By Zephyria 
“Here, take this.”
After the chaos on the hard dining table, I felt as if my spine had been crushed. While I sat diagonally on the sofa wrapped in a thin blanket, Kwon Yi-kang cleared the cluttered table and clattered around making something. What was served on the plate was scrambled eggs mixed with finely chopped vegetables.
“I thought you were making something grand, but it was just a lot of noise.”
“When I was in New York, I used to make this often because it was a good way to have a quick meal. It’s the dish I’m best at.”
He placed a fork in my hand, telling me to try it. I put a clump of egg in my mouth, and a satisfied smile formed at the scent of savory butter combined with the soft texture of the eggs and the crunch of the vegetables.
“It’s a skill worth showing off.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Yeah, it’s delicious.”
At my praise, a hint of proud satisfaction appeared on Kwon Yi-kang’s face. That side of him is truly cute. It wasn’t just empty flattery; it really tasted good, so I emptied the plate in an instant. When I sucked on the fork and placed it on the empty plate, he took it with a look that was almost touching.
“I was hungry.”
So don’t be too moved.
Despite my words trying to dampen his confidence, he proudly carried the empty plate to the sink. Seeming pleased with the guest’s reaction, he showed further devotion by bringing a glass of water.
“By the way, what got into you earlier that made you pounce on me?”
“The sight of a man cooking from behind was sexier than I thought.”
“It’s true that my backside is sexy, but I don’t think that was the only reason.”
Kwon Yi-kang, having moved to sit on the sofa, pointed this out as he lifted my body—wrapped in the blanket like a gimbap roll—and placed me on his lap. Because of the difference in our physiques, this position didn’t feel awkward at all.
It was sad that I was being held in such a position by another man, but on the other hand, the stability provided by his broad chest felt good.
“I’m serious. Your butt looked incredibly appetizing.”
“So you were aiming for my ass.”
“I’ve been thinking…”
“Why do I get nervous every time you say you’ve been thinking about something?”
I lightly pinched and shook his cheek in response to his playful words. Kwon Yi-kang burst into laughter while his cheek was still caught in my hand.
“I’ve been thinking?”
“I’ve been thinking that I was actually a very horny bastard. I didn’t know it until now, but after doing it for the first time, the desires inside me were unleashed like a colt off its leash. Maybe God gave me a back hole that feels pleasure just by having something put in it, and for the sake of my back hole’s well-being, He made it so I couldn’t sense pheromones well?”
“…”
I glanced up at Kwon Yi-kang, who had fallen silent. With his brow furrowed, he looked somewhat angry and irritated.
“So.”
“Hmm?”
What do you mean ‘so’? That’s all there is to it.
“So, besides my thing, what else has been put in your back?”
Unlike the air that had turned cold, the pheromones he emitted stimulated my skin. It didn’t hurt, but the prickling sensation was slightly stinging and ticklish.
“Why are you angry? You’re acting like you’re jealous. How cute.”
I lightly bit Kwon Yi-kang’s lip and let go, slipping out of his embrace, causing him to click his tongue with a scoff of disbelief.
“I hate the phrase ‘lend me’ the most. I hate it when other people’s hands touch what is mine, and I hate sharing my things with someone else.”
“But I’m not yours.”
I belong to myself. What is the problem with how or where I use my own body?
“And are you so clean? Can you say you never used your cock before me? I’m not the first user anyway. Of course, I’m not saying I’ll pass my body around, but regardless… what I mean is… there’s no need to get so worked up over a joke. Getting all serious over one joke.”
I liked Kwon Yi-kang’s kindness, and I liked the warmth and broad chest he provided. I liked the way he looked at me and the way he held me. I wanted him to think of me, and I hoped he would continue to remember the past version of me just as he has until now.
Despite that, it was difficult for me to imagine our future, rather than the present. The step immediately in front of me was an unpredictable chaos, and I didn’t know if we would still be standing side by side in that chaos, or if he would no longer be in sight.
That was why I didn’t ask about our relationship, nor did I seek confirmation. Even if a sweet answer came from his lips, I found it hard to believe words that promised a certain future. I decided to simply be satisfied with his presence by my side right now.
Even if our joined hands were to part one day and he was no longer visible, I wanted to cherish him as he is now.
“Since we’re full, shall we take a look around the house?”
Kwon Yi-kang didn’t respond to my attempt to change the mood. The way he sat with his mouth shut tight seemed like he was angry, but to my eyes, he looked like a pouting child.
He really is cute in so many different ways.
