-05-

The first week living with Marteo. Yeon-ho had opened his eyes to a new horizon regarding cohabitation.

A body that ignites even with just a touch of fingertips. The licentiousness of tearing off clothes without even having to wait. Far from being inconvenient, who knew living with a partner could be this comfortable.

But by the second week of cohabitation. What now occupies Yeon-ho’s mind from time to time isn’t admiration but lamentation.

‘What on earth makes it so different?’

Even though they plunge into sexual tension at every opportunity just the same, the mindset with which he accepts it is different from before.

That tension that surges up his spine whenever the mood strikes, like middle schoolers in their clumsy attempts at romance, even though they’ve already seen each other’s “parts” multiple times.

He even got a gloomy question from Marteo—”Do you dislike it?”—when his hips pulled back during a kiss yesterday.

Of course, it’s not that he dislikes the sex itself—they ended up rolling around together until dawn anyway…—but the strange sense of alienation he often feels before doing it and even in the middle of it is still hard to erase.

Especially whenever Marteo looks at him, the words that automatically revive—something between a plea and a command—are even more problematic.

─Because I’m jealous.

─So focus only on me.

It’s not that no one has ever said similar things to me before. Not to look far, just my previous partner Seong-min was like that too.

Complaints poured out like a child—don’t make a new partner, where are you looking besides me, etc.

Still, when dealing with Seong-min, I just scoffed.

But… why is ‘Theon’ different? What is it about that young guy that makes me so complicated?

Is it because the kid is too handsome? Because his voice calling me is extremely gentle? Or is the problem his constantly updating sex techniques…?

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

It was when thoughts were chasing tails without rest. Marteo, who had come down making coffee he wouldn’t even drink himself, approached Yeon-ho’s side.

Yeon-ho, who had been staring blankly at the TV that was only on for show, flinched his shoulders.

The first time he showed this reaction, Marteo had flinched along with him, but now he showed no particular expression and naturally settled into the seat beside him.

“Perhaps thinking about me?”

And as if that weren’t enough, he brought a faint smile right up to his nose.

These past few days, it’s not just Yeon-ho who has changed. While this side loses pace due to inexplicable anxiety, relatively, Marteo is gaining twice the composure unbecoming of his age.

Somehow finding such a man irritating, Yeon-ho feigned ignorance even when hit right on the mark and pushed Marteo’s cheek away.

“Thinking? Can’t you see I’m watching a drama?”

Marteo’s eyes turned toward the TV. Yeon-ho, who hadn’t even touched the coffee Marteo made for him to drink, picked up the remote and even turned up the volume.

The drama marked as episode 7 was just beginning to show the male and female leads having a minor argument at a drinking gathering. But though it took the form of an argument, anyone could see it was a lovers’ quarrel—it was openly a romance show.

Marteo frowned.

“Do you like romance shows?”

“No.”

“Then why are you watching it?”

He probably thought saying ‘yes’ was a ploy to push him away, but the honest answer felt unsatisfactory. In that moment, Yeon-ho moved his lips again.

“Someone I know appears in it.”

Someone you know? Marteo’s expression hardened as he looked back at the TV.

“…Who? That man?”

The voice asking the follow-up question had also changed. The reason was easy to guess. Having seen Seong-min before, and Oh Tae-jin who came to the house a few days ago—what must he be thinking?

‘Can’t you read the mood a bit?’

But contrary to his feelings, what burst out was an absurd laugh.

Marteo’s gaze shooting toward the screen seemed ready to pierce right through the cathode ray tube.

“Why are you laughing.”

The formal speech, angular and heard after a long time, sounded quite cute.

I’ll let it slide. Shaking his head beyond the remaining laughter, Yeon-ho pointed with his chin toward the side of the screen.

“Not Kim Chae-uk, but Kang Ji-yeon.”

“……?”

“An actor who joined our company last year. She’s a supporting role in this drama.”

Marteo’s eyebrows, which had been raised, sank downward, and Yeon-ho made a mischievous expression.

“What, did you think I had that kind of relationship with Kim Chae-uk too?”

“……”

“Kim Chae-uk is about ten years older than me. When I started our company, that guy was already a top star.”

There was an aspect where it was hard to guess the age of actors who receive strict management. Of course, Yeon-ho’s face, though not an actor’s, also looks much younger than his actual age.

‘If I took him to Italy, wouldn’t he only look like a college student?’

The interest that easily drifted away from Kim Chae-uk naturally shifted to Yeon-ho.

When they first met, no one could deny he was older, but now Yeon-ho’s appearance hardly makes their age difference noticeable.

The height that he couldn’t catch up with even on tiptoe was incomparably shorter than Marteo’s. Enough to surpass the height where Yeon-ho had waved his hand that day.

A strange sense of pride made a smile spread across his face without him realizing it. That’s when Yeon-ho suddenly frowned and looked back at Marteo.

“But… don’t tell me you, is this your first time seeing Kim Chae-uk?”

“…Yes?”

“No, earlier you said ‘that man,’ right?”

But? As Marteo tilted his head in confusion, Yeon-ho, as if astonished, even let out a frustrated sigh.

“What is it. You really don’t know Kim Chae-uk?”

“Should I know him?”

“What on earth did you see that made you want to be a celebrity in Korea?”

“……?”

“Someone like Kim Chae-uk is quite famous overseas too, isn’t he? He even went to Cannes the year before last. If you’re interested in our industry, you can’t not know him.”

…Ah.

“Since we’re on the topic, do you have any actors you’re interested in?”

It was an awkward question that had returned after a while. In a state where even actors from my own country are vague, how much interest could I possibly have in Eastern celebrities from thousands of miles away?

As Marteo struggled to open his mouth, Yeon-ho turned his whole body to face him.

“No, even if not necessarily actors, don’t you have anyone you want as a role model or someone you like?”

The face that had come right up close was a bonus. The breath colliding up close was ticklish, and his heart was even more so.

Marteo bit his lip without realizing it. Then, like a sigh he couldn’t hold back, the smooth name without honorifics split the inside of his cheek.

“Do Yeon-ho….”

It was an unavoidable answer, since the person he admired and the person he was interested in were entirely one and the same.

He realized his mistake,

“…What?”

Only after Yeon-ho’s follow-up question with awkwardly widened eyes.

Oops—Marteo quickly averted his gaze. Only after pretending to lower the TV volume that Yeon-ho had turned up earlier and fumbling with the remote did damage control follow.

“…-ssi, are you?”

“Huh?”

“So, Do Yeon-ho-ssi, don’t you have one? An actor you’re personally interested in.”

A subtly distant question felt natural yet awkward. But there was no time to point it out.

It was a question that came out on the spur of the moment, but once Yeon-ho had said it, he was curious. Marteo, who had been avoiding his eyes, was now facing him, as if he needed to hear the answer.

His unwavering gaze seemed to penetrate Yeon-ho’s very soul. Just as Marteo had used the remote control as an excuse a moment ago, Yeon-ho hurriedly picked up his coffee cup.

Even though it was an iced coffee full of ice, his lips and throat didn’t cool down.

“Don’t you have one? Someone you like?”

In the meantime, the question, repeated once more, had changed the condition from an actor to a person. But it still wasn’t the time to quibble over subtle differences.

Marteo’s hand, which had taken the cup, looked like it would grab something else soon. Yeon-ho unconsciously pulled his legs up to the inside of the sofa.

The posture, curled up as if to protect his body, made it easy to be embraced in one go.

As expected, Marteo reached out his hand.

Long, leisurely fingers that touched his shoulder stroked his arm and began to rise again in reverse.

Neck and chin, earlobe and hair, and lips….

The thumb, pressing down on his lower lip to create a gap, made it unclear whether it was urging him to answer or meant he was going to kiss him.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t refuse the soft grip, and hot breath already escaped from his parted lips.

His heart pounded, and after repeated eye contact, they lost the time to utter or the space to hear an answer.

“Do Yeon-ho…”

Marteo, who uttered lowly, leaned in. Unlike his parted lips, Yeon-ho’s eyes slowly closed as the shadow fell over his face.

Unusually, he was nervous this time too. The short moment until their lips touched felt so anxious.

But the kiss failed.

The reason was that the loud ringtone shattered the mood just as Marteo pulled Yeon-ho’s body, curled up like a child, further into his arms.

Surprised. Yeon-ho’s half-closed eyes widened again. His head turned involuntarily in the direction of the sound.

Marteo, who exclaimed at the lips he had missed right in front of him, was no different. Of course, his eyes, which followed the sound, were twice as fierce as Yeon-ho’s.

“Phone… yes.”

“It is.”

Without needing to point it out, the one ringing loudly even now was Yeon-ho’s phone, which he had left on the table after lunch.

If it were nearby, he would have rejected the call, but the ringtone, which showed no sign of stopping, was relentlessly persistent.

Eventually, Marteo sighed and got up from his seat. Yeon-ho watched the man’s back as he went to get the phone and then released the breath he had been holding back.

As he said before, he was unusually nervous about the atmosphere that had gone right up to the verge of a kiss. If it were normal, he would have grabbed his neck instead of waiting.

“It’s CEO Yoon.”

“Give it here.”

He had expected him to tell him to hang up, but it seemed he was wrong. Marteo handed over the phone to Yeon-ho, who even held out his hand. Yeon-ho cleared his throat a few times and pressed the call button.

“Yeah.”

「Huh? What, what is it? Why are you answering right away?」

It was a ridiculous reaction for someone who had called first, but that foolish Yoon Seung-won was fortunate for Yeon-ho now.

Yeon-ho completely erased the lingering kiss mood.

“What’s going on? Even on my weekend off.”

He was right. However, that’s why Seung-won was even more surprised. Do Yeon-ho answering the phone on a Saturday, not even a weekday when work was essential. Sensing that he was about to talk nonsense again, Yeon-ho drove a wedge in.

“Don’t say anything else, just tell me what you need.”

Meanwhile, Marteo, who had naturally lowered himself next to Yeon-ho again, began to stroke Yeon-ho’s arm as before.

