content warning
nsfw
do not repost or share on ANY social media. Do not make epubs of my translations.
Editors: Spade & Asterope
The city’s ice rink was packed with skaters. Juwon observed them for a bit, finding greater enjoyment in watching people skate with excitement rather than doing it himself.
Red and blue decorations hung from tree branches. Winter sunlight streamed through the gaps in between them. Every time the metal ornaments swayed in the breeze, their light scattered in all directions.
Street stalls were selling pretzels adorned with gingerbread men, candy canes, and tree-shaped sprinkles. Meanwhile, a street singer with a guitar was singing some carols, which merrily spread throughout the surroundings.
Joy to the world, the lord is come. Let earth receive her King.
In the distance, Inheon was holding two cups of hot chocolate while making his way through the crowd. Despite looking quite conspicuous standing a whole head taller than everyone else, no one had recognised him since he was wearing a hat, sunglasses, and even had his scarf pulled up all the way to his chin and wrapped tightly around him.
Yet Juwon found himself unable to tear his gaze away from him. Even in an all-black ensemble, Inheon was still shining in the winter sunlight.
Before Juwon even realised it, Inheon had arrived at his side and passed him his cup of hot chocolate.
The green paper cup was warm, with a slightly melted snowman-shaped marshmallow releasing a sweet fragrance. As Juwon took a sip, the rich chocolate blended with cream gently spread throughout his mouth. He let out a small bit of admiration. “It’s good.”
He could feel Inheon smiling as sweetly as the marshmallow. He couldn’t see his expression since his huge sunglasses and thick scarf were covering it, but even so, he still knew.
The song had reached its climax now. Juwon gestured with his chin at the busker singing the carol.
“Do you remember? The day we had our interview, this song was playing in the cafe.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It felt like the saviour who’d save December had descended upon us.”
Inheon awkwardly said, “The song didn’t even register to me back then… I wasn’t able to hear a thing.”
Juwon dropped a bill into the guitar case in front of the busker. The man who was singing responded with a crinkle of his eyes, as if to thank him. Juwon said, as if humming to himself, “Back then, I thought you were persecuting us for being a small and newly-founded company. An S-Class hunter sitting there, silent and expressionless—do you know how scared I was? Still, I smiled to try and look good to you, but Inhunter-nim, you just went all straight-faced on me…”
“…I think you’ve got a text?”
Bzz, Juwon’s phone buzzed. Mumbling, “Who is it?”, he took out his phone.
“Oh, it seems like the prosecutor is going to demand life imprisonment.”
When Juwon relayed the content of the message, Inheon nodded. The trial hadn’t taken place yet, so although there was no sentence, it was evident that the punishment was going to be severe.
Cases involving hunters attacking civilians often incurred additional charges, such as attempted murder. Not only did the man have a criminal record for causing harm with his abilities, he had even attempted an act of terrorism at the party hall, so the nature of his crime was even worse.
Furthermore, the release of the motive for the crime through the media had a significant social impact. This situation, which involved the CEO, who had taken the lead in publicising information, being put in danger because of it, was enough to anger the masses. This also led to a situation where, propagated by the foreign press, hunter companies worldwide had no choice but to comply with the request to disclose information.
Due to the situation, a sudden meeting was held at the International Hunter Association. On the day Inheon wrapped up his schedule, both he and Juwon made their way to New York. Despite initially thinking they wouldn’t have the opportunity for a trip this year due to their busy company commitments, they found themselves spending Christmas Eve in New York, just as they had said before. Although they had to go back the next day since there were pressing matters they could no longer delay, the time they currently enjoyed was fun.
The giant tree had been glimmering all day long. The streets were adorned with a multitude of decorations and twinkling lights, crafting a beautiful atmosphere. The faces of those wandering through the streets were bright.
