The first thing that came to him was the rich scent of flowers that sweetly touched his lungs. The next thing that caught his attention was a large bouquet of flowers in full bloom. His voice softly flowing into his ear. "Did you sleep well?" "……Wow." It was only after a while that Yoo-shin realized that the only answer he said was a blank exclamation. "I really like the scent of flowers. But why the bouquet?" "This is our first date since we started dating." Hyeon Gyuha didn't seem to have any particular awareness that he was on his way to work. In Yoo-shin didn't care about such trivial matters either, but he felt a little dizzy. This was the first time he received a bouquet since his graduation from the monks as a congratulatory gift. "Thank you. I'll place it well...… ." The words coming out of In Yoo-shin’s mouth, who raised his head while holding a bouquet of flowers that were heavy even with both hands, faded like a groan at the end. Not only his mouth, but his head also became empty in an instant. His vision was obscured by the abundant bouquet of flowers, so he could only see them now. A refreshing ivory three-piece suit with a vest, a handkerchief on the left chest, and a collar bar with delicate decorations. Hyeon Gyu-ha, who had even neatly combed his light-colored hair that was usually messy, tapped the floor of the hallway with his shoe and bent his waist to a sharp line. "I tried hard today, but how do I look?" In Yoo-shin, who had been staring blankly up at him with his mouth wide open, barely managed to come to his senses at those words. It was a self-evident fact that there was a halo on his face, and he had thought he had gotten used to his good looks, but he was wrong. He had been amazed just by the fact that it wasn't a familiar riding jacket, but the elegant fit of the suit that hugged his sleek, muscular body made him shut his mouth. "You look awesome......" Even he thought it was a hopeless vocabulary. It was such a thing that came out of his quivering lips. But that simple quiver made Hyeon Gyu-ha smile. “That’s the best compliment.” He was about to sweep his bangs back as a habit, but his half-gloved hand seemed to stop in midair and then he vaguely lowered it. The poorly made hamster-shaped ring, a quirky detail on his otherwise formal suit, confirmed that the person in front of me was indeed Hyeon Gyu-ha. His mouth finally opened when he saw the ring. In Yoo-shin took a deep breath and hid his flushed cheeks with the bouquet. I had been wondering how to greet Hyeon Gyu-ha today, but I never imagined that I would be met with such beauty that left me speechless. “It’s the first time I’ve seen you in a suit.” “It’s my first time wearing one, too. When I’ve been invited to parties or events, I’ve just worn my usual clothes or something. I’m relieved that it’s not weird.” “Why have you become so cool…….” “It’s a little uncomfortable.” Hyeon Gyu-ha unconsciously touched the cuff links on his dress shirt with his fingers as if he wasn’t used to it. The diamonds set closely together must be real, not fake. In Yoo-shin’s mind briefly felt dizzy as he imagined Hyeon Gyu-ha putting on cufflinks in front of the mirror. "But since Master likes it, I’ll wear it everyday from now on." "No, that's a bit……………………" In Yoo-shin took a deep breath. "If I see this every morning, I think I'll have a heart attack and not live long." It was a serious answer, but Hyeon Gyu-ha covered his mouth with his hand and smiled slightly. The hamster ring was cute. Earlier, it felt unbalanced with the suit, but now that I look at it, even the hamster was perfect. “Then I’ll wear it sometimes. Specifically, when I need to attack Yoo-shin- ssi  with my face, that’s okay, right?” “I’ve already been attacked……………….” In Yoo-shin was certain that if he attacked with that face, he would fall in less than a second. If I had been born as a king in my past life, wouldn’t I have been bewitched by Hyeon Gyu-ha’s face and sold my country? It was a morning when he truly understood the true meaning of a beautiful person. “Squeak!” 8- se  also let out a joyful sound from his pouch, perhaps because the scent of the flowers was pleasant. After leaving the bouquet on the table and greeting the 6- se , he left the front door. I thought only the scent of flowers was fragrant, but the faint scent of perfume also gently wafted to the tip of my nose. “I’ll change my perfume every day, so if there’s one you like, tell me. I’ll only use that.” In Yoo-shin licked his dry lips with his tongue. I didn’t know much about perfume, and the scent Hyeon Gyu-ha wore today was not irritating and had a refreshing feel, which was nice. But I could say this one thing for sure. “Even without perfume, you smells good……. Ah, n-no, you can use it as your favorite perfume.” As he was talking, the nuance felt strange, so he quickly tried to fix it, but Hyeon Gyu-ha’s lips had already turned red. The scent seemed to be getting closer. Hyeon Gyu-ha bent down and left a short kiss on the skin around his earlobe, then nuzzled his nose against his neck. The hairs on his neck stood on end. “I like your body scent better, Yoo-shin- ssi . I wish I could rub it on me.” Hyeon Gyu-ha smiled slightly at him, who reflexively rubbed his reddened neck in surprise, and held out a hand as if to escort him. “Then shall we go, Master- nim ?” All of his single-person jitters surged again as he walked alongside him. I don’t know why it looks so dangerous today, even though I’ve climbed up and down the stairs hundreds of times. I felt like he would notice the cold sweat on my palm as I held Hyeon Gyu-ha’s hand, and I felt like I would misstep because the steps were so high, and I felt like I would fall over the railing. “Since it’s our first day of dating, if you’re nervous, should we do a concept?” “What’s that?” “A couple in a political marriage.” “What?” I wondered what he was talking about, but it was a more specific concept than I thought. “Yoo-shin- ssi  is the Grand Duke of the North who has been able to tame hamsters for generations, and I’m Yeong-ae who got married in a political marriage. We pretended to be a good couple on the outside after getting married, but now we finally have a connection.” I don’t know what he’s saying, but as I listened to his voice calmly spouting off embarrassing nonsense like usual, my nervousness melted away. I can’t be sure what’s real and what’s fake, but for now, I think I can just accept this moment completely. ‘It's not entirely... but I think I'm getting a little used to Gyu-ha- ssi  in a suit, and there won't be any more surprises.’ I knew it was a hasty decision as soon as I got down to the front of the house.  The bike that always greeted him was nowhere to be seen, and a stylish sports car that didn't fit in with the old residential area was parked there. It looked luxurious at first glance, and it seemed to be a limited edition car made using byproducts of the devil. “There was a car like this in our neighborhood?” At that scene that felt uncomfortable, a local resident walking to work muttered to himself and glanced at him. In Yoo-shin asked, half in disbelief. “Is this Gyu-ha- ssi ’s car……?” “I brought him here today, instead of Gap-sik, but we haven’t named him yet. Will you name him?” “Um, uh……………. I’ll think about it slowly.” It's a relief it's not a name like Samdol, but when it comes down to it, I couldn't think of anything for the humanoid god either. ‘Well, if you wear a suit and ride a bike, your outfit will get messy.’ There wasn’t a single scratch on the shiny, dark blue body, as if it was a brand new car that had just been purchased. The emblems of both companies’ cars were also shiny and glossy. “I didn't realize you had a car. I didn't see one when I visited your place before.” “It's not something worth taking you to the parking lot to show you. It's not like I bought it myself; Kkeut(끝녀)-nyeo noona sends me one of each color whenever a new car comes out.” It seems someone around the head of sales at both car companies is a fan of Hyeon Gyu-ha. By the way, Kkeut-nyeo is quite a classic name. Hyeon Gyu-ha would be able to call even a 100-year-old grandmother as her sister, so In Yoo-shin, who had been nodding, suddenly raised his head. Yang-sa and Keut-nyeo. It was a familiar combination. “Keut-nyeo, doesn’t she have a 5-year-old daughter…?” “She has an ugly 5-year-old.” “She divorced her husband and are now living alone…………….” “Her ex-husband was a very useless person.” “Her last name is……” “Min. Min-keut-nyeo.” “…….” The third generation chaebol Min-keut-nyeo he had known all this time was the successor and vice president of the Yang-sa Group, and Gong Tae-seong’s ex-wife. And now, she was the one who was giving Hyeon Gyu-ha expensive cars. Although the two companies were famous for supporting Hyeon Gyu-ha since long ago, he only thought of it as a public relationship to scout him to Anpang, their guild. However, 'that Hyeon Gyu-ha' was close enough to call him 'Noona'. It might also be related to the incident 14 years ago when Kang Seok-woo was murdered…... In Yoo-shin just gave up on the idea. My mind was already saturated. If there was a third generation chaebol who spent a lot of money among her acquaintances, it would be good for Hyeon Gyu-ha. “Can I ride in the passenger seat?” “Feel free to sit on my lap.” Hyun Gyu-ha opened the passenger car door. It was the first time he had actually seen a car with a door that opened upwards. “I’ve never had anyone in the seat next to me, so don’t worry.” He got into the car, looking around the interior in amazement. Hyeon Gyu-ha also circled the hood and opened the door on the driver’s side. “I’ll put on the seatbelt……………….” Hyeon Gyu-ha’s eyes were filled with disappointment, so In Yoo-shin quickly unbuckled his seatbelt. He smiled and bent over to the passenger seat, stretching out his arms. The scent of perfume flowed strongly, and his arms lingered close as if he was hugging him. The nerves that had been loosely relaxed pressed against his heart. The breath mixed with perfume slowly brushed the back of his neck. His fingertips shrank. When he chewed his sigh in his mouth, Hyeon Gyu-ha's hand had already moved away. In Yoo-shin swallowed a sigh of regret that he couldn't express for some reason. "Then I'll go." Hyeon Gyu-ha started the engine. It didn't start. It started successfully on the fifth try. In Yoo-shin, who didn't have his own car and had never paid attention when getting a ride, didn't notice anything strange. However, his heart pounded slightly at the sight of him turning his body diagonally to back up the parked car and holding onto the back of the passenger seat headrest with his right hand. He just realized it, and he had a black, glossy watch on his left wrist that he had never seen before. The car that was backing up slightly hit a telephone pole. Kong . The body rattled a little. 'It was as clean as a new car, so it must have gotten scratched. What a shame.' The sports car that came out of the road at a different angle moved forward. Kick, thump. This time, it was the sides. Judging from the sound, it must have left a very long mark. “If you say that you got scratched by the collision, tell Yoo Byun to charge you for the repairs.” Even then, he should have realized something was wrong and gotten out of the car he was driving right away. HM: start of lovey dovey arc ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Editor M, eteryl If you wanna become a translator, editor or proofreader, please use the discord link given below and follow the instructions in the recruit channel. We made a discord server! please join us!

"The weather is truly awful. They said it would clear up from tonight, but 'clear up' my foot. Those weathermen should all be fired." A grumbling voice was heard from ahead. By the voice, it seemed to be Tou. Although they were only a few meters apart, they could be distinguished by their voices. It wasn't just because it was night. It wasn't just because there were many obstacles in the forest obstructing their view. The fog that had started to descend in the evening had settled thoroughly in every corner of the forest. It was so thick that as they pushed through it, their collars had become damp without them realizing. "Forget about the weathermen, I want to strip the uniforms off all the instructors who make us do a night march in this kind of weather." The one muttering a little behind Tou was Ching. The sound of laughter next to him was Carlo. "I can tolerate the nighttime ruck march, but I absolutely cannot forgive the way they drained all our energy with the sparring all afternoon and then immediately told us to leave without any announcement in advance." This voice sounded unfamiliar, so it must be someone from a different team. Listening to the voice speaking while grinding his teeth, he seemed to still have plenty of energy. Jeong Tae-ui chuckled to himself, thinking that his uncle would definitely say, 'sounds like you wumps aren’t worn out enough.’ If I heard that, even though I myself found it amusing.  Maurer, who was walking right beside him, looked at Jeong Tae-ui and grumbled. "Are you in the mood to laugh? My legs are about to give out." "It's just one day like this, so what's the big deal?" "It's not just one day. When we finish the march and go back, it's immediately extreme training, you idiot. There's no time to rest." Maurer grumbled, spitting out his words as if he was annoyed. This guy also seemed energetic enough to need less rest for a while. Jeong Tae-ui chuckled unseen, but his laughter soon disappeared. Indeed, there was no time to rest. The days were a continuous series of tension, and in the afternoons, they mostly engaged in group sparring, spending time that was almost no different from a brawl with the European branch members. Today, too, they listened to lectures in the morning as usual—though after a few days, they were even verbally sparring and engaging in metaphorical sword fights during lecture time—and spent the entire afternoon in sparring. It must have been the same for other teams as well, not just my team. It was sparring where even if you knocked them down and knocked them down again, the next opponent would keep coming at you. If they were doing it among their own teammates, they might have rested a bit, sensing the mood, or sparred moderately easily and even lost on purpose. But if the opponent was a European branch member, like an irreconcilable enemy, that wasn't the case. Most of them thought that even if they felt like they were going to die of exhaustion, they had to throw that guy down coolly and break an arm or something. Jeong Tae-ui didn't have a reason to hold such grudges and wanted to go easy on each other and take it easy, but it was just regrettable that the opponent didn't think the same way. It was impossible to quietly offer his arms and legs to guys who lunged at him with the intention of practically devouring Jeong Tae-ui. The regular schedule ended, and he barely managed to finish the day. Just when he thought so, the instructors suddenly called them to a halt as they were tidying up and about to leave. And they announced. That there would be a 20-kilometer nighttime ruck march tonight, so they should go to the cafeteria right now, eat, and reassemble within 30 minutes. At that moment, Jeong Tae-ui was probably not the only one who wanted to immediately throw the headgear in his hand at that instructor. The sense of accomplishment that they had finished another day, despite being tired, was instantly frozen into a chilling atmosphere. 20 kilometers wasn't such a deadly distance that you would make such a grim face. That distance, which would take them about half a circle around the island, was a distance we could complete the march in about five hours. Normally, we would have walked it casually, chatting and laughing, feeling like we were on a picnic. However, they were exhausted. Even during the mere 30 minutes allotted for dinner, they couldn't properly chew and swallow their food because they were collectively condemning the correctional officers upon hearing the sudden, unannounced news of the nighttime ruck march. What was even worse was that we had to embark on the march in full gear. Uncle. You said this wasn't the military. But what is all this? Why are we marching, and why the full military gear? Jeong Tae-ui inwardly showered his uncle with curses, unable to count how many times he had done so since coming to this island, as he bore the entire weight of the heavy pack pressing down on his shoulders with his whole body. "If the instructors can't take off their clothes, I'd rather take off mine and throw myself off this corner of this island." It was just then, when someone grumbled from up ahead. "If you want to take them off, take them off after the joint training. And the guy who wants to strip me of my clothes, I’m happy to oblige, so come find me anytime after the march." This voice, lively without any sign of exhaustion, came from behind Jeong Tae-ui. A sudden, icy silence fell. Not only did the men who had been chatting in the front fall silent, but those in the back were also startled as if they would jump. They had never dreamed that an instructor was mixed in among the people around them, whom they hadn't properly observed. Jeong Tae-ui flinched, startled by the unexpected, familiar voice coming from so close by. Even though there was no way his silent curses could have been heard, he felt subtly self-conscious for no reason. "Uncle……, Instructor Jeong, you’re coming with us?" "How could I possibly sit around in the instructor's office and do nothing? How would I know what kind of accident might suddenly happen and when? Besides, we'll start running into other teams within an hour or two." His uncle mumbled as if bothered—he definitely wasn't there at the time of departure—from who knows when. As he said, they had started separately, but after wandering through the forest for this long, it was about time they started running into other teams. It wouldn't matter if it was a team from the same Asian branch, but if not, it would become troublesome. "With the fog this thick, if we went a little deeper, you could kill someone and bury them secretly, and no one would know. I bet if you dug up this whole forest, you'd find several bodies anyway." My uncle said it casually, like a joke, but also like the truth. Jeong Tae-ui glanced at his wrist, thinking maybe it really was the truth. About an hour had passed since they started. "We must have come about 3 or 4 kilometers now. If it's 20 kilometers, even if we finish quickly and head back, it'll be midnight." He scratched the back of his neck, muttering, wondering if they'd even be able to find their way back, in that dark night. It was already pitch dark all around. Because the forest was so dense, it was already dim even during the day, but now that it was night and the fog was thick, it was even darker. It wouldn't be strange to get lost like this. "Well, it's not that big an island anyway, so even if we get lost, it'll be somewhere around here." To Jeong Tae-ui, who added the muttering, his uncle replied as if asking what he was talking about. "We can't go back by midnight. We'll sleep in the forest tonight and go back tomorrow." "Huh?" "We'll go about 10 more kilometers and set up camp somewhere suitable. I told you to bring a sleeping bag. Didn't you bring it?" "No, I brought the duffel bag as it was, so there's probably a sleeping bag in it, but that's not the problem. You're saying we'll sleep in the forest and go back? We're going to sleep outdoors?" "Hmm. Sometimes a person needs to sleep outdoors a bit to train themselves. We'll also take turns standing guard and keep the campfire going." "I heard there are poisonous snakes here, poisonous snakes!" "That's why I said we're going to have a night watch. You should be able to trust your comrades and fall asleep." "No, there's no way you just make people sleep in a forest where poisonous snakes come out at night!" "Even if it's a poisonous snake, the venom isn't that strong, so even if you're bitten, if you treat it properly right away, you won't die, I think I told you that." "That's not the problem, Uncle. There are things more dangerous than snakes rampant here—" Jeong Tae-ui shouted as if he was about to go wild with just a few more words, but there was no reaction from the others. Only after seeing their attitude, showing no surprise as they had experienced this several times before, did Jeong Tae-ui keenly feel that this was not a joke but reality. Jeong Tae-ui had slept outdoors countless times. I had slept under the stars, slept in the dew, and even slept in places where snakes and centipedes rustled. But those snakes weren't poisonous, and the people I would be sleeping outdoors with weren't enemies constantly aiming for my neck. "Ah, right, you did have a reason to be on your guard. But…… I saw some unfamiliar handwriting while looking at the notebook you gave me. Whose writing is it?" Suddenly, his uncle said with a subtle smile. Jeong Tae-ui closed his mouth. If I said, "It's that guy," and burdened that guy with the weight of ten volumes of transcriptions too, we would have less time to encounter each other. It felt a bit embarrassing to openly tell on him like this. However, just as Jeong Tae-ui was about to open his mouth to increase his own safety, his uncle spoke first. "But you know Tae-ui. While there might be some correlation between that guy's free time and the duration of your life, didn't you consider that ultimately your life would be in greater danger due to your actions?" Jeong Tae-ui closed his mouth again. It wasn't very surprising that my uncle had already figured out the owner of the handwriting. I’m no longer surprised by anything this uncle knew, given his ability to instantly sort and process a mountain of documents. However, what his uncle said was something Jeong Tae-ui had slightly considered himself. When the slight help that Reigrow had given Jeong Tae-ui turned into poison for him, he wondered if it might actually have a counterproductive effect. "Think wisely and give me your answer by the time we return to the branch tomorrow." His uncle said with a smile. Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue bitterly. At this rate, I could either have to insist it was my own handwriting to the end, or quietly accept the burden of writing ten more volumes. The forest grew denser and denser. The sound of his colleagues ahead repeatedly breaking off twigs and saying, "Ugh, I wish we could just burn all these damn trees," could be heard. It seemed that branches and such kept scratching their faces every time they stepped into a place where there wasn't a proper path. Thinking it was at least good that he was walking behind, Jeong Tae-ui, who had been walking silently, suddenly asked quietly. "But that man, they say he even killed an instructor." Just then, his uncle, who was walking right behind Jeong Tae-ui, replied casually. "Hmm. He did that early the year before last. That instructor made a foolish mistake. That instructor's younger sibling was also a member at the same branch, and ended up bedridden for life by Rick's hand. It happened during training, so there was no particular basis for punishment and it was overlooked, but that instructor felt it wasn't enough. Well, of course, that instructor probably wasn't trying to kill Rick, but the result was—" His uncle stopped speaking at a point where it could be guessed without hearing the end. Jeong Tae-ui grimaced. I knew that laws and rules were originally designed to be flawed enough to have loopholes, but I felt that in that man's case, the degree was severe. However, at the same time, he recalled the attitude of the European branch members towards Reigrow. That wasn't the attitude one would have towards a close colleague. Awe, fear, and anxiety were much more prevalent. Considering the man's personality and the kind of stories circulating about him, it seemed quite likely that Riegrow had many internal enemies. Nevertheless, remembering the man who freely wielded his abilities to kill and operated without a care, Jeong Tae-ui unconsciously stiffened his face. "He must have a really serious backstory……" As Jeong Tae-ui muttered to himself, unable to understand, and tilted his head, the column suddenly stopped. From the front of the halted column, as if an obstacle had appeared, short, unpleasant shouts erupted almost simultaneously. The shouts quickly doubled, then tripled. "Oh no. I expected this, but I did  hope we could avoid this kind of situation." His uncle muttered from behind Jeong Tae-ui and stepped forward. Even without hearing my uncle's words, the rough noises from the front were enough to make it abundantly clear. They had encountered another team on the march, specifically a team from the European branch. There had been one rule from the start: teams that encountered each other along the way would march together. Because of this, everyone hoped that if they did meet a team, it would be one from their own branch. There were even people who openly declared that if they marched with those guys from the European branch, four or five heads would roll overnight. Jeong Tae-ui, sensing that they would be staying in that spot for a while, leaned against a nearby tree. He rested his bag against the tree and lowered his body slightly to relieve the weight of his luggage. His shoulders felt a little lighter. After a moment, the commotion from the front died down. At the unnatural and sudden decrease in noise, Jeong Tae-ui turned his head in that direction. The fog was still thick, and there were many obstacles blocking my view, so I couldn't see what was happening in front, but I had a feeling that something might have occurred. However, even after waiting a little longer, no more ominous sounds were heard. Instead, there were sporadic grumbles, quieter than before but still rough. "What's wrong? Did someone get into a brawl up ahead or something?" When Jeong Tae-ui asked Ching, who had been standing in front of him, the latter, who had gone ahead and then returned with a heavily creased face, opening his water bottle, shook his head. "That guy's there." "Huh?" "That bastard who deserves to be torn to death. We have to march with the team that has that guy in it. Damn it, are they crazy? What kind of horrible sight are we supposed to see in the middle of the night with that lunatic bastard……." At Ching's words, Jeong Tae-ui's face crumpled. Amidst the murmurs about how they wouldn't get any sleep tonight and that one night watch wouldn't be enough, Jeong Tae-ui looked ahead with his face still creased. It seemed the situation upfront had been somewhat sorted out, as they were showing signs of starting off again. And unfamiliar faces walked towards the back, mingling here and there among the groups. Of course, their faces were equally grim, as if they had bitten into a bug. "It would be better to enter a snake pit than to run into these bastards……." "Hmph. If we go with guys tougher than snakes, the snakes won't come." Conversations laced with hostility were exchanged here and there. With the European branch members interspersed among them with savage looks, Jeong Tae-ui pulled his hat down low. He also raised his neck high and lowered his head. The crowd began to move forward again. Glancing back while walking towards the rear, he could see a chilling back of a head in the distance, barely visible through the fog. The moment he saw that head, which was a head taller than others, it felt utterly menacing, and he knew instantly. Further and further away, Jeong Tae-ui fell back until he was at the very rear of the crowd. Though mixed, the front and middle of the crowd were mostly filled with members from the Asia branch, while groups of men from the European branch walked from the middle to the back. Jeong Tae-ui realized that most of the men walking around him were from the European branch, but he had no desire to move forward and just kept walking.  In any case, hardly anyone paid attention to me, walking alone and practically hiding my face. At this distance, it was quite a ways off, and the location where that chilling head had been was obscured by the fog, no longer visible. Seeing it appear and disappear in the fog only intensified the eerie feeling. Thinking about it, wasn't this situation a perfect opportunity for that man? The fog was thick. They were deep in a forest. They were even going to spend the night here. Moreover, it wasn't a situation where they were completely surrounded by enemies. In other words, if I put my mind to it, it was a situation where I could kill someone without a trace, bury them in the forest, and pretend not to know anything. "Damn it. We got stuck with the Asia guys. We have to spend the night with those filthy bastards?" "Don't joke around. Anyway, we have to divide the area and make sleeping arrangements. How can we sleep mixed in with those bastards? It's already nauseating just walking a few meters away like this." "Just our luck. There's really nothing useful that's happened since I came to this damn Asia branch." He could hear the muttering of the European branch men walking nearby. Jeong Tae-ui couldn't help but let out a small laugh.  I had already heard the exact same words, just with "Asia" replaced by "Europe," from the other side. It seemed everyone was equally uncreative when it came to cursing. "But I'm more worried about Simon than the Asian guys……. Is that guy really okay?" One of them suddenly muttered. His voice held a hint of unease and worry. "Yeah, I know. I didn't even see him. Where did he go?" "He went ahead earlier. Right behind Rick. Is it really okay to leave him like that? I'm really uneasy." "Hmm……. Still, surely not. That guy knows of the consequences, so what could he possibly do?" "You never know. What can't a person do when they suddenly snap? If he loses his mind at some point and just stabs him in the back, the game's over." "Nah. Even if he tried a surprise attack, Rick wouldn't be easily stabbed. It would be something if he even grazed him." "Even if he were stabbed, would the blade even go in? I doubt a single drop of blood would come out. Has anyone here seen Rick's blood?" "You'd have to bleed to see it. That guy definitely doesn't have blood flowing in his body." Even as they spoke like it was a joke, they didn't laugh. At most, they twisted their lips into a bitter smile. They were cautious and uneasy, as if just talking about it could bring bad luck. Walking a few steps away and listening to their words, the same anxiety and subtle restlessness that they felt spread within Jeong Tae-ui's chest. I knew immediately who they were talking about. It was that man who inspired awe and unease not only in people from other branches but also in those from his own branch. Riegrow, also known as Rick. "Ah, damn it. I don't care if Simon tried to kill Rick or not, but I just hope it doesn't happen while the Asian guys are around. What good is there in showing those bastards our internal issues?" "That's true. But if I were Simon, I would have wanted to kill Rick too." "Even if I weren't Simon, I don't particularly like that bastard. Why are we even on the same team as a guy like that? All we see are unpleasant things day after day. Ah, damn it, can't we switch teams?" "Ever since I got on the same team as that guy, chunks of meat don't look ordinary to me anymore. I swear I'm going to become a vegetarian against my will." "Honestly, we should be thankful that we're at least in the same branch and the same team. Just imagine if we had to face him as an opponent in sparring or as an enemy in joint training." Jeong Tae-ui felt a subtle bitterness at their grumbling words. I felt as though I had starkly realized what kind of person Riegrow was. He was a man who couldn't blend in even within his own team, sticking out and drifting alone. Everyone felt a sense of relief and simultaneously an uneasy fear at the fact that he was on their team. He was someone you absolutely did not want to get close to, but also someone you couldn't afford to have as an enemy. I couldn't understand why I felt sad. It was probably something Riegrow himself wouldn't care about in the slightest, yet it left a bad taste in my mouth. Well, it would be even stranger if they weren't afraid of such a crazy bastard. Jeong Tae-ui didn't want to hear their conversations anymore and quickened his pace. As he put some distance between himself and the rear, he could see Riegrow's figure some distance ahead again. There were few people around him, as if a barrier had been erected. A wry smile appeared on his face at the sight.  Indeed, for a man who had earned so much grudges to the point that enemies who went after his neck were scattered even within the same branch, it would be even funnier if people gathered around him as if nothing were wrong. If someone were to try and kill that man right now, I wouldn't even help him. This was even more true when I thought of the cold yet overflowing gaze of desire that he had directed at Xinlu. Dangerous. Threatening. Overpowering. He was a man one could never be around with a comfortable heart. Even more so if he coveted or belittled something precious to me. It was then. Suddenly, it seemed like Riegrow slowed his steps. Jeong Tae-ui, who had been watching his back, also inadvertently paused his steps. He looked back. Jeong Tae-ui instinctively lowered his head slightly to avoid his gaze. It seemed like nothing significant, as he said a few words to the person coming behind him and then turned his head forward again. Sighing, Jeong Tae-ui pressed down and bent the brim of his hat, pulling it even further down. They stopped after walking for another three or four hours. Judging by the faint sound of the sea, the ocean seemed not far away. Hearing the sound of the sea naturally reminded Jeong Tae-ui of Xinlu, and he unconsciously relaxed his expression. "The fog is so thick here and with the sound of the water too, it's just amazing." "Does 'amazing' mean amazingly good, or amazingly bad?" Following the instructors' words, the men who had stopped walking knew that this was where they would spend the night and began to clear the ground appropriately. There was a not-so-wide clearing in the middle of the forest. Even calling it a clearing was a stretch; there were bushes and rocks here and there where trees didn't grow, so clearing the ground took quite a while. The instructors also seemed reluctant to cross the dangerous bridge unnecessarily, so the men from the other team moved to a clearing a little further away, with a few trees in between. Even so, if you just turned your head, you could see each other immediately, but in terms of location, we were all separated. "I'll take the very corner spot……, yeah, that spot below the rock looks good." Jeong Tae-ui quickly went to the place furthest from the European branch, a spot where a large rock cast a shadow, and settled down. The rock blocked the view. "Snakes and bugs tend to crawl into a spot like that." Tou, who was clearing bushes, saw Jeong Tae-ui and advised him, but Jeong Tae-ui shook his head.  There was someone over there I wanted to be further away from more than snakes and bugs. As if understanding his feelings, Tou didn't say anything more. Having chased away a lizard crawling in the rock's shade and settled down, Jeong Tae-ui listened to the distant sound of the sea. The water sound, faintly heard amidst the hazy darkness created by the fog, felt a bit strange. While Jeong Tae-ui was lost in the sound of the water, his comrades gathered dry branches and other things and built a bonfire in the center of the clearing. Seven or eight men formed a circle around the fire, decided on the order for the night watch, and, despite being tired from the whole day and able to fall asleep, they were instead murmuring and chatting. The other group across the grove was the same. They didn't seem to be chatting harmoniously, but they too seemed to have found their spots and were sitting around their bonfire. There was a sense of caution, wondering if a fight might break out during the night or if something nasty might happen under the cover of darkness, but neither side seemed to have any intention of being the first to ignite the spark of trouble. Even with the detestable and tiresome group right next to them, their own physical fatigue and exhaustion came first. In fact, Jeong Tae-ui wondered what the point of a night watch was, but knowing it would be useless to say anything, he didn't bring it up at all. I knew that if I did, I would clearly just hear something like, 'Can't you see those hostile enemies right next to you, eyes wide open, watching for an opportunity?' It was better to just not get yelled at and spend mh turn on guard duty resting appropriately when it came. Suddenly, Jeong Tae-ui felt a gaze and raised his head. His uncle was sitting on the rock where Jeong Tae-ui had taken his spot in the shade. Sitting on the rock, which looked uncomfortable due to its uneven surface, his uncle slowly looked around and then finally directed his gaze towards Jeong Tae-ui. "Aren't you uncomfortable sitting there?" "As the leader, I should at least sit where everyone can see me." His uncle said, smiling, half in jest, half in earnest. A captain attached to his uncle was also visible standing a few steps away. Jeong Tae-ui chuckled lightly and got into his sleeping bag and lay down. His turn for the night watch was the third. Thinking he would wake up vaguely around one or two in the morning, stay awake for about an hour, and then fall vaguely back asleep, Jeong Tae-ui closed his eyes with a quiet sigh. Not falling asleep right away, he either listened to or let pass the distant sound of the water and the low murmuring voices of his comrades. "I wonder where the other teams are. And which team they met." The languid voice was Carlo's. He had likely spoken to the uncle, who muttered "Well..." from the rock and then laughed. "They'll all be pretty similar. As if anywhere could have met opponents worse than ours." As the uncle made a joke, quiet laughter rose from here and there. Perhaps because it was a tiring night, the laughter was somewhat subdued. Jeong Tae-ui, who was starting to feel sleepy, also let out a soft chuckle. "I saw recently that Instructor Crimson's team was doing quite well. It seemed their sparring results were pretty good throughout this week." Someone else asked. His uncle replied, "This week's results were like that. But you never know, there's still one more week left." Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head with his eyes closed. Results, huh? It seems they are scoring which team gets better results even during the joint training. Now that they mention it, I thought I might have heard something like that before. "Last time the joint training prize was a week's vacation for the whole team, right? I wonder what they'll give this time." "The time before that, the team bonus was $30,000. They'll probably keep it around that level." "I'd prefer vacation over money. The way I feel right now, I'd like to quit everything, just collapse, and rest for exactly three days." 