It seemed the other wanted to scream something, but they couldn’t find the words, leaving their cry incomplete and trailing off into silence.

Meanwhile, the young man, unable to resist the stirring sensation within, began to sneak his hand beneath his own pants. His eyes remained fixed on the scene before him, while his hand slowly caressed his own increasingly warm and stiffening sensitive area.

‘So that’s it….. That ripe and rich color down there is thanks to him constantly ‘polishing’ of it all these years…..’

“…..―.”

Even with just the images in his imagination, the lower part of the young man’s body had already heated up and throbbed with pain.

‘It seems those two have been together for many years. With that amount of time, there should have been boredom….. But maybe foreigners are different.’

The young man carefully unzipped his pants, trying not to make a sound. Then, he gently pulled out ‘that part’ of himself. It was already ready, standing upright as if waiting for something.

“Don’t be angry about the past.”

A suppressed voice rang out, tinged with a hint of grievance. Meanwhile, the pale hand grasped the thigh of the person sitting on the water tank, lifting it slightly, then positioning its entire body between the seated person’s waist. The young man’s view was obscured by the figure in front of him, leaving him only faint glimpses of the skin beneath. He had never imagined himself harboring the desire to ‘insert’ anything into that place, but now his breathing grew rapid, and his lower body burned with heat, as if an irresistible force was taking control.

“I told you, I’m not angry. If it’s something from the past, then it’s already done and over with.”

“Of course it’s done! Do you think I could still….. fool around with anyone else now?”

“You said: ‘I love you’, didn’t you?”

That deep voice suddenly turned cold, freezing the air around it. The indignant tone from earlier was abruptly cut off, leaving only the hurried sound of a suppressed breath, and then complete silence.

“That’s a line you’d never say to me when you’re fully conscious.”

His snorting laugh somehow grew increasingly sinister, carrying an undeniable sense of danger. The young man secretly watching could clearly feel the tension in the air, and it seemed the other person sensed it too, hastily speaking up.

“Hey, that was…..! You heard it all, didn’t you? I was just rambling!”

“Is that something you can just say offhandedly?”

Another snorting laugh echoed.

The other person hesitated, unable to say a word for a moment. ‘He’s definitely been caught cheating.’ – The young man thought to himself, utterly convinced without a shred of doubt.

Meanwhile, the long and slender fingers of the pale hand began to glide along the inside of the other man’s thigh, gradually disappearing into his body. One finger, then two, and soon the number increased, causing the man’s body to flinch slightly. His toes twitched reflexively, looking unusually seductive, making it impossible for the young man to resist as he slowly began stroking his own heated lower region.

“Ah….. uh…..”

The other man let out a few soft moans, but suddenly, as if overwhelmed by the sensation stirring inside him, he released a deep, almost explosive groan filled with pent-up emotion:

“Why did you show up without warning? I thought you’d be hiding in some corner of Eoryeong by now!”

“Aha, so that’s why you’ve been enjoying yourself during that time, right?”

“No, it’s not like that――.”

‘It seems like he’s digging his own grave…..’

The young man thought to himself, intently watching the tense situation unfold through the small gap.

At that moment, the man, who had been relentlessly moving his fingers inside the other’s body, as if the time had finally come, used his free hand to pull his pants down further, rummaging around and pulling out his own organ. ‘That thing’ showed signs of arousal, and he stroked it 2-3 times to enhance its size.

And then…..

The young man’s eyes widened so much it seemed as though his eyelids might tear apart. For a brief moment, all the air in his lungs seemed to vanish, leaving him breathless, the feeling of suffocation rising to his throat.

‘That thing….. there’s no way it can be inserted into a human body normally.’

The thought made the young man, who had been so excited just moments ago, suddenly go completely cold.

‘Even though foreigners are usually bigger than locals, this is way beyond tolerable. If someone brought that thing near me, I’d definitely run away with my socks on without a second thought!’

As someone experienced in the role of a ‘Bottom’, he clearly understood his own limits, and that thing was far beyond what he could handle.

Suddenly, the young man couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity for the other person.

‘Even if he’s cheating, no one deserves to endure this….. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because of something like that he sought someone else.’