With unexpected free time and no set plans, they decided to stroll around, but even then, they hadn’t realised how much time had passed by. At a street market, they purchased two fur gloves, dividing them between themselves and wearing one each, and also bought some ornaments to hang on their tree. Inheon seemed interested in the kitchen props, so Juwon bought him a sponge shaped like a sunny-side-up egg and a snowman pepper shaker.
Pointing at peculiar hippy-style clothing and bantering over who it would suit better, they strolled past an astrology and tarot booth.
In contrast to the lively atmosphere of the surrounding booths, the fortune-telling house stood strangely deserted and quiet. Perhaps that was why, upon making eye contact with Juwon, the old woman sitting inside the booth jumped up from her seat and actively beckoned him over.
[I’ll give you a deal, one question for the small price of ten dollars. I’m real skillful, you know?]
Although he didn’t trust her, the fact that this booth was the only one not attracting customers made him feel unusually conscious of it, and he entered inside. Under the curtain adorned with suns and moons intersecting like taegeuk patterns, the fortune-teller spoke in a hoarse voice, saying,
[What type of luck would you like to see? Love, wealth, health—whatever it is, just say the word!]
Juwon rubbed the end of his chin. His love luck was already at its peak, and his wealth luck was overflowing, so there wasn’t really anything he was curious about.
[Um… health?]
The old woman nodded, extending a set of cards. Juwon followed her instructions, shuffling and dividing the cards before picking one.
Silently staring at the card Juwon had picked, the old woman tilted her head.
[Hmm? Did you perhaps almost die last year?]
[…Yes, I did?]
The fortune-teller nodded, as if she already knew.
[Your fate was twisted. You were originally supposed to die, but it diverged into fortune.]
[Really?]
Internally amazed, Juwon looked to Inheon. Inheon raised an eyebrow and said, [Then, is it okay now?]
[His bad luck has completely gone away, so only good things are left now. He’ll live a long and healthy life.]
Even though she was just saying whatever, it wasn’t bad to listen for the fun of it, so Juwon inquired about Inheon’s fortune as well. Even though Inheon had no interest whatsoever in fortune-telling, he had no intention of rejecting Juwon’s request when he suggested it. The fortune-teller handed her cards over to Inheon.
Inheon selected a card, but unlike before, the fortune-teller gazed at the chosen card for a long time. The fortune-teller parted her lips and said in a low tone, [Will you give it another try?]
Inheon chose another card. The fortune-teller, studying the card, remained silent and instead mumbled to herself in a phlegmy voice. Curious, Juwon asked, [What’s his fortune?]
The fortune-teller swept her face, which unintentionally displayed a frown of confusion and helplessness, with her hands.
[…He has no fortune.]
[What?]
[I am incapable of reading his past, present, and future…]
She closed her eyes to try and focus again, but she still couldn’t see anything. She felt as though she were standing in front of an indecipherable puzzle.
It was the first time she felt severed from her connection as a psychic, able only to sense a cold, blue energy. The old woman slowly shook her head as she faintly mumbled, [Oh, Derick… Has the time come for me to join your side…?]
Juwon casually took out some cash from his pocket.
[Well, since you only read mine…]
The fortune-teller, who had her eyes closed in quiet contemplation, suddenly opened them and quickly said, [Anyway, since his energy is so strong and clear, no one will be able to face him unless he harms himself.]
[…Didn’t you just say you couldn’t read it?]
[Anyhow, his energy is all clear! Twenty dollars!]
The old woman extended her hand, which resembled an ancient tree.
Having been made to pay in the heat of the moment, they both faced each other and burst into low laughter, feeling like dumb customers.
Before they knew it, they started feeling a little peckish. Juwon pointed to the rows of food stalls selling hot dogs, waffles, hotteoks, and various other types of food and said, “Want to get something to eat?”
Leisurely surveying the surroundings, Inheon pointed to a booth.
“New York is all about pizza…”
“Ha, as expected of Kang Inheon, you know what’s up.”
They joined the line in front of the nearest pizza stall. It seemed to be a popular chain store, as the place was teeming with people. Newspapers featuring articles about the store and the signatures of celebrities were framed and placed on several different areas of the wall.
