Winter season volume 5

Epilogue

“So? Whatever happened with that man who came in and scattered all that cash?”

 

The owner asked, leaning casually against I-hyeon's shoulder. Every head around the table rose like a meerkat's. The people staring at I-hyeon were full of curiosity, as though they had been waiting for someone to bring up the subject all evening.

 

I-hyeon had been looking over the takeaway food and simple snacks brought in from nearby shops. He set down his chopsticks and picked up his glass. Suddenly becoming the centre of attention was uncomfortable, and he smiled awkwardly. Hae-won, sitting beside him, spoke up in reproach.

 

“Honestly… Boss, why would you bring that up at I-hyeon's leaving party?”

 

“What's wrong with it? You lot were all dying to know too. Don't pretend otherwise.”

 

“There's a difference between asking him outright and waiting until he's ready to tell us!”

 

I-hyeon's mouth curved slightly as the owner and Hae-won began bickering. Another part-timer sitting across from him giggled at the pair while also stealing curious glances at I-hyeon.

 

He slowly lowered the glass from his lips and set it on the table. The two arguing men turned towards him at once, as though they had not been squabbling a moment earlier. Under the weight of several expectant gazes, I-hyeon lowered his eyes and spoke.

 

“We've decided to see how things go together.”

 

“Ooooh!”

 

The owner immediately gave an impressed groan and began clapping. A satisfied smile spread across his face as he shook his head.

 

“Listen, I-hyeon. How many times has your hyung told you? When it comes to men, looks, figure, all that stuff means nothing. What matters is what they can offer. But that man has a handsome face, he's got a decent body, and he's rich too? You don't get chances like that every day. Hold on to him, I-hyeon.”

 

“Boss, how can you say that after seeing him yourself that day? Didn't you see the man in the black suit bowing at a ninety-degree angle to him? The way he talked and carried himself made it obvious he didn't do an ordinary job. What are you on about?”

 

“So what if he doesn't do an ordinary job? Is our work ordinary? The important thing is that he can casually hand over five million won for I-hyeon's sake. Am I wrong? Eh?”

 

The owner opened his eyes wide and nudged the others with his elbows, demanding that they agree. One of the part-timers gave an awkward smile and picked up a bottle instead of answering.

 

They had gathered for drinks under the pretext of holding a leaving party for I-hyeon, who was giving up his job ahead of the holiday. Quite some time had passed, and everyone was fairly tipsy by now. The owner's cheeks and nose were bright red. Declaring that his word was law in this place, he playfully caught the part-timer who had disagreed with him in a headlock.

 

I-hyeon laughed at the sight, then happened to meet Hae-won's eyes.

 

Hae-won was looking at him with concern. All Seung-hyuk had done when he abruptly visited the shop was hand over money and issue orders with an overbearing attitude. It was no wonder Hae-won had a poor impression of him. After giving the owner, who was chuckling irresponsibly beside them, a disgruntled look, Hae-won turned fully towards I-hyeon.

 

“I-hyeon, have you made sure you know what sort of man he is before agreeing to date him? He's not threatening you or anything like that, is he?”

 

The idea of being threatened struck I-hyeon as somehow funny. He gave a short laugh, but Hae-won's expression remained serious.

 

“If anything like that happens, tell me. I know an older bloke who works in the violent-crimes squad. If I speak to him—”

 

“It's nothing like that.”

 

“…It isn't?”

 

“He's someone I've liked since I was in secondary school.”

 

I-hyeon watched Hae-won's expression darken as he spoke, and quickly interrupted him. A gentle smile that none of them had ever seen before rested on his face. Hae-won fell silent, apparently at a loss for words. The owner, who had been watching, suddenly spoke.

 

“Wow. I-hyeon, you must really like that bloke.”

 

“…Sorry?”

 

“I've never seen you smile like that before, you little sod.”

 

Embarrassed, I-hyeon rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. The atmosphere had suddenly become almost unbearably sweet. As though trying to change the mood, Hae-won picked up a bottle and began filling everyone's glasses.

 

“Right, that's enough of that. Let's get these glasses topped up. The holiday starts tomorrow, and it's I-hyeon's last shift today. It'd be a shame to send him off sober.”

 

“That's right, Kwon I-hyeon. I'm only letting you leave because you're going back to university. Otherwise, I'd have been upset, you hear?”

 

The owner raised his glass with one arm thrown companionably around the part-timer beside him, as though that employee were I-hyeon. Smiling at the sight, I-hyeon picked up his highball with a slice of lemon floating in it.

 

There was nothing he could say to these people except thank you. When everyone had raised their glasses, I-hyeon murmured, “Thank you.” Gentle smiles spread across their faces. Then the glasses came together with a bright, clear clink.

 

“…Hyung. Hae-won hyung.”

 

I-hyeon muttered the words indistinctly as he gently shook Hae-won's shoulder. Hae-won was slumped face-down on the table. At that, the owner, who had been nodding off in the chair opposite, suddenly opened his eyes and waved a hand.

 

“Oi, I-hyeon, leave him. Don't wake him up. Once he's sobered up a bit, he'll get up on his own. You go home first.”

 

“But…”

 

The table was a mess of empty bottles and plates. Hae-won and another part-timer had both fallen asleep with their heads down, while the owner had been nodding off for some time himself. I-hyeon felt uneasy about simply leaving. However drunk he was, he thought he should at least help clear up, so he picked up a plate. The owner gently caught his wrist to stop him.

 

“Oh, come on… I said it's fine. I'll wake these two up and make sure they get home. Don't worry. Just get yourself home. It's late.”

 

With the owner insisting so firmly, there was little point in arguing. I-hyeon put down the plate and picked up his coat from the back of the chair.

 

Only when he suddenly stood after sitting for so long did he realise how much he had drunk. He swayed slightly as he pulled his coat over his jumper, then bowed to the owner.

 

“Boss, I'll head off first, then… Thank you for everything.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Get home safely. Come and visit with your boyfriend sometime. I'll give you plenty on the house.”

 

“Okaaay.”

 

The alcohol made him drag out his words and smile for no reason. After saying goodbye once more, he opened the bar door and stepped outside. Air far colder than the warmth indoors swept across his face. I-hyeon took out his phone and began composing a message as he went down the stairs.

 

[The party ran long, so I'm finished late. Just came out, do you need anything?]

 

He sent it without even thinking to correct the mistakes. The message appeared on the right-hand side of the screen. I-hyeon stopped halfway down the stairs and stared at the little number 1 beside it, waiting for it to disappear.

 

After a while, the number vanished, but no reply arrived. He watched the screen for so long that his fingertips grew cold. Only then did he put the phone away and start walking again.

 

“What… Why's he ignoring me…?”

 

He muttered sulkily, pushing his lower lip out. The moment he reached the ground floor, a gust of wind made him clutch his coat closed. He was warm from the alcohol, so he was not particularly cold, but the wind was strong enough to force its way beneath his collar. He adjusted his scarf, shoved both hands into his pockets and walked with his body hunched and his eyes on the ground.

 

He had only taken a few steps when a pair of white trainers entered his field of vision. *Someone's out at this hour*, he thought absently, and was about to walk past when a pleasant voice reached his ears.

 

“You said you'd finish at two. Nice of you to come out so early.”

 

I-hyeon jerked his head up at the familiar voice. Seung-hyuk was leaning against the wall of the building across the alley. Startled, I-hyeon checked the time. It was nearly half past two. Wondering whether Seung-hyuk had really been waiting outside for him in this weather, he hurried over.

 

“Were you waiting for me? Since when?”

 

Seung-hyuk did not answer. Instead, he took something from his pocket and pressed it into I-hyeon's palm. It was a hand warmer, already radiating heat. I-hyeon looked down at his hand, then back up at Seung-hyuk. Ignoring the look, Seung-hyuk took his other hand, tucked it into his own coat pocket and began walking.

 

“Come on. I've parked the car down below.”

 

The hand holding his inside the narrow pocket was large and warm. Even though Seung-hyuk said little, the mere knowledge that he had been waiting for him relaxed I-hyeon's face. He could not seem to stop smiling.

 

“Were you outside long?”

 

He kept pressing Seung-hyuk for an answer, but the man only walked on in silence. I-hyeon felt a strange, ticklish sensation around his heart. He fidgeted with his fingers inside the cramped pocket before speaking again.

 

“Boss said we should come back sometime. He promised us loads of free food.”

 

“That place'll be crawling with gay bastards. Why the hell would we come back? No.”

 

“…He meant you and me together. I told the others about you.”

 

Seung-hyuk tilted his head and looked down at him, raising an eyebrow.

 

“What did you tell them?”

 

“…Just that you're someone I've liked since I was at secondary school.”

 

The quiet words had barely sounded in the alley when one corner of Seung-hyuk's mouth lifted crookedly. I-hyeon felt the grip on his hand tighten inside the coat pocket. When he looked up at Seung-hyuk, the man quickly turned his face forward and kept walking.

 

“Good.”

 

“We're still not going back there, though.”

 

It was not as though I-hyeon had never dated before, yet he could not understand why every little thing felt unbearably exciting. Blaming the alcohol, he moved half a step closer. Every time their shoulders touched, his heart gave a heavy thump beneath his breastbone.

I-hyeon had nodded off throughout the car journey. Still half-asleep, he unlocked the door to his home. He wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the bed, but he made himself go straight into the bathroom. The hot shower only made his already heavy body feel sleepier.

 

When he finally finished and came out, he saw Seung-hyuk sitting against the headboard, looking at his phone. Horang was curled up asleep near his feet. Perhaps it was because the flat was so small, or because the bed was so narrow, but I-hyeon was struck all over again by how big Seung-hyuk was.

 

They had already been living together here for several days, yet it still did not quite seem real that Gu Seung-hyuk was in his home. I-hyeon stood by the bathroom door, staring blankly at him. Sensing his gaze, Seung-hyuk raised his head.

 

“What are you doing standing there?”

 

“Ah… nothing.”

 

I-hyeon looked away and mumbled an answer. He rubbed his hair with a towel, then went to the light switch and raised his hand. It was already quite late, and he worried that Seung-hyuk had stayed awake all this time because of him.

 

“I'll turn the light off.”

 

“You're going to sleep like that?”

 

I-hyeon felt he could fall asleep within minutes of getting into bed, so the question puzzled him. He glanced down at his comfortable clothes, then looked back at Seung-hyuk and met a frown.

 

Unable to understand what was wrong, I-hyeon slowly blinked. Seung-hyuk clicked his tongue and got up.

 

“Sit down.”

 

It was only when Seung-hyuk took a hairdryer out of the chest of drawers that I-hyeon realised what he meant. He touched his hair. His fingertips came away damp.

 

“It's fine…” he murmured, barely loud enough to hear, but Seung-hyuk frowned and pointed to the floor in front of the bed where he was sitting.

 

Having little choice, I-hyeon sat down in front of him. Soon the hairdryer began humming, and warm air settled over his hair. I-hyeon sat with his knees drawn up, rubbing his ankles as he muttered quietly.

 

“I could just go to sleep…”

 

There was something oddly embarrassing about having someone dry his hair for him. But Seung-hyuk acted as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world, threading his fingers between the strands as he directed the warm air through them. I-hyeon's initial wariness soon faded beneath the gentle touch and comforting warmth. His head began to nod again.

 

Unable to resist the sleepiness washing over him, I-hyeon dozed where he sat. A little later, the hairdryer fell silent, and Seung-hyuk's hand left his hair. I-hyeon promptly dropped his forehead onto the mattress.