The fingertips flowing along his forearm seemed to be playing the piano with subtle adjustments in strength. Eventually, he opened the palm of his hand that wasn’t holding the phone and pressed his lips to the lines etched into it.

Yeon-ho, who almost groaned, clenched his fist. But Marteo, undeterred, this time slid his tongue over the bony back of his hand where veins stood out.

As if it were an extension of jealousy, telling him to focus only on him.

The effect was very good. He told Yoon Seung-won not to say anything else, but at this rate, he couldn’t concentrate on the call. As if scolding the rude lips, Yeon-ho glared at Marteo, “Hey!”

In that moment, Seung-won began to pour out his complaints, grumbling.

「Hey. I don’t have time to talk nonsense either. It’s not that, but you didn’t drink any alcohol, did you?」

…Alcohol? He didn’t drink alcohol, but he was about to drink lips.

And he’s stopping me from doing that.

Yeon-ho’s already blurred eyes turned to Marteo once more. Marteo, who received it again, was busy stamping his lips on the back of his hand without hesitation.

Seung-won, who didn’t know anything about this situation, continued to talk. Then, Marteo, who finally grabbed Yeon-ho’s fingers that had lost strength, crushed them with his teeth. The tingling that pressed down on the knuckles and the damp moisture that brushed against his skin.

“Ah!”

A groan finally burst from Yeon-ho’s mouth, who had been trying hard to hold it in.

「……Ah?」

“……!”

「Ah, ah??」

By the time he realized it, it was already too late. Yoon Seung-won’s repetitive questioning, which came out after a pause, made him sense something suspicious.

It was no wonder that Yeon-ho’s brow furrowed quickly. There was only one way to fix it that he could think of to attach after ‘Ah.’ Yeon-ho hurriedly shook his head at Seung-won, who couldn’t even see him.

“Ah, I… I got it.”

Even so, his heart pounded, wondering if Seung-won would ask again, ‘Got what?’ But fortunately or unfortunately, his prediction was far off. Seung-won was severely surprised beyond the phone.

「…Re, really? You really got it?」

He reacted more violently than when he heard the ‘Ah’ sound, and he instinctively sensed that something was wrong. Only then did he think of another word to attach after ‘Ah.’ Yeon-ho hurriedly shook his head at Seung-won, who couldn’t even see him.

“Ah, no! Not that I got it, but no, I can’t!”

But it was no use.

「No way. I can’t take it back! What’s done is done.」

Seung-won added negation to negation in a hurry.

「It’s real. It’s real that you’re going? I’ll take it that way?」

The sound of him repeatedly confirming after saying that was so loud that his voice echoed even outside the receiver.

At this point, Marteo couldn’t help but feel something was wrong. Marteo finally released Yeon-ho’s hand, which he had been holding tightly, little by little.

Why. What’s wrong? Seung-won answered the question that was only mouthed.

「Haa∼ I’m alive, really. I can’t move right now. Hey. Start by leaving first. I’ll tell them at the site. I’ll send you the address in a text?」

Then, the call was cut off abruptly with the last word. It was so quick that there was no time to hold on or let go.

Yeon-ho, who couldn’t hear the contents of the call properly because of Marteo’s hand job, frowned. After a few seconds of doing that. As predicted, Seung-won sent a message.

However, the problem was that the beginning of the address sent that way was not Seoul. Yeon-ho was the first of the two people who had gathered their heads together to look at the screen to lift his head.

“…….”

“…….”

A heavy silence, two eyes that had sunk coldly, stared silently at Marteo. Marteo looked around and then looked at the screen again.

Gunsan….

No matter how many times he looked at it, he didn’t know where it was. Still, one thing was certain. No matter where that was, wouldn’t the distance be as far as the distance between Yeon-ho and his lips that had fallen?

As often happens when dealing with Yeon-ho, Marteo updated the words he was saying for the first time in his life today.

“I was… wrong.”

Even so, it was already missed lips and spilled water.

♥ ♥ ♥

“So, you’re still not getting out of the car? No, I’m not saying I want to hear you apologize… Haa, okay. I understand, so keep a good eye on him first. Get in within 40 minutes, no, 30 minutes.”

Yeon-ho corrected the last time and gestured to Marteo, who was holding the steering wheel.

‘Step on it more.’

Marteo’s expression crumpled anew at the command he knew without hearing. Even now, the speedometer was over 100.

All the way here, Yeon-ho hadn’t even stopped at a rest stop, and he hadn’t been able to rest properly because he was constantly calling.

Even now, his brow was furrowed from time to time because his back was stiff, and his fingers were massaging the back of his neck.

Marteo’s situation was no different, but the aftermath of the sex from last night seemed to have a bigger impact on Yeon-ho.

As Yeon-ho, who had finished the call, even let out a sigh, Marteo opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.

“Are you okay?”

“No. It seems to be the same.”

“…….”

It was an answer that misunderstood the question because his mind was focused on something else. He didn’t like everything about this. Marteo put more strength into the hand holding the steering wheel once more.

‘I should have broken his neck that day….’

The regret, which was mixed with personal feelings, was understandable.

Two hours ago from now. The contents of Yoon Seung-won’s call, which he belatedly figured out, were like this.

There was a problem at the drama site. One of the Doo-it actors was refusing to film.

The manager couldn’t appease him, so the news was eventually delivered to CEO Yoon, and Yoon Seung-won, who couldn’t move because of other work, sent an SOS to Yeon-ho.

He was annoyed, but when it came to fixing twisted things, there was nothing more direct than his position.

Yeon-ho took the car keys right away, and Marteo, who would follow Yeon-ho to a fiery pit even if he didn’t know where Gunsan was, couldn’t possibly let Yeon-ho go alone.

But the problem was after that.

One familiar name that cut off Yeon-ho’s words while he was talking to someone at the site. The troublemaker who refused to film was none other than Oh Tae-jin.

Considering the relationship between Yeon-ho and Oh Tae-jin. And the fact that he had visited Yeon-ho a few days ago. It was more than suspicious whether Seung-won had pinpointed Yeon-ho only because of ‘executive.’

No sooner than he had finished the call, Yeon-ho was already looking for another number. Then he soon gnashed his teeth.

“Ha. That bastard. He’s even turned off his personal number?”

Marteo, who had paused, turned to Yeon-ho with cloudy eyes.

“Do you… still have it?”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t you delete Oh Tae-jin’s number?”

The voice that asked back was as cloudy as his eyes. Only then did Yeon-ho realize and hurriedly curled his fingers that were about to type a message inward.

Even so, why am I intimidated? He was taken aback, but… he involuntarily let out an excuse-like word at the gaze that was staring intently at him.

“No… it’s too annoying to delete. There might be times when I need it like today.”

“…….”

“I… I never even thought that the number was still there.”

“…….”

“Should I… switch drivers?”

By the end, it was an unnecessary sound. Marteo, who hadn’t answered, turned his gaze to the front.

“It’s okay.”

Well… there’s only 30 minutes left now, did I ask too late?

However, Marteo’s thoughts were completely different.

Whether it was 30 minutes or 3 minutes, how could he watch Do Yeon-ho personally rush to meet Oh Tae-jin?

The foot that crushed the accelerator instead of someone’s torso that he couldn’t step on right away was filled with strength.

「You have arrived at your destination. Navigation is complete.」

The car, which had been driving along a winding road for a long time following the navigation, stopped in a sloping vacant lot that could no longer be climbed.

Yeon-ho, who had been having a hard time on the unpaved road that had been almost a mountain road for the past 5 minutes, opened the car door before the engine was even turned off.

Marteo, who followed Yeon-ho one beat later, raised his eyebrows at the surrounding scenery, which was different from what he had expected even when he looked at it again.

He thought that there would be a plausible set made because it was a drama site… the halfway point of the mountain was close to the wild.

‘What kind of filming is going on in a place like this?’

The question he had was soon broken by a faint noise. Above the vacant lot where only one car could stand. It was because he found a path that was hidden by overgrown trees and bushes.

Yeon-ho began to take steps. The appearance of the site, which he couldn’t grasp at a glance because of the difference in height, was revealed in its entirety after he took about a dozen more steps.

An old single-story building in the shape of a ㄱ, built on the inside of the mountainside with the back forest as a fence.

The country house, finished with mud walls and a faded slate roof, was not a set made for filming, but a house where someone used to live.

Various equipment needed for filming maintained a disorderly order in the wide yard, which was three times the size of the house.

Tripods and lighting stands fixed with sandbags. Jimmy Jibs and cranes hanging haphazardly between the trees near the house. Several monitors lined up under a shaded tent.

Considering the narrow road they had entered, it was impossible to transport it by large vehicles, and it was clear that the site was made by the labor of the staff.

As expected, the faces of the staff who were waiting in groups of three or five all over the yard were clearly tired.

One of the reasons must have been Oh Tae-jin. It would be better to work. What else is more tiring than waiting endlessly?

Yeon-ho, whose head throbbed anew at the site where the table was set but he couldn’t even pick up a spoon, stopped walking.

“Executive Director!”

Someone who suddenly popped out of the dense bushes grabbed Yeon-ho’s collar. When he turned his gaze, he saw a young man with a sweaty face.

It was Oh Tae-jin’s manager, who had been occasionally conveying the situation at the site all the way here.

“What is it? Kim Myung-hoon, why are you coming out of there? Where did you leave Oh Tae-jin?”

A crack went into Marteo’s brow at the words that immediately looked for Oh Tae-jin without even having time to greet him. But the expression on the man, Myung-hoon, was no less.

He licked his lips with his tongue, rolled his eyes around, and then dropped his head. He had a bad feeling.

Yeon-ho grabbed Myung-hoon’s body again and pulled him into the corner of the bushes.

“Where is that bastard right now?”

“That’s…….”

“That’s what!”

“He disa…ppeared.”

“What?”

“I told him that the Executive Director would be arriving soon… so I thought he was feeling a little better… but suddenly he said he was thirsty…. It was really just for a moment? Not even 5 minutes! I really just went to get him water right away……. What should I do? He’s not even answering my calls right now.”

Damn it. Those damn bastards!

