By Zephyria 
His tone was nonchalant, and his voice sounded calm. His heart beat just as it usually did. He tried calling out “Jun-young,” then “Kang-hee,” and then tried “Chi-young” again, but it was the same. It felt similar.
Jang Ui-geon nodded his head, thinking, Right, why would that be so difficult? as he walked. For some reason, he felt much better, and he even felt a slight surge of excitement.
If Jang Ui-geon were to suddenly call out “Chi-young,” how would Seo Chi-young react? He could practically see it: Chi-young would look at him with wide, blinking eyes, like a calf that had just swallowed a lump of dry feed. He would stare like that for a while, then stammer. With a bewildered look, he would probably mumble, “Uh… yes.” His face would surely change color slightly.
“Chi-young, Seo Chi-young.” Muttering as if practicing to himself, Jang Ui-geon hurried his steps toward the old shop visible in the distance. Today seemed to be a relatively busy day; Seo Chi-young was stirring something with a spatula in front of the cooking station, then setting it down to hurry back and forth between the refrigerator and the tables.
“I’m here. You look busy today.”
As Jang Ui-geon stepped under the eaves and greeted him, Seo Chi-young, who had just returned from the tables, gave him a bright, welcoming smile.
“You’re here? Please, have a seat.”
Watching Seo Chi-young set out barley tea and a cup before preparing to stir-fry the gopchang, Jang Ui-geon thought leisurely. When should I call him that? When will I get to see those wide, blinking eyes?
As Seo Chi-young poured oil onto the griddle, he met the eyes of Jang Ui-geon, who looked inexplicably happy. Though looking puzzled, he seemed to sense that Ui-geon had something to say and quietly waited, looking at him.
Right. Now. If I just smile calmly and quietly call him, “Chi-young…”
“……..”
“……?”
Beaming. Grinning. Facing Seo Chi-young, who was smiling without knowing why, Jang Ui-geon kept his smiling face but tilted his head inwardly.
Huh..?
“Chi…”
As Jang Ui-geon opened his mouth, Seo Chi-young gave him a round, expectant gaze, as if telling him to go on. Looking into those kind, dark eyes, his tongue suddenly froze.
“…..Mr. Young… uh, please give me a large portion today. I didn’t eat dinner, so I’m hungry.”
Having added the awkward remark, Jang Ui-geon gulped down the barley tea, not even realizing what he had just babbled. Seo Chi-young smiled naturally and replied, “Yes,” as he grabbed another handful of vegetables and chopped them in.
…This isn’t how it was supposed to go.
Biting the rim of the glass cup, Jang Ui-geon blinked. No, let’s try again. It’s nothing. Just be relaxed, like usual. Act natural. What’s wrong, Jang Ui-geon? Since when have you ever been nervous?
“Chi…”
“?”
“………Put in plenty of perilla leaves.”
“?? Yes, I’ll put in plenty.”
Seo Chi-young tilted his head, wondering why Jang Ui-geon was making so many specific requests today, but he smiled brightly and grabbed a generous handful of perilla leaves from the container.
This isn’t it. The smile finally vanished from Jang Ui-geon’s face as he bit the glass cup. He was slightly—no, quite—flustered. He couldn’t understand why he couldn’t get a simple name out from the tip of his tongue.
After that, he tried to say those simple words a few more times, but he failed every time, blocked by Seo Chi-young’s smiling eyes. He even managed to whisper “Chi-young” once while Seo Chi-young’s back was turned, but because his voice was too low, Seo Chi-young didn’t hear him properly and turned around, asking, “Yes? Did you call me?” Consequently, he mumbled, “…I’ll have a Coke, Mr. Young,” and ended up drinking a Coke he didn’t even like.
“…….”
Eating the gopchang in silence, Jang Ui-geon let out a hollow laugh, appalled by himself. Now he actually felt like laughing.
He had never been nervous anywhere. Even when Kwon Kang-hee brought along a string of middle-aged men who were living legends of violent organizations, or when he was surrounded by figures he’d only seen in newspapers and on TV at a company dinner with his father, Jang Ui-geon had always maintained a generous sense of composure, judging coldly and moving exactly as planned.
And yet.
To be so choked up over something so trivial—something that Yoon Jun-young or Kwon Kang-hee would tease him about for the rest of his life if they heard.
Jang Ui-geon stared blankly at Seo Chi-young, who was softly whispering about his day: “…so it was relatively quiet today, but it’s gotten crowded now that it’s evening. Still, the air cleared up after the rain, so I felt great all afternoon. Tomorrow morning, we’re doing pest control…” Sensing the gaze, Seo Chi-young suddenly looked up, tilted his head, and stopped talking.
