YCHW Ch 30

Having bought the desired item, Yoonso thought it best to return for the day and headed straight for the guild hall. However, as he stepped into the alley leading to the hall, he noticed a group of men blocking the middle of the path.

Two men were showing a piece of paper to a woman, clearly a portrait. The men holding the portrait didn’t seem like ordinary people.

The moment he saw them, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up one by one, sending a chill through him. It wasn’t just a vague premonition; facing a truly ominous reality brought a different level of dread.

Swallowing hard, Yoonso slowly turned around. The saying went, “The more urgent, the more you should take the long way.” Repeating the wisdom of the ancients to himself, he suppressed the urge to bolt.

He had taken only a few steps when a voice called out.

“Hey, you there.”

Even though the call was clearly directed at him, Yoonso didn’t stop. Pretending not to hear, he moved calmly, but his pupils, fixed forward, trembled aimlessly.

“Hey, you there!”

“What’s that, deaf or something?”

The sound of the two men’s footsteps followed him. Though he deliberately kept his strides neither too wide nor too narrow, he could feel them closing the distance quickly.

This won’t do. This can’t go on.

His heart pounded so wildly that he could barely hear his own thoughts. His fingertips, curled tightly in his palm, trembled uncontrollably.

Praying desperately to escape, he rounded the corner out of the alley, but a man’s hand grabbed his shoulder. Yoonso immediately swatted it away and sprinted forward.

“Hey…! Stop!”

“What the—catch him!”

He couldn’t get caught like this, not here, not without even saying goodbye to Hwi. He had vowed to do everything he wanted before being captured, but there was still so much left undone. The desperate desire not to be dragged away fueled him, propelling his feet like a blazing fire.

Weaving through long and short alleys, he reached the marketplace and glanced back. The two men, with fierce eyes, were still chasing him. Yoonso darted through the bustling crowd with agile movements.

“Sorry, sorry…” Bumping into people’s shoulders and bodies, Yoonso muttered apologies with a strained expression. Behind him, screams and curses erupted as the men recklessly pushed through the crowd.

Glancing back again, Yoonso confirmed the men were delayed, the distance between them widening. Seizing the chance, he veered right and slipped out of the marketplace.

He ran straight down a quiet path, and as the sound of pursuing footsteps grew distant, he turned right again. With many side alleys around, it seemed possible to lose them if he was careful. Clutching faint hope like a cracked porcelain bowl, Yoonso turned into a leftward side alley.

“Oh…!”

Unfortunately, a wall blocked the end of the path—a dead end. Stopping abruptly, he nearly fell but steadied himself against the wall and turned to run back the way he came.

“Stop right there!”

A single misstep had allowed the men to close the gap significantly.

Sunlight filtering between the houses brushed Yoonso’s cheek before fading. Sweat streamed down, his breath caught in his throat, his legs felt foreign, and his running slowed noticeably, tears welling up.

Rising despair soaked his clothes, weighing him down. Though he steeled himself not to be caught, his body didn’t follow easily. Gritting his teeth, Yoonso turned into a leftward path.

The moment he rounded the corner, a hand shot out from the open door of a house on the right, grabbing his arm and pulling him inside. Helplessly dragged in, Yoonso collided with someone’s chest and was pushed back slightly, looking up.

A strong jaw, tightly closed lips, a straight, prominent nose, and sharp, elongated eyes…

It was Hwi. It was him.

As their eyes met, Hwi quickly scanned Yoonso’s face and led him deeper inside.

The space, more like an empty lot than a house, was filled with red, yellow, and blue fabrics hanging on lines. The fluttering cloths brushed against them as a gentle breeze blew through.

The moment a commotion outside signaled the door being kicked open, Hwi pulled down a red cloth, draped it over Yoonso’s head, and drew him close by the waist. Tilting his head toward Yoonso, their noses nearly touched.

Yoonso couldn’t even exhale, unsure if it was because of the approaching footsteps hesitating nearby or because he was so close to Hwi that he could see the depth in his dark eyes.

Hwi raised his free hand, adjusting the red cloth over Yoonso’s head carefully. Realizing it would look like a *veil used by noblewomen to hide their identity, Yoonso’s lips parted in awe.

The sound of approaching footsteps snapped him back to reality. If those men didn’t turn back, if he was caught in front of Hwi…

His lower lip trembled, and Hwi’s gaze dropped to it. As the man took another step closer, Hwi’s lips suddenly pressed against Yoonso’s.

The soft, firm touch made Yoonso squeeze his eyes shut. Stunned by the unexpected situation, he could only clench his fists and stiffen.

As Hwi took Yoonso’s lower lip into his mouth, a wet sound resonated softly. His lips were warm and tender. Sucking Yoonso’s lower lip, then the upper, saliva naturally pooled under Yoonso’s tongue, and he instinctively parted his lips.

Hwi’s movements stopped abruptly. As Yoonso’s trembling eyelids began to lift, Hwi tightened his grip on Yoonso’s waist and thrust his tongue into the parted lips.

“Hn…!”

Unlike the gentle sucking of his lips, Hwi’s tongue was voracious, almost ruthless, exploring Yoonso’s mouth. Gasping for breath, Yoonso could only focus on enduring the brazen intrusion.

The pointed tip of Hwi’s tongue pressed against the wet flesh, grazed the roof of his mouth as if marking it, and prodded his trembling tongue. Though it was his mouth being teased, Yoonso felt a tickling sensation between his legs, as if he might lose control. Clinging to Hwi like a lifeline, he let out a moan through his nose.

The sound of a cough and retreating footsteps came from behind, but Yoonso didn’t hear them. The cloth over his head slipped down, and Hwi’s thumb caressed Yoonso’s exposed cheek and ear. The protective energy in his core surged, curling his toes.

Like a predator tearing into meat for the first time or a newborn breathing air outside the womb, Hwi greedily stole Yoonso’s breath and saliva. In this kiss, devoid of his usual composure and care, Yoonso trembled, gasping like he was hiccupping.

“Hn, mm…”

Breathing was incredibly difficult, yet Yoonso’s body melted as if boneless. His mind went blank, enveloped by a strange sensation he’d never experienced. He wanted to stay in Hwi’s arms forever.

Unconsciously pressing his legs closer to Hwi, something hard poked below. At that moment, Hwi abruptly pulled back, as if pushing Yoonso away.

Their warm breaths mingled, dampening their lips. As Yoonso slowly lifted his eyelids, his dazed eyes met Hwi’s, whose gaze seemed deeper than before.

Exhaling heavily, Yoonso stared blankly at Hwi until the sound of children shouting outside startled him, making him step back.

He hurriedly looked around, but it was just him and Hwi. Relief at having escaped the pursuers was overshadowed by his awareness of his own physical state, and he shrank, lowering his eyes.

His cheeks were flushed, his lips swollen from friction and glossy. Rapid breaths poured from his parted lips. Unaware of Hwi’s blatant gaze, Yoonso fumbled with the cloth slipping off him, at a loss.

Why, why did he kiss me?