Come Looking for Flowers Chapter 8.1 - Spring Sowing

The sensation of his body floating in the air startled Yoonjo awake. His body, which had tensed in his half-sleep, relaxed as his limbs went limp, reassured by the familiar scent brushing against his nose.

Won Kangho, holding Yoonjo in his arms, calmly exited the dressing room. His hand gently patted the back of the one wriggling as if throwing a sleepy tantrum, his touch tender.

It had been a full three days since Won Kangho returned home. Yoonjo’s pheromone dependency, which they thought had significantly improved, reverted to its original state the moment he left, and Yoonjo unconsciously sought out the man’s pheromones, heading to the dressing room.

Still, it seemed like he had managed fairly well on the first day. Yoonjo blinked his bleary eyes a few times, slowly rousing his mind. The hand pushing against the man’s shoulder had no strength at all.

“Please put me down. I’m fully awake.”

“Awake, my foot.”

The arm supporting him under his hips was firm. Won Kangho erased the small gap Yoonjo had managed to create and fully enveloped the small body in his arms. The short kisses falling on his ear and cheek were ticklish as he patted his back.

Won Kangho laid Yoonjo on the bed and brushed back the slightly sweaty bangs with his hand. The exposed forehead was pale. Yoonjo felt a faint warmth in the gaze looking down at him.

“Your eyes are so full of sleepiness.”

“No, they’re not. I’m really awake.”

“Just sleep.”

Won Kangho sat beside Yoonjo and covered his eyes with his hand. The warm touch darkened his vision in an instant. His eyelashes softly brushed against the man’s palm.

Following that, the man’s cool, distinctive pheromones enveloped Yoonjo’s body. It was a different magnitude compared to the scent lingering on the shirt he had slipped on in his sleep. As the thing he had so desperately craved filled his lungs, his body and mind relaxed completely.

“Why didn’t you call? I was waiting.”

“I just thought you’d be busy…”

The eyes beneath the large hand gazed at the light filtering through the gaps. His hazy mind gradually regained clarity.

Even as winter passed and spring arrived, the penthouse’s scenery remained unchanged. Yoonjo still wore long-sleeved shirts and long pants as loungewear, and he sat in front of the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows, playing with the dog that always stayed by his side. On the rare occasions when the man was away, Yoonjo would fall asleep holding clothes or a blanket imbued with his pheromones.

“Since when did you start thinking about me like that, huh?”

Even with his eyes covered, Yoonjo could feel the gaze. A playful voice rolled around his ear.

“Tell me. Did you think about the boss a lot?”

With the teasing question, the hand moved away. Light flooded the darkened space, and there was Won Kangho, a soft smile playing on his lips.

Was it because of the new season? The violent demeanor Won Kangho once had was nowhere to be found. Whether it was genuine or an act, he no longer treated Yoonjo harshly as he used to. The man, who Yoonjo thought would keep him locked in darkness forever, had, for some reason, declared he would expand his world.

“Baby, want to draw?”

“Draw…?”

“You like drawing, don’t you?”

The man vividly remembered something even Yoonjo had forgotten. The days when he carried a black art supply case to school, and the presence of Won Kangho woven into those moments.

Recalling the past, Yoonjo fell silent, and Won Kangho took it as affirmation. It was the first time since everything had collapsed that he stepped out into the world.

The promise to let him draw wasn’t just about drawing. It was akin to showing him a wider world.

After that day, tutors for Yoonjo’s high school equivalency exam began visiting the penthouse.

It had been almost a month since he started studying. Yoonjo had to study not only art but also various subjects for the exam, and he no longer spent his time idly. And he didn’t mind it.

“No answer, huh.”

The low, murmuring voice pulled Yoonjo’s mind back to the present. Lost in memories, Yoonjo met the man’s gaze with clearer eyes.

“Are you putting me on the back burner now that you’re studying?”

“That’s not it.”

“Should I not have said I’d send you to college?”

Yoonjo’s heart sank at the casual remark. A bit frantically, he reached out and lightly grabbed the hem of the man’s clothes. The dark gaze briefly touched the pale hand before pulling away.

The frightened eyes looked as if they might spill tears at any moment. Whenever the man exuded this ominous aura, Yoonjo instinctively grabbed his clothes or hand. It was an unconscious act.