“By the way, Mr. Ui-geon, uh, did something good happen today?”
“—Me? Why?”
“No, you just seem a bit excited… like you have something to say.”
Watching him smile shyly, adding, “Though it might just be my imagination,” Jang Ui-geon gave a lifeless smile.
I really can’t do this. I surrender. Total defeat. I’ll never win against this man. It was even stranger that he didn’t find it unpleasant to feel defeated while the other person didn’t even know it. On the contrary, it was almost pleasant.
“I didn’t realize it, but I guess I’m a very timid person.”
When Jang Ui-geon muttered this, Seo Chi-young made a very strange face. It was a look as if Jang Ui-geon had just confessed, “Actually, I’m an alien.” The way Seo Chi-young stared intently at him for a moment before hesitantly opening his mouth proved it.
“Did something happen today…?”
It was different from when he asked if something good had happened. His face had suddenly become serious. Seeing the immediate worry on Seo Chi-young’s face, Jang Ui-geon thought once more. See? I told you. I can’t win against this man.
“No. Nothing happened. ….Wait, Mr. Young, that’s too much. Stop putting more in.”
Jang Ui-geon quickly stopped Seo Chi-young, who was scattering gopchang all over the griddle. Watching Seo Chi-young say “Oh” and quickly push some of it to the edge of the griddle, Jang Ui-geon let out a laugh that sounded like a sigh.
Right. There will be another chance. Though maybe there won’t be.
Giving up on the day’s goal, Jang Ui-geon emptied his barley tea with a bittersweet feeling. Then, he stood up, saying he was going to the restroom. Entering the small, single-stall restroom equipped only with a sink and a toilet, Jang Ui-geon sighed while looking at the old but cleanly scrubbed walls. Then, he let out a hollow laugh.
“Good grief… this is ridiculous.”
Of all the things not to come out, why this?
“Chi-young. …Seo Chi-young. Chi-young, hey.”
Jang Ui-geon muttered it nonchalantly several times. It was just a name. A name he could call him comfortably and more intimately. It was truly absurd.
Laughing hollowly once more, he muttered, “Seo Chi-young. Chi-young. Hey, Chi-young,” and opened the restroom door.
However.
The door, opening from the narrow restroom, caught on something halfway. Someone must have been standing outside.
Startled, Jang Ui-geon pushed the door a bit more slowly, and he felt the person outside hesitantly step back. Finally, in front of the door opened wide enough for him to exit…
Seo Chi-young was standing there.
Without even blinking, his eyes wider than a calf’s.
“………”
“……..,did you call me?”
After staring at Jang Ui-geon in silence for a moment, Seo Chi-young spoke quietly. Jang Ui-geon also looked back at him in silence before replying naturally, “Ah, yes. Uh, there’s no toilet paper in the restroom.” At that moment, Jang Ui-geon cursed himself.
He had told himself no, but this was truly not it. If the restroom had been more old-fashioned, he would have felt like just disappearing. Truly pathetic, Jang Ui-geon.
And of all people, he had become completely pathetic in front of the one person he never wanted to look pathetic to. He even wondered why he had blamed the toilet paper when there was perfectly good paper right there.
As Jang Ui-geon stood there looking down at Seo Chi-young with a gloomy, closed mouth, Seo Chi-young nodded, saying, “Ah, toilet paper.”
“I’ll have to bring a new roll.”
“Toilet paper, where was the toilet paper?” Seo Chi-young muttered and left the restroom. Without checking inside, he walked away, leaving the toilet paper stacked in a neat row on the shelf right above the restroom door.
Feeling awkward and considering whether to just bang his head against the wall, Jang Ui-geon suddenly paused. The glimpse of Seo Chi-young’s face as he hurried away from the restroom seemed to be flushed red.
People who have stayed in one position for a long time have a different kind of seasoned authority. This is even more true for someone who has risen to a position where there is almost no one above them in their field.
Jang Ui-geon thought this as he politely greeted Kwon Kang-hee’s party as they left the restaurant after the dinner: “Thank you. I’ll see you again next time.” He remembered seeing that white-haired old man, who was walking out slowly, in the newspapers a long time ago when he was very young. He was a legend of the 70s and 80s.
After seeing off the old man—who had smiled like a friendly grandfather and politely remarked, “I enjoyed the meal. This is a very fine establishment”—and the other elderly men following him, Jang Ui-geon looked around the shop. Since they were the last customers of the day, business was now closed.
“Good work, everyone. Let’s clean up and head out.”