I told you to keep a good eye on him, what the hell is with the water!

The throbbing head throbbed and rang once more. Marteo, who hadn’t been able to touch him because he was driving earlier, didn’t miss the opportunity and reached out to the back of his neck to Yeon-ho, who was holding his forehead.

The touch that naturally massaged the stiff muscles was so nonchalant that he didn’t even think of shaking him off.

No. It was a ridiculous thing even for himself, but he felt that the heat that was spreading was calming down even a little with the man’s touch.

In the meantime, Myung-hoon, who had now become aware of Marteo, widened his eyes in a different sense.

“But, who is this person…?”

“…….”

“No, by any chance, is he a substitute for Tae-jin hyung?”

That’s nonsense. You can tell just by looking at the drawing style. Besides, it’s been a while since the first filming started, so why would they put in a substitute?

Still, he knew why Myung-hoon was spouting such nonsense. The director probably harassed Myung-hoon, who was easy to deal with. He’ll cut that bastard off, he’ll use someone else, something like a threat.

Yeon-ho, who had gnashed his teeth lowly once more at the familiar picture, glared at Myung-hoon.

“I don’t need to know. More than that, tell me in detail. Why the hell is Oh Tae-jin like that? Did he pick up something he couldn’t eat?”

“That’s, as I told you on the phone… they keep changing the script on set….”

“Is that really all?”

“Everything was coordinated in advance, but they’re acting unilaterally. Looking at the situation, hyung has enough reason to be pissed off. They clearly said that today’s filming would be post-processed with CG, but they said there’s no time and just told him to film it……. Cha Soo-jin is okay with it, but why are you being so picky?”

Cha Soo-jin. She was Oh Tae-jin’s co-star. From the time the casting was announced, viewers had created nicknames such as ‘chemistry is exploding’ and ‘I’m looking forward to the JinJin couple,’ but in fact, the two were known to most people in the industry as rivals.

Perhaps Oh Tae-jin refused because Cha Soo-jin was okay with it. Yeon-ho rubbed his temples.

“Did Cha Soo-jin come today too?”

“She filmed first in the morning and left. Now hyung really needs to go in…… what should I do? If I delay it any longer, the director will go crazy.”

“Good job. Knowing that, you let him go?”

“Because he said he was thirsty… I thought he was preparing for filming. …I’m sorry.”

“What about the other guys.”

He was referring to Oh Tae-jin’s personal staff. Myung-hoon received the words without even taking a breath.

“They’re looking for hyung right now.”

“That guy is a bad driver, so he wouldn’t have gone far. Tell them to search every corner of the neighborhood thoroughly. And send him a message too. If he acts like this, he’ll die at my hands before the director’s.”

Myung-hoon was horrified, saying that he shouldn’t do that when he should be appeasing him. On the other hand, Marteo smiled slightly at the ruthless words that didn’t feel like a single grain of affection, but the end was short.

“What are you doing?”

Yeon-ho looked up at Marteo. He tilted his head as if to say, ‘What?’ and even waved his hand.

“Don’t play around, you help too. You know Oh Tae-jin’s face, right?”

“…….”

“If he resists, bring him even if you have to tie him up.”

It was an absurd command that he wanted to make sure he couldn’t show his face in front of Do Yeon-ho for the rest of his life if he could.

Marteo, who had never said ‘NO’ to Yeon-ho’s words unless it was a big deal, put strength into his feet with a stiff face.

He had an expression like a cow right before being dragged to the slaughterhouse.

In that moment, did what was finally going to explode explode? A loud, rough roar was shouted from the yard that was set up as a set.

“Oh Tae-jin, not here yet? Where the hell is his manager!”

Myunghoon, shoulders twitching, alternated between looking at the house and Yeon-ho with a pale, anxious face. They couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

“I’ll take care of it, so hurry and go.”

Yeon-ho practically shoved Marteo’s back towards Myunghoon.

Even so, his heart felt like lead.

Was it because he had to deal with a director who was raging like a wild boar hit by fire, or was it because of the look in Marteo’s eyes, as if he’d been abandoned…?

Anyway, taking a deep breath, he stepped into the yard, and the director, who had been snapping at the innocent assistant director, immediately turned towards the gate.

He must have been expecting Oh Tae-jin, because his simmering face changed to one of slight bewilderment when he saw Yeon-ho.

Yeon-ho continued walking and bowed his head to the director, who was now standing face to face with him.

“Hello. You must be Director Choi Jae-young.”

“…Who?”

“My apologies for the late introduction. I’m Do Yeon-ho from Doo-it.”

It was their first time meeting face to face, but even Director Choi knew the name of Doo-it’s young executive director.

He seemed momentarily taken aback, but soon changed his attitude and snorted loudly, as if to say, ‘Let’s hear it.’

“Ha, this isn’t some school play… What, did you come to babysit your little star?”

Yeon-ho’s eyebrows twitched. He wanted to flip Oh Tae-jin over and beat him up just as much, but it was too much to call the lead actor a ‘little star’ in front of all these staff members.

In this industry, if the director doesn’t respect the actor, even the staff look down on them. Moreover, it wasn’t just the actor he was ignoring.

Judging by his attitude, he seemed to know that Yeon-ho was a company executive, so wasn’t this also an attitude of ignoring him as well?

Like it or not, they had to work together, and considering the future, it wasn’t good to look too easy to push around.

Yeon-ho, who had completely overturned his initial plan to just bow down and comply with that one sentence, smiled outwardly despite the turmoil in his stomach.

“Yes. I heard the situation on set isn’t good.”

“What?”

“As you said, it’s not a school play, but it seems our actor isn’t quite meshing with the team, so I came all the way here.”

In other words, it meant that this happened because you couldn’t handle your responsibilities, so don’t go blaming others.

Perhaps he felt guilty as Myunghoon had said, or perhaps he didn’t expect Yeon-ho to come out like this, but Director Choi’s momentum faltered for a moment.

Not missing the opportunity, Yeon-ho smiled faintly and shrugged casually.

“I heard the script keeps changing on set.”

“Well, that’s…”

“Yes. It’s something that can happen depending on the situation on set. I fully understand your hard work. But…”

…But?

“Isn’t the actor also part of the set? The script can change, equipment can break down, and the actor can sometimes be in bad condition depending on the situation.”

“……”

“It seems our actor is having one of those days today… I don’t think he explained it well enough to the director, so I came to ask for your understanding, and the company will pay more attention to prevent this from happening in the future.”

You know and I know that Oh Tae-jin is causing trouble because he doesn’t like the script. But the obvious words of subtly attributing the problem to poor condition had a very clear underlying meaning.

In a volatile environment where the script is constantly changing, if you don’t want to replace the actor as well, let’s both compromise appropriately.

The rumors that Do Yeon-ho is sharp and efficient when he puts his mind to it were indeed true.

Director Choi, who had lost the initiative within minutes of meeting him, mumbled and finally clicked his tongue. After a long time, he reluctantly agreed.

“No… Who doesn’t know the actor’s position? I know very well that Actor Oh doesn’t even have time to sleep. But because there’s so little time…”

“Yes. I understand. Would you do that on purpose, Director? I’ll say it again, this will never happen again.”

The words that if he made him fly here for hours over something so trivial again, he would die by his hand before the director’s were 100% sincere.

Perhaps sensing that heartfelt sentiment, Director Choi soon let out even the remaining sigh.

“…So, is Actor Oh’s condition a little better now?”

His tone was much softer than before. If they could just get a call saying they found Oh Tae-jin at this point, everything would be perfect.

Yeon-ho fiddled with the phone in his pocket. There was still no vibration or sound.

‘Don’t tell me, did that bastard run away to Seoul?’

It was obvious, but even if he refused to film and dug in his heels, it was different from actually leaving the set.

“Why? Don’t tell me he can’t film today?”

“That’s not it…”

“Then what? No. Where is Actor Oh right now?”

Yeon-ho’s answer dragged on, and Director Choi’s expression, which was barely softening, showed signs of rising again, as if he had caught on to something. Yeon-ho quickly shook his head.

That’s when it happened.

Tap. Tap-tap.

A few small raindrops tapped Yeon-ho’s forehead. Soon, with their bodies swollen, they began to draw dark circles on the dirt floor with a patter, patter.

It was a sudden rain.

“Director!”

One of the staff members, who had been waiting for any opportunity, rushed to Director Choi in a fluster.

Director Choi, who was hit by the raindrops just like Yeon-ho, stared blankly at the sky and immediately frowned.

“What is this? Why is the weather like this? I heard there was no rain forecast today?”

An unpredictable set. Unexpected accidents were no exception, even for the weather. The staff member didn’t know what to do with the raised voice.

But what was done was already done. Director Choi, clicking his tongue sharply, regained his senses and pointed to the equipment that was outside.

“Hey! Cover it with tarps!”

Many staff members moved in unison. The dark clouds gathering overhead were ominous to anyone.

For Yeon-ho, it couldn’t have been a more fortunate event. Whether they found Oh Tae-jin or not, outdoor filming was impossible anyway with this weather.

Yeon-ho was secretly sighing among the distracted staff.

“Director, what about the chickens?”

Someone among the staff members who were hurriedly securing the equipment with large tarps blurted out something out of the blue.

‘Chickens…?’

The name that couldn’t be ignored even in normal times was especially so in this situation. Yeon-ho, who had been looking up at the sky, turned his head sharply towards the staff member who had made the sound.

“We put up a fence in the mountains, so they shouldn’t be able to cross it. Should we catch them again?”

“How many are there?”

“We let about a dozen loose earlier.”

“Catch them! Catch them and put them in the coop. They can’t get wet!”

What is this all about?

Yeon-ho’s eyes widened, and Director Choi finally turned to look at Yeon-ho.

“Well… I let some chickens loose because they were needed for filming today.”

“…You let them loose, as in, real live chickens?”

“Well. The picture didn’t come alive when we tried to do it with CG.”

Myunghoon’s grumbling from earlier came to mind.

‘Even today, they said they were going to do post-production with CG…’

Ah…. Yeon-ho swallowed a groan. The statement that they prepared real chickens because the picture didn’t come alive must be a lie.

