SMS | Chapter 8.1

“‘J’, or should I say, that hoobae, he’s Mino’s ‘owner’?”

“Yes…?”

Caught off guard by the icy question, Mino stupidly echoed it. At the same time, realizing something was amiss as Dohoon’s eyes narrowed, it dawned on him that Dohoon had completely misunderstood.

Junhyuk being his owner? That was ludicrous. Mino quickly waved his hands in denial.

“No? I don’t have anything like that!”

“Hmm… But you’d like to have one?”

What on earth is going on? If he’s asking if I’d like to have one, of course I’d want one. But does Dohoon even understand what ‘owner’ means? Why did he call Song Junhyuk ‘J’? Amid a whirlwind of curiosity, Mino just blinked several times.

Despite this, he couldn’t outright ask, because Dohoon had decided it was his turn to ask questions. He wasn’t my owner, but his commands were already absolute to me.

“You need to answer.”

The touch on his chin felt gentle yet stern. Mino bit his lip hard, pondering what the right response should be.

As Mino remained silent, Dohoon sighed lightly and posed the question again, this time with a slightly annoyed expression.

“So what’s your relationship with this hoobae?”

Luckily, this question was easier. Relieved, Mino calmly replied.

“He’s a hoobae from university. At work, he’s my deputy… That’s all.”

“Why were you about to kneel then?”

So he saw that too. Though it was disheartening, this was also a question he could answer truthfully. Mino looked serious.

“It was to gain momentum…”

“Momentum?”

“I tried to take it head-on.”

“…What did you hear to do that?”

Now it was time to mention that Song Junhyuk had blackmailed him, but his words stuck in his throat. Before talking about the blackmail, there was a confession that had to come first. Dohoon had promised not to leave him, but for Mino, who had always hidden his perverted tendencies, such a confession was extremely difficult.

“I… am…”

“Yes.”

Dohoon patiently waited as Mino struggled to continue, heaving deep sighs.

“It’s okay, tell me. I won’t break up with you.”

“I… am a pervert.”

“Kuh!”

Having mustered the courage from Dohoon’s reassuring prompt only to speak, Mino now felt utterly foolish. The momentary self-loathing crept up on him, especially as Dohoon, who never usually did, couldn’t help but burst into laughter, stirring up Mino’s shame, and not in a good way.

“I’m sorry for being a pervert…”

I want to bury my head and cry. That was the honest sentiment. Even so, the thought of running away didn’t cross his mind. Being with Dohoon was reassuring enough.

“…It’d be good if you could be more specific. There are many types of perverts, you know.”

“I like being hit. Being scolded too… I can’t help it.”

Mino explained his tendencies in terms understandable even to those completely unaware of BDSM. Dohoon listened silently to his story then interjected.

“Do you feel nothing from normal skinship?”

There was no point hiding any more from Dohoon, who probed calmly.

“Yes…”

“Do you think most people are unaware they have masochistic or sadistic tendencies? How intense are yours?”

Mino affirmed seriously, to which Dohoon responded nonchalantly, knowing well that even vanilla couples enjoyed a bit of playful spanking as a treat. If that was the extent, there wouldn’t be much concern.

“How many times have you been hit?”

Should self-spanking count? Mino unwittingly rubbed Dohoon’s shoulder while mumbling.

“I haven’t counted…”

And suddenly, Dohoon’s expression turned icy.

“You haven’t counted?”

His voice sounded sharply. Was there a problem? I don’t count when I hit myself, so I wouldn’t know. But I felt an ominous premonition that things might escalate if I didn’t answer now. Dohoon seemed even more upset than when I confessed to being a pervert.

“Maybe… thirty times?”

“Is that your limit?”

“Maybe…?”

I hope it doesn’t sound too extreme? Mino hoped his response would seem somewhat normal, but Dohoon chuckled at it. Who had he met that didn’t even know how many times he’d been hit? It was likely that thirty was also a lie. It would be a relief if his claim of having no relationship with ‘J’ were true, but it seemed he had encountered nothing but inadequate doms.

“Anyway, you were about to tell me what that hoobae said.”

That’s something I’ll have to correct him on later. It seemed the position of Mino’s owner was still vacant. Suppressing a surge of jealousy, Dohoon urged him to continue, and Mino fidgeted as he resumed.

