JD 96

The Milky Way. Yes—the Milky Way.

That was the only phrase Hakyung could think of as he stared at the dazzling spectacle of light filling his vision. Without realizing it, his knees—on which he’d been kneeling for a while—straightened, and he took a few steps forward, moving closer to Muheon.

With each step, his own private galaxy grew nearer. Hakyung was utterly captivated by the light flowing across that pitch-black backdrop. And before he knew it, a massive eye was right in front of his face.

Inside the eye—larger than Hakyung’s fist—was a deep, infinite universe. It was only natural to fall under its spell once again.

Awed into silence, Hakyung stood before Muheon’s true form, barely daring to breathe. Slowly, he reached out a hand.

What he touched was the familiar black scale. The one that sometimes surfaced in his mind, now stretched endlessly before him. Overwhelmed, he gently stroked it, and light like that of a galaxy rippled with his movement, as if it were following his touch.

The eye—holding the black cosmos within—tracked him too.

Hakyung let out a small laugh at the unblinking attention and bowed his head, pressing his lips softly to the scale. The sensation was different from touching it with his hand. It sparked through him all the way to his toes.

Grrrrng. A low rumble, like a beast’s purr, vibrated above his head. It seemed to be a sign of pleasure.

He kissed it again—smack—and again came that deep, resonant purr.

“Can you not talk like this?”

「Mmm, I can do this much.」

Hakyung gasped at the voice that touched his mind directly. Telepathy? Or sound transmission? Like something out of a fantasy novel. He never imagined he’d experience it himself. It really was worth living a long life.

If Muheon knew what Hakyung was thinking, he’d probably make a face—but fortunately, he couldn’t read minds.

Still, Hakyung clutched his temples, feeling like his head was buzzing.

「Is it uncomfortable?」

“No! It’s not painful or anything, just… it’s amazing, and my head’s kind of whirring.”

「It’s probably your first time receiving it like this. Tell me right away if it gets to be too much.」

As he finished speaking, Muheon lightly tapped Hakyung’s cheek with the tip of his snout. To Muheon, it was the gentlest of gestures, but to Hakyung, it felt like a small car bumping into him.

And his breath! It was so strong, Hakyung’s soft pink hair blew around like it had been hit by a fan.

Both were flustered—Muheon from the affectionate nudge, and Hakyung from being on the receiving end.

“By the way… your true form is huge. Wow, I didn’t expect you to be as big as the whole cave.”

「Is it too big?」

“Too big? Not at all! Don’t you know the trend these days? ‘The bigger it is, the cuter it is.’ You’re perfect.”

「Why is that even a trend.」

Muheon, who preferred the small, adorable river dolphin, couldn’t understand. He tilted his head—and even that subtle movement sent a thunderous rumble echoing through the cave. The difference from his human form was staggering.

Even witnessing it firsthand, Hakyung could hardly believe it. But he wasn’t scared or unsettled—unusual for someone as timid as him.

In fact, before opening his eyes, he had resolved not to be scared or surprised, worrying he might hurt Muheon’s feelings. But that worry turned out to be pointless.

Now, staring at a form bigger than their entire house, all he felt was awe and wonder.

Hakyung shamelessly threw himself into Muheon’s massive body, rubbing his cheek against the scales.

“See? I can do this all I want, and I don’t even have to worry about wearing you down. Big is better.”

「Unbelievable.」

Hakyung had just backed up the “big means cute” theory with more conviction. It was a totally subjective and nonsensical claim—but Muheon just let out a quiet laugh. If Hakyung wanted to call him cute, who was he to argue?

Hakyung spent plenty of time admiring and touching Muheon’s enormous true form.

「I’m going to take a quick tour… want to come with me?」

“In your true form?”

「I can cover more ground this way than in human form. Thought I’d take a lap. But you can stay here and rest if you want.」

“I’m coming too!”

Of course he wasn’t going to pass up the chance. Afraid Muheon might take off without him, Hakyung rushed to cling to his side—though whether it was his waist or thigh, he wasn’t sure. He just wanted to stick close.

