TGHD Ch 52

At the desperate pleading, Yeohwi exhaled slowly.

“…Since I’ve been given this chance, I must do well.”

He replied with a playful tone, barely suppressing what was boiling inside. From the moment he entered Ryubeom, Yeohwi had been holding onto his reason by a thread. He lifted his upper body to reach for the lubricant bottle.

Glug glug, he poured a generous amount of lubricant onto the point of joining. He spread it carefully on Ryubeom’s body, then roughly smeared it over his own still partially inserted shaft before moving slowly.

“Hng, ah… It’s better than, uh, the first time…”

With the sensation of sliding in more smoothly, Ryubeom closed his eyes tightly. Although the entry was easier, the presence of the intruder felt more intense, making it hard to breathe. The sensation of his insides being pushed aside was clear.

As the erection went deeper, it finally touched the deepest point. Without much movement, just its size alone pressed and stimulated it. The hand that had been clawing at Yeohwi’s back fell limp, and Ryubeom’s eyes widened.

“Eek, there, wait… Ah, oh…!”

Ryubeom’s moan was cut short. Yeohwi deliberately pressed hard against that spot before thrusting deeply. The thick shaft scraped past the deepest point, blurring Ryubeom’s vision. This time, the pressure that made breathing difficult came in a different form.

Although it was clearly painful, the moment he recognized it as pleasure, his thoughts became a chaotic mix. It hurt, it was tight, but that began to translate into sexual euphoria. Stimulations that he never thought would come from the same place intertwined, confusing his mind.

When the erection withdrew, Ryubeom stiffened with his head thrown back, but as it came back in, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Squelch, squelch, the obscene sounds from the lubricant filled the air, further clouding his mind. It hurts, no, it feels good. Moans flowed continuously from beside his trembling lips.

“Ah, hng, there, uh, something’s strange there, hng!”

Ryubeom’s hips bucked, unable to control his body. It was far different from when fingers touched there earlier. It was incomparable, the sensation of being pressed so full in a deeper place was overwhelmingly greater. His whole body vibrated with pleasure.

He had thought he could handle most pain, but this was a completely different stimulus, leaving him at a loss. While Yeohwi gently stroked Ryubeom’s waist, he whispered,

“Huff. I would stop if you really disliked it or found it strange, but this… you like it.”

“Hngh, hng, ah, dizzy, so dizzy, huh…!”

“While you’re clamping down so tightly…”

Every time Yeohwi moved, the inner walls clamped down on him, enveloping his erection. As if to hold onto him when he tried to pull out, and eagerly wrapping around him when he pushed back in. It was a movement to absorb the energy he had repeatedly requested, or rather, almost seemed to be taking by force. Yeohwi exhaled a heavy breath before biting his lower lip to maintain his focus.

He moved cautiously, focusing all his attention on making this experience good for Cheon Ryubeom. As if that was his sole aim, he observed every reaction from Ryubeom: the blurred focus, the flushed face, the breath escaping from his panting mouth, the toes curling in the air… He even made sure to give him moments to breathe when it got too overwhelming.

“Hng, uh, there, oh! Please, ha, ah, good…”

Ryubeom didn’t know what he was saying. He just clung to Yeohwi, spewing out fragments of words that popped into his mind. His heart was beating too fast, his whole body was hot. Even though he was completely naked, he couldn’t shake off the heat. The more he resisted, the tighter it became.

Was the lubricant somehow inducing heat? His stomach felt like it was on fire. The heat was also felt where they collided with each wet slap, and his own breath seemed to scorch him. He tried to gulp down the cool outside air while gasping, but everything around him was just hot.

Ah, what should I do? Ryubeom suddenly became afraid. He had prepared himself, but the sensations were coming in more overwhelming than expected. It was hard, painful, hot, and yet… truly, chillingly good. The sensations that had been overwhelming soon turned into pleasure. His brain, melted by the heat coursing through his body, responded only to pleasure from some point on.

The stimuli that had transformed into pleasure kept crashing over Ryubeom like a tidal wave.

“Haaah, ah…!”

White fluid spurted from the tip of his erect member. His toes curled in the air, and his whole body trembled. The ticklish pleasure coursed through his body.

“Huff…”

Yeohwi wrapped his hand around Ryubeom’s erection, pulling upwards to milk the last of the fluid. Ryubeom twisted his hips before finally surrendering everything to him, collapsing. Splash, plop. The fluid pooled on his abdomen. It was so good that a languid sigh escaped him naturally.

After enjoying the afterglow to satisfaction, Yeohwi moved again. He continued to penetrate, observing Ryubeom’s reactions while gently stroking his back. The entry was now much smoother than before. Ryubeom’s body, now completely relaxed, willingly accepted and welcomed him.

The careful stimuli completely melted Ryubeom. Making him so sensitive that every sensation felt like pleasure, he kept moaning. The poking sensation in his stomach, the firm grip on his hips, and the breath Yeohwi exhaled onto his chest while kissing, all of it softened him.

Each time Yeohwi rubbed against the deepest point inside, it made Ryubeom’s head spin from the intensity. He felt dizzy from the overwhelming sensations. Ryubeom called out Yeohwi’s name in a sobbing tone.

“Yeohwi, ah… Hng, uh, uh, Yeohwi…”

Lost in the sea of ecstasy, he felt like he might sink forever, searching for his buoy. His reason seemed about to evaporate, turning him into a fool. As Ryubeom mindlessly called out his name, a soft sigh could be heard from above.

“Why do you call me like that, Ryubeom? Hmm?”

Yeohwi stopped moving to stroke Ryubeom’s cheek. Holding onto his sanity with all his might, focusing so hard that veins popped on his forehead, he was trying to cater to everything for Ryubeom. Each of Ryubeom’s reactions felt like being pushed off a cliff.

