Qing pulled the zipper of the sleeping bag up to his nose, leaving only a few fingers outside to point around a bit before slowly crawling entirely into the sleeping bag. “Good night.” – Jeong Taeui said, then rubbed his cold arms and began to sit down against the rock where his uncle had been sitting before.

The space was quiet. The only things moving were the flames from the fireplace, leaves swaying in the wind, or occasionally, a small animal darting by. Everything else was enveloped in the silence of the night.

Jeong Taeui suddenly turned his head. A group of people from the European branch appeared behind the trees. Those people also silently stood in the middle of the night forest. The young man standing guard on the other side seemed sleepy, rubbing his eyes and yawning continuously. When he caught Jeong Taeui’s gaze, he tried to appear stern and stood up straight. Jeong Taeui intended to wave, thinking that it was fate to meet like this, but he just smiled when he saw that attitude.

Jeong Taeui looked up at the sky. The sky was hard to see, obscured by dense foliage. Yet there was still a faint, reddish light filtering through the gaps in the leaves. The nighttime glow of Hong Kong seemed to blur the colors of the sky. Thinking about it, having a quiet natural area like this so close to a bustling metropolis was quite strange.

He checked his watch. It was late. He quietly observed his surroundings and looked at each person sleeping around him. Even though he couldn’t clearly see their faces buried in the sleeping bags, he could recognize who was who by the luggage beside them. There was Qing, there was Carlo, there was Yuan Ho……

At that moment, the distant sound of the sea echoed. *Swish* A rustling sound stirred up a vague sense of unease.

Suddenly, he remembered a trip to the sea at night long ago. On the pitch-black sea, there were nothing but squid fishing boats with bright lights hovering on the horizon and the waves crashing against the rocky shore, creating sparks that glistened like white powder before disappearing.

Is it still the same now?

Jeong Taeui looked in the direction of the ocean’s sound. He was now fully awake. When he turned back, he saw another guard on the other side, sitting against a tree, nodding off.

“Wait a bit, I should take a walk and come back.”

He smiled softly. If someone woke up in the middle of the night and discovered he was gone, they might scold him for abandoning his post and endangering everyone. But in reality, there was nothing to worry about. He could confidently bet that nothing would happen: there was no way the people sleeping next to him could suddenly band together, draw knives, and start attacking everyone sleeping here.

Jeong Taeui whispered: “Good night.”, to his already-sleeping comrades, and then began to walk.

The path to the sea was not properly paved. Like on the way here, he had to avoid overgrown plants, sturdy branches, and sharp stones embedded in the ground.

In truth, there was no clear direction. Fortunately, he had a good sense of direction, so returning the way he came wouldn’t be too difficult, but because the path wasn’t clear, he didn’t know which direction would lead him to the sea more easily. He could only rely on the sound of the waves, which grew closer and closer.

*Rustle*

Jeong Taeui stopped. It seemed like there was a noise coming from somewhere. He turned back and silently looked towards the source of the sound. But beyond the dark forest, there was nothing there.

“…………”

The sea was already close ahead. Just a few more steps, and the trees would thin out, revealing the ocean. But in the murky darkness of the forest, he sensed the presence of someone. He held his breath and waited, but after a long while, there was no other sound.

At that moment, it seemed like something was moving just a few steps away. Very close.

Instinctively, Jeong Taeui reached into his chest pocket and turned towards the sound. He felt the knife warm up in his hand due to his body heat and simultaneously realized what the object was.

It was a snake.

Immediately, Jeong Taeui felt his body lighten. The snake was a dark-colored land snake with simple patterns commonly found in deep forested areas. It wasn’t venomous and wasn’t aggressive. If it had any venom, it would only affect small creatures like mice or similar animals, causing just a bit of swelling in humans.

That was probably what caused the noise. The creature made the sound.

Jeong Taeui sighed and put the half-drawn knife back in place. But just then, he noticed a faint white figure moving a little further away.

It was a person. Someone was quietly walking through the forest, making no noise. The face couldn’t be clearly seen, but it didn’t seem familiar. Perhaps it was someone from the European branch.

The man didn’t seem to notice Jeong Taeui’s presence and continued moving in a different direction. His steps were cautious and filled with concern as if he was following someone.

Jeong Taeui pondered for a moment. No matter what, this situation wasn’t natural. There was no way someone would silently follow another person in the middle of the night just to take care of personal matters or go for a walk.