At Jang Ui-geon’s word, the employees scattered busily. Since the hall was already mostly tidy and only the room where the party had been needed cleaning, it would be over quickly. While Jang Ui-geon was checking the ledger for the last time, Kwon Kang-hee, who had seen them off to the parking lot, returned. Without stopping his hand from checking the ledger, Jang Ui-geon looked at him and smiled.
“To think I’d actually see the great Kwon Kang-hee playing the role of the youngest, cleaning up after others, huh?”
Kwon Kang-hee chuckled and pulled up a chair to sit. He planned to leave together once the shop was tidied. Today, Yoon Jun-young would also be eating gopchang at Seo Chi-young’s shop.
“The elders were praising the young CEO, saying he seems to have a lot of guts.”
“That’s kind of them to say.”
“I thought I was like that too, but thinking back, I don’t think I really am,” he muttered, but the words were drowned out by the sound of the calculator. Shortly after, the employees came out in a group after turning off the kitchen lights, and Jang Ui-geon closed the ledger and nodded to Kwon Kang-hee to leave.
Jang Ui-geon, who usually walked to Seo Chi-young’s shop on weekdays, took the wheel for Kwon Kang-hee, who had drunk enough to be affected, though not completely intoxicated.
“Jun-young is probably already eating.”
“Yeah. He said he promised Chi-young he’d be there by ten.”
“………”
Jang Ui-geon looked bleakly through the rearview mirror at Kwon Kang-hee, who was casually replying while fastening his seatbelt in the passenger seat.
After that day, when Jang Ui-geon had told Seo Chi-young, “I put the toilet paper on the restroom shelf,” nothing particular had happened. Seo Chi-young had been very flustered, mumbling, “Right, now that you mention it, it was there. My mind is just…” and had simply been more quiet for the rest of that day. They continued to meet every night as if nothing had happened.
However, whenever Jang Ui-geon called out “Mr. Young,” Seo Chi-young would flinch and reply, “Yes? Yes,” and his face would look inexplicably awkward, which in turn made Jang Ui-geon feel awkward.
He knew it was likely because Seo Chi-young had heard him muttering in the restroom, but… that reaction didn’t seem particularly welcoming. Rather than liking it, it felt more like he found it burdensome.
“……….”
Jang Ui-geon frowned as he parked the car anywhere near the market alley—somewhere where police occasionally patrolled for illegal parking even at night—and walked toward Seo Chi-young’s shop.
For some reason, he felt like his feelings were getting hurt. He felt like he was starting to drift. Meanwhile, those guys were calling him by his name without a care in the world.
“Oh, you’re here?”
Sure enough, Yoon Jun-young, who was chewing on gopchang and waving to them, was greeted by Jang Ui-geon, who cast his gaze into the shop.
“Yeah… where’s Mr. Young?”
“Chi-young? He’s just up ahead for a moment. He said he ran out of cabbage and went to buy some quickly.”
“Ah, I see.” Jang Ui-geon pulled out a chair and sat down. Kwon Kang-hee sat opposite him, with Yoon Jun-young in between, and tilted his head.
“Is there a vegetable shop open at this hour?”
“Yeah. I guess there’s one that stays open late. Chi-young said it’s his regular spot.”
“That guy usually prepares his ingredients exactly to the amount he needs. I wonder what happened.”
Listening silently to the conversation between Kwon Kang-hee and Yoon Jun-young, Jang Ui-geon decided that since he didn’t bring a car anyway, he might as well open a bottle of soju today. His mood was becoming increasingly bleak.
Chi-young, that guy… they’re sure playing well. Jang Ui-geon picked up a bottle of soju and filled his glass to the brim. However, the topic of Seo Chi-young ended there, and their trivial conversations continued.
How do those guys, who live together and see each other’s faces all the time, have so much to talk about? As the saying goes, “when one is hated, ten are hated,” the now-bleak Jang Ui-geon looked at them with unkind eyes.
…Why only me.
That thought surfaced again.
“Hey, by the way.”
When Jang Ui-geon spoke, the two who had been whispering quietly turned to him with a “Huh?” Jang Ui-geon paused for a moment before asking.
“How was it when you first started speaking informally?”
“Huh? Speaking? We’ve spoken informally from the start.”
“No, I mean with Mr. Young…”
Seeing the two look at each other blankly, Jang Ui-geon finally asked, his eyes tightening with a surge of emotion. He knew, having been there, that the two of them had spoken informally from the moment they first met twenty years ago.
“Chi-young? Well… I just called him ‘Chi-young’ thinking it was fine, and although he seemed a bit awkward at first, we got used to it after a few words. It’s not like we’re at an age to be shy around strangers.”
