DP Side Story 2, Episode 20
by BrieDeep Pivot Side Story 2, Episode 20
“Ah, ah, ah! L-Lieutenant, m-my back, it h-hurts, ah, hngh…!”
Silver hair splayed messily across the bed sheet trembled. In between, upright black ears were being rubbed hard against the sheet. Sitting firmly on his lovely partner’s abs, Seo-joon thrust his hips down hard. A low, controlled voice dropped two words like a quiet command.
“Meow.”
“Ah, mm, Lieutenant, h-ha…!”
“Meow.”
“Mmm, hngh…”
Unreleased fluids splashed and smacked between their bodies. Moving like a jockey riding a racehorse, Seo-joon pounded his hips, looking down at the sobbing Yeon-woo. As Yeon-woo tried to push him away with both hands planted on his chest, Seo-joon gathered them up and pinned them above his head, speaking gently.
“You have to meow, babe.”
“Meo—hngh, ohh…”
“Not going to cry properly?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me…”
“The cat’s speaking human.”
Smack! Seo-joon thrust in deep, greedily swallowing up Yeon-woo’s penis. As he began rotating his hips slowly in that position, Yeon-woo broke into sobs, his penis twitching powerfully even within the tight inner walls.
“I’ll never put cat ears on the Lieutenant again.”
“Haa, ngh, never again… This thing totally belongs to you, Lieutenant, ah…”
“I’ll never put cat ears on the Lieutenant again.”
“Never again, Lieutenant… It was just to match your hair, that’s all…”
Smack, smack, smack! For a while, only the noisy sound of skin slapping filled the air. Yeon-woo, now gritting his teeth in sheer defiance, held back his moans and clutched tightly at Seo-joon’s hips. Overwhelmed by the intense stimulation, Seo-joon furrowed his brow and let out a shaky breath. As he bent forward to find Yeon-woo’s lips, Yeon-woo’s arms wrapped tightly around him.
In an instant, their positions flipped. Grabbing one of Seo-joon’s legs, Yeon-woo thrust his hips down and plunged deep inside. The black ears on his head quivered atop his breathless panting.
“You’re too much, Lieutenant… Hngh, ahh, you’re really too much…”
For many reasons, it was something neither of them would forget.
Two days before their return home, an urgent message arrived from the U.S. government. It was news of another No-Named death.
Seo-joon, who had been sitting alone at a parasol table on a quiet beach, glanced at Eric as he came to sit beside him.
「There are only three left now.」
Eric spoke in a somber tone. Excluding the Federative Republic of Brazil, which had agreed to cooperate with the U.S. on gate research, only one remained.
「There was a time when just knowing that people like me existed somewhere in the world was a comfort. But now, even that’s almost over, Jun.」
With his arms crossed and leaning back in his chair, Eric stared out at the gently rippling turquoise sea. Seo-joon couldn’t guess what he might be feeling right now.
“…Are you worried?”
No matter how indifferent someone might be, it was hard to treat this kind of situation lightly.
「Worried? Not at all.」
Eric shrugged with a faint smile at Seo-joon’s question. He said that in the U.S., the perception of gates had long shifted from disasters to subjects of scientific study.
In truth, the problem was that the gates appeared regardless of time or place—but if enough space and safety were secured, they were the ideal subjects for observing unknown black holes.
「But I just don’t get it. Why do they all make such foolish choices…」
Seo-joon gazed calmly out at the sea. After all, he was one of those people who had made such a foolish choice.
「Isn’t it irresponsible?」
Eric asked then. Seo-joon furrowed his brow slightly and turned to look at him. Perhaps thinking that Seo-joon hadn’t understood, Eric elaborated.
「I just don’t understand why they give up so easily. Don’t those people have families? Friends?」
He continued speaking, his expression one of genuine incomprehension.
「How can they throw all that away? Sure, I get that it’s the easiest and most convenient option. But still…」
“Easy?”
Seo-joon cut him off. The faint warmth that had been in his eyes as he looked at Eric vanished. Sometimes, words are all the more cruel when they lack malice.
“You think their choice was easy?”
