In the consultation room of the law firm, Yunshin and a man sat facing each other.
Even with many troubling matters, the second hand moved without fail, and the compass of his life also moved in search of its directions. Following last month, Yunshin spent this last Friday on legal consultations as well.
"You said you paid off the debt instead of your common-law spouse. The amount..."
Yunshin, who had been carefully examining the application, shifted his gaze back to the man in front of him.
This client had consulted him because he paid off his common-law spouse's debt on their behalf and wanted to get the money back.
"Fifty million won is no small amount."
"Yes. I lent the debt interest-free to someone I knew well."
"So you paid off a debt with a debt."
"We were already living together. We just hadn't held a wedding ceremony, but I thought there was an implicit promise with that person, so I paid off the debt for them. It was a cohabitation on the premise of marriage."
"But speaking consequentially, it means you haven't registered the marriage yet. And you're still unmarried."
Hearing Yunshin point out the facts blandly, the man flinched.
"That may be true, but..."
"A common-law relationship without registration lacks legal binding force in most matters."
Yunshin pulled out a paper he had printed in advance after researching related precedents and laws. Then, he pushed it toward the other party, who was looking at him with anxious eyes.
"When I looked it up, I found a precedent very similar to this case. The law applied in such cases is Article 598 of the Civil Code, right here. It's the law on the loan for consumption."
When Yunshin pointed to the underlined section with his fingertip, the man roughly skimmed the content from that part. Even though Yunshin had researched diligently and organized it as easily as possible to understand, the text didn't seem to register in the man's eyes; he read a few lines and then snapped in annoyance at Yunshin.
"It's too difficult. Didn't I apply for this consultation to have things like this explained easily?"
Yunshin, who awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck with his palm, responded as calmly as possible.
"Well, um. Let me explain it simply. When you paid off the debt on behalf of your common-law spouse, you could be seen as having either lent this money or gifted it."
"A gift? That means you just gave it away. That's nonsense. I lent that money believing she was a woman I would marry."
"Yes. In this case, if you had explicitly concluded a loan for consumption agreement between the two of you, or if you had received a promissory note, then it would be established that you lent it. That means you could get your money back. But looking at the records you submitted here, you did neither. Correct?"
The client retorted with a trembling voice, highly agitated.
"Is it impossible to get it back if I don't have those?"
"Legally, yes. It's hard to see a contract as having been established."
Haa, the man let out a very deep, noisy sigh and crumpled the paper in front of him. Then, he shot a consistently cold glare at the innocent Yunshin. No matter how coldly he stared, the law and the situation wouldn't change, so there was nothing Yunshin could do about it. As Yunshin quietly met his eyes, the man suddenly grabbed his bag and bolted up from his seat.
"I'll have to visit other law firms. Since this is a big one, you look down on small change, right? You wouldn't take the case anyway."
"Wait, that's not it. Something like this is fundamentally unestablished..."
"Enough."
Smack. He kicked the chair and stormed out, leaving no time to stop him. His words cut off, and Yunshin, suddenly left alone, carefully stood up and set the fallen chair upright. Then, he sat on the edge of the desk and wiped his face with dry hands.
"They'll tell you the exact same thing wherever else you go."
Shaking his head at the end of a sigh-like mutter, he pressed the intercom.
"Secretary, I'll take a five-minute break. After that, please send in the remaining clients."
- Understood.
Yunshin, who tried hard to erase his look of pity, opened the door and stepped outside. He was heading to the pantry because he was thirsty, and the people in the waiting room along the way were watching the news broadcasting on the wall-mounted TV. And within that screen, a familiar face was reflected.
Why did words related to him always sound so strangely clear, and why did he always see them?
Yunshin, who had stopped walking, fixed his gaze on the large monitor ahead. The news of his older sister and her husband, whose mediation proceedings were almost concluded, was on the air. The caption at the bottom read:
'Why omit alimony.'
Omitting the alimony that the at-fault spouse must pay was not a mistake but likely Suhan's influence. It was an attempt to cleverly expand the scope, making it not just the husband's problem but a problem between the couple.
'It's a huge relief that the children are still young.'
In reality, his sister was already being torn to shreds by the media and the internet. Rumors of an affair with the chief of staff, tax evasion rumors centered around gallery artworks—these were all scandals within the category they had expected. Even though they had anticipated it all, the blow was not light.
