If he got married, wouldn’t he become like that too? No, he definitely would.
Surim thought that perhaps something inside him had become twisted.
“I think dating would be possible. But if they asked me to marry them, I’d break up. What about you, Manager-nim?”
Wouldn’t there be a possibility with Song Hanyeong too, at least up to dating? After all, I can meet him this comfortably without burden.
Surim asked slyly while hiding his sinister intentions.
“……”
“Manager-nim?”
“Well, I wonder.”
Song Hanyeong smiled coldly.
Had he somehow figured out what Surim was thinking when he asked? That answer sounded like he was telling him not to even dream of it. Surim dejectedly lowered his gaze.
‘We even had sex…’
Of course, there hadn’t been any confirmation of their relationship or agreement before the sex. But sex was usually something done in romantic relationships, so he thought there might be a bit of possibility.
Thinking that far, Surim suddenly thought that from a vampire’s perspective, he might be too strait-laced a human. Vampires only bite humans to feed, but humans become aroused by that act of blood-sucking. Since arousal led to sex, it was natural for blood-sucking to lead to sex as well.
Even if the partner wasn’t necessarily him.
Then perhaps for vampires, feeding and sex were issues on the same level. They’d choose their partner with the same intensity of deliberation as choosing breakfast, and decide on sex with about as much thought as deciding whether or not to eat.
Of course, Song Hanyeong didn’t have the luxury of choosing partners. He was the owner of picky tastes who could only drink the blood of vegetarians.
“…Well, whatever.”
He’d just been testing the waters anyway; he hadn’t really expected they could actually date. In the first place, didn’t it make no sense for a stalker and their target to date?
Surim lightly brushed off his disappointment and asked about the part he’d been worried about all along.
“More importantly, is your body okay now?”
“…It’s gotten better.”
“But you’re not completely healed yet?”
“Why, what would you do if I was fully healed?”
“I wouldn’t do anything…”
He’d just been worried about what to do if Song Hanyeong said he was fully healed and no longer needed him. Seeing him narrow his eyes, it seemed it had been a needless worry after all.
Surim awkwardly smiled while trying not to show his relief.
“I’m very far from being fully healed.”
Song Hanyeong crushed the cigarette into the ashtray and leaned his upper body over Surim’s. His large frame completely covered Surim.
“So don’t think about running away. Got it, Jin Surim?”
“……”
He’s cool.
Surim, eyes widened like a rabbit’s, nodded blankly with flushed cheeks. Then Song Hanyeong lowered his head a bit more and lightly overlapped their lips.
Touch, their lips parted once before meeting again. Song Hanyeong, who had sucked on Surim’s upper lip, continued speaking.
“Good, you’re obedient.”
Surim hadn’t said anything, but Song Hanyeong took his reaction as affirmation. In truth, even if it wasn’t affirmation, there was nothing Surim could do. Since Song Hanyeong had already made up his mind to do so, Surim was fated to be exploited.
Song Hanyeong intended to savor Surim very carefully.
However, there was one strange thing. Song Hanyeong’s thirst hadn’t subsided at all. Oddly enough, even now after eating his fill, he found it difficult to control his desire to bite Jin Surim.
“Ah…!”
Song Hanyeong whipped off Surim’s blanket. The naked man’s skin was covered entirely in red and blue bruises. There were more than one or two marks from bites not for drinking blood, but just because he’d wanted to.
As he was admiring that sight, Surim gradually curled up his body to cover his member. Jin Surim was trembling with frightened eyes.
Song Hanyeong felt perversely twisted inside and bit down hard on Jin Surim’s nose tip.
* * *
The teeth marks on his nose didn’t disappear easily. Surim looked at Song Hanyeong resentfully while touching his nose. What excuse would be good to use at the office if it didn’t heal by Monday?
“You know that if I show up at the office wearing a mask tomorrow, it’s because of you, Manager-nim.”
At Surim’s grumbling, Song Hanyeong chuckled.
“Don’t just laugh.”
“I’m sorry.”
Song Hanyeong apologized affectionately and rubbed the mark on Surim’s nose tip with his fingertip. Surim, his face flushed, glared pointlessly before clearing his throat with an ahem.
“Well, thank you for walking me home.”
Being together was nice, but this location wasn’t good. If the nearby residents caught them doing this in front of his house, he might get pointed at strangely.
