DOGC Ch 8

Seorim liked the calm sea. He was afraid of big swells. Perhaps it was because he had lived a life of being battered by big waves until now. A repulsion towards waves rose from a fear instinctively embedded within him.

But a wave, once it pulls a person underwater and swallows them, does not let go.

His was a life where something like peace did not belong.

At the tail end of autumn, the leaves had fallen. The trees revealed their bare branches and were stained black.

The harbinger of turmoil came in the dead of night, when Chairman Ryu was asleep and would not visit. The sound of someone knocking on the door in the middle of the night startled him awake, and Seorim pushed himself up. Chairman Ryu never bothered to knock.

“…Who is it?”

“It’s me. Seorim.”

The voice coming from beyond the door was Ryu Hyunjun’s. What was he thinking, doing something so perilous where someone could see him? Feeling both irritation and panic at the same time, Seorim hurried to open the door.

“What brings you here at this hour?”

Lifting his head to look at Ryu Hyunjun’s face, Seorim paused, slightly surprised. The light in his eyes was not just clean and clear but sparkling, yet his cheeks were sunken and shadows were cast under his eyes, giving him a very gaunt complexion. He looked like a neatly dressed wreck.

“I have something to give you. Can you come out for a moment?”

What could he have to give? Seorim hid the reluctant feeling by curling his lips and stepped out of the room.

“I’ll get in trouble if Husband sees.”

“It’s alright. He’s sleeping after having some drinks in the evening.”

“Still, at this hour.”

“It’s alright. If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility.”

There was a bit more force when he uttered the word ‘responsibility’. What on earth did he want to give him to be acting like this? Seorim glanced sideways over Ryu Hyunjun’s shoulder at the dark corridor and cautiously nodded his head.

Hyunjun led Seorim down the stairs and past the drawing room. At this late hour, not even a shadow of a person could be seen in the mansion.

It seemed they were planning to go outside the mansion. Though even if they went outside, they couldn’t leave the premises. Seorim silently let the wind that rushed in when Ryu Hyunjun opened the main door brush against his cheek.

“Have you been well?”

Not much time had passed since they had last seen each other, so it was a rather random greeting. Seorim thought about Hyunjun’s intentions and answered belatedly.

“Just… always the same.”

“Are you still lonely and depressed?”

“It’s not so much of a big deal anymore. It would be strange to be happy.”

“Don’t say that. Everyone has the right to be happy, don’t they?”

After tossing out those words, Ryu Hyunjun suddenly snatched his hand. He tried to pull it away instinctively, but the grip tightening around it was too strong for him to budge. Hyunjun then intertwined their fingers.

“I’ll help you become happy.”

“…How.”

Even though the weather was this cold, Ryu Hyunjun’s palm was wet with sweat. It meant he was in a rather heightened state. Did this mean the current situation was something that could excite this man? Seorim continued speaking while trying to gauge when he could pull his hand away.

“There were many people who said that. If they had all done as they said, I wouldn’t even be here. So, it’s okay. Even if I just live like this.”

Hyunjun’s hand, pressed against his, squeezed Seorim’s even more fiercely.

“Do you know that when you say that, it makes me want to try even harder?”

“Try harder at what?”

“Making you happy, Seorim.”

At last, Ryu Hyunjun’s steps came to a halt. It was not a particularly grand place. An empty lot behind the mansion, in front of a white foreign car.

With Seorim standing beside him, he opened the car door and took something out. At a glance, it was a white box.

“Seorim.”

“Yes.”

“You need a friend. And you said you hated becoming a fool.”

So what.

“This is a gift.”

The box in Ryu Hyunjun’s hand was naturally passed over to Seorim. For its size, the contents seemed to have quite some weight. As he alternated his gaze between the box and Ryu Hyunjun, a soft explanation followed.

“It’s a mobile phone. You don’t have one, do you?”

“I… but something like this…”

“But why don’t you have one? Who doesn’t have a mobile phone in this day and age?”

Because I can’t go out to get one activated.

Before being sold to Chairman Ryu, back when he was in the omega brothel village, he had attempted to escape several times, and as a result, the surveillance had become even stricter. After coming to the mansion, he couldn’t leave the grounds, so he was naturally isolated.

He couldn’t even dream of saying he wanted to get a mobile phone activated. He didn’t know how many times he would get hit if he brought it up.

“I don’t know if I can accept something like this.”

This person might be more helpful than I thought.

Having a mobile phone changes many things. It would depend on how much and how he could use it, but it could range from simply alleviating the boredom of daily life to, if used well, becoming the key to escaping this situation.

However, he needed to be careful. He could not fully trust Ryu Hyunjun.

“I can’t accept it. If the Chairman finds out…”

“It’s okay because only you and I know about it, Seorim.”

“Why are you giving me this?”

Ryu Hyunjun paused for a moment before curling the corners of his lips into a gentle smile.

“Because you looked so lonely, Seorim.”