Chickens usually sold for laying eggs or slaughter cost around 5,000 to 10,000 won per bird.

But depending on the quality, CG work cost millions per cut. There was no reason to spend money and time creating chickens that didn’t exist.

Yeon-ho seemed to understand why Oh Tae-jin had run away in terror.

‘That bastard… didn’t he hate anything with feathers, regardless of species…’

Yeon-ho’s eyes clouded over as he realized the reason for the tantrum. At that moment, as if on cue, the sound of flapping wings began to be heard from the back of the sloping yard.

Several staff members were herding chickens. But the situation was not easy.

For chickens without an oil layer on their wings, rain was a matter of survival.

If their body temperature dropped, they were more likely to get sick and could lose their lives. Stepping on the cold ground would also be stressful, and they were sensitive to the sound of raindrops hitting the ground.

In the midst of all this, the humans were shouting, “Woah, woah!” and the chickens, startled, were reacting wildly.

One of the staff members, struggling with the chickens that wouldn’t do as they were told, finally lost his temper.

“Ah, just go in, you chicken-brained idiots! Why are you so fast if you can’t even fly!”

His insides twisted.

No, if they can’t fly, they have to be fast! Do you know the chickens’ plight?

The thought that came to his mind caused the receding headache to surge back.

‘Damn it. What glory am I trying to achieve by coming all the way here…’

As his mood sank, his body kept drooping.

He had excessive sex until dawn, hadn’t rested at all on the way here, and had even been caught in an unexpected rain. It would be strange if his condition was normal.

His shoulders, which were already damp, began to shiver.

‘Let’s just go back to the car…’

Finally, Yeon-ho slowly backed away. He was determined to slip out of the set while everyone’s attention was completely diverted.

But… as he passed the edge of the yard, avoiding the lined-up equipment, it suddenly happened.

A feeling as if the strength from his core was draining all at once, and a sensation as if his head was spinning.

Just as he thought his legs were faltering, his body began to plummet downwards with a thud!

‘……?!’

It was something that no one, not even Yeon-ho himself, had expected.

A sudden and unexpected disaster that came without warning while he was walking normally!

…The Anima was released!

It wasn’t like it was released unknowingly while he was sleeping, but in a situation where he was clearly wide awake, without even a chance to control something, he turned into a chicken.

At first, he was dazed, and then shocked and shocked again.

The dirt floor reflected in his wide eyes was too short in height and distance.

The heart of a chicken, which beats faster than a human’s, was pounding madly like a jazinmori hwimori.

Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to scream. As he said before, what else would come out but a cock-a-doodle-doo!

Instead, cold sweat seemed to be pouring from sweat glands that didn’t even exist.

‘Why…! Why is this happening lately!’

Still, one fortunate thing was that the staff, still distracted by securing equipment and herding chickens, were completely unaware of the situation.

‘I, I have to hide! No, I have to hide it!’

Amidst the chaos, Yeon-ho desperately used his beak to pick up his clothes that were scattered on the floor.

He was grateful that it wasn’t winter and that the clothes weren’t thick. It was also extremely fortunate that overgrown weeds were everywhere.

He used his beak to pick them up and kicked them with his feet, and after much difficulty despite his physical adversity, he managed to move his shirt and pants into the bushes.

It was when he finally took a breath and peeked his head out that a dark shadow suddenly fell over him.

“Oh? There’s one here too?”

“……!”

“Geez. When did you get all the way here?”

How could he be ambushed like this? As he said, when did he get all the way here? A staff member found Yeon-ho.

Flap! Yeon-ho flapped his wings without realizing it. The staff member, startled by that, flinched and frowned.

“Hey. Don’t resist and go in!”

Now that he looked at it, he was holding a long stick in his hand. He even made a ‘woah, woah’ sound as he tapped Yeon-ho’s butt with the end of the wooden stick!

It was truly humiliating. He felt like he was going to involuntarily make a ‘cock-a-doodle-doo’ sound instead of swearing.

He desperately endured it and dodged the stick, flailing around.

He wanted to fly even for a short distance, but the rain-soaked outer feathers made it difficult.

“Is this for real?”

The staff member, who had repeatedly missed Yeon-ho right in front of his nose, gritted his teeth once more. And what happened next was enough to blow away the previous humiliation.

What he thought was just a stick was actually a landing net. He swung the net at the fleeing Yeon-ho as if throwing a fishing rod.

Thud!

The sound of the net dragging on the ground. At the same time, Yeon-ho’s body floated upwards.

‘Oh, no!’

The scream that still couldn’t become a sound couldn’t reach him. No matter how much he flapped his wings or struggled his legs, it was no use.

“You. Stay still.”

“Did you catch them all?”

“Yes. This is the last one.”

“That little rascal looks healthy. Make sure he can’t escape?”

“Yes~” The man, drawing out the end of his words, held Yeon-ho in the net like a trophy and strode into the backyard.

Yeon-ho’s eyes widened once more. On one side of the backyard, a pen made of intertwined planks and wire mesh… no, a chicken coop was visible.

In that shabby but sturdy wire mesh, the chickens that had been caught before him were huddled together.

‘No. I can’t go in there!’

Yeon-ho made a final struggle. But even this time, escape was out of the question.

Squeak. The man, opening the wooden door that made a loud noise because the lattices didn’t match, pushed the net containing Yeon-ho inside and shook it upside down.

‘Claws! My claws!’

Yeon-ho, whose claws were caught in the net, struggled awkwardly and fell straight down.

“Okay, don’t fight and stay still?”

The staff member, brushing off his hands before the shock to his body could subside, closed the door and latched it from the outside.

The metallic sound that rang out was like a thunderclap.

He couldn’t take it anymore.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!!!”

Finally, Yeon-ho let out a desperate scream. Even so, he left the backyard without looking back once.

The sound of raindrops occasionally falling on the tin-added roof echoed faintly.

He was truly out of his mind. Yeon-ho, whose soul had completely left his body, kicked his legs towards the tightly closed door far too late.

The door, which was old and clumsy for a chicken coop, had a firmly latched bolt. It was a structure that couldn’t be opened from the inside, even by a human hand, let alone a chicken.

He was completely trapped inside the chicken coop.

‘No way… How could this happen?’

He couldn’t find an answer. If he turned into a human and shouted, someone might help him.

But turning into a chicken and being trapped in a chicken coop, and showing the staff Doo-it’s ‘executive director’ naked in a chicken coop.

There was no need to argue which was more atrocious.

Yeon-ho’s eyes spun. As if his face turned white as a human, even the blood drained from his bright red comb.

That’s when it happened.

Flutter. Coo….

He felt a presence behind him, no, a chicken presence. Startled, Yeon-ho turned his body, and hens had already gathered around him.

Some of them narrowed the distance further, lowered their heads, and shook their bodies.

It was a typical expression of interest shown by females to males.

Of course, even if it wasn’t, Yeon-ho could immediately recognize the hens’ goodwill.

In general, Morpheus recognize the expressions of their Anima’s species much more quickly than ordinary people. And when the Anima was released, communication was possible.

The hens, who were constantly wagging their butts, were shamelessly expressing very active flirting, which was not welcome.

Cluck. Cluck-cluck.

[Oh my, who is this I didn’t see before?]

Cluck-cluck. Cluck-cluck.

[I wonder where he’s from. Oh my gosh, his feathers are so gorgeous?]

Flutter, cluck-cluck-cluck.

[Why don’t you lie down with me in that straw over there?]

It wasn’t just an idiom, but real goosebumps were rising all over him.

Yeon-ho is gay. That’s like an absolute proposition that can’t be changed whether he’s human or turned into a chicken.

He doesn’t feel sexual attraction to women even when he’s human, so there’s no way he’d be interested in hens!

Yeon-ho jumped up in place, avoiding the hens who were even trying to rub their wing feathers against him.

I don’t need it. Get away from me!

He didn’t hesitate to threaten them by kicking the ground with his claws.

But the sight of a handsome rooster spreading its wings and rolling on the ground was just an exciting point of attraction for the hens.

[Oh my, oh my, how can his wing movements be so wonderful? Come on, hurry up and get on my back!]

[OMG. Is this unnie crazy? Unnie, think about my age. You can only lay eggs once every three days now.]

[You!]

[Okay, okay, look at my plump butt. I can definitely lay one every day.]

Crazy. This was almost sexual harassment. Yeon-ho’s comb turned pale once more from the flock of hens rushing at him.

At that moment, a more seasoned voice was heard.

Cluck. Cluck-cluck. Cluck-cluck.

[Hey, stop it! You’re scaring the young man?]

Among the hens and roosters mixed in an 8 to 2 ratio, there were few roosters. The slightly faded feathers were stiff, and judging by the comb that was drooping a bit, it was a so-called ‘old hen’.

He seemed to have survived quite a long time compared to the roosters that were usually slaughtered between 6 and 8 weeks, excluding those used for breeding, and he trudged towards Yeon-ho, who was close to the door.

[As you said, he’s a friend I’ve never seen before. He doesn’t seem to be from our chicken farm?]

People call them chicken-brained, but in fact, chickens can identify more than 100 different individuals and remember each other.

Perhaps they were sold together from the same place, he recognized Yeon-ho as a stranger, just like the hens.

Still, perhaps because he was old, there was no unique threat of roosters guarding each other.

This was really fortunate. If he had to fight a rooster in addition to the hens’ seduction, the already crumbling human dignity would turn to ashes.

Not getting an answer, the old rooster soon clicked his tongue. Then, with rather dim eyes, he looked out of the chicken coop.

[Looks like it’s going to rain quite a bit. No good can come from going outside on a day like this.]

[…….]

[Still, you seem to want to get out of here?]

Yeon-ho couldn’t possibly ignore this question.

[Is there, perhaps, a way?]

Yeon-ho opened his mouth as if lunging. The old rooster, after examining Yeon-ho once more, finally nodded.

[There is one way.]

[What is it!]

It was the most welcome sound he’d heard, and his eyes sparkled involuntarily. The old rooster, after a pause, wore a face that looked like a smirk for a chicken.

