“It’s not that I’m picky; it’s just that people like that are easy to conquer. I enjoy the feeling of holding onto something small and soft.”

Ilay nodded. Taeui let out a sigh of relief, “I see”. Then, with a serious expression, he added:

“Let me be clear, you’re not my type. I have no interest in hugging a man bigger than myself. So, even if it’s just a one in a million chance, don’t ever think about that with me.”

After a moment of intense silence, Taeui raised his index finger to emphasize his words, making Ilay look at him with a surprised expression. Even under that gaze, Taeui refused to back down, staring back fiercely as he declared: ‘No matter how much you look at me, what’s impossible will always be impossible.’

Ilay didn’t blink, simply staring at Taeui before suddenly breaking into laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

No one could feel comfortable when someone laughs in their face while staring at them. Taeui frowned, glaring at Ilay. He kept laughing for a while, to the point where he had to lean against the wall, exhausted. Only after some time did he finally stop, waving his hand dismissively.

“Alright, alright. I’ll remember that.”

“Hmm…”

Taeui nodded as he heard the obedient response, though his eyes still held suspicion. Why was Ilay so amused after being told he wasn’t someone’s type? Taeui couldn’t help but feel a bit wounded in his pride, and it certainly didn’t make him any happier.

Prison life wasn’t as bad as he had anticipated. He had imagined it would be something like a holding cell, but after hearing comments like: “Once you enter Eoryeong, you’ll come out looking like a dried corpse”, from his colleagues, he had feared it would be far worse. However, it turned out to be more like a resort in comparison.

What had those who’d been here for months done to become so emaciated, looking like dried-out corpses? Were they starving themselves in protest?

After spending a few days in Eoryeong, lying around in the dimly lit environment, Taeui quickly discovered the answer to his question. The answer came from none other than Ilay, who had scoffed at his earlier thoughts.

“You’re only in this cushy spot because of your uncle. Even in Eoryeong, this is just the regular holding area. If you want to see the real Eoryeong, you’d have to cross over to the other side.”

The moment Ilay answered, it brought Taeui back to the scene of his arrival. When the elevator doors opened on the 7th basement level, the entrance split into two paths. Both were guarded by identical black iron doors. The view inside was equally bleak and pitch-dark. At the time, Taeui thought nothing of it and let it slip from his mind, but now it seemed like that was the dividing line between heaven and hell.

Taeui glanced up at the ceiling for a moment before turning back to Ilay and asking, “So, why are you on this side?”

Sure, Taeui was innocent, so ending up here made sense. But Ilay? This was someone who had killed multiple people – even if he insisted it was in self-defense. How could he possibly be confined in such a leisurely holding area? It seemed absurdly unfair.

However, in response to Taeui’s question, Ilay only chuckled faintly, giving no clear answer. All he offered was a half-joking reply: “Because I’ve got powerful backing.”

“So, you’ve never been to the ‘real Eoryeong’ then?”

“Hm——just once.”

“Really? For what reason?”

Taeui’s curiosity was piqued. What crime could Ilay have committed to be sent to the ‘real Eoryeong’ – a place where even murder wasn’t enough to land someone there? But once again, Ilay didn’t answer. He merely smiled, and Taeui quickly realized that no matter how many questions he asked, he wouldn’t get a straight answer. So, he decided not to press further.

In the outside world, Taeui knew he would never dare approach someone like Ilay. Not just because of the cold, lethal nature that allowed Ilay to kill without hesitation, but Taeui simply wasn’t fond of people like him. Someone who always seemed to be hiding something, but without much opportunity to dig deeper into their story. In a way, his uncle had a similar air about him, but this case was different – it wasn’t family.

“Not too long ago, you were still in the military back in your country, right?”

Ilay suddenly broke the silence. Taeui shot him a surprised glance. The dim bedside lamp cast faint light, creating large, swaying shadows on the wall.

“Eoryeong is a mix of a prison, military detention center, and torture chamber. While it’s rare for someone to actually end up in the torture room, the more severe the crime, the higher the chance. Once you’re locked up in Eoryeong, you can forget about ever lying down properly to sleep. They won’t let you rest, so eventually, you collapse without realizing whether you’re sitting or kneeling.”

Ilay spoke in a casual tone, but the way he said it made Taeui realize that Ilay had firsthand experience with such situations. Taeui frowned slightly. He’d been held in a military camp before, and just sitting upright all day had made him feel like his back would break. Now that those memories surfaced, he shook his head. If there was a place even harsher than that… he really didn’t want to imagine it.