“Why.”

His lips smiled, but there was no trace of amusement in his tone. Yoonjo couldn’t even move his lips and just looked up at the man.

“What are you so scared of, acting like a frightened puppy?”

“…”

“Are you afraid I’ll go back on my word?”

He was truly afraid of that. This man was capable of it. If something didn’t suit him, he would destroy everything and tear it to shreds, whether it was an object or a person. No matter how much he had changed, his core nature hadn’t.

His grip on the hem tightened. Yoonjo licked his lips once and cautiously spoke.

“Are you going to do that?”

“Why not?”

“…”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”

The expression, as if asking something obvious, made Yoonjo resign himself out of habit. He didn’t try to prop up the expectations that were starting to crumble and quietly lowered his eyes.

His chin was grabbed at that moment. His head tilted up, naturally meeting the man’s gaze. Won Kangho’s eyebrows furrowed in dissatisfaction.

“I thought I told you not to look away first, no matter what.”

The man’s gaze turned icy in an instant. The pheromones that had been subtly leaking grew sharper. The unrefined, raw scent pierced Yoonjo’s lungs painfully.

“Baby.”

“…”

“Are you going to keep disobeying?”

The hand holding his delicate chin moved up to tap his soft lips. At the questioning “huh?”, Yoonjo realized it was time to respond.

Yoonjo immediately reached out, wrapped his arms around Won Kangho’s neck, and pulled him into his embrace. The man didn’t resist and willingly followed Yoonjo’s touch. Their breaths intertwined.

Yoonjo initiated the kiss, but as always, the man led it. Won Kangho gently held Yoonjo’s chin, pressing it to open his mouth wider. The flesh that entered as if it had been waiting was hot and wet.

“You’ve picked up a bad habit…”

Despite the scolding tone, the corners of the man’s mouth turned up. Won Kangho savored Yoonjo’s mouth to his heart’s content. The kiss, which he thought would be rough, continued gently.

A silver thread stretched long between their parting lips. Yoonjo, who had tightly closed his eyes, cautiously lifted his eyelids. The face of the one breathing heavily was flushed. With a soft chuckle, Won Kangho gently wiped Yoonjo’s lips with his thumb.

“You keep trying to slip by like this, my baby.”

“…Did you not like it?”

“What?”

“I thought you liked it…”

The cautious question, mixed with his breath, was tentative. Yoonjo quickly scanned the man’s face, tightly gripping his jacket hem. Seeing him, Won Kangho burst into laughter, not a smile.

It wasn’t a laugh of exasperation or disbelief. The laugh, with his eyes curving and lips turning up, was unmistakably a joyful one.

Yoonjo couldn’t take his eyes off Won Kangho, as if enchanted. His mouth felt dry, and he subtly bit his lips. Won Kangho’s voice was full of amusement.

“But no looking away.”

The warning was the same, but his voice was deliberately warm. The lips, curving softly, parted again.

“No matter how wide your world gets, you only look at me, Yoonjo.”

He was already doing that. The man seemed unsatisfied with just his current state.

Perhaps this man would never be satisfied. Like all humans, his greed would likely know no end. The response in this situation was predetermined.

“I’m already doing that.”

“…”

“You know. I can’t live without you, mister.”

And it wasn’t just Won Kangho who was insatiable. Yoonjo, too, endlessly craved him. This warm embrace, the cool scent, and the fervent gaze that seemed to overflow.

Won Kangho was silent. The man, who had been quietly watching, pulled Yoonjo’s left hand toward him. On the wrist where the bracelet had disappeared, he pressed his lips to the red scar, looking straight at Yoonjo.

“Baby, Yoonjo.”

As always, the call was soft. Yoonjo, defenselessly offering his hand and body, waited for the words to follow.

“If you’re not going to sleep more, want to go for a walk?”

“…Now?”

Yeah. The man’s throat rumbled with his response. Beyond him, the window showed the blue dawn breaking. Winter had passed, but the sun in this not-yet-fully-spring season was short-lived.

It’ll be fine. Yoonjo nodded immediately, and the man lifted him in one swift motion. His feet floated in the air again. The only thing left in their wake was a crumpled bedsheet, lying alone.

