DEARG Ch 17

“I’m leaving soon anyway, so it would be a waste.”

Instead of answering, Kang Seokwon tore open the packaging and draped the blanket over Jo Jihyun’s shoulders. Thank you. Jo Jihyun gave a small word of thanks and pulled at the edge of the blanket. The trembling subsided considerably. As time passed, the number of people in the airport grew. Announcements apologizing for delays and cancellations continuously echoed throughout the airport. The two men’s boarding time was approaching, but the airline counter remained closed.

“I heard the typhoon wasn’t originally headed this way, but it suddenly changed course. What is this nonsense? It’s so annoying.”

A couple sitting next to them grumbled after checking an online news article on their phone. Hearing this, Jo Jihyun’s expression hardened, and seeing it, Kang Seokwon got up from his seat again.

“I’ll go check one more time.”

Even though the situation was clearly visible from where they were, he insisted on getting up to check several times. Every time he moved, the gazes of the people around them followed. He was a man who stood out wherever he went. The mere sight of him approaching made other men nearby instinctively take a step back. Though his features weren’t particularly rough or thuggish, Kang Seokwon had a unique sharpness that made him difficult to approach. It was a natural reaction for the airline employee dealing with him to turn pale every time Kang Seokwon repeated his questions.

Kang Seokwon returned with a slightly more rigid expression than before.

“Get up.”

“Huh? Why?”

Outside, it was still pouring as if the sky had been torn open.

“They said all flights are canceled for today.”

Jo Jihyun got up to follow him.

“Then where are we going?”

He wondered if they would have to camp out in a corner of the airport.

“We have to get out of the airport first. If we’re any later, I don’t think we’ll be able to get a bus or a taxi.”

“I’ll be right back, I need to use the restroom.”

Kang Seokwon pointed towards the restroom, saying, It’s that way. When Jo Jihyun returned, the two of them went outside. As if to prove Kang Seokwon’s words, the lines for the bus and taxi stands were stretched long. After waiting for about thirty minutes, they barely managed to get a taxi.

“Where to, sirs?”

“Are there any decent places to stay nearby?”

At Kang Seokwon’s question, the driver hummed, lost in thought.

“I think all the accommodations around here are probably full. You might have to go all the way down to Seogwipo City or try a place like Seongsan where there are a lot of pensions.”

“I’m sorry. It’s our first time here, so we don’t know exactly where anything is.”

Jo Jihyun spoke to the driver in a calm voice.

“If you know a place, could you recommend one?”

“There is one place, but……”

“Where is it?”

The taxi and bus stops were descending into utter chaos. It was clear that, just as the driver said, the nearby accommodations would be in the same state.

“A younger acquaintance of mine built a small pension in the Tapdong area, but I heard it’s not quite finished yet. If you’re okay with that, shall I give him a call?”

Jo Jihyun looked at Kang Seokwon. Kang Seokwon said, Please do. This was better than driving around in circles looking for a place to stay.

“Wait just a moment.”

The driver took out his phone and began to call someone. After a short call, the driver nodded.

“He said to just be aware that the interior work isn’t finished yet. Will that be okay?”

“That’s fine.”

“It’s fine.”

After hearing both their answers, the driver started the car. The car drove along the coastal road for about thirty minutes before turning into a quiet street and stopping. The pension owners, having been contacted, were waiting for them at the door.

“Why is it suddenly raining so much?”

“They said a typhoon or something changed its path. That’s just how the weather service guys are.”

The taxi driver and the male owner exchanged friendly words.

“If you need to go to the airport tomorrow, just tell the owner an hour in advance. My house is nearby, so I’ll bring my car.”

“Thank you.”

After thanking the taxi driver, they got out of the car. They used the umbrella the pension owner handed them, but it was impossible to avoid the pouring rain.

“By the way, you guests, aren’t you students?”

The owner asked, looking Jo Jihyun over.

“Yes. We are students.”

Jo Jihyun replied calmly.

“Did you tell your parents? They must be worried since you couldn’t go back up.”

“We called them from the airport.”

Kang Seokwon glanced at Jo Jihyun. The owner shot a quick glance at Kang Seokwon before immediately turning his head away.

“Well, whatever. You’ve decided to stay, after all.”

The owner guided them to a private villa on the property.

“Everything else is finished, but there’s no bathtub.”

“As long as there’s hot water, it’s fine.”

At Kang Seokwon’s answer, the owner handed over the key.