Should he follow that person? But the distance was quite inconvenient. If he rushed to follow, he might be noticed, but if he waited too long, he risked losing track of them. On the other hand, Jeong Taeui’s curiosity and sense of justice weren’t strong enough to risk following someone just because of a vague suspicion. He had already gotten into trouble several times before for meddling in unrelated matters due to his curiosity.

But it still seemed suspicious…… while he was still hesitating, the man disappeared into the bushes and was out of Jeong Taeui’s sight.

Jeong Taeui hesitated for a bit longer but then shrugged and gave up. The man didn’t seem to pose any threat to him and showed no signs of intending harm to his comrades—the man’s direction was completely opposite to his own. So, it was best not to meddle in unnecessary matters.

Jeong Taeui calmed himself and continued walking in the original direction. As expected, it wasn’t long before the sound of the waves grew louder, and his vision expanded as the sea came into view.

The sea in the dark was pitch black. There was no light, just a solid blackness that, if it weren’t for the sound of the waves, you wouldn’t know the sea was there. All that could be seen was a dark shadow opening up like a wide mouth.

The darkness. The sound of waves. The smell of the sea. The damp breeze. All of these enveloped Jeong Taeui’s eyes, ears, nose, and skin. That’s why he always liked the sea at night.

Phew…… He let out a deep breath. The sigh blended with the sound of the waves. Suddenly, he felt more at ease, and a refreshed smile appeared on his lips.

Next time, maybe he will bring Xinlu here. Although people often say that the forest at night is dangerous because of many snakes, today he felt that with proper preparation, there was nothing to worry about. In this vast darkness, it would be wonderful to hold someone’s hand and feel their warmth…… Actually, it didn’t necessarily have to be Xinlu; it could be anyone else.

The ground beneath his feet became unstable. The beach, with large rocks piled up instead of sand, made walking difficult. Here and there were large holes and deep crevices, making each step precarious and dangerous. However, Jeong Taeui simply tapped his heel against a rock and smiled. When he was a child, because his parents were always busy, he was often sent to his grandparents’ house, which was near the sea. Every day, he would run around and play on the rocks by the shore. Now, thinking back, his brother had walked around talking about the process of rock erosion caused by the high salt content in seawater……

Walking on the rocks was no different from walking on flat ground. Jeong Taeui hummed a song softly. The pitch-black darkness and the cold, damp wind made him feel comfortable. Perhaps because childhood memories came back, he suddenly missed his brother very much. If only his brother were walking beside him right now, it would be so wonderful. Surely, he would be very happy too.

Jeong Taeui stopped walking with a regretful smile. In the distance, a lighthouse appeared. Near the lighthouse, two street lamps were shining. Although their light didn’t reach him, they faintly illuminated the area around them.

So now, he should go back…… This is enough. Just one more step, and this pleasant darkness would end, and the dim light would come. If he ended his night walk here and slowly returned to his comrades, he might be just in time for the shift.

Jeong Taeui gazed at the sea for a bit longer, then turned around. Afterward, he looked towards the old path and estimated the shortcut he would take. Perhaps turning diagonally to the right would be faster.

Confident in his good sense of direction, he began to traverse the rocks, slightly veering to the right compared to the original path. He stepped over large and small rocks, occasionally changing direction to find his way back.

But then, at some point. At that moment, there was a small sound – barely audible over the wind – that reached his ears.

Jeong Taeui’s footsteps slowed. He tilted his head slightly and gradually reduced his speed until he came to a complete stop. Those intermittent sounds were not an illusion.

The sound came from beneath a large rock in front of him. A massive rock blocked his way – large enough to be the size of a house. From within the rock, it seemed to be hollowed out, forming a small cave with a broken ceiling, and those small sounds continued to emerge from deep inside.

It was the sound of people. Someone was inside. Jeong Taeui realized that just a few more steps would bring him face-to-face with the person inside.

It could be someone drowsy from sleep who had come to the beach to take care of personal needs. Although, realistically, this possibility was extremely low. From the forest where they were camping to here was quite far.

Or it could be the person he had glimpsed in the forest earlier. Remembering that person’s suspicious behavior, Jeong Taeui clicked his tongue inwardly. He didn’t really know what was happening, but he didn’t want to get involved in unnecessary trouble. It might be better to quietly and secretly turn back.

