EAR Ch 46

On a winter afternoon, the patrons of a quiet café presented a variety of scenes. Some chatted animatedly with companions, others focused intently on work with headphones on, and still others enjoyed the solitude of a good book.

Amidst them, Seungpyo and Jaemin exuded a different aura. Sitting across from each other at a sunlit window table, phones in hand, their expressions were far from relaxed or joyful, filled instead with nervous anticipation.

Seungpyo took a deep breath and spoke, “Let’s count to three and log in at the same time.”

“Okay.”

The day for the final announcement of Korea University’s early admissions results had finally arrived.

They had both checked numerous times, confirming they were well within the safe zone, far above the expected cut-off. Yet, they couldn’t help the nervous fluttering in their chests. The realization that a positive result here would truly mark the end of their long journey of entrance exam preparation was a bit overwhelming.

While it could be simply summarized as three years of high school, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that most students going through this process had been running towards this moment for over a decade. For Jaemin, who had been under immense pressure to study since he was young, this moment held even greater significance.

Despite suggesting the countdown, neither Seungpyo nor Jaemin spoke for a while. The past year flashed through their minds like a whirlwind.

The first semester of their junior year had been incredibly hectic. The final semester before applying for early admissions. Everyone was busy raising their grades one last time, organizing their extracurricular activities, portfolios, and anything else required for their chosen majors. Even break times were quiet.

The number of kids running out to play during lunch had drastically decreased. Exhausted from the constant rush and pressure of daily life, they simply didn’t have the energy. It was an almost zombie-like existence, day in and day out.

Oh Seungpyo and Ryu Jaemin were no different. Compared to their sophomore year, it had become incredibly difficult to carve out sweet moments together. The stolen kisses amidst their busy schedules felt all the more precious.

“…If I hadn’t been able to kiss you, it would have been really tough.”

Seungpyo murmured, concluding his arduous trip down memory lane with the recollection of sweet kisses shared with Ryu Jaemin. Jaemin mouthed, “Me too,” in agreement.

Seungpyo adjusted his grip on his phone.

“One, two, three!”

They simultaneously accessed the results page. Their hands trembled as they entered their exam numbers and clicked the confirm button.

Tensely, they checked the results, staring intently at their screens before wordlessly looking at each other, their faces impassive.

“Let’s go.”

Seungpyo said with a stiff face, giving no hint about the outcome or whether they had been accepted. Jaemin simply nodded in response.

Seungpyo wasn’t the only one who remained silent. Jaemin was quiet too. Leaving the café, they walked side-by-side until they reached the arcade, which had become their regular haunt.

Without a word exchanged, as if they had pre-planned their destination, they hurried inside and headed straight for the karaoke booth. After randomly selecting a song they didn’t even know, Seungpyo took off his school jacket.

“Huh….”

The jacket covered Jaemin’s head, and Seungpyo quickly crawled in after it, his lips finding Jaemin’s in a hurried kiss.

The familiar feeling of their lips against each other was unusually thrilling. Their racing hearts pounded faster instead of calming down, and their kiss grew more urgent. They kissed breathlessly until their lips tingled, and only when the muffled moans of their excitement threatened to break through the cover of the music did they emerge from beneath the jacket.

They were hot. Panting as if they’d just finished a race, they looked at each other, and Seungpyo spoke first.

“I got in.”

“Yeah.”

“Both of us.”

“Right.”

“Wooohoooo!”

This time, a shout much louder than the karaoke music reverberated through the small booth. Of course, amidst the noisy arcade, no one paid them any attention.

It felt like they had finally completed a long marathon. Although they knew this was just another beginning, at this moment, they felt like they had conquered the world.

After their passionate kiss, they picked up the microphones. Jaemin now had a few songs he could sing at karaoke. They sang together, left the booth, and then stood in front of the shooting game they had first played together, taking down hordes of monsters threatening humanity.

“Let’s go!”

This time, Jaemin shouted. They rushed out of the arcade just as they had the café. They were too restless to stay put anywhere.

They had no particular destination in mind. The weather was unseasonably warm and sunny for winter, and they couldn’t help but smile as they walked. It felt like every passerby was congratulating them. The “student discounts” signs occasionally seen on store windows felt like they were meant just for them.

“What should we do next?”

“The weather’s nice. Want to go bike riding by the Han River?”

“Let’s stay up all night tonight. No one can tell us what to do today.”

Laughing as they discussed their options, they suddenly slowed their pace.

A store they’d never paid attention to before. They stared at the flyers plastered all over the window. It was a real estate office, advertising monthly and yearly rentals. Jaemin asked,

“You’re going to move out as soon as you start university, right?”

“No.”

“Then?”

Seungpyo had always talked about moving out as soon as he started university. He’d constantly told Jaemin that if he moved out, Jaemin would obviously live with him, so living together was naturally part of their post-acceptance plans.

Jaemin was a bit puzzled. He briefly wondered what he should do if Seungpyo wasn’t moving out. He had already received a promise that he could move out for university, but he preferred preparing for it with Seungpyo rather than doing it alone.

“I think I’ll move out before the semester starts.”

