2.2 Confession

“Wow… look at this bruise, look at it.”

Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue while looking at his side in the mirror.

Slightly forward from his side toward his stomach, there was a deep blue bruise. It would probably turn black by tomorrow.

“At this rate, my whole body will be colored in full spectrum.”

Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue.

His reflection in the mirror was already colorful enough.

Between the face and elbow he’d been hit on recently, as time passed, the bruises had become mottled in different colors depending on the area.

Contusions were a relatively easy pain to endure. Even if one was hit hard, the pain lasted only a day or two; after that, unless one brushed against or bumped into something, the pain was hardly felt. Then, before one even realized it, it would all be healed.

“That’s the best part, healing without noticing.”

Jeong Tae-ui nodded. Then, he rinsed the soap suds off his body with the showerhead.

Remembering how he had to lean against the bathroom wall and shiver for a moment because he had mindlessly scrubbed over the bruise, he washed the suds away gently and carefully.

“I’m not some beaten wife or something.”

Jeong Tae-ui sighed, looking at the bruises scattered across his body.

He looked down at the freshest bruise on his side and rubbed it slowly. It hurt even at a light touch. But by tomorrow or the day after, unless he pressed it on purpose, he wouldn’t think of it as painful.

“As I thought, guns are not things humans should hold. I’m in this state just from being hit by a thumbnail-sized piece of rubber from a model that doesn’t even have half the power of the real thing.”

If something harder than an eraser had been used instead of a bullet, or if the model gun’s power had been stronger, Jeong Tae-ui might have ended up in the hospital.

Going to the hospital wasn’t scary, but if he had to undergo surgery, it would be a headache. Due to his constitution, anesthesia didn’t work well on him.

Seriously, the person who invented the gun should be remembered in history visit our siteclass="wm-strong" style="position:relative;display:inline;">[Read on Read BL Novels]and pelted with stones, he grumbled as he turned off the shower.

After drying his body with a dry towel and reflecting his mottled body in the bathroom mirror once more—while feeling satisfied seeing his well-built, fit physique—he picked up a medicine jar from the bathroom shelf.

His side was throbbing intensely, and since there was nothing suitable to apply, he had rummaged through and found the Tiger Balm that Christoph had brought and left behind when he had suddenly burst into his room one morning.

He wrinkled his nose at the characteristic pungent smell and rubbed his side slowly.

“If the suspicious phrase on this ointment jar—’contains tiger bone’—is true, the reason tigers are endangered is probably because the Chinese caught every single tiger they could find to get tiger bones for this…”

Muttering groundless ethnic slurs, Jeong Tae-ui finished applying the ointment and turned to leave the bathroom.

However, just before leaving, he paused.

Through the ventilation duct connected to the next room’s bathroom—though it didn’t seem to be the bathroom itself, and perhaps the door was open—he heard a sound from the room connected to that bathroom. It was the sound of someone returning.

“Uh…”

Jeong Tae-ui hurriedly threw on some clothes. Then, he headed toward the next room.

It seemed Christoph had finally returned.

It was already quite late. Dinner time had passed a while ago.

“Hey, Christoph.”

He knocked on the bedroom door and opened it almost simultaneously.

As he had heard in the bathroom, Christoph was indeed changing his clothes inside.

Since he hadn’t returned for so long, Tae-ui had wondered if he’d come back and gone out again without him noticing, but Christoph was currently in the process of taking off his riding gear.

Since he was a guy who paid surprisingly much attention to his attire, he wouldn’t have gone to do other things in that outfit; it seemed he had been in the forest all afternoon.

Christoph glanced at Jeong Tae-ui, who was leaning against the doorframe and staring at him, and asked shortly, “What.”

Seeing that he actually answered, it seemed his mood had improved since earlier.

“Your hand.”

Jeong Tae-ui asked the thing that concerned him most first. Earlier, Christoph’s palm had clearly been torn and covered in blood.

Christoph, who had been unbuttoning his top, paused for a moment. Then, he looked at Jeong Tae-ui with a strange expression.

“Did you come looking for me just to ask that?”

To Christoph, who spoke in an annoyed tone with a frown, Jeong Tae-ui replied sullenly, “Yeah.” He then shifted his gaze to the hand.

The hand that had been bleeding profusely from multiple layers of wounds was—naturally—no longer bleeding. The hand, wrapped twice with a handkerchief and knotted on the back, finished unbuttoning the clothes.

“Did you clean it properly with disinfectant and treat it?”

“This kind of wound is common, why are you making such a big deal out of it?”

At the tone suggesting he had simply wiped it on his trousers a couple of times, [unauthorized [[Read on Read BL Novels]class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">unauthorized copy]copy]Jeong Tae-ui frowned.

No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t seem like a commonly occurring wound, but he decided to let it slide.

“Unwrap it. Let me apply some medicine and treat it properly.”

Jeong Tae-ui approached him and held out his hand. Only after seeing Christoph’s gaze as he stared down at his own palm did Tae-ui remember, Right, this guy hates being touched by others.

Jeong Tae-ui withdrew his hand and clicked his tongue.

“At least let me see. Unwrap it once.”

Jeong Tae-ui spoke again, but Christoph acted as if he hadn’t heard. Instead, he glared at Jeong Tae-ui, frowning as if he were being bothered.

But suddenly, his expression became a bit peculiar.

He seemed to be examining something while tilting his head, then tilted his head the other way and asked Jeong Tae-ui.

“You smell like medicine.”

This guy has a dog’s nose too. …No, but thinking about it, this intense smell would be harder to notice than to detect from this close of a distance.

“Yeah, I got a bit of a bruise. Oh, I used the ointment you left in my room without asking.”

“How bad is the bruise that you had to apply medicine? Let me see.”

Christoph frowned and gestured with his chin for him to lift his clothes.

Why are you so eager to see it? I told you to let me see your wound, he grumbled, but Jeong Tae-ui lifted his shirt anyway.

Christoph looked at Jeong Tae-ui’s side and remained silent for a moment.

“It’s quite severe. It doesn’t look like you bumped into something… did someone hit you?”

“Ilay.”

When Jeong Tae-ui gave an answer that was open to much misunderstanding, Christoph looked visit our siteat him with a strange face. For a moment, Christoph tilted his head as if facing something impossible, then shook his head coldly.

“No. It’s strange enough that he’d lay a hand on you now, but even if he did, it wouldn’t have stopped at a bruise like this.”

At this very valid logic, Jeong Tae-ui unconsciously nodded. After admiring, Oh, right, right, he laughed. Hearing Jeong Tae-ui explain that it happened by mistake, Christoph didn’t answer and just stared intently at the bruise. Then, he clicked his tongue.

“The medicine is clumped. What were you doing instead of rubbing it in well?”

“Hmm, I thought I rubbed it in pretty well.”

Jeong Tae-ui muttered as if making an excuse and began to rub the wound slowly again.

“You idiot, where did you get hurt coming back?”

Jeong Tae-ui looked silently at Christoph, who was scolding him with a face that treated him like a fool, and then muttered like a sigh.

“Hearing you say that makes that handkerchief tied around your hand look much more suspicious.”

“I didn’t get hurt by going to someone else.”

“Self-harm is worse, much worse!”

Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue, pointing his index finger wildly.

Christoph didn’t even realize that what he had done was self-harm. He didn’t even think that since he’s the only one who suffers when it hurts, he shouldn’t do it next time. Jeong Tae-ui didn’t like that part.

So, he added a spiteful remark.

“If you have to get hurt, a contusion is better than something like a laceration.”

Jeong Tae-ui murmured, rubbing carefully so as not to accidentally press down hard on the bruise. Christoph, watching the bruise, thought for a moment and then frowned.

“A laceration is better. Or a puncture wound.”

Jeong Tae-ui also frowned at the sheer seriousness of the statement.

“No way. Lacerations or puncture wounds have a higher chance of leading to death or critical injury, and there’s the risk of bacterial infection. [Read on Read BL Novelsclass="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">unauthorized stolen contentcopy]They also take a lot of time and effort to heal. In that sense, a bruise is better.”

The weight of the words was different to begin with. A bruise versus a puncture or laceration. Even considering the frequency of police intervention, wasn’t there a stark difference?

However, Christoph shook his head.

“Bruises usually happen when you’re hit by an opponent’s hand or foot, rather than a weapon. But since people don’t tear skin with their bare hands, there’s no need for direct hand contact with a laceration. In that regard, bruises are not good.”

He added that being hit and having another person’s body touch you was simply the worst.

“……Hmm……, so that’s why you hate bruises…….”

Jeong Tae-ui smacked his lips.

The kind of pain a person prefers—or rather, finds easier to endure—varies, but he had never heard a reason like this before. Is this how all people with haphephobia are? Surely not.

Jeong Tae-ui looked up at the ceiling for a moment, lost in thought.

Both types of injuries hurt the same when they first happen. There is no wound visit our sitethat doesn’t hurt when you’re injured.

However, with a bruise, as long as you don’t press on it, it stops hurting after a little while. The mark disappears without one noticing, and before you know it, not even a trace remains.

Lacerations are not like that. They continue to hurt until the wound closes. They ooze and can become festered. Even if a scab forms and the pain finally subsides, a scar eventually remains.

As with any injury, it’s not something one can choose, but Jeong Tae-ui thought that if he had to be hurt, he would prefer the former.

“Well, I guess it’s still better than a disease that deepens without you even knowing it hurts.”

Because you don’t know it hurts, by the time you realize it, there’s already nothing that can be done.

It’s because the body doesn’t cry out in pain. It’s as if the scream of pain is being blocked.

Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue and scratched his head. Then, he covered himself with his shirt again.

“Give me your hand.”

Jeong Tae-ui spoke with a slight pout. Christoph frowned momentarily, but soon obediently unwrapped the handkerchief. He didn’t [[unauthorized copy][stolen content]class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">stolen content]forget to say, “Don’t touch it.”

Fortunately, he wasn’t as badly injured as Tae-ui had feared. It had probably looked worse earlier because it was covered in blood.

Although it didn’t seem like any medicine had been applied or treatment given, Jeong Tae-ui sighed upon seeing the palm, which looked like it would heal well without becoming infected.

As Jeong Tae-ui murmured that he was glad it wasn’t a serious injury, Christoph silently wrapped the handkerchief again.

“Come to think of it, that sudden death from earlier—I heard he had to get dozens of stitches at the hospital.”

“Hmm.”

Christoph murmured as if he weren’t particularly interested, but Jeong Tae-ui continued regardless.

“They had a bit of a hard time treating him because of the shrapnel, but they said it ended successfully.”

Christoph nodded. However, it seemed more like a half-hearted acknowledgment than actually listening to the words.

Jeong Tae-ui sat on the stool at the foot of the bed. He stared blankly at Christoph, [Read [unauthorized copy]on Read BL Novels]who was finishing changing his clothes, and then spoke abruptly.

“I saw Oliver today. ……He was smiling and playing just fine. You don’t have to worry.”

While hanging his removed clothes on a hanger, Christoph stared coldly into the closet for a while in silence. Then he turned his head toward Jeong Tae-ui. There was a hint of annoyance in his expression.

“I don’t know what you’re mistaken about, but I’m not worried.”