Won Kangho wrapped a blanket around Yoonjo’s body and stepped out the front door. The direction wasn’t toward the elevator but the opposite.

“Cold?”

“No.”

“Then why are you trembling like this?”

“…I don’t know.”

It wasn’t nervousness or cold, but his body trembled strangely. Still held in the man’s arms, Yoonjo buried his face in his shoulder and hugged his neck tighter. The blanket wrapped around him carried Won Kangho’s strong scent.

At the pre-dawn hour, the glass garden, usually filled with sparkling sunlight, was dark. Stepping inside, Won Kangho familiarly turned on the lights and strode toward the bench.

Though the lights were off, the garden, always kept at a constant temperature and humidity, was warm enough to feel slightly hot. The blanket seemed unnecessary, but the man didn’t let him go.

“Your feet are cold.”

Setting Yoonjo on the bench, Won Kangho knelt on one knee. He gently held Yoonjo’s bare, pale feet—without shoes or even socks—as if they were precious, rubbing the tops with his thumbs.

Watching him, Yoonjo felt a tickle in his stomach. When he tried to pull his feet back, a firm grip stopped him. Won Kangho kissed the top of his foot deliberately. Yoonjo gasped and recoiled.

“S-stop…!”

“Should I keep a pair of shoes here?”

The man ignored him, feigning distraction. The warmth of his touch transferred to Yoonjo’s pale, glowing feet. Everywhere Won Kangho touched, his skin flushed red.

Suddenly standing, Won Kangho took off his shoes and placed them in front of Yoonjo. He stood on the ground in just socks.

The man’s slippers, large like his height, were far too big for Yoonjo. When Won Kangho personally put them on him, they were like a child wearing their father’s shoes, with plenty of space left at the back.

“If you give these to me…”

“Then should I just carry you?”

“…”

“I wouldn’t mind that.”

The man grinned and spread his arms wide. Yoonjo bit his lips and needlessly adjusted the blanket. Quietly avoiding the man, he stepped onto the garden path first, and the man followed beside him.

With each step, the oversized slippers flopped. Whenever he seemed about to stumble, the man firmly grabbed Yoonjo’s shoulder to steady him. At those moments, his grip on the blanket tightened.

The trees and grass, tended daily by the gardener, were impeccably neat, without a single rough or messy spot.

“Do you like flowers?”

The unconscious question surprised both of them. The one who asked and the one who heard it both clamped their mouths shut.

He just wondered why the man maintained this garden, why he hired a gardener to tend it every day, and why freesias were always here. It was simple curiosity.

He hadn’t meant to say it out loud.

“Why the sudden question?”

The man broke the brief silence with a counter-question. The one pondering the response fidgeted with his hands.

“Just… I was curious.”

“For you to be curious about me, that’s something. Wonders never cease.”

“…”

“Rich folks usually have one useless, expensive hobby.”

Their steps stopped in front of a flowerbed. Yellow freesias bloomed prettily, scattering their fragrance. Yoonjo crouched carefully and stroked the slightly dry petals. Suddenly, the man’s feet caught his eye.

The old Won Kangho would’ve been unimaginable. He used to say there was no need for clothes since Yoonjo wouldn’t go out, throwing out all those clothes. Thinking of that, the current Won Kangho had changed a lot.

Lately, watching the man brought old memories to the surface. The days before their relationship became like this, when Yoonjo wore a school uniform and Won Kangho sat on a bench in casual clothes, smoking, and tossing him a piece of candy as payment for errands.

“I’m not interested in flowers.”

“Ah…!”

The man lifted Yoonjo’s crouched body in one motion. Yoonjo hurriedly wrapped his arms around Won Kangho’s neck. The dangling slippers fell to the ground. Won Kangho kicked them aside and adjusted his hold on Yoonjo.

“I’m interested in you.”

His gaze, which had been looking at the ground, turned to Won Kangho. Yoonjo faced the man with a slightly dazed expression.

“Your scent is better than some measly grass.”

“…”

“You can love the flowers. I’ll love you.”

The slipper kicked by the man’s foot rolled on the ground. Holding Yoonjo, Won Kangho circled the garden once. They returned to the bench where he had taken off the slippers.