“…”

“I can’t stay with you all the time. I was afraid you would wither away and die, Seorim.”

Was he thinking of staying with me all the time?

“And with this, we can become closer. Sharing secrets brings people closer, you know.”

Sharing a secret, which is also a weakness, means handing a leash to each other. That was a threat, a persuasion, and a consideration. Seorim quietly looked down at the hand Ryu Hyunjun had dealt. Was this item worth the risk?

An egg is a wall that isolates you from the world, but it is also a protective barrier that shields you from the world. A tool to break the egg has come into his hands. Will he break out, embracing the danger, or will he settle for the present?

Seorim quietly raised his hand and fiddled with the white box resting in Ryu Hyunjun’s hand.

“Then… Hyunjun.”

“Yes.”

“Why are you doing all this for me?”

Even if I stay trapped inside the egg, I will only starve to death eventually. I will only become a rotten corpse, rolling around.

“Because you are precious, Seorim. And beautiful.”

“…”

“I’m also the type to get what I want, no matter what. Though everyone in this family is like that.”

What I want. To this person as well, I was not a person.

It was to be expected. The years of not being treated as a person by others were very long, so it didn’t bother him. It had to be that way.

All he had to do was not see them as people either.

“Then I’ll accept it gratefully.”

The white box was passed completely to Seorim. Ryu Hyunjun raised a corner of his lips into a crooked smile and lifted his hand to stroke Seorim’s bangs.

“Use it well. I’ve saved my number in it.”

“Okay.”

“Answer when I call. I won’t do it at late hours.”

It seemed to mean they would exchange daily messages like lovers. He would just have to play along and keep him happy.

“Thank you so much, Hyunjun.”

Seorim expressed his gratitude lightly and looked up at him. Even though the conversation was over, Ryu Hyunjun just stood there, casting a deep gaze in his direction.

Seorim knew the meaning behind that kind of look. It seemed he was expecting a reward.

Clutching the box tightly with both hands, Seorim stood on his tiptoes and pressed his lips lightly against Ryu Hyunjun’s cheek. Mwah. As he kissed him loud enough to make a sound, he could feel the smooth muscles of his face twitch.

Not stopping there, Hyunjun brought his own lips to Seorim’s ear. He too kissed him intimately, as if they were lovers.

“I hope the day comes when I can have all of you, Seorim.”

The words ‘all of you’ probably included a physical relationship. Fucking hell, anyway.

To hide the sense of disillusionment spreading in his chest, Seorim curved the corners of his eyes into a smile. I’ll look forward to it, he mouthed the insincere words, and Ryu Hyunjun’s smile deepened.

“I’ll head in first, then. It’s late, so you should get to sleep soon too, Seorim.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

After pulling Seorim into one last hug, Hyunjun turned his back and headed towards the mansion. Seorim watched his retreating figure, then glanced sideways, scanning the ground of the backyard.

The ground was frozen because it was winter. Was there anywhere to hide the mobile phone? He didn’t know what might happen if he took it into his room, so would it be better to just have it with him?

What should I do?

Just then, the greenhouse, standing alone in the darkness, suddenly caught his eye. That place was not frequented by people and would be perfect for hiding something.

His heart grew urgent. Seorim’s pace quickened.

He ran hastily to the greenhouse and opened the door. The fact that it was not well-maintained was actually a good thing. It was too dark ahead to properly discern his surroundings, but he fumbled around the floor with his hands.

His fingertips touched a long flowerbed where wilted flowers were planted. Seorim immediately plunged his hands into the soil and began to dig it out. The greenhouse blocked the cold wind, so the soil was softer and more moist compared to the ground outside.

After digging a fair amount, he buried the white box and covered it with soil and dead plants. This whole process was over in less than five minutes.

“Hah…”

He dusted his hands clean so they wouldn’t smell of soil and then wiped them on his sleeves. He had to return to his room before he ran into someone and aroused unnecessary suspicion. Even though it was winter, cold sweat beaded on his spine.

He headed for the mansion, carefully surveying his surroundings.

It was past one in the morning, so he didn’t run into anyone. Now all he had to do was open the mansion door and go up the stairs.

Creeak, the large main door opened with a grinding noise.

The gloomy interior of the mansion felt particularly desolate today. Was it because he had just committed an act that deviated from his daily routine?

He was walking, relying on the lights hung sporadically in the corridor.

“You.”

A low voice suddenly flowed into his ear. Before Seorim could turn around, someone forcefully pulled his arm back. His thin body staggered and fell toward him as if being sucked in.

He was so startled his heart hammered as if it would leap out of his mouth. A strong pheromone spread in an instant, pressing down hard on the nape of his neck.

He knew without even checking the face. The only person Seorim knew who possessed pheromones of such a thick concentration was him.

“…What is it.”

Click—.

The metallic sound of a door closing cut through the air, as if severing the two of them from the world.

“Why are you wandering around on your own at this time of night.”

