UPLB Ch 2

“From now on, come where I tell you to come. Not a crappy place like this.”

📝

Take care.

“What’s this?”

Choi Sungbin did not check the text message from Yang Juwon until the following afternoon. He had only one major class that day, so he went to school later than usual.

Take care. The two stiff words revealed his personality. He had no intention of replying, so he dismissed the message indifferently.

“……”

He looked out the window to check the weather. The view across the river showed that the weather was clear again today.

The twenty-pyeong apartment with a view of the Han River was excessively expensive for a university student to live in alone. He had lived here alone since he was in high school. It was a studio-style apartment with the bedroom separated by a sliding door, which was a relief; if it had had multiple rooms, he would not have chosen it.

Choi Sungbin liked the studio-style structure. It was convenient to be able to see the entire home at a glance, and having many rooms would have been difficult to manage.

The only people who came and went from the house were himself and the visiting housekeeper who came three times a week. He did not permit anyone else to visit. There was no particular reason. It was similar to how he did not get into relationships.

He did not want them to seep into his life. Enjoyable things were fine, but he disliked deep relationships. He had not met anyone worthy of it so far, anyway. And the other person would likely not want a lover like him either.

He packed his tablet PC into his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He rolled up his sleeves and sprayed on some perfume from the display stand. After spraying the C brand perfume, which was in a black bottle, alternately on his wrists and the back of his neck, he grabbed his phone and smart key.

📝

What are you doing?

What on earth is this guy? The next afternoon, another text message arrived from Yang Juwon. This time, he posed a question. Was the “Take care” text also sent to get a reply?

Yang Juwon, who he had expected to be nonchalant, was surprisingly being a nuisance.

Choi Sungbin, who was in the school’s reading room reading a major textbook for an assignment, tapped on the keypad with an uninterested face. If it had come through a messenger app, he would have left it on hold without reading it, but since it was sent as a text message, notifications kept popping up.

I’m in the reading room.

Have you eaten?

No.

I’ll buy you a meal. Want to come out?

I’m busy.

He thought it might be better to starve to death than to eat a meal alone with another man. Fortunately, no more replies came. It was not like he was waiting for one, so he did not feel uncomfortable or bothered.

About an hour later, having finished a good portion of his assignment, Choi Sungbin packed his things to go home.

For now, he planned to go home and rest for a bit. He would think about going out at night later. The people he met also varied depending on the occasion. When he packed his bag and came outside, it was bustling, unlike inside the reading room.

“……”

At first, Choi Sungbin did not recognize the man loitering near the reading room. He was about to let his gaze pass by without a thought when their eyes met, and the man strode over. He was a little surprised the moment the man blocked his path.

“Did you get a haircut?”

“You told me to.”

His bangs, which had been long enough to cover his eyes, were now shorter. His shaggy hair was also tidier than before.

His department jumper and damp jeans were the same, so it was not a huge change. He was still unfashionable, but it was better than before.

To think he actually cut his hair just because I told him to tidy up a bit. I can’t tell if he’s obedient or stupid.

“Here.”

The man held out a plastic bag. Choi Sungbin did not take the bag and asked.

“What is it?”

“Gimbap. For you to eat.”

“In the reading room?”

“You said you hadn’t eaten. And since you said you were busy, I bought it myself and brought it here.”

He’s something else. As Choi Sungbin stared at the man with a reluctant expression, he nudged his hand, urging him. Choi Sungbin took the bag. He had expected it to contain only one or two rolls at most, but it was surprisingly heavy.

“Thank you.”

He smiled with his eyes and faced the man. Since he had cut his hair, their eyes met more often. He really does have a decent-looking face.

Yang Juwon, perhaps feeling awkward with his short hair, fiddled with the ends of his bangs.

“The haircut looks good on you. You should have kept it like that from the start.”

“Thanks.”

This man probably has no idea how unfashionable and grimy he looked before. I’d better not say anything. Choi Sungbin readjusted his grip on the bag.

“I’m going home now.”

“Okay. I’ll contact you.”

