INT Ch 7.1

Haewon opened his eyes to the sound of a phone ringing. His entire body ached as if it had been battered, and he felt like he couldn’t even lift a finger, as though suffering from a severe fever.

“Ugh…”

A groan escaped his lips. Struggling, Haewon managed to sit up and search for the source of the ringing. The phone was lying far away on the living room floor. He dragged himself over, collapsing onto the floor as he picked it up.

“Yes.”

His voice was rough and cracked, barely recognizable as his own. The night he had anticipated to be romantic, gentle, and filled with care had instead shattered his consciousness and left his body in torment.

The man who sought to satiate his long-restrained hunger had moved like a beast starved for days, utterly unrecognizable. Though Hyun Woojin gradually returned to his usual self with each successive act, the intensity of the first was so overwhelming that it overshadowed everything else. The pain inside his thighs was the worst, trembling violently even at the slightest strain.

― Are you awake?

“….”

Hearing his voice brought a sudden sting to Haewon’s nose. He hated the man who had hurt him so much, yet he found himself desperately wanting to see him.

― Are you okay?

“No, I’m not.”

― Who told you to provoke me?

The morning without him was unbearable. Last night had been far from what Haewon expected—it wasn’t happy or joyful. It felt like being swept away and left in ruins. Despite being washed by him, something leaked between his legs as he sat collapsed on the floor. His underwear had already become damp.

― Stay put at home. I’ll come by this evening.

“Don’t come. I’m in pain.”

― Hang up.

Haewon wanted to appeal more about how much his body hurt, but the call abruptly ended.

Leaning against the wall, he sat for a long time before finally mustering the strength to get up and shower, hurriedly trying to wash away what had dried onto his face.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, Haewon examined his reflection. His entire body bore raw scratches and marks, vivid evidence of being clawed and scraped, not with lips but as though by sharp talons hidden beneath human skin. The wounds were not just external but internal as well.

The traces Hyun Woojin had left on intimate areas were stark proof that the surreal events of last night had not been some delusional dream. Feeling as though he had been captured and reprogrammed by him, Haewon couldn’t recognize himself in the mirror. Staggering out of the bathroom, he dressed himself.

The anger that surged within him wasn’t because Hyun Woojin had left him alone to deal with this pain while attending to his own business. He had mentioned that he was swamped with work. Around four in the morning, the exhausted Haewon had been gently gathered in his arms, taken to the bathroom, and washed. After they showered together, Hyun Woojin dried Haewon’s hair and laid him on the bed. Haewon, limp like a doll with only its consciousness intact, watched in the dark as Hyun Woojin dressed himself.

Underwear, pants, shirt, tie—in an instant, he was dressed in formal attire. Running his hand through his wet hair, he approached Haewon, looked down at his bare body, and unzipped his trousers with an indifferent expression, as if fulfilling an obligatory task. The grotesque and savage organ was erect, heedless of Haewon’s condition, and he forced Haewon’s limp hand to touch it.

Perhaps out of some semblance of conscience, he placed his hand over Haewon’s and guided the motion, all while Haewon, too exhausted to speak, lay there. Then, without warning, he released his semen onto Haewon’s weary face and lips. The warm liquid seeped into the corners of his tightly shut eyes, cheeks, and mouth.

The man had never been particularly expressive, but when his sexual desire surfaced, he became terrifyingly composed, pouring out a passion that could never be mistaken for obligation without a change in expression.

It wasn’t that he was forcing abstinence; rather, he was controlling himself to the point where such impulses couldn’t dominate him. If he wanted, it seemed he could conceal any urge or desire beneath his exterior.

After soaking Haewon’s face like that, Hyun Woojin exhaled quietly, his chest rising and falling as he calmed his roughened breath. He tucked himself back into his underwear, zipped up, lingered as he touched Haewon’s lips for a moment, and finally left with a “Sleep well.”

In the darkness, his eyes carried the vastness of a black forest. As Haewon watched his retreating figure, he realized he was trapped in that forest. The “Sleep well” spoken with the same tenderness as always brought tears to Haewon’s eyes, tears that brimmed with sudden anger.

Haewon replaced and discarded the bed sheets that bore the horrific traces of last night. Every movement sent sharp pains through his muscles and bones, as if they were crying out in protest. He cleared away all evidence of the previous night, ordered delivery food, and sated his hunger.

He changed the passcode to the door lock and flipped his phone face down. Lying stretched out on the sofa, he put on headphones and listened to Brahms’ Violin Concerto. At some point, he dozed off, waking around 4 p.m.

Looking out the window at the afternoon view, he gathered himself, now able to move somewhat, and got up.