The pizzas that came straight from the oven were placed inside the display stand and sliced into large pieces before being sold. There were many people lining up to order, but so few tables that were already full.
The hotel they reserved was nearby, so they opted to get the pizza to go. Juwon went to the washroom for a bit, and upon his return, he noticed someone approaching and engaging in conversation with Inheon, who was still standing in line.
The woman, radiating charm with just a glance, casually swept back her wavy blonde hair. Sporting a lively smile, she asked, [What’s the best type of pizza here?]
Inheon shrugged. [I don’t know, it’s my first time coming.]
The woman clapped her hands, as if finding it fascinating.
[Oh, it’s my first time as well! I was actually wondering what I should get. I saw people on Insta say the margherita is the best one, so should I get that…?]
Inheon gave a light nod, and the woman continued with a smile, [What are you going to order? The margherita?]
The woman nudged Inheon’s sneaker with the tip of her sleek ankle boots. Inheon took half a step back and said, [Hawaiian, my husband likes that one.]
The woman was momentarily speechless. Soon grasping the situation, she let out a long sigh and grumbled, [Ha… I knew it, all the decent men in New York are either gay or married…]
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Quiet chuckles escaped from the people in line, pretending not to listen while subtly eavesdropping on the conversation. The woman laughed to herself as she said, [But the margherita here is actually good. I’m a regular at this place.]
[Thank you for the recommendation.]
[No problem, enjoy your meal.]
As the woman turned around, the middle-aged man standing in line behind them chimed in, as if to encourage her, [Nevertheless, you win when it comes to taste in pizza.]
[I guess I do.]
Ktf kbwjc uglccfv jcv jqqgbjmtfv tfg oglfcvr, ktb tjv yffc kjlalcu obg tfg ja atf qlmx-eq mbgcfg. Vtf rqgfjv tfg qjiw lc atf jlg obg tfg oglfcvr ab rff jcv rtbbx tfg tfjv. Ktfs ujnf tfg j iluta teu, mbwobgalcu tfg jr atfs tfjvfv ab jcbatfg rajii.
The pizza was coming out quickly, so the line had shrunk in no time. When it soon became Inheon’s turn, someone approached him once more and said, [Excuse me.]
It was a curly-haired man with a small physique and a cute face. When Inheon cast a brief glance downward, the man’s pale and freckled cheeks turned red. The man gulped before rattling on, [If you ever feel like trying a different kind of pizza, contact me!]
The man slipped a piece of paper with his number written on it into the pocket of the down jacket Inheon was wearing. That seemed to be the greatest display of courage he could muster as he quickly ran back, face lowered, without even placing an order. He was soon buried in the crowd of people, no longer to be seen. [Next person!]
Ktf rajoo mjiifv, jcv Pctfbc jqqgbjmtfv atf mbecafg jr lo cbatlcu tjv tjqqfcfv jcv qijmfv tlr qlhhj bgvfg.
[Four slices of Hawaiian, two slices margherita, and two slices regular…]
While the employee prepared the pizza, Inheon took the piece of paper from his pocket and tossed it into the recycling bin without giving it a second glance.
The aroma of olive oil and basil, the scent of fresh fruit, and the aromatic smell of cheese blended together, and based on the smell alone, it seemed like Juwon would like it. The thought of Juwon enjoying the meal made Inheon want to bring the pizza back to the hotel before it cooled.
[Pizza’s ready.]
However, even as he received the packaged pizza, Juwon was still nowhere to be seen. He might have been held up, given the congestion of people in the area, but Inheon felt his heart needlessly sink.
Should he have followed him after all? Juwon had said that they’d be able to eat quicker if one person lined up, but Inheon was worried about sending him off alone.
Of course, Team Leader Cha was tailing him, so there shouldn’t be any danger, but… Inheon wondered whether coming to such a crowded area was a mistake. He truly wanted to follow Juwon’s opinion that there was no need to change their daily routine just because of one crazy bastard, but unease began to seep in.