What’s with the contacting again. Feeling annoyed, he just waved his hand instead of replying.

📝

What are you doing?

The man contacted him again that night. Lying on his bed, Choi Sungbin tilted his head and glanced at the message without much care. He considered ignoring it but then sent a reply.

I’m at home.

In truth, he was not at home but at a hotel. A few days ago, he had ordered Yang Juwon to suck his dick, but today he was with someone else.

Choi Sungbin preferred going on dates with women. He enjoyed treating them, seeing them happy, exchanging intimate glances, and the thrilling tension of being desperate for physical contact.

Of course, Yang Juwon was convenient. He would suck if told to suck, and he would pull the blanket over his head if told to. Even so, he was a heterosexual. He was not attracted to men.

The bathroom door opened.

“Is there no robe? This is a bit embarrassing.”

A high-pitched voice came out along with heavy steam.

I’m at home too. What do you usually do at home?

He was contacting him as if they were in some kind of special relationship just because he had sucked him off once. Choi Sungbin placed his phone face down on the nightstand. He sat up from his slouched position and said.

“What’s there to be embarrassed about. You can just come out.”

📝

Choi Sungbin, who had dropped off the woman he spent the night with and returned home only in the morning, had his gaze fall on the black plastic bag on the island counter.

“Ah, right.”

He finally remembered the gimbap he had received from Yang Juwon. He had forgotten to put it in the refrigerator and had just gone out. Whether it had gone bad or not, he felt uneasy about eating something that had been left out at room temperature all night.

Coincidentally, today was the day the housekeeper was scheduled to come. He picked up the entire plastic bag and placed it in the sink. She was someone he had known since high school, so she knew his living habits well. She would clean up the kitchen on her own when the time came. He felt no sense of unease.

He had not been the one to ask for it; the other person had insisted on buying it. He had not been cold enough to ask why he bought such a thing, and he had not refused it either.

‘I accepted it, so isn’t that enough?’

There was no reason to feel sorry.

📝

“Did you enjoy it?”

The day would have been a bit more pleasant if he had not run into the man. Once he started noticing him, the man appeared all over campus.

Choi Sungbin’s range of activity was extremely narrow. He commuted by car and did not have any friends he properly hung out with on campus. Hyena and Seokjun were in different years, so their schedules did not overlap much.

Other than classes, he had no reason to be at school. At most, he was only at school for about three or four hours a day. But strangely, he kept running into Yang Juwon whenever he walked around.

“Pardon?”

Choi Sungbin did not understand what the man said and asked again.

“The gimbap.”

The man mumbled in a small voice. Ahh—. Only then did he remember. Right. He bought me gimbap. Of course, he hadn’t even touched it and had thrown it all away, so he had no memory of it.

Choi Sungbin lied smoothly.

“Yes. It was delicious.”

“It’s a famous place.”

“Did you ask just to get credit for it?”

It was a remark made half in jest and half as a rebuke, but Yang Juwon did not laugh.

“I said it to be funny.”

“Ah.”

He moved his lips as if to speak, then bit them. Choi Sungbin added.

“But why did you pack so much gimbap? One or two rolls would have been enough.”

“I bought two rolls of gimbap.”

He paused for a moment and glanced at the man from the corner of his eye. There was no way it was two rolls. They were all cylindrical shapes wrapped in foil, and it had felt too heavy to be just one or two rolls.

“I bought two rolls of gimbap and grilled rice cakes. They sold them with grain syrup.”

He should have said that from the beginning, instead of just mentioning gimbap and confusing me.

“Did you really eat it?”

At the cautiously asked question, Choi Sungbin turned to face Yang Juwon. The man asking about the gimbap somehow looked more anxious than he did.

Eventually, he smiled.

“I threw it away.”

“Huh?”

“I said I threw it away. I forgot to put it in the fridge.”

“Ah.”

“I pretended I ate it because I felt bad for throwing it away, so why are you probing? Did you want confirmation that I threw it away?”

Yang Juwon shook his head.

“No, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not like I asked you to buy it for me.”

