By Zephyria 
Chapter 5 (1)
Woken from a shallow sleep by the loud blare of an alarm, Hae-won was clutching a crumpled shopping bag tightly. He had woken up in a narrow shoe rack. A belt was loosely tied around his wrist, and his shirt was missing. It was probably shoved somewhere in the backseat of the car. Pathetically. All wrinkled.
The shopping bag, as unsightly as his shirt, was unusable. He took out the contents and went into the bathroom; as he washed himself clean, semen streamed down between his thighs, mixing with the water. He stared blankly at the murky water being sucked down the drain before slamming his forehead against the wall. Thump. His scattering thoughts snapped back into place.
Hae-won lined up the tasks he had to do in his head, plucking out the unnecessary ones until only a single line remained.
Wash, pack, and leave. To go on a fucking vacation.
Hae-won slung his bag over his shoulder and leaned against the alley in front of his house, idling with his feet. He stomped firmly on the uneven ground to flatten it and drew circles on top of it. He drew large, round shapes, one by one, like the circle that had shone behind Seo Hae-young’s head. Just as he had drawn about ten, the same car from yesterday pulled up, crushing his drawings.
“Yoon Hae-won—”
Hyun-woo’s eyes popped up beyond the lowered passenger window. Hae-won gave a brief greeting to the innocent Hyun-woo and climbed into the backseat. The cool air from the air conditioner chilled his heated crown.
“Hi.”
And there was Seo Hae-young, leaning his head against the window and waving. A faint smile bloomed on Hae-won’s face. A terrifying sense of stability calmed his anxious heart.
The car departed as soon as the door closed, and Hae-won briefly locked eyes with Tae-gyeom through the rearview mirror. Hae-won was the first to look away. Anxiety surged, worrying that Tae-gyeom might have told Seo Hae-young everything about last night.
He toyed with his fingernails, pondering their strange relationship. Strictly speaking, it was a relationship that couldn’t be given a specific name. At most, it was something like, ‘we’ve had sex a few times.’
But why… why did they do it?
He couldn’t remember the first wrong button he’d fastened. It wasn’t that his memory was bad. Pushing aside the unsettling question, he set his bag down beside him, and Seo Hae-young slid over. Soft hair touched his thigh, exposed beneath the shorts that had ridden up as he sat. Lying with his head on Hae-won’s lap, Seo Hae-young blinked his sleepy eyes slowly. Feeling awkward at the ticklish contact, Hae-won fidgeted with his bag strap, and a languid voice burrowed into his ear.
“I’m sleepy…”
“Get some sleep.”
Hae-won covered Seo Hae-young’s eyes with his palm and stroked them down. Long eyelashes seemed to settle, then curled back up. Seo Hae-young grabbed the hand floating in the air and rubbed Hae-won’s wrist with his thumb.
“What’s this?”
Hae-won twisted his wrist away, where the mark of the binding was still distinct, and shook his head as if it were nothing.
“Just… from work.”
“You work tied up?”
“…You said you were sleepy. Sleep.”
Hae-won pressed down on Seo Hae-young’s eyelids to close them and tried to put him to sleep, stroking his fluttering hair. Since he had never done this before, his touch was utterly clumsy.
Whether his earnest effort worked or not, Seo Hae-young let out an even breath with a smile on his lips. Being a guy who slacked off whenever break started, he must have struggled to wake up this early. The situation of having no way out gave him a headache, but the culprit was still lovely.
“Let’s stop by the mart on the way… Ah! Did Hae-won sleep well?”
Hyun-woo, who was examining a paper map with a drawn route—in this day and age—suddenly looked back. Hae-won quickly pulled his hand away from Seo Hae-young’s head and smiled awkwardly.
“Uh… yeah, I slept well.”
A sneer leaked from the lips of Tae-gyeom, who was holding the steering wheel. Hae-won’s gaze shifted from Hyun-woo and slowly returned to the rearview mirror. While laughing to himself, his eyes entangled with Tae-gyeom’s, who had glanced up. Tae-gyeom stretched the corners of his mouth, wearing an expression that seemed to ask, ‘What?’
Hyun-woo looked back and forth between the two with a bewildered expression, then stiffly straightened his posture. They must have fought. No, but why is Seo Hae-young resting his head on that kid’s thigh so creepily? Is that why Go Tae-gyeom is in a foul mood? That was the extent of the guesses Hyun-woo could make. Scratching his knee, Hyun-woo reached for the radio, unable to bear the awkwardness.
“Hey. Let’s listen to some music. We need music, right?”
The interior of the car, where the atmosphere had sunk, was filled with summer songs so familiar they were almost tiring, fitting for the vacation season. Along with the boisterous music, the car exited the tollgate and climbed onto the open highway.
Hae-won, who had been leaning against the seat staring blankly at the scenery flashing by, flinched. He felt a hand grip and then release the tender skin of his inner thigh. When he looked down, Seo Hae-young, who looked completely awake, was sliding his hand through the gap of the loose shorts.
“When are you going back? You’re staying a long time.”
“Well, around autumn? Maybe longer.”
“You’re just coasting.”
Hae-won glanced at the front seats where they were chatting about trivial things and shifted his hips back. Even so, there was a limit. As the space to retreat vanished, Seo Hae-young’s hand moved deeper with more boldness, fingering the edge of the tight-fitting drawers. Hae-won hurriedly leaned forward and whispered quietly.
“…Seo Hae-young.”
“Yeah?”
“Your hand…”
“My hand?”
Pretending to know nothing, Seo Hae-young slid his fingers deep into the drawers. The hand, moving in a curve from the thigh, headed toward the buttocks. The fingers eventually dug into the gap, groping the slightly swollen entrance. Unable to sit completely on the hand, Hae-won kept his waist awkwardly upright, checking the front seats while grabbing Seo Hae-young’s shoulder.
“Hae-young. Don’t…”
He spoke in a whisper, but Seo Hae-young’s smile only deepened. Turning his head completely, Seo Hae-young’s lips pressed firmly against the area where the genitals were, and his knuckles pushed into the hole.
“Ngh…!”
A moan he couldn’t block escaped his lips. Startled, Hae-won covered his mouth. Fortunately, Hyun-woo and Tae-gyeom seemed not to notice, as they were busy talking to each other. Even as he fidgeted with his legs and pulled his waist back, Seo Hae-young’s fingers did not let go.
