By Zephyria 
The golden light of the chandelier illuminated the soccer ball-shaped trophy resting on the display case. Boasting a dazzling golden hue like the lighting, the trophy exuded nobility as it awaited the glorious owner who would claim it.
Now that the Women’s Ballon d’Or ceremony had ended, only one remained. The host, wearing a meaningful smile, paused for a long time.
“Who will be the winner of this year’s Men’s Ballon d’Or… I’m nervous myself.”
The camera captured Aaron and Je-rim sitting side by side, and then Zamel of FC Neuberg. They were the individuals ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in this year’s Ballon d’Or power rankings, respectively.
Je-rim, seated in the middle, noticed the camera focusing on him and nodded slightly, pretending to be interested and nervous. Everyone kept it quiet, but the nominated players already knew who the Ballon d’Or would be awarded to, so there was no tension.
That was why Je-rim had comfortably skipped the Ballon d’Or ceremonies until now. Since transferring to Sefton, he had consistently been on the list of 30 nominees, so he always had the qualification to attend. However, even when he was ranked 2nd once, he didn’t even turn on the broadcast.
The reason was simple. He didn’t want to see Aaron’s face.
Beyond just being selected as one of the 30 nominees every time, Aaron was almost always in the top 3 of the power rankings. Accordingly, he naturally attended the ceremonies. It was an unwritten rule that players likely to make the Ballon d’Or podium—the top 3—attend the ceremony unless they had unavoidable circumstances, even if they didn’t win the award. The three likely candidates predicted by the power rankings almost always matched the actual results.
Given that, Je-rim had been a strong candidate but skipped the event simply because he didn’t want to play a supporting role at a place where his ex-boyfriend received an award, so it was natural for rumors of discord to reignite every award season.
Recalling the headline he had vowed to sue the reporter for one day, Je-rim laughed heartily. He was finally saying goodbye to those shitty articles. Because for today’s ceremony, Aaron, William, Craig, and even Reman were all attending. They matched their dress code as a group and entered the red carpet together as teammates instead of with family or partners.
Since Sefton FC won the award for the best team of the year, the entire leadership group had come together, so this level of showmanship would likely spread as a heartwarming story. It was also highly anticipated that Sefton players would sweep both 1st and 2nd place in the Ballon d’Or, with several others likely placing in the top 10.
In fact, Craig was a nominee for the Trofeo Yashin, which could be called the Ballon d’Or for goalkeepers, and William, Edson, and Jesus were also in the top 10 of the power rankings. Although Edson and Jesus couldn’t attend the ceremony due to a combination of injuries and personal reasons. And since Reman had made the nominee list for the first time, he had brought him along just to let him walk the red carpet.
“Why are they taking so long. Everyone knows who it is anyway…. Time is tight.”
William, sitting in the back row, had just grumbled quietly so only Je-rim could hear. As if hearing that complaint, the host immediately shouted.
“Aaron Reyes! Congratulations!”
Aaron stood up leisurely, as if he had known all along that his name would be called. A smile that somehow looked arrogant was an added bonus.
Pretending to congratulate Aaron, Je-rim poked him hard in the thigh. William also whistled and pushed Aaron’s back. Craig hit his arm, and Reman, after checking the surroundings, gave him a blow to the side. The hit from Reman was particularly loud.
Staggering slightly from the consecutive strikes from all directions, Aaron smoothed out his wrinkled clothes with a haughty air. Seeing how he had the leisure to tidy his appearance before heading to the podium, he was certainly like someone who had won the Ballon d’Or multiple times. On the sleeves of the suit—which included custom-made shoes for today—those damn cuff links were attached without fail.
‘Doesn’t he get tired of them?’
Because he wore those cuff links every time he had to wear a suit, the public had reached the point of joking whether Aaron’s wardrobe only had those buttons, yet he remained steadfast.
Furthermore, despite agreeing to unify the dress code with bowties, that guy insisted he had to wear a tie pin even if it killed him and wore a necktie alone. Along with the sophistry that the Ballon d’Or winner could be a bit more special. Even though he was special enough without standing out.
Je-rim watched Aaron, dressed like a peacock for once, walk toward the podium and started thinking.
According to the predicted rankings, there was a high probability he would be 2nd. Zamel, predicted to be 3rd, was a veteran striker representing Neuberg and the Bundesliga, but compared to Je-rim’s performance last season, he lacked a decisive impact.
Which meant,
‘I’m going to be the runner-up again.’
He could clearly envision the internet reactions mocking him, asking what kind of coincidence leads someone to rank 2nd in the Ballon d’Or twice. At this point, Je-rim also wondered if he had some kind of grudge against the number 2.
While the persistent connection with number 2 wasn’t very pleasant, Je-rim clapped enthusiastically. Future matters were for later; for now, he had to bless his damn sexy-dressed boyfriend on his way to receive the award.
It wasn’t just any award, but the Ballon d’Or—and not just any Ballon d’Or, but his fourth. Moreover, today was Aaron’s birthday. So, as his partner, he wanted to congratulate him with all his heart.
“Oh? Uh….”
As Je-rim stood up and clapped loudly, Zamel, sitting next to him, scratched his head and slowly stood up as well. The same went for Sefton’s teammates and Aaron’s Spanish national team teammates. Before long, the venue was filled with people giving a standing ovation.
Walking to the podium amidst thunderous applause, Aaron gave Je-rim a smiling look with his eyes. In return, Je-rim gave him a wide smile to tell him to go get it. Immediately after, Aaron’s expression stiffened and he glanced down at his crotch, so Je-rim quickly covered his mouth.
That crazy bastard…. He found it amazing yet wonderful that Aaron still couldn’t pull himself together to the point of worrying about getting an erection at an official event just by seeing his smiling face.
Fortunately, Aaron managed to receive the trophy without getting an erection. After kissing the golden trophy, he stood before the microphone. Soon, a heavy, languid bass—the kind of voice that lingers in your ears once heard—filled the hall.
“First, I would like to express my gratitude to Coach Verdi, whom I respect immensely, my colleagues at Sefton, and especially to my dear boss, who is like the sky to me, Je-rim.”
At the phrase ‘like the sky to me,’ Aaron sent a boyish, youthful smile toward Je-rim. Now it was Je-rim’s turn to worry about whether he might get an erection.
That mischievous bastard. Is he getting revenge because he almost got hard earlier? Je-rim pretended to adjust his side-swept hair to hide his crimson ears. He let out a few dry coughs.
“I believe this opportunity for the award came to me because of those who wrote this legend together with me. I send my thanks to everyone who brought me the honor of my fourth Ballon d’Or.”
As he finished speaking, another burst of applause erupted. Aaron waited for the clapping to subside before pulling the microphone back under his chin.
“Last season was a new challenge for me. Not just in terms of the transfer, but in many ways. It was a challenge I staked my entire life on. One I absolutely did not want to fail….”
The image of Aaron in the early days of his transfer, declaring it a game he had to win at all costs, momentarily flashed through Je-rim’s mind.
At the time, he thought Aaron was just joking around, but now he knew how desperate those words had been. Perhaps that was why the statement about not wanting to fail felt particularly poignant.
“Since this Ballon d’Or is the result of that desperate challenge, I almost feel as if this is all divine providence. It seems my rather desperate prayers for my proof to be successful have paid off.”
Even the rest of the speech consisted of words that could set Je-rim’s insides ablaze. No wonder Aaron had fought so hard to avoid him whenever Je-rim tried to sneak a peek while he was practicing his acceptance speech.
Until Aaron’s speech ended, Je-rim struggled to cool the back of his throat, which felt as if he had swallowed a whole piece of burning charcoal. He tried not to make too strange a face—trying to look like a captain who was simply happy for his teammate. He made sure not to look too much like a pervert or someone overly embarrassed.
