Just as Richard said, after walking a short distance, Jeong Taeui noticed a small stream to the right.

To cross to the other side of the stream, an average height person would have difficulty getting across without getting their pants wet unless they rolled them up to their thighs. On this side of the stream, connected to the west wing, there were horse-riding trails, while on the other side was a pristine forest perfect for strolling. 

Jeong Taeui, who had boldly claimed the day before that he loved such primeval forests, had crossed the stream but had to turn back almost immediately due to the dense, thorny underbrush entangled among the ancient oak trees.

Hence, it made sense that this area was so quiet.

Jeong Taeui looked towards the stream with regret.

The day before, when he had crossed the stream to the other side, he had shivered with cold because the sun wasn’t out, making the water icy. But today, even deep in the forest, you could feel the sunlight beating down from above—that’s how hot it was. Only the occasional breeze helped cool the forest.

“A stream like this is just perfect for swimming…… On a day like today, the people of Tarten wouldn’t need to go far at all, this would be the perfect spot to cool off……. And it is hot today…”

Jeong Taeui looked at the stream longingly from within the thickly wooded forest, then gave a small nod and murmured: “Hmm”. He decided to give up on the walk.

Jeong Taeui enjoyed walking on gently cloudy days and even on rainy days, he could walk under an umbrella. But he couldn’t resist swimming when faced with such cool water on a hot day like this.

He stepped out from the shade.

On both sides of the stream, smooth pebbles from upstream were piled up.

Jeong Taeui looked around once to make sure there was no one else there, even though he probably wouldn’t mind if someone appeared. He took off his shirt and, after a moment of thought, decided to only remove his pants and stay in his boxers. His perfect plan was to just wear his pants when he got out and take off the boxers once he returned.

Jeong Taeui placed his clothes neatly on a rock in the warm sunlight and jumped into the water.

Oh my, it was freezing.

Maybe because it was mountain water, you’d think it would’ve warmed up a bit under such blazing sun, but it rushed past his skin, cold as ice.

“Ugh…… anyone with a weak heart couldn’t handle this,”

Jeong Taeui muttered, and yet he dove back into the water again. He sank his body all the way to the bottom of the stream, until even the tips of his hair were fully submerged. The water wasn’t deep, but it was enough to lie down in.

Suddenly, he felt good.

Swimming was nothing new to him, he’d done it often enough in Berlin. Just like the pond beside the annex in Tarten, his home there had one too. Large enough for several people to share.

But how long had it been since Jeong Taeui had the chance to immerse himself in cool natural water deep in the forest like this? He couldn’t even remember.

Whether it was the surrounding atmosphere or the water temperature and quality, it was far better than the home pool, and even the feeling of swimming in such shallow water was special.

It felt really good.

Like he often used to do when playing in the stream as a child, Jeong Taeui pressed his stomach close to the streambed and submerged himself. It wasn’t deep enough to call it real diving, but the feeling of having his whole body submerged in the water was pleasant. He turned his body and opened his eyes, and even though his vision was blurry, looking up at the water’s surface from below was an indescribable joy.

‘Maybe next time, I’ll suggest a vacation by the sea.’

The thought came to him as he recalled Kyle, who made a point of taking his family on vacation at least once a year.

While he was rolling around and playing in the water like that, he quickly ran out of breath.

Jeong Taeui lifted his head above the surface. *Phpt—* He spat out a few drops of water that had gotten into his mouth, and as he stood up, the burning sun overhead began to warm his body again.

“Ah……it would be great if the water were a bit warmer……hm?”

Jeong Taeui suddenly turned his head, feeling like something had flashed in the corner of his vision, something he hadn’t noticed before entering the water. And when he saw what it was, he was momentarily at a loss for words.

A horse. Horse. A white horse.

Up close, it looked even bigger. A white horse was standing right next to the rock where Jeong Taeui had left his clothes, and was gazing down at him.

“……”

Then, a moment later, he spotted Christoph sitting on a large rock downstream, legs casually dangling over the edge. For some reason, that white riding outfit of his looked especially stifling in today’s heat.

