Somehow, his head felt heavy. But his body felt quite refreshed, so it wasn’t a bad feeling.

Taeui sluggishly sat up, blinking his drowsy eyes. Bright sunlight was streaming in through the wide-open terrace door of the living room.

‘Living room. Midday. But why am I sleeping here?’

He had just woken up from sleep, his head in a daze for a few seconds, then he remembered with an “Ah”.

‘That’s right, I started on the lawn with that guy, moved through the grass to the living room. Then finally, I lost my senses when my stamina ran out.’

Taeui scratched his head roughly. It didn’t seem like a lot of time had passed. Yet, it felt like he had slept deeply.

He was thirsty. But where did that guy go?

Scanning the area, Taeui discovered the guy sitting on the chair on the terrace. The curtains concealed him, showing only the tips of his feet lightly crossed. He was probably reading a book or newspaper there and dozed off as well.

Taeui suddenly sat up with a start. He thought that a refreshing can of beer might help lift the lingering heaviness in his head, which still felt soaked in sleepiness. While he was at it, he figured he’d bring one to the guy as well.

Taeui headed to the kitchen, tilting his head with a “Hmm?”. He felt a strange sense of incongruity. What could it be, he wondered with his drowsy head, nodding to himself: ‘Ah, maybe because it’s unusually quiet with no people around’. This house is generally quiet, but there’s always been some presence. Like the sound of Peter pruning tree branches or the sweet and savory pie smell coming from Rita’s kitchen. But today, there was none of that. Probably it’s because of that.

“………….”

No, it feels like there’s something more.

Taeui kept tilting his head while entering the kitchen. What could it be, what could it be, ……yes, it felt like his eye level was somewhat different than usual. No, it wasn’t just slight; it felt noticeably higher……

Taeui blinked while grabbing the refrigerator handle that seemed lower. Yes, normally he’d bend my arm this much to grab it, but now his arm extends more. Moreover……

“……huh……?”

Still tilting his head, Taeui was taking out a beer can from the fridge when he suddenly stared at his own hand. Is it just me, or does my hand look incredibly beautiful? It’s undoubtedly a familiar hand I’ve seen for a long time, but somehow it looks extremely beautiful. The fingers are gracefully long with not a single scar, a generous hand, white skin, and nails shining like glass.

Since when did my hand become so unrecognizably pretty…… no, that’s not it.

“Wh-what—???”

Taeui raised his other hand to his face and examined it closely. Knuckles, hand wrinkles, even the palm lines, this is――.

“This isn’t my hand!!”

And only then did he realize. The voice wasn’t his voice either.

Frozen in place, as if doused with ice water, then the next moment, Taeui dashed out of the kitchen like lightning. He stopped in front of the mirror attached to the hallway while running back to the living room. Upon checking the mirror, he froze stiff again as if struck by lightning.

Ilay was reflected in the mirror. Ilay Riegrow, by himself.

“What is this……?”

The involuntary voice that escaped was still Ilay’s voice. It was funny to hear the voice of someone mumbling absentmindedly like that…… he shouldn’t be thinking that.

“ILAY!!”

Taeui shouted like lightning and ran to the terrace. As he whipped aside the curtain and dashed outside, he was stunned into silence once more.

Unbelievable, but the face he was so used to seeing in the mirror was asleep there. Taeui’s face was attached there. Not only the face but the hands, feet, and body too.

*Thud* The beer can fell from his hand. Without even thinking to pick up the precious can rolling on the floor, Taeui stared blankly at the person in front of him. “Uh, uh, uh,” – While his lips just trembled, soon the person in front of him opened his eyes.

Though he had clearly been asleep just a moment ago, he opened his eyes sharply as if he had only been closing them, with no sign of sleepiness. That was Ilay’s habit.

After opening his eyes, he briefly stared intently at Taeui—or rather Ilay(?). For a moment, he seemed to frown slightly. And then, the next moment, an unrestrained fist flew.

With a *Thud*, the punch hit and passed his right cheek, and Taeui gasped. His head buzzed for a moment.