While hesitating briefly and listening for movement, Jeong Taeui soon realized that there was not just one person inside. There were no other sounds heard. However, the fragmented voices and their moving images couldn’t have come from just one person. Maybe two people.

The sound of water mixed with the waves echoed. Initially, Jeong Taeui thought it was the sound of the sea. But then he realized something was strange. Although it was a similar sound to water, it wasn’t the sound of the sea or puddles in caves. That sound was somehow stickier and more viscous.

“……”

Jeong Taeui tilted his head curiously, rubbing his chin with surprise, and then instinctively covered his mouth. A hint of bewilderment was clearly visible on his face. That sound was something Jeong Taeui knew well.

It was a wet sound. To be precise, it was the sound of licking and sucking on moist skin. And amidst those sounds were gasping breaths and low growls. Occasionally, short moans of pleasure could be heard.

…… Damn. He found himself in an awkward situation. How could there be people with such energy? He really didn’t expect that in the middle of the night, someone would come all the way to the beach just to enjoy themselves. This wasn’t a beach at a resort; he never thought someone would dare to play like this on the beach of an island full of men.

Jeong Taeui scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Should he turn back and take a detour? Although it would take longer, if he passed by here and accidentally made eye contact with them, it would be just as awkward. However, if he took a detour, he would have to climb over the rock over there, which seemed quite steep. He thought it would be difficult to do that with bare hands and no tools. Going back the old way and descending would be too far.

Jeong Taeui was lost in thought for a moment and looked at the path ahead. The light from the lighthouse barely reached here, and the darkness spread over the crevices in the rocks. There were some hollow spots formed by waves. If he crouched down and went through that path, he might be able to pass without being noticed. In fact, in this darkness, it would be hard for them to notice his presence while they were lost in pleasure. And if something happened…… it would be like watching an interesting performance. Although he probably wouldn’t see anything clearly.

Jeong Taeui quietly went down the crevice in the rock above the rock. His toes hit a small stone, but the sound was so faint that it was drowned out by the sound of the waves. It’s fine; with this noise, he wouldn’t be noticed.

On second thought, even if he was noticed, he wasn’t the one who should be embarrassed. Maybe the ones sneaking around enjoying themselves in this situation should be the ones shocked. He wasn’t intentionally peeping at them, so why should he worry?

Jeong Taeui patted his chest to reassure himself and continued walking. Then he crouched down and went past the front of the hollowed-out rock. He glanced over, not because he wanted to spy, but just to make sure they couldn’t see him.

A very faint light shone from within the rock. Perhaps someone inside had brought a flashlight, but the light wasn’t bright enough, only faintly illuminating the outlines.

There were two people inside.

One man was sitting against the rock while another person was bent over between the other’s legs. The person bending down grabbed the sitting man’s penis with both hands and slowly licked the head of the penis. Then he continued to lick and suck from the base up to the scrotum below as if completely absorbed in the task. The wet sound echoed from between the man’s legs. The man bending over between the other’s legs also seemed aroused, his hips and waist shaking uncontrollably as if unable to restrain his desire. Occasionally, as if he couldn’t stand it anymore, his hand would move down to his crotch, and then he would continuously rub it, making it wet and shiny under the faint light. Simultaneously, short moans of pleasure escaped his lips.

And in front of him, the man sitting against the rock looked down at the person who was engrossed in pleasure between his legs. His face showed no emotion, but his eyes were filled with desire as he looked down at the person diligently serving him.

Jeong Taeui felt a shiver run through him when he saw that expression. It was a mix of shock and disgust.

The gaze of that man was incredibly cold. But at the same time, it was intensely hot. He responded to his desire with fierce passion, but it wasn’t a craving for the person performing the act between his legs. He had no emotions toward the person with whom he was engaging in this act; he was simply indulging in his own pleasure.

And then Jeong Taeui quickly realized who that person was. The faint face that appeared in the darkness was one that couldn’t be mistaken.

Riegrow.

………… Damn it. Why did it have to be him everywhere? This was the last person he wanted to run into. By now, he should have been asleep in his sleeping bag, not dragging someone to the beach to do such things.

Jeong Taeui sighed. But the moment he realized it was Riegrow, his body froze. He felt that if he moved even a finger, he would be noticed. Or maybe Riegrow had already known he was there from the beginning.

