By Zephyria 
As if scooping a fish out of a net, Kwon Yi-kang lightly lifted my body to rinse me off. With careful hands, he dried the moisture, dressed me in a soft robe, and moved me quietly to the bed. He warmed up some milk with honey for me to drink, and in the meantime, he dried my wet hair with a hairdryer.
Only after confirming that all moisture had vanished from me did he lay me down on the bed. As I curled up on the pillow, he lay down behind me, pressing his chest against me as if finding a familiar spot, and embraced me.
The arm wrapping around my body overlapped and held my hand. His hand, so different in size that the contrast was stark, held the back of my hand and interlaced our fingers.
“What… did that bastard do to you?”
Kwon Yi-kang asked in a small voice, kissing the nape of my curved neck.
“He took away something precious of mine.”
“Hmm, …is that precious thing something I can find and bring back for you?”
At the carefully inquiring voice, I turned around to face Kwon Yi-kang. His eyes looked as if they had many questions, but his face also showed he was careful not to provoke me.
“No, it’s gone now. You can’t find it.”
Unless one had the talent to revive the dead, it was something no one could return to me.
“I suppose it wouldn’t work even if I found something new for you?”
Though I had unintentionally already found something new, I didn’t particularly feel like it was mine. I thought of the hospital director Alpha father and the museum director Omega father, but the feeling that they were strangers remained strong. They were just grateful people providing financial support; that was the extent of it.
“Because of what that bastard did, I lived in hell for fourteen years. Every moment was hard and painful, and instead of getting better as time passed, it only got worse. I thought I lived like this because I was unlucky, because my fate was just like this. But it turns out it was all because of what that bastard did.”
“What a piece of trash. To make my Soo-kyung suffer like that.”
Even though I hadn’t explicitly stated what the little one had done or what had happened to me, Kwon Yi-kang took my side and sounded displeased. I felt that even if I said the whole world had slapped me in the face, he would believe it without a shred of doubt and get angry on my behalf.
“It’s just venting.”
I looked at Kwon Yi-kang, who was fiddling with my fingers before lifting them to his lips to kiss them one by one.
“Even if I killed him, nothing would change, and I wouldn’t get any compensation, but I still wanted to kill him. I guess I just wanted to vent, even if it was meaningless.”
“What does it matter if it’s just venting? If it eases your heart even a little, then it’s meaningful.”
“Is it normal for a lover to encourage someone who says they want to kill a person?”
“I want you to do whatever you want. Have what you want, eat what you want, do what you want. And it’s even better if I’m the one who can provide it.”
Kwon Yi-kang would not be a good parent. He seems like the type who would do anything a child wants. While a parent who can’t provide everything isn’t necessarily good, a parent who provides everything isn’t good either.
For example, wasn’t that the case with Cha Soo-kyung’s family? Just looking at the negative influence Cha Dong-hu—who grew up under parents who let him do whatever he wanted and turned a blind eye—had on others makes it clear how bad that is.
“I can’t do it anymore anyway.”
“Because he’s dead?”
“Yeah, because he died.”
“That’s annoying.”
I’m the one who’s annoyed; why is he the one who’s annoyed? Kwon Yi-kang liked me so much that he would take my nonsense seriously, focus on it, and agonize over it. Sometimes I thought he was eccentric, but that also made him lovely.
“I wish I were the only meaningful person to you.”
“I don’t need that kind of meaning. I hate that bastard enough to want to kill him; are you jealous of that?”
“Regardless, the fact that he’s someone you care about is irritating. Moreover, since he died, he’ll remain a lingering regret for you for the rest of your life.”
As if complaining, Kwon Yi-kang nibbled on my fingertip without hurting me. The large hand enveloping mine, the soft lips biting my fingertip, the moist eyes looking at me. All of it felt lovely anew.
“Now, you’re all I have left.”
At my words, he paused for a moment while biting my fingertip.
“That’s a rather pleasant thing to hear.”
“…Shall we run away?”
Let’s hold hands and run away to a place where nobody knows us. A mountain would be fine, or the sea. Let’s go somewhere without people and just the two of us. We can grow vegetables, go fishing, and cook meals. When we want to rest, we can do nothing and just play. Let’s spend our nights holding each other as if we’re the only two people left in the world.
Kwon Yi-kang only laughed at my words. After thinking for a moment, his lips parted.
“Run away from what, exactly?”
When he asked it like that… he’s right. There isn’t really a specific target or reason to run away from. As I became speechless and my eyes wandered, he let out a low laugh, nipping my cheek with his teeth.
“I didn’t think my Soo-kyung would have fantasies like that. A romantic escape isn’t a bad idea.”
“Uh, yeah. I just realized I had that in me too.”
“It’s definitely not bad. I should look into some villas near the mountains or the sea. Buying an island would be fine too.”