 

He thought he was about to fall asleep for good, but through his hazy consciousness came the sound of someone clicking their tongue. Hands slipped under his arms, lifting him easily.

 

Seung-hyuk laid him properly on the bed and slipped an arm beneath his neck with practised ease. He pulled the duvet up to I-hyeon's throat and said quietly,

 

“Sleep.”

 

Yet the hand lightly patting his chest made I-hyeon feel more awake instead. His heartbeat quickened, and every joint of his fingers seemed to tingle.

 

Ever since Seung-hyuk learnt that I-hyeon had trouble falling asleep without sedatives or alcohol, he had begun showing an uncharacteristic tenderness. It was unfamiliar, but I-hyeon was happy about it. Part of him wanted to fall asleep like this. Another part wanted to stay in this moment a little longer.

 

After hesitating, he blamed the alcohol and indulged himself, nestling further into Seung-hyuk's warm embrace.

 

“…It felt strange seeing you standing outside the shop earlier.”

 

With an arm wrapped around Seung-hyuk's solid waist and his forehead pressed to his chest, I-hyeon's muffled voice vibrated against him. Seung-hyuk answered evenly.

 

“Why?”

 

“Just… I'm not used to having someone wait for me.”

 

At those words, Seung-hyuk began gently stroking the back of I-hyeon's hand with his index finger. The faint, dry sound of skin brushing skin filled the room. Somehow, that simple action felt as though Seung-hyuk were comforting him. A strange warmth rose inside I-hyeon, and he slowly spoke again.

 

“Once, years ago, I finished a shift and took the bus home. Suddenly, it started absolutely pouring. A girl in school uniform got off at the same stop as me, near my house. Neither of us had an umbrella.”

 

“I was living in the rooftop room back then, so I had quite a long way up the alley to walk. There wasn't even a convenience store nearby. The girl and I ended up sitting on a bench, waiting for the rain to stop. After a while, a woman came to meet her, carrying a big umbrella.”

 

I-hyeon knew he was indulging in a kind of childish vulnerability he had never shown anyone before. Still, aided by the alcohol, he continued in a whisper.

 

“The girl went off with her mum, and I stayed sitting at the bus stop alone. Do you know what I thought then?”

 

“…What?”

 

“Ah. From now on, I'll make sure I always carry an umbrella, even when the forecast doesn't say it'll rain.”

 

“…”

 

“Because there isn't anyone waiting for me who'll come and fetch me with one.”

 

When I-hyeon fell silent, the hush around them seemed to deepen. He listened to the low hum of the fridge running, then slowly parted his lips again.

 

“Looking back, what bothers me is that I didn't envy the girl or resent my parents. I just accepted it. Like I was used to giving up.”

 

“…”

 

“I was only in my early twenties. That's really young.”

 

When his gentle voice faded, Seung-hyuk drew back slightly and took hold of his shoulders. The space between them allowed I-hyeon to see his face. Seung-hyuk studied him with unreadable eyes, then briefly pressed his lips to I-hyeon's pale forehead.

 

I-hyeon gave a soft laugh without meaning to. It was just like Gu Seung-hyuk to offer comfort through actions instead of words.

 

He had not meant to make the atmosphere so heavy with something he had said in a sentimental, late-night mood. Nestling into Seung-hyuk's arms again, he tried to lighten it.

 

“I was working at a pizza shop back then. Since I left that job, I haven't eaten pizza once. I got sick of it.”

 

He felt Seung-hyuk go still. I-hyeon seemed to remember the same thing and laughed softly.

 

“That's why I really hated it when you told me to eat pizza at Nexus.”

 

At the teasing reproach, Seung-hyuk lifted one corner of his mouth.

 

“I really was a bastard.”

 

I-hyeon giggled at the flat delivery and lifted his forehead from Seung-hyuk's chest. Their eyes met at close range. He could see his own face reflected in Seung-hyuk's dark pupils. Seung-hyuk's face came closer and closer, stopping only when the tips of their noses touched.

 

“This bastard's about to kiss you. Are you going to let him?”

 

Thump, thump.

 

I-hyeon felt his pulse beneath his throat and heat rising to the tips of his ears. Without looking away from Seung-hyuk, he answered.

 

“Yes.”

 

Before he had even finished, Seung-hyuk covered his mouth as if to swallow his words. He opened a small gap between them and tangled their tongues together.

 

Their bodies were already warm beneath the duvet, and Seung-hyuk's tongue seemed a little hotter than usual as it moved gently through I-hyeon's mouth. He slowly explored the roof of his mouth, the inside of his cheeks and beneath his tongue before lifting his upper body and bracing one hand beside I-hyeon's shoulder.

 

I-hyeon tilted his head back against the pillow and raised his arms to loop them around Seung-hyuk's neck. But just then, an unexpected intruder shattered the increasingly heated atmosphere between them.

 

Meow.

 

Startled by the sound, I-hyeon hurriedly drew his head back and looked around. Horang, who had been curled up asleep in his little hideaway in the corner of the room, had somehow climbed onto the edge of the bed and was sitting there.

 

Afraid that someone might accidentally kick the cat, I-hyeon quickly pushed at Seung-hyuk's chest and sat up. Horang promptly climbed onto I-hyeon's thighs, as though he had been waiting for exactly that, and settled down to rest. Watching him, Seung-hyuk opened his mouth in disbelief.

 

“…Hah.”

 

I-hyeon turned towards the hollow laugh. Seung-hyuk raised an eyebrow and swept his fringe back, repeatedly laughing in disbelief at the situation.

 

Since the studio flat had no separate bedroom, this was far from the first time they had been interrupted while getting in the mood because Horang was nearby. I-hyeon pressed his lips together awkwardly and slowly stroked the cat's soft back.

 

Horang purred and curled up on his lap like a croissant, apparently finding it wonderfully comfortable.

 

After watching for a moment, Seung-hyuk spoke.

 

“So. When are you going to look at the flat I gave you?”

“I can't accept what you gave me.”

 

I-hyeon finally broke the silence as he sat leaning back on a sofa in the corner of a chain café, with a low table between him and Seung-hyuk. Soft new-age music played in the background. He had been searching for the right moment to raise the subject and had deliberately tried to sound casual, as though it were nothing important. But there was no response from across the table.

 

He reached for his warm Americano and looked up. Seung-hyuk was watching him with a slight frown, as though he had no idea what I-hyeon was talking about.

 

“Accept what?”

 

“…Those buildings and bank accounts you transferred into my name. I can't accept them, so take them back.”

 

So that was what this was about. Apparently, I-hyeon was answering Seung-hyuk's question from a few days earlier about when he would go and see the flat. Seung-hyuk's frown relaxed. He put the phone he had been looking at down on the table and leaned forwards, meeting I-hyeon's eyes. For some reason, I-hyeon felt uncomfortable even though he had nothing to be guilty about. He looked away and added, almost defensively,

 

“I never did any of those things because I expected something in return. I just did them because I wanted to. There's nothing you need to compensate me for.”

 

If the amount had been even remotely realistic, he might have been tempted. But two billion won felt less like actual money and more like in-game currency. He knew that refusing what Seung-hyuk had given him would probably lead to another argument. Even so, he could not simply accept it all.

 

He thought he had explained himself reasonably well. But when he looked up again, Seung-hyuk's expression was strange. I-hyeon studied him, wondering what it meant, and watched one corner of Seung-hyuk's mouth lift.

 

“There's more set aside for you. I thought you'd faint if I gave you all of it, so I compromised at that amount.”

 

“What?”

 

“I wondered why you were making such a solemn speech. Good thing I didn't hand over the lot, eh?”

 

I-hyeon had prepared himself for Seung-hyuk to either try to persuade him or ignore his refusal outright. This response had never occurred to him, and no words came out. Seung-hyuk's indifference was so complete it left him feeling deflated. I-hyeon gave him a wary look, but Seung-hyuk merely leaned back against the sofa with an innocent expression.

 

“I-hyeon, I think you're forgetting something.”

 

“…”

 

“If you transfer all that straight back to me, you'll have to pay a fucking fortune in gift tax.”

 

“What?”

 

Hearing Seung-hyuk talk about taxes was so unexpected that I-hyeon sat speechless, his mouth hanging open. Seung-hyuk continued.

 

“Even a rough calculation puts it at six hundred million won. You want me to hand over money I worked hard for to the bloody government?”

 

“…Six hundred million?”

 

There were plenty of things he could have argued about, starting with whether the money had been earned honestly in the first place. But the enormous tax figure made his eyes grow round. He had never once considered gift tax. His mind went blank. He had only wanted to give back what he had received, yet now he was troubled by the thought of money that did not even belong to him disappearing.

 

Seeing his reaction, Seung-hyuk stiffened his face to suppress a laugh. I-hyeon interpreted the expression differently and grew even more flustered. Seung-hyuk seized the chance to coax him.

 

“I've given up that line of work now, haven't I? I've got to live by the law.”

 

“I'm not telling you to splash it about and live like a king right this minute. Just keep it and pretend it isn't there. If it's really too much of a burden, I'll look for another solution.”

 

Of course, Seung-hyuk had not the slightest intention of doing that. But I-hyeon's face immediately showed relief. Seung-hyuk was swallowing another laugh at the way every thought showed so clearly on his face when I-hyeon's mobile phone, lying on the table, vibrated and lit up.

 

[I-hyeon, I happen to be near your place. Fancy meeting up for the first time in ages? Even better if we could have a drink together.]

 

It was from an older acquaintance with whom I-hyeon had spent a few nights. The instant he saw the sender's name and read the message, his heart sank. He grabbed the phone reflexively, without stopping to consider that such a sudden movement would make him look even more suspicious.

 

I-hyeon hurriedly glanced at Seung-hyuk, but his face looked no different from usual. He could not tell whether Seung-hyuk had seen the message. Seung-hyuk simply interlaced his fingers, cracked his knuckles and leaned against the back of the sofa. I-hyeon forced his own expression into one of casual indifference and slipped the phone into his pocket as though nothing had happened.

 

Then Seung-hyuk clicked his tongue and spoke.

 

“We should move house, though.”

 

“…”

 

“Can't go on living in a place where every man and his dog used to come and go, can we?”

 

So he saw it…

 

I-hyeon looked away with a defeated expression and fiddled with the cup on the table. Then he answered in a voice barely above a whisper.

 

“I'll think about it.”

 

Avoiding Seung-hyuk's eyes, he hurriedly gathered the cups on the table and spoke again.

 

“If you've finished, shall we go? It's almost time for the film.”

 

He could feel Seung-hyuk staring at his face. I-hyeon stood and forced a casual smile.

 

By the time they came out of the cinema, the sky had grown dark. The busy shopping district where the cinema stood was crowded, perhaps because the Lunar New Year holiday was approaching. Groups of young students wandered together, and people already flushed with drink despite the early hour brushed past them.

 

I-hyeon walked beside Seung-hyuk, matching his pace as they threaded through the crowds. Then he heard a surprised voice somewhere nearby.

 

“I-hyeon hyung?”

 

He turned instinctively at the sound of his name. Someone who had been standing outside a barbecue restaurant was hurrying towards them.

 

“Oi, Kim Jae-woo! Where are you going?”

 

Ignoring the puzzled looks of the people he had been with, the man staggered towards I-hyeon. He was a university junior, two years below I-hyeon, who had been especially fond of him when they studied together. I-hyeon had not expected to meet him here. Jae-woo's military service and I-hyeon's leave from university had overlapped, so they had not seen each other for years. I-hyeon's eyes widened.

 

“Oh, Jae-woo! It's been ages—”

 

He was genuinely pleased to see him and began to smile, but the words died on his lips as he froze. Jae-woo had strode straight up and flung his arms around him.