He looked straight at Jeong Tae-ui and closed the closet door. A flash of irritation was visible in the way he quietly closed the door.

“And since I think you’re misunderstanding something, let me tell you. I haven’t given a single thought to that sudden death. I forgot about him the moment I left this room earlier, and I only remembered just now when you mentioned it. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Jeong Tae-ui apologized obediently as soon as he finished speaking. From the start, he had no intention of pushing any particular meaning or engaging in an argument.

“I just said it because it came to mind. I didn’t think you’d take it in any particular way.”

Jeong Tae-ui looked at him straight on. Facing him, Christoph frowned. Those deep blue eyes [Read on Read BL Novels]on Read BL Novels -->looked as if he were wondering what on earth was sitting in front of him.

With an uncomfortable sigh, Christoph spoke in a somewhat subdued voice.

“It’s always been like that, not just with that sudden death. I don’t really remember who I did what to. There was no need to think about it. However—”

Christoph trailed off for a moment. He seemed to be pondering how to put it correctly before suddenly murmuring.

“It was just noisy.”

“……. Like a morning when you wake up feeling unpleasant?”

“Hmm…… something like that.”

Christoph replied and fell deep into thought.

He had moments like that often. No, he was like that almost every morning.

Being constitutionally prone to struggling upon waking, he was usually in a foul mood in the mornings. On the days Jeong Tae-ui went to wake him, he had [stolen [Read on Read BL Novels]content]to face a Christoph who had spent five or six nights a week tossing and turning.

The voice whispering in his ear was incessant.

Sometimes it sounded like shouting, sometimes it was quiet, and on lucky days, it whispered so faintly it was almost inaudible.

Jeong Tae-ui could guess how loud or soft that sound—which he couldn’t hear—was by observing Christoph’s mood.

Right now, it seemed the voice was on the quieter side.

“In the end, for a person.”

Jeong Tae-ui suddenly murmured. He stretched his back as if waking up, but then frowned with an “Ouch.” His bruised side throbbed.

Bending his waist again and rubbing the bruise, Jeong Tae-ui continued with a grimace.

“As long as they’re happy, that’s all that matters. Regardless of what people around them think. Ultimately, the one who decides whether they are happy or not is themselves. For example, even if you committed a terrible act of impiety and everyone in the world cursed you, pointed fingers, and wished for your misfortune, if you didn’t care and lived happily and satisfied on your own, they couldn’t force misfortune upon you. ……Well, setting aside whether that actually fits the definition of true happiness.”

Anyway, you don’t look particularly happy, Jeong Tae-ui thought, smacking his lips.

Perhaps because his side hurt, his taste felt more bitter than usual today.

Jeong Tae-ui felt Christoph’s strange gaze upon him.

What he had said wasn’t a consolation. In fact, it was a scathing condemnation. That was why Jeong Tae-ui didn’t feel entirely at ease.

……This is bad, really bad……. Today is just not going well until the end…….

Sighing, Jeong Tae-ui gave an example for his words.

“Look at Ilay. Who isn’t there someone who wants to kill that guy? There are overwhelmingly more people who hate him than those who like him.”

No, in fact, he wondered if there were any people who liked him at all, aside from the very few—could be counted on one hand—that he knew.

“Still, that guy lives just fine.”

Unswayed by the words of others, and objectively speaking, no matter [[[Read on Read BL Novels]class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">stolen content]class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">unauthorized copy]how you analyzed it, he was evil rather than good, yet he lived his life leisurely and well.

That is the reality of the social desire for good people to be blessed and evil people to be punished.

A good person may end up living well. But one can also struggle despite living virtuously. An evil person may be punished, but they can also live well.

The world generally turns according to its own logic. However, Jeong Tae-ui still couldn’t quite grasp what that logic was.

“Yes, I am living satisfactorily. In fact.”

Behind Jeong Tae-ui, who was blankly thinking about some law spinning in the void, a voice appeared suddenly, like a ghost.

Startled, Jeong Tae-ui instantaneously wiped the thoughts from his mind. Stopping the hand that was stroking his bruised side, he froze for a moment as if paralyzed, then slowly turned around with a scowl.

“Could you make some noise when you move?”

“Why should I? I’m curious about what you’re talking about.”

Ilay, who had already stepped over the threshold of Christoph’s Read on Read BL Novelsstyle="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[visit our site]room, smirked and walked inside.

Christoph, who had been facing Jeong Tae-ui while leaning against the closet door, watched him in silence.

“I didn’t see you this evening.”

“I was resting.”

“Hmm. ……But somehow, I smell a familiar scent.”

Ilay said, raising an eyebrow. Jeong Tae-ui looked at him with a skeptical gaze. He really did have the nose of a dog.

“I suppose you know too?”

Christoph spoke in a curious tone. Ilay tilted his head, as if he didn’t know what he was talking about.

“The medicine that guy applied. He got it from Jeong Chang-in, and that guy knew about it. It’s the first time I’ve seen medicine with such a strange smell. ……But is it actually effective? For a bruise, it would be better to…….”

Christoph murmured ambiguously and then shut Read on Read BL Novelshis mouth. [unauthorized copy]Lost in thought for a moment, he glared at Jeong Tae-ui’s stomach, which was covered by his shirt.

Ilay turned to Jeong Tae-ui.

“Medicine? What medicine are you applying?”

“……Bruise medicine.”

Jeong Tae-ui murmured, pointing to his side with his thumb. At that, Ilay only widened his eyes slightly and said nothing.

Just then, as if remembering something, Christoph left the room, saying, “I’ll be right back.”

Staring blankly at the trace of the man who had suddenly left without looking back, Jeong Tae-ui murmured to himself.

“I guess he left because you came…….”

“Why would he leave just because I came?”

“Otherwise, there’d be no reason to leave. The timing [Read on Read BL Novels]unauthorized visit our sitecopyis perfect. A crow flies and a ship sinks……. So it’s your fault.”

“……. Do you even know what you’re saying?”

“It means it’s not your fault, but it is your fault.”

Jeong Tae-ui asserted confidently and lifted his chin. Ilay narrowed his eyes as if he found it absurd and stared intently at Jeong Tae-ui, but soon he let out a smirk.

“By the way, is it okay to just barge into someone’s room in the middle of the night? Especially Christoph’s room, of all people.”

“Do you know how many years I spent in the same mobile task force as that guy?”

Watching Ilay snort, Jeong Tae-ui nodded. It seemed that Christoph didn’t say much about Ilay’s sudden intrusion because of all those accumulated experiences. ……He felt a slight sense of pity.

Out of habit, Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue while unconsciously rubbing his side. Looking down at him, Ilay gestured with his head. When Tae-ui looked back with a “Huh?”, Ilay gestured toward the hem of the shirt with his chin.

Jeong Tae-ui looked at him awkwardly for a moment, then obediently lifted the edge of his clothes.

“My side is quite popular today…….”

In front of Jeong Tae-ui, who murmured like a sigh, he silently looked at the exposed skin. No particular light flickered in his cold eyes.

“…….”

Jeong Tae-ui likewise carefully observed the man who was slowly examining the area around his stomach.

It didn’t seem likely, but perhaps, just maybe, was he feeling sorry?

Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head.

If he were sorry, the apology would be welcome, but he didn’t feel particularly angry or resentful. He might have felt the indignation of, ‘This guy shot me and doesn’t even apologize even if it was a mistake?!’—though he had accepted that since that’s just the kind of guy he was—but it wasn’t intentional; it was an accident.

He recalled hearing in a human relations lecture long ago that emotionally blaming someone for an unintentional accident is a prime example of the wrong way to handle a situation.

But if he was actually bothered by this.

Jeong Tae-ui tilted his head and stared at him intently. He spoke abruptly with a slight smile.

“Since I came to this house, I’ve been hit by you quite a few times.”

At that, Ilay, who had been silently staring at Jeong Tae-ui’s exposed torso until then, raised an eyebrow.

Looking at him like this, it was impossible to tell if he truly felt sorry or if he was simply proudly admiring the achievement he had created.

Their eyes met.

When Jeong Tae-ui gave a silly grin, Ilay seemed to frown slightly before letting out a short laugh. Though that smile vanished quickly.

“That’s why I told you to go back to Berlin. Why are you insisting on inviting hardship upon yourself?”

“No, I mean, the book…….”

“The book. Then, if I find that book for you, will you go back to Berlin?”

Ilay slowly approached and sat next to Jeong Tae-ui. He sat there, leaving a gap of about a span.

He spoke as if it were a joke, with a playful smile or something like it, but it didn’t seem like a joke.

Jeong Tae-ui stared at him and scratched his stomach. Then, after pressing the bruise and letting out a short “Ugh,” he quietly lowered the hem of his clothes. Seeing this, Ilay clicked his tongue.

“Well…… in that case, there’s no reason to stay here for long.”

After saying that, Jeong Tae-ui asked after a short pause.

“But why do you want me to leave so badly? You’ve been acting like you want to send me back for a while now……, ……Do you really have a secret second family?”

The last part was almost a mutter to himself.

However, he soon shook his head.

With that personality, a second family? He felt that if this guy found another person he liked, he would just openly and proudly bring them in.

“A second family?”

Ilay murmured in a tone of utter bewilderment. As if it were a term he was hearing for the first time.

Beside him, Jeong Tae-ui was lost in his own fantasy, and while still not having emerged from it, he looked at Ilay.

“Then I might be able to return to Korea for the first time in a long while. Instead of staying in Germany, I’ll just stay at my house……. ……Ah. I’m a wanted criminal.”

He remembered as he spoke.

While the main reason Jeong Tae-ui was in Berlin was because of this man, to some extent, it was also due to Kyle’s protective power. It was all thanks to him that he could spend a relatively peaceful retired life as a wanted criminal.

What should I do then, should I cling to my brother or uncle? As Jeong Tae-ui muttered, planning for an uncertain future, a gaze of utter absurdity flew over his head. However, Jeong Tae-ui didn’t notice the gaze, and the look became increasingly cold.

“Stop talking nonsense. There are no plans for such a thing to happen in the foreseeable future.”

“Oh, really?”

At those words, Jeong Tae-ui cleanly erased his anxious future plans.

While some other event might occur and make the future uncertain, it seemed this particular matter wouldn’t be unstable. Good words rarely came from his mouth, but nonsense never did.

“If possible, make sure to return to Berlin before the succession date arrives.”

Ilay returned to the previous topic.

Jeong Tae-ui just looked at him quietly.

Waiting for him to explain the correlation between the succession date and returning to Berlin.

Ilay reached his arm back to lean on the bed right behind the stool and sat comfortably. Then he spoke indifferently.

“When Christoph’s mother comes, he will become more unstable.”

Jeong Tae-ui, who had been staring at him, wondering if this fit the context of their conversation, grimaced.

“How could he be any more unstable than he is now?”

Jeong Tae-ui pointed toward the doorway Christoph had exited.

He was already unstable enough. Although he showed a more normal side in front of Jeong Tae-ui, in Tae-ui’s view, Christoph was already a sufficiently unstable human being. To the point where he thought that if he were any more unstable, the only option would be to put him in a hospital.

