The Smell of Something Fishy Chapter 6.1

Dawn before sunrise. Something heavy pierces through the body.

“Hnn…”

The body, submerged in shallow sleep, stirred awkwardly as it half-awoke. Even though the process had become all too familiar, the shock of the initial insertion always roused him from slumber.

Arching his slender waist like a bow, he tilted his chin upward. Hot lips grazed the nape of his neck, where pale skin revealed prominent veins.

“Hn, ah… nngh…”

“Hoo…”

Hot breaths escaped the man burrowing into the tight passage, no different from the other. The inner walls, thoroughly ravaged until late at night, were ironically most to his liking at the moment of waking from sleep. Not too loose, not too tight, they melted just enough to cling stickily to the entirety of his shaft.

As the man let out a low groan, beads of moist sweat seeped from the body buried deep in the white bedding.

“Nngh…”

Slik, smack, sliick. The insertion moved like gentle waves.

The way he flexibly moved his hips, thrusting up and down in small motions, was a surefire strategy to make Yeonseo feel it intensely and get wet quickly. For some reason, when he moved teasingly, Yeonseo’s hole would throb wildly, and he’d end up swaying his lower body in sync.

Sure enough, after a few of Tae Shinju’s hip movements, the hole grew slick. The sticky, wet sounds turned into sloshing, watery noises. That’s how much Yeonseo’s body had yielded to the man’s relentless thrusts.

It was understandable. This had been going on for days. As long as Yeonseo was with Tae Shinju, his holes never had a chance to dry.

Even after a round of sex, Tae Shinju would sleep with his cock buried in either Yeonseo’s front or back hole, whichever suited him. As if that weren’t enough, the moment he woke up, he’d release his morning erection into Yeonseo’s body. Then he’d leave for his morning workout, only to return and wash Yeonseo in the shower alongside him.

Moreover, he never settled for just one hole per session. He’d first soak his cock in the front hole, using the slick fluids as lubricant to open the back.

As a result, Yeonseo was thoroughly used from early evening, when Tae Shinju returned home, until dawn, only to collapse into sleep during the day, nearly fainting. Naturally, his old habit of lazing around during the daytime vanished. He had to sleep and rest somehow to endure after “clocking in.”

Yes, clocking in.

Yeonseo was “going to work” at Tae Shinju’s study every day. After meals, when Tae Shinju entered his study to handle work brought from the office, that was Yeonseo’s cue to start his shift.

—Come to think of it, a hundred million won for a night’s work, and even if it’s not quite legal working hours, it feels like a waste to only have you two or three times.

Those were the first words Tae Shinju uttered after “that day.” Yeonseo listened in silence, head bowed. It was awkward, shameless, and frightening, leaving him at a loss for words.

—How about we do it this way?

—Yes…?

—I’ll come back early with work. You’re probably bored with nothing else to do, and once the contract ends, you’ll need to find a new job and work regular hours again, right? So, as practice for that and to pass the time, come work in my study.

—…

—Thirty-five hours a week. You can show up anytime I’m in the study. Considering you’ll work weekends too, you can freely decide how many hours you want to work each day and keep track with a timecard.

Thirty-five hours a week. Compared to his past, when he worked sixteen hours a day, it was practically a gift. But the thought of having to spend five hours a day having sex made his head spin.

—If you work beyond the standard hours, I’ll pay extra wages. But if you fail to meet the weekly hours…

He deliberately paused, and Yeonseo felt a surge of fear. It wasn’t unlike the day he’d grabbed Yeonseo’s throat and made that strange proposition.

In his imagination, Yeonseo was back at his father’s funeral.

—Care to make a deal with me?

—Well… hm. Shall we deduct wages then? Ten million won per hour you fall short.

—Let’s do it. If you cry under me, Park Yeonseo, I’ll give you ten million. If you curse, twenty million. If you cry and curse, fifty million.

—No, a reward-and-punishment system would be better. The first week you work overtime, it’s ten million per hour. If you keep working overtime consecutively, it’s twenty million the next week, then thirty million… the extra wages will increase like that. Conversely, if you fail to meet the hours the first week, it’s a ten-million deduction; the next week, twenty million, and so on.