But now, with Ryubeom moaning and desperately calling his name, just hearing that voice made his patience crack. He probably didn’t realize how his own voice sounded. Yeohwi thought he was swallowing a sigh as he looked at Ryubeom. Somehow, the tightness below made his thread of reason even thinner.

Yeohwi clenched his jaw, took a deep breath, and lowered his head.

“Huff, what do you want, calling out so desperately…”

“My, my name, suddenly…”

“Why, Ryubeom? Should I not call you like that?”

“No, ah, that’s not, not, hng…”

“I’ll do everything you want, so you should tell me quickly…”

Urging for an answer, Yeohwi locked eyes with Ryubeom. From the moment his name was called, Ryubeom was so startled that goosebumps rose all over his body, blinking his eyes. Only now could he clearly see Yeohwi’s state. His red eyes were on the verge of blurring out.

His stomach churned, and heat spread across his neck. An instinctive intuition came upon him. It was a creepy sensation that sent chills down his spine, yet it also brought an anticipation that made his stomach tingle.

Ah, if I provoke Yeohwi any further now, it will be irreversible.

At this crossroads, Ryubeom had to decide. And he had never once chosen the path of retreat.

Ryubeom reached out to smooth Yeohwi’s disheveled hair. He gently stroked his tense jaw, then slowly wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him closer…

“You know…”

At that whisper, Yeohwi stopped moving. He froze for a moment, showing no reaction, then suddenly contorted his lips menacingly before trying to cover it with a smile… Eventually, he let out a sigh filled with heavy heat. Ryubeom bit his lower lip sharply but did not resist the approaching kiss. Their breathing became ragged.

Strength entered the hands holding his hips. Ryubeom, almost entranced by the kiss, suddenly jolted at the sensation of being thrust into like a battering ram. This was the first time he had been thrust into so forcefully. The shock was greater than the realization that Yeohwi had been holding back. “Huh,” Ryubeom’s mouth opened involuntarily.

Without a chance to breathe, the aggressive thrusts continued. Thud, thud, thud, like being hit, his insides were smashed. It was more like being slammed than thrust into. His mind turned blank.

“Ah, ugh, huh…”

With each thrust, his lower abdomen bulged. The pain was like someone trying to smash the core of heat inside his stomach. Yeohwi grabbed Ryubeom’s flailing hand in the air and guided it to his abdomen.

He could feel the solid skin of his stomach rising with each thrust under his palm. Goosebumps prickled.

“Ugh, eek, uh, can’t, can’t breathe…”

Overwhelmed by the onslaught of stimuli, Ryubeom gasped. It was so intense that even physiological tears welled up. Yeohwi kissed the corner of his eyes, whispering,

“So you don’t like it? But it seems like you enjoy having your breath taken away.”

At the cool yet tender voice, Ryubeom’s body shivered. The time Yeohwi had spent preparing had already turned Ryubeom’s thinking around. His brain now recognized all this as pleasure, even accepting the current forceful penetration as stimulation. Every time Yeohwi slammed into him, the inner walls gripped him tightly.

Realizing this, Ryubeom’s face turned bright red. The heat rushed to his already half-erect member, making it stand straight up in the air. Yeohwi laughed, “Ha ha,” saying that like his master, he couldn’t lie.

At the teasing comment, Ryubeom glared at him, but his bright red, tear-filled eyes didn’t look threatening at all. Instead, Yeohwi sighed at the sight of his whimpering eyes.

Yeohwi grabbed Ryubeom’s ankles, placing them on his shoulders, and leaned over to bring their bodies closer. With the deeper penetration, Ryubeom jolted. His body folded in half, and the erection thrust straight into him, causing his inner walls to contract in shock.

“Hng, huh, deep, eek, so deep.”

The sight of his abdomen bulging was eerie. With consecutive, hard thrusts, Ryubeom’s fingertips curled. The stimulation was directed at his lower part, but his brain felt like it was turning to mush. He scratched the floor with his nails before clumsily grabbing Yeohwi’s arm beside his face.

Clinging to him, Ryubeom pleaded,

“Ah, ah, hng, uh! Please, ah, just, calm down a bit, hng, ah!”

His moans had become embarrassingly explicit, but he had no mind to suppress them. His body, already intoxicated by pleasure, was tense with fear. The sensation of the glans scraping him as it was pulled out and then thrust back in made Ryubeom scream. Despite the pain at the point of joining, the sloppy, wet sounds messed up his thoughts.

The lewd sounds filling the space made his ears ring. His eyes kept rolling back as if he might faint. Yeohwi leaned down to kiss Ryubeom’s ear softly while he trembled.

“Ryubeom, after saying such things, how can you be so cruel…”

At the low, disappointed voice, Ryubeom jolted. Surprised by just one call of his name, he gasped. His tense body tightened further, the mucous membranes around the erection trembling. Yeohwi gritted his teeth, and Ryubeom bucked his hips at the stimulation his own reaction brought. Hik, ah, what should I do? His body, out of control, shook on its own.

Yeohwi whispered, licking Ryubeom’s earlobe,

“You like it so much… Huff, shall I keep calling you by name from now on? Hmm?”

“Hng, uh, ah, no.”

“But every time I call your name, you leak so much fluid…”

“Hng, ha, uh, huh, wait…!”

“No, if you get hard every time I call you by name and wet your clothes, it would be troublesome. Haah, our young master, your body is so honest…”

Yeohwi spread Ryubeom’s thighs to the side to look at the point of joining. Seeing the tight hole greedily swallowing his erection, he smiled languidly. Ryubeom covered his face with both hands, sobbing.

He had deliberately provoked Yeohwi to cross the line, but he hadn’t expected the lewd talk that came after. The shocking words from someone who always spoke so sweetly gave Ryubeom a sense of dissonance or even betrayal. He felt even more wronged since he was the one to blame.