He put on a coat and left the apartment. The weekend streets were calm and subdued. He grabbed a hot coffee to go from a café and headed to a nearby internet café. Though he wasn’t much into games, he occasionally visited out of boredom to watch people. It was a good place to pass the time without getting bored and a convenient spot to avoid people he didn’t want to meet.

Haewon sat in a corner seat, listening to the clattering keyboard of the man in front of him as he searched for performance videos. With headphones on, he listened to someone else’s rendition of Brahms. Suddenly reminded of Seo Okhwa, he searched for her videos and found more than he expected. He listened to a few songs. She had every right to be upset with him for not recognizing her. In her neighborhood, she was a legendary soprano (though she seemed even more famous for marrying a chaebol heir).

When videos became boring, he browsed shopping sites, aimlessly clicking on clothes. A dark navy wrap coat caught his attention for a long time. It resembled a coat Hyun Woojin had worn recently. He preferred classic, understated suits over trendy attire. As a government official, it suited him. With his long limbs and well-proportioned body, anything looked good on him.

Unconsciously, Haewon found himself searching for clothes he’d like to see Hyun Woojin wear. The clock in the corner of the monitor showed it was past 6 p.m. Though Hyun Woojin said he’d come by in the evening, Haewon didn’t want to care. He had left his phone behind, and more importantly, he had changed the door lock code. He hoped Hyun Woojin would waste his effort and leave, frustrated. He wanted to mess with him, to see him lose his temper.

As Haewon engrossed himself in shopping, noise seeped through his headphones. Taking them off, he heard the murmurs of people around him.

“Damn, what’s with the cops showing up in the middle of the day?”

Though 7 p.m. wasn’t exactly daytime, the man seated across from him seemed anxious, muttering curses under his breath as he hurriedly stuffed things into his bag. From the clinking sounds, they seemed to be soju bottles.

Two police officers entered the internet café, weeding out minors. The boisterous game music blaring from the speakers grew noticeably quieter.

“Do you sell alcohol here?” one officer asked.

“We don’t sell it. Customers sneak it in. What do you expect me to do about it?” the owner replied, waving his hands defensively while trying to distract the officer.

The officers, seemingly resentful of this unexpected duty, diligently searched for bottles and singled out minors. One of them grabbed the nape of the boy across from Haewon, who had been clinking bottles. Even to Haewon, the boy looked underage.

“Let go of me, damn it! That hurts!”

“Sir, there are too many violations here. I warned you before. You can’t keep running your business like this. You know how strict parents are these days. You’ll have to come with us to the station.”

“Come on, Officer, do we really have to do this? Do you have to go that far with me?”

“I don’t have a choice. Orders came from above, specifically targeting this café.”

It seemed the owner was going to be taken in. Ever since the police arrived, people had been quietly slipping out one by one.

Haewon also stood up discreetly. One of the officers, holding onto the minor’s collar, turned to look at him. Haewon’s appearance made it hard to mistake him for a minor, though he might pass for a college student. The officer’s sharp gaze lingered on his face before moving away.

Even though he had done nothing wrong, Haewon felt uneasy and left the café hastily. So many people fled like a receding tide that he didn’t even pay his bill.

Where should he go?

Haewon stood still for a moment, lost in thought. The people who had been kicked out of the café were lingering on the street, smoking cigarettes aimlessly. Haewon stood among them, staring blankly.

His body, overworked by Hyun Woojin the previous night, felt sluggish and heavy. He lacked the energy to wander around aimlessly. In the end, Haewon returned to his apartment, buying a hamburger on the way. He also bought fries, the same ones Hyun Woojin had disdainfully thrown away as trash.

Haewon unlocked the door and opened it. Someone was inside. The aroma of food being cooked, with the sound of scraping and sizzling, filled the air. Stepping inside, Haewon looked at the figure standing in the kitchen. He was more surprised at himself for not being startled than at the unexpected visitor.

“How did you get in?”

“Don’t change the code. It’s no big deal to figure it out, but it’s annoying. And I don’t have the time.”

Time, time, time. Haewon swallowed back the urge to ask if he’d been so busy that he couldn’t stick around after keeping someone up all night, leaving them in agony at 4 a.m. because he didn’t have the time. Haewon didn’t want to provoke him and risk another repeat of the previous night.

Hyun Woojin was cooking something in the studio apartment’s kitchen. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and his tie was slung over his shoulder, out of the way. The sound of something sizzling reached his ears, along with the delicious aroma of grilled food.

Soon, dinner was laid out on the table: medium-rare tenderloin steak with butter-roasted baby potatoes, asparagus, onions, and broccoli, all plated neatly. Woojin carefully poured sauce over the dish with practiced precision. Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he fetched wine glasses Haewon didn’t even own and poured some wine.