[If a pot is hung outside, you can leave.]

[……What?]

[Born as an egg, dying as baeksuk. Isn’t that the life of a chicken? Wait and see. News may come soon. Hehehe.]

Why did I even have expectations!

It was dogshit coming from a chicken. Even so, his hair stood on end.

The filming was unexpectedly canceled due to the rain. But they wouldn’t leave the location.

When filming in the provinces, it’s common to stay in nearby accommodations for several days. Even when leaving the set, some staff members stayed behind instead of dismantling equipment.

What they do during that time is mostly chatting or having a drink. And the essential set for a drinking session is the side dish.

Bad weather in a wide front yard. There’s plenty of fuel to burn for firewood everywhere… and even plenty of chickens to use as side dishes.

There would be no problem with the filming even if someone twisted one of their necks.

‘Shit, fuck!’

Yeon-ho, realizing with a chill that the old rooster’s words were by no means a joke, rushed to the door once more.

Then, without thinking, he began to dig into the dirt floor with his claws and beak.

Each time, his claws were ground against the rough dirt floor, but the pain was nothing compared to dying as baeksuk.

But no matter how hard he tried, even using his beak, the well-compacted dirt floor didn’t easily give way.

After a while, Yeon-ho’s body began to lose strength rather than the floor crumbling. The clawing at the floor also slowed down significantly.

The hens watching let out worried cries, and even the old rooster added, ‘Give up.’

It was then.

Yeon-ho, who had his head stuck in the wire mesh, heard someone’s footsteps. It was clearly the presence of a person, not a chicken.

The sound of quickly stepping on the rain-soaked, muddy ground was quite urgent.

‘Surely, they’re not really hanging a pot, are they?! If they want to eat, they should just order fried chicken!’

The chilling tremor wasn’t just Yeon-ho’s. The chickens, immediately tensing at the sound of a person’s footsteps, had already rushed to one corner of the coop.

[What are you doing there? You can’t be seen!]

[Come here quickly!]

But Yeon-ho, frozen stiff, couldn’t move his body.

And finally, a large shadow that had approached the chicken coop stopped moving at the door.

Yeon-ho, swallowing hard in anticipation, barely managed to lift his creaking head.

“……”

“……”

The sound of rain hitting the tin roof. The smell of soil and grass rising from the wet ground. The chickens, holding their breath.

But those things clinging to his whole body disappeared without a trace the moment he made eye contact with someone.

A rain-soaked face, breathing deeply over a chest heaving as if relieved.

It was Theon.

Recognizing him, he took another breath and slowly bent down. As if to meet the eyes of Yeon-ho, who was still clinging to the chicken coop, he gazed intently with his head lowered.

Yeon-ho’s wings twitched belatedly. Feet covered in dirt and a body covered in dry straw. He suddenly felt ashamed of how messy and pathetic he must look.

But Marteo’s eyes, on the contrary, began to curve.

It was an incredibly warm and gentle gaze. He, who was taking all the rain on his back, finally opened his mouth.

“What are you doing here.”

“……”

“Do you want to go outside?”

“……”

It was an incredibly kind question, even though a chicken couldn’t possibly answer. Yeon-ho hesitated and unconsciously tried to open his mouth, then pressed his beak shut.

Even so, Marteo curved his eyes once more, as if he had heard the answer. The remaining words were next.

“Then, will you go with me?”

Yeon-ho’s eyes widened. At the same time, Marteo began to unlock the latch. Before long, the creaking wooden door opened a gap.

Opportunity. This was a golden chance for anyone to see.

If he slipped out between his legs and returned the Anima without being noticed, everything would be as good as new.

But… for some reason, he couldn’t do that.

It was as if this had happened before, and the man’s arms slowly extended towards him, the fully spread fingers were strangely familiar.

The moment’s hesitation eventually robbed Yeon-ho of the chance to escape. Marteo finally picked up Yeon-ho, who wasn’t moving.

Oh dear! Yeon-ho, finally coming to his senses, flapped his wings. But that was all.

“Shh… good boy.”

A low, soothing voice without even a hint of surprise. Marteo simply held Yeon-ho deep in his chest.

As if protecting him from the falling raindrops, he gently stroked his back and caressed his feathers several times.

Warmth soon began to return to his chilled body. The man’s steady heartbeat was vividly transmitted to his clinging body.

‘Ah…….’

It was a comfortable heartbeat. The fingers constantly stroking his huddled body were so soft that all tension and even strength seemed to drain away.

When Yeon-ho’s flapping completely stopped, Marteo readjusted his arms as if he had done well.

The grip, neither too strong nor too weak, supported Yeon-ho’s round body firmly and snugly.

Unconsciously raising his head, Yeon-ho’s eyes met Marteo’s, who raised the corners of his mouth. As if to reassure him. As if everything was alright now….

The power conveyed by the gaze was stronger than he thought. Now, not only his body but even his heart was melting away.

He couldn’t block everything, but he didn’t mind the cold raindrops falling on his feathers.

The only thing that bothered him was the man’s hand stroking him.

Yeon-ho’s wavering eyes finally couldn’t resist the pouring affection and slowly began to close.

“Pretty…”

The touch stroking his back and the whisper with a faint smile were the last things he heard.

He said he liked chickens the most…

It seemed like he really liked them, even too much.

♥ ♥ ♥

He thought he had only closed his eyes for a moment. But when he opened his eyes again to an unusually quiet silence, a strange ceiling was looking down at Yeon-ho instead of the face that should have been there.

“……”

Usually, when faced with this situation, one would ask, ‘Where am I? What am I doing?’ and immediately jump up.

But even with his eyes still unfocused, Yeon-ho immediately understood where he was and what situation he was in.

Cherry-colored molding far removed from current trends. A ridiculously flashy lamp. A glimpse of floral wallpaper at the end of his slightly turned gaze.

The scenery revealed by the dimly lit lamp was a motel room that was at least 20 years old.

As if proving his expectations, next to the stiff bed he was lying on were a crumpled Kleenex tissue box and a few trivial items that were embarrassing to even call amenities.

‘I’m still… in Gunsan.’

If he had returned to Seoul, he wouldn’t have woken up in a motel room like this.

Yeon-ho, facing the situation once more, then groped his body. And before long, he let out a deep, heavy sigh as if the ground had collapsed.

It was obvious… his fingers were still attached.

The Anima, which had been released at will, had returned at will this time as well.

But the obvious wasn’t necessarily fortunate.

The man who had saved him from the chicken coop. Marteo’s face, which he had last looked up at, immediately came to mind.

‘Did he… know everything? No… of course, he knew.’

He wasn’t sure when he had fallen asleep or how long he had slept, but it was clear that Marteo had brought him here.

It was a much bigger problem than being startled by waking up in a strange motel room.

“I’m going crazy. Really…”

Yeon-ho, making full use of his returned five fingers, roughly wiped his face.

10% of the population are Morpheus. It wouldn’t change the world if he added one more stroke to that population density, but the words he had been spouting all along without knowing things would turn out this way were a problem.

He hated Morpheus, especially birds. What’s so cool about chickens? It wasn’t some misguided adolescence, he had spat right in his own face….

Depending on the case, he might feel deceived.

…So, maybe that’s why he’s avoiding me now.

At the end of his thoughts, he pressed his eyelids over the sigh he had let out once more. He hadn’t heard it earlier, but the ticking of a clock somewhere was now disturbingly deafening.

The clock was turning, and his head was turning….

After a while, Yeon-ho, gritting his teeth, suddenly stood up! raised his upper body.

Ah, whatever. It’s not like a clever solution will come up if I keep doing this. If you want to run away, run away!

Whether he was a chicken or a person, his instincts wouldn’t go anywhere, and his personality wouldn’t go anywhere. It was a very Do Yeon-ho-like conclusion.

But in the small motel room of about four pyeong, his movement to head to the refrigerator to quench his thirst didn’t last long.

Beep, clatter!

A small noise reached his ears as he was just about to kick off the sheets. The sound from the entrance was clearly someone using a card key to open the door.

‘Theon?!’

There was only one person he could think of, only one person who came to mind. Yeon-ho’s prediction was not wrong.

Following the sound of the door opening and closing, a large silhouette carefully took off his shoes and entered. It was Marteo, as expected.

Yeon-ho, who was awkwardly stopped, unable to sit or stand, and Marteo’s eyes, which naturally looked towards the bed, collided.

He hadn’t even taken out the water yet, but Yeon-ho’s Adam’s apple involuntarily dived. Marteo also didn’t move from where he had stopped for a few seconds.

“……”

“……”

How long had passed in that state? Marteo slowly began to curve his eyes.

“Are you awake?”

“……?”

“I was going to be back soon, but the cleaning shop was a bit far. Oh, the rain has stopped.”

It was as if he had just been talking to him and left, and his voice was extremely nonchalant.

Thanks to that, an unexpected confusion washed over him.

‘What… is this reaction? Could it be that he doesn’t know I was that chicken earlier? Didn’t he see the Anima returning?’

But even he thought that small hope didn’t make sense.

Even if he didn’t see me transform, shouldn’t he be more surprised? Instead of the chicken he was holding, there’s Do Yeon-ho standing right here?

Moreover, there was one more thing that bothered him.

Marteo’s ‘cleaning shop’ from earlier. What business would he have coming all the way to Gunsan to find a laundromat?

If it wasn’t for Yeon-ho’s clothes that had been thrown away because he had turned into a chicken….

As the tiny expectation crumbled like dust, a throbbing headache washed over him. Yeon-ho clutched his forehead. Only then did Marteo, changing his smiling face, rush to the bed.

“What’s wrong? Does your head hurt?”

“……”

“Could you have caught a cold?”

His large hands hurriedly felt his forehead as if to check his temperature. It was the same gentle touch that had stroked his back when he was a chicken.

His head had been throbbing a moment ago, but now something somewhere in his chest was throbbing.

Unable to bear it, Yeon-ho slapped Marteo’s hand away. In doing so, the sheet covering his body slipped down further.