'But you only get that if your performance is the best, do they give it to just anyone? ……Ah, let's work hard next week.' They talked in voices that weren't particularly loud. Jeong Tae-ui nodded, thinking, 'Yeah, I'd prefer vacation over money too.' Judging by the context of the conversation, it seemed that after the joint training ended, they would evaluate the results and reward the best team. "I'm not hoping for first place, but I do have a wish for us to get better results than Instructor Crimson's team, at least." When his uncle muttered this, pretending to let out a deep sigh, a short burst of laughter followed. "Well, yeah, recently Instructor Crimson and others seem to be under some tension……. Isn't his promotion evaluation date approaching, by any chance?" Carlo said this with a laugh, as if joking. His uncle also laughed and replied, "When you say it, it doesn't sound like a joke." Promotion, huh? Come to think of it, I had almost forgotten, but the six-month period was ultimately about that. How are things going? His uncle's superior was Rudolf Gentil. The talk was about pushing that man up to the position of chief. I wondered if things were going well. However, upon reflection, Jeong Tae-ui couldn't understand why he was specifically dragged to this place. Even if I was considered someone who would be lucky enough to survive till the end, from what I had heard since arriving, the atmosphere didn't seem so harsh that everyone was dying off. Rather, it seemed more like only an unlucky few were getting caught up in accidents and dying…… Uncle, you didn't have that many people around. However, thinking differently, the person my uncle had initially wanted to bring was my Hyung. If my lucky Hyung had been with him, that luck might have helped my uncle as well. And then, he was called over as a chicken instead of a pheasant. ....... But what difference does it make? In the flow of events, I am merely waiting for time to pass. If my uncle asks me for help with something, I will help, and if I don't say anything, whether it ends up helping him without my knowledge or the opposite, I can only deal with the tasks placed in front of me. Jeong Tae-ui let out a deep breath. The smell of damp grass and soil mixed together to fill his lungs. Along with that, a subtle saltiness. This is the smell of the sea. The sound of the sea. The smell of the sea. The smell of grass and soil. The quiet rustling sound of insects somewhere. The crisp sound of leaves hitting each other in the breeze. These things evoked a strange longing and a melancholic comfort. The sound of the wind, sometimes quiet, then suddenly breaking through. The scent of the night, sometimes calm, then suddenly penetrating his nostrils. These things tense the right side of his heart and relax the left. A time just lonely and quiet enough to be bearable. Breaking that time, someone quietly grasped his shoulder and shook it. Jeong Tae-ui opened his eyes. Ching was tapping and pointing at his wrist watch in front of him. Blinking his eyes in confusion, Jeong Tae-ui sat up and discovered the scene where everyone else was asleep and only the bonfire was crackling and burning. He turned his head but couldn't see his uncle, who had been sitting on the rock talking in a quiet voice. I thought I had just closed his eyes for a moment, but it seems I had unknowingly fallen into a deep sleep. "Time has already gotten this late. I thought I had just dozed off for a bit. Ow, my back……."  Muttering about his back and rubbing his shoulder, Jeong Tae-ui got up and shivered in the cold night air. Ching, who had been on guard duty before Jeong Tae-ui, crawled into his sleeping bag with heavily sleepy eyes. "Keep watch for an hour. I'll go to sleep now. See you in the morning."  Ching pulled the zipper of his sleeping bag up to his nose, wiggled a few fingers out from his head end to signal, and then slowly burrowed completely into the sleeping bag. Jeong Tae-ui, saying "Okay, sleep well," rubbed his cool forearms and leaned against the rock where his uncle had been sitting earlier. It was quiet. The only things moving were the flames of the bonfire, the bushes and leaves swayed by the wind, or occasionally small animals scurrying away in the distance. Everything else was embraced by the night's silence. Jeong Tae-ui suddenly turned his head. The group from the European branch was visible beyond the grove of trees. They too were quietly paused in the night forest.  The young man standing watch over there was so sleepy he kept rubbing his eyes and yawning. Then, when his eyes met Jeong Tae-ui's, he stiffened his posture with a stern face. Jeong Tae-ui, who had considered waving, thinking it was fate they met like this, just smiled when he saw him. Jeong Tae-ui looked up at the sky. It was hard to see the sky, hidden by dense leaves. However, the sky visible here and there between the leaves was hazy and reddish. Hong Kong's night view was erasing the color of the sky. Thinking about it, it felt strange that such a quiet natural place existed so close to a sleepless metropolis. He looked at his watch. The night was deep. I looked around, examining each sleeping person. Even if their faces were hidden by sleeping bags and couldn't be confirmed, I could tell who was who by their gear. That's Ching, that's Carlo, that's Yeon Ho……. Just then, the sound of the sea was heard in the distance. Swaaa , a low sound that awakened a faint unease. Come to think of it, I had traveled to the night sea a long time ago. On the completely dark night sea where nothing was visible, only several squid fishing boats shone with brilliant lights floating on the horizon, and the waves that rolled onto the beach, hitting rocks and pebbles, sparkled faintly like sprinkled powder before disappearing. Is it like that now? Jeong Tae-ui looked towards the direction from which the sound of the sea came. My sleepiness is completely gone.  When he turned his head, the other sentry beyond the grove was sitting leaning against a tree stump, nodding off. "Maybe I'll go for a short walk?" He chuckled softly. If someone were to wake up during this, they would yell about why I wasn't on night watch and where I went, and if I intended to put them all in danger, but in reality, there was no danger. I could stake my neck on the fact that there was no way the group sleeping beside them would suddenly draw their swords, gather together, and stab each person sleeping here. Jeong Tae-ui quietly said 'Good night' to his already sleeping comrades and moved on. The path to the sea was not properly maintained. Just like the journey there, he had to push through, avoiding or stepping on rough grass, branches, and sharp stones embedded in the ground. In fact, I had no idea which direction to take. Fortunately, my sense of direction was excellent, so returning the way I came was easy, but since there was no proper path, I didn't know which way would lead more easily to the sea. I could only rely on the fact that the sound of the sea was getting closer. Rustle. Jeong Tae-ui flinched. I thought I heard a presence somewhere.  Stopping, Jeong Tae-ui silently turned back towards the direction where he thought he heard the sound. There was nothing there but the dark forest. "......" The sea was already close ahead. Just a few dozen more steps and the forest would open up and the sea would appear. But within this still dark forest, he felt someone's presence. He held his breath and waited, but even after a long time passed, no more sounds were heard. Then, something seemed to move a few steps away. It was close by. Jeong Tae-ui instinctively reached into his pocket and turned towards it. The moment his fingertips grasped the knife warmed by his body heat was almost simultaneous with his eyes recognizing the object. It was a snake. Power instantly drained from Jeong Tae-ui's body. The snake was a dark, plain-colored ground snake, commonly seen in mountains that were somewhat deep. It wasn't venomous or aggressive. Even if it had a little venom, it would only work on small mice; for humans, it would just cause a bit of swelling. Was that it? That presence. Jeong Tae-ui sighed, putting the half-drawn knife back away. But then, this time, his eyes caught sight of something moving faintly in the distance. It was a person. One person was moving somewhere in the forest, muffling their footsteps. It was difficult to clearly distinguish the face, but it didn't feel familiar. It seemed like someone from the European branch. The man didn't seem to notice Jeong Tae-ui and was going in a different direction. His steps were cautious and uneasy, as if he were chasing something. Jeong Tae-ui hesitated for a moment. No matter how I thought about it, the situation wasn't natural. A person quietly following someone in the middle of the night couldn't possibly be someone just going to relieve themselves or taking a stroll. Would it be better to follow that man? But the distance was awkward for that. If I followed rashly, I would likely be discovered, and if I waited longer to follow, I might lose sight of him. On the other hand, Jeong Tae-ui's sense of justice and curiosity weren't so great as to risk following someone just because they looked suspicious, without even knowing their business. It wasn't the first or second time he had gotten into trouble by poking his nose into unnecessary matters. But it is suspicious, isn't it……,  While he was contemplating, the need to contemplate disappeared. Or rather, the room for contemplation vanished. The man had gone behind some bushes and disappeared from Jeong Tae-ui's sight. ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Tâmago We made a discord server! please join us!

6.   Perhaps because they had been drinking, Chae Yoo-jeong’s skin temperature felt much hotter than usual. The tongues mixing together were hot, and the waist held by my hands was also hot. It all felt crazy good.   “Yoo-jeong-ah, lift your waist a little, yes?”   Just touching his waist wasn’t enough. When I kissed Chae Yoo-jeong’s chin and asked for him to lift his waist, Chae Yoo-jeong, who was blinking his eyes with a dreamy expression, whimpered and followed through.   I stayed close to Chae Yoo-jeong and pulled up his top. While removing the top over his chest, his fully exposed body was illuminated by the warm light on the nightstand.   My eyes kept falling on his sharply chiseled abs and the curves from his chest down to his waist. I had felt it for a long time, but Chae Yoo-jeong’s body was as pretty as his face.   “Ha…….”   I let out a deep breath rising from within me and lowered my head to rub my lips on the nape of Chae Yoo-jeong’s neck. Chae Yoo-jeong flinched and narrowed his shoulders, feeling tickled by my lips touching his neck.   A strong scent of flowers wafted from the nape of his neck. Biting weakly on the white shoulder in front of me, I quickly rolled his head away.   ‘Going all the way now...It’s going to be difficult, right?’   I hadn’t planned on going all the way in the first place and I didn’t prepare at all, so I had no choice. There are no condoms or gel... Above all, it was ambiguous to do more because Chae Yoo-jeong was drunk and he was out of his mind.   But I had no intention of letting this opportunity go by. Even if it’s difficult until the end, wouldn’t it be okay to get to the first step? To be honest, I was already so tired of waiting that I felt greedy.   First, let’s take off our clothes. Following Chae Yoo-jeong, I raised the hem of my clothes to take off my top.   “Gasp…………”   “……!”   A breath filled with moisture was heard. When I looked down in surprise, I saw Chae Yoo-jeong’s eyes with tears streaming down his face.   Ooh, is he crying now? My heart sank and my excited body cooled down in an instant. Chae Yoo-jeong covered his mouth with his hand and blinked his eyes, leaving me with my mouth wide open in embarrassment. His tears, which were hanging on his eyelashes, ran down his cheeks.   “Wait… Yoo-jeong-ah, what’s wrong?”   Only then did I come to my senses and hurriedly wiped away Chae Yoo-jeong’s tears. The warm atmosphere became cold, as if cold water had been sprinkled.   “Sorry…………….”   “No, why are you apologizing?”   This was my first time in a situation like this, so I had no idea how to deal with it. First, I hugged Chae Yoo-jeong, who couldn’t stop crying, and patted him on the back.   My heart became heavy. I think I pushed Chae Yoo-jeong because I was excited. After I came back to my senses, I felt so pathetic.   “It’s like a dream… I liked it so much that I didn’t even realize it……I’m sorry, hyung.”   Chae Yoo-jeong tried to smile and make excuses, but I couldn’t help but smile back. In this situation, is he really crying because you like it?   Of course, I don’t doubt Chae Yoo-jeong, but... I didn’t feel comfortable enough to resume the skinship that had been cut off. I barely managed to raise the corner of my mouth and stroked Chae Yoo-jeong’s head.   “I know. It’s okay, don’t worry.”   All I could say was this.   ***   “I’m such a piece of trash………”   “Eh?”   Kim Dae-seok, who was sitting in front of me, looked confused as I muttered the words while drinking soju. I sighed and muttered something like that.   “I was a dirty beast…………….”   “Well, I knew you were that kind of guy. What’s going on?”   “Shut up……”   I filled the empty glass with soju until it overflowed. The alcohol went down really well today.   Sunday night, when Chae Yoo-jeong cried and apologized. Although I tried to comfort Chae Yoo-jeong, who was surprised, I couldn’t continue the skinship that had stopped. All I could do was pretend like nothing was wrong, put Chae Yoo-jeong to sleep, and then run away to the office under the pretext of going to work early in the morning.   Fortunately, Chae Yoo-jeong drank his alcohol and even cried, so he slept soundly. I stayed up all night without being able to sleep at all.   After spending Sunday like that, I haven’t been able to properly contact Chae Yoo-jeong until today, which is Tuesday. On Monday, I was late to get off work due to a sudden rush of workload, and today, Tuesday, was because I had a prior appointment with the kids.   ‘I was wrong.’   I pressed my fingertips against my increasingly tense forehead. I wish I could turn back time. Then, no matter how drunk Chae Yoo-jeong tried to tempt me, I would have covered him with a blanket and let him sleep.   Now that I think about it, Chae Yoo-jeong has never been the first to engage in deep skinship with me. Could it be that he actually feels burdened? I often give light kisses first, so it’s not like he’s opposed to skinship itself.   ‘I understand if he feels burdened, though.’   Aren’t I Chae Yoo-jeong’s first relationship? Moreover, his partner’s a man. Kissing with tongues or touching the body was bound to be awkward and unfamiliar. Because this is a different issue from a loving heart.   The more I think about it, the more I realize how much of a trash I am.   What should I do now with my lover who is uncomfortable with skinship because it is unfamiliar to him? Even when he’s drunk... Really, Yoo Ji-han, have you gone crazy? You bastard………   I chastised myself for being too forward and took another sip of the soju I had filled my glass with. Kim Dae-seok, who was watching me with a look of disdain, shook his head.   “You can’t congratulate your friend on getting a job, but you’re just sitting here saying strange things. It’s too much, it’s too much.”   “Thank you for coming here.”   As I responded indifferently, Eun Hae-seong, who was watching us from the side, tapped Kim Dae-seok on the shoulder and said,   “Let us understand. It looks like Yoo Ji-han’s current girlfriend is no joke.”   “Don’t talk nonsense.”   There was no bullshit about Chae Yoo-jeong being picky. If I could, I wanted to beg him to stop being so picky.   “Is it true that you have a girlfriend problem?”   Kim Dae-seok seemed to be curious despite my indifferent attitude and opened his mouth as he rummaged through the snacks. I thought I would ignore it as it was not my job to explain it in detail, but answered as briefly as possible.   “It is true that there is a problem. I made some mistakes.”    “Oh. But isn’t this the first time you’ve been this conscious around your girlfriend like this?”    “I met her.”   Kim Dae-seok and Eun Hae-seong smiled and exchanged words with me while I was distraught.   These guys are my friends. It’s really annoying.   “Stop talking nonsense and have a drink.”   Anyway, these guys shouldn’t be allowed to make noise. I raised my glass and turned the kids’ attention to the alcohol.   The gathering to celebrate Kim Dae-seok’s success in finding a job ended before 10 p.m. I had to go to work again tomorrow, and Kim Dae-seok and Eun Hae-seong said they had other plans, so we left earlier than usual.   As I was walking back to collect my thoughts since my apartment was nearby, I happened to come across a small flower shop with a light on.   Through the glass, I could see the inside of the flower shop, which was putting the finishing touches on things. Among them, the one that particularly caught my eye was a white rose that shined pure white.   The white roses blooming along with the yellow gypsophila somehow reminded me of Chae Yoo-jeong. After thinking about it, I eventually went into the flower shop.   As the bell on the glass door rang cheerfully, the owner who was organizing the store looked up. I smiled awkwardly and pointed to the white rose I saw outside.   “I would like to buy some roses.”   A man who came by at night and suddenly bought flowers might have been surprising, but the staff kindly made a bouquet without any sign of concern.   As I left the store holding a bouquet of white roses surrounded by yellow gypsophila, I looked at the bouquet with a strange feeling. It was an impulsive purchase, but I was quite satisfied once I actually bought it.   After holding the bouquet and fiddling with my cell phone for a while, I called Chae Yoo-jeong.   -Hyung!   The call was connected right away, as if they were just waiting for my call. I smiled slightly at the bright voice coming from the other end of the phone.   “Are you resting well?”   -Yes. Did you have a good dinner too? Are you going home now?   Chae Yoo-jeong, who knew that Kim Dae-seok and Eun Hae-seong were meeting with me today, asked.   “Yep. I just left. Are you home? What were you doing?”   -I just… I was watching TV.   “Yoo-jeong-ah.”   I hesitated for a moment and then continued.   “If you aren’t going to bed right away… can I go see you now?”   -Yes?   “I want to see you.”   -Well, of course I would like it. But Hyung has to go to work tomorrow. Is that okay with you?   “I don’t know. Either you put me to sleep there again.”   As I answered playfully, I heard Chae Yoo-jeong laughing softly in my ears.   -Shall I pick you up?   “I can just take a taxi.”   In fact, in my mind, I still felt a little uncomfortable facing Chae Yu-jeong. I felt sorry, and I wasn’t sure how to solve the skinship issue.   Still, in the end, what we had to do was talk. Didn’t we promise to talk to each other and get along?   Even if Chae Yoo-jeong wanted to have a platonic relationship without skinship, I would accept it. It would be better if he said that. I didn’t want to force skinship on Chae Yoo-jeong.   “I’ll be there soon.”   If it was something that could not be avoided anyway, I wanted to meet and talk as soon as possible. I ended the call while catching a passing taxi.     HM: I feel like laughing at the misunderstandings here… I’m waiting forever….. Aaaaaa it’s already been more than 5 chapters…. Where are the scenes at?   --- Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx We made a Discord Server ! please join us!