Stepping back and holding his cheek, Taeui shouted at the guy quietly staring at his own fist.

“I almost bit my tongue, you jerk!!”

“……Taei?”

The guy raised an eyebrow. He looked at Taeui, seemingly suspicious, then glanced down at his own hands and body, fiddling with the hair that slipped over his forehead.

“What is this.” – He murmured, frowning slightly, the face was clearly Taeui’s own face that he’d seen countless times in the mirror, but the expression was Ilay’s. In this bizarre overlap, Taeui looked at him with his mouth agape.

The guy examined his own body for a moment before turning his gaze to Taeui. He spoke plainly to Taeui, who was still scowling as he rubbed his pained face.

“Why do you look like that? My fist came out reflexively.”

“It’s your face! It’s your face, so why did your fist fly out?!”

“You’re the only human who can harm me.”

The guy muttered as if stating the obvious, continuing to look at himself as if he was still peculiar. Then he suddenly stood up and went to the mirror in the hallway. Taeui followed him―and didn’t forget to quickly pick up the beer rolling on the floor―.

The incongruity intensified as the two stood side by side in front of the mirror.

They’ve seen themselves together in the mirror countless times, but their positions were reversed. The difference, which might have been hard to notice at a glance, rather heightened the sense of discord.

……Isn’t it strange, right, isn’t it?

Taeui mumbled, bewildered as he looked into the mirror, and their eyes met in the reflection. The guy squinted. Seeing that expression on that face was truly strange. Indeed, the expression that appeared on his own face was quite bizarre as well.

“Yeah, it’s strange. Ilay Riegrow is drinking beer alone, and next to him, Jeong Taei is just quietly watching without trying to take any.”

“……”

‘No, I think the weird part isn’t that part…… Of course, that’s weird too, but.’

Taeui smacked his lips bitterly and put down the beer-can he was sipping from.

Beside him, Ilay – presumably – crossed his arms and rubbed his chin, lost in thought. Yes, judging by those habits, he was definitely Ilay. The way his index finger slowly stroked his chin and pressed slightly when touching his thumb, perfectly replicated the guy’s habit.

Watching this, Taeui murmured “Ugh”, scratching his head roughly. Ilay absently watched Taeui cluck his tongue and frown through the mirror. Taeui raised an eyebrow and asked: “Why.”

“No reason, just amazed that you’re still the same.”

“What?”

As Taeui cocked his head and asked back, the guy chuckled. It was really uncanny to see that expression on that face, but anyway, he followed the guy, who returned to the living room, back.

The guy sitting on the sofa looked unexpectedly calm. There wasn’t much sign of distress or worry. As Taeui sat next to him silently, he smacked the back of the guy’s hand that was tugging at a newspaper.

“Are you really in the mood to read a newspaper in this situation?”

“Hmm. Yes, that’s also true.”

The guy seemed to ponder briefly but soon placed the newspaper down willingly. Facing the guy, Taeui spoke in a serious tone.

“What do we do.”

“What about.”

“What do you mean, this situation!”

“Well ― we’ll figure it out somehow. There’s no clear solution anyway.”

The guy shrugged. Isn’t that right? Hearing that, Taeui realized he was correct. There was no solution.

‘Why is this happening, how did this happen, what suddenly is this, is it a dream, yes it must be a dream, then I’ll wake up soon…… Wait, there are books that end with ‘after living a lifetime, turning out to be a fleeting dream’. The time you experience in a dream is supposed to be different from real time, isn’t it. What if I have to live this span of time that feels like a lifetime?’

Taeui agonized over it while tearing at his hair, but even upon reflection, there was no solution. Beside him, the guy seemed to watch him with an amusing look, as if he could see right through what Taeui was thinking.

“……Why do I feel like I’m the only one troubled by this?”

“Actually, I’m not really worried.”

“Hey, are you okay with this?”

“Well, I can’t really think of anything particularly uncomfortable yet. How about you, what do you think would be inconvenient living like this?”

