SMS | Chapter 2.3

Mino hadn’t seen Dohoon for four days. Overtime had kept him from keeping the promise he’d made to come every evening. Even though his house was close by, it felt shameful to keep him at the hospital just for himself.

Dohoon said it was okay, but Mino declined because he felt uncomfortable. His absence only made his already mundane days more painfully intense.

[Lee Dohoon]: I need to check your wound, so please come today. It’s okay if you’re late. There’s something I need to talk about too. I’ll be waiting.

The message that arrived at 3 PM gave him a tremendous push. Knowing Dohoon was waiting left no time for dawdling. He finished his work as quickly as he could. Junhyuk offered to drive him, but Mino dismissed it saying he had somewhere to be and caught the bus. Now, he was in front of Dohoon, showing his wound.

“It’s not like you fell again, is it? The wound has worsened.”

“Yeah, that’s…”

“It’s not your fault, Mino. I said I’d take care of it. But you should buy some anti-inflammatory medication from the pharmacy. If it doesn’t start to heal, you’ll need to go to a hospital.”

Dohoon’s face was etched with embarrassment. He had vowed to treat him, and yet the wound had worsened. Mino, feeling guilty, could do nothing but make a sad face as he showed the still-bleeding knee that should have scabbed over by now.

The reason the knee wound had worsened was simple.

“Uh, ah, aah…!”

Nightly, he’d dug at the wounds Dohoon had treated, pressing and inflicting ‘punishment’ on himself. He didn’t regret it because it was thrilling, but seeing Dohoon’s expression brought on a wave of guilt.

“Yesterday, I, uh, fell again. That must be it.”

“Again?”

He had to lie. It was a more acceptable excuse than admitting he had aggravated his own wounds during masochistic self-pleasure.

“I fell again.”

“I was masturbating and I rubbed it raw. I’m a pervert who likes pain.”

Clearly, the more acceptable answer was the first. He nodded awkwardly, and Dohoon chuckled.

“Are you always this clumsy?”

“My attention has been slipping lately…”

“Ah, sexually frustrated?”

Mino’s eyes widened at the unexpected comment, struggling to hide his disturbance.

“Don’t you date, like most guys?”

“Ah, haha… yeah…”

Why did the conversation go this way? In Korean society, dating was indeed a common topic, even among new acquaintances, so it wasn’t strange.

“Are you seeing someone?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve dated.”

Mino felt oddly satisfied with the response to his impulsive question. Why did he feel this way? Had he gone crazy from too much masturbation?

He’d never cared about the relationship status of ‘Hyung,’ the previous object of his fantasies, but it was strange now. Maybe because he hadn’t seen Hyung’s face.

Meeting Dohoon had made him realize for the first time how weak he was for good looks.

“You seem like you’d be popular with the ladies…”

“You seem like you’d be popular too. With the older sisters?”

“Me?”

“Yes, you trigger their protective instincts. A grown man who falls so clumsily, carrying wounds like that. Plus, you’re cute, have fair skin, and you’re taller than average.”

Considering the average height of Korean men was not that tall, it was hardly something Dohoon, who was a head taller, should be commenting on.

Mino trembled at the embarrassing continuation of compliments. Normally, he’d brush off comments about his looks, but coming from someone as ridiculously handsome as Dohoon, it was embarrassingly flattering.

“You’re the one who’s really tall and handsome. Suits in suits really suit you.”

“Am I handsome?”

It almost reminded him of the scene from Snow White where the queen asks the mirror. That mirror complimented Snow White’s beauty right in front of the questioner, but Mino had never seen a man more handsome than Dohoon.

“Yes. The most handsome person I’ve ever seen.”

He answered earnestly, and Dohoon laughed out loud. Some people look worse when they laugh, but this man glowed with a halo when he did.

Mino’s compliment, purely sincere, just made Dohoon laugh.

“Thanks for the flattery, but no brownie points for that.”

“Why aren’t you dating?”

He couldn’t hold back his curiosity any longer.

“Sunbae!”

A voice that had no business being here called out to him. Mino turned in surprise to find Junhyuk holding an umbrella.

“Huh? How did you…”

“I brought you your umbrella. Saw you forgot it and just as I was passing by, I saw you through the window.”

