11 – Merry Christmas

As the weather forecast predicted, snow poured down on Newum. Moreover, due to a sudden cancellation of the flight there, the Sefton players had no choice but to travel trapped in a bus for a grueling five hours. What welcomed the players who had suffered so much to get there was the away team’s locker room at Newum Stadium, which was reminiscent of a prison.

Even though it was a team he had once belonged to, the shower facilities with no hot water on such a cold day were simply too much. Everyone at Sefton touched the lukewarm water and gasped, wondering why this place renewed its status as the worst every year. They knew well that the environment of Newum’s away locker room was poor, but since everyone was exhausted, they seemed more irritated.

They continued to grumble endlessly even as they came out to the pitch for warm-ups before the match. Frederic, who had pulled his neck warmer up to just below his eyes, stepped on the soggy grass and looked displeasedly at the snow and mud sticking to the soles of his shoes.

“The locker room was disastrous, but the grass quality is even more disastrous. Is it because of the snow?”

“I spent so much damn energy just getting here… the weather sucks, the Round of 16 draw is the worst, I really don’t feel like playing…”

Knowing that everyone was tired, Je-rim had been tolerating the grumbling to some extent, but he cut Liam off immediately.

“Shut up. Don’t say things that lower morale right before the match.”

“Okay, sorry.”

He’s always quick to apologize. Grabbing Liam by the scruff of his neck, Je-rim urged the other teammates as well.

“Everyone, warm up properly and be careful not to let your body temperature drop. If you get injured today, there’s no hope.”

On cold days, muscles become stiff, increasing the risk of injury. Even more so on a day when the grass is this slippery. The players, who knew this better than anyone, nodded with grim faces and scattered to their positions. Je-rim was about to join Aaron and Reman, who were passing the ball back and forth.

“Jerry.”

He saw a figure wearing a dark green zip-up approaching, waving happily through the fluttering snowflakes. Since there was only one opposing player who would approach him to say hello during warm-ups, Je-rim called his name before even confirming his face.

“Glenn! Long time no see.”

The figure who approached while making eye contact reached out and grabbed Je-rim’s hand, as if to prove the name was correct. Immediately after, a sturdy arm wrapped around Je-rim’s neck, messing up his hair. It was Glenn’s old habit.

“Indeed, of all things, the schedule was set for the last match of the first half. How many months has it been? Almost 9 months?”

“About that? Time really flies.”

“Has our youngest finally reached the age where such words come out of his mouth?”

While hugging Je-rim, Glenn gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Although it might seem a bit excessive for men, it was a fairly common form of skinship among football players. Receiving the kiss that felt like he was being doted on as a younger brother, Je-rim also hugged Glenn’s back.

“Am I still the youngest? Newum has completely become a nursing home.”

“That cheeky mouth is still the same.”

While they were hugging and exchanging mischievous jokes, Glenn lifted his head slightly and whispered something strange.

“But your team’s strikers have an incredible aura.”

“Huh? What?”

“They’re looking at me as if they’re about to eat me alive… I guess their competitive spirit boils over even against a weak team like us.”

Realizing that Aaron and Reman, who had been warming up first, were right behind him, Je-rim looked back. Just as Glenn said, the two of them had stopped their exercise and were staring intently this way.

‘What’s wrong with them?’

As for Aaron, it could be curiosity since it was his first time meeting Glenn in person, but it was unclear why Reman was acting like that. He must have seen Glenn’s face when playing against Newum last Season. Ever since Aaron’s birthday party, his attitude had been grumpy about everything…

‘Ah, is it a rebellious phase?’

Indeed, players in their early twenties playing for Big Clubs often had their egos become extremely inflated around that time and caused trouble. Je-rim had experienced it himself, so he couldn’t criticize them. Thinking that he should call them out for a meeting at an appropriate time, he turned his head back to Glenn.

“What do you mean Newum is a weak team. We’ve prepared hard for you guys.”

“Wow, I’m honored. Would you tell me what kind of preparation you’ve done?”

“Stop joking. If you’ve come to play spy, get lost.”

When Je-rim pushed him away with his elbow near the solar plexus, Glenn laughed boisterously again and put his arm around Je-rim’s shoulder.

“Just kidding. Let’s both do our best in our respective positions. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to play today, though…”

“……”

At the trailing words that held a hint of bitterness, Je-rim gazed at Glenn. There was something he really wanted to ask when they met, but now that he was looking at his face, the question just lingered in his throat. That there were rumors he would move to another league during this winter transfer window, and if that was true…

Toward Je-rim, who was biting his lip, Glenn sent a kind-looking smile and stroked his hair once more.

“My body starts aching if I play a full match now. Anyway, save a jersey for me to exchange later.”

“…Yeah.”

The style he had carefully set before coming out was ruined by the repeated touch. Nevertheless, instead of expressing dissatisfaction, Je-rim quietly left his head to be handled. Being treated as the youngest after a long time was welcoming, and it felt as if his tension eased considerably. However, this peaceful reunion ended the moment Aaron intervened.

“Glenn Mackenzie.”

At the arm reaching out from behind Je-rim, Glenn naturally let go of Je-rim and shook Aaron’s right hand. Aaron also shook the hand with a moderate amount of strength.

“I look forward to the match.”

“Likewise. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Not at all. I heard that you helped Je-rim a lot when he transferred to Newum. That’s why I really wanted to say hello.”

“Hmm…?”

It seemed Je-rim wasn’t the only one who felt the reason for requesting a greeting was quite abrupt. Glenn, who tilted his head for a moment, burst into laughter, saying he’d heard all sorts of strange jokes.

“It’s only natural for a captain to take care of a transfer. I’m sure Jerry is helping you out too, right?”

“That’s true. He’s taking very good care of me in many ways. Even my condition management…”

Knowing exactly how that ‘condition management’ was carried out, Je-rim hurriedly pushed Aaron away. Aaron, who was pushed over, grumbled while brushing the grass and snow off his thighs. His main complaint was that he was too scared of the violent captain to even stand on the pitch.

Did that scene look like a heartwarming moment of friendship between youth teammates who had once fought and then reconciled in Glenn’s eyes? Never losing his warm gaze, he left a final, affectionate word of concern, asking what they would do about the weather since they had come such a long way, before returning to his position.

Before long, the warm-up ended, and the players scattered across the ground gathered in an orderly fashion. It was time for the Starting Lineup to wait in the tunnel for the official entrance. Je-rim was also about to take off his zip-up and enter the tunnel.

Since Reman happened to be passing by, Je-rim patted him on the chest a couple of times as a gesture of support. It also carried a slight warning regarding Reman’s recent sullen attitude. As he tried to pass by without saying much, Reman unexpectedly grabbed him first. Holding onto the fist Je-rim had used to pat his chest, Reman asked.

“Jerry, besides the captain you greeted earlier, are there any other former teammates at Newham?”

“No, only Glenn is left. Why?”

“…I heard it’s been nine months since you last met….”

At the end of the monologue, the meaning of which was completely unclear, came a phrase in German that was impossible to understand.

[…Liar.]

Muttering this, Reman turned his back without even saying he was leaving first.

“What was that?”

For a moment, Je-rim contemplated whether to call him back and scold him. He didn’t know the exact meaning of the last German word, but based on Reman’s tone and expression, it was certainly not something positive.

Had he become spoiled because he was the youngest and everyone coddled him? But if he were that kind of guy, he would have acted out long ago. No matter how much of a rebellious phase he was in, he wasn’t the type to curse in front of the captain…. Knowing that he was fundamentally a kind and timid person, the whole thing was just baffling.

‘…Forget it.’

As soon as he reached the conclusion that there was no need to stir up trouble by scolding him right before the match, Je-rim immediately tossed the brief worry aside. What mattered now was the game, not Reman’s rebellious phase. Putting the captain’s armband on his arm, he consciously erased all non-game-related thoughts.

Just before entering the stadium, the booming cheering songs echoing from outside the tunnel acted as a kind of switch. A switch that turned off miscellaneous neural circuits so that he could focus entirely on the match without any distractions while on the pitch.

Once his mind was cleared, his expression vanished, leaving only his characteristic cool and calm aura. Entering at the front, Je-rim shook hands with Newham’s vice-captain, who wore the armband instead of Glenn, and proceeded with the toss. Newham, winning the toss, took the right to choose their side, and Sefton naturally took charge of the first-half kickoff.