“Right, I’m sorry.”

He was hearing the words “I’m sorry” with every reply. Ugh, he sighed inwardly out of frustration. The gaze he directed at the man turned cold.

Honestly, it was as good as ignoring his gesture, but he showed no reaction. That was a bit strange. Doesn’t he get annoyed?

He had felt nothing when he threw away the gimbap, but seeing him fidget and apologize made him feel uneasy again.

Surely he would not die just from eating one meal with a man. Of course, he had other business in mind. He tilted his head down and pretended to brush something off the man’s shoulder. There was nothing on it, though.

“Are you done with class?”

“Not yet.”

“What are you doing after?”

“Nothing. Why?”

“Buy me a meal. You said you would.”

“A meal?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. I understand.”

With his hair tidied up, the man’s expression was clearly visible. His slightly smiling face looked strange. He was not ugly, but he just looked strange. He looked like he would never smile, and yet he knew how.

“I’ll send you a text, so come over.”

Instead of answering, the man tucked his chin toward his body. He wanted to tell him to answer properly and promptly, but he held back because it felt like meddling.

📝

Ding—. At the short ring of the doorbell, Choi Sungbin opened the door. Yang Juwon, clutching his bag strap tightly, appeared through the crack.

In the awkward situation, he could not properly raise his head. At least his expression was visible now that his hair was cut. His eyes darted around, and his lips twitched. Not that it made a huge impression, though.

“Come in.”

As he swung the door open, the man hesitantly stepped inside. He could change into slippers or keep his shoes on, but he just stood still in front of the door.

‘Do I have to annoyingly explain every single thing?’

Choi Sungbin lifted his chin and pointed carelessly at the slippers.

“Change into those and come in.”

“Oh.”

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he watched what the man was doing. Leaning against the wall, he took off one shoe, slipped on a slipper, and then took off the other shoe. His movements were extremely slow.

“Do you even wash that jumper?”

The man was wearing the department jumper every time he saw him. It was a provocative question, but Yang Juwon replied with surprising nonchalance.

“I can’t wash it often. I have a washing machine, but it’s old and doesn’t wash well. It keeps making bubbles. I have to go to a laundromat or something.”

“I see.”

He told a boring story in a boring way.

After changing his shoes, the man approached, looking around.

“I don’t understand why you called me here when you said we should eat.”

“We can just eat here.”

Choi Sungbin brought out the room service menu. Honestly, he was not particularly craving anything, but he was curious to see his reaction.

“I’ll have the sandwich and fries set. What about you, sunbae?”

He closed the menu and passed it over. The man, who had been standing at a distance, now cautiously approached and checked the menu. Upon seeing the prices, his eyes widened for a moment, and Choi Sungbin almost burst out laughing.

Each menu item was only around 40,000 to 50,000 won. He wondered just how cheap of a meal the man had been planning to buy him to be this surprised.

“The food here is delicious. You should try some too, sunbae.”

“No, I’m fine. Just order yours.”

“Why?”

“Just because. I already ate at school.”

Ugh, so pathetic.

“Well, suit yourself.”

Getting up, Choi Sungbin familiarly dialed a number on the internal phone. He ordered the sandwich and fries menu.

About twenty minutes after ordering, the room service arrived. The food was placed on the table. While Yang Juwon was taking a card out of his phone case, the hotelier who had brought the serving cart had already left.

“Ah. What about the payment?”

Yang Juwon looked around with a blank expression. Choi Sungbin shrugged and pushed a french fry into his mouth.

“You pay at the front desk.”

“When we leave?”

“Yes.”

“Ahh……”

In reality, the payment was already complete. His card information had been entered when he signed the yearly contract. The amount was automatically deducted whenever he ordered room service.

He did not want to mess with him, but he did not feel like telling him either. Choi Sungbin did not correct the fact. Instead, he focused on his meal. He ate one of the sandwiches, which was cut in half, and picked at some fries.

He did not say things like, let’s eat together, or let’s order one more. He did not want to spend money on a man.

