Ch 34

To Ji-an, the end of the year meant selling cakes. Cakes, cakes, and more cakes from Christmas Eve onward.

He packed them, handed out candles to match each order, and provided sparklers based on the customers’ preferences. It was hot enough to sweat when selling indoors and cold enough to stamp his feet when working outside.

Sleeping in until noon, eating a prepared breakfast, shopping at the luxury section of a department store without even checking the price tags—these were all unfamiliar experiences for him.

He dined at a restaurant with a stunning view, had coffee at trendy cafés even he, with his indifference to hot spots and social media, recognized, and gazed at the beautiful sunset reflected on the river on the way home.

The brightly lit house radiated warmth, and Bobo greeted him enthusiastically upon his return. While Ideun naturally headed to the guest room near the entrance, Ji-an went straight to the master bedroom.

After unwrapping the bandage from his foot, Ji-an took a leisurely shower in water so warm it felt almost hot. Drying his hair with a towel, he stepped into the walk-in closet to grab underwear and loungewear from the nearest drawer. His gaze landed on the half-empty built-in wardrobe.

Ideun had mentioned that he had another house not far from here, one he used only when he was too busy or tired to return home properly. That was why, although the basics were in place, he hadn’t initially brought many clothes.

But now, the guest room’s closet was filled with Ideun’s clothes, leaving Ji-an’s side of the wardrobe looking sparse.

“Ajusshi!”

Faced with the unexpected sight, Ji-an’s first instinct was to call for Ideun. At first, he thought Ideun had simply moved his own clothes over. But the garments hanging behind the glass door were all familiar. More importantly, they weren’t in Ideun’s size.

Hearing the sound of slippers and Bobo’s chatter, Ji-an pointed at the clothes as soon as Ideun walked into the closet.

“Why?”

“Don’t tell me you bought all of this back at the department store?”

“You said you wanted to stop shopping.”

“I said I wanted to stop shopping, not that I wanted to buy everything.”

At first, when he had bought Ji-an a set of clothes and a pair of shoes, Ji-an hadn’t thought much of it. That much was fine… The situation was such that even when he ended up with a watch, it felt natural, and he did like the watch. But seeing clothes he hadn’t even tried on, only glanced at, was hard to comprehend.

Ji-an, standing in the doorway of the dressing room with his arms crossed, glanced at Ideun, who was leaning against the frame with an expression that seemed to ask what the problem was. Letting out a small sigh, Ji-an lowered his hand, which had been pointing accusingly at the clothes. Arguing with him about returning the items wasn’t worth it; it was easier to give up.

“Come here.”

He should have been more cautious. Calling him over in a fit of irritation now made Ji-an feel embarrassed, but he obediently approached Ideun at his beckoning.

As Ideun unfolded his arms and moved, the sound of drawers opening and closing reached Ji-an’s ears. By the time Ideun stopped, he held a towel in his hands. A couple of steps away, Ji-an paused, and soon after, a soft towel came to rest on his head. All he could see was deep green. If he tilted his head, he might catch a glimpse of something else, but for now, Ji-an’s line of sight showed only the space between Ideun’s chest and shoulders.

As Ideun began to rub his hair dry—not too hard, not too gently, but just enough—Ji-an closed his eyes, surrendering to the soothing sensation. The woody scent Ideun carried after showering was gone now, replaced neither by musk nor anything else overwhelming.

“If you’ve taken a shower, you should dry your hair first.”

“It’ll dry on its own soon enough.”

“You want to catch a cold?”

“I’ll just take some medicine if I do.”

“You always have a comeback, baby.”

As Ideun’s hands began to slow, Ji-an bit his lower lip and released it before moving slightly closer to him.

Today, Ideun had given him a day to remember. Extravagant gifts, a luxurious dinner at a place famous for being hard to book, and a slice of cake he’d sold but never tasted himself—it was like something straight out of a classic date itinerary.

Now it was Ji-an’s turn to show gratitude for the day that Ideun, despite his busy schedule, had carefully crafted for him. Lacking possessions and skills, Ji-an only had one thing he could give in return: himself, entirely.