I feel like I just heard something strange. As I tilted my head in confusion, his lips descended upon my forehead.
“You can actually buy an island?”
Like buying alcohol or cigarettes at a convenience store. Was that something you could just buy and sell?
“If you want it.”
So it was something you could buy if you wanted it. Having heard such a thing for the first time in my life, I became confused as to whether he was teasing me or if he was being serious.
“It wouldn’t be bad to go and rest there once in a while. Like the only two people left in the world.”
Isn’t it a bit of a waste to build a villa just to go and rest once in a while? These days, there are plenty of hotels and condos built in places with great views. I’ve never been to one, but searching on the computer showed there were truly many places with beautiful scenery.
“Later… if there’s a chance, I want to go on a trip with you.”
“I’ll make the chance for you, so anytime.”
I liked this confident attitude of Kwon Yi-kang’s. It could have come off as obnoxious, but thinking of him as my lover created an optical illusion where even that boldness looked lovely.
“I thought about wanting to see the ocean before I died. Because I’ve never been on a trip, nor have I ever seen the sea.”
I had seen plenty of photos and videos, but I had never once captured it with my own eyes.
“Your first trip will be a honeymoon, then. I’ll show you the ocean before that.”
A laugh escaped me at his whispering voice. I was also flabbergasted by the joke about a honeymoon. Kwon Yi-kang certainly had a talent for dry, cheesy jokes rather than funny ones. Though it was funny because he said it so seriously.
“Let’s get some sleep now.”
“I’m not sleepy.”
“Sleep is hanging from your eyelids.”
As his lips touched and pulled away, my eyelids became heavy as if under a spell. I struggled to lift them and looked up at Kwon Yi-kang.
“Close your eyes, and go to sleep.”
Kwon Yi-kang whispered in a tender voice, gently stroking my back as if putting a child to bed. My weary body succumbed to sleep, drawn in by his words.
∞ ∞ ∞
Choi Jae-kyung told me to stay at Kwon Yi-kang’s house and said he would contact me late in the afternoon. The news was sent home at dawn; surely they intended to stay quiet until then. It would take some time to investigate the circumstances of the incident, but I thought I would hear from them before lunch.
Faster than Choi Jae-kyung’s expectation, and slower than mine. The contact from home came around two o’clock, after lunchtime had passed.
I, who had been asleep as if dead, barely managed to answer the phone as I was shaken awake. Before I could even utter a “Hello,” the other person said, “Come home.” There was no common “Hello” or “Is this Soo-kyung?” to confirm, nor any question asking where I was.
“I just woke up. I’ll get my head straight and then come.”
—I would prefer it if you hurried.
“I’ll try, Father.”
Whether he was satisfied with my answer or not, Father hung up without further word. He didn’t mention my staying out overnight, nor did he mention the little one. It was similar to a simple summons call, one where anyone listening wouldn’t realize something had happened at home.
“Home?”
“Yeah. If I didn’t know what happened, I would’ve wondered why he’s calling. Their security is truly thorough, even in matters like this.”
I tossed the phone aside and stretched. Kwon Yi-kang approached, pushing me down and pressing his lips against mine.
“I have to go.”
“I know.”
Contrary to the mouth saying he knew, the hands groping my body seemed to have no idea. Contrary to the mouth saying I had to go, I was no better, reaching out to hug Kwon Yi-kang’s back. As the touch became sticky, I spread my legs and pressed myself against Kwon Yi-kang’s lower body.
Anyway, I’m currently unaware that the little one has dropped dead. I stayed overnight at my lover’s house; it shouldn’t be a huge problem that I rolled around one more time because I didn’t want to part with my lover. If anything, wouldn’t this add credibility to my alibi?
Having layered on a shallow excuse, it was well over an hour later when I finally got out of bed. While I told myself there was no need to rush, my inner self seemed to disagree, as my movements while washing became unconsciously fast. I finished washing haphazardly and glared at Kwon Yi-kang while shaking out my hair.
“I told you to wrap it up quickly. I’m the one who’ll get scolded at home, so you don’t care, right?”
“That’s not something the person on top should say.”
“Who on earth does it for a whole hour?”
For some reason today, he didn’t finish quickly and tormented me persistently.
“And… are you really okay?”
Remembering that I had meant to ask earlier, I brought it up, and Kwon Yi-kang raised an eyebrow, not understanding the question.
“That… it’s seemed strange lately. Do you really not need to go to a urologist?”
Not every time he ejaculated, but recently, once every three or four times, Kwon Yi-kang’s member would swell and block the opening. Unlike the first time when I cried from pain and fear, I now felt a strange stimulation from that change, but I was also worried.
Honestly, it’s not normal for a dick to get that big during sex.