The hole that had fully accepted Go Tae-gyeom’s cock in the middle of the night had become as sensitive as could be, tightly gripping even the fingers that forced their way in. Cold sweat broke out. A long middle finger entered deeply, sweeping the inner wall in a circle. Poking the inside, as if it weren’t enough, an index finger pushed in to widen the gap. Biting his lip, Hae-won pushed Seo Hae-young’s shoulder away with both hands. Seo Hae-young, who had been burying his face in the groin, turned and tapped Hae-won’s knee with his remaining hand.
‘Kneel.’
Reading the shape of the lips, Hae-won shook his head with distorted eyes. He pointed toward Hyun-woo with a glance, but Seo Hae-young’s expression, his mood soured by that, gradually hardened. His strong grip clenched the knee as if to crush it. He couldn’t refuse. If he were hit here, it might spark an untimely fight. Joo Hyun-woo had always disapproved of Seo Hae-young’s habit of using his hands. He didn’t want to make a scene.
Hae-won anxiously glanced at the front seat and knelt down on one knee. If it was just fingers, he could somehow endure it. Satisfied with the now-higher lap pillow, Seo Hae-young began to move the two fingers pushed into the hole comfortably.
“Huu…”
Hae-won dropped his head low and gripped Seo Hae-young’s t-shirt. With his arm inserted up to the elbow inside the shorts, Seo Hae-young felt the loosened inner wall and gradually increased the speed, thrusting his hand in. The scent of Hae-won, who was leaning forward, covered his face. The remaining hand stroked up the kneeling thigh. The hand, sliding inside the waistband of the shorts, spread the buttocks. As if telling him how much they had rolled around in the day they hadn’t seen each other, he forcefully thrust into the moist inner wall permeated with semen. When the fingertip sharply poked a certain spot, Hae-won trembled and hunched his shoulders. Eventually, an uncontrollable moan leaked through his teeth.
“Ah…”
“Hmm?”
Of all people, Hyun-woo heard the moan and whipped around. Hae-won, who had quickly lowered his head, lifted it and struggled to pull his lips into a smile.
“…No, it’s nothing.”
“You didn’t call me?”
Hae-won’s heart hammered as Hyun-woo unbuckled his seatbelt and turned completely around in his seat. There was no way the arm inside the pants wouldn’t be visible. Even in this urgent situation, Seo Hae-young was absorbed in tormenting the hole, rotating his wrist in a circle. Every time the fingertip brushed the swollen area, the corners of Hae-won’s eyes twitched.
Hyun-woo, who straightened his waist to get a closer look at Hae-won, whose cheeks were strangely red, looked to the side as a hand nudged his shoulder. Tae-gyeom, holding the steering wheel, pointed to the seatbelt with an annoyed gesture.
“Buckle up. It’s making a noise.”
“Ah, yeah. Yoon Hae-won, are you sick?”
As Hyun-woo sat back and buckled the belt, the warning chime echoing in the car stopped. Accepting the fingers that moved as if scratching the inside, Hae-won swallowed hard and replied that he was fine.
Tae-gyeom, keeping a proper distance from the car in front, glanced at the backseat through the rearview mirror. Hae-won, with his head dropped, was trembling while holding Seo Hae-young’s head. It was obvious what was happening without even looking. After taking in the sight of the reddened earlobes one last time, Tae-gyeom touched Hyun-woo’s shoulder with the back of his hand.
“Give me some water.”
“Uh, here.”
Hyun-woo, who opened the water bottle and handed it over, played the role of an assistant perfectly, fulfilling various small errands. Because Tae-gyeom made so many restless requests, there was no gap for him to look back, and Hae-won was busy covering his mouth to stifle his moans.
Rubbing his legs together, he desperately hoped his erect genitals would subside. Seo Hae-young moved his hand while rubbing the outline visible through the pants with his lips. Sometimes he shook it roughly, and sometimes he applied pressure around the area to provide stimulation. Now, even catching his breath was overwhelming.
“Ngh…”
Leaning completely against Seo Hae-young’s shoulder, Hae-won rubbed his forehead against the firm arm muscles.
“Hae-young, please… stop it…”
Since the song coming from the speakers drowned out the wet, squelching sounds of entering and exiting the damp place, Hae-won’s plea didn’t reach the front seats. Facing the tearful face, Seo Hae-young wore a playful expression.
‘I want to have sex.’
Reading the lip movement, Hae-won nodded urgently.
“Later… let’s do it.”
“You want to do it too?”
Seo Hae-young whispered while circling the area around the entrance, and Hae-won’s only response was to say yes.
Really? Really? You really want to?
After asking several times, Seo Hae-young received the same answer three times and withdrew his hand. As soon as the fingers slid out, the body that had been tense collapsed. Seo Hae-young, who had played with his hand as much as he wanted, withdrew cleanly as if nothing had happened, wiped his hand, and hummed along to the song on the radio. After staring at Seo Hae-young’s profile for a long while, Hae-won straightened his tingling legs and turned toward the window. The car, which had slowed down by now, was entering a large mart parking lot.
Looking around the quiet parking lot, he rubbed his bruised knee with his palm. At first, the hand moved along the round bone as if rubbing, but soon the nails stood up, carving red marks. When the car entered the shade and the engine stopped, and the loud music ceased, Hae-won’s knee was streaked with several nail marks. Nails passed over the wound caused by hitting the stairs a couple of days ago, and a thin layer of blood slowly pooled. Hae-won stared at the white lines drawn in the parking lot, unable to even feel the pain.
“…Are you sleeping?”
Startled back to his senses, Hae-won identified the owner of the hand waving in front of him. Hyun-woo, with a bright smile that showed the dimples sitting like scars by his eyes, pointed outside.
“Ah, Yoon Hae-won. Those bastards already left.”
Looking immediately to the side, Hae-won belatedly noticed the empty seat. Seo Hae-young and Tae-gyeom had gotten out of the car long ago. After receiving a light scolding to stop thinking about other things, Hae-won followed Hyun-woo out of the car and felt a dizzying vertigo as soon as he stepped into the stinging sunlight. Through his shimmering, blurring vision, he saw the backs of Seo Hae-young and Go Tae-gyeom. The two, walking into the mart, were laughing and having a conversation he couldn’t hear, then they turned around simultaneously.
At the end of their gaze was Hae-won, his knee stained with red nail marks.
