RAT Chapter 6 (Part 3)

He stopped undressing me for a moment and simply looked at me. Then, suddenly, he bit down on my shoulder, harder this time.

“Don’t pretend you’re fine when you’re obviously nervous.”

“What, is that your thing?”

“……”

Still laughing, still breathing unevenly, I reached out and pulled him into an embrace. The feeling of our bare skin touching was uncomfortable—almost unbearable—but somehow, I managed to endure it.

“Eden, I’m scared.”

“……”

“I feel like I’m going insane.”

“……”

“…Make it so I can’t think about anything. Please?”

I whispered the words softly, rubbing my cheek against his neck, and I heard him click his tongue before letting out a short, amused laugh.

“—Like this?”

“Hyung.”

“Yeah. Should I… do a bit more?”

“Why do you still not know what I like?”

Before I could ask why I was even supposed to know that, my pants and underwear were pulled down all at once. Despite the dead-of-winter chill, his hands were so warm it almost felt hot as they slowly slid from my waist down to my hips.

When I gave a small smile, as if telling him to do whatever he wanted, Eden chuckled softly too and tilted his head toward me as he slowly pulled down his own underwear.

“I just… like Park Yeoul. That’s my type.”

Even after all the kissing and teasing banter, Eden’s penis was still standing just as firm as it had been at the start.

His tone pretended to be relaxed, but he was clearly aroused—his tip twitched slightly, glistening with pre-cum.

Noticing my gaze fixed on it, Eden spread his thighs a little wider, as if to show it off. The movement made his fully erect length sway slightly, but it didn’t droop at all.

“Isn’t there something wrong with your tastes?”

“Why? Hyung has a pretty dick.”

“…Could you say it nicely?”

“Why should I? I’ve said it so often it’s basically a habit—”

“…Ugh.”

“You don’t even sleep with me that often…”

Then he grabbed my hand and wrapped it around both our penises together, covering it with his own hand and starting to stroke them at once.

Because of the pre-cum dripping from Eden’s tip, every stroke made a slick, wet sound as our skin slid together.

The quiet room filled with the noise of skin rubbing and Eden’s ragged breathing.

Not long after, I felt his grip tighten around our hands—and then he came, for a surprisingly long time.

Even while coming, Eden didn’t stop moving his hand, and the thick fluid ended up smeared over both of our penises before he finally stopped.

He stared at mine, which had barely gotten half-hard from the physical stimulation, and then lifted my hand—now sticky and glistening with his um.

“…Hyung, will you suck it?”

“Are you insane?”

“Haha… Yeah. Probably more than you think.”

When I frowned, Eden just smiled, like he’d expected it, and began licking my fingers.

Starting from the tips, his tongue traced between each finger, then down to the hollow of my palm.

He never looked away from me as he licked slowly, then took my thumb into his mouth and sucked on it hard.

“Just do it. Even if you do, anyway…”

I never finished saying I can’t go, because Eden bit down on the thumb he’d been sucking.

I winced, and he licked over the spot he’d bitten several times. I could see the saliva glistening as it slid from between his lips.

When I finally pulled my hand free with some force, Eden licked his slightly swollen lips—then caught my wrist again.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah.”

“Didn’t I tell you earlier?”

“…What did you say?”

Even as I spoke, Eden was still licking between my fingers. My voice came out uneasy as I asked, and he met my eyes while dragging his tongue slowly along the inside of my palm.

“My type is Park Yeoul.”

“…Yeah, you did say that.”

“Then shouldn’t I get to decide how I want to eat you?”

—Why the hell does it get to be your choice when I’m the one getting eaten, you time-looping bastard?

Instead of saying what I was really thinking, I just let out a small sigh and closed my eyes.

“…Yeah, do whatever you want. Fine.”

And if you’re going to eat me, then at least chew me up properly—then toss me away neatly when you’re done.

Please.

---

Because I’d been awake for over twenty-four hours, even the dim lighting stung my eyes.

