CI 3.2

Won Hee-yeon had always been someone who carefully listened to Son Yeo-il’s words and delicately cared for his feelings, but here, Won Hee-yeon was acting entirely as he pleased and was doing the exact opposite. Instead of caring for him, he was tormenting Son Yeo-il. Whether he was possessed by a lust demon or was simply the type to lose during the day and win at night was unknown to him.

No, rather… yeah. Actually, he doesn’t seem that different from usual.

That wasn’t to say that Won Hee-yeon was treating Son Yeo-il like a caught fish. The reason he was acting mischievous and persistent was simply because he was confident that Son Yeo-il also wanted him.

Won Hee-yeon had always been perceptive of Son Yeo-il’s feelings, even more so than Son Yeo-il himself. Though he had whined about being tired and pretended to run away several times, honestly, Son Yeo-il didn’t really dislike anything Won Hee-yeon had done to him here.

To be even more honest, it wasn’t just that he didn’t dislike it. Each time Won Hee-yeon held him tightly with nowhere to escape and pushed him to his limits, Son Yeo-il felt a dizzying, distant sensation he had never experienced before…

Ah, I should stop thinking about it.

Reflecting on the past two days or so filled him with a sort of warmth. As Son Yeo-il shook his head to clear his suggestive thoughts, the door opened.

“Oh my, it looks like my dear husband is awake.”

Won Hee-yeon greeted him with the corners of his mouth stretched high from one cheekbone to the other. Won Hee-yeon looked incredibly vigorous, his skin smooth and eyes sparkling, like someone who had eaten plenty of nourishing food.

It was in stark contrast to Son Yeo-il, whose entire body was worn out. It was hard to believe that the person who had bitten and sucked on Son Yeo-il until dawn, saying they should stay up the entire night and burn all their calories, could look like that. This was despite the fact that the total calories Won Hee-yeon had burned day and night over the last two days was surely much greater.

“Eing? Why are you looking at me so intensely? Have you fallen for me all over again?”

When Son Yeo-il ended up staring blankly at the other man, Won Hee-yeon playfully teased him. What was more infuriating was that he wasn’t wrong. Won Hee-yeon had always been handsome, but his brightly smiling face bathed in the sunlight pouring through the windows was truly dazzling.

It seemed excessive to look so good even in pajamas. Furthermore, he was wearing the same pajamas as Son Yeo-il was wearing now. The fact that they were wearing matching pajamas felt somehow embarrassing and ticklish.

A moment ago, when Son Yeo-il was half-asleep, Won Hee-yeon had gotten up first and tried to go out to prepare breakfast wearing only an apron over his naked body, saying he would make breakfast. Son Yeo-il had been startled and stopped him, but now he thought that a naked apron might have been less embarrassing than a couple pajamas.

“F-Fallen for you, what utter nonsense.”

“I’ve completely fallen for you again! How can you be so pretty first thing in the morning? Hmm? Whose husband is this gorgeous?”

Son Yeo-il responded grumpily, but regardless, Won Hee-yeon strode over and stroked Son Yeo-il’s head, who was sitting on the bed. His touch was as sunny as his smile.

Could something as simple as having one’s head stroked be this embarrassing after being intimate for 2 nights and 3 days? Feeling his cheeks flush red, Son Yeo-il turned his head toward the window, avoiding Won Hee-yeon’s eyes. Misunderstanding this, Won Hee-yeon quickly asked, “Does our darling want to go on a swim? I did bring swimsuits too. Would you like to at least dip your feet after breakfast?”

“…I’ll pass on swimming. But when did you buy my swimsuit? I think your shopping is getting a bit excessive.”

Unlike Son Yeo-il, who had come here with just one briefcase, Won Hee-yeon seemed to have packed practically everything in his travel luggage. The things he packed could easily sustain the two of them for about a week. Son Yeo-il had noticed Won Hee-yeon occasionally going to the car to bring various items inside the house, but he hadn’t expected him to have prepared swimsuits too.

“Oh, it’s not excessive. I just got exactly what we needed.”

“And how many pairs of matching pajamas did you buy?”

The pajamas both were wearing now were, of course, brought by Won Hee-yeon. The first pajamas he had given had become stained with things that shouldn’t be spoken of out loud, so he had brought another set (of course, until receiving the second set of pajamas, Son Yeo-il had spent quite a long time completely naked and covered in “things that shouldn’t be said”).

The night they spent at Won Hee-yeon’s apartment, the pajamas that had gotten dirty in the evening had been replaced with new, clean ones by morning, so Son Yeo-il had a reasonable suspicion that Won Hee-yeon had bought several pairs of identical pajamas with him on this trip.

“Well, pajamas can get torn and ripped, so you need to have several pairs.”

Son Yeo-il was flabbergasted by how boldly Won Hee-yeon claimed that pajamas were expendable things to be torn apart if necessary. He wanted to glare at him more coldly, but Son Yeo-il’s gaze had also softened considerably from before.

