* * *
The days were long. Even though it was past 5 PM, there was still no sign of sunset, as if the day had plenty of time left.
Taeju secured the heavy shotgun against his shoulder and chest and bent his waist appropriately. His left hand gripping the barrel was firmly fixed, and his raised eyes precisely targeted the object.
Bang!
The sound echoed even more broadly across the empty field.
“Go!”
The pigeon rose once more. There was almost no movement. When firing the gun, only his upper body swayed slightly from the light recoil.
After demonstrating the shot, Taeju twisted the lever to eject the shell casing. His movements were rigid and precise. After loading two rounds, he handed the gun to Iseo.
“Did you learn?”
“Yeah.”
“Where?”
“Here, Sokcho Comprehensive Shooting Range.”
“You went out yourself?”
“Yeah.”
When Taeju showed a doubtful expression, Iseo frowned slightly and grumbled.
“I go out sometimes too. I don’t just stay here.”
His form holding the gun was clumsy for someone who claimed to have learned. There was a reason he had only done it a few times.
“Spread your legs a bit more.”
Taeju went behind Iseo, put his foot between his legs, and tapped his shoes.
“Don’t tap like that.”
At those words, Taeju burst into light laughter. It was laughter he’d been holding in ever since Iseo received the gun, clumsily gripped the barrel, and placed the stock against his shoulder and chest.
He must be in a bad mood. Though Taeju had no idea where his mood had gone sour.
“Should I touch you with my hands then?”
Taeju crouched down completely and stroked the inside of Iseo’s ankle bone with his thumb.
“Ah, that tickles. What are you doing…”
Iseo glanced at the servant in the distance and lifted his captured foot. Honestly, reacting to everything made Taeju want to tease him more. He forcibly grabbed the leg that had avoided his hand and slipped his fingers under the hem of his pants to stroke his bare skin.
“That’s why I said spread your legs.”
“Fine.”
“Don’t straighten your back too much.”
Standing up, Taeju this time swept down Iseo’s lower back with his large hand. He flinched greatly, as if about to jump. Even knowing it was dangerous to play such tricks when someone was holding a gun, when he reacted so dramatically to everything, it was hard to stop.
“Bend.”
“Good. Now aim.”
With his eyes raised and facing forward, Iseo glanced once to check Taeju’s mood.
“I’ll put the earmuffs on you. Tell me when you’re ready, hyung.”
Taeju put earmuffs on Iseo’s ears and stepped back. After checking Taeju’s mood once more, Iseo shouted. “Go!”
His shoulder tilted severely and his upper body swayed from the recoil. Taeju tilted his head diagonally and stared intently at Iseo. And he goes out too?
“Go.”
The second one hit. It swayed less than the first shot. Watching him with shooting sunglasses on, his gaze sharp toward the sky, felt strange. What would it be like to place him in the middle of the city? Would he stare at people there with such a sharp gaze?
The corner of Iseo’s mouth lifted slightly. He seemed pleased to have fired the second shot. It was a smile others wouldn’t notice, but Taeju knew immediately. That he was secretly proud of himself.
Pretending not to watch while watching him, Iseo skillfully removed the shell casing and loaded the rounds. Without looking at him with a crooked gaze, if they met at a shooting range, he seemed skilled enough for a betting match.
“Go!”
The third was a misfire. His shoulder dropped slightly. Taking a deep breath, Iseo gave a short signal. The pigeon flew up diagonally and was hit by the fired round, scattering down.
But was there really a reason he had to leave?
Iseo’s face had heated up considerably. Judging by it, this was probably the best shooting he’d done so far. Otherwise, there’d be no reason to look at him with such a proud and pleased face.
Taeju shrugged his shoulders once as a response. Iseo’s face turned sulky. He rolled his shoulders once in a stretch, then positioned himself again.
If there was more to gain from Seok Iseo, wouldn’t it be okay to keep staying by his side?
Then it would be good for both him and himself. A win-win relationship. Since Seok Iseo likes him, he’d be satisfied just being by his side, and since he has things to gain from Seok Iseo, he’d tolerate being by his side.
