DPGR 112

“I didn’t mean to just dump all my feelings on you like this. And the fact that I like you… I’ll try to suppress it, so don’t worry about it.”

“No, hyung. I…”

“I’ll get some counseling when we get back to Korea. Probably just need to fix my screwed-up head a bit.”

Dojin didn’t even give Jiho a chance to speak.

What could Jiho possibly say other than a rejection?

Dojin snatched his coat, the pill bottle, and the luggage from Jiho’s hands and turned around.

“The car will be here soon. Let’s head down to the first floor.”

He spoke in a deliberately flat voice, distant and detached.

But he had to stop when Jiho suddenly cried out.

“D-Don’t hold back!”

“……”

“I-I… I don’t really know yet, but…”

Jiho’s voice trembled uncontrollably as he stared at Dojin’s back, face flushed red, his words pouring out incoherently.

“I didn’t know. I didn’t know you l-liked me, or how guiding would feel for you… I’m sorry. I won’t do that again. No, I won’t get hurt again.”

“……”

“So please… don’t talk like that. Don’t draw lines with me…”

No matter how many times he swallowed, took deep breaths, and tried to steady his voice, the shaking only grew worse.

Finally, Dojin turned around to look at him.

He’d thought Jiho was crying from how unsteady his voice was.

“Jiho…”

But standing there behind him wasn’t a crying child, only someone flustered by his very first confession, completely unsure what to do.

With his face burning red and eyes shut tight, Jiho spoke his jumbled feelings out loud.

“I like you too. I don’t know if it’s the same way you like me… but I still like you. I’m happy when I’m with you. So I like you!”

“You…”

“Is it okay if you don’t hold back? Can you… keep liking me?”

Now Jiho was breathless, gasping slightly from having spoken so quickly.

But still, he kept going, because he was desperate.

“I’ll try to like you more, too. No, no need to try. I already like you more and more. One day, I’ll like you more than you like me. So don’t go. Don’t hold back.”

I like you, hyung…

Jiho mumbled the last part, barely above a whisper.

Hah.

A small smile tugged at Dojin’s lips. Did this kid even realize what he was saying?

“Guide Jiho.”

Dojin called his name with a low voice and stepped closer.

His shadow fell over Jiho.

Jiho’s eyes widened, and he instinctively took a step back.

All Dojin had done was approach, yet it felt strangely overwhelming.

“H-Hyung…?”

“You said you like me…”

“Hyung?”

Dojin raised his hand. In the past, Jiho would’ve flinched or shut his eyes in fear, but now—he didn’t.

Despite the pressure, Jiho didn’t shrink back. His posture said it all: he trusted Dojin.

That tiny person believed in him. Even said he liked him. (Though it was probably a different kind of feeling…)

Dojin’s long-buried emotions surged up all at once.

“Hyung…”

“Shh. Stay still.”

He cupped Jiho’s cheek. Then, leaning in as if to kiss him, brought their faces closer.

Their lips were no more than a fingertip apart.

Their breaths mingled. Dojin could hear Jiho’s heartbeat.

At that distance, Dojin whispered:

“Don’t guide me.”

“What…?”

“I’m just going to kiss you. If you hate it, kick me.”

“Hy-Hmph…!”

Dojin’s heated lips devoured Jiho’s soft ones.

When his fingertips brushed Jiho’s earlobe, the boy’s slender shoulders shivered.

Jiho’s lips parted slightly in surprise. Dojin groaned low in his throat and pressed Jiho’s jaw gently with his thumb.

His wet tongue swept through the hot cavern of Jiho’s mouth, teasing the sensitive roof with its firm tip.

“Mmgh…”

That delicate spot made Jiho tremble, and a soft moan escaped him.

Dojin teased it a few more times, then began exploring Jiho’s mouth more thoroughly.

At one point, he paused with a faint frown.

“Mm.”

His tongue had touched the inside of Jiho’s cheek—where Jiho had bitten himself several times to stop from crying.

What should’ve been smooth was now swollen with cuts and ridges.

He tasted a faint trace of blood.

As if punishing him, Dojin pressed down hard on the injured spot, rubbing it slowly.

The pain Jiho hadn’t felt while biting himself now made him flinch.

