“Yes, I’ll contact you.”

Xinlu turned back to look at Taeui and smiled. Although the smile seemed somewhat strained, it was still sweet and endearing. The thought of Ilay also seeing that smile from a distance made Taeui uncomfortable, yet Ilay leaned against the wall, quietly watching them as if observing a fascinating scene. His eyes glimmered with curiosity.

Xinlu bid farewell to Jeong Taeui before turning to head toward his room. As he approached Ilay, his steps grew heavier. It was like a small, terrified animal bristling in the presence of a predator.

Step by step, the distance between Xinlu and Ilay narrowed. Ilay with his arms crossed, leaned against the wall with a smirk, his gaze fixed on Xinlu. Suddenly, Taeui’s heart began to race.

“Xin—”

Taeui had barely opened his mouth to call out.

Just as Xinlu, now only a few steps away from Ilay, turned his head toward Taeui in response to the call, Ilay stood up straight and reached out, grabbing Xinlu by the waist.

Unable to avoid him, Xinlu was pulled roughly toward Ilay, who shoved him against the wall, pressing his body close to him. Ilay’s long fingers grasped Xinlu’s chin, tilting it up as he bit down hard on Xinlu’s lips, as though trying to devour him. Ilay’s thick tongue quickly forced its way into Xinlu’s mouth, still wide open in shock. Xinlu’s eyes widened in terror.

“ILAY! STOP RIGHT NOW!”

Jeong Taeui roared with fury as he rushed toward them.

Ilay, however, seemed completely indifferent to Taeui’s words. His hand slid down without hesitation, grabbing Xinlu’s sensitive area. A soft moan escaped from Xinlu’s lips. Ilay’s large hand gripped and rubbed Xinlu between his legs, the sensation of wetness seeping through the thin fabric. His hand moved lewdly over Xinlu’s body, turning the scene filthy and dark.

“ILAY!!”

Taeui grabbed Ilay by the shoulders and yanked him away. Ilay didn’t resist, as though he had intended to let go from the start. Taeui seized him by the collar and shoved him against the wall.

“DON’T DO THAT! DON’T TOUCH HIM!”

Jeong Taeui shouted, his eyes wide with anger. His mind was burning. When Ilay kissed Xinlu forcefully and his hand slid between Xinlu’s legs……. Taeui had felt as though he couldn’t breathe.

Ilay looked down at Taeui with amusement, but then his gaze shifted back to Xinlu. Ilay’s indifferent attitude seemed to suggest that Taeui wasn’t worth paying attention to. Taeui’s anger flared even hotter, and his grip on Ilay’s collar tightened.

“ILAY…….!!”

“Hyung……. I’m okay. Don’t do this.”

But the person who stopped Jeong Taeui was Xinlu – the one whose collar Taeui had been clutching, looking flustered.

Jeong Taeui, still gripping Ilay’s collar, looked at Xinlu. Xinlu’s gaze was confused as he looked back and forth between Ilay and Taeui with worry in his eyes. His voice trembled as he whispered, “Don’t fight, please don’t fight,” sounding anxious and unsettled.

Hearing those words, Taeui’s heart ached. He stared at Ilay for a long moment before slowly letting go. Ilay smirked and casually adjusted his collar.

“That was wonderful. He’s even sweeter than I imagined……. Hmm?”

“…….!!”

Ilay’s mocking, provocative words made Jeong Taeui seethe with rage again. But just as Taeui clenched his fist, Xinlu quickly intervened. Though Taeui looked at him with clear dissatisfaction, Xinlu’s tense face, on the verge of tears, kept him from doing anything more.

Jeong Taeui forced himself to calm down, taking deep breaths before stepping back from Ilay. He then spoke to Xinlu in a low, strained voice:

“Go to your room……. It’s okay. Just go.”

Xinlu looked at Taeui, still worried. He then turned to Ilay with a look that clearly conveyed his displeasure – something that gave Taeui a small sense of relief. He didn’t want Xinlu to stay near Ilay for even a second longer, so he urged him to leave. Xinlu understood and nodded before walking away.

Taeui remained where he was, watching until Xinlu entered his room and shut the door. Ilay stood still beside him, unmoving.

Even after Xinlu disappeared from sight, Taeui continued to stare in that direction for a long while, as if trying to hold onto the image of him. Finally, he turned slowly to face Ilay. Ilay, arms crossed, stared at the opposite wall with a pensive expression. When he felt Taeui’s gaze, he lowered his eyes and met his stare.