As if his nervousness had been unfounded, he locked eyes with Juwon as soon as he stepped outside the stall. Acting as though nothing was amiss, Inheon shook the large pizza box and smiled. “Took less time to buy it than expected, right?”
However, Juwon stood in a tilted posture with his hands in his pockets, saying, “You’re pretty used to being omnidirectional, huh?”
“Huh?” Inheon asked back with puzzlement, and Juwon added on with dissatisfaction, “Quite the natural with both men and women, aren’t you?”
Even though they didn’t realise his actual identity, Inheon was still overflowing with popularity. It seemed that, despite having covered both his face and his body, it still couldn’t hide the sense of excellence flowing from him.
The manner in which he handled all those who approached him seemed as natural as flowing water, so it appeared to be something quite familiar to him. Juwon lamented, “Even though you’re all bundled up, who’s the one people aren’t supposed to be able to take their eyes off of?”
Only then understanding what Juwon was getting at, Inheon grinned.
“That’s right… You said you wouldn’t sit still if anyone tried to flirt with me.” He lightly touched Juwon’s shoulder and then asked, “Honey, were you standing here to give them a harsh scolding?”
As Inheon harmlessly laughed, oblivious to the turmoil he was causing others, Juwon found himself with no choice but to resignedly laugh as well.
“Yeah, I tripped them.”
Laughter erupted once more as Juwon extended his leg onto the roadside.
Even inside the hotel, Christmas decorations twinkled. Above the living room fireplace in their hotel suite hung a wreath made of fresh pine needles and large socks.
Juwon grabbed a chocolate from the stocking and ate it while reaching for a beer from the minibar. Seated across from each other at a table beside the window, he and Inheon clinked their beer cans together. The cheerful sound of aluminium cans meeting echoed above the pizza placed between them.
Nibbling on the still-warm edge of the pizza, the sweet taste of the fruit and the savoury flavour of the sauce spread throughout their mouths. Despite the cold outside, inside was toasty, making it the perfect time to enjoy a cool beer.
Being on the top floor, they had a panoramic view of the city below through the windows. They could overlook the area they had just been in, which now looked as small as a box of matches. The winter sky was clear, devoid of any clouds.
Juwon took a sip of his beer as he said, “Seems like there won’t be any snow this Christmas…”
“Honestly, there’d be traffic if it snowed.”
Juwon idly chuckled upon hearing his words. “Planes won’t be flying if it snows, too. Don’t you think it’d be kind of nice to be stuck in New York for a few days?”
“That does sound a bit nice, doesn’t it?”
“Well, you always say you’re fine with everything.”
“Because I am fine with everything.”
Time quickly passed by as they shared miscellaneous conversations. They contemplated whether to attend a Broadway performance in the evening. Even if the tickets were already sold out, there were numerous ways for them to obtain some if they truly desired to, so it didn’t matter.
Empty cans slowly piled up beneath the table as the late afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window, casting the entire city in a golden glow with a faint shadow stretching over it.
The television, left on as white noise rather than being watched, was currently playing some Christmas special. The carols played from the streets flowed peacefully by.
A subtle sense of tipsiness began to envelop his drowsy mood, and Juwon’s eyelids drooped slightly. Juwon sluggishly leaned back against the couch as he stared outside the window, saying, “It looks prettier in the afternoon.”
“You look even prettier, though.”
Feeling his ears tickle, Juwon glanced over at him, but Inheon just wore a calm expression, as if he were talking about the sun setting westward.
Inheon, who had been quietly staring at him, opened his mouth and said, “At first…”
Inheon stretched out his arm and rubbed Juwon’s eyebrow with the tip of his finger.
“At first, it was because I was nervous, but later on, it was because I was sulking. You didn’t remember me, and I was acting narrow-minded… I’m sorry, the memory from back then was special to me.”
