PS | Chapter 2.4

Jehyuk sneaked a glance at Sihoo. Standing under the cherry blossoms, Yoon Sihoo looked as if he had belonged there since the beginning.

“We’ve still got a long way to go.”

At that moment, Sihoo spoke calmly.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Jehyuk, who had been secretly stealing glances at him, flinched in surprise and turned his gaze to Sihoo, feeling as if he had been caught. Embarrassed, he quickly opened his mouth.

“We’re almost there. Sorry.”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

He felt bad that Sihoo had come all the way up here just to help him practice. But Sihoo shook his head.

“That’s not what I meant.”

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

“Then what?”

“It’s just that… I think it’ll take at least a month before you can hold hands naturally.”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Oh. He was talking about physical affection.

Hearing such a precise timeframe, embarrassment surged inside him. But at the same time, a strange sense of relief washed over him. They were still holding hands. Sihoo wasn’t showing any sign of discomfort. Maybe he was just tolerating it, but at least he hadn’t reacted negatively—so for now, Jehyuk could breathe a little easier.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

He bit the inside of his cheek and mulled over Sihoo’s words. He couldn’t exactly deny them. This was their first practice session, so maybe that was why it felt like nothing would change. Trying not to let doubt creep in, he finally managed to respond.

“Well… being cautious is a good thing.”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Sihoo chuckled at the lame excuse and followed up with a playful question.

“Then, what about a kiss? Would that take a year?”

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

……?

Jehyuk’s steps came to an abrupt halt. He blinked, wondering if he had misheard, then slowly, his face turned red.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

A kiss… as in…

His brain short-circuited. It wasn’t like Sihoo was saying they should kiss—he was just making a hypothetical comment. And yet, Jehyuk’s heart suddenly pounded wildly. His whole body felt hot. Frozen in place, he couldn’t figure out where to look, his mouth opening and closing uselessly.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

Sihoo, watching him, let out a quiet laugh. The deep, resonant sound sent a shiver down Jehyuk’s spine.

“Looking at you, I’d say it’d take even longer than that.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Damn it, Ji Jehyuk. Get a grip.

He scolded himself and forced his voice out.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Do we even have to kiss? What if the other person doesn’t want to?”

“Hmm.”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Sihoo gave their joined hands a slight tug.

Jehyuk, who had been standing still in shock, was caught completely off guard and stumbled forward. He barely managed to brace himself, planting his feet firmly to stop from falling. But in the process, his hand pressed against Sihoo’s chest.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The sensation beneath his palm was all too vivid.

Despite his smooth, delicate-looking exterior, Sihoo’s body was firm with muscle. He was even more solid than Jehyuk, who had built his body through years of training. The unexpected contrast threw Jehyuk off. His palm burned at the unfamiliar touch.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

“When you like someone, you want to.”

The sentence was left open-ended, missing a subject.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Jehyuk instinctively lifted his gaze.

Their eyes met.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

It wasn’t often that he got a clear look into Sihoo’s deep brown irises, but now they were staring straight at him, unwavering.

“Holding hands, touching….”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The world around them fell silent. It was as if all other sounds had vanished, leaving only Sihoo’s voice ringing in the still air.

“And kissing, too.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

A quiet, thick with something unspoken, settled between them.

And in reality, there was no one else here but the two of them.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

Under the bright sunlight, Jehyuk found himself unable to look away from Sihoo’s face. He should say something, anything to break the tension, but his body refused to move. The word kiss echoed in his head.

It’s not like I’ve never thought about it.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

It was a word he’d heard countless times. Kissing was a staple in movies and dramas. Even among his classmates, they had played all sorts of drinking games last year with a kiss as the penalty. Jehyuk had left before it got awkward, but he wasn’t ignorant of the concept.

Still, to him, a kiss had always seemed like a dirty act.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

He never understood why people liked pressing their lips together so much. Even when he dated, he’d felt the same. Saliva was disgusting. The idea of exchanging it had never seemed thrilling or romantic to him.

Even now, his thoughts hadn’t changed.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

And yet…

For some reason, just a little bit—no, the tiniest bit—he thought he might be starting to understand.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

He didn’t know why.

But looking at Sihoo up close like this made him feel something.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

For the first time, the thought of lips meeting didn’t seem gross.

The curve of Sihoo’s nose cast a soft shadow over his lips. They were a perfect shape—not too thick, not too thin. A natural shade of pink. But under the sunlight, they seemed to have a deeper, rosier hue.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Jehyuk knew, logically, that human lips didn’t taste sweet. That was just common sense.

But for some insane reason, he found himself thinking—what if Sihoo’s did?

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Jehyuk-ah.”

“Huh?”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Sihoo’s voice pulled him back to reality.

Jehyuk blinked rapidly, realizing he had been staring at Sihoo’s lips.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

And worse—Sihoo was right there, so close that their lips were nearly touching.

“Is there something on my lips?”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Underneath those sharp, dark brown eyebrows, Sihoo’s eyes curved into a grin. The smooth arc of his gaze made it feel as though he was reading Jehyuk like an open book.

As soon as Sihoo spoke, Jehyuk’s heart dropped. It felt like his thoughts had been exposed, leaving behind an unexplainable embarrassment that washed over him.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

His frozen body refused to move. Never before had his mind and body been so disconnected. He knew—if he just turned his head away, if he just said anything, this suffocating tension would disappear.

“Or maybe…”

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

Sihoo tilted his head slightly.

