Vol 7 Ch 4

The place I lived in Macau was also called a villa, but the interior facilities and the people living there were as different as heaven and earth.

Of course, no matter how spacious it was, the areas Joo Hawon used were essentially just the master room and the living room. The maids employed by the villa came once a day to clean, and Joo Hawon would either be sleeping or reading during that time. If it weren’t for Kwon Taeha telling him not to do any work until his health improved, he would have been so restless he’d have found something to do.

Kwon Taeha tossed his suit jacket onto the living room sofa.

“You chose this place knowing, right?”

“……”

He looked back at Joo Hawon as he undid his watch.

“You knew the CEO of Samho Shipbuilding lives here, right?”

“I just needed a place to submit a bid instead of the shipbuilding and marine company. That’s all there is to it. No other meaning.”

“You’re not seriously telling me to provide… wifely support, are you?”

Kwon Taeha laughed incredulously.

“It’s been almost two months since we last met. I don’t have time for this nonsense.”

As if tired from the long flight, he raised his arms for a light stretch and walked towards the pool built into one side of the living room. Truthfully, Joo Hawon was also glad to see him.

As he said, it really had been nearly two months, and on some nights when Joo Hawon slept alone, he had even deliberately left the lights on. It was because he hoped Kwon Taeha, who came to Korea whenever he found time, would be able to rest comfortably even if he arrived late at night. He didn’t show the slight feeling of hurt he felt towards Kwon Taeha, who rebuked him without knowing this.

Sitting on the stepped entrance of the pool with half his body submerged, Kwon Taeha stretched out his hand.

“Come here.”

Joo Hawon also took off his clothes, one by one. Then, wearing only his briefs, he stepped into the pool. Water swirled around his ankles on the first step, and as he took another step, it submerged up to his calves.

“Take it all off.”

As he said this, Kwon Taeha used his index finger to pull down the briefs instead.

“Still… a baby.”

Joo Hawon splashed water right at Kwon Taeha’s face, who was mocking his lower body. Kwon Taeha wiped his face with his palm and then hooked his arm around Joo Hawon’s waist. In an instant, Joo Hawon was submerged up to his chest, held in Kwon Taeha’s embrace.

“Have you been exercising well?”

Perhaps because he was suddenly submerged, his heart raced. Kwon Taeha let his hand slide down, enclosing Joo Hawon’s p*nis with his hot palm.

“Ah… Yes… I have.”

“And how about here?”

Kwon Taeha’s hand fondled the area where the bullet had passed through. It tickled.

“Don’t… touch there.”

“Does it hurt?”

It doesn’t hurt. Perhaps because moisture gathered on his lips, his voice dissipated damply.

Kwon Taeha traced his lips from Joo Hawon’s collarbone to his jaw, then grasped the nape of his neck. He looked down at Joo Hawon’s face above him and used his own tongue to wipe the damp, wet lips. The pool, completed in the living room for its supposed cardiovascular benefits, was used more often with Kwon Taeha than by Joo Hawon alone.

Since his discharge from the hospital, Kwon Taeha would sometimes drive into him roughly during sex, but if Joo Hawon’s hand rose to his chest, he would check his expression. He checked if his red lips were turning blue, if his breathing was becoming ragged.

He separated Joo Hawon’s wet strands of hair one by one and pressed his erect p*nis against his buttocks.

“…CEO.”

What? he said, sliding his hand between the cleft of his buttocks. His body trembled at the gentle touch. I don’t like this. Being handled carefully, as if he might break, was not what Joo Hawon wanted. He just wanted to be treated like before. If this was an act, a man pretending to be affectionate because he’d been shot by Kwon Yijae, he disliked it even more. He didn’t want him to feel guilt, and he didn’t want to forcibly change Kwon Taeha’s preferences either.

“You can… be rougher… It’s okay. Ah!”