“Oh my, there you go again. I keep telling you, if you keep looking at me like that, I’ll get hard again. Come on, let’s go out and have some breakfast.”

Finding Son Yeo-il’s sidelong glances endearing, Won Hee-yeon smiled broadly and pulled at Son Yeo-il’s arm. Heading into the kitchen, Son Yeo-il saw that Won Hee-yeon had prepared breakfast like he had the first night they had spent together.

Today, he seemed to have had a bit more time than back then, as there was a fluffy soufflé omelet along with croissants and salad. He had even placed a plump cushion only on Son Yeo-il’s dining chair, seemingly in consideration of his tattered bottom.

After quickly taking a seat out of embarrassment, his stomach growled. Having been overworked for the past two days, Son Yeo-il was hungry and hurriedly devoured his breakfast. As always, it was delicious.

Won Hee-yeon watched Son Yeo-il eating with contentment in his eyes, as if savoring the sight of his lover eating, and then brushed off bread crumbs from the corner of Son Yeo-il’s mouth and put them in his own mouth. It was a reenactment of the shocking moment when he had picked off and eaten a rice grain on the day they first had a meal together.

“Ah, again…!”

“It tastes better this way.”

Though Son Yeo-il cringed at Won Hee-yeon’s nonchalant response, he actually didn’t find this situation as awkward as when he had been horrified by the rice grain that day. Somehow, having Won Hee-yeon sitting across from him at the table had become familiar, and even when Won Hee-yeon acted repulsively, it seemed somewhat cute.

“Here, drink some water. Should I brew coffee? Is there anything else you want to eat? Are you sure you don’t want to go swimming?”

Won Hee-yeon’s eyes were moist as he attentively cared for Son Yeo-il. Son Yeo-il could feel how precious and fleeting this time with the other man was. Again, an indescribable emotion welled up in Son Yeo-il’s chest. The question that had suddenly occurred to him the other day came back: What kind of relationship does that person and I have?

Looking into Won Hee-yeon’s sparkling eyes, Son Yeo-il reflected on their days together. It was curious how time seemed to flow very slowly when he was quietly looking at that person like this, yet the days they spent together seemed to pass in an instant.

What should this emotion be called? Since Won Hee-yeon knew everything, Son Yeo-il thought he probably knew this too. It seemed like from now on, all they needed to do was follow Won Hee-yeon’s lead.

“Um, you know. Sometimes…”

Son Yeo-il began, trying not to show how nervous he was.

“When you do something well, or when you receive praise, even though it’s not something I did, I sometimes feel proud. But I’m not sure. Is it okay for me to boast about you to other people, even though it’s you who’s great and impressive?”

“…”

“Is it okay? Can I boast about you to other people?”

It was puzzling why he was trembling so much over something that wasn’t even a big deal. In front of Son Yeo-il, who was rolling his eyes after asking the question, Won Hee-yeon, uncharacteristically taking his time, finally opened his mouth.

“Yeo-il. Come here and sit down.”

He patted his thigh and spread his hands toward Son Yeo-il. Wow, this guy must be crazy. No answer to my question, and what’s he doing? Son Yeo-il pretended to grumble briefly to himself, then promptly went and sat on his thigh.

Won Hee-yeon’s embrace felt especially warm and cozy today. Their hearts pounded rapidly, as if competing to see which one could beat faster.

“Ahem, ahem…About that, I’m going to tell you clearly now. To conclude…It’s fine. I’ll do my absolute best so you can boast about me a hundred times, a thousand times, as much as you want.”

Won Hee-yeon’s voice trembled slightly but was serious, as if making a sacred vow. Won Hee-yeon fiddled with Son Yeo-il’s knee sitting on his thigh, then placed his hand on the back of Son Yeo-il’s hand and grasped it warmly.

“So, Yeo-il. I also have something to ask.”

“…”

“Are we dating now?”

Son Yeo-il pretended to contemplate briefly. But this time too, even if he searched the depths of his heart thoroughly, he couldn’t find a reason to say no. In fact, he didn’t even have the will to look for one. With a face as red as strawberry juice, Son Yeo-il nodded his head.

Won Hee-yeon’s hand tightened around Son Yeo-il’s. Their heartbeats grew even louder, needless to say. And above all, Son Yeo-il felt something very hard and enormous near the thigh he was sitting on…

“Ah! H-Hee-yeon!”

The moment he recognized its presence, Won Hee-yeon lifted Son Yeo-il, who was sitting on him and got up to his feet. Then, with thunderous footsteps, he headed toward the bedroom.

Before he knew it, Son Yeo-il was being carried away in a princess-hold position. While still feeling excited and nervous, Son Yeo-il simultaneously felt a sense of crisis. It seemed like his body wouldn’t survive if they continued any more.

“What are you trying to do now?”

“Just come here for a moment. It won’t take long.”

“You kept saying that yesterday too! Checkout. We need to check out in an hour!”