She was even painted as a shameless person who hurled all sorts of abuse at a subordinate based on a single photo taken in a moment. Spliced videos or messenger texts had spread omnidirectionally across the internet, making explanations seem meaningless. Therefore, what Seheon chose was not a refutation but a counterattack.
He disclosed the opposition's weaknesses one by one, starting from the smallest. If they couldn't stop the material offensive, they might as well use it themselves to create a mud pit and roll in it together. Whether it was unfortunate or fortunate, his brother-in-law had such a fiery temper that the more they dug, the more flaws spewed out like a gold mine. Because of this, the succession process was currently underway within the Suhan Group, making the situation seem quite difficult for them.
In the end, their fight lost its last semblance of elegance and turned into a war of exposure against each other.
Originally, claims themselves were more entertaining than explanations, so people enjoyed the battle over which of the two had committed the greater wrong. By driving things this way based on interest, the calculation was that if they ultimately won the original trial, public opinion would be somewhat secured.
Having composed himself, Yunshin took a step to quietly pass through the waiting room. Suddenly, the live voices of several elderly people pierced his ears sequentially.
"This couple is finally having a divorce lawsuit? No matter how I look at it, the woman seems like the victim."
"I heard she demanded hundreds of billions just for property division. Even if she's a victim, isn't that Do Ikyung or whatever being too greedy? She came empty-handed, so how can she take hundreds of billions? I wouldn't give it to her either. Demanding custody and parental rights too. It's a thief's mindset."
"They say she had an affair with the chief of staff. She even slept around while using her husband's power to the fullest. Her younger brother is so incompetent that she supposedly asked a law firm for a favor. And they say that's here."
"Here? Doguk?"
Yunshin bit his lower lip up to that point. He had clearly come out because he was thirsty, but even that feeling had completely vanished. Looking at the elderly people having the conversation, he soon turned his steps back, returned to the consultation room, sat down, and straightened his clothes. Then, looking over the documents submitted by the next applicant, he pressed the intercom button again.
"Please tell the next person to come in."
- Understood.
The secretary's voice cut off, and a knock was heard from outside. The person who opened the door and entered next was one of the people who had been chattering in the waiting room earlier about him being incompetent. Yunshin let out a bitter smile and then politely greeted him, pointing to the seat in front of him.
"Please sit down. Looking at your application, it says your landlord isn't returning your jeonse deposit?"
Then, he gave a soft smile to the old man, who nodded with a slightly tense expression.
* * *
Yunshin, who had been slumped on the sofa in his own living room, was startled to hear the doorbell alarm indicating a visitor.
The only person who would come here was Seheon. However, he had an external client meeting today. Checking his watch in a hurry, it was slightly too early for him to return. But it wasn't entirely impossible either, so he tilted his head in wonder.
'Senior Seheon usually just comes in without ringing the doorbell...'
Something didn't add up. He eventually jumped up and checked the wall pad screen. As expected, the person on the screen wasn't the expected Seheon. Yunshin gasped in shock.
What was his sister doing here all of a sudden?
He had met her once last week. Thus, he was bewildered, as he hadn't even dreamed she would come here without contacting him.
His face turned pale as he looked around. The living room was practically Nanjido. It only took a few minutes to ride the elevator up here. He had to do something in that time.
In a hurry, Yunshin shoved the haphazardly scattered documents in the living room to make a place to sit and tossed the roughly taken-off clothes into the laundry hamper. He thought he moved fast, but it seemed she had already arrived, as the sound of the door opening followed.
"Ugh, this is bad."
He tried to put away the acrylic board, but it seemed he was already too late.
Beep. The front door opened, and calm footsteps crossed the middle door and came this way. The sister, who soon revealed herself, stopped in her tracks for a moment upon seeing the messy living room.
"What is all this? Are you living like this? You weren't like this before."
Actually, commuting between Seheon's house and here had rapidly blurred the boundaries of his living space. Whenever he had time, he mostly stayed at Seheon's house, so his own laundry piled up, and his unorganized belongings piled up even more. Ventilating and roughly running the vacuum cleaner when he remembered was all he did.
"Ah, well. I've had a lot of work lately."
When he answered awkwardly, she stared her brother down. Then, she slowly approached and placed the shopping bags she was carrying in both hands under the sofa.
"No matter how busy you are, get a grip and live properly."
