By Zephyria 
114
Ho-eun, who had unconsciously raised his arm to wrap it around Tae-muk’s neck, awkwardly lowered it again.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I was trying to wait patiently.”
“Yes?”
“Aren’t you going to pay me for what I taught you?”
“……Pay?”
“Yes. Pay.”
“……”
Ho-eun stared blankly up at Tae-muk without blinking. Then he asked cautiously.
“Are you… asking for money? What to do? I don’t have any right now…”
Tae-muk was a general, and he probably received a lot of stipend, but there was no guarantee he wouldn’t be greedy for money. He wondered if it was appropriate to exchange money between the God of War and his Bondmate, but then again, if they were master and disciple, it might not be impossible. But if they were proper master and disciple, exchanging wealth would be against etiquette – he was thinking that far.
Tae-muk’s face contorted.
“You, you think I look like a beggar? Enough to ask you for money?”
At the violent reaction, Ho-eun’s face brightened instead. It was a relief that Tae-muk didn’t want money. He shook his head and said.
“No. You said to pay, so that’s all I could think of. Then, is there something else you desire?”
“……”
But Tae-muk didn’t answer. He just stared at Ho-eun’s fair face, then scanned his body from top to bottom, very slowly. Ho-eun received the gaze with a defenseless expression.
“……”
“……”
Silence flowed. Then, at some point, Ho-eun also frowned all over his face. He realized what ‘pay’ Tae-muk was asking for. He took a step back and said in an angry voice.
“I’m not a courtesan! Don’t put a price on my body!”
“……”
Tae-muk just raised one eyebrow. He hadn’t expected much anyway. He was a young master who had grown up upright and proper all his life, so what could he expect?
Tsk, he clicked his tongue and reached out to Ho-eun. It wasn’t to take him as he pleased. It was just to return to the tent. But before Tae-muk’s fingertips could touch him, Ho-eun approached Tae-muk first. And.
Peck.
Something soft, moderately warm, and subtly moist touched and fell from Tae-muk’s chin. It was Ho-eun’s lips. Tae-muk looked at Ho-eun with an expression as if he had been hit in the back of the head, no, as if he had been struck by lightning.
“T-This isn’t pay, it’s, it’s a thank you.”
Ho-eun said that and bit his lower lip. Actually, he wanted to kiss Tae-muk’s lips, but the height difference was so great that no matter how much he stretched his feet, he couldn’t reach. It was too embarrassing to ask him to bend down a little, so he just rammed into him.
“……”
Tae-muk didn’t answer. He just stared at Ho-eun without blinking. Ho-eun, unbearably ashamed of the gaze, stammered out whatever came to mind.
“Ah, please continue to teach me a lot in the future. Then I’ll do, do something even better for you.”
At that, Tae-muk chuckled.
“So you’re not putting a price on yourself, but putting a price on me.”
At those words, Ho-eun’s eyes widened as if they would pop out. He shook his head. He waved his hands.
“Yes? That’s absurd! How could I dare to put a price on the General-.”
“So. What’s this ‘even better’ thing you’re going to do?”
“……Yes?”
“For example, sucking my cock-.”
“Aaaagh!”
At the appearance of ‘that word’ again, Ho-eun quickly covered his ears. He glared at Tae-muk, gathering all the strength in his face to bring his eyes, nose, and mouth to the center, and then suddenly started running into the forest. It seemed he didn’t want to be with Tae-muk, who used vulgar words and had no dignity, for even a moment.
Tae-muk chuckled. Ho-eun running away was like a squirrel startled by thunder. He couldn’t tell if the fluttering jade-colored Hair Tie was a Hair Tie or a tail.
Tae-muk, who had been laughing silently for a while, took a step. He thought he should catch the squirrel before it got lost in the forest. He was sure that he would run away on his own and then start crying when he reached a dark place.
Tae-muk, with his hands behind his back, leisurely followed the sound of Ho-eun.
He had only ever had to run in his life, so this was the first time he had ever taken a walk, and it was quite… enjoyable. He felt like he wanted to do it often in the future.
Just like now. With Ho-eun.