02 – Side Story. A Magnificent Wedding

Do-kwon’s car came to a stop in a spacious parking lot. Eun-soo let out a deep sigh, loosened his tie, and then fixed it again. Do-kwon watched him with concerned eyes.

“If it’s uncomfortable, don’t wear the tie. The weather is hot.”

“Aw, but I have to wear it on a day like today.”

Eun-soo tightened his lips, wearing a determined expression. To top it off, he clenched and unclenched his fist firmly before getting out of the car. Do-kwon sighed and followed him out.

Today was the day to get permission for the marriage from Do-kwon’s parents—that is, from Myeong-hui and Ki-ho. In Do-kwon’s words, it was a notification, but regardless, that was the case.

Eun-soo took a deep breath and looked around. This was his first time visiting Do-kwon’s family home. Although they had been seeing each other for a long time, there had been no reason to visit the family estate.

This was because Myeong-hui and Ki-ho could meet Eun-soo frequently since they worked at the same company, making visits to the house unnecessary.

Perhaps that was why today’s meeting felt exceptionally new. Even though it was just a meal. They had eaten together dozens of times. It wasn’t a formal meeting between the two families, but since it was similar, he felt nervous.

Do-kwon’s house was huge. Saying it was just ‘big’ wasn’t enough; it was a mansion. It was almost like a modern palace. One had to drive from the main gate just to reach the entrance. When Do-kwon described the three-bedroom house he used to live in as ‘cozy,’ Eun-soo had thought the family home must be enormous, but…… he didn’t expect it to be this much…….

When Do-kwon mentioned he had received a dinosaur the size of a house as a birthday present, Eun-soo had wondered how anyone could keep such a thing in a garden and worried about the neighbors reporting it. But looking at the vast garden, it seemed no one would even notice if he erected the Eiffel Tower.

The parking lot was also extremely spacious, with a variety of cars gathered there. There were old classic cars and sharp-looking sports cars. Every single one was polished and spotless.

Eun-soo swallowed hard. Whenever he felt like this—that Do-kwon wasn’t just the son of a rich family, but the son of a chaebol—his arms felt strangely chilly.

Did Do-kwon notice? He reached out and took Eun-soo’s hand. Their palms pressed together and their fingers intertwined. His thumb gently rubbed the back of Eun-soo’s hand. It felt as if he were telling him not to be nervous.

Eun-soo grinned and stood close to Do-kwon. For some reason, he felt a surge of pride. He didn’t think Myeong-hui and Ki-ho would reject him, but even if they did, he felt Do-kwon would handle everything. Because he was a man who would never let go of his hand, no matter what.

With the corners of his mouth lifted high, he took a spirited step forward.

Myeong-hui and Ki-ho welcomed Eun-soo warmly. Eun-soo presented a wine he had bought at a high price. Myeong-hui smiled and accepted it. Ki-ho rushed over, gently massaging Eun-soo’s hand while asking how he had been. Eun-soo held his hand back and answered affectionately.

Myeong-hui said lunch was ready and guided them outside instead of to the dining room. Eun-soo thought they were probably having a meal in the garden, just like the chaebol families in dramas.

But when they stepped into the garden, two cars were waiting. They weren’t real cars, but electric carts. The kind used for transportation at golf courses.

Myeong-hui and Ki-ho naturally climbed into the front car. As Eun-soo stood there dazed, Do-kwon led him by the hand and helped him into the back car. Soon, the car set off. A moderately cool and refreshing breeze brushed through their hair.

Eun-soo looked around the garden with an expression as if he were dreaming. The exquisitely manicured trees, the neatly lined flowerbeds, the fountain, and the scattered sculptures were truly beautiful.

It was beautiful, but unbelievable.

Eun-soo tentatively tapped Do-kwon’s hand.

“I am in Korea right now, right?”

“Maybe you’re not.”

Do-kwon chuckled, teasing him. Eun-soo didn’t even have the presence of mind to respond to the joke; he just stood there with his mouth agape.

Fortunately, the car didn’t drive for very long. It came to a stop after about five minutes. However, the place where they stopped was extraordinary. Eun-soo’s jaw dropped.

He had noticed a faint scent of water earlier. He thought it was just the fountain, but then he saw a vast pond. It could easily have been called a lake. Beside it stood a pavilion.

It was a beautiful and spacious pavilion. A blend of traditional Hanok and modern styles made it look luxurious and elegant. It felt as though even the kings of the Joseon Dynasty might not have owned such a magnificent pavilion.

A wooden bridge led to the pavilion. As Eun-soo walked across it, he looked around eagerly, like a tourist visiting a foreign country.

This must be private property, right? Not a city park, but actually the garden of Do-kwon’s house? No, even for an area far from Seoul, is it okay for an individual to own something like this? Have I… come here to marry into a house that is far too grand? He suddenly worried that Myeong-hui and Ki-ho might oppose the marriage.

Inside the pavilion, there was a large, heavy-looking table and eight chairs. The four of them sat facing each other in pairs. After exchanging brief greetings, people dressed in white chef’s uniforms brought out the food. He had worried that the food might come out plated in gold, but fortunately, it was just food. Though, of course, it was magnificent food.

A variety of side dishes were laid out: galbi sanjeok and seasoned raw crab with the shells removed—both of Eun-soo’s favorites—haeshintang with large pieces of octopus and palm-sized abalones, beef tartare, and more. Finally, stone pot rice filled with chestnuts was brought in on a cart.

The person in the chef’s uniform served the rice into pretty bowls. The first bowl was placed in front of Myeong-hui, who then picked it up and placed it in front of Eun-soo.

“Eat first. You must be hungry.”

“No, no. Chairman, please go first…”

“It’s fine. Eat.”

Eun-soo gave an awkward smile and picked up his spoon. He had wanted to wait until Myeong-hui and Ki-ho started eating first, but he couldn’t hold out because the two of them were staring at him intently, as if wondering when he would eat, why he wasn’t eating, and wishing he would just start already.

Eun-soo scooped a full spoonful of rice and put it in his mouth. He chewed with his lips tightly sealed. He knew he should eat the side dishes too, but for some reason, he felt burdened to pick up his chopsticks. As he continued to chew only the rice, Do-kwon broke a piece of galbi and placed it on his spoon. Eun-soo quickly popped it into his mouth.

Myeong-hui and Ki-ho watched the two of them with pleased expressions. And so, the meal began.

Eun-soo, who had been picking at his food due to the overwhelming pressure of the garden and the pavilion, was soon enchanted by the taste and began moving his utensils diligently.

Dining in a pavilion was truly wonderful. He felt he understood why the kings of old loved pavilions so much. With the open surroundings, the gentle breeze, the stunning scenery, and the occasional sound of birds, it couldn’t have been better.

As Eun-soo was picking out the octopus from the haeshintang that Ki-ho had personally served him, Myeong-hui asked.

“Is the food alright?”

“Yes. It’s delicious.”

Eun-soo swallowed quickly and nodded his head busily. He didn’t know if they always ate this luxuriously or if it had been prepared specifically for him, but he decided to believe the latter. Perhaps that was why it tasted so good. Both the meat and the seafood were in excellent, fresh condition.

“Actually, Chairman…”

“Yes.”

“May I have one more bowl of rice?”

At Eun-soo’s words, Myeong-hui and Ki-ho burst into laughter. Myeong-hui called a staff member and asked for another bowl of rice. With his cheeks puffed up, Eun-soo waited for the rice with sparkling eyes.

Do-kwon placed a neatly squared piece of seafood pajeon in front of him. It was a pancake fried to a crisp.

“Eat this until the rice comes.”

Eun-soo nodded and dipped the pajeon in soy sauce before putting it in his mouth. The savory taste of oil and batter hit first, followed by the chewiness of plump squid. Under the table, Eun-soo’s feet were silently dancing with excitement.

The meal continued for another thirty to forty minutes because Eun-soo emptied three bowls of rice. He glanced around, wondering if he should stop, if he was eating too much, or if everyone was waiting for him. However, since they were all looking at him as if watching a puppy enjoy its food, he simply continued his meal with gusto.

After the meal, dessert was served. Iced coffee with plenty of ice, cake, cookies, and yakgwa filled the table once again. Eun-soo felt as if he might die of happiness.

But first, he had to do what he came for. Now that his stomach was full, the purpose of his visit came back to him. After taking a sip of coffee, Eun-soo called Myeong-hui with a serious tone.

“Chairman, Father.”

“Yes, dear.”

“Yes, Eun-soo.”

“Um… there is a reason why I came here today.”

At his words, Myeong-hui and Ki-ho focused their attention on him. Eun-soo took a deep breath and straightened his back. Then, gripping Do-kwon’s hand tightly, he spoke in a determined voice.

“I… I want to marry Do-kwon. Please give us your blessing.”

Myeong-hui pulled her chin back slightly. Then, she soon nodded.

“Go ahead.”

“…”

Eun-soo’s mouth fell open. The permission had come too easily. He wished she had at least pretended to deliberate. He felt almost hollow because he had been so nervous. As Eun-soo blinked rapidly, wondering what to do now, Myeong-hui asked.

“When do you want to do it? How about doing it early while the weather is as nice as it is these days?”

“Ah… that far… not yet…”

As Eun-soo stammered, Ki-ho nodded and added.

“Yes. It would be good to do it when the weather is nice. Of course, the best time is whenever you two want.”

“Hmm, is there a decent wedding hall at Seong-jin Hotel, honey?”

“Is there a need to do it at a wedding hall? I heard the royal gardens at Changdeokgung Palace have reopened. They looked quite nice. We could rent the whole place, or ah, how about the ocean?”

“The ocean is great too. We have a hotel in Jeju, right? I think it would be wonderful to do it in the garden there. Instead of early, we could start around sunset and continue into the night. We could put up beautiful lighting and draperies. Do-kwon, what do you think?”

“Wherever it is, I hope the sun isn’t too strong. Eun-soo is very sensitive to the heat. It would also be fine to set the date for autumn.”

“Is that so? Then how about the gallery? You know the gallery you like, honey. Would it be difficult to rent that place?”

“Oh, that would be great too. It would be stylish and unique. Moreover, since Eun-soo is a designer, it would suit him well.”

The conversation continued, leaving Eun-soo out of the loop. The three of them seriously discussed where to hold the wedding, how to do it, and what date would be best. Eun-soo couldn’t keep up with the conversation as things were decided in an instant. By the time he snapped out of his daze, the topic had already shifted to the newlyweds’ home.

“Eun-soo, what about you?”

“Ah, I… I just… everything is fine. As for the wedding… the best place is wherever the food is delicious…”

Eun-soo answered in a small voice at the sudden question. It was half-joke and half-truth.

“…”

“…”

“…”

A brief silence followed. Eun-soo wondered if he had said something tactless and tried to add something more, but the three of them burst into laughter simultaneously. Do-kwon gently rubbed Eun-soo’s cheek as if he were cute, Ki-ho wiped away a stray tear, and Myeong-hui laughed so hard her nose wrinkled.

After blinking a few times, Eun-soo gave a shy smile back. It seemed he hadn’t made a mistake. The harmonious atmosphere continued. While munching on yakgwa, Eun-soo cautiously called Myeong-hui.

“Um… Chairman.”

“Yes, dear.”

“May I… call you Mother again?”

“…”

The table suddenly went silent. Eun-soo had originally called Myeong-hui ‘Mother.’ He didn’t know why; he had just done it from the start. But after the incident with Seong-heon and the miscarriage from the car accident—after he had completely parted ways with Do-kwon—he had called her ‘Chairman.’ Because ‘Mother’ was no longer a fitting title for their relationship.

However, since he had decided to become part of their family, he felt that ‘Mother’ was the correct title once again.

After a moment of silence, Myeong-hui took Eun-soo’s hand in hers. She gently patted the back of his hand.

“Of course. Of course, Eun-soo, naturally.”

At those words, Eun-soo beamed.

He had a family.

The four of them ate dessert and opened the wine Eun-soo had brought. The bright midday sun grew languid, and before they knew it, the sunset was creeping in. Eun-soo checked his wristwatch. The short hand was approaching five. To think they had spent nearly four hours eating and playing. And in a pavilion, no less. It was nothing short of heaven.

As Eun-soo gazed at the gently rippling pond, Ki-ho casually spoke up.

“Dear. It’s dinner time; since you’re already here, stay for dinner before you go.”

“Yes. Let’s take this opportunity to decide everything, from the wedding to the newlyweds’ home.”

Myeong-hui added tactfully. It seemed she didn’t want to let Eun-soo go. Do-kwon frowned slightly and tried to decline on his behalf, but Eun-soo gave a light nod.

“Yes. I’d love to.”

At the beaming response, Do-kwon shut his mouth. On the other hand, Myeong-hui and Ki-ho’s lips stretched wide into smiles.

The four of them decided to take a walk to look around the house and digest their food. The garden, lush yet tidy, was truly wonderful. He also loved the scent of grass, something hard to find in the city.

As Eun-soo took a deep breath and looked around, Do-kwon, walking beside him, softly took his hand. Eun-soo looked up at Do-kwon with a shy smile. Do-kwon looked down at him lovingly. Unable to contain his overflowing affection, he pressed a firm kiss onto Eun-soo’s cheek.

Startled, Eun-soo pushed Do-kwon away. He wondered what he was doing with the parents right there. As he glared at Do-kwon in silent reprimand, Ki-ho laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying it was fine. Then, as if to show him, he took Myeong-hui’s hand. Myeong-hui affectionately stroked Ki-ho’s forearm. It was a lovely sight.

After walking for about five minutes, Myeong-hui, who was walking ahead, turned her head halfway back and spoke.

“Do-kwon. Move your office starting next week.”

“Pardon?”

Do-kwon asked back, surprised by the sudden remark. Eun-soo also tilted his head in confusion as Myeong-hui and Ki-ho stopped walking. Do-kwon and Eun-soo stopped as well.

“You’ve done enough as a Director. I’ll promote you to President.”