"I will. What did you bring all that stuff for?"
"When I saw you last time, you had lost weight again. Since I was passing by this way, I brought some nutritional supplements. And some snacks..."
She, who was looking around and replying, suddenly shut her mouth. Her past married life was scattered all over the room as if on display. The light and dark of life filled the surroundings. Yunshin had hastily organized things to hide them, but they were still piled up here and there.
She blankly surveyed the photos of the couple and various articles by eye, then reattached her briefly severed sentence in a subtle voice that could be longing or regret.
"Here lies the chronicle of my married life. The memories are coming back vividly."
Walking over to the acrylic board, Ikyung stared at the events written on the board by period. Even pictures of the children were attached there. Yunshin saved his voice because he had nothing to say. His sister seemed to be savoring her memories, but it would also be strange to comfort her.
Looking at her back, a myriad of emotions crossed his mind. He could no longer look, so he slightly turned his head and immediately caught sight of a picture frame on the display cabinet containing himself in a graduation cap, his sister on the left, and his father on the right. Only then did his unstable mind find a little stability.
When he looked at his sister again, she had also turned around and taken a seat on the sofa. Yunshin sat demurely next to her.
"Did you come out because you're distressed? You've practically been in hiding lately."
"A little. I can't just go anywhere anymore, so I came out for some fresh air, but then I suddenly thought of you. This is the only place I can come to feel at ease."
She, who was idly fiddling with innocent paper with her hands, added as if she had just thought of it.
"Right, I spoke with Attorney Kang this morning. They said we should start by suing for spreading false facts? Since we've taken a fair amount of hits, we need to fight back, they said."
"I'm preparing for that. I'm in charge of media management."
Particularly seeing the flood of articles lately, she must have guessed that life wouldn't be smoother going forward. Suhan was very good at branding their opposing counterparts with various red letters. She would know this better than anyone.
As expected, she answered with an expression and tone that said she was prepared for everything.
"Does that mean you'll be involved in the lawsuit too?"
"Yeah. Since we couldn't reach an agreement through mediation, we have to refile within two weeks. Chief Kang will be in charge. I'll be assisting. Nothing to worry about."
She made eye contact as if she understood and pulled Yunshin's hand. She placed her palm overlapping the back of his protruding hand and held it affectionately.
"Chief Kang said this. He said you're creating the basic framework for this lawsuit. He said you read the precedents thoroughly, and the statements and rebuttals regarding the evidence all go through your hands. He even said you did it flawlessly. He praised you, saying there was nothing for him to touch up."
Yunshin frowned slightly because he simply couldn't believe such extreme praise came from his mouth. Sometimes he gave appropriate carrots to increase the efficiency of his work, but he hadn't expected him to do so in front of others.
"Chief Kang said that? You don't have to exaggerate to flatter me."
"It's true. That man as your superior sees you properly much better than I, your older sister, do. When was it? A long time ago, I met with Chief Kang and Chief Song separately."
He roughly guessed when it was. It was a time when his relationship with Seheon wasn't as clear as it was now. He remembered hearing that they had met during that precarious time, like walking a tightrope. When Yunshin responded with silence, she added blandly.
"He said this then. He said you're much smarter and cleverer than I think, so wouldn't it be better to rely on you a bit more. He said you know how to survive in the jungle, but you live as someone who doesn't know such things, but honestly, I couldn't believe it then. To me, you were still like a child."
Saying it was like that back then meant it was different now. Fortunately, it seemed his existence was now, to some extent, sincerely becoming a support for her. Naturally, it must be because Seheon was acting as a bridge in between, but Yunshin was satisfied with this. Trying hard to suppress his awkward feeling, he changed the subject.
"Sister, it's tough, isn't it."
"Rather than that, I sometimes regret it. I guess I had no eye for people."
"That's why there are divorce lawyers. Everyone lives through trial and error."
"Saying that makes me feel a little less sorry. I'll repay the debt I owe you, Attorney Kang, and Doguk as much as possible, by any means necessary."
Smiling softly, she glanced around the surroundings again. Then, perhaps thinking that staying here longer would interfere with Yunshin's work, she let go of his hand and stood up.
"Anyway, I'd better get going now. Make sure to eat well."
"You're leaving just like this?"
"Weren't you in the middle of working? We'll set a date and meet again next time."