 

The strong smell of alcohol reminded I-hyeon, a moment too late, that Jae-woo's habit when drunk was to cling to people and demand affection. By the time he remembered, Seung-hyuk was already frowning beside him.

 

Flustered, I-hyeon tried to pull Jae-woo away, but the younger man buried his face in I-hyeon's shoulder, shook his head and whined.

 

“Hyung, it's been so long! Have you been well? I heard you're coming back to university this term, and I was really hurt. How could you not even contact me once? Huh?”

 

As though proving that drunk people somehow gained superhuman strength, Jae-woo's grip around him was remarkably powerful. I-hyeon's attempts to push him away achieved nothing. Jae-woo only hugged him more tightly, leaving I-hyeon struggling and glancing anxiously towards Seung-hyuk.

 

“Hyuung, I really missed you. Didn't you miss me too?”

 

“Huh? Y-yeah. But Jae-woo, could you let go for a moment…”

 

“Come on, say you missed me too! Please?”

 

“Ah, y-yeah… I missed you too.”

 

Only then did Jae-woo release him with a satisfied giggle. He was obviously delighted to have met I-hyeon again, but I-hyeon was painfully aware of how he was behaving in front of Seung-hyuk. He was also thinking of the message he had received at the café earlier and worrying that Seung-hyuk might misunderstand.

 

“Hyung, if you're coming back this term, you'll be taking major classes with our year, right? Want to match our timetables? I know loads of easy electives—”

 

“Ah, yeah… But Jae-woo, I'm sorry, I really need to get going now…”

 

“Huh?”

 

Jae-woo, his eyes half-closed as he smiled drunkenly, finally noticed Seung-hyuk standing beside them. He stepped backwards with a start and bowed repeatedly with exaggerated movements.

 

“Ahh, you're with a friend! Then I'll contact you another time, hyung. See you then… You've got to have a meal with me before term starts, all right?”

 

“All right, all right.”

 

Jae-woo tried to catch his hand again and repeat himself, but I-hyeon drew his arms behind his back. The bigger man staggered. His companions, who had been watching, hurried over and took him away.

 

I-hyeon stood there blankly, feeling as though a storm had just swept through. A moment later, he came to his senses and grabbed Seung-hyuk's wrist.

 

“…Let's get going.”

The cinema was not particularly far from home, so before long they were walking down the alley leading to the villa. I-hyeon raised his head to study Seung-hyuk's face as he walked beside him, but his expression gave nothing away. The fact that he had said nothing about what had just happened only made I-hyeon more uneasy.

 

Even as they climbed the stairs and Seung-hyuk entered the code on the front-door keypad, I-hyeon kept stealing glances at him. Finally, he began to explain, stumbling over his words.

 

“That guy earlier was just a junior I was close to at university. He heard I was going back, mmph…!”

 

Before he could finish, someone seized his arm and pulled him inside.

 

“Mmph…”

 

His back was pressed against the shoe cupboard, and his lips were swallowed in a kiss. Seung-hyuk gave him no chance to breathe, kissing him roughly, as though the force of it spoke for everything he was feeling. I-hyeon tipped his head back and clung to both of Seung-hyuk's arms, struggling to keep up. Only then did Seung-hyuk draw his lips away a little.

 

Their noses almost touching, he looked straight into I-hyeon's eyes.

 

“I-hyeon, why are there so many men around you, eh?”

 

“It's not… like that, ah…”

 

“Am I supposed to be jealous of your past as well?”

 

The eyes confronting him at such close range were blazing. Seung-hyuk watched I-hyeon draw a deep, heaving breath, then abruptly slipped an arm behind his thighs and lifted him.

 

“Put your arms around my neck.”

 

Startled by the sudden change in height, I-hyeon instinctively wrapped his arms around Seung-hyuk's neck. As though I-hyeon weighed nothing at all, Seung-hyuk carried him across the room and laid him on the narrow sofa. When I-hyeon, flustered, tried to prop himself up on his arms, Seung-hyuk pulled down his trousers and underwear together.

 

“H-hey…!”

 

I-hyeon kicked and struggled, but he was no match for Seung-hyuk's strength. Seung-hyuk immediately pressed against the backs of his knees, raising his bottom, then rubbed his thumb over the exposed opening.

 

“That curly-haired bastard who used to work at Nexus…”

 

Goosebumps seemed to race down I-hyeon's spine at the sensation of a thumb stroking the tightly closed folds. Yet the finger that felt as though it might push inside at any moment only continued to circle the entrance.

 

“That bloke who texted you earlier. The one you call hyung.”

 

Seung-hyuk spoke calmly as he increased the pressure of the finger circling I-hyeon's entrance. He could clearly feel the dry opening stretch, barely wide enough to take one finger. I-hyeon squirmed, and Seung-hyuk spat onto his opening and his own finger.

 

“Your close junior from university…”

 

“…Ah.”

 

“Anyone else?”

 

By now his entrance had swallowed two joints of Seung-hyuk's thumb, and I-hyeon could feel it twitching against his will. Every little movement made his face burn. He gripped the back of the sofa and shook his head before hiding his face between his arms. Seung-hyuk went on.

 

“Oh, there's another one. That rude brown-haired friend of yours.”

 

“He's genuinely a close friend, and I'm grateful to him… He's just, ah, a friend.”

 

All I-hyeon's attention was fixed on what was happening below, and he could barely take in Seung-hyuk's words. Even so, he could tell that the man was imagining all sorts of ridiculous things. At I-hyeon's stammered reply, Seung-hyuk gave a disbelieving snort.

 

“So the others weren't just friends.”

 

“…”

 

Seung-hyuk abruptly withdrew his finger, making I-hyeon gasp and go rigid. He looked at I-hyeon, ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek as though considering something, and then pressed harder behind his knees until I-hyeon's body folded further.

 

“Gu Seung-hyuk, wh-what are you doing…!”

 

Sensing what was coming, I-hyeon thrashed about, but Seung-hyuk held both his legs in place with one hand and slowly lowered his head. Something hot and wet touched his entrance.

 

I-hyeon twisted his entire body in alarm. Perhaps Seung-hyuk found the sight amusing, because he let out a quiet laugh. I-hyeon felt that warm breath directly between his buttocks, sending a shiver through him.

 

“Hey, that's dirty. Don't, ah…!”

 

The sensation of a tongue tracing every fold of his entrance was dizzying. As though to soothe I-hyeon, whose whole body had tensed without his realising it, Seung-hyuk interlaced the fingers of one hand with his.

 

“Haa…”

 

Seung-hyuk extended his tongue and licked upwards over I-hyeon's tightly contracted opening like a dog. Then he pointed the tip and pushed it inside, something hot and slippery slipping flexibly through the narrow space.

 

None of the other people I-hyeon had slept with had ever done this. Every time Seung-hyuk did it, the sensation was unfamiliar and strange. Seung-hyuk stroked the taut muscles of I-hyeon's thigh as though comforting him and moved his tongue back and forth against the warm inner walls.

 

Whenever the firm bridge of his nose brushed the surrounding skin, I-hyeon's body jerked involuntarily. His raised legs trembled and his toes curled, but he could do nothing to stop either reaction. He tightened his interlaced fingers around Seung-hyuk's hand as though that grip were a lifeline.

 

“Haa… Gu Seung-hyuk, that's enough… Stop now, all right?”

 

Every time Seung-hyuk's lips lifted away, the feeling of air touching the saliva-soaked skin below was peculiar. I-hyeon raised his head to make him stop, but the sight of Seung-hyuk with his face buried between his buttocks only made his lower abdomen ache more intensely.

 

He did not know when it had happened, but his cock was already fully erect, a thin bead of fluid gathering at its tip. I-hyeon pressed the back of his head into the sofa and let out a high, breathy moan.

 

When I-hyeon stopped writhing, Seung-hyuk lifted his head briefly and wiped his wet lips with the back of his hand. He looked once at I-hyeon, who was panting with his flushed face hidden behind his arm, then pushed his fingers back into the loosened opening.

 

Unlike before, when it had barely accommodated his thumb, I-hyeon's entrance opened smoothly to take his index and middle fingers together. Seung-hyuk rotated his hand, stroking different places along the inner walls, and slowly lowered his head. As he stretched him, he licked the entrance, pulled tight around his finger joints, until it was slick with saliva.

 

It was a long while before Seung-hyuk finally withdrew his fingers. I-hyeon lay on the sofa, breathing hard, already exhausted despite their not having had penetrative sex yet. Seung-hyuk gave I-hyeon's cock a light tap with his fingertips. It stood erect below his navel, leaking pre-cum. Then, expressionless, he lowered his trousers and took his own cock in hand.

 

“Gu Seung-hyuk, wait, just wait… Let's go to the bed, please?”

 

I-hyeon blurted the words out when the hot head of Seung-hyuk's cock touched his slick, gaping entrance. But the moment I-hyeon put his hands down to lift his upper body, Seung-hyuk thrust upwards with his hips.

 

“Ah…!”

 

His inner walls had been tormented by Seung-hyuk's tongue and fingers for a long time, but the sensation of a thick cock entering him was something else entirely. Before he could adjust, his opening stretched tight, and the ridge of the head scraped against his sensitised insides.

 

I-hyeon sucked in a breath and arched his back. Two broad hands gripped his hips firmly without hurting him, and then Seung-hyuk began to thrust with anything but tenderness.

 

“You expect me to… lie down… where I don't know which bastard you've… fuck…”

 

“Ah…! Ngh! Haa…!”

 

“…Fucked, or how many times? Eh, I-hyeon?”

 

Each pause in the broken sentence was punctuated by Seung-hyuk's cock pounding deep inside him. Even with his eyes shut, I-hyeon's vision flashed white. Panting desperately, he managed to speak.

 

“I've never brought anyone… ah… home…”

 

“So you were busy fucking them outside the house, then?”

 

“Aah! Gu Seung-hyuk, haa, please…!”

 

Although Seung-hyuk had loosened him with his fingers, there was no proper lubricant, and I-hyeon could feel his inner walls clinging to the cock before sliding away again. Each time Seung-hyuk pulled back until only the head remained inside, then drove sharply forward, I-hyeon's insides twitched as though in spasm.

 

Seung-hyuk appeared to feel it too. He frowned with every thrust, muttering low curses under his breath.

 

The sensation of his prostate being ground against sent heat rushing to I-hyeon's cock. Feeling as though he might come if they kept going just a little longer, he reached down. Seung-hyuk released his legs, caught both his arms instead and pinned them to the sofa above his head. With his other hand, he seized I-hyeon's cock and spoke in a low voice.

 

“Instead of Gu Seung-hyuk, say ‘Seung-hyuk’.”

 

“Ngh, ahh…! Hah…!”

 

Seung-hyuk stroked a hand up I-hyeon's cock, then pressed his thumb hard against the opening at the tip, blocking the flow of pre-cum. Even then, he did not stop driving his hips upwards. With the pleasure piling up and nowhere to go, I-hyeon's lower abdomen felt as though it were boiling. Seung-hyuk urged him on.

 

“Hm? Seung-hyuk.”

 

“Seung… ah, Seung-hyuk…”

 

“That's right, hyung.”

 

Something flashed in Seung-hyuk's eyes at the almost tearful sound of I-hyeon's voice. He thrust even more mercilessly, pressing his forehead against I-hyeon's and raising his eyes to meet his.

 

“Haa. Tell me I'm the only one now.”