Yoon Jun-young spoke as if thinking, with chopsticks in his mouth. That was the correct answer. At this age, what… As Jang Ui-geon sank into thought, Yoon Jun-young looked at him with a strange expression, then casually looked over Jang Ui-geon’s shoulder.
“Chi-young, Ui-geon is asking how it was when we first started speaking informally. How was it for you?”
Jang Ui-geon’s hand, gripping the soju glass, tightened instinctively.
Turning around, he saw Seo Chi-young, returning with two heads of cabbage in his arms, slowing his pace just a few steps behind. A subtle bewilderment was reflected in his blinking eyes.
Ugh, Jang Ui-geon groaned inwardly.
“Uh… it was… just fine…”
Seo Chi-young quickly went inside the cooking area, set down the cabbage, and placed their portion of gopchang on the griddle, his face subtly unnatural. Looking at that face, Jang Ui-geon’s bleak heart turned even darker.
Why only me. Why only me!
“But don’t you two speak informally?”
Yoon Jun-young, looking slowly from one to the other, asked in a nonchalant tone.
After a short silence, Seo Chi-young, who was adding ingredients in order and stirring them with a spatula, gave an ambiguous smile and trailed off, “Uh, yeah?” And Jang Ui-geon, who had been staring silently at Seo Chi-young, set down his soju glass and smiled brightly—as naturally as possible—and said:
“I agree. …Shall we speak informally, Chi-young?”
He called the name lightly, casually, as if it were just a joke to fit the mood. In that moment, Seo Chi-young’s face turned red. His face became so red that it was visible even under the yellow light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. “Uh… that… uh…” stuttering and struggling, Seo Chi-young didn’t answer and just looked down at the griddle.
How much silence passed? Among them, as they stubbornly waited for an answer, Yoon Jun-young spoke heavily.
“Don’t do it. The gopchang is burning.”
Actually, Jang Ui-geon didn’t necessarily want to speak informally. He was perfectly happy as things were. He didn’t think that just because others spoke informally, they would be in a closer relationship with Seo Chi-young than he was.
But there is a difference between choosing not to drop honorifics and being unable to. Looking back, he realized he was the one unable to do it. …Why only me?
Jang Ui-geon was aware that he was half-angry and half-depressed. Seeing as silence had persisted the entire time they walked side-by-side toward Seo Chi-young’s house after closing up the shop, it seemed Seo Chi-young knew it too.
The street lined with shops was gradually ending, and the alley leading into the residential area was approaching. If they turned left there and went a bit further, they would reach Seo Chi-young’s house. Then, they would say their goodbyes and part ways in front of it.
With this feeling.
He didn’t want that.
Chi-young-ssi.
As Jang Ui-geon called him and stopped walking, Seo Chi-young stopped as well.
“Do you dislike dropping honorifics with me?”
When Jang Ui-geon asked bluntly, he saw Seo Chi-young’s face stiffen slightly with discomfort. Damn it. He didn’t want to make him make that face. He wished he could have put it more indirectly, but he didn’t know why the direct approach was the only thing that came to mind at times like this.
Jang Ui-geon, who had spent his life being told he was resourceful regardless of what he did, cursed himself inwardly, wondering why he was so clumsy, as he waited for Seo Chi-young’s answer.
“It’s not that I dislike it, it’s just… unfamiliar. …And, you seem different from the Ui-geon I knew…”
After hesitating for a moment, Seo Chi-young answered quietly. As he spoke, Jang Ui-geon could see the nape of Seo Chi-young’s neck flushing red. Looking down at the sight he usually loved, Jang Ui-geon rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“Hmm… if I seem different, but you’re that shy about it, how should I interpret that? Is this different version of me more attractive?”
“Eh? No, it’s not that.”
“Chi-young-ah.”
Seo Chi-young, who had been about to say something, shut his mouth. He blinked at Jang Ui-geon with a look as if he had just been hit by a foul, and then slowly lowered his head under that piercing gaze. As expected, the nape of his neck was flushed.
“…..Yes.”
Seo Chi-young answered in a mumble, barely audible. Jang Ui-geon called him again. More softly this time.
“Chi-young-ah.”
“…..Yes..?”
Jang Ui-geon frowned. Perhaps sensing his dissatisfaction, Seo Chi-young glanced up and blinked at the crease in his brow.
“Seo Chi-young.”
This time, his voice was lower, tinged with a bit of frustration.
For a while, there was no answer. This man, who was sometimes slow but not foolish, remained silent for a long time before finally muttering in a voice as tiny as a crawling ant.