As the snow fluttered down, the match began with the ball kicked by Aaron.

“Wow, I’m going to freeze to death at this rate.”

It was a mutter from Liam as he brushed past Je-rim three minutes into the game. He was shivering, rubbing his upper arms with both hands.

The weather had screwed over both teams. First, it was too cold. Even while running incessantly wearing long-sleeved shirts under their uniforms, the chill wouldn’t fade. Every time they gasped for air, the billowing breath would freeze the moment it touched their eyelashes.

Furthermore, as powdered snow continued to pile up on the grass that had become slushy from days of snowfall, ridiculous situations unfolded where players from both teams were spectacularly slipping and falling. Wearing uniforms stained with snow and mud like medals of honor, they reached halftime without a single score. Despite only playing the first half, the physical exhaustion was extreme because they had spent double the energy fighting the cold.

Coach Verdi quickly read the players’ condition and encouraged them, providing warm water, calorie bars, and blankets. Even then, his cold-blooded side—typical of him—showed as he notified them that he would substitute Reman in for the second half, replacing Liam, who chronically struggled with stamina.

During the short break, Je-rim suppressed his anxiety while staring at the screen reflecting the outdoor scenery.

‘The snow is getting….’

The snowflakes, which had been fluttering like powder during the first half, were now visibly thicker even through the screen. As the snow poured down without any sign of stopping, other players also let out sighs mixed with curses.

The thought that the game might end without any result because of the weather made Je-rim clench his fists. This might be the last time he faced Newham with Glenn as captain; to not even face Glenn directly in that match, and even end it in a draw?

He hated the idea of ending things so ambiguously. In the final match against the captain who had welcomed him when he first entered the Premier League, he wanted to clash head-on, give it their all, and give him a proper send-off. This was a sentiment any athlete would naturally hold. One stemming from the highest form of respect.

But while the issue of Glenn’s Starting Lineup was entirely the manager’s prerogative and thus unavoidable, if the match ended ambiguously because of the weather…. No player would be happy with a lukewarm result like a draw, and in the current situation, it was even less welcome.

“…I need to wash my face.”

As soon as Je-rim felt his mind becoming cluttered, he stood up abruptly and headed to the restroom. Immediately after lifting his face from the sink, he habitually took the towel held out in front of him. The person who offered the towel leaned against the tiled wall with arms crossed.

“Whenever the game isn’t going well, you always wash your face right before the end of halftime.”

“And you always follow me for no reason.”

Je-rim spat out the words while squeezing the damp towel. Since the other person was Aaron and not some other teammate, he could be honest about his inner thoughts.

“…The snow is so damn annoying. If it keeps falling like that, the second half will be tough too.”

“You were prepared for the weather issues.”

“Still, this might be the last game I play with Glenn… what is all this, just dragging on?”

At that, Aaron suddenly squinted his eyes and shifted his weight to one leg. A blunt voice, as slouchy as his posture, soon followed.

“Why is Mackenzie’s name coming up here? You said you weren’t that close, but you did everything from hugging to kissing….”

“I really cannot understand why you’re bringing that up here. And who said we weren’t close? I said we were close, but the feeling of relying on him was greater.”

“If you like your old Club captain that much, maybe you’ll just let him win if he comes on as a sub.”

Je-rim jumped at the absurd accusation. He was feeling uneasy because he wanted a clear win or loss rather than a draw; why on earth would he intentionally lose? Setting aside that it was an act a player should never commit, it wouldn’t be respectful to Glenn either.

“Are you crazy? That’s separate from the competition. I have to give a Christmas present to the fans who came all this way for the away game. And….”

Did this guy forget the promise he made first? Je-rim poked Aaron’s cheek.

“I’ll only play with you if we win today’s game. That was the promise.”

“…….”

“So, if you don’t want to experience being a hikikomori on Eve, work hard….”

Before he could finish with “run,” Aaron, who had been wearing a blunt expression, suddenly grabbed Je-rim’s fingers, interlacing them, and lowered his head.

Since Aaron gripped the fabric of his clothes with his other hand, Je-rim stiffened, thinking he was being grabbed by the collar, but his eyes widened when lips touched him. Aaron’s lips had landed in a very unexpected place.

“What….”

“A prayer. We have to win. I know you’re the type who really won’t play with me if you lose.”

Mumbling with his lips pressed against the emblem on Je-rim’s uniform, Aaron looked up at him and beamed. Je-rim asked back, bewildered.

“Why are you praying to someone else’s uniform emblem?”

“Because you’re my sky.”

The moment he saw the yellow pupils sparkling seriously within the crescent-shaped eyes, the words Aaron used to whisper in the past played vividly in Je-rim’s head, right down to the voice and tone.

Je-rim, my sky.

Back then, just like now, he would look straight into his eyes, always finishing his sentences decisively without dragging them out or raising the pitch. Whether he was joking, having a normal conversation, or on the bed, his gaze always shone with seriousness.

During the year and a half he dated Aaron, Je-rim could never quite get used to those excessively honest and embarrassing expressions of love. Even knowing they were common expressions between lovers in Spain, every time he heard them, he felt shy, ticklish, and a tightness in one side of his chest….

It was like that when they were dating, but now… he really didn’t even know how to respond. Unable to hide his reflexively flushing earlobes, a storm surged within Je-rim’s eyes.

They aren’t even dating, yet they have sex, get jealous of each other’s opposite-sex relationships, naturally frequent each other’s homes, sleep in the same bed, promise to spend Christmas Eve together, and now he’s even using the same expressions of love from when they were dating… isn’t that a bit… way too strange?

Just as the sense of incongruity, which he had tried to suppress whenever he questioned his relationship or feelings for Aaron, was finally about to rear its head, a familiar voice came from the restroom entrance, which had been open since who knows when.

“What are you two doing?”

Standing there was Glenn, unable to hide his bewilderment. Je-rim hurriedly pushed Aaron’s forehead away.

“Something, something got on my clothes! Aaron was just brushing it off!”

“Really? I thought….”

Swallowing the rest of the sentence, which sounded very suspicious, Glenn tilted his chin from side to side. While shielding Aaron, who was rubbing his forehead after nearly being smacked, Je-rim smiled awkwardly.

“Did you come to use the restroom? Should I move?”

“No. I just came to wash my hands.”

Glenn, approaching Je-rim and Aaron as if it were nothing, washed his hands. On his forearm sat the captain’s armband that hadn’t been there before. Before Je-rim, who quickly noticed it, could acknowledge it, Glenn curled his wet hand and held it out in front of Je-rim.

“Jerry, you know we’re stepping on the same ground for the first time in a while, right? Run with every ounce of strength you have. Let’s not have a boring draw.”

At those words, Je-rim paused for a very brief moment, then tossed aside his awkward smile and bumped his fist against Glenn’s.

“…I was planning to do that even without you saying it.”

Thump. With the light sound of the impact as a signal, preparations for the second-half entrance began.

After leaving the restroom, Aaron shut his mouth tight, as if something had soured his mood again. It was the same for Reman, who was set to play from the second half. It was a headache for the captain that the only two strikers on the team were acting like adolescent boys in a rebellious phase, but Je-rim intentionally ignored it.

He could talk to Reman later, and as for Aaron… he knew Aaron was absolutely not the type to slack off in a game just because he was in a bad mood. Moreover, looking at Aaron’s face kept bringing back the image of him kissing the emblem and the comment about the sky, making Je-rim feel strange for no reason.

Even though it wasn’t during sex, his stomach felt tingly and hot, and a floating sensation made his mind hazy, while simultaneously, a certain sense of duty and pressure that this shouldn’t happen pulled him back down. However, that strange feeling vanished as soon as the second half began.

To be precise, the luxury of having such idle thoughts vanished.

≪With Mackenzie coming on as a substitute, there are no more gaps in Newham’s defense. The build-up has also become noticeably more detailed. As expected of a veteran! It’s hard to find defensive midfielder resources like that these days.≫

≪Mackenzie was praised for his unrivaled man-marking and game-management abilities even during his prime. As expected… he is marking Ban Je-rim exclusively.≫

≪This makes the game very exciting.≫

“Ugh!”