Regardless, dating a lover who was both mischievous and romantic made every single day new and thrilling.
✲✲✲
Since the Men’s Ballon d’Or presentation was the final event of the ceremony, the awards ended as Aaron’s speech concluded.
The Sefton players headed toward the waiting room reserved for Ballon d’Or winners. While it was called a ‘winner’s room,’ in reality, it was used exclusively for Sefton players. Gathered there were the bodyguards, stylists, and staff each player had hired and brought along.
As the players returned to the waiting room, the bodyguards quickly stepped outside to stand guard to prevent reporters from intruding. A few of them placed the trophy Aaron had received into a display case and moved it to the car first. Other staff members, realizing their working hours had ended, began packing their things one by one.
Amidst this, Craig, having loosened his bowtie, patted Aaron on the shoulder. This time, it wasn’t a playful assault like before, but a sincere congratulation.
“Aaron, congratulations. Even if it’s your fourth Ballon d’Or, since you received this award after joining our team and achieving the Treble, I hope it holds a special meaning for you. Just like in your speech.”
“Ah, thanks. I guess you actually listened to my speech? Will looked like he was dozing off.”
As if he didn’t care about the cold jab, William laughed heartily and wrapped an arm around Aaron’s neck.
“It was too long! Anyway, you’ll have four Ballon d’Ors at home now? Give me one.”
“You should covet something more realistic, Will.”
Aaron easily slipped out of William’s arm and countered with a headlock. William flailed, shouting for surrender. Taking advantage of the commotion, Reman spoke up in a small voice.
“Congrats on the award.”
“For someone congratulating me, you hit me way too hard earlier.”
“That was… a momentary lapse in strength control… Whoa, stop it!”
After tossing Will toward the sofa, Aaron pressed down on Reman’s head and ruffled it into a mess. Reman and his stylist both jumped in shock as his perfectly set hair became a bird’s nest. Je-rim pulled Reman behind his back and patted Aaron’s chest.
“Stop fighting on such a celebratory day.”
“It’s a lovely sight. Well then, we’ll be heading out first!”
A few staff members, who had been openly chuckling at the heartwarming and playful scene, departed first. Meanwhile, Craig, who had peeked through the gap in the open door at the hallway beyond, muttered with a somewhat appalled expression.
“The reporters are lined up thick as thieves.”
Aaron shrugged as if to say, ‘Why are you telling me something so obvious?’ However, everyone except him exchanged solemn glances.
The current time was 11:08 PM. The distance from here to the hotel was about ten minutes by car. To arrive safely at the hotel by midnight, they had to finish the interviews within 30 minutes and leave the venue. If all five of them were caught by reporters and interviewed, finishing within 30 minutes would be a pipe dream.
Having calculated this quickly, Je-rim and William silently exchanged intentions through glances and hand signals.
I’ll stay behind and take Aaron, so you guys go ahead and get ready.
William, being someone who had walked in step with Je-rim for many years, immediately understood the order hidden in the thumb flicking toward the door and the calm gaze. With a small nod, William nudged Craig’s arm. Then, he hurriedly tidied up the surroundings as if his house were on fire.
“I’m out! Reman, if you don’t want to be trapped in interview hell, come here.”
“Mm-hmm!”
“I’m not fond of interviews either… I’ll leave tonight to the protagonist. Ah, the rest of you, please come out with us. The number of bodyguards will decrease once we leave.”
The three of them vanished like the wind, taking all the remaining staff in the room with them. As soon as they left, there was some commotion as reporters poured out all sorts of questions, but the noise soon subsided.
Aaron looked around the now suddenly empty, spacious room with an incredulous look and let out a hollow laugh.
“Those bastards just threw me to the wolves and bolted, didn’t they?”
“In exchange, your boss, who is like the sky to you, stayed behind. Be mercifully patient tonight, Mr. Ballon d’Or winner.”
In truth, Je-rim had no intention of participating in the interviews either. He had simply stayed behind to take Aaron away on time.
While straightening Aaron’s suit jacket, which had been ruffled by the earlier antics, he joked around while hiding his true purpose. Aaron pressed his lips to Je-rim’s forehead and whispered.
“The Ballon d’Or of the year—in my heart, it’s you.”
“Give me a break. Then give me the trophy.”
“Should I decorate your house with them? All the trophies I’ve received, for once.”
“If we decorate with all the trophies you and I have received so far, we’ll have to buy a new house.”
“That sounds good too. Since you find riding in cars tiring, maybe one right in front of the training center….”
“You’ve got way too much money. Just get ready to leave after finishing the interviews.”
Je-rim’s hands were busy adjusting a slightly crooked tie and tidying a few stray strands of bangs. Even though he wanted to sweep them back neatly, it didn’t go as planned because Aaron kept pressing kisses on him incessantly.
Since it was a special day, Je-rim wanted Aaron to look perfect in every photo. And since he was his lover, he naturally had to look the best in the world.
Eventually, only after slapping Aaron’s lips and telling him to stay still did he succeed in creating a result he was satisfied with. Je-rim scanned the finished look, the corners of his mouth twitching.
“Hmm…. Who’s lover are you?”
“I’m the boss’s lover.”
Aaron smiled back, stroking the upturned corner of Je-rim’s mouth. The occasional laughter, the gaze he sent toward Je-rim, and his voice were all deeply imbued with tenderness.
“Je-rim, don’t wait for me for nothing; you go to the hotel too. It’s almost your usual bedtime. To deal with that whole crowd, I feel like staying up all night wouldn’t be enough….”
Tender concern followed, as if the gaze and voice had been melted and mixed together. Je-rim shook his head.
“No, I’ll wait. You just give appropriate answers and finish quickly.”
“Why? Do you have something you want to do separately once we get to the hotel?”
“Do you think I’m like you?”
It took only a few seconds for the voice, which had been sweet as melting sugar, to become sticky. Je-rim made a playful grimace and lightly stepped on Aaron’s instep. Even though he had merely placed his foot on him and there was likely no weight felt, he hugged the man who was exaggerating the pain.
There was something he absolutely wanted to say before leaving this room.
“Four Ballon d’Ors at twenty-nine; you know you’re the first to record that, right? Sincere congratulations. My boyfriend is truly impressive.”
He had said these exact words to Aaron once before. Perhaps sensing the déjà vu, the hand that had been incessantly stroking Je-rim’s neck and lower back stopped abruptly.
“…I feel like when we were young, I couldn’t say these words with pure happiness. Now, I think I’m actually happier than you are.”
“…….”
As if to prove his sincerity, Je-rim lifted his face to show Aaron. It was an action he had been unable to do when they were young, fearing his emotions would show on his face.
Seeing Je-rim’s smile shining with pure joy, Aaron’s expression instead distorted. Knowing what memory he was recalling, Je-rim quickly changed the subject.
“And you’re fucking sexy today. No wonder you were making such a fuss about wanting me to see you in a suit on the day of the ceremony, even though you’re not a new bride…. It was worth it.”
“I wasn’t making a fuss; it’s just that it’s no fun if we see each other in advance… Forget it. What can I expect from you? A guy who came home wearing the suit the very day it was finished, despite me telling him so.”
So you should have just let me fuck you hard in the garage in that outfit that day, you grudge-holder.
Je-rim preempted him before the nagging could continue.
“Anyway, next time, let’s have sex while you’re wearing this.”
He breathed into Aaron’s ear, stimulating his lust with explicit words. He immediately felt the body in his arms shudder. Not stopping there, he gave a light tap near the right thigh, and Aaron’s chest heaved. Against their touching chests, Aaron’s heart throbbed as if it were about to break through his ribs.
This was revenge for provoking him with the acceptance speech earlier. Je-rim smirked and pushed Aaron forward.
“Now, go do the interviews. And don’t fight with the reporters. This is a captain’s order.”