While Taeju’s mind churned busily, two firing sounds rang out. As expected, the first shot missed this time too.
Iseo lowered the muzzle and looked at Taeju. His face looked almost pleading.
“Why are you so quiet?”
Taeju didn’t want to end his relationship with Seok Iseo here. If he could just leave this place, it would be simple. Thinking such thoughts, he stared blankly at him.
“Yeon Taeju.”
It wasn’t because he didn’t want to leave Seok Iseo or felt sorry for him being left alone. It was simply a compromise point about each other’s interests.
“What’s wrong, why are you suddenly silent…”
Iseo held the gun carelessly and stepped closer. He cautiously examined Taeju’s face and raised his hand to grab his arm.
Taeju’s lips curved up leisurely. Seeing his smile, Iseo’s face visibly relaxed with relief. What was so significant about smiling that he’d be so relieved? No, what was he that while he didn’t say anything, Iseo became anxious and felt reassured by such trivial changes in expression?
Taeju originally enjoyed the base thrill of manipulating the other person’s mood. But now a slight discomfort remained. It felt like thin nails were tantalizingly scraping at the entrance of his heart.
“Try loading. I’ll hold you from behind.”
He held Iseo’s left hand gripping the barrel and supported his right arm with his other hand. He wrapped his hand over the fingers gripping the trigger guard. He pressed his back and chest close together so his upper body wouldn’t sway. Because of the height difference, he had no choice but to spread his legs wide. Taeju’s nose bridge touched Iseo’s nape.
“Relax your body. Don’t be tense.”
Why would he feel guilty about Seok Iseo? While telling him to relax, Taeju himself took a deep breath and exhaled.
He could smell him. Because of Seok Iseo, he’d become sensitive to scents. He didn’t know what his own smell that Iseo talked about was, but if it was Seok Iseo’s scent, he felt he could find it anywhere. There was a distinctive bittersweet and sweet fragrance. Not thick or stuffy like perfume.
“Tae, ju-ya?”
Let’s return to Seoul together. He would say it like a confession. That he didn’t want to be apart from hyung, so let’s go together. And he would ask to be allowed into Seokrim. It was graduation semester now. It was time to make some life decisions. And Seok Iseo cared enough to stiffen his body and feel reassured by his trivial facial changes.
“Yeon Taeju.”
He turned his head slightly. If he’d turned just a bit more, their lips would have touched. Iseo startled and hunched his shoulders.
“Go.”
Taeju’s eyes were on the disc soaring high. Taeju manipulated Iseo’s body like a doll. He gripped the left hand tightly and pulled, and when it reached the desired distance, he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The gunshot was louder than ever. Only then did Iseo’s face turn forward. By the time Iseo looked, the disc had already shattered and disappeared.
“Go.”
Iseo turned his head again to look at Taeju. The thought of teaching Seok Iseo had already disappeared far away. Their lower bodies pressed together and rubbed.
The sound of firing reverberated dully through their bodies. If he returned to Seoul with him. Taeju’s mind spun busily and rapidly. The youngest son of the Vice Chairman and his wife who had returned after a long convalescence. He would become his lifeline within Seokrim.
Taeju arbitrarily held the gun and removed the shell casing. Iseo had let go and was staring intently at him. Though Taeju knew the gaze, he persistently ignored Iseo. The body trapped in his arms raised its waist and twisted its shoulders.
“Let go.”
Taeju rummaged through Iseo’s pocket as if it were his own and pulled out two rounds. He didn’t need to look to know what his face looked like. Angry, glaring, teeth clenched. Yet his eyes would tremble with anxiety.
“Look ahead. I’m teaching you.”
“You’re doing whatever you want. Why are you suddenly like this.”
“Hold it. Look ahead.”
When Taeju roughly put on the earmuffs, Iseo roughly moved his arm to put his on too.
Two pigeons flew up in succession and Taeju shot them with minimal movement. Iseo’s finger in Taeju’s embrace pulled the trigger, but it was no different from Taeju pulling it.
The recoil of the gun shook him. Taeju’s solid chest held Iseo’s swaying body in place. It was ambiguous whether he was holding him in place or squeezing him.