If Hyun-woo hadn’t pulled him in, he might have remained frozen in that spot for a long time. Entering the mart interior filled with fresh air, Hae-won couldn’t take large strides because of the wet, loosened hole.
As he walked waddling, Seo Hae-young and Go Tae-gyeom, who had already taken out two carts and were waiting, were looking around while roughly organizing what to buy. As Hae-won naturally moved toward Seo Hae-young, his direction was shifted by a pushing hand. It was Joo Hyun-woo.
“Don’t put too much alcohol in.”
Hyun-woo approached Seo Hae-young and patted the shoulder of Hae-won, who had been out of it for a while. Fearing that Seo Hae-young might bully the kid again, he had used his own wit to attach him to Tae-gyeom. Pushing Seo Hae-young’s back—who was sending a look asking why he was doing this—with both hands, he headed toward the meat section.
Tae-gyeom, leaning on the armrest of the cart, waited for Hae-won, who approached obediently. But even that didn’t last long. Tae-gyeom, frustrated by how slowly he walked, reached out his long arm and pulled him by the scruff of the neck. He familiarly draped his arm over the shoulder of the dragged Hae-won and pushed the cart. Tae-gyeom scanned the shelves piled high with detergent and spoke in passing.
“Shall we? Later, when those bastards are asleep.”
“Do it alone, you fucker.”
No sooner had he shrugged off the heavy weight pressing on his shoulder than a thick arm coiled around his neck. Just as Hae-won, suddenly embraced, was about to spit out a curse, his earlobe was lightly bitten.
“Why do it alone… when Hae-won is here.”
Goosebumps rose from the earlobe where the teeth touched to the outer ear where the low voice seeped in. Shaking off the arm and stepping back, Hae-won scrubbed his ear with the wrist that still bore the belt mark. Tae-gyeom continued to push the cart nonchalantly, even while receiving a fierce glare.
“Hurry up.”
Hae-won, who glared as if he wanted to tear him apart, walked sluggishly after Tae-gyeom, who had entered the liquor section. Upon entering the corner, he saw a guy loading crates of alcohol. He sighed at the sight of him loading according to his own drinking capacity. Quickly approaching, he took one crate out, put it back in its place, and pushed the cart himself. Tae-gyeom, who clung to him from behind, almost embracing him while holding the cart handle, rested his chin on Hae-won’s shoulder.
“Ah, what.”
“Get off…”
“There’s no one here, so what.”
Tae-gyeom, who secretly reached out to grab a six-pack of beer and tucked it into the cart, lowered his head to the nape of Hae-won’s neck. He opened his lips and bit down hard; as Hae-won flinched and gripped the handle, Tae-gyeom slowly rubbed the back of his hand. Fiddling with the protruding knuckles, he whispered softly.
“Do you like it when someone’s watching? From what I’ve seen… I think you’d like it.”
Hae-won, who had been biting his lip to suppress his anger, finally drove his elbow into Tae-gyeom’s side. The hard sensation, far from being soft, felt disgusting. Tae-gyeom, letting out a groan, came to a dead stop.
“…Hey!”
When Tae-gyeom, clutching his stinging side, lifted his lowered head, Hae-won had already escaped far away, pulling the cart. Hae-won, walking briskly as if angry, suddenly stopped in front of the snack section. Tae-gyeom, scanning the long arm reaching for the shelf and the smooth calves exposed beneath the shorts, approached leisurely and grabbed the buttocks hidden by the t-shirt before letting go. Startled, Hae-won looked back with eyes wide, as if seeing a madman. Tae-gyeom smiled slyly and snatched the bag of snacks from Hae-won’s hand.
“Shall I buy our Hae-won some snacks? If you suck it once…”
“Bullshit…”
Hae-won snatched the snacks back and threw them into the cart, finishing the grueling shopping trip while wrestling with the annoyingly clingy Tae-gyeom.
Hae-won stared silently at the back of Tae-gyeom’s head as he organized the purchased items in the cart. His mind was a tangled mess. He felt uncomfortable with Go Tae-gyeom, who acted as if they had just had some light sex between friends. Moreover, the tone filled with the certainty that they would continue in the future. Everything was uncomfortable.
Returning to the parking lot, the four people, who had filled the trunk, climbed into the sweltering car. Hae-won, smiling slightly at Hyun-woo, who was excited about buying plenty of meat, checked on Seo Hae-young, who had been silent for a while. Seeing him fluttering the collar of his t-shirt, he seemed to be hot. When Hae-won folded the mart flyer he had received on the way out and gently fanned him, the lowered eyelids lifted. The pupils within them fixed on his face. Even as he subtly avoided the gaze, the stinging stare didn’t let go, making Hae-won anxious, so he cautiously spoke.
“…Why?”
“Are you still hurting today?”
“My body?”
Hae-won touched his forehead with the hand holding the flyer. The fever had dropped somewhat, and a lukewarm warmth was felt. When he shook his head and replied that he was fine, only then did Seo Hae-young smile brightly.
“That’s good. It would have been hard if you were sick.”
“No. I’m fine…”
For once, Seo Hae-young showed concern. Hae-won hid his bashful expression, fidgeting with his fingers before rubbing the rim of his ear, which was suddenly heating up. After lightly stroking the back of Hae-won’s head—unable as he was to hide his emotions—Seo Hae-young shifted his gaze toward the car window. About an hour later, the car ascended a narrow path leading deep into the mountains.
“Man, it’s really been a while since I’ve been here.”
Stepping out of the car, Hyun-woo stretched own and rotated his stiff waist. As soon as he finished parking, Tae-gyeom lit a cigarette with a weary face and puffed away aggressively. Since Hyun-woo didn’t smoke, Tae-gyeom had been forced into an unwanted period of abstinence throughout the drive. Shaking the pack to slide out a single cigarette, Tae-gyeom handed it to Seo Hae-young, who had approached him.
“Here.”
Taking the cigarette without a word of thanks, Seo Hae-young lit it. Meanwhile, the non-smoking Hae-won took in the scenery, gazing at the unchanging villa.
Go Tae-gyeom’s villa, situated halfway up the mountain, was a two-story building. Because Tae-gyeom’s mother had invested three whole years into everything from design to construction, its exterior was exceptional. The building, designed with wide, straight lines, felt open and airy, offering a clear view of the ocean. A large swimming pool, filled with crystal-clear water, sat directly in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Densely planted trees surrounded the villa, making one feel detached from reality whenever they visited.