—…

—The baseline is a hundred million. Count every hour your holes are used within twenty-four hours from midnight. When I use your body as I please, I’ll count it too. There’s a start time for work, but no set end time, so from now on, it’s up to you.

A hundred million.

An astronomical sum. Yeonseo knew it, but in a somewhat melancholic way, he realized Tae Shinju treated that “hundred million” as trivial, a mark of his wealth.

To him, it was a game. Just as he’d paid Yeonseo and cleared his debts out of amusement, this was another game with different rules. Whether Yeonseo truly earned that hundred million a day or not likely made little difference to him. It was merely a matter of having a few more hours of sex or not.

He couldn’t bring himself to ask, “What happens if I don’t accept?”

Yeonseo now preferred Tae Shinju coming home by six. He liked watching him work. Thinking of sharing flesh instead of coffee cups after meals made it somewhat bearable. In the end, it meant they’d grown closer.

“Ah, ah… haa…”

“Ugh…”

As the bedroom grew heated, Tae Shinju climaxed. Releasing a flood deep near the colon, he pulled out without lingering. He roughly wiped his glistening cock, slick with fluids, against Yeonseo’s flesh and stood up. Naked, he went to grab his workout clothes.

Yeonseo stretched out his aching legs. He, too, was completely bare. At first, he’d worn Tae Shinju’s pajamas, but the man stopped giving him clothes after using his morning erection for sex. Yeonseo initially assumed it was because undressing was a hassle but soon changed his mind.

The sensation of skin against skin was addictive. The heat and pleasure spreading from where they touched were undeniable. Perhaps Tae Shinju chose to embrace him closely instead of clothing for that same sensation.

“Sleep more.”

Dressed in workout clothes, he brushed Yeonseo’s cheek with the back of his hand. Yeonseo blinked sleepy eyes, exhausted and drowsy from expending energy.

“Yes…”

Mumbling in a half-dream state, he closed his heavy eyelids.

It couldn’t have been long after.

“Nngh…”

Something touched his body. He twisted his shoulders to protest, but it didn’t stop. Instead, it gripped his upper body more firmly, squeezing his senses awake.

“Eut, haa…!”

Yeonseo’s eyes snapped open at the tingling pleasure. It wasn’t as shocking as penetration but enough to wake him.

“Shh… stay still.”

Tae Shinju whispered low, his voice slightly hoarse from the morning.

“Changed to new nipple rings. If they’re too tight and hurt, don’t touch them—just leave a message with a photo.”

“Hng… yes…”

He must have swapped the nipple rings and chastity device while Yeonseo slept. No wonder his chest felt tender.

Unlike others with protruding nipples, Yeonseo’s were inverted, so regular rings slipped off easily. The wire-tightening rings were custom-made for him by Tae Shinju’s request. They took time to craft but stayed secure and were highly stimulating, tightly encircling the erect nipples to keep them from softening.

“The color of your chest is so nice; the gem-studded ones look vibrant and suit you. Next time, I’ll order an even flashier design.”

“Hnng, hoo…”

“I put a bit of oil on, so be careful not to let them slip.”

With a soft, suggestive warning, he scraped the swollen nipple with his fingernail.

Yeonseo swallowed a desperate moan. His lips were dry from repeated groans. His front and back holes, blocked by thick toys, only teased him, while his unruly cock grew eagerly, oblivious to its master’s plight.

He wanted to scratch around his nipples and relieve himself; the new rings made them itch. But if they came off, this man wouldn’t forgive him.

Regular rings falling off over time was natural, so Tae Shinju didn’t press too hard. But with the tightening rings, it was different.

—If you don’t deliberately remove them, they won’t come off, right?

Then came relentless interrogation.

Once, while washing alone, a ring had slipped off by accident. Thinking of that night, when even silk felt abrasive after hours of torment…

“Haa… ah…!”

