#7

Kwon Jung-hyun rose from his chair and approached. Shin Ho-jae’s body faltered, drawn closer to him. It was because Jung-hyun had hooked a finger inside the waistband of Ho-jae’s underwear and pulled.

It was the first time he had seen the man’s face from such a close distance, and for a moment, he stopped breathing. A vivid sense of lust was blooming in the man’s eyes.

The muscles in his entire body stiffened. When he had boldly cast off his clothes, he thought it was something he could just endure once, but facing those explicit eyes, the reality of what was about to happen finally sank in.

Kwon Jung-hyun slowly traced the top of the underwear waistband with his hand. Goosebumps broke out wherever his fingers touched.

He could feel his own breath trembling. Shin Ho-jae clenched his fists and endured. Soon, a low, whispering voice reached his ear.

“Go lie down on the bed.”

Shin Ho-jae moistened his parched lips and went to the bed. Even the feel of the plush mattress felt chilling. As he lay down, propping his upper body halfway up with an awkward expression, Kwon Jung-hyun sat down right beside him, resting only his hips on the mattress.

Soon, his chin was gripped, and their eyes met. Seeing the man’s face draw closer, Shin Ho-jae instinctively squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t bring himself to keep them open.

Because of that, he couldn’t help but be startled by what happened in the next moment, as if he had been struck by lightning. He thought they were going to kiss, but Kwon Jung-hyun had placed his hand on Ho-jae’s crotch.

Shin Ho-jae snapped his eyes open and looked at the man. His eyes were filled with shock and anxiety.

“You’re not hard.”

Kwon Jung-hyun’s palm and fingers unhesitatingly groped Ho-jae’s front. Out of the man’s sight, Shin Ho-jae clenched his fists so hard they felt as if they would crush. Barely suppressing the urge to knock the man down and run away, he let out a short, shallow breath through his nose.

“How do you expect to do anything if you aren’t even hard? Don’t tell me you’re expecting me to make you hard?”

Why do I have to be hard? Isn’t it enough just to shove it in the back anyway? That thought flashed through his mind, but he couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth and ask. Remaining silent in his bewilderment was the best he could do right now.

“Or would you like to try masturbating yourself? I’m curious how much bigger a cock this size gets when it’s erect.”

Shin Ho-jae swallowed a surge of nausea and grit his teeth. Every word the man spat was so vulgar and crude. Shin Ho-jae had never met a person who spoke like that.

Jung-hyun, who had been looking down at him quietly, suddenly began to laugh out loud.

“……?”

It was Shin Ho-jae who looked bewildered. He had no idea why the man was suddenly laughing. Kwon Jung-hyun laughed until he had to wipe away tears, then spoke without hiding his amused expression.

“Do you know what your face looks like right now?”

“…….”

“I thought about just playing along and taking it, but this is a bit much. You’re scrunching your face like you’ve eaten something sour just from me holding your chin… Haha!”

“…….”

After laughing for a while, Kwon Jung-hyun gestured with his chin toward Shin Ho-jae’s clothes lying on the floor.

“Put them on.”

At the unexpected words, Shin Ho-jae looked up at him silently.

“Hurry. Before I change my mind.”

At those words, Shin Ho-jae pushed himself up and picked up the pants and t-shirt from the floor. Then, standing with his back to Jung-hyun, he pulled the t-shirt over his head.

He should have been glad that nothing happened today, but he felt a lingering unease, like someone who had procrastinated on their homework.

“Consider yourself lucky that I don’t have a hobby of forcing things. I prefer it when my partner is active during sex.”

He glanced at the man while straightening the hem of his t-shirt. Kwon Jung-hyun was leaning back leisurely in a single-person sofa, watching Shin Ho-jae.

“It has to be consensual sex.”

Kwon Jung-hyun gestured toward a chair. Ho-jae finished putting on his pants and sat in the chair he suggested.

Perhaps because he had been so tense until a moment ago, his heart wouldn’t easily calm down. It was understandable, given that his crotch had been grabbed by a man on a bed just a few minutes prior.

As he watched him silently, shifting only his eyes, Jung-hyun crossed his legs and spoke.

“Once a week, come to wherever I call you.”

“…What exactly am I expected to do?”

“Seeing Shin-seonsu’s expression earlier, I thought we needed to get a bit closer. I’d like you to spend some personal time with me for the time being.”

Personal time. Compared to the explicit and vulgar words Kwon Jung-hyun had been using, this phrase felt quite plain and modest.

“I’m saying I want to get close to you, Shin-seonsu. That’s how fan hearts work. Even if I want to have sex without feelings, I also crave a relationship as close as friends.”

“…….”

“Unfortunately for you, I want both.”

Shin Ho-jae looked at Kwon Jung-hyun, taking care not to furrow his brow. So, the reason he postponed sex today was that he wanted to get close to him? To have consensual sex?