5.   Wine to drink alone with your loved one. Who wouldn’t be thrilled by this romantic situation?   After finishing dinner, Chae Yoo-jeong and I took our wine bottle and glasses and sat side by side on the sofa. I put on a movie with the sound turned down, turned off the lights in the living room, and opened a bottle. Golden liquid filled the wine glass.   “It’s like juice, isn’t it?”   "Yes."   Chae Yoo-jeong held the glass of wine I poured for him, smelled it, and nodded his head. The white wine said to contain honey gave off a sweet scent just by pouring it into a glass.   I poured some wine into my glass and sat down. I held out a wine glass to Chae Yoo-jeong, who was looking at the wine with a curious expression.   “Although the alcohol content is low, wine is wine, so drink it slowly. There’s no need to empty the whole glass.”   "Yes."   Chae Yoo-jeong smiled softly and followed my gesture with his glass of wine. The wine glasses clinked together, and a clear sound rang out.   I took a sip of wine and continued to monitor Chae Yoo-jeong’s mood, who was sitting next to me.   ‘If this is enough…it’s pretty good, right?’   Of course, it would be nice if we could progress to skinship through this drinking party, but what was more important than that was the good memories and experiences that Chae Yoo-jeong would have, was what I first had in mind.   Since I ruined the first drinking party of his life, I had to make up for it somehow this time. I want Chae Yoo-jeong to have good memories of me when he drinks.   “Hyung, can you drink? You have to go to work tomorrow.”   “The alcohol content is low, so what?”   To me, alcohol below 10 percent was literally no different from drinking water.   So what if I drank some? It was my first time drinking alone with Chae Yoo-jeong, so I wanted to put aside thoughts about tomorrow.   "How is it?"   I asked Chae Yoo-jeong, who tried wine for the first time, what he thought. Chae Yoo-jeong evaluated the drink, tilting his head with a strange expression.   “It’s sweet, but… it’s a bit bitter.”   “It’s not really juice. Wine is naturally a bit bitter. I don’t drink it often, so I don’t know much about it.”   I pushed a plate of cheese in front of Chae Yoo-jeong and took another sip.   “Are you going to start preparing for the summer season competition right after the vacation is over?”   “I think so. There are hold cups in the fall, so I won’t be able to rest until the end of the year after this vacation.”   “You really need to get some rest during this vacation.”   I answered lightly, but nervousness began to surge in my heart.   After this vacation, he’ll be busy until the end of the year? Crazy. If this continues, we’ll only be stuck with kissing until the end of the year, right?   "I guess it’s difficult. If you look at it objectively, it’s true that your skills are a bit worse than before."   “They said Kwon Do-hyun will retire after this season.”    "Really? His skills are still good enough to think of retirement.”   Kwon Do-hyun was player Tenet who was working as a jungler on the team along with Chae Yoo-jeong. Perhaps because his position and age were the same, Chae Yoo-jeong was also someone he felt comfortable dealing with.   Retire. Actually, it wasn’t surprising. Although it is getting later and later these days, professional gamers usually consider retirement when they turn 25.   Aging Curve [1] is a problem, and there are so many young and talented players who are making strides.   “You haven’t thought about it yet, have you?”   “I think I’ll do it until at least next year. If my body can still handle it, I think I’ll do it next year as well.”   Even though it was about his own retirement, Chae Yoo-jeong spoke calmly without any emotional changes.   In fact, it was too early for Chae Yoo-jeong to worry about it. Not only did he win the competition yesterday, but even when looking around the community, it was difficult to find any criticism of Chae Yoo-jeong’s skills.   I smiled mischievously, holding my chin to prevent the air from becoming too heavy.   “Don’t worry, I’ll feed you after you retire.”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who is probably 10 times wealthier than me, rolled his eyes and burst into laughter at the joke. Although the alcohol content was low, his laughter was brighter and louder than usual, perhaps because of the alcohol involved.   “Are you going to keep dating me even though I’m unemployed?”    "Of course. That’s the only good thing about being a salaried worker. Something stable. Since you can use all my salary, how about taking a year off when you retire? You can also travel. You’ve been working since you were 19.”   "Traveling..…”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who was fiddling with a wine glass, asked me with his eyes sparkling.   “There are so many places I want to go with Hyung.”   "Where?"   “The sea. I want to go abroad too... I think America would be good too. I used to go there for the Hold Cup, but I was busy so I couldn’t see anything.”    "Okay. Let’s go to the sea first this year. It’s not a big deal.”   It looks like the sea is quite possible during this vacation. The nearby sea is worth a day trip or overnight trip.   Although it was a topic that came up by chance, traveling was a really good idea. If I can’t go on vacation this year, I’ll definitely make time to go see Chae Yoo-jeong and the sea at the end of the year. Because the winter sea has its own charm.   A few more conversations took place like that. Chae Yoo-jeong who, like me, had been sipping wine between conversations, surprisingly emptied his glass cleanly as it seemed to suit his taste.   “Can I have one more drink?”   “You can, but… Are you okay?”   “One more drink is okay.”   Chae Yoo-jeong spoke with a bright smile, similar to usual. Can I really give it to him? His complexion is fine, though.   Still, I was worried, so I filled it with a much smaller amount than before. Although the alcohol content was low, it was still wine. Moreover, Chae Yoo-jeong was weak to alcohol and at the same time I did not know the exact amount of alcohol he drank, so I had no choice but to be cautious.   “If you feel like you’re going to get drunk, put it down right away. Do you understand?”    “Yes.”   Chae Yoo-jeong, holding a refilled wine glass, nodded his head calmly. Anyway, his answer was very good.   Now Chae Yoo-jeong drank the wine without any hesitation even though he said it was bitter at first.   As he continued drinking, I guess he got used to the taste. Since I couldn’t let Chae Yoo-jeong drink alone, I filled my empty glass with wine once more and drank it with him.   ***   So 30 minutes later. I swallowed a sigh and gently shook Chae Yoo-jeong’s shoulder.   “Yoo-jeong, come back to your senses.”   “Umm.”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who was slowly blinking his eyes with his cheeks turning red, heard my call and looked up at me. Then he leaned his head against the back of the sofa and smiled.   “Hyung………….”   “…….”   The pronunciation is somewhat slurred with the end of the sentence being long. I quickly assessed Chae Yoo-jeong’s condition and touched his forehead.   ‘Even if you look at him rolling over, he looks unmistakably drunk.’   I had no idea since when he got this drunk?   He was clearly fine until I filled my glass. How can he get drunk so quickly? Maybe he was already drunk, but it wasn’t obvious?   “Let’s go to bed.”   I can’t help it. I put down the glass and got Chae Yoo-jeong up. If he was this drunk, there was nothing more I could do. It was late, so it was better to just let him sleep.   Chae Yoo-jeong obediently stood up as I pulled him. I headed to the bedroom while lugging Chae Yoo-jeong, who was hicking.   I was glad we drank at home. If we drank outside like last time, I would have had to carry him again... Although I love Chae Yoo-jeong, this bastard is also tall and too heavy.   That was when I went into the bedroom and was about to lay Chae Yoo-jeong down on the bed. Chae Yoo-jeong wrapped his arms around my waist and didn’t let go, so I fell down on the bed.   The mattress shook slightly along with the sound of sheets rubbing. I was about to lay Chae Yoo-jeong down and clean up after him, but I panicked and grabbed Chae Yoo-jeong’s arm that was around my waist.   “Chae Yoo-jeong.”   “Hyung, can you give me a kiss?”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who was facing me, slightly folded the corners of his eyes and begged for a kiss from me. Chae Yoo-jeong was so pretty looking up at me from underneath me that I felt heat rising to the back of my neck.   “What kind of kiss are you doing when you’re drunk? Go to sleep.”   “I’m fine. Kiss me, yes?"   “Yoo-jeong-ah.”   The string of reason trembled precariously, as if it would break at any moment. My patience was quickly running out, so I called out Chae Yoo-jeong’s name as if pleading. But Chae Yoo-jeong didn’t know how fast my beating heart was, so he pushed his face even closer and begged me again.   “Please, Hyung.”   I had the illusion of hearing something snapping in my head. Completely defeated and unable to resist this sloppy yet cute temptation, I lowered my head and kissed Chae Yoo-jeong’s red lips.   After enduring as much as I could, I finally reached Chae Yoo-jeong’s lips and inserted my tongue into them, sucking like crazy. I couldn’t control myself at all. My raspy breath and my hands moved in time with my rapidly beating heart.   As I continued to kiss, I groped Chae Yoo-jeong’s waist and slipped my hands under his clothes. I chewed on Chae Yoo-jeong’s tongue, feeling his soft skin touch my palm.   annotation   1) Aging Curve: A phenomenon in which athletic ability deteriorates and skills decline after a certain age. This term is mainly used when evaluating an athlete’s skills. —   MM: I believe that what exacerbates deterioration is the over training– hours and hours of excessive training everyday can make the body exceed its limits for a while but after that, the body will start to break.    --- Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx We made a Discord Server ! please join us!

4.   02. The agony of sincerity 2   After washing up, I noticed that Chae Yoo-jeong’s hair was a little wet, as if he had washed it in another bathroom. He was eagerly searching through the refrigerator.   “I guess aunt came by. Fortunately, the refrigerator is stocked.”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who spotted me, smiled awkwardly, and took out an airtight container containing side dishes on the table.   “That’s right. I saw it yesterday too.”   “Did you try it yesterday? There is also soybean paste here. You like soybean paste, Hyung.”   “Um, no. I ate outside yesterday.”   I didn’t need to lie about it, so I answered honestly and helped Chae Yoo-jeong.   Since it was morning, I didn’t need to eat much. A few side dishes and a stew. I filled the table with just that much and started a simple, happy breakfast with Chae Yoo-jeong.   “What time did you come home yesterday?”   “At about two o’clock.”   Two o’clock? If I endured an hour more, Chae Yoo-jeong would have come home. Because I couldn’t help being asleep in the early morning, I couldn’t even greet him, let alone meet him.   Chae Yoo-jeong smiled shyly as he left me repeating in my head the lament I had made in bed earlier.   “I came home… It was nice to see Hyung sleeping on the couch.”   “Why do you like that? I couldn’t even wait for you properly.”   “I came home and found Hyung… It was much better than I expected.”   I could feel the excitement in Chae Yoo-jeong’s voice as he talked about how good it really was for him. It was so cute that I burst into laughter.   “Then you can marry me later.”   “M-marriage?”   Chae Yoo-jeong’s cheeks turned red at the word “marriage,” which came out as a joke. His fingertips holding the chopsticks were also shaking.   Sitting across from me and seeing that explicit reaction, I became embarrassed again. I had just taken a shower and resolved personal matters, so seeing that face was a huge blow to me.   I somewhat unnaturally avoided eye contact and rummaged through the side dishes. Maybe it’s because I haven’t even met Chae Yoo-jeong for the past few weeks, but I felt particularly out of control today.   ‘No matter what, it’s stupid to say that during breakfast...……………..’   I somehow managed to hold back and changed the topic of conversation.   “How was the after-party yesterday? Did anything happen?”   “Yes. All I did was eat meat and go to karaoke with the kids. Coach and manager told me out of the blue that we were going to have sashimi for the second time.”   “Huh? You went to eat sashimi after beef?”    “It’s ridiculous. But we went to eat it anyway. I didn’t want to be involved in that, so I went to karaoke with my teammates. Actually, I didn’t want to go to karaoke, but the kids insisted on it... That’s why I’m late.”   No wonder. Since there was no need to eat beef until 2 a.m., I thought they would have gone for a second round.   Chae Yoo-jeong is usually quite a cold-hearted person, but the people he gets a little soft with are his teammates. Except for player Tenet, they are all young, and because they are friends who regard Chae Yoo-jeong as their idol, it seems difficult for Chae Yoo-jeong to be as cold as before.   “Good job. You even won a competition, so you deserve that.”    “If I had known Hyung would be sleeping uncomfortably on the couch, I would have come home right away. Let’s sleep on the bed next time.”   “I fell asleep without realizing it.”   In the past, I would have been able to endure it long enough, but after starting work and leading a very regular life with regular working hours, I couldn’t help but feel sleepy in the morning.   “You didn’t drink alcohol?”   “Yes. Anyway, even if I didn’t drink, the kids were free to drink.”   “Didn’t you want to drink?”   “Not really. It’s not like I’m drinking with Hyung.”   Chae Yoo-jeong looked somewhat distraught, as if he wasn’t really interested.   Of course, I knew what Chae Yoo-jeong went through and his drinking capacity is very weak, so it’s better for him not to drink... It bothered me that his only experience of drinking alcohol was at a drinking party where he had no idea what to do.   Since I didn’t know much about Chae Yoo-jeong, I didn’t know that he took medicine or that his drinking capacity was weak, so I couldn’t be properly considerate. Chae Yoo-jeong wanted to look good to my friends, so he overexerted himself.   I felt a bit bitter if that was all he had experienced with alcohol. Since Chae Yoo-jeong’s condition had improved a lot, I wanted to have a drink together in a better atmosphere if there was a chance someday. There are many drinks that are milder and more delicious than soju.   ***   “Hey, Hyung.”   While I was changing my clothes after finishing breakfast, Chae Yoo-jeong, who had been watching me with his face as he had something to say, cautiously approached me and opened his mouth.   “You’re going to work tomorrow, right?”   “That’s right.”   Going to work also played a part in the reason why I was disappointed because I couldn’t stay awake through the early morning and fell asleep. Unlike Chae Yoo-jeong, who was on vacation from now on, I had to go to work tomorrow, so I had to go back to my apartment at night at the latest.   “Don’t worry, we’ll have dinner together.”   When Chae Yoo-jeong, who was already feeling sad, was comforted when I offered to stroke his head, he obediently leaned his head towards me and asked hesitantly.   “Say, Hyung.”   “Yes?”   “Sleep here… Can’t you go to work from here?”   “What?”   “As long as it’s okay with you. The company is also closer here. I guess you just need to bring some clothes to wear from Hyung’s house later when you go to work... How about it?”   I was surprised because it was an unexpected proposal, but the idea wasn’t bad. It wasn’t hard since I only had to pack some work clothes and daily necessities.   “It’s been a long time since we last saw each other, so it’s too bad if we’d be apart after just one day…….”   Chae Yoo-jeong, with the corners of his eyes drooped down, looked as pitiful as a puppy getting caught in the rain. He turned to me with heat in his eyes, revealed beneath his long eyelashes.   “I want to sleep with Hyung like yesterday… can’t I?”   “…….”   Chae Yoo-jeong’s words flew quickly as if they were an arrow and pierced my heart. My face heated up slightly as my heart rate rose rapidly.   What. What? What did he mean by that?   I immediately grabbed Chae Yoo-jeong’s shoulder and suppressed my desire to ask him if what he said was what I thought it meant, and I answered calmly.   “Of course it’s okay. I said I’m sorry too.”   “Really? Are you really going to stay with me today?”    “Yes. Instead, like you said, let’s go to my house later and get some clothes and things. The bag that I carry when I go to work as well.”   “I’ll drive! Let’s go right after lunch!”   Chae Yoo-jeong must not have expected me to willingly say yes, shaking his shoulders, unable to hide his excitement.   The more I thought about it, the more I liked the schedule of sleeping here and going to work. More than anything, I even conceded with Chae Yoo-jeong’s proposal to spend the night with me, so how could I not be excited?   ‘Huh? wait a sec.’   As I smiled happily while looking at Chae Yoo-jeong, I immediately realized an important fact.   If I’m going to sleep here... How about trying the drink I thought of earlier? I think it would be worth drinking a glass or two with Chae Yoo-jeong if it is a low-alcohol content, sweet and delicious alcohol.   “Hmm, Yoo-jeong.”   “Yes?”   As soon as it occurred to me, I asked Chae Yoo-jeong to remove the ox horn as soon as possible.   “After dinner… Would you like to have a drink with me tonight?”   “Alcohol?”   “Yes. Something like low-alcohol wine, not soju. It’ll be sweet and delicious with honey or fruit. Or beer is fine too.”   “Drinking at night… Hyung and I………”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who was muttering with a somewhat mesmerized expression, suddenly turned bright red. Chae Yoo-jeong covered his mouth with his hand and nodded, avoiding my eyes.   “…….”   I was the one who felt embarrassed by that explicit reaction.   No, of course, I’m not completely without dark intentions. I guess I should say I’m glad that Chae Yoo-jeong is willing to have skinship with me.   ‘I need to set the right mood.’   Since I made him drink alcohol, I must take responsibility. Looking at Chae Yoo-jeong’s reaction, it doesn’t seem like he dislikes it.   It’s not that I was going to go all the way, but it bothered me that even though we had been dating for quite some time, we were so busy that we couldn’t progress the physical relationship. If I didn’t want to spend our whole life kissing, it’s time to move on to the next step.   I spoke to Chae Yoo-jeong, making a plan step by step in my head.   “Let’s stop by my house and pick up some drinks on the way.”   “Yes!”   I will definitely try to catch the atmosphere tonight that I couldn’t catch yesterday. I steeled my resolve and took out my cell phone. I should start by looking for wines that are low in alcohol and have a strong sweet taste.   ***   --- Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx We made a Discord Server ! please join us!

