HEAL 1

As soon as the door closed, the breath of a strange man drew near. Amidst the loud music of the gay bar, the artificial lemon scent of the ‘adios motherfucker’ he had been drinking wafted over in a rush.

Wait, isn’t this too rushed right after entering the motel room? Of course, they had come to get physically intimate, but Sang-kyung had no intention of even kissing the man.

No wonder he ordered something with a weird name like that cocktail. Clicking his tongue inwardly, Sang-kyung gently cupped the man’s cheek. His pretty-faced opponent, who was a handspan shorter than him, slowly closed his eyes as if waiting for what came next.

Sang-kyung brushed the man’s brownish bangs upward. He suspected it might just be the bar’s dim lighting, but the man’s face shone brightly enough even under the fluorescent lights. It was almost a shame that someone with such genes was born gay and couldn’t contribute to future generations.

Hmm… It’s possible after all.

Soft hair brushed past his hand. However, the opponent’s face being too outstanding could also be a problem for Sang-kyung. A feeling of having seen him somewhere before sent a warning to Sang-kyung.

“You’re not a celebrity or a model… or something like that, are you?”

A crack appeared on the face that had been quietly waiting for a kiss. The brown irises folded in half, hidden by the smiling eyes.

“I’ve received many business cards, but if I did that kind of work, I couldn’t play around while showing my face.”

That was a relief. For Sang-kyung, who worked at an advertising agency, it would be very troublesome if he ended up facing this man, intended for a one-night fling, again as a client. If the other person thought he was genuinely gay and kept pestering him afterwards, it would be hopeless. He felt a bit sorry too, since the other was the real deal and he wasn’t, so the ripple effects of a one-time encounter would be different.

Sang-kyung removed his hand from him and turned around, walking towards the bed.

“What is it? Weren’t you going to kiss me?”

The voice, clearly flustered, made Sang-kyung swallow dryly. A kiss. Of course, for a gay man, it would be included in a night of fun. However, in the simulations in Sang-kyung’s head, kissing a man didn’t exist.

“No, it just seemed a bit too fast.”

As Sang-kyung stammered out an excuse, a stifled laugh burst out right in front of him. His face flushed hot.

“This is your first time, isn’t it?”

The man’s words were filled with certainty. Did he look that awkward?

“…Yes.”

“Are you perhaps a bottom?”

In his life, he might have heard others referred to by such terms, but he never expected to be called that himself. Until a month ago, he even had a girlfriend. Although she dumped him. Sang-kyung’s mouth fell open in astonishment.

“It really must be your first time. You’re cute. Were you nervous?”

The man strode over and lightly tugged Sang-kyung’s tie. The smooth silk texture tightened around his neck. His hands were experienced, as if familiar with such things.

“It’s okay. You just have to put it in the hole and shake it.”

He boldly groped the front of Sang-kyung’s pants. The man, whose mind was preoccupied with the lower half, didn’t notice Sang-kyung’s distorted expression at all.

“Wow, it’s big… You’ve never used something like this? What a waste.”

Sang-kyung’s sensitive area was continuously caressed by the man who smiled like a predator. Even though the opponent was pretty-faced, perhaps because he was male, no signals came from below at all.

“Are you a bottom?”

This was also a line Sang-kyung thought he would never have uttered until three months ago. The man’s eyes lit up as he nodded.

“…Does getting penetrated feel that good?”

Sang-kyung’s innocent question might have awakened the man’s dormant instincts. The momentarily dazed brown eyes focused on Sang-kyung as if surrounding him.

“Of course, it feels good. Oh, you’re really cute. I really want to fuck you.”

A boiling heat could be felt in the opponent’s voice. If gazes had physical force, it might have entangled him like a net. Sang-kyung shrank back.

The man’s hands began undoing his shirt buttons as if digging in. If this continues, he’ll be devoured. Damn it, if I’m going to get fucked, shouldn’t I have met a woman, not a man?

“Ah, hey, don’t do that. Wait a minute, let me wash up first. I came straight after work today.”

“I washed up clean at home before coming out. I actually like the smell…”

No, isn’t this like getting caught by a complete pervert with only a decent face? Danger signals rang in Sang-kyung’s head. It overlapped with the time his ex-girlfriend declared she wanted to try fucking him with a dildo.

“D-don’t do this…”

Sang-kyung grabbed the man’s wrist, which was rummaging through his shirt buttons. It was a quite slender-boned wrist. Sang-kyung wasn’t particularly burly either, but this person looked so fragile that he couldn’t even bring himself to use force.

At the unexpected resistance, the man’s movements stopped. Soon, a thick arc was drawn at the corner of his mouth. It was as if a beast of prey was toying with its meal right before its eyes. Although in terms of physical build, it should be the opposite.

“We came here by mutual agreement, so if you act like this, it feels like I’m forcing myself on you. It’s making me even more turned on…”

The man’s red tongue licked over his lips. Under the light, his saliva-moistened lips glistened.