Muheon responded with a low rumble and used his snout to lift Hakyung by the butt.

Whoosh! In the blink of an eye, Hakyung was hoisted onto Muheon’s back.

At first, the height made him dizzy—but the wide, smooth surface easily supported his body, and he quickly found a comfortable spot.

Muheon checked several times to make sure he was okay before finally moving his long, massive body out of the cave. Then he began gliding through the West Sea at a calm pace so Hakyung wouldn’t be frightened.

The enormous black imugi cutting through the gentle waves of the West Sea was quickly spotted by the inhabitants.

Some were seeing his true form for the first time in centuries. Others, for the first time ever. All of them knelt and bowed in reverence.

Hakyung ducked his head lower, feeling awkward. Even if they couldn’t see him from so far away, it felt like he was being revered on Muheon’s behalf, and that made him uncomfortable.

「Sometimes I feel like a dead ancestor or something when they do that.」

For sea beastmen, it was natural to show respect to the ruler of their territory. But for Muheon, who was always treated like a totem every time he came, it was just a nuisance.

Sure, modernization was slower in the sea than on land—but still, it was the 21st century. Who was still bowing like this?

Even excessive admiration irritated his contrary nature.

Hearing him grumble, Hakyung chuckled softly. It reminded him of sulky teenagers—acting annoyed while secretly loving the attention.

“Why not? I think it’s so touching and wonderful to see everyone in the West Sea respect you like this.”

「Really…?」

“Of course! You should be grateful! These days, whether it’s elders, bosses, or even family, people can be so rude. Wouldn’t it be upsetting if they ignored you or talked bad about you instead?”

Sometimes, Hakyung’s nagging sounded even more old-fashioned than Muheon’s. Maybe it was because he’d spent so much time around older people growing up, those values had naturally taken root.

Muheon let out a low rumble at the sound of Hakyung’s cheerful babbling. So this was what people meant by “nagging”? He couldn’t understand why humans hated it—it sounded like music to his ears.

Thinking like the hopelessly lovesick man he was, Muheon began spinning in circles with Hakyung still on his back.

It felt like riding the safest amusement ride in the world, and Hakyung burst into laughter. His bright, refreshing voice echoed across the sea.

Just as he’d said before leaving the cave, it didn’t take long for Muheon to tour the boundaries of his domain.

Still, staying in one position the whole time left Hakyung’s joints stiff. He stretched in place, and Muheon gave him a gentle lift with his snout.

Whoosh! Hakyung landed softly on the ground and gave a small laugh.

“Wow, that really felt like getting off a ride!”

「A ride, huh… what kind?」

“What kind? Ah, well… actually, I’ve never been on one. So I guess I can’t really compare…”

Muheon saw Hakyung’s sheepish smile and casually tossed out a suggestion.

「Humans go to amusement parks a lot for dates, right? Should we go too?」

“Huh? Seriously?”

「If you want to.」

“Do I look like I’d say no?”

「Not a chance.」

Hakyung chuckled at Muheon’s firm reply, thinking, Of course we’re married—there’s nothing we don’t know about each other.

He’d never even gone to an amusement park on a school trip, but now he’d get to go as a date with his husband. Just imagining it made him giddy. His head was already filled with ideas for what to pack in their lunch.

The two exchanged what others might call trivial or boring chatter—but to them, it was full of warmth and affection. The imugi’s resting cave was the perfect place for such tender conversations—soft, safe, and deeply comforting.

Hakyung leaned against Muheon’s enormous body, letting out a drowsy breath. He told himself not to fall asleep here too, but his eyelids were getting heavier and heavier.

“Huaahm…”

Mid-yawn, Hakyung slowly drifted off. Just like the night before.

Muheon exhaled a huge puff of air through his snout.

If he just let Hakyung sleep peacefully again, he’d probably get scolded later… right?

As fearsome as the river dolphin’s sharp temper could be, Muheon himself didn’t have the patience to resist twice in a row.

Shifting back into his human form, Muheon leaned down and gently bit Hakyung’s earlobe.

It was a kiss full of desire.