7MoH 3.3

After walking for a few minutes, feeling their way through the invisible space, Chase stopped. Jeong-in’s heart was full of excitement and tension.

With his sight blocked, his other senses became more acute. The wind brushing past his ears, the soft rustling sound of soil and fallen leaves beneath his feet. Stepping blindly into an unfamiliar darkness would normally be anxiety-inducing, but with Chase beside him, he wasn’t afraid.

“Here we are. You can open your eyes now.”

Jeong-in carefully opened his eyes at Chase’s soft voice. For a moment, he felt as if his breath had stopped.

It was a magical moment.

The two stood side by side on a knoll covered with soft grass. And below their feet, Belacove’s night scenery stretched endlessly.

Twinkling lights filled the nighttime Belacove. Buildings, roads, and the coastline connected like dots, as if stars had descended. The comet tail like trajectories created by passing cars, and the faintly glowing horizon beyond the quietly rippling shore.

The sight was too magnificent to be described simply as “pretty.”

Jeong-in took a deep breath and then exclaimed excitedly like a child.

“Wow! I can see all of Belacove! There! Cove Mall! And there! I can see your neighborhood too!”

Jeong-in pointed here and there, pouring out admiration toward the sparkling downtown. Chase quietly watched him with a small smile on his lips.

“Here, sit down.”

Chase spread the picnic mat on the grass. He placed the soft cushion on it and laid out the food they had bought.

Only then did Jeong-in realize. This, right now, was what he meant by an after party. No flashy lights or loud music, but a quiet celebration for just the two of them, decorated by Belacove’s night view and the night sky.

Suddenly, curiosity struck him.

Who else had Chase Prescott, who seemed so familiar and natural with everything, brought here? How many people had been here before him? As soon as that thought occurred, his excited mood dampened a bit.

“This place…”

About to ask inadvertently, Jeong-in quickly shut his mouth. He almost blurted out the curiosity that had popped into his mind. But Chase seemed to have already noticed and let out a light sigh.

“You want to know how many people I’ve brought here?”

“N-no!”

Jeong-in waved his hands in embarrassment. But Chase asked casually with the corner of his mouth slightly raised.

“Then what were you going to say?”

“…”

He needed to improvise, but his mind was blank as if empty. Looking at Jeong-in awkwardly moving his lips, Chase said with a serious face.

“You’re the first.”

Jeong-in’s dark eyes turned toward Chase. His expression was as if he had heard something unbelievable.

“Even my family seems to have forgotten this place exists. Which is fortunate for me.”

Chase spoke in a calm voice. He said he often visited this place when his mind was complicated, when he wanted to escape people’s gazes, when he wanted to distance himself from the world temporarily.

Only then did Jeong-in turn his head to look at the opposite side of where the night view stretched. The first thing that caught his eye was a structure with a round dome roof.

“What’s that?”

“A pavilion.”

Pavilions were structures used for contemplation in European or American mansions and were also traces of aristocratic culture. It began to feel a bit more real that Chase was from that world.

As Jeong-in’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, he gradually made out the shapes around him. Statues, an old fountain without flowing water, even a wooden gazebo. Traces of lost time remained everywhere.

“What… what is this place for?”

“It was an observatory and an outdoor banquet hall.”

“Outdoor banquet hall?”

Jeong-in asked incredulously at words that seemed to belong in a period drama.

“It’s been used since my great-grandparent’s time.”

With Chase’s answer, Jeong-in freshly realized the long years this place held.

The skeleton of a greenhouse, dimly revealed in the darkness, caught his eye. Most of the glass windows were broken or clouded with dust, and only the iron frames maintained their dignity. But strangely, even amid those desolate ruins, one could imagine how splendid it once was.

He could almost see soft chandelier lights glowing gently, and silver tableware neatly arranged on luxurious marble tables, gleaming. He had the illusion of faintly hearing elegant string music and the laughter of people clinking champagne glasses from somewhere.

“It’s like Gatsby.”

Jeong-in murmured with a blank expression.

“Jeong-in… I’m sorry, but please don’t say that.”

“Huh?”

“I have bad memories of The Great Gatsby. Someone I liked fiercely criticized me while comparing me to Gatsby.”