While the young man was lost in his own thoughts, the owner of the shock-inducing thing, unaware of what anyone might be thinking, slowly stroked it a few times until it stood fully erect. Then, in a tone that sounded like an order, he began to speak:

“So, here’s the deal. Today, I want to hear you confess your love properly. Got it? From now on, every time you climax, you’ll have to confess to me. It must be sincere, full of emotion, and more flowery than the words you said to that cute little brat before. …..No refusing, right?”

“That kid is probably still sitting out there.” – The man muttered, then took something from his back pocket and placed it on the windowsill. Since the windowsill was out of the young man’s line of sight, he couldn’t tell what it was, but at a glance, it looked like a small piece of fabric—perhaps a sock or a glove.

‘Why would he put that there on the windowsill?’

The young man tilted his head in curiosity but didn’t have much time to ponder, as the other responded with a vague tone:

“Well….. if it’s just that, then…..”

Upon hearing this, the young man thought to himself: ‘If it’s just that, it’s not such a big deal. After all, at most, it’d only be two or three times. If I push a bit further, maybe one or two more at best.’

‘Just to hear a few love confessions, going to such lengths—his partner must really be stingy with their words of affection.’

The young man thought to himself, once again feeling pity for the other man.

 ‘Living with someone you love and not even being able to hear a proper ‘I love you.’?!?’

But then, the young man began to wonder.

‘Could this be some kind of punishment for someone who cheated? In the end, it’s just: ‘I’ll take you to heaven, but every time, you have to confess your love to me’….. Still, with that monster of a thing, it could also double as a threat.’

The young man glanced again at ‘the weapon’ and shuddered slightly. At the same time, he tilted his head in confusion.

‘Listening to how this story is unfolding….. why does it feel so familiar?’

The young man felt as though he was on the verge of remembering something, but there was no time to recall it. In the very next moment, a decisive voice suddenly rang out: “Well then, let’s begin.”

For some reason, it almost seemed as if the pale hand of the man was ‘smiling’. A faint sound, like the whisper of the wind, echoed softly. And in that instant, without hesitation, he thrust his organ directly into the other person.

A moan escaped from the other, filled with both pain and a hint of pleasure.

“…..!”

“Gah…..” – The young man’s eyes widened in shock as he watched the events unfolding before him.

‘That voice…..No way. But….. it can’t be. Yet…..’

Because the earlier conversation had been carried out in hushed whispers, the young man hadn’t been able to clearly make out the voice. But the moment that moan escaped, it was as if lightning struck him, leaving his entire body trembling uncontrollably.

It was a voice all too familiar. A voice he could never forget.

The young man’s heart pounded violently in his chest as he tried to press his head closer to the gap, fumbling to find a better angle. But no matter how hard he tried, his view remained limited, unable to catch sight of their faces. The only thing clearly visible before him was the act unfolding.

The scene was horrifying. From the narrow, suffocating angle of his view, if he wasn’t careful, he might have even mistaken it for an arm thrusting in and out of that place.

But for him, this was the first time in his life witnessing something so intense and ferocious. And despite his shock, the young man’s body reacted instinctively. His lower region burned with heat, swelling and standing tall as if responding to an irresistible stimulation.

Within his limited view, the young man could clearly see the area between the other’s buttocks beginning to glisten. It seemed that after so many years, his body had grown accustomed to this. There was absolutely no sign of any lubricant being used, yet that massive organ, after a few difficult thrusts, was now moving with astonishing smoothness. 

From this angle, he could see the entrance stretched to an almost unbelievable degree, gripping the colossal weapon tightly, leaving no room—not even for a needle.

The steady sound of *phwop, phwop, phwop* filled the air as the man pulled almost all the way out, only to then slam his entire length back in with such force that it pressed against the base of his testicles. His powerful thrusts were relentless, moving at an astonishingly fast pace that made the young man watching hold his breath in shock. With each deep thrust, an ambiguous “Ah~…..” escaped from the other, and at times, the moans stretched out and rose higher, nearly turning into sob-like cries when he couldn’t handle the intense rhythm. Those sounds seemed to set the young man’s ears ablaze, causing his entire body to burn even hotter with a mixture of embarrassment and uncontrollable arousal.