Marteo’s eyes reflexively scanned Yeon-ho’s exposed body.

It was ridiculous to say it now, but of course, Yeon-ho was naked without even underwear. Yeon-ho, who also looked down at his body, finally bit his teeth after a long time.

“What… are you.”

“……?”

“You saw everything, didn’t you?”

Marteo raised his head. Then, with a strangely embarrassed face, he gathered his fist in front of his mouth and let out a small cough.

“I didn’t do it on purpose. There was no bathrobe here.”

…What?

“It’s not like it’s anything new anyway. I already know your body.”

He was right. If you count the number of times we’ve rolled around naked, ten fingers and ten toes wouldn’t be enough.

Still, this timing is a bit much!

Yeon-ho’s lips, who had been momentarily stunned, twisted, and finally a gasp escaped through them.

“Are you… kidding me right now?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“…Do Yeon-ho-ssi.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. You saw everything, didn’t you… that I’m a Morpheus, that I was that chicken earlier…?”

“……”

It was an open frontal attack. Marteo, who hesitated at the question that could only be answered with YES or NO, didn’t answer. So the answer was even more certain.

Yeon-ho’s eyes sank coldly.

“…Since when? Could it be that when you saw me in the chicken coop, you already knew it was me?”

“……”

“Is that why you took me out?”

Silence again. But when you think about it, there was nothing to ask. It was strange to think about it.

No matter how much you like chickens. How can you suddenly hug a chicken that someone else prepared as a filming prop, especially a chicken that’s covered in dirt and grimy, and even steal it?

Yeon-ho repeatedly burst into laughter. Then, with a crooked eye, he began to scan Marteo anew.

“You’re much more arrogant than I thought?”

“Do Yeon-ho…ssi…”

“Knowing that I was that chicken. How could you pretend you didn’t know….”

Marteo’s heart sank at the end of his blurred words. It was a misjudgment. It seemed that trying to act as nonchalantly as possible had rather offended him.

Marteo, anxious that Yeon-ho would get up and leave, clenched his fist. Finally, without thinking, Marteo bent down in front of Yeon-ho as if lunging.

“Wait a minute. Please listen to me first. I didn’t mean to pretend I didn’t know. It’s not like that…!”

But he wasn’t given a chance to explain. Or rather, there was no need to explain.

“I don’t need it!”

The next question from Yeon-ho, who had finally interrupted him, was too different from what he had expected.

“How dare you speak informally even though you knew?”

“……Yes? What, what are you….”

“What do you mean, what? I thought I wouldn’t understand if I was a chicken, but I heard you clearly. You spoke informally to me in the chicken coop!”

“No… that’s! At that time, you were… yes??”

To tell you the truth, it was the first time in his life that he had stuttered so much.

He had received so much sarcastic praise from Yeon-ho for being smart a dozen years ago, but it seemed like his brain had rather degenerated.

Marteo, who had become openly dazed, repeatedly looked up at Yeon-ho. And after a long time, he finally realized.

Even though he was shooting sharply, there was no particular unpleasantness on Yeon-ho’s face.

Rather, there was a subtle mischief in his eyes.

Marteo’s face, which had been stiff, finally began to distort little by little. Once all the embarrassment was gone, what quickly replaced it was an indescribable injustice.

Rarely for Yeon-ho, Marteo bit his teeth.

“Is that… important now. That I spoke informally?”

“Then what’s important? My wet feathers? Or my claws that were ground while digging in the dirt?”

Yeon-ho deliberately stretched out his foot and even tapped Marteo’s thigh, who was squatting, with a thud.

It was certain. He didn’t know when the switch had been flipped, but he was teasing him now.

As if his guess was correct, Yeon-ho let out a different kind of snicker at Marteo’s lament.

“Let’s just… settle it with this.”

“…Settle what?”

“What you saw today. What I didn’t say. Let’s call it even with your informal speech.”

“……”

“Don’t you want to?”

“I… think I’m at a loss.”

“Oh, are you not only going to speak informally but also grab my topknot?”

He didn’t know about the topknot, but he wanted to grab and shake those hateful lips. But the heart that had welled up quickly dissipated at the sight of the eyes that were glaring back at him.

He had worried for a long time about how to treat Yeon-ho, who had turned into a chicken, and Yeon-ho, who had returned to being a person. Nothing matched his expectations.

He just loved this wind-like man who surpassed all his thoughts.

Finally, Marteo, who had grabbed Yeon-ho’s ankle placed on his thigh, raised his upper body.

A light kiss fell on his lips, and Yeon-ho’s eyes, which had been narrowed, widened. It was the first time he had looked surprised.

“…What, what is it? Is this any time to be planting your snout?”

“I don’t think I can win with words.”

…What is he saying. He’s good with words.

Still, the chosen excuse wasn’t bad. As he pouted his lips, Marteo’s head came closer again. However, this time it was Yeon-ho who grabbed and pulled his chin away from his face.

“Wait a minute. I still have to make one thing clear!”

“What else?”

“How did you really know? No. Since when did you know? That I’m… a Morpheus.”

“……”

It would have been nice to ask from the start, instead of driving people apart and then getting curious so late. In response to Yeon-ho, Marteo’s mischievousness flares up this time. Of course, the biggest reason was being prevented from kissing.

“I’ve known for a long time.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve known for a long time.”

The scenery of that day, still vivid as ever. It’s unfair to be the only one holding onto memories that the other person doesn’t even remember.

However… looking at Yeon-ho tilting his head, clueless, the mischief quickly dissipates.

Even if he’s annoying, the person in front of me is irresistibly dazzling, just like always.

Not lasting long, Marteo smiled bitterly and changed his words.

“I knew it the first night I slept with you.”

“The first night I slept with you…?”

“Even so, who fills the bed with red-headed ducks?”

“……!”

“I can distinguish between duck feathers and chicken feathers. Besides… all the sheets in your house are cotton.”

Forget about the red-headed duck. There’s a red-faced chicken here.

Yeon-ho’s cheeks flushed endlessly.

He thought he had gotten away with it… but of course, that couldn’t be.

The ridiculous things he had babbled that day, desperately hiding the fallen feathers, flashed through his mind like a panorama.

Yeon-ho avoided his gaze. But it was meaningless because the man quickly followed his face to the side he turned to.

Unable to bear the embarrassment, Yeon-ho finally burst out in a sulky voice.

“Ah, yeah. I’m sorry!”

“……?”

“You like chickens so much, but the real thing is like this…!”

Marteo looked at Yeon-ho, whose cheeks and even the tips of his ears were flushed, once more slowly. Then he suddenly opened his mouth.

“I know, right….”

What, “I know, right?” That’s agreement, right?

It’s no wonder that Yeon-ho, who can criticize himself but can’t stand others criticizing him, immediately glared.

However, the unexpected agreement that made him feel resentful didn’t end there. Marteo reached out and slowly began to caress the ends of Yeon-ho’s hair.

“Not giving people a chance to relax, being selfish and having a bad temper.”

“Hey.”

“This is a problem. I already like chickens… I think I’m going to fall even more in love.”

“……!”

“You’re still pretty and cool. More than any other bird.”

Burning. Is it possible to hear expressions used as sound effects?

Yeon-ho’s face, which had been stammering at the delayed reversal, flushed incomparably more than before. The wildly pounding heart wasn’t just because of embarrassment.

A sensation that tickled from his toes like ants crawling up. It felt like there were nerves attached to the ends of his hair that Marteo was caressing.

‘What… what’s so different about him?’

The question that had been making Yeon-ho complicated lately came to mind again. And the moment he made eye contact with Marteo, he suddenly realized.

What’s different… is that it’s not him.

The embarrassment that washed over him at the childish words he would normally have scoffed at was just his heart….

Like the guy who says that the chicken that everyone else ignores is cool, it was his own heart that saw him differently from the other guys.

Ah……. A sigh escaped from Yeon-ho’s lips.

It was a startling but definite realization, like rain pouring down without warning.

Yeon-ho covered his flushed face with both hands.

“Do Yeon-ho?”

I should have forbidden him from calling my name so easily.

“What’s wrong?”

I shouldn’t have let him into my house so easily…….

“I’m the one in trouble….”

Even his groan was leaked, and the man in front of him showed a worried face once more.

“What is it? Do you really have a cold or something?”

I wish it was just a cold….

“That won’t do. Wait a moment.”

His flustered appearance was funny. But even so, that appearance was just cute and pretty.

Was that how Marteo felt when he saw me trapped in the chicken coop?

Even with a frown, Yeon-ho ended up smiling. Then he hurriedly grabbed the hem of the man’s clothes, who was about to get up, unable to bear the sight.

“What is it? Where are you going?”

“I was going to go out and buy something warm….”

“It’s okay. What good will drinking something do? More than that… when are they saying the clothes left at the dry cleaner’s will be ready?”

“In, about an hour….”

“Really? Then there’s not much time left.”

“…Yes?”

Yeon-ho, who had been glancing at the clock, smiled at Marteo, who tilted his head, clueless. At the same time, he pulled the hem of the clothes he was holding onto closer to him.

“Idiot. There’s another way to get warm. You only have an hour, are you not even going to finish what you started?”

Whether what he had left unfinished was the kiss at home a few hours ago or the kiss he had avoided a little while ago, he didn’t know. But either way, the conclusion was the same.

Clothes that didn’t even need to be taken off. Marteo’s arms, warmer than warm, snatched Yeon-ho’s body in the opposite direction.

♥ ♥ ♥

It was evaluated as crude amenities, but as a motel, it had what it needed.

Marteo, who was constantly poking at Yeon-ho’s hole with his long fingers, stretched out his equally long arm and groped on the bedside table.

Using only his left hand and mouth instead of his busy right hand, he tore open the condom. The way he only took the necessary contents and spat out the wrapper was unnecessarily sexy.

Thanks to this, Yeon-ho’s hole, which had been holding his fingers, shrank even more, and Marteo’s movements, who had become impatient, became faster.

However, the smooth flow soon encountered an unexpected obstacle.

The rubber, smeared with plenty of gel and slippery, and Marteo’s menacingly swollen cock. It wasn’t easy to put on a condom with only one hand.

