CI 2.15

During the time when he thought, ‘Today will be too busy for anything to happen,’ Son Yeo-il could act carefree. He would try to avoid Won Hee-yeon’s suggestive gazes while subtly leaning his head against Won Hee-yeon’s shoulder and had even planted a kiss on his cheek this morning as if hinting that was as far as he would go.

But now that he realized ‘the moment was now here,’ he felt like running away. Though he wasn’t the type to fear when the opportunity presented itself, Son Yeo-il was still awkward in matters like these.

“Um…Did you have lunch?”

“What? Sort of.”

Had Won Hee-yeon thought Son Yeo-il was trying to stall? After parting with Son Yeo-il at Yongju Station this morning, he must have been rushing around everywhere, with no time to eat, but Won Hee-yeon casually brushed it off. Sensing the situation, Son Yeo-il played another card.

“Ah, yes. I sort of ate too, but…”

“What? What’s that supposed to mean? Why would that Bae Gi-dong take a precious attorney on a business trip and not even feed him properly? That man has no sense of decency.”

Seeing how he overreacted to the subtle suggestion, it was clear that Won Hee-yeon wasn’t genuinely concerned about the meal itself, but rather about feeding Son Yeo-il. Son Yeo-il was startled and quickly waved his hands.

“No, no. The representative bought me something delicious to eat, but somehow I couldn’t eat well. Maybe because I had a lot on my mind?”

“What thoughts? Thoughts about your wife?”

Won Hee-yeon asked languidly, almost out of habit. Coincidentally, it was about half true, so Son Yeo-il couldn’t respond with his usual “Are you crazy?” Yes, he had worried about his client, but he had also been desperately waiting for Won Hee-yeon to contact him.

“…Anyway, let’s go get something to eat. You must be hungry.”

Son Yeo-il turned his head toward the passenger window, unable to hide the flush in his cheeks. Won Hee-yeon also seemed shy, clearing his throat awkwardly and turning the steering wheel sharply.

The two headed to the sweetfish restaurant Won Hee-yeon had mentioned. It was too late for lunch and too early for dinner, but Son Yeo-il ate quite heartily. The food was delicious, and his appetite was much better than when eating with Representative Bae.

Pleased to see Son Yeo-il eating so well, Won Hee-yeon excitedly explained the confrontation between the client and her husband that he had resolved before coming here.

“That man was really something. Throwing chairs and going berserk, but I couldn’t step in directly myself and was really anxious. Since he knows my face, I was worried about what might happen if it came up in the lawsuit later. But right on time, Jae-deok and Gyu-sang showed up.”

“Ah, the ones who run the flower shop and photo studio.”

“How is my Son Yeo-il’s memory so good? Anyway, once the two of them arrived, he became very docile and quietly went with the police. After that, I checked the time and saw there were less than three hours until my husband’s trial would end. I drove here without even a chance to breathe, so I couldn’t contact you. Were you worried?”

Looking up at Son Yeo-il while batting his thick eyelashes, Won Hee-yeon’s smile was literally dazzling. For a moment, Son Yeo-il felt his heart drop and almost spat out the food he was chewing. He had thought that stalling for time would help him calm down, but he still trembled at every glance they exchanged.

“Shall we have a drink? Since we have sashimi, how about some soju?”

Though they had nearly finished eating, Son Yeo-il was about to press the call button as if he were a great drinker. He intended to borrow some liquid courage, but his hand reaching for the bell was firmly intercepted by Won Hee-yeon.

“No. You really should remember what happens today.”

His tone was gentle but resolute, leaving no room for escape. Son Yeo-il blinked. Sensing that they would head straight to their lodging, he quickly took the initiative as they left the restaurant.

“I’m full. Let’s walk a bit before going in.”

Earlier the problem was hunger, now it was fullness. Though secretly embarrassed, Son Yeo-il nodded his head readily. Fortunately, there was a charming path near the restaurant. Won Hee-yeon stretched languidly and said, “Sure. Wow, the weather is really nice.”

As Won Hee-yeon said, the sunshine was dazzling, and the green-filled landscape was refreshing. Though the walk had begun with impure intentions, it was indeed perfect weather for a stroll.

As he walked along, Son Yeo-il suddenly had an absurd thought. It was like going to an amusement park to ride a roller coaster but ending up just eating a churro and leaving because you couldn’t gather the courage.

We’ve been to a good restaurant and taken a walk, so haven’t we enjoyed this place enough? If I say I want to go home now…would that be too ridiculous for words?

But Son Yeo-il soon inwardly dismissed the thought with an “Oh well.” At this point, even someone like Won Hee-yeon would be upset if Son Yeo-il suddenly said he wanted to return to Yongju City. After all, he had booked accommodation and came all this way to pick him up.