“You should know you’re lucky. You won’t find a pension this nice anywhere else in Jeju. A private villa at this price is practically a steal. I put some towels and things in there for you.”

“Thank you.”

Kang Seokwon took the key and paid for the lodging.

“Let’s go in.”

He opened the door and they stepped inside. The owner’s claim that they wouldn’t find a pension like this at this price was not a lie.

“It’s nice.”

Jo Jihyun murmured, looking around the pension.

“It is.”

“I’m sorry. I should have paid for the room.”

With an expression that said Jo Jihyun was saying something unnecessary, Kang Seokwon dried his hair with the blanket and said,

“Go wash up. You’ll catch a cold.”

“You wash up first.”

Kang Seokwon, instead of answering, opened the bathroom door. Jo Jihyun let out a small sigh and said, I’ll be out soon, before going inside. Fortunately, simple toiletries were provided. The problem was his clothes. Not just his clothes, but his underwear too were completely soaked. It was a body he had seen countless times, but walking out completely n**ed was unimaginable.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

“Jo Jihyun.”

“Yes?”

Startled, Jo Jihyun pulled his pants back up as he answered.

“I borrowed a shower gown.”

He opened the door slightly and handed the gown in.

“Thank you.”

Kang Seokwon closed the door immediately. After hanging the gown on the towel rack, Jo Jihyun took off his clothes. The spot where the bathtub was supposed to go remained unfinished.

He turned the shower k**b, and hot water poured out. His body, frozen from the rain, began to relax into a pleasant languor. Jo Jihyun quickly washed his hair, finished his shower, put on the shower gown, and came out.

“Why are you out so fast?”

Jo Jihyun just smiled without a word. Kang Seokwon gave him a light peck on the cheek before heading into the bathroom. Jo Jihyun sat on the bed and surveyed the inside of the pension. The interior, composed mainly of white and dark navy, gave off a distinctly exotic feel. The floor-to-ceiling window in the front was connected to a terrace, and beyond it, the sea was directly visible.

Jo Jihyun stood in front of the window and gazed at the sea. From behind, he heard the sound of the bathroom door opening.

“Are you done……, sir.”

The end of the sentence was mumbled only inside his mouth. His eyes met Kang Seokwon’s, who had come out with a shower towel wrapped around his waist. Kang Seokwon had not an ounce of excess fat on him. His body was like something sculpted by a skilled artist with a chisel. Even though his lower half was covered by the large shower towel, for some reason, it felt more embarrassing than seeing him completely n**ed. Jo Jihyun quickly turned his head to the side.

“They said there was only one gown.”

Having said that, Kang Seokwon found the hairdryer and plugged it in.

“Come here. I’ll dry your hair.”

Jo Jihyun hesitated before approaching Kang Seokwon. He pointed to the bed. When Jo Jihyun perched on the edge of the bed, Kang Seokwon pressed the power button on the hairdryer.

Whoosh, the sound of the hairdryer filled the room. Kang Seokwon ruffled Jo Jihyun’s hair, allowing the air to reach every corner.

“All done.”

Jo Jihyun quickly stood up from his seat.

“Aren’t you going to dry yours?”

“Mine’s short, so it dries quickly.”

Kang Seokwon towel-dried the moisture from his hair.

It was strange. The room was much larger than Kang Seokwon’s studio apartment, yet he felt anxious, not knowing where he should be.

“Tired?”

“No. I’m fine.”

Jo Jihyun answered, tense without realizing it. The corners of Kang Seokwon’s eyes relaxed.

“Don’t worry. I’m just going to sleep tonight.”

“……”

“We have to go to the airport early tomorrow.”

“Do you think the rain will stop?”

It’ll stop, Kang Seokwon replied in an indifferent tone. Then, as if he had suddenly remembered something, he asked, Don’t you have to make a call?

“What call?”

“Home.”

“I did. Earlier.”

Jo Jihyun gave a bitter smile and asked, Did you think I was lying?

“Well, I did think you were a little too smooth.”

Neither of them was good at lying. The thought that he had been worried about that somehow made him laugh. Jo Jihyun chuckled softly and blinked his eyes open and shut. Kang Seokwon cupped Jo Jihyun’s cheek, leaned down, and kissed him. A wave of heat spread through his body at once.

“You can see the sea.”