A single finger pushed insistently into the gradually opening anus. The way he pushed in and pulled out teasingly, stroking the soft folds, made his lower abdomen twitch. Joo Hawon tightly hugged Kwon Taeha’s shoulders and lifted his hips, trying to impale himself on the p*nis directly. A gasp escaped Kwon Taeha’s lips too, but he held Joo Hawon’s hips, preventing the insertion.

“Slowly, take it slowly.”

Joo Hawon shook his head. Droplets of water scattered onto Kwon Taeha’s cheek.

When he tried to insert it again, Kwon Taeha didn’t stop him this time and looked up at Joo Hawon from below. A droplet rolled down his smooth collarbone with an almost audible trickle and hung precariously on his nipple. Unable to hold back, Kwon Taeha gripped Joo Hawon’s waist firmly and bit the stiffly standing nipple.

“Ah!”

He supported Joo Hawon’s head, which had jerked backward from the sudden impact of insertion.

Splash, splash! The friction of the water, usually unnoticed, now transformed into a lewd sound, seemingly spurring on the indecent act. Because of the buoyancy, he lifted Joo Hawon’s lighter body and carried him out of the water.

The carpet surrounding the pool tickled his back. Out of the water, Kwon Taeha lifted Joo Hawon’s thighs upward. He placed his tongue on the tightening entrance again, then licked upward in a swift motion.

He rolled the tes*ic*es, which had hardened like his member, in his mouth, releasing and repeating. His rising lips soon reached the pubis, devoid of hair. He sucked fiercely on the taut skin above the p*nis.

“Ah! Ah… Why… always there…”

Contrary to his words of refusal, Joo Hawon tangled his hands in Kwon Taeha’s hair. Kwon Taeha laughed lowly, sometimes soothing the sucked area with his tongue, other times sucking fiercely again, chewing on it gently. The very lower abdomen, which had been fine moments before, soon turned red and blotchy. Saliva in his mouth stuck thickly, tasting sweet.

When he swallowed the p*nis, a trembling moan burst forth. The sensation of being sucked up fiercely sent currents racing from his toes to the top of his head.

Kwon Taeha, who had been digging into the hole with three or four fingers, twisted them together in a circle. The moment a dizzying illusion, like white flashes, occurred, he spat out the p*nis he’d been holding. The pleasure coursing through his body stopped just before climax.

“Ugh!”

Joo Hawon’s body twisted, the sensation of climax soaring to its peak but unable to be released. Holding the thigh that was trembling and convulsing, Kwon Taeha pressed the glans against the an*s. He pushed in, forcing his way through Joo Hawon’s inner walls, which had contracted from the excessive orgasm. Joo Hawon could only open his mouth soundlessly, gripping Kwon Taeha’s forearm until his knuckles turned white.

His eyes burned hotly, and his ears felt numb, as if filled with water. All his nerves concentrated below, fully feeling the shock of being forcibly stretched open.

Only after fully inserting his p*nis into the tight depths did Kwon Taeha finally stroke Joo Hawon’s heaving chest. Just as he thought the fierce heartbeat he felt with his fingertips had calmed slightly, he suddenly pulled his p*nis out and thrust up against the prostate again.

“Ah! Aah!”

With a gush, semen spurted from Joo Hawon’s p*nis.

With each continued thrust, semen poured out in gulps, and later, only thin fluid trickled out, dirtying his stomach. Thump! As Kwon Taeha thrust down fiercely from above, the impact traveled all the way to his tailbone.

“Haa, are you okay?”

He asked, lifting the thigh higher and driving his c*ck deeper inside. Joo Hawon nodded his head repeatedly without realizing it and pulled him into an embrace. Joo Hawon’s p*nis, beginning to lose strength from ejaculation, shook helplessly with Kwon Taeha’s movements.

Kwon Taeha raised his hips and grabbed the softening gen*t*ls. As he jerked and shook it, it began to stiffen again. The orange light from the chandelier hanging from the ceiling blurred hazily.

Hahak, hak, Joo Hawon, short of breath, steadied his blurry vision and clenched his buttocks tightly.

“…Do it, CEO, do it now.”