After struggling a few times, Marteo clicked his tongue sharply and had no choice but to pull his fingers out of Yeon-ho’s inside.

“Heut.”

The hole that had been holding three fingers and wriggling lewdly repeatedly showed a lewd trembling before quickly narrowing to a point.

“Wait a moment….”

Marteo, who had dropped his lips diligently on Yeon-ho’s forehead, which was sweating even in the midst of groaning, held the condom again with both hands.

However… whether it was one hand or both hands, the situation wasn’t much different.

The rubber, rolled up and barely hooked on the tip of his glans, was terribly inelastic, perhaps because it was cheap. He had barely pushed in the end, but it already felt tight.

With the addition of the protruding blood vessels, the condom on top no longer slid down.

Marteo, who clicked his tongue repeatedly, forcibly pulled on the edge.

At that moment, the sound of one side of the blood-red rubber tearing rang out. Yeon-ho, who had been waiting for the man’s flesh, widened his eyes, pausing.

“What. Did it… tear??”

He wouldn’t mind if it happened during the act because of friction, but this was the first time it had happened while putting it on.

Marteo, not hiding his annoyance, bit his teeth. He reached for a new condom again. But it was no use.

It was the same product and the same size anyway. It was impossible unless his fully erect cock was reduced by half.

Yeon-ho, with a hint of embarrassment, raised his upper body.

“Hey…… if you force it on, it’ll get necrosis.”

“…….”

He was right. Moreover, Yeon-ho’s tight asshole was ecstatic, but it couldn’t be good to feel like it was stuck in mere rubber.

Marteo, with a distorted nose, even bit his lip. At that moment, Yeon-ho burst out laughing.

He couldn’t understand why he was laughing when he was still anxious and serious.

Perhaps that expression was fully revealed, Yeon-ho, who had been lying face down on one side of the hard bed and pounding the mattress, raised his head again with a panting face.

“Right now, you look like a kid who’s been told to stop playing and go home.”

“A kid…?”

Seeing him react to that, he must be young, right?

Still, he couldn’t kill the man’s pride any more than this on the bed.

Well… his sullenly frowning eyes were still sexy.

Yeon-ho, hiding his amusement, finally snatched the condom that was dangling like a cone hat on the tip of the man’s glans. Then he threw it to the floor as if throwing away trash.

The sound of the sticky slap hitting the floor caught his ear. But Yeon-ho’s words that followed were even more than that.

“Just put it in…. You don’t have to use a condom.”

“……!”

Yeon-ho’s arms, which had already come close, wrapped around his neck. Putting his weight on it, he pulled Marteo’s body towards him and buried his back on the bed as if collapsing.

As his long legs wrapped around his waist, Marteo’s erect flesh was crushed against the hole where his fingers had been a moment ago.

He could feel the hot glans, dripping with pre-cum, wriggling against the detailed wrinkles without even looking.

Marteo, barely suppressing the urge to tear his body apart right away, looked at Yeon-ho’s face.

“Really, are you okay?”

Except for the first time, wearing a condom was the principle between the two.

There was also the issue of cleanliness, but it was clear that there were other safety concerns for Yeon-ho, who was a Morpheus.

But Yeon-ho, who just glared at him with a sulky look despite his consideration, pressed his heel against Marteo’s butt next.

“What. Are you the only one in a hurry? If you don’t want to, stop…….”

The last words were not continued. There was no time to do so.

As if he had never hesitated, before his words were even finished, a huge mass began to push Yeon-ho apart.

“Ah, heuek!”

A shrill scream erupted from Yeon-ho’s mouth as his neck immediately went back. The face enduring the physical pain was far from pleasure.

Still, he couldn’t stop. As he pushed all the weight from start to finish without stopping even once, the inner wall, which trembled wildly, tightened the flesh that was standing like a weapon.

Following the friction that swept through the inside, his body became hot all at once, as if a match had been lit at the end of a match. It was a long and difficult insertion.

The throbbing of another person, filling his insides and occupying everything up to his navel, was felt intact inside his body.

Only when his pubic hair touched between his butt cheeks did Marteo let out a rough exclamation.

“Do Yeon-ho….”

It was a voice that was boiling with passion, and his eyes looked like he was about to die of pleasure. As he looked at him, the pain that had been stirring his body quickly dissipated.

Yeon-ho tightened the hole that had been opened to its limit.

“Move. Fuck me quickly.”

There was no way he could not obey the panting plea, the lewd command. Marteo pulled out the cock that had been shoved in with great difficulty to the boundary of the hole.

“Hiek!”

The groan that had risen with him,

“Aeu!”

Peok! Peok peok. Was crushed by the flesh that was repeatedly shoved deep inside again.

Unable to give any more strength, Yeon-ho’s fingertips, which had been holding onto Marteo’s neck, slipped onto the man’s firm forearms, leaving marks.

Even the stinging pain was sweet.

Marteo, who was madly and frantically hitting his waist, dropped his lips all over Yeon-ho’s face.

As if he had been waiting for it, Yeon-ho stuck out his tongue in response, groaning.

Marteo snatched the red tongue that had been pushed out, even without a moment to bump lips.

The tongue that had been pulled out for a long time was sucked roughly. Saliva that could not be swallowed accumulated in his salivary glands and flowed down his chin. The lower body was no different.

Clear liquid dripped endlessly from the end of Yeon-ho’s cock, which he hadn’t even touched. The bottom of the hole, which was opening up the wet friction, was sticky with pre-cum flowing along the perineum.

The rain had already stopped outside, but the narrow room was full of hot humidity.

But it was still not enough. The impatience that could not be endured without being more deeply entangled with each other heated both bodies equally.

Finally, Marteo lifted Yeon-ho up. Was he trying to take a standing position like the first time? But his expectations were wrong.

Marteo, who had changed the vertical position with the insertion intact, dropped his back onto the mattress. Yeon-ho’s body, which had been in the man’s arms, naturally took the form of riding on Marteo’s stomach.

Yeon-ho, who had flinched his waist for a moment at the unprepared position, looked down at Marteo, who was lying under him.

At the same time, Marteo, who had pulled his lips into a smile, thrust the hard object that was under him up into Yeon-ho’s stomach once more.

As the angle of stabbing changed in the changed position, a different kind of pleasure soared to the top of his head.

“Aeu!”

His thighs trembled and both hands naturally grabbed Marteo’s chest. Marteo grabbed those wrists in response.

It was then that hard knuckles were thrust between his fingers.

“Move….”

“Heue.”

“Shake.”

I’m not even a chicken anymore, why are you talking informally? But the man’s command, which had given up on kindness, had a corner that made people excited.

Yeon-ho began to roll his waist back and forth little by little. The sound of air being crushed between the flesh and skin rang out,

“Good job.”

Marteo whispered and matched his lips to the back of Yeon-ho’s hand that he had pulled over.

It felt like he was riding a horse. No, the mass and length that pierced his body were almost the level of a horse. And the problem was that this horse was an untamed wild horse.

Marteo, who had been gently matching the beat to Yeon-ho’s movements, finally began to increase his speed.

“Ah! Ah, wait a minute!”

The feeling of hitting the bottom of his butt was terrifying. Now there was no time to shake his waist.

Like a person trying to avoid falling off a horse, Yeon-ho desperately clung to Marteo’s tangled fingers.

In the meantime, the man’s fierce waist movements, which relentlessly drove Yeon-ho, did not stop.

“Heuek. Ah. Aet!”

Eventually, physiological tears welled up in the corners of Yeon-ho’s eyes. His reddened eyes and open mouth. The face he looked up at from below was a mess.

But that’s why he was even more lewd. He couldn’t help but feel unbearably good that he was the one who had made Do Yeon-ho, who was usually lazy and always confident, like this.

Marteo, who had bitten his lips in overflowing excitement, grabbed Yeon-ho’s hand that was holding him and pulled it forward.

“Name, call my name….”

Unlike his rough actions, it was a whispering voice. Even in the midst of being out of his mind, the pleading request definitely reached his ears.

“Heue. Theon… Theon!”

As the rapid moans were replaced by the man’s name, the movements that were stirring his bottom became more intense.

“Ah!”

And in an instant, an intense sensation that emptied his head white pierced through his entire body.

The pleasure that swept in like a whirlwind from the part where the hard glans was stabbing was not the kind that could be endured with will.

Yeon-ho’s toes, which had been stepping on the sheets, curled up a lot and finally, along with his neck that had been thrown back, a milky white liquid burst out from Yeon-ho’s genitals.

It was a backwards ejaculation. Those that had bounced up to his chest even wet Marteo’s face.

Marteo, who had paused, licked the bodily fluids that had stained on his lips as if to show off.

Yeon-ho’s body, which had been spitting out even the last drop in the face of intentional and visual violence, trembled again.

Marteo, who had slowed down his waist movements somewhat, released Yeon-ho’s hand that he had been holding and instead gently stroked his skin.

He had been so unforgiving a moment ago, but now he was suddenly kind.

Yeon-ho, who had been biting his lips tightly, as if he was about to leak a groan, gave strength to his butt. It was only natural that Marteo’s thing, which was still occupying his hole, throbbed. But even so, he still didn’t shake his waist.

“Why…? Aren’t you going to do it?”

“Later.”

What. You’re being relaxed? He felt unfairly annoyed. Yeon-ho circled his butt greatly once more. And the words he said after that were….

“Don’t cum inside.”

The good atmosphere was ruined in an instant. If he had known it would be like this, he should have done it together in the midst of being out of his mind.

But his sullen feelings didn’t last long.

“You cum on my face too.”

The words he said again while wiping away the semen that remained on his eyelids were terribly stimulating.

Marteo, who had been stiff for a moment, contorted his entire face with an exclamation.

“I almost, almost came just now….”

Hahaha. Yeon-ho’s relieved laughter erupted.

♥ ♥ ♥

‘The dry cleaner’s, must be closed….’

Yeon-ho, who was leaning against Marteo’s firm chest instead of the inelastic bed, estimated the time outside the pitch-black window.