He said, his gaze cast over Jo Jihyun’s shoulder. Kang Seokwon walked to the window connected to the terrace. He looked back at Jo Jihyun and gestured. Jo Jihyun walked over to Kang Seokwon.

The sound of the wind and rain shaking the massive body of the sea could be heard. The agitated sea became waves that crashed, broke, and soaked the sand. The night sea held a frighteningly deep color. Just looking at it made one feel as if they were sinking endlessly.

“It’s raining a lot.”

“Yeah.”

Kang Seokwon, who had been gazing at the sea with indifferent eyes, started to speak, Earlier,

“Didn’t you say you had something to ask earlier?”

“Ah, that.”

Jo Jihyun lowered his gaze again. Kang Seokwon quietly looked down at him. Jo Jihyun bit his lip, then released it. He had decided to ask, but bringing it up suddenly in a situation like this made him several times more nervous.

“……I was curious, ……if the reason you don’t go all the way, is because of me.”

“What.”

Kang Seokwon asked back shortly.

Jo Jihyun carefully chose his words. He chose, and chose again, only to realize there was no suitable replacement for the word that first came to mind, and replied in a fading voice, S**. Kang Seokwon’s expression froze as if he’d taken a solid counter punch in the ring. When no reaction came, Jo Jihyun, looking even more flustered, stammered and continued.

“I’m okay with it, I was just wondering if you were doing it for my sake, …….”

They had been intimate many times, but they had never once gone all the way. It wasn’t that Kang Seokwon didn’t seem to know how. He had seen him several times rubbing his aroused member against that place, as if suppressing his own desire.

“If you don’t want to……”

He was pulled into a fierce embrace. Lips crashed together, and the hem of his robe fell open. When he came to his senses, he was on the bed, thrown there as if tossed.

“Do I look like I don’t want to?”

Kang Seokwon asked. The eyes of a beast. Heat and desire mingled together.

“If you want to, you can.”

Jo Jihyun managed to answer, looking up at Kang Seokwon.

“And you?”

Kang Seokwon asked. What about you? He knew. He read every bit of the hesitation in his own heart. That was why, even while completely seized by desire, he waited.

He had thought he would never like anyone in his life. He had vaguely thought that because he had never been loved, he would not be able to give love either. Looking at the man, Jo Jihyun realized his thoughts were completely wrong.

“I like you.”

Jo Jihyun said, staring straight at Kang Seokwon. In a calm and placid tone, as if explaining that the earth rotates and the sea is made of water.

“I like you. Very much.”

Jo Jihyun swallowed a laugh. Like swallowing bitter medicine, his Adam’s apple moved slowly. At the same time Kang Seokwon’s reason crumbled, his body seemed to crumble too, collapsing on top of Jo Jihyun.

Kang Seokwon devoured Jo Jihyun’s lips. Like a person who, having been submerged in deep water, finally reaches the shore and gasps desperately for survival. His hard chest pressed down on Jo Jihyun’s body as he held him. Their e**ctions touched. A movement that knew exactly where it needed to go, that knew its own desire, stimulated Jo Jihyun from below. Kang Seokwon grabbed Jo Jihyun’s thighs and spread them apart. His hard, thick, veiny p**is touched the opening. Jo Jihyun momentarily held his breath. Kang Seokwon buried his head in the nape of Jo Jihyun’s neck and asked. A breath that had scraped together all of his patience touched him.

“If you don’t want this, I won’t.”

“I want to.”

He felt that one phrase was not enough. Jo Jihyun wrapped his arms around Kang Seokwon’s shoulders. Pressing his lips against Kang Seokwon’s shoulders, which were as hard as a bronze sculpture, Jo Jihyun whispered.

Put it in me, please.

That was as far as it went. A sudden attempt at insertion was made. Jo Jihyun held his breath and looked up at Kang Seokwon.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s just been a while……”

In that moment, Jo Jihyun realized his mistake. Kang Seokwon pulled Jo Jihyun’s shoulders close and thrust his hips up at once. Suk, the mass of flesh pushed its way inside. An unformed sound flowed from Jo Jihyun’s parted lips. His vision spun. His blackened, blurry vision did not return. His whole body was drenched in a cold sweat. Kang Seokwon thrust his hips up once more. Jo Jihyun bit down hard on his lip, swallowing a scream. The tight entrance barely accepted the p**is. Jo Jihyun blinked. He managed to exhale. Even this pitiful and heartbreaking sight made the man horribly aroused. Kang Seokwon wrapped his arms around Jo Jihyun’s waist and repeated the thrusts several more times. Jo Jihyun could barely breathe. His trembling hands gripped the sheets. Only then did the blood start to return to Kang Seokwon’s head, and he understood the meaning of that reaction.