Jeong-in’s shoulders twitched as if stung.

“Ah… sorry.”

“I’m joking. Actually, I liked it even when we were fighting.”

Jeong-in looked at Chase as if that couldn’t possibly be true. He thought Chase was saying things he didn’t mean to lighten his mood.

“No one ever spoke to me like that. Those… piercing words.”

“I was sorry about that time.”

“You didn’t say anything wrong. I said harsh things to you too, calling you vulgar and all that.”

As if it was one of the memories he wanted to forget, Jeong-in awkwardly smiled and turned his body forward, looking at the night view spread out before him. Belacove’s night, stretched out below the distant hill, was one of the most beautiful scenes Jeong-in had ever seen.

“Beautiful…”

A light whisper that was both admiration and a sigh flowed between Jeong-in’s lips. Chase, who had been quietly watching him, asked.

“Have you seen everything beautiful?”

At Chase’s low voice, Jeong-in nodded lightly, thinking he meant it was time to leave.

“Yes.”

“Then let me see something beautiful now too.”

Chase’s hand gripped Jeong-in’s chin and turned it toward himself. With his other hand, he hooked his index finger under the bridge of Jeong-in’s glasses and lifted them away. Jeong-in’s glasses were removed from his face.

Only then did Jeong-in realize that when Chase said “let me see something beautiful too,” he was referring to Jeong-in himself.

Chase’s gaze thoroughly scanned Jeong-in’s face. How could he have failed to notice such a face, even with glasses? He couldn’t understand his past self.

Jeong-in’s smooth skin, without a visible pore, glowed softly in the moonlight. The gentle contours of his face, his thin, straight nose bridge, and below that, his lips forming a distinct curve. It was the kind of face one could lose track of time looking at.

Chase slightly lifted his hand holding Jeong-in’s chin and slowly lowered his head.

Their body heat met closely, and hot breath approached. Finally, their lips gently overlapped. It felt like the natural attraction of opposite poles of magnets, like yin and yang harmonizing into one, an entirely natural and inevitable law of nature.

What began as a light touch soon deepened. Chase slowly and persistently tasted every part of Jeong-in’s mouth. That long, lingering exploration gave Jeong-in an entirely new sensation.

His body began to relax as if entering hot water. It felt like his entire body had turned to slime.

Chase tossed aside Jeong-in’s glasses and used that hand to pull Jeong-in’s waist closer against his own body.

So absorbed in the hot, moist, slippery, unfamiliar sensation, Jeong-in didn’t even realize his body was gradually tilting backward.

His body was laid down on the soft blanket. Only after their lips separated with a wet sound did Jeong-in realize he was completely lying on the ground.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he met Chase’s gaze up close. Chase’s large body was covering him.

Though it wasn’t heavy since Chase was supporting himself with his knees and elbows, the issue was their position.

Isn’t this a somewhat dangerous situation?

Jeong-in’s heart was racing wildly. This was a situation that wouldn’t calm down even after drinking a hundred cups of chamomile tea.

Chase playfully smiled, stretching his moist lips. Then he gently lowered his body and lightly kissed the tip of Jeong-in’s nose.

“I think I can hear your heart beating. You’re really cute.”

“Ugh… don’t try to seduce me!”

Chase raised his eyebrows as if he had no idea what Jeong-in meant, and then smiled brightly. It was truly a bewitching smile. Jeong-in couldn’t help wondering if there were fox spirits in the West too, the kind that enchant people and steal their livers.

“Weren’t you already seduced?”

Chase tilted his face again. His lips, which had lightly touched Jeong-in’s cheek, slowly slid down along his jawline.

Jeong-in’s eyes closed involuntarily at the exquisite sensation.

Was it natural talent, or skillfulness born from experience?

As the kisses continued below his jawline, Jeong-in’s mind grew hazy. Every spot where Chase’s lips brushed against his skin became hot.

Jeong-in was learning things from Chase that he had never learned from any book and never could.

“Haa…”

Chase let out a deep sigh.

The soft scent brushing his nose, the faint warmth of skin. Everything made his mind foggy.

