SANN | Chapter 6.2

Sieon brushed his fingers lightly against Gureum’s flushed cheek as he spoke, earning an adorably embarrassed reaction. His face, already tinted pink, deepened into a tempting shade.

Sieon picked a deliberately mediocre thriller, avoiding horror—it’d be too obvious. Still, he asked for Gureum’s opinion, though he already knew the answer.

“How about this one? Looks fun.”

“Y-Yeah… it looks good.”

Everything was going smoothly. Sieon licked his lips, the anticipation building like hunger. His gaze flicked to the beer in front of him. He needed something to wet his throat and calm his nerves.

“Here, drink up.”

“Ah…! Thank you…”

Sieon opened a can of beer for himself and handed another to Gureum. The boy wasn’t likely to drink unless it was literally placed in his hands.

The movie began with an intense chase scene, keeping Gureum on edge. Every near-capture made his shoulders jerk and quiver slightly. Sieon was losing it. Each tiny tremor sent a wave of Gureum’s soft scent—fabric softener mixed with his natural warmth—right to his senses.

His body reacted on its own, tension pooling low in his abdomen. Damn it… This wasn’t just pheromones. He bit down on his lip. Forget “slow and steady.” Sieon decided to throw caution to the wind.

He shifted his gaze to Gureum, who was sipping his sweet, fruity beer with both hands like it was a prized possession.

“Gureum, do you know…?”

“…Yes?”

“Did you know drinking alcohol can make your body heat up?”

“Aah… now that you mention it, I do feel a little warm,” Gureum replied, tilting his head slightly. Sieon’s lips curled into a sly smile.

“Then why are you still wearing your jacket? You should take it off.”

“Ah… th-that’s because I didn’t know where to hang it…”

“Give it to me. I’ll hang it up for you.”

Gureum carefully placed his beer can on the table and began to squirm out of his hoodie. Watching him obediently following instructions made Sieon’s heart flutter with amusement.

But Gureum seemed to be having trouble. It looked like wearing both a hoodie and a zip-up jacket had created too much friction, making it hard to take off. He managed to free one arm with great effort and was just about to pull out the other when Sieon stepped in.

“Here, let me help you.”

“Uh, o-okay…”

Sieon took hold of Gureum’s collar, pretending to help, and deliberately pulled the jacket in a way that made it even harder to take off. His eyes locked on Gureum’s pale collarbones that peeked out momentarily, and he couldn’t help but wet his lips. This moment was exactly why he had insisted on helping.

Completely unaware of Sieon’s inner scheming, Gureum blinked innocently, letting him take over. Encouraged by this, Sieon decided to push a little further. He slid his hand between Gureum’s jacket and his back, gripping the fabric tightly as he pulled it towards himself. The sudden motion caused Gureum’s upper body to fall forward into Sieon’s waiting arms.

“Seems like it’s stuck, huh?” Sieon murmured, his voice low and intimate, whispering right by Gureum’s ear.

“I-I can do it…!” Gureum stammered, flustered.

Ignoring Gureum’s protests, Sieon pretended to continue helping while tightening his arm around Gureum’s waist. His hand, now fully pressed against Gureum’s side, began to slide along his ribs in a touch that was anything but innocent. Startled by the sensation, Gureum flinched, his body jerking upright as the jacket finally came off completely.

Sieon didn’t stop there. Leaning in close, he let his lips brush against Gureum’s ear, his warm breath carrying words that oozed with intent.

“All done.”

Anyone with a shred of awareness would recognize the blatant seduction in his tone. But Gureum? Completely oblivious. It was almost frustrating.

“…Gureum?”

“Y-Yes?!”

“…Never mind,” Sieon sighed, pulling back slowly. Gureum’s cheeks and ears were painted a soft, rosy red. Could he really not understand what was happening? Or was he pretending not to? Surely a twenty-year-old guy could pick up on signals like this?

Sieon swallowed the growing frustration bubbling inside him. He was torn between wanting to walk away and wanting to push further. But the insistent tightness in his pants made the decision for him. No way he could stay like this without doing something about it.

“I’ll hang this up, okay?”

“Ah, thank you…!” Gureum said, his voice timid yet polite.

Sieon strode off quickly, his long legs carrying him out of the room. Instead of heading to the closet, he made a beeline for the bathroom. The moment the door shut, he wasted no time peeling off his pants. His briefs came off in one swift motion as he grabbed Gureum’s jacket and buried his face into it.

A deep inhale filled his lungs with the faint scent of Gureum. The sweet, subtle fragrance was enough to make his already aching length twitch in response, rising eagerly.

“Huuu…Fuck…”

Sieon let out a shaky breath, his frustration palpable. How many times had he relieved himself to thoughts of Gureum already? He’d lost count. At this point, he was starting to pity himself. All this effort, all these sleepless nights, for a clueless kid who didn’t even know he was being seduced. It was pathetic.

But as his hand wrapped around his throbbing length, none of that seemed to matter anymore.

Sieon, who had just experienced burying his face in someone else’s clothes for the first time in his life and… doing that, walked into the room with a calm expression, as if nothing had happened. Since he had taken a little longer than expected, he casually waved his phone in the air as an excuse.

“I got a call, so I stepped out.”

“Oh, a call…”

“Were you worried? You could’ve come out to check.”

Without meaning a single word, Sieon gently pushed Gureum, who was halfway out of his seat, back down to sit.

“Shall we start from the beginning again? You didn’t get to see it properly because of me…”

“It’s fine. We can just pick up from here.”