“Why would you lie like that.”

Kang Seokwon’s voice dropped low.

“Do you want to see me go crazy?”

Kang Seokwon rarely showed any emotional turmoil. He was never seen raising his voice in anger or swearing. This was the first time he had raised his voice like this. His jealousy was as fervent as his feelings of affection. The fact that he wasn’t Jo Jihyun’s first was less unbearable than the fact that someone else had seen him like this.

Jo Jihyun shook his head. Tears that had pooled along his long eyes trickled down. Kang Seokwon pulled Jo Jihyun into an embrace.

“Don’t you ever do that again.”

Kang Seokwon whispered, kissing Jo Jihyun’s cheek, his earlobe, the nape of his neck, in sequence. Never again, don’t you ever let a lie like that pass your lips. It makes me feel like I’m going crazy.

Jo Jihyun hugged Kang Seokwon’s neck fiercely. The man, with an absorbed expression, held the slender body as if to break it. A w**, squelching sound echoed from below. Like a drowning child, Jo Jihyun desperately clung to Kang Seokwon’s neck. At the sensation of the large p**is pounding inside his belly, Jo Jihyun couldn’t keep his senses straight. A metallic-sounding m**n escaped him. It hurt, it was hard, and he couldn’t even breathe properly. And yet, he didn’t want to let go. Indescribable emotions washed over him in layers.

His eyes met Kang Seokwon’s. At that feverish gaze, Jo Jihyun couldn’t hold back and reached his c**max right then. S**en soaked Kang Seokwon’s stomach. Kang Seokwon l**ked away the s**en that had shot up to Jo Jihyun’s chin.

As his p**is moved in and out, it gained more weight. The opening below, which seemed like it couldn’t stretch any further, opened tightly to fit the shape of the flesh.

“Ah, Sun, ……, Ah, ……,”

It finally entered all the way. The mass of flesh, pulsing with a strong beat, pressed hotly against his insides. With the man’s p**is buried deep inside him, he realized just how much he was wanted. The other’s greed led to a mental catharsis. He wanted him to go deeper. More, deeper, to be desired completely, he craved it madly.

“Hurry, …….”

At Jo Jihyun’s short urging, Kang Seokwon gripped the slender thighs and drove his p**is deep inside. To a part he never thought anything could enter, it spread, it opened up. Jo Jihyun let out a scream like a sob. But as if that was still not enough, he continued to urge him on.

Sunbae-nim, more, keep going, please, Sunbae-nim, ……more.

Kang Seokwon clenched his teeth and moved his hips. Unable to bear the weight pressing down from above, Jo Jihyun panted, struggling. This was his first time. He was an inexperienced partner. Though he knew he should be taking it slow, Kang Seokwon couldn’t stop himself. He lost control. This was a partner against whom no reason or logic worked. Holding the finely trembling body tightly, Kang Seokwon was thoroughly aroused. He was a beast. A beast in heat, unable to overcome its instincts, pushed Jo Jihyun to the brink.

Jo Jihyun’s neat face was a mess, distorted with l**t and pain. It was an expression only he could possess. The moment he realized that, sparks flew up through his veins as if he had swallowed a firecracker.

Kang Seokwon let out a hot breath and pulled his p**is out of Jo Jihyun’s body. A milky white liquid soaked the slender thighs. Ulkeok, ulkeok, s**en was e**culated several times.

Their bodies were slick with sweat. Kang Seokwon pulled Jo Jihyun’s body to him just as it was. As if they had originally been one, their bodies pressed together tightly, without a single gap.

In his sleep, Jo Jihyun realized the man’s absence. Thinking he might have gone to the restroom, he waited with his eyes closed, but even after a long while, he did not return.

He managed to lift his heavy body. His eyes fell on Kang Seokwon, sitting on the terrace. The moment he took a step, a dull pain shot up his lower back, and Jo Jihyun s**ked in a breath. Hearing the sound, Kang Seokwon turned his head. Jo Jihyun picked up the gown, put it on, and walked slowly to open the terrace door. The night wind was cold.

“Why are you out here?”

“Just because.”

On the terrace, there was a round table and two chairs. Jo Jihyun’s eyes saw a can on the table.

“Did you drink?”