Leaning back comfortably, Ilay suddenly spoke, his gaze directed toward the lighting fixture swaying just below the ceiling, where his eyes naturally drifted.

“Have you ever killed a butterfly?”

“What?”

“A butterfly. Or, say, a dragonfly.”

Jeong Tae-ui stared blankly at Ilay’s profile.

With his somewhat languid tone, it was hard to tell what he was trying to say.

“……Yes.”

Jeong Tae-ui answered, his lips twisting slightly.

Perhaps because there had been a pond and a large open lot near his house when he was young, many dragonflies used to fly around.

As summer deepened, dragonflies began to appear one by one. By the time autumn arrived, they had transformed into red-tailed hawks, covering the nearby fields.

Jeong Tae-ui used to run around with his neighborhood friends, carrying dragonfly nets. One of his friends collected dragonflies as if he were gathering butterfly specimens; before Tae-yi knew it, the friend’s net would be overflowing with them. And many of them would die before they ever made it home.

Seeing those corpses lying dead like bugs made him feel uneasy, so after that, he stopped catching dragonflies or butterflies.

“When children are young, they sometimes play by catching butterflies and tearing off their wings and legs.”

Tae-yi frowned at Ilay’s words.

No, I didn’t play like that, Tae-yi muttered, and Ilay looked at him with a faint smile in his eyes.

“When they’re young, children play by killing things like butterflies, dragonflies, earthworms, [unauthorized copy]style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[visit our site]or pill bugs for no reason at all.”

“Hmm… there are kids like that sometimes.”

There was likely no one who hadn’t killed a small creature or two in their childhood. Even if it was just an ant. Children are innocent and cruel.

Sometimes, reading a fairy tale from childhood again as an adult can be shocking. Was the content always this cruel and horrific?

It was the same book, the same translation, not a single syllable changed from when he was young.

Stories he had enjoyed without hesitation back then now felt jarring in various places.

Tae-yi occasionally thought that cruelty was a human nature equipped alongside compassion, and that the things one learns while growing up simply cover that nature.

“In a pure sense, children are more cruel than adults. Because they might step on and kill an ant while smiling for fun.”

As Tae-yi murmured, Ilay nodded and picked up the thread.

“Right. In that case, would other children be afraid of a child who kills ants?”

Tae-yi looked back at Ilay, puzzled. Ilay was still smiling faintly.

“Then how about this? A child who kills squirrels, rabbits, or dogs with the same sensation as killing an ant.”

“…―.”

“Christoph’s mother found Christoph absolutely abhorrent, to the point of shuddering.”

Tae-yi fell silent. The story coming from Ilay’s mouth, spoken as if it were a mundane, everyday conversation, chilled his heart.

“‘What’s the difference between killing a rabbit and killing an ant?’ he asked, bewildered. He said his mother screamed.”

“……. It’s quite meaningful that he asked you. Did you kill them together?”

As Tae-yi murmured softly, Ilay laughed.

“Far from it. Despite how I seem, I’ve never once Read [visit our sitestyle="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">unauthorized copy]on Read BL Novelskilled an ant or a butterfly for no reason in my childhood.”

I think I heard that he swung an axe at a friend—if they were really a friend—before he even reached the age of reason.

Tae-yi gave Ilay a skeptical look but soon averted his gaze. Ilay slowly continued.

“It wasn’t a problem limited to animals. Christoph was a bit mentally unstable since he was young—in the general sense of the word. He was extremely numb to the concept of pain. To the pain of others, and to his own. ……At least now he knows how to package himself, but back then, he didn’t even have that. He just harmed things for no reason.”

Just as you stepped on an ant. Just as you killed a fly.

“There were even children who were more wary of Christoph than they were of me.”

“That’s……, ……that was pretty serious.”

Tae-yi mumbled blankly, sounding foolish.

Ilay stopped speaking for a moment. His hand, resting on the bed, slowly tapped the duvet.

“The problem was that Christoph was numb to his own [stolen content]pain visit our siteas well. He had no self-defense in an emotional sense.”

He murmured as if talking to himself. Tae-yi lowered his head and looked at his toes.

Not being able to feel pain.

He didn’t really know what that was like. Even if he thought he understood it intellectually, he couldn’t actually imagine it. Because Tae-yi was not like that.

But a thought suddenly occurred to him.

If you receive pain, and pain, and pain, but don’t feel it and leave yourself defenseless, eventually, you die.

Whether it’s the body or the mind.

Without even knowing you are dying. Just tilting your head, thinking, That’s strange, how strange.

“His thinking works dually. In some aspects, he feels and accepts things just like other people, but in other aspects, he doesn’t at all. And the person he thinks of in a way similar to others is his mother. The mother who finds him abhorrent and fears him.”

Ilay trailed off slightly at the end, as if he didn’t intend to say any more.

Tae-yi glanced at Ilay but looked away again.

He continued to look at his feet, watched his toes wiggle, looked up at the ceiling once, and let out a sigh.

“That wasn’t a story I really wanted to hear.”

Tae-yi’s voice lacked strength.

Christoph might be the same as he was when he was young. He was purely cruel. He didn’t attach any particular meaning to his actions, so they didn’t remain in his memory.

The man sitting next to him was the same; he attached no meaning to his cruel acts and kept no memory of them.

But Christoph and Ilay were different.

In what way?

“……. Honestly…….”

Tae-yi grumbled, Ah, I really didn’t want to hear that, I shouldn’t have listened, and pulled at his own hair for no reason.

Watching him, Ilay suddenly smiled.

“Now then, Tae-yi.”

Tae-yi looked suspiciously at that faint smile appearing on his lips. Ilay lowered his voice further, as if whispering in his ear.

“Why do you think I told you this story?”

“……. One crazy bastard closely involved in my life is enough.”

Tae-yi muttered sullenly. At that, Ilay raised an eyebrow slightly. The smile on his lips was too faint to discern, but the amusement in his narrowed eyes clearly said, ‘That’s an excellent answer.’

Tae-yi looked at him.

He stared for a long time at the man who always stolen [unauthorized copy]contenthid a cold light beneath his composure, then let out a quiet sigh.

“It’s quite overwhelming just taking care of one crazy bastard……. A guy who might actually shoot me later.”

I need to humanize him quickly, but the more I know, the longer the road seems.

Ilay Riegrow was still an unpredictable man.

There was only one thing that was predictable.

That he would act unpredictably.

It was common for him to throw something into the trash today that he had cherished and handled with care until yesterday.

Looking at that—though emotionally he vaguely felt such a thing wouldn’t happen—it wouldn’t be strange if he turned his gun on him at any moment.

Yeah, look, he shot me today too. He said it was an accident, but he shot me as a joke. Pointed the gun right at me.

Tae-yi suddenly felt a throb in his side again and grumbled complaints under his breath.

“……Me?”

Then, a low voice drifted from beside him.

A voice devoid of even a fragment of emotion. Distinctly different from a moment ago.

Tae-yi turned his gaze toward him. He was looking at Tae-yi with an expressionless face. A quiet voice leaked from his lips, as if he were talking to himself.

“Right……, right. That could happen. It could be possible.”

It took a few seconds for Tae-yi to realize that the monologue was a response to what he had just muttered.

Tae-yi clicked his tongue.

I know that’s your daily routine, but still, to say it loud enough for me to hear. I really should open a common-sense academy for guys like you. Starting with a basic course on what you should and shouldn’t say.

Tae-yi smacked his lips bitterly and spoke to him.

“Well, when that time comes, it comes. Anyway, for now, I have to take good care of you.”

If things go south someday in the future, I’ll just be sad for a few days and that’ll be it. It might actually be good. No more crazy bastards by my side, I can go wherever I want, I can return to my familiar home country…….

……But if it actually happened, he felt he would miss the trivial things.

Tae-yi gazed at him blankly.

His black eyes, which were staring back at Tae-yi while he rested a hand near his temple lost in thought, were only a few inches away.

Every time he looked at this man, he thought the same thing.

This man’s eyes were sometimes terrifyingly cold.

When he was deep in thought, or occasionally on a business call, those black pupils would narrow and freeze like ice.

It was only after seeing Ilay’s eyes that Tae-yi realized black could be a cold color.

But, so what.

He had known that from the start.

Whether people said he had personality issues or that his mental state was different from a normal person’s, it was something he already knew well. And knowing all that, Tae-yi stayed with him. Because that was simply who Ilay Riegrow was.

“Since you’re staying so still, you almost look delicious to eat…….”

Tae-yi suddenly murmured. Right in front of him was Ilay, staring at Tae-yi—or perhaps somewhere beyond him. His closed lips were particularly noticeable today.

“…….”

Suddenly, impulsively, Tae-yi leaned forward. And he overlapped his lips onto those silent ones.

Their closed lips met. He felt the warmth of the other’s body. It was warm. The obvious fact that blood was flowing through the other person felt fresh.

Come to think of it, how many Read on Read BL Novelsclass="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">stolen content]END: Read on Read BL Novels -->times have I kissed this guy? I don’t think it’s been many.

But as he savored it slowly, it felt quite good. He liked the dry yet soft and warm sensation.

“……. This is actually okay.”

Tae-yi kept his lips pressed there for about ten seconds before pulling back and murmuring.

Ilay’s face was still before him.

However, that face was different from before; he was looking at Tae-yi. It was no longer the face that had been staring at Tae-yi—or something else—with cold, pitch-black eyes.

Frowning strangely as if it were bizarre, he was looking down at Tae-yi. The hand at his temple didn’t budge.

“……. Ah……, you look so dumbfounded. I quite liked it, you’re hurting my feelings.”

Tae-yi scratched his head awkwardly. Then, Ilay, who had been staring at Tae-yi with a peculiar expression, finally spoke slowly.

“Rather than dumbfounded, ‘out of the blue’ would be more accurate.”

“Out of the blue…… as in the kind of ‘out of the blue’ that’s often followed by words like ‘calamity’ or ‘misfortune’?”

When Tae-yi asked seriously, Ilay’s eyes suddenly curved.

“The ‘out of the blue’ you know and the ‘out of the blue’ I know probably don’t differ in meaning, but when you put it that way, it sounds very different.”

It was at the exact moment he finished speaking.

Ilay reached out. That white, large hand brushed past Tae-yi’s earlobe and wrapped generously around the back of his head. And he pulled.

Their lips overlapped once more. But it was clearly different from before.

……Ah. It’s definitely this guy.

It was a sensation that made him think that instinctively.

The tongue pushing through his lips felt as if it would dig deep into his very body. He felt that those lips would likely swallow him whole before long. [unauthorized copystolen contentcontent">stolen contentolute;left:-9999px;">]Or he would suffocate to death before that.

It was always like this when he overlapped lips with this man. Even if it started with a light touch, before he knew it, he would find himself floundering in a sensation as if he were being swallowed whole.

Even now.

Holding his cheek and head and pressing his lips forward, Ilay tried to devour Tae-yi like a giant beast or animal that couldn’t be reasoned with, or perhaps something of an entirely different species. ‘Kissing’ was too cute a word for this.

I’m telling you, I’m scared of this guy sometimes……. I feel like he might actually bite me.