Since he was taller than Jehyuk, this angle made it easy—convenient, even—for him to close the distance between their lips. His whisper tickled Jehyuk’s ear, soft as the cherry blossoms drifting down behind him.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“Were you thinking of something else?”

Now was the time to say something. To shake his head, to react in any way. The urgency hit him like a wave, and Jehyuk finally managed to squeeze out a response.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

“N-no, nothing like that.”

His voice came out rough and low, forced and unconvincing. A poorly crafted lie, obvious to anyone. Sihoo quietly observed him, the corners of his mouth hinting at amusement.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

A breath—soft and warm—brushed over Jehyuk’s lips. Lighter than the spring breeze.

“You were staring so hard, I wondered.”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

A scent lingered in the air between them. It was so sweet, so distinctly Sihoo, that it made Jehyuk curious—almost as if he could taste it. His entire vision was filled with nothing but Yoon Sihoo.

He just stood there, watching as Sihoo leaned in closer.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

Almost as if… he was waiting for something.

“Are you curious?”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Even though the sentence was incomplete, Jehyuk knew exactly what he meant.

He was supposed to say no.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Of course, he was supposed to say no.

But his lips wouldn’t move.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Something was wrong. Something had been changing since yesterday. He didn’t know what, but something inside him was shifting.

The silence stretched. And silence, in itself, was an unspoken permission.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Sihoo seemed to have waited long enough. He moved.

His broad frame leaned in entirely, closing the distance between them. A breeze swept past, carrying the scent of fresh leaves, branches, tender buds shedding their skins, and the fluttering petals of cherry blossoms. The mix of it all filled Jehyuk’s lungs.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

It felt like time had stopped.

Trapped in this moment, Jehyuk forgot how to breathe. He could only stare, wide-eyed, as Sihoo’s face drew closer. He saw the slow flutter of dark eyelashes, felt the brush of a perfectly sculpted nose against his cheek.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

And then—

Their lips met. It was light, delicate. Like a piece of cotton candy melting on his lips.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

Like the touch of a falling petal.

No, it was…

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Impossible to describe.

No past experience could explain it.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

It was unbelievably soft.

And warm.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Without realizing it, Jehyuk clenched his fists and held his breath.

Sihoo pulled away, and only then did Jehyuk gasp, releasing the air he hadn’t even known he was holding.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

A moment that had felt like infinity had, in reality, lasted no more than a few seconds.

So that means… right now… “Breathe, Jehyuk-ah.”

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

Sihoo had just—

No, they had—

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“Hyuk-ah.” A large hand gently cradled the back of Jehyuk’s head.

The other wrapped around his back, pulling him into a warm embrace. Jehyuk didn’t even have the mental capacity to refuse. If anything, it was a relief.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

With his face buried against Sihoo’s chest, at least he wouldn’t have to show whatever expression he was making. Finally, he exhaled, drawing in deep, shaky breaths.

Sihoo’s hand moved soothingly over his back.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

“Sorry. I didn’t think you’d react this much.” His voice was calm, genuinely apologetic.

Reality slowly pieced itself together.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

And Jehyuk—at last—registered what had just happened.

For the first time in his life, he had kissed someone.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

He blinked. His eyes felt dry, as if all thoughts had been drained from his head.

“Did you hate it that much?” Sihoo’s voice reached him again, gentle yet cautious.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“I thought you were fine holding hands, so I figured… something small like a peck would be okay. Sorry, Hyuk-ah.”

Jehyuk, still lightheaded, caught onto one particular word.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

A peck?

That word—its innocent, almost playful tone—felt even stranger to him than kiss did.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

Still too embarrassed to lift his head, he mumbled against Sihoo’s chest.

“…It wasn’t a kiss?” His voice was thick with confusion.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Sihoo’s hand stilled for a moment. Then, he burst into laughter. It was a genuine laugh, full of amusement.

And damn it, even that sounded good.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

For a split second, Jehyuk wondered—how the hell was someone like this even real?

“Mm, nope. Not a kiss.” Sihoo murmured, his voice low as he rubbed soothing circles on Jehyuk’s shoulder.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

Embarrassment gave way to sheer bewilderment.

Jehyuk pulled away, lifting his head with a sharp motion, his face openly displaying his confusion.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“But it touched my lips.” He didn’t even bother to hide it.

So, in Jehyuk’s mind, a peck was something you did on a place that wasn’t the lips. When lips met lips, that was a kiss.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

Which meant… just now, Yoon Sihoo had become Ji Jehyuk’s first kiss.

“This doesn’t really count as a kiss. Besides, Hyuk-ah, your first kiss should be with someone else, not me. This was just practice, after all.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

His heart, which had been pounding like crazy before their lips even met, gradually slowed at those words.

“…Someone else?”

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

He felt like he kind of understood why Sihoo was saying this… or maybe he didn’t. His mind had turned to stone, and he struggled to get it moving again. If he traced back how they even got to this point—no, why they ended up kissing in the first place…

“Oh, right. Someone you actually like and will date in the future. Not just any relationship like the ones you’ve had before, but a real one.”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

That’s right. They were just practicing. He finally understood, but it didn’t quite sink in. He was still confused. Why was this any different? What exactly was the distinction?

“Then… a peck is fine?”

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The more serious Jehyuk’s expression became, the wider Sihoo’s smile grew.

“People give pecks to just anyone. Even kids in kindergarten do it.”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Jehyuk had lived a life far from normal, so of course, Sihoo was probably right. But the problem was, Jehyuk had never even done that before. Not until today.