Kwon Taeha shuddered at the inner walls clinging tightly to his c*ck. He was moving unconsciously, like a seductress, deliberately trying to induce his own climax. Joo Hawon had reached his physical limit, but he didn’t want to ejaculate yet. Still, unable to push any further, Kwon Taeha pushed himself to the limit, tormenting his hole with his thrusts.

Breathing ragged, Joo Hawon’s nape was cupped in his hand, and just as the urge to spill deep inside surged overwhelmingly, he pulled his cock out immediately. He came on Joo Hawon’s thigh.

Seeing Kwon Taeha, who had tilted his head sideways and frowned, Joo Hawon’s face flushed hot. He had rubbed the soft thigh with his glans.  

“You could have done it inside…,” Joo Hawon mumbled, but it didn’t reach his ears.

Kwon Taeha wiped Joo Hawon’s thigh with a nearby bath towel. He even wiped his chest with the towel that had been briefly dipped in the pool water.  

Lying on his side, he calmly patted the back of Joo Hawon, who was catching his breath.  

Reaching toward the table where the towel had been placed, he pulled out a cigarette, but hesitated before lighting it.  

For some reason, Kwon Taeha crumpled the fresh cigarette and tossed it into the ashtray.

Joo Hawon only followed his actions with his eyes.

A man who used to enjoy receiving oral now didn’t even try unless asked; a man who hardly smoked would unconsciously reach for a cigarette after sex.

This was what he disliked.  

It wasn’t that he wanted sex solely for his own pleasure, but he didn’t want to be with someone who forced themselves to suppress their impulses during sex.  

The guilt wasn’t his alone.  

Joo Hawon even found himself thinking… if only he hadn’t been shot—

“…Would you like me to suck it?”

Joo Hawon, still lying on his side, looked up at Kwon Taeha.

“Not enough?”

“……”

“Then do it tomorrow.”

He lifted Joo Hawon as he spoke.

“We’ll be together for a while anyway.”

“Your work… is it okay?”

Of course it wasn’t okay, Kwon Taeha thought, as he led Joo Hawon into the bathroom.

Joo Hawon also knew he was busier than usual. Coinciding with Kwon Yijae’s death, the Land Lease and military arms sales between STA and Tex were made public. The impact wasn’t just fines in the billions but also a sharp decline in STA Corporation’s stock price. On top of that, STA, which used to rank third among the most favored companies in Germany, had now been pushed out of the top ten. With its image in need of renewal, the next generation would have to put in even more effort.

After a quick shower, the two sat down on the living room sofa. Since the intercom hadn’t rung, Joo Hawon assumed Kwon Jaehee was still on the 13th floor. Kwon Taeha opened his iPad, checked some documents, and signed them. Watching him, Joo Hawon sipped his beer and asked,

“Why did you do it?”

He lifted his eyes from the iPad and replied,

“What?”

“You didn’t have to.”

“True.”

It sounded evasive, almost indifferent. So instead of pressing further, Joo Hawon just drank his beer. Then his gaze dropped to the faint trace of a tattoo still lingering on his wrist. The tattoo had been erased before his discharge, and Taeha had never mentioned it.

“Aeil Kwon… he became Tex’s CEO.”

“That’s because of me.”

“Because of you?”

“I actually wanted to crush him.”

Closing the cover of his iPad, Kwon Taeha looked at Joo Hawon.

“But thanks to that, I was able to save you. So what can I do? I’ll have to wait for next time.”

Though the thought still made his blood boil.

Kwon Taeha muttered inwardly. He would never say it aloud, that when Aeil carved the tattoo, he had implanted a chip into Joo Hawon’s wrist, and that chip was what allowed him to track him down.

Just as a puzzled Joo Hawon was about to ask something else, the intercom rang. The bodyguard confirmed it was Kwon Jaehee and let him in. He’d clearly had a fair bit to drink, yet his clothes and posture remained impeccable. Jaehee glanced at the soaked carpet near the pool before walking to the center of the living room where Taeha and Hawon sat.

