DS 145

Side Story#10

The season where the gentle, soft spring breeze tickles one’s sides.

Cherry blossoms were in full bloom, beautifully embroidering the streets. The caterpillars eating the leaves had grown plump, and the female crabs’ bellies were thick with ripening eggs. Spring was a season that made everything grow fat and full.

It had now been two weeks since Eun-myeong started attending cooking classes. There were about twenty students, most of whom were veteran housewives or newlyweds.

“Soy-marinated crab isn’t meant to be eaten immediately after making it; it tastes best after aging for a day or two.”

The kind teacher added a further explanation. As she moved from spot to spot tasting the dishes, Eun-myeong was the last in line. He waited for his turn, his heart thumping with nervousness.

The teacher took a small scoop of the sauce Eun-myeong had made with a ladle and tasted it. Soon, her eyes widened, and an admiring “Mm” escaped her lips.

“Mr. Eun-myeong, you really have a gift for seasoning. You could practically sell this.”

“No, I just… I just worked hard and followed exactly what you taught us.”

He waved his hands shyly.

After hearing the teacher’s praise, everyone flocked over to have a taste. He had always been somewhat confident in his soy-marinated crab, but with everyone crowding around him like this, the timid Eun-myeong didn’t know what to do.

“This house makes a great soy-marinated crab.”

“I’m telling you, this young man has a real touch.”

On the other hand, the friendly older ladies slapped Eun-myeong on the back and gave him enthusiastic thumbs-ups.

“Thank you.”

Embarrassed, Eun-myeong stirred the soy-marinated crab with the ladle. His cheeks, dotted with freckles like dandelion seeds, twitched. Just looking at the plump crabs lying in the dark brown sea made his heart feel abundant.

“Then let’s end today’s class here. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Eun-myeong left with a large kimchi container filled with soy-marinated crab. Perhaps he had been too greedy. The seasoned liquid sloshed around in his arms, and the weight was truly heavy.

Still, his heart swelled with pride thinking of the man who would snap off the crab legs and mix rice thoroughly into the crab shell. He truly hoped the man would find it delicious…

As he stepped outside the building, the spring breeze ruffled Eun-myeong’s hair. There was the sweet scent of cotton candy, and the sound of children’s laughter stolen [Read on Read BL Novels]contentcould be heard from somewhere. It was a very pleasant season.

“Our President Kang is going to be so excited that he might not come to the office for days.”

The thug Mister, who had stepped out of the car, took the kimchi container from Eun-myeong. The two of them chuckled together; at first, Eun-myeong didn’t know what they meant, but he now realized they were teasing him about being newlyweds.

Would he really like it that much? The man had eaten everything he made before, saying it was delicious, so Eun-myeong hoped the soy-marinated crab would be the same.

Upon returning home, Eun-myeong first hid the kimchi container well in the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. He planned to bring it out grandly in two days.

Even though everything he did eventually reached the man’s ears anyway, still…

As Eun-myeong shut the refrigerator door with a thud, he heard the sound of the front door clicking open. It seemed the man had arrived. Eun-myeong hurried to the entryway and saw him entering.

“You’re home?”

Eun-myeong quickly rushed toward his happiness. Like a flying squirrel that had spotted prey, he nimbly flew into the man’s arms.

After eating a hearty dinner, he lay on the sofa with the man watching television. Because he had just eaten, his stomach was slightly rounded. Letting out a short, dry laugh, the Boss kneaded Eun-myeong’s lower belly.

“My goodness, it’s full of eggs here.”

Eun-myeong’s face flushed deep red with embarrassment.

“It’s because I just ate.”

Looking very satisfied, the man slid his hand between Eun-myeong’s thighs and kneaded the inner flesh. He touched him firmly, as if kneading dough. Eun-myeong looked down at it with a serious expression.

“But I think I really have gained weight.”

The man kissed his temple as if he were commendable.

“That’s why I have to eat you up deliciously.”

When Eun-myeong asked if he should exercise a bit, the answer he got was to just breathe deliciously.

“I heard blue crabs are in season these days. You’d be delicious to eat up right now, too.”

As he chuckled, the opening of his black robe began to widen. The chest muscles, split wide like a stone wall, were unbearably erotic. Eun-myeong looked down, feeling shy, when the fishing program ended and a commercial began.

—Everyone, isn’t it hard to make a living these days? Saving money is difficult, [Read on Read BL Novelsstyle="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">Read on Read BL Novels]and borrowing from people around you is even harder. We, Kangsung, will be your reliable support.

It was a commercial for a loan company run by Kangsung. Eun-myeong’s eyes naturally drifted back to the television. He thought the model’s face looked familiar, and it turned out to be that Omega who had appeared at a press conference sobbing.

Back then, wearing black clothes, he had a modest image, but seeing him so glamorously styled, he looked incredibly beautiful.

Like a peacock with its feathers fully spread…

The mood had been sweet, but the sudden commercial made Eun-myeong feel a bit strange. A memory from the past suddenly surfaced.

No, the man looks only at him now, so why on earth did he cheat with someone who had a lover back then?

And wasn’t that person his own flesh and blood’s lover…? Of course, he knew that the two of them were now sworn enemies.