Yunshin, trying hard to swallow his disappointment, was following his sister to see her off to the parking lot when—
Just as they sequentially escaped the middle door, the sound of a password being pressed from outside was heard.
Beep. As the lock released, a lean figure in a snug-fitting suit revealed its presence. Without needing to consider further, it was Seheon. After discovering the women's dress shoes at the entrance, he slowly moved his eyes forward. Yunshin and his sister were standing side by side there.
"You had a guest."
Hearing his constrained voice, she gave a slight silent bow. In that fleeting moment, Seheon and Yunshin's gazes clashed in midair. There was too little time to explain the situation, so all Yunshin could do was request help with his eyes. He was worried that from his sister's perspective, it might seem suspicious that Seheon was coming in and out of here. He asked with his eyes for him to use his wits to resolve this.
Seheon stared quietly at Yunshin, then, as if grasping the situation, accepted this silent request.
"Attorney Do, I just dropped by because I have something to pick up. I'll find my own things, so please see your sister out."
However she interpreted his words, she was soon staring her brother down. Her pupils held a clear reprimand, making Yunshin's cheek twitch. The pitch of his voice, already defensive, trembled oddly.
"W-why are you looking at me like that?"
"Yunshin, does the Chief often come and go here?"
"Huh? Y-yeah, well. We have so many projects we're working on together."
"Then how could you leave your house in such a state. Honestly. Clean up on time. I'm embarrassed to death."
"Ah... I got it."
Slap, the sister, who patted his back as if to confirm, made an expression as if she would apologize on his behalf. Seheon didn't particularly answer, responding only with a very slight shrug of his shoulders. Then, looking abashed, she shifted the arrowhead of the conversation toward him in a gentle tone, as if asking him to take good care of her younger brother.
"I didn't mention it over the phone because it didn't seem like something to say over a call, but I've been hearing news through the grapevine. I heard the firm's situation isn't very good lately."
To her very cautious question, he answered very plainly.
"Yes. Suhan has been taking the cases away one by one. It's chaos."
"Ah..."
"Still, I braced for a search and seizure if the prosecution moved, but there's no such movement yet. The situation is better than the worst-case scenario."
Because he revealed everything so candidly, silence lingered. She, who had been troubled, broke that stillness first with a difficult but quite clear tone.
"Could I offer some repayment? There are some people in the industry I'm close with, separate from my husband. If Doguk is okay with it, I'd like to act as a bridge. I originally intended to do this as compensation for having Yunshin take my case, so I have a list."
"It would be better to do that after you win the lawsuit later. Since it's come to this anyway, we should utilize the situation. We need to be the victims right now. Just subtly gauge Attorney Song's intentions."
"I will."
"And one more thing. It's better for you to attend the trial dates in person from now on. Attorney Song will probably explain in detail, but... Come and show the judge a slightly dark expression. To the press, too."
She seemed to know that the real game had begun. Yunshin affectionately massaged his sister's somewhat stiff shoulders. She placed her hand over his to fill it with warmth and asked the two of them while her eyes were still on Seheon.
"Oh, right. Chief Song said that leaving the house right before or after the lawsuit begins is one of the strategies to clearly express the intention to divorce. Since we're already in separate rooms... living on thin ice, anyway."
Yunshin, who had been momentarily left out of their conversation, suddenly interjected and asked back.
"You want to come out? You said you were going to stay in that house."
"I happen to have a few places under my name, and they're not too far from here. So I can see you often, Yunshin."
The moment a period was stamped on the sentence she spat out, this time, Seheon responded.
"Of course, it's possible. However, this case has the particularity of both parties being celebrities, so there are things to consider carefully. Will you bring the children out with you?"
"Of course, I have to take them and come out."
"That is throwing bait to Suhan. They will say you treated the children as possessions."
"Then are you saying it's better to leave them behind? I can't do that."
"That's the same as giving them bait, too. Right now, Suhan's legal team lawyers are taking the same words, making them long-winded, and writing novels. The press is just taking down Suhan's logic. There is such a thing as timing in everything. The whole nation is watching that house, so it means the timing is bad."
Ultimately, he seemed to be trying to say that it shouldn't be done now. Since he needed appropriate logic to persuade his sister, who had already made up her mind, he seemed to have explained at length. While Yunshin watched their conversation in silence, his sister spoke again.
"Then, roughly when..."
