SOG Ch 196 Side Story

It was a day in September, two seasons after the District 5 incident, when the Union citizens were gradually returning to their normal lives.

In the early dawn, with a cool breeze flowing through a corner of the open window, a phone alarm disturbed the two people sleeping side by side. Jae-chan, who had been practically living at Woo-jin’s house instead of the guide dormitory for the past few days, lifted his eyelids with a slight tremor.

“Ugh…”

As he reached out fumblingly for the alarm, the sheet slipped down, revealing his smooth naked body. Woo-jin, equally unclothed, embraced Jae-chan from behind. He stroked Jae-chan’s chest and stomach with his large palm, and while gripping his bent bare knee, asked:

“What time is it?”

“6:30…”

Jae-chan answered while hazily acknowledging the habitual caressing touch. He pushed the phone away after turning off the alarm and turned around to embrace Woo-jin’s broad chest.

Jae-chan, who had been savoring the sweet laziness in Woo-jin’s encompassing embrace, gradually started stretching to prepare to get up. As Woo-jin followed, raising his large upper body drowsily, he grabbed Jae-chan who was busy loosening his neck.

“Did you do your eye correction exercises yesterday?”

“Hmm… it’s gotten much better already.”

Wouldn’t it be okay to skip just one day? Jae-chan playfully responded while wiggling his caught wrist, but Woo-jin spoke in a firm voice.

“You’re preparing for the exam these days, right? Your eyes will be strained, so you should be more diligent.”

Jae-chan’s eyes widened at Woo-jin’s unexpected words.

“How did you know?”

It was something he had decided impulsively recently, and he hadn’t even submitted the application yet. He had been meaning to tell Woo-jin, but he had completely forgotten about it while being absorbed in their passionate physical relationship all weekend.

“Did you hear it from Gyeong Chang-hyun?”

Despite Jae-chan’s question, Woo-jin just smiled quietly, his long eyes still carrying traces of sleep.

In fact, the source of information was different. Woo-jin recalled his conversation with Chae Seong-hwan yesterday afternoon in the fitness room.

‘About Guide Seon, it seems like he’ll take the Intelligence Bureau transfer exam. He applied for my field lecture? He’s always had some ambition for that kind of work.’

The impact of the District 5 incident had far-reaching consequences beyond destabilizing the president’s authority.

As the importance of national security became prominent, several lectures targeting Center workers were established as an extension of the previous year’s anti-terrorism training. In particular, the lectures conducted by Chae Seong-hwan were popular among Espers and Guides aiming for transfer to higher departments. Naturally, those targeting employment at the Intelligence Bureau, which had recently posted recruitment notices, also considered Chae Seong-hwan’s lectures essential.

‘I heard he also registered as a multi-Guide. Anyone can see it’s an ambitious move. Everyone who needs to know is aware that Han Tae-hoon is trying to fill the Intelligence Bureau with his own people and support them.’

While listening to Chae Seong-hwan’s voice, Woo-jin recalled the occasional stories he heard about Jae-chan’s time before regression. Though the pieces of the past he was collecting like lost puzzle pieces weren’t complete, he knew that Jae-chan had worked for the Intelligence Bureau for a considerable period.

Even without registering as a multi-guide, Jae-chan had entered the Intelligence Bureau based on his personal abilities alone. His acceptance could probably be considered a foregone conclusion. And Woo-jin was secretly displeased with this fact.

It would be dangerous.

He hoped Jae-chan wouldn’t join the Intelligence Bureau. If he had his way, he’d prevent him from even setting foot in the examination hall.

However, he couldn’t force his lover’s career choices. Woo-jin hid his true feelings and raised his hand with familiarity.

“Come on. Look at me.”

They began the simple myopia correction exercise. It was vision training that had been taught by the specialist who had treated Jae-chan. In the soft morning light, Jaehan’s dark brown irises glowed faintly, as though kissed by threads of sunlight. They darted fluidly, following Woo-jin’s fingertips.

Couldn’t Jae-chan just stay like this? Safe in his embrace. Woo-jin thought while gently stroking the small scar remaining above Jae-chan’s eye.

After finishing the vision exercise that took about five minutes, he playfully tapped Jae-chan’s round nose tip. Jae-chan bit his finger in playful retaliation. A smile tugged at Woo-jin’s eyes.

Their light teasing soon turned into tickling.

“Ah, Woo-jin, wait! Haha, that tickles!”

When the tickling moved from his sides and armpits to his bare chest, Jae-chan burst out laughing. Woo-jin deliberately pressed against Jae-chan. As their bare limbs tangled and their sensitive heated parts touched, Jae-chan flinched.

Their gazes met again.