 

“H-hah… There's… only you, ah… only you…”

 

“Yeah. You're the only one for me too. Haa…”

 

With those words, his cock drove in fiercely. Seung-hyuk abruptly released the cock he had been holding shut to prevent I-hyeon from coming, and the urge to climax surged through him without warning. As his vision flashed between white and black, the only thing he could hear was the heavy slap of skin against skin.

 

“Haa, ah… Seung… Seung-hyuk, ngh…!”

 

When I-hyeon called his name in a voice close to tears, Seung-hyuk's brow twisted and his head fell back. A moment later, the cock inside him throbbed, and I-hyeon felt heat spreading within him.

 

As though trying to coat I-hyeon's insides with semen, Seung-hyuk moved his hips slowly back and forth before finally withdrawing. At the same time, I-hyeon felt warm liquid trickle down between his thoroughly used buttocks.

 

“Haa… Hah… Haa…”

 

His chest rose and fell as he struggled for breath. At last he opened his eyes and looked at Seung-hyuk. The face looking down at him seemed more relaxed than before.

 

I-hyeon had just let out a relieved sigh, thinking Seung-hyuk might finally have calmed down, when Seung-hyuk slipped his arms beneath I-hyeon's legs and neck, lifted him and spoke.

 

“I-hyeon, why are you making that face?”

 

“We're only getting started.”

 

For an instant, dismay crossed I-hyeon's face. Seung-hyuk saw it and merely gave a small laugh as he carried him towards the bed. So drained he could not move so much as a fingertip, I-hyeon lay helplessly in his arms and swallowed when he felt the soft duvet against his back.

 

He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

 

He had stayed awake long enough to see the sun rise before losing consciousness. By the time he opened his eyes again, it was well past midday. His body was clean, as though Seung-hyuk had taken care of everything while he slept. I-hyeon, aching all over from being thoroughly worn out by Seung-hyuk throughout the night, had only just managed to sit up when Seung-hyuk spoke from where he was leaning against the headboard beside him.

 

“Want some water?”

 

“…Yeah.”

 

His half-hoarse voice came out in an embarrassingly cracked rasp. After drinking from the bottle Seung-hyuk handed him, he finally felt a little more human. I-hyeon rubbed at his swollen eyes with the back of his hand and turned towards him.

 

“Has Horang been fed?”

 

Normally, if he did not get breakfast, the cat would jump onto the bed and make a terrible racket. It was strange that he was so quiet today. Seung-hyuk answered by gesturing towards his legs.

 

“Fed him this morning.”

 

Although a week had passed since Seung-hyuk had moved in, Horang had been reluctant to let him close. Yet now he lay perfectly still with his back resting against Seung-hyuk's shin. That seemed to be why Seung-hyuk had remained in bed even after waking up.

 

“It took this long for us to get this friendly.”

 

“How does he manage to be so much like you even in that?”

 

It was oddly embarrassing to hear that Horang's wary nature resembled his own. I-hyeon stroked the cat's head and neck, earning a soft purr. Seung-hyuk watched him pet Horang for a moment before speaking.

 

“Have a wash and pack your things. The furniture and appliances are all there, so just pack what you need immediately. I'll get people to move the rest.”

 

Apparently, this was a continuation of what they had discussed the previous day. I-hyeon had never imagined he would be changing homes so suddenly, but it was too late to argue about it now. He nodded obediently.

 

He packed a bag with a few pairs of underwear, clothes he would need straight away, and Horang's things. Their destination was a large residential and commercial apartment complex with a car park extending four floors underground. Much like the officetel where Seung-hyuk had lived before, security guards in black suits stood at the entrance.

 

I-hyeon followed Seung-hyuk into the lift and up to a corridor containing only two flats. He walked slowly through the door Seung-hyuk opened.

 

“…Wow.”

 

The first thing he saw was the Han River and its bridge, spread out beyond the floor-to-ceiling living-room windows. Tiny cars travelling along the road looked like miniature toys.

 

Seung-hyuk had entered ahead of him and set I-hyeon's bag down in a room at the end of the corridor.

 

“This is the main bedroom. Opposite is your workroom. Next to that is my study. If you don't like any of the furniture, tell me and we'll change it.”

 

The spacious, spotless flat was incomparably more comfortable than the cramped rooftop rooms and studio flats I-hyeon had lived in. His first thought was that Horang would now have somewhere safer and better to live. The living room was also bright and roomy enough for a large cat tower.

 

I-hyeon set the carrier down in one corner of the living room and opened it. Horang, who had meowed throughout the journey, emerged with his tail standing straight up, cautiously surveying the unfamiliar space. As I-hyeon watched him with satisfaction, Seung-hyuk came to stand beside him.

 

“…Thank you.”

 

It felt less like having a new home of his own and more like moving into Seung-hyuk's new place. Still, he was glad to be leaving behind an old house where cold draughts crept in.

 

At his quiet murmur, Seung-hyuk grinned and swept him into his arms.

 

“Then give me a kiss.”

 

I-hyeon reflexively wrapped his legs around Seung-hyuk's waist. Looking down at him from his suddenly elevated position, he rested their foreheads together. Then he lowered his head and pressed several light kisses to Seung-hyuk's lips before drawing back.

 

A smile spread across Seung-hyuk's mouth. When he tilted his head and kissed I-hyeon deeply in return, I-hyeon found himself smiling too.

 

──── 📘📘 ────

 

After quickly putting away his belongings, I-hyeon came out to find Seung-hyuk sitting on the sofa, looking at something on a tablet. When he approached, Seung-hyuk reached for his hand and pulled him down onto the seat beside him.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Work. Someone asked me to look at something urgently.”

 

Not long after Gu Jin-hyuk was found guilty of drug distribution and soliciting murder, various corrupt dealings involving Chairman Gu In-ho and Taeseong's board of directors came to light. Taeseong's share price plunged. To recoup the losses, the group began separating and selling off numerous subsidiaries, effectively splitting Taeseong into several pieces.

 

Once, while riding in a taxi, I-hyeon had heard a panellist on a radio business programme speculate that an insider must have come forward to provide prosecutors with the definitive evidence of those corrupt dealings.

 

Perhaps it had been natural for Seung-hyuk to spring to mind. He had acquired the entertainment company spun off from Taeseong and immediately embarked on a new business venture, as though he had been waiting for the opportunity. Lately, despite acting as though nothing were going on, he had been taking frequent work calls and travelling from place to place. Presumably that was why.

 

“Is it urgent?”

 

“No. Why?”

 

At I-hyeon's tentative question, Seung-hyuk immediately switched off the tablet screen and looked up. I-hyeon had not expected such a prompt response. A strange ticklish feeling stirred in his stomach, and he averted his eyes.

 

“No reason. I just wanted to wish you a happy New Year.”

 

It seemed an odd thing to say when the new year had started some time ago. Then Seung-hyuk noticed on the calendar that it was the Lunar New Year holiday and rubbed at the corner of his mouth. Neither of them had anywhere to go for the holiday, so neither had given it much thought.

 

Just as Chairman Gu had never made much of the Lunar New Year, I-hyeon, estranged from his family, had probably not celebrated a proper holiday for several years. Seung-hyuk thought for a moment, set his tablet aside and stood.

 

“Get dressed. Let's go to the supermarket.”

 

“The supermarket?”

 

“It's New Year. We might as well do something to make it feel like a holiday.”

 

Was he suggesting they make rice-cake soup? The idea was unexpectedly endearing coming from Seung-hyuk, and I-hyeon burst into laughter before he could stop himself. It was not a bad suggestion, though, so he nodded and opened his wardrobe.

 

After parking at a nearby large supermarket, the two stepped onto the escalator leading down to the basement. Seung-hyuk held the handle of a trolley. I-hyeon stood beside him, looking over the crowded store.

 

“It's busy.”

 

Gift sets were stacked throughout the supermarket, as though to announce the holiday, and staff could be heard calling out to promote their products. The bustle made I-hyeon want to buy what they needed and leave as quickly as possible.

 

He led Seung-hyuk to the meat section. Seung-hyuk let out a small laugh as he watched I-hyeon pick up several nearly identical packages of red meat, deliberate over them and finally choose one.

 

After putting the meat, rice cakes and eggs into the trolley, I-hyeon spotted someone cooking dumplings at a sampling counter ahead. He considered it for a moment, then caught Seung-hyuk by the wrist and drew him over.

 

“If you buy the dumplings now, we'll give you an extra pack free. You can steam them or fry them. Here, have a taste.”

 

Seung-hyuk stared in bewilderment at the half-dumpling offered in a small paper cup. Then he noticed I-hyeon beside him blowing on the hot filling of his own sample before eating it. He chuckled and handed his portion to I-hyeon.

 

“Good? Shall we get some?”

 

“Hmm…”

 

As I-hyeon touched his chin, considering it, the employee smiled encouragingly.

 

“Our dumplings are really good. If you buy them now, I'll throw in a small pack. Go on, take some, all right?”

 

I-hyeon thought of the refrigerator at home, which was bound to be empty, and nodded. The employee beamed and took a small promotional pack from the freezer beside her.

 

“Are you two friends? Doing your shopping together?”

 

As she taped the free pack to the one they were buying, she asked the question in a conversational tone. For a moment, I-hyeon was at a loss for words. It would have been easier to answer casually that they were friends, but his awareness of Seung-hyuk standing right beside him made him hesitate.

 

He was just about to belatedly agree and brush the question aside when Seung-hyuk spoke.

 

“No. We're boyfriends.”

 

Startled by the unexpected reply, I-hyeon widened his eyes and turned towards him. Seung-hyuk merely shrugged with a perfectly composed expression, as though asking what the problem was.

 

The employee apparently took it as a joke and giggled.

 

“Well, male couples and female couples are all the rage these days, aren't they? You suit each other.”

 

Seung-hyuk smiled with evident satisfaction. He took the packaged dumplings, then shamelessly accepted another sample and offered it to I-hyeon. Watching Seung-hyuk's inexplicably pleased face, I-hyeon muttered in a daze.

 

“You startled me.”

 

“Why? It's not as though I said anything untrue.”

 

“Still…”

 

Unable to think of anything to add, I-hyeon let his words trail off. Seung-hyuk put an arm around his shoulders and leaned close to his ear.

 

“Kwon I-hyeon. I have no intention of hiding you.”

 

The low voice brushing his ear sent a sudden shiver down his spine. Seung-hyuk removed his arm and returned to the trolley. Left standing there, I-hyeon watched his retreating back and clenched his fists, trying to endure the unfamiliar, tingling feeling that reached his fingertips.

 

Their original plan had been to buy nothing more than the ingredients for rice-cake soup, but by the time they returned home, both Seung-hyuk and I-hyeon had their hands full of carrier bags. They had also picked up various household items they could use immediately.

 

Seung-hyuk put the bags beside the kitchen table and washed his hands before turning to I-hyeon.

 

“Do you know how to make rice-cake soup?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

At I-hyeon's ready answer, Seung-hyuk frowned.

 

“Did you make that for your other boyfriends too?”

 

Apparently, he still remembered what I-hyeon had said the day he made seaweed soup at Seung-hyuk's place. Regretting those careless words, I-hyeon hurried to answer.

 

“No. I've been living on my own for ages. Anyone could make something like this.”

 

But Seung-hyuk's expression remained difficult to read. Wanting to change the subject, I-hyeon quickly added,

 

“What did you eat when you were living alone?”

 

“The woman who came to clean sometimes made me something, but mostly I just grabbed food outside.”

 

Remembering how there had been no traces of leftovers in the refrigerator at Seung-hyuk's old home, I-hyeon thought that sounded plausible. He nodded and took a chopping board from the cupboard.