Je-rim, who had managed to steal the ball Newham’s midfield was carrying and tried to pass it to William, was pushed over in a violent physical clash. Snow, dirtied by the feet of various players, thoroughly stained his uniform.

Glenn, having intercepted the ball, didn’t even glance at Je-rim rolling on the ground and resumed the rear build-up. For a moment, Je-rim hoped the referee would blow the whistle, but as soon as he realized there was no sign of that, he immediately pushed off the ground and stood up.

‘Is this really the same human who says his joints ache if he plays a full match?’

He grumbled inwardly while brushing the snow off his pants. He didn’t know how many times Glenn had already stolen the ball from him. Was it because Glenn was the person who had watched over him and played alongside him when he first turned pro, and had even personally coached him? He knew too much about him.

Even when Je-rim tried to lure Glenn to the flank to create space in the center, Glenn never followed Je-rim’s intentions so easily. When even a pass he tried to slide through a path he had barely discovered after a fierce battle of wits was blocked, Je-rim steadied his mind.

If he kept being trailed by Glenn, his presence on the pitch would be erased. Other midfielders like Jesus or Frederic also seemed unable to break through Newham’s solidified defense. Since the ball wasn’t reaching the front, the attackers were also unable to score.

So, if he wanted to do something… he had to shake off the most annoying one, Glenn, first.

Je-rim immediately lifted his head and made a show of scanning the ground widely, as if searching for a path to launch a long pass. Accordingly, Aaron also began to compete with the opposing defenders to find a proper position, as if he knew the pass would come to him.

Watching the movements of Je-rim and Aaron, Glenn initiated high-intensity pressure on Je-rim. Since accurate long-range passes delivered with immense ankle strength were Je-rim’s specialty, Glenn attempted a bold tackle before Je-rim could swing his foot.

‘Got you.’

That was exactly what Je-rim had hoped for. The moment Glenn’s foot dug in, cleanly targeting only the ball, Je-rim popped the ball to the right with the top of his foot and fell. The sphere, rolling into an empty space, stopped shortly after due to the snow piled on the grass. By the time the word “Oops” appeared on Glenn’s face, it was already too late.

Rising a step ahead of Glenn, Je-rim quickly snatched the ball he had flicked away and sprinted at full speed, dribbling. The referee, judging it as an advantage situation, did not blow the whistle for the previous tackle.

Other Newham defenders immediately closed in, but they were much easier to deal with compared to Glenn. Passing them with ease, Je-rim unleashed a powerful long-range shot.

Boom—. The ball flew with a rotation as fast as the loud sound it made, drawing a perfect parabola over the goalkeeper’s head and shaking the net. Since it was a shot taken after driving the ball in alone from near the halfway line, there was no need to judge for offside or anything. The score on the electronic board changed instantly.

“…Whew.”

After confirming the score, he caught his breath, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. He had been so cold just a moment ago, but now he felt like he was going crazy with heat due to the exhilaration surging through his entire body. Desperately suppressing the dizzying rush of adrenaline, he looked up toward the stands.

Under the hazy sky, in the away cheering section where the large lamps were shining brightly, people wearing Sefton uniforms were standing up and roaring. The dedicated cheering song made with Je-rim’s surname and the shouts chanting “Ban” poured down more fiercely than the falling snow.

Je-rim’s heart pounded in sync with the cheers that shook the stadium like an earthquake. Even if football was boring, at times like this… it was definitely worth it. This narcissistic euphoria, as if the Earth’s axis had become him, was something not easily felt.

But instead of reacting with a loud Ceremony, he simply brushed the snowflakes from his eyelashes and gave the fans a grateful look. It was a gesture of respect for Newum’s longtime fans and for Glenn.

“Je-rim.”

Aaron, who had approached Je-rim’s side, called his name softly and held out a fist. Je-rim looked down at the fist for a moment, lost in thought.

Is this bastard actually sulking because of what happened after he came out of the restroom earlier…

“Are you only going to do it with the other team’s captain? Do it with me too, Captain.”

The moment he heard those words muttered in a voice so pouty it was hard to believe he had come to congratulate the captain who scored the goal, his suspicion turned into certainty. Simultaneously, the sensation he had felt just before the start of the second half settled back over him, like the snow fluttering down from the sky.

The relationship between him and Aaron was definitely strange. It had become strange. No, it had been strange from the start.

Knowing how strange it was for two people who had already broken up once to put their bodies together again, they had started it while desperately pretending not to notice, rationalizing that it would be fine… and from that moment, the tug-of-war had already tilted to one side.

And now, it had tilted completely. Perfectly toward Aaron.

So… before he repeated the same mistakes as before, he should probably tidy up this relationship and these feelings cleanly, but…

He’s fucking cute.

Seeing that this sentiment came before the sense of crisis that he should end it immediately, it seemed it might already be too late to turn back. Or perhaps normal judgment was impossible due to the surging adrenaline.

Anyway, yes, they were in the middle of a match… so it would be okay to push such a decision back a little longer. Just a little longer. At least until this Christmas Eve, as promised… they would spend it together.

Also, this much joy could be shared.

“You really are a childish and eccentric guy. You know that, right?”

“I know. I feel like my mental age regresses by ten years when I’m with you.”

“Is that so? I feel the same way….”

They were uselessly compatible in this regard. Against the backdrop of the heavy snowfall, Je-rim laughed heartily and bumped his fist against Aaron’s. The snow crystal clinging to Aaron’s fist melted and vanished without a trace the moment Je-rim’s fist touched it.

The snow that had plagued the players throughout the match finally began to subside as the second half drew to a close. The result was 1-0; the goal Je-rim scored was the first and last scoring of the game. As soon as the whistle blew to signal the end of the match, Aaron ran over and hugged Je-rim tightly.

“See, it was worth praying to you, right?”

“…Yeah, good job. Though you did nothing but pray.”

“Either way, a win is a win. Keep your promise, Je-rim.”

He had intended to do so even without the reminder. This Christmas Eve… he probably would have spent it with him even if they had lost the match. While hugging Aaron’s back, Je-rim counted the number of snowflakes that were slowly fading away.

Just as he had counted about ten, Glenn, who had taken off his jersey, approached stealthily and called Je-rim’s name. Brought back to reality, Je-rim pushed Aaron away half-heartedly and took off his own jersey to hand it to Glenn.

“You’re still very much active. It’s too early to go to Saudi.”

“Is that something a guy who made me look like a complete idiot should say?”

Despite the scolding tone, the corners of his mouth twitched. He even seemed somewhat proud. Taking the jersey Glenn had brought, Je-rim asked a question, pretending to be nonchalant.

“I’ll see you again in the spring, right?”

“Of course. I’ll take special care of this precious jersey until then.”

When the answer he had been longing for came back, a bright smile finally appeared on Je-rim’s face. He draped Glenn’s jersey over his shoulder and joked.

“What’s so precious about it? We exchange jerseys every year.”

“Jerry, you wore it and played in it yourself, and Reyes even matched the fit for you, so of course it’s precious.”

“…Huh? What?”

Because of the unexpected answer, his joking demeanor shattered instantly. Toward Je-rim, whose expression had vanished due to shock and bewilderment, Glenn still maintained a gentle gaze.

“I’m glad it seems you’ve reconciled. To be honest, I worried a lot when you first joined our team and when you returned after the World Cup that year.”

“…….”

“You clearly didn’t look okay, but you desperately pretended to be… I wondered if I had given you unnecessary advice.”

“…….”

“You didn’t even know what kind of expression you were making in the interview right after the World Cup, did you? Well, it’s something everyone goes through once or twice at that age.”

Je-rim couldn’t tell if Glenn was speaking from knowledge or ignorance; the words were completely unpredictable. He remained silent, fearing that if he reacted, he would jump like a caught fish, but Glenn unhesitatingly stroked Je-rim’s hair. As if telling him it was okay to be at ease.

“Teammates should get along. Especially since you’re youth teammates. Right?”

“I-I guess so….”

“Then I’ll pray for both the league title and the Champions title! It would be even better if you aimed for the Treble.”

Glenn, who gave him one last hug, whispered.

“Oh, and tell Reyes that my face is going to get a hole burned through it. He doesn’t look the type, but I guess he’s quite jealous?”

With a feeling of having lost despite winning, and burdened by a worry he had wanted to ignore for as long as possible but which had finally come due, Je-rim returned to Sefton.