At those words, Eun-soo’s eyes widened. Even Do-kwon, who rarely showed surprise, raised an eyebrow. The unexpected news of the promotion was more shocking than joyful.

“Skipping both Managing Director and Senior Managing Director? People will talk.”

“Let them talk. What are they going to do about it?”

“But…”

“Can’t you just do a good job?”

“…”

“The shareholders’ grumbling will last two months at most. They already know you’ll be the one to take the Chairman’s seat after me; they know nothing will change. They’re just talking because they’re frustrated. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“…”

Do-kwon remained silent. It was true, but he still wasn’t happy. A promotion resulting from Myeong-hui’s decision didn’t just mean a change in title. It meant she intended to work him that much harder. Myeong-hui detested the idea of a son or family member lounging around while earning a salary of billions of won.

If his workload increased… the time he spent with Eun-soo would decrease. Naturally, he wasn’t pleased.

As Do-kwon continued to ponder, Myeong-hui’s gaze shifted to Eun-soo.

“I’ll give you a position too, Eun-soo. Choose wherever you want, whether it’s your current company or Seong-jin. Well, if you plan to resign after marriage, I’ll respect that too.”

Eun-soo’s mouth hung open. A position offered by Myeong-hui would be at least an executive level. An executive at a conglomerate. A position ordinary people couldn’t even dream of in their entire lives. There were hundreds of people at Seong-jin alone who would fight tooth and nail just to get a seat as a junior executive.

So it was clearly a great opportunity. Perhaps luck even greater than winning the lottery. But for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to say yes immediately.

“Uh…”

As Eun-soo rubbed his forehead with a troubled expression, Myeong-hui asked again.

“Why? Do you not like it?”

“I know it’s a… great opportunity, but the thought of having so many responsibilities is burdensome. Once I have a child, I want to focus on the child as much as possible, but if my rank is high, the work will inevitably…”

Eun-soo stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth. This was because Myeong-hui and Ki-ho’s faces had turned pale, as if they had seen a ghost. Eun-soo wondered if he had said something wrong and repeated his words in his head. Ki-ho stepped forward hesitantly and asked.

“…A child? You… intend to have a child?”

At that, Eun-soo let out a short gasp. He realized what had shocked Myeong-hui and Ki-ho. After briefly meeting Do-kwon’s eyes, Eun-soo gave a bright smile.

“Yes. I want to have a child. As soon as possible. While I am still young and healthy.”

“…”

“…”

Myeong-hui and Ki-ho were speechless. Still, the corners of their mouths were twitching upward. However, it wasn’t pure joy. Their eyes were strangely distorted, mixed with worry and anxiety.

Eun-soo easily saw through their concern. He had been unwell. He had been very sick. He had even suffered a miscarriage. The thought of him wanting a child again was both admirable and worrying.

“Please don’t worry too much. I went to the OB-GYN, and they said there are no problems with my body.”

Eun-soo said, gently rubbing his lower abdomen. Do-kwon’s eyes widened. Eun-soo had gone to the OB-GYN? It was a fact he had been completely unaware of.

“When did you go there…”

“During my lunch break. Without telling you, Do-kwon.”

Eun-soo smiled apologetically and squeezed Do-kwon’s hand. Before telling Do-kwon that he wanted a child, he had visited the OB-GYN. The same clinic he had frequented when he was carrying Bomi. The place with the doctor who wore rimless glasses.

He had gone to ask if his body was okay, if there were any problems with conceiving, and if he needed to be particularly careful to avoid another miscarriage. As always, the doctor had given a dry but detailed explanation. He was told to be careful, but that it wasn’t at a dangerous level. That alone was enough to be grateful for.

Eun-soo was confident. This time, Do-kwon was by his side, and Myeong-hui and Ki-ho would worry for him. Above all, he now knew how to take care of himself. He would never again experience a sorrow like a miscarriage.

Do-kwon gazed intently at Eun-soo, who was flushed with confidence and anticipation. Then, as if he had no choice, he let out a short sigh. He looked at Myeong-hui and spoke.

“Then I don’t need to be President. To focus on childcare, Director would be appropriate…”

Just then, Eun-soo tugged on Do-kwon’s sleeve and narrowed his eyes.

“What are you talking about? You have to be promoted, Do-kwon.”

“…Huh?”

“Get promoted. You should give our child everything you can. Who knows what they’ll want to do? It’ll be fine if it’s studying or arts, but what if they want to go into management or even further and become a politician?”

“Uh…”

“If they want to do it, we have to make sure they can. For that, you have to be promoted. Don’t even think about quitting the company until the child’s desires become clear. And don’t get on Mother’s bad side.”

Eun-soo fired off the words rapidly, his brow furrowed. While Do-kwon just blinked with a foolish expression, Myeong-hui clapped her hands and burst into loud laughter.

“Exactly, exactly. You have to acquire everything you can. Who knows what my grandchild will want.”

She gave Eun-soo a thumbs-up. If one were to prepare to be a parent, that was exactly the kind of mindset needed. Eun-soo smiled proudly.

And so, Do-kwon became the President. He had no complaints. Just as Eun-soo said, he didn’t know if his child would want to own Seong-jin or become a politician. He had to prepare the necessary money and power starting now.

Eun-soo was not only beautiful but also wise and smart. Do-kwon adjusted his grip on Eun-soo’s hand and smiled contentedly.

The walk continued. After walking for about thirty minutes, they had seen about half of the garden. The four of them sat for a moment on a bench in front of the fountain.

Ki-ho asked the staff following at a distance for some simple drinks. And as the drinks arrived, he spoke to Do-kwon.

“Do-kwon, you. Go see Eun-soo’s parents too.”

“…….”

“You should tell them you’re getting married.”

At those words, Eun-soo let out a small gasp. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. Admiring how adults really were on another level, he nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Do-kwon placed a drink—a blend of orange and grapefruit—into Eun-soo’s hand and replied.

“I already did.”

Eun-soo hurriedly pulled the cup away from his lips. His eyes widened as if they might fall out.

“You already did? You, Do-kwon? To my parents? When?!”

“During my lunch break. Behind your back.”

Do-kwon said with a smirk. While Eun-soo sputtered, completely blindsided, Myeong-hui, who was sipping her juice, let out a faint laugh.

“See, Eun-soo? I told you two were exactly alike, didn’t I?”

“My, how can they be so similar when they’re so different?”

Ki-ho nodded in agreement with her. Do-kwon and Eun-soo were poles apart, not only in appearance but also in personality and build. The only thing they had in common was that they loved each other. Well, perhaps that was the only similarity that truly mattered.

“Isn’t it just perfect for marriage, honey? It’s more fun living together when you’re moderately similar yet different.”

“Indeed. Just as we’ve lived happily. Do-kwon and Eun-soo will do just fine.”

Myeong-hui and Ki-ho looked at each other and smiled. Do-kwon and Eun-soo followed suit.

Dinner was served in a dining room draped under a chandelier the size of a bed. The Western-style meal was, naturally, delicious, and the accompanying wine was exquisite. As Eun-soo gazed lovingly at the sherbet served for dessert, Ki-ho tentatively voiced a wish.

“Sweetie, since you’re already here, why don’t you stay the night? It’s getting late.”

“Uh….”

Eun-soo hesitated. Even so, staying over was a bit…. He hadn’t packed any clothes, including underwear. Tomorrow was the weekend, but still…. As Eun-soo’s eyes wavered, Myeong-hui added suggestively.

“Do-kwon’s room is still exactly as it was. He used it from the time he was a child, so there will be plenty to see.”

“Do-kwon’s… room?”

“Yes. It’s a separate annex past the garden, so you might as well think of it as a different house. Even if you set off fireworks there, we wouldn’t hear them here. So, stay the night. Wake up and have breakfast with us. A different chef comes in the morning, and that person is a great cook too.”

It was a series of very tempting offers. The delicious breakfast was one thing, but above all, he was incredibly curious about Do-kwon’s room. While the place they currently lived in was technically Do-kwon’s house, it had almost nothing personal in it. It was kept so pristine that it wasn’t much different from a model home.

But Do-kwon’s space here would likely be quite different. For instance, perhaps he could see photos of him as a child, the school uniforms he wore, or old toys.

Eun-soo swallowed hard. He stole a glance at Do-kwon, who was sitting quietly, waiting for his decision. Eun-soo bit the inside of his cheek for a moment before letting go. Then, with a mischievous expression, he crinkled his nose.

“Then… shall we stay?”

To get to Do-kwon’s room, they had to cross the garden. Fortunately, it wasn’t the large garden they had strolled through during the day, but a smaller one, so there was no need to take the electric cart.

The garden, with its sparse lighting, felt different from how it looked during the day. The night air seeping through the trees was quite cool, and the scent of grass grew thicker with the night dew.

Do-kwon and Eun-soo walked hand-in-hand across the granite-paved garden.

“If it’s uncomfortable, you can go home and sleep.”

Do-kwon said, kneading Eun-soo’s hand. Eun-soo shook his head.

“I’m curious about your room. You said you started living independently after going abroad, so you lived here until high school. I bet there’s so much to see.”

“There probably isn’t much.”

“What about your uniforms? Do you have your uniforms?”

“Uh… I don’t know. I think I’ll have to check the dressing room.”

“I hope you do.”

Eun-soo clenched his fists and shivered with excitement. If they were there, he had to see Do-kwon wear them. Do-kwon in a school uniform. He would definitely take photos.

Watching Eun-soo’s eyes sparkle with anticipation, Do-kwon let out a chuckle. He wondered if Eun-soo was really that curious about him in a uniform. Then again, he understood; long ago, when he had looked into Eun-soo’s background, he had looked at photos of Eun-soo in his uniform over and over again.

After chatting about this and that, they soon arrived at Do-kwon’s room. Do-kwon’s room was… as Myeong-hui had said, it could practically be considered a separate house.

The entrance required Do-kwon’s fingerprint to enter, and it had its own kitchen as well as a living room the size of a playground. It felt like a fancy pension. But the interior was—how should he put it—calm, yet had a youthful feel. It definitely felt like a “young” space. It was like the “young master’s room” seen in dramas. The blend of wood, charcoal, and deep green was quite different from Do-kwon’s current home.

With an excited face, Eun-soo explored the house. He skimmed through the living room, which had nothing particularly special, and the bedroom, which only had a large bed. Then, he entered the study. The space with the large desk felt more like a study room than a formal library.

“Since what age did you have this? You wouldn’t have had it since you were a baby.”

Eun-soo asked, stroking the desk where Do-kwon would have sat to study.

“Since middle school. Before that, I was in the building where we had dinner, with my parents.”

Do-kwon, who had been following closely behind Eun-soo, answered. Eun-soo nodded and picked up a pencil holder. The desk in Do-kwon’s current study didn’t have a pencil holder; it had a fountain pen stand.

Eun-soo shook the pencil holder. The ballpoint pens, mechanical pencils, and highlighters clattered against each other. Imagining a high school-aged Do-kwon holding a mechanical pencil and solving reference books made his teeth itch strangely.

“Then did you sleep here alone throughout middle and high school?”

“Yeah.”

“Weren’t you scared? Sleeping alone in such a wide place?”

“Not really.”

At Do-kwon’s indifferent answer, Eun-soo pouted. Then again, it would have been quite strange for Do-kwon to cling to Myeong-hui saying he was scared of the dark.

Setting the pencil holder down, Eun-soo approached the bookshelf packed with books. It was full of the reference books and workbooks Do-kwon had used. Occasionally, Eun-soo spotted books that looked familiar—the kind of reference books every student in Korea has touched at least once.

To think he had collected things over ten years old, things that were now useless.

“It’s a total Seo Do-kwon museum.”

Pulling out an English book, Eun-soo flipped through the pages. He traced the parts Do-kwon had highlighted with his finger, feeling a strange tickle in his chest.

After examining a few books, Eun-soo looked at Do-kwon with sparkling eyes.

“What about your graduation albums? Where are they?”

“Uh… hold on.”

Do-kwon frowned slightly and scanned the bookshelf. Then, in a corner, he found thick-covered graduation albums standing in a neat row. Do-kwon pulled out four albums at once with his large hand.

“Which one do you want to see? I have them all, from kindergarten through elementary, middle, and high school.”

“All of them! All of them!”

Eun-soo bounced on his heels. Do-kwon handed over the kindergarten album first. Taking it, Eun-soo plopped down on the floor. Do-kwon sat down beside him. The hard, cool floor felt unfamiliar. Then, it suddenly occurred to him that this was the first time he had sat on the floor in this house in over ten years.

He always had new experiences when he was with Eun-soo. From things as trivial as this to something as grand as love. Do-kwon smiled silently and pressed a kiss to Eun-soo’s cheek. Eun-soo, oblivious to it, was preoccupied with flipping through the pages.

Finding Do-kwon wasn’t hard. Since it was a high-end private kindergarten, there weren’t many graduates. In fact, the photos were printed so large—one person per page—that it looked like a lookbook.

“Aaaah! What is this! He’s too cute!”

Eun-soo flopped over onto his side. Above the name [Star Class – Seo Do-kwon], a young Do-kwon stood with a prim expression, wearing a suit, a bowtie, and a graduation cap. He wasn’t much different from the current Do-kwon, but his eyes were a bit larger, his gaze softer, and his cheeks… he had so much cheek fat. He was so plump and white that he couldn’t have been cuter.

Trembling with clenched fists, Eun-soo looked at the photo over and over. Then, he fished his phone out of his pocket and snapped a picture. He then rubbed the cheeks of the Do-kwon in the photo, even though he couldn’t actually touch them. He felt a phantom sensation of softness.

After admiring the childhood Do-kwon for a while, Eun-soo snapped his head up.

“Do you have albums from when you were even younger?”

“Those are probably in my parents’ bedroom.”

“Ah…. I’ll have to ask them to show me tomorrow.”

Eun-soo grinned and rubbed little Do-kwon’s cheek again. Do-kwon smiled back. Then, secretly, his lips drooped gloomily.