His claim of not eating seemed to be true, as Yang Juwon sat on the bed with his back completely turned.

After eating one more french fry, Choi Sungbin wiped his hands with the provided napkin. His hands felt sticky, so he went to the sink to wash them.

He washed his hands thoroughly and came back out. As he passed the bed, his eyes met the man’s the entire way. Seeing him sitting with his back straight for no reason got on his nerves. He started a fight without reason.

“Are you happy that I bought you a meal?”

“……I wanted to eat outside.”

“This place isn’t so bad either. We can be alone together.”

As he spoke in a feigned affectionate tone, a blush appeared on Yang Juwon’s cheeks, and he lowered his head. He fiddled with the fingers he had placed on his lap.

Choi Sungbin watched him with half-lidded eyes, then sat at the head of the bed. He lifted the blanket towards the man who was sneaking glances at him.

“Get in.”

It was clumsy and awkward. Saliva dripped from between his parted lips, wetting the shaft. He rubbed the glans’ crown with his tongue. He took the head into his mouth, then lowered his head deeply.

His mouth must reek of cum. Even though he had already ejaculated once, when he asked him to suck it again, he took the penis into his mouth without hesitation.

“Haah.”

Choi Sungbin tilted his head back and let out a deep breath. He gripped the heaving blanket. A guttural sound, a scratch in his throat, and the blanket rustled.

“Suck a little deeper. Either drool more, or open your throat.”

Haap. The penis penetrated deep into his throat. Gak, gaaak. The man’s pained gagging sounds could be heard from under the blanket.

“Ah, fuck. I told you not to make a sound.”

“Wait, just a moment……”

At the muffled words from under the blanket, he threw it back. Yang Juwon was clutching the penis with his hand, sitting curled up. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

The penis he was clutching was erect with bulging veins. It was ramrod straight, as if about to ejaculate at any moment. Glistening with saliva, precum, and semen, the penis revealed its formidable presence.

He hadn’t known last time because it was covered by the blanket, but he disliked seeing him get so easily aroused while sucking another man’s dick. Yang Juwon, who had been catching his breath for a moment, pulled the blanket over himself again.

He massaged the base with both hands and focused on licking the head with his mouth. Sluurp, slup, schlup. He repeated the same action several times. He was still clumsy. If you’ve done it once, you should know how to do it properly.

“Hnngh.”

A breath escaped unconsciously. He grabbed the man’s head and pushed it down. To endure the sudden overwhelming sensation, he gripped his own thigh.

His palm was hot and his grip was strong. It was definitely different from a woman’s grip. Ssss, Choi Sungbin inhaled sharply. His buttocks tensed up. He let out a long breath and emptied another load of semen into the mouth.

As soon as he finished ejaculating, he threw open the blanket. Yang Juwon had the glans in his mouth. His jaw seemed to be aching, as he unconsciously twitched his lips. Semen leaked from the corners of his parted mouth. The thought that this face had been sucking his dick made him frown automatically.

“Take it out.”

He obediently pulled his head back, letting the penis he held in his mouth slip out. A long string of bodily fluid stretched between them.

With the semen still in his mouth, he rose from between his legs. The penis, revealed between the parted thighs, was erect, its outline distinct. Choi Sungbin looked back and forth, once at the man’s thigh, and once at his face.

“Swallow it.”

He had mentioned getting a haircut as if in passing, and the man had come back with one. He told him to suck his dick, and he sucked it. He came to the place he was told to come and, despite the food being at a price point that was burdensome for him, he had obediently said he would pay for it even though he was not eating himself.

He did everything he was told to do. It was the same this time.

Instead of answering, Yang Juwon squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed the semen. He did not seem to be disgusted at all, as he used his tongue to poke around his gums and clean up the semen. Seeing his philtrum twitch, Choi Sungbin clicked his tongue briefly.

‘He swallows whatever I spit out, just like a toilet.’

“Don’t you need to… masturbate?”

The man quickly put a hand on his thigh. His waist flinched. Seeing that his penis reached down that far, its size was probably not bad.