“I swear I’ll never die in front of you, Yoo-shin- ssi .” “………………But I’m still Gyu-ha- ssi ’s weakness.” “I’ll become stronger so that what you’re worried about will not happen.” It was a simple childlike answer. However, it was not as simple or light, but rather, a dense emotion rippling in his eyes. In Yoo-shin groaned softly as if he was suffocating in the swamp of such dense emotions. I had not seen it until now, blinded by his usual light and mischievous words and actions. He had probably been looking at me with the same gaze since I said I wanted to end this relationship. “Is it because I erased Gyu-ha-s si ’s boredom?” “I can’t say there is no reason for that either.” “They’re all forced emotions.” Because he was irrevocably bound to him, expressing it in words was difficult, and the sincerity he had been silently dwelling on finally flowed out weakly. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have tied him to myself. Even knowing that relying on forcibly injected emotions will only make oneself more miserable, the trembling of the tilting heart is difficult. How can I cut it off with just rational judgment? Someone who treats me so affectionately, even though I am worthless and useless. Since even that affection is fake, In Yoo-shin also knows that there is no other way but to end this relationship. “I know that Gyu-ha- ssi  is considerate and helpful to me. Those are all fakes, too, forcibly patched together and altered by taming, aren't they?” “…….” “You said from the beginning that you wanted to kill me. That is the real feeling Gyu-ha feels towards me……………….” Because it is a real feeling. Isn’t it a real feeling? It feels like a real feeling. Whatever he was going to say, however he intended to end his sentence, all of it became useless. Because the sadness of the abandoned child, which he had been blurting out incoherently, was erased by Hyeon Gyu-ha's lips.¹ If it means existing alone in the world, Hyeon Gyu-ha resembled his father, whose face he had never seen. And he thought that was probably the only thing in common between father and son. He was born as the only child of the king who supported the world that was going to collapse, and was burdened by the duty that had been given to him. He had no time to look around. He was also immature in examining other people's feelings and hearts. In that time, he had to run one step further. The betrayal from someone he trusted 14 years ago led Hyeon Gyu-ha to a more self-righteous and stubborn path. He had only two paths. Either die or open up another passage. Since that fate was intertwined, Hyeon Gyu-ha did not care about the circumstances of the people living in this world. Hyeon Gyu-ha used to be like that. The passing glances, flowing breaths, the highs and lows of the voice. He was the only one who could read the heart, sympathize deeply, and let the other person's agitation seep into him more deeply, while seeing through the fragments of emotions revealed in that way. Only In Yoo-shin shakes up the emotions that have quietly settled in the swamp of boredom. Only In Yoo-shin lets him experience this world that had been meaninglessly passing by. Hyeon Gyu-ha ate tteokbokki at a snack shop for the first time, went to a coin karaoke, killed time by having trivial conversations, grilled meat in a dungeon, and slept soundly under a tent. In Yoo-shin was always by his side in all his first experiences. Was it all because of the emotions that were forced upon me? 'But it doesn't matter.' He was conceived in his mother's womb for his father. Even his name, the three letters, was a mother's heart that yearned for his father. Since Hyeon Gyu-ha had never had anything of his own before he was born, he now welcomes the desperate entanglement that was forcibly injected into him. Although he may not have wanted it to begin with, the unfamiliar experience caused by In Yoo-shin and the resonance that spread through his heart were entirely his own. So even though he knew that it shouldn't be this way, even though he knew that his fate was eternal loneliness, he couldn't deny the only thing he had. "You said from the beginning that you wanted to kill me. That's the real feeling that you feel towards me, Gyu-ha- ssi ……” The memory of being abandoned is so painful that I swallow my breath, afraid to even take the first step. He licked his lips that were open gently, and gently wiped away the wet breath. Hyeon Gyu-ha realizes that one of his murderous desires, which had been wanting to kill him and cut off this relationship, has quietly subsided. Emotions that were so complicated that he didn’t even know the name of them are finally taking on a vivid form. [Current status: Murderous intent. Affection.] His murderous intent is once again directed at just one person. Father. My father, who should not have been born. What is this ringing in my ears? My head is completely dizzy, as if filled with a hazy fog. Hyeon Gyu-ha, still bending down, slowly wiped his wet lips with his fingertips and smiled, his eyes slightly closed. “Does this even seem fake?” Belatedly, he flinched at those words, and he gently hugged his waist, which was about to step back without him knowing. “Would you like to feel my heartbeat?” A rough but extremely gentle hand guided one hand to his chest. Left chest. The only name engraved there. Beneath the skin, muscles, and bones, a red lump of flesh the size of a fist. That resonance. A vivid beating that made his palms tingle, enough to make his anger from some time past pale in comparison, spread to Inyushin’s heart. “If you think even this is fake, I think I’ll be really sad.” “…….” In Yoo-shin couldn’t give any answer. However, his eyes, which were entangled in confusion, were the real answer, so Hyeon Gyu-ha swallowed his bitter resentment. “Shall I tell you a story from the old days?” “…….” “14 years ago, I killed a man I once considered my own father with my own hands.” The eyes that had been in confusion were not moved by those words. Hyeon Gyu-ha asked back, savoring the firmness pleasantly. “Aren’t you scared of me, killing someone who was like my real father?” “There must be a reason why Gyu-ha- ssi  did something like that……………….” In Yoo-shin’s throat moved slightly. “I think there must be a reason I don’t know.” “Why don’t you trust my feelings when you trust me?” “That’s……………….” In Yoo-shin’s lips that had been opening and closing silently were tightly shut. If I kiss those lips again, he’ll be really surprised this time. Hyeon Gyu-ha suppressed his regret and hugged his cheek instead. Yet, I’m surprised once again. Where in his small cheek that fit in one hand was the warmth that thrilled my heart? "Let's assume that the taming is lifted as Yoo-shin- ssi  said, and the fake emotions are washed away. Since all of that was fake, do you think that all the time I spent with Yoo-shin- ssi  was also fake? As soon as the taming is lifted, will you and I become no different from strangers?" “I felt joy, anger, sadness, and pleasure while spending each day with you. The emotions I felt for the first time in my life became memories and were engraved in my soul, but even this feels fake?” In Yoo-shin’s gaze, which had been blinking in confusion, dropped down. “……I don’t know.” “I can release the taming as planned and experiment to see if it’s really fake.” He tilted his head slightly to the side. “How can I do such an experiment……” He's such an excessively kind person. If it were me, I would have killed anyone who forced me to do such a bothersome thing before even starting the experiment. Hyeon Gyu-ha suppressed the urge to swallow again and moved his hand, which had been cupping his cheek, down. His fingertips, now on his neck, traced the pulse. My heart is racing with tension, embarrassment, and confusion, but not at the same pace as yours. That's okay. It's my responsibility to match your speed. "Then let's try another experiment. Not the fake love we've been pretending to have, but a real love." “…….” "Even if we date, and I repeatedly confirm and confront my feelings, if it still feels fake." “……” Hyeon Gyu-ha gently kissed In Yoo-shin’s forehead with confidence. “You can end our relationship then as you wish.” If it was the In Yoo-shin he knew, he would never be able to refuse so coldly. Several minutes that felt like years passed, and Hyeon Gyu-ha tasted In Yoo-shin’s breath again, responding cautiously. No wonder, Master was different from usual today. “Kyuu……………?” 8- se  tilted his head inside the cage and looked outside. Master always woke up just in time for work when he worked in the morning. The king’s son always came to drive him to work, so he woke up even later. Master, who seemed to be tossing and turning without sleeping properly, woke up an hour early and started to squirm. It took twice as long to shower than usual, and he took out clothes from the hanger one by one for each day of the week, took them off, put them on, took them off, put them on again, and repeated that. "Isn't it strange......? Even if I change the clothes, they're all the same………………" "Squeak. Squeak." He wanted to express his opinion that the owner looked good no matter what he wore, but In Yoo-shin understood it differently. "Do you want to come to work with me today?" "Squeak!" That's not exactly what I wanted to say, but accompanying you, Master, is always welcome. 8- se  crawled out of the cage and ran, and In Yoo-shin regained emotional stability while petting 8- se , who fit perfectly in his hand. "Whew. It's gonna be okay, it's gonna be okay. It's just the Gyu-ha- ssi  I always see." The fake relationship became real and they just kissed. It's okay. It's okay....... Then, when In Yoo-shin remembered the feeling of their lips and tongues touching, his neck turned bright red. I don't know where Hyeon Gyu-ha's feelings were sincere. Even so, the warmth of the body temperature I felt through his lips and the heat that seeped deep into me were so vivid that it felt like my heart was dyed the same color. When he finally raised his head from his thoughts, it was already time to go to work. Hyeon Gyu-ha must have arrived in front of the house. He put the 8- se  in his pouch and was about to get up when he heard the doorbell ring. 'Ugh. I guess Gyu-ha- ssi  is up.' In Yoo-shin took a deep breath and answered cautiously. "I'm going out now." The moment his hands, stiff with tension, unlocked the door and opened it, In Yoo-shin's eyes were filled with surprise. HM: I can’t believe this…. ET: yo so if you don't understand i think it's because Gyu ha kissed yoo shin??? And the next paragraph is gyu ha’s back story becuz i was confused too lololol ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Editor M, eteryl If you wanna become a translator, editor or proofreader, please use the discord link given below and follow the instructions in the recruit channel. We made a discord server! please join us!

Indeed, Jeong Tae-ui finally understood the actions of his colleagues who had been making a fuss about conserving energy and building up their strength in preparation for the joint training since he first arrived on this island. To say that a day felt like a thousand years might be a slight exaggeration, but he was easily ten to twenty times more tired than during normal training. When training with colleagues from the same branch, I could at least fundamentally engrave in my heart the thought that the opponent wasn't genuinely trying to harm me when sparring. However, now, even the slightest spar requires me to be intensely alert and tense. There were too many jerks from the European branch whose intention to break a limb of an opponent from another branch under the excuse of a sparring mistake was clearly written on their foreheads. Even during breaks, I couldn't relax. Since they shared the same resting space, I constantly had to be on edge, wondering if a rock would fly at me from anywhere, or if someone might even shoot an air rifle if I was unlucky. The only time I could truly relax was after finishing the regular daily schedule and returning to my room, after entering the room and locking the door. Even then, if I left the room to go to the bathroom or shower, I had to either skillfully avoid or confront the ever-present sparks of conflict scattered everywhere until I returned to my room. Jeong Tae-ui, who was so bothered by this that he even stopped by the bathroom on his way back to his room immediately after finishing the regular schedule, collapsed onto the bed as soon as he entered the room. Even after returning to his room, I couldn't feel completely at ease. This was because I had to fully receive Maurer's resentful gaze. Alright, I was wrong, I was wrong. That damn Colt, I'll clean out my bank account and buy you a hundred of them later……. Jeong Tae-ui, sprawled on the bed, mumbled to himself. Even speaking out loud felt exhausting. Maurer was still absorbed in his puzzle, casting a cold gaze, and considering that Tou hadn't returned from the bathroom for quite some time, it seemed he was either getting involved in a fight somewhere or creating one himself. His stamina, which allowed him to constantly start small and large disputes every single day without getting tired, was truly admirable. "Hey, someone paged you." Jeong Tae-ui, who was lying face down on the bed, half asleep, heard Maurer's grumpy voice informing him. Jeong Tae-ui just groggily lifted his head, glanced at the pager he'd thrown on the desk, and buried his face back in the pillow. Even checking it was too much of a bother. However, a moment later, Maurer's voice was heard again. "Hey, it came again." "……Where's it from?" What kind of guy pages me when I'm dead tired , Jeong Tae-ui mumbled, grumbling with a pained voice. Maurer picked up the pager and checked the number. Then he said indifferently. "It's number 114." "114……. Why would the phone number directory service be looking for me…….?" "What nonsense are you talking about? There’s a message for you too. Check it." Maurer tossed the pager. The small device landed precisely next to Jeong Tae-ui's pillow. Lying face down, Jeong Tae-ui half-opened his eyes and glanced at the pager. Seeing the indicator light blinking below the screen, it seemed a message had indeed arrived, just as he said. Checking or anything else is a pain. It's probably just some notification about submitting something, or a period of caution, or some other such guidance. 114, if it's 114, where the hell is that? Room 14 on the first basement floor? What was there? Ah, there were the instructors' rooms. And the administrative officers. If it's 14, among the administrative officers, it’s the lowest……. Jeong Tae-ui's eyes snapped open, and he shot up. As the person who had been lying like a dead body suddenly sprang up, Maurer, who had been burying his nose in a magazine a little distance away, was startled and looked back at him repeatedly. "If it's the lowest ranking of Administrative officers, that's Xinlu."  "Huh? T-that’s right. Why suddenly?"  Maurer asked, rubbing his chest. His face looked as if Jeong Tae-ui was suddenly talking in his sleep. Jeong Tae-ui didn't bother to answer and quickly checked the message. As expected, the person who paged me was Xinlu. The message content was nothing special; it simply told me to take care of my health. Although Jeong Tae-ui's face was full of weariness even from that trivial message, his expression darkened the moment he checked the second message. 'See you on the weekend, then. Have a good night.' Weekend. That word made him remember. Come to think of it, I still hadn't told Xinlu that I couldn't meet him on the weekend. I hadn't had a chance to go to the office, nor had I accidentally run into Xinlu. "I should tell him……, that I can't go……."  Jeong Tae-ui muttered gloomily. He then stared blankly at the pager placed by the head of his bed. I could only hold onto a sliver of hope that maybe some huge situation would arise and the weekend training would be canceled, giving everyone free time, but if such a situation occurred, neither Xinlu nor I would be able to comfortably go for a walk anyway. "...Ugh."  Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue and suddenly got up. Maurer, who was clutching his puzzle magazine, looked at Jeong Tae-ui with a strange expression. "I'm going to go see Xinlu for a bit." Jeong Tae-ui briefly said, putting the pager in his pocket and heading towards the door. I could have called, but I feel like it was better to say something like this directly, face-to-face. "Xinlu? He won't be in the office now since it's past hours, will he?" "Then I'll just go to his room. What's the problem?" "During the joint training period, the first basement floor is off-limits to team members. Meeting instructors personally is prohibited. Xinlu's room is on the first basement floor too, you know."  Maurer's muttering, as if Jeong Tae-ui were saying something foolish, hit the back of Jeong Tae-ui's head. Jeong Tae-ui paused, then his eyes widened, and he turned back to look at Maurer. Maurer frowned, as if asking, Didn't you know? No, it’s not that I didn’t know. But I forgot about it. That's right. Seeing Xinlu privately would be difficult without contacting him beforehand. Jeong Tae-ui hesitated for a moment. But since I had already decided I needed to go see him, now I want to see him more. ……Yeah, I definitely had to go see him. There was no benefit in delaying it and suddenly breaking the promise for our plans for the weekend. Jeong Tae-ui gave Maurer a light wave and left the room as he was. Maurer shouted, 'Huh, hey!' but he pretended not to hear. The moment he stepped out the door, the biting air prickly against his skin again, but there wasn't any major problem.  