Woo-jin’s pitch-black eyes slowly closed and opened. Though it had started impulsively, in that moment he genuinely wanted to be closer to Jae-chan. He caressed Jae-chan’s chest, which was still rising and falling rapidly. His n1pple, surprisingly soft no matter how many times he touched it, was slightly crushed under his fingertip.

“…”

Meanwhile, Jae-chan was somewhat taken aback by the skinship that was clearly different from the previous playful touches that only induced tickling.

The passionate situation from last night was coming back to his mind. The image of Woo-jin handling him so skillfully and himself melting like ice cream under the scorching sun beneath him. The voice that kept exclaiming ‘good, so good,’ constantly urging Woo-jin on, seemed to overlap in his ears.

“…Let’s get up.”

Jae-chan said in a voice that was tightly constrained. He quickly wriggled out from beneath Woo-jin’s broad chest, which had been covering him, and raised his voice.

“It’s time for our run. And I need to go to the Center later.”

Woo-jin slightly raised his eyebrow. Jae-chan was supposed to be off duty until today. The reason he needed to go to the Center was probably because of the Intelligence Bureau selection exam. After all, Chae Seong-hwan’s lecture was today.

Jae-chan noticed that Woo-jin was displeased about something.

“Hurry. We’ll be late.”

He gently grabbed and pulled Woo-jin’s hand. Despite the tickling of his palm, Woo-jin was reluctant to get up, showing his displeasure. While others might not notice, Jae-chan could detect the sullen mood beneath that calm, handsome face.

Oh my, what a lovely man.

Perhaps it was love’s rose-colored glasses, but even his sulking face looked the most beautiful in the world. Jae-chan held Woo-jin’s cheeks and softly kissed his straight nose bridge and red lips. After receiving those ticklish kisses, even Woo-jin couldn’t help but smile.

*

The Seorae riverside, wet from last night’s rain, was filled with fresh, moist air.

Under the clear blue sky where dark clouds had retreated, the grass carpet glowed with dewdrops like a green velvet. Gray-blue benches dotted the area under the straight bridge, and in the distance, the newly renovated Universal Bridge showed off its platinum grandeur.

Jae-chan and Woo-jin were running on the wet pavement where puddles reflected the sky. They shared Bluetooth earphones, one bud each.

The playlist alternated between songs they had recently agreed upon. While bantering with Woo-jin about whose music was better, Jae-chan stopped at a curve in the path.

It was because Gyeong Chang-hyun had unusually sent a message early in the morning.

[Heeeyy]

[Save me a seat at the lecture later]

[Neboss is being such a bomer…

7:14 AM]

Judging by the complaints about the boss, it seemed he had another conflict with the new team leader. The worse-than-usual typos suggested he’d been working all night.

After sending a quick acknowledgment, Jae-chan suddenly realized something was off about the music in his ear.

His favorite dance track had been sneakily skipped, replaced by destructive electric guitar sounds. Looking for the culprit, his eyes met Woo-jin’s playful gaze.

“Change it back quickly, okay?”

Jae-chan protested as he lunged forward, but Woo-jin just smiled and absolutely refused to change it. After being momentarily captivated by that elegant smile, Jae-chan kept removing and reinserting his wireless earbud to disrupt the music. Of course, this led to retaliation—a tickle attack from Woo-jin. Jae-chan was caught from behind and even had his ear bitten.

They were close enough to feel each other’s skin heated from the cardio exercise.

Suddenly, Jae-chan perceived all of Woo-jin’s actions as if in slow motion – from his curved eyes making contact to the way he gently embraced him from behind.

“…”

Jae-chan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The tension he had faced in bed just half an hour ago was cornering him again.

Actually, the reason they started jogging every morning was because of Jae-chan.

‘Want to exercise together in the morning?’

Usually, he needed to run 5 days a week to feel satisfied, and his routine was getting disrupted from staying over at Woo-jin’s house more often… that was the surface reason.

The real reason was that he was becoming too… lustful.

Nights were one thing, but lately they’d been having s3x in the mornings too. Sometimes it wasn’t even just simple petting – he would accept Woo-jin right after waking up.

It wasn’t a problem for Woo-jin. He had enough self-control to stop immediately if Jae-chan showed any hesitation.

The problem was Jae-chan himself. Once he started pulling Woo-jin closer because he enjoyed it too much, he wouldn’t stop until they went all the way. He would become desperate enough to want penetration.

While he’d long since lost any resistance to being penetrated by Woo-jin specifically, the idea that he might become addicted to being penetrated was shocking. Jae-chan had never known he was so vulnerable to pleasure.

‘Or maybe not. Maybe he’s the problem?’

Jae-chan slipped out of Woo-jin’s embrace and looked up at the face of the man he loved.