Right. It was like that back then too. Anyone would get angry in that type of situation…

Inadvertently recalling an unpleasant memory, a shadow fell across Son Yeo-il’s face. He felt pathetic for hesitating at every step. He knew it was in the past and had nothing to do with Won Hee-yeon, yet he couldn’t help it.

Though he tried not to reveal his inner anxiety on his face, Won Hee-yeon, who never missed any shadow crossing Son Yeo-il’s face, couldn’t have failed to notice.

“Husband. Shall we sit here for a moment?”

After staring at Son Yeo-il intently, Won Hee-yeon guided him to a bench that appeared at just the right moment. Son Yeo-il, who had been resorting to one trick after another, felt a pang of guilt. He thought he might get thoroughly scolded for his constant fickleness.

Won Hee-yeon examined Son Yeo-il, who was fidgeting anxiously, with a serious face. Slowly raising his hand, he placed his rough but warm palm on Son Yeo-il’s forehead, then removed it.

“Let me see. You don’t seem to be sick.”

“…”

“Is there something bothering you? Oh my. Maybe I’ve been too hasty and made you uncomfortable. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not rushing you. It’s not something that can be rushed anyway, right?”

The unexpected turn of events left Son Yeo-il bewildered. Won Hee-yeon seemed genuinely apologetic. It was amazing how a man with a build like Namsan Mountain and a back covered in tattoos could look at someone so gently.

He was always like sunshine beaming down on Son Yeo-il. Son Yeo-il’s tightly closed lips moved slightly. His heart was overflowing and tingling—he simply couldn’t hold back his question.

“…Why are you so good to me?”

It was neither accusatory nor admiring, but a question born out of pure curiosity. Won Hee-yeon seemed perplexed by the sudden question, then quickly broke into a smile.

“What? You’re complaining that I’m being too good to you?”

“No, for example…I could be a really bad person. Like a spy from a rival organization.”

“Eesh. What rival organization would there be for a law-abiding citizen?”

“It’s just an example. It’s impossible to fully know another person’s heart. And it’s not like you can necessarily change it with effort. Aren’t you afraid of that at all?”

Some might think it was like a deer asking a tiger if it was afraid, but Son Yeo-il was genuinely curious. As someone with a lot of caution, Son Yeo-il found Won Hee-yeon’s uninhibited nature fascinating. Especially knowing that his words and actions could hurt the other man’s feelings.

Even for someone surrounded by muscle, a wound in the heart wouldn’t heal so easily. Yet why did Won Hee-yeon lay his whole heart bare before Son Yeo-il? How could he act as if he had never been hurt before?

Won Hee-yeon smiled as if finding Son Yeo-il’s question cute, then fell into thought for a moment, as if trying to answer with the gravity the question deserved. His eventual answer was remarkably simple.

“True. You can’t fully know another person’s heart. But what can I do when I want to be good to you?”

“…”

“Maybe it’s because I’m a simple man, but that’s how my heart feels. Whatever happens later, it doesn’t matter; I just want to do this now. I’m attracted to you, want to get closer to you, want to be good to you—how could I bear to hold back and regret it later?”

It seemed to mean ‘he likes Son Yeo-il enough that it doesn’t matter if he gets hurt,’ which was embarrassing in on itself, but Son Yeo-il pondered his words.

They seemed simple but true. In more universal terms, it meant that in the end, the only thing you can be certain of is your own feelings.

Yes. That’s how it is.

Son Yeo-il leaned his head back against the bench and looked up at the blue sky. Won Hee-yeon’s intense gaze was too embarrassing to meet for long. And just as he gazed at the sky, he quietly looked into his own heart. Though Son Yeo-il was terribly inept at gauging his own emotions, this was something he had to do now.

What I truly want is…

Although he couldn’t be as certain about everything as Won Hee-yeon, one thing was clear. When Son Yeo-il had said he wanted to be with Won Hee-yeon while being held in his arms on that rainy day, it wasn’t because he was pushed into it or intoxicated by momentary emotion—it was simply Son Yeo-il’s true feelings.

Taking a step into unfamiliar territory was frightening, but he had never avoided it because he disliked it. Rather, it felt like he would regret it if he let this moment slip away. Having made up his mind, Son Yeo-il turned his head to the side again.

“Won Hee-yeon. You made a reservation, right?”

“Ah, well…Yes.”

“Just for today? Or tomorrow too?”

“…For two nights.”

At the direct question, Won Hee-yeon became uncharacteristically shy. Son Yeo-il reached out to take Won Hee-yeon’s hand, firmly interlocking their fingers.

“You did well. Let’s go quickly.”

The accommodation Won Hee-yeon had reserved was about 20 minutes away from the restaurant. It was a building with a sleek and mysterious exterior like an art museum, situated in a scenic and secluded location that required following a forest path for quite a distance.