Taeui quietly observed Ilay. As he sat leaning against the wall, silently reading a book, he appeared quite ordinary. Draped in a refined demeanor, even exuding a sense of sophistication while reading so calmly, Ilay looked rather captivating. If he stayed quiet like this, surely he would earn the favor of many. But how had his personality become so twisted? Could his family circumstances really have been so tragic?

Taeui couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy, clicking his tongue softly in his mind. It seemed Ilay had finished reading, as he closed the book and turned to look at Taeui. When their eyes met, Ilay gave a faint smile.

“Your expression is hard to read. What are you thinking about?”

“Um—— I was just feeling a bit sorry for your unfortunate past.”

“My unfortunate past, you say?”

Ilay’s tone immediately shifted to one of amusement. It could have been a comment that would annoy him, but there was no indication of that. Taeui wasn’t sure if it was because of Ilay’s magnanimity or if he was just hiding his true feelings.

“I’m curious. What part of my so-called unfortunate past stirred your compassion?” – Ilay asked, clearly intrigued. Taeui furrowed his brow slightly, hesitating for a moment before responding.

“I don’t know much about your past, but people usually say that one’s personality is shaped by it. So, I figured your character must have been influenced by a… rather unhappy past.”

“A rather unhappy past, huh? Ahaha, that’s a reasonable assumption.” – Ilay laughed heartily, but just as his laughter rang out, his tone suddenly shifted to something more somber.

“You’re not entirely wrong. I didn’t exactly have a happy childhood. I was always under surveillance. Wherever I went, there were eyes watching me. And of course, I didn’t have any friends my own age. Parents of the other kids didn’t want them playing with me.”

“Under surveillance…? Ah, because your family is in the arms trade…” – Taeui tilted his head slightly, puzzled, but then quickly understood. If it wasn’t dealing with small weapons like knives or guns, weapons were not something that individuals could easily handle. If Jeong Jae-ui was involved in developing weapons, they were surely not things one could touch lightly. They must have been military-grade, tightly regulated items. Anyone dealing with such things would almost certainly be connected to some kind of organization. Unless someone was a powerful intermediary untouchable by such organizations, being under surveillance was inevitable.

But to have an entire family constantly watched – that was inhumane.

Taeui frowned as he realized an aspect of the situation he hadn’t considered or cared about before. This wasn’t just about monitoring a potentially dangerous individual – if even children were under such strict surveillance, how could their lives ever be normal?

Of course, not everyone who went through such a life ended up with a personality like this man’s. So, it wasn’t fair to blame everything on external circumstances. Still, Taeui felt a pang of regret for Ilay’s childhood.

“My only friend back then treated me kindly, like a classmate from the neighborhood next door. He was a small and cute kid. We went to the same school until high school, and throughout that time, he remained graceful and gentle. Perhaps that’s why I’m fond of people like him.”

Ilay’s deep, gentle voice sounded almost like a monologue, as if he was reminiscing about his past.

Taeui felt a tightness in his chest. Perhaps that friend, who had comforted the lonely boy, was also Ilay’s first love. It was hard to believe that Ilay’s past held such a heartbreaking story. Who could have imagined it? That this man, with his cold and distant demeanor, had once had such a tender history.

Yet Taeui couldn’t help but feel sorry for the impact Ilay’s environment had slowly and subtly exerted on his life, changing him in ways he probably didn’t even realize. Maybe Ilay could have grown into a more cheerful and approachable person – someone who carried only Ilay’s appearance, not the persona of Riegrow.

“Do you still keep in touch with that friend?” Taeui asked, his curiosity piqued, wondering where Ilay’s precious friend was now and what they were doing.

Ilay let out a soft sigh and set the book down. Then, he gazed at Taeui with a face full of regret.

“Of course, we lost touch long ago. During school, I made him lie on top of me, and I fucked him a few times. After graduation, he either moved away or ran off, and I never saw him again.”

“…….Huh?”

Taeui frowned and tilted his head, utterly baffled. The story had suddenly veered off in a completely unexpected direction. As confusion filled Taeui’s mind, Ilay gently stroked his chin, covering his mouth with his hand, but Taeui could easily tell he was trying to hide a smile.

“Taeui, you’re so naive… Can’t you tell when someone’s lying? Especially with a story as obvious as this one?”