“…Wait, Je-rim! That’s cowardly…!”
After pushing the rambling Aaron out the door, Je-rim followed. Naturally, it was a prank played after confirming that the fabric covering Aaron’s thigh was taut. He had no intention of destroying his lover’s social reputation. Or rather, he had absolutely no intention of letting others see Aaron in an erect state.
As the 1st and 2nd place Ballon d’Or winners appeared simultaneously, the waiting reporters swarmed like bees. The bodyguards, who had established a blockade, shouted to maintain distance even as they were pushed back by the overwhelming force.
Only after Aaron barked with a hint of irritation that he would give them a chance to speak did the reporters stop in their tracks. Knowing his personality, they seemed to be holding back, fearing that if they annoyed him further, the interview itself might be canceled.
Meanwhile, toward the reporters requesting an interview with him, Je-rim shook his chin from side to side and pointed to Aaron. It meant that Aaron, the winner, should be prioritized today.
From among the reporters, Aaron pointed to one person first. Judging by the name and media outlet on the name tag and his appearance, he seemed to be from Spain. Perhaps he had chosen a reporter he was already acquainted with. Since he distrusted the majority of reporters, it was likely he intentionally chose someone he trusted.
The reporter chosen by Aaron vigorously pushed through the crowd to the front row and offered his congratulations first.
“Reyes! I heard today happens to be your birthday. Congratulations on both your birthday and the award. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call this Ballon d’Or the best birthday present ever.”
“No. Not the best… Let’s just say it’s the third best birthday present I’ve ever received in my life.”
The reporters buzzed, surprised by Aaron’s answer.
“Oh, what are the first and second? A birthday present more valuable than the Ballon d’Or, I’m curious.”
At that question, Aaron raised his left arm to reveal the shirt beneath the jacket sleeve and tapped his wrist. Specifically, the intricately crafted button at the end of the white shirt sleeve.
“First place is these cuff links and tie pin, and second place is the sneakers I received on the day I turned seventeen. For now, at least.”
“I can understand accessories embedded with diamonds like that… but the Ballon d’Or loses to sneakers?”
“Because it was the first birthday present I received from my first love. I wore only those until they wore out….”
Watching Aaron mutter with a somewhat longing expression, Je-rim clenched his fist.
No, if I get turned on here…. No matter how cute he was, he had to endure. Since there was one more schedule tonight besides this interview, he had to hold it in no matter what.
While Je-rim disciplined himself with the heart of an ascetic monk, Aaron dropped a bombshell in a refreshing tone. His finger was still pointing to the shirt sleeve.
“Well, and exactly 11 years later, I received these cuff links and tie pin from the same person. That’s why this is first place. I’m sorry to the Ballon d’Or, but I already have three of the same thing at home. It was about time it slipped down the priority list.”
The shocked gazes of everyone present, including Je-rim, fixed on Aaron. Even the bodyguards forgot their duties and turned to look at Aaron in unison.
And for good reason, because his answer was practically an announcement that he was currently seeing someone…. Moreover, that he had been in a relationship from his first love in his teens until now, at the end of his twenties.
Since he was a guy who had almost been rumored to be impotent—aside from the scandal with Delgado—the announcement of his relationship was shocking. It was even more shocking because it completely deviated from the prejudice, based on some truth, that successful soccer players play around more promiscuously than one can imagine.
Je-rim, who was the other party in the ‘relationship’ Aaron revealed, looked at Aaron with his mouth agape. Is this bastard actually crazy?
Of course, it wasn’t a statement that revealed the fact that the first love and current lover in question was Ban Je-rim. Still, shouldn’t such a matter have been discussed in advance? If he suddenly reveals he’s dating on his own….
‘Does it really matter?’
Upon thinking about it, he concluded it wasn’t that big of a problem. They had agreed to hide their relationship until retirement, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t hint that ‘I am currently dating.’ It didn’t matter if he hinted at it alone. He had no intention of hiding it after retirement anyway.
They had agreed not to disclose it because revealing that teammates were dating during their playing careers would obviously be noisy and troublesome in many ways, but the situation was different after retirement. He probably wouldn’t be able to hide it then. He would spend the rest of his life with Aaron in some form.
When that time comes, Aaron’s current interview might become a topic of conversation again… but that seemed like it would be fun. Imagining the chaos of people wondering if that first love and lover was actually Ban Je-rim made a part of his chest feel proud.
They would probably be tucked away in a quiet, secluded villa, giggling while reading article comments. Naturally, together with Aaron. As he pictured a future that was now truly only a few years away from becoming reality, Je-rim’s startled heart quickly calmed down.
However, others besides Je-rim had not yet recovered from the shock. The reporter interviewing Aaron belatedly asked back haltingly.
“…Should I interpret this as meaning you are in a relationship with your first love? I wondered if I misunderstood….”
“That is exactly what I meant. Feel free to write the article as much as you like.”
“Um, before that, let me ask one more thing. Was this announcement today discussed in advance with your first love?”
“No. I just said it impulsively.”
Answering thus, Aaron stole a glance at Je-rim inconspicuously. He looked like a chick who had pecked all the feed for himself and was now checking the reaction while pretending not to know. However, having discerned that his lover was not angry, a playful smile soon returned to his lips as usual.
“…My sky is just as mischievous and hot-tempered as I am, so I think he’ll understand this much.”
Even if it were true, did he have to tell the reporters that his lover’s personality was shit just to feel satisfied? Je-rim glared silently at Aaron. If he had his way, Je-rim wanted to barge into the interview and expose that his lover was so obnoxious that he occasionally wanted to smack him right in the mouth.
His discomfort naturally reflected in his posture. As Je-rim stood with his arms crossed, shifting his weight restlessly, Aaron quickly added a comment as if telling him to remember what he had done.
“He’s the one who provoked me first. He’s always causing some kind of headache. Though that’s the side of him I’ve been deeply obsessed with since childhood and can’t seem to escape.”
In the end, it seemed to be revenge for nearly making him get an erection before pushing him out to do the interview. Including the way he added those ticklish words at the end to make him feel flustered.
Je-rim scratched the back of Aaron’s hand, signaling for him to shut up and let’s go. His insides felt so ticklish that a breath mixed with anxiety leaked out. It was also because there wasn’t much of the day left. Checking the time, he tickled the back of Aaron’s hand once more.
Aaron, whose fingertips twitched, secretly grabbed Je-rim’s hand. He even shook his head as if telling him that was enough. The gaze that met his for a moment was clearly filled with embarrassment. He probably thought Je-rim was openly seducing him in front of the reporters, telling him to hurry up and go have sex.
“Hey, knock it off… let’s just go.”
Je-rim whispered in a stern voice, intending to convey that it wasn’t what he thought. Whether that meaning was properly conveyed remained to be seen.
“As you wish. Then, that’s all for the interview.”
As soon as Je-rim finished speaking, Aaron turned his back on the reporters without a hint of lingering regret.
✲✲✲
Ban Je-rim became Kongjwi again
LOL
⤷ Our Great Man, who has now recorded 2nd place in the Ballon d’Or twice
⤷ Don’t tease him too much. 2nd place is still an insane contribution to National Pride
⤷ Don’t tease him too much. 2nd place is still an insane contribution to National Pride
⤷⤷ You’re the one who should stop teasing;
Aaron winning the Ballon d’Or was so predictable that
it’s not even new… boring
⤷ If it’s so boring, why the fuck are you watching the awards ceremony at this hour? Go to sleep, you moron
⤷ The comment above is too harsh;; Maybe they’re just someone who doesn’t have to sleep on a weekday dawn for no particular reason
But seriously, Je-rim…
If he’s attending now after skipping all this time, it means he really didn’t come because he was fighting with Aaron ㅠ
⤷ A trajectory more honest and transparent than anyone else’s
⤷
Still, they shared it nicely
Je-rim got Player of the Year, and Aron got the Ballon d’Or
⤷ Eh, but the Ballon d’Or is way more prestigious
⤷⤷ Are you a traitor to your country?