He wanted to see Eun-soo’s childhood photos too. But they didn’t exist in this world. Because when a fire broke out at Eun-soo’s parents’ house, all those records had burned away. It was a lamentable tragedy.

How pretty would he have been? How lovely? A young Eun-soo would have smiled even more frequently than he did now. He would have blinked his large eyes and beamed at the camera his parents held. He probably loved eating back then, too. There would have been many photos of him eating something.

To think he couldn’t see them. To think he could never see them until the day he died. Not even hear about them. He felt like hitting the floor and wailing.

While Do-kwon let out a sigh through his nose, Eun-soo had moved past elementary and middle school and reached high school. The photos of Do-kwon wearing his uniform like a suit with a stiff expression weren’t much different from how he looked now.

Eun-soo smacked his lips as if disappointed.

“What? These are just Seo Do-kwon.”

“I’m me, so of course.”

“Still, I expected something different. Like, maybe you had a hairstyle that was trendy at the time, or wore thick glasses, or were really short, or skinny, or maybe chubby.”

“Pfft…. Because of my family, reporters followed me and took photos since elementary school. Because of that, there were people who managed my clothes and hair.”

“Hmph….”

“As for my height, I was over 170cm by the time I entered middle school. By graduation, I was pretty much the same height as I am now.”

“What a shame, what a shame….”

Eun-soo pressed his lips together. After pinching the corner of the graduation album for no reason, he suddenly looked up.

“So? Do you have the uniforms?”

Do-kwon searched and searched through the dressing room and eventually found the uniforms. There wasn’t just one or two. Because he had grown so quickly, he had to get them tailored repeatedly, so there were uniforms of the same design in various sizes.

Do-kwon appeared holding two: the uniform he wore right before high school graduation and the one he wore when entering middle school. Eun-soo, who had been examining hoodies from Do-kwon’s youth in a corner of the dressing room, approached as if he had been waiting. He looked delighted upon seeing the uniforms.

He touched the clothes and stole glances at Do-kwon. Twirling the uniform tie around his finger, he spoke softly.

“Put on the uniform….”

“I’ll wear it for you.”

Do-kwon answered before Eun-soo could even finish. Eun-soo’s eyebrows shot up.

“……Really?”

“Yeah. In exchange, you wear this too.”

Do-kwon held out the smaller of the two uniforms. Eun-soo tilted his head.

“What’s this?”

“My middle school uniform. I was about your height then, so it should fit.”

“…….”

“I want to see it too. You in a school uniform. So, please wear it.”

At those words, Eun-soo shut his mouth tight. It was a request he couldn’t refuse. To see Do-kwon in a uniform, he had to give something up too. Eun-soo took a deep breath and accepted the uniform.

The two changed their clothes in opposite corners of the dressing room. Eun-soo peeked his head out from behind the wardrobe.

“Are you done changing, Do-kwon?”

“Yeah. And you?”

“Me too! Shall we come out?”

“Yeah. Come on out.”

Do-kwon and Eun-soo revealed themselves simultaneously. Then, they walked slowly toward each other.

“Ah….”

Eun-soo let out a small gasp of admiration. Do-kwon in a dark gray uniform and a black tie felt unfamiliar. Emotions he hadn’t felt when looking at the graduation photos began to creep up on him.

He had thought the uniform wouldn’t be much different from a suit. But seeing it in person, there was a distinct difference. Perhaps it was because the suits Do-kwon usually wore were of a darker palette. Or maybe it was because the details of the sleeves, pockets, and collar were different.

Regardless, it was different. It felt as if he were looking at the high school version of Do-kwon. He had been so cool. Seeing how the clothes fit, his height was the same as now, and those broad shoulders and back were no different.

With that superior appearance and build, and an unrivaled family background, Do-kwon must have been….

“Were you popular?”

He must have been incredibly popular. Probably not just the Omegas in the whole school, but even the Betas would have hovered around him just to try and strike up a conversation.

“Hmm?”

“I mean in high school. Were you popular?”

“I was.”

“……That’s so annoying, seriously.”

Eun-soo stomped his heel on the floor. It wasn’t as if Do-kwon had been his lover back then. In fact, he hadn’t even known he existed. He didn’t know why he felt jealous. Perhaps it was because those people knew the fresh, cool nineteen-year-old Do-kwon from a time when he didn’t.

With a grumpy face, Eun-soo burrowed into Do-kwon’s waist. Do-kwon smiled silently and hugged Eun-soo back.

“I bet you were popular too. Instead of annoyed, I’m actually angry.”

Eun-soo had an extremely youthful face. He possessed all the elements typically associated with a “baby face.” His large eyes, his supple skin, and the perfectly proportioned cheek fat. So, when he appeared in the uniform just now, Do-kwon felt as if he had briefly traveled back in time.

The uniform was a little—just a little—too big for Eun-soo. The sleeves hung below his wrists, and the pants covered the tops of his feet. This made him look even more naive. He looked like a middle schooler rolling his eyes while trying to adjust to a new environment and new people.

A glimpse of his white nape was revealed through his calmly settled hair. Because it was a high-collared dress shirt, it wasn’t very visible, which made it even harder to look away. Every time he moved his arms, the jacket and shirt shifted, repeatedly revealing and hiding his slender wrist bones, and his peach-colored fingertips and earlobes were utterly enticing.

Boy. He was a perfect embodiment of that noun.

A wicked desire—to touch him, to possess him, to have him look only at him, to mess up that neatly worn uniform—tickled the roof of Do-kwon’s mouth.

There was no way the peers who attended school with him hadn’t felt that same emotion. The Eun-soo of that time must have been even fresher, brighter, and more fragile than he was now. He must have been the sole target of the Alphas’ attention.

Thinking about those Alpha bastards who probably tried to approach him, sat next to him during lunch, and swallowed hard while watching him run on the playground or sweat, made Do-kwon’s blood run cold.

As Do-kwon’s eyes flashed sharply, Eun-soo let out a laugh.

“Well, I was popular, but it was more as a friend than as an Omega. Back then, my parents were still around, and my personality was much more energetic, mischievous, and a bit rowdy.”

“…….”

“I loved soccer, I was the class president….”

“Ah…. Hearing that makes me even angrier. Because I don’t know that side of you.”

Do-kwon let out a suppressed groan and hugged Eun-soo a little tighter. In response, Eun-soo gently stroked Do-kwon’s broad back.

“But you know the ‘me’ of now, which those people don’t. You know I don’t have a single friend I keep in touch with. Right now, I only have you, Do-kwon.”

At Eun-soo’s words, Do-kwon’s shoulders, which had been tense with irritation, relaxed. After comforting Do-kwon for a while longer, Eun-soo looked into a nearby full-length mirror. Do-kwon followed his gaze.

He saw the two figures standing close together. Perhaps because the uniforms were from the same tailor and looked similar, they looked like a matching set. Leaning his head against Do-kwon’s forearm, Eun-soo asked softly.

“If we had met as students, would we have loved each other?”

“Of course. I told you I fell for you at first sight. Would it have been any different back then?”

Do-kwon rubbed his cheek against Eun-soo’s hair. Back then, it was a time when there were fewer prejudices against Omegas. There was no way he wouldn’t have fallen for him. The moment he saw him, he would have lost his mind, stubbornly insisting on transferring to Eun-soo’s school—a level of stubbornness he had never shown in his life—used underhanded methods to get into Eun-soo’s class, and spent every lesson stealing glances at his face instead of the blackboard.

He probably would have condemned the other Alphas who peeked at him just as I did, and then approached him while pretending to be the kindest, most wonderful person in the world, even going to college with him. And as soon as they graduated, he would have snatched him up and married him.

Thinking about it made me feel regretful all over again. If we had met sooner, if we had met earlier, we would have become a family a long time ago. We would have loved each other for much longer.

As Do-kwon let out a series of sullen sighs, Eun-soo gently stroked the curve of his ear.

“Shall we kiss?”

“Yeah.”

At the reflexive answer, Eun-soo chuckled. As expected, nothing worked better than this to soothe Do-kwon. He slid his hand inside Do-kwon’s jacket, stroking his waist over the dress shirt. Standing pressed close against him, Do-kwon cupped Eun-soo’s chin and cheek in one hand. As he lowered his head, Eun-soo closed his eyes and whispered.

“Just a kiss.”

“…….”

Do-kwon froze. The fingertips that were preparing to undo the buttons of Eun-soo’s shirt twitched. Seeing the gesture that laid his intentions bare, Eun-soo patted Do-kwon’s backside and admonished him.

“Even if your parents are far away, it’s a bit, you know, a bit much.”

“……It’s fine.”

“What do you mean it’s fine? I’m a middle schooler. Do you want to strip me? That’s a crime.”

“You really…….”

Do-kwon furrowed his brow as if he had a headache. He felt wronged. Of course, it was true that he wanted to strip him, but… regardless, he felt wronged. As Do-kwon let out a groan of distress, Eun-soo stood on his tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to Do-kwon’s chin before pulling away.

“Settle for a kiss. You can finish the rest when we go home tomorrow.”

At those words, the corner of Do-kwon’s mouth twisted into a crooked smirk.

“We’re leaving immediately after breakfast.”

“Yee-es, leaving immediately-ee.”

Eun-soo teased him, dragging out the end of his sentence. Letting out a hollow laugh, Do-kwon scooped Eun-soo up. Startled, Eun-soo wrapped his arms around his neck. Do-kwon sat Eun-soo down on the dresser where his sunglasses and watch were kept. Then, he immediately locked their lips.

Perhaps it was because he was wearing a school uniform, but the kiss felt more fluttering and ticklish than usual. Eun-soo shrunk his neck for a moment before hugging Do-kwon’s nape. He then wrapped his legs around Do-kwon’s waist, pulling him closer. It was a sly move. For Do-kwon, who had been forbidden from doing anything beyond kissing, it was a rather agonizing kind of slyness.

Making the most of the situation, Do-kwon desperately sucked on Eun-soo’s tongue.

“Nngh…….”

Eun-soo let out a soft, muffled moan. His tongue, being sucked into the other’s mouth, felt a stinging sensation. Occasionally, his tongue was scraped by the neat upper teeth, and every time that happened, a tickle ran down his spine.

Their lips met and parted busily. Sticky, tangled saliva flowed between them, and their tongues mixed wetly. Pheromones full of eroticism stained the dressing room.

Do-kwon reached inside Eun-soo’s dress shirt, stroking the concave curve of his back. His hand crept forward, gently brushing down Eun-soo’s ribs. It felt as though he was about to invade the nipples if he stayed any longer.

Eun-soo pushed Do-kwon’s shoulder away. Do-kwon pulled back regretfully, rubbing his lips against Eun-soo’s cheek.

“You’d better be prepared for tomorrow.”

“I don’t see why I’d need to be ‘prepared’ specifically…….”

Eun-soo replied indifferently, kneading Do-kwon’s forearm. Do-kwon let out a short laugh. He couldn’t fathom where that confidence came from. He stroked the nape of Eun-soo’s neck with a lingering touch.

“You’ll regret it.”

“Does being prepared change anything? Everything depends on this guy here.”

Eun-soo lightly pressed his knee against Do-kwon’s lower half and then released it. Do-kwon reacted instantly. Shrinking his neck, he buried his nose near Eun-soo’s collarbone.

“Haa……. Eun-soo…….”

Do-kwon inhaled deeply the pheromones flowing gently from Eun-soo. His mind became clouded in an instant. Reason crumbled, and carnal desire stood erect. Just as he gripped Eun-soo’s buttocks—

“I said no.”

Eun-soo pushed Do-kwon away and stepped down from the dresser. Do-kwon clenched the hand that had been left hanging in mid-air. He gritted his teeth so hard that his temples bulged.

Do-kwon let out a pained groan and swept his bangs back. Then, taking a deep breath, he approached Eun-soo.

Eun-soo was standing in front of the mirror. Do-kwon rubbed his forehead against Eun-soo’s shoulder, counting how many hours were left until they returned home tomorrow. He sighed when he realized there were still over ten hours left. He thought he should contact his parents separately and suggest having breakfast at the crack of dawn.

“Ah, you’re a bit late,” Eun-soo said, looking at Do-kwon in the mirror.

“Huh?”

Do-kwon slowly raised his head. Then, Eun-soo said with a clear smile, “Congratulations on becoming the CEO, CEO Seo.”

“……It’s thanks to you. Thank you.”

Do-kwon chuckled and kissed Eun-soo’s cheek. Eun-soo burrowed into Do-kwon’s waist and whispered coquettishly, “Please make lots of money from now on. I eat quite a bit, and I think the kids will take after me and eat a lot too. You’ll have to work hard to support me and the children.”

Do-kwon burst into laughter at those words. It was a terrifying thought. A child who ate like Eun-soo. How lovely would that be? He would surely provide every delicacy under the sun just to see them eat a little more.

Taking Eun-soo’s hand, he pressed his lips firmly against the back of the white hand, as if stamping it.

“I’ll do my best.”

At the perfect answer, Eun-soo’s eyes curved into crescents. He looked at the reflection of himself and Do-kwon standing side by side in the mirror. It felt strange since they were wearing similar clothes. He wondered if this was why couples wore matching outfits.

“We could just get married like this. It looks like we’re wearing matching suits.”

“Like this?”

Do-kwon pulled Eun-soo’s hand from his grip and tucked it into the crook of his arm, making him link arms. He then straightened his back and stared into the mirror. Eun-soo followed suit, correcting his posture.

The two of them gazed blankly at their reflection for a while. Eun-soo hummed the wedding march through his nose.

* * *

“Team Leader Yoo, congratulations!”

“CEO Seo. Congratulations.”

“CEO Seo, congratulations.”

“Team Leader Yoo! Live happily!”

Confetti fell over their heads. A moderately cool breeze brushed past their cheeks, and the cheers of the crowd tickled their ears. Smiling brightly, Eun-soo made eye contact with each person pouring out their congratulations. Then, the person walking in step beside him pulled his hand, as if telling him not to look anywhere else.