“Let’s eat.”

“I’m not eating.”

“Here we go again. Back to square one?”

“There was never a square one with you.”

“Why not? Not your kind of thing? Don’t like sex?”

“…”

Haewon had no intention of doing something devoid of both emotion and affection ever again. If Woojin didn’t leave, he would. He’d even go to his father’s house, a place he was desperate to avoid.

“Didn’t you want to sleep with me?”

“Not like that.”

“What did I even do? Don’t you remember how much you enjoyed it?”

“That’s just because you pushed too hard.”

A faint smile curved Woojin’s lips. Approaching Haewon, who stood frozen in the entryway of his own apartment, he draped an arm around his shoulder as if it were his own home, pulling him inside. Casually, he grabbed the hamburger Haewon was holding and dumped it straight into the trash.

“You smell like cigarettes.”

He leaned in and sniffed, his nose wrinkling.

“Do you dislike the smell?”

“I don’t want it on you. It drowns out your scent.”

“Really? Great. I’ve just found my New Year’s resolution: smoking. My ultimate goal is to become a chain smoker.”

“Wash your hands. Let’s eat.”

He firmly pushed Haewon toward the bathroom. Standing in front of the sink, Haewon sighed and washed his hands. When he returned to the table, Woojin was seated, waiting for him. The tableware—forks, knives, and wine glasses—were all things Haewon’s apartment didn’t have.

“Let’s eat.”

Woojin cut into his steak and took a bite. Haewon sat and simply stared. The Hyun Woojin who had done those things to him the night before and the man casually eating dinner in front of him now felt eerily disconnected. Yet they were unmistakably the same person.

“Why are you staring? My face isn’t going to develop holes.”

“Eat and leave.”

“Shall I cut it for you?”

Ignoring Haewon’s protest, Woojin took his plate and meticulously sliced the steak into bite-sized pieces. He pushed the plate back. When Haewon still didn’t eat, Woojin moved his chair next to him. Spearing a piece of steak with his fork, he brought it to Haewon’s mouth.

“What are you doing?”

“Your face looks hollow after just one night.”

“Because of you.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’m feeding you.”

His voice was gentle, dripping with sweetness. As Haewon opened his mouth to retort, the juicy steak slipped in. He almost spat it out, but the thought of the aftermath stopped him. Reluctantly, he chewed as if gnawing on his mortal enemy. The realization dawned that Woojin had already broken him to some extent—he was chewing and swallowing instead of spitting it out.

Woojin matched Haewon’s pace, feeding him piece after piece. Golden-brown potatoes dipped generously in sauce followed. Haewon begrudgingly admitted it was far better than scarfing down a burger alone. He also realized something new about Woojin: his cooking skills were exceptional.

After gulping down the wine Woojin had poured, Haewon noticed him pick up his phone from his back pocket. It had started vibrating, indicating an incoming call.

He checked the screen and answered the call. As Haewon placed his wine glass down, the asparagus that had been waiting found its way into Haewon’s mouth. While feeding him, he spoke.

“Yeah. Who? When? Still there? No, I can’t go. Look, I said I can’t. Handle it yourself. It’s not like this is the first time there’s been interference, so why the panic? Just say I ordered it. He’s a stickler anyway, so tell him it’s being handled according to the legal review. Beyond that, it’s classified. If he wants to escalate, tell him to get the deputy prosecutor’s approval for review. Don’t even let him see a sliver of the investigative materials. Who got him out on medical bail three months into his sentence? Why is he barking up my tree?”

Hyun Woojin kept his instructions brief and to the point, likely conscious of Haewon sitting beside him. After ending the call, he flipped the phone face down and placed it on the table.

“Do you need to go?”

“No need.”

Like a mother bird feeding her chick, Hyun Woojin continued to diligently feed Haewon. It felt as though he was fattening him up only to eat him later, like the witch in Hansel and Gretel.

After finishing the meal, Hyun Woojin cleaned up. He even washed the dishes, drying his hands on a towel before turning around. Haewon had found it incredibly unpleasant when he had to deal with the aftermath of their night together alone, but watching him now as he meticulously cleaned the kitchen, that resentment began to fade. Haewon had no intention of contradicting the admission he had made last night. He liked him.

“Come here.”

Hyun Woojin lightly grasped Haewon’s wrist and tugged him forward. The direction was toward the bed. When Haewon hesitated, he reassured him by gently holding his hand, his warmth soothing as he patted it.

