By Zephyria 
“So, are you going to the wedding?”
At Jae-gyeom’s question, Jeong-ju replied as if he had no choice.
“I have to go….”
Jeong-ju let his arms hang limp, continuing listlessly.
“I don’t have any schedules for the time being anyway, and I have some time before the next shoot, so I figure I should go and show my face… Plus, I owe them since I suddenly sent the Exorcism Bureau people in there last time and they stayed in their debt for a while….”
At the time, the members of the Department of Spirit Suppression’s First Team, who had suddenly entered the Tiger gate, ended up trapped inside the Tiger Clan’s fortress for a full fifteen days.
The Tiger Clan, who loathed humans, were thrown into an uproar by the sudden intrusion of humans, and the team members reportedly spent about two days in prison without knowing why. They were only barely released after Jeong-ju sent a messenger stating they were his guests; even then, the Tiger Clan members reportedly treated the team as guests and looked after their needs with expressions as if they had chewed on shit.
As he listened quietly to the story, Jae-gyeom suddenly spoke up.
“Should I go too?”
At Jae-gyeom’s words, Jeong-ju pondered for a moment before firmly shaking his head.
“No. You have to study for the black belt. Just stay home and study. The exam is in August.”
“The wedding is only for one day, so what’s the big deal?”
“Tiger Clan weddings last for two weeks.”
What? Two weeks? Jae-gyeom’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.
“What kind of wedding lasts for two weeks?”
“My thoughts exactly. In modern civilization, time is money.”
Furthermore, the Tiger gate can only be opened once every fifteen days. This meant that even after the two-week wedding ended, it would be difficult to return immediately. Consequently, once they entered, they would have to stay for nearly a month. If that happened, it would inevitably interfere with his studies. It was completely understandable why Jeong-ju was opposing it.
“Then it can’t be helped. Give them my regards.”
Just when he thought he’d be separated from Yoon Tae-hee for two months, now he was facing a month-long separation from Jeong-ju.
“May I go as well?”
At that moment, Yu Nam-saeng spoke up, his eyes sparkling.
“I have always wanted to visit the legendary fortress of the Tiger Clan.”
“You want to?”
Jeong-ju replied with a welcoming look.
“It would actually be better for me if you came along, Kkaeng-al-i. I’ll be less bored.”
The fortress, removed from the human world, was not only breathtakingly beautiful in its nature but also a place where various spirit creatures lived and breathed. Since he could make new friends and mingle with the Tiger Clan, it would be a great environment for Yu Nam-saeng.
“Then what about Mesan? Are you taking him?”
“I’ll take Mesan too. If I tell my parents I couldn’t bring him back because he turned into a seed, they’ll never believe me again. They’ll go ballistic. It’s better to take him and show them. Also, I have a distant relative who is a physician—a renowned master among spirit creatures. I want to ask him if Mesan is growing well.”
Jae-gyeom nodded at Jeong-ju’s words. After all, the Tiger Clan’s fortress would be better than being in Seoul with its poor air quality. Since Mesan could absorb the energy of great nature, it seemed like a much better thing for him.
A few days later, having finished his preparations, Jeong-ju stepped into the yard with a travel bag slung over his shoulder. He had Yu Nam-saeng in his shirt pocket and held the pot containing Mesan in one hand. Yoon Tae-hee and Jae-gyeom saw him off. After placing his palm on the tree and opening the Tiger gate, Jeong-ju looked back at Yoon Tae-hee before entering.
“Tae-hee, please take good care of the house.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Hey, why are you only telling him? Why aren’t you telling me to watch the house?”
“Jae-gyeom, just try not to break the house.”
Yoon Tae-hee and Jae-gyeom waved their hands, watching Jeong-ju’s back as he entered the Tiger gate.
“Have a safe trip. Take care of Mesan. Kkaeng-al-i, stay safe too.”
“Have a safe trip!”
Soon, the Tiger gate, which had been flashing with a brilliant white light, closed. In the place where they had disappeared, only a single, utterly ordinary tree remained. Standing side by side in the yard, Yoon Tae-hee and Jae-gyeom looked at each other without needing to be told.
“…….”
“…….”
And so, a month spent with only the two of them—Yoon Tae-hee and Jae-gyeom—began.
A few peaceful days passed.