He had started by saying that there was only an hour left to pick up the clothes, but… once the two bodies had caught fire, they couldn’t have cooled down easily.

Kissing and sucking, cumming on each other’s faces and swallowing again….

Literally, he had been so engrossed in each other that he didn’t know the time was passing, and when he came to his senses, the first digit of the clock had changed three times.

But there was one thing that hadn’t changed.

Marteo’s long fingers, which were still caressing his body even after he had spat out so much. Yeon-ho, who had shrugged his shoulders at the thumb that was slowly rolling on his chest, eventually turned around with a frown.

“Do you want to do it more?”

“……I’ll hold back.”

The words that came out after a pause meant that he wanted to do it more. Come to think of it, the flesh that was touching his butt cheeks seemed to be throbbing again from a while ago.

“If you’re going to hold back, then keep your hands still.”

“…….”

“You’re making me want to do it more too.”

He was upset by the previous words, but he quite liked the added grumbling. Marteo asked with a shallow smile.

Then he lightly rubbed his lips against Yeon-ho’s shoulders and neck that he was holding.

No. I told you to stop with your hands, why are you using your mouth again?

Yeon-ho’s eyebrows narrowed once more, but the moment didn’t last long.

“Do you think we should wash up?”

Marteo, who had finally stopped both his hands and mouth, barely spat out a plain question. He shook his head without thinking.

“It’s okay. I don’t have the energy.”

“Then… shall I wash you?”

“You?”

“Well. If you turn into a chicken, it might be easier.”

His earnest answer held a subtle sincerity. Yeon-ho, dumbfounded, glared before jabbing Marteo’s abdomen with his elbow.

“Do you really like chickens that much?”

“If you don’t like it, my true form is also fine.”

“So, it’s not ‘a chicken instead of a pheasant’ but ‘a human instead of a chicken’? If you’re going to talk nonsense, go get something to drink.”

Another forceful elbow strike elicited a drawn-out “Ouch∼” in response, but Marteo was indeed concerned about Yeon-ho’s lips, dry from being constantly kissed and sucked on.

Soon, Marteo stepped out of bed and headed for the refrigerator. It hadn’t been long, but Yeon-ho already missed the sudden drop in body temperature.

‘Should I have just… asked him to wash me?’

Yeon-ho swallowed a dry cough, trying to control his absurd regret. Then, he opened his mouth to the broad back of Marteo, who was opening the mini-fridge and choosing between water and a vitamin drink.

“By the way, where did you put my phone?”

“……?”

“You took it out before sending the clothes to the laundry, right?”

Clothes that had been rolled in dirt and soaked in rain had to be sent to the laundry, but he figured Marteo would have taken care of the phone separately. However, Marteo stopped moving at this obvious question and turned to Yeon-ho with a strange look.

“Why… why the phone all of a sudden?”

“Why else? Do I need a reason to look for my own phone? Where did you put it?”

“……There weren’t any calls.”

“What are you talking about? You’ve been rolling around with me this whole time?”

“…….”

“Oh, right. Come to think of it, what about Oh Tae-jin? What happened to that bastard? Did you find him?”

Even if the filming was canceled due to the rain, it wasn’t like filming only happened today. As Yeon-ho remembered the problem he had momentarily forgotten because he was preoccupied with his own situation, Marteo sighed.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“That manager or whatever probably found him. If not, there’s nothing I can do.”

His voice was quite curt. His complexion was noticeably worse. He didn’t even seem to want to hide his mood.

Yeon-ho blinked. If it were before, he probably would have thought, ‘What’s wrong with him?’ But Yeon-ho had already heard the answer to that.

─Focus only on me.

Remembering that, Yeon-ho couldn’t help but chuckle at the impudent attitude, rather than feeling offended.

Seeing Yeon-ho’s smile, Marteo’s glare intensified. Yeon-ho patted the bed beside him.

“Hey. Stop frowning and come here.”

Displeasure was written all over his face, but Marteo still brought the water bottle and vitamin drink, approaching him cautiously.

Still not satisfied, he personally opened the water bottle and offered it to Yeon-ho first.

Yeon-ho accepted without refusal and took a mouthful of water. And then, in the next moment, he grabbed Marteo’s hand and pulled him closer.

“……!”

Marteo’s eyes widened as Yeon-ho’s remaining arm wrapped around his neck. In the blink of an eye, their lips met, and the now lukewarm water rushed into Marteo’s mouth along with Yeon-ho’s tongue. Marteo swallowed hard! His throat vibrated with multiple meanings.

There was a time when Marteo couldn’t take his eyes off the water bottle that Yeon-ho had drunk from. The day his excited anticipation at the question, ‘Want a drink?’ quickly faded at the words, ‘Get it yourself.’

Thinking back to that time, this was truly a remarkable improvement.

There wasn’t a single drop of water left in his mouth, but he was even thirstier now. Marteo groaned involuntarily and grabbed Yeon-ho’s cheeks this time.

Their tongues tangled once more, and after a long series of smacking sounds, their heads finally parted.

Yeon-ho, catching his breath, raised his hand and wiped Marteo’s wet lips before his own.

“Just so you know… I’ve never done this for anyone else. So don’t worry about Oh Tae-jin or anyone else unnecessarily.”

Marteo’s eyes, different in each direction, widened greatly.

Yeon-ho’s own face, reflected in them, looked somewhat awkward. Feeling belated embarrassment, Yeon-ho cleared his throat. At that moment, Marteo, who had been still, slowly began to move his lips in a low voice.

“Does that mean… I’m different from Do Yeon-ho’s previous partners?”

“…….”

“Does that mean I’m… a little special to you… right?”

That’s the problem with young ones. They understand everything but still have to confirm it?

His face was already burning, and he couldn’t bring himself to affirm it.

Because originally, worn-out adults are petty.

Yeon-ho intentionally shifted his gaze from Marteo’s eyes to his lower body.

“Well… you are particularly big.”

“Do Yeon-ho.”

Marteo, frustrated, grabbed his hand. Then, he suddenly became serious.

“Wait, just a moment.”

“……?”

“Perhaps, does ‘special’… mean especially bad…?”

“……What?”

“Like, not in a positive way but in a negative way….”

He was on the right track, but what was with that chicken-plucking sound?

Yeon-ho, dumbfounded, looked at Marteo’s face again, but it was very serious. Yeon-ho finally let out a sigh.

“Now that I see it, you’ve got a twisted side? No, who uses those words in that way?”

…You do.

That’s what he thought, but he couldn’t carelessly say something he only remembered.

Marteo’s expression, which looked somewhat anxious and uneasy for some reason, didn’t return to normal, so Yeon-ho finally let out a long sigh.

“No, do you think I’m the kind of person who would personally feed water to someone I don’t like? Wouldn’t I just take what’s in your mouth?”

As always, he was very clear about his own character. After a while, Yeon-ho’s face hardened. Marteo, who didn’t miss that even though his own expression wasn’t much better, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yeon-ho even furrowed his brow. The words he had hesitated over several times finally leaked out awkwardly.

“Then… what about you.”

“Yes?”

“…What do you think of me? Are you worried about Oh Tae-jin just because you’re afraid of losing your sponsor….”

The dumbfounded look Yeon-ho had shown earlier wasn’t an act. Marteo’s eyebrows shot up before he could even finish speaking.

Then, he let out a big sigh at Yeon-ho, who flinched, as if to say, ‘If it’s not that, why are you making that face?’

“Do you remember? When we first made the sponsorship deal, you said that what we’re doing is different from dating.”

“…I did.”

“You also said that the maximum is six months at most.”

“Well… I think I said something like that.”

“To be honest… I thought all of that was bullshit.”

“What?”

“I thought you were just talking a lot of crap.”

It was a vulgar word that came out of his lips, which always spoke elegantly, whether he used honorifics or not.

Still not satisfied, Marteo even twisted his lips with a rebellious look.

“I’m confident now. If you say you want to end it after six months… I’m confident I’ll be pathetic.”

“……!”

“Does that answer your question?”

They were questions and answers without any sweet words like ‘I like you’ or ‘I have feelings for you.’ But… that’s why they were more raw and honest emotions.

The goodwill he felt for the other person, the emotions that had begun to change, seemed to be within reach. For now, that was enough.

Before they knew it, dry laughter began to fall between the two, who were looking into each other’s eyes, as if neither of them had started it first.

‘Thank goodness. I would have felt wronged if I was the only one like this?’

Yeon-ho, feeling somewhat relieved, flopped onto the bed. As if waiting for it, Marteo also snuggled up close beside him.

“Aren’t you going to wash up?”

“I feel like I’m going to sweat again later.”

“…….”

As expected, he was more impudent than he thought. Yet, Yeon-ho didn’t dislike it so much.

Even though he said ‘later,’ Marteo’s hand had already begun to creepily grope around Yeon-ho’s stomach. Yeon-ho let out a faint groan.

Not knowing where his phone was, stuck in a remote motel room without washing up, clinging to each other. Thinking about it again, their situation was quite a sight. Yeon-ho muttered unconsciously.

“It’s like we’re an adulterous couple….”

At the same time, Marteo’s hand, which had been moving further down past his stomach, stopped abruptly. He looked down at Yeon-ho with wide eyes.

“Why? Is it okay to be a sponsor, but the word ‘adultery’ bothers you?”

“It’s not that….”

Not that?

“Are we… a couple…?”

Is that what you’re focusing on?

The guy who had ruthlessly rummaged through someone else’s backside today was reacting to something strange. The ear that caught his eye was also a little red.

How many times was he planning to make him laugh today?

He understood it, and it felt like that red tinge would spread to him for no reason. Yeon-ho bit his lip. Then, as expected of a petty adult, he put on an indifferent face and leaned close to Marteo’s ear.

“Well. Depends on what you do?”

With those words, Yeon-ho’s raised knee gently pressed down on Marteo’s already completely hardened member.

Now, it wasn’t his ear but Marteo’s eyes that were burning red.

It didn’t take long for that particularly large thing to dig back into Yeon-ho’s insides. Of course, it took much longer to get out.