「Well, I mean… to a degree.」
Eric replied, flustered and stammering. It was exactly this that had long made Seo-joon feel they could perhaps be colleagues, but never true friends. Maybe they had started as the same kind of beings, but in environment, mindset, and worldview, there was an irreconcilable difference between them.
It hadn’t been easy. Never, for anyone.
Seo-joon, who had once nearly drowned in that wretched, horrifying pit of self-loathing, understood the towering wall each of the now-vanished No-Nameds must have faced.
And he also understood what kind of resolve it took to let go of the “precious things” Eric spoke of.
“…Just happened to fall on this vast continent by luck.”
Seo-joon spoke in a low voice after a long silence, eyes still on the sea.
“Just happened to be passing through a place where most of the people were white, so you were lucky enough to wear a white skin. Lucky enough to catch the eye of an upper-class white family and live a life of abundance. For someone like you, Eric, someone like that—maybe a ‘real choice’ was actually possible.”
「…」
Eric’s mouth parted slightly in surprise. He looked like he wanted to object but had no idea what to say.
“Not every No-Named lives in a fairy-tale world like you do. Sergey in Russia was abandoned in the freezing snow for more than half a day. Libya had to constantly worry about the neighboring countries’ opinions.”
If it hadn’t been for the miracle born of Cha Yeon-woo’s recklessness, Eric’s own situation might have looked very different. He too might have stood at the same fork in the road someday. And the former Deputy Director of IGTS might have been remembered not as an international criminal but as a hero of humanity.
Seo-joon looked at Eric with disinterest. People born on higher ground often fail to notice something critically important.
Someone’s recklessness, someone’s blind sacrifice, someone’s sense of duty—those so-called foolish and irresponsible choices came together to make the miracle they now enjoyed, and Eric Donovan would never truly understand that.
“I don’t wish for you to be cornered like them, Eric. I’m not asking you to feel guilty. But at the very least, don’t say their choices were easy.”
Eric opened and closed his mouth for a long time, then fell silent. In the distance, Yeon-woo was approaching them. As Seo-joon began to rise, Eric spoke in a low voice.
「…Sorry.」
After that brief apology, he looked as if he wanted to say more but shut his mouth again. Seo-joon left him behind and walked away.
The private jet preparing for the return trip had completed its flight checks. A few researchers who had come a long way to see off the SAU team, along with Hee-min, were already waiting.
Eric, who had just finished hugging and saying goodbye to the SAU members, handed out gifts packed full for everyone. He walked up to Jeong-woo, who was holding Yeon-woo’s hand, and handed him a stuffed toy, smiling as he embraced the child.
Eric and Rachel, who had a particular fondness for children, knew how to make Jeong-woo happy even without sharing a common language. At first, Jeong-woo had been shy around foreigners, but he’d eventually opened up enough to warmly snuggle into Eric’s arms.
“Thank you.”
Yeon-woo also exchanged a light hug with him. Eric smiled and held up his wrist. Wrapped beneath an expensive limited-edition watch was a braided bracelet they’d all bought together at Disney World.
Eric, who had a special affection for Seo-joon, Yeon-woo, and the rest of the SAU team, clearly treasured this token of their shared memories—especially since there was no telling when they might meet again.
With a small laugh, Yeon-woo asked if he still wore that thing. The bracelet, with its colorful character charms, was a bit flashy for everyday wear. Eric, smiling, said something that might’ve been a joke—or not.
「Of course. I’ll swallow it down and keep it safe in my stomach.」
“…”
Yeon-woo frowned slightly, a curious expression on his face. Eric asked brightly:
「What’s wrong?」
Choosing his words carefully, unsure how to phrase it in English, Yeon-woo responded slowly:
「It’s just… Lieutenant used to say things like that a lot, too.」
“Oh,” Eric muttered softly, then tapped Yeon-woo on the arm.
「No-Named habit.」
Leaning in as if to share a secret, he explained:
「If there’s something precious we absolutely can’t lose, we swallow it. It’s the only way we can feel at ease. Things like wedding rings or field equipment. Especially when there’s no place to store them right away.」
Spreading his hands, he wiggled his fingers and added, 「I mean, our bodies are basically slimes, right?」