JD 130

But Hakyung was South Korea’s proud manly man, and Lee Muheon’s reliable partner. When Muheon was shaken, it was his job to stay clear-headed.

To calm his frightened husband, Hakyung suddenly stuck out his pinky finger.

“I really promise I’ll stay healthy for a long, long time. So you don’t have to worry, honey. Next time, I’ll scatter condoms all over the bed. Seriously!”

Splashing water in place of condoms, Hakyung declared it loudly. The mood had started to tense up again, but thanks to his adorable, cheeky river dolphin, it softened right back up.

Muheon stifled his laughter behind his hand and wrapped his arm around Hakyung’s shoulder.

“Okay. Let’s do that next time.”

“Of course! Just trust me! I’ll take care of everything.”

Muheon burst out laughing at Hakyung’s overly determined declaration. Hakyung, beaming just as brightly, followed with a grin.

“They say if you cry and laugh right after, you’ll grow horns on your butt…”

“When did I cry?”

“I saw your eyes tearing up!”

Hakyung brushed his fingers beneath Muheon’s eyes. Whether it was tears, water, or sweat, something clung to his fingertips, and the two went back and forth about it, light-hearted smiles spreading across their faces.

If he hadn’t had an afternoon schedule, it would’ve been a disaster. Hakyung groaned, staring up at the spinning ceiling.

It wasn’t quite full-blown body aches, but he was definitely sore all over.

“You’re awake?”

As soon as Hakyung stirred, Muheon entered, as if he’d been waiting. He carried a tray with a bowl of egg rice, Hakyung’s favorite.

This time too, it looked like he had waged quite a battle in the kitchen. Instead of fried eggs, a mound of scrambled eggs sat on top.

Still, Muheon looked pleased with himself, visibly proud of the breakfast he’d made. Hakyung, overwhelmed by the sheer cuteness radiating from such a massive man, kicked at the sheets with his foot. That only made his hips ache, so he stopped after a few kicks.

After clearing every last bite of the meal Muheon made, Hakyung basked in the sunlight, now warm enough to feel hot.

“What time is it?”

“Eleven.”

“Whoa… really?”

“Yeah. We’ve got time. No rush.”

As Hakyung scrambled to get out of bed, Muheon caught him by the waist and pulled him back down.

Even so, Hakyung’s body was jittery with the urge to get ready.

“What if we get stuck in traffic?”

“We’re taking the KTX today, remember? Then we’ll rent a car when we arrive.”

Hakyung blinked. Come to think of it, their temporary manager had told him that two days ago.

But he’d been in the middle of filming and had promptly forgotten. He really must be busy these days, forgetting something that simple. Embarrassed by the unnecessary panic, he scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.

Because he hadn’t fully dried it earlier, his pink hair was puffed up like cotton candy. Muheon gently smoothed it down, then lifted Hakyung into his arms and carried him into the bathroom.

“Sit here.”

“Hee, okay.”

Hakyung didn’t refuse Muheon’s attempt to help with his grooming. Though his touch was clumsy, the large hands moving gently over his skin felt nice and clean.

He also liked watching Muheon grow serious and cautious when caring for him.

It had been a long time, since he was very young and his grandma took care of him, that anyone had done things like this. But it felt natural and comforting, like something he’d always had.

Which is why a special chair just for Hakyung had somehow ended up in the bathroom. Sitting on it today too, he kicked his feet playfully and naturally started to sing.

What was odd, though, was that the song was the national anthem, the one he was supposed to perform at today’s baseball game.

Most adults used the national anthem as a mental trick to bring down an erection, so the more he sang it, the more it felt like his own arousal was sinking. Maybe that’s why he’d chosen it, so something would calm down.

“Ahem. How was that? Should I raise the key a little?”

“Hmm?”

“The anthem! I’m singing it live today, remember?”

“Ah… it sounds good already. I think that’s enough practice.”

Muheon’s lukewarm response made Hakyung instantly pout. He knew it wasn’t good enough yet.

So he thumped Muheon’s annoying lips with his own.