“……”

Upon hearing that, nothing came to mind immediately. The fact that he had enemies surrounding him and didn’t know when an attack might come was a problem, but even that had been quiet lately. Besides, come to think of it, it might actually be a good thing. Isn’t it a great opportunity for him to stop his violent deeds? …………No, wait a minute.

“Don’t go around killing people with my body!”

“Well――I should refrain, as it would be unpleasant if I damaged this body.”

Without much thought, he answered very simply. “Oh, right” – Muttering somewhat deflated, Taeui blinked.

‘What’s this? Then it’s all good, isn’t it? If the two of us can lead a moral and lawful life side by side, there’s nothing more to wish for. Though it might be a bit cumbersome to explain to the people around us, we can somehow manage that. There won’t be any professional issues, as neither of us has a regular job. …………What? Is it surprisingly problem-free?’

Taeui counted on his fingers while blinking and came to a simple conclusion. With a suddenly lightened expression, he muttered “I see”, looking relaxed; the guy who had been quietly watching him chuckled.

Though in life, there would inevitably be some inconvenience or regret, for now – since it’s not something he can control – he decided to let it go. Besides, there was another subtle gain that pleased him.

“……”

Looking down at his hands, Taeui smiled contentedly. Though they weren’t truly his own hands, he could move them as he wished and use them as he pleased. Those hands were truly beautiful upon another look. Who would have imagined that such a pleasing aspect of himself would appear in his life? Just looking at them was delightful.

“Hum…… but there’s one issue with sharing responsibilities, you know.”

The guy who had been staring at Taeui – who was smiling broadly at his hands and known to be simple-minded by many – finally spoke up as if he had just remembered something. Taeui turned his head with a still smiling eye, saying: “Oh?”

“What should we do when we sleep?”

“Sleep? Well, just sleep like we’ve been………….”

Casually answering, Taeui stopped speaking midway. The smile on his face froze for a moment.

That’s right.

He had forgotten. That important issue.

No, maybe it was a trivial issue in the grand scheme of a human’s life’s journey, but it was a very significant matter concerning his relationship with this guy and his psychological state.

“…… You……, how do you want to……”

With a nervous sweat, Taeui barely managed to open his mouth. And he desperately pondered in his mind.

First. Based on the body, Ilay (in Taeui’s body) covers Taeui (in Ilay’s body).

Second. Based on the mind, Taeui (in Ilay’s body) covers Ilay (in Taeui’s body).

“………………”

He disliked both.

He disliked both!

He didn’t want a person with his own face to cover him, nor did he want to cover someone with his face. The visuals he could imagine overwhelmed him.

Apparently, Ilay had a similar thought; he said: “Well, either way, it seems like it would be interesting in its own way…………”, speaking in a seemingly indifferent voice but with a slightly resistant tone.

“Well, I’m fine with me holding you in this state.”

“I don’t prefer that.”

“Really? Then since it’s come to this, why not switch? The body’s compatibility is already set as the body has always done, then you put it in me.”

“N-no, that’s not really…… Besides, I don’t think I’ll even get aroused!”

He had no hobby of getting excited by looking at his own face. Taeui shook his head firmly.

But upon reflection, it wasn’t just his problem. Taeui looked at him skeptically and asked.

“Can you get hard……? When the other party is your face? Your voice? Your body?”

“Well. I don’t know if I haven’t tried, but……”

Ilay fell into thought again and looked at the large panel filling the living room wall. Though not as clear as a mirror, the dark screen was reflecting their images quite clearly.

Suddenly, Ilay raised an eyebrow. Something akin to a smile appeared in his slender eyes.

“I think I can get hard if I try.”

Saying that, he fixed his gaze on the panel and slowly ran his hand over his body. His touch brushed over the body clad in just a loose pair of shorts.

Suddenly, Taeui, who was watching him, felt uneasy.

Even though he was touching his own (?) body and it wasn’t Taeui himself in danger, somehow that touch looked suspicious. Especially when his hand stopped to fiddle with the nipples, it couldn’t have been more suspect.

“Hey, wait a minute. Don’t touch.”

