INV 59

Chacha became quite uneasy. One might say he felt such an overwhelming urge to do anything for him that he instinctively tried to step back. Thus, after replying flatly with a “No,” he added an elaboration, worried that Kwon Yihyeon might be disappointed.

“If I do that for you, what will you give me in return?”

By saying this, he expected the other to be flustered; Chacha’s intention was to tease him for a bit and then do it in exchange for any small thing.

After all, what great thing could Kwon Yihyeon possibly give to Chacha? No matter what Kwon Yihyeon did, he could never possess power rivaling that of Jae Angshin, who had lived for over ten thousand years. Therefore, it was only natural that if it was something Chacha could not have, it was something Kwon Yihyeon could not provide.

However…

“Devoted service.”

“…What?”

“Would… devoted service be insufficient?”

Kwon Yihyeon asked, tilting his head slyly. Crazy bastard. Chacha let out a hollow laugh in spite of himself. Because the face of his young bridegroom—who wore an innocent, guileless expression while packing such a lewd meaning into those words—was poignantly beautiful.

“…Fine. I’ll do it.”

It was impossible not to give in.

Chacha did exactly as Kwon Yihyeon wished.

‘I can understand the tyrants who brought ruins to their nations because they were possessed by beauties.’

He thought of an ancient proverb.

‘A beauty that makes fish sink and geese fall, and shames the moon and hides the flowers.’

This is a phrase used in China to describe a peerless beauty. Representative peerless beauties in history include Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Diaochan, and Yang Guifei; all of them were such great beauties that they caused nations to crumble, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they created the very concept of a “beauty who topples a kingdom.”

‘…Kwon Yihyeon isn’t quite that type, though.’

Kwon Yihyeon’s appearance was clean with straight lines; depending on how he was adorned, he could become quite glamorous, but basically, he had a refined and neat impression.

For a young man to whom the word “handsome” was well-suited, the expression “a beauty who topples a kingdom” did not fit. Nor was his natural behavior coquettish or seductive; so, if one had to be specific, he was more the type to wrap a tyrant in his skirts and manipulate him. Chacha thought this and sneered.

Though it was questionable whether Kwon Yihyeon would let himself be swung around at will just by being wrapped in a skirt…

‘If I can’t pull this off, the years I’ve lived are a waste.’

Chacha thought so as he watched Kwon Yihyeon. He simply, quietly observed everything from the moment Kwon Yihyeon contacted suspicious men in black suits through an unknown connection, entered into a certain deal, naturally accepted their favors, let slip probing words as if he were just a simple young man, until finally reaching the correct answer.

It wasn’t that he was only waiting for what Kwon Yihyeon would give him.

It was just that everything Kwon Yihyeon did was…

‘In its own way…’

Fun. It was entertaining to watch. The process itself of that boy pursuing something with a lively face was a pleasure to see. It was displeasing to have that boy’s tears wasted on someone other than himself, but if even that was part of Kwon Yihyeon’s growth, it wasn’t something he couldn’t accept. That was why, because it was Kwon Yihyeon, Chacha remained just a bystander through all of this. He could do that. He could do it because it was Kwon Yihyeon.

That was why Chacha had said those words.

“Do not interfere. With my young bridegroom.”

In truth, while he wanted to drive away the vengeful spirit more than anyone, and while he was swept up in a subversive and decadent impulse to annihilate the soul that dared to leave a mark on Kwon Yihyeon in any sense, he did not surrender his body to madness until the end. He endured, biting the inside of his mouth while pretending to be relaxed on the outside, curling up his blood-red lips.

And at the moment Kwon Yihyeon was recognized by his colleagues, he clearly witnessed the fleeting sense of elation.

‘…’

What was the emotion Chacha felt then? Gratitude? Fulfillment? Or perhaps murderous intent? Maybe lust?

Chacha had lived in chaos for such a terribly long time that it was difficult to split his emotions into single sheets and label them. To him, emotions were like a witch’s cauldron, where it was only natural that whatever was put in would melt and become a single liquid. Since his mixed emotions were filled only with subversive negativity, the only thing Chacha could bring to Kwon Yihyeon at this moment was a decadent joy. He wanted to break and defile that pure spirit and upright will, ruin it all, and laugh.

Chacha did his best not to do that. Because he consumed all his mental energy in doing so, he remained silent and only wore a picturesque smile even in conversations he would normally have interrupted.

And Kwon Yihyeon, though he might not know the reason, noticed that Chacha was fiercely suppressing something.

Even the fact that it must not be allowed to explode.

‘…Hmm, I should get home quickly.’

Therefore, it would be a lie to say there wasn’t a strange tension flowing on the way home, but it didn’t last long.

It made sense. The commute home itself wasn’t long.