“Mmm. That’s right. Our darling doesn’t need to worry about anything. I’ll take care of everything.”

Do I look like I’m not worried? Son Yeo-il tried to wriggle his body slightly in resistance, but the moment Won Hee-yeon’s lips covered his, even that became useless.

Entering the bedroom, Won Hee-yeon slammed the door shut as if to cut off any escape route. In his eyes, as he laid Son Yeo-il on the bed, there wasn’t a trace of reason left.

Ah, I was wrong. Thinking with resignation, Son Yeo-il still reached out and tightly embraced Won Hee-yeon as he pounced on him.

***

Ah, I want to sleep some more.

Son Yeo-il, who had been sleeping sweetly, woke slightly to the feeling of someone touching his body. A gentle but strong hand had come around to his backside and was adjusting his posture. 

Feeling tired and languid, Son Yeo-il whined as if annoyed.

“Mmm, no…”

“That’s right, that’s right. Sleep more.”

Upon hearing Won Hee-yeon’s voice, Son Yeo-il’s furrowed brow completely relaxed. His lips naturally curled upward with a sense of comfort and reassurance.

“Oh my, so cute.”

Won Hee-yeon muttered softly and kissed Son Yeo-il’s face. It felt like he was raising the backrest of the chair Son Yeo-il was sitting in, as if trying to take him out of the car.

Wait. Am I in a car right now?

Memories came flooding back to Son Yeo-il, who had been in a sleep-induced daze. A day of being carried to bed without even checking out, then rolling around messily with Won Hee-yeon until exhausted and falling asleep, then entangling again even after waking up. Amidst the vivid scenes, working-person thoughts suddenly came to the surface.

What time is it? Where am I? I have to go to work tomorrow!

His mind was awake, but Won Hee-yeon was showering his eyelids and around his eyes with kisses, making it impossible to open them. Only after tapping Won Hee-yeon’s shoulder repeatedly, as if signaling surrender, could he finally open his eyes.

By now, it was the dark of night, and Won Hee-yeon’s car had arrived in front of the studio apartment where they lived. Though he couldn’t remember, it seemed Won Hee-yeon had loaded the sleeping Son Yeo-il into the car and returned to Yongju City. The fact that he hadn’t woken up during the three to four-hour car ride showed just how tired he must have been.

“It’s still Sunday, right?”

“That’s right. We’re still on our first day, and in about an hour, it’ll be our second day.”

Won Hee-yeon’s expression was majestic, like someone who had the entire world at his fingertips. At his words, Son Yeo-il belatedly remembered that he had agreed to date him. Right. This person was my boyfriend.

While fidgeting with his fingertips out of embarrassment, Son Yeo-il carefully surveyed the area around the studio apartment. He was worried that the impulsive Won Hee-yeon might have hung a banner saying “♡♡Celebrating Day 1♡♡” or something similar in front of the building, but fortunately, there was nothing like that.

He caught his breath momentarily, but it was certainly dangerous to let one’s guard down in front of Won Hee-yeon. Without warning, Won Hee-yeon slipped his hands under Son Yeo-il’s armpits and beneath his knees, trying to lift him in a princess carry.

“W-What are you doing?”

“I’m escorting my husband home.”

“In this position? What if someone sees us…I’ll just go up by myself.”

“Hmm. I’ve been carrying you around freely for two days, and now you’re complaining? More importantly, are you able to walk?”

Of course, I can walk! He declared confidently, but from the moment he stepped out of the car, Son Yeo-il’s legs began to tremble like a newborn giraffe’s. It was embarrassing to think about how many times they had done it in order to reach this state.

He managed to grit his teeth and move his feet on level ground, but the stairs up to the second floor had never felt so distant and high. While supporting the limping Son Yeo-il, Won Hee-yeon whispered, lowering his voice to avoid being heard by the other apartments.

“Oh my, if I’d known the stairs would be such a struggle, I should have taken you to my place.”

“Your room is also on the second floor, isn’t it?”

“No, not this one, my other home.”

Ah, Won Hee-yeon’s real home. As Son Yeo-il’s face slightly reddened, Won Hee-yeon added in a tempting voice.

“That house is unnecessarily spacious for living alone, it only makes sense with two people in it. And this closet is too small to fit all your clothes I’ve brought, they’re all at that house, and the kitchen is bigger so it’s good for cooking delicious meals, hmm? Above all, the bed is very spacious…”

Won Hee-yeon started speaking softly and calmly, but by the time he mentioned the bed, he couldn’t hide how excited he was and his eyes opened wide as a result.

“Don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean anything else. It’s just that I’m reluctant to part.”

“I really have to go to work on Monday.”

“Yeah, yeah, right. But it doesn’t have to be today, you know.”

Though he changed the subject, Son Yeo-il knew that Won Hee-yeon wasn’t just talking about today but wanted to bring him home permanently. Asking if today was their first day on their second date, and then bringing up living together as soon as he confirmed their first day, was just like the impulsive Won Hee-yeon.