The voice that scraped his vocal cords like a beast’s, and the pressure of the pheromones touching his skin, were quite different from usual. Above all, the aura emanating from him was so suffocating that it was hard to breathe.

“Whether I wander around at night or not.”

“When you’re fooling around with someone else, you should properly check who’s watching from where before you go clinging to them.”

Is spying on others a family trait in this household?

The room closest to the backyard was Ryu Yeonho’s room. He hadn’t seen him in the mansion for a few days, so he thought he was staying in Seoul, but it seemed he had been holed up like a dead mouse.

“What, trying to seduce that bastard this time?”

In the dark, unlit room, only the light in Ryu Yeonho’s eyes glinted eerily. The tone, as if chiding a cheating lover, made him feel a surge of indignation.

It was true that there had been many complicated things between them, but what right did Ryu Yeonho have?

“He was kind to me.”

“I thought I was being kind too, in my own way.”

“Who? You, Ryu Yeonho?”

“Was I not?”

Seorim slowly retraced the past. He had helped him when he first fell into the water, and then in the basement, and on the cruise, he had received help in succession. After that, he had even checked on news about his father for him. Was this what Ryu Yeonho called ‘kindness’? If so, he didn’t know what he wanted to do. Didn’t he only want his body?

“I don’t know what you want, Ryu Yeonho. Isn’t it enough that we’ve rolled around together plenty?”

“Ah, so now that you’ve confirmed your runaway father’s whereabouts, you have no more use for me?”

It was a sarcastic tone that didn’t suit him. It seemed like there was some other hidden emotion behind those words, but it was difficult for Seorim to figure out exactly what it was. For some unknown reason, his own chest churned. Seorim asked with a faintly trembling voice.

“So what? Are you going to help me escape from Chairman Ryu? You’re not, are you.”

“…”

“You won’t even return the necklace, and you’re always looking for a chance to touch me. And now you’re trying to tell me what to think about others? Who do you think you are.”

“Did Ryu Hyunjun say he’d get you out of here?”

It didn’t feel like they were having a conversation. Seorim looked at Yeonho with fed-up eyes, then twisted the corner of his lip and said.

“I don’t know. I don’t even hope for something like that. In any case, you don’t even have the slightest intention of doing so, do you? You’re just, you’re just having fun with this situation of touching your father’s concubine, aren’t you? You’re just having fun secretly taking someone else’s toy that’s good to play with and playing with it, aren’t you? You’re just curious about how I react. You just…!”

Ryu Yeonho, with a coldly hardened expression and no reply, looked as if he were angry, which was absurd. For goodness’ sake, what business was it of his who Seorim did what with? He couldn’t comprehend this situation and tried to push him away, but the grip on his shoulder was far too strong.

Besides, this abnormally thick concentration of pheromones, surely not.

“Are you in rut?”

“Is that important?”

The concentration of pheromones wavering in the air grew thicker and thicker. Even now, the fine hairs on his spine were standing on end; if this continued, it seemed it would be difficult to maintain his sanity.

“Let me go.”

“…You’re always like this.”

A short laugh escaped from Yeonho’s parted lips. It was clearly the sound of laughter, but the eyes looking down on him were as cold as the frost of winter. The moment their eyes met, he was momentarily speechless, and Seorim stopped trying to push Yeonho away.

“I was kind to you too, so why can’t you be like that with me?”

“What?”

“You didn’t smile once in front of me. Does seeing Ryu Hyunjun make you smile?”

At first, he wondered if he was joking. They were not words the usual Ryu Yeonho would utter.

“Was that bastard so delightful that you’d grin from ear to ear and rub your lips on him?”

“What are you talking about right now?”

“You’re glaring with those fucking eyes again.”

A hand extended slowly, and with a powerful grip that contradicted its speed, it seized Seorim’s jaw. He didn’t want to be overpowered by the force or the pheromones. Out of spite, Seorim managed to meet his gaze directly and said.

“When the hell were you ever kind to me.”

He hadn’t hoped for kindness. He had never expected anything. It was just baffling that a guy who didn’t even treat him like a person was saying such things, as if he had bestowed some great kindness.

“I went easy on you and treated you well. Didn’t I?”

So what did you go easy on, and when did you treat me well? And at the very least, people in the world don’t call that being kind. There was a mountain of things he wanted to spit out.

However, Ryu Yeonho gave him no chance to speak.

“But I guess a whore is a whore, you too.”

“…”

“Then I should treat you like one too.”

As soon as the words ended, Yeonho grabbed Seorim by the scruff of his neck and smashed their lips together. He tried to keep his mouth closed, but his skin was bitten. A soft lump of flesh forced its way through the gap that was pried open.

“Mmph, hngh, ugh…!”

His lip must have been torn by his teeth, because the bitter taste of blood spread in his saliva. As Seorim was unable to stand properly, Yeonho pushed him backward. With the base of his tongue captured, the bed soon hit his legs, and his body fell over.

