Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
# Chapter 37
That was why, whenever Team Delta went on a mission, Baek Seonwoo and Ko Ijae always covered Yeo Dowoon’s rear, taking out the monsters. Dowoon usually took the role of the vanguard, charging ahead to break through the enemy lines.
This was also the reason why, in dungeons with winding terrain, Dowoon often ended up separated from the group. If an order came to change the route, he was always the first to run into trouble—because if he lost his way while clearing monsters alone, he’d be trapped in the dungeon with no way out. There were only two ways to escape: carve his own path or wait for a rescue team.
“……Yoon Minoh.”
Minoh chuckled, delighted, as he watched Dowoon’s reaction. Even in the darkness, he was genuinely curious to see if Dowoon could handle him.
But Dowoon only rolled his shoulders loosely, shaking off the tension. Minoh flinched slightly at the delicate flutter of eyelashes against his palm.
“You’re one of those dungeon crawlers, huh?”
The so-called illegal miners.
Unregistered Espers who roamed dungeons that slipped through the Gate Prediction Simulation, sweeping up anything valuable—even selling monster eggs for profit. They weren’t just evading the government’s watch; they were outright defying it, always a thorn in their side.
Dowoon muttered in irritation, “Don’t even try to deny it. The way you act is creepily identical to those private-training dropouts.”
Despite the sharp scolding, Minoh’s eyes curved smoothly, as if he’d just had an epiphany. Just then, footsteps echoed down the hallway, and both of them snapped their gazes toward the door.
Shim Woomin?
Dowoon thought absentmindedly, but the voice that followed the neat knock made him grab Minoh’s hand—still covering his eyes—in a panic.
“It’s Cha Haseong. Can I check on Minoh-ssi’s condition?”
“…….”
“I think I should see for myself.”
Minoh, pressing down on the squirming Dowoon, let out a breath and said, “Hyung, you get all worked up whenever that guy shows up, huh?”
“Hey, just say I lost and get out. Got it?”
“Ugh. What am I losing? It’s not like I’m going through all this trouble just to beat you.”
He sighed deeply.
“I just want your attention.”
“…….”
“Preferably the sexual kind.”
Dowoon’s heart pounded wildly. Grinding his molars, he deliberately ignored whatever was pressing against his tailbone and offered, “…Let’s call it even with a kiss. Open your mouth, and we’ll end it here today.”
Minoh blinked stupidly. “Huh?”
Only when Dowoon firmly shut his mouth—making it clear he wouldn’t budge further—did Minoh laugh and add another condition.
“Mmm… then climb on top of me like a dog, with ice in your mouth.”
“…….”
“And keep sucking on it until it all melts?”
Dowoon’s heart threatened to leap out of his chest. He created a tiny piece of ice, no bigger than a fingernail, and put it in his mouth. Minoh, still covering his eyes, laughed and pinched his cheek hard.
Pop. The ice slipped out and melted instantly against Minoh’s defined abs. Minoh, pressing his sealed lips with a fingernail, giggled and said, “It needs to be square. And bigger.”
“Why the hell do you even live? Just out of curiosity.”
“I used to wonder the same thing, but lately, I think it’s because of you, hyung.”
“…….”
“Now, let’s see… Open up. Let me check the ice.”
The words slid in as smoothly as a breeze through branches, leaving Dowoon flustered, his lips twitching. A twenty-year-old kid was basically confessing he lived for him—how was a man seven years older supposed to respond to that?
Following Minoh’s order, Dowoon parted his lips just enough to show the ice, now noticeably larger than before. He was already planning to melt it quickly with body heat once things got serious, but Minoh was more meticulous than he looked.
“There’s a clock behind you, hyung. Kissing time is at least five minutes. If the ice melts before then, we start over.”
“It’ll melt in a minute. What’s with five minutes?”
“Come on, hyung, you can control it so it doesn’t melt, right? That’s your specialty.”
The slick sound of his nose made Dowoon think this brat wasn’t just a snake—he was an anaconda in the heart of the jungle.
Dowoon, expression sour, placed a hand on Minoh’s waist. When he opened his mouth with an ah, Minoh’s eyes sparkled as he watched.
“Done?”
He’d meant to say, Is this enough? but the ice garbled his words. Minoh hummed, inspecting the ice thoroughly before finally wrapping his other arm around Dowoon’s waist, granting permission for the kiss.
The rustle of the hospital gown was the signal for the kiss to begin.
Dowoon immediately pressed his lips to Minoh’s, freezing the doorknob and everything else in the room—just in case Cha Haseong walked in. The ice in his mouth slowly slid against Minoh’s soft lips.
When his tongue pushed in, the ice rolled with a clink. The cold, wet sensation of the mucus membrane rubbing against the ice was strange and unfamiliar.
A shiver ran down his arm, his nape prickling, and his tongue, tangled with Minoh’s, faltered like a buffering video.
“Mmph… hah!”
Minoh pulled him closer, as if to devour him, and kept kissing. His tongue moved clumsily, even clashing with teeth, leaving Dowoon no room to breathe. He tried to pull away, but the arm around his waist blocked him ruthlessly. Melted ice and sticky saliva dripped down their chins.
Minoh, who had been greedily sucking on his tongue, seemed annoyed by the ice and flicked it away with his tongue.
Plop. The ice fell again.
“Ha, ah… more……”
Still unsatisfied, Minoh grabbed Dowoon’s hair and forced his tongue deeper. Dowoon’s entire body was burning now.
Hearing the suspicious noises from inside, Cha Haseong knocked again, puzzled. “……Minoh-ssi?”
Dowoon twisted his head to break the kiss, but Minoh, unfazed by his struggles, only flinched when Dowoon bit his tongue.
“Ugh!”
The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. Seizing the moment, Dowoon shoved aside the hand covering his eyes.
“You little fraud! Can’t you see the five minutes are up?”
“Hyung! I—I wanna marry you!”
Minoh’s dazed eyes gleamed wildly. Like a fighting dog, he lunged at Dowoon, flipping their positions with all his might.
Creak! The mattress groaned violently as Dowoon was slammed onto the bed.
The doorknob rattled—someone was trying to force their way in. Just as Dowoon grabbed Minoh’s throat, the door burst open with a bang!
“…I thought you were going berserk.”
“…….”
“Seems you’re fine.”
Cha Haseong picked up the fallen doorknob, his voice calm. Minoh, rubbing his reddened throat, groaned hoarsely, “Haaah……”
Dowoon was bundled under the white blanket, hidden behind Minoh.
But it wasn’t exactly a convincing disguise. Cha Haseong’s gaze lingered on the lump in the shape of a person beneath the blanket, where Minoh’s hand rested possessively.
Minoh, massaging his stiff shoulders, said, “You barged in while we were in the middle of something. If you knew that, shouldn’t you have the decency to leave?”