“Chri……”

“Sit down.”

“What?”

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Christoph frowned and ordered. Jeong Taeui stared blankly at him for a moment.

“Sit down? Sit down where?”

“In the water.”

“……. Why?”

“The wet underwear’s clinging to your body, and I’m getting an eyeful of something I shouldn’t be seeing right now.”

Just moments ago, Jeong Taeui had been privately pleased with himself while showering, thinking: ‘This should be enough……’ But now, under that piercing gaze, he silently hunched down into the water, submerging himself up to his chin.

“…… It’s cold.”

“Then turn around and stand up.”

With only his head poking out of the water, Taeui looked up pitifully at the beautiful young man who was speaking so calmly, without even a flicker of emotion.

“I’ve got a better idea…… How about you go on your way? Actually, this isn’t even part of the riding trails. Why are you here?”

“This is the path I always take. Moreover, this is also where I always rest.”

“This isn’t a horse-riding path!”

“I never go on those paths. I don’t like accidentally meeting people.”

Jeong Taeui fell silent.

Now he sank his mouth into the stream.

Christoph stood up and walked over to the horse resting beside a rock under the shade of a large oak tree. He took out something resembling a snack from a small bag attached to the saddle and placed it in his palm. The horse immediately nuzzled his hand. With one hand, he fed the horse, while the other hand gently stroked its mane.

The scene was warm but…… oh my, it was cold.

When submerged in the water, Jeong Taeui hadn’t thought much about it, but now that he was aware, the water felt as cold as ice.

Meanwhile, Christoph sighed softly and looked up at the sky, wiping the sweat off his forehead under his hat with his finger.

…Ah.

“Christoph. Christoph.”

Jeong Taeui called his name in a friendly manner. Christoph, wiping the sweat from his forehead, turned around with surprise. Taeui gave him a warm, familiar smile.

“I just thought of another good idea. How about you soak and relax too? It’s very refreshing, really good.”

“I just had another great idea—why don’t you cool off and take a dip too? It’s really nice.”

Christoph let out a derisive snort, as if to say: ‘Are you serious?’

Tch. Figures.

Taeui sank back into the water until only his nose peeked out.

But it seemed Christoph wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea.

He appeared to mull it over for a moment, then turned to Taeui and asked:

“Is it really good?”

“Huh?”

“Is soaking in the water really good?”

“Huh? Yes, of course, it’s very refreshing. But if you soak too long, it gets a bit cold.”

Jeong Taeui felt uneasy and slowly stood up. Just having the upper half of his body out of the water felt much warmer.

Christoph pondered again. He glanced at the horse, then gently patted its nose as if to say: ‘Wait a bit.’

Then, approaching the water’s edge, Christoph began to undress beside the rock where Jeong Taeui had left his clothes.

He took off his hat first, followed by his gloves, then the stifling-looking jacket. Next came the boots, which he set neatly to the side. After removing what looked like an uncomfortable pair of pants, he finally unbuttoned and took off his spotless white shirt.

Jeong Taeui, who had been watching without much thought, suddenly found himself unable to look away.

Now dressed in nothing but his underwear, Christoph unfastened his watch and carefully placed it on top of his neatly folded clothes. Then he began walking toward Jeong Taeui.

“Wow…… it’s like a sculpture is walking over…… Unnie~, you’re stunning…”

Jeong Taeui mumbled with only half his mouth above the water. The words bubbled out with a soft gurgle and didn’t come through clearly enough for Christoph to understand, which was exactly the point. He’d deliberately slurred the words, fearing he might die if Christoph actually heard them.

To be honest, Jeong Taeui didn’t know where to focus his gaze with Christoph right in front of him. Christoph was stepping into the cold water, standing for a while as the water only reached his calves, seemingly colder than expected.

Jeong Taeui often thought that Christoph’s appearance was breathtakingly beautiful, but when he took off his clothes, that beauty became even more intense.

His slender and graceful body was slightly thin but with smooth and balanced curves. Absolutely gorgeous.