“Isn’t that a bit much? Tossing me into the tiger’s den while you two slipped out safely.”

Laughing, Jaehee dropped into the empty seat on the sofa.

“I’d say the ones on the 13th floor were probably more nervous than us.”

The so-called tiger in the den was likely Jaehee himself.

“Oh? Hawon, your face looks healthier than usual.”

“Seeing you again, Director, I feel good. That’s all.”

Joo Hawon brushed it off lightly, draining the rest of his beer.

“Well, I’m glad you look better, at least.”

Jaehee already knew. That a bullet fired by Kwon Yijae had nearly cost Hawon his life, and that he might have to live with that risk forever.

Whoever started the fight, the one who had effectively brought down the Joo family was none other than Kwon Taeha. He couldn’t even claim Taeha had no part in Joo Sangkyung’s suicide. And yet the two of them were living together. Taeha wasn’t forcing Hawon to stay, nor was Hawon clinging to him out of hatred.

Jaehee found their relationship truly puzzling.

“Hawon, what is it you like about Taeha?”

He wouldn’t have dared ask if not for the alcohol. When Hawon had visited his studio before, his manner toward Taeha had been polite but far colder than now.

“……”

Hawon just stared at him, trying to gauge his intent.

“Be honest. Your father, and mine too… every time you look at each other, doesn’t it all come back to you?”

“They’re dead.”

“…What?”

“They’re both dead. So what difference does it make?”

The friendly look Hawon had shown Jaehee earlier now sharpened with caution.

Still, Jaehee thought his answer was the perfect one. The dead are dead, the living are living. But human hearts rarely move so cleanly.

Even he, when he thought of Hyun Jeongwon, first felt sorrow and longing. They’d barely shared a single moment face-to-face, so there was no real reason to miss him. And yet, because he’d never received a father’s love from Yijae, perhaps that made him yearn all the more. In that sense, Hawon had grown up with Sangkyung’s excessive affection. Even if Sangkyung had been in the wrong first, could Taeha truly be forgiven? No—perhaps not forgiven, but shouldn’t the two of them have lived separate lives?

Jaehee recalled his brother’s words:
“Well, I don’t know if sparks will fly.”

The fundamental problem between Taeha and Hawon could never be solved. It had all begun with their fathers, and the past was already set in stone. All they could do was avoid thinking about it. That’s why Hawon had spoken so coldly. They were both dead, so what did it matter?

But was it really that good? Good enough to bury the past so deliberately?

It was an emotion Jaehee had never experienced, so he couldn’t define it. Still, the chill in his side reminded him. Ah… so this is what loneliness feels like. He turned to Hawon, who still looked displeased, and said,

“No reason, really. I’m just jealous, because I’m alone.”

“You’ll meet someone good soon.”

“I suppose I should have a child. In Taeha’s place.”

He glanced at Taeha, who was sipping his beer.

One of the reasons Taeha had placed him in STA’s CEO seat must have been the matter of an heir. Unless the world flipped upside down, Hawon wasn’t going to become a woman, so children weren’t possible. And if Taeha himself stayed in the position, Hawon would only be in greater danger.

Among Taeha’s close aides were those with such excessive loyalty that they acted on their own. Jade Miller was one of them, and he’d already gone astray. Jaehee now realized as he laughed inwardly—his brother was, after all, brutally calculating and rational.

Even when forced by Kwon Yijae and Felix into acting as Mailer Kwon’s proxy, Taeha had still considered the calculations and offered Jaehee a deal. With Yijae’s shareholding, Mailer could never become CEO, and the majority vote against him was already secured. That was why Yijae had spent years buying up Felix’s shares in STA.

The one with the larger shareholding held the power, which meant victory. That was the law of this world.

Eva Kwon would never recognize Mailer as heir, so her shares had inevitably gone to Taeha. If Yijae hadn’t died, the two of them would have been locked in a succession battle for years. And while Yijae’s mental illness was serious, it wasn’t so debilitating that he couldn’t perform his duties. The one who had cornered him by exploiting it was none other than Taeha, who now sat there watching Hawon with feigned indifference.