 

“Hang on. Put an apron on. We bought one earlier.”

 

Seung-hyuk's sudden interruption reminded him of the plain apron they had bought at the supermarket. I-hyeon had said he did not need one because he never wore an apron unless he was working, but Seung-hyuk had insisted.

 

Seung-hyuk took the new apron out of a bag and approached him.

 

“Come here.”

 

It was the kind with a strap around the neck and a ribbon tied at the back. I-hyeon could easily have reached behind himself to tie it. Nevertheless, Seung-hyuk came right up to him, slipped the apron over his head and turned him around.

 

“It's all right. I can put it on myself.”

 

“Stay still. Let me enjoy the moment.”

 

As he tied the ribbon with his large hands, Seung-hyuk abruptly noticed just how narrow I-hyeon's waist was. When he finished the bow and wrapped both hands firmly around it, there was hardly any space left between his fingers. I-hyeon slowly removed the hands that had suddenly closed around his waist and looked over his shoulder.

 

“Why?”

 

There was no need to ask when I-hyeon visibly looked thinner than when they had met again a few months earlier. Nor did Seung-hyuk have the right to ask: he himself was the reason I-hyeon had suffered and lost weight. So, despite the turmoil in his head, his face remained expressionless as he straightened the ends of the apron ribbon.

 

“Nothing.”

 

I-hyeon gave him a puzzled look, but it soon passed. Washing his hands once more beneath the tap, he gestured beyond the kitchen.

 

“Go and do whatever you need to do in the living room. I'll call you when it's ready.”

 

Rather than leave, however, Seung-hyuk pulled another apron from the bags and moved closer. When I-hyeon stared at him, he explained,

 

“I'm not going to make you do everything while I sit around doing nothing.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Put me to work as your assistant.”

 

I-hyeon pressed his lips together at the sight of Seung-hyuk standing beside him, drying his hands.

 

Rice-cake soup was easy enough: use shop-bought beef-bone broth, add some meat, rice cakes and spring onions, and bring it all to the boil. It was hardly a task that required assistance. There was no reason for two people to stand in the kitchen to do something that would take ten minutes.

 

Yet watching Seung-hyuk stand there, awkwardly waiting to be told what to do, made I-hyeon's heart feel strangely ticklish. He fought to suppress the smile creeping onto his face.

 

Doing something together even when he could manage perfectly well on his own, even when there was no need to share the work—that was part of being in a relationship. And now they were allowed to have that kind of relationship.

 

“…Then you can make the egg garnish.”

 

“How do I do that?”

 

“First, get the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites.”

 

While I-hyeon chopped the meat into small pieces, Seung-hyuk fetched the eggs from the fridge and began cracking them rather awkwardly into a bowl. They were merely standing side by side in a large kitchen, each attending to a different task, yet I-hyeon kept smiling to himself.

 

The ridiculous thought that they looked like a married couple drifted through his head. Before long, though, as if to punish him for letting his mind wander while handling a knife, the blade he was using to slice the meat grazed the tip of his finger.

 

“…Ah.”

 

At the quiet sound, Seung-hyuk's head turned immediately. He saw I-hyeon set the knife on the chopping board and inspect his finger, and strode towards him.

 

“Have we got any plasters?”

 

It was embarrassing to have claimed he was good at cooking only to cut himself while chopping meat. At least the wound was not deep. I-hyeon tried to sound casual, but Seung-hyuk examined the blood slowly welling from the cut with a grave expression, then hurried off and returned with a first-aid box.

 

“Does it hurt?”

 

As Seung-hyuk rinsed the wound under running water and applied antiseptic and ointment, his movements were uncharacteristically gentle. I-hyeon felt even more self-conscious that Seung-hyuk had fetched an entire first-aid kit for such a tiny cut. Deliberately acting as though it was nothing, he opened and closed his freshly plastered hand and returned to the kitchen.

 

But Seung-hyuk caught the ribbon at the back of his apron and pulled him away.

 

“Hey. You sit down.”

 

“What?”

 

“I'll do it. Sit down and keep your hand out of the water.”

 

It was a minor wound, and the plaster was waterproof, so a little water would not have mattered. Seung-hyuk was adamant, though. He removed I-hyeon's apron altogether and took his place at the chopping board.

 

His insistence was so fierce that I-hyeon could not even persuade him to let him finish what he had started.

 

“You said you weren't good at cooking.”

 

“You just chop things, put them in and boil them, don't you?”

 

With that, Seung-hyuk began cutting the remaining meat.

 

“…Not like that. A bit smaller.”

 

“Like this?”

 

His knife skills were still far from satisfactory. Standing beside him, I-hyeon grew so frustrated watching that his fingers began to twitch. Eventually he laid his hand over Seung-hyuk's and guided the knife.

 

“You don't cut it like that. You do it like this.”

 

After cutting a few pieces with him, I-hyeon became acutely aware of his own hand resting over Seung-hyuk's large, sinewy one. The sensation felt strangely intimate. He was just about to release him and step aside when Seung-hyuk entwined the fingers of his free hand with I-hyeon's.

 

“I like this. Keep doing it like this.”

 

With those words, Seung-hyuk pulled I-hyeon closer and enclosed him completely in front of his chest. Feeling the man's presence behind him made I-hyeon's whole body tense. After a moment's hesitation, he placed his hand over Seung-hyuk's again, and they resumed chopping carefully.

 

Seung-hyuk kept I-hyeon within his arms as they cut the meat and spring onions and fried the thin egg garnish. Only after adding everything to the pot and adjusting the heat did he finally release him. I-hyeon, who had been fidgeting inside that embrace the entire time, complained.

 

“…If you were going to do it like that, I might as well have made it myself.”

 

Seung-hyuk merely chuckled. Soon the kitchen filled with an appetising aroma. He told I-hyeon to sit at the table, fetched a large bowl and filled it generously with the finished rice-cake soup.

 

“…Hey, I can't eat all that.”

 

“Leave what you can't finish. You've lost too much weight.”

 

Even so, the bowl Seung-hyuk handed him was almost as large as one used for cold noodles. I-hyeon looked up at him in dismay, but Seung-hyuk took his own seat with an unconcerned expression.

 

The soup was delicious, but there was no possibility of finishing the portion Seung-hyuk had served. When I-hyeon put down his spoon after eating about half, Seung-hyuk took his bowl and polished off the rest. I-hyeon even loved the unpretentious ease with which he ate food someone else had already started. He had it bad.

 

After eating and brushing his teeth, I-hyeon settled onto the sofa and began to feel sleepy. He was trying to peel one of the mandarins they had bought, fumbling at the skin with his short nails, when Seung-hyuk efficiently peeled his own and swapped the fruit with him.

 

I-hyeon murmured his thanks and put a segment into his mouth. A sweet, tangy flavour immediately spread across his tongue. He had barely finished the fruit when Seung-hyuk placed another peeled mandarin into his hand.

 

It was a peaceful holiday. He was comfortably full, and there was nothing he needed to do. Leaning into the sofa, he tilted his head and saw Seung-hyuk offering him yet another peeled mandarin. When I-hyeon shook his head, Seung-hyuk began tidying the fruit basket.

 

“What shall we do now?” I-hyeon murmured.

 

“Good question. What do you want to do?”

 

Despite his matter-of-fact voice, Seung-hyuk was already leaning over him. Tilting his head, he bent down and pressed their lips together. Perhaps because of the mandarins they had just eaten, their tongues tasted sweet when they brushed together. Seung-hyuk's hand had only just started sliding slowly beneath I-hyeon's clothes when—

 

Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

 

The loud buzzing came from Seung-hyuk's phone on the living-room table. Seung-hyuk ignored it and continued stroking I-hyeon's waist, but I-hyeon turned his head away and pushed at his shoulder.

 

“Your phone's ringing.”

 

“Don't need to answer it.”

 

“…You don't even know who's calling. Go on, answer it.”

 

I-hyeon eventually managed to push him away. Seung-hyuk drew back with a frown. I-hyeon, astonished at how worked up he had become in such a short time, looked at him through slightly unfocused eyes, only to see Seung-hyuk's face darken further when he checked the caller.

 

“What is it?”

 

Someone spoke on the other end, but I-hyeon could not make out the words. He could only guess from Seung-hyuk's frown and the way he stood up that it was a work call. I-hyeon sat upright again and took another mandarin from the basket.

 

Seung-hyuk went out onto the terrace to finish the call and returned looking unhappy. When I-hyeon stared at him, he rubbed at an eyebrow and spoke.

 

“Sorry, but something's come up at the company. I think I need to go in.”

 

I-hyeon already knew Seung-hyuk's new business was keeping him busy, so the news was not especially surprising. He had simply thought they could spend the holiday together, just the two of them. Disappointment flickered across his otherwise blank expression for a moment, then vanished.

 

Seung-hyuk caught that brief change. Drawing his brows together apologetically, he bent down and kissed I-hyeon's forehead.

 

“Things should settle down a bit next week. Shall we go away somewhere?”

 

“Go away?”

 

“Yeah. There's a villa in Gangwon Province. In winter, the snow-covered woods and the night sky are worth seeing.”

 

It was another of the properties Seung-hyuk had transferred into I-hyeon's name, but he kept that fact to himself and continued casually.

 

“We can have a barbecue, go for walks, look at the stars. Just get away for a bit.”

 

Imagining the villa's peaceful surroundings, I-hyeon smiled faintly and nodded.

 

“I'll be back. Go to bed without me.”

 

Seung-hyuk moved quickly, straightening his clothes and preparing to leave. Something serious must have happened at the company, I-hyeon thought, digging a fingernail into the skin of another mandarin.

──── 📘📘 ────

 

Another week passed with Seung-hyuk tied up at work day and night. He came home in the early hours, slept, and left before I-hyeon woke, so I-hyeon could scarcely remember the last time he had properly seen his face.

 

Perhaps that was why he was unusually pleased when Seung-hyuk asked him to bring some documents he had left at home to the office. I-hyeon found the papers in Seung-hyuk's study and set out.

 

He took a bus to the address Seung-hyuk had given him and arrived at a clean, smart-looking building about seven storeys high. The contrast with the crumbling office in Gawon-dong was striking. Because visitors could not simply walk into an entertainment company, he followed the person Seung-hyuk had sent to meet him inside.

 

The interior was neatly furnished. After thanking the employee who had told him to go to the chief executive's office on the top floor, I-hyeon stepped into the lift and pressed the top floor button.

 

The lift rose swiftly. When it stopped and the doors slid open, his eyes were immediately drawn to a young woman standing just outside.

 

“…Oh.”

 

“Oh?”

 

The woman widened her eyes the moment she recognised him. I-hyeon was equally surprised to realise she was the woman he had spent time with at Gu Jin-hyuk's completion party.

 

“What was your name again… Kwon… Kwon I-hyeon, wasn't it?”

 

She frowned slightly as though searching through an old memory, then managed to recall his name. I-hyeon, who had never learnt hers either then or now, could only move his lips without speaking. A man beside her who appeared to be her manager looked at her curiously.

 

“Someone you know?”

 

“Yeah, a little. Oppa, hang on. I'm going to talk to him for a minute, so go down first. And don't wander off. Go straight to the underground car park.”

 

“All right.”

 

I-hyeon gave the man, who was eyeing him suspiciously, a small bow. The woman spoke from beside him.

 

“Wow, Kwon I-hyeon. I never expected to run into you here. Do you work here?”

 

“No, I'm just here on an errand.”

 

“You said you were going to the loo that day, then disappeared. I was so bored! Did something happen?”