“Let’s move the luggage.”
Hyun-woo approached and opened the trunk, cradling the groceries in his arms. Hae-won, who had been lost in admiration, followed behind with luggage in both hands. As they entered the villa—which the caretaker had already cleaned early that morning—Hae-won’s eyes were drawn to the thick trees. He suddenly remembered Tae-gyeom grumbling once that the mountain terrain was so rugged there was only one way in and out. He didn’t know why it suddenly came to mind. Hae-won tilted his head once and stepped inside.
The gazes of Seo Hae-young and Go Tae-gyeom, who were finishing their cigarettes and carrying the remaining luggage, were fixed through the glass window on Hae-won, who was carrying the alcohol into the kitchen.
Once all four had entered and the front door was locked, the first day of their long vacation began.
* * *
After unpacking briefly, Hae-won was neatly organizing the perishables into the refrigerator when he discovered a small box buried at the bottom of a plastic bag. The moment he picked it up to check, the hair on his neck stood on end. Quickly glancing around to ensure no one was nearby, he tied the mouth of the bag and shoved it into a nearby drawer. Crouching in front of the refrigerator emitting a cold chill, Hae-won glared at the drawer while biting his nails.
The box, with about a dozen items inside, was full of condoms.
“What are you doing? Go change and come out, hurry.”
Hyun-woo, who had returned after finishing his own organizing, closed the refrigerator door and pulled Hae-won up from where he sat blankly. Fitting for summer, Hyun-woo wore only swim trunks, revealing his tanned skin. Pushed from behind by Hyun-woo, Hae-won went to where he had left his bag and entered the bathroom with the swim trunks Seo Hae-young had bought him a few years ago.
Standing before the mirror, he lifted his T-shirt and rubbed his forehead in irritation. The marks Tae-gyeom had left densely covered the area around his chest. It was particularly bad around his nipples. He was in no state to take off his T-shirt. With no choice, he changed only his pants and headed toward the side door leading to the pool, retracing his memories.
Did Go Tae-gyeom pick up the condoms? Since Hae-won had been clutching a large bag of snacks Tae-gyeom had given him in both arms, the other man had swept the purchased items into the bag. Since he hadn’t received a receipt, there was no way to know.
Carrying a lingering feeling of unease, Hae-won arrived at the pool and first spotted Seo Hae-young already in the water. Shirtless, Seo Hae-young smiled and waved, beckoning him to come in. Tae-gyeom was lying on a sunbed, snickering at Hyun-woo’s swimwear.
“Look at those colors. It’s practically Southeast Asian.”
Hyun-woo’s shorts, which exposed his knees, were covered in a dizzying, colorful tropical pattern. Despite Tae-gyeom’s mockery, Hyun-woo proudly hoisted one leg up onto the sunbed.
“Hey, you don’t know anything… Who wears black these days? How tacky.”
Seo Hae-young and Go Tae-gyeom, both wearing black swimwear, let out hollow laughs. Hae-won looked down at his own white swimwear and smiled softly. It wasn’t tacky. Though the fact that they were a bit short was a flaw.
Tae-gyeom suddenly sprang up and pushed Hyun-woo into the pool, and as Hyun-woo grabbed Tae-gyeom’s ankle and pulled him down, a noisy water fight erupted. Avoiding the violent clash that sent water splashing over the pool’s edge, Hae-won walked slowly toward where Seo Hae-young was.
With wet hair pushed back, his clean forehead and face beaded with droplets shone brightly under the sunlight. Seo Hae-young, who had been resting his arms and face on the edge of the pool, curled the corners of his mouth upward as he saw Hae-won approaching.
“Come in.”
Seo Hae-young waved his hand gently, but Hae-won merely perched on the edge and dipped his feet in.
“It’s too deep.”
Where the two were fighting, the water was lower than chest height, but where Seo Hae-young was, the depth was quite significant. It was the result of Tae-gyeom’s mother, an avid swimmer, having the ground dug out as deep as possible. For Hae-won, who could barely kick his legs when it came to swimming, it was a depth he could drown in.
Stirring the shimmering blue surface with his hand, Hae-won stole glances at Seo Hae-young until their eyes locked. His smile vanished, and Seo Hae-young moved closer, inch by inch. Before he knew it, Hae-won had straightened his waist and was looking down at Seo Hae-young, who had covered his scarred knees with both hands right in front of him.
Before silence could settle, a forceful hand pushed his legs apart. Hae-won tried to close them immediately, but he couldn’t.
“Don’t move.”
Flustered, Hae-won placed a hand on the broad shoulder while checking on the two preoccupied with their water fight. Seo Hae-young slid his hand between the parted legs. He gripped the soft flesh of the thigh before slowly moving outward. A wet hand traveled without a gap over the long leg. After caressing the entire thigh, Seo Hae-young returned to the knee where the nail marks had not yet faded, gripped the rounded bone, and whispered.
“You can’t swim, can you?”
“No.”
The moment he answered innocently, the hand slid rapidly down his calf and grabbed his ankle. Without even a scream, Hae-won was sucked instantly into the deep water. After being submerged up to the top of his head, Hae-won surfaced and gasped for air.
“Ha-eu…! Hey, mmp…!”
His head was shoved back under. Seo Hae-young pressed down on Hae-won’s shoulder, sinking his lean body down to the bottom of the pool. As Hae-won sank slowly, bubbles of air leaked from his mouth and nose.
Dragged down endlessly until his shoulder blades touched the bottom, Hae-won slowly opened his squinting eyes to see Seo Hae-young in his blurred vision. With the blazing sun behind him and his hair swaying gently with the current… Seo Hae-young was smiling brightly.
The remaining air in his lungs vanished. Hae-won urgently pushed away the hand pressing his shoulder. Leaving behind the hand that let go willingly, he kicked off the bottom. Shooting up to the surface, Hae-won broke the water and took a sharp breath.
“Haa…!”
Clinging to the edge of the pool, Hae-won swept back his limp bangs and caught his breath. He was terrified of the bottom where his feet couldn’t reach. Just as he pulled himself up using the slippery tiles, he was grabbed by the scruff of his neck. Seo Hae-young pulled the weakly resisting Hae-won back down into the water and stroked his wet hair as they faced each other.