Tae Shinju lifted Yeonseo’s torso at an angle and took a nipple into his mouth. Ding—a small bell on the ring chimed brightly. Yeonseo’s heels dug into the sheets as the tongue teased just the nipple.

The room, with blackout curtains drawn, was dark as night. Tae Shinju, dressed for work with a tie, bit and teased the other nipple before releasing Yeonseo’s torso back onto the bed. Clutching the pillowcase, Yeonseo panted heavily.

“Haak, haa…”

“It’s nice and warm, perfect for eating… but I’ve got an unavoidable meeting, which is a shame. I’ll be back early, so wait as is. Drink lots of water.”

With genuine reluctance, Tae Shinju smacked his lips.

At his urging, Yeonseo nodded faintly. His face, hidden in the dark, flushed red. He’d barely adjusted to being washed by someone else, but his perverse employer’s new hobby was causing no small amount of worry.

“Why does he want to watch me go to the bathroom…?”

Should he have noticed when Tae Shinju started washing him personally from the first encounter? He’d thought it was fine since they had to wash before and after sex anyway. It also seemed like Tae Shinju’s personality demanded he do everything himself.

But by now, it was clear he derived pleasure from controlling others. That realization played a big part in why Yeonseo had come to accept and comply unquestioningly.

The “body” he provided was, after all, directly tied to satisfying Tae Shinju’s desires.

“Rest. See you later.”

Smack. Tae Shinju kissed Yeonseo’s forehead. He slipped on his suit jacket and left the bedroom.

Beep. Beep. As he closed the door, the manual alarm clock announced the hour.

“Haaa…”

Seven in the morning. The start of the day.

🕷️

Yeonseo fully regained consciousness around noon, which was typical.

“Regarding the sale of the factory and house. 11:32”

One missed call and a message.

It had come an hour ago. Sitting up groggily, Yeonseo first quenched his thirst with cold water. The icy chill shook off the last traces of sleep.

As if expecting Yeonseo might miss the call, the sender had outlined the purpose in the message.

Someone wanted to buy the factory and house, and they were asking if Yeonseo would delegate the contract paperwork.

He replied that he would. A professional would be better than him, with his limited knowledge. Besides, the sender was someone Tae Shinju had sent, and the proceeds from the sale would go toward paying off debts, so there was no reason to refuse his help.

“The problem is the house…”

If he gave up his rental, he’d need to find a new place to live.

“Where to go?”

If he wanted somewhere cheaper than his current place, a shantytown would be the answer.

A rundown basement in a building over thirty years old. It was surprising anyone wanted to move in. But just as he and his father had ended up there in desperation, the new tenant was likely in similar straits.

A shantytown…

“Back to that neighborhood?”

Chased out by gangsters, they’d fled that place. Even if he returned, it wouldn’t be the same. He’d heard the area had been redeveloped, with tall buildings replacing the old slums.

“Maybe some houses remain near the spring.”

As a child, he remembered the terrain near the spring was steep, with shacks stacked like stairs. Lower areas were likely redeveloped, but the steep edges might have been left untouched.

According to the lawyer’s message, the remaining deposit was less than thirty million won. The landlord had been docking it due to unpaid rent. Yeonseo was just grateful anything was left.

“If I give all this to Tae Shinju…”

Imagining himself on the streets, Yeonseo shook his head.

No. That’s not it. Thinking about finding a new place was the wrong approach. With a functioning body, it’d be faster to find a job that provided room and board.

“Hmm… I should visit the house anyway.”

Discard what needs discarding, keep what’s worth keeping.

Most things, except his father’s belongings, would likely be thrown out, but he wanted to salvage anything meaningful. Even in that rundown house, there were items steeped in memories from living there since he was six.

With his mind made up, Yeonseo sent Tae Shinju a message.

“Someone wants to buy the house. I need to sort through things before the sale. Can I visit today? 11:45 AM”

“I left clothes out for you. Wear them. I’ll send someone. 11:48 AM”

Surprisingly, he agreed readily. Yeonseo gave a small laugh.

“Surprisingly”? Did he secretly expect Tae Shinju to refuse? As if he knew anything about him.