Could that person really be so attractive that he’d steal someone else’s? It went without saying that Eun-myeong’s eyes were gradually narrowing. He was glaring, which was unlike him.

“Hmm?”

Looking down at that face, the man narrowed his eyes.

“What’s this?”

He even whispered in his ear. It felt as if the fine hairs on his skin were trembling.

“Are you jealous?”

“No… You married me anyway, so why would I be.”

He said that, but in truth, he felt a bit diminished. He already felt he was lacking compared to people in Seoul, and to think that person was a glamorous celebrity appearing on TV.

To put it in a metaphor, he was a baby octopus and the other was a magnificent grouper. Naturally, he couldn’t help but feel intimidated.

“Is that so? I thought you were about to smash Mister’s head in out of jealousy.”

He coaxed and soothed him, kissing Eun-myeong’s cheek.

“If you’re that jealous, should I cut off my head and place it in front of you?”

“No, don’t do that. How could you do such a thing?”

The man nipped at the tip of Eun-myeong’s nose. Then, he slid his hand through the gap in Eun-myeong’s robe and gripped unauthorized copyBL Novels" style="display:none;" aria-label="Read on Read BL Novels">Read on Read BL Novelshis lower belly tightly in his palm.

“I heard you can tell if a crab is female or male by looking at the belly flap. Shall I see what you are?”

By now, shouldn’t he have developed some immunity to the man’s vulgar words? He wondered why his spine still tingled every time he heard them. Yet, he couldn’t help the sudden surge of excitement.

The man lifted Eun-myeong’s body up. Like a koala, Eun-myeong clung to him as they entered the master bedroom.

“Ngh, hng, haa… No, why are you sucking there, it’s dirty, Boss…”

Soon, moans began to leak from behind the slightly ajar door. The sex was rough and persistent as always, and it felt like love.

It was a day like any other. Eun-myeong was secretly aging the soy-marinated crab to give to the man, and the man looked at Eun-myeong with eyes as sweet as honey, digging into Eun-myeong’s depths with his hands, delving in persistently as if he wanted to steal Eun-myeong’s very breath.

They shared love, reached a state of ecstasy, and finally, exhausted of all strength, Eun-myeong closed his eyes while feeling the warmth of the man holding him tight.

And so, Eun-myeong fell into a deep, mindless sleep.

However.

From somewhere, a static sound—chizizik—was heard. Before he could think, What is that sound?, his breath began to choke. Ah, Eun-myeong had suddenly fallen into the [Read on Read BL Novels]sea. He [Read on Read BL Novels]felt as if his body was being sucked somewhere, swirling. He flailed his arms and legs wildly to avoid drowning.

Bo-Boss… Boss… No matter how hard he tried to make a sound because he was scared, he couldn’t call him. It was a truly terrifying nightmare.

It’s a dream, he knew it was just a dream, but the fear engulfing him was too great and overwhelming. Eun-myeong struggled like a bird with broken wings.

How long had he fought this silent war alone? Eun-myeong bolted upright, his spine drenched in cold sweat.

“Haa, haaa…”

He gasped for air as if he had barely been dragged back to shore. It had been a long time since he’d had a dream about falling into the sea. Was it because of the fishing channel he watched before bed? The content was about a captain who sailed out but had to struggle back to the pier due to a typhoon.

Waves surged across the screen. It looked as if they would swallow the boat at any moment. It felt so suffocating just watching it that he had used the remote to change the channel…

And this was the result.

Covered in cold sweat, he turned his head to the side. But the man wasn’t beside him. Where is he? Eun-myeong gasped for breath while clutching the blanket tightly.

Eventually, dripping with sweat, he got out of bed.

Lights flickered on wherever his footsteps landed. When he went into [Read on Read BL Novelsclass="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">Read on Read BL Novels]the living room, the static sound was still filling the void.

He wondered what it was, but it was the mechanical noise coming from the television, which had already entered the test pattern screen. He realized that he must have had the nightmare because of that.

He pressed the red button on the remote, and the screen turned off.

“Boss…”

Eun-myeong opened the door to the study. He called out quietly, thinking the man might be working, but no one was there. Only the cold air greeted him. Had he gone out to smoke?

As he slowly approached the terrace, he thought he heard a humming voice. Sure enough, he saw the massive man standing on the terrace. Even the crescent moon hanging above his head was etched clearly in his sight. Eun-myeong opened the door with a creak and stepped inside.

“Boss.”

As he called, the man abruptly stopped talking and whipped his head around. His eyes shone sharply, like a cat’s eyes seen in the dark.

And a voice leaked from the cell phone’s receiver.

—Then it would be better to bring it up with your spouse…

What does he want me to bring up? Behind that thought, the man pressed the end-call button.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

Ah, so that’s why he hung up? Eun-myeong slowly walked over and hugged him.

“Yes… I was surprised because you weren’t there…”

Saying he would pat him back to sleep, the man lifted Eun-myeong and carried him back to the master bedroom. He rolled Eun-myeong up in the blanket and patted him to sleep. The phone continued to ring on one side, but the Boss did not answer it in front of him.

Who could it be? What did they want him to bring up? Eun-myeong wanted to ask, but he was already exhausted from the nightmare that had swept over him.

Trusting only the arms of the man embracing him, he quietly closed his eyes.