Seungpyo’s answer was unexpected. Jaemin’s eyes widened as he asked,

“Since when?”

“It’s not set in stone, but soon. My dad said he’s quitting sailing, right?”

Jaemin nodded, remembering the story about Seungpyo’s father.

Seungpyo’s father, who had been sailing far out at sea, had decided to switch to an office job at the company headquarters. He’d said he felt his age now that both his sons were going to university. He said he felt it was time for him to stay home and take care of things instead of leaving it to his sons.

“It’s not just my dad. My youngest aunt got divorced, so my cousin and I are going to live at our house for a while.”

“Oh, really?”

This was the first time Jaemin had heard about his aunt. Seungpyo added calmly,

“I just heard about it yesterday, so I haven’t told you yet. I’m close with my aunt and cousin, so I don’t mind living together. But my dad said since I was planning to move out anyway, it would be good to move out right after getting accepted. I’m grateful if he can get things ready quickly.”

“So when will you be living alone?”

“I didn’t know, but he said there’s an apartment near the university that he’s been renting out. I can live there. He said it’s a bit old, though.”

“Really? You already have a place lined up?”

Jaemin’s eyes sparkled involuntarily. He thought it would take a while to find a place even if they started looking right away, but to already have a place…

As if reading his mind, Seungpyo grinned.

“Curious?”

“Yeah.”

He was extremely curious about what the apartment was like. They hadn’t discussed it in detail yet, but it was highly likely that he would be living there too.

“I haven’t seen it myself either, so I was thinking of going tomorrow. Let’s go together.”

“No one’s living there now?”

“No, there was a tenant, but they moved out recently, so it’s empty. My dad said it’s a small apartment with two rooms. Isn’t a two-room apartment more than enough for the two of us?”

“I didn’t know he’d already prepared a place.”

“I didn’t know either. My dad said he bought it a long time ago because he thought at least one of us, me or my brother, would go to Korea University. Is my dad secretly rich? I’ll have to investigate later.”

It was a day full of good news. Not only did they get accepted to university, but they also had a place to live lined up.

As they resumed their aimless walk, Seungpyo suddenly said,

“Our days of wandering around with nowhere to go are finally over.”

Jaemin smiled in agreement at his rather dramatic statement. Their dates had always been a struggle against time and place. Even to go to one of their houses, they had to carefully watch for when their families were out. If they wanted to spend time outside, they had to constantly be on guard, avoiding other people’s gazes, which was inconvenient and unsettling.

It was so bad that they’d even resorted to hiding in a karaoke booth at an arcade just to be alone together. The world was vast, but it wasn’t easy for the two boys to find a place where they could whisper their love freely.

Soon, they would have their own space, free from any interruptions. Although it was a nest provided with the help of their parents due to their lack of financial independence, they were still overjoyed.

“Come to think of it, if it’s empty, there’s no need to wait until tomorrow, right? Want to go now?”

Seungpyo, who had been lost in thought for a moment, looked at Jaemin. Jaemin had no reason to refuse.

“Of course I want to go if we can. Can we go right now?”

“Hold on. I’ll ask my dad.”

While Seungpyo stopped to call his father, Jaemin waited excitedly for the answer.

“Hey, Dad. It’s me. Can I go see the apartment you mentioned yesterday now? With Ryu Jaemin. Oh, the acceptance results? Yeah, I got in. I’m saying I want to go see it since I got in. Both me and Ryu Jaemin. Yeah, well, that’s that.”

They were a father and son who casually exchanged news about Korea University acceptance, something that would make others ecstatic. Jaemin suppressed a chuckle at Seungpyo’s nonchalant demeanor in front of his father, considering how nervous he had been just moments ago checking the results with him.

Seungpyo quickly finished the call, turning back with a smile.

“He said we can go now. He gave me the door code.”

“Then we can check out the place and hang out there.”

“There’s nothing to see. It’s empty.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

All that mattered was being there with Oh Seungpyo. Seungpyo seemed to understand his implied meaning and chuckled.

“There’s not even a bed yet.”

“Who asked?”

Korea University was about an hour away by bus from their neighborhood. Time was something high school seniors, fresh off their university acceptance, had in abundance. Chuckling, they quickened their pace.

📚

The apartment Seungpyo’s father had chosen for their future home was about a 10-minute bus ride from the university they would be attending. While a place within walking distance would have been ideal, being able to live in a place provided by their parents for free meant complaining about accessibility was a luxury.

From the outside, the building definitely looked old, but it was clean, and the attached commercial area had a convenience store and a small café. They decided to have a small celebratory party for their acceptance. Although they couldn’t drink yet, they excitedly bought their favorite snacks and treats, grabbed a coffee each, and entered the building.

“Which floor?”

“Tenth.”

It was a reasonably high floor. Unable to contain their excitement, they rushed out of the elevator as soon as it stopped and quickly walked to the door of their future home.

“This is it.”

They each swallowed hard and slowly entered the door code, as if performing a sacred ritual.

Beep. The lock disengaged.

“Hello.”

Even though he knew it was an empty apartment, Seungpyo opened the door cautiously, offering a greeting.

“Whoa….”