Jeong Taeui thought that just covering that body with a thin layer of plaster would create a perfect statue.

As he was lost in thought, he looked up at Christoph, who was getting closer after getting used to the water temperature.

“Your lips are pale.”

Christoph suddenly said, making Jeong Taeui realize how cold he was. He saw that his nails had also turned a light blue.

“Can I stand up?”

When Jeong Taeui hesitantly asked, Christoph remained silent for a moment, then feeling more comfortable after soaking in the water, he nodded.

Jeong Taeui immediately stood up. He took a few steps and sat on a rock protruding in the middle of the stream. The water dripping from his soaked body wet the rock, but the hot sun quickly dried it.

It was like they had switched places. This time, Christoph was the one soaking in the water.

Even though the water was only waist-deep, and even when submerged, one could see clearly from above, Jeong Taeui knew that didn’t matter to the person soaking. The sensation of the water enveloping the entire body was all that mattered.

“……”

Jeong Taeui sat with one leg propped up on the rock, resting his chin on his hand, watching Christoph soak in the water. The ivory-white back shimmered faintly under the water. The long, slender legs looked as soft as silk. Jeong Taeui swallowed unconsciously. 

Then he suddenly drew back and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Not good, not good. Not yours. Don’t be greedy.”

Jeong Taeui suddenly remembered Ilay’s words. Christoph wasn’t his type; otherwise, Ilay wouldn’t have let him stay by his side.

Jeong Taeui nodded, reassuring his racing heart.

If Christoph wasn’t his type and he was already this captivated, what if he was his type? It’s a good thing he wasn’t. Otherwise, he might have fainted and been floating on the water by now.

As Jeong Taeui was patting his chest, Christoph unexpectedly stood up from the water. When wet, his platinum blonde hair looked darker. The blue eyes seemed to sparkle with water droplets.

‘Snap out of it. You’re not a scholar bewitched by a fox spirit.’

“Is Rick your lover?”

However, Jeong Taeui didn’t need to stay calm for long. Christoph’s unexpected question blew away all other thoughts from his mind.

“…… Huh?”

When Jeong Taeui blankly asked back, Christoph fell silent. With his head slightly lowered and his lips tightly shut, he looked – depending on how you saw it – either deep in thought or quietly angry.

But after getting in and out of the cool water, there really was no reason to stay angry.

Jeong Taeui scratched his wet hair. Droplets that had gathered at the tips of his hair ran down his hand.

“Have you and Rick…… already gone that far?”

Christoph asked after a moment of silence. This time, the question left Jeong Taeui’s mind blank.

Jeong Taeui could only blink blankly and respond with a dazed: “Huh?”

Suddenly, a question rose in one corner of his mind: ‘What exactly does this man—who sees relationships between men in such a platonic light—mean by ‘gone that far’?’

“……. You’ve kissed, right?”

Christoph asked so seriously that Jeong Taeui thought if he didn’t answer now, something serious would happen. Jeong Taeui also became serious, even though he was still dazed.

“…… Um.”

The moment Jeong Taeui answered, Christoph’s expression became even more fierce. His gaze at Jeong Taeui was harsh.

At that moment, a thought flashed through Jeong Taeui’s mind.

Right, come to think of it, Christoph had known Ilay since they were very young. Whether they admitted it or not, they were childhood friends. They even worked together in the Special Task Forces, going through life and death together. So it wouldn’t be surprising if feelings beyond friendship developed between them during that time.

Jeong Taeui became more serious.

“Chris, do you……”

‘……have feelings for Ilay?’ – Jeong Taeui didn’t dare to ask the whole question as Christoph’s expression became even darker.

Wow. It seems to be true.

Taeui felt dazed, as if he’d been lightly struck on the head.

It had already been several years since he and Ilay had met and fallen into their…… complicated relationship. And while the man named Ilay Riegrow was perfectly respectable on the outside, he had never once imagined fighting with someone over him. To begin with, it wasn’t in his nature to fight like that, but more than that, he simply couldn’t fathom that anyone audacious enough to try and claim Ilay even existed.