Eun-soo looked at him. Do-kwon was looking at Eun-soo with a somewhat dissatisfied expression. Seeing right through his thoughts, Eun-soo intentionally smiled, his eyes curving. Do-kwon’s tangled expression instantly relaxed. He smiled faintly and squeezed the hand he was holding even tighter. His tender eyes were telling him that he loved him passionately.

Eun-soo couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Today was the wedding. A very lavish wedding, renting out an entire five-star hotel in Jeju Island. From the flight tickets from Gimpo to Jeju to the hotel accommodations, and a diverse and varied menu—it was an incredibly luxurious wedding.

Everyone at the hotel had gathered to celebrate the marriage of Do-kwon and Eun-soo, and the auspicious event of the Seong-jin Group.

As Do-kwon and Eun-soo exited after the ceremony, early fireworks bloomed across the sunset sky. People cheered and clapped, and a famous orchestra played vigorously.

The weather, the people, and even the food, which Eun-soo valued most. It was a perfect wedding, without a single thing missing.

“I can’t believe it. That you’re my husband.”

Do-kwon whispered, looking at Eun-soo with yearning eyes. Eun-soo leaned his head slightly against Do-kwon’s forearm before pulling away.

“Me too. That Do-kwon is my husband.”

“I’m afraid I might die because I’m so happy.”

“……You can’t die. I haven’t even been married for three minutes. You’re not planning on making me a widower, are you?”

At Eun-soo’s infinitely serious words, Do-kwon chuckled. Eun-soo wrinkled his nose, telling him to take those words back immediately. Do-kwon swore that no matter what happened, he would never die before Eun-soo. Only then did Eun-soo’s face relax.

The two walked slowly along a path made of gathered flower blossoms. When they reached the end of the path, Myeong-hui and Ki-ho, who had been waiting for them, approached. Ki-ho took one of Eun-soo’s and Do-kwon’s hands.

“Congratulations on your marriage, kids.”

“Have a great honeymoon. Call us whenever you need anything.”

Myeong-hui added.

“I am…… truly…… happy…… that you two got married…….”

Ki-ho squeezed out a single tear. The emotion he had been holding back throughout the wedding finally burst forth in tears. Myeong-hui laughed softly and comforted Ki-ho.

Seeing that, Eun-soo’s eyes grew misty as well. His nose tingled, so he turned his head away, and Do-kwon signaled to the driver standing some distance away. He was the driver who would take them to the airport.

The driver hurried over and opened the car door. Myeong-hui gently pulled Ki-ho, who was still holding Eun-soo’s hand, away. After exchanging a glance with her, Do-kwon quickly led Eun-soo to the car.

As soon as the two got in, the car departed immediately. The luxurious wedding venue grew distant, and the sound of the exploding fireworks faded. It was the moment the dreamlike, exhausting, yet happy wedding finally came to an end.

The car sped refreshingly along the coastline. Gazing blankly at the sea soaked in the sunset, Eun-soo let the tension leave his waist and slumped over.

“Maybe it’s because the tension is gone. I’m really…… so…… tired……. I feel like I could sleep right now…….”

His eyelids were heavy. He felt powerless in his limbs as if he had performed hard labor all day, and his feet, which had been in dress shoes the whole time, were throbbing. The wedding attire was strangely uncomfortable. It wasn’t that different from the suits he usually wore. It was likely his mind and body, which had been tense all day, expressing their fatigue. The fact that he had tossed and turned last night due to his restless mind probably played a part. And the fact that he had crammed his work to prepare for the long honeymoon likely contributed as well.

Do-kwon gathered Eun-soo, who was slumped like a piece of wet seaweed, and let him lean on his shoulder.

“The flight alone is over ten hours. Travel time will take even longer. Sleep during that time. You won’t be able to sleep once we arrive.”

“Why can’t I sleep? Because of jet lag?”

Eun-soo shifted his body, searching for a comfortable position. Since Do-kwon was so tall, leaning on his forearm was much more comfortable than leaning on his shoulder. Do-kwon gently loosened Eun-soo’s tie. He then undid one of the dress shirt buttons that were fastened up to the neck and said,

“No. Because of the first night.”

“…….”

Eun-soo blinked slowly. It was because he didn’t understand Do-kwon’s words immediately. After repeating the words in his head for a moment, he let out a hollow laugh.

“Wow……. That was a bit scary just now. For a second, just for a second, I thought about running away.”

“Don’t even dream about it. You don’t have that chance anymore.”

Do-kwon wrapped his arm around Eun-soo’s waist. Eun-soo shook his head. Do-kwon showered Eun-soo’s cheeks and chin with kisses. He worried deeply about how he would handle this surging loveliness in the future.

Exchanging such trivial jokes, the two finally arrived at their destination.

A small island on a cerulean sea. A magnificent villa was waiting for them.

Wearing short swim trunks, Eun-soo sat on a low wooden pier. He dipped his legs into the sea and swung them back and forth. The water splashed and scattered following Eun-soo’s feet. The water that lightly gripped his ankles and soles before disappearing was incredibly cool and refreshing.

After enjoying the exotic seawater for a while, Eun-soo put the snorkeling mask over his head. Then, he took deep, loud breaths.

He didn’t know how long it had been since he’d jumped into the ocean. He hadn’t even gone to a common swimming pool for several years. Swimming after such a long time made him nervous yet excited.

Stretching for no reason, Eun-soo plunged his body into the water. Cold, soft currents wrapped around him.

Eun-soo felt the ocean for a moment with his eyes closed. Beyond his muffled ears, he could hear the sound of the waves. He heard the ticklish sound of bubbles popping and the sound of the water on the surface moving left and right.

Not only his body, but his mind also became at ease. His hands and feet naturally went limp. As he entrusted his body to the current, his sinking body began to float slowly.

Feeling this, Eun-soo snapped his eyes open. Beyond the snorkeling mask, another world unfolded. A world where schools of small fish passed between thick corals, seaweed swayed, and the sunlight projected on the surface shimmered, unable to overcome the waves.

With a faint smile, Eun-soo slowly moved his hands and feet. The water wasn’t that deep. Less than 3 meters. His feet didn’t touch the bottom, but if he climbed onto a high rock, he could peek his head above the surface. Thus, he could swim freely without fear.

For the first few minutes, swinging his arms felt awkward. But he soon found his balance. His hands and legs, cutting through the water, moved on their own. Since he had learned swimming and various other sports up until high school.

Breathing through the snorkeling mask, Eun-soo didn’t leave the water for a while. Tomorrow, he’d try surfing. He’d ride a boat. He’d eat tons of tropical fruits. While swimming in freedom with such trivial thoughts, he suddenly felt the water churning violently, and a large shadow approached the shadow of Eun-soo reflected on the bottom.

Recognizing the identity by the silhouette alone, Eun-soo grinned and turned his head. As expected, it was Do-kwon. Wearing only short swim trunks like Eun-soo and a snorkeling mask, Do-kwon was swimming with fluid movements.

He lightly grabbed Eun-soo’s hand and let go. Then, he swam ahead. Like a playful dolphin, he swam in a large circle around Eun-soo. Eun-soo laughed silently.

Every time Do-kwon moved his waist to swim, his thick, defined abs surged. His muscular arms slowly sliced through the water, and his firm, thick thighs moved faster than his arms.

Eun-soo swallowed hard. Truly, it was a stunningly handsome body no matter when he saw it. To think that body was now officially his. Suddenly, saliva pooled between his molars. He was so happy that his shoulders trembled.

Perhaps because his limbs were long, or perhaps because he was strong, Do-kwon shot forward with just a few strokes. He would swim ahead to scout for any danger and then return to match Eun-soo’s pace, repeating the process of leading and returning.

The two stayed in the water for a full hour. Eun-soo felt the strength leaving his limbs. He wanted to get out of the water now. His throat felt salty from the seawater he had unintentionally swallowed. Since they had come quite far out, it would take a while to get back. Thinking that, he already felt his energy draining.

Eun-soo looked at Do-kwon and gestured behind them. He meant they should head back. Do-kwon nodded and turned around. As Eun-soo bent his waist and straightened up to turn as well, Do-kwon suddenly climbed over him and grabbed him under both armpits. Then, he kicked off powerfully.

Lifted by Do-kwon, Eun-soo’s eyes widened. His hair was swept entirely backward. The speed at which they shot forward was so fast that it felt as if he were riding a rocket. He realized then that what he had been doing until now wasn’t swimming, but merely splashing around.

Regardless, thanks to Do-kwon, Eun-soo was able to return to the villa comfortably.

While still in the water, Do-kwon pushed Eun-soo up first. With the strength of the push as Do-kwon gripped his waist and hoisted him upward, Eun-soo was able to land on the wooden ledge in one go, without needing to use the stairs or anything else.

Eun-soo removed the snorkeling mask that had been pressing tightly against the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath of fresh air and exhaled.

Do-kwon also removed his mask. Instead of coming out of the water, he slid between Eun-soo’s legs and wrapped his arms around his waist. Eun-soo smiled and brushed back Do-kwon’s wet hair. Do-kwon took Eun-soo’s hand and pressed a kiss to his palm.

“I brought juice, do you know how surprised I was when you weren’t there?”

“Still, you managed to find me.”

“Of course. I can find you wherever you are.”

Even as he spoke, Do-kwon hugged Eun-soo’s waist a little tighter. Eun-soo laughed softly and patted his shoulder. Despite his words, he must have been quite startled to find Eun-soo gone, with nothing but the vast ocean stretching out before him.

“I’m sorry. I’ll wait for you next time.”

Eun-soo pressed his lips firmly against Do-kwon’s forehead and then pulled away. Do-kwon nodded, his cheek buried against Eun-soo’s thigh. Eun-soo continued to stroke Do-kwon’s hair for a while. The feeling of the damp black hair brushing against his fingers was strangely pleasant.

Then, he belatedly noticed the juice Do-kwon had brought.

The villa where Eun-soo and Do-kwon were staying—a place so grand it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a castle—was incredibly large and spacious. It belonged to Ki-ho, and it was evident that great care had gone into its construction. There were dozens of rooms, and more than three dining rooms alone. Accordingly, there were many staff members working there.

However, Do-kwon had given instructions for the staff to avoid showing themselves if possible. Since this wasn’t just any trip, but a honeymoon, he wanted them to be entirely alone.

That was why he had brought the juice himself. Of course, he hadn’t made it; he had likely just brought what the kitchen had beautifully prepared.

Eun-soo sipped the straw in the yellow juice. He assumed it was orange juice, but he tasted something sweet and unique. It was a blend of tropical fruits, including coconut, mango, and pineapple. The exotic taste made the fact that he was on a trip feel real.

Eun-soo drank half the juice in one go. Do-kwon laughed lowly as he watched him.

“Is it good?”

“…….”

Eun-soo nodded with the straw still in his mouth. Do-kwon reached for the glass. But Eun-soo slid the glass back and sucked the rest of the juice dry. Do-kwon let out a hollow laugh. He then reached for the tray beside them. Since he had brought two glasses to begin with, there was one more juice.

Just then, Eun-soo grabbed Do-kwon’s cheeks with both hands. Then, he practically slammed his lips against Do-kwon’s. Do-kwon’s mouth fell open at the unexpected kiss. Through that gap, Eun-soo poured out the juice he had been holding in his mouth. Do-kwon’s thick Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

Eun-soo intended to pull away after passing the juice. However, there was no way Do-kwon would allow that. He leaped out of the water and pinned Eun-soo down.

Startled by the feeling of being attacked by a shark, Eun-soo fell backward. Do-kwon cupped the back of Eun-soo’s head to prevent it from hitting the ground. Then, he pressed his lips deeply against the ones that had briefly parted.

“Mngh…….”

Eun-soo let out a faint moan as a tongue pushed immediately into his mouth. Do-kwon’s tongue moved more busily than usual. He acted as if he intended to suck up every drop of juice that had seeped into every corner of Eun-soo’s mouth. He licked everything—from the root of the tongue to under the tongue, beneath the gums, and even behind the molars.

Between the ticklish and stimulating kiss, Eun-soo alternated between giggling and moaning erotically.

After sucking on Eun-soo’s lips haphazardly, Do-kwon pulled back after a few short, moist bird kisses.

“It tastes good.”

“……It does, doesn’t it.”

Eun-soo stroked the line of Do-kwon’s neck. With the bright sunlight behind him, the curve of Do-kwon’s ear looked reddish as it filtered the light. The water droplets dripping from the ends of his hair were cold, and his deep, thick gaze was seductive.

Eun-soo slightly opened his arms. Do-kwon immediately dove into his embrace. Because he was so large, it ended up looking like he was the one holding Eun-soo.

The two of them, their damp bodies pressed together without a gap, inhaled each other’s scent. Do-kwon poked Eun-soo’s nape with his high nose. He also rubbed his lips against it.

“You smell good, Eun-soo.”

“You smell good too, Do-kwon.”

The scent of pheromones soaked in water was different from usual. It was more humid, thicker, yet refreshing. In his ears, the sound of the slowly moving waves overlapped with Do-kwon’s breathing.

In this utterly peaceful environment, Eun-soo breathed languidly. Just as he thought it would be fine to stay like this for hours, Do-kwon suddenly pulled away. Eun-soo frowned slightly, missing the contact of their skin, but Do-kwon wrapped his arm around his back and helped him up.

“I think there aren’t many hours left. We should eat quickly.”

At those words, Eun-soo let out a sigh of “Ah…….”

Today was the scheduled date for Eun-soo’s heat cycle. They had rushed the wedding specifically to align with this schedule. They had even made various plans, expecting to have a baby. Therefore, they had to succeed.

They had to have a child as soon as possible so they could see grandchildren. They would have children smoothly and build a large family.

With a determined expression, Eun-soo clenched his fists tightly.

Coming out of the bathroom, Eun-soo scanned the room for Do-kwon. Do-kwon was standing in front of the window table, putting something in his mouth. Eun-soo, with a towel draped over his head, stood beside him.

“What are you eating?”

Eun-soo tilted his head. They had already eaten dinner, so what was he eating now? Do-kwon wasn’t the type to like snacks. Nor was he the type to take supplements to look after his health.