Sitting side by side on the bed, Hyun Woojin reached for an envelope placed on the bedside table, something Haewon hadn’t noticed earlier. It seemed like he had brought it with him. Inside were items like ointments and bandages from a pharmacy. Without a word, he lifted Haewon’s shirt. Whether it was to make him see the aftermath of his actions or for some other reason, Haewon didn’t resist. He raised his arms and shifted as needed to assist him. Under the bright light, his gaze inspected his handiwork, almost in reverence, as he brought his face close to the marks on Haewon’s skin.

He squeezed ointment onto his fingers and carefully applied it to the wounded areas around Haewon’s chest. Flinching, Haewon gripped the bedsheet tightly.

“Should I check below too?”

Though it was hidden from view, it was likely a mess down there as well. He motioned for Haewon to lie on his stomach, patting the bed lightly. Complying, Haewon rested his cheek against the pillow and lay prone. The ointment was applied to his nape, shoulders, shoulder blades, and spine. He even applied it to his hips, spreading Haewon’s legs apart.

“…Geez.”

Clicking his tongue as though critiquing someone else’s mess, Hyun Woojin carefully treated the damage inside as well. Being face down was a small mercy. The delicate touch sent blood rushing downward.

His fingers, slick with ointment, slipped into the crease between Haewon’s buttocks. Haewon clutched the pillow tightly.

“There’s a significant tear.”

If he knew that, shouldn’t he apologize or say he didn’t realize it was this bad? Instead, as if it were someone else’s doing, he merely evaluated the situation while his fingers explored the area.

“…Ugh.”

“You can’t do this alone. Of course, it’s a different story if I’m the one doing it.”

His middle finger, coated generously with ointment, glided around before sinking in deeply. Though smaller in comparison to what had been there last night, it still left Haewon breathless.

In quiet, steady motions, his finger prodded inside, curling at the tip and leaving clear imprints of pressure as it moved.

“Haah, ah…”

Haewon gripped his thigh, crumpling the fabric of his pantsuit in his hands.

“I’d like to see it again… you coming. Thought it was pee, didn’t you?”

“Ugh…”

“Is that why you cried? Out of embarrassment?”

A second finger joined the first, plunging deeper and teasing Haewon. His hips lifted slightly, his body betraying him as heat surged through his face. As he panted against the pillow, his motions grew sharper.

Hyun Woojin’s muscles tensed, his movements deliberate as he maintained that precarious threshold, keeping Haewon teetering between the edge of release and frustration. Never fully letting him over, nor letting the moment dissipate, he left him suspended, spinning aimlessly at a maddening height.

His torment continued. It kept him just below the boiling point, not allowing him to release it, but not letting it subside either. Haewon was left hanging in the air, neither pulled up nor lowered to the ground, spinning around at an awkward height.

“He will regret not being able to crush you for the rest of his life.”

“Huh, uh, quickly, ah…!”

“Because of you, haa, Moon Haewon, because of you, my plans are ruined.”

He let out a self-deprecating deep sigh and inserted his middle finger deeply enough to make a sound. He deliberately avoided the areas that seemed to be burning. With his finger in his mouth, he moved his hips. At times like this, he displayed the patience and restraint of a sage. Haewon licked his own lips, flushed with heat.

“Uhng… uh, ahng…….”

His moans were clearly urging him on. He turned his head, burying his cheek in the pillow, and looked at him. He pretended not to notice his own erection. When Haewon reached out to touch his center, he twisted Haewon’s arm back.

“Uh!”

His face was buried in the pillow again. He could feel his buttocks trembling. His finger slipped out. The hole was wet and sticky. His penis, swollen with lust, was itchy with viscous fluid.

He felt the man climb onto the bed and approach from behind. He unzipped his pants and took out his erect penis. With both hands, he grabbed and spread Haewon’s buttocks. The man’s warm, heated flesh touched the place that was twitching and eagerly waiting.

He grabbed the base and rubbed it deeply against the entrance. Unlike last night, he didn’t suddenly push in. He gave enough time and warning, imprinting his presence. He entered slowly. It felt like his breath was being squeezed, not suddenly, but like a thin string slowly tightening his airway.

“Ugh…….”

“Haa, if that’s not your preference, I can change it. Right? Either way, you’re still Moon Haewon.”

He thrust slowly. His ribs were pressed tightly. Every time something thick pushed in, his breath was cut off. It hurt, but unlike yesterday, it felt good.

“Aah…, ahng……, haeuu…….”

The moans flowed out with saliva from his lips, which were open too wide with pleasure. Hyun Woojin, gripping Haewon’s pelvis, stirred and sucked him, shaking him as he pleased. Not just his body, but his brain melted like butter, loosening softly. The man, who had been shaking Haewon just below the boiling point, pulled out his reddened penis. His private parts twitched as if disappointed.

He flipped Haewon’s body over. He hugged his back and lifted him to sit on his thighs. Hyun Woojin was half-naked, having taken off his top at some point.