Jeong Taeui stood still and didn’t dare to breathe deeply. In his mind, there was only one thought: how to get out of here.

Riegrow was still engrossed in his actions, so Taeui didn’t know if he was aware of his presence.

He looked down at the young man devouring and licking his penis between his legs as if possessed, then suddenly grabbed the young man’s hair. He pushed the young man’s head hard towards his groin.

“Take it deeper. Harder…… Can’t you suck properly?”

He gently held the young man’s chin and shook it. Then he clicked his tongue, grabbed the young man’s head tightly, and began pushing deeper. The young man gasped, choked and couldn’t breath sounds. When it seemed like he was about to suffocate from Riegrow’s rough thrusts, the young man struggled, so Riegrow pulled ‘that thing’ out of the young man’s mouth and lightly slapped his cheek. Although it was just a light slap, the dry sound was quite loud, causing the young man’s head to snap to the side.

“Do it right. Lick every corner and suck hard. If you do well, I’ll fuck you deep like you want. Your face looks like your hole is itching uncontrollably, but you have no sincerity at all.”

His voice sounded wild and excited. The words came out along with heavy breaths of burning desire. The young man frantically dove back between his legs. Immediately, a strong and urgent noise echoed like a loud splash.

Jeong Taeui felt his face stiffen. Inside his chest, a burning sensation began to rise, and he found it hard to breathe.

It wasn’t just because of the absurdity of secretly watching someone else’s actions. Nor was it because it had been a long time since he had relieved his own desires.

Riegrow – this overpowering man – was emanating a powerful energy like his dominant presence. He was the most powerful male that no other man would dare to confront and would only flee from. Any woman with even a trace of primitive instinct would want to turn her back to him.

This wasn’t just sexual attraction. It was an overwhelming male scent exuding from every part of this man’s body. Anyone bitten by his sharp teeth on the neck wouldn’t be able to resist and would lie down flat.

Jeong Taeui’s face paled. Just looking at this man’s outward appearance made him feel threatened. Dangerous. Stay away. Like an intruder in the territory of a stronger male, his instincts urged him to get away from here as quickly as possible. Taeui felt a choking fear and loathing from that man.

At that moment. Riegrow, who was still looking down at the young man, slowly raised his head. Those pitch-black eyes unhesitatingly stared in this direction. As if he had known from the start that Jeong Taeui was there.

Jeong Taeui froze on the spot and couldn’t move. It felt like he was facing a predator, so he could only stare straight at him.

From Riegrow’s position, it was impossible for him to see Jeong Taeui. No, or if he did hear a slight noise, at least he couldn’t identify who or what was standing there. The light didn’t reach far enough.

Riegrow gave a cold look towards where Jeong Taeui was standing. Then, without warning, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. It seemed to be a sneer or perhaps a threat, as if telling the weakling hiding there to disappear immediately.

Jeong Taeui’s fingers curled. And then, as if snapping out of a paralyzing state, his body began to move. His heart was pumping blood furiously, pounding so hard it was painful, as if recognizing the threat to his instincts.

He had to leave. He needed to get out of here right now. He couldn’t bear another second of this suffocating atmosphere. If he quietly left now, perhaps that terrifying predator wouldn’t follow and go for his throat. If that were the case, leaving now would be the best choice.

Riegrow. That bastard. Why is he never tired? Rolling around all day and patrolling at night—why doesn’t he just lie down and sleep properly? Why drag someone to this remote beach to do such filthy things?

Jeong Taeui felt anger rise along with the vague anxiety deep in his heart.

Although he couldn’t see clearly in the dim light, the young man offering himself to Riegrow suddenly reminded him of Xinlu. The relatively small shoulders, slender limbs, and soft contours of the body. More than the body itself, it was the image of the young man that bore a resemblance to Xinlu. A body that seemed soft.

Damn it. If you already have someone to be with, then stop eyeing Xinlu! You perverted, insatiable maniac!

Jeong Taeui gritted his teeth while cursing inwardly and walked away in silence. After putting some distance between himself and them, he glanced back. Now, the darkness had obscured their figures, so he could only see their shadows faintly cast on the rock.

“Why is my luck so bad these days……”

Jeong Taeui muttered softly and sighed. Just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly noticed a figure moving above the large rock where they were hiding.