⤷ @ I’m sorry… I’ve committed a mortal sin… The Ballon d’Or is just a trivial award given by the votes of ignorant reporters… Since Player of the Year includes votes from managers, it can be seen that our Je-rim is recognized not only for his skill but also for his leadership…
⤷⤷ Passed
⤷ @ Phew…
Now, who is the Dream Club?
Treble
Produced 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 13th, and 24th in Ballon d’Or simultaneously
Ballon d’Or Team of the Year
Trofeo Yashin winner
UEFA
Swept the final awards for Player/Manager of the Year
I’m asking who the “only” Dream Club on Earth is now
⤷ ……It’s Sefton
⤷ This is so disgusting, seriously,,
⤷ An achievement only possible for Sefton
⤷⤷ A famous quote has appeared: “Oh, Sefton-ga” (Oh, Sefton’s the best)
Oh Sefton-ga ffs
Why did this ego inflation happen to people far away in Korea ㅋㅋㅋ
⤷ The final evolution of National Pride lol
⤷ We are Koreans and simultaneously honorary citizens of Sefton
⤷ Sefton should spend his whole life bowing his head for gaining fifty million Koreans as a powerful army thanks to Je-rim
⤷ Je-rim, please take responsibility for these crazy Koreans…
Honestly, “Oh Sefton-ga” is right
Even during Tavarona’s peak when Aaron was there, they couldn’t produce results like this, right? There’s never been a team that had a striker + midfielder + defender + goalkeeper all in the Ballon d’Or rankings, won the Treble, and swept all the awards
⤷ Don’t you think Sefton was just lucky??
⤷ OP, how was Sefton lucky?
⤷ A top-class striker like Aaron happened to take a free transfer to Sefton… and by chance, a genius midfielder like Ban Je-rim was on that team… and on top of that, the two were youth teammates, so their chemistry clicked from the first season. It’s all luck
⤷ OP, I don’t think that’s luck. Sefton just recruited well
⤷ Then do you think “Oh Sefton-ga” would have been possible if either of the Je-Ron duo were missing?
⤷ OP, I don’t want to answer that
⤷⤷ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
What’s up with Aaron’s first love story?
It’s my first time seeing him say something like that
⤷ Opening up about his relationship after winning the Ballon d’Or… as expected, insane star power ㅋㅋㅋ
⤷ So you’re saying he’s been dating his first love from when he was young this whole time?
⤷ Kim Aron, this crazy bastard
Is that even possible??
17 to 29 and still going?? Crazy
⤷ It’s not that they met at 17,, he
⤷ Amazing… Looking at him, it feels like two hearts wouldn’t be enough… he needs at least five…
⤷⤷ Five my ass lol. Looking at his Visual, he has detachable hearts that he swaps out depending on the mood
⤷ As expected, our Aron is purely devoted, just like a true Korean~
⤷ Proud of Kim Aron of the Gimhae Kim clan!
With that face,, a romantic,,
World-class Football Saint + Spain + Tattoos + Decadent beauty achieves this
⤷ Seriously, is he a lunatic?
⤷ With that weekly wage, the fact that he wore shoes given by his first love until they wore out is truly psycho-tier
⤷ Wow, it doesn’t fit his image at all, I’m literally drooling
Guys, wait a second!!
Boss like the sky = Ban Je-rim
Darling/Lover = Sky??
∴ Ban Je-rim = Aaron’s lover
⤷ This works. Now it works.
⤷ Miraculous reasoning
⤷ Fuck, just fabricate it for now
⤷ OP, did you get into college through an essay track??
Sorry to ruin the fun, but
In Spain, “my sky” is a common pet name used when calling a lover or family member ㅎ.. He probably didn’t mean it as a meaningful metaphor..
⤷ What does Rim know
⤷ I don’t accept anything other than Aaron’s official word
Anyway, that first love is Delgado
The person who had dating rumors and gave the Cuffs link at 17 was all Delgado
⤷ Quiet!!
⤷ The idea that Delgado gave the Cuffs is just Gungye (guessing)
⤷⤷ But if not Delgado, who else would give something that expensive?
⤷⤷ Je-rim could have given it
⤷⤷ Our Great Man isn’t that generous of a person
A personality more mischievous, hot-tempered, and headache-inducing than Aaron…
No matter how you look at it, this is a hint that it’s Ban Je-rim
⤷ This is correct
⤷ Delgado is similar too ㅎㅎ
⤷⤷ Fuck, do you have no tact?
⤷⤷⤷ Everyone who isn’t in our class, get out
⤷ The ones with no tact are you Ban Je-rim shippers ㅎㅁ-bugs. Please get lost and stop dirtying the football world
⤷⤷ This person would faint if they saw the local reaction
Didn’t Aaron say before that Je-rim’s
smiling face is like the sky? What is up with this guy, seriously
⤷ Right.. he did say that lol. Ha, suspicious, very suspicious
⤷ At this point, the ones desperately insisting it’s not Ban Je-rim are the ones with intelligence issues
⤷ Even if I don’t want to be irreverent toward the Great Man, Kim Aron keeps throwing out bait;;
⤷ So fuck, is this my fault? Aron is showing with his whole body that he wants to become Korean as soon as possible?
Is it Delgado or Ban Je-rim?
Aron, just tell us clearly
From a team fan’s perspective, I hate In-House Romance, but,,
⤷ Eh, why? Isn’t it a huge win if the captain and the ace are dating?
⤷ OP, if the two fight, the chemistry on the pitch goes to hell ㅠ
Pros of In-House Romance: Performance goes up on days they get along
Cons of In-House Romance: On days they fight, even the passes don’t align..
Worst of the worst: On the day they break up, one of them might leave the team…
⤷ Crazy, the downside is fatal
⤷ Example of a con >> First half of the Besina match last season ㅎ
⤷ Then is the worst-case example Je-rim’s transfer to Newum ㅎ
⤷⤷ Oh…? That makes sense
You crazy football-obsessed freaks
Is the In-House Romance the problem right now? Our Great Man might actually be in a romance with a man!
⤷ What’s the problem with the latter?
⤷ OP, the problem is that hope is sprouting that Je-rim might date me. I barely gave up my feelings after seeing the scandals…
⤷ ?? OP, do you also pursue romance with men?
⤷ OP, fuck no, that’s an impersonator
⤷ OP, starting today, I’m going to scrub my butt clean.
⤷⤷ OP, get lost you fucking bastard;;
A fact everyone is overlooking
Jerry also stayed at Tavarona with Aaron when Aaron was 17,,
And he was there for Aaron’s 28th birthday party,,
⤷ ㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎ
⤷ Oh please, someone release the documentary of Jerry’s youth days
Jerry’s youth documentary..
I’ll buy it if anyone has it….
⤷ Ah seriously fuck, why did it become a rare item??? ㅠㅠ Let me see it too
⤷ Current stars and national team players like Aaron, Jose, and Mateo appear in it a lot, so they probably took it down due to portrait rights issues
⤷ They agreed once when it was first filmed, you petty bastards ㅠㅠㅠ Just because they grew up, they’re acting out
I wonder what Je-rim gave as Aaron’s birthday present last year
I’ll ask Edson, wait a sec
⤷ Earn your Choco Pie, Song-ah
⤷ Local correspondent Reporter Song
⤷ Did Song get a surname now? Is he naturalizing?