“Yeah.”

“Where did you get it?”

“It was in the fridge.”

“……, Are you allowed to drink?”

“Physically, I’m of age.”

Not knowing what that meant, Jo Jihyun tilted his head.

“My birth was registered a year late. They said they had no intention of raising me even after I was born.”

His voice was calm, as if he were talking about someone else.

“My grandmother raised me, and that’s when my birth was finally registered.”

He remembered the man saying that his grandmother’s memorial day had been a short while ago. He couldn’t begin to fathom the sense of loss he must have felt, having grown up in his grandmother’s hands without parents, when he lost his only blood relative. He couldn’t find the words to comfort him. As Jo Jihyun stood there blankly, staring at him, Kang Seokwon reached out his hand. Jo Jihyun snuggled tightly into his embrace. Kang Seokwon used the blanket he had been wrapped in to cover Jo Jihyun’s body as well, leaving no gaps.

The sound of the waves rushed right up to them.

“Can I have some too?”

Jo Jihyun asked, pointing at the beer can.

“No.”

He refused in a stern voice. Then, as if to soothe him, he wrapped an arm around Jo Jihyun’s shoulder and whispered, Let’s drink together later.

Knowing that the day they would share a drink would never come, Jo Jihyun couldn’t bring himself to say he would.

“I’ve been thinking.”

Kang Seokwon continued, his gaze shifting to the ink-black sea where the rain was falling.

“I don’t want to send you back to that house.”

“……”

“I wish you wouldn’t go back.”

He could more than guess the reason he was saying that. Having stayed out all night without a word, it was obvious all h**l would break loose when he returned. Having even seen him get kicked out, covered in blood, Kang Seokwon would imagine things far worse. The thought of the man who must have sat alone all night imagining such things, without any time to savor their happiness, made his chest feel heavy.

“It’s alright.”

Jo Jihyun answered calmly.

“I’ll get scolded, but nothing major will happen. So, it’s okay.”

“What’s okay about it.”

The hand wrapped around his shoulder tightened.

“I don’t ever want to see you like that again.”

Kang Seokwon’s face touched the nape of his neck. He was afraid of what might happen in a place his own hands could not reach.

“My mother,”

Jo Jihyun began.

“is satisfied when I bring home good grades.”

“……”

“Even when she’s angry, she’ll smile if I do that. So when I was young, I studied hard. Because I could get praised for it.”

Jo Jihyun fidgeted with the edge of the blanket as he continued.

“But it only gets used once and that’s it. You can’t boast about the same thing multiple times. Later on, I just started studying out of habit. It’s the only thing I know how to do.”

Jo Jihyun smiled weakly.

“I took a mock exam a while ago. It was a mock exam from a private institution, but it’s a pretty reputable test. I got a perfect score on it. That should be enough, probably.”

Jo Jihyun lowered his head. He was ashamed to reveal to the man that the only defense he had was a mere scrap of paper like that.

When Kang Seokwon didn’t reply, Jo Jihyun deliberately smiled as if it were nothing and said,

“If not, I’ll just have to take a few hits.”

“I told you I like you. Don’t you remember?”

“……Yes?”

“So, don’t say things like that with a smile.”

Kang Seokwon’s voice sank heavily.

This was a person he couldn’t even touch properly for fear he might wear away. He didn’t want to hear such things, not even as words.

“I’m sorry.”

Kang Seokwon said, his forehead resting on Jo Jihyun’s shoulder.

“I want to give you everything, but I don’t know what more I should give.”

This was the man who had given him everything, to the point where there was nothing more to receive. Even abandoning his own future and promised success.

“Then, may I ask for two things?”

Jo Jihyun opened his mouth.

“Okay.”

Anything.

Kang Seokwon’s eyes conveyed the rest of the sentence.

Jo Jihyun fiddled with Kang Seokwon’s fingers. They were hands with sturdy joints and a rugged beauty.

“I would like you to not use violence against anyone, because of me.”

From behind, he could feel Kang Seokwon let out a small sigh. The times he had helped Jo Jihyun so far were twice, and he had considered both justified. But Jo Jihyun knew what would happen the third and final time. He wanted to prevent that, at the very least.

“And?”

Kang Seokwon asked.

“Continue your training.”

“What?”

“Continue it, no matter what happens, don’t quit, just continue.”

Jo Jihyun intertwined his hand with Kang Seokwon’s.

“That’s all, that’s your request?”