Yeohwi grabbed Ryubeom’s hands, pinning them to the floor, preventing him from covering his face, and thrust into him relentlessly. The violent pleasure of pounding against his deepest point made Ryubeom shake his head, sobbing.

“Please, hng, uh, uh, slowly, hah…!”

Now Ryubeom’s pleas didn’t reach Yeohwi at all. Thrusting so fast that Ryubeom couldn’t even form proper words, moans poured out chaotically. He was nearly crying, overwhelmed by the pleasure that surpassed his limits.

The heat coursing through his body seemed to melt him, yet it also made him hypersensitive. His toes curled in the air, his hips bucking. The excruciating pain that felt like his inner walls might break turned into pleasure, and the lewd sounds echoing in his ears hammered his brain. The fierce stimuli quickly drove Ryubeom into ecstasy.

With his vision blurred, he could barely make out Yeohwi’s face. Ah, Yeohwi is making that expression. It was a face he had never seen before, one completely undone by lust. The moment he faced that raw, almost suffocating desire, his stomach tingled.

“Hng…!”

As he inhaled, Ryubeom climaxed. With his lower body raised high, fluid splashed onto his chest from the air. The white fluid this time was thinner than before.

“Huff…”

The moan escaping from Yeohwi’s clenched teeth made Ryubeom quiver. Something was being squeezed out from the point of joining, the sticky liquid flowing down his perineum, making his nape burn. Finally, having absorbed the energy, and from the deepest part of his body, he felt a chilling satisfaction. Trying to indulge in this satisfaction, Ryubeom wanted to sink into languid afterglow.

But before he could even catch his breath, thud, the thrusts continued. Holding just one of Ryubeom’s legs high, Yeohwi pounded into him, making his whole body shake. The other leg flailed in the air before barely touching the ground, but his body, unable to handle the pleasure, convulsed.

“Huh, wait, ah, why… why, uh, just wait, rest…!”

Ryubeom shook his head, sobbing. He thought they could rest since Yeohwi had also climaxed, but these thrusts shattered that expectation. It even seemed like he was thrusting while still climaxing. The amount of white fluid splashing from the point of joining increased, driving Ryubeom wild. His hypersensitive body was now taking in every sensation as stimulation.

He tried to turn his body to find a more comfortable position, but his arms couldn’t even support him on the floor, and his whole body shook with each thrust from Yeohwi. Hng, hng, haah. He rubbed his forehead against the floor, sobbing, but Yeohwi didn’t soothe him.

Rather, as if to punish Cheon Ryubeom for causing this situation, he gripped his erection, which was still shaking in the air. The violent pleasure had made his erection stand hard once more.

“This body rushing at me, huff, how dangerous it is, I must show you.”

“Hng, huh, what, what are you doing, uh, hah!”

“You have to, hah… be careful from now on…”

Yeohwi murmured as he gripped and shook Ryubeom’s erection. He stroked it from the thick sac upwards, trying to draw something out. Although clear fluid was dripping from the tip, it seemed that wasn’t the goal as he gripped even tighter. He squeezed and rubbed the shaft intensely before shaking it rapidly like shaking off dust. Ryubeom’s body jolted.

A sense of ominous thrill rose. Ryubeom tried to stop him by grabbing Yeohwi’s arm while moaning, but he didn’t listen, only making his movements more intense. At the moment when his erection was pushed to its limit, a chilling premonition surged in Ryubeom’s mind. It was a fear that felt like his brain might split in half.

Ah, wait, why now. This shouldn’t be happening.

“Huh, wait, hah, just wait, I, uh, want to stop. Hng, hik, please, I can’t…”

Ryubeom bucked his hips wildly. In an attempt to support his shaking body, he grabbed the leg of a nearby table and broke it. It shattered under the strength of his grip. Items on the table fell with a clatter, creating noise, but Ryubeom had no mind for that. I have to escape, I have to run away.

But Yeohwi didn’t let go, instead, he rubbed and stimulated Ryubeom’s insides more persistently. Even in his dazed state, Ryubeom couldn’t bring himself to push Yeohwi away hard.

Noticing this unconscious affection, Yeohwi laughed lowly. The sound of his laughter, coming from deep in his throat, made Ryubeom’s gaze involuntarily shift to him. The moment their eyes met with his trembling, anxious eyes, a particularly strong thrust pounded deep inside.

That dizzying pleasure made Ryubeom’s head snap back. The desire he had been holding back flooded out in the brief moment his consciousness blurred.

“Hah, ah, ahhh…!”

Fluid burst from the tip of his erection with a loud splash. It not only splashed on his chest but drenched his whole body. Even Yeohwi’s upper body was messily splattered.

Ryubeom covered his eyes with both hands, sobbing. The shock of not being able to control his bladder was embarrassing, especially with his thighs trembling violently, making it even more shameful. He blamed Yeohwi with a voice full of grievance, not wanting to be seen in such a state.

“Hng, hic, that’s why, I, uh, told you to let go… I wanted to go to the bathroom…”

“Huff… Didn’t you learn about this?”

“I, hng, I don’t make mistakes like this. Ugh, I’m not that young.”

His voice trembled with sobs. Seeing him on the verge of bursting into tears, Yeohwi laughed, “Ha ha,” in disbelief at Cheon Ryubeom’s sudden defense that he wasn’t young. Did he want to claim that in this situation, was it that upsetting…?

Yeohwi gently stroked Ryubeom’s arm, soothingly kissing his hands that wouldn’t leave his face.

“It’s not your fault, my lord. Didn’t they teach you this at the clan? I thought you knew everything since you kept urging to move on to the next thing.”

“Hic, hic, what, what are you saying?”

“This comes out when you’re really excited. Look here, it’s clear.”