⤷⤷ To be cold, Song without the Brazil national team premium isn’t very useful… please just act as the local correspondent
⤷⤷ True.. we already have a Great Man who recorded 2nd in the Ballon d’Or twice,, unless it’s the 1st place Aron
⤷⤷ These people are too much ㅋㅋㅋ
✲✲✲
Due to security issues, they took separate cars, so they couldn’t talk until they reached the hotel. It was the same in the hotel lobby and the elevator. It was only after opening the door to Aaron’s room that they escaped the strict protection.
As the door closed, a pitch-black darkness, devoid of a single speck of light, surrounded them. It seemed the curtains had been meticulously closed over the windows as planned. Judging by the lack of even a single breath, it seemed he was holding his breath. Anyway, they were uselessly enthusiastic about these things.
“I’ll turn on the light. Just a second.”
Regardless, all that was left was to light up the room. Je-rim fumbled along the wall to find the switch. Since the surroundings were dark, he had no choice but to rely on touch. After wandering for a while, he pressed something hard that caught his fingertip.
With a click, the room brightened. Je-rim, who had been pressing his head against the wall to find the switch, turned toward Aaron—more accurately, toward the inside of the room—and was about to tell Aaron to turn around quickly. However, the moment he opened his mouth, Je-rim’s body was pushed against the door.
“Wa-wait, ngh!”
He tried to stop Aaron urgently, anticipating what would happen next, but Aaron pushed him against the wall as if slamming him into it and silenced him in one breath.
With his lips, naturally.
Perhaps because he had been holding back, a breath that was beyond hot—almost scorching—flowed down Je-rim’s throat. Aaron immediately thrust his tongue in, licking the inside of his mouth thickly, causing wet sounds to echo throughout the room. As saliva mixed and lips and tongues repeatedly clung and parted, the obscene sound effects gradually increased in decibels.
Chapter
He was so startled that his body froze instantly. He was so rigid that he couldn’t even blink. Je-rim’s bloodshot gaze shifted past Aaron’s shoulder.
“…….”
There stood Reman, holding a golden ball-shaped cake that looked exactly like the Ballon d’Or trophy; Craig, gripping a bottle as if he were about to pop the champagne at any second; and William, proudly holding a custom-made solid gold statue modeled after Aaron’s shooting form in both hands.
The three of them were frozen in place, as if someone had pressed a pause button. Only their eyes, rolling around in sheer astonishment and shock, proved they were still alive. Since Je-rim was in no different a situation, he found himself staring straight into three pairs of eyes.
Unaware that Je-rim was in a staring contest with three of his teammates, Aaron pressed his body further against him, as if urging his unresponsive lover to react. With that physique and strength, Aaron was intentionally pinning him down, making it hard for Je-rim to breathe.
Having perfectly trapped Je-rim between the wall and his own chest, Aaron didn’t stop there. Whether he was acting out his disappointment that Je-rim wasn’t responding to the kiss or something else, he covered Je-rim’s mouth with his palm and sank his teeth into the nape of his neck. As if that weren’t enough, he began to mutter words that should absolutely not be said at this particular timing.
“You really… there’s a limit to jokes. What if I had gotten hard, huh? Do you want me to retire?”
“Mmph!”
“Haa… Je-rim. You were the one rushing me earlier, so why… ugh!”
As the situation began to spiral into true madness, Je-rim’s rigidity finally broke. Struggling to escape somehow, Je-rim eventually resorted to violence against his lover. He had no choice, as Aaron’s eyes looked half-crazed.
Je-rim punched Aaron’s shoulder with all his might, causing Aaron to stagger back. His amber eyes, now deepened in color, glowed intensely. It was a hue that made it impossible to tell if he was angry or if his excitement hadn’t subsided even after being hit. Je-rim yelled at the man staring at him with such insolent eyes.
“Fuck, look behind you!”
Only then did Aaron slowly turn around. Immediately after, the hand that had been rubbing his shoulder dropped.
Was that the signal? Or did their sanity return now that they had finally seen the face of the man who had been passionately showering their captain with kisses and dirty talk? Violent greetings in various languages erupted from the men who had been frozen until now. Aaron was included.
“¡Joder!”
“Bollocks!”
“…Verdammt noch mal!”
“Fuck, Reman! Hey, why are you going into the bathroom!”
Je-rim desperately called out to the youngest, who had practically thrown the cake onto the table and ducked into the bathroom. Then, to find out the meaning of the German phrase—the only one he didn’t understand—he asked Craig. Being Dutch, Craig was proficient in German.
“…Craig, what did he say?”
“It’s a curse. You can probably guess the meaning.”
Assuming it meant something similar to the ‘damn it’ Aaron spat out or the ‘fuck’ William uttered, Je-rim didn’t ask further. Instead of asking Je-rim or Aaron anything, Craig also quietly entered the bathroom.
After a while, Craig came out leading Reman. Reman was sporting earlobes that looked as if he’d applied blush and slightly moist eyes.
Until then, no conversation had been exchanged with William. This was because William had been muttering to himself: “So that time too? Damn, that time as well. Then don’t tell me the reason they were both late back then… Oh, my God.”
Having many things to feel guilty about, Je-rim could only watch William’s manic behavior. As Je-rim kept his head low, Aaron, sensing his mood, stealthily wrapped his hand around Je-rim’s wrist. Je-rim considered shaking him off, but instead, he let out a sigh and gently rubbed the shoulder he had punched earlier.
Did Aaron know things would turn out like this? If anything, the fault lay largely with them for planning a surprise party to celebrate Aaron’s birthday before it passed. And among them, Je-rim’s fault was the greatest for provoking Aaron since the awards ceremony.
“…….”
The five of them sat around a round table with the golden ball cake and the solid gold statue in the center, maintaining a heavy silence. It was an atmosphere where it wouldn’t have been strange if anyone had jumped out the window right then.
“So….”
In that awkward and somber atmosphere, Je-rim was the first to speak. His sense of duty as captain pushed him forward.
“So, about that, um…. …It happened like that.”
His sense of duty ended right there. At the half-hearted explanation, William’s upper body sprang up as if he had a spring attached to him.
“Do you think that counts as an explanation?”
“No, but you already saw everything, what more explanation….”
“You crazy bastard!”
A grand insult rang out, and Je-rim was grabbed by the collar. Considering William’s current state of shock, Je-rim let him do as he pleased for the moment.
“You, you…! You’re in a workplace romance? You, the captain? Do you have no sense of responsibility?”
“Is that the problem?”
“If the performance drops this Season… Aaaagh!”
William, who had been standing close to Je-rim, suddenly let out a scream. Since he had a naturally loud voice, Je-rim’s ears didn’t just sting; his head throbbed. Because of that, he instinctively closed and opened his eyes, only to find his collar empty. Je-rim looked back and forth between his collar and William.
Naturally, he assumed William had screamed because he imagined a bleak future where the captain and the ace were both distracted by dating and the team got relegated to the second division. Indeed, William’s face was distorted in pain. However, it was too much to say that expression was achieved through imagination alone. Especially the wide-open mouth claiming pain and the crumpled corners of his eyes.
Shifting his gaze slightly, he saw Aaron twisting William’s wrist. William’s hand, which had been gripping Je-rim’s collar until a moment ago, was bent in the opposite direction of the wrist and was trembling. It seemed the sudden release of the hand and the scream were all because of this.
“Will, why don’t you stop while I’m still being nice? And if performance was going to drop, it would have dropped last Season. You can relax.”
“…Hah.”
Was he shocked by the threat that wasn’t ‘nice’ at all, or was he shocked by the fact that they had been doing this since last Season? William now showed signs of hyperventilation. His beard on his chin shook every time his lips gasped for air.
Watching this, Craig pulled Aaron away and poured some chilled champagne for William. It seemed to be to calm the hyperventilation. That champagne had originally been prepared to celebrate Aaron’s birthday, but no one pointed out its altered purpose.
“William, calm down. It’s not like you were completely unaware.”