Raising a hand that had hung limply by his side, Ji-an grasped the hem of Ideun’s deep green top, then slowly lifted his gaze. If only he were an omega with a proper heat cycle; then, with pheromones, he could signal his intent without needing to say a word.

With no scent of his own, Ji-an didn’t even have the luxury of wondering why Ideun had shown an interest in him. His inability to regard Ideun casually left him no room for such questions. Ji-an liked the woody scent Ideun carried, but he also wanted to experience his musk.

Whenever they were together, he wanted to touch Ideun’s skin. There was a world unknown to him when latex gloves separated him from it. Ideun’s body was warm, smooth, and firm. As Ji-an grew to know Ideun better, he began to understand the cruel meticulousness of Sanghun.

Even in the pitch black where light couldn’t penetrate, distinguishing shadows was a struggle. Yet, in that darkness, Ideun had covered Ji-an’s eyes. Even knowing the blindfold would come off during their time together, Ideun had insisted on covering him, perhaps out of a desire to keep Ji-an from seeing him. Because seeing him would mean liking him.

The latex gloves were another barrier—a way to block Ji-an from feeling his skin. Sensitive as fingertips could be, they were also blunt instruments. The gloves not only protected Ideun’s skin but also deprived Ji-an of the chance to learn him better. It was a deliberate way to leave not even a trace of Ideun’s DNA beneath his nails.

Each time, Ideun acted as though he were about to mark Ji-an, biting at his neck and shoulders. But the anti-marking necklace always prevented it. Meanwhile, Ji-an… had never left even the faintest trace on him—save for that one, clumsy bite during the single heat cycle that had occurred naturally.

It was ironic that that one awkward bite had been enough to create a bond. Regardless, being with Ideun always left Ji-an yearning to touch him. He wanted to sense the pheromones concealed by Ideun’s cologne and to hold him close. Whether it was because of the bond or because Ji-an’s feelings naturally gravitated toward Ideun, he wasn’t sure.

Clutching the collar of Ideun’s shirt, Ji-an slowly raised his head. He saw Ideun’s broad shoulders, his neck, then the prominent Adam’s apple that drew his gaze. Nervously licking his dry lips, Ji-an’s eyes finally landed on Ideun’s lips. Rising onto his toes, Ji-an brought his face closer.

Even as Ideun tilted his head downward, clearly looking at him, Ji-an couldn’t meet his eyes. Instead, he tilted his own head further back, raising his chin and turning slightly to avoid Ideun’s sharp nose. He felt Ideun’s breath against his own.

Unlike the faint scent of fabric softener he usually carried, Ideun’s breath was laced with musk. The familiar fragrance brought a smile to Ji-an’s lips just before they touched Ideun’s.

Pressing his lips softly against Ideun’s warm, pliant ones, Ji-an leaned in a little more, lingering like a seal being stamped. Then, slowly, he lowered himself back onto his heels. He had thought Ideun might respond with a kiss of his own, but when Ideun remained still as stone, Ji-an understood the message. He couldn’t cling to him any longer.

Ideun was only human, after all. He might not want this.

Looking back, Ji-an realized he was always the one making demands—back in France, and again just a few nights ago.

As his heels finally rested flat on the floor, Ji-an turned his head to the side, straightening up as he let go of Ideun’s shirt.

“Thank you. I’ll wear them well.”

Ji-an had expected Ideun to move first, but Ideun stood there like an ancient tree, unmoving. It was up to Ji-an to create the distance between them. His gaze drifted downward, landing on their slipper-clad feet.

Now, all he needed to do was step back, take a few steps to the side, pass Ideun, and leave the room. He had no intention of apologizing for the kiss.

Just as Ji-an calculated the steps in his mind—two backward, one wide to the side—and began to move past Ideun, a strong arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him off balance. Held steady by the firm grip around his waist, Ji-an reflexively placed a hand against Ideun’s chest. When Ji-an looked up, his eyes met Ideun’s intense gaze.

“Where did you learn how to drive someone crazy like this…?”