With a look of exaggerated pity, Ilay gazed at Taeui, as if to say: ‘How do you plan to survive in this deceitful world?’ Taeui stared back at him, slowly piecing it together. In short, Ilay had been joking – or rather, he had just casually lied to him.

“——Get lost.”

Taeui grabbed the nearest object and hurled it straight at Ilay. Ilay effortlessly caught the spinning stainless steel cup mid-air and burst into laughter. Taeui felt foolish for having believed that hateful face could harbor such a tragic past.

“You… have you always had this personality since you were a kid?”

“Well, I’m not sure how much of it is due to my environment, but my brother sometimes says to me, ‘You’ve never known what change is, from the time you were little until now. I used to think you’d grow out of it, but you’re still the same, and that’s pretty worrying.’ He told me that just the other day.”

“…”

At least his brother seemed to have some semblance of humanity, Taeui thought with relief. But if Ilay had this kind of personality since childhood, it was no wonder other parents didn’t want their kids to play with him. Maybe his unfortunate past wasn’t entirely the fault of his environment; perhaps his own personality had shaped it. Was it the environment that molded his personality, or was it his personality that led to an unfortunate life?

“It’s a tough one to figure out, like asking if the chicken came first or the egg.”

Taeui sighed and scratched his head. Then he shot Ilay with a furious glare. How dare he make up a story like that? It was infuriating.

Ilay chuckled. That bright, radiant smile felt insufferable after he had just played such a mean-spirited prank.

“And what about you?”

After laughing for a bit, Ilay suddenly asked. Taeui, still glaring at him with anger, answered coldly.

“Ever since I was little, I’ve always been praised for being a good person. Except for this one guy in my class at the Military Academy. I’ve lived a pretty ordinary life, nothing special.”

After adding, “At least, my life isn’t as complicated as yours,” Taeui muttered, and Ilay, grinning, responded:

“But you’ve got a pretty famous brother, don’t you? Growing up in a family with a standout twin brother must have been difficult.”

“Well……………”

Taeui glared at Ilay while tilting his head, thinking it over. Seeing this, Ilay laughed again, which only made Taeui’s frown deepened.

It couldn’t be said that there were no difficulties. Jeong Jaeui wasn’t just remarkable – he was exceptional. Almost everyone, except for their parents, uncles, and Jeong Jaeui himself, had at some point compared Taeui to his brother. But those comparisons happened only a few times, and once they became routine, people naturally accepted them without making a fuss. Moreover, Taeui and his brother had a good relationship, enough to get through those difficulties.

“It’s not like there’s nothing, but I do feel a bit envious of that luck. If I could have just half of it, I wouldn’t be sitting here like this.”

Taeui thought to himself: ‘And I definitely wouldn’t have met someone like this’.

“But when I think about it, I’m not particularly unlucky either – though recently I’ve started to wonder – and maybe that luck is exactly what my brother needs. His talent has drawn a lot of dangerous people to him. He’s been kidnapped several times.”

Of course, thanks to that extraordinary luck, he had never been harmed. Extreme fortune always saved him, like the time when a kidnapper driving the getaway car suddenly had a heart attack right in front of a police station, causing a minor accident, and the police immediately showed up. It always worked out like that – he’d get through safely.

When they were younger, Taeui’s brother was frequently sick and almost died several times. But Taeui himself had been so frail as a child that now it was hard to even imagine. He had been hospitalized so often that he couldn’t clearly remember that period of his life.

“Yeah, Jeong Jaeui is definitely famous for his incredible luck. Maybe that’s more well-known than his brilliant intelligence. There’s no one around here who hasn’t heard of him.”

Ilay spoke with a sarcastic smile. It wasn’t clear where “around here” referred to, but his brother’s fame was nothing new. Taeui nodded in agreement.

“But haven’t you ever been curious? How can someone be so incredibly lucky?”

Suddenly, Ilay asked in a low, meaningful voice. Taeui chuckled softly.

“How can you find a reason for luck? He’s been like that since the day he was born. Even if you look at horoscopes or fate, he and I share the same birthday, the same birth hour, and even the same blood type. No matter how many reasons you search for, you’ll never find a logical explanation.”

“You’re right, you can’t trace luck to some fundamental cause, but in every situation, there’s always a reason leading to the outcome.”

Taeui frowned and scratched his head. Listening to this man talk about fate and destiny made him feel strange. Ilay didn’t seem like the kind of person interested in discussions about luck or misfortune, but now that he thought about it, Ilay had mentioned this topic before during one of their conversations.