Eun-soo picked up the small container in front of Do-kwon. It looked exactly like a pill bottle. But there was no label, no explanation, and no precautions. It was just a white pill bottle.

Do-kwon, who had been gulping down water, lightly licked his damp lips and answered.

“A rut inducer.”

“……What?”

Eun-soo’s eyes widened at the unfamiliar term. Do-kwon removed the towel from Eun-soo’s head and added an explanation.

“A rut inducer. Simply put, a heat inducer for Alphas.”

“Why… why are you taking that, Do-kwon…….”

“Because I want to have a child as quickly as you do. Shouldn’t we increase the probability even a little more?”

“…….”

Eun-soo couldn’t give any answer. It was true, but for some reason, he felt strange. He had only mentally prepared himself for his own heat cycle. As for Do-kwon’s rut…… he hadn’t braced himself for that yet. And he didn’t think he could.

Though they had been together for a long time, their heat cycle and rut had never coincided. Nor had they ever wished for it. Even if only one person was in heat, they had to roll around in bed for two or three full days. There had been no room to feel lacking in that regard. Lacking? If anything, it was always too much. There were countless times he had scratched Do-kwon’s forearms, sobbing and begging him to stop.

But thinking that neither of them would be in their right mind today made a chill run down his spine. As Eun-soo swallowed hard, Do-kwon led him to the balcony.

The balcony was as wide as the living room of an average house. White sand was spread around the railing, and a marble floor was constructed in steps above it. There was a small electric heater and a tea table, and a two-person swing chair with thick beige cushions hung from the ceiling.

It was certainly a wonderful balcony. But his gaze didn’t linger there. The vast landscape stretching out was far more magnificent.

Over the sea, which had grown dark with the depth of the night, hung a moon so bright it was almost white. The moon’s reflection shimmered on the water’s surface, looking as if someone had carefully selected and scattered fine mother-of-pearl.

The sky was so vast and wide. And the stars were so numerous and sparkling. The way the thin clouds drifted leisurely was truly stunning.

It felt completely different from the night seas one usually sees. It wasn’t the sea seen from a tourist hotel, but the open ocean itself. It was because, other than the building they were standing on, the world consisted entirely of the sea.

While Eun-soo was lost in thought, Do-kwon sat him down in the swing chair. Then, sitting beside him, Do-kwon dried Eun-soo’s damp hair with a dry towel. Eun-soo’s hair became much fluffier.

Do-kwon tossed the used towel carelessly onto the table. Then, he pressed his body close to Eun-soo and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. Keeping his gaze fixed on the sea, Eun-soo asked.

“Does the medicine work quickly?”

“Yeah. Between 30 minutes to an hour. It’ll be similar to your heat cycle.”

Eun-soo nodded. Strangely, he felt nervous. In the past, when he and Do-kwon were just dating, he had welcomed the heat cycle and rut. He would wash his body clean and wait in Do-kwon’s arms for his body to heat up. Like the young and vigorous Alpha and Omega they were, they had rolled around quite intensely.

But today, his heart was pounding and his ribs felt ticklish. Perhaps it was because it wasn’t just sex, but sex with the goal of pregnancy. The thought that he would truly become a father, that his belly would swell, made his heart race wildly.

Seeing through him, Do-kwon patted his shoulder. Eun-soo took a deep breath and leaned his head against Do-kwon’s chest. He could feel Do-kwon’s heart beating roughly. It was because he was just as nervous as Eun-soo.

Eun-soo stroked the back of Do-kwon’s hand. Do-kwon laughed, his Adam’s apple moving. It was funny yet lovely that they were both nervous, yet still comforting each other.

Do-kwon pressed his lips firmly against Eun-soo’s temple and then pulled away. For a moment, the two of them looked at the sea in silence. The sound of the surging waves could be heard faintly.

“It’s nice,” Eun-soo said in a languid voice.

“It is,” Do-kwon agreed simply.

“I think it’s really great that the two of us can be here for ten days without anyone disturbing us.”

“What I like most is that this is a honeymoon. That I’ve come on a honeymoon with my husband, Yoo Eun-soo.”

As if thinking it was moving even now, Do-kwon kissed along Eun-soo’s jawline. Then, he suddenly stiffened. Eun-soo’s pheromones were becoming stronger. His pretty cheekbones had turned reddish in the meantime. Do-kwon’s pupils stained black, as if ink had been dropped into them.

Eun-soo’s eyes were no different. This was because Do-kwon’s pheromones had also begun to bloom strongly. The atmosphere instantly became thick.

Do-kwon slid his hand under Eun-soo’s bathrobe. He felt a soft thigh. Since there was nothing catching his fingers, it seemed Eun-soo hadn’t worn underwear. Do-kwon stroked Eun-soo’s thigh as if kneading it. The thigh that fit entirely in one hand was beyond lovely.

Eun-soo also stroked the nape of Do-kwon’s neck. The smooth yet taut skin was sexy. His hand gradually moved down to the edge of the broad shoulder. The bathrobe caught in his hand slid off effortlessly. Do-kwon’s magnificent upper body was revealed entirely under the moonlight.

Eun-soo scanned Do-kwon’s upper body slowly with hazy eyes. He could look at it all day if he wanted, and indeed had looked at it all day before. Yet, every time he did, his throat went dry.

Eun-soo’s fingertips traced Do-kwon’s shoulder line. He could feel the hard bone beneath the firm skin. It might sound strange, but he felt that even Do-kwon’s bones would be handsome. They were thick, long, and possessed a hard, perfect proportion.

He licked his dry lips. For some reason, he had an appetite. Not for food, but an appetite stemming from a different desire.

Eun-soo pressed a kiss to Do-kwon’s collarbone. Then, he let out his tongue and licked it. With his fingers, he swept in a straight line from the center of the collarbone down to the navel.

“Haa……. Eun-soo…….”

It wasn’t even that great a stimulus, but Do-kwon’s large body swayed and leaned toward Eun-soo. The thick breath Do-kwon exhaled was sucked straight into Eun-soo’s nostrils. Eun-soo’s shoulders also slumped downward.

Do-kwon and Eun-soo could clearly feel each other’s pheromones consuming one another. Their minds grew increasingly clouded. The wonderful sea scenery drifted far away, and the pretty clusters of stars blurred. The only thing clear was each other right in front of them.

Heat began to rise from the lower abdomen. The blood pumped by the heart was hot. His genitals throbbed, and his waist shifted even though he was sitting still. His palms itched with the desire to grip the other’s flesh. His lips trembled.

Until the heat cycle and rut arrived, the two of them steadily accumulated their longing for each other. The first to surrender to that longing was Eun-soo.

Eun-soo slowly climbed onto Do-kwon’s thighs. His eyelids, covering about a third of his pupils, and his lowered eyelashes were incredibly seductive.

“Do-kwon…….”

Eun-soo called Do-kwon in a voice that had sunk damply. A red tongue was visible between his slightly parted lips. The fantastic pheromones erupting intensely through that gap swallowed Do-kwon whole.

Focus vanished from Do-kwon’s eyes. In that moment, gripping the back of Eun-soo’s head, he bit deeply into those plump, moist lips.

Their lips rubbed together violently. Having moved to the bed, Do-kwon and Eun-soo hugged each other tightly with one arm and kneaded each other’s bodies wildly with the other. Forearms, waist, thighs, chest, buttocks. They touched and stroked whatever their hands reached.

Spreading his legs wide and wrapping them around Do-kwon’s waist, Eun-soo pressed his heels firmly into Do-kwon’s buttocks. It was a sign for him to come inside quickly, to stir his insides with that throbbing, erect thing.

“Huu, Eun-soo…….”

Do-kwon gripped Eun-soo’s waist and pulled him tight against himself. Two genitals, erect without a shred of shame, rubbed against each other. The hot, hard, yet soft and smooth flesh on the outside could not have been more lovely.

The two of them pressed their lips together again after a brief separation. Their tongues danced vulgarly. In their extreme excitement, their tongues, unable to be contained, slipped past their lips. Since they were already out, they smeared saliva all over each other’s jaws and cheeks.

“Do-kwon, mngh, quickly, quickly…….”

Eun-soo guided Do-kwon’s hand to his buttocks. Do-kwon did not ignore that longing and gripped Eun-soo’s buttocks firmly. The soft flesh squished as it was gripped, bulging out between his fingers.

Do-kwon grit his teeth. His brain felt scorching. He kneaded the plump buttocks fully with both hands. Occasionally, he spread them as if splitting the buttocks in half, revealing the secret hole beneath the round testicles.

Looking at it, Do-kwon kneaded and kneaded until Eun-soo’s buttocks turned bright red, until his handprints remained. No matter how close he was to going mad with lust, he simply couldn’t give up on Eun-soo’s buttocks.

But that was more agonizing for Eun-soo than for Do-kwon. The hole, already twitching, was desperately wanting the thick thing. Instead of shoving it in, or even touching the hole, Do-kwon just kept kneading his buttocks, driving him to the brink of madness.

Eun-soo let out a groan. Then, he struggled and shook his legs to escape Do-kwon’s grip. Do-kwon frowned as if dissatisfied with his empty hands. Just as he tried to grab Eun-soo’s buttocks again, Eun-soo flipped his body over. Then, he bent his knees and pushed his buttocks high toward the ceiling.

“Quickly……, do it for me-ee…….”

Eun-soo looked back at Do-kwon with eyes narrowed sharply. At that sight, Do-kwon let out a short laugh. The buttocks with clear handprints, the testicles hanging like bells due to gravity, the peach-colored perineum, and the hole that had already become red and congested. It was a peerless sight.

Do-kwon stroked his throbbing genital up and down. Then, with a thud, he placed it atop Eun-soo’s buttocks.

“Mmmngh…….”

Eun-soo’s buttocks trembled at the hot, heavy weight. His mouth went dry at the thought of that thing entering his belly.

Eun-soo hoped Do-kwon would pierce through his hole immediately. It was his heat cycle. The time when an Omega’s body becomes the softest and most supple. Moreover, the pheromones saturating the air belonged to a Dominant Alpha in rut.

There was no way his back hole wasn’t open. In fact, it fluttered open with every breath, leaking shameful amounts of lubrication.

Eun-soo’s waist swayed up and down as if flirting. His pretty buttocks wiggled, tempting Do-kwon. Do-kwon’s Adam’s apple bobbed roughly.

Do-kwon aligned the tip of his glans with the hole. Eun-soo’s body stiffened at the sensation of the sensitive folds meeting the genitalia. A chill ran down his spine. It would certainly hurt when Do-kwon’s entered. It would feel like his stomach was tearing apart. However, he knew that if he endured it for just a moment, a pleasure beyond words would surely crunch through his every bone.

Still, pain is a frightening thing, and his body tensed instinctively. Of course, that didn’t mean he had the slightest intention of delaying this act. Eun-soo swallowed hard—whether it was saliva or just a dry throat—and waited for Do-kwon’s member.

Do-kwon gripped the base of his penis. Then, he slammed the glans against Eun-soo’s folds. However, the penis did not enter the hole. Instead, it scraped upward against the folds, rubbing deeply and hard against the butt crack.

“Haaat…”

Eun-soo collapsed forward. The folds scraped by the blunt glans felt burning yet ticklish. It was a different kind of pleasure than he had expected, but it was pleasure nonetheless. A whitish fluid leaked from the tip of Eun-soo’s penis.

Do-kwon cupped Eun-soo’s buttocks. Eun-soo hoped that he would finally thrust inside. But Do-kwon simply rested his thick member in the center of Eun-soo’s rear and gathered the rounded flesh of the buttocks to wrap around his penis.

“Haa…”

Having his penis buried in soft yet tight flesh had a different appeal than the back hole. Do-kwon moved his member up and down, rubbing the folds as if crushing them with the tip of the glans and frictioning the shaft against the folds.

“Not… this… ugh, Do-kwon-ssi…”

Eun-soo pleaded, his voice trailing off. But Do-kwon didn’t answer. With a firm set to his mouth, he only stared obsessively at his own penis buried in Eun-soo’s buttocks.

Do-kwon’s penis surged in volume. Veins became prominent, and the glans glistened, craving a narrower, warmer place. The pre-cum from Do-kwon’s glans and the lubrication from Eun-soo’s back hole stained the crack stickily.

Eun-soo’s toes wiggled frantically. The tickling of the folds was fine. The conical shape of Do-kwon’s glans and the erect veins on his shaft were scratching him thoroughly. The problem was inside the hole. The empty inner walls surged vulgarly, expressing their hunger.

Unable to bear it, Eun-soo lifted his tilted upper body. It was to give Do-kwon a piece of his mind. He intended to scold him, saying that given the thickness of his member and the thick pheromones pricking every pore of his body, Do-kwon seemed plenty aroused himself, so why was he taking the long way around instead of going straight to the peak of pleasure?

Just then, Do-kwon’s hands, which had been squeezing the buttocks together, spread apart. The back hole, loosened by repeated stimulation, stretched left and right like jelly melting in the heat. Just as Eun-soo felt a chill rush into the slightly open gap, phut, half of Do-kwon’s penis sliced into his belly in one go.

“Ah…”

Eun-soo collapsed forward. His throat was wide open, yet no moan came out. His breath stopped. His fingers curled like claws, and his neck snapped downward.

The tightly stretched back hole was agonizing. He had craved the intrusion, but because he hadn’t expected it at that moment, the volume was overwhelming. The folds clamped down hard on Do-kwon’s penis, as if declaring that no further intrusion was allowed.

“…”

With an expressionless face, Do-kwon looked down at Eun-soo’s back hole, which was tightening as if to sever his penis. He pressed and rubbed the wet folds with both thumbs. At that, the hole pulsed.

“Heuuk…”

Eun-soo, supporting himself on his knees, lifted his stiff legs upward. It looked like a b-boying preparation pose. Do-kwon’s penis naturally slid out. However, it had only retreated a tiny bit. Gripping Eun-soo’s pelvis, Do-kwon yanked him sharply toward himself. Eun-soo’s thin body was pulled helplessly.

