But Baek Sahyun was persistent.
“You’re telling me to hold your hand so you can get in, Heejae-ya.”
Since he kept whining, I wanted to question why he had to do that. The water only came up to about my solar plexus at most. Baek Sahyun was much taller than me, so he could enter the water very safely without anyone holding his hand.
“Is that a dog barking somewhere?”
So I pretended not to hear, picked at my ear, and dove underwater. I figured if he really wanted to get a taste of the water, he’d splash in on his own.
As expected, it was quiet and peaceful beneath the surface. I couldn’t see that Satan-like bastard Baek Sahyun either… it was practically heaven.
Pwahaa! Just as I was about to surface again after using up my breath, ridiculously, I could only lift my head for about a second at most.
“Ah, you crazy son of…! Ugh!”
It was because that dog-like Baek Sahyun pressed down on the back of my head, forcing me underwater. Pushed deep underwater without a chance to breathe outside, I flailed my arms and legs wildly.
‘You psychopath! Go to a hospital already!’
I pounded on Baek Sahyun’s abdomen and waist frantically. But since movements underwater are inevitably slower than outside, it was reduced to the level of weakly touching him with soft thuds. I even thought I heard someone’s mocking laughter.
“Haa…”
Just when anxiety was bubbling up that I might actually suffocate to death like this.
“Pwah!”
Pulled up to the surface, I coughed out convulsive hacks. My throat hurt like it was being torn apart, probably from swallowing so much water.
Damn it. My ears felt stuffy and my nose stung. The feeling of exhaustion that I’d only felt after crying my eyes out came flooding in like a trance. Staggering, I barely managed to spit out:
“At least give me a warning, you son of a bitch.”
Perhaps it would have been better not to open my mouth. At that moment, the warm body temperature of a robust person suddenly pressed against my back. A wet palm spun me around sharply. Before I could even be flustered, our lips collided just like that.
My eyes widened. A slippery tongue pushed past my lips and entered inside. Strong force began to build in the hand of the other person supporting my waist.
“Mmph…!”
When I reflexively shook my head, this time my chin was gripped and held in place. I absolutely couldn’t believe this catastrophe.
Baek Sahyun was kissing me. And he was biting, sucking, and doing all sorts of things…!
The moment I became aware that his tongue was tracing my teeth, my head and limbs simultaneously froze.
Only after I ran out of breath and shoved Baek Sahyun’s shoulder hard did our stuck-together faces finally separate. But the hand gripping my chin still didn’t budge at all.
Without even wiping his saliva-covered lips, Baek Sahyun whispered low.
“Heejae, you said you’re not gay.”
“……”
“You said you’re going to marry a woman and have kids?”
“……”
“Then why are you reacting to my kiss?”
Ah, damn it. At the physical change I didn’t want to believe, my head naturally lowered.
No. No! I tried to deny it, saying it wasn’t because I touched a man but just a result of physical contact, but I failed.
This novel is a 19+ gay novel, and Nam Heejae is one of the homos appearing in it.
So only the inside is me, but the body belongs to Nam Heejae, doesn’t it? It would be stranger setting-wise not to be attracted to another man.
Having barely succeeded in rationalizing it, I grabbed Baek Sahyun’s collar with trembling hands.
“You… do you really like me?”
Did you really torment me like that all this time because you like me?
Honestly, it wasn’t normal behavior, but precisely because of that, it was a more credible speculation. Baek Sahyun was definitely a psychopath bastard, whether you looked at him from the front or back.
Half my heart wanted to hear the answer, half didn’t want to hear it. Just as those feelings collided while I was breaking out in cold sweat, Baek Sahyun spat out:
“No.”
You fucking bastard! I immediately asked back:
“Then what the fuck are you kissing me for?”
“Because I’m pissed off.”
“Is that something to say?”
“Yeah. I’m annoyed that you keep treating only me like I’m gay.”
Baek Sahyun wrapped his arms around my waist again. He lowered his head close and met my gaze. Statements I couldn’t understand at all continued.
“The one who acts like he’d roll into bed if you just push him a little isn’t me, it’s you.”
“What kind of nonsense is that? Why would I roll into a bed? Am I doing forward rolls or something?”
“So you don’t know how upset I am. Is it okay to just roll around carelessly, or not?”
“Man… my heart is a thousand times more upset. Who suddenly shoved their lips at me? Wasn’t it you? Then who’s the gay one? Me or you?”
Baek Sahyun, who didn’t listen to a word I said, made a hatefully tearful face. He murmured gently:
“But mine down there is fine, and you’re…”
I hastily covered his mouth. At the same time, I regretted it. Baek Sahyun, smiling seductively with narrowed eyes, bit down hard on my palm.
“Ah!”
The moment I hurriedly pulled it away, the devil’s whisper reached my ears.
“If you’re so upset, let’s make a bet, Heejae-ya.”
I looked down at my palm with teeth marks on it. The stinging sensation felt strange.
“Let’s see who’s really gay.”
The specific details of the bet were as follows:
During the vacation, whoever kissed first would be the end of the game. In other words, whoever attempted a kiss would be the real gay one.