Tae-yi began to gasp for air, but in a corner of his mind, he had such thoughts. Then, after a bit more time, thinking he would faint from lack of oxygen if he stayed like this, he pushed him away. However, his body, which seemed to move slightly, remained firmly in place. It seemed he wouldn’t back off easily.

“Wait…….”

Tae-yi, struggling to turn his head within that hand to barely utter a few words, had his breath stolen again by the lips that followed.

Wait, this situation is a bit problematic.

First, if he stayed like this, he really felt he would faint from lack of air, and even if he didn’t unauthorized [Read on Read BL Novels]copyfaint, it didn’t seem like it would end here—and this wasn’t his room. Moreover, there was no telling when the owner of the room would enter.

“Wait, wait……!”

He whipped his head in the opposite direction and shouted, but this man had no intention of listening. No, rather, he let out a low laugh as if enjoying Tae-yi’s fluster. Soon, the laughter flowed into Tae-yi’s mouth.

Just as Tae-yi was thinking about shouting something and kicking him, he shut his mouth.

Let’s shout and kick him in a little bit.

Tae-yi liked this feeling.

Sometimes, when Ilay kissed Tae-yi, he would laugh out loud when they were in the middle of an interesting conversation or when something suddenly occurred to him.

When he laughed like that while their lips and tongues were entwined, it felt ticklish inside the mouth. It felt as if the low, soft sound of laughter was transmitted directly to his ears through the mouth.

Tae-yi liked that feeling of consuming the other’s laughter.

So, he decided to stay quiet for a moment. Even if that hand began to move ominously around his waist and below, even stolen contentclass="wm-strong" [visit our site]style="position:relative;display:inline;">[stolen content]if he started to think it was getting more and more dangerous.

Just a moment. Just a little bit longer.

It was because he was so distracted. Tae-yi missed something important.

Although the soundproofing was good, if one listened carefully while quietly reading a book in the room, the sound of footsteps in the hallway could be heard. Tae-yi had missed those footsteps.

Therefore, the door opening was a sudden event that struck without any warning, even though the person had not intentionally silenced their steps to sneak up.

“I applied this before and the bruise faded quickly. If it’s just a contusion, it’ll heal naturally if you leave it, but still, if possible…….”

With a cheerful voice, the door clicked open.

In that instant, as if suddenly returning from the afterlife to this world, Tae-yi snapped awake.

His half-closed eyes flew wide open.

Beyond Ilay, who filled more than half of his vision, he [visit [visit our site]unauthorized copyour site]saw Christoph standing there, holding the doorknob.

Having just entered with something that looked like a medicine bottle in one hand, he simply watched the two of them for a moment.

“…….”

Not even a gasp escaped. Tae-yi stared blankly at Christoph for a while, and while Christoph didn’t look particularly blank, he met Tae-yi’s gaze with his characteristic indifferent expression, his thoughts unknown.

The only one who was perfectly composed was Ilay.

“……. …….”

Even though he must have known someone entered, and even though he knew that person was the owner of the room and Christoph, whom he was acquainted with, he didn’t even look back. No, it was as if he didn’t even know someone had entered as he continued what he was doing.

The one who stopped that ‘what he was doing’—the hand that had slipped inside Tae-yi’s shirt to rub his back—was Tae-yi.

“Wait, wait, ……wait! Stop!!”

Tae-yi glared at Ilay, who didn’t [[Read on Read BL Novels]class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">visit our siteunauthorized copystyle="font-size:0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]even pretend to listen despite a few whispers, and pushed him away forcefully.

He pushed with all his might, enough that it wouldn’t have been strange for Ilay to tumble off the stool, but he didn’t fall.

Still, their bodies separated slightly, and he didn’t approach any further.

Having been interrupted in the middle of his task, Ilay looked down at Tae-yi with a displeased face.

“What.”

“What do you mean ‘what’! Christoph is here!”

Tae-yi snapped back fiercely, not to be outdone by that dissatisfied voice, and pushed him once more. Ilay, who allowed himself to be pushed back another span, finally looked behind him.

“Your timing for interrupting is truly superb.”

Ilay clicked his tongue and muttered. Tae-yi pushed him once more, this time pressing firmly against his waist with his foot.

What do I do now, a feeling of utter dismay filled his mind.

Given his personality, there was no way he would be pleased to find someone doing this in his room. Although he had begun to tolerate Jeong Tae-ui entering the room, he wasn’t the type to just overlook two men tangled together on his room’s stool—especially a stool pressed right up against the bed.

Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue.

“So, about this, it’s just…”

But he stopped mid-excuse, realizing Christoph was staring intently at something. He followed the gaze.

There, he saw the front of his trousers, the buckle undone and the zipper lowered.

“…!”

It felt like a blatant declaration that he had been on the verge of doing something closely related to the sensations of the lower body—though he hadn’t intended it to be—and Jeong Tae-ui’s face stiffened.

Come to think of it, they were at an age where matters of the groin were understandable. They weren’t middle or high schoolers; it wasn’t exactly something to brag about, but it wasn’t something to be shyly hidden either.

What he should be worried about was the fact that he had been disheveled on Christoph’s bed stool, visit our siteEND: visit our site -->not the fact that he’d been caught looking like he was about to have sex. Besides, it wasn’t like he’d shown him a particularly graphic scene. At most, some clothes were messy and lips had clashed.

…The only problem was that they were both men.

Unless Christoph was an idiot, he likely already suspected it.

Back when Ilay was an instructor at UNHRDO, he had torn through every possible location to find Jeong Tae-ui. Shortly after finding him, he had mobilized his colleagues and become a terrorist just to extract him from a Saudi Arabian official’s villa. After that, he had entered the family home he so despised and lived in the same house as Jeong Tae-ui for several years.

The rumors had already spread far and wide among their colleagues. In fact, almost anyone who had some level of acquaintance with Ilay knew Jeong Tae-ui’s name.

Therefore, unless he was a fool—or someone who knew almost nothing about the man known as Ilay Riegrow—he had no choice but to guess that their relationship was unconventional.

And yet.

This situation was still embarrassing. It felt like they were exposing things too vividly—things they usually acknowledged but pretended not to notice.

Jeong Tae-ui scratched the back of his neck and dropped his gaze to his feet. His neck felt hot; he was probably about to flush.

But it was then.

“It’s fine.”

While Jeong Tae-ui was looking down at his feet in awkwardness, Christoph’s unexpectedly cool voice reached him.

Jeong Tae-ui looked up with a confused “Huh?”

Still standing by the doorway, gripping the doorknob, Christoph was looking at Jeong Tae-ui with an indifferent expression. He seemed to be mocking him for being so awkward, or perhaps acting as if he were being bothered by something trivial.

“I don’t have any particular prejudice against homosexuality. So, if you’re walking on eggshells around me, there’s no need.”

“Uh…”

Not knowing what to say, Jeong Tae-ui trailed off and blinked. He had received an unexpectedly calm and kind response.

He instinctively glanced at Ilay. Having been interrupted, Ilay sat on the stool with a blatantly displeased face. He pulled the nearby table entirely in front of him and opened the cigarette box resting on it.

He took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth from a wooden box that served Read on Read BL Novelson Read BL Novels" style="display:none;" aria-label="Read on Read BL Novels">Read on Read BL Novelsstyle="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[stolen content]more as a decoration than for actual smoking.

Seeing Jeong Tae-ui looking back and forth between himself and Ilay with a dazed expression, Christoph frowned slightly. Then, as if further conversation were a chore, he spoke.

“I’m not particularly interested in other people’s business, nor am I that ignorant about other people’s tastes. And if I had to say, I actually tend to admire homosexuals. To decide to stay together despite how difficult the relationship must be—that must have taken an extraordinary amount of resolve.”

Jeong Tae-ui doubted his own ears for a moment.

When you hear something completely unexpected from an unexpected person, you begin to wonder if your hearing is failing or if the person in front of you isn’t who you thought they were.

After a brief moment of doubt, Jeong Tae-ui realized that Christoph seemed to be speaking sincerely, not joking, and he found himself impressed.

To think he had such an unexpectedly human side.

He truly hadn’t known that Christoph was a man with an understanding of the pain of minorities. He really hadn’t known that someone who lacked understanding for the majority of ordinary people could possess this kind of empathy.

“Uh… right.”

Slightly flustered, Jeong Tae-ui instinctively looked at Ilay. Ilay, who had lit a cigarette in someone else’s room without asking [stolen content]style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[Read on Read BL Novels]for permission, was also looking at Christoph with a somewhat blank expression.

Holding the cigarette in his mouth and puffing away while staring intently at Christoph, he tilted his head and looked at the ceiling. Then, as if suddenly understanding something, he nodded to himself.

“Th… thank you for understanding.”

Although he was impressed by this unexpected side, Jeong Tae-ui still didn’t know what to say, so he stammered out those words for now. At that, Christoph gave a slight shrug. He then looked at Ilay with a curious gaze.

“But it is surprising. I was half-doubting it when I heard Rick was living with a man. …I never imagined that of all people, Rick would be capable of enduring abstinence.”

Christoph nodded deeply, as if he were the one who was impressed, and spoke as if to himself.

At that moment, Jeong Tae-ui froze with an ambiguous smile on his face.

Hmm…?

He felt like he had just heard something that didn’t fit the flow of the conversation.

With his face frozen in a smile, Jeong Tae-ui stared [visit our sitestolen visit our sitecontentstyle="font-size:0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]blankly at Christoph. Christoph let out a sigh and looked back at him.

“If you think about it, compared to heterosexual relationships—which can be maintained just by mixing bodies even without mutual respect or affection—same-sex relationships, which can only be maintained by the heart because there’s nothing you can do about the bodies, could be said to be purer. …I don’t think there’s any need to be so shy and cautious.”

In a state of shock bordering on horror, Jeong Tae-ui stared intensely at Christoph. As if trying to bore a hole in his face.

In his own way, Christoph seemed to be encouraging Jeong Tae-ui. The fact that he was a person with enough consideration to encourage and comfort others was another small surprise. However…

“My ears keep acting up… Or has my brain slowed down? Well, I did sleep less than three hours last night because I was reading a novel.”

Jeong Tae-ui muttered, rubbing his ears. Then, he glanced at Ilay again. He was still looking at the ceiling, puffing out clouds of smoke.

“…”

He thought he might have misunderstood, but he felt he had to clarify this.

“About the ‘relationship of only the body’… or rather, the ‘relationship of only the heart’…”

As Jeong Tae-ui hesitated and spoke while scratching near his temple, Christoph frowned slightly.

“What about it?”

“No… I mean, regarding sexual intercourse between the same sex…”

“What ‘sexual intercourse’ or whatever is there between the same sex? Women have nothing to put in, and men have nowhere to put it. …Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”

Christoph looked at Jeong Tae-ui with eyes full of shock. And Jeong Tae-ui looked back at Christoph with eyes full of shock.

“… …”

Interpreting Jeong Tae-ui’s wide-eyed stare however he wished, Christoph clicked his tongue and spoke with a sigh.

“I suppose petting is possible. In terms of ejaculation, masturbation or oral would be possible—and you could call that sex—but if you fundamentally cannot mix bodies, then it is indeed emotion that sustains the relationship.”