Jeong Taeui slowly relaxed his clenched fists, exhaling as the surge of anger that had momentarily consumed him began to fade. He was rarely one to show intense anger, and he was even less the type to hold onto it for long.

Taeui felt a bit pathetic as he took a step back and asked in a voice filled with irritation and darkness:

“What are you planning to do?……. Do you want to have him for yourself?”

For a moment, a spark of interest flickered in Ilay’s eyes. An interest that looked like desire.

“He’s not completely yours yet, is he?”

“Is that so? I think Xinlu likes me, too.”

Jeong Taeui said, to which Ilay chuckled softly, his interest slightly waning.

“Hey Taeil, you’re misunderstanding again. I’m not talking about feelings like ‘liking’ or ‘not liking.’ You can keep all that. I don’t need it. What I want is brief, intense pleasure.”

“——Is that so.”

Jeong Taeui felt a deep unease and discomfort rising within him, even more than the anxiety that had been there before.

He looked directly at Ilay. Ilay’s deep, cold black eyes stared back at him, unreadable, as though his thoughts were hidden.

Ilay was a man who always got what he wanted, no matter the cost. Giving up or deciding he no longer wanted something didn’t seem to fit with Ilay. That’s why Jeong Taeui knew he couldn’t back down. If Ilay intended to hurt or take Xinlu, whom Taeui cherished, he wouldn’t just stand by. He couldn’t, no matter what. Even if he knew he was powerless compared to Ilay.

Suddenly, Ilay let out a sigh-like chuckle. He shook his head as if conceding defeat.

“Alright, alright. I don’t intend to fight you right now. Even if I wanted to, now isn’t the right time. So, I’ll compromise a little. But you have to step back as well.”

Taeui frowned at Ilay’s low, calm voice. He couldn’t predict what this man would say about his obvious desire for Xinlu.

Taeui clicked his tongue as he stared at Ilay for a moment.

Damn it. Now Taeui understood exactly what his uncle had meant. Whether it was good or bad, it was best to stay away and not get involved with him.

Jeong Taeui spoke bitterly.

“Alright, so tell me what you mean by compromise. I’m not sure I have a choice.”

Hearing Taeui’s irritated, somewhat defeated tone, Ilay laughed. It was a laugh as though he was offering a grand concession.

“He’s someone you care about, right? I also find him attractive, and I’m aroused. My principle is to get what I want, but as I said, I don’t plan to fight you now. So—don’t interfere with whatever I do with him. In return, I won’t use force to coerce him.”

“What?”

“You don’t get it? Since he isn’t completely yours yet, if I approach him by seducing him or getting him into bed, you can’t interfere. In exchange, I won’t use violence or any coercive measures.”

Taeui stood there, stunned, staring at Ilay. It was as if someone had hit him hard on the back of the head.

“No……. that’s…….”

“If you’re not officially dating him, then you have no right to tell me what to do.”

Taeui remained silent.

Ilay was right. In truth, Taeui couldn’t clearly define the relationship between him and Xinlu. You could say he was trying to win Xinlu over, and Xinlu was responding to his efforts. But he had no right to forbid Ilay from approaching Xinlu.

And yet, Jeong Taeui couldn’t bring himself to say, ‘Go ahead.’ He was still hesitating, unsure of what to say, when Ilay turned as if the conversation was over.

“Ilay!”

Jeong Taeui called out unconsciously. Ilay raised an eyebrow but merely turned his head to look back.

Jeong Taeui stared at Ilay, his gaze heavy, and then said sadly:

“If you use violence……. I won’t let it go.”

Ilay let out a light, carefree laugh: “Of course.” He casually replied vaguely before walking away.

Jeong Taeui stood there, watching until Ilay disappeared around the corner. When Ilay was out of sight, Taeui slid down the wall, feeling as though the weight of decades of exhaustion had suddenly pressed down on him.

Everything had gone as wrong as it possibly could. Even though he couldn’t outright reject Ilay’s offer – if he had vehemently opposed it, things would have only gotten worse – he also had no real reason to refuse. But this was far from the situation Jeong Taeui had hoped for.

“What was that about ‘I won’t let it go’……. You need to have the power to back up those words for people to believe you.”

Taeui muttered bitterly to himself, his voice filled with self-mockery, and let out a pained sigh.

Ever since stepping foot into this place, his life had been nothing but bad luck, and it seemed that all the ridiculous situations he found himself in were of his own making.

[END VOL 1]