“I just thought those bastards were suspicious; did I seriously suspect it? I know the women Jerry’s been dating! Until his daughter was born, we even went to couple gatherings often!”
Listening to William’s breathless protest, Aaron’s eyebrow twitched at a completely random phrase.
“Couple gatherings? Je-rim, from now on, you only go out with me.”
“Sigh….”
“Kuh!”
William’s condition, which seemed to be stabilizing after drinking the champagne, worsened again. Craig rubbed the back of the poor vice-captain, who was now choking on top of hyperventilating, and spoke cautiously.
“If you didn’t seriously suspect it… maybe you’re just a bit lacking in intuition.”
“What? Then don’t tell me… Craig, you knew? Reman too?”
When the question turned to him, Reman frowned his gentle eyes. He seemed troubled. He fidgeted with his fingers and glanced at Je-rim, answering only after Je-rim gave a small nod.
“…Yeah.”
“It’s almost more… Edson noticed too.”
At Craig’s subsequent answer, Je-rim’s eyes widened even more than William’s, as if his eyeballs might fall out.
“He did? H-how….”
“You two were a bit strange during Aaron’s birthday last year.”
“What, what was strange!”
“Aaron made it obvious he was in a bad mood ever since Ayla arrived, and you, Jerry, disappeared following Aaron. You didn’t even come back that day, right? Edson has been singing about how suspicious it was since then.”
Why had he overlooked the fact that, as a man obsessed with nightlife, Edson was incredibly sharp in those areas? He really should have killed him and scattered his ashes in the sea back then. While Je-rim was regretting, Craig continued his explanation politely.
“And from a certain point, the number of times you called us to eat together dropped significantly, so Marshall and I thought you had made another lover. …But you were always with Aaron, probably?”
Narrowing his brow as if calculating, Craig added, “For the record, Marshall doesn’t know. He probably doesn’t suspect it in his wildest dreams.” Je-rim felt relieved that not everyone in the club knew, but that relief was short-lived as Reman, unable to withstand William’s interrogation on how he found out, spoke up.
“I… saw those two kissing in the dressing room.”
At the innocent youngest’s shocking confession, not only William but even Craig looked up and down at Je-rim and Aaron as if they were trash.
Je-rim, who hadn’t known Reman was watching from the doorway and only heard about it from Aaron later, felt somewhat wronged, but he endured his teammates’ piercing glares. Since the culprit who committed that shameless act was holding his neck stiff as if he knew no shame, Je-rim, as the lover, had to at least pretend to be reflective.
William pointed his trembling finger back and forth between Je-rim and Aaron.
“You lust-blinded, lewd, promiscuous children of Satan….”
“Hey, that kind of Christian condemnation is kind of fresh….”
Throughout his career as a football player, he had heard all sorts of insults, but this was a first. It’s rare to be called a lewd demon just because you lost a match. Though he did occasionally hear insults telling him to go to hell immediately.
Hearing Je-rim’s mutterings, Aaron burst into a laugh that didn’t fit the situation. Je-rim nudged the stomach of his boyfriend, who was giggling with his forehead buried in Je-rim’s shoulder, with his elbow. Whether that sight looked too promiscuous again, William’s voice cracked pitifully.
“No, really, how? How could a guy who only dated women…. And with a youth teammate he didn’t even get along with….”
Perhaps he had made up his mind to resolve his teammate’s doubt. Aaron, who had been laughing almost like he was sobbing, suddenly stepped forward.
“Ah, the reason we didn’t get along was because of a misunderstanding that happened while we were dating in youth. Of course, we’ve cleared it all up now. That’s why we’re seeing each other again.”
“Huh…!”
“And since I was Je-rim’s first lover, saying he only dated women is a contradiction. Be careful with your expressions in the future.”
“Ugh!”
Aaron’s corrections were so serious and persistent that they made a Q&A session at a personnel hearing look like a joke. There was even a hint of bloodthirstiness in the part about being careful with expressions.
Having heard the madness triggered solely by jealousy with his own two ears, William bolted upright from his seat, then slumped back down as if he had lost consciousness. Supporting the limp William, Craig covered his mouth.
“…Honestly, that news is a bit shocking to me too.”
“I gave you a hint when I first transferred. I asked if we looked like a ‘couple that broke up and reunited.’”
“Usually, people don’t call that a hint.”
“Really? I didn’t know.”
With the soul-less William between them, Aaron and Craig chatted amiably. Those two got along surprisingly well. Reman also stealthily approached Je-rim and asked.
“Jerry, are you okay?”
“It’s kind of fresh that the guy who cursed me out and bolted into the bathroom is asking if I’m okay.”
“Ah, I was just surprised earlier…! Ugh, it was surprising!”
Thinking it would be cruel to tease the youngest, who had no dating experience and was entangled in various circumstances, Je-rim quickly apologized.
“True. I’m sorry for showing you an unsightly sight twice.”
His hand, which had instinctively reached for the fluffy blonde hair, stopped just in time as he recalled Reman’s request to refrain from physical contact. Aaron pulled down Je-rim’s hand, which was hanging in the air, and naturally changed the subject.
“I naturally thought I’d get hit a few more times. Aren’t you going to hit me?”
“Just be grateful today is your birthday.”
Contrary to his harsh tone, Je-rim touched Aaron’s shoulder with a careful hand.
He hit him quite hard earlier; he hoped it didn’t bruise. He couldn’t exactly strip him here to check. Je-rim continued, licking his lips.
“And well, now that we’ve been caught, I feel relieved. Reman knew anyway, and Will and Craig are the guys I trust the most.”
“…The most? Then what about me?”
“Do you really want to be jealous even in this situation?”
Just as he was rebuking his lover for acting cute at every turn, causing a headache, William let out another loud scream that startled everyone.
“Aaaagh! Stop flirting in front of me! It’s gross!”
“This bastard is talking rudely to the friend who even served as his best man. You and Bella were worse, you punk.”
Unable to take it anymore, Je-rim flicked William’s forehead. As his index finger snapped against the forehead, a cracking sound like a walnut breaking echoed. Then, as if he had never been playful, his expression shifted.
Facing the gaze that only appeared when stepping onto the pitch right before a match, William stopped rubbing his forehead and straightened his posture.
It was a kind of habit. They would chatter like immature students in the locker room, but the moment they stepped onto the pitch, everyone held their breath and waited for the captain to speak. Because when Je-rim had those eyes, they absolutely had to listen.
Je-rim placed both hands on the shoulders of William, who was finally ready to talk, and leaned down until their foreheads almost touched. It was an action he often did when encouraging teammates individually. With an expression devoid of his usual lightness, he spoke each word with emphasis.
“Anyway… Will, that kind of thing you’re worried about won’t happen. As captain, I’ll strive to separate public and private matters, and I won’t live my life distracted only by dating. Trust me.”
Aaron’s assurance followed like supporting fire.
“Same for me. Did I look like someone who would play matches sloppily for any reason over the past Season? If so, I’m sorry.”
“…If you two say so, I have no choice but to believe you, but….”
William trailed off, biting his lip for a moment. But soon, with a determined face, he faced Je-rim and Aaron.
“What can I do if it’s a relationship that started in youth. Just make sure it doesn’t affect the team. Ahem! Congratulations on… dating again….”
Je-rim smiled brightly enough for his dimples to show faintly. He didn’t need others to acknowledge his relationship with Aaron, but it felt good to receive both recognition and congratulations from the team’s vice-captain and one of his best friends.
Aaron, seemingly feeling there was nothing left to hide, stroked Je-rim’s dimple and whispered in his ear not to smile so prettily in front of others. Je-rim brushed his hand away, telling him not to be an idiot.
Suddenly, as if a bad thought had occurred to him, William slammed the table.