As he rubbed his left brow, his fingerprint pressed against Juwon’s scar. The wound he had suffered from the monster left an indelible mark. Inheon’s eyes slightly furrowed.
On the Christmas Eve of his fifteenth year, the No. 17 bus he had rode after parting ways with Juwon arrived at its last stop—the intercity bus terminal.
Entering the terminal, still bustling despite it being night, Inheon stood in line in front of the ticket office.
When it came his turn, he tried to buy a ticket, but he had no money—only the coin from the arcade rattled in his pocket. He recalled that the 10,000 won he had brought had been used up to pay for the pizza. He still had the wallet he had stolen, but…
Inheon left the terminal and dropped the wallet into a red mailbox. Dawn broke as he sat in the waiting room in front of the terminal all night long.
On Christmas morning, he walked back to the orphanage.
Despite being severely chastised for staying out all night without saying a thing, Inheon’s thoughts were elsewhere. He wished for today to pass quickly so he could go to school tomorrow. He wanted to see Juwon.
However, his wish wasn’t granted this time either. The school had to take an early break due to the unidentified virus originating from a dungeon.
Unable to wait for a few days, he even came to the front of Juwon’s home in Seongil-dong. However, despite waiting all day long, the lights stayed off. No matter how long he waited, the lights of Seongil Villa, apartment number 1109, never turned on.
Juwon had disappeared without a trace.
Inheon wondered if that moment had been nothing more than a dream. However, he was still wearing Juwon’s Nike sneakers. Choi Seorim had asked him where he got them from and attempted to put them on, resulting in Inheon’s very first fight in the orphanage. It was a very easy win. Everyone had stared at him with surprised eyes, but he didn’t care.
School finally resumed, but, as if it were only natural, Juwon didn’t show up. Even when he asked the homeroom teacher about it, all they said was that he had transferred schools, and they never mentioned where he had gone.
Dispirited, Inheon took his seat as the mathematics teacher entered the classroom. In response to the jokes in her greeting, asking if they’d been doing well and if they had completed the homework handed out before the break, the students erupted into complaints, questioning if homework was the most important thing at the moment.
However, Inheon wasn’t paying attention to any of that. A worksheet had been sandwiched between the pages containing the story of Alexander the Great. The math problems were neatly solved in clean and pretty handwriting, accompanied by a post-it note written in the same script.
When they met again a few years later, Juwon didn’t remember him. He had offered him a handshake, as if they were meeting for the very first time. Nothing changed, even if he knew they’d once been classmates. Back then, Juwon had tilted his head, furrowing the brow with the mark of the wound he had acquired saving him.
Perhaps the reason Inheon acted more brusque than usual was that he felt more upset about the fact that Juwon didn’t remember him than the realisation that Juwon had changed from the person he knew in the past.
On the Christmas Eve of his thirty-third year, Inheon gazed at Juwon, seated across from him, and spoke in a subdued voice, “I regret it. If I could go back to the day of our first interview, I would’ve said it properly back then. That I wanted to become your hunter because I loved you… That, even if you didn’t remember me, it didn’t matter to me what you were like…”
Juwon blinked and set his beer can down on the table.
“I wanted to talk about that too, but…”
Juwon slightly clenched his fist before releasing it. He had brought it up earlier in hopes of talking about it today, but now that it actually came down to it, he couldn’t get the words out. Juwon licked his lips before continuing, “To be honest… it’s not that I can’t remember.”
“…Huh?”
“No, it is true that I couldn’t remember anything at first, but I did find out about things later on.”
“…Are you saying that you eventually remembered?”
Inheon tilted his head in wonder. Juwon licked his lips with his tongue. He raised his beer can and gulped it down, but his thirst wouldn’t go away. However, it appeared that the time had come to spill everything.
“It might sound hard to believe, but during my time trapped in Gnipahellir…”
Juwon confessed everything that transpired when he was trapped in Gnipahellir—from the visions of the future he had witnessed to encountering the young Inheon and even the illusion crafted by the butterfly.