He showed the liquid pooled on Ryubeom’s stomach. Ryubeom’s amber eyes, trembling, quickly checked between Yeohwi’s fingers, verifying what he saw, then slowly moved his hands away. As Yeohwi mentioned it had no smell, Ryubeom became increasingly dazed.

“This is…”

Only now did a piece of knowledge faintly surface in his mind. His thinking had been too clouded by stimulation to recall it. Since this was his first time experiencing and feeling this knowledge today, it was understandable.

Ryubeom’s face twisted with embarrassment. He was ashamed of his reaction, but more than that, he felt wronged by Yeohwi pushing him to this extent. There was no need to go through this personally.

Yeohwi showered Ryubeom’s tear-stained face with kisses, asking gently,

“Were you very surprised?”

“Hic, it was embarrassing…”

“Uh-huh, our young master is an adult, so I know you don’t make such mistakes.”

The soothing voice was so gentle that Ryubeom’s grievances melted away like snow, but he didn’t want to show it immediately, so he turned his head away with a huff. Wondering how much Yeohwi would comfort him when he acted more upset…

Then, Yeohwi spoke with a voice suppressing laughter.

“But, my lord, do you know your ears and tail have come out?”

“…What?”

Ryubeom immediately checked his head in shock. Indeed, tiger ears had popped up through his hair, and his tail was swaying in the air. Even though he was trying to act angry, the tail was shamelessly wrapping around Yeohwi’s arm.

Ryubeom stood there, mouth agape, frozen. He didn’t need to ask when they came out; he could guess.

“Ha ha, how cute…”

Yeohwi laughed with his eyes curved, caressing the tail. His laughter made him forget the situation, expressing how beautiful it was. Ryubeom looked up at him, almost entranced, before quickly shaking his head to clear his mind. This wasn’t the time for this. He had to quickly hide his ears and tail…

But before Ryubeom could concentrate, Yeohwi thrust deeply again, deliberately pressing against his most sensitive spot.

“Why hide it? You already released water before.”

“Hik, huh, wait…!”

“Ah, are you against this because you think it makes you look younger…”

Letting out a languid sigh, Yeohwi leaned in close. Holding Ryubeom’s waist firmly as he tried to escape, he kissed the brown ears that had popped out from between his hair. The ears twitched, the sensation clear through his lips.

“Whether you look younger or not, I’ve been trash for a long time now… Huff, you shouldn’t care about that.”

Regardless of Cheon Ryubeom’s efforts, there was an undeniable truth. From the moment he kissed Cheon Ryubeom every day, the outcome was decided, or perhaps even before that, it was a conclusion he had chosen for himself. The more he denied it, the more ridiculous it became.

And the reason Yeohwi so calmly accepted this branding was simple.

“Since the young master decided to take me in, right?”

“Hng, uh, uh, there, stop, huh! It’s strange, I’m telling you, hng, uh!”

“Why be conscious of such things? Hah, are you trying to get rid of me now that you’ve had your fill…?”

Repeatedly hitting his sensitive spot, Yeohwi made Ryubeom sob. He tried to explain that wasn’t the case, but only moans came out. Each thrust made water spurt from the tip of his erection, and when his lower abdomen collided with the shaking in the air, it sent chills down his spine.

“Haaah, ah, ah! I just, just came. Hik, uh! This isn’t possible, I don’t like it…”

His lips trembled so much he couldn’t speak properly. Gasping for breath only made it feel like his throat was blocked. His hypersensitive body was acutely aware of the changes happening all over. Due to the intense thrusts, his inner walls had become soft, welcoming the intruder by wrapping around him. Yeohwi couldn’t possibly miss what Ryubeom himself had noticed.

Ryubeom’s face flushed bright red. The heat that had been simmering in his body suddenly flared up violently. As Ryubeom squirmed from the intensifying pleasure, Yeohwi pressed his lips to Ryubeom’s ankle, whispering,

“The tail definitely likes it, so why does the young master keep saying no…”

The long tail was swaying around Yeohwi’s arm, almost as if it was clinging to him. Ryubeom looked at the tail with eyes of betrayal before stammering an explanation.

“That’s, well, separate…”

“You say you like it, but why push me away? Is it because I’ve done something too wrong…”

“Huh? What, what are you saying?”

Suddenly, Yeohwi looked down with a mournful expression, his thick eyelashes casting long shadows under his eyes, making his face look even darker. Ryubeom blinked in confusion, not fully understanding what was said, yet feeling like he had done something terribly wrong.

“So, you didn’t deny it when I said you wanted to get rid of me earlier…”

“No, that’s because you didn’t give me a chance to answer and kept…”

“You still don’t trust me, huh? So you want to make me into trash and throw me away.”

“No, no! That’s absolutely not it!”

Ryubeom urgently hugged Yeohwi’s shoulders. As Yeohwi’s voice lowered, speaking as if being discarded was an inevitable future, Ryubeom was very confused. He even thought that Yeohwi was clinging to him to savor the last bit of warmth before being discarded. His thoughts were in disarray from the shock.

“Why would I throw you away, huh? How much I like you, there’s no way I’d discard you. I’ll never throw you away.”

Patting Yeohwi’s back soothingly, Ryubeom repeatedly promised not to abandon him. Ryubeom had always been baffled by Yeohwi’s talk of being discarded yet eventually softened.

Suddenly, a chilling question popped into his mind. Wait, could this be pillow talk? He seemed to have learned about this from his clan…

But before Ryubeom could pursue his suspicion, Yeohwi rubbed his forehead against his neck. With movements seeking affection, Ryubeom crushed his doubts and hugged him tighter.

“We’re even doing this now, aren’t we? I was the one who suggested it, I…”

“…”

“I like you, Yeohwi. I really like you a lot…”

No matter what happens in the future, he shouldn’t say he dislikes Yeohwi. He seemed subtly sensitive. As Ryubeom made this determination in his heart, a low laugh reached his ear. It was a muffled laugh, as if it came from clenched teeth, making him curious to check, but then, thud, he was thrust into deeply.