Haewon straddled Hyun Woojin, who was lying on his back on the bed. The man’s hand groped between Haewon’s legs and accurately inserted his penis into the wet hole. Haewon leaned forward, supporting his weight with both hands on the man’s chest. The pulsating heat and warmth touching his entire palm made his body tingle.

He sat down on the man’s lower body. Haewon bent his waist as if to pull out the pillar inside him. The man’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, but his expression didn’t change much. He ignored the throbbing erection and boiling heat, his reason and instinct acting like separate entities. Haewon wanted to stimulate him.

“Can I come? Uh, if Hyun Woojin gives me permission, I can come…, haa, can I come?”

“A little longer.”

He said indifferently. When Haewon bent his waist inward, the man thrust up from below, filling him completely. The dense pubic hair brushing against his sensitive skin stung. The man’s hand touched his swollen nipple. Haewon shivered and curled up. The man enjoyed the tightening inner walls. As he arched his back and lifted his head, the man grabbed his chin and pulled him down.

“Look at me while you do it.”

“I don’t want to… I don’t want to, I don’t, ah…!”

“You’re pretty, so it feels good to look at you.”

“……Am I pretty?”

“Yes.”

“Haah, uh…….”

The man’s hand cupped his cheek. Their eyes met. His lustrous, expressionless eyes had a chilling pull that stole his vision. Haewon contorted his face and moaned, staring straight into the man’s eyes.

The man’s thumb, which had been caressing his cheek, rubbed Haewon’s lips. Haewon sucked on his finger. As his eyes started to close on their own, Hyun Woojin slapped Haewon’s buttocks with a loud smack.

“Uh!”

“Look at me while you do it.”

“Huh, uh… ugh, mm…….”

He pursed his lips and sucked on the finger, tickling it with his tongue. The bedroom was filled with obscene moans. The soundproofing prevented the sounds from escaping, so the mutual lust filled the air like a hallucination, overwhelming his senses.

Their breaths weren’t ragged from violent impact, but the slow, heated, and slippery friction made it feel like they were sinking together into a viscous fluid.

Haewon’s brain felt pleasantly soaked. He knew exactly what he liked. His erection grew larger and harder. Haewon positioned the man exactly where he wanted him. Sweat spread, and the skin stuck tightly to his palm as he pressed against the man’s chest.

Haewon gazed at Hyun Woojin’s face with renewed admiration. He touched the man’s tightly closed lips with his finger, tracing his perfectly drawn eyebrows, dense eyelashes, and the eyes that avoided his fingertips.

He sat up, then soon embraced Haewon’s waist. Haewon wrapped his arms around the man’s neck. Their lips met. A sharp pain spread across his heated lips. He pushed his tongue into the man’s mouth and licked him.

“Uhng… uhng…….”

As they kissed passionately and their lower bodies collided, the man’s phone on the table vibrated loudly. Haewon pulled his lips away and rubbed his cheek against Hyun Woojin’s, whispering into his ear.

“Phone, ah, the phone is ringing.”

“Leave it.”

“Haah, uh… uh… feels good.”

Pressing his body tightly against the man’s chest, Haewon rubbed his erect penis against Hyun Woojin’s abdomen, moving his hips in a circular motion. His sexual and emotional senses were heightened, making his brain tremble. The man pulled Haewon’s waist closer, pressing their flesh together more firmly. His once steady breath was now ragged.

“Uh…….”

As he moved up and down, the simultaneous stimulation from the front and back spread like an electric current.

“Pee, haa, I need to pee…….”

“Not yet.”

That’s when the man’s phone vibrated again. Haewon looked at the phone on the table with blurry eyes. The phone, pushed by the vibration, was about to fall to the floor. It was slowly moving.

“Phone… the phone is ringing. Huuh.”

“…….”

The lack of a response to leave it alone suggested that the repeated calls were bothering him.

He couldn’t just cut off this sensation. No, it was clear that he wouldn’t feel the same pleasure again. An incredibly obscene moan escaped with every desperate breath.

The vibration of the ringing phone finally stopped. The man laid Haewon down on the bed. His sweat-soaked hair was disheveled on his forehead. He placed Haewon’s leg over his shoulder and lifted his knee.

That’s when the phone vibrated again. He must have heard it too, as he glanced back. It seemed like a call he couldn’t ignore. He kept looking back, distracted. He had the self-control to end this if he decided to.

“The phone is ringing. Answer the phone… answer it.”

Haewon pushed his arm, urging him to answer quickly. As the man leaned forward with Haewon’s leg over his shoulder, his waist bent, and his chest pressed against Haewon’s. Haewon felt his breath catch and his face flush. The phone fell to the floor with a thud, but the man didn’t look back. And then he started thrusting hard.