The term “walk” felt ironic since Yoonjo barely touched the ground. Despite asking to be put down several times, Won Kangho only tightened his hold, refusing to let him go.

“This is definitely better.”

Won Kangho sat Yoonjo on his lap and buried his nose in his exposed neck. Sitting face-to-face with the man, Yoonjo squirmed slightly as the ticklish breath touched his skin.

“Why do you keep wriggling?”

“It tickles, ugh…”

The man leisurely devoured the mouth that opened to respond. His hand, firmly holding Yoonjo’s waist and gently kneading the back of his neck, was hot. Yoonjo willingly responded to the sudden kiss.

Amid the fresh scent of flowers and grass, the distance between the two sitting together was impossibly close. Yoonjo, gripping the man’s shoulders, filled his lungs not with the floral scent but with another. The pheromones Won Kangho subtly released softly enveloped Yoonjo’s body.

Won Kangho wasn’t rough like before. His touch and kisses were gentle, as if considerate. The heat from the man warmed Yoonjo’s face and body.

The presence of something firm against his hips was overwhelmingly intense. When Yoonjo tried to pull away in embarrassment, Won Kangho pulled him closer, as if asking where he was going. Hot air pooled between their touching bodies.

“Baby.”

Murmuring against Yoonjo’s wet lower lip, the man’s low voice created a small tremor. Yoonjo cautiously opened his eyes and met the dark gaze watching him.

“You get hard anywhere just from me sucking your tongue a bit. Aren’t you embarrassed?”

The man grinned and gently touched Yoonjo’s already aroused front. Startled, Yoonjo grabbed his hand, but the other hand slipped into the back of his pants.

“It’s wet here too.”

Yoonjo, who had been holding the man’s broad shoulders, leaned into his embrace limply. The wet sounds were provocative.

A finger parted the gap and pushed inside. The sensation of being opened was always strange. The soaked lower part easily accepted a single finger.

“Don’t, spread, ah…!”

“Should I put a diaper on you? You’re always dripping like this.”

“Ugh…”

“What if word gets out you wet yourself? You keep acting like a baby, huh?”

Won Kangho deliberately whispered close to his ear, like a breath. A chill ran through Yoonjo, making him shudder.

The kisses on his ear and cheek were tender. Won Kangho gently widened him while stroking various parts of his body. Red heat bloomed wherever his touch landed.

The soft, relaxed inside was pressed firmly by strong fingertips, forcibly opening the narrow space. The clear liquid pooled deep inside flowed out through the gap, wetting the man’s hand.

“Ugh…”

The wet hand withdrew, and Won Kangho kissed Yoonjo while pulling off his pants and underwear in one go. The exposed lower part glistened with the slick liquid from Yoonjo.

As the sound of a buckle undoing rang out, something menacing touched below. Soon, a dark red organ parted the delicate gap and began to enter. The man swallowed all of Yoonjo’s heavy breaths.

The insertion was slow and persistent. Won Kangho wrapped his tongue around Yoonjo’s retreating one, sucking loudly while pushing himself in. The sensation of his body opening was both unfamiliar and overwhelming.

“Too, you, ugh, too, big…”

“You love it, so what’s the problem?”

“No, it’s not, I don’t, ugh…!”

“Not? Feel it. Your boss’s cock is filling you up. Can you feel it?”

Won Kangho guided Yoonjo’s hand to his flat stomach. Pressing down with his hand over Yoonjo’s, the presence inside felt vividly real. Startled, Yoonjo’s body jolted back, but the man held him tightly.

His wet lips panted, letting out rough breaths. Won Kangho grabbed Yoonjo’s shoulders and kept pushing deeper. The immense pressure kept forcing his mouth open. Yoonjo curled up, rubbing his forehead against the man’s shoulder.

The insertion went deeper. Won Kangho buried his lips in Yoonjo’s neck, pulling the small, delicate body down further. It took a considerable time for the man’s organ to fully disappear inside Yoonjo. Only incoherent moans escaped his lips.

“Ugh… too, ugh…”

“Too what? Too good?”

“No, ah…!”

“No? Your lower mouth is sucking me in like it loves it.”