“Ugh, hah, what are you suddenly doing.”

“Treating you like a whore.”

The lips that had parted for a moment met again. Today, the figure of Ryu Yeonho on top of him seemed even larger and more solid. No matter how hard he pushed, he wouldn’t budge.

“Get off me, please!”

“Who’s going to get off when you say it like that.”

Pop, the shirt buttoned up to his neck came undone easily. Yeonho immediately sank his teeth into his prominent collarbone and gnawed on it.

“Go on, scream. If you can.”

“…”

“Didn’t I tell you before? Whatever you do, it will only fan the flames. You were born that way.”

As if inhaling the flowing pheromones, Ryu Yeonho buried his nose in the nape of his neck and took a breath. His head was gradually growing numb, so even that became a sensitive stimulus.

It wasn’t his first time experiencing the pheromones of an alpha in rut, but this feeling of having his libido so forcibly aroused was unfamiliar. When Seorim let out a pained sound, Yeonho made a low, guttural noise.

“Look at you now. Your whole body is begging to be fucked. Desperate to get fucked by anyone.”

“Ngh, heugh, please, pleaase.”

“Too bad for you. That the one you’re spreading your legs for is me and not Ryu Hyunjun.”

He seemed to be gravely mistaken about something, but even if he was, it was difficult to understand why he was so angry. He was speaking as if he were interrogating a cheating lover. It felt unfair. Weren’t they in a relationship with no such bond, affection, or responsibility?

“Why, are you doing this. Why are you, Ryu Yeonho, hngh, ah, whyyy.”

“Why am I doing this?”

The fully unbuttoned shirt was flung over his shoulders. Ryu Yeonho looked down at the nipples that had pebbled in the cold air and let out a hot breath.

“I guess I cherished you more than I thought.”

Yeonho’s lips engulfed the hardened fruit in one go. As the erogenous zone was directly stimulated, Seorim’s body writhed. The sensation of his tongue pushing against the tip and his lips tightening around it was vivid.

“Heuk, eugh, ah, ught…!”

He hated it. He didn’t want to feel it and pant. But his body, thoroughly soaked in lust, was beyond the control of his mind. His body temperature rose, and his skin grew hot all over.

Ryu Yeonho tormented his nipples relentlessly. In addition to licking and sucking, he even set his teeth to bite them. That pain immediately sublimated into pleasure, making his vision blur even more.

“Ugh, eugh, no, ugh.”

“If you don’t like it, you shouldn’t let your nipples get so hard.”

While rolling a nipple in his mouth, Yeonho reached his hand toward Seorim’s lower body. Soon, the pants and underwear were stripped off together, and Seorim was completely naked.

Between his white, skinny legs, the area was already a mess, matted with overflowing slick. Skimming his finger through the liquid that stretched like a spiderweb, Yeonho let out a sigh tinged with excitement.

“Where did something like this roll in from.”

Was it resentment, or admiration? There was no time to think about the meaning his words held. Ziiiip. The sound of Yeonho unzipping his pants was followed by a strong pressure overwhelming Seorim.

“Heugh, ah, ah!”

Because there was no foreplay whatsoever, the entrance was not relaxed at all. There was no way a shaft the size of a child’s forearm would fit well into that narrow opening. Seorim had to endure a pain that was, quite literally, like his skin was being torn.

“It hurts, heugh, my breath, it huurts. It hurts.”

“Shut your mouth.”

“It’s too, heugh, ahk, please, then, slow, heugh, slowly.”

If it couldn’t be pulled out, he felt like he would survive only if it was done slowly. Tears that flowed physiologically ran down his cheeks, soaking the pillow. Seorim looked up at Yeonho with brimming, wet eyes. His pupils were filled with carnal desire, making him look like a beast in heat.

However, Ryu Yeonho was a man who possessed no such mercy as to listen to him. Even though the clenching inner walls must have been tight, he began to move his hips.

“Ah, it huuurts, ugh, ooh, heugh.”

“Don’t you know what to do to make it not hurt?”

“I, I don’t, heugh, eugh, ahhh.”

“Why wouldn’t a whore know that.”

Lifting Seorim’s legs and hooking them over his shoulders, Yeonho slapped his pert buttocks with his palm. Slap. At the same time, he pulled his member out in a large motion before slamming it back in, causing droplets of slick to fly.

Seorim was truly on the verge of going insane. The hole, stretched to its limit, kept squirming, greedily trying to swallow the member. It hurt, it felt like raw flesh was being torn open, yet a sense of arousal kept blooming.

He resented his disposition. It was like this every time he had a physical relationship with Ryu Yeonho. Even though his heart was not moved at all, his body wanted him so desperately. Being an omega was not a disposition, it was a curse.

“Heuk, ooh, eut.”

With his lower body lifted, the member pushed in even deeper. When the head reached the end of his inner walls, his lower abdomen bulged out. His own hairless member twitched and dripped fluid, soaking his stomach completely.