“If people could figure out that reason, they’d all rush to find it.” – Taeui muttered in a tone of resignation. Conversations like this, no matter how long they went on, never reached a clear conclusion. In the end, they only led to envy or complaints like: ‘He’s the only one who gets lucky, it’s so unfair’, which was anything but pleasant.

“But maybe your brother knows the reason.”

Oddly enough, this seemingly dull topic seemed to pique Ilay’s interest. Taeui just sighed, visibly tired of the conversation.

“Yeah, well, I’ve never asked him, ‘Why are you so lucky?’. The next time I see him, I’ll ask and let you know.”

As Taeui spoke, he shifted on his bed, making it clear he was done with the subject. Ilay must have sensed it because he didn’t continue. After staring at the stone wall for a while, Taeui turned his head back toward Ilay and gave a small smile.

“When we talked on the phone last time, and even now, you seem really interested in my brother. You said you’ve met him before—is that why you find him so intriguing? He’s just sharp-minded and lucky, but otherwise, he’s quite ordinary. If you’re expecting something extraordinary, you might be disappointed.”

“Expect something extraordinary? No, I don’t expect that. But having intelligence and luck like his already makes him extraordinary. No matter what Jeong Jaeui’s personality is like, he can’t be considered just a normal person.”

Ilay laughed loudly. Taeui pondered this for a moment. It was true – because they were family, he often didn’t notice the special qualities in his brother. To Taeui, Jeong Jaeui was just a sibling who did his job well. But to outsiders, he might seem like someone from a different world. Still, it was strange hearing a man like Ilay, someone who appeared indifferent to others, bring up his brother’s name.

“Well, next time I’ll tell him. I’ll say that a man named Ilay Riegrow is very curious about him.”

Only after saying it did Taeui realize if that might be a dangerous thing to mention. His uncle had often warned him: “Never get involved or pay attention to crazy people”. If that was the case, it might already be too late for his brother. He was too prominent in the world now, nothing could surprise him anymore. Thankfully, his remarkable luck had always protected him.

“Anyway………. resting in here without getting hurt is fine, but staying like this for a few more days is a bit boring. My body’s starting to feel stiff. Running a marathon sounds more refreshing.”

“Running a marathon, huh? If you run along the wall of this room, it’s about 20 meters. If you stay a little away from the wall, it’s around 10 meters. So, you just need to run about 4,200 laps. I’ll count for you. Why don’t you give it a try?”

This time, Taeui hurled a bottle of mineral water at Ilay, and as usual, Ilay effortlessly caught it. However, it seemed that even he was feeling a bit restless, as he stood up and walked over to the wall. Ilay cleared a few things from a shelf embedded at head height, then gently tapped it a few times. After that, he quickly kicked up into a handstand, hooked his feet onto the shelf, and began doing upside-down sit-ups.

“Why don’t you just do sit-ups the normal way? Do you really need to hang upside down like a bat?”

“Sometimes handstands are great for blood circulation. Never heard of that?”

“Hmm, I’m not great at balancing.”

Taeui stretched his arms, legs, and neck as he spoke, adding that he preferred exercising the regular way. Still, from push-ups to handstands to sit-ups, he had already grown tired of doing exercises that could be done solo.

Taeui quietly watched as Ilay effortlessly and rapidly completed more than 30 or 40 upside-down sit-ups. It seemed like exercising was not just a habit but a daily routine for him. Even when reading, Ilay often hung upside down or sat in a horse stance. Given his training regimen, one would expect him to be heavily muscled, but surprisingly, he wasn’t, which suggested it was likely due to his natural physique.

“But for someone who can snap a bodybuilder’s neck with one hand, I guess visible muscles aren’t really necessary,” Taeui muttered to himself. Ilay, still hanging upside down, paused briefly and looked over at him. After spending several days together, Taeui had grown used to the man’s quirks and had gained enough courage to ask casually:

“Hey, did you know that when someone’s hanging upside down like that, all it takes is a precise strike to the knees and heels to make them fall?”

Taeui’s tone was calm, and Ilay gave a faint smile, responding just as nonchalantly:

“Nope. If you want to try it, go ahead.”

“Try it, huh? Alright. Just don’t regret it later. And don’t take your anger out on me afterward.”

Taeui stood up lightly and moved toward Ilay but stopped a few steps away.

