Gi-hyeon moaned as he pressed deeper. He wrapped Do-gyeom’s legs around his waist and lifted him. Do-gyeom turned his head in a fluster, but Gi-hyeon followed as if he wouldn’t allow even a moment’s gap. Do-gyeom, who had been hesitating at the desperate kiss, wrapped his arms around Gi-hyeon’s neck. Tangling their tongues together, pulling each other close — they suddenly broke apart from their tightly pressed bodies. Breathing in shallow gasps, they traced each other with thirsty eyes before coming together again.
As Gi-hyeon slid his hand through Do-gyeom’s hair, he felt a certain premonition. That even if the seasons changed many times over, and he met countless people and came to love another — this moment, he would never be able to forget.
Gi-hyeon froze at the catastrophe before his eyes. Deep slash marks that hadn’t been there until yesterday were gouged into the portrait of Gwok Un. The cuts — clean at the edges as if torn by a sharp blade — resembled the wound the Butler had left on Gi-hyeon’s forearm. The canvas had curled up provocatively, as if resisting the merciless slashing.
Gi-hyeon gasped convulsively as he tried to gather the split canvas together. Paint the color of blood gushed out from between the tears. He knew it was useless, but he kept trying to press the split canvas closed before his hands finally fell away. Thick paint clung to his limp hands. He buried his hollow face in his hands. A lament spilled from his cracked lips.
Gi-hyeon, flailing in despair, tried to lift his head at a sudden sense of filth — but the paint clinging to his face obstructed his vision. After barely managing to wipe away the paint that stubbornly obscured his sight, he looked down at his feet. The paint was already rippling up to his waist. Gi-hyeon staggered from the smell of oil permeating the studio. As his upper body crumpled and he collapsed, the paint greedily swallowed him whole. Sinking and drowning beneath the paint, a faint light shone on Gi-hyeon. He reached out with every last ounce of strength.
“Haak——!”
Eyes that had not yet escaped the nightmare blinked wide open. His entire body was rigid with tension. As Gi-hyeon tried to make sense of the situation, he suddenly looked down at his own hand. Pale, slender fingers were wriggling inside his palm.
“Jakka-nim?”
Warm brown eyes pulled him back to reality. Gi-hyeon stared intently at Do-gyeom before him. This isn’t another dream, is it.
“Are you alright?”
Do-gyeom brushed aside Gi-hyeon’s sweat-soaked bangs. The gentle touch brought reality flooding back at last. The shoulders that had been stiff with tension gradually loosened.
“Thanks to you. Ah — is your hand alright?”
Gi-hyeon looked down at Do-gyeom’s hand, which he’d been gripping. The red marks staining that pale skin spoke for themselves — a testament to Gi-hyeon’s fear. With a face like he’d swallowed something bitter, Gi-hyeon pressed his lips to the back of Do-gyeom’s hand. At the pecking kisses, Do-gyeom laughed like a child.
“It tickles.”
“Bear with it.”
Gi-hyeon bit Do-gyeom’s fingers. Nibbling lightly at each knuckle as if playing, Gi-hyeon kept Do-gyeom’s finger in his mouth and slowly lifted his gaze.
“Building up immunity might not be a bad idea.”
“Pardon?”
Do-gyeom tilted his head at the cryptic words. Gi-hyeon gently dragged his lower lip across Do-gyeom’s finger, which he still held in his mouth. Every time his full lips caught on a prominent knuckle, a peculiar feeling stirred in him. Gi-hyeon licked slowly up the side of the finger. As Do-gyeom went rigid at the unfamiliar sensation, Gi-hyeon’s eyes curved prettily. He wiped the saliva from Do-gyeom’s finger.
“That’s as far as we go today.”
“……Please don’t tease me like that.”
Do-gyeom buried his face in Gi-hyeon’s shoulder. The hot warmth of his breath gently heated Gi-hyeon’s neck.
“Calling it teasing — that’s hurtful, do you know how much I’m holding back.”
“Stop — saying things like that……”
A gentle breeze drifted in through the window, ruffling Do-gyeom’s hair. Spotting the red ear now revealed, Gi-hyeon burst out laughing. Taking that small earlobe into his mouth and rolling it with his tongue would be ideal — but he decided to restrain himself. Instead, Gi-hyeon stroked the hair fluttering in the breeze. As the silky strands wound softly around his fingers, a simple contentment settled over him. Gi-hyeon had been quietly stroking Do-gyeom when he suddenly spoke.
“What do you want to do in the future, Do-gyeom-ssi?”
At Gi-hyeon’s question, Do-gyeom’s face stiffened. Gi-hyeon, sensing the discord, tried to pull Do-gyeom away from his embrace — but his waist was caught. Caught off guard by the unexpected reaction, Gi-hyeon added quickly.
“No, not right now — I mean when you leave this place.”
“……”
“Do-gyeom-ssi?”
“……Why do you want to know?”
Gi-hyeon took Do-gyeom’s shoulders and separated him from himself. His gaze wavered with an instability that was hard to place. Gi-hyeon bent down to meet his eyes.
“Do-gyeom-ssi, was the question rude? Or is there another reason?”
“No, it’s just that I’ve never really thought about it, so it caught me off guard.”
Watching Do-gyeom cut his words short, Gi-hyeon fell silent. Was that too sudden a question — Gi-hyeon stopped the thought and changed the subject.
“What does your schedule look like today?”
When the topic changed, Do-gyeom visibly relaxed, as if he could breathe again. He smiled his usual bright, clear smile.