The emergency dispatch was continuing into the night, and Gwak Deukcheon, having judged that bringing an intern along was useless and a waste of manpower, ordered Kwon Yihyeon to go home. The seniors were scheduled to be worked like dogs all weekend, but to make him join in and see him suffer—not only was Jae Angshin watching with eyes wide open, but he also expected just how much mental energy Kwon Yihyeon had poured into solving this one case, so everyone saw him off without much complaint.

“See you on Monday.”

“Ahahaha…”

There were some pouting glances, but it meant no senior opposed his going home.

“Expect to be scolded. On Monday.”

“Yes! I will apologize sincerely!”

“Really, if he weren’t so good with words…”

In fact, through this incident, Kwon Yihyeon had properly engraved the impression of being “a guy who at least doesn’t look down on the work of a Reaper” upon his colleagues, but only Kwon Yihyeon didn’t know that. Only Kwon Yihyeon didn’t know that the seniors, who previously had zero intention of accepting him as a proper colleague simply because he was Jae Angshin’s bridegroom, had begun to recognize and approve of Kwon Yihyeon’s existence more seriously.

It was a silly thing, but that was reality.

Chacha bestowed the maximum mercy he could provide just by not ruining the team members’ boisterous send-off, and Kwon Yihyeon parted with them lightheartedly, using his unique professional experience. Since Chacha came with him on the way home, there was no need for Gwak Deukcheon to open a passage with the horse medal. As the colleagues left, Kwon Yihyeon was soon left alone with Chacha.

A subtle tension drifted between them.

The lake that had overwhelmed him a moment ago was reflecting the moonlight, spreading a deep scent of grass and water. A quiet yet fantastic night mist was wrapping around the mountain peaks, providing a mysterious atmosphere. One might have been drawn to the scenery, which looked like the middle of a wash-and-ink painting, but Kwon Yihyeon couldn’t spare a single glance for any organic or inorganic matter other than Chacha.

Just the fact that they were left alone in a deserted place seemed to make a strange heat flare up. An irrational feverishness nudged at his impulses, and Kwon Yihyeon vaguely remembered the names of those impulses. Desire for dominance. Desire for possession. A lowly desire to pin you down beneath me and declare you are under me. But was this all? I mean, was this really all?

At that moment, the other’s fingers interlaced with his. They dug deep into the firm joints and traced down the prominent tendons as if scratching them with fingernails. A pale sense of temperature was transmitted from the skin. The lukewarm body temperature might have resembled that of a dead person. However, even if he tasted a corpse-like chill, Kwon Yihyeon was not feeling a fever so trivial that it would cool down; rather, his heart pounded because he knew better than anyone what would happen if he stirred the inside of such a cold person. If he pushed in his soaked fingers, an unbelievable pleasure would flow out. Kwon Yihyeon moved one step closer to Chacha without realizing it. And he leaned against the man of similar height, burying his nose in the nape of his neck. A body scent that was subtle and difficult to catch just by standing nearby saturated his nasal cavity. Kwon Yihyeon knew a flower that resembled this scent.

‘Fragrant olive…’

Blood-red Jae Angshin, who singularly did not drape himself in gold, strangely gave off the depth of yellow flower buds in his scent. A fresh, sweet, and deep fragrance… this was entirely his. It was his own, something no one else could have. Kwon Yihyeon reasoned within a drunken sensation. Chacha must not allow the distance required to feel his body scent to anyone but Kwon Yihyeon. If he wanted him, he too had to accept his own desire. He must not let anyone else intrude upon this exclusive relationship of just the two of them. Yes. This was a desire for monopoly, and at the same time, a desire demanding the right to be exclusive. As Kwon Yihyeon wrapped his arms around Chacha’s waist and pressed closer, his lips naturally touched the collarbone. Kwon Yihyeon lightly bit the collarbone with his lips and leaned against it as if rubbing, huddling as if a child were burrowing into a parent.

Hot breath poured directly onto the nape of Chacha’s neck. Chacha briefly tilted his head back, trying to avoid his feverishness.

Kwon Yihyeon was excessively hot to Chacha. At the same time, he was terribly young…

“I don’t like it. Don’t avoid me. Hold me.”

A man beautiful and young enough that saying such things would not be a flaw was whispering sweet nothings.

Chacha moved his lips in spite of himself.

“Now…”

“Let’s go, to our house.”

Kwon Yihyeon, who caught the end of his words, laughed softly as if he were thinking the same thing. The moon in the sky is bright, but it isn’t as beautiful as you folding your eyes like half-moons. You alone were much prettier than any moonlight blooming in all directions. It made him dizzy just to look at him, so much that he could hardly breathe…

Chacha snapped his fingers.

And space was overturned.