“Uh.. yeah..”
In that moment, Jang Ui-geon felt his heart race at that short answer alone. His voice whispered affectionately.
“Chi-young-ah. …..Chi-young-ah?”
Seo Chi-young couldn’t even lift his head. He stared at the ground as if someone were lying there, and eventually, he whispered.
“………,Yeah, Ui-geon-ah..”
The moment that small voice called his name, Jang Ui-geon realized. This was bad.
He was in trouble. What do I do? Jang Ui-geon thought, feeling devastated.
His heart was pounding wildly. Thump, thump, thump—it felt like it might jump out of his chest. He was certain his face was currently the same shade of red as the man before him, whose earlobes were flushed.
Jang Ui-geon opened his mouth, but after a few twitches, no sound came out. Damn it, he didn’t know why there happened to be a motel right next to them at a time like this. He didn’t know why that flashy, tacky sign was catching his eye now. Seo Chi-young’s house was only a few minutes away. No, more importantly, today wasn’t even the weekend.
Jang Ui-geon silently reached out and grabbed Seo Chi-young’s elbow. With a start, Seo Chi-young cautiously lifted his head to meet Jang Ui-geon’s eyes, and then followed Jang Ui-geon’s gaze.
“………”
“……….”
Seo Chi-young turned his head back to look at Jang Ui-geon. Jang Ui-geon couldn’t read that subtle expression, which looked somewhat like he was about to cry, yet also strange. He suddenly became anxious. It was fine if they didn’t go home. It was fine, but he hoped the other man wouldn’t get the wrong idea. No, it wasn’t exactly a misunderstanding, but regardless, he hoped he wouldn’t think of it in a strange direction.
Seo Chi-young gazed blankly at Jang Ui-geon. He didn’t know if the man realized that Jang Ui-geon had a look that was uncharacteristically anxious, uneasy, serious, and yet yearning.
Seo Chi-young lowered his head and whispered with a face that looked like it might actually die if it got any redder.
“Shall we… rest for a bit before going?”
In an instant, Jang Ui-geon tightened his jaw. …Damn it. To get hard just from those words; it would be more accurate to just call himself a beast from now on.
The motel was only a few steps away from where they stood on the roadside, but the path to the room felt infinitely long.
When he asked for a room, the middle-aged man at the counter asked, “Two men?” and then glanced behind them, asking suggestively, “Do you need a girl?” It was irritating. He was already in a hurry, so a “girl” my ass. He felt like reporting the man.
“We don’t need one.”
As soon as he answered firmly, Jang Ui-geon, still holding Seo Chi-young’s elbow, strode toward the room number written on the key. His heart had been racing as if he were running a hundred-meter dash for a while now. One would think he’d be exhausted and slow down, but instead, it raced even harder as he got closer to the room. Even a starved adolescent boy would be better than me, Jang Ui-geon thought self-deprecatingly as he anxiously opened the door and stepped inside.
“—…Is this okay?”
After practically pulling Seo Chi-young into the room, the last question he asked before closing the door was his minimum shred of conscience. Even that conscience was slightly frayed, as he asked “Is this okay?” instead of “Are you okay?” but Jang Ui-geon had no choice.
Seo Chi-young nodded. He seemed to hear a tiny “Yes.” And the moment Jang Ui-geon closed the door, he cast aside all the burdens in his heart.
“──.”
Even the kiss was suffocatingly sweet. How could anything in the world be this sweet? Jang Ui-geon stripped off their clothes haphazardly as they came to hand, while simultaneously biting into Seo Chi-young’s mouth as if to devour it.
Chi-young-ssi, Chi-young, Chi-young-ah, Chi-young-ah, Chi──.”
Damn it, I’m going to explode, Jang Ui-geon breathed into his mouth. But what was clear was that every time he called his name, Seo Chi-young reacted with a small flinch in Jang Ui-geon’s arms.
He thought again that this was just too much.
This was too much. Just for now. This wasn’t a way of calling someone that could be used normally.
“Wait, your arms.”
Jang Ui-geon stripped the sleeveless shirt from Seo Chi-young, who complied obediently. Then he undid the button of his pants, and pulled down the remaining underwear beneath the loose pants that had already slid down. In the process, Jang Ui-geon hurriedly stripped off his own shirt and pants.
Only after they were completely naked, without a single thread left, did they collapse onto the bed, stepping over the clothes strewn on the floor. Panting and continuing to kiss, Jang Ui-geon lay atop Seo Chi-young. He felt Seo Chi-young’s member, which had begun to erect, pressing against his groin. Feeling that piece of flesh rubbing against his own hard erection, Jang Ui-geon let a laugh slip between their kisses.