I had no intention of provoking anyone first, nor did I intend to respond to sarcastic remarks thrown his way. No one bothered to grab and stop Jeong Tae-ui, who just passed by without reacting even when they subtly tried to pick a fight. He could hear words like 'Tch, coward', but if I could avoid unnecessary fights, I would listen to such back talk a hundred, no, a thousand times over. His feet habitually stopped in front of the elevator, but feeling that leaving a trace indicating he was going to the first basement floor wasn't good, he turned his steps towards the stairs. Since he went up and down so often, he could now climb six or seven floors by stairs without a problem, but the steps on these stairs were quite high. They were arranged in a long line, seemingly twice the height of normal stairs. Naturally, the height between floors was considerable, and the ceiling was seen far above. When I asked why the building design was like this, my uncle just smiled and calmly said, 'To make you exercise.' "Even without this kind of exercise, everyday life is training, Uncle."  Jeong Tae-ui grumbled to his uncle, who couldn't hear him. Whenever there was something to grumble about, I would just vent to my uncle, whether I was listening or not. It helped me feel a bit more stable. Upon reaching the first basement floor, he saw an unfamiliar sign attached to the iron door: 'Entry Prohibited Except for Residents.' This meant that people who didn't live on this floor—in other words, members—should not come here. Jeong Tae-ui pretended not to see the sign and opened the door and entered. I half expected the door to be locked or for someone to point a gun at me the moment I opened it and growl, 'I told you entry is prohibited,' but that didn't happen. Standing in the first basement hallway, Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head at the laxness, which was no different from usual in restricting entry despite the sign being posted. Did it mean they were relying on the members' conscience? This wasn't a school; they should rely on something more reliable. Since there were originally very few people staying on the first basement floor, I rarely ran into anyone even when freely moving around.  Jeong Tae-ui paused his steps, which he was taking leisurely. Come to think of it, there were surveillance cameras scattered everywhere on this floor—and throughout the entire building, not just this floor. "…….Does this mean they'll find me later and scold me if I get caught on camera?"  Jeong Tae-ui let out a sigh. But I wondered if that really mattered, as I had a rough idea of where the surveillance cameras were located. Since I knew, other members probably did too. I could walk the path by only stepping through the camera blind spots. However, thinking again, I realized that no matter what, when entering an instructor's room, I would inevitably step out of a blind spot. Naturally, I would be caught on camera. Furthermore, there might be cameras I didn't know about. Jeong Tae-ui fell into thought for a moment. Should I just go back? Anyway, I could just page him. However, while his mind knew that was the wiser option, his feet were already walking down the hallway. Ah, whatever. I almost wished I would get caught and thrown into solitary confinement. After all, it was just a prison; how much worse could the facilities be? Jeong Tae-ui headed towards Xinlu's room. I hadn't gotten lost again since the first time I wandered here. It was fortunate that I at least had a sense of direction and didn't forget a path I had taken once. Xinlu's room wasn't too far from the stairwell. It was a quick walk straight down the hallway and just one turn. On the way, he wondered what excuse he would make if he happened to run into someone, but that didn't happen. Tap tap,  he knocked on the door with his fingertips. He waited for a moment, but there was no answer. Thinking that the sound was too quiet to be heard, or perhaps he wasn't in the room, he knocked a little harder. "If he's not in the room, I'll just be caught on the surveillance camera with no result. This is a failure……"  Jeong Tae-ui muttered to himself, clicking his tongue. Even if I was going to meet him directly to tell him, maybe I should have called first. However, dispelling Jeong Tae-ui's worries, the door opened a moment later. Xinlu, who was sticking his head out through the door, opened just a couple of hand-spans, asking Who is it? , and seemed surprised to see Jeong Tae-ui. "Tay hyung. What brings you here? You shouldn't be here right now…… Please, come in for now." Xinlu glanced around and pulled Jeong Tae-ui into the room. Only then did I wonder if my visit might cause trouble for Xinlu, but it was too late to regret it. Besides, now that I was here, there was no point in thinking about it. More than anything, it was my first time in Xinlu's room. A person's room wasn't all that special, but Jeong Tae-ui looked around the room with a curious expression. It was a clean and simple room. It wasn't cluttered with unnecessary items, but it also wasn't too bare. "Wouldn't it be troublesome for hyung if someone else saw you? What brings you here so suddenly?"  Xinlu asked with concern, bringing out two cans of beer. Seeing the beer in his hands, Jeong Tae-ui was momentarily surprised, but thinking about it, Xinlu, no matter how lovable he was, was already an adult. He was old enough to drink beer without it being strange. It was more unusual to find it surprising. Jeong Tae-ui accepted the beer and thanked him, then hesitated for a moment. Since it was a room he stayed in alone, there was no need for a guest sofa, so Jeong Tae-ui sat on the bed. Xinlu pulled up a desk chair and sat in front of him, quietly waiting for Jeong Tae-ui to speak. "Um, about the weekend……." "Ah, yes. I checked the weather forecast, and they said it would be clear on the weekend."  Xinlu smiled widely when Jeong Tae-ui brought up the topic. Jeong Tae-ui inwardly clutched his chest, saying, "Ugh."  Hearing him say that, when I had come to cancel the plans, made me feel incredibly awkward. Normally, I would have been overjoyed, but now I just felt extremely uneasy. "Uh……."  As Jeong Tae-ui fumbled with his words and his expression clouded over, Xinlu seemed to notice the change in his demeanor. He tilted his head and just watched Jeong Tae-ui silently. “Well, they said there's training this weekend too that I didn’t know about. It seems…… I can't get out of it.” He said, "So...," and then hesitated, unable to finish his sentence. To his surprise, Xinlu nodded as if it was nothing, and said.  "Ah, I see. I thought something was strange. It seemed like both last time and the time before that, during joint training, it always lasts for a full fifteen days without a break, and I wondered if this time would be different." Xinlu nodded as he spoke, then suddenly his smiling mouth turned into a slight frown, as if disappointed. "I was hoping we could take a leisurely walk together, hyung…… It's a shame." "Uh, sorry……."  Jeong Tae-ui bowed his head and apologized. I felt a little relieved, though. Right, he already knew. Come to think of it, it was natural that Xinlu, who had been here longer than me, would already know. It seemed I had worried unnecessarily on my own. However, since he had broken the promise, Jeong Tae-ui looked at Xinlu apologetically. Xinlu, who had a look of disappointment, saw Jeong Tae-ui's expression, shook his head, and smiled again. "No, it's alright. That's just how the training schedule is, you know. Still, once the training is over, we'll have that week off, so we can go for a walk then. It’s not like the beach is going anywhere." " Unn . ……Let's go for a walk after joint training." When Jeong Tae-ui said that, Xinlu nodded happily. Then, he replied with a hum of agreement. “After training is over, we can leave the island on the weekend, so let’s go to Hong Kong together to have some fun. I have a few things I need to buy there anyway.” “Ah, really. Then going together would be great. I also owe Tou some cigarettes.”  Jeong Tae-ui readily agreed with a happy heart. Having come to postpone the weekend's plans and ending up making two new ones – a walk and a trip to Hong Kong – I felt more than satisfied. While it was a shame that the anticipation for this weekend had dissolved into nothing, I had secured double the plans for the future. “Still…… It’s a bit disappointing, though. I was looking forward to it.” In front of Jeong Tae-ui, Xinlu's slightly bowed head and whispered voice could be heard. The moment he registered that sound, Jeong Tae-ui's face flushed red. It was strange. Although Jeong Tae-ui knew that his rationality wasn't quite right when Xinlu was in front of him, he was actually quite used to dating – or rather, going through the motions of dating. How to entice someone with words and take them into my arms was something I had easily picked up after going to clubs a few times, without anyone even needing to teach me. Because of that, I considered dating or spending the night with someone to be not difficult at all. Yet, I just couldn't easily reach out to this young man. Perhaps this is what people mean when they say, “Love makes you more careful.” I found myself to be amusing, but I didn't dislike this feeling. Jeong Tae-ui smiled shyly, his face still flushed. Just then, Xinlu tentatively reached out his hand. And his hand hovered over Jeong Tae-ui's fingertips, as if about to overlap. Small fingernails tickled the tips of Jeong Tae-ui's fingers. Xinlu's gaze, slightly watching for a reaction, drew closer. Jeong Tae-ui almost burst into laughter. How childish yet adorable this seduction was. I had never received such a blatant yet cute seduction. At this point, I could just smile and smoothly take that hand in return. And with a light kiss on those fingertips and a smile, it will be a done deal. However. My hand simply wouldn't move. His flushed face just grew hotter and hotter. Jeong Tae-ui looked at Xinlu.  Those slender fingers that were lightly touching the tips of his fingers. His mouth felt dry. His anxious mind whispered, Now, now is the time. It's okay now. Jeong Tae-ui clenched his fist. And then, he impatiently reached out his hand. After a moment's hesitation, his hand grabbed Xinlu's shoulder. I can't face him. It would probably look utterly ridiculous if I did. A man whose face was as red as a boiled octopus, looking completely flustered. For this moment, I wished Xinlu wouldn't look at me. Jeong Tae-ui half-rose his body. And pulling the hand that was holding Xinlu's shoulder, he awkwardly brought his lips to Xinlu's face. Originally, I had intended to bravely kiss him on the lips. But I was too nervous and missed it. He ambiguously kissed a spot closer to the cheek than the lips. But what was important in Jeong Tae-ui's mind at this moment was not where he had kissed. I kissed him for the first time. Xinlu's soft skin had touched my lips. On the face he had brushed as lightly as a feather, he felt Xinlu's surprised gaze looking at him. Unable to meet that gaze, Jeong Tae-ui pulled back and wiped his bright red face with the back of his hand. "……" "……" For a while, silence hung in the air. Jeong Tae-ui kept his head bowed, just fidgeting uselessly with his fingers. He stole a glance up and saw that Xinlu was the same. His fair cheeks were flushed, and his head was down. Is it okay? He's not angry, is he?  His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would explode. Though Jeong Tae-ui didn't know what to do, a smile was almost about to break through his lips, so he pressed them together. But the corners of his mouth kept softening. Jeong Tae-ui subtly raised a hand to cover his mouth. And when he cautiously looked at Xinlu, Xinlu had already raised his head and was looking at Jeong Tae-ui. When their eyes met – Jeong Tae-ui standing awkwardly with his mouth covered – Xinlu suddenly burst into laughter, his face bright red. Hearing the quiet but cheerful, bead-like laughter, Jeong Tae-ui, who had been looking at Xinlu with a little bit of bewildered expression, eventually started laughing too. His chest felt ticklish. That's why he laughed. Perhaps Xinlu felt a similar way. After laughing for a while and the laughter subsided, an awkward and sheepish atmosphere settled between them again. "Um, well then, I'll get going now. See you after training. ……Ah, thanks for the message. I read it." "Ah, yes. ……Um, I'll walk you out." As Jeong Tae-ui got up and showed signs of leaving, Xinlu also stood up and followed behind him. Jeong Tae-ui felt another smile bloom. He was simply adorable, following meekly behind like a puppy. He told Xinlu there was no need to come out all the way to the door, but Xinlu shook his head and came out of the room anyway. They barely spoke as they walked down the hallway. There was nothing really to say, and more than anything, but his heart was full just from the warmth conveyed through their lightly clasped hands. Holding hands and walking side-by-side, their faces flushed, the two of them silent – if Uncle saw this, he'd give us that look again. The one that says, "Look at you two having fun..." But what does it matter? Let him look all he wants. We're already close enough to hold hands, you know. Jeong Tae-ui glanced at the young man about half a span shorter than himself. A faint scent of soap still wafted from his soft hair. Thinking he wanted to bury his face in that hair, Jeong Tae-ui blushed again and smiled awkwardly. That's when it happened. They were nearing the stairs.  It was a shame I couldn't ask him to go down to the sixth basement floor together, and I was regretting having to let go of his hand by the stairs. Someone turned the corner from the wall in front of the stairs. Fl-inch,  he slightly tightened the fingers of their clasped hands. There was no benefit to anyone seeing them and realizing Jeong Tae-ui was on this floor. Although they might have been caught on CCTV, being seen directly by a person felt different. Who could it be? It would be easier to make an excuse if it were one of the Administrative officers, he thought with a click of his tongue. The moment Jeong Tae-ui recognized who it was, he flinched and even stopped walking. It was someone he hadn't expected to meet on this floor at all—or rather, someone he shouldn't have met here. Riegrow, that fearsome man. The man also saw Jeong Tae-ui. Then his gaze slowly shifted to Xinlu beside him. And then moved downwards, to their joined hands. His dark eyes, revealing nothing of his thoughts, narrowed slightly. It was a look that seemed as if he was interested, amused, or perhaps displeased, or even covetous. The moment the last possibility crossed his mind, Jeong Tae-ui's face hardened. The conversation he'd had with Tou on the morning not long before he arrived here came back to him. ── There wasn't a single young, pretty boy he didn’t get his hands on. A chill went down his spine. Jeong Tae-ui instinctively tightened his grip on the hand he was holding and stepped in front of Xinlu, blocking him. Xinlu fidgeted behind him, looking bewildered, but Jueog Tae-ui stood silently, shielding him. Dangerous. That thought instinctively flashed through his mind. It wasn't the same kind of danger I had felt before, danger related to life or survival. This was a danger of potentially losing something precious, a more urgent and anxious danger than perhaps even survival itself. Riegrow gazed intently at Jeong Tae-ui. As if reflecting Jeong Tae-ui's inner thoughts entirely, an expression that was hard to tell if it was a smile or something else slowly bloomed on his lips. "What's wrong……?" He spoke quietly. His voice held a faint but clearly discernible amusement. Jeong Tae-ui inwardly clicked his tongue. One should not show anything that could be a weakness to others. Especially not to a man this threatening and brutal. Yet, for a moment, I had completely exposed my own vulnerability. "Xinlu. You should go back now." Jeong Tae-ui said quietly over his shoulder. Xinlu seemed to hesitate for a moment. Xinlu's gaze briefly met Riegrow's. A cautious, examining look swept over Riegrow as if probing him. "Hyung……" "It's okay, go back inside. See you later." Jeong Tae-ui gently patted Xinlu, who was clinging to his lapel and mumbling. Xinlu hesitated for a while longer, but then briefly bid Jeong Tae-ui farewell and turned back. As he headed back to his room, he looked back once, then twice. Xinlu's gaze landed on Riegrow. Riegrow also watched Xinlu with a subtle look. Soon, the sound of a door closing came from behind Jeong Tae-ui, some distance away, and only then did Riegrow, who had been staring intently at Xinlu's retreating back over Jeong Tae-ui's shoulder, turn his gaze back to Jeong Tae-ui. Jeong Tae-ui looked back at him uncomfortably. I ran into someone I didn't want to meet, in a situation I didn't want to be in. Just my luck. However, even after Xinlu disappeared, Jeong Tae-ui's unease didn't fade. This was because he had seen Riegrow's gaze continue over his shoulder. Until the moment Xinlu entered the room, Riegrow had been staring intently at him. With great interest, with narrowed eyes. "What a pretty guy."  