Hearing this from a man whose emotions were so sparse it was hard to tell if he had any at all was a very novel feeling, but Jeong Tae-ui didn’t have the mental capacity to savor that novelty.

While Jeong Tae-ui stared blankly at Christoph, unable stolen contentto [Read on Read BL Novels]utter a word, Christoph shifted his gaze to Ilay, who was smoking his cigarette over there as if nothing had happened.

“Since I never imagined that guy would willingly accept abstinence, I thought perhaps you and he weren’t that kind of relationship, but just unusually close. …I guess I was wrong.”

His voice was somehow subtly sulky. Like a child pouting in dissatisfaction, the corners of his mouth twitched faintly.

His eyelashes, cast downward, seemed to tremble slightly. A shadow of melancholy fell over them.

Without the leisure to consider the reason for that melancholy, Jeong Tae-ui just stared at him blankly.

Then, suddenly lifting his head, Christoph pressed a medicine bottle into Jeong Tae-ui’s hand. He spoke again with his usual indifferent and cold face.

“Apply this; the bruising will fade quickly. It’s unsightly to have bruises all over. It’s an eyesore when you walk back and forth in front of me with a body like that.”

After speaking brusquely, Christoph stood there still for a moment. Holding the medicine bottle, Jeong Tae-ui just stared at him, still frozen like ice.

An inexplicably subtle silence flowed.

Christoph gazed at Jeong Tae-ui—it felt like he was glaring, though it might have been his imaginat[unauthorized copy]parent;display:inline;">visit our siteion—and then suddenly turned away.

“I need to go eat. …I would like the two of you to leave my room before I return.”

It hadn’t been his imagination. A cold wind blew in his voice.

Jeong Tae-ui wanted to say something, but his frozen body wouldn’t thaw.

In the meantime, the door closed.

Silence still lingered in the room.

That silence stretched longer than ever, and by the time Jeong Tae-ui finally managed to move his body with a creak, several minutes had passed since the door had closed.

“What did Christoph just say?”

Jeong Tae-ui asked abruptly, staring at the closed door.

“The main point seemed to be that there is no love as pure and true as [stolen contentclass="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">stolen content]a relationship that blossoms between the same sex.”

Ilay answered in a tone of complete indifference.

Jeong Tae-ui stared vacantly at him as he finished his cigarette, then looked back toward the door.

He felt as if the door would open at any moment and Christoph would reappear, muttering, ‘I was just joking a moment ago.’

But even after waiting a bit longer, there was no sign of that, and there was no sound of anyone lingering outside the door.

“…”

He must have been serious. It seemed he had spoken those words in earnest, not as a joke.

But, no, surely.

—I don’t have any particular prejudice against homosexuality.

The words he had said first suddenly came to mind.

Right now, Jeong Tae-ui could have shouted at the top of his lungs.

No, you have a massive prejudice!

“…How can he be like that?”

Jeong Tae-ui muttered, barely supporting his body, which felt like it was about to collapse. Horror filled his eyes again. He reflected on the words Christoph had just said.

—Same-sex relationships, which can only be maintained by the heart because there’s nothing you can do about the bodies, could be said to be purer.

—What ‘sexual intercourse’ or whatever is there between the same sex?

“No, it makes no sense. This must be some kind of unique Christoph-style joke. Otherwise…”

Jeong Tae-ui shook his head.

Yes, otherwise, there was no way someone of that age, in that environment, would think like that.

Jeong Tae-ui looked back at Ilay. He had finished his cigarette and was now checking the brand of a new one he had taken out, seemingly pleased with it.

Wondering if he was the only one who had misheard, Jeong Tae-ui looked at Ilay with suspicious eyes. Sensing the gaze, Ilay put the cigarette back in the box and closed the lid, giving Jeong Tae-ui a nonchalant look.

“Why do you have such a vacant look on your face?”

“To my ears, it sounded like Christoph views physical relationships between men as being extremely platonic.”

“What a coincidence. That’s how it sounded to me too.”

“…”

Why is that? Jeong Tae-ui glared at Ilay, who looked completely unfazed. Ilay tilted his head lightly from side to side as if his neck were stiff. Crack, crack, the sound of bones echoed.

“To think he sees me as such an abstinent human being; thirty years of acquaintance have been in vain.”

Grabbing onto the nonchalantly muttering Ilay, Jeong Tae-ui finally [Read on Read BL Novels]on Read BL Novels">Read on Read BL Novelscouldn’t take it and appealed.

“Does this make sense right now, huh?! You said he spent years in the mobile task force, which is crawling with guys! And even when he was called out as a mercenary, he must have been surrounded by burly men who were starved for women due to the environment!”

“Ah. I suppose so.”

“And look at his face! He looks like that! It’s not like everyone in the world just cherishes art and looks at it from afar; how can he be like that? —No. Logically, it makes no sense. Even if you just watch TV these days, there’s no way you wouldn’t know.”

“That guy doesn’t watch TV. He probably doesn’t even watch movies.”

“He reads books.”

“What he enjoys reading are humanities and philosophy books. The only books he’s read with homosexual themes are probably a few aestheticist works at most.”

Jeong Tae-ui fell silent.

He was this incredibly shocked, yet this man was utterly composed.

The attitude of saying ‘it could be so’ was quite eerie.

“…What was it like in the mobile task force? Was there not a single person who tried to approach Christoph? Was there no one there with those kinds of tastes?”

“No, there were a few.”

“And?”

When Jeong Tae-ui asked, Ilay let out a sigh. He remained silent for a moment, tapping the air with his index finger.

Jeong Tae-ui had spent much of his time in environments dominated by men—half by choice and half by necessity.

He had attended all-boys schools since middle and high school. The only women were teachers, student teachers, or the cafeteria ladies. Furthermore, the place he went after that was a military academy.

Although they had started accepting female cadets, it had only been about ten years. While there were more women now, they were still overwhelmingly fewer than the men.

From there, he went straight into the army for several years before retiring, and within a few months, he was dragged by his uncle to the UNHRDO Asia branch. While other branches had female agents, the Asia branch had none.

If Jeong Tae-ui hadn’t been inclined toward the same sex, it would stolen contenthave been an environment enough to make anyone pessimistic.

Because he had lived through such situations, the fact that Christoph was so ignorant about this part seemed like either a lie or a miracle.

Moreover, with looks that made heads turn, there had to be people who tried to make a move. In worse cases, there were those who tried to rape.

Naturally, even if he wasn’t the victim, one would inevitably learn about such matters through the grim rumors that circulated.

And yet. A pure relationship maintained only by the heart. Abstinence.

While Jeong Tae-ui was muttering, ‘No, no matter what, how could he,’ with a dazed and lost expression, Ilay, who had been thinking in silence, slowly opened his mouth.

“But, think about it.”

“Think about what?”

“If it were you.”

“Huh?”

“Someone who comes back drenched in blood from head to toe every time they go into the field, occasionally has a fit and flips everything upside down when things go wrong, and has a personality like that. Plus, a fear of physical contact. Now, tell me. Would you dare touch him?”

“…”

Jeong Tae-ui looked at Ilay, dazed once again.

His scattered, white thoughts began to gather one by one.

Yes, come to think of it, that was true. With that temper, a reluctance to let people into his room, and a fear of physical contact that made even touching a sleeve unpleasant. He was even exceptionally skilled at slaughtering people.

“…Ah.”

Only then did Jeong Tae-ui realize why Ilay had been puzzled at first and then suddenly looked as if it were possible.

Now Jeong Tae-ui was sufficiently convinced. It was unbelievable, but given that man’s personality and environment, it might not be impossible.

“… …Still, he knew about heterosexual relationships. Surely he’s not a virgin.”

Having unconsciously muttered about someone else’s sexual history, Jeong Tae-ui shut his mouth, surprised by his own words.

But thinking about it slowly after speaking, he felt that might be possible too. That fear of physical contact wasn’t limited to men.

“…”

“…”

For a while, only silence flowed in the room.

 

* * *

 

It was a public holiday.

For Jeong Tae-ui, who was being tormented by Christoph day after day while helping him with his work, there was little difference between a holiday and a weekday.

However, the atmosphere of the house was different; above all, there were more people in the main building, the east wing, and the west wing than usual.

Among those who would normally have gone out to work, quite a few had chosen to rest at home instead of heading to the outskirts or going out to play for the rare holiday.

Consequently, Jeong Tae-ui, who was relatively free today regardless of whether it was a holiday or a weekday, felt inwardly annoyed.

Whether he tried to lounge around on top of the temporary tower or in the courtyard, it felt more crowded than usual.

In truth, it was simply that there were usually so few people; in absolute terms, it wasn’t that there were many people today, but because he had grown accustomed to a situation where there were practically no one, seeing just one or two people on the rooftop of the temporary tower—which was always empty—made him feel that it was crowded.

“People shouldn’t get so used to such luxury…”

Jeong Tae-ui shook his head and stepped outside the west wing. He thought he might head to the forest.

People mostly used only the horseback riding courses in the forest. He had never once encountered another person [Read [unauthorized copy]on [Read on Read BL Novels]Read BL Novels]on the well-maintained walking paths separated from those courses.

He figured there would be almost no one there today as well.

It wasn’t that he particularly disliked people, but when he wanted to rest, he couldn’t relax if he were in the same place as a stranger.

While heading toward the forest, the figures of a few people on horseback flickered at the edge of his vision, but it didn’t matter. The riding courses and the walking paths were separate anyway. Whether the riding courses were congested or not—though checking the number of missing horses in the stables suggested it wouldn’t be crowded enough to be a problem—was none of Jeong Tae-ui’s business.

Just as Jeong Tae-ui reached the entrance of the forest, intending to take a leisurely stroll…

He saw two people approaching via the path connected to the back of the main building.

Since this was a single path, he couldn’t hope for them to veer off elsewhere. In other words, they seemed to be intending to walk along the path as well.

This is the first time I’ve run into someone here. The path splits into several directions midway, so I can just take a different route, he thought as he looked toward them. Then, he let out a short, “Ah.”

It was Richard.

Wearing a comfortable cotton shirt and [stolen [unauthorized unauthorized copycopy]content]cotton pants, walking with a relaxed stride, he looked exactly like someone trying to rest by strolling through the forest on a rare holiday.

And beside him was someone he had never seen before.

She was a woman a head shorter than Richard.

He would have remembered her even if he had seen her in passing, but since he had absolutely no recollection of her, she didn’t seem to be a member of the bloodline residing at the Tarten estate.

…Ah. I see.

Jeong Tae-ui nodded.

Come to think of it, he recalled hearing vaguely that Richard had someone he was dating. He had heard through the grapevine in the dining hall that she was a small and lovely woman.

Jeong Tae-ui looked at her with fresh eyes.

Just as the rumors said, she was a woman with a small and cute impression. Her eyes were just like a deer’s. She had a fragile and delicate look, as if tears would stream down if one were to lightly poke her cheek. However, the expression she wore while smiling shyly beside Richard was very sweet and lovely.

Like a piece of candy, he suddenly thought.

It felt as though she would melt away if put in one’s mouth, leaving behind only a sweet lingering aftertaste.