—So Eden really hadn’t turned off the lights, just like he said.

We’d started in the pitch-black hours of dawn, and it continued all the way until the pale winter sun crept into the late morning sky. Turning off the lights wouldn’t have made much difference by then…

Still, I stopped thinking about meaningless things and blinked slowly. My eyes felt gritty, like sand had gotten in them.

Around this time lately, we’d usually be getting up and ready for practice. Someone must be awake by now.

With Eden wrapped around my waist like he was sleeping, I gently pushed him off and sat up.

He was probably pretending to sleep, thinking I’d kick him out to his own room. But if that had been my plan from the start, I wouldn’t have told him to sleep here.

When his hand reached toward me like a child refusing to wake up, I caught it and laid it back down.

Then, pressing lightly between my brows out of habit, I watched Eden turn away with a quiet sigh.

“…If you’re leaving, then just go,” he said in a low, sleep-rough voice.

For someone who couldn’t stop looking at me the entire time we were having sex, he sounded surprisingly cold now.

Not that it mattered—he’d made it painfully obvious he was sulking the moment he turned away.

While biting down on my lip to stifle a laugh, I saw him burrow completely under the covers, maybe sensing something in the silence.

I frowned instinctively at the sight of his still-damp body disappearing under the blanket, then gave the lump of emotion wrapped in sheets a light pat on the back.

There’s no winning if I say something to that useless blanket now and end up ruining the moment.

“You do remember this is my room, right?”

“…Is that really important right now?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“……”

He was tense all over, his back rigid under the covers. I slowly ran my hand down along it and whispered softly.

This room used to be where I worked on music—not a full studio, but it had decent soundproofing.

“Eden.”

“……”

“—Just one hour. No, two. Want to sleep a little more?”

“…Get out.”

“Mm, good boy.”

I could feel him trembling slightly beneath the thick winter blanket, but I pretended not to notice and kept stroking his back a few more times.

What I felt guilty about when it came to Eden—this wasn’t about that.

And even if it was, I had no intention of taking back the choice I’d already made just because I felt bad.

Eden knew that too, of course.

I turned away and picked up a shirt lying somewhere on the floor. Then, with a small sigh, I let it fall back down.

The cool air on my bare skin made me shiver a little, but I didn’t want to put on anything—especially not clothes from the day before, not without a shower.

Behind me, I heard Eden’s voice.

It was so low I almost missed it.

“…If I… —if I told you I believed it?”

“Huh? What?”

“If I told you I’m in love with you, hyung—”

I couldn’t afford to ruin everything for a fleeting moment of amusement.

If Eden actually got pissed and decided to go nuclear, he might just drop a sequel to the fountain pen incident.

And this time, he wouldn’t be the one bringing me the pen. It could be even worse.

I opened the door and stepped out, casually waving a hand behind me, even though I knew he couldn’t see it.

“Yeah. Love you too, hyung.”

—And the moment I stepped out and closed the door, I locked eyes with Jin Yoorim, who was standing right there.

“……”

“……”

The sun hadn’t fully risen yet, so a faint shadow fell across Jin Yoorim’s face, making his expressionless features look almost like a painting.

He stared at me with that unreal face, gaze slowly drifting—from my shoulder, to my torso, then just a little lower.

I didn’t need to look to know what kind of state my shoulder was in—Eden had really gone to town on it.

And my stomach, which I hadn’t even bothered to wipe down yet because I’d planned to shower right away? That went without saying.

Truth was, I meant for it to be seen.

From the start, telling Eden to sleep over was about letting Jin Yoorim see it.

That’s why I even silently cursed Eden for choosing my shoulder over my neck, grumbling in my head about how he only acts like an idol at the worst possible times.

…So this isn’t an excuse—really, I hadn’t planned to take it this far.

Caught off guard, I gave an awkward smile and used my hand to cover myself as best I could.

Yoorim’s gaze slowly rose from where it had been fixed and settled on my face again.