‘Doing this might actually kill someone someday.’

The young man half-jokingly, half-seriously worried.

But even with that thought, the heat in his lower body was unbearable, reaching its limit. Mesmerized, his eyes remained glued to the scene before him, while his hand instinctively gripped his own sensitive organ, moving frantically without pause.

It was strange. His body burned with heat, excitement surging uncontrollably, yet his heart felt an overwhelming urge to cry. The young man began to piece together the identities of those inside. At the very least, he was certain of one of them.

The person he had always cherished deeply in his heart: His first love.

The ideal figure in his life: A perfect Top.

An ideal Top with impeccable demeanor, extraordinary technique, and a flawless personality—now lying there with legs spread wide, taking in that ‘colossal weapon’ and sobbing uncontrollably.

‘I’m sorry I couldn’t save you….. But….. perhaps, from now on, every time I think of you, I’ll be spending scorching nights alone. This image of you right now will undoubtedly haunt my mind endlessly.’

Never in his life had the young man felt this aroused. Frenzied, his hand moved with increasing intensity, sensing the peak of pleasure drawing nearer than ever before.

From the neighboring stall, he heard the rapid, choked breathing of the other person—his first love. It seemed like he, too, was approaching his climax. At the same moment, the young man clearly saw the entrance clenching tightly around the ‘massive weapon’, and then it happened. A stream of thick white liquid burst forth, splattering across his stomach, creating a scene the young man couldn’t tear his eyes away from. In that instant, the young man’s own body reached its peak. For a brief moment, his vision blurred, leaving him unable to see clearly.

‘…..No, I can’t miss this. I need to see more, just a little more.’

“Taei. Confess your love.”

The sharp, commanding voice of the man rang out, carrying a chilling coldness that was terrifying. He truly seemed like a monster. Even though his ‘weapon’ remained erect and deeply embedded inside the other person, his tone of demand was calm and icy, sending shivers down the spine of anyone who heard it.

His first love, who had just reached climax and was utterly spent, now lay there panting, completely drained of energy. He remained silent for a long moment before finally whispering, his voice laden with exhaustion.

“…..I love you, Ilay.”

‘So that’s his name—Ilay.’ – The young man thought to himself.

That must be the name of the person he had once envied to the point of madness—the one living with his first love, likely spending dreamy nights in his embrace…..Looking back now, it seemed that his jealousy had been a little misplaced.

The young man had vaguely imagined that person to be someone adorable, beautiful, and alluring. But the cold deep voice that rang out was nothing like what he had envisioned, like the vast distance of a million light-years separating reality from his fantasies.

“Your words are lacking. Are you planning to confess to me on the same level as that kid? Do you think I’m on the same level as him?”

“…..I love you. For life. In my life, there’s only you.”

After a brief moment of consideration, the man murmured: “Hmm…..”, as if evaluating. Though he didn’t seem entirely satisfied, it appeared he was willing to accept it for now. A faint smile flickered across his face.

“Alright, then. Next. The second round. Let’s begin.”

“What…..? Hey, wait, let me rest for a bit――.”

His first love let out a panicked protest, but it was already too late. The man, still buried deep inside him, pulled halfway out before lifting his hips and abruptly thrusting back in with force. A sharp *phwop* echoed, the unmistakable sound of flesh meeting flesh, signaling the start of round two.

At the same time, the young man, who had just reached his climax and temporarily calmed down, found himself aroused once more as he continued watching the scene before him. The excitement steadily built up, causing his lower body to gradually harden again. Similarly, his first love, having just experienced his own peak, didn’t take long to recover. Before long, he, too, was fully erect once more.

There was no use thinking about it now, but the young man couldn’t help feeling regret once more. The quick recovery, the rhythm of arousal—it all seemed to suggest that he and his first love were well-matched. ‘Who knows? Maybe we’d be even more compatible than that tireless monster over there.’ – He thought to himself, because, after all, in his own mind, he was free to dream as much as he wanted.

But those thoughts, no matter how many times he went over them, couldn’t change the reality before him. It wasn’t just that his first love now had someone else—even their roles in a relationship had completely shifted. The young man was a Bottom, and now, it seemed his first love had also become a Bottom. All he could do was shed tears of regret. Yet, even with his heart overflowing with emotion, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from their wild, intoxicating movements. Not for a single second did he look away.