 

Plenty had happened: Gu Jin-hyuk had dragged him up to the second floor, and he had ended up having sex with Gu Seung-hyuk. But he could not tell her about any of it. I-hyeon answered with the faintest of smiles, and she spoke again.

 

“Ah. Okay, you don't want to talk about it? That's fine. It isn't that important anyway.”

 

“…Right.”

 

“But there's something I'm curious about. Back then, you told me not to get involved with the parties Director Gu Seung-hyuk was throwing. I suppose he's CEO Gu now.”

 

Unlike I-hyeon, she seemed delighted by this chance encounter. Leaning towards his face as though about to share an enormous secret, she whispered,

 

“Did you already know things were going to turn out that way?”

 

She seemed to be referring to the celebrities caught taking drugs at Seung-hyuk's party. I-hyeon had not known things would turn out that way either, so he shook his head.

 

“No. Nothing like that. It just didn't look like a particularly good gathering.”

 

“Well, whatever the reason, the important thing is that thanks to you, I didn't get mixed up in it.”

 

“I don't think that was thanks to me.”

 

Whether she would still have wanted to attend if she had known it was a gathering where people drunk on alcohol and drugs engaged in group sex, I-hyeon could not say. That reply was the most he could offer.

 

But she evidently considered him the person who had spared her from becoming embroiled in a drug scandal. Her goodwill was so transparent that I-hyeon doubted further denials would do much good, so he merely nodded. She took out her phone.

 

“I'll treat you to a meal sometime when you're free. I'm happy to see you again, and I'm grateful. Two birds with one stone, really.”

 

Oh. Perhaps it was not just goodwill but romantic interest? I-hyeon was touching the back of his neck, about to decline politely, when a lazy, insolent voice sounded behind them.

 

“Well, isn't this a pretty picture?”

 

He turned at once and met the eyes of Gu Seung-hyuk, who was standing with his weight on one leg, his head resting against the wall. The woman seemed startled by his sudden interruption. Her eyes widened as she looked back and forth between him and I-hyeon.

 

“I-hyeon, you know CEO Gu? Didn't you tell me you didn't know him back then?”

 

She whispered the question, giving I-hyeon a little nudge with her elbow. He pressed his lips together and said nothing. He had seen Seung-hyuk frown the instant her elbow touched him.

 

Seung-hyuk pushed away from the wall and walked over. Stopping before them, he put an arm around I-hyeon's shoulders and tilted his head.

 

“Ms Park Ji-min, haven't you left yet?”

 

“Oh, I was just on my way down.”

 

She seemed to have worked something out from Seung-hyuk's familiar embrace and the way I-hyeon stood quietly beside him. The hand that had looked ready to offer I-hyeon her phone quickly retreated, and she smiled calmly.

 

“Anyway, I-hyeon, thank you for what you did back then. Since we'll never have another occasion to meet privately, I'll say goodbye now. I'll leave the two of you to talk.”

 

Seung-hyuk appeared pleased by her emphasis on 'privately' and 'never again'. He watched her hurry into the lift with a rarely satisfied expression. Then he drew I-hyeon closer by the shoulders and murmured,

 

“I like how quickly she takes a hint.”

 

Seung-hyuk's face, which I-hyeon had not seen properly for some time, looked sharper, as if to prove how busy he had been. I-hyeon handed him the documents, but Seung-hyuk barely glanced at them before carelessly folding them.

 

“Weren't those urgent?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then why did you ask me to bring them?”

 

“It was an excuse to have lunch with you.”

 

“…Hah.”

 

Seung-hyuk was so brazen about it that I-hyeon could not help letting out a disbelieving laugh, even as the corners of his mouth rose.

 

“Have you got time to eat?”

 

“I've got time for lunch and coffee afterwards.”

 

Seung-hyuk took him by the wrist and stepped into the lift that had just opened beside them.

 

He led I-hyeon to a restaurant not far from the office. Despite I-hyeon's protests that he could not possibly eat it all, Seung-hyuk ordered plenty of food, telling him to try a little of everything and leave the rest. I-hyeon was comfortably full by the time they came out.

 

Fortunately, there was a large park nearby. Seung-hyuk suggested walking for a while before going back inside, and the cold, crisp air brushed I-hyeon's nose as they set off.

 

The park was full of office workers taking a break after lunch, people walking dogs, and parents pushing prams. I-hyeon enjoyed simply strolling without any particular destination as the passers-by moved around them. When he turned his head, he met Seung-hyuk's eyes.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

He swallowed the words 'I'm happy' and faced forward again. Warmth suddenly touched his hand. Seung-hyuk threaded their fingers together, clasped his hand tightly and slipped both their joined hands into his coat pocket.

 

“The weather was like this when we first met.”

 

I-hyeon remembered a park nine years ago in early spring, still as cold as winter. The chill rising from the bench where he had sat, the hours he had spent doing nothing because his hands were too cold even to use his phone—and Gu Seung-hyuk, whom he had met there for the first time.

 

“Do you remember?”

 

“Of course I do.”

 

I-hyeon relaxed his grip and turned towards him. Looking up, he saw Seung-hyuk give a little smile and take a cigarette packet from his pocket, holding it out to him.

 

“In the park.”

 

I-hyeon noticed the smoking-area sign beside Seung-hyuk and reached for the cigarette protruding halfway from the packet. Seung-hyuk quickly put one between his own lips, lit it, then held the burning lighter up to I-hyeon's face.

 

“I honestly thought you were in middle school back then.”

 

“You looked so young, glaring at your cigarette like that. I can't decide whether it was funny or cute.”

 

Hearing someone else describe the way he had behaved when Chanyang had made him so sensitive to everything was strangely embarrassing. I-hyeon smoked silently for a while. Then he noticed a white magnolia blooming unusually early among the snow-covered trees ahead.

 

“…There's a flower.”

 

Seung-hyuk followed his gaze. He watched the white magnolia high in the tree and exhaled a long stream of smoke. After a moment's silence, he flicked ash from his cigarette, looking as though he were thinking something over.

 

“You know, I once thought you were like that flower. White and clean.”

 

“…”

 

“But now I think you're more like grass than a flower.”

 

“…Grass?”

 

“Grass that stays green all the time, not a flower that blooms for one season and withers.”

 

Seung-hyuk pressed the cigarette into the ashtray beside him and added matter-of-factly,

 

“You're too remarkable a person to compare to a flower that's only there for someone to look at.”

 

“…”

 

“Kwon I-hyeon, you've done well. You've worked so hard just to keep living all this time.”

 

“…Thank you.”

 

Nobody had ever said those words to him before. Even as Seung-hyuk casually stubbed out his cigarette, I-hyeon felt something surge up inside his chest. He lowered his gaze and bit his lip. Then, without warning, someone took his left hand and raised it.

 

“What's this…?”

 

Seung-hyuk pushed back the long sleeve covering I-hyeon's wrist, took a metal watch from its case, and fastened it around his wrist. The expensive black watch fitted perfectly, as though he had already adjusted the size.

 

I-hyeon turned his wrist, looking down at it. When he saw that the strap concealed the long scars across his wrist, he immediately understood why Seung-hyuk had chosen it for him. Seung-hyuk spoke.

 

“This isn't compensation for the past. It's a promise for the future.”

 

“…”

 

“I'll be beside you through every moment that lies ahead.”

 

I-hyeon slowly raised his head. Seung-hyuk's face was completely serious, without the slightest trace of a smile. His well-shaped lips parted again.

 

“Will you let me?”

 

The question sounded almost like a proposal. I-hyeon's heart began pounding hard. Afraid Seung-hyuk might somehow feel the beating, he clenched his free hand into a fist. He looked into Seung-hyuk's steady eyes, moved his lips soundlessly for a moment, then finally found his voice.

 

“Gu Seung-hyuk. I've already given you everything I have.”

 

“So… you don't need to ask me for permission to do anything anymore.”

 

Every season and every moment of yours will be the right answer for me.

 

Something fell from the sky and landed on the bridge of I-hyeon's nose. When he wiped it away, his fingers came back wet. Snow was beginning to drift down around them. I-hyeon took Seung-hyuk's hand and drew him close. He pressed their bodies together and kissed him, and the corners of Seung-hyuk's mouth curved upwards.

 

──── 📘📘 ────

 

Seung-hyuk had not forgotten his promise to take I-hyeon to the villa. He set off in the car early that morning.

 

“…It's beautiful.”

 

The mountains beyond the winding road were mottled white. Unfortunately, heavy snow had begun falling the previous evening, and by the time they crossed into Gangwon Province, it was already nearly noon. At a motorway service station they finally reached, they ate a quick meal, and I-hyeon bought some roasted squid. Looking out over the snow-covered landscape, he let out an admiring murmur without realising it.

 

Seung-hyuk approached from behind him.

 

“Aren't you cold? We should get going soon.”

 

“You've been driving all morning. You must be tired. Let's stay a little longer.”

 

Seung-hyuk appeared more dissatisfied with I-hyeon's thin clothing than with the answer. He looked him up and down, frowning, but instead of arguing, he turned I-hyeon towards him and wrapped the scarf around his neck until nearly half his face was buried in it.

 

“…How am I supposed to eat this now?”

 

I-hyeon held up the squid with a sulky expression. Seung-hyuk gave a small smile, and I-hyeon chuckled too, imagining how ridiculous he must look.

 

Leaving the service station behind, they stopped in the town near Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, to buy supplies before heading into the mountains. At a small supermarket, they picked up meat and other ingredients for that evening's barbecue, food for the following day, alcohol and snacks.

 

It was already late afternoon when they reached the villa tucked away in the mountains. I-hyeon climbed out of the car and let out a quiet exclamation at the scene before him.

 

“Wow…”

 

The single-storey villa stood amid a forest of tall, straight birch trees. Built in a contemporary style, it had expansive front windows and high ceilings. From what I-hyeon could see, the interior was simple and luxurious, with a distinctly modern feel.

 

He gathered some of their shopping and followed Seung-hyuk inside. Once there, he stood quietly taking in the view of the snow-covered forest stretching beyond the windows.

 

“How did you find a place like this?”

 

“Bought it while I was buying off an architect who worked with Gu Jin-hyuk. Want it?”

 

The words came so smoothly, as though they were nothing at all, that I-hyeon gave him a reproachful look. Then he went out onto the terrace adjoining the bedroom, where an outdoor jacuzzi was steaming, and dipped his fingertips into the water.

 

“The water's warm.”

 

Having put away the shopping, Seung-hyuk followed him out and wrapped his arms around his shoulders from behind. A light kiss landed on the back of I-hyeon's neck, sending a shiver through him. With his lips still against I-hyeon's shoulder, Seung-hyuk murmured,

 

“We'll get in later.”

 

“…”

 

“Right now, I'm in a bit of a hurry.”

 

Seung-hyuk did not miss the moment I-hyeon turned to look at him. He tilted his head and captured his lips, kissing him more urgently than usual, just as he had said. His tongue pushed inside, rubbing against I-hyeon's tongue and the roof of his mouth until the angle of I-hyeon's head began to ache.

 

When I-hyeon turned to face him and placed his hands on his chest, Seung-hyuk slipped his arms behind his thighs and lifted him in one motion. The feeling of his fingertips gently stroking the creases behind I-hyeon's knees was enough to make the hair on his body stand on end.

 

Once inside, Seung-hyuk laid I-hyeon on the bed, broke their kiss and pressed his shoulders down. He climbed over I-hyeon's half-reclining body and, kneeling above him, pulled off his own shirt and tossed it aside.