The oversized T-shirt clung tightly to his skin, revealing his lean frame. Dropping his gaze, Seo Hae-young suddenly gripped the hair he had been stroking. A tender voice flowed, contrasting with the rough grip.
“Relax, Hae-won.”
“Mmp…!”
With a look of horror on his face, Hae-won was helplessly submerged again.
Seo Hae-young pressed down on Hae-won, who was struggling wildly to escape, and counted.
Five, ten, twenty, thirty. After finishing the count, he pulled Hae-won up by the hair. Despite having been submerged for only thirty seconds, Hae-won pushed at his chest, panting excessively. Even that was merely a light tapping with his palms, which only seemed amusing to Seo Hae-young.
“Hh…! Stop… mmp…”
Splash! With a sound, Hae-won’s head was shoved back under the surface.
This time, forty seconds.
Seo Hae-young gripped the swaying hair tightly, preventing him from coming up. He would give him a moment to breathe after some time passed, then shove him back down.
By the time it had happened four times, Seo Hae-young was chuckling. After counting to fifty for the last time, he grabbed Hae-won’s waist and hauled him up. As he placed him on the pool’s edge, Hae-won collapsed and let out a violent fit of coughing.
“Khp, khuk… haaa…!”
Swallowed water and coughs erupted simultaneously, and in the midst of that, he had to breathe. Water had entered his ears and nose, making his head ring. After coughing everything out, Hae-won curled his body into a ball and went limp. Physiological tears streamed down his face. Seo Hae-young, gripping Hae-won’s ankle as if he might pull him back in at any moment, asked playfully.
“How was it? Fun, right?”
“No… not fun…”
Drenched and sprawled out, Hae-won shook his head weakly. Droplets of water running down the bridge of his nose fell onto the heat-soaked wooden deck. Water dripped incessantly from his pale complexion, furrowed brows, and the clothes clinging to his prominent bone structure, staining the area where he lay with dark dampness.
“I’m hungry… Hey, Hae-won!”
Having succeeded in making Tae-gyeom swallow water after a fierce battle, Hyun-woo spotted the collapsed Hae-won and strode over. Cool water splashed onto the thigh of Hae-won, who was lying on his side toward the pool. It was Seo Hae-young’s doing. Gathering water in both palms, Seo Hae-young was splashing Hae-won as if he were a fish that had flopped onto land. Hyun-woo’s expression distorted as if he had encountered something strange. Thinking something serious had happened, but then realizing it wasn’t, he approached leisurely.
“What are you guys doing?”
“Just playing.”
Answering brightly, Seo Hae-young splashed water on Hae-won one more time, then placed his hand on the edge and pulled himself up. Thanks to his mastery of various sports, his flawless upper body was fully revealed. Bending down to tap the cheek of the pale Hae-won, Seo Hae-young turned his back on the two and walked alone toward the villa.
Hae-won couldn’t take his eyes off the broad, water-beaded back until it grew distant.
The day he was slapped in the study. That was the turning point. Seo Hae-young had changed.
Since the time he had lain on the floor of the empty music room in middle school, Seo Hae-young hadn’t touched a single hair on his head. Occasionally, he would pinch his cheek without warning or grip his forearm painfully, but he would let go quickly. Very rarely, he would put strange food in front of him and tell him to eat, or stare at him to an embarrassing degree, but he had stopped that quickly too. He hadn’t bullied him like this. Not until very recently.
Could they… go back to how it was? Even if they didn’t have sex.
While Hae-won was lost in deep thought, Hyun-woo reached out, grabbed his limp arm, and hauled him up. Hae-won staggered for a moment but quickly regained his balance.
“Let’s go eat meat.”
“…Pork belly?”
“There’s more pork neck, but we have that too.”
It had been a long time since he’d eaten it. Normally, he would have run ahead in excitement, but today he had no appetite.
Turning toward the dragging Hae-won, Hyun-woo chuckled and reached out.
“You’re all wet, why are you still wearing that?”
He grabbed the hem of the wet T-shirt and yanked it up.
“It’d be better to take it…”
Hyun-woo, who was about to say it would be better to take it off, suddenly shut his mouth. Hae-won instinctively shook off the hand holding the fabric. The heavy, water-soaked cloth fell back, hiding the marks covering his chest and stomach. The back of his neck felt chilled to the point of stinging. His heart hammered as if a secret had been discovered.
Facing Hyun-woo’s stunned expression, Hae-won’s lips merely trembled before he hurriedly fled the scene. He walked away with fast strides, chewing on his lower lip. Joo Hyun-woo probably wouldn’t know who left such marks, but he felt guilty. He was afraid he might notice. He couldn’t let him find out about the strange relationship he had with those two.
Looking only at the footprints on the floor as he entered through the side door, a fluffy towel landed on his complicated head. A hand wrapped around his wet hair and shook it dry, then slightly lifted the towel covering his eyes. It was Seo Hae-young, smiling comfortably as if in a good mood. Still feeling the residue of what happened earlier, Hae-won didn’t smile back and avoided his gaze. Seo Hae-young tapped the tip of his chin to turn his gaze and opened his mouth slightly.
“Ah.”
As Hae-won opened his lips out of habit, there was a rustling sound, and something squishy entered between his teeth. Seo Hae-young, whose expression suddenly became serious, pushed Hae-won’s chin up. His canines sank into the squishy mass, and a sour taste lingered on his tongue. It was a jelly. One he didn’t particularly like…
As Hae-won chewed the long jelly that stretched down to his chin with a frown, Seo Hae-young let go, tilted his waist to the side, and chuckled as if it were amusing.
“Earthworm.”
Muttering something strange, Seo Hae-young turned around and entered the bathroom, dripping water. After swallowing the sticky jelly, Hae-won also used the towel to wring out the remaining moisture from his T-shirt. It was always like this. Hurt him then feed him, bully him then feed him, hit him then feed him.
Hae-won found Seo Hae-young difficult. Though he had never been easy.
* * *
Having brought out plenty of meat to the back of the villa overlooking the sea, Hyun-woo glanced at Tae-gyeom, who was standing before the grill. Considering the talk about spreading legs and such, they seemed to be in a very intense relationship. Especially looking at the redness on Hae-won’s chest, which looked as if it had been left yesterday.
But… did they do it facing each other like that day? Or did they do foreplay first and then go from behind? Looking at the chest…
“Ah, damn…!”