For a moment, Ji-an saw his own startled reflection in the depths of Ideun’s dark, piercing eyes before Ideun claimed his lips in a sudden, fervent kiss.

Startled by the abruptness, Ji-an clutched at Ideun’s shirt, crumpling the fabric as their lips pressed together. His lower lip was caught between Ideun’s as their tongues intertwined, their mingled breaths dampening their lips with shared warmth.

As Ideun’s pheromones began to flow freely, the scent filled the dressing room, enveloping Ji-an’s body and senses. Ji-an’s soft moan resonated between their joined mouths.

“Ah, uh… … .”

If what he had hoped for was a sip of clear water from the spring, what Ideun offered was a huge ocean that seemed to swallow everything. Ji-an’s body trembled as he inhaled, as if engraving Ideun’s scent deep inside his body.

As if considering his shortness of breath, Ideun’s lips parted a little, making Ji-an anxious.

Unlike Ji-an, who was about to kiss him again, Ideun’s lips touched Ji-an’s nape. New marks were created where the marks Ideun had left were still intact.

The strings on the shower gown did not do their job properly, and as soon as the gown was untied, it flowed loosely. His large, hot palm touched Ji-an’s body. His hands, very careful and slow, slowly moved down Ji-an’s waistline.

However, it was only a moment before his hands gained strength. The hand that went down from his waist to his pelvis immediately grabbed Ji-an’s plump butt.

“Ugh. Ah… … Mis… ter.”

It was natural for the fingers that had been gripping so hard that it hurt to move to find the gap between his buttocks and Ji-an’s already soaking wet hole.

“It’s already this wet.”

Ideun’s lips, which were groping the hot, moist, and water-soaked wrinkles, were already exploring Ji-an’s chest. Ji-an’s ni**les rose even redder and more lusciously in Ideun’s mouth from the force of his tongue and sucking.

Ji-an’s hole twitched as he rolled the nipple with the tip of his tongue and bit it with his teeth, wetting the tip of his finger that was groping it.

“Does it feel good?”

Ji-an, who had given his whole body to the stimulation he felt from his chest and buttocks at the same time, barely opened his eyes that had been closed without answering.

“Did you prepare in advance while washing?”

Ji-an shook his head as Ideun’s tongue continued to ravage his other br*ast more persistently and roughly. The hand that had been supporting his waist also grabbed Ji-an’s buttocks, and the two hands that had been kneading his buttocks were now stopped in front of Ji-an’s hole.

“Be honest, how many people have been in and out of here?”

“Huh… … . No… … Hey… … .”

A low voice that was as low as possible and full of pleasure, as Ideun’s two index fingers simultaneously dug into his hole, a sharp moan escaped Ji-an’s mouth.

“Ah, ah!”

The long, boney fingers gradually dug deeper. The fingers did not simply penetrate, but began to feel the wrinkles of the inner wall that had become extremely sensitive. As the two fingers began to move differently and poke around, Ji-an rubbed his face against his neck and tried to strengthen his trembling legs.

As the pheromones of Ideun and the fingers entered deeply, stimulating Ji-an’s inner walls, the love juice that filled his insides began to flow out. As the heat inside his stomach simmered, Ji-an’s eyes began to water as Ideun’s fingers entered one more.

“I hope you don’t tell such a cheeky lie that it’s only me.”

As the index fingers that had been probing inside spread his hole apart on both sides, Ji-an felt the cold air and said, “No… ….”, but the words were mixed with a moan and could not be properly completed.

“Why. Two fingers are not enough? Put more in?”

Ideun’s fingers increased from three to four, and Ji-an’s face, which was standing there with his index and middle fingers on both hands, eventually became wet with tears.

“Hah!”

Today, Ji-an’s new moan rang out as he filled his hole with something that felt bigger and heavier. The loud friction, the sticky fluid leaking out, and the pheromones that flowed out only from Ideun soaked the bedroom air.

The hole, which was soaked and widely open without a single wrinkle, quickly moved in and out with its veins exposed. Ji-an, who had difficulty following Ideun who was persistently stimulating only the most sensitive spots and moving his waist, had no choice but to cry and cling to him.