“No, but wait. Isn’t dormitory life mandatory at Tavarona during youth? Then don’t tell me you guys….”
“…It was a boys’ dormitory, so, well.”
“We were even in rooms next to each other. It was convenient.”
To William’s question, Je-rim responded in a tone that suggested he had plenty to be guilty of, while Aaron responded in a tone that suggested he had not a single shred of shame.
Craig agreed nonchalantly, saying, “All sorts of incidents happen in boys’ dormitories,” and Reman looked gloomy at the unwanted information, saying, “I don’t really want to know….”
And the person who asked the question trembled, being the most shocked of all.
“—If I see you two touching in the training center or on the field from now on, I’ll report you to the manager immediately!”
The day ended with that final outburst. Pointing to the clock, which had already passed midnight, Craig called Aaron.
“Oh, Aaron. Your birthday has passed.”
“It doesn’t matter. I know you wanted to celebrate it. Thanks.”
Looking pleased with the statue made in his likeness, Aaron flicked the football at the base of the statue with his finger. Seeing that, Je-rim felt secretly proud that they had all chipped in to make it.
Of course, the person who came up with the idea for Aaron’s birthday gift wasn’t Je-rim, but Jesus. Jesus and Aaron were very close, as their personalities matched and they shared the commonality of speaking Spanish. However, since he, the captain, had contributed the most money to the statue’s production, Je-rim felt he had every right to be proud.
Shortly after, the guys who had offered their personal congratulations quickly stood up.
“Well then, the intruders will disappear now, so you lovers can spend some intimate time together.”
“Damn, if I’d known it would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have bothered preparing a surprise party.”
“Don’t be so disappointing. Though, I wouldn’t mind if you got lost quickly.”
“I’m going, I’m going! Ah, I’m taking some cake with me.”
“William, you’re going to gain weight again…. Jerry, Aaron, goodnight.”
“Yeah, you too. Sorry about today, and thanks. See you in the morning.”
Once the three of them, who boasted an average height of 194cm, left, the already spacious room felt practically empty. Without even touching the cake, Je-rim flopped onto the sofa, still dressed in his suit.
“Why was today such a whirlwind….”
From flying to France in the morning, sitting still for nearly two hours getting styled, to all the interviews and photo shoots…. He had been frazzled enough just preparing for the awards ceremony and Aaron’s surprise birthday party, and then he’d ended up showing his teammates a side of himself he never wanted them to see.
In the end, everything worked out, but now that the day was over, the tension snapped and fatigue came rushing in.
It was just as he reached between the knot of his bowtie to loosen the uncomfortable grip around his neck. Aaron, sitting by Je-rim’s head, familiarly offered his thigh as a pillow and undid the bowtie along with the top button of the shirt. With a much more relaxed expression, Je-rim rested his head on Aaron’s leg and kicked off his shoes.
The two shoes flew haphazardly and lay scattered on the floor. Aaron didn’t even glance at the shoes thrown in the middle of his room. He simply stroked Je-rim’s slightly disheveled black hair. Soft whispers followed.
“I was a bit surprised earlier, too. Where I got hit still throbs.”
“…Let me see. Did it bruise?”
As Je-rim reached out to pull off Aaron’s top to check, Aaron stopped him by kissing his fingertips.
“Not now. Look later. In bed.”
“You’ve already been caught by everyone earlier, yet your antics never stop….”
“It’s because you always indulge me, so I have no choice but to evolve.”
The kisses, which had started like a bird pecking, gradually became more dense. The area where the lips touched shifted from the fingertips to the palm, and then to the inside of the wrist.
Aaron, who lingered particularly long where the pulse could be felt, undid Je-rim’s cufflink with one hand. Because they had done this so often whenever they wore their Danbok or suits—finding each other so arousing—the speed of undoing buttons was as fast as the speed of kicking a ball.
The combination of his downturned eyes and clouded pupils was so erotic that it was hard to look away. Je-rim, who had been gazing intensely up at Aaron, suddenly pulled his hand away just as the atmosphere was ripening.
“Ah, wait a second.”
“…What now?”
His voice was thick with a sense of longing that was almost teasing to the listener. Undeterred, Je-rim sat up, roughly ruffled Aaron’s hair, and headed toward the closet. When they checked into the hotel, he hadn’t even stepped into his own room and had thrown all his luggage into Aaron’s room, so his bags and clothes were all here.
Opening the front pocket of the Boston bag, an envelope immediately caught his eye. He had stored it separately to ensure it didn’t get wrinkled.
Holding the plain white envelope, Je-rim returned to the sofa and naturally sat on Aaron’s lap. Then, he plopped the envelope right into Aaron’s chest.
“That statue was a gift from all the teammates together, so of course I prepared something separate.”
“Huh? Didn’t you spend too much money?”
“Not really. The gift I prepared personally is free.”
“Aha, is it a wish coupon or something? I’ll take it as a kiss. Give it to me on the lips.”
“Do I look like such a childish and petty guy to you?”
It wasn’t some childhood game of house. With a smirk, he stole a kiss from the well-shaped lips flickering before his eyes. As a bonus, he let his tongue out to deeply lick the lower lip. Aaron loved it when he did this.
“I can do this a hundred or a thousand times for free, but I wouldn’t specifically prepare this as a boyfriend’s birthday present.”
As expected, Aaron just blankly touched his lower lip with a dazed expression. The mental capacity to check what the gift was seemed to have flown away with a single act that was barely even a kiss.
“Then what….”
“You said you wanted it.”
On Aaron’s behalf, Je-rim personally pulled the contents out of the envelope and held them up.
“A marriage registration form. It’s a Korean one. I couldn’t find a proper way to get a Spanish one.”
Since he wasn’t a local of Spain, there were restrictions on obtaining administrative documents. In contrast, the Korean marriage registration form was accessible enough that the template could be printed from the internet.
Still, since it was a gift for his lover, he felt a bit embarrassed to give something just printed at home the day before the birthday, so he had stopped by the district office during the last A Match to get one in person. Since it wasn’t particularly expensive or a type of gift that required a lot of time to prepare, he felt he should at least put in that much effort.
It had been such an ordeal, sneaking around with his face completely covered. He had desperately kept a low profile, knowing that the moment anyone recognized him, the ‘Ban Je-rim Marriage Rumors’ would spread like wildfire. Even after arriving at the district office, he had snatched the document like a pickpocket and scurried away.
On the document he had struggled so hard to obtain, Je-rim’s personal information and thumbprint were already fully imprinted. In the spouse column, he had already written the middle name, paternal surname, and maternal surname on behalf of Aaron, who could barely write his own name in Hangeul. Except for one part.
Je-rim gestured with his chin toward the space next to where ‘Aaron Rodrigo Reyes Heiskanen’ was written.
“Sign here.”
It would be complete once he got the spouse’s own signature. Although he had left the biological mother’s column blank because he didn’t know the name, and the witness column was also unfilled. It didn’t matter since it was being filled out for the purpose of keeping it as a memento.
At the mention of a Korean marriage registration form, Aaron just blinked and stared at the document. He didn’t even seem to hear the instruction to sign. In his expression, which had suddenly become childlike, the sense of bewilderment seemed larger than the joy.
‘I guess he really didn’t think I’d give it to him.’
Je-rim felt a secret sense of satisfaction, as if he had caught the always-sly man off guard. Taking advantage of the moment, he played with Aaron’s frozen cheeks and earlobes, waiting for him to snap out of it. After a moment, Aaron took a sharp breath and asked.
“What are the empty spaces at the bottom?”
“Your mother’s personal information and the witness list. We aren’t officially submitting it, so you can leave them blank.”
“I don’t want to. As soon as it’s light, let’s ask Will and Craig to fill in the witness list. …I’m a bit hazy on my mother’s name, damn it.”
