FLIA 101

***

Everyone had sworn revenge, but for now they decided to take a good rest for a few days. Their bodies were still full of energy, but the sudden flood of mental fatigue had left them drained. Compared to the Abyss, this place was so pleasant and comfortable it felt like heaven. Above all, the corruption level didn’t rise just by staying still. Everyone wanted to enjoy this pleasant environment to the fullest.

After a cheerful, lighthearted dinner, they all got up as if they’d planned it together. They cleared away the mountain of dishes and garbage in one sweep, then began disappearing one by one with parting words.

“I’m going to Chanha-hyung’s place. I’ll order more delivery food.”

“I’m going to stay up all night and play that new game.”

“I’ll go check in on my family. Quietly.”

“I want to enjoy a relaxing bath.”

And just like that, only Lee Hyunmook and Yang Yohan were left behind. Yohan’s ears turned red, wondering if everyone had left on purpose to give them privacy. Lee Hyunmook seemed completely unfazed, but suddenly the atmosphere felt awkward. It made sense. This was their first time being alone together since the Japan zone.

‘We were always surrounded by teammates needing purification.’

But now they were safe. The corruption didn’t rise anymore. It felt strange, and a little lonely, to be without the others. But being alone with Lee Hyunmook made Yohan’s heart flutter. Trying to hide his awkwardness, Yohan loitered near the now spotless dining table. Then Lee Hyunmook asked.

“Isn’t there anything else you want to eat??”

“I ate so much earlier, I’m full!”

Yohan shook his head. It wasn’t just a polite answer. He’d really eaten a lot. He’d thought he’d been eating decently even inside the Abyss, but compared to real-world delivery food, there was no competition.

“Then do you want me to show you around the house?”

A tour of Lee Hyunmook’s house…? Half excited to see the home of a national hero, half thrilled at the idea of visiting his lover’s home, Yohan followed along at his heels.

He’d felt it from the front door, but the place was big. He was sure Hyunmook lived alone, yet the tables and sofas were large enough for several people. Each spare room had a bed and felt lived-in, as if teammates often came and went. One room even had a whiteboard, table, and chairs, not something you’d see in a normal house. It was a meeting room. But the part that left the strongest impression on Yohan was the trophy room.

“You’ve received this many awards?”

He leaned in to look at the dozens of plaques and letters of appreciation lined up neatly in the display case. Commendations, plaques, citizen awards, letters of thanks, all packed tightly without a gap. There were also framed photos of his teammates, family, guild members, and civilians he had rescued. Overwhelmed, Yohan took a slow breath. Lee Hyunmook explained gently.

“My teammates loved this room the most.”

“I think this might become my favorite room too.”

“If I add your photo, it’ll become mine too.”

“My photo….”

Just imagining his photo among those of these amazing heroes made Yohan giddy. He swallowed and asked carefully.

“I just… wanted to ask, just in case. I’ll still be working on the same team from now on, right?”

Lee Hyunmook laughed aloud. His expression looked like he’d just heard the cutest question in the world.

“I’d be really upset if Yohan joined another team. So would the others.”

“No! I don’t want another team either! I want to stay with you all!”

Yohan almost jumped as he shouted. Just imagining being assigned to a different team was heartbreaking. But hearing Hyunmook say they’d all be sad without him filled his chest with joy like a balloon inflating.

They kept touring the place, and before long it was time to sleep. Yohan spent a long time soaking in the bath Hyunmook had shown him. In the isolation quarters, he’d only been allowed quick showers that were more like sterilization procedures. But now, immersed in warm water, nothing in the world felt more blissful.

After the bath, Yohan stood in front of the mirror. He’d changed into the clothes Hyunmook had given him without thinking, but they were quite loose. He held up the hem and stared at his soft, flat stomach. He decided to start working out seriously, maybe try building abs. But another thought crossed his mind.

‘But what if working out doesn’t even work anymore…?’

To build muscle, you had to stimulate it. But now that he was a high-level awakener, he could lift a sack of rice like a mug. Exercise would need to be way more intense to have any effect. He doubted such equipment even existed.