"This doesn't seem like an issue for me to decide alone. Let's discuss it with Attorney Do. Can I give you an answer later?"
The firm's work tended to proceed vertically the larger and more important the deal or case was. In particular, Seheon's team generally made all decisions in a top-down format. That was because it had the highest efficiency and success rate. However, since he had said he would seek his opinion first, it felt especially poignant to him.
"Please do so. Thank you. Then I'll really get going now."
Seemingly convinced by Seheon's words, his sister took a step toward the door. At the same time, she exchanged a glance with him, who was heading toward the middle door, and left the entrance. Yunshin followed her but paused for a moment. Holding the half-open door handle, he lightly kissed his lips. After exchanging a brief glance like a couple who understood each other without words, he went outside.
She, who was already standing in front of the elevator, smiled awkwardly upon seeing her younger brother follow her out.
"I'll wait for the news. Don't come down. It's not like the host should leave when there's a guest."
Yunshin, who could no longer call him a guest in his own home, kept his mouth shut.
Right on cue, with a 'ding,' the elevator opened its maw. She waved her hands as if to say she wouldn't follow anymore and stepped onto the machine. Yunshin waved his hand as if to say goodbye and gave his final greeting.
As soon as the double doors closed, he went back inside the house at lightning speed. It seemed Seheon had already gone further inside, as the entrance was empty. When he ran toward the living room, Seheon was draping his jacket over the sofa and turning back to look at him.
"You came in faster than expected."
"That's my line. You're here early?"
Yunshin approached him and took off Seheon's vest. Then, he loosened his tie, placed it over his jacket, and pushed his firm shoulders toward the sofa. Seheon sat on the soft cushion without resistance. Yunshin took a seat as if straddling him. As they exchanged heated glances, Yunshin, who caught fire first, leaned in to kiss him, but surprisingly, Seheon grabbed his throat and stopped the contact.
"Mmph, why?"
"Don't ever bring an outside woman into your house again."
Hearing that, Yunshin was truly dumbfounded.
"Outside...? She's my sister. My own flesh and blood. What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Having women's heels in a house I frequent doesn't feel great. From now on, meet her outside if possible."
While Yunshin was too flabbergasted to retort, Seheon seemed to understand his silence as acceptance and began unbuttoning his suffocating shirt from the top, one button at a time. Yunshin stared blankly at that for a moment, but then accepted it, thinking it was such a Kang Seheon-like demand.
"Yes, I will. Well. It's better to be fair about these things. I'll find another way to contact her."
"I thought you'd be stubborn since it's about your sister, but what's with you listening in one go?"
"You don't expect much from me, Chief. So I want to grant what you do want."
He didn't readily reply to this. He just fell into thought. It seemed like he had something to say. Then, he finally parted his lips.
His expressionless face with no major changes, the sensitive sharpness visible beyond it, and the heat directed at him reflected in his eyes—all of it was just like him as always. However, the topic he suddenly brought up was far beyond the expected range.
"Do you know Director Do is receiving treatment for mild depression lately?"
It was a story he completely didn't know, so he ended up just biting his lip. He couldn't react any further. He was already using up all the energy in his body just thinking. He barely emptied his mind and glanced at the shopping bag containing the nutritional supplements and such she had brought earlier. His sister must have literally needed a change of pace.
Feeling sorry, he kept his words to himself, and Seheon stroked his bony back and opened his mouth.
"I heard she's just staying locked up at home."
"That's what I heard. But it must be hard having your brother-in-law in that bomb shelter with her. There's nothing I can do to help... What should we do? It's not good for her to leave the house right now."
"We're trying to file for divorce right now, not a criminal lawsuit. You need to make sure she knows she's not a sinner. Just as you said, there's no clear solution right now."
"...Understood."
"Not at home, but outside."
"I said I got it."
Yunshin, who was completely deflated, let out a forced smile and needlessly stroked Seheon's throat. The opponent had committed the wrong, and they were rectifying it right now. It was just a divorce like everyone else goes through, so he didn't know why it was one mountain after another.
Needing peace of mind, he stared intently into Seheon's eyes. They were so small they were hard to see clearly, smaller than a pinky nail, but within his pupils with their stable oscillation, he himself must be fully packed. Thinking that, he wanted to shake off all worries and troubles and embrace Seheon.