“Hmm. Now that I think about it, there’s a problem. If I calmly walk close enough to touch you, you’d grab me and land a hit before I get there.”

Taeui mumbled, looking somewhat conflicted as he stared at Ilay, whose only anchor was his legs hooked on the shelf, with his arms dangling freely in midair. But then he smiled faintly.

“Still, it’s not like fists are the only way to strike a knee, right?”

Just as Taeui finished saying “right?” he stepped back 3 or 4 paces. As soon as he retreated, he sprang forward, placing his hands on the ground. In one swift motion, he spun in midair, using his hands as a pivot, and aimed a kick straight at Ilay’s knee. The distance was too far for Ilay to reach him, and even if he could, his hands wouldn’t have enough strength to stop a kick powered by the centrifugal force of Taeui’s leg.

In that split second, as his leg swung forward, Taeui thought: ‘No, for a monster like him, his hands might actually overpower my legs’. But his body was already in mid-spin. His heel was nearly about to strike just below Ilay’s knee.

Ilay moved. Not to block the kick with his hands, as Taeui had briefly feared, but by keeping one leg hooked on the shelf while releasing the other. With perfect precision, Ilay used his own knee to deflect Taeui’s oncoming kick.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. There was no time to dodge or change direction. Fortunately, Taeui had relaxed his ankle beforehand, so he wasn’t injured, but his balance was completely thrown off.

“Whoa……..!”

Taeui let out a short gasp as he toppled to the ground, rolling over once. At the same moment, Ilay caught Taeui’s ankle, releasing his other leg from the shelf, and gracefully landed on the floor. In one smooth motion, Ilay flipped Taeui over, pinning his thigh and hip down with his knee, locking Taeui’s arms behind his back, and pressing down on his shoulder.

Everything had happened so fast. Taeui barely had time to blink before muttering: “Huh, what just happened?”. He had only meant to fool around a bit, but in no time, he found himself completely restrained.

“If you want to play around, that’s fine, but even when you’re joking, you should be prepared. Being careless like that, in a real fight, your head would be off before you realized it.”

Behind him, Ilay murmured with a soft laugh. Taeui sighed, burying his face into the cushion beneath him. He’d lost. But he didn’t feel too frustrated. After all, he had been a bit reckless and hadn’t really expected a half-hearted attack like that to take down someone like Ilay.

What truly surprised him was Ilay’s reflexes and balance. It wasn’t just strength and speed – he controlled both with flawless precision.

“Ilay, where were you before you joined UNHRDO?”

Taeui sighed and asked casually. He wondered where someone could acquire such skills, paired with such extreme accuracy and speed. It definitely wasn’t from the usual training at their branch.

Ilay stayed silent for a long moment behind him. Taeui couldn’t see his expression. He relaxed his entire body, lying face down, waiting for an answer.

“Special operations mobile unit……. Though I never joined, I did receive an invitation.”

“Which special unit was that?”

Once again, there was no answer – only a soft chuckle, like wind whistling through. It seemed the large hand gripping Taeui’s shoulder was starting to tighten. The arm twisted behind his back was suddenly pulled even harder.

“If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine. I won’t ask anymore. No need to try breaking someone’s arm over a simple question.”

“Haha, I’m not trying to break your arm. Alright, I’ll let one of your hands go. Try escaping now.”

Ilay spoke with a challenging tone, releasing Taeui’s other arm. At the same time, he pressed his body down, pinning Taeui to the ground with his chest. His legs braced against the floor, and his arms locked Taeui in place. He was likely using some kind of modified hold.

Taeui scoffed. It seemed Ilay was bored too and wanted to have some fun.

“Looks like you’re getting bored, huh?”

Taeui planted his free hand on the floor, trying to curl his body and lift himself off the ground, even attempting to shift Ilay’s weight and reverse the situation. But……

“What the hell, man? Why are you so heavy? You look so slim, but why do you weigh this much?”

“I often hear people say I look slim when I have clothes on. But you’ve seen me without clothes, so why are you still saying that? No one ever calls me slim when I’m naked.”

That was true. The first time Taeui saw Ilay’s bare body, he had been shocked. The difference between how he looked dressed and undressed was staggering. But still, Ilay was far heavier than expected. Taeui had no trouble carrying someone with a similar build, but Ilay’s weight was surprising.

“Are you made of solid muscle from head to toe? Why are you this heavy?”