Jaemin, stepping inside, couldn’t help but let out a gasp of admiration.

Sunlight streamed through the uncovered living room windows, illuminating the polished wooden floor. The walls and floor were remarkably free of blemishes, and the overall impression was bright and clean.

Jaemin, about to step into the living room, hesitated, straightening up to ask Seungpyo,

“Should we take our shoes off?”

“Yeah. My dad said he had a cleaning service come in.”

Following Jaemin inside, Seungpyo echoed his sentiment.

“It’s so empty.”

“It looks huge.”

Sharing similar yet different observations, they looked around the apartment. Just as Seungpyo’s father had described, it was an ordinary apartment, but considering it was their first place away from home, it was excessively clean and nice.

“The water works fine.”

“Oh, the hot water too?”

They thoroughly inspected the bathroom and the two rooms. It was much smaller than their current homes, but their eyes sparkled as if they were looking at some rare artifact for the first time.

Jaemin was especially fascinated by the emptiness of the apartment. A living room without a TV, sofa, or table. Regardless of the actual size, it felt incredibly spacious.

He had moved a few times when he was younger, but on those occasions, he’d stayed at relatives’ houses or academies until the movers and adults had finished organizing the new place. He’d never seen a completely empty apartment like this before.

It was a ‘new house’ in the truest sense of the word. A space that they would fill and make their own. His heart pounded sweetly with excitement. Jaemin quickly voiced his thoughts.

“It looks nice and clean since there’s nothing here. Let’s not buy too much furniture.”

“Are you a minimalist now? Do as you please. It’s easier to clean if there’s not much furniture.”

They both preferred watching videos on their laptops or phones, so they didn’t need a TV. Oh Seungpyo could connect his favorite games to a computer monitor.

They could put a small sofa in the living room and maybe a shelf in the kitchen, which wasn’t very big. Since they both liked coffee, they could put a capsule coffee machine on the shelf.

Drawing from things he had seen here and there, Jaemin vaguely pictured their future life in this space.

“Ryu Jaemin, stand in front of the window over there.”

“Huh? Here?”

Jaemin, lost in thought about how to decorate the living room, snapped back to reality and turned his head. Seungpyo had his phone out.

Jaemin smiled brightly, standing in front of the window. Seungpyo took a few pictures before approaching him.

“Let’s take some commemorative photos before we properly decorate the place.”

They took selfies together, and Jaemin took a few pictures of Seungpyo alone. They also took photos of their acceptance letters as proof of their achievement.

Taking pictures as they wandered through the living room and bedrooms, they eventually found themselves sprawled on the floor. Adults would have told them to get up and clean again, but the two high school students, fresh off their acceptance news, felt no such reservations. They felt like they could lie down even in the middle of a busy street.

“Your eyes are closed here.”

“You should have timed it better.”

They giggled as they looked at the pictures they had just taken. They were just simple photos of them standing around, not particularly funny poses or expressions, but everything made them laugh right now.

They scrolled back through their photo albums. The number of photos they had taken together increased significantly around the summer break of their sophomore year, filling up their albums.

“Once graduation is over, we won’t have any more pictures in our school uniforms.”

“It feels strange.”

As they continued scrolling back, Jaemin’s presence in Seungpyo’s photo album, once filled with pictures of them together or of Jaemin alone, gradually diminished until he disappeared entirely.

Taking Seungpyo’s phone, Jaemin asked,

“Can I look at your other pictures?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Having lost interest in looking at pictures now that their shared memories were no longer visible, Seungpyo let Jaemin take his phone and continue browsing while he occupied himself with his own. While they often revisited their photos together like this, Jaemin had never properly looked through the albums from before they started dating.

Seungpyo enjoyed taking pictures, so there were many selfies, as well as pictures of scenery and food. There were also numerous game screenshots, likely for record-keeping, though Jaemin didn’t understand them, and many playful photos with his close friends.

‘I wish we had become close sooner.’

Jaemin swallowed his regret. Despite knowing each other since the first semester of their freshman year, they had wasted over a year ignoring, antagonizing, and fighting each other, leaving behind barely any photos. Looking back, there were many moments from that time that could have been cherished memories, but aside from their own recollections, no trace remained.

The only thing left was perhaps the video of Oh Seungpyo masturbating that he had requested? People might laugh if he called a masturbation video sentimental, but it was a precious record for Jaemin. Many joyful events awaited them in the future, but the regret for lost time was a separate emotion from the anticipation of the future.

“Huh?”

Jaemin, casually scrolling through Seungpyo’s photos, suddenly raised his voice in surprise. Seungpyo, who had been browsing the internet on his phone, looked up.

“What?”

Jaemin held out Seungpyo’s phone.

“…When was this taken?”

Seungpyo, looking bewildered, fixed his gaze on the screen. Blinking as if he’d never seen the picture before, he quickly blushed and tried to snatch the phone away.

But Jaemin was quicker, dodging Seungpyo’s grasp. Seungpyo, who had been lying down leisurely, abruptly sat up.

“Hey, give it back!”

“When was this? Tell me when it was taken! Hey, this is from freshman year!”

It was quite a sight to see two high school students, both well over 180 centimeters tall, running around the small living room like they were playing tag.