Even though nearly half of the movie had gone by, Sieon didn’t seem to care in the slightest. He plopped down right next to Gureum, their sides practically touching. The trembling of Gureum’s small frame, clearly unused to such physical closeness, transmitted straight to Sieon. He bit his lower lip. He was already feeling stirred again, despite what had happened just moments ago.

The movie, meanwhile, had reached its climax. The main character was being pursued relentlessly by the killer, leading to a string of tense chase scenes. Gureum, visibly terrified, had his shoulders hunched up to his ears. Seeing him like that, Sieon decided it was the perfect opportunity to make his next move. He was relentless like that.

“Is it too scary for you?” Sieon asked softly.

“Y-Yeah… I think I’m a little scared…” Gureum stammered.

If Sieon had been a normal adult with proper common sense, he might have suggested a less intense movie for Gureum. But Sieon wasn’t like that.

“Well then, how about we hold hands? That should help us feel warmer and less scared.”

“…What?!”

“Think about it. If we share some warmth, it won’t feel as bad.”

Sieon waved his hand invitingly, leaving Gureum no choice but to hesitantly place his hand atop Sieon’s open palm. Like a predator catching its prey, Sieon immediately interlocked their fingers. With his free hand, he handed Gureum a can of beer.

“And you know, drinking helps with fear too. It makes you braver.”

“…Does it?”

“Of course. It’s like liquid courage.”

“Mmm…”

Gureum fell silent, as if pondering something deeply.

“So… does that mean people who are afraid of a lot of things drink a lot too?”

“Well, it depends on the person. Like you said, some might drink to forget their fears, even if just for a while. But alcohol can also be for celebration or comfort. It’s up to the individual to drink responsibly as an adult.”

“Oh… I see…”

“Why? What’s on your mind?”

“…Oh, it’s nothing… Nothing at all.”

Gureum suddenly looked downcast, his small head seemingly weighed down by complicated thoughts. Sieon, watching him, took a swig of his beer and studied the younger man’s expression. After a while, Gureum spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Then… I’ll become an adult who drinks just the right amount…”

What the… Sieon felt a pang of guilt, wondering if he had said something he shouldn’t have. Forcing a smile, he reached out to ruffle Gureum’s soft hair.

“…You’re so mature. Good for you.”

The innocent sincerity of Gureum’s words was almost overwhelming, even as Sieon’s hand lingered in his hair, clearly not entirely innocent in its intent. Gureum, cheeks reddened, seemed unsure of how to respond.

“Still… I think I can finish this one,” Gureum said, holding up his beer can.

“Really? Then how about a cheers?”

“Sure… Cheers!”

Their cans clinked again. Sieon, for a brief moment, was reminded of the saying, ‘You can’t even drink cold water in front of kids.’ But as he downed another sip, he noticed Gureum trying to match his pace, sipping in little gulps to keep up. It was cute, honestly. However, Gureum clearly didn’t realize one thing—Sieon had an absurdly high alcohol tolerance. He had never been drunk, not once in his life. And of course, he had no intention of revealing this fact to Gureum.

As the evening wore on and the beers dwindled, it finally happened—Gureum’s speech began to slur. It was obvious that he had misjudged his tolerance. This was exactly what Sieon had been waiting for. Gureum was tipsy, but not enough to lose his sense of judgment entirely. Just enough to relax him. Sieon smoothly plucked the can out of Gureum’s hands.

“Maybe it’s time to stop?”

“Mmm… Okay…”

Gureum obediently agreed. He didn’t seem to have any wild drinking habits. If anything, he just looked even softer and more vulnerable in his slightly intoxicated state, his cheeks glowing pink. Sieon, who had been carefully working up to small, innocent touches, now cupped Gureum’s warm face with ease. His skin was soft, and his flushed cheeks practically begged to be kissed. Sieon resisted, barely.

“Gureum… How about we speak informally? Drop the honorifics?”

“Huh? S-Speak informally?”

Gureum blinked, his wide eyes filled with confusion. Sieon leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a more intimate tone.

“Yeah. Let’s talk casually.”

“Um… Th-That’s okay, right…?”

Gureum’s speech was starting to falter adorably, his tongue tripping over words as he adjusted to the alcohol. Sieon let his hand slide from Gureum’s cheek to the nape of his neck, gently massaging the warm skin there. His hunger was becoming harder to mask. Locking eyes with Gureum, Sieon didn’t even bother hiding his intention anymore.

“Of course, it’s fine. Try calling me ‘hyung.’”

“…H-Hyuung…”

Fuck. Sieon swallowed hard, feeling a tightening sensation in his lower body. He wasn’t even trying to hide his reaction anymore.

“You know my name, right? Call me by it, Gureum.”

“…S-Sieon hyung?”

“That’s right, Gureum. You’re calling your hyung?”

Hearing the shy way Gureum spoke in informal speech, Sieon couldn’t suppress the wicked grin spreading across his face. The predator’s teeth were fully bared. The innocent lamb in his grasp didn’t even realize it was about to be devoured.

“Sieon hyung, you know… I’m really happy I got closer to you. And… it makes me even happier that you like me too… I mean, I like it… No, I like you… Talking informally is hard…”

The more Gureum mumbled, the drier Sieon’s throat became. His lips were parched, and his hunger grew unbearable.

“Gureum, tell me if you want me to stop.”

Without waiting for a reply, Sieon pressed his lips to Gureum’s, swallowing his words whole.

Like a predator hunting a small animal, Sieon lightly tilted Gureum’s head back by the nape of his neck and aggressively pushed his tongue into the narrow confines of Gureum’s mouth. The sensation of the soft flesh clinging to his tongue was downright fantastical.