“Can foreigners be witnesses? And if you don’t remember, you don’t have to….”
If the guy couldn’t even remember it, it meant there had been almost no interaction, so Je-rim tried to dissuade him in a lukewarm tone. However, Aaron insisted on scouring the following lists of all the SNS apps installed on his phone until he found his biological mother’s name.
The way he begged Je-rim to write it in Hangeul for him while explaining the pronunciation was cute, yet he felt that Aaron was truly persistent. Suppressing the reaction that instinctively wanted to come out, Je-rim picked up the ballpoint pen on the table.
“Fine, do whatever you want. It’s your gift.”
Je-rim entered the biological mother’s name as Aaron instructed and then handed him the pen. Aaron, scribbling his signature quickly as if he had never been flustered, neatly folded the document back. The way he carefully handled the edges of the paper with those large hands, fearing they might wrinkle or tear, was quite lovely.
As if performing his signature Ceremony, Aaron lightly pressed his lips to the corner of the folded paper and made the sign of the cross. After murmuring a short prayer with only his lips moving, he slowly opened his eyes. He then looked at Je-rim with amber eyes shimmering with happiness.
“Thank you. From now on, this is the number one best birthday present of my life.”
“Then did the Ballon d’Or drop to 4th place as soon as you got this?”
“It can’t be helped. Since you gave me a gift like this….”
“This is just for the mood, it has no actual legal effect….”
Even if it were submitted to a Korean district office, it would be immediately rejected since it was a same-sex marriage. Aaron likely knew that fact, but since he acted as if he had received a holy relic, Je-rim felt strange.
Awkward, happy, and cute….
Naturally, Je-rim’s mouth closed. It was a habit that usually came out whenever Aaron whispered sweet things. This time, he hadn’t heard anything particularly embarrassing, but his chest just felt warm.
Aaron hugged the silenced Je-rim and interlaced their fingers with his left hand. Both the voice digging straight into his ear and the touch stroking his ring finger were unbearably ticklish, making Je-rim let out a laugh like a sigh.
“I just love the fact that I have this as a certificate. You might not understand.”
“No, I do. I felt pretty good while pressing my thumbprint here, too.”
They were simply filling out a single piece of paper that had no special effect and would never actually be submitted, but as the ink seeped into the paper, a smile seeped out. That smile reached its peak when he pressed his thumbprint. Doing this made it feel as if he had truly married Aaron.
It was also the moment he understood why Aaron had begged to get married as soon as he became an adult since he was young. Whether it was marriage, a ring, or a certificate… he probably needed a means to confirm that it was a ‘lasting relationship’ in a visible form.
The moment the boy, who had a face that looked like he might cry and told him not to easily speak of the assumption that they would break up, was overlaid upon the current Aaron, Je-rim impulsively blurted out.
“Should we do it after all, the couple tattoo?”
Honestly, marriage can be ended with a divorce, a ring can be taken off, and a certificate can be torn. But a tattoo cannot be invalidated so easily. Even if it’s removed with a laser, one has to live with the scar forever, so it was a fitting means of proof for what Aaron wanted.
However, Aaron remained lukewarm about tattoos, as he had before.
“Why would I do that to a perfect body….”
Despite having his right arm and back covered in tattoos, why did he always react like that? Je-rim couldn’t understand and pinched Aaron’s nose.
“What ‘perfect body’? Then did you have such dense tattoos because your body wasn’t perfect?”
“If I had been dating you all along, I wouldn’t have gotten tattoos. This is your fault.”
“What do tattoos have to do with me?”
“It was a time when I desperately needed something other than you… something I could be interested in or become addicted to. Then my teammates tempted me, saying tattoos are addictive, so I tried it.”
“…….”
“But it wasn’t that fun. So I stopped.”
And like a total idiot, even on the day he decided to stop, he was tattooing the sky and forests. The self-deprecating mutterings that followed stuck particularly hard in his mind.
Je-rim silently stroked Aaron’s back, recalling the shapes of the tattoos covering it. Whenever he heard about the ten years Aaron spent without him, he felt a desire to go back to the past. Even though he knew that harboring such a useless and unrealistic wish would only be harmful to his mental state.
If only he had listened to the voice messages Aaron sent in time. If only he hadn’t broken his phone before leaving for Australia. No matter how scared he was, if only he had tried contacting Aaron first. If only he hadn’t said such harsh words when they fought at the beach. If only he had decided on the transfer after consulting with Aaron in the first place.
There were too many moments he wanted to undo. But he also knew well that he couldn’t.
He couldn’t do anything about the past that had already passed. Instead, it was possible to live the present fully so that he wouldn’t have the same regrets in the distant future. Quickly seeking other alternatives rather than clinging to a hopeless cause was Je-rim’s specialty.
“…You don’t need to try and find things like that anymore. I’ll never leave your side, so you focus only on me, too.”
It was a resolution and a promise, a request and a command. Aaron nodded obediently, as if he understood all of it.
“I gave up on finding other things a long time ago anyway. No matter what I did, it didn’t work. You know that, right?”
With an attitude that felt like both an obedient subordinate and a devoted lover, he always made Je-rim’s heart drop. Well, even in non-romantic situations, Aaron had a natural talent for making a person’s heart flutter.
“…I know. But why does a guy who claims to love me so purely always do such shitty interviews that he makes my heart stop?”
“Ah, it was especially thrilling earlier, wasn’t it?”
And whenever he narrowed his eyes like a fox while asking for something or posing a question with a predetermined answer, Je-rim became a complete fool and threw himself into the palm of his hand. He didn’t think he was this hopeless when they were young, but somehow it got worse as they aged.
“Yeah. Your acceptance speech, your interview, and that incident just now—everything was so thrilling I thought I’d go crazy.”
Why? Why was dating Aaron more fun and fresh every day? Why was he becoming more of an idiot because of him every day? Je-rim muttered to himself, forgetting that he had had the exact same concern around the age of seventeen.
“Dating you is never boring, then or now. Is that why it’s special?”
“Is there any other dating that compares to yours? My life is at a level where it’s boring without you.”
Because he was a guy who could effortlessly deliver such a heavy confession as if it were nothing, and pour out breathtakingly sweet and ticklish expressions of affection without hesitation, he felt even more special. Since he possessed traits completely opposite to Je-rim himself, Je-rim could never quite get used to it.
Aaron grabbed the chin of Je-rim, who was rolling his eyes in embarrassment again, and enjoyed the sight to his heart’s content.
“You’re shy again. For someone who gives a marriage registration form as if he’s passing off a promissory note….”
“Shut up, when did I! I remembered you wanted it and gave it to you, and you’re still complaining!”
“Mm-hmm. I love you too, my sky.”
The way he gave answers that didn’t make any sense or grinned even after hearing harsh words made it clear to anyone that he wasn’t normal. Aaron, with a foolish face, eventually whispered.
“Thank you for always making every day special for me.”
He’s usually so sly that I want to punch him, but he only speaks beautifully at times like this. Je-rim tried his best to play along, but in the end, he added a comment that ruined the mood, as was typical of him.
“…Yeah. I love you. Happy birthday. …Let’s do it without taking our clothes off.”
Immediately after, he was scolded in a tone of genuine wonder, asking how such words could come out in this atmosphere and what on earth was wrong with him, while both his cheeks were grabbed. Je-rim fought back, saying that Aaron had been expecting it too and asking where he was pretending to be innocent.
It didn’t take long for the two bickering men to embrace each other’s necks and collapse onto the bed.
The mattress of the bed they lay on for the first time since checking in was plush and sturdy, befitting the reputation of a 5-star hotel. So much so that even if two men, both far exceeding the average height, did all sorts of things throughout the dawn, not even the sound of springs shaking could be heard.
On that perfect bed, Aaron granted Je-rim’s request until just before dawn.
As he always did.