But Jaemin couldn’t outrun Seungpyo. He was eventually caught, trapped against the wall in Seungpyo’s arms.

They were both panting, having run with surprising intensity in the confined space. They could only hope the downstairs neighbors wouldn’t come up to complain about the noise.

Of the two staring each other down, Jaemin was the first to chuckle softly.

“So when was it taken? What are you going to do, take it back after I’ve already seen it?”

Still catching his breath, Jaemin asked again. Seungpyo frowned before answering curtly,

“Freshman year.”

“When in freshman year? It’s winter, judging by your winter uniform.”

“You might not remember. When I dropped my pen going down the stairs and you picked it up for me.”

“Ah.”

Jaemin’s eyes widened slightly at the surfacing memory.

It wasn’t a significant event, but it was a day hard to forget. It was the day Seungpyo and Jaemin first spoke to each other.

It had been a brief exchange, barely a conversation, just a simple greeting while returning a dropped pen. But Jaemin also remembered the exact words exchanged that day. A short and sweet dialogue consisting only of “Here” and “Going.”

At the time, Jaemin had been talking to a teacher, but in the photo, he was alone. Which meant…

“You took this after you gave me back my pen?”

“That’s right.”

“Why did you take it?”

Seungpyo averted his gaze, answering sheepishly,

“I don’t know.”

“How can you not know?”

“Back then…”

The photo was taken before winter break of their freshman year, over two years ago. He could have easily said he’d forgotten, but Seungpyo didn’t try to make excuses.

“For motivation… while studying during break… seeing the top student’s face.”

Jaemin, who had been anticipating the answer with a fluttering heart, burst into laughter, tension melting away. He giggled, looking at Seungpyo.

“What’s that?”

“That’s how it was back then.”

“Don’t lie.”

Still smiling, Jaemin looked at Seungpyo and playfully asked,

“You were interested in me since then, weren’t you?”

“No.”

“Don’t lie. You even secretly took this picture before you knew about my… past.”

“Stop it. We agreed not to use that word.”

“You were teasing and bothering me because you liked me, weren’t you?”

No, back then, I only wanted to win. Seungpyo tried to deny it again but stopped himself.

Could it have been true? Was it possible that he had been drawn to the top student, always perched at the top of the ranking chart, an insurmountable presence, not just out of annoyance and irritation, but also a strange fascination with his aloof demeanor and carefree attitude, as if someone like Jaemin, perpetually in second place, didn’t even register on his radar?

Was that why he had secretly taken this picture? Was that why he had been so excited when he discovered a different side to Ryu Jaemin, someone he had only known as arrogant and indifferent?

Perhaps. Ryu Jaemin seemed to want him to say yes. After a moment of silence, Seungpyo replied,

“No.”

“No?”

“I didn’t bother you because I liked you. I was just being mean and childish.”

Seungpyo replied, sounding somewhat dejected. Taken aback by the unexpected response, Jaemin blinked, then awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

“Why are you being so serious all of a sudden?”

“What’s not true is not true. I don’t like bothering people I like. I want to be nice to them.”

Despite Jaemin’s seemingly disappointed reaction, Seungpyo was firm.

“I might have liked you since then, but I didn’t bother you because I liked you.”

Jaemin, who had slightly lowered his head, looked up again.

His playful expression had turned serious. He wrapped his arms around Seungpyo’s neck, and they kissed earnestly.

“Hmm….”

Their lips met deeply, and as Seungpyo’s hand brushed his waist, Jaemin shivered. Seungpyo smiled slightly and slid his hand lower.

He had once mocked himself for being like Pavlov’s dog, reacting to Ryu Jaemin’s every word. Now, Ryu Jaemin’s reflexes seemed just as sensitive.

“Ah, no.”

As Seungpyo’s lips trailed down his neck, Jaemin weakly shook his head. Seungpyo nuzzled his smooth skin with his lips and asked,

“Why not, after initiating the kiss?”

“It’s a bit much to do this here.”

“This is our place now, isn’t it?”

“It’s still your father’s place for now.”

“By that logic, our place now is also my dad’s place. We’ve done everything there.”

“That’s true, but, haa, it feels different.”

Panting, Jaemin still refused to go any further.

Yet, he didn’t release his hold on Seungpyo. The sticky kisses continued. Jaemin slid down the wall he was leaning against, and Seungpyo slowly lowered himself to match his pace. Their eyes, slightly glazed with arousal, locked onto each other.

Swallowing his frustration, Seungpyo whispered,

“We should finish moving in quickly and start living here.”

“Yeah…”

It was unclear whether Jaemin’s voice was a reply or a moan. Seungpyo’s hand was slowly sliding into his pants.

One hand delved into Jaemin’s waistband while the other unbuttoned his pants. As the outline of his swollen penis became apparent beneath his underwear, Seungpyo slipped his hand inside without hesitation. Jaemin moaned at the touch.

“Ah…”

“Come to think of it, we haven’t just done handjobs lately, have we?”

“Ha, uh.”

“It used to feel like we were going crazy with just our hands.”

