The chair stood quite high off the ground, but what stood out most was how the armrests were positioned much higher than normal—almost near head level. And in the middle of the seat, there was a strange, bulging mound.
It was more like a long bench you had to lie on than a typical surgical chair, with the lower half elevated above the upper half where your back rested.
General seemed unsure how to position himself, and Shane must’ve picked up on that hesitation because he gently instructed him to lie down. As General pressed his body to the chair and lifted his arms onto the high-mounted armrests, he began to realize that something didn’t feel quite right.
“Let’s get your wings out. I’ll take a look at their condition.”
“Huh? Oh, right.”
His awkward little “Oh” came out more like “Ohhhk,” and that dopey tone reflected how uncomfortable he now felt. To place his arms on the rests, he had to lift them way up. His waist was bent awkwardly over the chair’s central bump, and his legs were spread wide apart.
It looked almost as if he were bowing down with his ass pushed up toward the ceiling—legs splayed in a downright indecent position.
“Hmm. Not looking good. Poor thing.”
“Is… is it bad? I mean, what even is this—”
Startled by Shane’s low voice, General suddenly realized he couldn’t move his limbs properly. He hadn’t noticed before, but thick leather cuffs were attached near both the armrests and the leg sections. Three restraints on each side bound his arms and legs firmly in place.
When did that happen? He hadn’t even noticed!
“It might hurt a little. I had to tie you down in case you struggle. You can handle it, right?”
“W-wait, Sage, hold on a sec—”
“Ah. Right.”
That dreamy, airy laugh—the kind that usually relaxed him—felt completely different now. It wasn’t calming. It was ominous. A shiver ran through him.
“You should call me Shane now. No more ‘Sage.’”
“Wh-what? No, wait, this is too tight—it hurts—”
“Oh, and there’s no need to hold back your screams. Feel free to let them out.”
After all, no one ever comes down here. The hushed whisper fell like a feather—soft, but chilling. For some reason, General’s instincts screamed. He wanted to run. But it was already far too late.
***
“Hyaaaang! Hiiik! Haang! P-please! Hngh! Someone, help—kyaaaaang! Hrrgh!”
Blaine, who had been leisurely nibbling on a honey-drenched treat brought to his lips, bolted upright in shock. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. That sound was bizarre—so eerie and unsettling it sent shivers all over his skin.
“What’s wrong, Bee-Bee?”
“D-didn’t you hear that just now?!”
He asked anxiously, voice trembling, but Hurel, looking perfectly calm and bored, slowly shook his head.
The warmth of the room suddenly felt cold, and Blaine rubbed his arms for comfort.
“Seriously? Are you sure?”
“Bee-Bee, are you okay? Are you feeling sick?”
“You really didn’t hear anything just now?”
Hurel firmly shook his head. But now, he was starting to look a little concerned. Blaine hesitated, not wanting to worry him further, and bit back his words. He strained to listen again—but the strange sound didn’t return.
Maybe I imagined it? Then again, it had been so creepy and bizarre it was hard to believe it was real. Eventually, Blaine brushed the thought aside and returned to his usual spot—curled up in Hurel’s lap.
“What was that…? Did I hear a ghost or something…?”
“It was probably just the wind.”
The spider’s casual answer made Blaine stop thinking about it altogether. Instead, his focus shifted to a more pressing matter—Was it really okay for someone as big as him to be sitting on Hurel’s lap like this?
“Open up, Bee-Bee. Say ‘ahhh.’”
“I really shouldn’t eat more…”
“You’re not starting up that nonsense about needing to lose weight again, are you? I told you to cut that crap.”
It wasn’t just about his figure. What if he got even heavier and Hurel couldn’t lift him anymore? Blaine was already secretly worried he was too much. He seemed to have conveniently forgotten how this same delicate-looking spider had, with one hand, lifted him into the air and slammed him down countless times.
“There’s always a way to deal with picky little honeybees like you.”
“Hey, I’m not picky—mmph!”
Hurel popped a honey slab into his own mouth and then leaned in to cover Blaine’s soft, peachy lips with his own. This is cheating. There’s no way I can resist this! Blaine protested inwardly, but opened his mouth willingly.
Am I really this weak-willed?
“Mmmm…”
Somehow, it tasted even sweeter this way. Blaine melted into the blissful feeling, mind going blank as their tongues slid and tangled.
“Heheh…”
Lately, whenever Blaine melted like this, he’d start mewling and nuzzling deeper into Hurel’s arms. Stroking the clingy honeybee, Hurel chuckled quietly. It seemed that spoiling him over the past few days had left a lasting impression—like the behavior had become ingrained.
If anyone who knew Hurel had seen him now, they might’ve passed out from shock at the gentle smile he wore. He tilted Blaine’s chin up with a single finger. Even without a cue, the honeybee opened his mouth like a well-trained puppy. It was adorable.
“HIIYAAAANG!!”
Seriously, is this place not soundproof?! As Blaine flinched, lips just barely touched, Hurel silently clicked his tongue.
“Y-you heard that! You heard it this time, didn’t you?!”
“Hmm…”
“Wasn’t that… didn’t it sound like Gen?!”
If there were a championship for shameless lying, Hurel would win it. He widened his eyes innocently and slowly shook his head.
“Not at all.”
“But…!”
“Bee-Bee, General doesn’t have such a high-pitched voice.”
The claim was made so calmly, and with such undeniable logic, that Blaine had nothing to say. He just opened and closed his mouth like a fish.
Did I mishear? Maybe he was about to return to Hurel’s lap with a confused little head tilt—but this time, he stayed frozen, his face pale and trembling. The warmth was gone. It felt empty. Hurel, trying to mask his unease, lightly tapped the table with his fingers.
“Hey, Hani… it’s not like I think, right?”
This is bad. Hurel’s silver-marble eyes darted about while Blaine, face ashen, asked in a shaky voice:
“It’s… not a ghost, right?”
His light blue eyes flicked left and right. His stiff neck bobbed slightly as he gulped. The silence dragged—sharp and needling like a needle against bare skin. Hurel’s expression was unreadable.
And then, he suddenly burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Hahh—ahaha!”
The rich, booming laughter filled the wide room. Blaine stared wide-eyed. He’d seen Hurel smile faintly or chuckle under his breath, but this—this loud, hearty laughter—was something new entirely. Before he could even be surprised, Blaine’s face crumpled into one of pure devastation.
“Y-you’re laughing at me…”
“Haha—n-no, I’m not—ha…”
He should’ve denied it and comforted him. But he couldn’t stop laughing. This was serious—ever since he’d met this adorable little honeybee and rolled him around on his tongue, Hurel had never faced a greater crisis.
“How could you…”
The betrayed honeybee looked crushed, trembling as he dashed toward the door in a panic. But before he could escape, the spider pounced like a predator on its prey and dragged the struggling honeybee back toward the bed.
“Let go! Let go of me!”
“Hahaha—wait, Bee-Bee! Just listen!”
“I said LET GO!”
“No, I’m serious—just listen! I wasn’t laughing at you!”
His voice begged sincerely, but with that lingering chuckle in it, it didn’t come off that way at all.
“I didn’t mean it in a bad way! You were just so—ugh, damn it.”
Hurel gave up. Rather than explain, he tossed it all aside and focused on pinning Blaine to the bed, binding him tightly, and showering him with kisses.
“Mmph…!”
And so, without getting to voice a single complaint, Blaine was buried in breath-stealing kisses and caresses. By the time he finally caught his breath, he’d already forgotten what he was even mad about… including the strange voice he’d heard.