Every place he touched was amazingly smooth, making his head spin. Could a person get drunk on touch? He found himself thinking ridiculous thoughts.

Chase’s hand, which had been holding Jeong-in’s waist, moved instinctively. His fingertips slipped under the shirt, brushing against Jeong-in’s lower abdomen. It was as soft as touching cream. A thrilling shiver ran down his spine.

“Jeong-in…”

As if deliberately trying to instill a sensual feeling, Chase let out a voice mixed with a faint moan near Jeong-in’s ear.

Hot breath poured onto Jeong-in’s nape. With it came a distant sensation. He could feel Chase’s slightly rough fingertips, hardened with calluses, touching his waist. Just as those fingertips traced his ribs and were about to dig deeper—

“Stop…”

Jeong-in firmly grabbed the hand that was carefully seeping into his t-shirt.

“W-what are you trying to do?”

Jeong-in looked at Chase with wide eyes. Though his focus was blurry without his glasses, he could tell Chase was frozen in surprise.

“Huh? Well…”

Did he really need to explain that? Wasn’t it obvious what he was trying to do?

As if the mood had been completely broken, Chase opened his mouth with an awkward expression, but no plausible answer came out. During this speechless moment, Jeong-in removed Chase’s hand that had been feeling his abdomen.

Like a dog suddenly having its bone taken away, Chase just stared blankly as his hand was pushed out from under Jeong-in’s t-shirt. The sensation at his fingertips disappeared instantly.

In contrast, Jeong-in seemed to have regained his composure. He put on a proper expression and even found his glasses, feeling around on the ground, and put them on.

Seeing this calm attitude, Chase felt a strange disappointment. The Jeong-in who had been melting in his arms like a candle before a flame was nowhere to be found, and now what remained was the rational and resolute version of Jeong-in.

Jeong-in pushed against Chase’s chest and began to speak.

“You know, there’s a Korean program on Netflix that my mom and I enjoy watching. It’s about young students who become parents during their minor years.”

Watching Jeong-in suddenly discussing his favorite Netflix program, Chase wondered what to point out first.

There were too many things he wanted to say to Jeong-in.

I love you, but I haven’t thought about having children yet, and anyway, we couldn’t have children even if we did this.

“Most of the participants there have one thing in common. They don’t acknowledge that they’re not adults yet, that they’re immature beings. Decisions made at that time could affect their entire lives. Not just their own lives, but others’ too.”

Chase quietly looked at Jeong-in. His expression hardened with an ominous feeling. It was an awkward face, neither smiling nor frowning.

“And… why are you telling this story now?”

“While watching that program, I made a promise to myself. If, just if, I ever had a romantic partner, I would protect them until I reached the legal age of adulthood.”

Chase’s expression turned blank. He questioned as if he had heard something absurd.

“So what you’re saying now is… that you want to protect me?”

Jeong-in nodded with a determined face. Unwavering, clear eyes looked at Chase.

Chase was dumbfounded. He had seen many people asking him to jump into bed and mess them up. But this was the first time someone had declared they would protect him. Never before, and probably never again.

Though his life hadn’t been that long, it was the most absurd and simultaneously the most lovable thing he’d ever heard.

“Haah…”

Chase collapsed on top of Jeong-in as if all his strength had left him. As the large body lay on top of him, Jeong-in let out a gasp as the air was pushed from his lungs.

Chase rested his forehead on Jeong-in’s thin shoulder. Then he let out a groan like a sigh. His lower abdomen was already painfully tight, but there was nothing he could do about it.

“Jeong-in… you really…”

What could he say? Jeong-in was saying he would protect him. With that determined light in his dark, bead-like eyes, looking at him as if he had made some tremendous resolution.

Chase finally burst into laughter. His body shook, making Jeong-in’s body shake too.

“Why are you laughing…?”

“Just… because you said you’d protect me…”

“Why’s that funny?”

“I’m grateful… No, I’m not grateful at all… No, I am grateful…”

His low voice, mixed with laughter, tickled Jeong-in’s ear.

It was a long while before Chase, who had maintained silence while taking deep breaths, sat up. A light breeze brushed through his disheveled golden hair.