They longed to embrace and become one, but they were utterly unprepared. Not even a blanket, let alone a bed. They could do it if they really wanted to, but it felt wrong to have their monumental first time in their own space on a bare floor.

“I liked it when we only used our hands.”

“Huh, uh, me too.”

“Right? We started with our hands, didn’t we?”

Jaemin’s penis, hidden within his pants, sprang to attention with a few strokes. Seungpyo’s, untouched by Jaemin’s hand, followed suit.

It was firm yet warm from his body heat, its surface soft. Thinking it felt just like him, Seungpyo slowly stroked Jaemin’s length.

“Ah, haa, ah.”

Caught off guard by the sudden handjob and the unexpected wave of pleasure, Jaemin was helpless. He surrendered to the touch, then reached out his own hand.

“Mmm, I want to touch too…”

“You too?”

Jaemin reached out and fumbled with Seungpyo’s lower body. Seungpyo didn’t resist, unbuttoning his own pants so Jaemin could touch him freely.

“Huu…”

Seungpyo moaned as Jaemin’s hand grasped him eagerly. They pressed closer, breathing heavily. The sounds from their hands, slick with precum, became increasingly wet.

“Ah, what should I do…”

As pleasure and heat rose to his head, Jaemin let out a whimper. He was the one who had refused to go further, yet he was the one trembling with the urge to do more.

He felt like he was succumbing to Oh Seungpyo’s touch faster and faster. He felt like he would calm down quickly if he came, but the unfamiliar location subconsciously suppressed his instinct to release. His panting breaths mingled with erratic, yearning moans.

“Ryu Jaemin, come here.”

Seungpyo’s voice was thick with desire. He pulled Jaemin close and lay down on the floor. Seungpyo was on the bottom, Jaemin on top, their bodies pressed flush against each other.

Jaemin’s pants, bunched around his hips, were pulled down completely, along with his underwear. All he had left on was his loosened tie and shirt.

What are you doing? Before Jaemin could voice his curiosity, Seungpyo gave his next instruction.

“Sit up.”

“…Sit? On you?”

“On my cock.”

Jaemin gulped but didn’t ask any more questions. Quick to understand, he grasped Seungpyo’s intention immediately.

Blushing slightly, he awkwardly sat up, positioning himself so his perineum rested on Seungpyo’s thick, erect cock. As he obediently settled into position and looked down at the boy lying beneath him, Seungpyo grinned and gave his third instruction.

“Now jerk yourself off.”

It was unexpected. Jaemin bit his lip before asking,

“By myself?”

“Yeah.”

He wasn’t shy about showing himself masturbating; they had done it even before they started dating. But perhaps it was the location, because Jaemin felt unusually shy today. The empty apartment felt like it was exposing everything more vividly.

“I’ll watch. You like showing me, don’t you?”

If he didn’t want to do it, he could have stopped right then, but Jaemin hesitated, remaining seated. His hand, hovering near his erect penis, finally wrapped around it.

His strokes, slow at first as if shy, quickly gained speed. Jaemin stroked himself, his arousal escalating freely under Seungpyo’s gaze.

“Mmm, huh, haa.”

Watching him, Seungpyo began to slowly grind his hips against the floor. Jaemin momentarily forgot his stroking and shuddered. Seungpyo’s cock, nestled beneath his buttocks, had begun to slowly rub against his entrance.

His closed hole twitched and pulsed in response to Seungpyo’s teasing. Heat bloomed throughout his body, and Jaemin’s breathing grew heavier. Looking directly at Jaemin’s flushed face as he looked down, Seungpyo said,

“Ryu Jaemin, don’t stop.”

“Uh, okay…”

Snapping out of his pleasure-induced daze at Seungpyo’s words, Jaemin resumed stroking. His flushed penis hardened further in his hand. His entrance, rubbing against Seungpyo’s rough cock, grew hotter.

Jaemin opened his mouth wide. Although no sound came out, his whole body trembled briefly. A cloudy liquid leaked from the tip of his penis, held in his grasp.

“Haa…”

The mild climax from masturbation didn’t completely dissipate the heat in his body. Still, he sighed, feeling more relaxed than before, and leaned forward.

Even as he did, his sensitive hole continued to twitch against Seungpyo’s hardened cock. As the pleasure intensified, Jaemin felt a tightening sensation deep within his empty lower abdomen.

Catching his breath, he looked down at Seungpyo beneath him. Seungpyo was also looking up at him. Even after Jaemin had come, the lingering tension between them hadn’t dissipated.

Seungpyo, who had been quiet as if hesitant, spoke first,

“Should we try putting it in for a bit?”

Jaemin nodded as if he had been waiting for those words.

His discarded bag was nearby. Seungpyo reached into the inner pocket and pulled out a condom and a lube packet. Jaemin would sometimes tease him for carrying those things around, but Seungpyo would always retort that one should always be prepared.

Now that they were unexpectedly put to use, Jaemin couldn’t tease him anymore. Seungpyo sheathed his cock with the condom and liberally applied lube. Jaemin muttered,

“It’s better without a condom.”

“It’ll be hard to clean up if I cum inside here.”

Seungpyo chuckled, looking up at Jaemin.