“Haa, ah! Ah, uh, uh!”

“You need to pee, uh, you need to pee? Haewon, are you a baby?”

“Haah, ah, ah, I need to pee. Haah, I want to come… ah, please let me come.”

Wrapping his arms around the man’s shoulders, Haewon whispered desperately in his ear, licking his earlobe. The man’s movements became fierce. The speed and intensity of his thrusts increased. The phone vibrated again, but he ignored it. Veins bulged on his forehead as he focused on the act.

Haewon gripped Hyun Woojin’s hard shoulders so tightly that his fingers hurt. He could barely breathe. His chin lifted, and the urge to come surged. Haewon nodded. He needed permission to come, but his body was already out of control. A scream escaped him. His nerves and consciousness melted away. Haewon came, releasing hot fluid onto the man’s stomach.

“Ah, ahhng! Uh!”

The man’s lips pressed against Haewon’s nape, licking him wetly as he thrust his hips. As Hyun Woojin lowered his head, Haewon ran his hand down the man’s spine.

“Hyun Woojin, feels good, Woojin hyung…….”

His voice escaped like a whisper. As he softly whispered the man’s name, he suddenly thrust deep and stilled.

“Huh!”

The man’s abdomen twitched as he came. Haewon felt the hot fluid inside him. After coming deep inside, the man exhaled all at once. His chest heaved rapidly.

“Haa, haa…….”

Hyun Woojin looked down at Haewon. His sharp eyes gazed at Haewon’s flushed face, dazed with pleasure. As he pulled out, hot semen flowed out with him. Haewon embraced his back as he tried to sit up. After a moment of hesitation, Hyun Woojin hugged Haewon back.

“Hyung… Woojin hyung.”

“…….”

Even though he had asked to be called that, Hyun Woojin seemed awkward with Haewon closing the physical gap between them so quickly. His large hand slowly approached the back of Haewon’s head. The hesitant hand gently stroked the back of his head.

For quite a while, he held Haewon, who was still lost in the aftermath of his orgasm, soothing him. Then he pulled away. Haewon looked up at him. Hyun Woojin brushed back Haewon’s sweat-soaked hair.

“I need to make a quick call.”

Zipping up his pants and still shirtless, he picked up his phone from the floor and left the studio apartment.

“…….”

Haewon lay back on the bed, feeling a bit dazed, and covered his naked body with the sheet. He could feel Hyun Woojin’s traces still wet between his legs.

Even after a long time, he didn’t return. How could he go out half-naked? Even if he didn’t bump into anyone, it was too cold to be outside dressed like that for so long. Haewon thought he should take him some clothes and was about to get up when Hyun Woojin came back in, shoulders hunched against the cold.

“Aren’t you cold? How can you talk for so long dressed like that?”

He came straight to Haewon and got into bed. Lifting the sheet, he pulled Haewon’s naked body into an embrace. Hyun Woojin’s body was like a block of ice. Startled by the cold, Haewon tensed his back.

Hyun Woojin rubbed his lips against Haewon’s collarbone. His lips and face were too cold. Haewon wrapped his arms around his shoulders and quickly ran his warm hands over his bare back. Hyun Woojin held Haewon with both arms and shivered.

“Don’t give me your cold.”

“I can’t even remember the last time I had a cold.”

Hyun Woojin’s hand trailed down Haewon’s spine, over his buttocks, and down his thighs. After holding each other for a while, the chill subsided, and his body warmed up again.

“Isn’t it urgent?”

Haewon hinted that he might need to go, but Hyun Woojin shook his head. He was different from the cold demeanor he had shown at dawn. He looked up from Haewon’s chest. Their eyes met.

“What did you say earlier?”

“What do you mean?”

“What did you call me?”

“……Me?”

“Yes.”

“Sir?”

“Not that. You called me something that tickled my ears.”

“Old man. Grandpa. Mister.”

“Does that only come out when you’re feeling too good to hold back?”

If that’s the case, he said he would find a way to hear it again. Haewon quickly wrapped his arms around Hyun Woojin’s neck.

“Hyung.”

“Say it with my name.”

He seemed to like that very much. Come to think of it, he came when Haewon called him that. He seemed invincible, like he was wearing steel armor, but there was an unexpected softness in his cracks.

“Hyun Woojin mister. Hyun Woojin grandpa.”

His hand gripped Haewon’s buttocks tightly, making him yelp.

“Woojin hyung.”

“……I like it.”

“Hyung, Woojin hyung.”

“…….”

“Woojin hyung.”

“Call me that from now on.”

“Yes, great-great-grandfather.”