While Jae-gyeom accelerated his studies, he was also filled with a strange sense of anticipation. Since Jeong-ju, Mesan, and even Yu Nam-saeng were away, he felt it was the perfect time to move to the next stage of physical intimacy. With no eyes to watch and no ears to listen, he thought he could be much freer in doing this and that(?) with Yoon Tae-hee.
However, contrary to Jae-gyeom’s expectations, their progress remained stagnant.
Of course, since they were stuck together all day, they naturally kissed and pecked far more than before (to an uncountable degree), and one day they even bathed together, and every night they touched each other’s parts before falling asleep in the same bed. But the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, they did nothing more.
Waiting with the mindset that they would naturally do it once they were alone, Jae-gyeom grew more curious about Yoon Tae-hee’s inner thoughts as each day passed. He thought about bringing it up first, but he didn’t know how to say it, and he feared Yoon Tae-hee would grumble about a lack of mood, just like last time. He wanted it to transition naturally, like a flowing stream.
However, the problem was that since he lacked experience, he didn’t know how to lead the way.
What on earth am I supposed to do in a situation like this……?
Jae-gyeom sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought.
Then, he remembered meeting Im Hyo-mun a while ago.
At the time, while talking with Im Hyo-mun, Jae-gyeom had revealed that he was currently dating. Of course, Jae-gyeom hadn’t volunteered the information; it was because Im Hyo-mun had asked curiously, “Whatever happened with that Noona from back then?”
‘We decided to date.’
‘Really?!’
Upon hearing the news, Im Hyo-mun couldn’t hide his surprise, covering his mouth. Although Im Hyo-mun had been negative about Jae-gyeom’s “some” relationship in the past, since it had ended up well and they were dating, there was nothing more to say. Since they were dating anyway, it was in everyone’s best interest to congratulate him and tell him to have a beautiful relationship.
‘Didn’t that Noona say she lived in Seoul? Then have you been long-distance all this time?’
‘Ah, well… yeah, something like that….’
In reality, it wasn’t a long-distance relationship as they had been living under one roof, but since he couldn’t truthfully say that the partner was a man, nor that it was Yoon Tae-hee, Jae-gyeom did his best to dodge the question.
‘Now you can meet often! That’s great!’
And Im Hyo-mun sincerely cheered for Jae-gyeom’s romance.
‘If you have any worries or need someone to talk to, contact me. Dating advice is fine too!’
Right, should I try asking Im Hyo-mun for dating advice?
Taking advantage of the moment Yoon Tae-hee stepped out for a bit of business, Jae-gyeom, who had been pacing the living room in contemplation, picked up his phone. He called Im Hyo-mun. After two or three rings, a voice answered from the other end.
— Hey, Chil-chil.
“Uh… it’s me. What are you doing?”
— Me? I’m off today. My mom told me to buy tofu, so I just stepped out to go to the mart.
“Ah, really…? Got it. Buy the tofu well….”
However, Im Hyo-mun happened to have an errand. In that case, it couldn’t be helped. Just as Jae-gyeom was rubbing the dining table with his finger, preparing a closing remark for the call, Im Hyo-mun spoke from the other end.
— Why, why? Why’d you call?
“No, just… I was going to ask if you wanted to meet if you have time.”
— Why? Is something going on?
“Nothing’s going on, I just wanted to consult you about something….”
— Really? Then let’s meet. Want to see me now? I’ll go to your neighborhood.
At those words, Jae-gyeom asked with a bright expression.
“Aren’t you busy? You said you had to buy tofu.”
— I’m not busy. I’ll just buy the tofu on my way home later.
After finishing his preparations to go out, Jae-gyeom headed for the entrance, but then a thought suddenly occurred to him, and he turned toward the refrigerator. He felt grateful to Im Hyo-mun for rushing over and skipping his tofu errand, so he wanted to give him something. However, there didn’t seem to be anything suitable to give. When he opened the refrigerator, there was one unopened pack of tofu and a bunch of green onions.
Jae-gyeom put the tofu and green onions in a bag and left the house with them in hand.
The cafe where he was to meet Im Hyo-mun was not far away.
“It’s not much, but I brought this for you.”
Upon meeting Im Hyo-mun, Jae-gyeom immediately held out the bag.
“What’s this?”
“Tofu.”
“This is the first time I’ve received tofu as a gift.”
“There are green onions too.”
“Uh, right… they look fresh and good….”
Im Hyo-mun took the bag, looking bewildered.
“I’ll enjoy them. Thanks to you, I don’t have to go to the mart.”
