By Zephyria 
22
“……”
Ho-eun’s voice wasn’t loud, but it wasn’t quiet enough to be missed, yet Tae-muk didn’t respond again.
Ho-eun glared at him with a sulky look. He never answered anything he was asked. Why was he ignoring him so much? If Deok-woo were here, he would have said, ‘Who do you think you are, gobbling up our young master’s words like rice in soup?’
Just as he was about to express his dissatisfaction to Tae-muk with his eyes, unable to speak the words, he suddenly began to take off his military uniform. It wasn’t long before his bare chest was revealed.
“Hick……”
Ho-eun, letting out a small moan, quickly turned around. He had seen Tae-muk’s naked body yesterday, but he was still embarrassed. Suddenly, his throat felt sore. It was because he remembered his manhood going in and out.
Whether Ho-eun was flustered or not, Tae-muk nonchalantly washed his body.
At the sound of splashing water, Ho-eun fiddled with the hem of his Jeogori before realizing that he was dressed in something not much different from being naked. The soaking wet Sokjeogori was clinging tightly to his body. The fact that it was see-through was a bonus.
Ho-eun, with his mouth tightly shut, hurriedly came ashore. Then, he went behind a tree to wring out his hair and wipe his body with the cloth he had brought. Only then did the cold rush in. His lips turned blue as he shivered and put on a new Durumagi. After that, he tried to pack his flashlight and belongings to return, but he turned back to the river, to Tae-muk.
“Um… General.”
“……”
As expected, Tae-muk didn’t answer. He was just wiping the blood off his shoulder with his large hand. Ho-eun hesitated to call him again. It was obvious that he wouldn’t answer no matter how many times he called him here. So, he decided to just say what he had to say.
He put his hands together neatly and bowed deeply.
“Thank you for saving me today.”
The image of Tae-muk beating up the Devouring Ghoul was still vivid in his mind. Everyone else was fighting with swords or spears, but he was fighting with his bare hands, which seemed crude but also a little… cool. Because he was strong, because he was so strong, he could face that terrifying Devouring Ghoul with his bare hands.
That was his God of War.
A person who saves the country.
A person who saves the people.
Ho-eun, who had been bowing for a long time, slowly raised his head. Then, he stammered clearly. Stammering clearly, it might sound strange, but that was exactly what he did.
“I, I will also train hard so that I can do my part.”
It was a kind of resolution. The feeling Ho-eun had felt while hiding in the crevice of the rock today was not relief that he wasn’t caught in the bloody battle, but a sense of self-disgust and shame that he couldn’t do anything. He didn’t want to experience that feeling again.
He knew Tae-muk would ignore him, but he still wanted to say it anyway. That way, he could work harder towards that goal. How could a scholar take back the words he had spoken?
But unexpectedly, Tae-muk didn’t ignore Ho-eun’s words. Turning his back, he slowly parted the water and approached Ho-eun. The water pushed by his thick thighs surged out in a triangular shape.
Soon, he arrived in front of Ho-eun and said in his unique low voice.
“Your job isn’t to kill Devouring Ghouls.”
“……Yes?”
“Instead of that training, you should train to suck dick.”
Then, he chuckled.
“……”
Ho-eun didn’t understand his words right away. He blinked his eyes blankly before dropping the flashlight with a thud. The fallen flashlight rolled away. The beam of light flickered wildly, sweeping through the forest.
“Ugh……”
Ho-eun covered his ears. ‘Dick.’ It was a terribly vulgar word. Even if he had just said ‘penis,’ he would have been embarrassed and gotten goosebumps, but ‘dick.’ To utter such a vulgar word.
Ho-eun rubbed his ears wildly, as if trying to pull the words he had just heard out of his ears. Tae-muk stared at Ho-eun, looking dumbfounded. Then, he clicked his tongue and went back into the water, saying,
“If you’re done washing, go to my tent.”
At those words, Ho-eun froze in place, still rubbing his ears. Tae-muk didn’t even wait for Ho-eun to answer, as if there was no option to refuse in the first place, and dove into the water.
“……”
Ho-eun, dropping his arms, blankly stared at the ripples spreading out in circles from the spot where Tae-muk had disappeared.
Ho-eun, who had entered Tae-muk’s tent, sniffled. After washing in cold water and being exposed to the cold wind, his nose was running.