Thanks to Tae Shinju cleaning him up at dawn, his skin felt fresh. Yeonseo washed lightly and headed to the man’s dressing room. Though he only moved within the house, Tae Shinju picked out his clothes daily before leaving for work.

“Hm…”

The clothes he chose were always different, never worn twice.

They weren’t discarded. Yeonseo had seen them hanging neatly in his own wardrobe. It was just strange, almost wondrous, that someone could wear new clothes every day.

Before, he’d made do with two coats, two work uniforms, and a few casual outfits for the year, most of them worn thin and ragged.

“This feels a bit… too revealing.”

Glancing at his bare back, Yeonseo mumbled awkwardly.

The glossy white top covered only the front and part of the forearms, leaving the back and arms exposed. It felt like wearing a coat backward. Straps secured it at the neck and waist, but with his spine and shoulder blades fully exposed, it was hard to shake the feeling of wearing just an apron.

Tightening the straps to make the fabric cling would only highlight the nipple rings. At least the non-see-through slacks were a small comfort.

Except it was the middle of winter.

“No coat…”

The temporary hanger held only the top, bottoms, and matching accessories. Outerwear was rarely provided since he stayed indoors.

He finished dressing with several strap bracelets emphasizing his slim wrists and a matching leather watch.

“Phew…”

Yeonseo hung the empty hanger back and hesitantly left Tae Shinju’s dressing room. He was used to treating clothes as a “uniform,” but days like this, with such embarrassing outfits, left him no way to hide his shame.

“It must be a hassle to bring clothes every day.”

Yeonseo’s wardrobe was on the first floor. Tae Shinju, returning from his early morning workout, would pick out Yeonseo’s clothes and bring them to the second-floor dressing room. The portable hanger, nonexistent before, was added just for Yeonseo’s daily outfit.

Sometimes, more than any provocative clothing, that small hanger in the middle of Tae Shinju’s pristine dressing room felt burdensome. A tiny hanger, about an arm’s width, sitting alone in an orderly space—it felt like Yeonseo himself, an impurity in this house.

“…Oh. I forgot the photo.”

He hurried back to the dressing room, snapped a full-body picture, attached it, and sent it.

Normally, he’d wait for a reply, but today he added a line.

“Um… what about a coat? 12:24 PM”

Fifteen minutes passed with no response. He must be busy. Yeonseo scratched his cheek, troubled.

“Can I just wear anything?”

Knock, knock.

“The driver’s here. What should I do?”

“Oh… I’ll be right there…!”

With the driver arriving, there was no time to dawdle.

Yeonseo grabbed a cardigan from the bedroom chair. It was originally Tae Shinju’s, but Yeonseo had ended up wearing it more often. Instead of scolding him, Tae Shinju allowed it to be kept in an accessible spot.

The soft fabric covered his bare skin, finally easing the chill. The house wasn’t cold, but its vastness carried a subtle coolness. Yeonseo had learned here that a place could be both warm and cold.

“He must know it’s winter.”

Was it just because Yeonseo rarely went outside? Was that why Tae Shinju picked clothes without regard for the season?

His idle thoughts ended there. Clutching his phone, Yeonseo headed to the basement. A familiar face awaited—the man who’d given him Tae Shinju’s card right after his father’s death.

“I was told to take you to your place.”

“Thank you.”

“Let’s go.”

The man treated Yeonseo with polished courtesy, opening the car door, checking for comfort, and announcing the departure before starting.

It felt strange. Yeonseo wasn’t someone who deserved such treatment, yet Tae Shinju’s word alone granted it.

The outside world, seen after so long, felt both familiar and foreign. The car’s air was slightly warm. Yeonseo wondered if Tae Shinju might not even notice the seasons. The hour-long drive from his house to Yeonseo’s offered no chance to feel the season on his skin.

If he wanted, he could live without feeling winter’s chill or summer’s heat.

In the loose cardigan, Yeonseo caught a scent. Heavy yet refreshing.

Tae Shinju’s scent.

From head to toe, touched by his hands, now even wrapped in his fragrance.