Taeui moved from reclining on the sofa to sitting upright and opened his eyes wide. The man raised his eyebrow and looked back at Taeui, still rubbing his chest with his hand. The nipple stood erect at the end of the touch. While looking at a body that was technically someone else’s and yet not, Taeui blinked in dismay.

“Why, I’m touching my own body.”

“But it was originally my body!!”

“No, it was mine from the beginning, right? You were mine, weren’t you?”

For a moment, he was at a loss for words. Taeui stammered and hesitated: “Uh, well, that’s not wrong, but……”

Indeed, it was true. Even recently, in the middle of their relationship, he would often say “You’re mine”, and every time Taeui would agree. So he wasn’t thinking of refuting that now. But still, in this situation……

“It’s not wrong, yes, that’s true, but still…….”

‘Damn, what should I say?’

While Taeui was blinking and unable to think of what to say, unable to come up with anything, the man began demonstratively to ravish his own body.

He licked his fingers and played with the pointed flesh of his chest, twisting and pinching as if for fun, making them stand even more erect, and slowly licked his lips with his tongue. Excitement gradually appeared on his face, and with the palm of his hand, he slowly swept down his chest, sides, stomach, everywhere.

When his hand eventually pulled down his shorts, Taeui couldn’t bear it and opened his mouth.

“Hey, don’t……!”

He couldn’t bear to watch.

No matter how much he was touching his own body, getting aroused all by himself, the face was still too familiar. It felt just like looking in a mirror, and he couldn’t stand seeing that face, soaked in subtle excitement, rubbing his body as if openly masturbating. It would have been much more comfortable if Taeui himself was undergoing such antics by his hand.

Nevertheless, the man only cast a sidelong glance at Taeui with his narrow eyes, without stopping his hand. Instead, the hand he slipped inside the shorts brought out the penis that had been waking slowly from its slumber.

“Hey, don’t just pull it out! Leave it alone! Why are you doing that with my body?! Even if it’s yours too, that’s when you’re ‘Ilay’’s body! It’s void now! So don’t touch!”

Taeui faced the half-arisen penis of his – his own body – and suddenly felt his face heat up, scolding in a panicked, obstinate manner.

But the man did not flinch. He only made a slight gesture with his chin with faint laugh lines around his eyes.

“Then you do it too. Touch that body as much as you want. Do whatever you like. Touch it however you want, use your mouth, use your hands, or in this moment, smash it as much as you want as if it’s a toy.”

“—……!!!”

He had nothing to say. No matter what he said, it seemed the man wouldn’t stop his hand, and he even allowed his (original) body to be handled as one wishes. There was no way to stop him.

“You…… don’t you know how much of a visual torture this is?! Try experiencing it yourself, then!”

Driven by temper, Taeui tossed aside the sheet around his waist. He grabbed his penis and shook it defiantly towards the man.

But then.

The sense of mass in hand was different from the past.

Even though he wasn’t aroused or erect at all, what he held in his hand felt substantially fuller than usual when he would hold his own thing in places like the bathroom.

Despite the fact that this guy’s hand was bigger than his own, Taeui froze once again at that familiar yet unfamiliar feeling of being so massively filled in the hand.

“……”

Suddenly, forgotten sadness surged up.

This guy has always lived holding something like this. The thing he would casually grasp in his hand several times a day in the bathroom during the decades he’s lived, must have always been this size. He must have naturally gotten used to it.

That’s why, he must be chuckling at this very moment.

“Even though it feels like it’s almost erect, this is how it feels to hold it in my hand. …………Haha, it’s different from when I held it with my own hand. Taei, when you hold it, it feels a bit thicker.”

Damn it!!!

A nail was driven into his heart. The way his hand moved felt like hammering down on the nail.

Taeui felt the strength leaving the hand that was holding his—his own—thing. The owner’s unaroused member seemed further deflated, yet the feeling in hand still felt satisfyingly thick. This deepened the sadness in his heart.

While glaring at the guy – with presumably significant satisfaction and pleasure in self-pleasure, though doubtful it was truly self-pleasure – Taeui was ensnared by a nameless sadness and rage.