Once the ordered drinks arrived, the real conversation began.
“What’s up?”
“It’s nothing much… uh, you said last time that dating advice was okay.”
“Ah, dating advice?”
“Yeah. But it felt a bit weird to ask over the phone….”
“What is it? Did you fight?”
“Not that. It’s just, well… uh….”
Jae-gyeom toyed with the straw in his drink cup, choosing his words. Now that he was actually about to say it, he felt embarrassed, and the words wouldn’t come out easily. Still, he thought it would be fine since they were both men.
Hesitating, Jae-gyeom scratched his forehead and spoke.
“I’ve been… well, dating for a while now.”
“How long did you say it’s been?”
“Uh… it’s been over four months now.”
“Ah right, that’s right. And?”
“Well, we do the kissing part. But how do I move on to the next step?”
Im Hyo-mun, who had been sipping his smoothie through the straw, froze.
He was inwardly surprised, not expecting a question related to progress. Because they had been dating for nearly half a year, the partner was much older than Chil-chil, and they had already kissed before they started dating, so naturally…….
“I thought you already did it.”
“What?”
“Ah, no. Nothing. Anyway, what you’re saying is… you haven’t done it yet?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s strange….”
Moreover, it seemed like Chil-chil’s partner had been incredibly proactive from the start, but from what he’d heard, it felt as if they were holding back once they actually started dating. Could they be playing hard to get?
“Honestly, I don’t know much about this stuff. Before I met them… I mean, that person, I’ve never dated anyone. So I just thought they would handle it. Because that’s how it was when we first kissed. Even before we dated, they once said they wanted to roll around like dogs with me… I mean, anyway, they said they wanted to do that. But after we started dating, even though we kiss, they don’t do anything more than that. So I don’t know what I should do or how.”
Im Hyo-mun rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
Regardless, he felt he had the same worries during his first relationship. Does the partner want Chil-chil to lead? But seeing as they were proactive before, that didn’t seem to be it… Then what is it?
Either way, guessing the partner’s inner thoughts was a meaningless endeavor.
“Why don’t you just ask honestly? It’ll be embarrassing, but. Since it’s your first relationship, it’s natural that bringing it up is difficult and awkward. But starting the conversation is the hardest part; once you actually say it, it’s no big deal.”
The advice Im Hyo-mun gave was similar in tone to the advice from the Sessi Girl.
“What should I say?”
“Just naturally. For things like this, it’s better to ask honestly rather than beating around the bush.”
Jae-gyeom fell into thought for a moment.
Ask honestly without hesitation? Then…….
“Got it. Then, ‘Don’t you want to have sex with me?’ like that?”
Pfft! Im Hyo-mun, who had been sipping his drink, suddenly burst into a coughing fit. Im Hyo-mun coughed frantically, his face turning bright red. He looked like he was choking, so Jae-gyeom brought him napkins and water.
“Are you crazy? Who says it like that!”
After finally calming down, Im Hyo-mun shouted, looking pale.
“You told me not to beat around the bush.”
“No, I mean!”
Frustrated, Im Hyo-mun started to say something but stopped, letting out a deep sigh and rubbing his forehead.
“Let me give you an example. You’re on a date, right? At the end of the date, before you go your separate ways to your homes. That’s when you ask, ‘I want to spend the night with you, how about you?’ in that kind of way. Who asks it like that, you crazy bastard? No matter how much older she is, if you say that to a girlfriend… you’ll get slapped immediately.”
Then, as he continued speaking, Im Hyo-mun paused and looked up.
“Wait, hold on. But you’re still a minor.”
“What?”
“Since you’re a minor, that Noona is waiting for you!”
At the words Im Hyo-mun spoke with an expression as if he had understood everything, Jae-gyeom froze up instinctively.
That was it. Im Hyo-mun still knew nothing about Jae-gyeom. Moreover, he seemed firmly convinced that Jae-gyeom’s partner was a woman. Perhaps that was why the conversation kept circling and wasn’t progressing well. However, the thought of truthfully admitting that the partner was a man was simply too daunting.
He needed someone who knew that the partner was a man, that it was Yoon Tae-hee, and that he himself was not young, and who wouldn’t find it strange—only then would the conversation actually work.
Someone who knows all of this….
Jae-gyeom’s eyes snapped open.
Shin Ji-hye.
Come to think of it, there was exactly one person!