, so he thrust his hips between Jae-jin’s legs, rubbing against him.
“Jae-jin, hurry. Before it’s too late.”
“Ah, okay. I was about to say something. Let’s start with explaining a typical date…….”
“Mmm……. Why are your thighs so soft? I want to put it in.”
Eui-woo lifted Jae-jin’s right leg, wedging his hand under the knee and pressing himself against Jae-jin’s exposed lower body.
“Ah, Eui-woo, stop.”
“Why? I haven’t put it in yet. Your clothes are still on. It’s fine.”
“No, how am I supposed to talk like this? Let go, we need to talk first.”
“Okay, okay. I won’t do anything. I won’t.”
“Mmm, ah.”
“I can’t stop myself……. So, what is a date?”
“A date is, uh, a meeting or appointment between lovers…….”
“What? Don’t tease me. I’m barely holding back from touching you……. Ah, I want to put your ass on my face and lick it.”
“Wh-what……? Do you even want to listen?”
“I do. I’m serious, I won’t do anything. Trust me. You should hurry up and explain clearly. I’m going crazy here.”
“Ugh…… Ah, damn it…….”
The sound of fabric rubbing against fabric filled the air. Their pants wrinkled, outlining the contours of their thighs and buttocks. Heat radiated from within the taut fabric. The inside of Jae-jin’s briefs grew hot and humid with pre-cum.
Jae-jin reached back, gripping the bookshelf for support. The wooden shelf creaked under the strain. Standing on one leg while bearing Eui-woo’s weight as he thrust against him was challenging. His breath grew increasingly ragged.
“Ugh…… Eui-woo.”
Jae-jin panted, his eyes narrowing. This wasn’t going to end well.
Jae-jin gritted his teeth and changed his approach.
“Let’s go, right now…….”
“Huh? Go where……?”
“On a date.”
“What……?”
“It seems you won’t understand unless you experience it yourself. So, let’s go on a date.”
Finally, Eui-woo stopped his thrusting. The inside of his pants felt uncomfortably sticky. Jae-jin gestured towards the door.
“Follow me. Let’s change clothes first.”
“Right now……?”
“Yes. That’s what I said. Stop standing there and move.”
“Ah, uh, what……?”
Their first date was off to a chaotic start.
***
A genuine Manet. A genuine Degas. A genuine Géricault. And Seo Eui-woo.
Standing in the center of the second-floor art gallery, he looked like an ancient Greek statue. Under the downlights from the ceiling, his mere presence exuded an aura that outshone the artworks around him.
His muscular physique was accentuated by the black shirt and pants he wore, making him stand out even more. The gleaming shoes, belt, cufflinks, expensive watch, and the rich, woody scent of his cologne completed the transformation.
Dressing up can truly change a person. Seeing Eui-woo, who usually looked like a wild beast, now elegantly attired, was impressive. He was exceptional, a true standout.
“This is what a date is.”
Kwon Jae-jin had changed into a white shirt and dress pants, layering a gray jacket over it—a shade similar to Seo Eui-woo’s eye color. As he took his time looking around the exhibition room, Seo Eui-woo remained still.
The space was silent and dimly lit, with genuine masterpieces hanging along the towering walls. With only the two of them inside, the atmosphere was fittingly intimate.
“Typically, people wear nice clothes, go to nice places, and eat nice food together. Beyond that, they spend time engaging in various experiences.”
“Wear, go, eat…?”
“The point is to spend quality time with a lover. The main purpose is to build experiences that only the two of you can share.”
Seo Eui-woo, leaning to one side with his legs slightly bent, muttered the words to himself—“wear, go, eat”—before his composed eyes curved slightly in realization.
“Oh, right. Like when we went to the ocean together? That time, we dressed up, went out on the sea, and had coffee.”
“…Yes. Exactly that.”
The taste of the iced Americano they had on the vast open sea was still vivid in Jae-jin’s memory. When he affirmed it, Seo Eui-woo let out a quiet chuckle.
“Haha, no wonder. I kept wanting to go again. I kept pestering you about going back to the ocean, to the canyon, but you refused.”
“No, well… I actually regret that. That canyon in particular—the scenery was breathtaking. I should have gone with you.”
For the past four years, Kwon Jae-jin had spent his time at a seaside villa, staring at the ocean. There was no need to explain just how deeply the view of a valley, where nine streams curved through the mountains and a double-layered rainbow of seven colors intertwined, must have impressed him.
Moreover, that canyon was the place that changed Kwon Jae-jin’s life. The events and regrets he experienced there had nearly severed his relationship with Seo Eui-woo completely. It was a place of immense significance.
Even so, he would never be able to go back.
“Jae-jin, do you want to go there?”
“No. It’s fine now. It would obviously be dangerous. I’m not that reckless.”
“If you really want to go, I can make the people disappear somehow.”
“No. No reckless moves. And besides, this house is more than enough as a dating spot.”
Make the people disappear? And how exactly would you do that?
Jae-jin stopped him before he could even entertain the idea. In any case, Seo Eui-woo’s mansion had plenty of spaces that could rival any high-end date location. This exhibition room was just one example. The study, the swimming pool, the party room—even the underground training room and shooting range ensured there was no lack of options. Even the courtyard, which had once been the site of a gate disaster, was now adorned with gardens, fountains, and sculptures, providing plenty to look at.
“Honestly, what was strange was everything up until now. Staying cooped up in the bedroom all the time when we had such a big house at our disposal.”
At first, they had been too preoccupied with guiding every time their eyes met. By the time their relationship had improved—after he revealed the truth about his regression—they had moved to a villa due to the fire, leaving this place behind.
“We’ll be leaving once spring comes. Until then, let’s make the most of the house for our dates.”
“…Alright.”
Seo Eui-woo rested his chin on his hand, tapping the prominent joint of his jaw with his fingertips. His gaze was distant, his thoughts unreadable.
“So that was a date… Everything I wanted to do with Kwon Jae-jin was dating all along… No wonder. That makes sense…”
Murmuring in a low voice, Seo Eui-woo absentmindedly watched the thick brushstrokes of Manet’s painting on the canvas.
“Oh, Jae-jin. I get it now. We need to kiss, have sex, and go on dates. And everything else too.”
In an instant, Seo Eui-woo’s gaze changed.
It was the look of someone who had cracked open the shell of ignorance and stepped out of the cave.
Seo Eui-woo had begun to distinguish the true shape of his tangled desires. A glimmer of clarity settled in his relentless gray eyes as he started to unravel the immense, sticky, chaotic emotions he harbored for Kwon Jae-jin.
What he had realized was the difference between lust and affection.
Expressing love wasn’t just about kissing and having sex—Seo Eui-woo could finally acknowledge that without hesitation.
He wanted to go to the ocean with Kwon Jae-jin, to the canyon, to see that faint smile on his face again as he sipped iced Americano. A date. That was what he truly wanted.
Seo Eui-woo smiled silently, his entire consciousness trembling with revelation.