Jeong-in naturally followed, sitting up and looking around. The night air was cool, but the city’s nightscape, with its flowing lights, gave off a subtle warmth just by looking at it.

Chase looked at Jeong-in, who was sitting curled up with his knees to his chest, and took off his suit jacket. Then he quietly placed it over Jeong-in’s shoulders.

“Put it on.”

Jeong-in silently nodded and slipped his arms into the jacket sleeves. Though his experience with romance was limited to what he’d seen in dramas and books, accepting this kind of gesture from a lover seemed like the right thing to do.

The jacket, ridiculously large for Jeong-in, completely covered his shoulders, and the loose sleeves engulfed his hands. Jeong-in extended his arms forward and burst into laughter, amused by how he looked like he was imitating a ghost.

Even in Belacove, which is mild even by California standards, the temperature rarely drops below 15 degrees Celsius, even in the coldest pre-dawn hours. But Chase carefully closed Jeong-in’s jacket and even buttoned it up as if they were in Antarctica.

Jeong-in made a happy complaint.

“What is this, I feel like a burrito.”

“The cutest burrito in the world.”

The two sat side by side under the starlight, eating the snacks they had bought and toasting with cola cans to celebrate Jeong-in’s victory.

“What’s your favorite board game?”

“Clue. Jeong-in, yours?”

“Uno. Though I haven’t played in years. My turn now? Favorite season?”

“Fall. The waves are bigger, good for surfing.”

Their trivial conversation continued from school happenings, unimportant stories about teachers and classmates, to what colors they liked and what movies they enjoyed most.

“What’s your favorite number?”

“Seven. It’s my jersey number. Jeong-in, what about you?”

“i.”

“Huh?”

“The imaginary number. The square root of -1.”

Chase exhaled a surprised “Ha” at the answer that strayed far from the expected range.

Jeong-in continued speaking meticulously.

“i is also called the imaginary number, right? It’s a number that creates a new dimension beyond the real axis. Though invisible, it opens up tremendous possibilities in mathematics.”

Jeong-in’s voice naturally carried warmth as he talked about something he liked.

“It’s considered to not exist in reality, but appears beautifully in formulas like Euler’s. It’s also essential in electromagnetism and quantum mechanics. That’s really cool, isn’t it?”

Chase quietly watched Jeong-in, listening to his words.

“It’s a number that shows us that among things people consider nonexistent, there are actually some with tremendous meaning. That’s why I like it.”

“…”

Jeong-in was Chase’s i. An existence he didn’t know existed but became the most meaningful thing in his life.

“Haah… what should I do?”

Chase buried his face in his arms, which were hugging his knees, as if something depressing had happened.

“What’s wrong?”

Chase sighed deeply and slightly raised his face to look at Jeong-in.

“I didn’t know it was possible to like you even more. Jeong-in, what have you done to me?”

Jeong-in made a face as if he had bitten into a lemon peel and then hit Chase’s shoulder. Chase exaggeratedly fell to the side and rolled around on the mat. Jeong-in was the type who wasn’t immune to expressions of affection.

A small smile appeared on Chase’s lips.

Someday, there would come a time when Jeong-in would accept whatever he said as a matter of course. A moment when he wouldn’t blush at any sweet whispers, but take them as familiar.

The thought gave him a strangely thrilling feeling.

Chase naturally proposed another toast as he picked up the can he had placed on the ground.

“Let’s toast again. We have one more thing to celebrate.”

“What’s that?”

“Congratulations on getting a boyfriend, Jeong-in.”

“…You too.”

The cans they held clinked once more. The cheerful sound spread into the night air.

Though they had nothing but potato chips and drinks sprawled on the picnic mat, this moment filled with stories and laughter was truly worthy of being called a “party.”

Before they knew it, the city lights began to dim slightly, and the night sky deepened. Chase lay flat on his back and stretched out his arm.

“Come on, lie down using my arm as a pillow.”

Jeong-in hesitated briefly before resting his head on Chase’s arm and lying down.

“Ugh, it’s too high and hard.”

Despite his complaints, Jeong-in didn’t move away from Chase’s arm.

As the artificial lights dimmed, the natural light became more visible. It was as if the night sky had been draped over them like a blanket.