Just as Christmas Eve was right around the corner.

✲✲✲

Fortunately, the plane took off on the way back to Sefton. Since it was the time of year, some went straight home from the airport, while others stopped by the center for a brief cooldown and sauna before dispersing. Je-rim and Aaron were the latter.

Je-rim sat next to Aaron, who was driving, staring blankly at his phone with earphones in. It was an act that maximally stimulated his body, which was already prone to motion sickness, but the image of himself on the screen was so stupid that even his nauseous stomach settled.

I did an interview with this kind of expression…

After a missed shot in the World Cup ten years ago, in response to a provocative question from a British reporter, eighteen-year-old Ban Je-rim had a look on his face like the world’s biggest idiot. Moreover, instead of focusing on the mistake he had made, he was muttering strange things to himself, focusing on Aaron’s name.

No wonder Glenn noticed. Come to think of it, even when he had just transferred to Newum and left for the pre-season tour in Australia, he had been half out of his mind worrying about Aaron’s scandal…. He thought he had managed to act relatively normal, but hearing that he didn’t look okay at all made him feel as if he had been hit hard in the head.

And as if to prove Glenn’s words, watching himself act like a moron in the video made him feel so pathetic he wanted to die, so he stopped. Just then, Aaron, who had stopped at a red light, glanced at Je-rim and asked.

“What are you looking at?”

“Just a YouTube video.”

“Since when do you watch things like that in the car? Is your stomach okay?”

“No, I feel like I’m going to throw up. I’ll keep my eyes closed, so let me know when we arrive.”

Aaron didn’t say anything more; he lowered the heater and rolled down the passenger window slightly. The reason his heart felt uneasy at such a small consideration was likely because he could no longer accept Aaron’s every action without thinking. To be precise, the period during which he could pretend not to notice had ended.

Christmas Eve, which he had set as the deadline, was just around the corner, and he had fallen for Aaron again, and Aaron also… liked him. Almost certainly. Although Aaron had clearly said at first that he had no intention of meeting again, mentioning the heavens during the match was honestly half a confession.

Did Aaron also enter into a vague sex partner arrangement simply driven by sexual desire, only to gradually be drawn back in? Well, since the timing of when they started liking each other again wasn’t important for either of them, it wasn’t an issue to dig deep into.

The important thing was.

Whether to start over, or end it like this.

He had thought that the kind of worry reunited lovers usually face would never be relevant to him. Je-rim, who broke up at eighteen, reunited at twenty-eight, and eventually walked into the cycle of that obvious worry, sighed.

He hated the thought of Aaron acting the same way toward others as he did toward him. He wanted to monopolize him, to keep seeing him. The affection Aaron used to pour out only for him, as if Je-rim were truly his entire sky.

But he also hated the idea of returning to the idiot he used to be. Aside from personal fears, realistic hesitations followed. Neither he nor Aaron were the fearless boys of those days anymore. Too much time had passed while they were apart.

He didn’t want to imagine breaking up again before they even started dating again, but they had so many areas where they didn’t fit. Small points that he could have just let slide when they were young had changed into something not-so-small during the ten years they spent apart.

To be precise, he—the one who could have dismissed them as minor issues—had changed. For example, things like marriage and family planning, which he had never seriously thought about when he was young, or worries about where and how to spend the rest of his life after retirement….

He knew just from the occasional conversations he’d had with Aaron. Regarding these issues, they would probably be terribly incompatible.

Of course, as much as they didn’t fit, there were many areas where they did. Their chemistry on the pitch went without saying, and the fact that he had become the most comfortable friend in the club, surpassing William despite the psychological penalty of being an ex-lover within six months of transferring, proved it. After all, they were school friends who shared memories from their teens.

But human relationships tend to have the incompatible parts stick out more sharply as they grow older and more serious…. If they developed from a light FWB relationship back into serious lovers, only to fight and break up again for similar reasons as before, or for entirely different reasons.

Once is one thing, but twice…

He didn’t have the confidence to endure it again.

No one had been as deeply involved in his life as Aaron, except for his family, and no one made him feel like such a cowardly, idiot moron as Aaron did. Having experienced firsthand how hard it was to pull himself together after breaking up with him, Je-rim hesitated to let someone like Aaron back into his life. Especially the man himself.

As Je-rim faced his and Aaron’s feelings, events from the end of his teens—the worst period of his life—continued to play in his head. The failed professional contract, the transfer he agonized over until the very last moment, Aaron, the fight, the scandal, the World Cup, Aaron again, the mistake, the eggs thrown at him at the airport, and his mother’s crying face.

…Aaron says that? That he has nothing to do with me anymore…?

Even as he leaned against the window where the winter wind seeped in to cool his head, the image of his vacant self from the interview video remained like an afterimage. Je-rim thought that his past self was the most pathetic, stupid, and irresponsible idiot in the world, then and now, so he never wanted to return to that state.

If he made the same mistake at the end of his twenties that he had made at the end of his teens, wouldn’t that make him truly beyond help? He had had enough of the experience of ruining everything because he liked someone too much, to the point where he wanted to cling to them foolishly even knowing it was over.

To prevent that, after Aaron, he had always chosen to meet people he liked moderately, date moderately, and then break up. But it was obvious that this method wouldn’t work with Aaron. No, in the first place, the option of ‘liking moderately’ didn’t even exist.

Because, he already…

Ah, I’m screwed.

Je-rim closed his eyes tightly. His own guess that if he liked Aaron again, he wouldn’t be able to end it ‘moderately’ had come true. His head and heart were completely out of sync. His head warned him to stop immediately, but his heart seemed to urge him to ignore everything and start over with Aaron.

The fact that he had granted himself a ridiculous reprieve to decide after spending Christmas Eve together proved this. Despite preferring to make decisions quickly and decisively and clear them from his mind, he knew from past experience that he was delaying the decision because he wanted to be with him for even one more day.

In the first place, Aaron was the only person who had ever made him worry about whether to try meeting again after a breakup. Looking back, Aaron was the only one in every sense. The only person who could turn him into a pathetic loser.

While he was agonizing, the car had already arrived at Aaron’s house. Je-rim pretended to wake up from a short nap at the sound of his name being called softly and got out of the car. To hide his troubled mind, he used motion sickness as an excuse and sat blankly on the bed, while Aaron brought him warm tea and scolded him lightly.

“I told you, why did you watch that when you get motion sickness so badly?”

“…I’m already regretting it, so stop nagging.”

“You really… just drink this and get some deep sleep. And tomorrow-.”

Aaron, who was about to say something, suddenly stopped and stared intently at Je-rim. It was a searching gaze. Before Je-rim, unable to bear that blatant stare, could ask what he was doing, Aaron beat him to it.

“Je-rim, is something wrong?”

“Me? Why?”

“I don’t think it’s just the motion sickness. Your expression got worse after coming into my room than when you were in the car.”

With Aaron, even the things he wanted to hide were exposed one by one. Every time this happened, Je-rim wondered. Was it that he was particularly unable to hide his expressions in front of Aaron, or was Aaron particularly sharp-witted only with him? Je-rim mumbled, dropping his head.

“…I just have some things to think about.”

“Think about what? We won the match, so that’s settled, and if it’s something else you’re worried about… family?”

Aaron’s voice dropped noticeably when pronouncing ‘family.’ Because of that, Je-rim could easily tell what memory Aaron was recalling. He was likely thinking of the big fight they had on the beach the day before the match against Besina.

“Why are you walking on eggshells? I don’t get angry at you for things like that anymore. My mother is doing better too. It’s no big deal.”

Je-rim lifted his lowered face and forced a smile.

Along with the fact that they were now in a relationship where he could ask about such things, he wanted to tell him—and simultaneously hide—that the subjects he cared about excessively included not only matches and family, but also him… It was the same reason he wanted to start over with Aaron but was hesitating.

And since he couldn’t honestly reveal what he was thinking while he was hesitating anyway, he also intended to brush it off with a vague smile. However, as expected, the forced expression did not serve as a perfect screen. Aaron asked with a voice and expression that were even more rigid than before.

“…Then, is spending Christmas Eve with me actually a bit… weird? Do you think it’s strange? If that’s the case….”