“Mm—uh…”

Only then did Dojin gently lick the wound as if to soothe it. Then he entwined his tongue around the small, timid one that had shrunk back and pulled it toward him.

Squelch—smack—

Tongues tangled, saliva mixed, and a sticky sound echoed in the air.

Jiho, eyes tightly shut with lines creasing at the corners, not knowing what to do, soon began responding to the kiss out of habit.

Clumsily but earnestly trying to mimic Dojin’s movements, Jiho looked so earnest and adorable it made Dojin feel both thankful and touched.

Just moments ago he had felt upset and hurt, but now it was as if he had the whole world—his heart light, a corner of his chest tightening.

Dojin reached for Jiho’s two hands that were flailing in the air and brought them around his neck.

Balancing on his tiptoes, Jiho wrapped his arms around Dojin’s neck just as he was guided.

“Mm, ngh…”

Watching Jiho struggle with the height difference made Dojin let out a low chuckle from his chest.

Normally, he would’ve bent down or lifted Jiho up to match their heights.

‘This much teasing should be fine.’

But just this once, he didn’t want to. Instead, he straightened his back even more.

That made Jiho stretch out his body and cling harder to Dojin.

Feeling the strength in Jiho’s arms wrapped around his neck, Dojin felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

Jiho wanted him.

Of course, it was possible that Jiho’s feelings were more like attachment toward a protector.

But Dojin didn’t care. He had long since thrown away things like conscience and ideals.

He didn’t want to push Jiho away anymore for the sake of something so trivial.

‘He walked in on his own, so I’ll hold on tight.’

He recalled Jiho’s words about how being with him made him happy. That was enough. Jiho’s happiness was all he wanted.

Soon, Jiho’s body began to tremble from the strain of holding on.

Dojin gave up teasing and gladly bent to meet him halfway.

Supporting the back of Jiho’s head with one hand, he pushed his tongue in deeper, savoring him as he explored every corner.

Knock, knock!

A knock echoed in the room, which until then had been filled only with sticky sounds and soft moans.

Jiho, dazed and lost in the kiss, jolted and froze.

“Mm, ngh…!”

Face bright red, Jiho tapped on Dojin’s shoulder in a flustered attempt to push him away.

“Hy-hyung, ngh, o-outside, s-someone…”

It was just a kiss, but Jiho was restless with worry that someone might catch them like this.

Dojin pressed his lips to Jiho’s ear and whispered low.

“Focus.”

He rubbed his lips against Jiho’s again. Jiho, unsure of what to do, held his breath and clutched at Dojin’s clothes.

But the knocking continued, and Jiho’s hand again pushed at Dojin’s shoulder.

“Hy-hyung, ngh, cough! We can’t, someone’s o-out there…”

“Sigh…”

At last, a sigh escaped from Dojin’s mouth.

He gave Jiho, who was watching him nervously, a light peck and whispered into his ear.

“The car must be here.”

“…!”

Jiho flinched and covered his ear, as if ticklish.

Dojin tousled Jiho’s hair, grabbed his bag and coat, and said,

“I’ll go first, so come down slowly.”

“H-huh?”

“Take your time to get yourself together.”

He gave a small smile and tapped Jiho’s cheek with his fingertip.

Finally, Dojin left the hospital room. Jiho, now alone, staggered to the nightstand for support.

‘W-what just happened? He kissed me all of a sudden…’

It was deeper and more intense than any kiss they’d had before. Hungrier, more affectionate.

Jiho covered his mouth as he recalled Dojin’s face smiling into the kiss.

His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might jump out of his chest.

‘Wh-what do I do…’

His hand lost strength. He began touching his lips, still warm, then placed his hand on his burning cheek.

Turning his head, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror on the wall.

A face flushed red, hair and clothes in disarray, lips swollen and wet.

He now understood why Dojin told him to take his time.

Terrified someone might see him like this, Jiho hurriedly pulled down his sleeve to wipe his mouth and straightened his clothes.

With one hand, he kept flapping frantically as a fan.

But even so, the heat in his face wouldn’t go down easily.

“…Hng.”

Jiho pouted, about to cry, at how disheveled he still looked no matter what he did.