Yunshin comfortably leaned his scrawny body against him. Then, Seheon shared his body heat by stroking various parts of his upper torso with his large hand. Since he hadn't changed his clothes yet, the soft feel of the dress shirt and suit pants conveyed itself over his thin casual clothes. He was in comfortable attire, but Seheon was still in his structured outfit, which strangely made him feel hot.
"Suits really suit you well, Chief."
Reaching both hands forward, Yun-shin draped his forearms over his broad shoulders. Then, he slightly pulled back his upper body, which had been pressed against him, and met his gaze.
"Everyone says there's a snake in there."
"Strip and check for yourself."
Swish. As Yun-shin leisurely ran his palm over the firm back enveloped in a dress shirt, Seheon raised an eyebrow. The subtle expression, where displeasure and a peculiar thrill coexisted, was quite captivating. Yun-shin began to conquer his upper body more aggressively. Everywhere his fingertips touched, he could distinctly sense the cells beneath the skin leaping with excitement. Sensing that made him grow impatient.
He hadn't meant to burden him. Yet, words slipped out before he even realized it. Already knowing that he wouldn't welcome the idea, Yun-shin averted his gaze slightly before opening his mouth.
"Later... Can I formally introduce you to my sister, Chief?"
"Your sister and I already know each other. What's there to introduce?"
Trailing his index finger from Seheon's shoulder down through his chest to his firm abdomen, Yun-shin casually fondled the area above his belt buckle.
"As the person I'm dating. I want to tell at least my sister about our relationship, even if not anyone else. She'll acknowledge it, even if she doesn't welcome it."
"You must have lived in a truly beautiful world where everyone is friendly to you. Very typical of you."
"My sister is fine. We could just have a meal together or..."
"Why would we do a meet-the-family? I hate that kind of bothersome stuff. I'll pass on officially becoming gay, too."
He hadn't expected a ready agreement, but he thought it would end with Seheon making a couple of teasing remarks like he always did. However, his reaction fell far below expectations. Furious at the vehement rejection, Yun-shin grabbed Seheon by the shoulders and shook him several times. He had wanted to make him dizzy, but seeing that it had absolutely no effect only made his blood boil more.
"How can you be so obnoxious without taking a single break? Your talent is extraordinary, so please pass down the secret technique. It seems like a great skill to piss people off, so I'll be sure to pass it down for generations."
As Yun-shin sarcastically rebuked him, Seheon deeply furrowed his brow.
"Look at you, Do Yun-shin, thinking about having descendants. Your sperm is completely useless for human reproduction. It might only serve as my daily meal."
"Then why won't you do a meet-the-family?"
"Was that an actual meet-the-family? Am I out of my mind to do something like that? I'd rather announce it to the entire neighborhood. 'We're homos.'"
"We could at least try. What is there to be scared of? Do you think your sperm is of any use for human reproduction, Mr. Kang Seheon?"
"Look at this little shit."
"What about me."
Bickering so childishly, both of them suddenly felt flustered and clamped their mouths shut into tight lines. Yun-shin's face, in particular, was filled with shame. Seheon must have been just as dumbfounded, but it didn't show much on his face.
In truth, Yun-shin hadn't seriously intended to make it a public issue. It was just that, having nowhere to say that he liked him, his heart felt stifled. Later, when everything was resolved well, he wanted to at least confide in his sister—his eternal ally—and brag about Seheon.
But getting swept up by Seheon, he had somehow been driven into a corner. Belatedly realizing what exactly they had just discussed, Yun-shin turned red in the face and slapped Seheon's firm chest with his palm as if trying to change the subject.
"You're staying over tonight, right?"
Letting out a scoff, Seheon tilted his head back slightly and replied calmly.
"I'll be staying over. And we'll be doing useless acts that won't help humanity procreate, too."
Smack. After placing a kiss on Yun-shin's flushed, smooth cheek, Seheon fully extended his tongue, lapping at Yun-shin's pale face and nape as if sucking on a sweet candy. Closing his eyes, Yun-shin felt the scorching heat of Seheon's flesh against his skin; as soon as Seheon pulled away, he stealthily opened his eyes.
The moment their gazes clashed, Seheon shifted his lean body to the side and stood up, apparently intending to go wash up. Unfastening the rest of his shirt buttons, he walked toward the bedroom. Sitting blankly on the sofa and watching his slender back, Yun-shin bounced up as if sprung by a coil and followed after Seheon.