Well, this was an appealing proposition to some degree. Since I’m absolutely not gay, isn’t this a game where I have some chance of winning?
But unfortunately, I already had the experience of being utterly defeated in bets with this guy time and time again. It meant that no matter what kind it was, I didn’t think I could beat Baek Sahyun.
“I’m obviously going to lose anyway. Since you’ll pull every dirty trick in the book.”
When I muttered, Baek Sahyun countered:
“Why? Don’t tell me you want to kiss me even now?”
“Please stop talking such nonsense.”
Just to emphatically deny that misunderstanding, I had no choice but to accept the bet.
“Fine, then let’s try it once…”
…Wait, but what do I gain from this bet? Just correcting his misunderstanding?
“Hey, Baek Sahyun.”
“Yeah.”
“Then what’s the reward for the bet?”
Just moments ago I was bristling with competitive spirit, but I quickly came to my senses and asked calmly. Thinking about it carefully, there didn’t seem to be any reason to readily respond to his provocation.
Even if I proved I’m not a gay bastard, there weren’t many crumbs falling to me. That bastard would completely ignore whether I’m gay, bi, or a sexual deviant anyway, and play with me as he pleased.
“That’s too bad. You could have just let it pass.”
He smirked mockingly. This bastard… My heart that had calmed down started jumping all over the place again. As I ground my teeth, Baek Sahyun raised the corners of his mouth.
“Well, what should I do to satisfy Nam Heejae? Should we grant each other’s wishes?”
I scoffed. What a purely innocent answer. It’s not like we’re playing the King Game at a drinking party—what wishes?
“As if you’d really grant my wish, you hypocrite bastard.”
Besides, isn’t Baek Sahyun an incomparably vile hypocrite bastard? A bastard who’s mastered the art of sweet-talking people and making them his playthings.
“You’re being quite harsh. When did I ever act hypocritical?”
Baek Sahyun stroked the back of my neck and muttered in a sulky tone. At the goosebump-inducing touch, I quickly swatted his hand away and stood up. Baek Sahyun added:
“Think about it carefully, Heejae-ya. Have I ever tried to deceive you?”
“What?”
“I may have been verbally abusive, but I’ve never tried to deceive you.”
Baek Sahyun said it somewhat indifferently.
‘He admits he was verbally abusive?’
Since he confessed his original sin with his own mouth, strangely I was starting to trust him little by little. Come to think of it, his words and attitude were always the complete opposite, but it didn’t seem like he’d ever tried to deceive me.
I swallowed my saliva unnecessarily. He seems like a crazy bastard, but I was gradually being swayed. If there’s a solid guarantee that he’ll grant my wish, isn’t this a game completely set up for my benefit?
Baek Sahyun murmured smoothly:
“It’s an opportunity for you.”
“……”
“You’re dying to make me drop out, aren’t you?”
For some reason, he was in a much more elevated state than usual. The sly laughter he was letting out made the back of my neck feel cold. In the tension pulling taut, I endlessly swallowed dry saliva.
Right. What he said was correct. This is an opportunity.
“Man, Baek Sahyun.”
An opportunity that won’t come again in my lifetime.
“Yeah.”
“Is there… a guarantee that you’ll definitely grant my wish?”
In the end, I bit down on the bait. I was expecting him to pull all sorts of tricks. He’d probably use cowardly and lowly fouls, like getting me drunk and attempting a kiss.
But if I deflected even that, he’d have no more options. He has his pride, so he wouldn’t be able to take back his words once spoken.
“What am I going to do with you being so suspicious, Nam Heejae?”
Baek Sahyun chuckled and stood up from his spot. His figure slowly walking toward me was frightening.
“It’s not because it’s you, it’s because I got scammed with a jade game board when I was twenty…”
“It’s funny that you’re even being wary.”
When a large hand touched my shoulder, I jumped as if startled. I tried to swat away his forearm like before, but was blocked by a blunt touch. Baek Sahyun said while gripping my wrist as if to twist it:
“Heejae-ya, how about we try trusting each other a bit now?”
“……”
“Forget the past.”
It was a serious gaze. I wanted to turn my head away from the burden, but my body felt firmly held by his eyes. I just bit my innocent lips hard and chewed over his words.
Forget the past. It’s the typical statement only a perpetrator can make.
I’m sorry. And please spare me.
I recalled again the text messages Nam Heejae sent to Baek Sahyun around this time a year ago. They seemed exactly like texts sent while being dragged to the pension, grabbed by the hair, and begging pathetically.
I slowly opened my mouth.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“Okay.”
“Why are you proposing this bet? Honestly… the content is too advantageous for me.”
In the end, I chose a frontal assault. It seemed like my blockhead wouldn’t be able to reach a conclusion. Baek Sahyun looked dumbfounded, then his expression relaxed and he laughed quietly.
“Heejae’s sharp. You seem cold and rational.”
“Fuck. You’re the one who said let’s trust each other. Speak honestly.”
When I threatened him, Baek Sahyun rolled his eyeballs upward and drew it out.
“Well, Nam Heejae was a gay bastard who couldn’t live without me…”
“……”
“But now you’re acting distant, so I’m a bit hurt?”