Like the scenery outside—similar, yet different. It should have felt strange to be so fully enveloped by him, but it didn’t, and that’s how Yeonseo felt the change.

So much had changed.

Even himself.

“Sorry, but can we take a slight detour?”

His sinking thoughts paused. The driver’s apologetic voice pulled Yeonseo from silence. He blinked, dazed.

“…Huh?”

“There’s construction near your place. The road’s blocked, so we’ll need to go around the other way.”

In short, the street was too narrow for the car. The driver’s choice of words suggested he’d take a larger road to get as close as possible to the house.

The rundown alley, comparable to a shantytown, was too narrow for a sedan to navigate, no matter which way you approached. Even when Tae Shinju came to pick him up, they had met on the main road, avoiding the alley altogether.

Yeonseo frantically waved both hands.

“No… no, it’s fine. Just drop me off around here. It’s a short walk…”

“No, sir. The boss specifically instructed me to take you all the way to your place.”

“Ugh… he must be busy… Um, then I’ll contact Tae Shin… I mean, the boss.”

Where that courage came from, he didn’t know. He wasn’t the type to take initiative.

After Yeonseo’s insistent reassurances, the driver relented and dropped him off near the construction site. Yeonseo hadn’t lied; crossing the road and walking a bit further would lead him straight to his house.

“Haa… it’s cold.”

After being in a warm place for so long, the biting wind stung sharply. Yeonseo huddled into himself, quickening his pace with small, hurried steps. The wind, once so familiar, felt strangely foreign after just a few weeks, which struck him as oddly amusing.

How fickle the human body could be.

It was while passing a strip of shops before crossing the road.

A pharmacy he’d always passed without a second thought caught his eye that day. More precisely, a familiar container visible through the transparent glass window seized Yeonseo’s attention.

A red jelly container.

Perhaps it was because he’d been having nostalgic dreams lately. The square jelly shapes drawn on the case stood out vividly. It wasn’t just a memory; when life felt tough, he’d impulsively buy and eat them, making the case all the more familiar.

The vitamin jellies made for kids were actually too sweet for the grown-up Yeonseo’s taste. Perhaps he wasn’t used to such intense sweetness, which made them taste even sweeter.

If he had to pick, Yeonseo liked that about them. The sweetness was so sharp it was comforting. On nights after a grueling day, lying down with a single sweet jelly in his mouth felt like his worries melted away, if only for that moment.

“…”

But how strange. Why did Tae Shinju suddenly come to mind, completely unrelated to the jellies?

—Park Yeonseo, you’ve got a womb. If I keep unloading in here… will you get pregnant?

—Even if I fuck you like this and get you pregnant?

Should he be glad they’d spent enough time together to create such vivid memories, or should he lament that the only words that came to mind were so perverse?

Every single phrase was something said while their bodies were entwined. Yeonseo recalled the days when Tae Shinju frequently mentioned pregnancy while tormenting his lower body. It was embarrassing, humiliating…

…and it felt good.

It had felt good. Touching a part of himself he hadn’t known existed—the baby house—sent shivers through his entire body.

“I’m a pervert too, aren’t I…”

Shoulders slumped dejectedly, Yeonseo glanced inside the pharmacy. Not at the vitamin section, but another corner. He posed a question he’d never asked in his life.

“Should I… use contraception?”

He didn’t know much about pregnancy. He’d never considered it his concern, nor had he ever received detailed sex education.

But with Tae Shinju constantly going on about wombs and pregnancy, it must have unconsciously sparked some worry.

Moreover, whether it was just with him or a general preference, Tae Shinju didn’t use condoms. Not only that, he’d block his cock inside to keep the semen from leaking out, such was his disposition.

The sensation of his belly sloshing full of cum naturally came to mind. Yeonseo shuddered. Tae Shinju was an outrageous pervert, so it was probably just something he said. Trying to shake it off, he turned away but soon stopped short.

“But… what if I actually got pregnant?”

A naive thought. A clueless guess. Realistically, it couldn’t be possible. The cold must have gotten to his head.