It was so unexpected that it wasn’t even upsetting or confusing.

Come to think of it, if Christoph is the competition, he’s at a serious disadvantage. Appearances, ability, wealth—there’s nothing he can beat him in……No, actually. It might sound odd coming from me, but at the very least, he have a better personality than these guys. Definitely.

While Jeong Taeui was lost in thought and letting his mind wander, Christoph stood in front of him with a contemplative face. Christoph hesitated for a long time before asking again.

“So, do you two sleep in the same bed?”

“…… Well, not always, but yes.”

He wondered if he was being cruel to Christoph by answering like that. Christoph’s face stiffened. It wasn’t easy, but sharing a bed with someone was really difficult for someone like Christoph, who had a fear of physical contact.

Jeong Taeui suddenly felt pity for Christoph. Christoph fell silent. Then, as if in anger, he sank back into the water without a word.

Meanwhile, Jeong Taeui, with water splashing onto his face, could only sit on the rock, and dazed.

“……”

A bit confused.

When Christoph disappeared from view, reality slowly returned, and the confusion became clearer.

If Christoph liked Ilay——

“Calling it a catastrophe might be too rude…… Then maybe a disaster……”

Jeong Taeui muttered as he rubbed the goosebumps on his arm. Then he thought for a moment—Christoph and Ilay.

“…… They…… might suit each other in their own way……”

He could easily imagine the outward appearance.

Their appearances actually seemed like they might suit each other quite well. After all, both of them had looks that betrayed their true selves. One was just the right amount of sturdy, the other just the right amount of agile. Their faces too—yes, very fitting.

Their personalities, though…… their personalities……

“I think I read somewhere that people with similar personalities tend to do well together… Then they should be a perfect match.”

He added: “Not that I’d ever want to live anywhere near them”, and rubbed his arm again, which had gone cold once more.

Then, rubbing his chin, Jeong Taeui nodded slowly.

“Yeah, come to think of it, they really do go well together. Their families get along too, which is perfect. I heard they even used to work at the same place.…… Wow. It’d be hard to find two people who match that well, even if you tried to force it.”

The more he thought about it, the more they seemed like a perfect match.

Even though goosebumps kept popping up, they truly were an ideal couple.

He looked down at Christoph lying in the water.

In this situation, what should he say……

Even scratching his head until the skin was raw, Jeong Taeui couldn’t find an answer.

While he was struggling to figure out what to do, Christoph emerged from the water again.

His expression was still deadly serious. Now he openly glared at Jeong Taeui, took a deep breath, and asked coldly:

“Then, ……, ……, what about masturbation?”

Jeong Taeui didn’t understand the question at first, the one delivered with such fierce determination, as if the speaker had made some great resolve.

‘Masturbation? What was that again?’ – He thought for a few seconds before the meaning of the word 手淫 ‘masturbation’ finally surfaced in his mind.

Jeong Taeui was momentarily at a loss for words.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t answer…… but, well, how should he put it……

He wanted to answer vaguely to get it over with, but Christoph stood before him, not intending to back down. Finally, he reluctantly replied.

“……. Yes.”

It wasn’t just masturbation, there was oral sex too, and practically everything else with the character 淫(lust) in it. Who knows, maybe next he’d ask if I’d ever tried oral.

Jeong Taeui braced himself and waited, but it seemed that was as far as Christoph could go – firmly believing in the platonic nature of same-sex relationships – he had reached his limit.

Christoph’s face suddenly turned cold, and he fell silent.

“……”

“……”

And immediately after, Christoph dived back into the water.

Jeong Taeui remained seated on the rock, cold sweat dripping.

Now, the back of his neck was burning. He wanted to get off the rock and immerse himself in the water, but he was too scared to move. He felt that just stepping into the water would immediately result in a hateful hand pushing his head down.

If only someone could save him from this situation…

While Jeong Taeui was praying in desperation.

A lifeline unexpectedly fell from the sky.

“…… Ah. We’ve run into each other quite a lot today, haven’t we?”