Despite grumbling, Taeui continued to push himself up, trying to shift his weight enough to reverse the hold and throw Ilay off. Meanwhile, Ilay remained pressed down on him, laughing as he watched Taeui gradually lift his body.

“Impressive. No matter where you are, you’re not the type to just lie down and die, are you?”

“Of course… ha… I’m.”

At that moment, Taeui twisted his body. All he needed was to escape being pinned down. Even with just one free arm, he was confident he could somehow break free, as long as he wasn’t completely pressed into the ground.

But then…

Suddenly, the man on Taeui’s back felt as though he had turned into a block of iron weighing thousands of pounds. An immense weight pressed down on his shoulders and back. At the same time, Ilay tapped the edge of his hand lightly against Taeui’s elbow.

His balance was shattered again, and Taeui’s chin hit the floor with such force that tears almost sprang to his eyes.

“OUGH!……. OW……. WHAT IF I BIT MY TONGUE?!”

“Oh, sorry, sorry. I didn’t think about that.”

Ilay chuckled, offering a half-hearted apology. But then he suddenly sighed, as if something were troubling him.

“This is a mess. You should hurry up and get out from under here, don’t just keep squirming around, Taeui.”

“STOP TALKING NONSENSE! YOU’RE HEAVY AS HELL. OH GOD, GET OFF! MY CHIN’S ABOUT TO SHATTER!”

Taeui tasted blood inside his mouth, likely from a small cut on his lip. He relaxed his body, wincing and squirming in frustration. But then, he suddenly froze.

Ilay, sitting on his back, had loosened up too. It seemed like if Taeui pushed hard enough, he might be able to escape. But something heavy was pressing into the inside of his thigh.

“……..”

Its position was awkward. Taeui tilted his head in confusion. Something firm kept bumping between his buttocks and thighs. What was going on? What was this guy carrying between his legs…?

For a brief, unthinking moment, Taeui’s mind went blank. He tilted his head in puzzlement and reached his free hand down under his rear. And then, he grabbed hold of the object that was persistently nudging him.

“……..Ah.”

“…….Huh?!”

A short gasp escaped Ilay’s mouth. Almost at the same moment, a strange yelp burst out of Taeui’s.

Taeui quickly realized the location of what he had just grabbed—it was between Ilay’s legs. His face slowly contorted as the realization set in. He froze, completely unsure of what to do with the thing still resting in his hand.

Damn it. This was a disaster. It was bad enough that he had grabbed another man’s… thing with his own hand, but it was even worse that the person was this madman. Worse still, the damn thing was standing tall, as if it too was excited by the situation—just like its owner. And worst of all, its size was nothing like what Taeui was used to holding in the bathroom.

Frozen in place for a few seconds, his mind went blank as deep regret washed over him for what he had just done. Then, mechanically, he began to turn his head.

“What the hell is this?”

“If you’ve already grabbed it like that and then ask me that question, you’re putting me in a tough spot. Ah. Wait——don’t squeeze, or I’m going to come.”

Ilay’s voice remained as calm as ever, but his breathing was a bit quicker. Taeui, panicking, immediately tried to release his hand. Or rather, he intended to, but a large hand overlapped his. That beautiful, pale hand.

“Alright, keep going. Just a little more.”

“Keep going……… KEEP GOING WHAT?! LET GO OF MY HAND, NOW!”

Taeui screamed, his face now completely pale, struggling to break free from Ilay. Damn it, the man’s lower body was pressing against his rear, sending shivers down his spine. Even worse, Ilay’s hand was in a place far too intimate, driving Taeui to the brink of madness.

In stark contrast to Taeui’s frantic struggle, Ilay chuckled softly, a deep, unsettling sound. The only difference now was that his breathing had quickened, and his voice – whispering right in Taeui’s ear – was lower than usual.

“Sorry, sorry. I guess after being cooped up for days, things got a bit out of hand. Don’t worry, it’s just a bit of harmless fun—— Calm down. Take it slow, now…….”

Ilay whispered against his ear, his lips brushing Taeui’s earlobe. The heat of his breath sent an uncomfortable tingling sensation down Taeui’s spine, making him shiver involuntarily.

What the hell is happening? I never expected to be in a nightmare like this. Why do I have to endure the desires of someone like him?

As Taeui’s thoughts spiraled into chaos, a large hand slipped down into his pants. Starting at his lower abdomen, the hand slowly slid downward, wrapping tightly around his most sensitive area like a noose tightening.

“Hmph…” – Taeui gasped, breathless.