“You love him?”

“……”

“You said you love him too?”

His voice sounded like he was asking something totally ordinary, but there was a rawness to it that didn’t match the casual tone.

…I thought he’d cry.

Then again, while I’ve been looping through regression, maybe the other regressors have been looping too.

Of course he wouldn’t be the same as before.

Like a big brother caught by his younger sibling with a lover, I gave an awkward, sheepish smile and tilted my head.

“Uh, yeah. Didn’t sleep?”

“…You think you did?”

Jin Yoorim mirrored my head tilt, then repeated my words like he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

And then—he smiled.

Brightly.

It was the kind of perfect, dazzling smile that sent chills down my spine, so much so that I instinctively took a step back and nearly bumped into the door.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah.”

“While I was standing here… waiting for that door to open—what do you think I was thinking about?”

“Yoorim-ah, I’m sorry but… do I need to know that?”

“Oh, right. You don’t need to know.”

Still smiling, he reached out and pressed his fingertips firmly into my shoulder.

“…You really don’t need to know, hyung.”

At first, it felt like he was just pressing down.

But as Jin Yoorim kept muttering to himself, his fingers began to dig in harder.

Then, as if he meant to gouge it out entirely, he started scraping at my skin with his nails.

I could’ve pushed him away easily if I wanted to.

But I just stood there, looking at him.

Only after drawing blood with those blunt, untrimmed nails did Yoorim finally let go of the pressure in his fingers.

Even then, his trembling hand continued to brush over the spot a few more times.

And as if just seeing blood on my shoulder wasn’t enough, he brought his lips to his own mouth and started biting down.

I let out a quiet sigh and reached up to tap gently at his lips with my fingers.

“Jin Yoorim.”

“…Yeah.”

“What do you want to know?”

“……”

“Say it clearly, Jin Yoorim.”

“…If I ask clearly, will you actually answer me?”

That was when he finally started crying.

And I found myself feeling… complicated.

Sure, this was the outcome I’d planned.

But even for me—dying like this felt a little much.
If nothing else… I wondered if I could at least wash away the traces still clinging to my body.

My eyes flicked toward the bathroom door just a few meters away, then I let out a quiet sigh.

Well, too late for that now.

“Yoorim.”

“…Yeah.”

“Are you wondering if I really love Eden?”

“……”

“Whether it’s real—or just me being my usual, messed-up self?”

“……”

“Or maybe… you’re wondering if I actually cum— ngh…!”

I couldn’t finish the sentence.

Still crying, Yoorim shook his head sharply, as if he didn’t want to hear another word—then his hands closed around my neck.

No, more than that—he was squeezing. Hard.

“—Hyung.”

“……”

“Don’t you wonder how far I can go?”

“……”

“…Why don’t you get it yet?”

There was a sharp sound—like something breaking.

I didn’t think I blinked, but my vision kept going black in flashes, only to snap back again.

“—! ——!”

My hand, which had been holding the doorknob shut to keep it from opening, gradually lost strength.

Indistinct sounds echoed through the crack of the door as it shook in its frame.

…This is the problem with Eden.

I told him to sleep for two more hours, but he never listens—even when I gave him my body to keep him quiet.

If it had been Jin Yoorim, he’d have started counting the second I told him two hours.

“Hyung, you don’t have to go this far… I’ll do anything.”

“……”

“I’m your dog, aren’t I?”

With that whispered in my ear, everything finally went dark.

—And then, just like that, I opened my eyes again.

…Of course I knew I’d restart.

But even so, I blinked a few times, trying to shake off the strange feeling I couldn’t quite put into words.

Sliding a hand under the pillow, I reached for my phone to check the time.

I had no idea when I was right now, but hopefully, this round would go a bit smoother than the last.

After completely wrecking whatever fragile alliance Jin Yoorim and Eden had been pretending to have, I couldn’t even begin to guess what state the group would be in…

Wait—

Are these… handcuffs?