“Hwaaaang…”

Eun-soo let out a piercing moan. As the penis entered just a bit further than before, a gagging sensation surged up. In the gap between pleasure and pain, his senses wavered, and his own penis twitched, unsure of how to react.

Eun-soo’s body trembled violently. The backs of his hands, gripping the blanket, turned white. His heart was thumping wildly. He licked his dry lips.

It wasn’t as if he had only had sex with Do-kwon once or twice. Eun-soo knew better than anyone that there was still a long way to go—that a large portion of Do-kwon’s penis had yet to enter him. He was terrified of it, yet he looked forward to it.

“Huu…”

Do-kwon readjusted his grip on Eun-soo’s pelvis and let out a moan that sounded like a sigh. Then, slowly, very gradually, he pushed his penis in and out. He was giving Eun-soo time to adjust.

In truth, just having half of it inside made him feel like he was about to come. The pressure tightening around his member, the scorching temperature, and the inner walls that writhed every time Eun-soo breathed sharply made his brain melt. Then, suddenly, a chill would run down his spine, giving him goosebumps.

It wouldn’t have mattered if he came now, but for the purpose of this sex, he had to endure. This wasn’t just sex to crave pleasure. The goal was pregnancy.

Therefore, he had to shove the penis in as far as it could go, settle deep inside Eun-soo’s belly, and ejaculate in a place so deep that the semen couldn’t leak out.

Do-kwon bit the inside of his cheek, suppressing the urge to ejaculate. And as he stirred the interior, he dug deeper and deeper into the hole, bit by bit.

“Ah… heuuk, eut, euut…”

Eun-soo pressed his lips tight, enduring the pain. Fortunately, the pain evaporated quickly. As Do-kwon’s thick member crushed his prostate, it felt as if a switch had been flipped. The energy of the heat cycle, which had briefly subsided, poured down like a torrential rain.

His lukewarm body temperature flared up, his penis became erect as if to pierce his navel, and his waist, which had slumped weakly, began to wiggle back and forth.

Eun-soo’s eyelids fluttered languidly. It felt good. It felt so good. The piece of flesh filling his rear was utterly lovely. He thought that it would be fine even if it pushed all the way up to his throat; he wanted it to come in further.

“Uuuung, ah, it feels… good, I love it…”

Eun-soo swayed his waist gently, pushing his buttocks toward Do-kwon little by little. It was an action born from the primal desire to embrace more of Do-kwon’s member.

Do-kwon willingly honored that desire. Cupping Eun-soo’s lower belly, he pulled his penis back slightly and then bang, slammed it in all at once. The plump buttocks were crushed flat against Do-kwon’s pelvis.

It was the moment Do-kwon’s penis finally entered Eun-soo completely.

“Euheuk…”

Unable to withstand the force, weight, and stimulation, Eun-soo flopped like a fish skewered by a spear. His stomach felt bloated, as if he had overeaten. He almost gagged and ruined the mood. His thighs trembled. His neck shrank at the pleasure that pierced through his spine like electricity.

Just as he felt his penis throb, he shot a stream of whitish fluid across the blanket, as forceful as a stream of urine.

His vision flashed white. His ears went numb, and every muscle in his body contracted. Trembling in the afterglow of the climax, Eun-soo looked between his legs and swallowed hard. This was because he caught a glimpse of Do-kwon’s heavy testicles beyond his own.

The hardened testicles, thumping against his perineum, showed just how aroused Do-kwon was. Sure enough, feeling the back hole tighten around him, Do-kwon let out a heavy breath through his nose. Then, he pulled his penis out in one go. A squelching sound echoed as the tightly clinging inner walls separated from the shaft.

“Ah-heuuk…”

It felt as if his entire set of organs was being hooked by the glans and pulled out. He could feel the folds stretching taut, bulging outward as they followed Do-kwon’s penis.

Just as Eun-soo gripped the blanket tight, Do-kwon slammed his penis back in with a bang, like a hammer. Eun-soo let out a shrill scream and tightened his buttocks. His toes curled inward.

“Hiik, keuk, ha-eut…”

“…”

After that, Do-kwon repeated the cycle of pulling out sharply and shoving back in. The power was immense. It felt as if his insides were not just aching, but being pierced through. Eun-soo’s face was rubbed raw against the blanket.

The sound of flesh slapping and separating echoed through the spacious bedroom. Eun-soo’s suppressed moans and Do-kwon’s rough breathing blended into the noise.

“Ah, ah, Do-kwon… huuung, ssi…”

“Huu… Eun-soo.”

Do-kwon lowered his upper body, pressing his lips in kisses along the concave line of Eun-soo’s spine. He flicked his tongue out to lick the nape of the neck where beads of sweat had formed. Occasionally, he left small bite marks along the slender line of the shoulders.

Eun-soo also fumbled to grip Do-kwon’s hands, which were holding his pelvis. Every now and then, the rings on their ring fingers collided, making an unfamiliar clinking sound.

“Uat, ung, euung, I-I love it… hwaang, ah! It’s so good…”

The sex became sweeter as it grew more intense. It was because not only the pleasure but also the love was deepening. While Eun-soo whimpered at the pleasure of his prostate being crushed and the deep penetration of his belly, he felt a suffocating frustration because his desire to touch and see Do-kwon remained unfulfilled.

He twisted his limp neck to look at Do-kwon. Then, he reached his arms out toward him, like a child begging to be held. At that, Do-kwon’s waist, which had been moving vigorously, came to a sudden halt.

Eun-soo mumbled, his eyes brimming with tears.

“I want to see… your face…”

“…”

Do-kwon smiled faintly, sucked on Eun-soo’s bright red lips, and then let go. Then, he pulled his penis out completely.

“Hwaa…”

Eun-soo’s waist trembled slightly. Do-kwon cupped his lower belly and chest and flipped his body over. Eun-soo’s flushed face was revealed. Do-kwon moved between Eun-soo’s legs and pulled his buttocks close to himself.

Then, he inserted his penis halfway into the twitching hole. Eun-soo, who had now become accustomed to this much, let out a small moan.

Do-kwon laid his body over Eun-soo. Their chests and bellies met. Then, he pushed the remaining length of his penis in firmly.

“Ah-heuuk…”

Eun-soo shrank his neck like a lizard. Do-kwon swept Eun-soo’s damp bangs aside with one hand. A smooth, rounded forehead was revealed. He pressed his lips firmly against it several times.

Wrapping his legs around Do-kwon’s waist, Eun-soo embraced his neck. Then, he let his head slide to the side. Understanding the meaning of the gesture, Do-kwon smiled softly and pressed his lips against Eun-soo’s.

Their thin lip membranes stuck and separated repeatedly. Eun-soo opened his mouth slightly and stuck out his tongue, licking Do-kwon’s lips broadly. Do-kwon snatched that tongue and pulled it into his own mouth.

The two shared a passionate kiss. They stroked and caressed each other’s backs and shoulders, struggling to feel the other’s presence even more.

Supporting the crown of Eun-soo’s head with his hand, Do-kwon began to move his waist slowly. The two continued to have sex while looking directly at each other, occasionally rubbing their lips and mixing their tongues. It was a quiet yet stimulating act.

Of course, intense sex was great. But for some reason, today, this kind of sex—where they were full of each other—felt much more satisfying. They felt this way despite being out of their minds due to the heat cycle and rut. Perhaps it was because they weren’t in their right minds that they cherished each other even more.

Do-kwon’s movements quickened. Eun-soo let out a damp moan at the penis rubbing deeply against his insides.

“Uuung, ah, heut, Do-kwon-ssi…”

“Haa… Eun-soo…”

At the powerful and persistent thrusts, Eun-soo’s thighs tightened. His neck arched back, and his eyelids flickered with spasms. Do-kwon buried his nose in Eun-soo’s exposed neck. He inhaled the scent deeply, hup, hup, while stirring Eun-soo’s rear. A deep groove formed over Do-kwon’s firm buttocks.

Suddenly, Do-kwon gripped one of Eun-soo’s buttocks tightly. His grip was so strong it felt as if he might burst the flesh. Startled, Eun-soo instinctively tightened his lower muscles. Do-kwon sliced through the contracting inner walls and settled in the deepest part. And then,

“Keuk…”

He released his climax.

“Heuuk…”

Eun-soo’s body trembled violently. His belly—the very deep place where a baby would settle—was being filled with Do-kwon’s hot semen. The sense of fulfillment was overwhelming.

Eun-soo’s pupils rolled back behind his eyelids before barely returning to normal. At the same time, his own penis, pressed against Do-kwon’s stomach, shot out spurts of semen.

Even after Eun-soo’s ejaculation ended, Do-kwon’s continued for several seconds. A large volume of ejaculate was a characteristic of an Alpha in rut. It felt as if the inner walls were swelling like a water balloon.

“Ah-huuu…”

Gritting his teeth, Eun-soo pressed Do-kwon’s buttocks toward himself with his heels. He lifted his waist to cling tightly to him and tightened his back hole, fearing that the semen Do-kwon had released might leak out. He didn’t want to miss a single drop.

He wanted to contain it all. He wanted to have it all.

And in the end, he accepted and swallowed everything Do-kwon had. Eun-soo collapsed onto the blanket. A thick tear rolled down from the corner of his eye.

Sitting atop Do-kwon’s pelvis, Eun-soo stood on his knees. Supporting himself by pressing against Do-kwon’s abs, he moved his waist with a squelching sound. It was now deep into the dawn, having passed the early evening. Do-kwon’s still-erect penis repeatedly slid in and out of Eun-soo’s crotch.

“Huuuung, eut, ung! Ah…”

Eun-soo let out continuous moans. Even though he was the one moving his body to swallow Do-kwon’s penis, he was startled every time his prostate was scraped by the glans. His eyes would snap open, only to melt away shortly after.

His gaze, clouded by orgasm, was hazy. His bloodshot lips were parted like a fool’s, and because he had shed a torrent of tears during the previous intense encounter, the corners of his eyes and the tip of his nose were bright red.

Looking at that face—pitiful yet messy, innocent yet lewd—Do-kwon furrowed his brows. The excessive eroticism gave him a headache, as if he had drunk strong whiskey.

“Haa… Eun-soo. Why are you so pretty? Huh? Why are you so pretty that you drive a man crazy?”

Do-kwon stroked Eun-soo’s languid cheek and thrust his waist upward with a thud.

“Ah-heuuk!”

Eun-soo staggered violently at the sudden attack. It felt as if Do-kwon’s glans, hitting the deepest part of the inner wall, was about to reflux into his throat. While Eun-soo trembled helplessly, Do-kwon gripped his pelvis and forced him to move up and down.

“Uang! Ah, heut, ung!”

Eun-soo snapped his neck back and then leaned forward again. Below Do-kwon’s well-defined abs, he could see his own penis shaking weakly. Further down, he saw his groin, smeared with all sorts of fluids.

Semen and lubrication of unknown origin, saliva from where Do-kwon had sucked his chin drenchedly, and sweat—everything was a jumbled mess.

During the first ejaculation, he had thought he wanted every single drop of Do-kwon’s semen. Now, his entire belly was so soaked in it that he no longer felt greedy.

As Eun-soo curved his back, convulsing intermittently, Do-kwon gripped his nipple between his thumb and index finger and twisted it as if pinching.

“A-heut!”

Eun-soo twisted his body and lifted his head.

“Eun-soo, you have to move. Right?”

Do-kwon coaxed him in a gentle voice. He also rubbed the nipple softly with his thumb. Sniffling, Eun-soo began to move again.

The squelching sound, which had paused for a moment, resumed. Do-kwon enjoyed Eun-soo’s slow movements, but whenever the urge to ejaculate rose or Eun-soo became too sluggish, he slammed his penis upward. Every time he did, Eun-soo trembled and let out whimpering moans.

Moderately stimulating and moderately languid sex continued. Eun-soo moved his body with a faint smile, as if satisfied by the sweet pleasure. Occasionally, he would give Do-kwon a beaming smile. That smile was so lovely that Do-kwon found the corners of his mouth curling up without even realizing he was smiling back.

However, that soft sex could not last long. It was because Eun-soo’s stamina had hit rock bottom.

“Haah, haah… Ngh, haah…”

Eun-soo, his head lolling back, exhaled ragged breaths. A single drop of sweat fell from the tip of his chin. One might wonder why simply bouncing his hips while sitting was so exhausting, but after peaking about five times, even waving an arm felt like a chore.

He might as well have played a soccer match. Ejaculating brought an immense sense of lethargy, draining the strength from his entire body. Eun-soo stared blankly at his own penis, which was now leaking semen in small spurts, regardless of whether he was peaking or not.

Naturally, in Do-kwon’s eyes, this was an unsatisfactory state. Gripping Eun-soo’s pelvis, he began to move Eun-soo’s body back and forth like a saw. Do-kwon’s penis, entered completely without a sliver of space left, stirred inside Eun-soo’s belly.

“Ah-eung! Hng, ah!”

Eun-soo surged violently, as if he were riding a mechanical rodeo bull. He pressed his hands onto Do-kwon’s stomach and tensed his limbs to maintain his balance. However, contrary to his intention, he ended up tightening his hole.

Do-kwon’s eyes, which had grown cloudy with desire, flashed. Holding Eun-soo’s pelvis, he thrust his hips upward. His powerful member slammed deep inside.

“No, no, wait… Uwaah!”

Startled, Eun-soo twisted his waist, trying to escape Do-kwon’s grip. But that was impossible.

As the penis hammered in, the inner walls were crushed. His prostate was rubbed as if being scraped, and the folds of skin, unable to keep up with the rapid movement, stung.

“Ah-heuk…”

It didn’t take more than a few strokes for Eun-soo to reach a climax again. His penis, which hadn’t even been touched, snapped upward and spurted out semen that had become significantly thinner.

Eun-soo’s back stiffened and straightened. As tension surged through his body, the eleven-shaped abdominal muscles emerged over his slender belly—something usually invisible.