Although he couldn’t see his expression with them embracing, Haewon could feel his lips smiling from the tremor in the air.

∞ ∞ ∞

Haewon pulled up the turtleneck of his sweater to hide the marks Hyun Woojin had left on his neck. He put on his coat and gloves. For several days, he hadn’t even taken his violin out of its case.

Though it had only been a few days, skipping practice for this long was unprecedented. After the regular concert had concluded and during the orchestra’s vacation period (when the non-regular conductor would typically return to his home country for a break), there wasn’t any pressing need to take out his violin. More than that, Hyun Woojin’s constant interruptions were too much.

What used to be a once-a-week occurrence, or every ten days at most, had drastically changed. Hyun Woojin, as it turned out, wasn’t as busy as he had thought.

He persistently visited Haewon’s studio apartment. Even when his phone rang, seeking him out, he didn’t pay it any mind. Haewon realized through Hyun Woojin’s restrained yet unyielding approach during sex that he was deliberately accommodating him to a certain extent.

He tried not to do things Haewon disliked, though two times out of three, he held back. The third time, however, he would tighten his grip, making Haewon sob until his voice cracked, but he wouldn’t stop, taking him in his own way.

Haewon didn’t dislike him. In fact, he began to like everything about him. He was both cold and tender, terrifying and, at times, endearing.

Slipping his violin over his shoulder, Haewon left the apartment. He planned to visit his family home for lunch and then head to the concert hall’s practice room. He took a taxi to his family home, where the housekeeper greeted him warmly. She carefully set down his violin in its usual spot.

“You think I wouldn’t know your father’s lies? I’m well aware he’s been pocketing money behind my back. How many months has it been? Someone who can’t live without money, acting like this.”

His stepmother’s sharp voice echoed from the living room. The housekeeper gave Haewon a look, as if to ask for his understanding, signaling that she was unusually irritable today, before retreating to the kitchen.

Seated on the sofa, his stepmother was arranging fresh flowers on newspaper spread across the table.

Haewon gazed at her, wondering if she had always looked like this. It had been a while since he’d last seen her. Sensing his gaze, she frowned irritably.

“Where’s Father?”

“He went golfing. Said he’ll be back after a sauna, so probably by dinner.”

She said something else, but Haewon had already stopped listening after asking his question.

Last night, Hyun Woojin had said something strange.

[You’re twenty-nine this year, right?]

[Stop reminding me how old I am. You’re thirty-five, old man.]

Turning twenty-nine from twenty-eight wasn’t as simple as adding one. In just a year, the first digit of his age would change, ushering him into his thirties. This year was Haewon’s last year in his twenties. He was twenty-nine.

[I wish I’d turn thirty already.]

[I don’t. Thirty sounds like being an old man.]

[Still. From tomorrow, just say you’re thirty. Don’t say you’re twenty-nine.]

It was an uncharacteristically illogical statement from him. It didn’t sound like a demand or a joke but rather a request. With a firm embrace from behind, he sighed deeply.

At some point, Haewon had reached the same age as his dead fiancée. Taeshin, too, had been twenty-nine. Whether intentionally or not, at twenty-nine, they were all consumed by Hyun Woojin.

The realization that he remembered and was aware of his late fiancée’s age left Haewon with an inexplicable sense of loneliness. It wasn’t him but someone else who lingered in Hyun Woojin’s heart like a shard of glass. He had never once heard Hyun Woojin speak of his fiancée.

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

“Huh?”

“What’s got you so lost in thought? And why have you lost so much weight? Have you been starving yourself?”

“Probably just lost a little because I skipped meals out of laziness.”

Haewon brushed his cheek as if it were nothing. His stepmother gave him a strange look. Usually, their encounters would escalate into him snapping back with even sharper words than hers.

“Stay for lunch. It’s already prepared, so don’t sneak off again.”

“I came planning to eat before heading out.”

Haewon leaned back on the sofa, resting his head and stretching his upper body. Despite her irksome presence, the house still made him feel at ease. Even her barbed words and unchanged mannerisms felt oddly comforting. The master bedroom door creaked open, and Haewon spotted Haejung peeking out. He patted the seat next to him, signaling for the child to come over. Haejung quickly opened the door wider and ran to him.

“Haejung, you’ll fall running like that!”

His stepmother scolded, but Haejung ignored her and threw himself into Haewon’s arms. She clicked her tongue, trimming flowers with a sulky pout.

“Since when were you two so close?”

“Since the two of you were taken into custody by the prosecutors.”