They entered the bedroom together. Grabbing a robe from the powder room shelf and handing it to him, Yun-shin poked his face forward and asked.
"Aren't you hungry? I prepared some fruit salad for a light snack. Should I bring it over?"
"That sounds good. Bring it, strip completely, and wait on the bed. Spread your legs nice and wide, too."
"Hah—"
Grab. Slipping his hand between Yun-shin's thighs, Seheon gripped his crotch over the clothes. Then, he slowly moved his hand upward, rubbing his palm over Yun-shin's pubic area and abdomen.
"The salad goes on top of this."
"You're crazy, how could you do something like that? Why are you so perverted?"
"You're going to do it."
"No, I'm not."
"If you want your future bedroom life to go smoothly, you'd better do it."
Retorting simultaneously, Seheon turned around and stood tall in the bathroom doorway. Then, gripping Yun-shin's knit sweater as if grabbing him by the collar, he yanked his lean body toward himself. Helplessly dragged toward Seheon, Yun-shin stared intently at his elegant face, which was angled diagonally; Seheon leaned in and whispered against his ear. His voice was exceedingly low and deep, making it intensely erotic.
"Complain, and I'll add another condition. Are you going to wait with a dildo shoved inside you, or are you going to wait with just the fruit on top?"
Startled, Yun-shin swallowed a dry gulp. As if he knew exactly how rattled Yun-shin was, Seheon chewed gently on his reddened earlobe before issuing a cold warning in a sinister tone.
"Keep this in mind. Your sperm is entirely useless anthropologically. If you go around waving your dick around carelessly, I'll bury you in my bedroom wall and write your epitaph myself. If you don't want to be buried while you're still of sound mind, watch yourself."
Unable to even muster a response, Yun-shin only nodded; only then did Seheon seem satisfied, leaving him behind and disappearing into the bathroom.
Slam! The door shut right before his eyes, separating Yun-shin from Seheon. Immediately, the sound of water pouring from the showerhead and hitting the stall echoed out.
Lingering in front of the door for a moment, Yun-shin went to the dining room, retrieved the bowl of salad he had prepared earlier, and returned to the bedroom. He then sat on the bed and fiddled with the hem of his clothes.
'Naked... How on earth is he going to eat like that?'
Taking off his soft knit sweater first and folding it neatly, he fiddled with the hem of the t-shirt he wore underneath. Even though he revealed his nude body from head to toe every time he was with Seheon, actually trying to follow his order under the bright lights was embarrassing.
'Wait, did we even have a dildo in the house?'
Looking around his bedroom, wondering where it could be, Yun-shin gave a dry cough. He then touched his belt buckle. However, unable to bring himself to undo it, he repeatedly gripped and released it; as he did, his face gradually flushed as if on fire. His breathing grew ragged, too.
Looking down at his open fly and grabbing the zipper teeth, he still couldn't muster the courage to strip. Trying to catch his breath, he slowly chewed over the words Seheon had just spoken, only to find them utterly absurd.
"No, why does he confess his feelings like that? It's chilling. Has he never done this before?"
Muttering to himself as if whining, Yun-shin suddenly craned his neck forward and glared at the firmly shut bathroom door. After thinking it over repeatedly, his thoughts converged on a single conclusion.
"Has he really never done this before?"
He tilted his head, but even looking back at his entire life, it seemed there was a glaring lack of such experiences, apart from the things he had done to him. Reaching that conclusion, the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
"He probably hasn't. Naturally..."
Chewing on his innocent lips as if dicing vegetables, Yun-shin wiped his face with dry hands over his flushed, burning face. Whenever he was hit, moment by moment, with the realization of just how much Seheon liked him, it felt as if someone had grabbed a side of his heart and was fiercely wringing it out. He thought that being overly happy didn't just stop at feeling fluttery or overwhelmed, but could also bring about this kind of ache. He had learned that by liking Seheon.
Feeling the illusion of his body floating above the clouds, he smiled faintly before laying his body down on the soft bed and rolling over once.
Someone once said that all precious things are rare and difficult; to Yun-shin, Seheon was exactly that. He hoped he meant the same to Seheon, too.
"I like Kang Seheon so much."
For the first time in his life, Yun-shin felt as if his heart would explode every day from the desire to completely possess someone.