“Don’t, touch, ah…!”

The man’s fingertips teased the tightly stretched opening. Fearing it might slip inside, Yoonjo grabbed the man’s wrist with trembling hands.

“Don’t touch?”

Tears fell in streams every time he nodded vigorously. Chuckling softly, the man murmured, “Alright, alright,” while gently patting the small hips. Despite the tender touch, the gaze looking up at him was intense.

The man, who had been staring at Yoonjo, suddenly bit his chin. He slowly licked the spot where the teeth marks remained, then held the back of Yoonjo’s head and gave a short kiss.

“Speaking casually like that is kind of a turn-on. Don’t you ever think about doing it normally?”

A hand slid down like a snake and grabbed his shoulder. It thrust upward into his waist. The sudden jolt made Yoonjo’s head snap back in surprise.

“Ugh, ah, no… there, don’t… hng!”

“Are you saying it feels good or not? You need to speak clearly so I know.”

Won Kangho, holding Yoonjo tightly, slowly pushed deeper inside and then pulled out, repeating the motion. The deliberate movements were even more tormenting. The heated breaths raised the surrounding temperature sharply.

The hands gripping the broad shoulders trembled. With a completely relaxed face, Yoonjo looked straight at Won Kangho. His lips, kissed and sucked, were wet and red.

“Got something to say?”

Won Kangho rubbed the tip of his nose gently against Yoonjo’s. As the thrusting paused, Yoonjo hurriedly caught his breath. The sweet breaths Yoonjo let out further excited the man.

“You look like you have something to say. Why won’t our Yoonjo say it?”

“Hng…!”

Sharp teeth bit down hard on the round tip of his nose. The hazy eyes snapped into focus, and the hands gripping the shoulders filled with resentment.

In the current Won Kangho, Yoonjo saw the man from their first meeting. Though there was a bit more affection in his gaze now compared to then.

The candy the man had given him back then was never eaten and ended up thrown away. He hadn’t been able to pack properly while fleeing in the middle of the night. That candy lingered in his mind, constantly reminding him of the man’s presence.

“But, you know.”

“Ah!”

Suddenly, a powerful thrust slammed into him. The intense sensation of the inner walls being struck made his head jerk back. A deep pleasure coursed through his body, making his head ring.

“You have the nerve to think about something else with me right here?”

From that point, the movements grew increasingly rough. Yoonjo shook with each thrust, letting out heavy breaths and moans in a steady stream.

“Ugh, hng, too much, ah! Hic, slow, slow down…! Ha!”

“What were you thinking about, huh?”

Despite the gentle question, the movements ravaging him below were ferocious. Won Kangho tightly gripped Yoonjo’s waist, thrusting upward relentlessly, and Yoonjo, trapped in his embrace, shook helplessly. Every time the fiery sensation scraped his inner walls, his heated body trembled.

“You think too much. You worry about useless things too.”

“Hng, ugh…! Ah, mister, ahh…”

“Am I even in there somewhere?”

It could hardly be called a conversation. Both spoke their minds without listening to the other.

Won Kangho took in every expression and reaction on Yoonjo’s ever-changing face. His gaze was relentless, as if he couldn’t tear his eyes away for a single moment.

Teeth marks appeared on the prominent collarbone. Won Kangho, who had been nibbling on the protruding bone, pulled up Yoonjo’s pajama top and bit down hard on the nipple underneath. He tightly held the startled, squirming Yoonjo and teased the protruding bud with his tongue.

Something wet and hot touched the sensitive spot. Overwhelmed by the pleasure flooding from above and below, Yoonjo let out moans with a dazed expression. The softened inner walls tightly gripped the man’s organ, and the stimulated opening flushed red, tinged with pink.

The watercolor painted on the pale body was beautiful. Won Kangho touched, tasted, and gazed at that body, filling his senses. The tight grip of the opening, the sticky and soft insides clinging with wet sounds, were all utterly satisfying.

“It, feels good. Good, ha… good, ah, hng!”

“What feels good?”

“Ah, hic! Ugh, hng, everything, ugh, everything feels, ahh…”

“Everything feels good?”

“Ugh, yeah. Yeah, it’s good. Good, hic…!”

