M 9

Sehwa closed and opened his heavy eyes. Was it because of the continuous slaps on his cheeks? The cold tile floor now felt lukewarm.​

The men faithfully followed the orders of their superior. They soaped his body as if to peel away his skin, and a continuous stream of water was directed at him. The hose here was designed for cleaning purposes and had much stronger pressure than a regular shower head. As a result, it hurt a lot… and surprisingly, that was all.

Customers who purchased the drug appeared to be ecstatic that Sehwa thought it would be something great. But that wasn’t the case. It was just as painful as a sharp sting against his overly sensitive skin. Sehwa lay motionless on the ground, waiting for the effects of the drug to wear off.

When he was hit by the torrent of water for the first time, he had involuntarily reached orgasm. Not because he wanted to, but because it was inevitable. It felt as though massive hands were twisting and squeezing his entire body. He didn’t just release semen; tears streamed down his face, and even stomach acid surged up as he vomited, nearly choking him to death.

He had been scared that he might beg them to let him be fucked by them or be frightened enough to do so, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Perhaps his body was so unresponsive due to the drugs. Given that even items meant for use in the military were less effective when applied to his body.

Anyway, how much time has passed? The postures of the men who had been standing like statues were beginning to show some signs of disturbance, so it seemed to have been quite a while… From the beginning, the duration of the aphrodisiac wasn’t that long. Actually, all drugs were like that. Both the high and the crash occurred in an instant, and it was a principle to constantly seek something stronger.

The drug’s effects seemed to have worn off by now, and even though Ki Tae-jeong must have known that even from the outside, he still had no word. Ki Tae-jeong had subjected him to violence he had never experienced before, even forcing him to taste the drug. Was he now suggesting he experienced a kind of torture he hadn’t before?

“…So.”

Perhaps reading his thoughts, the voice from outside grew noticeably closer. The men who had been quite comfortable, tapping his legs, suddenly stiffened their postures. Although he could only see their boots, he could feel the tension in their bodies.

“But Brigadier…”​

Lieutenant Park’s words of concern weren’t allowed to continue. Even though he couldn’t see the expression Ki Tae-jeong was wearing, he could tell he was making Lieutenant Park uneasy.

“Just get out.”

The sound of water splashing as they kicked the accumulated water on the ground couldn’t be more synchronized. Despite the men’s controlled demeanor, he was the only one soaked by the overturned water.

Now that he thought about it, he had been involved with water a lot today. Earlier it was the water from the warehouse. Now he was being cleansed and victimized by the bathroom tiles. Who was it, Maejo? He had warned him that bad things would happen if he got close to water. Looking at it now, that wasn’t completely wrong.

“Get up.”

Ki Tae-jeong, who had walked heavily, kicked him again. Unlike before, it wasn’t a relentless assault like before, but just a gentle nudge to get up. However, it still hurt.

“Stop being so dramatic. I know the effects of the drug have worn off.”

Sehwa wriggled and tried to get himself up. Ki Tae-jeong was a person who could grind his face against the ground if he wanted to. He didn’t want to literally stick his face in a plate of water and die.

“I’ve thought about it, and I want to make an offer to you.”

Suppressing a nearly reflexive hollow laugh, Sehwa bit his lip. An offer? Every time someone approached with such words, it had never turned out well. Even just dealing with Lieutenant Kim had ended up like this.

“What Lieutenant Kim promised…”

Sehwa managed to raise his head with great effort. Thanks to the cheap incandescent light, he couldn’t open his eyes properly. While squinting in the spreading light, he waited for Ki Tae-jeong to continue… but Ki Tae-jeong remained silent.

What’s going on? Sehwa hesitantly opened his eyes. Ki Tae-jeong was still standing there, looking down at him. However, because of the light shining in his eyes, it was difficult to read his expression.

Sehwa, who had been hesitant, whimpered like a dog unable to stand up and shook off the water. Perhaps his wet hair was sticking to his head like wet seaweed, making it hard to hear. Missing Ki Tae-jeong’s words would definitely be disadvantageous to him. Since they would undoubtedly twist his words around if he tried to argue. So he was making an effort to appeal, even though it seemed pathetic. Actually, the quickest way would be to raise his wet hair with his hand, steal a glance at Ki Tae-jeong’s face, and continue talking. But the handcuffs on his wrists were too heavy, and he couldn’t summon the strength to move even a finger. Although the arousal effect was gone, he would remain in this lethargic state for a few more hours.

​“…”​

After observing Sehwa’s behavior for a while, Ki Tae-jeong moved slowly. The way he put one knee on the ground was similar to when he had put the plate with the drug earlier.