Imaginations that should not be had about friends filled his head. Hyun-woo tore at his hair until his scalp hurt, driving away the lewd thoughts. Tae-gyeom, checking if the heat was rising well, glanced at the tormented Hyun-woo and asked.
“What? Did you buy the wrong meat?”
“Ah, no. Let’s grill, let’s grill.”
As Hae-won and Seo Hae-young joined them with the alcohol, a somewhat uncomfortable dinner began.
Still bothered by the act of carelessly lifting the clothes, Hyun-woo tried to subtly strike up a conversation with Hae-won while handing him grilled meat, but he was blocked every time.
“Hae-won, ah…”
“Try this.”
The culprit was Seo Hae-young, who was producing large lettuce wraps like a factory. Every time he made a wrap filled with grilled meat, he shoved it into Hae-won’s mouth. Thinking that Seo Hae-young was being nice because of the pool incident, Hae-won accepted and ate the wraps without suspicion. After struggling to chew and swallow a wrap that required him to open his mouth wide, another fist-sized wrap was waiting in front of him, and then another.
As Hae-won’s stomach filled, Hyun-woo’s tongs moved the meat anxiously. He needed to apologize, but it was incredibly difficult to find the timing because of Seo Hae-young’s constant interruptions. Eventually, he put down the tongs and hurriedly made a wrap. They were scheduled to be isolated in this villa for a week, and he didn’t want to spend it in a lukewarm atmosphere over one mistake.
Unlike Seo Hae-young’s round and pretty wraps, Hyun-woo shoved a lumpy wrap straight into Yoon Hae-won’s mouth and laughed as if to shake off the awkwardness.
“Hey, Yoon Hae-won. Eat this too.”
Having unexpectedly found himself with Hyun-woo’s wrap in his mouth, Hae-won smiled slightly and closed his jaw. From Hyun-woo, who was watching with an anxious expression, emanated a strong vibe that he would pretend not to have seen what he saw earlier. He was relieved he could slide past it. He’ll probably think I’m seeing someone. He has to. Pretending everything was fine, he playfully tapped Hyun-woo’s hand, which was still hovering in the air.
“Yeah, uh… huh?”
“Chew before you speak, you brat.”
Hyun-woo let out a laugh and grabbed Hae-won’s head to close his mouth. Receiving the rough touch that even helped him exercise his jaw, Hae-won let out a relaxed laugh.
“Fucking hell… some people grill the meat, and some just eat it…”
Watching the guys laugh and chatter, Tae-gyeom, who had been grilling for thirty minutes, vented his frustration. Hae-won stared blankly at Tae-gyeom, who looked back with an annoyed face, chewed and swallowed the meat, and downed the full glass of alcohol. He repeatedly teased him by doing that in a spiteful manner. As a bonus, although he preferred pork belly, he only picked and ate the pork neck that Tae-gyeom liked.
Finding it absurd that he was acting stubborn despite having a low alcohol tolerance, Tae-gyeom let out a hollow laugh and tapped the grill with his tongs.
“You… just wait until later.”
“Whatever.”
Hae-won shrugged and poured the remaining half-bottle of soju into his cup and sipped it, while Tae-gyeom looked ready to throw the tongs. Unable to watch any longer, Hyun-woo stuffed a clumsy wrap into Tae-gyeom’s mouth, and the situation calmed down.
After the meat ran out, Hae-won spotted Tae-gyeom striding toward them while taking off his work gloves and quickly ran back into the house. He could hear curses behind him, but a smile bloomed on Hae-won’s lips. Just as he thought he had safely stepped inside, a thick arm wrapped around his waist.
“Uh…!”
Hae-won, who had been lifted up helplessly, was tossed into the pool in the blink of an eye. As he sank with a gurgle and finally found his footing on the floor, Go Tae-gyeom’s hearty laughter pierced his ears. The laughter of the three men stretched long as they looked at Hae-won, who was now soaking wet, making his previous effort to wash himself completely pointless. A hand reached out abruptly to pull up his staggering body, and laughter erupted even from Hae-won, who had covered his face with both hands.
He simply laughed because it reminded him of the old days—back when he didn’t like Seo Hae-young and hadn’t had sex with Go Tae-gyeom.
* * *
After a boisterous dinner, at an hour when pitch-black darkness had fallen. The second-floor living room was clearly visible upon climbing the stairs. Lying on the floor with only his pants removed, Hae-won prepared himself to take Seo Hae-young’s member by loosening his own hole. Even this was an achievement he had managed only after pleading with Seo Hae-young, who had wanted to push his member in immediately.
Squeezing out some lotion and lowering his hand between his legs, Hae-won looked up at Seo Hae-young with eyes clouded by alcohol. Leaning his chin on his hand on the sofa, Seo Hae-young seemed dissatisfied with the fingers that were merely teasing the entrance; he reached out and shoved his index finger deep inside.
“Hng, ah…”
Hae-won, whose spread legs flinched, loosened his hole along with Seo Hae-young’s finger, but his eyes, filled with anxiety and drowsiness, frequently glanced toward the stairs leading to the first floor.
“Are they… are both of them really asleep…?”
“Yeah. They seemed to be sleeping soundly.”
With a bored expression, Seo Hae-young rotated his finger. Hae-won fidgeted with his feet and bit his lip.
Hyun-woo, who had drunk heavily, was sprawled out on the first-floor sofa, and Tae-gyeom had disappeared at some point. He was likely passed out in some corner of the house. After roughly finishing the cleanup and stumbling up to the second floor, Hae-won had washed up and sprawled on the floor, only to end up in this state.
Because the alcohol had spread thickly through his veins, his vision was spinning. Every time Seo Hae-young’s finger poked into his hole without consideration, Hae-won let out a thin breath and timidly spoke.
“Hae-young… can we do this next time…?”
He didn’t want to do this with those guys downstairs, not knowing when they might come up. The excessive alcohol amplified his confusion, and accordingly, his emotions became a tangled mess. Without answering, Seo Hae-young withdrew his hand and turned away, not even looking at Hae-won’s face as he looked up with a desperate heart. Powerlessly returning to a prone position, Hae-won pressed his forehead against the cold floor and pleaded once more. His head began to ache slightly.
“Hae-young…”
“Get your arms up. If you slouch, you’ll get hit.”