“If everything feels good, what am I supposed to do? It should only be me.”

Yoonjo, forgetting they were in a garden, panted in a haze of sensation. His crushed, reddened knees no longer hurt. His breaths grew constricted as he climbed the steps of pleasure one by one.

“I’m gonna, gonna come, it’s coming, hng!”

A sudden wave of release surged through him. Yoonjo flailed in the sea of sensation, frantically pushing at the man’s shoulders. Won Kangho pinned Yoonjo’s shoulder with one hand, restraining him. The sound of their wet bodies meeting was lascivious.

He thought he begged to be let go, but the man didn’t listen. He nibbled on the nipple and sucked on its tip like a child. The world spun as if he might lose consciousness at any moment.

“Ah, ugh, hng…”

Unable to hold back, it burst out in a rush. The white liquid from his pink organ splattered onto their clothes and the man’s chin.

Won Kangho wiped his chin with the back of his hand and stared at Yoonjo’s traces. Then, he extended his tongue and slowly licked it.

Sweet. The omega, sweet as candy everywhere his lips touched, was even sweet in his release. The moment he tasted it, an uncontrollable excitement surged through him. Their mingled pheromones created a scent like a flowerbed in a forest.

Forest and flowers. Similar yet different, the harmonious scent was unique to them, unlike the flowers and trees in the garden. Fragrant, green, fresh.

“Ugh, hng, ah… ahh!”

“Ha, damn…”

After a few more rough thrusts, the man’s movements stopped abruptly. Won Kangho held Yoonjo tightly, as if he might burst, and caught his breath. The man’s release filled Yoonjo’s insides completely.

Without hesitation, they both lunged for each other’s lips. They mingled breaths and entwined tongues, imprinting their presence on one another. Yoonjo carefully gripped the wrist of the hand cupping his cheek and obediently opened his mouth.

It was serene. In this moment, Yoonjo felt more at ease than ever. He wanted to bask in this moment forever. It was the peace he had longed for.

“Lee Yoonjo.”

The voice, filled with heat, called his name. Yoonjo, with reddened eyes, faced the man.

“Think of me too.”

Huh? He blinked in response.

“Think good thoughts, if you can.”

“…”

“All I think about is you, Yoonjo.”

So think about me a lot too. The voice murmuring against his lips was warm.

His palm tingled again. It felt like holding flower petals.

Spring arrived silently, coloring the world. Sprouts emerged, and green leaves prepared to peek out from the trees.

While everyone was busy dressing lightly and airily, Yoonjo alone pulled out thick winter clothes. It was at Won Kangho’s insistence.

After much deliberation, Yoonjo contacted Yoon Chaemin, who said the child missed him dearly. When asked if he could visit, Yoonjo hesitated but passed the suggestion to the man.

Surprisingly, Won Kangho nodded readily. The condition for staying overnight was to dress warmly. The easy agreement felt odd, but Yoonjo brushed it off. Unnecessary suspicion only brought fatigue.

Today was the day to head to the countryside. Won Kangho insisted on driving him there himself, and without Mr. Jeong, the two of them set off alone toward the rural house.

It wasn’t a short one- or two-hour trip but a journey of over four hours, yet Won Kangho drove without a hint of fatigue. At rest stops, he’d pull over and kiss Yoonjo’s lips, calling it a recharge.

The car, which left at dawn, reached the country road by lunchtime. Buildings gave way to fields and rice paddies. Dust rose each time the black wheels rolled over the dirt road.

“Not a cop, but a damn dog. Look at him coming out to greet us.”

Following Won Kangho’s voice, Yoonjo looked not out the side window but through the windshield. In the scenery visible through the front glass, someone stood in front of a familiar blue gate.

Yoon Chaemin’s face lit up upon spotting the car, then froze instantly. He was glaring not at the passenger seat but at the driver. Won Kangho let out a scoff and deliberately parked right in front of him.

“Mr. Lee Yoonjo, welcome.”

“It’s been a while.”

Yoon Chaemin’s tense expression melted the moment Yoonjo stepped out of the passenger seat. But that relief didn’t last long.

The driver’s door opened, and Won Kangho stepped out. Yoon Chaemin, unable to compose his expression, glared at him.