“I’m still…”

Sehwa’s voice trailed off as he offered excuses hesitantly. Glancing at him cautiously, Sehwa bit his lips, suppressing his words. He couldn’t understand why his words and actions had provoked Ki Tae-jeong so much. Ki Tae-jeong had completely wiped away his earlier smile, and his expression had hardened as he stared at Sehwa. Even if he wanted to apologize, he couldn’t figure out why Ki Tae-jeong was so angry. Not wanting to provoke the dangerous man any further, Sehwa remained quiet, exhaling softly as he lowered his gaze.

“Ugh…!”​

Ki Tae-jeong’s large hand reached out and grabbed Sehwa’s face. The grip was so firm it felt like it could pierce through his cheek.

“I wondered why you were putting that on your face…”​

The palms rubbing here and there were rough. After hesitantly offering some apologies for his rough touch, Sehwa could hear Ki Tae-jeong snort as if he found something amusing. Then, in a sudden movement, Ki Tae-jeong grabbed his chin. Sehwa couldn’t fathom why Ki Tae-jeong was so interested in his face. All that had happened was that he had removed the tanning spray that had covered his skin. He couldn’t understand what was so intriguing about it.

“Um…”

Sehwa finally spoke first. The heavy silence had become unbearable. However, when he tried to address the situation,

​“…”​

Sehwa had called out first but found it difficult to continue speaking after meeting his cold and dark gaze fixed on him.

“What is it?”

…What do you mean? That was what he wanted to say. He didn’t want to provoke Ki Tae-jeong in this situation. But the way he was staring at him as if he was about to kill him, despite the fact that he was in a vulnerable position… what was the proposal he wanted to make to him, and was it even possible to negotiate in this situation?

“Hey. I told you, I don’t like it when people peeking at me like that.”

“It’s not like that… You mentioned you had an offer for me…”​

Who peeks anyway? Suppressing the desire to act insolently, Sehwa awkwardly smiled. Ki Tae-jeong’s piercing gaze passed through Sehwa’s damp forehead and wet cheek. Sehwa’s best attempt to raise the corners of his mouth twitched awkwardly. Ki Tae-jeong’s wandering gaze awkwardly settled around Sehwa’s sealed lips for a moment. That moment, which probably lasted only a few seconds, felt like an eternity.

And the moment he lifted his eyelids. Sehwa moved backward without even realizing it. In the end, it was just a feeble resistance given the tightly restrained situation, but Ki Tae-jeong’s neat eyebrows quivered lightly as if he couldn’t tolerate such a trivial act.

Sehwa thought he would suffocate, so he unconsciously took a deep breath. And then. Ki Tae-jeong reached out his hand again as if Sehwa’s trembling breath was a signal. It was a surprise. Sehwa crumpled helplessly within his grasp. His vision spun rapidly. He felt as if he had been prey to a colossal black bird of prey with sharp and massive talons.​

Ki Tae-jeong hoisted Sehwa up like a sack and forcefully pushed open the bathroom door. Sehwa’s limp body was surprisingly heavy. No, it was indeed heavy with water soaking through. But he didn’t seem to care as he called out for Lieutenant Park without hesitation. ​

“Where did the guys who were guarding this a moment ago go?”

“We sent them out due to a shortage of reconnaissance personnel. Should I call them back?”

“Forget it. There’s no need to turn the conversation around. Just handle it on your own.”

“… Yes?”​

“I’m not going to kill them… If they lose an eye or a tongue, they’ll manage their way out on their own.”

Sehwa only blinked his eyes while still drooping like laundry. What did that mean? If they were the guys guarding him… it seemed like he was referring to the ones who washed him. Wasn’t that his subordinate? But to ask for an eye or a tongue to be removed?​

“Brigadier.”

Lieutenant Park hurriedly followed Ki Tae-jeong. Sehwa’s eyes rolled around on his shoulders. Unconsciously, he was about to grasp Ki Tae-jeong’s clothes. Or maybe he should cling to his back. The strength he was holding was stable, but he felt uneasy about when Ki Tae-jeong would let him go.

“Brigadier, the words you just said… Ah.”​

Lieutenant Park, who had been spewing words like a gun, shut his mouth as if stepping on the brakes. Ki Tae-jeong turned back briefly in response to this abrupt change in attitude. Lieutenant Park had a slightly dazed expression on his face as he looked at Ki Tae-jeong’s body, or more specifically at Sehwa, who was dangling limply. Sehwa, who had been floundering on his own, also raised his head at the unusual silence. Ki Tae-jeong, who was alternately looking at Sehwa, and Lieutenant Park, who was staring at him in a daze, cursed again. It wasn’t just any curse; it was a rather vulgar and derogatory choice of words.