He even aimed for the deepest point, making Ryubeom’s body buck wildly. The heat that had subsided in shock flared up again, setting his body on fire. His body, long sensitive and aroused, welcomed that pleasure.

“Huff, I’m in too much debt to the young master…”

Slowly, Yeohwi raised his upper body. Gently caressing Ryubeom’s startled eyes, he showed his affection by kissing them tenderly. But below, he was relentlessly, almost frighteningly, stimulating the deepest point, making Ryubeom’s lips tremble. Ah, wait, this…

He couldn’t interrogate. The moment he looked up at him with shocked eyes, his body was turned over. With the erection still inside, he was turned, and a crushed moan escaped from Ryubeom. Ugh, uh, huh. Before he could adjust to the new position, Yeohwi pulled out his erection and then thrust back in hard while leaning over. Yeohwi’s firm chest pressed against his back.

“I’ll never be able to repay enough…”

Yeohwi whispered while holding him close. The sensation of his breath on Ryubeom’s spine was new, making him squirm. It felt like the erection was going in even deeper than before. Was it because of the change in position? No, more than that… Yeohwi was thrusting even deeper now. Thud, thud. The sensation of his insides reshaping to fit Yeohwi’s erection sent chills through him.

“Huh, there, no, no…!”

Ryubeom jolted. When the erection hit a certain spot, his breath caught. The fear of reaching his limit came upon him, yet Yeohwi kept teasing that spot. The feeling of his organs being pushed around made him lose his breath. Overcome by reflexive fear, Ryubeom tried to escape.

Yeohwi grabbed both of Ryubeom’s wrists, raising them above his head and pressing them down gently. He kissed the stiff nape of his neck, moving up to kiss deeply behind the tiger ears, whispering soothingly, “Don’t worry. I’m just trying to repay my debt.”

It’s fortunate that I can repay it like this. At the gentle voice, Ryubeom went blank. In this situation, he suddenly remembered a conversation from earlier.

‘Once a fox being goes into heat, it doesn’t subside easily.’

A sudden realization hit him. At that time, he was only focused on the fact that Yeohwi didn’t get excited, but he should have paid attention to that detail too. Regretting it now, Ryubeom felt dazed. Not even a sigh could escape his lips.

It was like he had fully opened a box that should never have been touched.

🦊🐾

Bright sunlight poured over his eyelids.

The sunlight, piercing through the clouds and shining down, made him groan in discomfort. Even with that short moan, Ryubeom felt his throat was hoarse as he slowly rubbed his eyes. His vision was slow to focus.

The round wooden window of the villa, the sunlight filtering through the traditional lattice, the bed he was lying on, and…

Discovering an arm draped over his body, Ryubeom let out a slow sigh. The moment he realized Yeohwi was hugging him from behind, memories of last night came rushing back, making him dizzy. His memory was fragmented, but the sensations left in his body were vivid.

Despite not tiring easily, last night he felt completely melted, staggering from the overwhelming stimulation. He couldn’t control his body, drenched in arousal.

At the end, Yeohwi promised to let him rest but kept moving slowly while still inside, saying that as a tiger being, he would recover quickly, and then bit his neck. It was an attack driven by animalistic instinct, out of frustration.

But then, fearing he might have drawn blood, he stiffened and gently licked the spot, not out of apology but out of fear that he might get excited by tasting his blood.

To that, Yeohwi sighed lowly, asking, “Are you doing this on purpose?” before pressing his body against him again… and then consciousness faded. Only the faint sensation of releasing water remained.

Ah, I shouldn’t have remembered that. Ryubeom mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut.

“I want to disappear…”

“…Uh-huh, that won’t do…”

A voice thick with sleep came from behind. Surprised by the unfamiliar tone, Ryubeom blinked. Everything was embarrassing and shameful, yet hearing his voice somehow eased his mood. This was the first time he heard such a languid voice.

Ryubeom slowly turned to look at Yeohwi. His eyes, soft and relaxed, held Ryubeom’s gaze with a faint smile. It was a smile that was not just gentle but sweet, looking at him with undeniable love. Ryubeom felt a tickling in his heart.

Yeohwi slowly stroked Ryubeom’s hair. Ryubeom willingly responded to his touch until he suddenly sat up in shock at the sight of Yeohwi’s arm.

“Arm, your arm…”

Yeohwi’s arm was full of scratches, as if clawed or scratched haphazardly, red and swollen. There was even a bite mark on his shoulder.

Reflexively deducing the cause, Ryubeom leaned over to check his back. His back was even worse, looking like it could have bled.

Ah… A sigh of embarrassment escaped his lips.

Last time, he felt heartache touching the scars on Yeohwi’s back, vowing never to let him get hurt again, yet here he was, the one causing the injuries.

Ryubeom discreetly checked his own body but found not a single wound. Rather than his recovery as a tiger being, upon reflection, Yeohwi had only bitten him gently, leaving no major marks. Was he keeping his promise not to hurt him even in the midst of all that?

“…Didn’t it hurt yesterday?”

“It was fine. And if it’s you, I don’t mind even if it hurts.”

“…Do you have some strange preferences?”

“If you have such preferences, I could match them.”

“Let’s not talk about this, our conversation is getting weird.”

At Ryubeom’s reaction of shaking his head, Yeohwi laughed, “Ha ha.” From the moment he saw Ryubeom worrying about him as soon as he woke up, Yeohwi had been holding back laughter. How could someone be so adorable? In the end, he couldn’t help but pull him into a hug.

Ryubeom squirmed in his embrace from embarrassment but soon relaxed, resting his head on Yeohwi’s shoulder. The scent of Yeohwi felt good in his nose. Although the satisfaction of first eliciting a response from Yeohwi last night turned into regret by the end, now he felt satisfied again.