The inside of the tent was no different from yesterday. Straw mat, bedding, small table, candlelight. It was so identical that it felt as if last night was continuing.
But there was one thing that was different. A brazier. The fire was burning red, and it looked warm at first glance.
Ho-eun’s gloomy face brightened a little. Tae-muk’s words to go to the tent had made his steps feel as heavy as if they were made of iron, but the heater was welcome, which was quite fickle.
Ho-eun quickly went to it and knelt down. He first warmed his hands, which were so cold they were numb, and then dried his wet hair. As he did so, he muttered to himself.
“I wonder when he’ll come……”
If possible, he hoped he would come very, very late. He inadvertently had such thoughts and shook his head. What bad thoughts. He was his Bondmate. But he couldn’t help but feel heavy-hearted. Ho-eun combed his hair with his fingers and sighed repeatedly.
When his fine hair was about half dry, Ho-eun’s eyes became drowsy. After washing in cold water and sitting in front of the warm heater, he couldn’t help but feel so relaxed. Even if he opened his eyes wide, they would soon close again.
He shouldn’t fall asleep.
He had to greet the General when he came.
Before that, he had to tie up his hair and dress neatly.
But Ho-eun’s body, unable to overcome the drowsiness, kept tilting to the side.
Ho-eun, who had been fast asleep, slowly opened his eyes. He didn’t know why. Maybe he had felt something in his sleep. Like some kind of threat or danger.
But there really was someone in front of him. A handsome face, deep eyes, long bangs falling forward, and black pupils.
It was Tae-muk.
“……General?”
Ho-eun rubbed his eyes, unable to believe it even after recognizing him. He wondered if it was a dream. But the real Tae-muk was on top of him. Not sitting directly on his waist as if riding a horse, but kneeling on either side of his pelvis. The Durumagi he had casually put on was spread over Ho-eun like a blanket.
“Why……”
Even though Ho-eun was still half-asleep and disoriented, he thought this position was wrong. He wriggled to get out from under Tae-muk, but Tae-muk grabbed Ho-eun’s clothes and pulled him back under him. In an instant, the loosely tied Sokjeogori knot came undone. Only then did Ho-eun realize that he was only wearing a Durumagi over his Sokjeogori.
To be seen in this state in front of a superior!
“Ah, I’m sorry……”
Ho-eun hurriedly tried to fasten his Sokjeogori, but Tae-muk instead lifted one side of his clothes. The loose-fitting clothes opened wide, revealing Ho-eun’s fair chest.
“General!”
Ho-eun quickly fastened his clothes. But Tae-muk didn’t stop there, and this time he put his hand inside the Sokjeogori. The hot, rough hand recklessly crossed his intimate skin.
Ho-eun, terrified, couldn’t even scream. The touch of someone else’s hand caressing his body was incredibly unfamiliar. It was even more so because his skin had only ever been touched by soft, smooth silk clothes.
Ho-eun grabbed Tae-muk’s wrist, which was stroking his chest.
“Don’t, don’t do this.”
As he shook his head, Tae-muk frowned.
“Why.”
“Yes?”
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“Well……”
“I will.”
“No, you can’t. You can’t.”
At Ho-eun’s repeated rejections, Tae-muk looked up at the distant sky for a moment and sighed through his nose. Then, he gritted his teeth and grabbed Ho-eun’s collar with his huge hand. The force of his brute strength lifted Ho-eun’s entire upper body. The tightly pulled Sokjeogori collar dug into his neck like a sharp knife.
Ho-eun frowned at the tingling pain, and Tae-muk growled.
“If I tell you to, you have to.”
“But……”
He didn’t want to. The pain from yesterday still lingered in his mouth and throat. Ho-eun instinctively knew that the act to come would be more painful, not less.
“You must be tired today, so you should sleep……”
Ho-eun, flustered, blurted out anything. As he did so, he desperately gathered his open clothes. He gathered them so fiercely that the pale blue veins were visible on the back of his white hands.
Tae-muk scoffed at the pathetic sight. He pulled Ho-eun a little closer. They were so close that their noses were about to touch.
“Why do you think I saved you?”
“Well-”
Ho-eun was about to answer when Tae-muk added.
“Why would I go through the trouble and be bothered?”
“……”
At those words, the expression was instantly washed off Ho-eun’s face.