And just like his first love, the young man reached his climax once again. However, after the second and then the third time, he finally had to admit defeat. If he didn’t take a break, there was no way he could ‘release’ again. After three rounds, his lower body began to ache with a dull, persistent pain.

Although he didn’t think he could get hard again anytime soon, he still didn’t leave his spot. His body was utterly exhausted, yet the excitement in his mind hadn’t subsided.

‘Who knows when I’ll ever get to witness such an astonishing and vivid scene like this again?’

‘I can’t miss this!’

The young man thought to himself. Half of him didn’t want to miss this rare moment, while the other half was curious to see just how long that unbelievably enduring man could keep going.

Holding his chest, where his heart pounded faster than usual from his labored breathing, the young man watched, kept watching, and couldn’t stop watching.

And so, that night, the young man witnessed a scene he never thought he’d see in his lifetime. A human body pushed to the point where there was no longer any semen left to release, only a few transparent drops dripping out with difficulty.

As the night went on, each time the man thrust, his first love gasped as if he were about to draw his last breath, while uttering confessions of love adorned with every kind of flowery language imaginable. Meanwhile, the man with extraordinary stamina, despite releasing only half as many times as his first love – which was still an unbelievable number – showed no signs of exhaustion.

“I love you, love you to death, love you as much as the sky and earth.” – The words repeated over and over, to the point where, if he heard any more, the young man felt like his brain might be brainwashed by them.

Only then did the man finally withdraw from his first love’s body, leaving him in a state of utter exhaustion, completely drained, unable to utter another word. Afterward, the man leaned down and gently placed a kiss on those worn-out lips.

“I feel the same.”

As if finally satisfied, the man responded briefly. And that was the last sound the young man heard that day.

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

*Beep beep* The sound of a message notification rang out.

Jeong Taeui reached out to pick up the phone resting on the bedside table. At that moment, Ilay walked in with a can of beer, and upon noticing, curiously leaned over to glance at the LCD screen with him.

On the screen, a single message was displayed:

[‘Hyung will always be in my heart. From now on, I’ll think of you every night. ――Jin-young’]

“…..”

“…..”

A brief silence passed. Jeong Taeui could only roll his eyes to glance at Ilay.

“It’s just a misdirected message. I don’t know anyone with that name.” – Jeong Taeui quickly explained, preemptively defending himself.

But Ilay was faster. He snatched the phone from Jeong Taeui’s hand and stared at the message for a long time, seemingly lost in thought. Then, his eyes slowly curved upward, as if he had pieced together something.

“It’s that kid, I think so.”

“…..Huh? Who? You know him?”

‘The person whose name I don’t know, who sent a message to my phone—how could you possibly know?’

Jeong Taeui frowned in confusion, curiosity etched on his face as he looked at Ilay. Ilay handed the phone back to him, but the message had already been erased without a trace.

“A friend of Sangjin.”

Ilay replied casually as he popped open a can of beer. Jeong Taeui shot him a displeased look, annoyed by how Ilay pretended to sound familiar while saying “a friend of Sangjin”, then asked suspiciously: “Really?”

“Yeah. I think I’ve heard it somewhere before.”

“Is that so? …..The name does sound a bit familiar. But I’m not too sure.”

Jeong Taeui muttered while fiddling with his phone, now devoid of any messages since they had been deleted. Ilay suddenly spoke up as he sat down on the edge of the bed where Jeong Taeui was lazily lying on his stomach:

“Are you close with him?”

“No, we’ve only talked a few times. …..Really!”

Suddenly, an ominous feeling washed over him, and Jeong Taeui’s sharp analytical instincts kicked in, prompting him to shout in alarm. Only when he saw Ilay smile faintly did he finally breathe a sigh of relief, placing a hand on his chest to calm his racing heart. Afterward, he went back to fiddling with the phone in his hand.

“But still, this guy is strange. What’s with this out of the blue?”

Jeong Taeui frowned and sank into thought.

‘Is this kind of prank trending in Korea lately? Or was it just someone sending a message to the wrong number?’