 

I-hyeon's gaze was drawn to the long scar on Seung-hyuk's left waist. It had healed completely, leaving nothing but a mark, yet merely seeing it made a corner of his heart heavy. His expression grew solemn as he touched the scar.

 

As though reassuring him, Seung-hyuk took his hand and interlaced their fingers.

 

From beneath him, Seung-hyuk's body looked even larger and more solid. Perhaps it was partly the shadows cast by the light behind him, but there was more to it than that. When I-hyeon swallowed and looked up at him, Seung-hyuk grinned.

 

“What's wrong? It's not as though you've never seen me before.”

 

He was right. It was hardly the first time. It was only that the white forest visible through the windows on either side made I-hyeon feel as though they were outdoors. Despite having been told that all the land around the villa was private and there would be nobody nearby, he could not shake the tense feeling that someone might be watching.

 

Seung-hyuk lowered his head and kissed the place beneath I-hyeon's ear, along his jaw. Starting near his ear, he trailed kisses downwards while unbuttoning I-hyeon's shirt, pushing a knee between his thighs at the same time. His hands showed no hesitation as he undressed him. Before long, I-hyeon was in nothing but his underwear, while Seung-hyuk had removed only his shirt and still wore his trousers.

 

“…Take yours off too.”

 

I-hyeon murmured as he wrapped both arms around the warm back of Seung-hyuk's neck. Seung-hyuk's mouth curved upwards. Instead of lowering his trousers, though, he bent down and kissed I-hyeon's throat.

 

The touch of lips against his exposed skin raised goosebumps. Seung-hyuk did not stop there. He left a trail of small kisses as he moved lower, then took a pink nipple into his mouth. A jolt ran down I-hyeon's spine at the feel of his wet tongue licking and sucking it. An aroused moan escaped him before he knew it.

 

“Haa…”

 

Seung-hyuk lowered the hand that had been stroking I-hyeon's bare waist and brushed lightly along the waistband of his briefs. Avoiding his cock, which was already growing hard, he rubbed the soft skin below his hip bones with his thumb. The teasing touch was shamelessly erotic. All the while, Seung-hyuk continued pressing his tongue against I-hyeon's areola and gently biting his nipple, making heat build steadily through his body.

 

For someone who had claimed to be in a hurry, Seung-hyuk was taking his time. I-hyeon found it maddening. At last he seized Seung-hyuk's belt and pulled him close. Their cocks pressed together, both already hard.

 

I-hyeon pushed his hips forwards to rub himself against Seung-hyuk. A breath of laughter escaped Seung-hyuk's lips where they were pressed against his chest. He lightly caught I-hyeon's now dark-pink, swollen nipple between his teeth and glanced up at his face.

 

“You're unusually eager today.”

 

Grinning, he pulled I-hyeon's briefs down in one movement, then slipped his index and middle fingers into I-hyeon's mouth. With his other hand, he gripped I-hyeon's erect cock and ran his fingers over the veins along the shaft.

 

“Suck.”

 

The thick fingers in I-hyeon's mouth pressed insistently against his tongue and the inside of his cheeks. At the same time, the direct strokes against his cock made his head spin. When Seung-hyuk withdrew his saliva-soaked fingers, he spread I-hyeon's legs and pushed them straight into his entrance.

 

“Ah…!”

 

The dry inner walls clung thickly to his fingers. Using saliva to loosen I-hyeon's tight entrance instead of gel had become something of a habit for Seung-hyuk. Whenever he pushed his fingers in, the walls clung to them, then contracted as he drew back, almost as if trying to prevent him from leaving. I-hyeon could not control the reaction.

 

Overwhelmed by the stimulation, I-hyeon buried the back of his head in the duvet, and the hand stroking his cock moved faster. Seung-hyuk gripped the shaft and worked it rapidly, making the foreskin slide up and down.

 

The arousal built so steeply that I-hyeon could almost forget the intrusion behind him. Seung-hyuk seemed intent on making him come quickly, his hand moving in hurried strokes. He rubbed the pre-cum gathering at the slit with his thumb, spreading it over the head. I-hyeon's body jerked.

 

Although it was his cock being stroked, the entrance gripping Seung-hyuk's fingers twitched as well. I-hyeon tried to pull himself higher up the bed to hold back his climax, but Seung-hyuk caught him and prevented him from moving. Trapped where he was, I-hyeon could only tremble.

 

“Ah, ah…!”

 

Moans escaped between his tightly bitten lips. His arched back shook, and clear fluid trickled from the tip of his cock. Just as he thought he could no longer bear the aching heat gathered in his lower abdomen, his vision flashed white and the semen he had been holding back spurted out in little bursts.

 

“Ah… haa…”

 

Seung-hyuk slowly withdrew the hand that had been working inside him and smeared the semen pooled above his navel over his skin. As if that were not enough, he pressed a fingertip against the slit, where more fluid was still escaping. The waves of pleasure engulfing I-hyeon made the muscles in his thighs tense and relax again and again.

 

Seung-hyuk stroked slowly down past his testicles and perineum. As if he were only now getting properly started, he pushed another finger inside and rubbed the tense inner walls in different directions.

 

“Wait, just wait…”

 

I-hyeon lay limp with exhaustion, yet his arms and legs still twitched at the fingers stretching him. Seung-hyuk lowered his body to hold I-hyeon's upper half down and kissed him, swallowing his ragged breaths between their lips.

 

His movements as he loosened I-hyeon's entrance were rough but careful. When his fingers pressed directly against the swollen spot inside, I-hyeon's hips jolted. He wound his arms around Seung-hyuk's neck and clung to him.

 

The arousal racing up his spine soon made his cock hard again. There was nothing he could do against the relentless fingers rubbing and searching over his prostate. Feeling his thoroughly loosened entrance gape almost of its own accord, I-hyeon murmured in a sobbing voice,

 

“Stop… ngh, stop…”

 

Seung-hyuk recognised the sobbing in I-hyeon's voice between their touching lips and slowly raised his head. The sight of his deeply flushed face and damp eyes seemed to send yet another rush of blood to the cock confined inside Seung-hyuk's briefs.

 

I-hyeon had no strength left and could only breathe in shallow pants. Looking down at him, Seung-hyuk undid his belt, lowered his briefs and freed his cock. Already fully erect and reaching towards his navel, it was dripping pre-cum. He gave it a couple of perfunctory strokes, caught I-hyeon behind the knees and settled between his legs.

 

“Haa…”

 

He positioned the tip against I-hyeon's entrance, gleaming wetly with semen, then raised his eyes for a moment. I-hyeon was looking down at him, his expression somewhere between fear and anticipation. The sight made Seung-hyuk lose his head, and he thrust forwards.

 

“Haaah…!”

 

A shudder raced along I-hyeon's spine as the long, thick cock pushed without a gap through his softened inner walls. It continued entering long after he thought there could surely be no more. I-hyeon instinctively gripped the duvet on both sides and tried to push himself up, but Seung-hyuk seized his legs and pulled him back. At the same instant, something deep inside him was pressed hard by the cock.

 

“Hh, ah…!”

 

His back arched rigidly and his toes curled. Seung-hyuk pulled I-hyeon forwards before he could sink farther into the bedding and bent to kiss different parts of his trembling body. But the change in posture also shifted the angle of the cock buried inside, rubbing against different places along the inner walls.

 

“W-wait… ah…”

 

I-hyeon barely managed to gasp the words, but his voice only excited Seung-hyuk further. Straightening his waist and pressing down on I-hyeon's legs, he withdrew until just the tip remained lodged inside.

 

“Fuck…”

 

Then he drove in again, all the way to the base. I-hyeon inhaled sharply and squeezed his eyes shut. His mouth spilled moans that sounded almost like sobs. Seung-hyuk pulled out once more and thrust in hard again.

 

“Hoo…”

 

“Ah…! Haaah…!”

 

Seung-hyuk looming above him, the surroundings that felt like the open air, the thought that someone might see them—all of it heightened I-hyeon's arousal. He clutched the duvet fiercely. Seung-hyuk lowered himself and placed his hands over I-hyeon's, holding them.

 

He had meant to take things slowly for I-hyeon, who seemed to be struggling more than usual. But the flush on both his cheeks and the wetness around his eyes only stirred Seung-hyuk's desire. He expressed his urge to devour every last part of I-hyeon, right down to his toes, through deep, forceful thrusts.

 

Rough slapping sounds filled the room, mingled with I-hyeon's tearful moans and Seung-hyuk's restrained breathing. Seung-hyuk held I-hyeon's legs firmly and drove his hips harder.

 

“Ngh, ahh…!”

 

The cock moving in and out of him was impossibly fast. The sound of Seung-hyuk's hips meeting his fleshy buttocks and pulling away was unmistakable. I-hyeon shuddered under the thrusts that felt as though they were piercing straight through him. Seung-hyuk pulled him down by the shoulders and snapped his hips forwards fiercely.

 

It felt as though every part of I-hyeon's body had become an erogenous zone. Heat rose everywhere Seung-hyuk's skin touched his. The position, with his lower body half lifted and pressed down, sent a sharp ache through the backs of his thighs, but even that seemed to turn into pleasure.

 

“Haa, ngh, ah…!”

 

“Hoo… ngh…”

 

The sensation of his blood pounding through every vessel overwhelmed him. His vision flashed and the back of his head throbbed. When I-hyeon shook his head and moaned, Seung-hyuk covered his mouth with his own. The force of the thrusts from below drove Seung-hyuk's tongue repeatedly against the roof of I-hyeon's mouth and his upper teeth.

 

The layers of pleasure had long since built beyond anything he could bear. I-hyeon's cock had been hard again for some time, dripping thin fluid, while Seung-hyuk gritted his teeth against his own approaching climax. Every time he ground against I-hyeon's swollen prostate, I-hyeon squeezed his eyes shut and moaned.

 

Seung-hyuk muttered a curse at the sight and began thrusting at a speed beyond anything before.

 

“Ah, ah, aaah! Ngh, ahh!”

 

“Hoo, fuck, seriously, I can't hold back. I'm going to come, all right? I-hyeon?”

 

“N-ngh, yes, ahh… yes…”

 

I-hyeon barely understood what Seung-hyuk was saying and could do little but move his head helplessly. Seung-hyuk watched him and drove his hips deep once more. At that instant, as though a dam had burst, pale semen spurted from I-hyeon's cock.

 

“Hoo… haa…”

 

Seung-hyuk threw his head back and began moving his hips slowly. I-hyeon felt a throbbing inside him, and it seemed Seung-hyuk had climaxed at the same time. Each time he moved his cock against I-hyeon's inner walls, a delayed, tingling sensation travelled through his entire body.

 

Utterly drained, I-hyeon covered his eyes with an arm. Seung-hyuk's lips found his again.

 

“Haa…”

 

Once the lightning-strike intensity of the moment passed, his whole body felt as heavy as sodden cotton. He heard Seung-hyuk move, and then a plastic water bottle was placed against the back of his hand. Unable to move a finger, I-hyeon shook his head. Seung-hyuk slipped a hand behind his back to help him sit up and brought the bottle to his mouth.

 

The cold water travelling down his throat felt so vivid that he finally began to come to his senses.

 

“Let's wash up and get into the water.”

 

I-hyeon nodded silently. Seung-hyuk lifted him effortlessly into his arms and carried him into the bathroom adjoining the bedroom.

 

***

The second round of sex, which had begun under the pretext of cleaning the semen from inside I-hyeon, only ended when they finally made it out to the outdoor jacuzzi. Sitting in the steaming water, leaning back against Seung-hyuk as though nestled in his arms, I-hyeon quietly played with the water.

 

“This is nice.”

 

“It really is.”