Perhaps the joy of lovers spending the night together includes enjoying the morning when they wake up to face each other. The feeling of closeness and comfort while touching skin was addictive.

Feeling pleasantly languid, Ryubeom asked,

“Hey, Yeohwi. You said fox beings don’t get excited easily, right?”

“Yes.”

Thank goodness… Swallowing back the relief that almost burst out, he smiled subtly. Last night wasn’t unpleasant; in fact, it was very good, but because it was too good, he needed to restrain himself. If it was that good one more time, it might lead to trouble.

Thinking he just needed to be careful from now on, Yeohwi added,

“But, if a fox finds a mate and goes into heat, they get excited easily, but only for that particular partner.”

“…”

“Oh, why did you suddenly tense up?”

“…No, it’s nothing…”

Cheon Ryubeom felt a slight, or rather, an immense sense of dizziness.

After the three-day vacation ended, Cheon Ryubeom returned to his clan.

Since he was away from work, it should have been a ‘vacation.’ Indeed, he hadn’t touched a single document while staying in the villa with its beautiful natural scenery, yet for some reason, it felt like he hadn’t rested at all. Those three days had pushed him to his physical and mental limits.

But the leisurely time he spent hugging him in the morning was good.

However, the problem was that because of that, he forgot the events of the night before, or even the ones that continued into the early morning, and tried to get close again… Even though it wasn’t like the first day when he got excited after drinking blood, the sensations were too addictive. Anyway, Cheon Ryubeom decided to recall only the good parts.

Though it had only been three days, seeing the main house felt good. Just as Ryubeom was about to take a step forward, someone ran up to him in a hurry.

“See, see the head of the family…!”

It was one of the collateral relatives helping with the household chores at the mansion. A boy, only fifteen, who was deeply grateful for being part of the Cheon family, the main branch of the tiger clan, and who held great respect for the new head of the family.

To the boy, the head who had taken the initiative to root out the clan’s corruption seemed incredibly great. Some relatives had said the new head was too young to be trusted, but the boy admired him even more because of it, leaving them speechless and coughing awkwardly.

Once in the mansion, the boy enthusiastically helped manage the chaos. Although his young age limited him to menial tasks, his diligent attitude caught the head’s eye. Thus, while the head was away for vacation, he entrusted the boy with the care of the ‘flowers.’ He was asked to water the flowers planted in the garden behind the head’s room every day and take good care of them.

The boy was thrilled both by having his first conversation with the head and by being given a task, exclaiming he would stake his life on it. And indeed, he checked on the flowers every hour over the last three days. He didn’t know what the golden flowers were, but since the head had entrusted them to him, they must be precious.

However, today, when he checked the flowers first thing in the morning, he was shocked. He was stamping his feet in panic until he heard the head had returned, and he immediately ran here.

“The flowers, they’ve become weird! They were fine until last night, but suddenly today, huh. Something must have happened in the early morning…”

“What? How so? Oh, calm down first…”

Seeing the boy on the verge of tears, Ryubeom patted his shoulder in confusion. The boy’s tiger ears, which had appeared on his head, drooped. Ryubeom promised not to blame the boy if he had taken care of them poorly and urged him to speak since it was fine.

The boy’s face gradually relaxed, and Ryubeom sighed in relief, thinking, Did the flowers wilt? But if that were the case, he would have said they wilted from the start. Yet the boy’s reaction was as if he had witnessed something extraordinary in an ordinary flower…

“The flower is about to burst…!”

🦊🐾

Ryubeom looked at the flower with a serious expression once he reached the garden. He sent the boy away to rest, telling him he would investigate, knowing the boy would start apologizing and crying again.

Afterward, he examined the flower alone, and it had indeed changed as the boy described. The flower, which had been in full bloom, was now closed like a bud, and that bud was swollen as if it were about to burst.

“Why did it become like this?”

It looked perfectly normal until just before he left the mansion. Of course, one couldn’t call a flower that grew so quickly in a few days normal, but since the petals were vibrant, he believed it was okay. Even now, the leaves weren’t wilted, but the flower itself had grown at least four or five times larger than three days ago, which was surprising. Was this how fruits were formed?

He tried to gently part the petals to look inside but found them tightly closed, hesitating to apply more force for fear of damaging the leaves.

“There was nothing unusual in the early morning…”

Cheon Hoyeon, who was beside him, murmured in confusion. She was the only one in the mansion who knew the identity of the flower, so she immediately shared the information. Cheon Hoyeon stayed up all night and could assert that nothing had happened in the mansion during the early morning. Ryubeom felt a bit somber at the explanation.

Unable to find a reason, he eventually contacted Baekyoung.

Baekyoung, upon answering the call, reacted with, “What an odd thing to happen,” and said he would ask his grandmother and call back. The response came back quicker than expected.

— Grandma is delighted, saying she didn’t expect it to be ready so quickly. What preparation this is, I don’t know.

“Preparation?”

— Yes. As for why the flower has swollen… She asks what you’ve received recently.

“…What?”

— She says there must have been something that filled you to the brim, and that’s why the flower reacted. Hah, even as I relay it, I don’t understand what it means. Do flowers react to emotions or something?

Listening to Baekyoung’s chuckle, Ryubeom blinked in confusion.

“But I’ve been away from the mansion for the past few days.”

— She says that’s irrelevant. Hmm, for some reason, she wants to come and see it herself. That old lady can hardly move, yet, ouch! She only seems to gain strength when she wants to hit me!

From the other side of the call, he could guess why the thud sound came without needing to ask. Ryubeom nodded with a puzzled look. If his grandmother came, all questions would be answered.

“Yes, if grandma comes to see it, we can definitely find out the cause…”

— Oh, no. You know the cause, don’t you? There’s no way you wouldn’t know. So…

Baekyoung, who was relaying the message, fell silent for a moment. It seemed as if he was listening to something from his grandmother, muttering, “What’s that supposed to mean…?” before another thud sound came through, and then he spoke to Ryubeom.