“Once we move in, I’ll fuck you bareback all night long.”

“Who asked you to do that much?”

Despite his curt words, Jaemin’s face flushed as if he had heard something sweet.

Guided by Seungpyo’s hands on his hips, Jaemin lifted his waist slightly, then slowly lowered himself back down. Seungpyo’s fully engorged cock was a hard, unyielding pillar.

His entrance, which had been eagerly pulsing as if begging to be filled, clenched tightly around Seungpyo’s glans as he began to push inside. Seungpyo frowned slightly and asked,

“It’s a bit tight… Does it hurt?”

Perhaps because they hadn’t used their hands beforehand, his entrance, though hot from the friction, hadn’t relaxed as it usually did.

“No, it’s okay…”

Despite a slight sting from his stretched entrance, Jaemin shook his head. Then, leaning closer, he whispered,

“Wait a moment, stay still.”

He felt like it would really hurt if Seungpyo forced his way in. Rushing things and causing an injury would create a mountain of problems. Instead of hurrying, Jaemin took the tip of Seungpyo’s thick cock into his entrance and slowly rocked his hips back and forth.

“Ah!”

Seungpyo involuntarily cried out. The sensation of his sensitive glans being sucked and released by Jaemin’s tight entrance was intense. Ugh, gritting his teeth, Seungpyo swallowed his moan, then groaned at Jaemin, who was preoccupied with preparing himself.

“Ah, so fucking hot… Are you trying to kill me?”

“Look who’s talking…”

Jaemin panted, retort biting. Oh Seungpyo, moaning and reacting to his clumsy hip movements, was just as arousing.

As his excitement surged, he wanted to become one with Seungpyo properly and quickly. He felt the tension easing from his body.

Seungpyo gently grasped Jaemin’s hips. As he slowly rotated his hips from below, Jaemin, sitting on top, immediately moaned.

“Ah, huh…! I told you to stay still…”

“Sit down slowly. I think it’s okay now.”

“Ah, ah, ah…”

Surrendering to Seungpyo’s guidance, Jaemin fully lowered himself, his hips sinking down. As Seungpyo’s swollen cock filled him completely, his breath hitched.

Jaemin gasped, unable to properly moan. Come to think of it, he had rarely been topped by Seungpyo. He had often imitated the position, only to quickly be flipped over and bottomed.

With his weight fully on Seungpyo, the already formidable cock pressed deep inside, all the way to his diaphragm. Feeling truly impaled, he couldn’t even move, just focusing on catching his breath. Seungpyo, also trying to regulate his ragged breathing, said,

“I take back half of what I said earlier.”

“What did you say?”

“I want to fucking torment you when we have sex.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Seungpyo began thrusting upwards. Before Jaemin could get used to the unfamiliar position, his body was rocked by the movement. Startled, he leaned forward, bracing himself against Seungpyo’s chest.

“Ah, wait…”

Seungpyo silently held out his hands. Without being told, Jaemin grabbed them, using them for support.

Jaemin tried to match Seungpyo’s rhythm, but it was harder than he expected. Their lower bodies continued to clash awkwardly. However, it didn’t detract from the shared pleasure and connection between them. Their movements grew more frantic and intense.

“Haa, huh.”

“Ahhh, ah, uhmm.”

Jaemin moaned softly, a whimper escaping his lips. Tears welled up in his eyes as the cock, buried deep inside him, relentlessly prodded and grazed his most sensitive and vulnerable parts.

Riding Seungpyo, being vigorously pumped by him, he felt like a puppet whose strings had been cut. It was a sweet helplessness. His cock, despite having already come, hardened again, twitching along with his swaying body.

“Huh, uh, ah, ah!”

Unable to bear the unfamiliar stimulation any longer, Jaemin shuddered, his head thrown back. Haa, haa, between his rapid breaths, another wave of fluid leaked from the tip of his twitching penis as he reached a second climax.

Seungpyo’s eyes widened. He had seen Jaemin cum countless times, but never like this. Instead of cloudy semen, a clear fluid was leaking from the red, rounded tip of his cock.

“Ah, ah, ah.”

Even though Seungpyo, surprised, stopped thrusting, Jaemin continued to shudder and moan uncontrollably. With each spasm, clear fluid spurted from his cock, splashing Seungpyo’s stomach. Seungpyo softly called Jaemin’s name.

“Ryu Jaemin.”

Jaemin, seemingly lost in a daze, kept his eyes closed for a while, as if he hadn’t heard him. “Ryu Jaemin.” Only after the second call did he look down at Seungpyo.

“Look at how much you came.”

Only then did Jaemin look down. Even now, clear fluid continued to spurt intermittently from his cock like a faulty drinking fountain.

“Huh…?”

Jaemin’s eyes widened. As if suddenly jolted awake from the repeated orgasms, he stared at himself, then met Seungpyo’s surprised gaze.

Seungpyo grinned and thrust his hips with renewed vigor.

“So, uh, this is, look, what they call squirting. We saw it together before, haa, didn’t we?”

“Haa, wait, hmm, wait.”

“It’s beautiful. Haa, it really looks like a small fountain.”