“I used my voice a lot last night, and it’s still early, so my throat hasn’t fully opened up. How is that enough? So half-hearted!”

“No, I just—”

“What do you mean no! Even if you love every song I sing, you have to give me real feedback!”

Hakyung’s tiny hands smacked Muheon’s shoulder. The hits were soft as cotton, but Muheon still winced.

If Hakyung thought he was being careless, that was on him. But the truth was, after screwing him so thoroughly last night and then hearing the anthem first thing in the morning, he felt too deflated to say anything constructive. He didn’t want to sound like some sex-crazed beast.

Unaware of all that, Hakyung kept pouting. And that pouting turned into nibbles, on Muheon’s shoulders, neck, chest. His lips wandered everywhere.

The anthem, which had successfully subdued him, stopped working the moment Hakyung’s lips touched him. His cock began to rise again, like it hadn’t just been limp moments before.

“Hey? Are you listening?”

“Mm-hmm. Listening.”

Muheon had no choice but to quickly whisk Hakyung out of the bathroom. The wet sounds coming from Hakyung’s mouth echoed faintly, sending jolts of arousal through him.

If Hakyung said he was an animal, Muheon would have no grounds to argue.

Once out, Muheon handed him a warm cup of honey water. Only after drinking that did Hakyung’s mood settle and his voice warm up. His pitch became clearer, lighter.

Muheon’s reactions were better now than in the bathroom, which gave Hakyung confidence. He left the room with his head held high.

Truth be told, Hakyung often got overly affected by Muheon’s reactions to his singing. That’s why he ended up ranting about sincerity earlier.

“Hello, Hakyung. Looking forward to today.”

“Hello! I’ll do my best.”

Downstairs, his temporary manager Kim Hyunsoo greeted them with a friendly smile. He’d become Hakyung’s manager after working for years with Beom Urim.

Thanks to his knack for knowing when to speak up and when to back off, even Muheon didn’t mind having him around.

“You remember the plan for today?”

“Yup! We’re taking the train, right?”

Unable to hide his excitement, Hakyung answered eagerly. There were no train stations near his hometown, so he had never ridden one in his life.

And this wasn’t just any train, it was the fastest in the entire country. Pretty epic for a first time.

At Seoul Station, with its many platforms, trains, and people, Hakyung could hardly close his mouth. He looked just like a country puppy seeing the big city for the first time. Muheon gave his cheek a playful pinch.

“Careful or you’ll start drooling.”

“Tch, it’s not that bad. So… which one are we taking?”

Wiping the corner of his mouth just in case, Hakyung asked Kim Hyunsoo. Embarrassed that he’d acted so rustic, he tried to save face.

Kim Hyunsoo chuckled and pointed to a sleek, streamlined train. Despite trying to keep it cool, Hakyung’s jaw dropped again.

Once they found their ticketed seats, Hakyung bounced on his heels in place. Muheon chuckled, took his hand, and guided him onboard.

Even though he’d prepared plenty of snacks and drinks to eat on the train, Hakyung didn’t touch a thing, too absorbed by the scenery flying past the windows.

Sitting beside him, Muheon carefully unwrapped kimbap, offered him chocolate, and helped him sip zero-calorie soda. He tended to his awestruck husband with meticulous care.

To Kim Hyunsoo, who had grown up in Seoul, Hakyung’s wonder over the KTX seemed a bit excessive. So did Muheon’s overly devoted attention. But seeing the sweet, squishy air between the two, he couldn’t help but smile.

Every time he looked at them, Kim Hyunsoo was reminded that humans really were visual creatures. You never got tired of looking at something so harmless and beautiful.

Two hours passed in what felt like twenty minutes, and Hakyung finally stepped onto Daegu soil. It felt somehow warmer than Seoul, the air different, though maybe that was just his excitement.

As Hakyung looked around wide-eyed, Muheon scanned the surroundings even more sharply.

According to Beom Urim, today was the day.

The day they might finally catch the tail of Kim Taeyoung, the man who’d been scurrying in the shadows like a rat.