When Surim gave his thanks, Song Hanyeong made a strangely displeased expression and tilted his head.
“Shall we have some tea for a moment? At Jin Surim-ssi’s place.”
“What? No!”
There was a “Song Hanyeong shrine” set up on the living room coffee table, so bringing the person himself into the house was absurd. When Surim refused in panic, Song Hanyeong narrowed his eyes.
“My place, my place isn’t organized, so…”
“Your place isn’t organized.”
“Yes. It’s too messy right now, not an environment to show anyone. Next time, come next time when I’ve cleaned well.”
“…Let’s do that, then.”
Song Hanyeong answered lightly and stepped back. Surim exhaled in relief. It seemed he needed to consider moving the shrine to the inside of his room. The timing wasn’t bad either. Before, he’d needed Song Hanyeong’s belongings frequently, but recently that frequency had been decreasing.
It was proof that Surim’s mental state was improving.
“Well, I’ll be going then.”
“Yes, take care.”
It was when Song Hanyeong, who had greeted him lightly, turned around and descended all the stairs. Something fluttered down below Song Hanyeong.
“Manager-nim, your handkerchief!”
Surim quickly chased down and picked up the fallen handkerchief, holding it out to Song Hanyeong.
“……”
Song Hanyeong, who had been staring at Surim for a moment, only took the handkerchief when Surim looked up questioningly. His expression was consistent, but Surim somehow felt that he was a bit displeased.
“Thank you for picking it up. Then.”
“Yes…”
Somehow bothered by Song Hanyeong, Surim hesitantly stepped back up one stair. Then he urgently called out to Song Hanyeong who was opening the gate.
“Ah, Manager-nim!”
“Yes.”
“…But when is next time?”
Song Hanyeong turned around while holding the gate. Surim, feeling guilty at that gaze, made excuses incoherently.
“No, it’s not that, it’s just so I can mentally prepare myself a bit…”
Bang, Song Hanyeong closed the gate again and came back right below the stairs, bringing his face close to Surim’s ear.
“Tomorrow.”
“…What?”
Song Hanyeong didn’t answer further and strode out the gate. The sound of him walking down the stairs followed soon after. Surim stared blankly at the gate through which the man had disappeared without looking back, then rolled his eyes.
“To-tomorrow…?”
* * *
After sending Song Hanyeong off, Surim stood there blankly for a long while before being startled by a dog barking in the distance, coming inside and collapsing weakly at the entrance.
There were too many things he couldn’t handle, both what had happened over the weekend and what would happen in the future. It didn’t mean he disliked his relationship with Song Hanyeong. But he felt guilty for using Song Hanyeong’s hunger to satisfy his own greed.
Sharing blood with Song Hanyeong was something he ought to do. But what came after was the result of being swept up by greed and desire. Song Hanyeong was a vampire by species so that was one thing, but since he was human, shouldn’t he properly refuse? Wasn’t he accepting too readily something being offered that he dare not have?
Surim, crouched without even taking off his shoes, hugged his knees and sighed deeply with a worried face.
In truth, worrying like this was meaningless. Because no matter how firmly he resolved when alone, when he stood before Song Hanyeong he’d end up readily following along with whatever he wanted anyway.
‘But we did it yesterday and tomorrow again…?’
Wasn’t that too often?
Until just a few days ago, Song Hanyeong hadn’t approached at all, so he’d worried whether he only got hungry once or twice a year, or maybe once per quarter, but the direction of his worries had completely reversed.
“Am I worrying about useless things too much…?”
It was ridiculous to worry either way. Surim shook his head and took off his shoes, getting up to go wash.
Meow.
Surim, who had paused, was looking at the entrance when soon another meow sound was heard. Surim opened the door wide with a bright face.
It was Kkamang. Kkamang was sitting elegantly right next to the door. The cat who had aged considerably was blinking yellow eyes while showing off gleaming fur.
“Kkamang!”
Meow.
Kkamang, who answered thinly, passed between Surim’s legs and entered the house. His attitude was leisurely as if it were his own home. Surim chuckled and followed behind him.
“Aren’t you hungry? Did you eat a snack today? Should I give you a Churu?”
Kkamang didn’t respond and climbed up onto the coffee table to sit.