He’s crazy. This guy is really crazy. Sang-kyung shook off the man’s wrist and stumbled backward in a fluster.

“Hey, sir, let’s wash up first. You’re being too aggressive, so I don’t think I’ll get hard.”

How old is he? For Sang-kyung, jaded by corporate life, anyone who seemed like a client was ‘sir’ regardless of age. The man, seeing Sang-kyung’s quiet front, smacked his lips as if disappointed.

“Ah… That’s troublesome.”

It worked! No matter how much of a psycho he is, it seems he can bend for the sake of momentum. Sang-kyung didn’t miss the opportunity and drove the wedge in.

“I’ll wash up too, and during that time, I’ll prepare myself mentally a bit. Atmosphere is important, you know.”

Using a serious voice as if giving an important presentation, Sang-kyung persuaded his opponent. Despite appearances, he had a body praised for good vocalization and diction.

“You’re cute, so I’ll let it slide, but you shouldn’t do that when having a one-night stand in the future. Between men, it’s obvious, right? What atmosphere? Just do what you need to do and finish.”

The man tapped Sang-kyung’s cheek with his finger. He received strange… lessons about social life.

But seriously, how old is this guy? The hierarchical tendencies that had been suppressed by the other’s momentum cautiously raised their head. But as soon as they met the man’s peculiar gaze, they quickly subsided.

“I’ll wash up first. I’m the type who likes to unwrap a gift I like later.”

As you wish. Do as you please. Sang-kyung desperately suppressed the frivolous voice in his heart.

The man gave a wink and entered the bathroom. The door closed, and soon after, the sound of shower water hitting the tiles could be heard.

Now!

Sang-kyung didn’t hesitate for a second. He snatched the bag tossed at the foot of the bed. Taking his wallet from the bag, he placed money, enough to cover the motel fee and more, on the table. It was money that could even buy a cocktail back at the gay bar.

Sorry for wasting your time. Though he didn’t particularly believe in any god, he clasped his hands in apology and then raised his head. He should have asked about positions at the bar first but acted foolishly.

Sang-kyung tiptoed to the door, put on his shoes, and successfully slipped out into the hallway as carefully as possible.

His footsteps, which would have suited the onomatopoeia ‘stealthily,’ changed to ‘striding.’ In the motel’s long, quiet hallway, Sang-kyung tried to even suppress his breathing. The wait for the elevator to arrive was so nerve-wracking that his feet started trembling on their own. The elevator’s ding arrival sound seemed like the loudest noise in the world.

When the elevator finally opened, Sang-kyung swiftly got in and repeatedly pressed the close button. The couple already inside looked at him strangely, but he paid no mind. Escaping the clutches of the gay man was the priority.

Fucking adios.

As he exited the motel, the cool night breeze lowered the temperature of his body drenched in cold sweat. It was a world of difference from the air inside the room, filled with a subtle heat. If it were a place with no one around, he might have spread his arms wide in liberation.

Can’t waste time like an idiot. It was the moment to turn around without letting his guard down.

“Ugh…”

Sang-kyung groaned as he bumped into something hard. When he properly raised his head, he saw the face of the person standing before him.

It was the polite and respectful junior he always faced at the company. The guy who followed him well and he found cute, but encountering him here made his blood run cold. Because this was Jongno, famous as a holy ground for gays.

The colorful neon signs of the entertainment district chaotically spreading over Yeon-su’s face, erasing his usually neat impression, might have also played a part.

“Ah, Yeon-su. Long time no… wait, not really? We saw each other earlier. I was supposed to meet a friend here, but got stood up, you know? What are you doing here alone? On a fun Friday?”

The lines delivered in a robotic, unnatural tone reached his ears. Yeon-su was silent. His cold gaze scanned Sang-kyung as if monitoring him.

Sang-kyung belatedly realized he had been rattling off words as if making excuses. Moreover, in front of a motel, what else could the purpose be? His sense of tact was really terrible. He often argued with his girlfriend because of thoughtless words, and even after being dumped, he hadn’t improved.

“Sorry, the location was too awkward for pretending to know each other. Have fun.”

Sang-kyung waved his hand and turned his back to him. Cold sweat dripped. Someone said there’s no paradise in the place you flee to, was it a philosopher? Of all people, why did he have to run into someone from the company?

Before he could take a few steps, a pale hand grabbed Sang-kyung’s wrist. Startled, he turned to see Yeon-su’s cool face up close. The amiable smile he usually showed at the company was nowhere to be seen.

“Wh-what’s wrong, Yeon-su?”

Normally, he wouldn’t be this intimidated by a junior. But perhaps because of the location. Or because of what had just happened. Sang-kyung’s heart was shriveled.

Maybe because it was so different from the wrist he had grabbed earlier. A physical pressure, incomparable to the man he had just dealt with, firmly pressed down on his wrist.

“I’m not here to do anything weird.”

“Huh?”

“It’s not what Assistant Manager Kang is thinking.”

For some reason, Yeon-su even wore an expression of being wronged. Damn it, I’m in a hurry, why is this guy acting like this too?