“……..Ah!..──.”
When Jang Ui-geon reached down and gripped Seo Chi-young’s member, Seo Chi-young flinched and let out a short moan. As he rolled the testicles with his palm, Seo Chi-young writhed his lower body, not knowing what to do. Jang Ui-geon knew that Seo Chi-young was more sensitive in the testicles and perineum than the shaft.
“Chi-young-ah.”
When Jang Ui-geon called him through ragged breaths, Seo Chi-young flinched even more and looked at him.
“Call me. Please, Chi-young-ah.”
“……Ui, ….Ui-geon, ah─.”
The “ah” at the end was so high-pitched that it was ambiguous whether it was a title or a moan. But that alone made Jang Ui-geon’s lower half swell heavily.
“Chi-young-ah, Chi-young-ah….. I’ll give you [mine], you too ……. give me [yours].”
Jang Ui-geon whispered, his lips pressed close to Seo Chi-young’s ear. His voice was barely audible, but he was certain Seo Chi-young understood because the man’s face flushed instantly. And he saw him give a very small nod.
Jang Ui-geon shifted his upper body and lowered his head. Seo Chi-young’s trembling member was right before his eyes. As Jang Ui-geon’s breath touched it, Seo Chi-young’s thighs flinched, as if even that slight sensation was overwhelming.
Jang Ui-geon smiled. At the same time, having his member right in front of him caused a suffocating wave of desire to surge. So, he took it into his mouth in one breath.
“…..Ah! ……Haa, ah…—!”
Seo Chi-young flinched and shuddered slightly. However, while his body trembled, he soon reached out with shaking hands toward Jang Ui-geon’s lower body, which had moved closer to his face. Soon, Seo Chi-young also swallowed Jang Ui-geon’s member.
Damn it. It felt deathly good.
For a moment, Jang Ui-geon’s vision blurred. Simultaneously, his reason went dark.
Even Seo Chi-young’s member trembling in his mouth was terribly sweet. Because it was so sweet, he unconsciously sucked harder, trying to taste more and more of it. The sound of Seo Chi-young panting and sobbing could be heard from between his thighs. And mixed into that sound was the noise of Seo Chi-young diligently licking and sucking, unable to take all of Jang Ui-geon’s member into his mouth.
Jang Ui-geon let out an exclamation mixed with pleasure. His lower body felt tingly. But it seemed Jang Ui-geon wasn’t the only one feeling this dizzying sensation; the moment he took the testicles into his mouth, Seo Chi-young burst into tears.
“Ah! ─ah…..ah, wait, ah, there─.”
He instinctively pinned down Seo Chi-young, who was twisting his body. Like the instinct of gripping struggling prey, Jang Ui-geon rolled it more strongly in his mouth, occasionally using his teeth. Seo Chi-young, who had been diligently pleasuring Jang Ui-geon’s member while sobbing, soon stopped his oral service. It was because he had reached a climax, letting out a long, cry-like moan.
It was because of that moan. Jang Ui-geon also ejaculated, thrusting his hips into Seo Chi-young’s mouth.
Chi-young-ah, the call continued intermittently. As if responding, Seo Chi-young’s lips also twitched at the sound of his name. After licking Seo Chi-young’s member, which was still twitching faintly, one more time, Jang Ui-geon lifted his body. As he lay back on top of Seo Chi-young and kissed him, Seo Chi-young embraced Jang Ui-geon and entwined their tongues, as had become a long-standing habit.
It was good. It was crazily good. He felt anxious that instead of getting tired of it, it would only get more intense day by day for the rest of his life. If it’s like this now, what on earth will happen later?
Jang Ui-geon licked Seo Chi-young’s cheek and pushed his hips between the other man’s legs. Though he flinched, Seo Chi-young let out a hurried, excited breath and wrapped his legs around Jang Ui-geon’s waist. In that soft embrace, Jang Ui-geon kissed Seo Chi-young’s ear. Using that as a signal, he thrust his hips in at once.
“──! ──!! ──!!”
Seo Chi-young writhed beneath Jang Ui-geon. His face, panting and unable to even let out a moan, looked strained in a way, so Jang Ui-geon quickly kissed the face he always saw at this moment. Why can’t I get used to this moment? I hate seeing him look like he’s struggling, he thought bitterly.
However, before long, Seo Chi-young began to let out excited moans mixed with pleasure, and only then did Jang Ui-geon feel a bit relieved and hold Seo Chi-young tight.