But the puzzlement didn’t last long. In any case, it didn’t matter. The message had already been deleted, and even if it hadn’t been, Jeong Taeui had no intention of replying to it.

Glancing to the side, he saw Ilay smirking with a cryptic expression. That smile made Jeong Taeui suspicious enough to ask:

“Why are you smiling?”

But Ilay merely shrugged without saying a word. Jeong Taeui stared at him with a look of doubt for a long moment before flopping back onto the bed and rolling around a few times.

Jeong Taeui spent the entire day without bothering to leave his bed. It wasn’t that he couldn’t sit up, but there was nothing urgent enough to warrant standing on legs that felt as limp as noodles. So, he stayed there comfortably, sipping the beer Ilay had brought him.

Through the wide glass window right next to the bed, the bustling scene of a lively street unfolded before his eyes. The hometown Jeong Taeui had returned to after several years away seemed mostly unchanged, yet here and there were subtle, nuanced differences that caught his attention.

Looking down at the tiny cars passing by like toy models, Jeong Taeui suddenly remembered something and asked:

“In Hong Kong, is everything settled now? It’s all done, right?”

Ilay, who was also gazing down, nodded slightly in agreement: “Yeah.”

Jeong Taeui exhaled softly: “Yeah, that’s good”, feeling relieved that everything had finally been resolved.

“Those were some eventful days.”

He sighed quietly and murmured the words to himself, prompting Ilay to chuckle and shrug lightly.

“As for me, I found it quite satisfying. Digging through traces of your past was actually very intriguing.”

“…..”

Now that he thought about it, how did he even know about that shop and manage to find it?

Curiosity bubbled up, but Jeong Taeui didn’t bother to ask. He knew all too well that this man wasn’t one to joke around—if he wanted to, he could follow him to the very depths of hell. Unexpectedly. At any time.

“Traces of the past, huh…..”

Jeong Taeui repeated his words softly, then looked down. In the distance, a square construction site came into view. Cranes were moving busily, laying the foundation for a new building. By the time he came back here again, there might be a building he’d never seen before standing in that very spot.

“Yeah, that’s right. It feels both joyful and nostalgic to return to my hometown after so long. Although, there are places that have changed quite a bit over the past few years.”

The traces of the life Jeong Taeui had before the man beside him appeared were gradually fading, little by little. Those memories shifted, sometimes obscured by layers of new ones. It made him feel a twinge of regret, but not enough to bring real sadness.

Jeong Taeui turned to look at the man, whose presence beside him had now become an undeniable part of his reality.

“And from now on, perhaps I’ll continue creating new traces with you.”

When Jeong Taeui murmured those words, Ilay raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled. His eyes seemed to say: ‘Of course.’

After finishing his can of beer and tossing it into the trash, Ilay fixed his gaze on Jeong Taeui, who was intently watching the scenery outside the window. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke:

“The flight back is booked for next week, but what do you think? Should we stay a little longer?”

Jeong Taeui remained quiet for a while before slowly shaking his head. He let out a soft but drawn-out sigh.

“No. It’s good to feel a bit of regret when leaving. Because when you leave, you’ll miss this place. And when that time comes, maybe you can return again.”

When will ‘that time’ be? If that day comes, will the old traces have almost completely disappeared, leaving nothing to be seen?

Indeed, there was a touch of regret. Memories faded or repainted by the passage of time always carried a hint of wistfulness, as if it were simply inevitable.

But still.

Jeong Taeui quietly gazed at Ilay. Sensing the stare, Ilay tilted his head slightly and met Jeong Taeui’s eyes. He seemed willing to wait patiently, either for Jeong Taeui to speak first or to look away.

Or perhaps, if his patience reached its limit, he might unexpectedly speak first: ‘What?’—before leaning in to place a kiss on his lips. After all, one thing was certain: he would never be the one to look away first.

“…..”

Jeong Taeui let out a soft laugh, almost like a sigh, before turning his gaze back to the window.

He didn’t know when he would return to this place, nor how things would have changed by then. But thinking about the fact that he would still be beside this man when that time came, the sadness seemed to fade, leaving only a faint trace behind.