“What makes you think you can come here… Do you even have the right?”

“I’ve got plenty of right. I’m his guardian, after all.”

“Guardian, my ass. Listen, I know what you’ve—”

“Oppa!”

A child burst through the open gate. Yoon Chaemin, who had been growling, shut his mouth, and Won Kangho looked down at the child with curious eyes. The oblivious child clung to Yoonjo’s leg, eyes sparkling.

Yoonjo’s face bloomed with a radiant smile as he pulled luggage from the back seat. He slung the bag over his shoulder and crouched to meet the child’s eye level.

“Hey, Chae-i. Have you been good?”

“Oppa, you’re mean! You said you’d tell Chae-i before you left, but you sneaked away again!”

“Sorry. My bad.”

The child, who had been pouting with a huff, lifted her chin and spread her arms wide when she saw Yoonjo’s apologetic face.

“Give Chae-i a hug, and I’ll forgive you.”

Yoonjo chuckled softly and embraced the child. In that short time, she had grown quite a bit. Her loveliness remained unchanged.

While Yoonjo was lost in sentiment, holding the child, Won Kangho tossed the bag Yoonjo had been carrying to Yoon Chaemin. Caught off guard, Yoon Chaemin’s face crumpled as he grabbed the bag. He seemed more bothered by Won Kangho’s condescending attitude than the sudden toss.

“Oppa, who’s that scary mister…?”

Yoonjo, who had been sending an apologetic look to Yoon Chaemin, widened his eyes at the child’s sudden words.

“Did that mister take you away?”

“Huh?”

“That’s why you didn’t tell Chae-i and left? Because of the scary mister?”

Though she tried to whisper, the child’s voice was loud enough for everyone present to hear.

“This mister is oppa’s lover.”

A hand landed on Yoonjo’s head as the man’s voice cut in. The following words made Yoonjo’s face flush instantly.

“We’re going to get married too.”

“Chae-i, that’s not—”

“I know he’s pretty, but don’t get any ideas, kid. This oppa’s taken.”

Yoonjo hurriedly tried to stop him, but the words were already out. Tears welled up in the child’s eyes, ready to spill.

“Oppa belongs to Chae-i…”

The child whimpered. Flustered, Yoonjo jumped up and shoved Won Kangho back into the car. Unlike the calm man, Yoonjo’s face was burning red. He frantically buckled the seatbelt for him, and the man’s gaze deepened.

“What’s with the fuss? You can’t let me go? Suspicious.”

“Suspicious, what… You said weird things to the kid…!”

“Weird things? Did I say anything wrong?”

“Even so…”

“She’s young, but she should know what’s what.”

He wasn’t someone you could reason with. About to add something, Yoonjo bit his lips and fastened the seatbelt with a click.

“…Hurry up and go. Traffic’s going to—”

The words didn’t finish. As Yoonjo tried to pull away after buckling the seatbelt, Won Kangho grabbed his wrist. His unguarded body was pulled close to the man. A short kiss landed on his lips with a smack.

“Call me if anything happens.”

“…”

“Call me if you miss me too.”

Their lips met again. Won Kangho tasted the sweet lips twice more before letting him go.

“See you tomorrow.”

Yoonjo stood there, touching his lips as if entranced, until the car carrying the man disappeared completely. The sensation on his lips lingered vividly. It was a while before a voice broke through.

“What did I just see…?”

“Waaah…!”

Yoon Chaemin muttered in disbelief, and beside him, the child finally burst into tears. Yoonjo snapped back to reality and quickly hugged the crying child. Yoon Chaemin shook his head but gestured toward the gate, signaling to go inside.

The scenery unfolding beyond the gate was no different from when he left. The wide platform, the porch, the small faucet—all unchanged. Yoonjo found comfort in the familiarity.

Only he had changed. His thoughts and mindset had shifted greatly. When he left this house, the word “death” had haunted his mind, but not anymore.

He wanted to live. Acknowledging that made the surrounding scenery feel hateful. He resented the world for forcing him to live this way and hated himself for not fitting into it.

It was Won Kangho who began to mend Yoonjo.

He gave him the chance to dream again after giving up in the face of reality and treated him not as a tool but as a person. At first, it felt strange and unfamiliar, but as humans are creatures of adaptation, he was slowly getting used to it.