“It’s important, to me.”

Jo Jihyun turned his head to look back at Kang Seokwon.

“Please promise me.”

His black pupils shone with utmost sincerity. Kang Seokwon nodded his head.

“Alright. I promise.”

“Absolutely, no matter what.”

“Yeah.”

Only after hearing his answer did Jo Jihyun finally seem to relax, as if reassured. Kang Seokwon held Jo Jihyun’s shoulders tightly and said,

You don’t get hurt either.

Jo Jihyun nodded. Warmth enveloped him. Kang Seokwon then, added as if to himself.

“Don’t call me sunbae.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s confusing.”

Not understanding what on earth he meant, Jo Jihyun lifted his head.

“What do you mean, it’s confusing?”

“The person you dated before.”

“……”

Although he had made a slip of the tongue today, he hadn’t thought that Kang Seokwon had been holding onto such a misunderstanding all this time.

Jo Jihyun closed his eyes and slowly opened them.

“This is my first time dating someone. And the only sunbae I know is,”

Jo Jihyun looked at Kang Seokwon.

Let’s not see each other. From now on.

He knew the man who had said that. He knew that since returning to this place, he had only called Kang Seokwon ‘sunbae-nim’ a few times. He had consciously avoided calling him that. He was afraid their futures would overlap. But whenever he cast aside reason and revealed his weak true self, he would always call Kang Seokwon ‘sunbae-nim’. Whatever end they were to meet, in the end, it was all Kang Seokwon. Jo Jihyun tightened his grip on the hand and continued.

“……is only you, sunbae-nim. To me, there is only you, sunbae-nim. I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but it will continue to be that way in the future.”

Kang Seokwon’s expression hardened, looking a bit flustered, then he stroked his chin.

“What’s wrong?”

When Jo Jihyun asked, Kang Seokwon clicked his tongue under his breath.

“I think I acted like too much of a moron.”

When Jo Jihyun’s eyes widened, Kang Seokwon added in an awkward tone, Then I was just being jealous of myself this whole time. As he said that, the nape of the man’s neck seemed to turn a little red, or maybe it was just his imagination. Jo Jihyun blinked, then let out a small laugh.

“Well then, you can just stop doing that from now on.”

“……”

“Sunbae-nim. I like you.”

Jo Jihyun pressed a kiss to Kang Seokwon’s hand. Hoping this hand would not grasp the wrong things.

“I will continue, to only like you, sunbae-nim, from now on.”

“Me too.”

His chest ached, knowing the weight that one phrase carried. It was a promise, from the man who would wander all the mental hospitals in the country for years, searching for him.

Jo Jihyun pressed his lips to Kang Seokwon’s cheek. He murmured, kissing wherever his lips landed, below the eyes, the bridge of the nose, the lips.

“I want to do it.”

Kang Seokwon’s eyes narrowed slightly. He had known for a while now that he was already very aroused. And yet, Kang Seokwon showed no sign of it, as if it had nothing to do with his own desires.

Jo Jihyun had c**maxed for the second time and collapsed, practically passing out. To begin with, not only was there a significant difference in their physiques, but their stamina levels were also vastly different.

“Don’t overdo it.”

At Kang Seokwon’s words, Jo Jihyun opened the robe he was wearing. At the sudden reveal of the n**ed body, Kang Seokwon let out an involuntary sigh.

Jo Jihyun took Kang Seokwon’s hand and placed it on his own body. It was a paltry and clumsy seduction. But the man’s reason vanished as if it had crumbled away.

Ah——.

A clouded breath escaped from his parted lips. Kang Seokwon, who was behind him, lifted up Jo Jihyun’s collapsed hips. Even with a pillow placed underneath, Jo Jihyun’s legs repeatedly gave out, causing him to fall forward onto his stomach.

“Are you okay?”

Jo Jihyun nodded his head. In truth, he couldn’t even tell if he was okay or not. His heated mind was filled only with things of the man. Kang Seokwon’s breathing, his touch, his rough kisses, his hard flesh, the friction of skin, his voice, ——things like that. The mass of flesh that had withdrawn entered him again. Jo Jihyun’s eyes widened. The fingertips gripping the sheets trembled. His throat was parched. Every time Kang Seokwon thrust his hips, animalistic m**ns like ah, euh, burst out one after another. No, he was an animal. They were mating like animals. Receiving the man’s p**is from behind while on his stomach, Jo Jihyun let out a continuous stream of m**ns. Sweat trickled down from under his chin. S**en dripped down between his thighs. Kang Seokwon held the sweat-drenched Jo Jihyun. Emotion and sensation filled his entire body. It was an incredibly satisfying act of intercourse.

