After yet another round of sex, Baek Hye-seong, draped over Yoo Ji-ho’s body, gazed at the window where the light was now even brighter than before.
“Ah…!”
As Ji-ho suddenly rose, Hye-seong sat up too, eyes wide. After slipping on his robe, Ji-ho gathered the blanket around Hye-seong and lifted him into his arms.
The place he was headed to was the balcony. Still dazed, Hye-seong found himself seated on a sunbed, blinking in confusion. Once he was settled, Ji-ho turned and disappeared.
The early dawn air was cold, and Hye-seong pulled the blanket tighter around himself. Left alone, he kept his eyes fixed on the door, waiting for Ji-ho to return.
A few moments later, Ji-ho reappeared with something in his hand. When their eyes met through the glass door, he let out a soft, almost incredulous laugh.
“Ha.”
He’d brought Hye-seong out to see the sunrise, thinking he’d enjoy it—but instead, all Hye-seong had done was stare blankly at him, showing no interest in the view at all.
Ji-ho sat behind Hye-seong on the sunbed. Turning slightly, Hye-seong leaned his head against Ji-ho’s chest.
He quietly looked up at the sky… then something caught his eye.
“…!”
It was a small glass bottle filled with finely crushed stones.
Shaped like a perfume bottle, it was full of an oil-like liquid. And whenever the bottle tilted, the stones beneath swirled inside, radiating a mysterious pink light.
Even though it was his first time seeing it, Hye-seong knew exactly where it came from. The stones sparkled with a brilliance that could only have come from a Gate.
Entranced, Hye-seong reached out and took it without thinking. The bottle fit perfectly in his hand.
“This…”
Trailing off, Hye-seong abruptly lifted his head to look at Ji-ho. The face looking up from his chest was so innocent it made his heart clench.
“It’s made from raw stones found in a Gate, but it’s not dangerous. You don’t have to worry,” Ji-ho said.
That wasn’t what Hye-seong had meant. Shaking his head, he asked again,
“Are you… giving this to me?”
Ji-ho nodded, as if the question was unnecessary. Hye-seong looked back down at the glass bottle in his hand.
Items that came out of Gates were rarely useful and often contained hazardous materials. Their release was strictly controlled, with everything being confiscated and destroyed by the state.
Even if something was harmless to the human body, turning it into a personal possession like this was rarely approved. And Ji-ho, of all people, would be well aware of that.
This gift felt far too precious for someone like him.
“I heard bringing something like this out is really difficult…”
“I made it happen.”
“…”
Ji-ho reached out and gently stroked Hye-seong’s hair.
“I heard new recruits find things like this fascinating. Looks like it’s true.”
“Yes… it’s so fascinating…”
Like he was under a spell, Hye-seong nodded, eyes still locked on the shimmering bottle.
“I only found out because a rookie mentioned it the other day. Honestly, I can’t even remember what I was like back then…”
“…”
Hye-seong’s gaze shifted from the light to Ji-ho. His expression turned serious. He opened his mouth to speak, hesitated, then closed it again—repeating the motion several times.
“Then… you brought this for me from the start…”
Instead of replying, Ji-ho leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against Hye-seong’s cheek, lingering there. Lust still lingered in his eyes, but Hye-seong was too overwhelmed to notice.
As Ji-ho’s breath brushed his skin, Hye-seong’s long, pale lashes trembled and fluttered. They sparkled faintly in the morning light.
“Do you like it?”
“…I love it. I really love it.”
It wasn’t something Ji-ho had just happened to have. He had brought it for him. From the start.
“If you like it that much, I guess I’ll have to bring more.”
Ji-ho looked amused by Hye-seong’s reaction, as if he hadn’t expected it. But Hye-seong quickly shook his head.
“No, this one is more than enough. I’m really happy with just this.”
With that, Hye-seong buried his face in Ji-ho’s chest. He didn’t have the courage to meet his eyes right now.
The hand wrapped around Ji-ho’s waist still clutched the glass bottle he’d just received.
They stayed like that for a while. Then Hye-seong looked back up at the sky. The horizon had already begun to glow—the sun was rising in the distance.
No matter how he tried to rationalize it, this still didn’t feel like something natural for him.