This was a truly unexpected question. Je-rim’s eyes narrowed. Despite pestering him to spend the Eve together, even adding a trivial condition that they should play if they won the match, had he been harboring such a fear internally? He acted as if he knew Je-rim inside out, yet he seemed to slip up in parts like this.

Even before realizing his feelings, he might have thought that spending the Eve together during this busy period was somewhat inefficient and strange, but he had never thought he hated it. Now, after realizing his feelings, he was possessed by a desire to spend the Eve with Aaron in their usual atmosphere, regardless of what conclusion was reached.

In any case, if he had truly hated it, he would have rejected it flatly regardless of whether he was aware of his feelings or not. Aaron couldn’t possibly not know that Ban Je-rim was that kind of person. The reason why this confident and sharp-witted guy harbored such a strange anxiety was….

It was probably derived from a similar context as the reason why his head and heart were currently out of sync. Because he liked him. To the point where any rational judgment made by the head became useless. Therefore, Je-rim, with a stiff expression, repeated the words Aaron had left unfinished.

“…If that’s the case?”

He was curious. He wanted to know. If he had said he hated it, how would Aaron have handled it? But as soon as he saw Aaron’s face distort as if in pain, Je-rim regretted it.

“If that’s the case….”

“You idiot, it’s not like that.”

Immediately after, he pulled Aaron in and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around the neck of Aaron, who was standing by the bedside, and as he pulled him down to match their eye levels, Aaron obediently leaned his upper body down and hungrily sought his lips. Je-rim was the same.

The moment he saw Aaron’s expression soften as if the anxiety had never existed from the start after their lips met, he found the person in front of him so lovely he couldn’t stand it.

Despite still agonizing over how to define their future relationship. Knowing that he shouldn’t do this until he made a decision. Even while aware that such impulsive behavior was a cruel thing to do to both himself and Aaron….

They tangled their tongues frantically, swallowing the saliva that flowed down their throats. Though they had started sitting on the edge of the bed, at some point, Je-rim found himself pinned beneath Aaron, panting and parting his lips. The mattress supporting Je-rim’s back was sunken under the combined weight of the two men.

Even as he exchanged ragged breaths with his lips pressed tightly against Aaron’s, absorbing the other man’s full weight with his entire body, he didn’t even feel the sensation of suffocating. It simply wasn’t enough, no matter how much they did. However, as Aaron’s hand—which had been caressing Je-rim’s cheek and jaw—slid down to lift the hem of his top, Je-rim’s paralyzed reason flickered back to life.

“Wait, Aaron…”

“…Is today really a no-go?”

Wasn’t it foul play to say something like that while making a face like that? Je-rim desperately turned his head, trying not to look at Aaron’s face. He knew all too well his own wretched habit of falling for it every single time he looked at that man.

“You… stop making that face. Like some obedient little fox.”

“Why? Targeting the opponent’s weakness is the basic of tactics.”

“That may be true… but weren’t you the one who didn’t want to do it today?”

Until the moment Je-rim had been pretending to be dazed from motion sickness, Aaron had clearly told him to drink some warm tea and get some deep sleep. The mood hadn’t been right for anything else. Je-rim was beyond curious—he was practically in awe of how the atmosphere could flip so completely in just a few minutes, and how quickly Aaron’s arousal could ignite.

“I intended to. If only you hadn’t kissed me first…”

Aaron narrowed his eyes and turned Je-rim’s chin, forcing him to look at him again. As the interrupted kiss resumed, Aaron’s hand, which had finally burrowed under the shirt, pinched a small, protruding bud. It was a playful gesture, like pinching a child’s cheek, but at that trivial stimulation, Je-rim’s waist jerked.

“Now you’re saying it’s my fault… hng!”

Aaron gently tickled the area he had pinched, much like soothing a child who cried after having their cheek pinched. He gripped the nipple with two fingers, rubbing the pebbled skin before using his nail to scratch the tip of the blunt protrusion. Perhaps because it was only the size of a pea, there was a significant pleasure in pressing, rolling, and playing with it. He also enjoyed observing Je-rim’s reaction as he trembled violently from the unfamiliar sensation.

Come to think of it, Aaron realized he had rarely touched Je-rim’s chest before. Je-rim would occasionally slap someone’s chest for no reason and then stare at his own palm with a mysterious expression—whether he was moved or simply fascinated, it was impossible to tell. But Aaron never dared to hit Je-rim, even in the chest, so he couldn’t understand that feeling.

However, while he didn’t know about hitting, he felt he could certainly get a taste for touching nipples. Aaron whispered into the ear of that ‘someone’ with the very bad hand habits.

“I won’t go all the way. We’re out of condoms anyway…”

“Already? We barely even used them…”

Finding the earlobe, which had flushed quickly from the stimulation, adorable, Aaron couldn’t resist taking it into his mouth. Je-rim’s earlobe felt similar to a tongue; sucking and licking it felt almost like kissing. As he mumbled in that state, his pronunciation was blurred, but neither the speaker nor the listener cared.

“Yeah, already. Aren’t the ones at your place gone too?”

“…I don’t know, I didn’t count them.”

“They’re probably gone. That’s why I thought I should order more last time, but I’ve been so busy lately…”

Trailing off, Aaron released Je-rim’s earlobe and crossed his arms to swiftly throw off his top.

Je-rim silently watched Aaron undress while mounted on top of him. In his head, reason—insisting this was wrong—and instinct—urging desire by reminding him they’d decided to spend Christmas Eve together regardless—fought a fierce battle.

But that conflict evaporated the moment he saw the cock spring out as if it had been waiting, the second Aaron slightly pulled down his black drawers.

To think he would experience his throat bobbing involuntarily while looking at a man’s cock—and one that looked so grotesque and hideous… To think his mouth would go dry from enduring a desire that was the polar opposite of the perfectly natural urge to be fucked…

‘Ah, I’ve really become a pervert.’

Je-rim cursed softly to himself and began to lift his upper body to take off his clothes. Je-rim’s own cock, which had been erect since his nipples were being tormented, also sprang up and pressed against his navel the moment he lowered his drawers.

Now completely naked, the two immediately tangled together again. Aaron pushed Je-rim down and gathered his two legs, lifting them high. He wrapped one arm around the stretched calves, hooking them over his shoulder, then grabbed some gel with his other hand and carelessly splattered it over his cock, which was already glistening with cowper’s fluid.

The cylindrical container, crumpled from the force of the squeeze, was tossed onto the floor. Gel was scattered haphazardly across Aaron’s cock and the bedsheets.

With urgent movements, Aaron coated the shaft of his cock and then reached out with his wet hand to lubricate Je-rim’s hole and the space between his tightly closed thighs. Every time Aaron’s fingers brushed over the hole that hadn’t been loosened yet, a moan leaked from Je-rim’s lips.

“What, hng! What are you…?”

“The thing… I got scolded for doing while you were asleep last time.”

“Haa, you really don’t know when to give up… ugh!”

The hole, having only been brushed on the surface of its delicate folds, opened and closed on its own, twitching as if expecting something. Though nothing had entered the inner walls, his insides began to tighten. The sensation was unbearably chilling, and Je-rim twisted his captured legs. This caused the hole to rub against Aaron’s palm, making it even more unbearable.

Watching Je-rim writhe, Aaron asked a mischievous question.

“Je-rim, are you masturbating?”

“You, crazy… hng, ah…”

If his legs were free, he would have kicked him right then, but both legs were still draped side-by-side over Aaron’s shoulders. Aaron peppered kisses on Je-rim’s ankles, which were right next to his nose, while his hand moved continuously from Je-rim’s anus down to the gap between his thighs. He skillfully parted the muscles—which were already well-defined and now pumped with heat—to spread the gel.

Once a moderate, glossy sheen began to cover Je-rim’s skin, Aaron gripped his rock-hard cock and thrust it straight in. Not into the hole, but between the tightly pressed thighs.

Je-rim watched as the glistening, dark red cock pushed its head in between his tightly pressed legs. The monstrosity, with only its head peeking out, slowly increased its length, rubbing against the small opening of the hole.

Because he had pressed the cock completely flat against the area where the thighs began to part, when Aaron pushed it all the way in, the vein-bulging shaft emerged between the pressed thighs, rubbing against Je-rim’s scrotum, the base of his cock, and the middle of the shaft. That alone was an overwhelming stimulation for Je-rim. In that state, Aaron began to thrust as if he were inserting it into the hole.