“I guess Junhyuk noticed that I have… those tendencies. At a drinking session a while ago, I got slapped, and I apparently laughed. But I don’t remember.”

“You were hit by that hoobae?”

“Ah, no. Just some random person…?”

It was a bit difficult to answer, as I don’t remember it myself. I skipped to the main point.

“Junhyuk suddenly suggested…”

“Mino, sorry to interrupt.”

What did I do wrong? Noticing Dohoon’s frowning eyebrows, Mino puckered his lips.

“From now on, not ‘Junhyuk’ but ‘that bastard.’ It sounds too affectionate when you say his name.”

“What? I’m just used to saying that.”

“That’s exactly why it irritates me. You always formally call me ‘Director.’”

I didn’t dislike being called ‘Director’ by Mino. But feeling the gap between being referred to by his name without his surname by ‘J’ and only as ‘Director’ in our relationship was tangible.

“Do you dislike me calling you ‘Director’?”

“Not at all. Let’s settle that later. So, what did ‘that bastard’ suggest?”

Focusing on the conversation to be had, we decided to delve deeper into the topic of names later.

“Just now, I said I like being hit, being a masochist.”

Unaware he was like writing text in front of Confucius, Mino explained to Dohoon about masochists. Of course, Dohoon found Mino incredibly cute and charming for it.

“But then, Jun— I mean, ‘that bastard’ told me to be his, uh, ‘submissive.’”

“Yes, or else he’d spread rumors about me to everyone I know. He said he didn’t care if rumors spread about him. They’re quite wealthy, after all.”

Recalling the situation made him hit rock bottom. What if Dohoon suffers because of me? The thought multiplied his fear. Mino was simply hurt and angry about the sudden change in a hoobae he always thought was alright.

“So you were going to headbutt him? What if he spread rumors after being hit?”

“I was just so angry at the moment…”

“Good for you. Just one more thing to check.”

“Yes.”

“Do you distinguish between a lover and a partner?”

Mino’s puzzled expression screamed ‘what are you talking about?’ and for the first time in hours, Dohoon laughed with joy. Fortunately, it seemed Mino wasn’t the type to strictly separate lovers and partners. Could it be that he had combined relationships and play in the past? I had never obsessed over a lover’s history, but the sporadic jealousy made me lose my composure.

“…Director?”

Mino’s clear eyes met Dohoon’s as he froze with a blank expression. Dohoon quietly observed his adorably clueless face. It was unexpected how cunningly he hid his tendencies, but everything else about him was genuinely Mino.

Thus, there was no reason for Dohoon to be disappointed in him now. If anything, he should be grateful that his lovely partner, who had started lightly, might accept his sexual preferences as well. If my guess is right, the origin of Mino’s past would likely trace back to me.

“Mino, you mentioned being hit back in your school days.”

“Yes?”

“Did you like it then?”

Clearly discussing a painful memory from his past, Mino had confessed. However, having already admitted to enjoying being hit, there was no need for lies now. It might have been his first ‘thrill,’ but was it really a topic to bring up in front of his lover? Mino hesitated briefly then nodded.

“…Yes.”

“I see.”

As Dohoon watched Mino’s ears flush red, he gently patted his backside. Though he disliked inflicting pain on someone he loved, ultimately, Mino and he were both products of each other’s creation. That’s right, it was you.

This realization erased any psychological aversion he had to distinguishing between a lover and a partner. Had there ever been a day as delightful as this? Dohoon restrained his rising smile as he hugged Mino.

While specific preferences for various plays needed to be discussed, Dohoon had a fairly conventional taste for a dom, so there wasn’t much to worry about. They matched quite well even in vanilla sex. ‘J’, whether it was Junhyuk or whatever, would self-destruct due to his own karma.

Mino had almost asked everything he wanted to, and now it was time for Dohoon to make his appeal. While it might seem that a dom has the control in appearance, the sub’s choice is ultimately crucial. Sniffing the scent of the compliant Mino in his arms, Dohoon smiled languidly.

“Can we go back to the question I asked earlier?”

Returning to the main topic, Mino recalled the previous question. What had he asked again? There had been too much conversation, and he was confused. Moreover, Dohoon’s inexplicable smile and the strangely strong embrace left his lips dry.

“You asked if I wanted an owner.”