Seer Hae-young grabbed his waist with both hands and lifted him up, lightly slapping Hae-won’s white buttocks with his palm. Smack, the sound of flesh hitting flesh rang out. Startled by the stinging pain, Hae-won immediately propped himself up on his arms. Seo Hae-young pushed his knees apart and moved closer. As Hae-won continued to mutter to himself about stopping, Seo Hae-young pulled up the loose t-shirt Hae-won was wearing and gripped his smooth waist.
“You said you wanted to do it in the car.”
The slow voice drifted past, and the tip of his member touched the clumsily loosened entrance of the hole. Hae-won lowered his head deeply, trying to calm his tremors. No matter how much strength he exerted, the subtle shaking of a body anticipating pain would not disappear.
Looking down at the back of the trembling Hae-won’s head without receiving an answer, Seo Hae-young let out a deep sigh.
“Hey. Answer me.”
“Ah… I want… I want to… just quickly…”
Since they had come this far, he knew it wouldn’t stop; it was better to just get it over with quickly. At least, that was the judgment of the drunken Hae-won. Answering with a slurred tongue, Hae-won clamped his lips shut the moment he vividly felt the member parting the narrow entrance and entering.
“Hup…!”
If his mind was hazy, he wished his body were too, but the difficult-to-adjust sensation did not fade and raced up his waist.
“Hae-won… were you in a hurry?”
“Ah, ugh!”
A member as thick as a forearm slammed in all at once. As the mass of flesh forcibly pried open the narrow inner walls, it felt as if his insides had been struck. Barely swallowing a scream, Hae-won thrust his hips up and collapsed forward. The moment his arms buckled and his forehead hit the floor, a searing pain flared from his buttocks down to his thighs. Unable to even let out a cry, Hae-won’s eyes widened, and a tearful expression slowly bloomed. It hurt several times more than when he had been slapped on the buttocks. His jaw trembled violently.
“Ah… it hurts…”
The skin where the palm had struck quickly turned pink. Seo Hae-young gripped Hae-won’s waist tightly, as if strangling it, and pulled him upward.
“Get up.”
“Hng, ugh…”
Hae-won flailed for a moment before managing to brace himself against the floor. Kneading his waist with a large hand, Seo Hae-young slowly withdrew his member, closed his eyes, and then opened them. He slammed his member back into the contracting hole that held a moistness.
“Ha-up…!”
Pushed back, Hae-won scratched the floor with his nails. He lifted his drooping head and put strength into his arms so they wouldn’t buckle. It was more bearable than before. He had applied plenty of lotion and had loosened it up a bit.
That didn’t mean it wasn’t painful. He clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached to prevent a scream from erupting. Seo Hae-young moved his hips in slow, large strokes.
“Hu-ugh, ugh…”
Every time the member pushed in up to his navel, Hae-won endured the weight leaning forward and suddenly had a strange thought.
The prone position, the exposed lower body, sex without kissing.
Looking back, it had been like this from the start. After facing each other just once, it was always prone. As if they were simply relieving sexual desire. Since Go Tae-gyeom was no different, it didn’t hurt him much. What was the difference between being hit and having sex? They both hurt the same.
Because he didn’t have the confidence that he could ever not see Seo Hae-young again, he couldn’t even properly refuse. Half of his life had been smeared with Seo Hae-young; if he ended this relationship here, what would be left? He could guarantee there would be nothing. Simply put, he just had to endure until the fucking became boring. Seo Hae-young tended to get bored of everything easily, so this time would be no different.
Accepting reality and conforming was something he had always done, so it wasn’t difficult, but he couldn’t stop the miserable feeling that arose even as he repeated those thoughts.
Drops of water fell plip, plop onto the dark wooden floor. When Seo Hae-young’s member was completely hidden between his buttocks and their lower bodies collided, tears scattered and stained the floor.
“Hup, ugh…!”
The wide-open hole barely managed to take in Seo Hae-young’s member. White lotion leaked out like semen every time the mass of flesh entered, and a long breath escaped through Hae-won’s teeth. Perhaps because of what he had done with Go Tae-gyeom yesterday, or because Seo Hae-young was moving his hips slowly, a faint, ticklish sensation was felt.
“Huu…”
Hae-won closed his eyes tightly and then opened them, putting strength into his knees and pushing his buttocks back. As the withdrawn member slid back in, the ticklishness vanished.
“Ah-hup… Hae-young, ah. Quickly…”
It was too leisurely. Because he was lying prone with his back to the stairs, he couldn’t see anything, which created a sense of urgency. He had to finish before someone came up. Fearing Seo Hae-young, who was only holding his waist and showing no other action, he moved his body again. As he used the momentum to pull his body forward and then collide backward, a subtle sense of self-loathing crept up.
“Hic, ugh…”
Seo Hae-young looked down quietly with narrowed eyes at what Hae-won was doing. Yoon Hae-won, with his head lowered, shaking his buttocks alone. Below the protruding shoulder blades and the hollow of his spine, the buttocks—reddened on only one side—swallowed the member deep. It wasn’t too bad. However, while he had swallowed it well at first, to the point where his buttocks were crushed against his lower abdomen, he gradually started to cheat.
“Haa…”
A sigh, similar to a moan, escaped from between Seo Hae-young’s lips. He gripped the waist of Hae-won, whose movements had diminished as he only swallowed half the member, and thrust upward in an instant. The organs, which had let go of their tension, flared open and tightened as if to snap the member.
“Ack…!”
“Do it properly.”
The slow movements became intense. His center of gravity shifted forward, and the arms he had barely managed to prop up buckled. With his elbows on the floor, Hae-won was struck on the upper thigh before he even had a chance to rise. Slap, a loud sound rang out, and a stinging pain spread through his entire leg. The heartless Seo Hae-young didn’t give him a single break.
“Augh…”
Hae-won, struggling to rise with trembling arms, failed to hear the heavy footsteps climbing the stairs.
“Hup… huu…”
The member slammed repeatedly into the hole, and Hae-won’s half-erect member hung limp, shaking along with the movement of the hips. In the end, whether he was being hit or not, Hae-won buried his forehead on the back of his hand and wept silently. The waist Seo Hae-young was holding hurt too much, the colliding buttocks hurt, and the thighs, stained bright red with burst capillaries, hurt. The kneeling knees, and the hole accepting the member, also hurt.
“Hic, huu, Hae-young…”
The plea to be a little gentler couldn’t escape his throat. He simply endured, pouring his tears and hot breath onto the back of his hand. Just then, a voice filled with pity dropped from beside his head.