“Still, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”

It was a bit impulsive. Not unlike the urge to buy jellies. It was his heart, but the heart, much like a toy, was separate from the body and sometimes asserted itself like this, ignoring the mind. In a blink, it would seize control of the body.

Pushing open the door with his shoulder, the pharmacist asked with an indifferent face, “What are you looking for?”

“Uh…”

Clutching a small box of pills, Yeonseo bolted out of the pharmacy and hurriedly stuffed it into his cardigan pocket, as if someone might see. It was freezing, and his chest tightened from holding his breath too long before exhaling. The devices inside his body also made their presence known.

Just across the road and up the alley was his house, nestled among tightly packed villas.

“Huff, huff…”

Reaching the building’s entrance, he paused to catch his breath. His breathing was labored, and his body had chilled, sending shivers through him. Yeonseo moved his stiff fingers and shuffled forward. The musty basement was the same as always.

Thanks to the realtor airing it out to show the place, the stale smell wasn’t as bad as expected. Winter likely helped too. No, winter was a blessing. Once the weather warmed, all sorts of odors would flood in, enough to make potential renters flee in disgust.

He left the front door open for ventilation. Yeonseo’s family were the only basement residents. No one would barge in except gangsters, and even they wouldn’t show up for a while, which lightened his mood.

“Right, I couldn’t even air the place out freely before.”

No matter how perverse or hurtful Tae Shinju was, the fact that he kept Tae Hyunwoong at bay canceled out all the pain.

“What the hell, it’s really you.”

So…

“Fuck, haha. It’s really Park Yeonseo, huh?”

Tae… Tae Hyunwoong…

Thud.

Was it his heart sinking or the sound of the man actually stepping forward? Yeonseo couldn’t tell.

Frozen with wide eyes in a situation he hadn’t even imagined, Yeonseo was paralyzed. People freeze when startled, but Tae Hyunwoong’s appearance was closer to a nightmare than a mere shock.

“H-how…”

“Ha, fucking hell. What? ‘How’? Your big bro’s been waiting like crazy to catch you.”

But, but…

Yeonseo wanted to ask, “Isn’t my debt unrelated to you now?” His heart burned with the question, but his frozen lips wouldn’t move as he wished.

Tae Hyunwoong was alone, without his usual goons. Yet Yeonseo had never feared him more. His eyes gleamed with a dark, sinister light. He meant it when he said he’d been waiting. It was terrifying, giving Yeonseo chills.

He approached slowly, chuckling menacingly.

“So how’s our Yeonseo gonna pay off his debt? I was dying to know if you’re eating well. But a guy who couldn’t even pay pocket change—where’d you suddenly get billions to pay off like it’s nothing?”

“Ah…!”

“You’re selling the house too.”

Tae Hyunwoong grabbed Yeonseo’s wrist. His rough grip cut through the thick fabric.

Leaning in close, he whispered in Yeonseo’s ear, “Hey… you came in Tae Shinju’s car, didn’t you?”

“…”

“That driver’s his right-hand man… Damn. Tae Shinju must really treasure you. Or… did you sell your holes?”

—If you’re holding out to haggle over your holes’ price, that’s some serious bad manners.

The voice echoed, as it often did. It was just another insulting remark, something to ignore. Yeonseo thought he’d processed it.

Apparently not. Every word, spat out solely to degrade Park Yeonseo, remained at his feet like filth.

That filth caught his ankle. Right here, in this place—his home—where this man had poured his garbage, Yeonseo had grabbed the hand of a stranger.

If both were rotten ropes, the newer one would hold longer, he’d thought.

“Fucker, you not answering? Did you really sell yourself, you filthy bastard?”

Then, noticing something, Tae Hyunwoong’s demeanor turned sinister. He grabbed Yeonseo’s chin, jerking it roughly.

“Ah…!”

His pale neck was laid bare under the thug’s gaze.

“You… you fucking crazy bastard… Did you let Tae Shinju mark you?”

“Agh!”

“Goddamn, how much did he fuck you to leave your neck like this? You filthy rag, acting all high and mighty with a dick, refusing to sell your holes, and now what? What’s this?!”