Chi-young-ah, he whispered low. In an instant, the inside of Seo Chi-young’s body contracted and tightened around Jang Ui-geon. At that sensation, Jang Ui-geon let out a ragged breath.
As I thought, this is too much. Jang Ui-geon pressed his pounding heart firmly against Seo Chi-young’s heart. He could feel the other man’s heart beating wildly through the skin.
It wasn’t because it was unfamiliar. It wasn’t just because of the unfamiliarity.
He realized it the moment Seo Chi-young whispered his name.
It felt as if something that had been hidden was being blatantly revealed.
Every time he was called “Ui-geon” cautiously, the emotions shyly contained within were now, through a single title that had shed its formal shell, piercing through directly and vividly, as if a beautiful wrapping had been peeled away.
A heart delivered intact, without any filter.
Something that had been warm and vague now hammered at his heart with a clear and distinct color.
I [love] you this much.
I [love] you this much. No, more. More than that. More. Much more.
Every time he called him, he poured in emotions that had been carefully and preciously wrapped.
“……..”
I wasn’t the only one.
Jang Ui-geon hugged the body in his arms so hard it felt like it might crush. Seo Chi-young let out a small gasp, but Jang Ui-geon couldn’t let go. He felt that if he loosened his grip even a little, his heart would pop and explode.
This is enough for now. No, it must stay like this for now.
That call, wrapped so preciously in layers, was enough. With a call where all those emotions were revealed without filter, he felt his heart would become unstable every time his name was called.
Jang Ui-geon found the man clinging to his back so lovely he couldn’t bear it. Just like this moment, sometimes he was scared of himself. How could it be this much? This much. And yet, every day, it’s even more than that.
Chi-young-ssi.
Jang Ui-geon whispered.
Even though he only moved his lips, Seo Chi-young seemed to hear the whisper and briefly rubbed his forehead against Jang Ui-geon’s shoulder. Jang Ui-geon could only hold him tightly around the neck.
He felt that it would be wonderful if their bodies just fused together like this.
Seo Chi-young woke up and startled, sitting up abruptly. However, before he could even get halfway up, he froze due to a throbbing pain that surged through him.
No, but the pain wasn’t the problem right now. More embarrassing than the pain was…
“Are you awake? Wait, don’t sit up too straight, just lean back like that. It’ll be over soon.”
Jang Ui-geon, with an indifferent face, had Seo Chi-young’s legs spread and was sitting between them, pushing his fingers inside. Every time his fingers moved in and out, a squelching sound hit his ears. Seo Chi-young’s face turned bright red instantly, and he could only mutter a single, “Uh, uh, ……”
He soon realized what Jang Ui-geon was doing. He was scraping out the semen from inside. If left there for long, it would cause an upset stomach, but he probably felt it was too pitiful to take Seo Chi-young to the bathroom to wash while he was asleep. This had happened a few times before.
“Um, …I’ll just, wash, myself? …I’m awake now…”
“It’s almost done, so just stay still for a moment. It’ll be easier to wash if I take this out first.”
At the kind but firm words, Seo Chi-young stayed put, unable to move. Unable to even look at Jang Ui-geon’s face as he silently rummaged inside him, Seo Chi-young averted his gaze and looked down, stiff as a board. In front of him, he heard Jang Ui-geon chuckle.
“Fingers are something you can at least show in front of others, but something you can’t show in front of others was going in there until just a moment ago, so why are you like this now?”
“……..”
“There, all done.”
Jang Ui-geon withdrew his hand and lightly patted Seo Chi-young’s knee. Then, perhaps feeling sorry for Seo Chi-young, who was ripe like an apple, he pulled the blanket over his thighs. Seo Chi-young mumbled a small “Thank you” and bowed his head.
“I’m sorry. I should have bought condoms.”
“Uh…..no..”
“Is it very hard?”
“I’m, I’m okay. …Probably.”
When he moved his body slightly, the throbbing below made it feel like he couldn’t say he was completely okay, but recalling other times, he felt he could move around freely enough.
Then, Seo Chi-young suddenly noticed the silence that had been continuing for a while and lifted his head. Jang Ui-geon was sitting right in front of him, gazing at him blankly. When their eyes met, a sudden wave of shyness washed over him, but even with a red face, he didn’t avert his gaze and looked back at him.
After staring at Seo Chi-young for a long time, Jang Ui-geon suddenly smiled.
Chi-young-ssi.
A low and soft whisper.
…Ah.
Yes, Ui-geon-ssi.
Seo Chi-young answered softly. Chi-young. Ui-geon. The names they had called each other naturally until now, but now with a feeling that was slightly unnatural. And with that, he felt a bit relieved. Yes, this is better.