“Ah! Ha-eu… slow, slow down! If the inner thigh skin gets chafed…!”

Training started the day after tomorrow, and there was another match in a few days. In the midst of that, it would be a disaster if the inner thighs, which had naturally sensitive skin, were wounded by rubbing against Aaron’s cock. It would sting every time he ran due to friction with the uniform fabric; how could he focus on a match with a body like that? When Je-rim shouted urgently, Aaron caught his breath and nodded.

“That’s true… hold on.”

Immediately after, Je-rim’s two legs, which had been pressed tightly together, were spread wide. The hole that had been twitching in anticipation, the plump perineum, and the area beneath the tight scrotum were all exposed to the air at once, causing Je-rim’s buttocks to tense.

Aaron gripped those hardened buttocks, pulling them apart to the sides, and thrust his cock back in between the gel-slicked butt crack and the thighs. It was certainly a position where the inner thighs were less likely to be chafed than before, but now something else was the problem.

As Aaron teased the sensitive hole—which had received nothing—by rubbing the head of his cock back and forth across the entrance, Je-rim’s insides began to boil. The gel-soaked hole fluttered its lips like it was chewing every time the cock passed over it, making squelching, strange noises.

The perineum, which had been licked and sucked so much that it had adapted to translate any touch into sexual pleasure, also flushed red as it was continuously rubbed against the surface of the vein-ridged cock. Je-rim curled his toes and clawed at the bedsheets with his fingers.

“Augh! Nng, no, don’t rub, ah!”

“You said, fuu, the thighs… weren’t allowed…”

“Huu, hng, ah-eut! Just… augh!”

Just as he was about to snap back that he’d rather be fucked in the hole than endure this torture, a spurt of whitish semen poured from the tip of Je-rim’s cock, which had been pressed against Aaron’s the whole time.

“Kgh…!”

Almost simultaneously, Aaron gripped Je-rim’s buttocks tightly to narrow the crack and ejaculated. The firm flesh of the buttocks wrapped around Aaron’s cock, and the gel, thinned by body heat and friction, dripped from the deep groove. The semen they both released splattered all over Je-rim’s chest, creating a messy puddle over his thorax, which rose and fell in heavy pants.

“Je-rim… Je-rim, are you okay? Ha, fuck…”

Aaron, finally releasing Je-rim’s buttocks, seemed to approach the limp Je-rim, but then he rubbed his glans against the pink nipples stained with white semen, sliding his half-erect shaft up and down. Je-rim, still recovering from the waves of pleasure that washed over him even after ejaculation, couldn’t stop this animalistic behavior.

“Sorry… ah, damn it…”

Aaron was going crazy in his own way. It was obvious that Je-rim’s hole was opening and closing as if begging to be fucked, but since he had promised not to go all the way, he couldn’t put it in. Je-rim, with white stains on his stomach and chest and his buttocks twitching with reddish handprints while panting, looked incredibly erotic. Moreover, the semen had happened to splatter all over the nipple area…

Thus, even after ejaculating once, his erection showed no sign of subsiding. Separate from the excitement that turned his vision red, a sense of self-loathing and skepticism settled in. He had originally intended not to engage in any sexual activity today, but he had crumbled at a single kiss from Je-rim, and now he was in this state.

He was genuinely annoyed by his cock, which stood up tactlessly in any situation the moment Je-rim touched him. Just as he was thinking he had to get it to go down quickly while rubbing his shaft over the erect nipples, Je-rim, who had been gripping the sheets with blue veins popping on the back of his hands even after ejaculating, suddenly reached out and grabbed Aaron’s cock.

“Hey, enough, just…”

His fingers, as long as his firm and straight legs, had prominent knuckles, marking them as a man’s hand. Just as Aaron thought about how even Je-rim’s fingers were erotic, following his ankles and legs, an even more erotic act followed. Je-rim began to masturbate for him, using his fingertips to swipe the semen splattered on his chest and apply it to the cock.

Aaron stared blankly down, watching his genitals wrapped in Je-rim’s fingers. The cock, which had become fully erect again the moment Je-rim’s hand touched it, was twitching on its own in his grip. Je-rim must have felt that movement too, as he clicked his tongue, but he looked up at Aaron with eyes dimmed by pleasure.

“Just fuck me, you crazy bastard. But just once, and then we’re done…”

The moment he heard those words, something snapped in Aaron’s head. It felt as if someone had effortlessly cut the thin thread of reason he had been precariously holding onto with a pair of scissors.

He immediately flipped Je-rim over, burying his face in the soft pillow, and grabbed his pelvis to lift his waist. Je-rim, who suddenly found himself in the embarrassing position of lying face down with only his buttocks raised high, propped himself up with both arms on the mattress and turned his head to shout desperately.

“Do it missionary!”

“…No. If I look at your face, I don’t have the confidence to stop at one today.”

His voice was low and grating, without any inflection. Like a man who had been enduring something to his absolute limit. Je-rim instinctively felt fear and didn’t demand anything more. The fact that he didn’t have the confidence to stop at one sounded too sincere, which worried him more than anything.

Still, he was a guy with professional and partner spirit… He was the type who always wore a condom when having sex a few days before a match, or ended it with simulated acts like handjobs or blowjobs instead of penetration, so he would probably keep his promise to end it in one go this time. The moment he thought so naively, a long, thick cock suddenly plowed into Je-rim’s belly.

“……!”

Despite having received no foreplay other than the constant torment of the entrance, the still-tight inner walls, knowing the cock they had habitually accepted, wrapped around it tightly without resistance. Je-rim’s mouth hung open, unable to even let out a voice, as the glans dug deep into his core, pounding against his prostate.

“Je-rim… kgh, it feels good… ah…”

Aaron gripped the buttocks—where his handprints still remained—and pulled them wide apart, leaving more handprints as he hammered his hips up like a stud. The gel that had melted and flowed into the hole and the semen previously applied to Aaron’s cock were smeared all over the inner flesh.

As Aaron powerfully thrust his cock upward, Je-rim’s waist and buttocks shook, and the softly loosened hole devoured the cock all the way to the root. The red inner flesh clung tenaciously to Aaron’s cock, and an obscene sound of something sticking and pulling away echoed loudly. It sounded like the hole was crazed with pleasure from being filled.

In reality, it felt breathtakingly good to have Aaron’s cock fill the void in his belly. The way the thick shaft expanded the inner walls as it forced its way in, and the way the round glans poked and prodded here and there through the sticky inner flesh. It was all great, but it was also true that it was overwhelming to handle…

“Ha-eu, hng! Ah-euuung! Slow, slow down…!”

Pinned beneath Aaron, Je-rim could do nothing but moan and wail. The inside of his belly, already carved out to fit Aaron’s cock, began to tighten and squeeze after a few deep thrusts. As if urging him to push even deeper.

In response to that demand, Aaron pressed his hips tightly against Je-rim’s buttocks, as if intending to bury himself up to the scrotum. As the fucking continued in that state, their bare skin slapped together with a wet, thumping sound. The cock, which had pushed deep into his organs to the point where it began to curve, ignored the narrowing inner walls that seemed to block further entry and forced its head through.

“Ah… stop, stop! It’s, huck, eu-ut, it’s strange… hik!”

The moment the fist-sized glans finally passed the bend and carved a new path in Je-rim’s belly, Je-rim’s raised waist collapsed, and he let out a breathless, high-pitched scream.

The visual shock of his abdominal skin bulging every time Aaron thrust, the nausea as if his stomach were flipping because the massive cock filled his belly so completely, and the flickering vision that accompanied the uncomfortable pleasure of his solar plexus being pounded… The sensations he thought he had become accustomed to after so much sex were nothing compared to this.

Every muscle in his body tightened and surged, like when preparing to take a shot in front of the goal. His breathing became rougher than after finishing a penalty shootout in extra time. A stiff pain radiating from his spine spread to his waist, pelvis, and buttocks, making his limbs tremble. As if in sync with his body, Je-rim’s plumply erect cock also twitched on its own, its glans turning bright red.

However, the painfully erect tip of his cock only smeared his abdomen with glistening cowper’s fluid and failed to spray any semen. Just like Je-rim’s neck, which was heaving with bulging veins, his cock only writhed with prominent veins and tendons.