He was the type who would be quite popular with women if he were well-groomed. So why is he sucking some guy’s dick.

Even so, it was the dick of a stranger he would never see again in his life. Choi Sungbin grabbed a tissue and wiped his own penis clean.

“Can I rest for a moment?”

“Why?”

He asked, fastening his pants buckle, in response to the question about resting. If he said he was going to masturbate, he would tell him to go home. By the way, would anyone even want to kiss a guy like that? His mouth would definitely smell of semen. Because all he did was suck a penis and swallow semen.

“Just for a little bit. I feel dizzy.”

“Why would you feel dizzy.”

The man, his face flushed red, gently closed his eyes. As he tried to calm his breathing, his stomach rumbled. Startled, he clutched his stomach and looked up at Choi Sungbin, who was between his legs.

Anyone watching would think he was being abused or something.

“You said you ate.”

He questioned the man. He spewed a bunch of useless words, but when it came to actually being asked something, he kept his mouth shut. He had a frustrating personality.

“Why didn’t you order anything?”

“……”

“Was it too expensive?”

Choi Sungbin pointed at the table.

“Go and eat that, at least.”

Yang Juwon got up from his spot. It was food that was like garbage, but he was not considerate enough to order separate food for a ‘man.’

He was the type who enjoyed treating his dates, but this man was not a date. He was a toilet.

Choi Sungbin put a liquid e-cigarette to his lips. It was about the size of a finger. Although it was a smoking-permitted room, he preferred liquid e-cigarettes because he hated the smell of tobacco smoke clinging to things.

He let out a puff of smoke and scanned the man. He got up hesitantly and went to the table.

‘Looks like he’s really going to eat it.’

Doesn’t he think of it as leftovers?

“The water is in the fridge.”

“Thanks.”

Yang Juwon grabbed a bottle of water and sat down in the chair. He fumbled to pick up the sandwich.

Choi Sungbin just watched silently, letting out smoke. A good idea came to him. He became curious about how he would react.

Hiding an emerging smile, he called out to Yang Juwon in a stiff voice.

“Sunbae.”

“Yeah.”

The man answered, mumbling and chewing the sandwich.

“You don’t have to pay. It gets automatically charged to the card I have on file.”

Ah. The man’s lips twitched. As if he had nothing more to say, he closed them firmly.

“But you asked me to be your boyfriend, didn’t you?”

“……”

“You can’t even order separate room service that costs 50,000 won per menu item, so how are you planning to date?”

Yang Juwon just kept chewing the food in his mouth. He chewed for so long that the food must have already been broken down into scattered pieces.

Is he making an excuse? Since he’s chewing, he can’t answer.

“Are you just going to drag me around to cheap motels like the one we went to last time? Or do you want to go Dutch? You pay one time, I pay one time, or maybe fifty-fifty? After you were the one who confessed?”

“……”

“Shouldn’t you be the one not asking me out? You say you like me, so why are you like this? You want to be in a relationship while dragging me around pathetically?”

“I’m sorry.”

The man offered an apology. A strange feeling swirled within him.

‘Doesn’t he even get angry when I’m bruising his pride?’

He was clearly picking a fight with the man right now. A normal person would have gotten angry or at least hardened their expression.

But the man just lowered his head and ate the sandwich. An apology followed.

Choi Sungbin lay down languidly and stared up at the ceiling. Lying down, he let out a long puff of smoke. The hazy smoke gathered before his eyes like a cloud.

This is no fun.

He could hear the sound of chewing and mumbling.

It seems his words about liking me, about doing it because he likes me, were not a lie after all.

‘Stupid and pathetic bastard.’

That bastard will never have a proper relationship in his entire life. He will never meet someone who likes him, and he will always put himself in the subordinate position until he gets tired and his love burns out.

Until then, let’s play with him.

He bit his lip, feeling like he might let out a sneer. In all honesty, he felt just a little bit pleased. He had found a good toy.

“When you’re done eating, just brush your teeth thoroughly and come here. We’re going to finish what we were doing.”