Even without Eva’s transferred shares, Taeha was already a major shareholder. For over a decade, he had rallied minor shareholders to his side, and in the event of a succession battle, their delegated shares alone would have reached nearly 13%. Yet Taeha had carried out an act that damaged himself. The very question puzzling Jaehee was the same one Hawon had asked—why had he voluntarily made public the morally questionable arms sales and land lease?

With a loud pop, Jaehee cracked open another beer—and at that moment recalled something he had overlooked.

For reasons unknown, Taeha had transferred 10% of his own STA shares to Aeil. Thanks to that, Aeil’s stake had overtaken his. Within a few years, Tex could very well swallow STA whole. In the end, the land lease and arms sales disclosure had been a calculated strike against Tex.

It was, in a sense, cutting off one’s own flesh to save the bones. Aeil had been busy cleaning up Tex’s stock crash and fines, while Taeha had covered the penalties using Yijae’s shares.

The arms sales had been orchestrated under Yijae’s lead, and even though he was dead, accountability couldn’t be erased. Mailer was left with the remainder of the shares, nothing more.

Certainly, STA Corporation had taken a hit. But the fines were paid in full, and by exposing a scandal that could have remained hidden, the company’s heir had simultaneously announced himself as a moral and exemplary successor. When STA’s stock plummeted, the first thing Taeha did was buy. It was only possible because he was confident the price would rebound. Short-term loss, long-term gain.

Jaehee decided to stop thinking. He was just one of Taeha’s chess pieces now, and should be content with being a salaried CEO. He could never be as thorough or calculating as his brother.

“Why?”

Taeha, sensing his gaze, asked.

“Just because. It just crossed my mind.”

“How lame.”

Kwon Taeha’s change had a lot to do with Joo Sangkyung’s kidnapping incident. Taeha must have felt the danger of death right up close and wanted power. And now, sitting beside him was the son of the man who had created such a monster. What was funny was that this so-called business monster lost his rationality in front of Joo Hawon. Kwon Jaehee was convinced that the reason Taeha had given Aeil Kwon a share was somehow connected to Hawon. Kwon Jaehee laughed as he drank his beer.

“Mind if I turn in first?”

After finishing four cans of beer alone, Joo Hawon asked Kwon Taeha and Kwon Jaehee.

“Go ahead, you must be tired.”

“I’ll be in soon.”

At their replies, Joo Hawon nodded. On his way to the master bedroom, he glanced back briefly at the two brothers.

He thought maybe it was his fault that Kwon Taeha hadn’t been able to take the CEO position. No matter how advanced Germany might be, a conglomerate CEO having a same-sex partner was not something the world welcomed. On top of that, Taeha had stayed by his side for half a month, neglecting his work. The truth that Joo Hawon himself was the one who had leaked information to WikiLeaks was something that could never be revealed. For corporate figures, WikiLeaks was the symbol of subversion, and its whistleblowers were enemies to be hunted down and punished.

Tang Bang… What weighed on his mind most was that he had to keep that man’s mouth shut. Of course, since the man was deeply involved, he wouldn’t easily speak up.

Joo Hawon dimmed the lights of the master bedroom, which had been bright, and lay down on the bed. Though the bed was large, he pressed himself closer to the corner to leave space beside him. Even though Taeha had stepped down from the successor’s seat, he had never once blamed him. On the contrary, Taeha had only cared for him as if he were injured, and that made Hawon constantly recall his mistakes and guilt. He tossed and turned, trying not to think about what Kwon Jaehee had asked.

If they picked apart every detail, neither he nor Taeha would be able to stay together. Even if it was selfish, he wanted to hold on to this moment.

Joo Hawon rubbed his face against the soft pillow and lay facing the side Taeha would come in from. He blinked slowly, his eyelids growing heavy even with the light still on.