He’d believed that once he got used to things, everything would start to feel normal. But that belief was starting to unravel at the root.
Even now, when everything felt too much, too overwhelming—he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He just kept staying by Ji-ho’s side, drawn in like always.
A large, warm hand came down and gently ruffled his hair.
Even though his chest was pressed to Ji-ho’s, it felt like his own heartbeat was louder.
Still holding the precious gift tightly, Hye-seong closed his eyes. He couldn’t let go. He wasn’t even sure he’d be able to, even in the future.
His body felt like it could collapse at any moment from exhaustion, but his heart was racing as if it might explode.
***
The fragrant scent of coffee grounds filled the filter as Hye-seong stood nervously in front of it.
“…”
Right now, he was trying to brew coffee for Yoo Ji-ho.
Ji-ho hadn’t really understood why Hye-seong, who didn’t even drink coffee, wanted to learn how to make it. But Hye-seong had wanted to make it for him—just once.
“Go ahead.”
Ji-ho, holding a sleek, narrow-spouted drip pot, demonstrated the technique with practiced ease before handing it to Hye-seong. Hye-seong stared, mesmerized, then accepted it.
His hand trembled violently as he grasped the handle. Ji-ho frowned at the sight.
“What’s with this?”
He wasn’t asking why his hands were shaking—but why Hye-seong wasn’t listening to him.
“You really are stubborn about the weirdest things, Hye-seong.”
“Still… I really want to try it myself…”
Ji-ho had originally told him to just use a machine if he was that eager to brew coffee. But to Hye-seong, the act of pouring it by hand looked far more charming. So he’d insisted.
With a disapproving look, Ji-ho finally nodded. Hye-seong began to move.
Drip. Dripdripdrip. Drip.
Water splattered everywhere as it clumsily spilled from his trembling hands, stopping and starting unpredictably.
“…Ha.”
Ji-ho let out a dry laugh, his expression as if he were watching the most pathetic thing in the world. But Hye-seong didn’t have time to be bothered by that look.
“Ah.”
Trying so hard to be careful, he still ended up spilling water onto the table. Flustered, he set down the pot and let out a deep sigh. His hands wouldn’t stop shaking no matter what.
It had looked so easy when Ji-ho did it. But now that he was trying it himself, it just wasn’t going his way—and that stung.
“…What’s wrong with my hands?”
He asked, brows furrowed sadly. Ji-ho sighed and gave a blunt answer.
“It’s ‘cause you’ve been getting fucked all day. Of course you’ve got no strength left.”
“…”
Hye-seong clamped his lips shut. He had nothing to say. It was true. After being pounded relentlessly day and night, he could barely hold himself up.
“Try again when you’re not wiped out.”
“…Okay.”
Ji-ho smirked as he took the pot away. In the end, Hye-seong had only managed to wet the coffee grounds, and Ji-ho had to finish the rest.
He waved a hand at Hye-seong, telling him to move away so he wouldn’t get splashed with hot water. He wasn’t a kid—he could handle that much!
“…”
Still, Hye-seong obediently stepped aside, watching sadly from a distance as Ji-ho finished the job.
Once the coffee was brewed, Ji-ho poured it into a cup and handed it to him.
“Here, try it. It’s your first time brewing, right?”
“Wow, thank you.”
He hadn’t expected this. Technically, he hadn’t really brewed it himself—but still, a drop or two of his effort had gone into it. That made it special.
Gazing at the dark liquid with wonder, Hye-seong finally looked up.
“Do you think it’s too hot?”
“Just be careful.”
Bolstered by that gentle reply, Hye-seong quickly nodded.
Coffee was still unbearably bitter for him, but somehow… this one felt different. Maybe this would be the moment he started to appreciate it.
Heart pounding, he blew on the cup, then took a big sip.
“…!”
And nearly spat it out.
But he couldn’t embarrass himself in front of Ji-ho. Struggling to keep it in, he forced himself to swallow. His face twisted with agony.
“Aaagh…!”
“What’s wrong?”
Ji-ho asked innocently as he watched Hye-seong suffer. Then, as if nothing was wrong, he casually picked up a dessert from a nearby plate and brought it to Hye-seong’s mouth.