 

He only had to turn his head a little to see the snow-covered forest. Snow lay on the sharp needles of the conifers, scattering sparkling powder whenever the wind shook their branches. Apart from an occasional bird call, everything was completely still.

 

To think there would come a day when he could look at a view like this from warm water. Only a few months ago, he could never have imagined it.

 

“Kwon I-hyeon, aren't you hungry?”

 

They had spent so much time in bed immediately after arriving at the villa that darkness had already fallen. I-hyeon was hungry, but the warmth below his neck and the cool air on his face felt so pleasant that he wanted to savour the moment a little longer. When he murmured that they should stay a bit more, Seung-hyuk nodded and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

 

Perhaps because they were deep in the mountains and the surroundings were so dark, the night sky appeared clearer than ever. Stars looked like grains of sand scattered overhead, a sight he could rarely see in Seoul. I-hyeon gazed upwards, and Seung-hyuk followed his gaze.

 

“After we met again, there were times when I thought about you.”

 

Seung-hyuk looked towards I-hyeon at the words that broke the silence. I-hyeon, however, kept his eyes on the sky. He swallowed and moved his lips for a moment before continuing.

 

“I thought I was the one who'd ruined you.”

 

“…”

 

“I wondered if your life might have been different if I hadn't been in it.”

 

The star-filled sky was reflected in I-hyeon's upturned eyes. He slowly lowered his head to look at Seung-hyuk. After hesitating a moment, he whispered uncertainly,

 

“Gu Seung-hyuk, do you still resent the past we shared?”

 

My life was already fucked up, and you dragged it even further into the mud. Don't ever show your face to me again.

 

His whisper above the sound of the water brought back the words Seung-hyuk had spoken long ago. Seung-hyuk recalled the expression I-hyeon had worn when he heard them and compared it with the face before him now. He slowly closed and opened his eyes, studying I-hyeon.

 

“No. I regret the things I threw at you back then.”

 

“The reason I didn't turn out to be as good a person as I could have been was because of my own decisions and actions. None of it was your fault or your responsibility.”

 

“If anything, you're the one who made it possible for me to climb out of that pit.”

 

Everything he had done to dismantle Taeseong and put an end to its deeply rooted history of violence had been for I-hyeon's sake. Without him, Seung-hyuk would never even have thought of leaving the life to which he had become accustomed. In that sense, I-hyeon had given him an entirely new world.

 

“So stop thinking like that, Kwon I-hyeon.”

 

Seung-hyuk pressed his lips to I-hyeon's forehead and murmured,

 

“You saved me. And I consider meeting you the greatest stroke of luck I'll ever have in my life.”

 

Something in I-hyeon's tense expression eased at Seung-hyuk's low, firm voice. His fingertips tingled, and he clenched his hand into a fist. Seung-hyuk took that fist in his own hand, gently turned I-hyeon's chin towards him and lowered his head.

 

Their lips met, and their breaths mingled. Rising with the steam from the water, their breath vanished without a trace into the black sky beneath the moonlight.

 

***

 

When they returned from their short overnight trip, the belongings I-hyeon had left behind at his former home had arrived in boxes and were stacked in one corner of the flat. He decided it was a good opportunity to get rid of anything he no longer needed. Late the following morning, he got out of bed and began packing things from his desk into a box.

 

As he sorted through old lecture notes, books he had read once and abandoned, half-used notebooks and contracts, his fingers brushed against a large, hardbound book at the very bottom of a box. Curious, he pulled it out and found the words High School Graduation Album embossed into its cover.

 

He stroked the cover with his fingertips, feeling a strange mixture of fondness and nostalgia. Seung-hyuk's voice came from behind him. Turning, he saw Seung-hyuk sitting on the floor against the sofa, wearing nothing but a pair of tracksuit bottoms.

 

“Kwon I-hyeon, come here a minute.”

 

I-hyeon hesitated, then picked up the album and went over to him.

 

“Why?”

 

As he stood in front of Seung-hyuk, a large hand gently stroked the side of his calf and knee. His legs were bare because he was wearing only his underwear and one of Seung-hyuk's shirts. I-hyeon caught the hand before it could venture up the inside of his thigh and looked down at him. Seung-hyuk gave a little laugh and nodded towards the floor beside him.

 

“Sit here.”

 

Outside, heavy snow was falling and gathering in soft drifts, but the underfloor heating kept the flat comfortably warm. When I-hyeon sat down, the heat beneath him felt pleasant. He looked up to find out what Seung-hyuk wanted, and Seung-hyuk tilted his phone screen towards him.

 

“I'm buying a car. Do you reckon an SUV or a saloon would be better?”

 

“…What about the one you drive now?”

 

“I'm getting rid of it because of an issue with the company's ownership.”

 

The screen showed two expensive foreign cars from well-known brands, side by side. Seung-hyuk had offered a reason, but it was hardly the first time he had tried to give I-hyeon something in this manner. Suspicion came naturally. Pressing his lips together, I-hyeon studied Seung-hyuk's expression and asked carefully,

 

“You've got a saloon now, so an SUV wouldn't be bad. But which do you prefer? It's more important that you like it than what I think.”

 

“No. Your opinion matters more.”

 

Seung-hyuk lifted his eyes from the phone and tilted his head. Meeting I-hyeon's gaze, he gave a crooked smile.

 

“Because I'm going to fuck the hell out of you in it.”

 

The blunt statement made heat rise to I-hyeon's face. When he merely glared without answering, Seung-hyuk chuckled and rested a hand on his pale thigh. Then he noticed what I-hyeon was holding.

 

“What's that?”

 

“Oh.”

 

Only then did I-hyeon remember the album in his hands. He held it out to Seung-hyuk, ran his tongue over his lips and spoke cautiously.

 

“My high school graduation album.”

 

“…”

 

“I wanted to show you that I managed all right after I transferred schools.”

 

It felt delicate to bring up the past now, but it was something he had wanted to tell Seung-hyuk at least once. Seung-hyuk studied the album and held out his hand. Once I-hyeon gave it to him, he tilted his head and turned the pages, stopping when he came to I-hyeon's class.

 

In the group photo, I-hyeon stood expressionless beside Eun-ho, who was smiling and making a V sign.

 

“So you've been hanging around with this one since back then.”

 

Seung-hyuk muttered with obvious displeasure as he looked at Eun-ho, who had an arm around I-hyeon's shoulders in a picture beneath lush green trees. I-hyeon hurried to explain.

 

“…Don't get any strange ideas. He's genuinely just my friend. And he's had a partner for ages.”

 

“Did I say anything?”

 

Seung-hyuk answered indifferently and turned the page. Rows of neatly framed individual portraits filled it. At the top was I-hyeon's photograph, showing a face far younger than the one he had now, staring straight ahead.

 

The picture brought back his days of leaving home and staying with his older sister while attending school. Seeing the guarded intensity in his eyes, proof that he had never relaxed even at a school without Chanyang or Seung-hyuk, made him feel stranger still. Seung-hyuk examined the photograph quietly, then ran a fingertip over it.

 

“You were so young.”

 

For a long time, Seung-hyuk said nothing, as though lost in thought. As I-hyeon watched him stare at the graduation album, he remembered that Seung-hyuk had dropped out of school immediately after leaving the juvenile detention centre. He probably had no graduation album or graduation photograph of his own.

 

Then I-hyeon remembered the old film camera and spare rolls of film he had found while sorting through his belongings. He got to his feet and held out a hand to the seated Seung-hyuk.

 

“Let's go out.”

 

“Where?”

 

“Outside.”

 

Seung-hyuk glanced at the heavy snow falling beyond the window and piling on the ground, then looked at I-hyeon in puzzlement. I-hyeon offered no further explanation. Instead, he fetched some clothes and handed them over. Watching I-hyeon hurriedly dress and take a camera from the box, Seung-hyuk finally understood.

 

“You want to go out and take pictures?”

 

“Hurry up.”

 

Seung-hyuk let out a disbelieving laugh at the sudden plan. But when he saw how serious I-hyeon looked, he had no choice but to put his arms into his shirt.

 

They pulled on socks and gloves and left the apartment building. A world covered in white greeted them. Snow had settled even on the path someone had swept clear early that morning. I-hyeon tugged at the reluctant Seung-hyuk's arm as he searched for a suitable spot.

 

At last he stopped beside a flowerbed, where snow lay on bare branches, and turned towards Seung-hyuk.

 

“Go and stand over there.”

 

“I'm fine. Give me the camera and you stand there. I'll take yours.”

 

“Hurry.”

 

I-hyeon was unusually firm. Seung-hyuk rubbed his eyebrow awkwardly, then accepted that he could not change I-hyeon's mind. Touching the back of his neck, he went to stand where I-hyeon had pointed.

 

“Look this way.”

 

Seung-hyuk seemed uncomfortable being photographed and initially averted his eyes. Then, as though making up his mind, he pressed his lips together and looked into the camera.

 

Through the lens, I-hyeon caught a glimpse of the Gu Seung-hyuk he had known when they were young. Thinking of the misunderstandings and accumulated feelings that had stained their past, and the new moments they would begin to build after leaving it behind, he slowly pressed the shutter.

 

Click. A moment was captured in an instant.

 

After the shutter sounded several more times, Seung-hyuk reached out as he approached.

 

“I'll take yours too. Go and stand over there.”

 

I-hyeon hesitated, then passed him the camera and stood before the flowerbed. A sudden gust shook the snow from the dry branches and sent it swirling through the air. Seung-hyuk caught the moment on film: I-hyeon's smooth hair stirring in the wind and tiny snow crystals glittering around him.

 

They both smiled at once.

 

They took a few more pictures elsewhere until Seung-hyuk lowered the camera and announced that the film was finished. Watching him, I-hyeon suddenly felt mischievous. He stood quietly as Seung-hyuk approached. When he was close enough, I-hyeon bent down and scooped up snow in both gloved hands, then flung it at Seung-hyuk as though splashing him with water.

 

For a moment, the air sparkled with white flakes, like the snow swirling inside a shaken snow globe.

 

“Oh, so that's how you want to play?”

 

Snow suddenly showered over Seung-hyuk's head. He laughed in disbelief and shoved the camera into his coat pocket. Then he chased I-hyeon, who had realised what was coming and turned to flee, scooping up handfuls of snow and scattering them after him.

 

They ran across the slippery snow, throwing handfuls at each other, grabbing one another's hands and struggling for the upper hand. As they grappled and played, they both remembered the time they had splashed around at the seaside in early spring, long ago.

 

Laughing openly, I-hyeon ran away from Seung-hyuk, only to stumble badly and land on his backside in the snow. Seung-hyuk caught up and sat down beside him in the same position, and laughter spilled from I-hyeon's mouth again.

 

His nose, fingers and cheeks were icy cold, yet his insides were warm from running around. The contrast was something he had not experienced since he was very young. I-hyeon laughed aloud and lay flat on his back in the snow.

 

White snowflakes fell endlessly from the grey sky above. The moment felt unreal, and I-hyeon had the strange sense that it might last for ever. Then Seung-hyuk, lying beside him, took his hand.

 

At the instant another person's warmth touched his bare hand, freed from its glove, I-hyeon understood that this moment, too, was fleeting, and spring would soon arrive. Yet he was no longer afraid of time passing.

 

Whatever season came next, he could be certain Seung-hyuk would be beside him.

 

“Gu Seung-hyuk.”

 

I-hyeon spoke without taking his eyes from the sky. Watching the countless snowflakes falling towards his face, he whispered,

 

“I love you.”

 

The answer came in a kiss warmer than any words.

 

THE END