Do-kwon stared intently at them, gritting his teeth. Then, he thrust his hips even faster than before. His vision turned red as the inner walls squeezed his penis as if trying to wring it out.

On the other hand, Eun-soo’s face turned pale. A pleasure that surpassed a mere climax made his lower abdomen ache. It was similar to the urge to urinate, but not quite. It was a sensation he had experienced once before.

Back when Do-kwon, in the midst of a rut, had lied about going on a business trip and stayed holed up in a hotel. When Eun-soo had fearlessly pressed his body against him. When he had writhed in shame after staining the charcoal-colored sofa. It was that same sensation.

Eun-soo urgently tried to push Do-kwon away. But Do-kwon stubbornly gripped him and drove his penis in. As Eun-soo struggled, he inadvertently arched his back, and in doing so, his prostate was slammed.

“Ah-heuk…”

Eun-soo’s pupils shrank to the size of pinholes. The pleasure that had previously only pierced through his spine now raced rapidly through every single vein.

“Hee-it!”

Eun-soo froze stiff like a log. His waist trembled with small spasms. His penis, which had gone limp after the climax, suddenly hardened and shot out a stream of transparent fluid. The jet flew forward, soaking Do-kwon’s chin, collarbone, chest, and abdomen.

“Kh…”

At the same time, Do-kwon also reached his peak. His penis twitched and vomited thick, sticky semen. Even though he had reached a climax, it seemed insufficient; Do-kwon pulled Eun-soo down again and again. It was a desperate struggle to get as deep inside him as possible.

“No… stop…”

Feeling his belly swell with heat, Eun-soo shot another stream of transparent fluid like a water gun. A sharp ringing sound echoed in his ears. His eyelids fluttered, and his vision blurred.

Eun-soo fell backward just like that. Even then, Do-kwon wouldn’t let go of his pelvis, leaving him in a strange position with only his lower belly thrust forward. The ornate chandelier on the ceiling spun around as if mocking him.

The two remained trapped in the afterglow of the climax for a while. Eun-soo trembled intermittently, tears dripping down his face, while Do-kwon blinked slowly and licked his lips.

How long did they stay like that? The inner walls that had been squeezing Do-kwon became softer. Eun-soo’s fragmented breathing returned to a regular rhythm. And Do-kwon’s penis, which had subsided for a moment, began to harden once more.

Eun-soo’s eyes snapped open. He could clearly feel his insides being filled tightly again. As he flailed his arms to right his bent waist, Do-kwon grabbed his wrist and yanked him forward. Eun-soo’s upper body collapsed onto Do-kwon’s chest. Do-kwon’s penis, still inside him, twitched.

“Ah-eut!”

Burying his forehead in Do-kwon’s chest, Eun-soo shuddered. Do-kwon licked Eun-soo’s cheek like a dog. Then, he gripped Eun-soo’s softened buttocks. His penis slid back in through the wide-open hole. Startled, Eun-soo jerked his head up.

“Wait, just… let’s rest for a bit…”

It was by no means a request to stop. He just meant to rest for thirty minutes, or maybe an hour. He knew very well that Do-kwon’s rut was in full swing. His own heat cycle hadn’t ended yet either. A faint sense of heat and arousal was tickling his tailbone.

He simply wanted to drink some water, wipe his sticky groin, and catch his breath before starting again. He wanted to share some love by pressing their lips together, gaze into each other’s eyes while softly massaging their genitals, and then continue after a brief reorganization.

However, Do-kwon seemed to have misunderstood Eun-soo’s intention. He hugged Eun-soo tightly with both arms. It was an action brimming with possessiveness, as if he would never let go no matter what happened.

Eun-soo shook his head urgently. He even fluttered his hands, shaking his wrists that were pinned. He had to stop Do-kwon, who had completely missed the point. Otherwise, the next few hours—perhaps the next entire day—would be grueling.

But Do-kwon ignored him, pulling his penis halfway out before plunging it back in deep.

“No, no, Do-kwon, Do-kwon… Ah-eung!”

Eun-soo let out a moan that sounded like a scream.

Eun-soo’s legs, draped over Do-kwon’s shoulders, shook helplessly. With swollen eyelids half-open, Eun-soo looked up at Do-kwon. He was still exhaling breath heavily laced with pheromones. With his brow furrowed, he was preoccupied with rummaging through Eun-soo’s rear.

Eun-soo let out a small, hollow laugh. He glanced out the window. The starry night had passed, the dim dawn had flowed by, and just as he felt his skin prickle from the bright sunlight, the whole world had been dyed reddish by the sunset. That sunset, too, passed in an instant, and it became night again.

It meant a full day had passed.

Realizing the passage of time made the sex feel even more exhausting. His buttocks and groin, raw from frequent friction, stung; his chafed eyes burned; and his insides felt tingly. The skin Do-kwon had indiscriminately bitten felt hot. His penis, having ejaculated over and over without pause, hung limp like melted glutinous rice cake.

He felt like he could faint at any moment. He didn’t care how Do-kwon played with his body after this; he just wanted his mind to escape this torture-like sex.

Perhaps sensing Eun-soo’s rebellious thoughts, Do-kwon leaned down and took a large bite out of Eun-soo’s chest. Another tooth mark was added to a chest already covered in them. Do-kwon ran his tongue along the mark. Then, he flattened his tongue and licked the erect nipple as if pressing it down. Sometimes he gave it a light bite and tugged.

“Eung…”

At the ticklish yet electric pleasure, Eun-soo looked up at Do-kwon. His clouded eyes regained focus for a moment, but it was literally just for a moment.

His five senses were distorted. He became numb to pain, pleasure, and temperature. It was because he had already exhausted every sense he could use. He had been fasting for a full 24 hours, yet he wasn’t thirsty or hungry. While faint moans escaped when Do-kwon rummaged through his hole, they weren’t the feverish moans from before.

His eyelids moved slowly, and his inhalation and exhalation grew thin. Darkness kept creeping into his vision. Just as Eun-soo was about to black out…

Do-kwon gripped Eun-soo’s buttocks and pulled him tight against himself. Eun-soo’s lower body was hoisted onto Do-kwon’s thighs, who was bracing himself against the bed. His waist folded in a curve. The penetration deepened. It was deep enough to flatten not only Eun-soo’s buttocks but even Do-kwon’s testicles.

Despite this, Eun-soo had no significant reaction. He remained blank, his eyes staring vacantly, unable to distinguish whether he was looking at Do-kwon or into empty space.

Do-kwon’s mouth twisted crookedly. He seemed very dissatisfied with Eun-soo’s state. Pulling Eun-soo’s pelvis toward himself once more, Do-kwon gently stroked his flat lower belly. Then, suddenly, he pressed down hard.

“Hwaaat!”

Eun-soo’s eyes flew open. His drooping eyelashes shot upward, and his jaw dropped open.

Eun-soo’s hole had been loosened to the limit by the prolonged sexual encounter. He no longer felt it was overwhelming no matter how deep Do-kwon entered. He only vaguely felt Do-kwon’s semen, filling his belly, leaking out through the gaps of the hole.

However, when Do-kwon pressed on his lower belly, the inner walls were forced to contract. Consequently, Do-kwon’s penis felt incredibly distinct and massive. It felt as if Do-kwon’s member had suddenly doubled in size.

While Eun-soo was flustered, Do-kwon slowly slid his penis in and out.

“No, no, stop, stop…”

Eun-soo shook his head from side to side, shuddering. The heavy sleepiness that had settled over him vanished instantly. He pushed Do-kwon’s hands away frantically. He struck his wrists and scratched the backs of his hands. But Do-kwon’s wrists were as sturdy as tree trunks. In fact, every time Eun-soo tried to push him away, Do-kwon pressed his belly or rubbed it side to side to stimulate him further.

“Eu-eung!”

Under the forced pleasure, Eun-soo’s limp penis began to erect again. It wasn’t a pleasant pleasure. It was closer to torture. Tears began to fill Eun-soo’s large eyes.

Tears dripping down, he looked at Do-kwon. His pretty light-brown eyes were staring directly at Do-kwon.

“S-stop it…”

“Stop it?”

“Yes, stop it…”

Eun-soo nodded three times in a row. His swollen lower lip pouted. He looked as if he would burst into tears like a child if tormented any further. He seemed to absolutely hate this situation.

As if to soothe him, Do-kwon sucked on Eun-soo’s entire lip before letting go.

“Then will you look at me?”

“…”

At those words, Eun-soo sniffled and tilted his head. It was because he didn’t immediately understand what Do-kwon meant. Look at him? He felt like he had been looking at him the whole time.

At that somewhat foolish expression, Do-kwon let out a faint laugh. Then, moving his lips, he sucked on Eun-soo’s earlobe. He whispered in his characteristic low voice.

“I mean, don’t think about anything else. If you think of other things, I’ll be sad, Eun-soo.”

With the last sentence, his penis thrust in with every word. Eun-soo quickly nodded. Do-kwon pretended not to see it and moved his hips a few more times. In response, Eun-soo hugged his neck tightly and shrunk his shoulders.

“I got it… I got it. Hic, ah! I said… I got it-aa…”

Only after he said that did Do-kwon finally pull his hand away. Eun-soo let out a sigh of relief. Do-kwon gently cupped his buttocks and thrust upward. His gaze was fixed on Eun-soo with obsessive intensity, as if checking whether Eun-soo was keeping his word.

“Heuu, ah, eut, eung…”

Eun-soo forced his fluttering eyelids open and stared intently at Do-kwon, who was right in front of him. He looked so cute that Do-kwon laughed softly and showered Eun-soo’s entire face with kisses.

Do-kwon continued the hip movements while embracing Eun-soo with his whole body. After a few minutes, Do-kwon’s penis pulsed thickly, preparing for a climax. Then, settling in the deepest part of Eun-soo, it vomited semen.

Eun-soo’s pupils froze. This climax was exceptionally voluminous. His belly felt more than bloated; it felt as if it would pop. Eun-soo scratched Do-kwon’s broad back with his fingernails.

“My belly… feels like it’ll… pop… kh…”

“Shh… it’s okay.”

Do-kwon soothed Eun-soo with a pleasant voice. But despite his words, it didn’t feel okay at all. Bile surged up his throat. A fear washed over him that he might soon vomit Do-kwon’s semen out of his mouth.

“No, hic, no…”

Eun-soo shook his trembling jaw from side to side. He tried to push Do-kwon away, but Do-kwon instead hugged him tighter. Consequently, Eun-soo was unable to move and had to take in all the semen Do-kwon released.

In his distress, Eun-soo sobbed. Do-kwon whispered while licking away the rolling tears.

“You said you wanted to get pregnant. Then you have to take it all, Eun-soo.”

“I’m, preg, pregnant… I’m pregnant… so…”

In his hazy state, Eun-soo spoke haltingly. At that, Do-kwon asked, struggling to suppress a laugh.

“You are? You’re pregnant?”

Eun-soo quickly nodded. The way he answered firmly, pressing his lips together, was excessively cute and lovely. Do-kwon couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Eun-soo looked up at Do-kwon with puzzled eyes. Do-kwon tenderly brushed back Eun-soo’s bangs. Then, he slowly withdrew his penis. Feeling his belly relax, Eun-soo’s furrowed brows softened. His ragged, twisting breath also found its rhythm.

Finally, Do-kwon’s penis was completely out. As the tightly joined flesh separated, there was a sound like a soap bubble popping. Eun-soo went limp. He could feel the semen leaking out of his slightly open hole.

For some reason, that felt sorrowful. Even as it leaked out, his belly was still full of Do-kwon’s semen.

I really can’t do this anymore. I’ll die if we do more. Pregnant my ass. He was certain he’d die of over-pleasure first.

Turning over, Eun-soo crawled sluggishly toward the edge of the bed. It was to get as far away from Do-kwon as possible. Given the long time they had known each other and the hundreds of times they had had sex, Do-kwon likely hadn’t quenched all of that mountain-like lust yet.

So, he had to escape before being caught again.

Sure enough, Do-kwon’s eyes burned black as he stared at Eun-soo’s exposed buttocks. Eun-soo could feel that gaze without even looking back. Just as he urgently lowered his feet to the floor, a large hand slid under his armpits and lifted his body up. The destination was, naturally, Do-kwon’s arms.

All that effort to crawl away had vanished in an instant. As Eun-soo stared at the bedroom door with hollow eyes, Do-kwon kissed his shoulder and said,

“Just once, I’ll do it just one more time, Eun-soo.”

Eun-soo’s face turned pale. He tried to pry away Do-kwon’s hand from his waist.

“Heu… it’s too hard… it’s too hard…”

“Sorry. Just one more time.”

“No… I can’t… can’t ejaculate anymore…”

Eun-soo looked at his own penis, which was beyond aching and now stinging, with a look of pity. The skin, which had been ejaculated from, rubbed, sucked, and licked by Do-kwon, was swollen. Not erect, but swollen. No one would believe it.

Noticing Eun-soo’s gaze, Do-kwon gently wrapped his hand around the penis. Then, he pressed the urethra firmly with his thumb.

“Then just don’t ejaculate.”

Eun-soo let out a hollow laugh at those words. Then, he glared at Do-kwon with wide eyes like an angry cat.

Fuck, bullshit, bullshit, bullshit!

Eun-soo loaded up a coarse curse. At that moment, while sitting, Do-kwon shoved his penis in deep from behind. The heavily loosened hole took Do-kwon’s penis all the way to the root in one go.

Eun-soo threw his head back and let out a coquettish moan instead of a curse. Do-kwon pressed his lips against Eun-soo’s.

Eun-soo slept as if he were dead. Then, unable to withstand a severe thirst, he opened his eyes. As soon as the dim light became visible, a wave of intense pain surged over him. Muscle aches, creaking joints, stinging skin, and a stomach that felt as if a heavy stone had settled inside. He felt like someone who had just rolled through a war zone.

Eun-soo stared out the window at the shimmering, soft glow of the sunset with a hollow expression. It was strangely different from the scenery he had been watching all night. He glanced around the room, and realized it was a different room. Then again, the bed had been left in a complete mess, so he couldn’t have slept there.