‘What is this? Clearly our bodies switched, now he is smaller and I have become larger, yet why do I feel this way? Why is that guy looking so delighted while my insides churn so painfully?’

Something is wrong.

Taeui suddenly looked at the panel that came into view.

Inside it, the face of Taeui, where pleasurable excitement was steadily rising, and beside it, the image of Ilay drenched in sorrow and bewilderment, unsure of what to do, were reflected together on the same screen.

Had he ever seen such an expression before? No, never. He had never seen that on Ilay’s face. Indeed, it was an expression he had wanted to see at least once.

Yet, he was not happy.

A face he had desperately wanted to see, and yet, Taeui felt no joy at all.

Teary-eyed seemed about to cry at any moment, with his eyebrows drooping, his lips protruding as if he was a child who had been spanked, even Ilay’s expression was fresh and unexpectedly lovely, although at the moment he thought so, a simultaneous urge to bash his own head in flashed through his mind—but still, Taeui was far from happy.

“Thank you, Taei. From today on, I feel like I can like myself more than before.”

Drawing close in a voice nearly brimming with climax-induced excitement, half-whispered the guy, leaning in to kiss Taeui. Meanwhile, he started rubbing the end of his intensely excited, now moistening member against Taeui’s hand.

‘No, stop that, if you do that, I feel like I can’t like myself more than before.’

With a heart full of melancholy, yet finding solace in the familiar sensation from Ilay’s unwavering tongue inside his mouth – familiar and satisfying – Taeui opened his mouth wider.

Sure, since it’s like this, let’s just enjoy the kiss for now. Even in this sadness, this present sensation feels good, at least.

Taeui closed his eyes and reached out his arms. Embracing the familiar yet unfamiliar body closely. The low and soft laugh seeped into his mouth, and strangely – thankfully – it sounded just the same as the guy’s voice, prompting Taeui to quietly exhale a sigh.

**************************

“I’m happy, Taei.”

“Huh……?”

Forget it, forget everything for now. It only pains the heart.

Thus, chanting the spell to himself, focusing solely on the guy’s lips and tongue; upon hearing Ilay’s softly laughing whisper, Taeui tilted his head as if asking “Hmm?”

‘Really sounds just like Ilay’s voice. With the soft excitement, murmuring while kissing, maybe that’s why. Listening like this, surprisingly, my voice sounds similar to Ilay’s voice. It’s something I realized just now.’

‘Then maybe I can continue to do well in the future. If the voice is at least similar, you can just close your eyes and not look at my face. Yeah, everything will be fine. What’s the big deal if the body changes a little……’

Trying hard to shake off the sad feeling, Taeui kissed Ilay’s tongue more deeply. Ilay seemed to laugh once more.

“Are you going to have a wet dream? What kind of dream are you having to respond so eagerly……”

Ilay mumbled as if talking to himself between their slightly parted lips.

‘Huh? Wet dream? But the voice, this really sounds like Ilay’s actual voice……’

Taeui abruptly opened his eyes wide in surprise as he felt a hand that had been sweeping his back subtly delve between his buttocks.

“Hey! No matter what, you can’t just suddenly think of my body like——!”

“My body like what?”

With a sudden shout and wide-open eyes, Ilay’s face was right in front of Taeui’s, about a hand’s width away. The slightly raised eyebrow was unmistakably Ilay’s face. Even the expression matched him exactly.

“Uh……?”

“Even though you kissed me first in your sleep, which makes me very happy, and it’s disappointing to have to stop here, wake up now. James is coming soon. He just contacted me saying he’s nearby and will come to pick up the notebook he forgot. I don’t mind if you keep sleeping, but if you do, you’ll end up hiding in your blanket for a while and won’t come out.”

Ilay lightly stroked Taeui’s cheek and stood up. “Yeah, there was a time like that.” – Taeui mumbled, getting up vacantly.

It was quite some time ago, in a similar situation. Although it was in Taeui’s bedroom back then, while he was passed out from having intense intercourse with Ilay in broad daylight, Rita had visited. She came to discuss the dinner menu, and Ilay, with an unfazed face, sent her back saying that a meat stew would be better than a vegetable stew. During that time, Tui was unaware and lay there asleep, stark naked with every trace of their actions still visible.