Did he truly believe such a thing was possible? It was ridiculous, but he swallowed the thought. With the acquisition of the club at stake, he couldn’t afford to let his temper fly like last time.

“…Is there a specific deadline?”

Instead, he brought up a more realistic question. Jung-hyun answered immediately, as if he had already thought it through.

“Next April. Until the day the season ends.”

Until the end of the season coincided with the temporary acquisition period of the Blue Wolves. Did that mean he had no intention of renewing the contract with the team? Or did it mean that was enough time to play with him and get bored?

Regardless of the reason, it wasn’t a bad condition for Shin Ho-jae. Until next April, there was less than a year left.

When weighed against the acquisition of a club worth 13 billion won, spending time with a man was nothing. As he thought this, his sense of reality slowly returned.

Shin Ho-jae calmly considered what might happen during this ‘personal time.’

Judging by the news articles, Kwon Jung-hyun was a man who didn’t hesitate to use verbal and physical abuse, so violent incidents might be involved. That would be problematic.

Before being someone receiving a sponsorship, he was an athlete whose body was his asset.

“Anything that interferes with my athletic career is problematic. Especially during the season, I want to prioritize training and condition management.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. You’re diligent.”

At the man’s more compliant attitude than expected, Ho-jae paused for a moment before speaking.

“I would also like to set a specific time and place. As you know, the club and my home are in Suwon, so it takes time to travel to Seoul.”

There were many overseas away games during the season, so it would be difficult if he were suddenly called to Seoul and wasted a lot of time just to fulfill a promise.

In truth, even if the man told him to stop talking nonsense and show up immediately whenever called, there was no way he could refuse. However, in conversations like this, one had to know how to assert their desires somewhat strongly. It was know-how he had accumulated from handling his own salary negotiations since he was young.

Kwon Jung-hyun cleared his throat with an “Um.” Shin Ho-jae waited for his answer.

“How about around two hours? Anything more than that is inconvenient for me too. I’m quite busy myself.”

“…….”

“And as for the location, I think there will be too many variables to decide now. Once the season starts, there will be many times when Shin Ho-jae is overseas.”

At the unexpected answer, Shin Ho-jae stared at Jung-hyun.

“Let’s keep the location flexible depending on the situation, and for weeks when it’s difficult to meet due to each other’s circumstances, we’ll carry the time over to the following week. If we can’t meet for four weeks, ten hours will accumulate.”

“…….”

“If there are parts that need adjustment, tell me now.”

It was surprising. He could have proposed much more unfavorable terms, yet he had pinpointed exactly what Ho-jae was worried about and suggested a much shorter amount of time than expected.

No, it wasn’t that he was considering Ho-jae’s circumstances; it was likely because he was busy, just as he said. In a position where he had to sell his body to the man, being impressed by a single act of consideration would only make him look pathetic.

“I think that will be sufficient.”

“Then let’s write a simple contract based on these details.”

“Do we have to write a contract?”

“It won’t have legal effect, but that’s how people’s hearts are. If it’s not properly documented and controlled, they start having other thoughts and saying different things.”

Those words felt as if he were saying that if it wasn’t specified in a contract, he would gradually demand more excessive things. Shin Ho-jae nodded.

“I understand.”

“Good. I’ll send the contract separately soon.”

Jung-hyun extended his right hand and paused for a moment.

“And this is me speaking as a fan.”

“…….”

“I am happy that I can continue to see Shin Ho-jae’s play. Sincerely.”

Ho-jae’s gaze moved from the hand Kwon Jung-hyun had extended up to his face.

Suddenly, he remembered the day he first watched an ice hockey game following his father.

The cold temperature of the rink touching his cheeks, the sound of skate blades carving through the ice, the sense of speed that made it hard to track the movement of the puck, the rough groans of heavily armored players colliding…

As Ho-jae stared at the rink, completely absorbed, players tangled together right in front of him and slammed hard into the boards.

The impact made the glass shield installed on the boards shudder, and simultaneously, goosebumps rose on young Ho-jae’s arms.

When he looked up again, the players who had hit the boards were gliding across the ice toward the distance as if nothing had happened. It was a shock that made his entire body tingle.

From then on, his life had been a sprint driven by the single desire to play hockey.

But how had it been since he returned to Korea?

His father’s illness, his career as a player, conflicts with teammates, the debt of gratitude to the coach, the constant lack of money, the family relying on him… and the dissolution of the club.

Many things he couldn’t solve on his own weighed heavily on his shoulders, and without realizing it, his vision had narrowed, and he had forgotten that feeling for a long time.

That heart that wanted to play hockey.

I see. At least from now on, he could play hockey to his heart’s content.

In ‘his team,’ where his precious friends and coach were.

Shin Ho-jae took a deep breath and extended his right hand. The two hands locked together with considerable strength.

8 – Puck Drop