A deep smile lingered in the corners of Jang Ui-geon’s eyes. It was a smile as affectionate as the voice calling him Mr. Chi-young.
“Yeah, this is better.”
Jang Ui-geon nodded. Even with just that, Seo Chi-young understood what he meant and nodded back. It might have been different if things had always been this way, but for now, this was just right.
Gazing steadily at Seo Chi-young, who wore a faint smile, Jang Ui-geon leaned in quietly. Their foreheads seemed to brush lightly. At a distance so close that their eyes could no longer focus on each other, their lips finally met.
Softly, gently. Seo Chi-young let out a contented sigh, accepting that familiar sensation. Though he couldn’t see his expression, it felt as if Jang Ui-geon was smiling.
It was then. A knock on the door broke their peace. At this sudden and suspicious sound at the motel room door, they parted their lips instinctively. Jang Ui-geon raised an eyebrow in confusion and answered loudly, “Yes?” Someone outside mumbled something. When Jang Ui-geon shouted a bit louder, “Who is it?” the whispering voice from the gap in the door finally became audible.
“Hey, you sure you don’t need a lady? I can get one to come by for an hour for three bills.”
It was the man from the counter. Seo Chi-young merely blinked, while Jang Ui-geon frowned.
“We don’t need one.”
“Aw, come on, is it awkward for the two of you to be in the same room? Then I can just arrange for someone separately—”
Eventually, Jang Ui-geon’s expression darkened. Seeing Jang Ui-geon’s back as he stepped off the bed and strode toward the door, Seo Chi-young snapped back to his senses and tried to stop him, but it was already too late.
“I said we don’t need one. If you keep talking, this is just going to be a nuisance for both of us.”
Clack. Opening the door, Jang Ui-geon looked down at the man and spoke coldly. Startled by the sudden appearance of a naked man, the man stammered and backed away. He looked as if he wanted to say more, but after seeing Jang Ui-geon’s face, he grumbled, “Fine then, whatever,” and turned away.
Jang Ui-geon clicked his tongue and closed the door.
“I should really report him or something.”
……Ui-geon……
Seo Chi-young stammered, curled up like a pill bug on the bed.
He had been frozen like that from the moment the door swung open. Only then did Jang Ui-geon look at Seo Chi-young and smile reassuringly.
“It’s okay. My body blocked the view, so he wouldn’t have seen inside.”
……But you were seen, Mr. Ui-geon……
Seo Chi-young murmured to Jang Ui-geon, who was completely stripped bare. Jang Ui-geon looked down at his own body and spoke nonchalantly.
When someone tries to set Chi-young up with a woman, what reason do I have to be picky about the details?”
No, it wasn’t just me… Seo Chi-young murmured, but Jang Ui-geon didn’t seem to care. Climbing back onto the bed, he leaned back against the headboard.
“I’ve decided to live as a childish person from now on.”
“Huh? ……??”
Seo Chi-young blinked at the sudden remark, but Jang Ui-geon simply said, “But I don’t want to look childish to Chi-young, so I won’t say any more,” and stopped there.
Childish. ……A word that didn’t suit the man before him. The Jang Ui-geon that Seo Chi-young knew was always mature, calm, and though sometimes passionate, always rational.
However, no matter how puzzled Seo Chi-young was, Jang Ui-geon seemed to have no intention of explaining further. Seo Chi-young obediently approached him as he beckoned with a finger. Knowing that in the next moment, he would be pulled into a tight embrace and tucked by his side.
“Just sleep now. Let’s sleep here today, and when we wake up in the morning, we’ll go to my place together.”
Seo Chi-young smiled as he heard Jang Ui-geon mutter, “I left the window open; I wonder if the cats are tearing up the food bins in the room right about now.”
Tap, tap. As the rhythmic touch of a hand gently patting Seo Chi-young’s shoulder continued, drowsiness slowly crept in. He felt like his body would be a bit stiff when he woke up tomorrow. It wouldn’t hinder his movement, but he hoped that when he went to Jang Ui-geon’s house tomorrow morning, he wouldn’t have to clean up after cats that had thrown a party in the room all night. His body was simply too exhausted for that.
Sleep well, Chi-young. He heard Jang Ui-geon’s low voice.
You too, have sweet dreams, Ui-geon. Seo Chi-young replied in a whisper.
With those quiet words, silence settled over the place.
Names… thinking about it, they didn’t really matter.
He recalled that vague thought one last time before falling asleep. From the very beginning, it was a name too precious to even call out, for fear of making it common.