“Jo Jihyun.”

Kang Seokwon called Jo Jihyun’s name over and over. His body shivered at the call that touched his back. Kang Seokwon’s large p**is pushed its way deep inside, peok, to a point where it felt like it could go no further. As if marking him, Kang Seokwon set his teeth on Jo Jihyun’s spine and thrusted his hips. The man gripped Jo Jihyun’s p**is from behind, which was no longer properly e**ct after several ejaculations. Jo Jihyun whispered with his lips, Please. With just a few frictions in Kang Seokwon’s palm, the flesh that had lost its elasticity gained weight again. He spewed a watery liquid onto the man’s palm, so thin he couldn’t tell if it was urine or s**en. The body that had reached its peak flinched, momentarily shrinking. The man, with a frown, urgently pulled out his p**is. Then, with a few strokes of his hand, he finished ejaculating on Jo Jihyun’s back.

Jo Jihyun collapsed forward limply. Catching his breath, Kang Seokwon grabbed Jo Jihyun and turned him over. Making him face him, Kang Seokwon lightly s**ked on his lips.

Kang Seokwon placed his arm under Jo Jihyun’s head. The air of the rainy summer dawn was muggy. Jo Jihyun lay with his head on the man’s arm, slowly closing and opening his eyes.

“Sunbae-nim.”

Kang Seokwon hesitated for a moment before replying, Yeah. He wasn’t used to it. He liked this man. He liked him so much he didn’t know what to do.

“It feels like it’s just the two of us.”

He had felt the same way that day.

“It does.”

Kang Seokwon slowly nodded his head. The sound of the rain was subsiding, as if it had been a lie.

At the end of summer, the darkness receded.

As expected, his mother, upon seeing her son return the next afternoon, unleashed a furious tirade. However, when Jo Jihyun handed her his report card, she beamed as if nothing had happened. So this is the report card for first place in the nation? You mean you’re the best in the nation, that among all the kids in our country right now, you’re the best at studying? The woman asked questions of a similar context several more times before suddenly remembering something urgent and getting up from her seat. Jo Jihyun went back to his room. Through the door, he could hear the woman’s voice, chattering excitedly as she made calls all over the place.

And so, the Jeju Island incident came to a close. The school year started, and his part-time hours at the convenience store were adjusted to fit his class schedule. Not much had changed. However, seeing Kang Seokwon at school became a distant prospect. They were in different grades to begin with, so they weren’t on the same floor, and Kang Seokwon had become incomparably busier than he was during the vacation. On top of that, Jo Jihyun had even asked Kang Seokwon not to acknowledge him even if they happened to run into each other at school. When he had said this, Kang Seokwon had replied that he would, with a blank face, but he didn’t seem too pleased. Nevertheless, he tried his best to understand his vague anxiety. It was something to be thankful for. That was why, when he ran into Kang Seokwon this morning, he couldn’t hide his bewilderment. Kang Seokwon was sitting slanted at the bus stop, waiting for him.

“Hello.”

When Jo Jihyun bowed his head in greeting, Kang Seokwon acknowledged him with his eyes, Yeah.

“What brings you here?”

Kang Seokwon glanced at Jo Jihyun and answered as if to himself, We start wearing the fall uniforms from tomorrow. For a long while, Jo Jihyun couldn’t figure out what he meant.

“The bus is here.”

Kang Seokwon got on the bus first. Having boarded first, Kang Seokwon looked back at Jo Jihyun. Only then did he realize. This was the last year the two of them would attend school together. He would graduate next year. An announcement had been made that they would start wearing the fall uniforms from tomorrow. In the end, it meant that today was the last day he would see Jo Jihyun in his summer uniform.

The first day and the last day in the summer uniform.

He was a person who hadn’t changed.

Swallowing a smile, Jo Jihyun got on the bus.

“Oh, Joji!”

At the voice calling him, Jo Jihyun’s expression hardened.

“Joji, you get on here?”

Choi Kiyeol recognized Jo Jihyun and waved his hand happily.

“Sit here.”

Choi Kiyeol pointed to the seat next to him. Kang Seokwon had already taken a seat in the back.

“I said, sit here.”