As Jeong Tae-ui stared at her, she must have felt his gaze, for she lifted her head.

Upon making eye contact with Jeong Tae-ui, her eyes widened in surprise, and she stepped back slightly behind Richard, whispering something in his ear. Then, he looked this way.

“Ah… Mr. Kim Young-soo.”

Richard’s eyes widened for a moment in surprise upon seeing Jeong Tae-ui, but he soon smiled calmly and raised his hand.

Jeong Tae-ui, who had been debating whether to enter the walking path first, had no choice but to stand there and wait for them, giving a slight nod and raising his hand.

Richard approached Jeong Tae-ui immediately. The woman followed closely behind him, hesitating shyly.

Looking at them like this, they were a truly well-matched pair.

A tall, genial, and handsome man, and a lovely, beautiful woman like a piece of candy.

Suddenly, a bitterness rose in his chest.

Of the two people others placed in a competitive framework, one had a beautiful lover like that, a handsome son, and immense wealth and power that would eventually fall into his hands.

Meanwhile, the other had a touch-aversion that made dreaming of a lover impossible, was a pure virgin who seemed to have never even attempted to make a son, let alone have one, and even had a massive debt to repay to the household.

Could they be this contrasting?

“Christoph. Emotionally, I’m on your side.”

While muttering to himself, Jeong Tae-ui gave a bright smile to Richard, who had come close.

“I see you’re resting since it’s a holiday. Is this the person you’re dating?”

Jeong Tae-ui asked Richard while giving a friendly nod of greeting to the woman. Richard smiled and nodded.

“Are you here for a stroll? Usually, people Read on Read BL [unauthorized copy]NovelsEND: Read on Read BL Novels -->ride horses more because the riding courses are more beautifully groomed… Why don’t you take a horse from the stables and look around?”

“Ah… I can’t ride horses,” Jeong Tae-ui said awkwardly, scratching his head.

Richard nodded, and perhaps thinking that Jeong Tae-ui had rarely been here, he explained the walking paths.

“The walking paths are divided into four main branches. Each branch has a few side paths, but basically, there are four. If you like water, take the furthest right path at the first fork; you can follow the stream up and then come back… Ah, come to think of it, this isn’t your first time. It’s been quite a while since you arrived here.”

Richard was explaining kindly when he suddenly stopped and asked Jeong Tae-ui.

“Yes, I’ve come occasionally. But I still don’t know the paths very well… thank you for the information. …Come to think of it, you’re on a date, so I shouldn’t disturb you. Which way are you heading?”

To the woman, who stood almost hidden behind Richard as if she were extremely shy, not even lifting her flushed face, Jeong Tae-ui intentionally avoided looking at her, fearing he might make her uncomfortable.

After asking for Richard’s destination, he quickly said his goodbyes and left the spot.

Let’s see, he said they were taking the middle-left path. Then I’ll go right. The stream sounds good.

Without looking back once, Jeong Tae-ui unauthorized [stolen content][stolen content]copywalked steadily and turned into the furthest right path at the first fork.

He had been this way a couple of times before. As Richard said, if he walked for about ten minutes along this path, a small stream would appear to the right.

After walking a few steps, Jeong Tae-ui retied his shoelaces under an oak tree that had grown to almost block the middle of the path. Glancing back, he saw the two people—who were following much slower than him to match the woman’s pace—turn into a different walking path, just as Richard had said.

“What a well-matched pair. It’s quite nice to see.”

Jeong Tae-ui sighed, watching the two from a distance as they flickered between the trees and then vanished from sight. Then, he stepped forward.

The woman had a very gentle impression. Like a frightened piece of cotton candy.

“I see… So Richard liked women like that.”

Everyone’s preferred type is slightly different, but it seemed that man liked the cute and lovely type. Though the feeling was slightly different, she overlapped with Xinlu in his mind. Based on that, he wondered if his tastes were similar to Richard’s. Despite the polar opposite difference in gender.

“…”

Come to think of it, when was it? It wasn’t that long ago.

While resting on the rooftop of the temporary tower, he had happened to run into Ilay—since the structure was open on all sides, there was a high probability Ilay had known he was there before coming up.

After staring for a while at Jeong Tae-ui, who was lying and rolling around on the smooth, polished marble floor, Ilay had suddenly muttered something.

‘Well… fine, if it’s Chris. With that face, there’s no way you’d be bewitched, so it doesn’t really matter if he’s by your side.’

Since it was spoken in a tone of talking to himself, there was no need to answer, but Jeong Tae-ui, who was lying with his head toward Ilay, tilted his head while staring blankly at the upside-down Ilay sitting above him.

Of course, he wouldn’t be bewitched—beyond the face, that personality left too strong an impression—but to say there was no way he’d be bewitched by that face. A face like that was actually enough to bewitch anyone.

‘Strange… I thought his aesthetic sense was similar to ordinary people… I thought Christoph’s face was incredibly magnificent.’

‘Yeah, the face is certainly a masterpiece. In the mobile task force back in the day, there was a joke that if you got used to that guy’s face, your standards would get too high and you’d be in trouble when trying to find a lover later.’

‘Right, a face like that deserves to bewitch people.’

‘But that face isn’t your type.’

Ilay had said it nonchalantly. Jeong Tae-ui stared up at him blankly for a moment before muttering.

‘It’s not. I also think Christoph’s face is beautiful.’

As Jeong Tae-ui mumbled, adding that his aesthetic sense was also at a general level, Ilay—who had been picking up and fiddling with a cube that children seemed to have forgotten on the table—threw the plastic toy.

Jeong Tae-ui narrowly caught the square plastic lump flying precisely toward his face.

‘But the face you like is one like Xinlu’s. A cute impression with a lot of aegyo, right? A face like a piece of candy. Wasn’t that what you liked?’

Jeong Tae-ui, who had been scrambling the cube he had perfectly aligned on all six sides, looked at Ilay at those words.

‘…Now that you mention it, that’s true.’

He had forgotten for a long time.

After it became useless and irrelevant to consider his preferences, he had hardly thought about it.

Now that he thought about it, Jeong Tae-ui had originally liked pretty people who were small and cute enough to fit in one’s arms. That’s why he had been almost obsessed when he first met Xinlu.

It seemed that the type he liked wasn’t necessarily the person he was destined to live with for a long time.

It was a true statement; even ten years ago, Jeong Tae-ui had never dreamed in his wildest fantasies that he would live with a ferocious killer rumored to be a lunatic. Whenever he heard news that an escaped murderer had been apprehended at his lover’s house, he would feel pity, thinking, ‘Yeah, he probably treated that woman well, but what was she thinking living with him?’

This is why one shouldn’t speak carelessly about others. If he had known he would end up in this situation, he would never have said such things.

Jeong Tae-ui looked at the man sitting above him, who appeared clean-cut and strikingly handsome on the outside. He felt somewhat complicated.

Whether he knew of Jeong Tae-ui’s state of mind or not, Ilay caught the cube that Jeong Tae-ui had thrown back with one hand, flipped it, and began to rotate it skillfully without hesitation.

‘If I hadn’t known that was your type, I wouldn’t have left you beside a guy like Christoph.’

Ilay spoke casually. Watching the cube he had painstakingly scrambled slowly find its form again, Jeong Tae-ui nodded, thinking, Well, that’s true. If someone like Christoph were by one’s side, it would be easy for one’s head to spin.

‘But even if my type had been a face like Christoph’s…’

Jeong Tae-ui muttered while looking up at the deep blue sky spread before him, then fell silent. Ilay, who had already almost finished the cube in that short time right above his head, glanced at Jeong Tae-ui but didn’t bother to ask for the rest of the sentence.

‘Well, life flows according to its course. Whatever will be, will be, Que Sera Sera…’

Jeong Tae-ui rambled on. Meanwhile, he thought.

Even if a person with a face that perfectly matched his taste appeared before him now, what would it matter? He and they had no shared time built up together.

“…True… but if a face like Christoph’s had been my type, I might have been a bit tempted in a situation where I face him every day.”

Jeong Tae-ui muttered, patting his chest.

Only after muttering unconsciously did he flinch and look around.

There was no way anyone would be listening on the secluded walking path in the forest where no one was around, yet he looked back once for no reason and quickened his pace.

As Richard said, after walking a short distance, a small stream appeared on the right.

Across that stream—which a person of average height could barely cross without getting their clothes wet if they rolled up their pant legs to their thighs—this side was the forest with the walking paths and riding courses connected to the west wing, and the other side was a natural forest connected to the mountain range that had not been groomed for walking.

Natural forests have their own charm, Jeong Tae-ui thought, remembering when he had crossed that stream previously, only to have to turn back after a few steps because of the dense and thick thorn bushes growing between the oak trees.

There is always a reason why people don’t take certain paths.

No longer longing for the other side of the stream, Jeong Tae-ui this time looked at the stream with longing.

When he had crossed it before to go over there, the sun wasn’t beating down as hot as today, so the water was cold. Naturally, he hadn’t thought of swimming.

But today, it was so hot that he could feel the sunlight far above his head even inside the forest. Only the occasional breeze cooled the woods.

“A stream of this size is perfect for swimming. …The people of Tarten wouldn’t even need to go far; it would be perfect to vacation here on a day like today. …Since the weather is hot…”

Jeong Tae-ui looked at the stream longingly from the side of the densely wooded forest and nodded. He decided to give up on the stroll.

Strolling could be done on cloudy days, or even on rainy days with an umbrella if [visit Read Read on Read BL Novelson Read BL Novelsour site]desired, but swimming couldn’t be done unless the weather was hot like this, as the water would be too cold.

He stepped out from the shade of the trees.

On both sides of the stream, pebbles rounded by the current from upstream were piled up.

Jeong Tae-ui looked around once out of courtesy to check if anyone was there—though in truth, he wouldn’t have cared much even if someone were—and then whipped off his top. After a moment’s hesitation regarding the bottom, he decided to take off only his pants and enter in his underwear. His plan was to take off his underwear and put only his pants back on when returning.

He placed his clothes on a rock that had been warmed by the sun and dove into the water.

It was cold.

Perhaps because it was water coming down from the mountain, it should have been warmed by such hot sun, but it rubbed against his skin as cold as ice.

“Ugh… someone with a weak heart couldn’t get in here.”

Even as he muttered that, Jeong Tae-ui dove into the water once more. He sank his body close to the bottom of the stream, letting himself be fully submerged down to every strand of hair. The water wasn’t deep, but it was enough to lie his body in.

Suddenly, he felt great.

He had swum plenty of times in Berlin. Just as there was one next to the Tarten annex, there was a pool at his house in Berlin. It was wide enough for several people to swim together.

But how long had it been since he had immersed himself in water flowing through a forest or mountain like this? He couldn’t even remember.

In terms of environment, water temperature, and water quality, the pool at home was incomparably better, but the feeling of swimming uncomfortably in such a shallow stream was special.

He felt good.

As he often did when playing in streams as a child, Jeong Tae-ui dove, pressing his belly close to the stream bed. It wasn’t deep enough to truly call it diving, but the feeling of his body being completely submerged in water was pleasant. Turning his body and opening his eyes to look up at the surface through a blurred vision was equally wonderful.