The two model students had diligently researched and studied same-sex relations. As a result, they were well-versed in theory. Their knowledge had grown, but there were still many things they had only read about but not experienced, many things they hadn’t tried.

“This is crazy. Haa, you’re squirting, huh, while being fucked by me.”

Seungpyo couldn’t stop laughing, clearly delighted. His face was lit up with a giddy grin, but his eyes, fixed on the boy on top of him, were predatory, almost frightening Jaemin for a moment.

“Ah! Ah! Haaa, ah…!”

“Fuck, ah…”

Both Jaemin, releasing clear fluid in waves of tingling pleasure, and Seungpyo, watching him, were completely lost in arousal. Muttering curses, Seungpyo pounded into Jaemin, the sounds echoing in the empty room. Jaemin, losing the ability to tell him to stop or wait, began to sob openly.

With each forceful thrust, clear fluid continued to leak from his twitching cock, and the unfamiliar sight spurred Seungpyo on, his thrusts growing longer and deeper. Only when Jaemin began to cry, his whole body trembling, did Seungpyo finally reach his own long-awaited climax.

Jaemin, who had somehow maintained his seated position despite writhing, finally collapsed, slumping onto Seungpyo’s chest. Their pounding hearts and ragged breaths mingled in a dizzying tangle. Throughout Seungpyo’s orgasm, his cock pulsed and throbbed inside Jaemin.

They lay silently in each other’s arms, catching their breath, their silence broken only by Seungpyo’s soft giggles.

“You were like a puppy again today.”

“Don’t even, hmm, mention Benny…”

“Look at you, marking your territory as soon as you get to the new house.”

“Shut up.”

“It looks just like pee, doesn’t it? Except it comes out in spurts.”

“I said, stop talking about it.”

As soon as Jaemin finished speaking, his lips crashed onto Seungpyo’s, effectively silencing him. Seungpyo didn’t protest, instead licking Jaemin’s warm, soft lips and sucking his tongue into his mouth, swirling it around. Though Jaemin had forcefully shut Seungpyo up, he couldn’t hide his own sensitivity from the aftershocks of his recent orgasm.

Seungpyo soothed his lingering frustration by caressing Jaemin’s trembling back and hips. The more he touched him, the more he wanted to tease and torment Ryu Jaemin, to keep their bodies intertwined. He wanted to lay him down right there and have another go, but…

“I’m declaring today an anniversary. Ryu Jaemin’s fountain anniversary.”

“I told you to stop talking about that.”

“Let’s wash up. We’re not sleeping here.”

“Yeah…”

It was the kind of mischief they could only get away with because they both had access to hot water. Having marked their territory before even moving in their furniture, they reluctantly got up.

As Seungpyo was getting ready to wash up, he noticed something different and gasped.

“Your knees are red!”

“Oh? Ah. Maybe it’s from kneeling on the floor.”

“Doesn’t it hurt? I didn’t think about that.”

“It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt.”

Despite Seungpyo’s concern, Jaemin blushed slightly. When he was busy taking Seungpyo inside him, he hadn’t felt any pain, let alone the friction of his knees against the floor; he was too busy bucking his hips.

Seungpyo, thinking he had made a mistake, looked apologetic and nuzzled Jaemin’s forehead with his lips.

“Sorry. I’ll quickly clean myself up and go buy some towels. Wash up slowly.”

“Let’s just air dry. Why bother buying new ones?”

“No. You’ll catch a cold.”

Even though it was an empty apartment, the insulation seemed good enough that they wouldn’t catch a cold even rolling around naked. But Seungpyo insisted, quickly washing off his own fluids, roughly drying himself, throwing on his clothes, and rushing out.

Since he was already there, Jaemin took a long, hot shower, meticulously washing off and warming himself up. In the meantime, Seungpyo returned with new towels. They washed each other under the shower, shared a long kiss, and then finally stepped out of the bathroom. Jaemin stretched languidly.

“I’m hot from showering for so long.”

“Take your clothes off for a bit.”

“It’s still a bit awkward…”

“You’re really shy with the new place, huh?”

Seungpyo chuckled, looking around the apartment and then at Jaemin. He gazed at him for a moment, a warm smile spreading across his face.

“This is our place now.”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s stay here until we can get our own place with our own money.”

“Yeah.”

They lay down on the floor, looking up at the ceiling.

Seungpyo recalled the faint sense of unease he had felt growing up within his family. While he had lacked nothing and enjoyed freedom and a lack of interference, there were times when he felt like he was lost at sea, adrift with no direction.

His days as a baby dolphin, drifting without a compass, were over. Now, Oh Seungpyo had Ryu Jaemin as his anchor, and they would embark on a new journey together. Although it was still a ship borrowed from his father, a baby dolphin couldn’t become independent overnight. Someday, he wanted to be the captain of a large, sturdy ship.

Lost in his rosy dreams of the future, Seungpyo suddenly realized something and, furrowing his brow, called out to Jaemin lying next to him.

“Hey, Ryu Jaemin.”

“What?”

“I just realized something amazing.”

“What is it?”

“If you combine our last names, it becomes ‘error’ (오류).”

Jaemin frowned.

“What cheesy thing are you going to say now?”