“Relax.”

Even when he couldn’t tell if what was flowing from below was blood or slick, Ryu Yeonho did not stop.

To disperse the pain, Seorim repeatedly curled and uncurled his toes. Even so, the searing pain in his buttocks, as if they had been burned, did not lessen in the slightest.

The thick head pressed down on a swollen spot on the inner wall. For a moment, sparks flew dizzily before his eyes. As Seorim whimpered and turned his head away, Yeonho sank his teeth into the nape of his neck.

“Ah, haht, eugh, crazy bastard, really…”

If a mark was left, the consequences would be entirely Seorim’s to bear. All he could do was pray that the bruise would not be large.

After thrusting into Seorim’s insides a few times, Yeonho suddenly grabbed Seorim’s member in his hand. He pumped it up and down as it, flushed red, continuously spewed precum. Even with that simple hand movement, the hole twitched and gripped the member it held even tighter.

“Ugh, hah, ahhh, mmph.”

“Honestly, can’t get satisfied with just one or two cocks.”

“No, that’s, heugh, that’s not what it is.”

“Fuck, not what it is my ass.”

With a curse, Yeonho lowered Seorim’s legs from his shoulders. Then, he lightly flipped his body over, making him lie on his stomach. Because the member wasn’t pulled out, the feeling of it twisting and turning inside his walls was chilling.

“You, you’re so fucking annoying.”

Ryu Yeonho’s muttered sentences came out in clipped fragments as he thrust his member up hard. In the first place, he didn’t have the state of mind to hear and understand exactly what was being said.

The force pushing in was so strong he felt like he was going to throw up. His knees scraped against the sheet, and his held hands felt like they would break. Because he had to muffle all the sounds coming out of his mouth, Seorim couldn’t even let out a proper moan.

“If someone’s just, kind to you, you’ll pick up and eat anything?”

“Ugh, hoo, ugh, ah.”

“Cheap trash, is what you are.”

Isn’t he the one who’s fucking that cheap trash, though?

The screams he couldn’t let out overflowed as tears. Biting his lip hard, Seorim tried to focus his vision, which kept blurring into a milky white. Though all he could manage was to rub his face against the sheet.

“Haah, then just leave me alone, please.”

It felt like a red-hot club was moving in and out of his stomach. His body had already collapsed long ago, but he was held up in a prone position solely by Ryu Yeonho’s strength.

“Make me leave you alone then.”

“Ugh, hah, eut.”

“You keep being so damn irritating, what do you want me to do?”

Yeonho’s hand fumbled over his flat lower belly before pinching a reddened nipple. His buttocks trembled on their own, and Seorim swallowed a short breath. All the while, the member continued to part his narrow inner walls.

“Heup, ah, tsk, ugh.”

Whether it was a moan or a cry, he wanted to let it out freely. He felt Ryu Yeonho’s hand slide down and gently press on his bulging lower abdomen. The muscles enveloping the member contracted tightly.

“Ooh, eugh.”

Unable to bear the arousal, his member spewed a large amount of white semen. Seeing that, Yeonho slammed his member in hard one more time.

“What a mess. Guess he’s got a cock of his own, for what it’s worth.”

Every time Seorim was pushed forward, semen scattered from the tip of his head. Thump, thump. Ryu Yeonho did not miss that lewd scene. A large hand grabbed the base of his shaft and forcibly drew out pleasure.

“Heuah, ugh, now, there’s nothing, more, to come out.”

Seorim whimpered in a voice mixed with irritation and pleading. As the hand stroked his member, his inner walls quivered. He knew he had to relax to lessen the stimulation, but he couldn’t control it.

His head was hot. It was always like this when he mixed bodies with Ryu Yeonho. The pheromones were like boiling caramel. Hot and terribly sweet, so that if you touched it with the tip of your tongue out of thirst, you’d recoil from the heat. And yet, intoxicated by that sweetness, your throat would burn again.

Holding onto Seorim, who was on the verge of collapsing, Yeonho repeated his thrusts.

And the release came while Seorim was losing his mind and panting. The head rapidly pounded the end of his inner walls. He felt something spreading inside.

His reason had already flown away, so all Seorim could do was tremble and wander in the afterglow of his climax. A foam of slick and semen mixed together trickled down his thighs.

“Heugh, ah, son of a, bitch…”

Even though they had only had sex once, his entire body was drained of strength. He had to go back to his room and fix this state. He knew that in his head.

“Do I seem like a son of a bitch to you, too?”

“Right now, you don’t look like a person.”

“Then I guess I really am a dog.”

He felt something swelling inside. Hadn’t he just cum? A genuine chill ran down his spine.

“This position is similar to how dogs in heat get it on, too.”

“Now, stop.”

“How can you breed with just one load?”

