UR Chapter 114

Chapter 114

“I… um… I’m swollen, so… I can’t today.”

At his blunt refusal, Beom-ho said nothing, simply pressing a kiss to his cheek.

The faint brush carried a sweet scent that drifted to his nose. Holding I-bom close, Beom-ho stood up.

“You’re going to be surprised.”

He strode toward the back of the room. What I-bom had assumed was an outer wall was actually a thin partition. Behind it, hidden from sight, was a large glass door.

“…Wow.”

Beyond the glass door lay a small indoor hot spring. It was so unexpected that I-bom couldn’t imagine how something like this had been built inside the house. Between the veranda and the outer space stood a massive old tree, its roots sunk deep into the ground. Even in the middle of winter, a few red leaves still clung to its branches, fluttering lightly in the breeze. I-bom let out a soft exclamation without thinking.

“What… is this?”

“An indoor hot spring.”

“How is there a tree growing indoors?”

Awkwardly slipping from Beom-ho’s arms, I-bom stepped down slowly. His hips gave a sharp twinge, but the sight of that rooted tree inside the building was too fascinating to ignore. He reached out and brushed his fingers against the bark. From a high window, a cool breeze drifted in, carrying a pleasant scent of earth.

“When my grandfather built this place, he couldn’t bring himself to cut down the tree, so he built around it. Isn’t it amazing?”

“Yes, it is. And… I like hot springs, too.”

His face lit up as he dipped his hand into the water. Steam rose warmly, rippling across the surface each time he moved, as if the spring itself was welcoming him.

“Soaking in hot water will help with the muscle pain.”

Beom-ho set a thick towel on a small table beside the spring.

“Thank you…”

Without refusing, I-bom shyly thanked him and stepped carefully into the water. As he sank in with a soft splash, the gentle scent of wood and the faint sweetness of fruit drifted up from the surface.

Ah… warm and nice.

He let out a low sigh, bending his back slightly. His bare body, knotted and aching from using unfamiliar muscles, slowly loosened under the heat.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“Yes. The water even smells like fruit… I like it.”

He nodded, smiling brightly.

Aside from the occasional bird song and the slow whisper of wind, it was perfectly quiet. No human noise, no honking cars—just the peace of being in the middle of a forest. Looking up, he saw a clear sky without a single cloud. It was so unlike the hazy gray over the city that his heart felt lighter just seeing it.

I’m glad I came like Beom-ho suggested. Good food, a hike in the mountains, real rest. I’d like to come again.

With that thought, his eyes drifted closed, his body melting deeper into the hot water.

“You’re not falling asleep, are you?”

The words came just as his eyes were about to shut completely. No, I’m not… mumbling vaguely, he puckered his lips, but then heard a faint rustling by his ear.

“You shouldn’t fall asleep while bathing.”

Beom-ho had brought something over and set it down on the table. The dull thunk made I-bom’s ears twitch as he stirred. A savory smell began to drift over. The quiet peace that had been enough to content him suddenly stirred with a small rumble in his stomach. Like a Pavlov’s dog, his nose twitched, and his eyes lit up.

“Hungry, aren’t you?”

Turning toward the scent, he saw a tray holding a few bite-sized strawberries, some banana pieces, small cubes of cheese, and slices of toasted bread. Smiling, Beom-ho slid a piece of cheese between two slices of the warm bread.

“Food…”

Right on cue, his stomach growled. He gazed at the bread like a tail wagging.

“Hehe.”

His face, slightly flushed from the hot water, looked utterly relaxed as he smiled. Beom-ho stared at him with a gaze full of fondness. It wasn’t just his body that had melted—it was his heart.

“How about eating while you soak?”

“Ah…”

Without warning, a piece of savory bread was brought to his lips. Blinking, I-bom accepted it slowly from Beom-ho’s hand.

The coarse dryness of his mouth was filled with the salty cheese and rich, toasty flavor. Chewing little by little, he felt a warm contentment spread through him.

“Good?”

“Mmh. Yes.”

He nodded lightly, still chewing.

Beom-ho slowly bent down and squatted beside the hot spring. He picked up a strawberry from the tray. The sweet scent of it drifted through the thin veil of steam rising between them.