“Right, Hae-young. The kid’s gonna die.”
The owner of the voice plopped down by his head, and a familiar scent wafted in, tickling his nose.
Lifting his forehead from the back of his hand, Hae-won stiffened his neck and looked up. His tear-filled eyes widened, quickly becoming clouded with panic and horror. Even then, Seo Hae-young did not stop his hip movements, pushing the prone body forward. With his cheek pressed against a hard shin, Hae-won stared blankly at Go Tae-gyeom, who was stroking his head. A sound that wasn’t a word stretched out from his open mouth.
“Ah, uh-uh…”
“No, fuck. Hae-won. I almost lost my dick trying to find this.”
Go Tae-gyeom turned over the plastic bag he was holding. A light box of condoms poured out over Hae-won’s head. After shaking the plastic to let the last box fall, Tae-gyeom pushed the forehead of the dazed Hae-won with his index finger.
“Why hide them? Did you just want to do it raw? You little fuck…”
What is this? Hae-won stared at the condom box that had fallen after hitting his face, and his mind suddenly snapped back to reality. Gasping for air, he grabbed and shook the hand resting on his waist. The strong grip did not easily let go. Rather, Seo Hae-young lifted his waist and drove the member in deep, causing Hae-won’s upper body to be lifted, and he accidentally braced himself against Tae-gyeom’s knee.
“Ha, Hae-young! Why…! Why… this…”
His dilated pupils frantically scanned Seo Hae-young and Go Tae-gyeom. Shocked as if he had been hit in the back of the head, Hae-won twisted his whole body to escape Seo Hae-young’s grip. As the member that had been all the way inside the hole slid out, he quickly crawled across the floor and pressed his back against the nearby sofa. Curling his body, Hae-won hurriedly pulled down his raised t-shirt to cover his lower body, which was smeared with sticky fluid. His mind was such a mess that he couldn’t even feel his throbbing body.
“Why, why…”
Watching Hae-won, who was visibly terrified, Seo Hae-young wiped his glistening member with his hand and gestured with his chin toward Tae-gyeom.
“You go first.”
“Why? I could just use my mouth.”
Despite saying that, Tae-gyeom tore open a condom and reached out to grab Hae-won’s ankle. Startled, Hae-won struggled to get away, but the smooth floor made his resistance useless, and his body slid right back. Pulling Hae-won toward him, Tae-gyeom spread his legs wide and stepped in between them. Now lying with Seo Hae-young at his head, Hae-won could not understand this situation at all.
“Because it’s too tight.”
Seo Hae-young, who had placed Hae-won’s head on his own thigh, wrapped one arm around his neck to prevent him from getting up and spoke in a nonchalant tone. Lifting one bare leg and resting it on his shoulder, Tae-gyeom aligned his condom-covered member with the twitching hole. Forced to spread his legs for another person, Hae-won looked up blankly at Seo Hae-young.
“Ha, Hae-young…?”
What is this?
Even without speaking, countless questions rose in his eyes. Two men wearing comfortable clothes with only their members exposed. And him, spreading his legs between them…
Is he seeing things because he’s drunk? Or is it a dream? If so, it’s a fucking terrible dream.
Looking down, Seo Hae-young tapped the cheek where the bruise was fading with his remaining hand. As if telling him to wake up.
“I’ll put it in once you’ve loosened up a bit.”
“Hae-young… why…”
Tae-gyeom looked at the soul-less Hae-won with dissatisfaction and muttered a curse.
“He’s fucking obsessed with Seo Hae-young.”
Hae-won’s eyes snapped open.
“Ack…!”
As Go Tae-gyeom’s member parted the hole and slammed in, Hae-won was dragged back to reality, screaming and flailing his arms. Tears pooled in the corners of his eyes and fell in droplets.
“Do, don’t do it! You fucker! Ha, Hae-young! I-I hate this…!”
“Your Hae-young will probably like it, though.”
With a sneer, Tae-gyeom gripped the legs that were struggling as if to kick him and pushed his lower body forward. Because Hae-won was tensing up so much, the entry itself wasn’t easy, and Tae-gyeom’s brow furrowed. He glared with irritated eyes at Seo Hae-young, who was pinning Hae-won down.
“Hey, did you not loosen him up? It’s fucking tight.”
“Too lazy.”
Picking up the fallen lotion bottle and handing it to Tae-gyeom, Seo Hae-young stroked the hair of Hae-won, who was sobbing as if he were suffocating and clawing at his own arms, and whispered tenderly.
“I heard you did it yesterday too. Relax quickly.”
“No, I don’t want to. Hae-young… I’ll, I’ll do it well. Tell this bastard to go…”
Shaking his head violently, he gripped the thick arm wrapped around his neck. Then, Seo Hae-young burst into laughter and raised his hand. The moment Hae-won reflexively closed his eyes, the palm descended and struck his eye area and cheek hard. His head whipped to the side, and he broke into a fit of coughing. Seo Hae-young looked at Hae-won, who was gasping for air while coughing, without a shred of sympathy, and tightened his grip on his neck.
“Fuck, Hae-won. The car smelled like semen. I thought I was going to throw up.”
“No, I… I didn’t…”
“You want to lie?”
The palm struck his cheek once more, and Hae-won gasped, shedding tears. His soaked eyelashes fell heavily. The alcohol, the confused mind, and the painful cheek all mixed together, making it difficult to form even a single sentence. His pitifully trembling voice offered an excuse.
“Actually, I, I did… but it wasn’t because I wanted to…”
“Hey. Just do it.”
Listening to Hae-won’s excuse, Seo Hae-young signaled to Tae-gyeom, who was watching with a skeptical look. With a smirk, Tae-gyeom poured a generous amount of lotion onto his half-withdrawn member and spoke.
“Do you do it while beating him? Poor Hae-won, what’s he going to do…”
“Don’t… Tae-gyeom, don’t put it in…”
With his cheek swollen, Hae-won shook his outstretched hand weakly. Tae-gyeom grabbed the calf resting on his shoulder and slightly lifted Hae-won’s waist.
“Aw. Seo Hae-young even bought condoms, so we have to.”
“Eh…?”
Looking up at Seo Hae-young with vacant eyes, Hae-won felt the member pushing all the way in and snapped his jaw back.
“Yeah, you brat. What, did you think I bought them?”
“Ah…!”
His eyelashes trembled violently, and his fingers curled inward.