No, in truth, neither of them really noticed the exterior of the lodging or the scenery of the forest path. The entire way to the accommodation, Won Hee-yeon tightly held Son Yeo-il’s hand with one hand and drove with just the other.

“Oh my, I’m usually a good driver, but I don’t know what has gotten into me”

Whether he wasn’t used to driving with one hand, or his mind was completely elsewhere, Won Hee-yeon seemed quite distracted. Even the hand holding Son Yeo-il’s was restless, alternately raising fingertips to scratch between fingers and rubbing palms.

Son Yeo-il’s state was no better. His heart was beating so loudly that he couldn’t even hear Won Hee-yeon’s muttering. His face grew increasingly red, taking on the color of strawberry juice by the time they arrived at the accommodation.

Ah, we’re here.

After hastily parking, Won Hee-yeon grabbed only the gel and condoms from the console box, as if there was no time to gather all their luggage. Son Yeo-il wondered how long those items had been there and why Won Hee-yeon had been carrying such things around, but he couldn’t say a word as his wrist was grabbed and he was pulled along.

Crossing the front yard of the accommodation, Won Hee-yeon entered what seemed to be a pre-shared passcode at the entrance of the private lodging. During the brief moment waiting for the door to open, Son Yeo-il had several thoughts.

What should I do? Should I say I want to shower first? Would saying “shower” sound too lewd? No, but to calm my nerves, I should first shower…

It was a serious but fleeting concern. The next moment, Son Yeo-il realized that the person who would decide what would happen next wasn’t himself anyway.

At the sound of the door opening, Son Yeo-il tried to step into the lodging, but before he could, his body was suddenly lifted up. Won Hee-yeon placed his hands under Son Yeo-il’s shoulders, hoisted him up, and set him down in front of one of the entrance walls.

As his shoulder blades touched the cold concrete wall, his chest collided with Won Hee-yeon’s. With strong fingers pressing on his lower jaw to open Son Yeo-il’s lips, Won Hee-yeon covered them with his own. It was a kiss that felt like being thrown straight into the main point without any introduction or development.

“Hup, uh, mmm.”

Breath and moans tangled and muffled together. Their lips locked tightly without even the smallest gap. Won Hee-yeon was ravenous, as if he intended to lick even behind Son Yeo-il’s molars. The feeling of sticky friction made Son Yeo-il feel weak in the knees.

Just as Son Yeo-il’s body was about to sag to the ground, Won Hee-yeon’s leg wedged between his knees. Won Hee-yeon pulled up Son Yeo-il’s waist to rest his weight on one of Won Hee-yeon’s knees.

Though there was no space left to close, Won Hee-yeon kept coming closer. As Son Yeo-il’s legs parted, their lower bodies became deeply entangled. Throughout the kiss, Won Hee-yeon kept pushing his thick, firm thigh against Son Yeo-il, rubbing wildly between Son Yeo-il’s legs.

Oh, what do I do? Things are moving along too fast.

Already short of breath, Son Yeo-il felt dizzy as blood rushed downward. His body, which had been thoroughly heated even before arriving at the accommodation, showed an immediate response. The swelling feeling in front was embarrassing, but truthfully, Son Yeo-il was relatively calm compared to Won Hee-yeon.

Even without seeing his face, Son Yeo-il could tell that Won Hee-yeon was excited like a beast. Every muscle of Won Hee-yeon’s that touched Son Yeo-il was tautly erect. The rapid heartbeat, as if something might happen, was clearly transmitted.

Just as Won Hee-yeon’s knee dug into Son Yeo-il, the front of Son Yeo-il’s leg also rubbed against Won Hee-yeon’s thigh with each movement. Something too hot and hard to be a human body part kept touching his knee.

The sensation was so strange that Son Yeo-il couldn’t distinguish which was more stimulating—Won Hee-yeon’s knee touching his groin or the feel of that ferocious flesh against his leg.

“Mmph, hmmph, ha…”

After taking one last taste by sucking on Son Yeo-il’s tongue, Won Hee-yeon ended the long kiss and pulled away from Son Yeo-il. With the moist sound of their adhered mucous membranes separating, unswallowed saliva stretched between their lips.

While Son Yeo-il was busy catching his breath, Won Hee-yeon grabbed Son Yeo-il’s tie like someone moving onto the next target. Feeling as if his leash had been seized, Son Yeo-il sharply inhaled.

Won Hee-yeon pulled the knot down, undoing the tie with remarkable ease. Though he had never seen Won Hee-yeon wearing a tie, perhaps he was more specialized in removing them than putting them on. The smooth silk fabric fell to the floor without the slightest sound.

Won Hee-yeon’s half-crazed eyes were frightening. After briefly locking gazes, he bent down and buried his face in Son Yeo-il’s chest. He rubbed the thin dress shirt randomly with his moist lips.