When he finished telling his story, the late afternoon’s golden sunlight was waning towards the west, and a rosy sunset dyed the sky.
“…The reason I haven’t told you this until now is… because I’m narrow-minded and selfish.”
Inheon seemed a little surprised by the unexpected story, but he earnestly lent him an ear. Juwon rubbed his face, taking a moment to collect himself before pressing on, “I wasn’t sure at first… I wondered if the present you remembered what the fifteen-year-old you experienced in the dungeon that Christmas Eve. I tried to dismiss it as something impossible. But, honestly… I was afraid that, if I told you everything, you’d think the reason I love you is simply because you love me. I hadn’t realised it, but I’ve liked you ever since we first met at that cafe…”
Juwon gazed at Inheon, who was bathed in the hues of the setting sun. Inheon’s black eyes beneath the shadow of his brow, the sharp nose bridge that retained its definition even in the fading light, and the lips Juwon yearned to kiss—they all remained as beautiful as they were the moment they first met.
From the moment he first saw him, Juwon found himself unable to tear his gaze away from Inheon. The sentiment only strengthened the longer they stayed together. Although he had criticised him for being two-faced for never leaving December despite wanting to remain committed to his upright beliefs, it was something that drew him even closer to Inheon.
Yet he was at a loss for what to do. At the time, Juwon was frugal with everything, but he was especially frugal when it came to love. That was why he had considered those feelings that had sprouted without his knowledge a waste. He was so used to blocking out luxuries such as feelings that he wasn’t even aware of it himself.
He’d held everything close to him, trying not to let anything be taken away, but his feelings had been stolen regardless. He didn’t even realise that they had already been stolen away.
As cars traversed the roads, their headlights illuminated, and the street lamps flickered to life, casting an orange glow. The panoramic scene unfolding below the window seemed like an illusion, as if belonging to a realm separate from when it was still day. Juwon slowly continued, “But it was true that you remembered everything, and… I came to learn that you took the words I had said back then as a guide for life and loved me. It was fascinating, and it felt just like fate. But I was also scared of what to do if you ended up feeling deceived. Because I wasn’t actually a naive fifteen-year-old back then.”
Juwon gently dented the empty beer can.
“…No, I’m just finding excuses. This wasn’t for your sake, but for mine. I was being selfish, wanting to preserve that time as a good memory for you. I’ve never really given you any good memories aside from then, have I?”
With a faint laugh, Juwon lifted his head and looked at Inheon. Their eyes immediately locked on each other as Inheon looked directly back at him.
“The reason I’m able to tell you this now is because I’ve come to like you so much more. Even if, on the off chance, what happened in the dungeon served as a catalyst for me to fall in love with you… The feelings I’ve nurtured up to this very moment are entirely my share of love towards the real you.”
At first, the anxiety and caution he felt matched the intensity of his emotions. However, his love had now been solidified, providing Juwon with a sense of certainty.
“It’s no longer important when my love for you started. Because we’ve made more cherished memories together, and there’ll be many more to come in the future.”
Sensing the intensity of the lights outside, the chandelier suspended from the living room ceiling was softly illuminated. Inheon’s eyelashes trembled, casting a long shadow beneath the warm light. Juwon grabbed his hand.
“So, even if I had the chance to go back to the day of the interview, I’d behave exactly as I did before. I’d repeat the exact same mistakes and live like Scrooge, and seven years later, on a snowy Christmas Eve, I would find myself trapped in Gnipahellir.”
The hand, now larger and stronger than in his youth, was still warm. This warmth was more precious than anything. Juwon’s voice calmly fell upon them, “Because I had to meet and tell the fifteen-year-old you. To steer clear of any riversides and to live a long, happy life. If my words had aided the younger you in enduring everything back then… I won’t introduce any variables that might alter the future.”
He looked straight at Inheon and concluded, “I’ve done enough regretting in the dungeon. I don’t regret anything now. You shouldn’t regret anything either.”