Maybe I should suggest going to the beach for vacation next time.

He thought this, recalling Kyle, who took his family on vacation once a year.

While rolling and playing in the water like that, he soon ran out of breath.

Jeong Tae-ui poked his head out of the water. Phew, he spat out a few drops Read on Read BL Novelsof Read on Read BL Novelswater that had entered his mouth and stood up, the stinging sun warming his body from above.

“Ugh… it would be so great if the water were just a little warmer. …Hm?”

Jeong Tae-ui suddenly turned his head, thinking he had seen something flicker in the corner of his vision that he hadn’t noticed until just before entering the water. And upon confirming what it was, he was momentarily speechless.

A horse. A horse. A white horse.

Looking at it up close, the white horse looked even larger, standing right next to the rock where Jeong Tae-ui had left his clothes, looking down at him.

“…”

And a moment later, further downstream, he spotted Christoph perched on a large boulder by the creek. Today, that white riding outfit looked exceptionally hot.

“Chris—”

“Sit.”

“What?”

The moment he opened his mouth to speak, Christoph spoke up with a slight frown. Jeong Tae-ui stared at him blankly for a moment.

“Sit where?”

“In the water.”

“…Why?”

“Because your wet underwear is clinging to your body, and I’m currently seeing things I shouldn’t be seeing.”

Jeong Tae-ui, who not too long ago had been inwardly pleased while looking at himself in the shower, thinking, ‘This is probably enough…’, quietly bent his body and crouched down in the water before that cold gaze.

“…It’s cold.”

“Then turn around and stand.”

With only his head above the water, Jeong Tae-ui looked pitifully at the beautiful young man who spoke nonchalantly our site-->unauthorized copywithout changing his expression.

“I have a great idea… how about we just keep going on our way? Besides, this isn’t even a riding course. Why are you here?”

“This is a path I always take. Additionally, this is where I always take a break.”

“But this isn’t a riding course!”

“I don’t usually follow the courses. I hate accidentally brushing past other people.”

Jeong Tae-ui shut his mouth with a mumble, dipping even his lips into the creek.

Christoph stood up abruptly and approached the horse resting beside a boulder shaded by the thick branches of an oak tree. He took some kind of snack out of a small pouch attached to the saddle and placed it on his palm, and the horse pushed its nose into his hand. His other hand stroked the horse’s mane.

It was a truly heartwarming sight… but he was cold.

He hadn’t thought much of it while he was completely submerged, but now that he was conscious of it, the water felt like ice water.

Just then, Christoph let out a quiet sigh, looked up [Read visit our siteon Read BL Novels]at the sky, and wiped the area around his forehead beneath his hat with his fingertips.

…Ah.

“Christoph. Christoph.”

Jeong Tae-ui called him familiarly. The man, who had been wiping away a bit of perspiration, looked back curiously. Jeong Tae-ui gave him a very intimate smile.

“I just thought of another great idea. How about you dip your body in to cool off too? It’s really nice.”

At that, Christoph snorted with a look of disbelief.

Tsk. I guess not.

Jeong Tae-ui submerged himself again up to just below his nose.

However, it seemed the idea hadn’t been entirely absent from Christoph’s mind.

Christoph seemed to fall into thought for a moment before asking Jeong Tae-ui.

“Is it good?”

“Huh?”

“I asked if it feels good to have your body dipped in like that.”

“Eh? Yeah, it’s refreshing. Though it gets cold if you stay in too long.”

Feeling that he couldn’t take it anymore, Jeong Tae-ui slowly raised his body. Even just exposing himself from the waist up made him feel significantly warmer.

Christoph seemed to sink back into thought. He glanced at the horse and lightly tapped its bridge of the nose, as if telling it to wait a moment.

Then, approaching the water’s edge, he began to strip off his riding gear next to the boulder where Jeong Tae-ui had left his clothes.

He took off his hat first, then his gloves, followed by the stifling-looking outer jacket, and then he removed his boots and set them aside. After taking off the trousers, which looked uncomfortable, came the final piece: a spotless white shirt.

Jeong Tae-ui, who had been watching Christoph without much thought, [[stolen content]unauthorized copyclass="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">visit our site]found his gaze stolen involuntarily.

Wearing only his underwear, Christoph finally unfastened his watch, placed it atop his neatly folded clothes, and approached Jeong Tae-ui.

“Wow… a statue is walking… Unnie, you’re gorgeous…”

Jeong Tae-ui muttered with only half of his mouth submerged in the water. The words, leaking out with bubbles, didn’t seem clear enough for Christoph to understand. He intentionally slurred his pronunciation, fearing he might die if he were understood.

As Christoph stepped into the creek with a splashing sound, he paused for a moment with the water only up to his shins, perhaps finding it colder than expected. In front of him, Jeong Tae-ui, to be honest, didn’t know where to look.

He had occasionally thought that the man’s looks were enough to take one’s breath away, but now that he was stripped, that appearance created a synergy that possessed an immense power.

His long, lean body was somewhat slender, but it balanced perfectly with the softly curving lines of his frame.

Jeong Tae-ui had a stray thought that if one were to apply a thin layer of plaster to that body and take a photo, a statue would be born right then and there. Eventually, he looked up at Christoph, who had begun to approach him again, having grown accustomed to the temperature of the water.

“Your lips are blue.”

At Christoph’s sudden remark, Jeong Tae-ui finally visit our sitebecame [stolen content]aware of the cold again. Now that he looked, his fingernails were also bluish.

“Can I… get up…?”

When Jeong Tae-ui asked hesitantly, Christoph remained silent for a moment, then nodded, as if his heart had grown more generous after entering the water himself.

Jeong Tae-ui stood up and climbed onto a boulder that jutted out in the middle of the creek, a few steps away. The water streaming down his body quickly soaked the rock, but the hot sun dried it just as fast.

As if they had swapped positions, it was Christoph’s turn to submerge himself in the water.

Since the depth didn’t even reach the waist, everything was clearly visible from the outside even if he fully immersed himself, but Jeong Tae-ui knew that such things didn’t matter to the person in the water. Only the sensation of the water enveloping the entire body remained.

“…”

Jeong Tae-ui sat with one knee raised and his arm resting on it, watching Christoph’s submerged back. His pale back shimmered in the water. His straight legs looked as smooth as silk. Involuntarily, Jeong Tae-ui’s mouth watered.

Then, startled, he flinched and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand for no reason.

“…Gasp. No, I can’t. He’s not my rice cake, so I shouldn’t covet him.”

Come to think of it, Ilay had said it. That if Christoph were the kind of person who fit Jeong Tae-ui’s taste, he would never have left him by his side.

Jeong Tae-ui nodded, patting his unnecessarily pounding heart.

Even though he wasn’t my type, my mind goes blank like this in moments like these; it’s a relief he’s really not my type. Otherwise, I feel like I would have fainted by now and been floating downstream.

While Jeong Tae-ui was patting his chest, Christoph stood up from the water. Now that he was drenched, his platinum blonde hair cast a slightly deeper shadow. Perhaps because of the water, his blue eyes seemed to shimmer.

What is wrong with me? Get a grip. I’m not some young scholar being bewitched by a fox spirit.

“Is Rick your lover?”

However, Jeong Tae-ui, who had been composing himself, soon found there was no need. An unexpected question had flown in, erasing all other thoughts from his head.

“…Huh?”

When Jeong Tae-ui asked back blankly, Christoph remained silent. With his head slightly lowered and his mouth tightly shut, he looked, stolen content-->Read on Read BL [unauthorized copy]Novelsin one sense, lost in thought, and in another, angry.

But he had just enjoyed a refreshing dip in the water, so there was no reason for him to be angry.

Jeong Tae-ui scratched his wet hair. Water droplets clinging to the ends of his hair flowed down his hand.

“With Rick… have you already gone to a deep relationship?”

The question Christoph asked after a long silence once again stripped away Jeong Tae-ui’s other thoughts.

Jeong Tae-ui could only ask “Huh?” blankly again.

Suddenly, a question sprang up in a corner of his mind: what exactly did a ‘deep relationship’ mean to this man, who viewed relationships between men as being very platonic?

“How far do you have to go for it to be a deep relationship?”

“…You’ve kissed, right?”

He asked with such a serious face that it felt like something terrible would happen if he didn’t [Read on Read BL Novels]Read on Read BL Novels -->answer. Even in his confusion, [unauthorized copy]Jeong Tae-ui became serious along with him.

“Yeah.”

The moment Jeong Tae-ui answered, Christoph’s expression suddenly became fiercer. For a moment, even the gaze he cast upon Jeong Tae-ui was venomous.

At that moment, a thought flashed through Jeong Tae-ui’s mind like a bolt of lightning.

Right, come to think of it, this man had known Ilay since they were very young. Whether they admitted it or not, weren’t they childhood friends? They had even gone through harrowing experiences together in the same mobile task force. If so, there was no reason it would be strange if feelings beyond friendship had developed in the process.

Jeong Tae-ui’s expression became even more solemn.

“Chris. Do you perhaps…”

He couldn’t bring himself to ask, ‘Do you have feelings for Ilay?’ because the moment he started to, Christoph’s expression became even more desolate.

Wow. It must be true.

Jeong Tae-ui felt dazed, as if he had been lightly hit on the head.

Several years had passed since he met Ilay and entered into their complicated relationship, and while Ilay Riegrow was a man who looked perfectly fine on the outside, he had never once imagined him fighting with someone over him. Not that Ilay had the personality to fight like that, but more so because he hadn’t thought there would be such an incredible human being who would step forward to claim him.

Because it was so unexpected, he didn’t feel particularly bad or flustered.

Now that I think about it, if this guy is my competitor, I’m at a huge disadvantage. Looks, ability, wealth—there’s nothing I can compete with… No. It’s a bit awkward to say this myself, but my personality is better than theirs. Definitely.

While Jeong Tae-ui, having lost his sense of reality, was lost in thought, Christoph, who had been standing before him with a heavy face, hesitated for a long time before asking again.

“Then, do you sleep in one bed too?”

“…Yeah. Not always, but.”

Jeong Tae-ui answered, wondering if he was doing something cruel to Christoph. At that, Christoph’s complexion stiffened slightly.

Well, among other things, sleeping in the same bed would be a bit much for someone with haphephobia.

He felt a bit sorry for Christoph.

Christoph fell silent again. Then, as if he were angry, he submerged himself back into the water without a word.

In the process, Jeong Tae-ui sat perched on the boulder, taking a direct hit of splashing water to his face.

“…”

He was bewildered.

Once Christoph disappeared from sight, his sense of reality slowly returned, and he became flustered.

If Christoph likes Ilay.

“Would it be too rude to call it a catastrophe… then a disaster…”

Jeong Tae-ui muttered, rubbing the goosebumps on his arms. As he did, he thought about Christoph and Ilay.

“…They might actually suit each other in their own way…”

He could imagine the visual aspect immediately.

Visually, they seemed like they would fit quite well. After all, both had appearances that betrayed their inner selves. A man who was just the right amount of sturdy and a man who was just the right amount of lithe. Their faces, too—it was very good.

Personality. Personality was…

“I think there was a research result saying that people who are similar live better together… Then they’d get along great.”