“Stop… hng, please, it’s too… euuung!”

“It’s too, too tight, it feels great… Je-rim, hng, fuu…”

It was agonizing. He felt like he’d rather be tortured. He had never been tortured, but he could dare assert that it would probably be easier to endure than this. Tears and saliva leaked from his unfocused eyes and mouth, but he had no time to wipe them. Since he was struggling with his face buried deep in the pillow, they were wiped away on their own anyway.

“Ha-eu… ugh, k-eut, hu, nng…”

Even as Je-rim could barely manage to twitch his fingertips and toes, Aaron continued to fuck him without a word, practically crushing him beneath his weight. Having reached a climax without being able to ejaculate, Je-rim’s cock rubbed haphazardly against the sheets, bringing further agony. A pleasure that felt less like a tingle and more like skin being peeled away sliced through his cock.

A sense of crisis—the feeling that he might actually die—barely managed to awaken his shut-down brain. With every ounce of his strength, Je-rim tried to shake Aaron off and pushed himself up on his knees. However, with his body completely drained of energy, the most he could do was crawl a few clumsy steps across the bed.

Perhaps it was thanks to his desperate effort, but Aaron’s cock, which had been thrusting so deeply it felt as if it would pierce through his abdominal wall, slowly began to slide out. Because they had been joined as if the shaft and the inner flesh were glued together, it felt as though his insides were twisting, but getting it out was the priority. With his mouth slack and saliva dripping, Je-rim crawled like an animal.

Just as he finally succeeded in crawling to the headboard,

“…Je-rim, I’m not finished yet.”

“Ah!”

Je-rim, grabbed by the ankle, was dragged straight back down. The cock he had worked so hard to extract was slammed back in with a single thud, and a sharp ringing began to echo in his ears. His cock, which had been agonizing from the inability to release, suddenly began to spray clear fluid violently.

The dirty fluid soaked the white sheets where Je-rim lay prone and panting. However, he couldn’t even form the basic thought that he should get up because it was dirty; he simply flailed with his limbs limp.

Je-rim floundered between the regret of wanting to kill his past self for saying “just once” and the pleasure that crashed over him like torture.

That “one time” was truly, fucking long.

✲✲✲

Je-rim stared at the bright sunlight streaming under the curtains—unusually brilliant for winter—but lingered in bed, unwilling to get up. The room temperature was chilly, but he loved the cozy feel of the duvet and the burning body heat radiating from the person wrapped around him like a vine, and he didn’t want to leave. His lower abdomen, which had been gripping someone else’s cock the whole time, still felt a slight ache…

Moreover, even if he wanted to escape, he couldn’t. It was because this creature—whether it was a vine or a large beast, he couldn’t tell—was holding Je-rim tight and kissing him incessantly.

From his hair, forehead, cheekbones, and the corners of his eyes, to the edges of his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, Aaron planted his lips wherever they landed, while his strong arms tightly bound Je-rim’s shoulders and waist. What else could he do? As he lay quietly in the embrace, letting out breathless sighs of ticklishness, he heard words he couldn’t simply ignore.

“I originally planned to go out and play as soon as it got light today… but because of you, the whole plan is ruined, Je-rim.”

“Give me a break. Why is that because of me? Have some conscience.”

Je-rim, snapping instantly, pinched Aaron’s cheek. Undeterred, Aaron continued to slander him.

“You seduced me. I really intended to stop there.”

This was absolute bullshit. Je-rim pulled his legs out from where they were entwined under the covers and poked Aaron’s thighs sharply with his knees.

“A guy who ‘really intended to stop’ drags back a person who’s trying to escape and keeps fucking them?”

“When you set a restriction like ‘only once,’ it does something to a person’s psychology… Anyway, I’m sorry for that. Hit me if you want. I’ll take it.”

“Why are you talking like you’re doing me a favor? When were you ever not obediently taking a beating? You’re taking one right now.”

“That’s true. Whether we’re having sex or just hanging out, I’m basically your personal punching bag. To think, this expensive body…”

Despite being hit so diligently, Aaron chuckled weakly and naturally buried his nose in the crook of Je-rim’s neck. Immediately, hot breath laced with laughter touched Je-rim’s Adam’s apple. Lips enveloping the protruding Adam’s apple began to roll his tongue, making sucking sounds as if licking a candy.

Je-rim left Aaron be for a while, but once the tickling became unbearable, he reached into the dark brown hair and yanked it upward.

“…Stop it, you’ll leave a mark. By the way, you call boy, watch your mouth during the interview. Don’t you dare accidentally say something like ‘the captain hits me often.’”

The man, whose face was forced up, didn’t show a hint of displeasure even then. Instead, he twisted the corners of his mouth mischievously and acted arrogant, as if some great negotiator had arrived.

“I don’t know. If you agree to go out with me right now, I’ll try my best to watch my mouth.”

“Did you forget our schedule? I know you love going out, but today we need to rest every single second we can.”

“Are you tired? We only did it once last night, after all.”

“You shameless bastard…”

It was the typical tone of someone who hadn’t technically told a lie. In short, the kind of rhetoric frequently used by the worst kind of scammers. However, when he heard the scammer ask in a serious voice while massaging his waist, Je-rim’s anger melted away.

“If you’re really tired, should I give you a massage?”

“Forget it, it’s not that bad. And why go out on a day like this? We’d freeze to death on the street because we’d have to sign autographs every time we ran into someone.”

Je-rim spoke as he brushed back Aaron’s bangs, which he had messed up. The sex had lasted unexpectedly long yesterday, which was taxing, and because of the specificity of Eve, it would be hard to refuse people asking for autographs. Going out of the house on a day like this was practically volunteering for hardship.

But Aaron seemed to think differently; while obediently offering his forehead, he shot a gaze that seemed to plead endlessly.

“But it’s Eve. Let’s rest a bit and go out for dinner this evening. If we just stay cooped up in the house, how is this any different from the ‘hikikomori experience’ you talked about?”

“You hate eating out. And do you think there’ll be any restaurants with open seats?”

“This day is an exception. I have a friend who’s a chef at a restaurant, so we can just go there.”

Friend? What friend? Je-rim’s eyes sharpened instantly as he spotted the contradiction in Aaron’s words.

“You said you had no friends in England other than me?”

“…Not that close of a friend. To be precise, something between an acquaintance and a friend…”

It was somewhat suspicious how he downgraded the person from a friend to something like an acquaintance the moment he was questioned, but Je-rim didn’t ask further. As Aaron said, there was no need to waste unnecessary time on a special day like today.

Wasn’t this the day he had wanted to spend together so badly? Though his heart was still wavering, one thing was certain: this Christmas Eve would be a turning point. Whether in a good direction or a bad one.

So, for today, he wanted to enjoy himself as much as possible without any thoughts or arguments. He hoped Aaron would do the same. After all, Aaron probably asked to spend the day together because he wanted to fully enjoy it, setting aside the pressure of matches and other distracting thoughts.

“Well, fine then.”

Uncharacteristically, Je-rim agreed quickly and kissed Aaron’s cleanly exposed forehead. Since he had a naturally beautiful hairline, this look with his forehead exposed suited Aaron best. Aaron was the one who was surprised. Frowning as if searching for a catch, he trailed off.

“You’ve been kind of… since yesterday.”

“What?”

“…I can’t get my head straight because the Christmas present was too much.”

Immediately after, their gazes entangled deeply, and as expected, a kiss far from light followed. “Go out and play as soon as it gets light,” my ass. Je-rim opened his lips and let his tongue be taken, following Aaron’s movements as he gently swept it out, while letting out a small sneer.

It was a long time after that before the two of them finally left the bed.

As the kissing grew more intense and the lips gradually moved down, Je-rim realized his hole was being softly sucked. Something about being sorry for tormenting him for so long yesterday. His waist bucked on its own at the movement of the tongue, which moved as if soothing the swollen hole with saliva. The words “Enough, just fuck me again” rose to the tip of his tongue, but he barely held them back, remembering the schedule ahead.

Even though they hadn’t gone all the way, they washed their bodies—which felt dirtier than when they had actually performed the act—and set up the grill in the garden.

It was too late for breakfast, but just about the right time for lunch. The weather was too cold to just stay outside doing nothing, but it was perfect for sitting in front of a fire, waiting while smelling the aroma of browning meat and shrimp.