A man appeared among the dense oak trees above the stream. Seeing Jeong Taeui, he seemed surprised but quickly smiled naturally. The shy woman who followed him blushed and hid behind him upon seeing Jeong Taeui in just his underwear.

“Ah…… yes, indeed.”

Jeong Taeui bowed and smiled vaguely.

Oh…… He had wished for a lifeline, but why was it a rotten one……

The newcomers were none other than Richard and his lover. Clearly, they had previously taken a different path.

“She said she felt tired and hot halfway, so we came back to soak our feet in the stream. I didn’t expect you to be here first. The water is cold, isn’t it? Are you okay soaking your whole body?”

Richard smiled kindly and approached.

But as Richard neared Jeong Taeui, his expression suddenly changed, and he stopped.

Perhaps it was because he saw the white horse standing in the shade and the neatly placed white riding clothes on the rock beside it.

“This is…”

But before he could finish his sentence.

Between Richard and Jeong Taeui, a figure suddenly stood up from the water near Jeong Taeui. Water splashed everywhere.

Jeong Taeui shifted his gaze from Richard to Christoph.

Christoph stood right in front of Jeong Taeui, sighing and brushing the strands of hair from his forehead and cheeks. Water droplets ran down his fair skin. From his face down to his chin, from his neck down to his chest and stomach.

He blinked his water-drenched eyelashes like grains of sand and looked down at Jeong Taeui as if he had made a decision.

“Is there any particular reason it has to be him?”

Christoph’s voice sounded colder than usual. He brushed the hair sticking to his nape as if it annoyed him and took a step towards Jeong Taeui.

As he moved, the wrinkles on his soaked underwear looked more provocative than being completely naked.

Looking at his slender limbs, smooth white skin, and bare body, Jeong Taeui suddenly felt anxious.

Jeong Taeui glanced at Richard over Christoph’s shoulder.

The smile on Richard’s face had long vanished, replaced by an expressionless stare towards them. As if frozen in place. The shy woman behind him stared blankly at them, her face like a sweet candy.

“If it doesn’t have to be him, that’s fine. There’s no need for it to be that man—”

Christoph spoke again and took another step towards Jeong Taeui. However, that was also when he noticed Jeong Taeui’s gaze passing over his shoulder. Christoph turned back with suspicion.

Jeong Taeui could clearly feel Christoph’s back stiffen a little. The shoulder blades stood out more prominently, the waist seemed deeper, and the long, straight legs and buttocks that the underwear couldn’t hide tensed up.

As if ice water had been poured on them, a prolonged silence enveloped everyone. No one spoke or moved, only staring at each other with expressionless faces.

The first to break the silence was Jeong Taeui.

“Hmm” – He scratched his cheek and spoke awkwardly.

“It’s quite a coincidence that we’re all meeting here, isn’t it? It seems this place is really suitable for resting.”

But even after that, no one spoke.

Finally, Christoph’s shoulders seemed to tremble. As if spasms were starting again, water droplets fell from him. He looked at his clothes and gear, frowned, and muttered something that seemed like a curse.

Christoph slowly stepped out of the stream. With each step he took, droplets of water trickled down in lines.

Richard stood just a few paces away from the rock where their clothes were laid. His expressionless gaze was fixed on Christoph.

Eventually, Christoph reached that spot and reached into the saddlebag, pulling out a sports towel. Without even glancing at Richard, he silently began drying himself.

Richard didn’t take his eyes off him. His cold, unreadable gaze followed Christoph’s every slow movement. Then, suddenly, he muttered in a voice close to a sneer.

“It seems you prefer small streams to swimming pools. That’s surprising. I’ve never seen you enter a pool, so I thought you couldn’t swim, but it turns out you can play in the water here.”

Christoph paused while drying his legs. But then he continued drying himself as if nothing had happened. Christoph replied briefly.

“I’d rather never swim for the rest of my life than step into a pool you’ve swum in.”

Christoph rudely stuffed the towel back into the pouch on the saddle and dressed angrily.