He was alive. He would keep living and didn’t want to die. The man promised to fulfill those simple, obvious desires, and Yoonjo nodded.

It was around then that Yoonjo began to open his heart to the man. The thought that he shouldn’t, given the horrific things Won Kangho had done to him, kept resurfacing, but the heart doesn’t always obey.

“Chae-i, come down now. Oppa’s getting tired.”

“Nooo…”

“It’s okay.”

Fearing he might force her off, the child burrowed deeper into Yoonjo’s arms, sniffling. Yoonjo willingly held her, patting her back. Yoon Chaemin let out a heavy sigh. To lighten the mood, Yoonjo spoke first.

“By the way, where’s the elder?”

“At the market for a bit. He heard Mr. Lee Yoonjo was coming and wanted to prepare a few things.”

Feeling guilty and awkward, Yoonjo fiddled with the back of his head. Suddenly remembering something, he pointed to a shopping bag nearby.

“Uh, could you open that? My hands are full…”

“That? The shopping bag?”

“Yeah.”

With a small reply, his shyly smiling eyes curved softly. It was a faint smile.

“It’s just, I owe you a lot, and it felt wrong to come empty-handed, so I prepared something. I hope you like it.”

His cheeks flushed as he stumbled over his words. Buying and giving a gift to someone after so long felt strange.

Yoon Chaemin took the contents out of the bag and placed them on the floor. Two men’s shirts and a pink dress, clearly for a child, caught the eye.

“Please accept them without hesitation.”

“…”

“Oh, I put the receipt in there too. You can exchange them if you don’t like them.”

Yoonjo hurriedly added, growing anxious at Yoon Chaemin’s silence. A glance at his face showed a serious expression.

Did I do something wrong? He had agonized over the gift for days, but Yoon Chaemin’s seemingly angry face made him nervous. It was a while before Yoon Chaemin let out a small laugh while looking at the clothes.

“Thank you. Father and Chae-i will love them. Chae-i likes pink.”

“…”

“But, you know. This is a bit sudden, but can I ask you something?”

Yoon Chaemin cautiously began. Not understanding, Yoonjo nodded slightly. As if waiting, Yoon Chaemin spat out the question.

“Those things he said earlier, are they true?”

“What things?”

“You’re marrying that bastard, for real?”

His face flushed as the forgotten topic resurfaced. Yoonjo waved his hands frantically and shook his head.

“No, it’s not like that. Marriage, what…”

“If it’s not, that’s clearly an engagement ring.”

Yoon Chaemin’s gaze landed on Yoonjo’s neck. The ring on the necklace gleamed in the light.

Yoonjo habitually fiddled with the ring around his neck.

Instead of the bracelet that once bound his wrist, Yoonjo always wore the ring on a necklace. Won Kangho seemed to want him to wear it on his finger, but Yoonjo didn’t. Instead, he kept it on a chain, always close to his body.

“It’s not an engagement ring.”

“…I was hoping you’d say that. If it’s not, that’s fine.”

It wasn’t a ring received with the meaning Yoon Chaemin was thinking of. It merely carried the significance of the bracelet. Yoonjo forced a small smile, trying to lift his sinking mood.

“I’m doing fine. You don’t have to worry.”

“How can I not worry? It’s not just anyone—it’s that bastard Won Kangho.”

“…”

“Are you really okay?”

As always, Yoon Chaemin genuinely worried about Yoonjo. The sharp reaction from their first meeting was gone. Ever since he learned Yoonjo was connected to Won Kangho, he’d been like this.

It wasn’t pity. Nor was it affection—it was human concern for another human. If Yoon Chaemin had shown even a hint of other emotions, their connection wouldn’t have lasted this long.

“I’m okay. He treats me well.”

“…Honestly, you look better than before, but I still can’t trust him. I’m really worried about you, Mr. Lee Yoonjo. A lot.”

“I’m not going to die.”

The face of the one speaking of death was calmer and more serene than ever. Feeling as if he were facing a still, vast lake, Yoon Chaemin couldn’t open his mouth.

“I’m studying for the high school equivalency exam, and I’m going to college.”

“…”