As he sat blankly, recalling the intercourse that had been beyond intense—it had been fierce—thirst struck him again. Eun-soo pressed his palms against the bed and tried to lift his upper body. However, his backside felt stiff and heavy. It felt as if a stake had been driven into his rear hole…

“Ah…”

Eun-soo let out a faint moan and felt around behind him. At first, he thought it was the aftermath of the violent sex. Usually, the day after having sex with Do-kwon, his rear would tingle all day. He figured that today it felt particularly stiff and painful because both he had been in his heat cycle and Do-kwon had been in his rut, making the sex far more passionate, which was why he felt this foreign sensation.

But.

“…”

Something thick and hot was plugged into him. What he had thought was a stake actually existed. The problem was, what exactly was this thing?

Eun-soo didn’t have to think hard to guess its identity. It was likely the owner of the arms currently hugging his waist and chest. To be precise, it was this owner’s cock.

Eun-soo let out a hollow laugh and looked back. Sure enough, Do-kwon was fast asleep, his nose buried in the crook of Eun-soo’s shoulder. He seemed to have exhausted all his stamina during the long session of sex, as he was sleeping quite soundly. Even so, he had somehow managed to wash Eun-soo’s body.

Eun-soo considered giving Do-kwon’s handsome forehead a sharp smack, but decided against it as even that felt too taxing. He let out a long sigh. Then, biting his lower lip, he slowly wiggled his body forward. He could feel Do-kwon’s flesh, which had been buried deep in his rear, slowly sliding out.

“Hng…”

Eun-soo let out a thin moan. It was excruciatingly painful for the skin, which had been tightly locked together for a long time, to separate. It felt as if raw flesh were being torn.

Cold sweat beaded on Eun-soo’s forehead. A chill ran down his spine. Gritting his teeth, he painstakingly pushed Do-kwon’s penis out. His waist arched forward. The particularly prominent glans finally slid past the rim of the opening.

Eun-soo stopped moving for a moment to catch his breath. Then, as he moved his body forward again—grab. His waist was seized. Eun-soo froze. His eyes grew as wide as ping-pong balls.

No way, no way, no way, please no, please no, please no, he thought, clutching the blanket. But his body was dragged straight back. Do-kwon’s penis, which he had worked so hard to remove, was thrust deep back into his stomach in one go.

“Ah-eung!”

Eun-soo moaned in a cracked voice. Goosebumps broke out over his entire body. The fine hairs on his skin stood on end, and his muscles contracted as if being wrung out like laundry. It felt as if someone were scraping his dry inner walls with an awl.

As Eun-soo curled up and trembled, a low voice laced with amusement licked his earlobe.

“Why are you taking it out?”

“Ugh…”

“Don’t take it out. I blocked it on purpose so the semen I spent so much effort filling you with wouldn’t leak out.”

“Besides, Eun-soo, your inside feels really good. I want to stay like this forever,” Do-kwon whispered, kneading Eun-soo’s plump buttocks. Talking nonsense, with the leisurely hand movements of a playboy—he was a complete thug. Gritting his teeth, Eun-soo tightly gripped Do-kwon’s thumb, which was wrapped around his waist, and bent it backward.

“Seriously… do you want to die? I think I could actually kill you right now, Do-kwon.”

“Didn’t you tell me not to die because you didn’t want to become a widower as soon as we got married?”

“No, I think being a widower wouldn’t be so bad.”

Eun-soo replied with a cold, sunken face.

“…”

Do-kwon shut his mouth tight. He realized that Eun-soo wasn’t joking. He slowly pulled out his penis, which he had buried between Eun-soo’s buttocks. Seeing Eun-soo’s thin spine shuddering, lust surged through him again, but if he poked around again, a future where Eun-soo actually made him a widower might arrive.

He didn’t want that. After everything he’d gone through to get here. After all the effort he’d put in to make Eun-soo his husband. He had no intention, not even a shred, of dying before he could enjoy their honeymoon.

Finally, Do-kwon’s penis was completely out. Eun-soo went limp. After trembling for a while to recover from the pain, he started to get up but then laid himself back down.

“Seriously… I’m so exhausted…”

Eun-soo lamented in a depressed voice. Do-kwon belatedly read his expression, his eyes darting around. Then, he suddenly sat up and pulled over a pillow that was far away. He carefully placed Eun-soo’s head on top of it.

Still glancing around as if contemplating something, Do-kwon asked.

“Are you thirsty? Should I get some water?”

Eun-soo nodded slightly.

“Something warm.”

At those words, Do-kwon scrambled up. Throwing on some pants, he left the room. He returned in less than three minutes, holding a heavy mug. As Eun-soo clumsily tried to sit up, Do-kwon quickly supported him.

As Eun-soo reached out to take the mug, Do-kwon held the cup to his lower lip.

“I didn’t have a light cup, so it’s heavy. Just put your lips to it and drink.”

At that, Eun-soo opened his mouth slightly. Do-kwon stared intently at his lips from the side as he tilted the mug. Eun-soo took the water and swallowed. Even so, he could barely swallow about half a sip. Moving his Adam’s apple up and down was so burdensome. His stinging throat hurt so much that he had to shrink his neck.

At the pain, Eun-soo furrowed his brow and pulled his head back.

“It’s too hot.”

“Too hot? Hold on.”

Do-kwon stepped off the bed. He took a bottle of mineral water from the mini-fridge and poured a bit into the mug. He held it to Eun-soo’s lips again. After swallowing a sip of water, Eun-soo twisted his lips.

“Now it’s too cold.”

Without a word, Do-kwon left the bedroom again. This time, he appeared with the electric kettle.

After that, Eun-soo continued to repeat that the water was too hot, then too cold. Then he said the air conditioner was too strong, asked to open the window, then asked to close it, suddenly said the blanket wasn’t soft enough, then said he wanted to wash, and once Do-kwon had filled the tub with water, he suddenly said he didn’t want to wash. Beyond that, he asked for a massage because his waist hurt and ordered him to apply medicine to his mottled buttocks.

Do-kwon listened to every single whim without a word of complaint. Furthermore, he tried his utmost to cater to him. He went so far that sweat beaded on his temples. He was so devoted and loyal that he looked ready to crawl on the ground if told to, or throw himself out the window if told to die.

Watching Do-kwon’s grand performance while lying in bed, Eun-soo finally relaxed his shoulders as if he were exhausted. Seeing this, Do-kwon’s lips curled into a smirk.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“…Yes.”

“What should we do now?”

“Come here and hug me.”

“Okay.”

Do-kwon quickly climbed onto the bed. He hugged Eun-soo tightly. Eun-soo habitually settled into Do-kwon’s embrace. He buried his cheek against the broad chest and blinked slowly. Do-kwon gently stroked Eun-soo’s eyebrow with his thumb.

At that tender touch, Eun-soo let out a languid sigh. His breath was so sweet that Do-kwon couldn’t resist; he sucked on the plump lower lip and then let go. Then, he stiffened, belatedly checking Eun-soo’s reaction.

Fortunately, Eun-soo neither scolded nor pushed Do-kwon away. He spoke in a plain voice, saying something mundane.

“Let’s take a nap and then eat. I think I’ll be hungry.”

“Yeah. Is there anything you want to eat?”

“Hmm… Shrimp? Crab? Anyway, crustaceans. Very, very big and plump ones.”

Do-kwon nodded as if he understood. He thought that once Eun-soo fell asleep, he would call the kitchen. He decided he would tell them to pick out the biggest and plumpest ones, just as Eun-soo had said.

After the short conversation, the two savored the silence for a moment. Do-kwon stroked Eun-soo’s back in long motions, coaxing him to sleep. Eun-soo’s eyelids fluttered shut. For some reason, that sight was so cute and lovely.

As Do-kwon gently stroked the reddish area around Eun-soo’s eyes, Eun-soo asked in a whispering voice.

“Isn’t it annoying that I’m being so unreasonable?”

“No, it’s not. I’m a crazy guy, so I like being punished by you. I told you I’d even be fine if you hit me with a baseball bat.”

“Pfft… What is that? You really are a crazy guy.”

“I told you I am.”

Do-kwon said slyly. Eun-soo giggled. Do-kwon lightly rubbed his lips against Eun-soo’s protruding cheekbones. Eun-soo gladly accepted the kiss full of love.

“You’ll still be by my side when I wake up, right?”

“Yeah. Like always.”

At those words, Eun-soo gave a slight smile. Do-kwon continued to whisper words of love until Eun-soo fell asleep. He kissed him and promised a future where they would always be together. Thanks to that, Eun-soo was able to fall asleep in complete peace.

* * *

The 9th day of the honeymoon, the final day. Wearing sunglasses, Eun-soo was lying on a sunbed on the beach. The bright sunlight was stinging, but a cool breeze brushed past his body, making it perfect for lying down.

A vast beach. Only two sunbeds placed on the white sand. A world with no noise other than the sounds of nature. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it paradise.

Eun-soo wiggled his toes. His mottled insteps and calves looked as if they had been bitten by countless insects. They were all Do-kwon’s lip marks. At first, it was a sight too gruesome to look at, but after about a week, they began to fade one by one.

That was a relief. If he had been in Seoul, he would have had to wear turtlenecks in the middle of summer. Of course, there were staff members here, but encounters were extremely rare. So, Eun-soo figured “let them look if they want” and wore sleeveless shirts or just walked around in swimwear.

Do-kwon seemed to like that very much. Whenever he stood by Eun-soo’s side, he would often press kisses onto the marks he had left. He didn’t hide his disappointment as the marks faded.

It was the same now. While applying sunscreen to Eun-soo’s arm, he kissed the inside of his wrist, then the inside of his elbow, then his shoulder—it was a total frenzy.

It was skinship that was both ticklish and bothersome. Above all, he hated the feeling of the sunscreen being smeared on. Furrowing his brow, Eun-soo twisted his arm.

“Can’t I just not wear sunscreen? I hate how slimy it feels…”

“No. It’ll sting if you get a burn.”

At Do-kwon’s firm refusal, Eun-soo pouted. It was truly absurd for the man who had practically carved up his entire body with lip marks to say such a thing.

Eun-soo just stared blankly at the sea while Do-kwon slathered sunscreen on everything down to his fingers and toes. He never grew tired of watching the white waves crash shwaaa, shwaaa over the clear blue sea.

To think it was already the 9th day. He wondered where the time had gone, but thinking back, they had done quite a lot. They rode boats and yachts. They ate all kinds of seafood, took long naps while hugging, and watched movies all night.

They had a few light sessions of sex. Truly light. Just enough to feel good. They walked along the deserted beach holding hands. And they took a helicopter to a nearby market to look around.

They ate salty street food and cheap ice cream. They bought plenty of fruits that were hard to find in Korea, and they giggled while wearing wooden masks that looked like monkey faces.

He had wanted to go shopping, but the market only had tacky things, so there wasn’t much worth buying. So, they decided to stop by a large department store tomorrow before heading to the airport. He wanted to buy gifts for Myeong-hui and Ki-ho, and for the people at the company. And of course, something for himself.

What brands would be at the department store here? What designs would they have? Since it was a place where it was summer all year round, there would probably be a lot of summer clothes. He hoped there would be many summer shirts to wear to work.

Ah, what should he buy for the people at the company? They had even come all the way to Jeju Island for the wedding. Would luxury key rings worth about four or five hundred thousand won be okay? Do-kwon would probably be the one paying anyway. According to Myeong-hui, he was now a member of the Seong-jin family. In short, a chaebol. The people at the company all knew who he had married. Forget key rings; it felt like it wouldn’t matter even if he gave out luxury bags worth five or six million won.

As Eun-soo continued his leisurely thoughts, Do-kwon pressed his body close to him. Eun-soo looked down over his sunglasses at Do-kwon as if asking what was wrong.

“Eun-soo.”

“Yes.”

“Can I touch your stomach?”

At the random request, Eun-soo let out a laugh that sounded like air escaping. Since the heat cycle and rut ended, Do-kwon reached for Eun-soo’s lower abdomen every chance he got. Then, he would gently stroke the stomach that was still empty, wearing a serious expression. He looked as if he were contemplating something, or perhaps praying.

Eun-soo nodded. With his permission, Do-kwon reached out. He loved the large, warm, firm yet soft palm.

Eun-soo overlapped his own hand on top of Do-kwon’s.

“I… must be pregnant, right?”

“I wonder.”

“Can’t you feel that the pheromone scent has changed this time? With Bomi, you knew because you said the scent had changed and asked if they were sick.”

“It’s not felt that immediately. It takes a few weeks to become noticeable.”

“Hmm…”

Eun-soo let out a moan. Should he go to the OB-GYN as soon as they enter the country? Would going already be too obsessive? Still, he wanted to know quickly. Otherwise, they would have to try again.

Please, I hope it happens. I’ll be good, I’ll really be good, I’ll love you in every way that exists in this world, so please come to me.

For a while, the two of them kept their hands on Eun-soo’s stomach, praying for the same thing.

Do-kwon wrapped his arm around Eun-soo’s shoulder. Eun-soo leaned his head diagonally against Do-kwon’s chest. Do-kwon brushed back Eun-soo’s hair and looked out at the sea.

“Do you like it here?”

“Of course. It’s like paradise.”

“Shall we come again next time?”

“Yes. But next time… let’s come as three.”

“…Yeah. Let’s do that.”

Do-kwon pressed his lips firmly against Eun-soo’s temple and then pulled away. Then, unable to contain the sudden surge of love, he showered Eun-soo’s entire face with kisses. Eun-soo giggled at the playful skinship.

And so, the final day of the honeymoon was passing.

Leaving this paradise-like resort to return to daily life should have been a matter for sadness, if not regret. Anyone would feel that way. But for some reason, Eun-soo was looking forward to going back.

It was because he would be with Do-kwon there as well, and because he would be welcoming another existence.

With a face full of smiles, Eun-soo stroked his own stomach.