“What a disaster that was! Seriously, our judiciary has so many problems. They lock up innocent people and shake them down until they find something, while letting actual criminals roam free. When I asked if having a second household was illegal, they said it wasn’t. Apparently, while gender equality is a constitutional principle under monogamy, it’s a social system, not something enforceable by law. They even said that extramarital affairs often lead to disputes and suggested preemptively dividing the assets…”

She abruptly stopped talking. After all, she herself had been an extramarital partner, and Haejung, the child Haewon was holding, was born out of wedlock. Yet now, the stepmother was worrying about other potential extramarital arrangements that Haewon’s father might be pursuing.

“Who told you that?”

“Who else? The prosecutor, obviously. They said everything would go to the son from the previous marriage anyway. As for me, I’m fine as long as I can scrape by with Haejung. I haven’t laid a single claim on your father’s assets.”

“……”

“They were so relentless in their questioning that I nearly spilled everything about your father’s antics. But I must say, that prosecutor was really handsome. Quite the sight to behold.”

It was clear that Hyun Woojin knew a fair bit about Haewon’s complicated family circumstances.

Haewon had once lied to Lee Jinyeong, claiming to be a college student who had run away from home, and stayed at his apartment. Hyun Woojin already knew why Haewon avoided going home and had even likened Haewon’s longstanding conflict with his father to childish behavior.

The stepmother, who Haewon couldn’t stand, and his father, who endlessly brought new women into his life, both treated Haewon’s reluctance to be at home as immature stubbornness.

Haewon felt his face burn with embarrassment and rubbed it with his dry palm.

“Ma’am, lunch is ready.”

“You’re staying for lunch, right?”

“I already said I would. Haejung, let’s go.”

Haewon took Haejung’s hand and headed to the dining area.

After lunch, Haewon left the house, receiving a send-off from his stepmother and Haejung. The stepmother seemed uneasy about having casually brought up the sensitive topic of inheritance for children born out of wedlock. Until Haewon departed, she made a concerted effort to emphasize how pitiful her and Haejung’s situation was.

Haewon’s father was unlikely to ever consider dividing his assets while he was alive, and the stepmother, even at her age, would continue to fret and suffer under his tyranny. While Haewon didn’t feel much sympathy for the stepmother, he did feel sorry for Haejung.

The practice room was quiet and empty, as it was a holiday. Haewon scanned his card to unlock the security system and went inside. Feeling the chill in the air, he turned on the heater. After hanging up his coat, he began doing push-ups on the floor while waiting for the room to warm up.

Up until last year, he could easily manage thirty push-ups, but after twenty, his arms began trembling from the strain. He barely managed to complete twenty-two before collapsing and dragging his torso upright with effort.

Before the room warmed up, his body had already begun to heat from exertion. He checked his reflection in the mirror. It was hard to tell whether he had lost or gained weight since he hadn’t stepped on a scale, but he looked slightly thinner. It made sense.

Hyun Woojin, who visited nearly every other day, was the reason Haewon couldn’t sleep properly. He came and went on his own terms, without saying when he would arrive or leave. Not knowing when Hyun Woojin might show up, Haewon had no choice but to stay cooped up in his officetel.

On the few occasions Haewon had gone out and made Hyun Woojin wait, the man turned into someone unfamiliar and terrifying. One time, he had left Haewon bedridden for an entire day. After that, Haewon instinctively began texting updates about his daily plans—where he would be for lunch, where he’d go in the afternoon.

Haewon pulled out his violin and replaced the G and A strings, which had started to go flat. He tuned the instrument carefully, applied rosin to the bow, and tightened the bowstring to make it taut. After positioning the violin on his shoulder, he began with basic exercises to loosen up his hands.

To rebuild his technique, he started practicing Paganini’s caprices, renowned for their complexity and difficulty. These pieces, which he had memorized, required intricate fingerwork and high technical precision. They quickly sharpened his skills.

As he worked through the caprices in random order, a faint, intrusive noise broke his focus. Haewon opened his eyes. Once immersed in practice, he usually became so absorbed that he paid no attention to his surroundings, reaching a meditative state. There had even been times when he unknowingly played six full pieces with Hyun Woojin silently watching from the most comfortable spot in the room.

Now, breathing heavily, Haewon lowered the violin from his shoulder. His jaw and shoulder ached, his arms throbbed, and sweat dripped from his forehead.

“Why did you stop?”

Standing before him was Seo Okhwa.

She was someone Haewon had met on the night of his regular concert, thanks to Hyun Woojin. Mistakenly believing that Haewon was a fan of Henry Chang, Hyun Woojin had arranged for them to meet over dinner.

It was one of the rare instances of Hyun Woojin trying to surprise Haewon in his peculiar, endearing way.

The faint noise that had distracted him came from the bracelet on Seo Okhwa’s wrist. She was idly twisting it, producing a faint clicking sound as if it were a rosary.

“Hello.”