Grabbing Yeonseo’s neck after his wrist, the man shook him violently back and forth.

“Urk…”

Yeonseo, choking, clutched the man’s wrist with his free hand.

He knew what Tae Hyunwoong saw—the marks littering his neck. Just this morning, fresh bite marks had bloomed like flowers.

He wasn’t ashamed of them. What was humiliating was this moment, scrutinized under Tae Hyunwoong’s eyes.

He wanted to kill him.

“Let go!”

He wished this man would disappear.

“Oh, look at you. A hole-selling bastard’s got some nerve shouting? Wanna get hit?”

He wanted to die.

No matter how frantically he flailed or struggled, he couldn’t overcome the natural strength difference.

Tae Hyunwoong clicked his tongue.

“Ha… fuck, this punk’s been spoiled. Our Yeonseo wasn’t this defiant. Hey, hey, how much did that bastard pay you?”

Releasing his neck, he shoved Yeonseo lightly.

“Huh? How much did he stuff you with to make you forget your place and act like this? Wanna spread both holes here and get fucked nicely? How about it?!”

“You, why—ugh!”

Why are you acting like my husband?

He hated it. Truly hated it. This man, this situation—everything was unbearable.

He sincerely wanted to disappear.

“Hn…”

“Scared now, huh, fucker. Ha… should I just eat you up? You’re already a used rag; a couple more rounds won’t even show.”

Humiliation and insult. Violence and harassment.

Again and again, a pile of filth meant only to hurt and break someone poured over Yeonseo’s head.

With all his strength, Yeonseo pushed him away.

“Stop it! I paid, I paid the debt! You can’t do this! If you do, Tae… Tae Shinju will—”

“Fuck!”

The man, who’d been leering with lewd eyes, suddenly swung his hand wildly. A thud, and Yeonseo’s face snapped to the side. It happened in an instant. Struck by the fist, Yeonseo collapsed on the spot.

“Ugh…”

It hurt. Physiological tears welled up.

But the one going berserk as if he’d been slapped was Tae Hyunwoong. Slap, slap, smack! His palm struck repeatedly, filled with rage and resentment.

Yeonseo found this preferable. Getting hit was a hundred times better than helplessly surrendering his body. His mind grew sharper.

It was now clear that Tae Shinju was a shackle to him in some way. Just mentioning his name kept the man’s burning eyes unchanged but stopped his groping hands cold.

“You… you fucking…”

“Tae Shin… ju… will come…”

His mouth, torn from the brutal violence, struggled to form words. The metallic taste of blood was strong. But god, he wanted to speak so badly.

“He… cares… for me…”

“…”

“Every day… in the same… bed…”

Tae Hyunwoong’s expression shifted. A small thrill rose in Yeonseo’s chest. A tiny spark, like a candle flame, but a clear mark.

A mark that he could fight back, that he could overturn a past of only being a victim.

He swore he’d never imagined revealing this himself.

Lying sprawled, Yeonseo pulled up his loose top. As the saying goes, life is unpredictable. The nipple rings meant the waist straps were tied loosely, making it easy to lift the shirt.

The new nipple rings from this morning were boldly exposed, along with the dense bite marks surrounding them.

Tae Hyunwoong gritted his teeth.

“Fuck… you crazy bastard…”

Was it humiliating to be under Tae Hyunwoong’s gaze?

Yes, it was. Even now, he hated the way his eyes roamed recklessly.

But he could smile. Because he felt Tae Shinju’s presence.

Not physically here, but here nonetheless. The power of the obsessive, perverse loan shark shone brightest in the filthiest gutter.

“Let’s see how long you can keep smiling, you bastard.”

Tae Hyunwoong kicked the door as if to break it and stormed out. The recoil lifted the doorstopper, and the door slammed shut.

Creak, thud.

“…”

It was over.

…He was gone. Tae Hyunwoong had fled like a dog with its tail between its legs.

“Haha…”

A laugh suddenly burst out. It felt like a cough erupting from his chest—painful, refreshing, unstoppable.