— There must have been a moment when your heart was full, something that filled your body over the past few days?

“…”

— What did you put inside your body anyway?

— Mr. Baekyoung, isn’t she talking about emotions…?

From beside him, his father’s voice could be heard faintly. But Ryubeom couldn’t greet him cheerfully. He just stood there, frozen stiff, barely breathing, recalling Baekyoung’s words.

The cause that made him the most emotionally full over the past few days. And what had filled his body…

“Why has your face suddenly turned bright red? Are you feeling unwell?”

Cheon Hoyeon asked with concern beside him. She was puzzled by his reaction, which had turned stone-still after a serious phone call. As Ryubeom tried to answer that he was fine, Baekyoung’s voice came through one last time.

— If you’ve figured it out, prepare it by the time grandma arrives at the mansion. She says she needs to see the reason to know for sure.

This time, Cheon Ryubeom’s face turned as white as a sheet.

🦊🐾

A few hours later, the main hall of the Cheon family was swallowed by silence.

Despite several people sitting in the deepest room of the main hall where the head of the family resided, not a single word was exchanged. How long did this tense silence last, where no one dared to move? Finally, one person sighed and spoke.

“I didn’t come all this way just to see your face.”

At that single sentence, the person next to him jolted, grabbing him. Ryubeom, who had unwittingly grabbed Yeohwi’s hand, flinched and pulled back, only to meet Yeohwi’s displeased gaze and then gently hold his hand in consolation.

“Just wait a little…”

The current situation was the result of Cheon Ryubeom, after much deliberation, calling Yeohwi to the Cheon family. There was no choice since it was his grandmother who wanted to find the reason.

Yeohwi, though puzzled by the unexpected call, did not refuse and came. When Ryubeom greeted him at the back door of the mansion and thanked him for coming despite the inconvenience, Yeohwi casually thanked him for inviting the one who had “destroyed” the mansion. Ryubeom was grateful for the playful response.

However, the problem arose when he brought Yeohwi into the room and introduced him as the head of the fox clan. From that moment, silence ensued. Cheon Hoyeon, as if expecting or seeing something new, kept her mouth shut, Baekyoung went “Huh?” in astonishment, and his father… was frozen in shock.

The only positive thing was that his grandmother welcomed Yeohwi greatly, but now she had gone to the kitchen to prepare snacks, leaving the room in silence. She had refused everyone who wanted to go with her and went alone.

Everyone understood what it meant for Yeohwi, the head of the fox clan, to be here. Since the content of the phone call had been shared, it was natural.

Having spent the vacation with Ryubeom and being the one who made him the happiest. Even without interpreting the meaning of being “filled” differently, if being with this person made his heart swell, the meaning was clear.

Cheon Ryubeom likes him.

And now, seeing Yeohwi also keeping quiet at Ryubeom’s word, Baekyoung burst into laughter. He couldn’t help but laugh at Yeohwi’s displeased but obedient reaction.

“Ha ha, this is something else. I’ve seen all sorts of strange and ridiculous things in life, but this is something new.”

Ryubeom lowered his gaze to the floor. Because it sounded like Baekyoung was implying the current situation was both strange and ridiculous.

He had always wanted to formally invite Yeohwi to the Cheon family and to let those around him know about their relationship, but… he didn’t expect it would happen like this. He couldn’t even properly lift his head to face his father, who was frozen in great shock.

Ryubeom whispered quietly to Yeohwi.

“How is Yeohwi so calm about this…?”

“It’s easier once you accept it. And right now, it seems like I’m the one getting strange looks, not you.”

Yeohwi shrugged his shoulders. From the moment he entered this place, he was the one receiving all kinds of meaningful glances. He had anticipated this from the start, and since he was the first to call himself trash, he was used to it by now.

He even thought he’d quietly take whatever the father threw at him, but the father was just standing there, looking pale and avoiding eye contact.

As Yeohwi had said, the people in the room weren’t giving Ryubeom strange looks. Although they were quite surprised by Ryubeom naturally whispering to Yeohwi and Yeohwi responding by tilting his head, they didn’t question Ryubeom.

They had known for a long time that Cheon Ryubeom had a relationship with the fox clan leader. Since they had attacked the Cheon family together, it was impossible not to know. They had noticed that their relationship was unique and special, but they were waiting for Ryubeom to speak about it eventually.

However, they hadn’t expected this meeting to happen here, in the main hall of the Cheon family.

“Hmm…”

Baek Young let out what could be either a sigh or a scoff.

Although the tiger clan was preparing for an alliance with the fox clan, nothing had actually been executed yet, and due to long-standing education, the tiger family harbored resentment towards the foxes. The fortunate part was that the people here had little or no such resentment, but even if they did, there were compelling reasons not to show it.

The grandmother, or rather, the Tiger God, adored Yeohwi.

She was so welcoming that her face lit up the moment she saw Yeohwi, despite her slow, feeble walk into the mansion. She even pushed away Baek Young’s helping hand and ran to Yeohwi, grabbing his arm, welcoming him, and asking how he managed to get here. She even expressed concern if the journey was tough.

Then suddenly, she declared that a distinguished guest had arrived and they must prepare a good meal, heading straight to the kitchen. Baek Young, astonished, offered to help, but the grandmother yelled at him to get lost because he was a nuisance. Everyone was taken aback by the grandmother’s sudden surge of energy.

Eventually, the grandmother came back into the room with pumpkin pancakes. These were made by slicing old pumpkins with yellow insides, coating them in a batter of glutinous rice flour and frying them until they were crispy yet chewy. A sweet aroma filled the room as soon as she entered with the dish.