“I have nothing scheduled today.”
“Really? That’s a relief. I’m about to go out to buy paint — want to come?”
“Should I put in an order for it?”
What am I going to do with this innocence. Gi-hyeon laughed with an exasperated look and lightly tapped Do-gyeom on the forehead.
“Ow.”
“You really have no clue — I’m asking you on a date. Meet me on the first floor in 30 minutes.”
Gi-hyeon pressed a kiss to Do-gyeom’s forehead. At the heartfelt kiss, Do-gyeom’s smile grew even brighter.
“Then I’ll go get ready.”
As Do-gyeom rose to his feet, Gi-hyeon closed his eyes. Do-gyeom watched him and smiled. When Do-gyeom didn’t approach even after he waited, Gi-hyeon opened his eyes quietly. Do-gyeom, who had been waiting for him to open them, leaned in for a light kiss. Sunlight poured down on them as if blessing the two young lovers.
Left alone, Gi-hyeon absently touched his lips as if savoring the kiss from moments ago. The sensation felt more unreal than any nightmare. He let out a giddy laugh and made his way to the wardrobe.
“What should I wear……”
Gi-hyeon was carefully selecting an outfit when he pulled out a knit sweater. As he raised his arm to change, it caught — and the doctor’s words suddenly surfaced in his mind.
“Fortunately there’s no nerve damage, but you’ll need to rest for some time.”
Just as the doctor had said, there was no real difficulty moving his hand — but whenever he saw the bloodstain soaked into the floor, his arm would spasm without reason. The wound wasn’t deep, but the trauma the Butler had left behind was. As the nightmare from moments ago resurfaced, Gi-hyeon’s hand trembled finely. He closed his eyes then opened them again against the dread that was trying to consume him as if it had been waiting. Once the afterimage faded, the spasms in his hand stopped too. Gi-hyeon changed his clothes with a bitter expression.
Fastening his watch as he descended the stairs, Gi-hyeon stopped at the sight of Do-gyeom. It was unfamiliar to see him in casual clothes instead of his uniform. He had always worn formal shirts — but now in a cozy knit sweater like Gi-hyeon’s own, there was a fresh, youthful vitality about him. Do-gyeom, sensing the stare, looked up toward the stairs. Seeing Gi-hyeon still watching him with that same relentless gaze, Do-gyeom let out a small laugh.
“You’ll bore a hole through me.”
Do-gyeom’s smile always effortlessly stole his senses. What had once felt only bewildering now felt like a welcome thing. Gi-hyeon came down the stairs and stood beside Do-gyeom.
“Shall we go?”
He took Do-gyeom’s hand and opened the door of the mansion.
Gi-hyeon walked toward his parked Porsche. As the mansion gates opened, the servants stopped what they were doing and watched them. Gi-hyeon casually ignored them and opened the passenger door. Unaccustomed to being escorted for the first time, Do-gyeom climbed in awkwardly. Gi-hyeon got into the driver’s seat, and when he saw Do-gyeom had already fastened his seatbelt, he scrunched his nose.
“I was going to buckle you in — what a shame.”
“Ah, then I’ll undo it.”
Gi-hyeon caught the hand moving to undo the belt. He gently patted Do-gyeom and stopped him.
“It’s fine, I can do it next time.”
Do-gyeom watched with subtle eyes as Gi-hyeon started the car with practiced ease. Looking back and forth between the Porsche emblem on the steering wheel and Gi-hyeon, Do-gyeom opened his mouth quietly.
“This car, by any chance——”
The rumbling of the engine swallowed Do-gyeom’s words. Gi-hyeon raised his voice slightly.
“What did you just say?”
“……It’s nothing.”
The car glided smoothly along the winding road. Soon, as the car carrying them left the mansion behind, Do-gyeom looked around. Watching the scenery rush past the window, he began picking at the dry skin on his lips — and Gi-hyeon slowed down. Still, Do-gyeom looked visibly uneasy. Eventually Gi-hyeon pulled over to the side of the road. He looked at Do-gyeom, who had gone pale, and reached into the dashboard for motion sickness medicine.
“Are you carsick?”
Gi-hyeon handed the medicine to Do-gyeom. Do-gyeom looked back and forth between Gi-hyeon and the medicine, his lips moving silently. Gi-hyeon didn’t press him and waited until he was ready to speak. Then Do-gyeom hesitantly opened his mouth.
“Where are we going right now?”
“There’s a rose festival nearby. I was planning to buy paint around there and go on a date.”
“I got a little anxious thinking we were going too far.”
“Ah, I should’ve told you in advance — I’m sorry, I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“No, it’s alright.”
Gi-hyeon’s expression drooped, and Do-gyeom waved his hand dismissively. He rested his cheek against the steering wheel and looked up.
“Can I keep driving then?”
“Yes.”
With Do-gyeom’s permission, Gi-hyeon smiled and pressed the accelerator. Do-gyeom watched him quietly for a moment, then turned his gaze to the scenery outside the window.
When they arrived at the park, Gi-hyeon got out of the car and opened the passenger door. Do-gyeom, still unaccustomed to being escorted, hurried out on his own. Seeing him glancing around for no particular reason, Gi-hyeon felt mischievous. Gi-hyeon wrapped a hand around Do-gyeom’s waist and whispered in a low voice.
“I want to hold your hand — but I can’t, can I.”
At the warm breath against his ear, Do-gyeom jumped. He covered his ear and glared at Gi-hyeon. Gi-hyeon laughed playfully and slung his arm around Do-gyeom’s shoulder.
