Come Back

“Hongseo is the kind of person who, even when he yields, still seems unyielding, someone with a core that makes you wonder. What is he hiding behind that fake smile, trying to appease others while keeping his true self concealed? He doesn’t seem like the type to do that… He’s the kind of person who sparks curiosity.”

His hand, which had been tracing Hongseo’s jawline, slid to his ear and buried itself deep into his hair. Each time his fingers brushed his ear, a sharp thrill made Hongseo’s shoulders tense. Not wanting to be caught, he took another sip of wine.

“But when I saw the photos and videos of Yoon Hyean, it felt like the opposite. He seemed like someone whose type you could easily figure out, and his eyes were full of apathy, showing no signs of passion.”

Having emptied his third glass, Haeseong poured more wine into both his and Hongseo’s glasses.

“And I trust my own judgment when it comes to people. Even if what I see is filtered through a screen, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have some insight.”

He lightly swirled the wine in his glass and tilted it to take in its aroma.

“But the more I interacted with Yoon Hyean, the less he seemed like that person. Even when I was watching him with hostile feelings, I could tell something in the report was wrong.”

After drinking the wine, Haeseong looked at Hongseo.

“The expression that seemed so flat, arrogant, and full of boredom in the video… it keeps shaking me. I want to follow him, to make him turn around and see me, and then I want to know why he made that face.”

“…”

“…Like you, Hongseo.”

Perhaps feeling embarrassed by his own words, Haeseong let out a small laugh through his nose, lowering his gaze. His eyes, which had been staring down at the carpet, returned to Hongseo, filled with warmth.

“And now, I think the old version of you and the current version of you are similar.”

Not Hongseo and Yoon Hyean, but the old you and the present you. Haeseong’s expression was so delicate.

Once again, his hand dug deeply into Hongseo’s cheek. There was no hesitation or discomfort in his touch, just pure closeness. Not once, throughout the day, had Hongseo felt any sense of hesitation from him.

“In the end, it’s not about the features, but the impression that matters.”

“…”

“The impression is something more than just appearance, like fingerprints.”

“Then why…”

“Hmm?”

“No, never mind.”

Hongseo tried to smile and shook his head. If the change in appearance wasn’t a problem anymore… then why not kiss him? He couldn’t ask that.

The one who had to adjust to the changes in their relationship was Haeseong, not Hongseo. He had believed he could wait for him as long as it took, convinced he had the patience. But then why was he feeling so impatient?

He gulped down more wine. Haeseong, watching him, pulled at Hongseo’s arm. Drawn by the strength, Hongseo awkwardly found himself between Haeseong’s legs. It was just like that time when he had cried at the gallery, his back pressed to Haeseong’s chest.

“Hmm.”

With a grunt of effort, Haeseong embraced Hongseo from behind. One arm crossed over his chest, while the other wrapped around his lower abdomen. Thoughts of kisses or anything else didn’t cross Hongseo’s mind.

Haeseong’s chin gently pressed against his shoulder. His neck, jaw, and left ear were all in contact with Haeseong’s body.

“Tell me you were jealous of Gaspar.”

In the small living room, he suddenly whispered in Hongseo’s ear. Hongseo gripped his wine glass tightly.

As Haeseong’s nose brushed his earlobe and his breath reached a sensitive spot, Hongseo’s body began to burn with desire. If they hadn’t even kissed yet, he wished Haeseong wouldn’t stoke that desire in this way.

Hongseo grabbed Haeseong’s arm that was wrapped around his shoulders with his left hand.

“I was… jealous.”

“Really?”

Just imagining Gaspar kissing him, touching him, and being tangled in bed with him made Hongseo feel a searing ache in his body. He looked like some European prince or nobleman. It was something he didn’t want to say too openly.

“I didn’t want to stay just friends… I was jealous enough to want to throw a tantrum.”

“…”

Haeseong’s movements, rubbing his nose against Hongseo’s ear, stopped. He seemed surprised.

A deep sigh left Haeseong’s lips, and he rested his forehead on Hongseo’s shoulder. His arm tightened around Hongseo’s torso. To avoid acknowledging the hot, pressing bulge between his legs, Hongseo quickly changed the subject.

“What did you talk about with Hyunsoo?”

Haeseong lifted his head and pressed his chin firmly into Hongseo’s shoulder as he answered.

“It was when I thought Yoon Hyean was imitating you, trying to dig up information. I heard you showed up at ‘Jessica’ to meet Song Hyunsoo, and I asked about you.”

“…”

“Of course, you just went because you missed a friend.”

Haeseong gave a bittersweet smile as he remembered the misunderstandings from that time.

“I don’t know if he’s a good person, but he’s a good friend, Song Hyunsoo.”

Hongseo nodded, trying to hold back tears by clenching his jaw tightly.

“He asked me to kill Myung Dohoon.”

“…What?”

The unbelievable words made Hongseo turn his head in surprise. Haeseong’s darkened gaze met Hongseo’s, calm and steady.

“He chased me down and screamed that I had to kill Myung Dohoon. Only then would you… close your eyes.”

Hongseo’s chin started to tremble. Haeseong, who had been fixated on him, looked at him, his eyes now darting around. Haeseong took the wine glass from Hongseo’s hand and set it down on the carpet. He pulled him in more tightly.

“Sorry. Let’s not talk about these painful things for now.”

Haeseong pressed his lips to Hongseo’s hair.

