Humanity Chapter 7.1 - Again, to Reality

Every moment in life is not always as dramatic as a movie.

The connections between scenes are not smooth, and what comes immediately after the climax is more empty than one might expect. However, even in places where the lights do not shine, the characters of reality continue to live their lives.

In a silence that felt as if the camera’s recording button had been turned off, Seolyoung gently took Yimyeong’s hand and pulled him along.

With tears dried on his cheeks, Yimyeong obediently followed Seolyoung without a word about where they were going.

The two lovers were each in a daze. Seolyoung’s calm face looked somewhat pale even under the blazing midday sun, and Yimyeong’s body, hidden by a neat suit, was tattered from his torn head down to his rear.

Still, Seolyoung did not forget to make eye contact with Yimyeong every few steps. And each time, he squeezed Yimyeong’s hand firmly. Yimyeong, for his part, pretended to be fine and hid his limping gait. The burn on his chest from a cigarette was terribly painful whenever his collar rubbed against it, and his lower half, which had been taken by two men in turn, was throbbing, but he dismissed such pain as nothing significant.

Soon, a taxi stopped in front of the two men.

“Please take us to Yeouido.”

Seolyoung spoke briefly as soon as he got into the car. The taxi driver gave a strange look at the two men of sturdy build who did not let go of each other’s hands even in the uncomfortable posture of getting into the car.

Once seated, Yimyeong slowly leaned his back against the seat. His brow relaxed with the comfort that slowly spread throughout his entire body.

“Haa….”

Seolyoung stared intently at Yimyeong as he let out a low sigh. It was a pitiful face.

But at that moment, Yimyeong’s voice, moaning beneath another man, brushed past his ears.

Seolyoung’s handsome face hardened faintly. The rapist’s vulgar curses and the squelching sounds were still vivid. At the same time, things he had not actually seen flashed before his eyes.

Like the posture with his legs spread wide while pinned under another man, or the muscles of his rear thighs trembling with each forceful thrust that made their scrotums collide, the perineum glistening with slick fluid…. Even the lips that swallowed the humiliation.

With a stoic face, Seolyoung tried hard to shake off the obscene scenes. Then he threaded his own fingers one by one into Yimyeong’s. As he unconsciously clasped their hands tightly, Yimyeong, who had his eyes closed, faintly opened them.

“Why?”

“It’s just…. Is this blood on your neck?”

Seolyoung changed the subject. On the nape of Yimyeong’s neck were flecks of blood that had flowed from the wound on his head.

“Let’s rest a bit and then go to the hospital. What if it leaves a scar? On such beautiful skin.”

At that, the ears and neck of the bowing Yimyeong turned faintly red. Watching him at a loss for what to do at the affectionate words, Seolyoung squeezed Yimyeong’s hand once more.

‘Seolyoung. I’m not the kind of person you think I am.’

Perhaps that was true. But it did not matter. It did not matter if he was a slut, or was so promiscuous he could not live without a man, or was a male prostitute who would do anything for money. Because he was his now.

Seolyoung brought his index finger to the dark red bloodstain on Yimyeong’s nape and gently swept it. Then, the dried blood came away on his fingertip as if crumbling. Yimyeong watched it with a slightly dazed face, then leaned his body against the seat again. A deep exhaustion emanated from his half-lowered eyes.

“What are you thinking about?”

To Seolyoung’s question, Yimyeong answered slowly.

“…I want to sleep.”

“Get some sleep. I’ll wake you up.”

At that, Yimyeong met his eyes and gave a very faint smile.

With their hands still intertwined, Seolyoung gently stroked the back of his hand with his thumb. Yimyeong, who had only closed his eyes and was not yet asleep, tried to pull his hand away, as if the gently touching thumb tickled. Seolyoung held that hand tightly without yielding. Then he tirelessly gazed at Yimyeong’s closed eyebrows and cheeks, jawline and earlobes.

The taxi was passing through the moderately crowded Gangbyeonbuk-ro and crossing over a bridge.

Soon he would go to his home with Yimyeong. Since Yimyeong had nowhere to go, they would probably live together from now on. He had vaguely imagined that a day like this would come someday, but he had never imagined it would be today, in a situation just like this.

However, Seolyoung decided to put aside his distracting thoughts and focus only on the fact that he had finally possessed his first love.

‘I love you no matter what you are like.’

Seolyoung raised his hand and silently toyed with Yimyeong’s cheek. Despite his haggard appearance after staying up all night, the skin of his first love was incredibly soft.