After having spoken the words he had held in his heart and honed for so long, Juwon released a small sigh. When he loosened his subconscious grip on Inheon’s hand, born out of his nervousness when speaking, he could feel that Inheon’s hand was shaking as well.
A diverse array of emotions played across Inheon’s expression, resembling a black shade composed of various colours. Silence pervaded the well-insulated and tranquil space.
A cobalt darkness descended upon the sky as the sun had fully set. The city’s nocturnal streets, now much more dazzling than in daylight, traced trajectories of lights that had grown more complex.
Inheon intertwined his fingers with Juwon’s, giving them a squeeze. His mouth opened and closed with difficulty as he struggled to find his words.
“…Lee Juwon.”
The first words he had spoken were Juwon’s name.
He liked calling out Juwon’s name. Even with the faintest movement of his lips, the sound lingered inside his mouth. So, there were frequent moments when he would repeat Juwon’s name to himself, over and over. Sometimes, it’d make his longing for him wane, while at other times, it would only pierce deeper into his heart.
Their eyes met. Inheon pulled Juwon’s hand towards him. He tightly embraced Juwon’s body with both arms as it lost balance and leaned towards him.
They could feel the thumping of their hearts, which were pressed against each other. It was meaningless to try and determine whose heartbeat it was. It just felt as though their hearts had merged into one.
The rims of Inheon’s eyes were flushed, and his watery eyes shimmered in the light. His lips moved, curving into a faint smile as his hoarse throat allowed for a lower voice to emerge.
“December’s saviour was you after all…”
Looking back on it, Juwon had always been like that. He was cold, yet he always lost his composure when it came to Inheon, and although he was calculative, he always put Inheon’s safety and stability first.
Even though Juwon frequently emphasised that a hunter’s career inevitably involved injuries, he would react sensitively to even the slightest wound Inheon sustained. He sought to select and assign him the easiest jobs that would still offer good pay.
That was Juwon’s love. There wasn’t a moment when he didn’t love him.
There was a time when he couldn’t trust Juwon and ended up hurting him.
Juwon had endured alone in the dungeon, narrowly escaping death’s grasp, but… he couldn’t even hug him and had only put pressure on him. He was the one who made it difficult for Juwon to be honest. He felt deeply sorry for that.
Examining the wounds Juwon had sustained in the dungeon back then made it evident how severely he had been hurt and how much he had suffered. Yet Juwon said that he would go back in there in order to save him.
Inheon was well aware of how good Juwon’s memory was. Juwon would willingly relive his exhausting life, not changing a single thing. Knowing that Juwon’s promise was saturated with wholehearted sincerity, Inheon felt a profound regret deep down to his bones.
Inheon closed his eyes, unable to find a way to control his tumultuous emotions.
After a while had passed, Inheon reopened his eyes. His face bore a mixture of tears and a smile, forming a peculiar expression that made it challenging to discern whether he was smiling or crying. Ultimately, he offered a helpless smile.
He wasn’t going to regret anything from now on, for his God had told him not to.
Inheon held Juwon’s cheek and carefully kissed him. The kiss held both a sweet and savoury flavour, along with the fragrance of autumn roses.
Before they knew it, the regular broadcast had ended, and an old Christmas movie began playing on the TV. Even then, the relationship that had started with a kiss showed no signs of ending.
It had begun gently and sweetly, as it always did, but the further they went, the more the heat burning in their breath crept to the tips of their chins. The intense pleasure consumed their entire body, leaving no room for any other thoughts.
Their eyes, blurred by the heat, reflected each other’s appearance.
Every time he met Juwon’s gaze, Inheon would gently crinkle his eyes and laugh. He pushed his finger in between Juwon’s lips and rubbed his red tongue and white teeth. Slipping his finger out, he used the saliva as a lube, holding their cocks in his hands.
The wet skin of their cocks rubbed against each other, covered in semen that could’ve belonged to either of them. The wet sound of two different colours, shapes, and sizes of skin colliding against each other rang in their ears.