He laughed hysterically for a while, battered and torn. The pain was sweet. Tae Shinju. Tae Shinju. His name sparkled. That man was a gem shining even in the gutter.

“He called me a crazy bastard… haha.”

Tae Hyunwoong’s swaggering bravado had always been disgusting. Yeonseo hated a life where saying that honestly would pawn his entire existence. Poverty was a muzzle. Wearing a muzzle he didn’t want and growing up to become a “father” wasn’t a life he wanted.

Being a powerless adult swayed by poverty forever…

As Tae Hyunwoong said, his protection wouldn’t last long. It was just luck. Like a house left empty in winter, it was fortunate he’d crossed paths with Tae Hyunwoong while Tae Shinju was still interested in him.

“Should’ve bought those jellies…”

They’d be perfect right now.

When enduring a tough life despite everything.

It wasn’t quite a substitute, but he’d bought something else today. Yeonseo pulled the container from his cardigan pocket. He opened the small box, smaller than his palm, and peered inside. Tiny pills were neatly packed in a strip.

“…”

He popped one out and swallowed it without water. Its small size made it easy to swallow, with no noticeable taste. His slapped cheek stung a bit, and he missed the sweet jellies.

“Ugh… it hurts.”

He tucked the pillbox back into his pocket and carefully sat up. His whole body ached, likely from the tension and release.

The wrist he saw while taking the pill was bruised purple. No doubt his face and neck were in similar shape.

He was adjusting his clothes when—drip. Something fell from above. It was blood. Yeonseo wiped under his nose, and dark red smeared thickly.

A deep sigh escaped. Standing up to Tae Hyunwoong was satisfying, but responsibility was responsibility.

“…Can’t go back today.”

This time, he genuinely felt reluctant. He already missed that man, sweeter than jellies.

🕷️

“Ugh… what do I do.”

As dusk fell, the bruised areas darkened further. Bruises appeared even in spots he hadn’t noticed, making his upper body—exaggerating slightly—half bruises, half kiss marks.

His face and neck were the worst. The spots directly hit had red handprints that turned into bruises, making it obvious to anyone he’d been badly abused.

Yeonseo stared at his reflection in the mirror with troubled eyes.

“This’ll take more than a day to heal.”

Fortunately, there was ointment at home for first aid, which he slathered on generously. His mind knew the wounds needed time, but his heart acted out of urgency.

Truthfully, while getting hit, he’d braced for a broken bone somewhere. He knew he was provoking a thug with a bad temper. But it was just muscle aches and some torn skin—better than expected, despite the dramatic appearance.

And showing these wounds to Tae Shinju wouldn’t cause any harm. If anything, he might take revenge and land a punch, which would be a good thing, not bad.

So why… why did he not want to show himself like this?

“Is it because he’ll think I’m ugly?”

Was that it? Was his subconscious avoiding it because Tae Shinju might find his bruised face repulsive?

He wasn’t sure. He didn’t know. He just… didn’t want to show himself looking less than perfect. Even if he could go back and face Tae Hyunwoong again, he’d act the same, but presenting these bruises to Tae Shinju as some badge of honor felt utterly unappealing.

Whatever the reason, his mind and heart were, for once, in sync, shouting together. Yeonseo nodded slightly at his reflection.

He turned on his phone.

“Missed Calls: Tae Shinju (11)”

“Haa…”

In a few hours, missed calls had piled up. Hugging the heavy burden, Yeonseo pressed the call button. Before the ringtone sounded twice, a welcome voice answered.

[Speak.]

So cold…

Yeonseo could almost see his icy expression. He tried not to stammer.

“I’m… sorry. I was focused on sorting things and only just saw my phone.”

[…Ha. That’s why you ignored my calls?]

“I’m sorry… so sorry…”

[Fine. I’m about to leave work, so we’ll talk details later. I’m coming there, so wait.]

“Wait, uh, hold on!”

Yeonseo, stumbling as always, hurriedly called out.

[What?]

“I’m really, really sorry, but… could I stay here for a few days?”