The air felt cooler, and Hongseo noticed that the fire in the fireplace was nearly out. He absentmindedly stroked Haeseong’s arm while staring at the fading flames.

Then, suddenly, Hongseo realized something. Maybe Haeseong would be uncomfortable sharing a bed with him. But it wasn’t easy to bring it up. He knew that if they were to move this forward, he’d have to take the initiative.

“Shall we… go to bed? We’re supposed to go hiking tomorrow, after all.”

Haeseong checked the time by lifting Hongseo’s wrist, instead of looking at his watch. It was nearly 3 a.m.

“There’s a twin bedroom available. How about we share that room?”

“…”

“It’s like when we first stayed at your house. We slept in a room like that, didn’t we?”

“That’s right.”

“It feels like going back to that time, just after we met.”

Hongseo lightly tapped Haeseong’s arm that was around his collarbone. Then he stood up, pulling Haeseong’s wrist as he did.

“I told you. I won’t get hurt until you’re completely sure about me.”

“……”

“I hate pushing myself more.”

The face of Lee Hae-sung, who was sitting with his hand held by Choi Hong-seo, looked complicated as he stared up at him.

After a long while, he leaned on the force of Choi Hong-seo’s pull and stood up from his large body.

He had asked his attendants, who had accompanied him from Korea, to ensure that they could be alone together without any distractions. True to his request, there was no sign of anyone until they reached the guest bedroom on the second floor.

He had changed into the pajamas he had bought today, which had been laundered and dried by his attendants, and laid down to sleep.

He thought he wouldn’t fall asleep easily, but in an instant, he drifted into a deep sleep, as if his worries about what to say were irrelevant.

Was it a dream or reality?

He felt a gaze from the edge of the bed, as if Lee Hae-sung was looking down at him, but before he could confirm whether it was a dream or not, he was drawn back into deep sleep. It was understandable; so much had happened that day.

Thanks to the deep sleep he had after the previous night, Choi Hong-seo woke up early in the morning. He felt as though he had been awake for a long time despite having slept deeply like a baby.

When he felt the heavy arm resting on his chest and abdomen, along with the warmth and breath nearby, he was startled and remembered where he was.

“…”

Lee Hae-sung, holding Choi Hong-seo in his arms, was lying on his side facing him, deeply asleep. His brow was furrowed.

He couldn’t remember when Lee Hae-sung had moved to this bed.

Was the image he had seen in his sleep last night not a dream? Had he sat up, watched him sleep, and then crawled into the bed?

He wanted to gently stroke Lee Hae-sung’s face and smooth out his furrowed brow, but he decided against it. He stared at Lee Hae-sung’s bare shoulder, chest, and arms, rising and falling with each breath.

He could look at him all day long without getting bored, and he could stay with him all day without getting tired. The problem, though, was that his body seemed to crave him again. He didn’t want to feel embarrassed about wanting the person he loved, but at the same time, he didn’t want to make him feel guilty.

When did he become so driven by desire?

He gently lifted the heavy arm from his chest and carefully got out of bed.

As in the early hours, the mansion was quiet, and there was no sign of anyone. Choi Hong-seo, dressed in his pajamas and a thick cardigan, quietly went out to the front yard.

“Hah…”

The world was peaceful and dazzling, as if the strong winds of the previous night had been a lie. The sea was calm, shining like broken glass fragments.

He walked down the steep steps that led from the infinity pool across a wide lawn to the beach. This was the place where he had taken a short walk with Lee Hae-sung after arriving at the villa the day before.

Unlike the Malibu Beach and Puerto Beach he had seen on the way in from Beverly Hills, the narrow beach faced a cliff. Walking along the concave-shaped beach, he cleared his mind with the refreshing morning breeze. He thought he would walk to the end of the beach, without thinking about anything.

“Choi Hong-seo, Choi Hong-seo!!”

His name echoed in his ears so clearly that Choi Hong-seo stopped in his tracks.

“Choi Hong-seo!”

It was definitely Lee Hae-sung’s voice. When Choi Hong-seo turned around, he saw him rushing down the steep stairs, taking several steps at a time. He was hurrying so much that it seemed like he might fall any moment.

Moreover, he was exactly as he had looked asleep in bed. He was bare-chested, with no gown on, only wearing pajama pants. He was not someone who would come outside looking so disheveled, even if he was comfortable indoors. Something must have happened.

Choi Hong-seo’s heart began to race. He quickened his steps.

“Choi Hong-seo!”

Even though he had already seen Choi Hong-seo, Lee Hae-sung’s voice rose louder as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He wasn’t just raising his voice to get someone’s attention from a distance.

Choi Hong-seo started running toward him. Lee Hae-sung’s pace, on the other hand, slowed down. With every heavy step, his face looked like someone who had lost their soul.

When they were only about ten steps apart, Choi Hong-seo slowed his steps again and carefully observed Lee Hae-sung’s pale, terrified face. His lips were blue.

“What’s wrong… is something…!”

As the distance between them closed, Lee Hae-sung reached out and grabbed Choi Hong-seo’s shoulder from behind, pulling him roughly into his embrace. His other arm tightened around his body as if trying to crush him. Their chests slammed together, and they could feel each other’s pounding hearts.

“I thought I lost you…”

“……”

“I thought I lost you because I took my eyes off you, because I fell asleep, and you disappeared…”

“……”

“I thought it was all over…”

He was speaking incoherently, like someone who was half out of their mind.