Riegrow finally said. A hint of pleasant desire flickered in his voice. Jeong Tae-ui's expression hardened further. He looked directly at him and said stiffly. "Why would you call a guy ‘pretty’?" At Jeong Tae-ui's words, a look of amusement quickly spread across Riegrow's face. Laughter crinkled around his eyes. "Ah-ha. A man, you say. Yes, of course. I personally don’t care about someone’s sex if they catch my eye, but it seems you do. That's unexpected──." Trailing off meaningfully, Riegrow chuckled. Jeong Tae-ui's mouth felt bitter. His words had been overly clumsy. A man like this would have already noticed the moment he first saw them how Jeong Tae-ui felt about Xinlu. It might have been better to just affirm it rather than trying to deflect with such an awkward remark. His chest felt uneasy. The subtle gaze this man directed at Xinlu kept catching in a corner of his chest and wouldn't disappear. The glass bead, which he thought had finally come into his hand, was shaking precariously. Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue. It seemed there was no good reason to drag out the conversation. Besides, when I thought about it, the situation of confronting this man alone like this was not at all favorable to me. "What are you even doing here? This floor should be off-limits." Jeong Tae-ui said this, knowing he wasn't exactly in a position to ask so boldly, and looked in the direction the man had come from. That way was towards the instructors' rooms. The European branch's instructors who had escorted the European branch members were also staying on this floor, but their rooms were in a different direction. Jeong Tae-ui suddenly tilted his head. Why would this man have a personal reason to meet an instructor from this side? Or perhaps he was exploring the branch building? However, I can’t seem to think of any particular reason either. The UNHRDO didn't have another organization it was specifically in conflict with, so there was no organization or group that would be likely to try and spy on them. For a moment, I considered the Riegrow-spy(說) theory, but it’s not sharp conclusion. Perhaps sensing what Jeong Tae-ui was thinking, Riegrow wore a faint smile. However, he didn't answer that question, instead giving an answer that was expected. “I believe that doesn’t just apply to me alone. Why did you come here? --Though I can already see why you’re here without needing to ask." Riegrow muttered slowly. Then, he suddenly tilted his head and let out a small laugh. "But what were you doing with that pretty young man? His face was quite deliciously flushed." At his low voice, Jeong Tae-ui's face hardened instantly. At the subtle tone in which he murmured, "What were you doing coming out?" the sensation of Xinlu's cheek against his lips came back to him. His face grew hot. Jeong Tae-ui unconsciously raised his hand and wiped his face with the back of it once. But as soon as he did, he thought he had done something unnecessary. It only made his face hotter, and in front of him, Riegrow let out a low chuckle. Jeong Tae-ui felt a surge of anger. There was no reason for him to be laughed at by others. Neither he nor Shinru. "Whatever I was doing coming out, it's none of your business." "Well, I wonder if that's true. I'm also curious, you see. What kind of reaction would that pretty young man show if I did this or that to him. How warm his breath would be, how adorable his crying sounds. Things like that── you know." Riegrow drew out his words, whispering. Jeong Tae-ui glared at him coldly. Damn it. I had a persistently uneasy feeling from earlier, a bad premonition, and this was it after all. He became nervous. As anxiety set in, his mouth felt dry. If someone looked at Xinlu with covetous eyes, no one would feel good about it, but even more so with this man. Beyond just not feeling good, a profound unease washed over me. It was an overwhelming sense of crisis. Furthermore, this lunatic, despite his twisted personality and preferences, was externally perfectly attractive. He had a body and face that were useful enough that a dozen people would immediately gather if he just snapped his finger. Honestly, I had to admit what needed admitting. The only thing I was better at than that guy was his humanity. Whether it was face-to-face, body-to-body, or strength-to-strength, there was nothing I could claim to be better at. The only reason I could confidently assert that I was ahead in humanity was not because I was exceptionally superior, but because that man was frightfully inferior. “So what you're trying to say is, you like Xinlu?” “Xinlu? Ahaha, so that young man's name is Xinlu, is it? Yes, he’s not bad. No, actually he's quite good, if it's him.” Riegrow said. At the same time, he took a step towards Jeong Tae-ui. And then another step. The moment he began to walk slowly with relaxed steps, Jeong Tae-ui frowned. I had momentarily forgotten. The fact that there was nothing good about running into this man. No, rather, if I saw even the tip of his hair from a hundred miles away, I  should have quickly run away. The sensation of this man's neck touching the muzzle of the gun I held was still vivid. He flinched, reflexively almost retreating, but Jeong Tae-ui soon changed his mind and stood his ground.  If I thought about it, it was already too late to run away. Then, retreating pointlessly would only make me look ridiculous. Besides, surely he wouldn't go so far as to kill someone in a hallway like this…… though he probably would. "What's wrong?" Seeing Jeong Tae-ui standing stiffly rooted to the spot, Riegrow shrugged and smiled. However, that smile was even more chilling. Walking slowly but without stopping, he was already only a few steps away from Jeong Tae-ui.  Yet, he kept walking. One step, two steps, one more step. Jeong Tae-ui met his black eyes, which were fixed on him, head-on and tensed his entire body stiffly. How far are you planning to come? I was already within arm's reach. However, even so, Riegrow walked closer. One step, and then, finally, he stopped. They were barely two or three hand-spans apart. From there, Riegrow was looking down at Jeong Tae-ui. His eyes were as cold as ice. Even though there was clearly a faint smile on the corners of his eyes and mouth, his gaze was as sharp as a blade. This was a dangerous position. No, it was beyond dangerous. Jeong Tae-ui again blamed his own foolishness. In this position, if this man made a move, nine times out of ten I would be caught. I wouldn't even be able to attempt to escape with a shallow trick. I should have at least made him stop his feet a few steps back. "That's strange……, where did all that nerve I saw the other day go, huh?" Riegrow said quietly. It sounded like he was even humming a happy tune. Jeong Tae-ui looked at him squarely. Eyes so chillingly frozen, he didn't seem human. I got goosebumps. I couldn't believe a man like this existed. "Jeong Tae-ui." The voice calling his name slowly. Its clear and precise pronunciation seemed to assert, 'I know you, precisely as much as this pronunciation.' Riegrow's head tilted slightly. Gently, his hand came up. His hand, frozen and unmoving, seemed to touch the wrist of Jeong Tae-ui, who was silently looking at Riegrow, before slowly, as if stroking, crawling up. Past the elbow to the shoulder, the neck, the feel of the cold leather glove was smooth and soft like a snake. The dark navy gloves, almost black, were spotlessly clean without a trace of blood, yet he felt as if he could smell blood from somewhere. That hand swept from his cheek to his ear, then through his hair.  The touch was soft and gentle. Yet, that hand was one that could twist my neck at any moment. The hand reached the back of Jeong Tae-ui's head. The broad palm covering his head slightly pulled Jeong Tae-ui towards himself. As if lightly embracing him. His shoulder drew close, right before Jeong Tae-ui's eyes. A gentle, low voice whispered in his ear. "Is he…… yours?" Flinch, Jeong Tae-ui convulsed faintly, a movement that was hard to discern. Riegrow was looking at Xinlu's room over Jeong Tae-ui's head. Or perhaps at Xinlu himself, who was just beyond the door. With slender, cruel eyes. "It's not, is it?" Riegrow found the answer himself, instead of the tongue-tied Jeong Tae-ui. He laughed with delight. Stroking Jeong Tae-ui's head a couple of times, he willingly released his arm. Jeong Tae-ui, who had been practically held and trapped within his arm, ended up taking a step back. All I could do was glare fiercely at Riegrow. "Don't glare like that. I'm not saying I'm going to completely take away something that’s yours. For me, tasting it sometimes when I want is enough." He said, smiling. That languid voice spread through his chest, becoming a thick anxiety. "Riegrow. Don't." Jeong Tae-ui said stiffly. But he didn't answer. As if Jeong Tae-ui was no longer of any interest, he looked towards Xinlu's room once more, then turned and walked away. "Riegrow!" Jeong Tae-ui shouted. Riegrow, who was walking a few steps ahead, seemed to turn his head for a moment, but without stopping his steps or changing direction, he continued to move away, merely speaking as if amused. “To properly claim what's yours, you need to have the qualifications for it. When you're thrown naked into hell, are you confident you can even manage to save your own life?” He lightly waved his hand. And then, turning towards the stairs, he disappeared from view. Jeong Tae-ui stood alone, stock-still, only glaring at the empty hallway where no one remained. *** ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Tâmago We made a discord server! please join us!

3.   After leaving the stadium, I headed to Chae Yoo-jeong’s house, not my own apartment, as I had promised him.   [Yoo-jeong: Number 1030 :3]   [Yoo-jeong: I’ll be back soon, pls wait!!]   [Yoo-jeong: (emoticon)]   When I checked the door lock password that Chae Yoo-jeong had sent me, I couldn’t help but laugh. When I arrived at the front door, I pressed 1030 on the door lock and entered the house.   [Yoo Ji-han: What ㅋㅋ]   [Yoo Ji-han: Now you’re using your home password to be cute]   1030 was the number representing my birthday, October 30th. I said it teasingly, and a reply came right away.   [Yoo-jeong: ㅜㅅㅜ?]   [Yoo-jeong: I like the number tho]   [Yoo Ji-han: ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]   [Yoo Ji-han: I also want to change my apartment password to 0115]   [Yoo-jeong: I really just did it on a whim so you didn’t have to do it!!]   [Yoo Ji-han: You don’t want me to do it?]   [Yoo-jeong: ㅠ]   [Yoo-jeong: Please do itㅠ]   [Yoo Ji-han: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]   Adorable.   [Yoo Ji-han: Can I eat what’s in the refrigerator?]   [Yoo Ji-han: Can I??]   [Yoo-jeong: Yes, yes, yes, yes]   [Yoo-jeong: Just use it!!!!]   [Yoo-jeong: ^3^♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥]   [Yoo Ji-han: ㅋㅋ]   [Yoo Ji-han: okay then]   With a dark smile on my face, I opened the refrigerator. There were three or four airtight containers filled with side dishes.   It seems that the lady in charge who comes to manage the house on a regular basis had prepared it in advance so that Chae Yoo-jeong could eat for the holidays.   “……Let’s just go out and buy something and then come back in.”   Chae Yoo-jeong doesn’t have many opportunities to eat home-cooked meals, so I didn’t want to be the first to touch the side dishes that the lady had prepared for him.   ‘Even though the landlord gave permission, I still make a mess here and there.’   In the end, I put the shoes that I had taken off back on and walked out.   Later, when I have some free time, I’d like to learn how to cook. Still, it’s not like I’m lacking in skills.   I headed to a fast-food restaurant, imagining Chae Yoo-jeong being happy after eating the dish I made myself.   After eating a quick meal outside, I returned to Chae Yoo-jeong’s house and immediately put my clothes on the washer and laid down on the sofa in the living room. For pajamas, I borrowed Chae Yoo-jeong’s short-sleeved T-shirt and training pants.   Since Chae Yoo-jeong gave permission, I could play games on the computer, but for some reason I didn’t feel like doing so, so I ended up choosing the TV rather than the computer.   “Boring.”   It was so boring to lie down alone and watch old movies. It’s been a long time since I came to Chae Yoo-jeong’s house, but it wasn’t fun because the important Chae Yoo-jeong wasn’t there.   “When will Yoo-jeong come…….”   I fumbled to pick up my cell phone left on the side of the sofa and check the screen. However, there were no new messages as they were still in the after-party.   —---   I woke up in Chae Yoo-jeong’s bedroom. There was only one person who could have moved me from the sofa to the bed. When I turned my head to the side, as expected, Chae Yoo-jeong was deeply asleep, breathing evenly.   “Ah………….”   For some reason, I felt dizzy and touched my forehead.   Yoo Ji-han, you crazy bastard. As soon as I was thinking of waiting for him, I fell asleep.   I wasted the precious Saturday doing nothing like that. Of course, there wasn’t anything worth doing that early in the morning, but it was still a shame.   ‘I should have endured somehow………..!’   I pounded the soft blanket with my fist and swallowed back tears. Considering Chae Yoo-jeong’s short vacation and my schedule that only allows for weekends to relax, it was a pity that I spent the early morning hours sleeping.   How dumbfounded Chae Yoo-jeong must have been to find me sleeping on the sofa, after confidently proclaiming that I would wait. It’s even the day that Chae Yoo-jeong won the competition. Even though I, his so-called lover, couldn’t congratulate him, I just slept. I really had no shame.   I looked at Chae Yoo-jeong with a sorry heart. His bright brown hair, disheveled over the white pillow, his pure white face revealed beneath it, and his neat facial features shined especially brightly today.   “…….”   Chae Yoo-jeong was sleeping sweetly with an expression that I never dreamed that I would be seeing on him. After staring at him for a while, I felt a burning sensation in my stomach, so I swallowed my dry saliva.   ‘Since the atmosphere is there and all, should I just make a move now?’   How can a person look so pretty and sparkle even though he is obviously sleeping? While I was staring at Chae Yoo-jeong’s face obsessively, I finally caught my senses.   Let’s be patient. I am not a beast. I am an intelligent person. Chae Yoo-jeong must be very tired because he came home late in the morning, so it would be better to let him sleep longer like this.   It was at that time that I finally regained my composure and carefully moved my body so as not to wake Chae Yoo-jeong. Chae Yoo-jeong must have woken up to the sound of rustling fabric and opened his eyes with a half asleep look.   “Hyung……?”   Chae Yoo-jeong slowly blinked and called me. I answered by patting the drowsy Chae Yoo-jeong’s forehead.   “Are you awake? It’s still morning, so sleep some more.”   “It’s okay.”   Chae Yoo-jeong yawned slightly, looked up at me, and smiled.   “Let’s eat breakfast together, Hyung.”   “…….”   My heart fluttered as I saw a bright smile pouring down on me like the morning sunlight. In an instant, blood rushed to my lower body.   ‘Ah, shit.’   Embarrassed by that naked and direct response, I quickly turned my body to the other side so that Chae Yoo-jeong could not see. When I saw with my own eyes the area between my legs that had woken up, a sigh escaped me.   “Hyung?”   Suddenly, I turned around and Chae Yoo-jeong raised his upper body slightly with a puzzled look. I was afraid that Chae Yoo-jeong might find out what was going on in my lower body, so I smiled and pretended like nothing was wrong and stood up.   “Good morning. Then I’ll take a shower first.”   “Okay.”   Fortunately, Chae Yoo-jeong did not notice.   I quickly walked to the bathroom, leaving behind Chae Yoo-jeong, who was very excited about having breakfast with me. It was only after I went into the bathroom and locked the door that I felt relaxed.   “Ha………………”   I put both hands on the sink and lowered my head. Another sigh came from deep within my chest.   I was anxious because it was morning, but I never thought Chae Yoo-jeong’s smiling face would turn on my nether region all at once. I’m really frustrated with this desire of mine...   “I’m going crazy, really.”   I muttered to myself and glanced down. The thing between my legs still remained valiantly upright.   ‘Some people get turned on from the look of a smiling face in the morning, and some people don’t show any signs of it and say we should eat breakfast brightly...….’   Since they were both men, Chae Yoo-jeong would understand, but I still didn’t want to show this side of myself until we were in the right mood. Considering Chae Yoo-jeong’s pure heart, this had to be hidden at all costs.   “I can’t help it.”   Isn’t it Chae Yoo-jeong’s first time doing anything with me? It was a consideration I naturally had to give. But the problem was me. If he didn’t understand the situation this time because I hurriedly retreated, it was still only a matter of time before Chae Yoo-jeong caught me.   Okay. While scratching my forehead and thinking about how to resolve this situation, I took off my clothes. Let’s wash first. I needed to wash up to sort things out and eat breakfast with Chae Yoo-jeong.   Below… It doesn’t seem like it’s going to go down, so I guess I’ll have to take a step while showering. I sighed again, with the cold water poured down from above to cool my warm body. I lost track of how many times I finished under the spray of the shower..   HM: why do I feel so single? TwT     --- Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx We made a Discord Server ! please join us!