Learning about it later, Taeui was so shocked that he yelled at Ilay for not waking him up and then locked himself in his room under the blankets, not coming out for a whole night.

After that, the guy must have learned a lesson…… Taeui thought dazedly, and then shook his head with a bewildered expression.

Uh, wait, but just now it was definitely Ilay.

Taeui looked down at his hand. The familiar Taeui’s hand was there instead of the white, beautiful hand that had been there a moment ago. He felt his face, which was also the familiar face of Taeui.

“……What’s going on.”

Was it a dream? It felt like he had swapped bodies with Ilay.

Taeui scratched his neck.

Indeed, it makes sense. Something like that couldn’t happen in real life. Obviously, it was a dream, yet it felt so real that it didn’t seem like a dream at all. Even now, it almost feels like it actually happened.

Taeui quietly let out a sigh.

Suddenly, a sense of relief enveloped him. The tension in his shoulders eased.

‘Even if my body is exhausted, this is better. I never thought I’d feel relieved that my body is my body.’

“Phewwww” – Letting out a sigh of relief, he tapped his chest lightly. Ilay, who had disappeared somewhere for a moment and then reappeared, offered Taeui a can of beer. As Taeui, who picked up the beer with a “Thanks”, paused for a moment. It was the exact same beer he drank in the dream.

“Did you have any interesting dreams? You were mumbling and making different expressions, frowning, smiling, and almost sobbing.”

Ilay asked as he sat on the sofa. Taeui opened the pull tab and looked at the clock. Not much time had passed. It seemed he had slept for about 30 minutes.

“Uh……just an ordinary dream. What about you, were you just watching my face the whole time?”

“No, I also closed my eyes next to you for a moment, but woke up when James called.”

“Um” – Taeui nodded. As the cold beer flowed down his throat, the sharp sensation coursed down his esophagus, making it finally feel like reality.

Finally letting out a light sigh, now feeling a bit more composed while sipping the beer, Ilay continued speaking to Taeui.

“It was disappointing. I was having quite an interesting dream, so I wanted to sleep a bit more.”

“Really? Mine was closer to a nightmare. What kind of dream was it?”

“Hmm—should I call it a dream where I play with what’s mine to my heart’s content.”

Ilay squinted his eyes briefly, as if recalling the dream, and at the same time, Taeui closed his mouth. *Gulp* – The feeling of beer sliding down his throat was somewhat prickly.

“It was a desirable dream where you come to cherish and love yourself.”

“……”

Taeui could only barely respond to Ilay’s jovial murmur with: “That’s a nice dream……”

Somehow, he didn’t want to ask. He didn’t want to hear the details of what kind of dream it was. It seemed like it would be scary if he heard it.

No, it’s just a dream, just a dream……

Even in the midst of that, Taeui remained silent, quietly putting down the can he had emptied before he knew it. Across from him, Ilay was also silently taking slow sips of beer. His slender, curved eyes seemed to be reminiscing about a delightful dream.

“……”

If in the dream, Taeui had impulsively decided to play with Ilay’s—his own—body, carelessly touching and teasing it, would he have felt a bit uncomfortable, and bitterly regretful?

No, it didn’t seem likely.

Rather, he might have joyfully said: ‘Yeah, I knew you’d come to like that body. You liked it from the beginning, didn’t you?’

‘……It’s good that I didn’t do it. If I had heard those words, I would have been irreparably damaged, even if it was just a dream.’

Taeui nudged the empty can with his fingertips and crouched down. Whatever, it was just a dream, a dream. Even though the look in the other’s eyes seemed strangely suggestive as he stared, nothing actually happened.

The more he thought about it, the more tangled his mind became, eventually plunging deep into chaos and confusion.

Looking down at Taeui with perpetually amused eyes, Ilay continued to smile cheerfully, seemingly amused by something. The smile lingered until the doorbell rang, signaling the end of the afternoon spent together.

[The End of Suite: Side of PASSION]