To Aaron, who muttered that the grill Reman gave him as a birthday present performed quite well, Je-rim vented about Reman’s recent rebellious phase.

“…I don’t think it’s a rebellious phase.”

Aaron muttered ambiguously, as if he knew Reman at least better than Je-rim did. When Je-rim asked then what it was, instead of answering, he peeled a shrimp and popped it into Je-rim’s mouth. After tasting the giant shrimp, which boasted a bright red body even before grilling, Je-rim closed his mouth and savored it.

After devouring the fantastic barbecue, they loosened up their bodies at the small makeshift golf course in the backyard to aid digestion. The playtime extended as they made a bet on who could achieve a hole-in-one. Then, as their bodies began to shiver from the continuous cold wind, they went back inside to lounge and drink coffee.

They watched TV, played games, and since a teen movie starring Gabriella—which they had watched together as children—happened to be on the main page of the OTT site they opened, they watched it together for the first time in a long while.

He remembered enjoying it as a child, but watching it again, it was childish and lacked any real plot. Rather than watching the movie, Je-rim focused on playing with his feet, resting his legs on Aaron’s thighs. However, whenever Gabriella’s face was shown in a close-up on the screen, he grumbled with a troubled expression.

“How can they look so different…? Where on earth did your father’s genes disappear to? Did they follow his conscience…?”

“Back then, you spent the whole movie gaping, wondering how she could be so angelically beautiful, which drove me crazy. I guess Gabi’s looks don’t catch your eye anymore?”

“I mean… stop laughing, you’re annoying.”

Though they bickered inevitably here and there, it was generally a calm and peaceful afternoon. In the meantime, as is typical for a country where the sun sets very early in winter, the sky quickly grew dark. The two put on thick coats and stepped outside. They were finally venturing out, the outing Aaron had been singing about.

Since they would be traveling by car, they didn’t bring masks or hats. It was partly because they trusted that it was a restaurant where privacy was guaranteed. However, the moment they stepped into the restaurant run by the chef who was in that ambiguous relationship between Aaron’s friend and acquaintance, Je-rim’s jaw dropped.

“Hey… you said it was just a normal restaurant. You said let’s just have a simple meal.”

“It is normal. It’s not like you’ve never been to a place like this.”

“At least give me a warning before bringing me here!”

He had suspected it from the moment they left the car with a politely dressed staff member in the grand building’s parking lot. He had guessed it would be a high-end restaurant from the moment the elevator, installed exclusively for restaurant visitors, ascended to the top floor. As the elevator doors opened, Je-rim first checked his attire.

Even if it was a bit casual, was it okay since he had a good frame? Aaron was dressed similarly. But regardless of the attire, the restaurant’s interior was staggeringly luxurious. The structure was such that every room was completely separated, making it impossible to know who else was there, and the room they were guided to had one entire wall made of floor-to-ceiling windows.

Beyond the transparent glass, the calmly flowing River Cam and the night view sparkling with colorful lights looked down from a great height. The Ferris wheel, a famous landmark of Sefton, served as the crowning touch to the night view; for Christmas, each cabin was adorned with yellow lights and red and blue wreaths, rotating slowly while carols echoed. At 8 PM, spectacular fireworks would bloom above that Ferris wheel.

In other words, this room, which allowed one to take in that entire scene at a glance, was an immense premium seat. The kind that would be fully booked even if it weren’t a special day like Christmas Eve. Unable to ignore the waiter standing like a folding screen beside the table with a painted-on smile, Je-rim covered his mouth and whispered in Spanish.

“Are you sure you’re not that close with the chef? What kind of crazy person gives a room like this on Christmas Eve to a friend they aren’t even that close with?”

“I guess my acquaintance is that kind of crazy. And it’s not for free. He asked us to both sign a uniform later.”

“Even so…”

“An official uniform that I personally wore while playing, with both your and my signatures. If put on an auction site, it would bring in enough money to rent this entire restaurant for a day. So don’t worry about it.”

“When did you even give a uniform you wore in a match to a ‘not-that-close’ friend?”

Avoiding Je-rim, who kept questioning if they were really not close, Aaron changed the subject.

“A la carte is easier than a course, right? I’ll order for us.”

Aaron ordered without even looking at the menu. The waiter smiled brightly, left a word saying to call him whenever they needed anything, and vanished like the wind. From his manner of speaking, movements, voice, and expression, he was a man who could serve as a textbook for waiters.

The quality of the dishes that came out shortly after was also outstanding. As Je-rim dropped his fork in bewilderment upon tasting the food, Aaron asked,

“Does it suit your taste?”

“Yeah, it’s so delicious it’s a shame I can’t eat more…”

“That’s a relief.”

Dinner proceeded leisurely. Even after the plates were cleared, Aaron sipped wine and Je-rim sipped non-alcoholic champagne, continuing their conversation on trivial topics. It was comfortable as no one else visited, except for the chef—the ambiguous friend/acquaintance—who came by politely to request the signatures.

How much time had passed? Suddenly, at the sound of something popping without warning, Je-rim’s gaze instinctively turned toward the window.

“Is it already time for the fireworks?”

Time seemed to be passing exceptionally fast today. Feeling a bit regretful, Je-rim turned his body completely toward the window and admired the feast of his own taxes exploding. Along with the mood-killing thought that this year’s fireworks probably included the taxes taken from Aaron’s weekly wage.

Against the backdrop of a night sky like a navy velvet carpet with a bright moon, thin smoke rose and colorful fireworks mixed chaotically. Fireworks shot up in straight lines and bloomed in circles in the air, embroidering the sky. Because he was looking at the sky from inside a high-rise building, it felt as if the fireworks were blooming right before his eyes.

Only after a giant golden firework exploded exceptionally close to the window did Je-rim swallow hard, recalling a shimmering past. Christmas Eve, the waterside, trivial conversation, fireworks, and…

“Je-rim.”

A kiss like a child’s prank, where lips only lightly touched and parted.

Now that things had come to this, he had no choice but to remember it, whether he liked it or not. This… was a recreation of the day he and Aaron first kissed and started dating.

Age 16, Christmas, the night sea of Tavarona, far removed from the city where the festival was taking place.

He had lived forgetting it for quite a long time, but the fireworks just now seemed to break a dam, and memories came pouring out.

The smell of acrid gunpowder spreading in the air, the sound of waves rolling in calmly as if pushing away the noise of loud firecrackers, the sensation of fine grains of sand scattering under his palm, blown by the chilly wind, and even the taste of the Clara they had shared, buying just one glass to make the most of their secret escape after sneaking out with a guy who was grounded.

It was Aaron’s voice that called Je-rim, who had momentarily returned to twelve years ago, back to reality. And it was a voice that was slightly trembling, as if he were uncharacteristically nervous.

“Do you remember what I said when I was young? That I wanted you to play soccer with me for a long, long time… You brushed it off back then, saying it was unrealistic.”

“I… did.”

Je-rim also uncharacteristically forgot the end of his sentence for a moment before awkwardly connecting it. Normally, he would have mocked him, asking if he’d bitten his tongue, but Aaron seemed to be in no state to notice Je-rim’s minor slip-up.

“But from where I stand, it seems like a pretty realistic story now. We’ve both settled in safely, we’re not as young as we used to be, and we’re no longer unstable. So…”

Je-rim gripped his knees under the table.

Why hadn’t he thought of this? Just as he had gained certainty that Aaron liked him, there was no way Aaron hadn’t gained that same certainty. Aaron was sharp, and Je-rim was naturally bad at hiding his expressions. It was possible that Aaron had realized Je-rim liked him again even sooner than Je-rim himself had.

Why hadn’t it occurred to him… that Aaron, who had realized everything first, would be preparing to confess? It was likely because Je-rim had been exceptionally slow to realize his own feelings. To Je-rim, who had only just acknowledged his emotions yesterday, a confession was a step far too advanced. He had carelessly assumed others were the same just because he was.

“Je-rim, come back to my side. After all, I only feel joy when I’m with you. Whether it’s football, or life.”

“…….”

“Let’s… run together for a long, long time.”

Don’t retire early, don’t break apart like before, just for a long, long time.

That confession, which sounded almost like a plea, circled around in Je-rim’s ears.

< Continued in Volume 4 >