Baek Young marveled at seeing food made by the grandmother after such a long time, and Cheon Hoyeon also showed interest. It wasn’t just any food; it was something made by the Tiger God herself, so there was an expectation that it might carry some special energy.

The grandmother personally cut a piece and fed it to Yeohwi. Yeohwi looked extremely uncomfortable, staring at the chopsticks held in front of his mouth. With a tap on his lips to urge him to open up, he reluctantly did so.

“I’m starting to think this favoritism is some high-level tactic to make me uncomfortable…”

“Eh? What kind of talk is that! Who would make our boy uncomfortable!”

“You would… Ha, I can’t even say anything because of your eyes.”

Yeohwi spoke in a tone suggesting he had a headache, but seeing the shocked looks from others, he eventually stopped talking. Even Ryubeom couldn’t take Yeohwi’s side this time. Rejecting the Tiger God’s kindness was out of the question.

Only after Yeohwi begrudgingly ate the pancake could the others taste it with the grandmother’s permission. Baek Young kept laughing in disbelief.

“Hmm, this is something. Is she really the Tiger God or the Fox God?”

Ryubeom laughed awkwardly. In truth, he was grateful to the grandmother for welcoming Yeohwi because it ensured there were no hostile looks towards him, nor any awkward questions.

Moreover, the grandmother seemed to be in good spirits, which was a relief. She looked almost ecstatic, as if a long-cherished meeting had finally come to pass.

The grandmother looked at Ryubeom with a pleased expression and said:

“Yes, our dear, because you’re with this boy, the flower has been prepared. You did well, very well. It might have been quicker because of him.”

“What kind of preparation are you talking about…?”

“Tsk, haven’t you noticed yet? Let’s go see together!”

The grandmother suddenly stood up, urging them to go outside. Yeohwi seemed reluctant to get swept up in this, but Ryubeom grabbed his hand, forcing him to follow. Everyone in the room moved out to the yard.

The golden flower was shimmering subtly under the sunlight. It seemed to have grown much larger than when Ryubeom checked it a few hours ago.

“Dear, what do you feel when you look at the flower?”

“Huh? Um, it’s beautiful…”

“Oh, come on! You have to touch it and feel the connection!”

Shouldn’t he avoid touching the petals as much as possible? Ryubeom hesitantly extended his hands. He gently wrapped his palms around the flower, trying to concentrate.

From the moment he received this flower, he had felt good knowing it was a gift from his grandmother. Watching it grow rapidly day by day, he felt relieved that it seemed to like its spot, and he also looked forward to showing it to his grandmother once it fully bloomed.

Perhaps, if he successfully made the flower bloom, the god might get better, that’s what he hoped. This flower was special in many ways. Maybe because of these thoughts while watching over the flower, Ryubeom felt joy and a sense of affection whenever he looked at it.

Proud, earnest, and thus, as if something deep within his heart was connected…

Thump.

“…?”

Ryubeom flinched. Huh? He felt a pulse where he touched. Surprised, he pulled his hand away and then carefully touched it again, but the same beat wasn’t felt. Was it an illusion? While he was seriously contemplating, the grandmother reached for the flower.

She gently stroked the bud as if caressing a child and asked:

“Do you understand now? Your heart is contained in this place.”

“…”

“I heard the flower has been growing rapidly ever since it was planted here. Yes, I believed our dear would succeed. That the flower would bloom greatly, that this time it would be different…”

It was usually hard to have a proper conversation with the grandmother, but strangely, today communication was smooth. However, the content was difficult to grasp. She was clearly giving some kind of lesson, but it was hard to understand. Was this what the words of the gods were like? Ryubeom listened seriously.

But then, Yeohwi frowned.

“Can’t you explain it in a way we can understand? Please?”

The awkward honorific at the end was added reluctantly because of Ryubeom’s gaze. The grandmother laughed heartily and nodded. After murmuring something about how odd it felt to talk after so long:

“This is a new beginning.”

“…A new beginning?”

“Something that couldn’t bloom in the past, and now can finally be brought forth from that past.”

As Yeohwi muttered “Again.” in annoyance beside him, the grandmother smiled. Her eyes, which were always cloudy, now had a clear focus. A gentle golden light seeped into her eyes, and soon they shone clearly, directed at Ryubeom. The atmosphere of the space changed.

It felt as if only the grandmother and himself existed here, giving him a cozy yet distant feeling, as if he was cradled in some primal embrace.

“The belief that the tigers of this land can change, and the will to do so, made the flower bloom. This flower will continue to show you the way.”

“…”

“And you, you added strength to that heart.”

The grandmother said, looking at Yeohwi. The one who once sought to destroy the tigers was now saving Cheon Ryubeom and participating in the current change. By being with Yeohwi, Ryubeom gained the will to lead the reform.

Moreover, Yeohwi being a figure from the “past” added significance. His participation made Ryubeom’s leap even more radiant because the past was supporting the present. They were not existing in separation but together.

It was because they were together, not shining alone, that such brilliant golden light could bloom.

“Now, trust in the tigers of this land is wavering, but if this flower blooms… many things will change. This is the gift I give to the child wearing the new crown.”

The grandmother smiled softly, her eyes filled with apology. She knew how much of a burden the past she couldn’t correct had placed on Ryubeom, how much hardship the child had to endure.

And now, having placed another weight on the child, this flower was both an apology and a gift of encouragement for the path he would walk in the future.

“Grandmother…”

Ryubeom looked at her with eyes full of emotion. The grandmother patted his head a couple of times, then suddenly looked at Yeohwi and said:

“So, you two must take good care of it.”

“…What?”

“…Yes?”

Yeohwi and Ryubeom responded in confusion simultaneously. Yeohwi gave a look asking what this sudden talk was about, while Ryubeom was bewildered. Was she advising them in the context of Yeohwi’s influence on the flower’s growth?

But the words seemed a bit off for just that understanding…