Today’s treatment was in the hospital lobby, not the inner treatment room, so Junhyuk must have spotted Mino through the glass. Still, with a ‘closed’ sign surely hanging outside, it was a bit inappropriate for him to enter like this.

Dohoon’s expression grew complex, and so did Junhyuk’s upon seeing him.

“It’s a problem if you just walk in when we’re closed.”

His tone carried more displeasure than inconvenience. Mino, fully understanding the annoyance, found it hard to add anything, recalling how he’d opened a door that was meant to be closed.

“Does this hospital treat humans too? Or don’t they see them as people?”

Had Junhyuk not overstepped his bounds, this might have passed quietly. His openly crooked attitude irked Mino too. Finally, Mino stood up sharply and glared at Junhyuk.

“Hey, why the confrontation all of a sudden? An umbrella? It wasn’t even snowing today.”

“What’s with your knee? It’s bleeding?”

Junhyuk’s gaze landed on Mino’s lifted knee, causing Mino to raise his voice in embarrassment.

“Get out. Can’t you see we’re closed?”

“Is this guy like that?”

The searing question left Mino pale before a taunting voice replied. It was risky and intense.

“I’m not into that, and that’s not what this is.”

“You crazy fucker…!”

Taken aback by Dohoon’s unexpected provocation, Junhyuk cursed.

“What are you talking about? I fell and got hurt, and the doctor was just treating me! You come in here and accuse people? What does that make me?”

“Sunbae, it’s not like that.”

“Apologize now. I’m so embarrassed and sorry because of you.”

“No!”

Ah, there was no reasoning with him. Mino decisively turned around, pushed Junhyuk out, locked the door, and bowed to Dohoon.

“I’m sorry. He’s a colleague, and though I knew he wasn’t exactly polite, I didn’t expect him to do this. It’s a misunderstanding I’ll clear up,”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to be sorry.”

“Really, I’m very sorry. I’ll take the cat soon. I’m really sorry…”

“If you’re sorry, come back tomorrow.”

How could someone be such an angel?

Watching the kindly chiding Dohoon, Mino was moved. Of course, the stern warning he’d issued earlier was thrilling in its own way.

Resolving to use today’s incident as fantasy material tonight, despite feeling guilty for Dohoon being misunderstood and insulted because of him, was proof of his irredeemable nature.

“You really are a good person.”

Realizing he was probably the most inappropriate and ill-mannered person there, he bowed his head. After straightening his clothes, he opened the glass door to find only the umbrella remaining.

He considered calling to complain but decided it would be better to speak at the office on Monday.

What was the point of bringing it all the way here? He had already left work; why follow with an umbrella? Maybe he had too much time on his hands.

“Ah.”

Snow began to fall, though it hadn’t been in the forecast, but Mino didn’t use the umbrella. He was too stubborn. The walk home was short, but by then, Dohoon had transformed from a kind and benevolent vet in his mind into a harsh master of his fantasies.

That voice was damn thrilling.

Despite having apologized and returned home, fantasizing about him in such lewd ways proved he was beyond saving. Sorry, so sorry, he thought, almost wishing he’d been punished or forcefully taken as soon as he walked in the door.

It would be nice if he’d grabbed his hair and insulted him about where he’d been rolling around.

But once home, his mood fell. Solo play had its limits. Digging into his knee wound was about as far as he could go without feeling a deep sense of defeat afterward.

‘I should save up for a dildo machine…’

Especially when inserting a dildo. Masturbating so frequently had started to hurt his wrists. Getting carpal tunnel from it would be awful, especially when typing.

And if he got a dildo machine, he could tie his hands and really get into it. Mino checked his bank balance and opened his phone to browse an adult toy site.

He had to choose something small enough to hide at home in case family visited. Smaller was cheaper, but it also meant louder and less effective piston action. He couldn’t really fit a proper one in his small apartment. Maybe he should buy something else.

As he pondered between a grotesquely shaped monster dildo and a functional one that could eject liquid like semen, a message popped up in the center of the screen.

[Lee Dohoon]: Want to watch a movie with me tomorrow?

The message, bearing his neat and respectable name, was polite and kind, embarrassingly floating amidst images of dildos.

[Lee Dohoon]: Let’s go on a date.

The message was like a stone thrown into a still pond, rippling through Mino’s evening.