Second Half Chapter 35

Graphics shaped like Aaron, this season’s cover model, and Jerim, the ambassador, flashed across the screen one after another during loading. Perhaps because the game was released last autumn, the Aaron on the cover was still wearing the Taborona uniform. Of course, since the squad was updated weekly, he was wearing the Sefton uniform within the game itself.

“I said don’t tackle me!”

Just thirty minutes into the game, Jerim flared up in anger. On the screen, the Aaron character in Sefton’s white away uniform was shown tackling and tripping Jerim’s character, who was in the dark navy—almost black—home uniform. This was already the fifth tackle.

As if getting revenge for being fed red ginseng earlier, Aaron focused on tackling Jerim throughout the entire game. He muttered while passing the stolen ball to another character.

“It’s strictly a function implemented in the game, so why are you telling me not to use it? If you feel wronged, use it too.”

“Aish, why are there no functions for diving or smashing a face with an elbow? So annoying.”

“That’s truly a statement that tossed professional ethics to the dogs.”

“I’m a football player, not a pro gamer. …Oh, wait a sec.”

Near the sofa, the cell phone he had left carelessly within reach vibrated with a thirr. Jerim put the game on pause and answered the call.

“Lehmann, what’s up?”

— Just calling to see if you got home okay yesterday. You alright?

“I got home fine. Thanks for worrying. More importantly, how about you? Didn’t you drink quite a bit too?”

— Well, as for me…

Jerim, realizing the implication that he was fine hidden in the trailing sentence, let out a chuckle.

“I guess since you’re young and have a high tolerance. Ah, must be nice.”

It would be great if his body could handle at least a bottle of soju like others. When he replied with a hint of longing, Lehmann answered in a somewhat huffy tone for some reason.

— What do you mean ‘young’? There’s only a six-year difference between me and Jeri.

“Did I not tell you? You’re the same age as my youngest sibling. If that’s not young, then… Ack!”

Even while taking the call, Jerim’s gaze had been fixed on the frozen screen, and he suddenly let out a single scream. This was because Aaron, having arbitrarily unpaused the game, had once again tripped the number 10 in the home uniform—the Ban Jerim character—magnificently by the ankles and immediately kicked a goal right in front of him.

The game ended the moment the character with Aaron’s appearance scored. It was a victory for Sefton in the away uniform. Jerim protested by repeatedly shoving Aaron’s back with his foot.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing! Why do you suddenly trip my character when he’s just standing there?”

“Who told you to talk on the phone while gaming? I won.”

“You cowardly bastard. Did you toss your professional ethics to the dogs?”

“I’m also a football player, not a pro gamer.”

“Fuck, turn off the ceremony.”

With the still-fallen Ban Jerim character as a backdrop, Aaron’s character performed a ceremony. Since the character—with graphics subtly inferior to the real thing anyway—was lying on the ground in pain, he looked like a squashed steamed bun. Aaron tapped the ceremony button repeatedly beside him.

It was the moment Jerim reached out his arm to snatch the controller Aaron was holding. Lehmann, who had been momentarily forgotten by Jerim due to the extreme shock, reminded him of his existence.

— Who are you with?

“Yeah, with Aaron.”

— …

Jerim, who had answered honestly because he was distracted, let out a “huk” belatedly. He hurriedly piled on excuses.

“Th-that, he walked me home last night. It was too late to just send him away, so I let him stay over. It’s really not anything weird like that…”

— …But you’re still together even though lunchtime has passed?

“Ah, that’s also, well, I woke up late and Aaron said he was hungry…”

He should have just cleanly said that as a captain’s duty, he fed him since he’d let him stay over. Because he felt guilty on his own, Jerim’s string of words stretched out endlessly. It was Aaron who cut it short.

“Lehmann, if you’re bored, you come over too. Wouldn’t it be better to come see for yourself rather than just prying over the phone?”