“And if you combine the last syllable of my name and your last name, it becomes ‘drift’ (표류).”

“…Were you thinking about that this whole time?”

“What’s wrong with that? It’s amazing that we can make two words by combining our names.”

Jaemin scoffed openly, unable to hide his incredulity. Seungpyo pouted and asked,

“What were you thinking about then?”

Seungpyo asked, feeling a bit slighted that his brilliant discovery had been dismissed. Jaemin stared at the ceiling for a moment before answering.

“This and that.”

“This and that, what?”

“Hmm… I was thinking about how comfortable I feel.”

“Comfortable?”

“You said earlier that our wandering was over. It’s true. It feels like we have a place to settle down.”

Seungpyo sat up. He had been teased about the word “drift,” but he felt even better knowing that Jaemin had been thinking along the same lines.

Wanting to talk about their future together, he pointed at the two bedroom doors.

“The rooms are about the same size, so let’s make one the bedroom and put the closet and desks in the other. It’ll look neater that way.”

Jaemin blinked at Seungpyo’s words without answering, then looked at him with a bewildered expression.

“I wanted to have separate rooms…”

“Huh? Why?”

Seungpyo’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected answer. Wasn’t the whole point of living together to be close to each other? Why have separate rooms?

“Um… I’ve never shared a room with anyone before. If it were a studio apartment, I’d understand, but since we have two rooms…”

“We can buy a big bed and sleep together. Why sleep separately when we’re living together? And I want to keep my clothes and stuff put away until I need them.”

“You have your own room at home, too.”

“Is Oh Seungyeon the same as me? We’ll be apart most of the day… Isn’t it natural to sleep together when you live together?”

His plan to buy the biggest bed they could afford and spend every night enjoying each other was already crumbling. Seungpyo launched into a passionate argument.

“They say big beds are comfortable even for two people. You don’t even feel it when the other person tosses and turns.”

“No, that’s not the point.”

“Then I’ll tell my dad I’m not living here and I’ll get a studio apartment.”

“…Then I’ll have to reconsider living together.”

Seungpyo gaped, speechless. Ryu Jaemin was more stubborn than he thought. Separate rooms now, after they’d already seen everything there was to see? While living together? Reconsidering living together? After enthusiastically marking their territory?

He had a lot to say, but Seungpyo decided to back down for now. Ryu Jaemin was also incredibly stubborn, and pushing him too hard would only backfire. As if to break the awkward silence, Seungpyo changed the subject.

“You know that picture you used to have as your profile picture on social media? Where is that?”

It was a picture that didn’t quite fit the nature of the account where he posted nudes. A cozy room with a large window overlooking a nightscape. At first, Seungpyo had wondered if it was Ryu Jaemin’s room, but it didn’t look like Korea, so he quickly lost interest.

“I just found it online, so I don’t know where it is. I just liked it, so I used it.”

Seungpyo nodded at Jaemin’s answer. If he liked it enough to use it as his profile picture, it probably reflected his desire to live in a place like that someday. He had asked hoping it would be relevant to their current situation, but he still wasn’t sure.

“…I have my own room at home, but my parents would go through my things when I wasn’t there, so it didn’t really feel like my own space.”

Jaemin suddenly spoke, seeing Seungpyo sulking at the shocking possibility of having separate rooms.

Taken aback by the sudden confession, Seungpyo asked,

“What? Your father went through your things?”

“Yeah, that’s how he found your phone. I hid it well in my desk drawer, but he went through my room while I was out.”

“Is your father an onion? The more layers you peel, the more there is.”

Jaemin gave a wry smile at Seungpyo’s exasperated expression.

“That’s why I wanted my own room when I moved out. Not just in name, but a room where no one could enter without my permission. I really want to live with you… but can’t we have separate rooms at least at first? I might want to share a room later. But I want to have my own room at first.”

Ugh. Seungpyo gritted his teeth, suppressing a groan. If Jaemin had stubbornly refused to share a room or gotten angry, he might have reacted in kind. But he couldn’t help but be swayed by this gentle request.

So smart. Making a request Oh Seungpyo couldn’t refuse. Feeling like he was being played, Seungpyo still couldn’t help but smile and hug Jaemin.

“Then let’s go on a trip.”

“A trip?”

“Now that we’re adults, we can book accommodations without our parents’ permission. I’ve always wanted to go to a nice hotel or pension with you. Let’s get a place with two rooms and try sleeping together and separately. Then we can decide.”

Although he seemed to have given in, Seungpyo hadn’t given up on his deal. Jaemin chuckled softly.

“How can we know what’s good after just a day or two?”

“Let’s go anyway.”

“Just say you want to go on a trip.”

“Will you go?”

“Of course.”

They looked into each other’s eyes. This would be their first trip as twenty-year-olds. Seungpyo made a silent promise to himself that he would make it the most enjoyable, wonderful, and erotic trip ever. He picked up his phone.

“Let’s decide where to go right now.”

“Okay.”

They both focused on the phone screen. They had plenty of time until the entrance ceremony; they could go anywhere they wanted.

It was their first real trip together, not for escape or wandering, but entirely for themselves.