Revealing its heavy presence, the member was slowly pulled out. As Seorim was about to collapse from the release of strength, Yeonho lightly flipped him over. He grabbed his thin calves, draped them over his waist, and muttered.

“If you’re gonna get pregnant, you have to be pumped full until your belly bursts.”

There was no time to rest. Once again, the thickly erect member parted the space between his buttocks and entered. Even though the inside must have been much looser, he felt a pressure as if his chest was being crushed.

“Heugh, ah, ugh, stop, please.”

“Then why did you catch my eye.”

Ryu Yeonho bent his upper body, pressing their chests together without a single gap. A humid energy wafted from their sweat-drenched skin.

“Accept it. It’s all your fault.”

He continued to make absurd, unreasonable claims. An alpha in rut was more beast than man. As Ryu Yeonho’s rough breaths touched the nape of his neck, he felt like he had become the prey of a wild animal.

As the member pushed into his inner walls, the semen pooled inside overflowed and soaked the sheets.

Seorim, flushed red all over, opened his eyes hazily. It was hard to keep a firm grip on his sanity. The concentration of pheromones flowing in was at a lethal level.

“Thirsty.”

The words came out unconsciously. He did not see what kind of expression Ryu Yeonho made upon hearing them. Because their lips met, and his vision turned completely black.

“Mmph, heugh, ngt, eungh.”

Seorim clung to Ryu Yeonho and drank the saliva he passed over. He himself didn’t understand why he was doing this. Hanging onto his neck and passionately mixing tongues, it felt like it wasn’t him.

The second round of sex was slower, and more intimate.

Without letting go of Seorim’s lips, Yeonho slowly moved his hips. Saliva he couldn’t swallow trickled down his chin, but Seorim did not untangle their tongues.

It was strange that he felt his thirst quenched when he kissed Ryu Yeonho. When he accepted his member, along with supreme pleasure, a sense of fulfillment also washed over him.

“My head, hurts.”

“It hurts?”

Ryu Yeonho also seemed intoxicated by the pheromones. His voice had become somewhat gentle. The disposition was confusing him. An affection of unknown origin bloomed, as if he were in a romantic relationship with him.

Mwah. A pair of lips touched his forehead. It had been so long since he had received such a kiss from someone. From a stranger, not family, it was the first time.

What is this?

He didn’t want to think deeply about it. Seorim wrapped his arms around Yeonho’s neck, and Yeonho pushed his member in, gently but forcefully.

It was laughable how they were clinging to each other after fighting as if they would tear each other apart just moments ago. Seorim didn’t know why he was feeling this way either. It was just that suddenly, in this moment, he wanted to act this way.

As if whining, Seorim rubbed his cheek against Yeonho’s face. Soon, kisses landed on his eyelids, nose, and lips.

He felt a part of his stomach being filled. It was awkward. It was much more comfortable to just take the pleasure.

When Seorim unknowingly averted his gaze, Yeonho’s hand cupped his lower jaw.

“Look at me.”

“…”

“Don’t look away.”

The gaze he was forced to meet was frighteningly sharp. The surroundings were dark, but only Ryu Yeonho’s eyes shone with a ferocious light. As Seorim blinked his wet eyes, Yeonho, with a hot breath, swept his hair back.

“How could you look like this.”

The thrusting that had paused for a moment resumed. Seorim threw his head back and moaned. The sensation of the head hitting the end of his inner wall was so vivid that his toes kept curling.

“Please just, don’t talk. Just do it.”

It was better to be treated like a tool for releasing sexual desire. Feeling like he might cry for some reason, Seorim swallowed his sorrow down his throat and continued speaking.

“You’re raping me anyway, what’s the point of acting kind.”

I’m being forced. This was something he was saying to himself as well. At the rather thorny words, Yeonho stopped the hands that were caressing his body.

He was quiet for a moment, then answered in a much more cynical tone.

“Yeah, that’s probably right for you.”

The union that followed was so cold and violent it couldn’t even be compared to before.

The speed of the thrusting became faster. There was no touch that carried any sort of gentleness. As if just trying to release pent-up sexual desire, Yeonho pressed down on Seorim’s shoulders and dug into the hole.

“Clench properly. You have to take all my cum properly.”

The warmth they had shared moments ago had vanished without a trace.

This is better. Rather than foolishly feeling a body’s warmth and realizing its sweetness, it’s better not to taste it at all.

Seorim let out a small cough from the crushing pain and closed his eyes. The tears that had gathered on his wet eyelashes rolled down.

🦅

He had not counted how many times they had sex, nor did he remember well.

Naturally, he thought it would be difficult to walk back to his room on his own two feet. If Chairman Ryu, noticing his absence, were to discover his concubine in such a terrible state after being caught by his son in rut, it seemed unlikely he would forgive him with his generous heart. Seorim lost consciousness while calculating the probability of being beaten to death the next day.

And when he opened his eyes, surprisingly, his body was lying in his own bedroom.

A human voice did not come out of his hoarse throat. Seorim could only manage a wheezing sound as he stroked his own neck.