Jerim, newly checking Aaron’s current appearance, shuddered. How could a guy wearing a paper-thin bathrobe that barely covered his body, with only a single pair of underwear inside, be so bold as to invite another guest? Jerim’s kicks pushing Aaron’s back grew more violent.

“Don’t talk bullshit and get out. Beat it.”

“If I go out in this outfit right now, I’ll be arrested immediately. Then Sefton will be caught up in gossip and I’ll be disciplined and won’t even be able to play in matches…”

Maybe not the arrest, but the suspension from playing was a no-go. Jerim, who was thinking he should kick him out even if he had to wrap him in a blanket, froze at Aaron’s following action.

“Show some mercy, Boss.”

This was because Aaron, who was sitting at his feet, leaned his upper body back and languidly rubbed his cheek against Jerim’s thigh. And he even submissively addressed him as “Boss.”

The corners of his eyes, smiling as he looked up, stretched wide as if reminiscent of a flirtatious fox. Simultaneously, sunlight poured through the open window, and his thick eyelashes cast shadows like an awning.

At the same time his own dazed face was reflected in those pupils shining like jewels in the white sunlight, Jerim realized he was fucked.

He was hard. Dead to rights. And of all things, the area near his left thigh where Aaron was rubbing his face bulged out thickly. At the sudden emergence of volume, Aaron slightly raised his head and stared at Jerim’s thigh.

As if he couldn’t believe it even after feeling the texture with his cheek and checking it directly with his eyes, he put his hand up and slowly traced the protruding area. Responding to the tantalizing stimulation, his dick swayed greatly, revealing its presence inside the loose pants.

“…”

“…Healthy, aren’t we.”

Fuck… Jerim groaned while burying his face in one hand. Since he had gotten an erection so blatantly, he couldn’t even feign innocence. He had to at least make an excuse that he didn’t get hard because of him, but his mind had long since turned into a ruin as if hit by a bomb.

When no sound came from the other side of the phone, Lehmann carefully called out to Jerim.

— Jeri, Jeri? Are you okay? Is something wrong…?

Lehmann’s voice, which had absolutely nothing to do with this fucked-up situation, caught Jerim’s runaway sanity. Let’s hang up the phone first. Is there any reason to advertise to Lehmann that he’d gotten an erection? Having identified the urgent task, Jerim swept his hand over his eyes with a heavy touch.

“…No. That just now was Aaron talking nonsense. Don’t mind it and get some rest. See you tomorrow.”

“Bye, Lehmann. Hope you have a pleasant holiday.”

Following the greeting Aaron added, Jerim abruptly hung up the phone. Even though he was intentionally blocking his own vision, he could feel the gaze staring at him so intensely it pricked.

He wished Aaron would just quietly get up and disappear, but a man that perceptive and considerate probably wouldn’t bear the name Aaron Reyes. Steeling his heart to resolve this directly somehow, he opened his mouth.

“…So this is, because I… it hasn’t been long since I woke up… Ha, fuck…”

It was an excuse made as a last resort because he couldn’t possibly say that on top of him rubbing his cheek near his dick, his face in the sunlight was so erotic he couldn’t help but get it up. Even the speaker knew well enough how messily disastrous the excuse was. It was just as he was about to put strength into the hand pressing his eyes out of sheer embarrassment.

“You don’t have to make excuses. I understand.”

It was a grave voice for once. Jerim, slightly relieved by the thoughtful comfort, slowly lowered the hand covering his eyes. Aaron nodded with a serious face and stroked the top of Jerim’s bulging thigh.

“Even if it’s a situation where it’s been over an hour since you woke up, and in the middle of gaming together you even got a call from another teammate, and while kicking me you suddenly got an erection. I can fully understand.”

“…”

“But let me ask one thing. Including the part about wanting to hit me last time, since when exactly has your taste been that way…”

“I said it’s not!”

As a person with perfectly ordinary sexual tastes, he couldn’t help but flare up at being denounced as a pervert who gets excited by hitting someone. Though he couldn’t deny that he had gotten hard in an extremely abnormal situation…