Jeong Taeui felt the situation becoming increasingly awkward. He stood up, crossed the stream, and stepped onto the bank. Wet footprints were left on the sun-dried pebbles.

“Christoph, lend me the towel. I don’t have anything to dry myself with…… And Richard, the lady with you seems to have been waiting for a while…….”

Jeong Taeui spoke to Richard as he walked towards Christoph, extending his hand. He nodded towards the woman standing behind Richard.

The atmosphere became tense once more.

But perhaps thinking it was not the place to argue, Richard whispered something to the woman and stepped back. Christoph also didn’t want to quarrel with him.

“I planned to rest here, but maybe another time. Enjoy your walk.”

Richard bowed to Jeong Taeui and left. Before turning away, his cold gaze swept over Christoph, but that was all. He disappeared among the oaks with the woman, quickly vanishing from sight.

As the sound of footsteps on the grass grew distant and finally faded away, Christoph, who was buttoning his shirt, suddenly swore.

“Fuckk!”

“Calm down. It was just a coincidence meeting them here. They didn’t do anything to you, so let it go.”

Jeong Taeui dried himself with the towel Christoph handed him, trying to put on his clothes while still damp, speaking reassuringly to Christoph.

“I hate being in front of others when I’m unguarded! Especially in front of him!”

Christoph shouted angrily. He clenched his hat tightly, crumpling it.

“Unguarded……”

“Yes, unguarded. If he had aimed a gun at me in that state, I couldn’t have done anything.”

Christoph clicked his tongue and muttered another curse under his breath.

Considering his personality – how he detested showing weakness in any situation – Jeong Taeui glanced at him, now almost fully dressed, then looked down at himself, having barely managed to pull on his pants. Only his legs through, the buttons still undone.

“By that logic, if you pointed a gun at me right now, I’d be helpless.”

Jeong Taeui muttered flatly. Christoph narrowed his eyes in displeasure.

“Why the hell would I point a gun at you?”

‘If we’re going by that, then why would Richard point a gun at you?’ – Jeong Taeui almost said but stopped himself. Remembering that gaze from earlier, he briefly thought it might actually be possible. Those eyes had gleamed with a chilling intensity, as if ready to devour someone alive.

Jeong Taeui scratched his head and clicked his tongue. Then he looked at Christoph, who was waiting for his answer.

“How am I supposed to know if he’s thinking about getting rid of a competitor or two?”

After speaking, he realized he had misspoken.

Christoph looked at Jeong Taeui with a puzzled expression.  

“A competitor?”  

“……. I mean Ilay.”  

Jeong Taeui replied awkwardly, his mouth twisting bitterly.  

Somehow, it felt incredibly strange. Never in his wildest dreams had Jeong Taeui ever imagined that he would one day find himself in a situation where he was competing with someone over Ilay.  

At the mention of Ilay’s name, Christoph’s expression darkened. He pressed his lips together and stared intently at Jeong Taeui.  

Well, what now?  

Jeong Taeui stood there dumbly, unable to respond to a situation he had never anticipated.  

But when he thought about it, in a case like this, the only way to resolve things would be if Ilay himself were here. Without the actual person involved, no matter how much others argued on the sidelines, the decision would ultimately lie with him.  

“Then, let’s go to Ilay and—”  

“If I want to kill Ilay, why would I point a gun at you?”

Just as Jeong Taeui let out a sigh and was about to speak, Christoph – who had been lost in thought with a serious expression – suddenly asked, as if he genuinely couldn’t figure it out.

Jeong Taeui fell silent again. Then he just blinked.

Ah……

The moment he realized something didn’t quite add up “Huh?” the flow of the conversation abruptly rearranged itself in his mind.

“……. Chris. I’m really sorry if I’m wrong about this, and I’m just asking because, well, I do have a bit of a tendency to overthink things, so don’t take it too seriously, just hear me out and let it go if it’s nothing……. “

After rambling out a long preamble, Jeong Taeui paused. Then, with an extremely grave expression, he asked:

“…… Is the person you’re interested in……. me?”