‘Is this body shape going to stay like this forever…?’

Yohan stood there in a daze. Using his powers burned a huge number of calories, so even in the Abyss, he had to keep eating constantly just to avoid losing weight. It wasn’t for nothing. It was nice that food didn’t make him gain weight, but it’s a bit disappointing.

When he finally left the bathroom, Hyunmook was also washing up. Faint sounds of water came from the other end of the house. Yohan hovered aimlessly before quietly slipping into the main bedroom. There were other beds, but he didn’t see any reason not to share a room with his boyfriend.

He was lounging on the soft bed when Hyunmook came out. As Hyunmook dried his hair with a hairdryer, Yohan kept shifting around, trying to find a position that looked natural, that didn’t seem like he had an ulterior motive.

“You’re still awake?”

Pretending to be on his phone, Yohan had been keenly aware of every sound. He stole a glance at Hyunmook’s still-damp hair and the chest exposed through his slightly open robe.

“I thought it’d be weird if I fell asleep first.”

“Would it?”

When Hyunmook asked in that gentle voice, Yohan quietly answered, “Yes… it would….”

“Should I turn off the lights, Yohan-ah?”

“Yes….”

Yohan replied just as softly. Even though he drank so much earlier, his throat was burning and he swallowed dryly.Hyunmook pressed the light switch, and the room dimmed, wrapped in a warm twilight. As the light settled, Hyunmook lay down beside him. Yohan, unsure what to do, hurriedly put his phone away.

“It feels like a dream. Lying in my own bed with you beside me.”

Lee Hyun-mook said in a soft and low voice. As if recalling the past in the Abyss not long ago, a faint red glimmer seemed to pass through his black eyes. Yohan, who carefully turned on his side, made eye contact with him.

There were no more monstrous screams nearby. No more disturbing noises that sounded too human. No more suffocating air thick with rot and dread.

Only peace. Warm, clean air that wrapped them up like a cradle. Lost in that calm, Yohan impulsively whispered.

“…I want to kiss you.”

Lee Hyunmook didn’t answer. He simply smiled. He reached out and cupped Yohan’s cheek, then leaned down to kiss him. Their lips brushed gently at first, then again, and again. When Yohan parted his lips with a shaky breath, Lee Hyunmook’s tongue slipped in.

“Mm….”

Yohan unconsciously let out a soft sound. Just kissing made his skin tingle all over. The tongue inside his mouth moved slowly, teasing and caressing. As their kiss deepened, Hyunmook’s hand slipped under his clothes. That….? Tonight? Just the two of them? After all this time?

Stiff with anticipation, Yohan suddenly remembered everything that had happened before. The time in the Japan zone. The rushed touches. Being pulled inside Lee Hyunmook while fighting the Abyss core. None of it had felt real.

Torn between wanting and hesitating, Yohan slowly reached out. His fingers brushed over Hyunmook’s robe for a while, then moved lower in a sudden impulse. When he touched what he was looking for, his eyes widened. Hyunmook stopped kissing him and asked in an amused voice.

“What is it, Yohan-ah?”

“I thought we might… have a platonic relationship. But it doesn’t seem like that’s the case….”

To be honest, Yohan had worried that maybe Hyunmook’s sex drive had completely disappeared after being in the Abyss for so long. That maybe, physically, it was no longer even possible. But now that he felt its weight and presence, he was finally relieved.

“So you don’t like it?”

Hyunmook said he’d pull away if Yohan did. But Yohan shook his head hard.

“…No, I like it.”

“I’ve lived for so long without even remembering what desire felt like. But that doesn’t mean it’s gone. In fact…”

Trailing off, Hyunmook moved with a rustle and climbed on top of him. When his body blocked the dim light, it felt as if the room had gone pitch black. Yohan trembled slightly. But it was just an illusion. When he blinked, he could see the shadows moving across Hyunmook’s face.

His sharp nose traced down Yohan’s cheek and neck. The lips and tongue beneath it carefully tasted his skin. Yohan was already panting when he realized all his clothes had been stripped away.