He felt like his whole body was a wreck. He had to pretend to be fine in preparation for facing Chairman Ryu. Should he say he caught a terrible cold since the weather was cold?

Who brought him here?

If it was Ryu Yeonho, how did he manage to bring him here safely without being seen by anyone? How much time had passed since that tryst?

What the end of the night they spent together was like. The hazy memory was like a painting blurred by water. Unable to organize his thoughts, Seorim got out of bed as if crawling.

He opened the drawer next to the bed and took out the birth control pills that filled it. Tossing them into his mouth without water, a strong, dull pain arose in his throat. Feeling the pills stick to his swollen throat, he forced himself to swallow.

He had been unlucky. To be caught in that scene by Ryu Yeonho of all people, and to end up as a partner for a guy in rut. Even though he had slept for a long time, his body was still not well.

“…Son of a bitch.”

A shameless, crazy bastard. The insides of his thighs trembled as if he were still holding a foreign object between his legs. Seorim stroked the lightly spasming muscles with his hand and looked out the window.

The sunlight, half-hidden by clouds, was shining down, albeit dimly. It seemed he had been deeply asleep for well over half a day.

Since the traces of their tryst might still be on his body, Seorim stood in front of the mirror to tidy himself up. But strangely, apart from his complexion looking tired, his appearance was fine.

There was just a man with a languid expression from having slept for a long time; the sticky skin from the bodily fluids and sweat of the night was nowhere to be seen. Even his hair, which should have been matted with things like semen, was soft and had a nice fragrance.

Did he even wash me? Such dedication.

Seorim stared blankly at the faint bruise around his collarbone, then put on the cardigan hanging on the bed’s headboard.

Grumble—.

As he slid his arms into the sleeves, his hungry stomach made a twisting sound. It was absurd that he was hungry in the midst of all this.

How could the human body react so intensely to such primitive desires? Sexual desire, appetite, the need for sleep. He felt like he had become a beast that moves in pursuit of desire.

Though looking at his current life, it was true that he was closer to an animal living as it is made to live, rather than a person with intellect.

The thought that he should go down and fill his starving stomach with something to eat came to him.

Dragging his body that felt as heavy as if sandbags were tied to it, Seorim left the room.

There was no strength in his pelvis, so going down the stairs was an ordeal. This old mansion had unnecessarily high ceilings. His energy was at rock bottom, he was hungry, and various parts of his body ached at the same time, so his brow furrowed on its own.

He was coming down with a cold sweat on his forehead, unseasonable for the weather.

“Baby, you’re coming down with such a long face.”

At the unexpectedly heard voice, the hand Seorim had clutched on the stair railing trembled. Flinch.

“…Husband.”

They hadn’t been apart for that long, but Chairman Ryu’s voice sounded incredibly unfamiliar. Was it because the anxiety that had flooded his mind was enveloping his eardrums? To wet his dry throat, he swallowed, and the gulp of saliva scratched its way down his vocal cords like a fishbone.

“They said you caught a cold.”

A wrinkled hand came forward abruptly. Chairman Ryu lightly wiped away the bead of sweat on Seorim’s forehead. To hide his momentarily shaken eyes, Seorim lowered his gaze.

“Did you go for a walk on such a cold day?”

“I was feeling a little, stuffy.”

“Seeing you sweating so profusely like this, you must be very sick.”

He was being unusually caring today. Chairman Ryu muttered to himself, leaving Seorim, whose face had turned pale as he kept his mouth tightly shut.

“You look so frail, you might break from just a little use.”

That was not something one should say to the person standing in front of them. He was so fed up it made him want to vomit. This house, everyone around Baek Seorim, they were all the same.

Seorim’s eyes were momentarily tinged with anger before it gradually faded, settling into a cold calm. He wanted to escape this place. No, he had to escape. To live.

“Should I have them make some porridge for you?”

Unaware of what was going on in his mind, Chairman Ryu continued to offer his strange kindness. Seorim lifted his lowered head, put on an artificial smile, and replied.

“It’s alright, Husband. I’ll be better after some rest.”

“Don’t overdo it. It’s inconvenient for me too if you’re sick.”

“I’m sorry for not taking care of my body.”

“Right. Your face is deathly pale, making me worry.”

At some point, his hunger had subsided. As Seorim just showed a vacant smile, Chairman Ryu groped his buttocks and shoulders. The blunt touch felt particularly unpleasant, and enduring it was agonizing.

Even knowing he was sick, all that oozed from his fingertips was lust. A fundamental revulsion towards the man named Chairman Ryu arose.

“Then, get some rest.”

As if he was done kneading someone else’s flesh to his liking, Chairman Ryu cleared his throat and removed his hand. Slurp, slurp, he made a vulgar noise by clicking his tongue and moved away.

Seorim stood still and watched the old man’s retreating back.