I-bom watched and opened his mouth with a soft “ah.” Like a baby bird, he instinctively parted his lips at the sight of food. The sight made Beom-ho’s brow twitch sharply. His fingers, halfway to I-bom, changed course, and he popped the berry into his own mouth instead.

I-bom’s eyes widened, as if to say, Why are you eating my strawberry?

“Uh—mm…”

Before he could complain, the berry from Beom-ho’s mouth was pushed into his own, their lips meeting without warning. The moist heat mingled suddenly with the dry texture of bread and cheese still lingering in his mouth. Beom-ho’s breath, heavy with excitement, rose and fell, but his movements inside I-bom’s mouth stayed gentle and careful. The sound of his eager breathing filled the quiet spring, making the air buzz with tension.

“…Mm…”

His mouth felt overfull, and I-bom instinctively leaned back. Beom-ho cupped the back of his head, patiently pressing the strawberry in. The juice was so sweet it made the back of his tongue ache. Between the tiny bumps of his tongue, the berry’s softness and Beom-ho’s firm teeth brushed together.

“…Hoo.”

Overwhelmed by the syrupy sweetness, I-bom broke the kiss for a breath, chest rising and falling. A thin layer of dampness clung beneath his eyes. Blinking slowly, he found Beom-ho watching him with a smooth, faint smile.

“So it wouldn’t be hard for you to eat.”

It was a shameless and ridiculous excuse, but he didn’t laugh—there was no humor in those deep, dark eyes. That gaze pulled at his heart, breaking down any resistance. Panting, I-bom chose to accept him, taking Beom-ho’s hand and guiding it to rest around his neck.

“Mm…”

As the closeness pressed in, his clothes grew damp from the splashes, but that no longer mattered. He let Beom-ho fill his mouth with the juice-stained berry until it was completely crushed.

Beom-ho tangled his tongue with the soft fruit, pushing it deep into I-bom’s throat and scraping lightly with his teeth. The strange, dizzying sensation made I-bom’s chest lift sharply as his back went rigid. Beom-ho’s other hand touched his heaving chest, fingers rubbing over a hardened nipple.

“Hh…!”

Swollen from sucking and biting, the sensitive bud twitched with a faint whimper under his touch. With a splash, I-bom’s elbows buckled, sending more hot water over both of them.

“…Ha…”

Beom-ho exhaled deeply, as if to steady himself, and swept back his damp hair, droplets running down his forehead. Then, hesitating slightly, he spoke.

“When we go back to Seoul… will you live with me?”

“…”

I-bom blinked. Even before the sweetness on his lips had faded, Beom-ho had somehow stepped closer.

“I’ll be direct. I want to be with you.”

He slid his already-soaked arm deeper into the water until it reached I-bom’s hands. His own hands covered them gently.

“I don’t want to be apart from you.”

The hot spring’s warmth was joined by something even hotter. Whether it was excitement or something deeper, I-bom couldn’t tell.

“One thing’s for sure—I didn’t decide this on impulse.”

With a composed face, he kissed the back of I-bom’s hand.

“This place is special for tiger beastmen. We always come here with our mates. My mother and father walked these mountains hand in hand, just like we did.”

“…”

“Coming here with you made me realize something—I want to come back again, someday, holding your hand.”

Small and large confessions piled up like layers of snow that never melted. In that moment, I-bom felt their hearts align, his warmth meeting Beom-ho’s.

“When you confessed to me at the mountain peak, I knew for sure—I never want to let go of this hand again.”

With his hand still over I-bom’s, Beom-ho brushed a thumb gently over his skin. I-bom slowly raised his gaze, looking straight at him.

“I like learning the things you enjoy, one by one. You like hot springs. You like strawberries. You like looking at the stars at night. I want to keep discovering what you like, and give you all of them.”

Without meaning to, I-bom blinked. One by one, all of them—the words sent a tingling tremor through his chest.

Carefully, he took the hand Beom-ho offered and nodded. For someone who had always walked alone, taking another’s hand was an act of courage.

“Okay. Me too.”

Kang I-bom, the half-blooded pup of the Kang family, was at least half a brave dog.