Deciding to leave him alone for a while, I looked around on my own. Except for the wall where the photos had been, it wasn’t decorated very thoroughly, so there wasn’t much to see.
In the bedroom, a large bed sat alone, and it was dark as the blackout curtains let no light in. In the room used as a dressing room, clothes and accessories were neatly organized, and the room used as a study had a wooden bookshelf and desk facing the window.
It’s incredibly clean. Nothing is out of place, and everything is organized strictly, as if rejecting the touch of others.
There wasn’t a single piece of tissue in the trash can next to the desk, but instead, several files had been thrown away entirely. Why would a person who kept even the top of the desk so tidy throw these in such a mess?
Curious, I picked up a file and looked inside; a single photograph was fixed to a piece of paper with a clip. The content of the paper seemed to be that person’s personal details.
When they were born, which elementary, middle, and high schools they attended, which university they graduated from, and what they are doing now. Except for who the parents were, what buildings and land they owned, and what professions they had, it was similar to a resume used when entering a company.
The other files were much the same. Photos of women around the same age. And information about those women.
Are these people who need background checks? I wondered if he was monitoring them for issues like embezzlement or technology leaks within the company, but their professions were all different. Even so, for them to be related to his company, there were teachers, lawyers, and even unemployed people.
What is this unpleasant feeling?
After scratching my cheek for a moment, I took the files and went back to the living room. Kwon Yi-kang was still sitting in the same position, protesting. I slid over and sat my hips right next to him.
“Your house is so clean. You really must hate it when others touch your things. Will I get scolded if I make a mess?”
“…”
“Don’t be angry. Hmm? It’s not like I’m seeing someone other than you, I was just joking. Anyway, it’s impossible for us to fight. Even if you get angry, I just get aroused because of your pheromones.”
“Is this even a fight? The things you spit out without thinking…”
He stopped talking mid-sentence when he saw the files in my hand. The furrow in his brow deepened.
“Ah, I saw these in the study. They were crumpled in the trash. Is it okay to treat other people’s personal information like this?”
“Throw them back.”
“What… are these?”
“Blind dates my Father brought to me. It’s also the reason I stayed at the hotel.”
Feeling upset, I tossed the files onto the table.
I take back everything I thought earlier. Present and future, certainty and uncertainty. The thought of the man in front of me going on blind dates and marrying someone else made my stomach churn.
And right now is the present. I said I couldn’t be certain of the future, but I didn’t say I wanted to end my connection with this bastard right now.
“I feel bad.”
“Why? Until a moment ago, you were talking like someone who didn’t care at all.”
“…”
That was true, but feeling bad is still feeling bad.
When I fell silent and shut my mouth just as Kwon Yi-kang had, he finally smoothed the wrinkles in his brow and reached out to pull me closer.
“Are you… going to go on blind dates? Have you already?”
Considering Kwon Yi-kang’s age, he was at an age to think about marriage. My heart grew a bit anxious while waiting for the answer.
“Why do you think they were in the trash? Father will keep putting pressure on me, but if worst comes to worst, I can just go back to the hotel.”
“You hate blind dates too, right?”
“…Yeah.”
“Do you have any intention of marrying?”
He looked down at my face and gave a vague answer, “Well…” I didn’t know if he wanted to marry right now or not, but the fact that he said he hated blind dates was enough.
“Right now, contact your father and set up an appointment.”
“…What?”
Kwon Yi-kang blinked, not understanding my words.
“Today—no, today is too late, so this weekend would be good. Tell him to keep his weekend free.”
“…”
“I’ll save you. If you say you’re seeing someone right now, he won’t push blind dates on you for a while. How about it?”
I grabbed both his cheeks and asked while meeting his gaze. The answer is already decided, so you just have to agree. His pupils, which wavered for a moment under my intense gaze, soon took on a soft light.
“That… certainly wouldn’t be bad.”
“Dress up in a full suit, set yourself up from head to toe, and go. I’ll make it very clear that he shouldn’t harass you with blind dates.”
I didn’t know if that was for him or for me. But it was a fact that his father, who kept pushing blind dates, was greatly irritating me.
“Throw those files away. Now, show me around the house.”
“Didn’t you already do that? It seems you poked around quite well on your own.”
“No.”
What a disappointing thing to say. I pulled his loosely worn shirt close to meet his eyes and smiled softly, crinkling the corners of my eyes.
“I haven’t seen the bed yet.”
Understanding my meaning, Kwon Yi-kang lifted me up, blanket and all, and headed toward the bedroom.