If he were abandoned by that man, would he be able to return to society completely? Would he say that since he had suffered so much, all his debts would be forgiven, and now he should find his own life and live freely, letting him go with a supportive hand?

Even imagining it himself, it wasn’t even funny.

No one knew what would happen if he continued to live like this. And if something did happen, there was no one who would take responsibility. Other than family bound by blood, life was thoroughly lonely, and Seorim knew all too well that even that family would abandon each other.

…Family.

Father. The person closest to him from the moment he was born, the only blood tie that could not be severed even by death.

‘Is that you, Seorim?’

The voice that had called his name came to mind. His heart’s beating became so rapid it was as if he had just finished a frantic run.

He wanted to see his father again. He wanted to beg him to save him. He wanted to grab the hem of his father’s pants, who dared to live a new life alone, and cling to him, telling him to save him since he was the one who threw him into this pit.

Ironically, while his father was the one who had pushed Seorim into this mire, he was also the only one who could offer even a faint hand of help.

Seorim looked out at the drawing room, where a silence had fallen after Chairman Ryu had disappeared.

The cold outside was particularly severe for him to go out in just a cardigan. Winter is coming. It was a season that erased everything.

There was no hesitation in the hand that opened the main door and left the mansion.

His heart was pounding more loudly than ever, but his mind was as cold as the razor-sharp wind that brushed against his cheek. Goosebumps rose on the spot where the cold air had cooled his sweat. The cold was not an issue.

His steps were headed for the greenhouse.

Careful not to be seen by anyone, Seorim calmly surveyed his surroundings before stepping inside. Among the untidy, scattered flowerbeds, he quickly found the one with an awkward mound of soil piled on it.

His bony hands became claws, digging through the soil. The tips of his fingers were scratched by bits of stone, but it didn’t matter. After digging out and pushing aside a few handfuls, the white box immediately revealed itself.

Seorim swallowed to moisten his constantly dry throat and then opened the box. He flipped over the white mobile phone and pressed the power button, and thankfully, it lit up. It seemed it had been charged beforehand.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had held a mobile phone.

It must have been the latest model, as it was light and had a large screen. Seorim held the mobile phone in his hand and just stared down at it for a moment before placing his finger on the contacts. There was one saved number. ‘Ryu Hyunjun’. How straightforward.

Calming his trembling heart, Seorim looked around his surroundings. There was no one in the greenhouse, but there was no harm in being more careful, so he went into a corner and squatted down.

The name of the golf club he went to with Chairman Ryu was, surely…

The finger that had been hovering over the search bar typed in the business name ‘Hansarang Golf Club’.

A simply designed homepage appeared on the screen. Seorim quickly scrolled down and found the customer service number. He had already thought out how he would act.

He composed his breath and entered the number listed for customer service into the dialer and saved it. In his mind, he considered the possibility that Ryu Hyunjun had installed a listening device on the mobile phone.

It wasn’t a brand-new product, and given his unhinged nature, the probability was not entirely low. If that was the case, he had to connect with his father while having a conversation that wouldn’t matter if someone else overheard it.

Seorim stared intently at the golf club’s contact number. And not long after, he pressed the call button.

A somewhat tacky jingle introducing the golf club greeted Seorim.

— This is Hansarang Golf Club.

Soon, a woman with a kind and youthful voice answered the phone. Seorim glanced once at the greenhouse door, then cleared his throat.

“Is this the club?”

— Yes, how may I help you?

“I visited a little while ago. My boss said he received some help from an employee there.”

— Help?

Her questioning tone seemed a bit naive.

“He has some difficulty getting around, and it seems the employee provided very good service. He said he was very pleased with the service. He wants to give him a separate token of appreciation.”

— Ah, is that so. By any chance, do you remember the employee’s name?

“The name, I think it was Mr. Lee Jeongnam. A bit on the older side.”

It was the name Ryu Yeonho had told him, the name his father was currently using.

— Excuse me, but may I ask where you are calling from?

So she’s asking this. He couldn’t just say he was one of Chairman Ryu’s people. Seorim took the mobile phone away from his ear and quickly rolled his eyes, then spotted a brand name written on the bottom of a flowerpot.

“This is Harang. It’s been a while since we visited, but my boss just mentioned it now.”

— Ah, Harang. I see. Just a moment, please.

Hearing her reply, it seemed the employee didn’t know the information of all the members. Or perhaps, by a stroke of luck, the president of the company that made this flowerpot really was a member of the club.

— I apologize for the wait. I’m sure our employee will be happy that your boss was so thoughtful. Would it be more convenient if I sent Mr. Lee Jeongnam’s contact information via text message?

“No. If you tell me now, I’ll jot it down separately.”

— Yes, the contact number is…

A string of numbers starting with 010 flowed into Seorim’s ear. He got it. It felt like all the blood in his body was flowing in reverse.

“Thank you.”

The call ended. In his hand remained his father’s contact information. The first card to break the egg had been silently thrown.