Adding that he would never want to live anywhere near them, Jeong Tae-ui rubbed his chilled forearms again.

Then, rubbing his chin, Jeong Tae-ui nodded.

“Yeah, now that I think about it, they suit each other. Their families get along well, so that’s perfect. And they said they used to work in the same place. …Wow. It would be hard to piece together two people who fit that well.”

As he ticked them off one by one, they really were an ideal pair.

Though the back of his neck kept feeling chilly, they were, regardless, quite ideal.

Jeong Tae-ui looked down at Christoph, who was lying flat and stretching out in the water.

What on earth am I supposed to say in this situation…

No answer came even after he scratched his head vigorously.

While he was agonizing over a solution to break this situation, Christoph rose from the water again.

He still had a serious face. Now, he glared at Jeong Tae-ui openly, took a deep breath, and asked coldly.

“Then, … …masturbation.”

Jeong Tae-ui didn’t understand the words at first, which were asked with a fierce face and an imposing air, as if he had made a great resolution.

Masturbation, what was masturbation again? After thinking for a few seconds, the meaning of the word finally surfaced in Jeong Tae-ui’s mind.

Jeong Tae-ui was momentarily speechless.

I mean, it’s not that he couldn’t answer, but, how should I put this…

He wanted to gloss over it and move on, but Christoph, standing firm in front of him, showed no sign of backing down. Left with no choice, Jeong Tae-ui spoke reluctantly.

“…Yeah.”

Did we only do masturbation? We did almost everything that involves the word ‘lust,’ including oral. Who knows. He might ask if I’ve tried oral next.

Jeong Tae-ui waited, braced for it, but it seemed that was the limit for Christoph, who firmly believed in platonic relationships between men.

His complexion suddenly turned cold, and he shut his mouth.

“…”

“…”

And in the next moment, Christoph went back into the water.

Jeong Tae-ui remained sitting blankly on the boulder, breaking into a cold sweat.

Now the back of his neck felt hot. He wanted to get off the rock and go into the water, but he was too scared to enter. He felt that if he even dipped a toe in, a hand full of resentment would immediately press down on his head.

I wish someone would save me from this situation…

It was then, as Jeong Tae-ui prayed desperately.

From an unexpected place, an unexpected lifeline descended.

“…Ah. We see each other often today.”

Between the lush oak trees upstream, a man revealed himself. He seemed surprised to find Jeong Tae-ui, but soon smiled as if it were nothing. The shy young lady following behind him turned bright red upon seeing the half-naked Jeong Tae-ui and hid behind his back again.

“Ah… I see.”

Jeong Tae-ui gave a slight bow and smiled ambiguously.

Wait… I desperately hoped for a lifeline to help me in this situation, but it feels like a rotten rope has come down…

It was Richard and his lover, who had clearly taken a different walking path earlier.

“She said she was tired and hot halfway through, so we took a detour to dip our feet in the water for a bit; I didn’t know you were already here. The water must be cold; was it alright to immerse your whole body?”

Richard approached with a kind smile.

However, as he approached Jeong Tae-ui, he suddenly changed his expression and stopped in his tracks.

It was because he saw the white horse standing under the shade of a tree a short distance away, and a set of white riding clothes neatly placed on the boulder beside it.

“This…”

But before he could even speak.

Between Richard and Jeong Tae-ui, in stolen contentBL Novels]END: stolen content -->the creek closer to Jeong Tae-ui, a figure rose abruptly, splashing water.

Jeong Tae-ui muttered, “Uh, uh,” and shifted his gaze from Richard to Christoph.

Standing facing Jeong Tae-ui, Christoph let out a long sigh and swept back the hair covering his forehead and cheeks. Water droplets flowed down his white body, drawing lines. From his face to the tip of his chin, down his neck to his chest, and then to his stomach.

Blinking eyelashes that held water droplets like grains of sand, he looked down at Jeong Tae-ui as if he had decided something.

“Is there a reason it has to be that guy?”

The voice asking Jeong Tae-ui first was colder than usual. Sweeping away the hair clinging to the nape of his neck as if it were a nuisance, he took a step toward Jeong Tae-ui.

As he walked, wrinkles formed over the underwear, which looked more erotic than if he hadn’t been wearing it because it was drenched in water.

Looking at the long, lean limbs and the snow-white skin covering his bare body, Jeong Tae-ui somehow became anxious.

Jeong Tae-ui glanced at Richard over Christoph’s shoulder.

The smile had vanished completely from Richard’s face, and he was looking this way with an expressionless face that revealed stolen [Read on Read BL Novels]contentno emotion. It was as if he had frozen in place. Behind him, the candy-like woman was shrugging her shoulders, staring this way with vacant eyes.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s not that guy. Why does it have to be that guy—”

Christoph spoke again and took another step toward Jeong Tae-ui. However, he suddenly seemed to realize that Jeong Tae-ui’s gaze was shifting past his shoulder.

Christoph turned around curiously.

And Jeong Tae-ui could clearly see his back stiffen slightly.

The smoothly protruding shoulder blades became more distinct. The groove of his waist deepened, and his hips—where the underwear no longer served a purpose—and the straight legs below them stiffened.

As if ice water had been poured over them, a silence fell between them for a moment. No one spoke, and no one moved. They simply stared at each other with expressionless faces.

The first one to break that silence was Jeong Tae-ui.

“Hmm,” he said, rubbing his cheek as if troubled.

“To think we’d all run Read on Read BL [visit our site]Novelsinto each other here by chance. I stolen contentguess this spot really is a good place to take a break.”

Despite Jeong Tae-ui’s words, no one spoke for a while.

Eventually, Christoph’s shoulders seemed to tremble slightly. It was as if the tremors from being submerged in the cold water were only hitting him now; he shivered faintly, shaking the water off his shoulders.

He cast a glance at his horse and his clothes. A low click of the tongue and the sound of him muttering some curses could be heard.

Christoph slowly stepped out of the stream. With every step he took, droplets of water trailed behind him.

Richard was standing a few paces away from the rock where the clothes had been placed. His expressionless gaze was fixed on Christoph.

Once he reached that spot, Christoph reached into the saddlebag and pulled out a sports towel. Without even glancing at Richard, he silently dried himself.

Richard did not take his eyes off him. With eyes sunk cold, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking, he watched every single one of Christoph’s slow movements. Then, he suddenly muttered in a voice that bordered on a sneer.

“I suppose you prefer a stream like this over a proper pool. Unexpected. I’ve never seen you enter a pool, so I thought you couldn’t swim, but it seems you’re capable enough to splash around in a place like this.”

At those words, the hand wiping up his leg with the towel seemed Read [Read on Read BL Novels]on Read BL Novelsto pause for a moment. However, Christoph continued drying himself as if nothing had happened. He then added a short remark.

“I’d rather never swim for the rest of my life than enter a pool you’ve dipped your body in.”

After finishing, Christoph roughly shoved the towel back into the saddlebag. The way he gathered and put on his clothes seemed fueled by anger.

Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue, thinking the atmosphere was quite awkward, and stood up. He crossed the stream and stepped onto the bank. Wet footprints left a splashing trail over the pebbles dried crisp by the sun.

“Christoph. Let me borrow your towel. I have nothing to dry off with. …Richard, I think the lady over there has been waiting for a while…”

Stepping subtly between the two and holding out his hand to Christoph, Jeong Tae-ui gestured with his chin toward the woman standing behind Richard.

The atmosphere became subtle once again.

However, perhaps thinking it wasn’t wise to argue in this setting, Richard whispered something to the woman and stepped back. Christoph also didn’t bother to keep picking at him.

“I thought about resting here, but I’ll have to postpone it for next time. Well then, I hope you have a pleasant walk.”

Richard gave Jeong Tae-ui a polite greeting and withdrew. Just before turning [stolen contentclass="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">visit our site]away, his cold eyes swept over Christoph once, but that was all. He disappeared between the oak trees with the woman, soon vanishing from their sight.

When the sound of footsteps treading on the grass grew distant and finally faded, Christoph, who had been buttoning his shirt, suddenly let out a harsh curse.

“Dammit!!”

“…Calm down. It was just a chance encounter. It’s not like he hit you; you can just let it go.”

Jeong Tae-ui, who roughly wiped the moisture from his body with the towel he received from Christoph, muttered as if to comfort him while forcing his clothes on—which were stiff and difficult to put on because his body wasn’t fully dry yet.

“I hate standing before others in a defenseless state more than anything! Especially in front of that bastard!”

Christoph shouted as if boiling over with rage. As he picked up his hat, he gripped it so hard in his fist that the shape of the hat became crumpled.

“Defenseless…”

“Yes, defenseless. If that guy had pointed a gun at me in that state, I would have been completely helpless.”

Christoph clicked his tongue and muttered another curse.

Thinking of his personality—how he loathed showing any weakness in any situation—Jeong Tae-ui scanned him, who was now almost fully dressed. Then, he looked down at himself, who had barely managed to get one leg into his pants—and even then, he hadn’t fastened the button.

“By that logic, if you pointed a gun at me right now, I’d be completely helpless.”

Jeong Tae-ui muttered nonchalantly. Christoph arched an eyebrow in disapproval.

“Why would I point a gun at you?”

Jeong Tae-ui was about to say, By that logic, why would Richard point a gun at you? but he shut his mouth. Thinking back to that gaze from earlier, he felt for a moment that Richard actually might have pointed a gun. It was a gaze that gleamed eerily, as if he wanted to devour a person whole.

Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head and clicked his tongue. Then he looked at Christoph, who was waiting for an answer.

“Who knows if you’d suddenly want to get rid of a competitor.”

He realized his mistake as soon as he said it, but the words had already left his mouth.

Christoph looked at Jeong Tae-ui with a puzzled expression.

“Competitor?”

“…I mean, Ilay.”

Jeong Tae-ui spoke awkwardly and smacked his lips bitterly.

For some reason, he felt very strange. Until now, Jeong Tae-ui had never, not even for a second, dreamed that a situation would arise where he would have to compete with someone over Ilay.

At the mention of Ilay’s name, Christoph’s expression sank. He remained silent, staring intently at Jeong Tae-ui.

Now, what to do about this.

Jeong Tae-ui just stood there blankly, unable to answer in a situation he had never anticipated.

But thinking about it, in a situation like this, the conversation could only be resolved if Ilay himself, the person in the middle, were present. No matter how much those on the sidelines chattered, the one to draw the conclusion was the party involved.

“Then, let’s go to Ilay and—”

“I want to kill Ilay, so why would I point a gun at you?”

Just as Jeong Tae-ui sighed and opened his mouth, Christoph, who had been lost in thought with a serious face, asked because he genuinely didn’t understand.

Jeong Tae-ui fell silent again for a moment. He simply blinked.

It was the moment he thought, Uh…

Right after he thought, Wait, something isn’t adding up, the flow of the conversation was reconstructed in his mind.

“…Chris. I’m really sorry if I’m wrong, and I’m just asking just in case—I’m a bit delusional, so you can just ignore this and let it slide, but…”

After laying out a long string of caveats, Jeong Tae-ui fell silent. Then, with an extremely serious face, he asked.

“By any chance, is the person you have feelings for… me?”