The deep navy-colored sky had gradually changed to a soft purple hue. At this time when the boundary between night and dawn was slowly dissolving, stars twinkling like the Milky Way quietly adorned the sky above them.

It was a moment that didn’t require words. The two, gazing endlessly at the night sky, closed their eyes in unison as if by agreement.

* * *

Why is it so cold today? And the pillow feels strangely hard.

Jeong-in slowly opened his eyes while curled up. Instead of the white ferret plushie he usually saw, golden hair was the first thing to enter his vision. Beneath the softly disheveled hair, long luxurious eyelashes, a perfectly straight nose bridge, and distinct, full lips unfolded before his eyes.

He’s really handsome. But why is Chase in my bed?

Jeong-in, thinking with a foggy mind, suddenly sat bolt upright.

“Ch-Chase!”

Jeong-in shook Chase’s body frantically. At the same time, he picked up his phone with his other hand to check the screen. 6:24 AM. Jeong-in’s face turned pale.

“Wake up! Chase!”

“Mmm…”

Chase slightly frowned his eyebrows and slowly sat up. Some of his golden hair had fallen over his forehead, covering his eyes and looking completely disheveled, and his shirt was all wrinkled, but even that appearance looked like something from a fashion spread. But there was no time to admire it.

“When did we fall asleep…”

Chase mumbled in a languid voice as he brushed up his messy hair. Then he smiled with his eyes still narrowed from drowsiness.

“Good morning, Jeong-in.”

“How can you say ‘good morning’? It’s 7 o’clock now!”

Chase stretched as if to say “so what?” and tried to lean back again. His attitude was still extremely relaxed.

“What’s the big deal? It’s the weekend.”

At that moment, Jeong-in’s hand shot out like lightning and grabbed Chase’s shirt at the collar. Then, looking down with blazing eyes, he commanded,

“Chase Alexander Prescott! Take me home right now!”

At Jeong-in’s firm exclamation, Chase blinked his surprised eyes a few times and then answered playfully.

“Yes, boss.”

There was no time to argue about not joking around. Jeong-in gathered the scattered trash and stuffed it into a paper bag, while Chase roughly rolled up the picnic mat beside him.

Jeong-in was visibly anxious and didn’t know what to do. To ease his anxiety, Chase drove faster than usual.

When they stopped at a red light, he glanced at Jeong-in, who was staring out the window with a worried face.

The concept of a curfew felt somewhat unfamiliar. What was Jeong-in so afraid of? Jeong-in’s mother, whom he had seen before, seemed like nothing but a kind and warm person. She didn’t seem like the type to enforce strict rules.

“Do you get in a lot of trouble for breaking curfew?”

“It’s not so much that… it’s that I broke a promise.”

“Ah…”

It wasn’t simply about getting in trouble. Jeong-in hated disappointing his mother by breaking a promise. Only then did Chase realize that this issue was more important to Jeong-in than he had thought.

Eventually, his car stopped in front of Jeong-in’s house, and Chase apologized with a serious expression.

“I’m sorry I fell asleep too. Should I go in and explain instead? She might not be as angry then. For some reason, adults tend to like me.”

Jeong-in looked at Chase as if he were pitiful. Whether he was young or old, how could anyone not like him?

Perhaps adults might like him even more. How could they not? He was the heir to a massive financial enterprise, the kind one might never meet in a lifetime, and had a friendly personality to boot.

“It’s okay.”

Despite saying this, Jeong-in seemed preoccupied with unfastening his seatbelt and gathering his bag.

“Drive carefully. I’ll call you.”

Jeong-in, who was about to hurriedly open the car door and get out, paused momentarily. Now he felt a little sorry for having rushed and pushed Chase due to his own nervousness.

After a brief hesitation, Jeong-in leaned toward the driver’s seat and lightly kissed Chase’s cheek. The sound of the kiss seemed particularly loud.

Startled and flinching as he turned around, Jeong-in quickly got out of the car and ran toward his house without a moment to catch his breath.

“Ha…”

Chase lightly brushed his palm against his cheek. It felt like the residual heat Jeong-in had left behind was still there.

Anticipating a longer morning shower than usual, he drove toward home.