In Yoo-shin nodded without even thinking. "I'll take care of making you incapacitated." "Huh? Of course, I should do it. It was my stubbornness that caused it to be sealed in the first place, so I can't ask Gyu-ha- ssi  to do that much." "I'm an S-class, so I'm stronger than someone who can run 50 meters in 11 seconds." "T-that's true, but...……………." I was in a difficult situation. No matter how I thought about it, asking Hyeon Gyu-ha to go as far as becoming incapacitated was not the right thing to do. In Yoo-shin barely managed to come up with another excuse. "Dr. Cho will know that Gyu-ha was tamed. It's right for Gyu-ha to not get involved in this and meet the doctor alone." "I think I said it clearly." "What?" "I dealt with those who found out about my vampire attributes. Dr. Cho is no exception." It was a part of a conversation that came out so casually that it took a moment for me to understand.  When In Yoo-shin belatedly flinched and made a surprised face, Hyeon Gyu-ha, who had been observing his expression, leaned against the bench and sat down. “I’m joking.” Even though I thought about it again, it didn’t seem like a joke, but I agreed for now. “Anyway, I’ll do it. Even if you don’t kill him, I don’t want other people to know Gyu-ha- ssi ’s secret.” When In Yoo-shin was unusually stubborn, Hyeon Gyu-ha quickly accepted it. “When have I ever disobeyed you, Master- nim ?” “………………But is it really okay if I untame you right now?” “Yeah.” With that, Hyeon Gyu-ha got up from his seat. Then, he smiled and held out a hand like he had when he had come to pick him up at the attic a few hours ago. “Then, Master- nim , since I think I’ve told you everything you wanted to tell me, let’s go home. It’s early, but shall we have dinner first?” After leaving Bongandang, they went to eat dinner. They ate stir-fried rice and Rabokki, and after drinking delicious coffee, they headed to the coin karaoke. They sang with Hyeon Gyu-ha, who still only knows trot, and when they returned to the rooftop room, it was dark for an hour. Hyeon Gyu-ha, who usually went back after seeing the lights on in the rooftop room, flew to the rooftop and took him there. “I think you might have been a little tired from going to the dungeon over the weekend, so I moved you today, but please try to climb the stairs diligently even on a regular basis. Climbing stairs is good exercise. It’s a shame that it’s only three floors high. Since there’s no elevator, be careful of your knees when you go down.” In Yoo-shin tilted his head as he listened to the nagging to exercise. Except for going to Bongandang, today was no different from when we usually met and went out. In other words, it was a date. Why is a date possible? Right after I suggested that we lift the taming? 'What is Gyu-ha- ssi  thinking?' For someone who was begging me not to abandon them, their reaction was too nonchalant and cool, which, no matter how I think about it, is suspicious. If I read Hyeon Gyu-ha's emotions through the status window, I could understand them a little. However, in a situation where I was going to untame him soon, it didn't seem right to sneak a peek at his status window for my own convenience. While only rolling his eyes here and there, Hyeon Gyu-ha looked at his expression and smiled as if he found it amusing, following his gaze. “You look like you have a lot to say.” “Can I ask what you’re thinking?” “Do you really need to listen to my answer? The status window shows what emotions I feel. You can just look at that.” “......Did you know?” Hyeon Gyu-ha shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing. “It’s no secret that tamers can figure out the emotions of their demons.” Since it was hard to explain that you could see all of your emotions, he ended up hiding them unintentionally. In Yoo-shin scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hide it……… You’re a little upset, aren’t you?” “If someone else had read it, I would have kindly pulled out their spine, but if it’s you, Yoo-shin- ssi , it’s okay. I’m a lovely pet rat who is not ashamed or embarrassed by my Master- nim ." "Then I’ll look at it for a little while." After asking for understanding and glancing at Hyeon Gyu-ha's status window, In Yoo-shin closed his eyes tightly once and opened them. Then he rubbed them with the back of his hand and looked at them again. He wasn't seeing things wrong. ………………Why is this coming out? [Current status: Murderous intent. ??. Anticipation.] The first two were the defaults recently, so even so, anticipation? Anticipation? In Yoo-shin was confused for a moment, but soon found a convincing reason. 'Gyu-ha- ssi  wanted to finish the contract quickly, even if it meant killing me. It's only natural to feel anticipation.' Even though he changed his mind, a feeling of emptiness suddenly came over him, shaking one side of his chest. Hyeon Gyu-ha met In Yoo-shin's eyes as he bent down and silently fiddled with his fingers. “What are you talking about?” “A murderous intent, a question mark of some kind, and anticipation.” “A question mark? What’s that?” Hyeon Gyu-ha tilted his head as he muttered to himself. “Well, anyway, 'murderous intent and anticipation,' that's really accurate. When you talk to Dr. Cho and set a date, you absolutely have to tell me. Now, let's go in. You have to go to work tomorrow, don't you?” Hyeon Gyu-ha gestured for me to hurry up and rest. In Yoo-shin bowed and opened the front door, then closed it again. For some reason, the word ‘anticipation’ kept making him feel uneasy. It's Hyeon Gyuha, of all people. Can I really think so simply, that there are emotions within him whose reasons I can understand without difficulty? “Excuse me, Gyu-ha- ssi .” “Yes.” “What are you looking forward to?” “It’s about the taming with Master- nim  being lifted.” “………………Is that really it?” “Yes.” Hyeon Gyu-ha's eyes were filled with anticipation as if he was asking what else he needed. "If the taming is undone, Yoo-shin- ssi  will no longer be my master, and I won't have to be mindful of my Master- nim 's every whim anymore. The pitiful pet mouse is now free. Gyu-ha is free." At first glance, it was nothing serious. However, In Yoo-shin, who had experienced that Hyeon Gyu-ha, who had decided not to pay attention to what other people thought, might do something, felt a chill down his spine. “What are you planning to do without paying attention?” Hyeon Gyu-ha put his index finger in front of his lips and winked his left eye. “It’s a secret. Secrets make men more beautiful.” “Y-you’re already beautiful enough……………….” “Hahaha.” “Gyu-ha- ssi ……………….” He also let out a pitiful sigh as he immediately turned sad. “I was going to keep it a secret until the very end, but since you're my Master- nim  right now, I guess I have to give in. I've been thinking about it, and I'm sure I'll come up with more specific ideas later, but right now I can think of two options: acting cute and acting charming. Which one would you like to hear first?” “Cute………………?” “I was planning to lie down in front of the rooftop room every day and throw a tantrum.” “W-why………………?” “Do you really need to ask?” Hyeon Gyu-ha answered shyly. “Since you will untame me, you have to tame me again.” “What do you mean by that?” “Taming.” “What?” “Taming.” “…….” “Taming.” His mind was blank. Thankfully, it wasn't as bizarre as I feared. It's a relief, but...... Was the reason for the cool reaction because I could just tame it again? No, I guess that's not a bad response, but still, still, something about this... just doesn't feel right. The confused In Yoo-shin gave up on organizing his thoughts for the moment and asked again. Unlike what he had worried about, the 'acting cute' was relatively mild, so he thought the 'acting charming' would be similar. “W-what about the charming act?” “Suicide blackmail.” “…….” In Yoo-shin regretted not asking a question. Hyeon Gyu-ha kindly explained to him, who was just opening his mouth with a pale face because he couldn't find a word to say. "Yoo-shin- ssi  has a good personality, right? Even if you don't want to be tamed again, wouldn't you listen if I threaten you that I'll die? I thought it would be the best way to renegotiate the contract amicably." It was clear that the dictionary definition of 'amicable' that he knew had a different meaning from the 'amicable' that Hyeon Gyu-ha knew. "W-what if something bad happens to you, Gyu-ha- ssi ……” "If I die, you can't tame me, but there's no way I'll die. I'll just lightly pierce my aorta." "Huh?! If you cut your aorta, you'll really die!" "I didn't mean to cut it, but visually, it seems like it would be a more effective way to blackmail you." "Gyu-ha- ssi !" “Okay. I’ll have the healer stand by and then threaten you!”  “Ah, then even if you get hurt, you’ll heal quickly, so that’s okay………………No, of course, you can’t do that either!” In Yoo-shin, who was so out of his mind that he almost got caught up in Hyeon Gyu-ha's words, hurriedly collected his wits. "Why do you want to get me to tame me again?" "I feel like I've been asked why the sun rises in the east.” "If I tame you, you'll go back to the original problem." "Because it's not a problem for me." The smile finally disappeared from Hyeon Gyu-ha's eyes. HM: My brain is just like ‘whoaaa….’ I didn’t see this coming from a mile away. That’s scary. ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Editor M, eteryl Support on KOFI: If you wanna become a translator, editor or proofreader, please use the discord link given below and follow the instructions in the recruit channel. We made a discord server! please join us!

1.   01. Agony of one’s seniority   “Hyung.”   I quickly came to my senses and looked up when I heard a quiet call.   “What’s wrong? You don’t look good.”   “Um……”   I shook my head when I saw Chae Yoo-jeong looking at me with a worried expression.   “I was just thinking about something else for a moment.”   “Is that so?”   Chae Yoo-jeong stared at me strangely for a moment, then smiled and changed the topic of conversation.   “Are you free for next Wednesday night? It will be around 8 after the game ends that day, and I want to have dinner with Hyung.”   The place where Chae Yoo-jeong and I are now was a cafe near my office.   Chae Yoo-jeong was busy because it was the spring season, and I was busy because I had just gotten a job at a company. Even when we barely made time to meet, all we did was talk for an hour or two at a cafe or have dinner, like today.   “Of course it’s okay.”   As I happily accepted the date, Chae Yoo-jeong looked at me with a slight blush on his cheeks.   “You must be tired because it’s a weekday…”   “I am working in the same situation as yours, so I’m not the only one who’s tired.”   I continued speaking after taking a sip of the ade in front of me.   “And I feel relieved when I see your face.”   Chae Yoo-jeong’s round eyes widened as I conveyed my true feelings in a playful tone. And then his whole face lit up.   “M-me too……”   Chae Yoo-jeong whispered in a muffled voice, covering his eyes with his hands as if he could not bear to look at me properly.   I thought to myself as I looked at Chae Yoo-jeong, who was both embarrassed and unable to hide his happy feelings.   ‘I’m dying, really.’   As I looked at his pure white cheeks turning as red as apricots, I couldn’t help but drool.   I don’t know why you’re wearing such a pretty shirt after practicing at your dorm. It’s cute that he paid attention to his clothes just to meet me, but it made it even more difficult to control my mind.   ‘Why are three buttons undone?’   My eyes kept going to the nape of his neck, which was clearly exposed. His shirt was also loose-fitting, so his collarbones were visible just by unbuttoning three buttons.   As I was upset and turned to drink ade, Chae Yoo-jeong smiled brightly and said,   “Let’s go eat what you like next week!”   Eat what I like...…………   ‘No, stop. Yoo Ji-han, you crazy bastard.’   I smiled at him, barely pushing away the rubbish thoughts that came to me reflexively.   ***   After going through all sorts of hardships, I started dating Chae Yoo-jeong and was simply happy.   I was happy and nervous when I was with Chae Yoo-jeong. And he did his best for me at every moment, to the point where anyone could say he was a good lover, so how could I not be happy?   But that lasted for a while, and as we barely made time to meet each other once or twice a week, we gradually reached our limit.   ‘………So frustrating.’   To be honest, I was in a state of frustration right now.   There was already this pretty person who was making plans to flirt in front of me, but we hadn’t done anything for the past few months.   I know it’s an unavoidable situation. Chae Yoo-jeong, who was in the middle of a competition, could go out for two or three hours at most, and I was busy as a new employee at the company.   There was no way we could have the skinship we wanted because we made time to meet each other just because we wanted to see each other. Moreover, since we are both men, it is not easy to even hold hands outside.   So, it was inevitable that I would go crazy at the rare moments of skinship.   “Uh, ahm… Hyung…………….”   The kiss, which was like a children’s kiss, deepened in an instant.   With my hands on the car seat, I lowered my upper body further towards Chae Yoo-jeong. The seat belt was pulled taut.   Chae Yoo-jeong drove the car to the front of the office just as I was leaving work. After seeing the night view at the Han River for less than two hours, I left my disappointment behind and was on our way back home. As soon as the car stopped, I ran to Chae Yoo-jeong.   “Gasp, ugh………”   I wasn’t used to kissing yet, so I couldn’t breathe properly, and even Chae Yoo-jeong’s gasping breath was too sweet.   I wanted to do a little more, so I gently bit his lip to catch my breath. I saw Chae Yoo-jeong’s face in front of me, with his eyes tightly closed, not knowing what to do. It was something I thought about every time I kissed him, but I was amazed at how long and pretty human eyelashes were, like dolls.   “Yoo-jeong-ah.”   As I placed my lips on his and called his name in a whisper, Chae Yoo-jeong carefully opened his eyes. In the streetlight light coming through the car window, his hazy eyes sparkled like jewels.   “Let’s do it one more time. Un?”   “…….”   I felt greedy and wanted to kiss once, maybe ten times, but kissing ten times in the car was a bit excessive. Chae Yoo-jeong, who blinked his eyes and hesitated, clenched his fists and nodded his head.   I was waiting for Chae Yoo-jeong to give his permission, and as soon as he nodded, I quickly put my tongue back into him. Out of frustration, I grabbed Chae Yoo-jeong’s shoulder and pulled him towards me.   As Chae Yoo-jeong’s body and mine came into close contact, a strong floral scent wafted out, as always. Now it was so exhilarating that heat surged into my lower abdomen.   ‘How on earth is this happening?’   His scent that passes the tip of my nose is fresh, and his body fluids that touch the tip of my tongue are sweet. Unable to overcome my excitement, I tightened my hands on the driver’s seat, causing the leather to rub roughly.   I bit Chae Yoo-jeong’s lip and sucked his tongue to my heart’s content. As I persistently rubbed his tongue and tickled the inside of his mouth, Chae Yoo-jeong’s breathing became as excited as mine.   ‘In moderation, in moderation……………….’   I tried to somehow hold on to my reason, which wavered like a candle in the wind.   I finally let go of Chae Yoo-jeong’s lips, which I had been biting and sucking for a long time. Although it was disappointing, it seemed like if I did more, I might get hard down there. That would be so unsightly.   Still, I still had regrets, so instead of kissing, I rained kisses all over Chae Yoo-jeong’s face.   “Thank you for taking me here.”   “Ah, no. Of course I have to take you here.”   Kiss, kiss. As the awkward kiss continued, Chae Yoo-jeong’s face became even redder than when I kissed him.   Chae Yoo-jeong was always like this. Is he perhaps more embarrassed about the idea of pecks than he is about tongue-kissing? It doesn’t matter because it’s cute like this.   “Hey, Hyung.”   Chae Yoo-jeong waited until the kiss was over and immediately fiddled with both of his hands and spoke to me with an expression full of anticipation.   “Do you remember I said the playoffs would start next week?”   “Of course.”   “It’s difficult to go out from the playoffs to the finals, so I can’t see you during that time… Instead, I get a vacation after finishing the finals.”   I frowned for a moment at the thought of not being able to see him, but then my eyes widened at the news of the vacation.   “Vacation?”   “It’s about two weeks, but I have a separate consultation schedule, so I get a few more days off than other team members.”   “Then… Are you staying at home during your vacation, not at a hotel?”    “Yeah. Hyung, if it’s okay just for the holidays………………”   Chae Yoo-jeong, who was unable to make eye contact with me and hesitated, finally spoke.   “C-can you stop by my house often? Since I’m free during my vacation, I can go out and pick up Hyung when he gets off work... It’s great to go out on a date like this, but since you’re coming after work, you look tired...……………”   “Chae Yoo-jeong.”   I carefully held Chae Yoo-jeong’s hand, who seemed anxious and couldn’t keep it still.   “Why are you so anxious? It would be nice if you invited me to your house. I was also worried about you driving me home every day.”   In the first place, the reason we met and saw each other for an hour or two and then parted ways was because of Chae Yoo-jeong’s schedule while he was competing. If I take a vacation after the competition, I’ll be able to rest and play more comfortably indoors, whether at Chae Yoo-jeong’s house or my own.   ‘… For a moment. Vacation?’   As I was comforting Chae Yoo-jeong by kissing his palm, I realized it was too late.   You can go on a date at Chae Yoo-jeong’s house during the vacation? That’s soon... it’s the best place for skinship, right?   Suddenly my heart started beating at a rapid pace. Heat surged throughout my body along with my pounding heartbeat. Just the thought of being able to have a comfortable date with Chae Yoo-jeong made my body and mind incredibly excited.   I was not even a teenage student dating for the first time. What is this? I felt sorry for myself, but it was a good thing. Still, I couldn’t get excited anymore, so I tried to suppress the corners of my mouth that kept rising and spoke to him.   “It’s a shame I won’t be able to see you during the playoffs, but I’m glad to hear about your vacation. Do the playoffs start this weekend?”    “That’s right.”   “Good luck. I’ll keep in touch with you every day, so make sure to see me even if it’s late.”    “Yes!”   When I cheered him on by planning to eat a lot of Chae Yoo-jeong during his vacation, he responded enthusiastically without knowing anything about it.     TGITG fans, hello, we were planning to write the fanfic of TGITG series as the continuation for the novel, but our editor got too busy to join us. I want a *co-writer* to join us. The plot line and storyboard for each chapter is already finished. It’s around 10-20 chapters. In return, you will get to read the rest of the chapters around 13 chapters left as of now. Please contact me directly to discuss about this. Please join the discord server on the below link. We made a Discord Server ! please join us! --- Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx We made a Discord Server ! please join us!