Jo Jihyun hesitated for a moment before sitting in the seat in front of Kang Seokwon.

“That b**t**d, no manners at all.”

Choi Kiyeol came over with his bag and plopped down next to Jo Jihyun.

“Isn’t it fucking hot? They’re telling us to wear the fall uniforms from tomorrow, that crazy principal.”

Choi Kiyeol fanned himself with his hand and glanced at Jo Jihyun. Despite his cool appearance making him seem immune to the heat, beads of sweat had formed on Jo Jihyun’s forehead.

“You’re hot too, right?”

Choi Kiyeol took out a book and started fanning Jo Jihyun with it.

“Stop. I’m fine.”

Even as he answered, Jo Jihyun was conscious of Kang Seokwon sitting behind him. He didn’t want Choi Kiyeol and Kang Seokwon to get to know each other. The two of them would become entangled in an ill-fated relationship because of him.

“So you usually take this bus. I’m taking the bus for the first time in a really long time because my car is getting checked today. The bus isn’t too bad.”

Choi Kiyeol, the son of a rich family, always came to school in an expensive foreign car. Jo Jihyun listlessly agreed, saying, I see.

“My grades went up a bit.”

Choi Kiyeol continued, preening. Lately, Choi Kiyeol had been spending more time in the classroom with his nose in a book.

“We’ll be seniors soon. Well, like you said, I can’t just fool around forever.”

As if to say this was all thanks to him, Choi Kiyeol smiled at Jo Jihyun.

“Congratulations.”

Jo Jihyun said so in a flat tone and rummaged through his bag. A gaze landed on the nape of his neck.

“Studying English?”

Seeing the English vocabulary book in Jo Jihyun’s hand, Choi Kiyeol leaned in. Their shoulders touched. He got goosebumps. It might be unfair to the current Choi Kiyeol since it hadn’t happened yet, but Jo Jihyun felt a reluctance to have physical contact with him.

Besides, more than anything,

“……”

He could feel Kang Seokwon’s gaze completely.

He rarely ran into him on the way to school. This was because Kang Seokwon, after finishing his early morning training, would go to school about 30 minutes earlier. Knowing this, Jo Jihyun deliberately did not time his departure to match. It was obvious that they would attract attention if they commuted to school together even just a few times. He didn’t want to get him swept up in unnecessary rumors.

So, commuting to school together like this was a rare event. That was why he felt even more displeased. If it hadn’t been for Choi Kiyeol, he would have sat next to Kang Seokwon and had a quiet ride to school. Although they wouldn’t have had a conversation, it was a pity to have missed out on that relaxed and peaceful time.

“Lately, it seems like you’re always studying English. You always get a perfect score in English. You got a vendetta against English or something?”

Choi Kiyeol asked, looking at Jo Jihyun’s vocabulary book.

“Because English is hard even if you study it.”

He didn’t want him to notice his tension. It would be a huge problem if Kang Seokwon took an unnecessary dislike to Choi Kiyeol and a fight broke out.

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to study abroad in America after graduating high school or something?”

At Choi Kiyeol’s question, his heart sank with a thud.

“The English you’re studying now, it’s not for the college entrance exam, is it? Yikes, why the h**l are you memorizing words like these? You were listening to English like crazy too.”

The tips of his fingers grew cold. He felt as if he had been caught, having unconsciously been considering studying abroad in America. Jo Jihyun hurriedly closed the vocabulary book. He tried to take out another book, but his hands had no strength. Kang Seokwon was a sharp person. He would have already noticed that his reaction was not normal. The nape of his neck, visible between the collar of his white summer uniform, grew cold and clammy. Every place his gaze touched tingled. It felt as if he might reach out and grab his neck at any moment. You still know how to toy with people. His stomach began to churn. The bus came to a sudden stop. The bus driver spewed all sorts of curses, lowered the window, and pointed his finger. The vocabulary book he had dropped had flown out with the sudden stop and disappeared between the legs of the packed passengers.

“Ah, d**n it. What kind of s**tty driving is this? Are you okay?”

Choi Kiyeol asked. Only then did Jo Jihyun realize that Choi Kiyeol was half-hugging him as he had lurched forward. He had been so worried about the vocabulary book that he hadn’t paid attention to anything else.

“I’m fine.”

Jo Jihyun replied, straightening himself up. He rubbed his forearm with his hand. Wherever Choi Kiyeol’s hand had touched, black bugs were crawling.