It was about time for it to get tired, as it wasn’t the first time it had become erect, but the cock was still steadily reacting to the touch, and it lifted its head once more. Pre-cum leaked from its tip when it was rubbed against, as though attempting to remove its heated outer layer.
The fishy odour of semen mixed with sweat permeated the large living room. The sound of wet friction only heightened the sense of arousal. Firm shudders gripped them as a dizzying heat spread throughout their bodies.
“Ugh, ngh, let, go…”
As Juwon shook his head, lost in the unrelenting rush of pleasure, Inheon released the grip on his cock. But his cock, erect from the stimulation it was provided, was now stirring of its own accord without the need to be touched, rubbing against the other cock like snakes in heat.
His breathing turned ragged.
“Haa, ugh! Hngh…”
Juwon’s cock trembled in Inheon’s grasp. However, having already come as much as he did, regardless of whether it was semen or water, the leather sofa was completely soiled, and no more fluid leaked from his tip. All he could do was pant, as if his quick breaths were sobs.
Inheon kissed his wet eyelashes, the flushed tip of his nose, and his reddened lips as he whispered, “Haa, right… my honey needs to be fucked from behind in order to cum…”
“N, ngh…!”
Juwon opened his mouth and attempted to speak, but a thick tongue invaded his mouth, preventing him from doing so. Instead, a moan, indistinguishable as words, slipped from his mouth.
Inheon pushed his cock, which was on the verge of climaxing, into Juwon’s softened and loosened walls. Another wet sound came from beneath, as if it were also a kiss.
“Hng, ah, agh…”
Juwon scratched Inheon’s back. He was already filled with cum, so all he could feel was a dull pain. That, too, was transformed into stimuli accompanied by heat.
The inner walls, wet and sticky with bodily fluids, warmly wrapped around the swollen cock. Their lower halves were joined together without any gaps left in between.
“Ugh… ha, it feels like my dick is going to explode…”
“Haa, y-you, ugh, truly are two-faced…” Juwon mumbled, exhausted, as he rested his forehead against Inheon’s shoulder.
The suspicion he had harboured since before they started dating was proven to be true. The atmosphere before they had started kissing earlier had so clearly been noble, so he didn’t know why things always turned out like this when they began to have sex.
Inheon let out a hot breath as he laughed, as if Juwon were unaware of how much he held back on the things he said and did during sex.
Inheon covered the back of Juwon’s head with his large hand. He could feel the warm heat of his scalp in his palm. Juwon’s brown hair, damp with sweat, clung to his fingers. Inheon delicately tugged at the soft strands, prompting Juwon to lift his head.
“But Juwon-ah…”
Juwon slowly blinked his reddened eyes. The watery brown eyes were simultaneously provocative and beautiful.
Inheon kissed his eyelid before rubbing the tip of his nose against Juwon’s nose bridge, flushed with heat. He planted tender kisses on his cheeks, the corners of his mouth, and his chin. With his lips lingering, Inheon whispered, “Did that butterfly kiss you?”
Juwon’s chest, which had grown red from all the licking and sucking it had suffered, was then squeezed by a firm hand. When Inheon scratched his stiff nipple with the tip of his fingernail, a melted moan escaped from Juwon’s lips, which were still in contact with Inheon’s.
“Hngh, ah, ugh…”
“Did it touch your nipples too?”
Inheon’s hand descended slowly, caressing Juwon’s slightly slender sides and pelvis. Supporting Juwon’s butt as he held him, Inheon got up from the couch they had made love on.
“Did it tell you dirty things too?”
Juwon’s eyes wandered about, not knowing where to look. He had chosen to omit that detail on his own, as it didn’t seem like it would bring Inheon much pleasure to hear, nor did it seem necessary to mention. However, he couldn’t figure out how Inheon still knew about it.
Since he was holding him, Inheon couldn’t see Juwon’s expression. However, he could keenly feel the responses of their still-connected bodies. Planting kisses on Juwon’s flinching shoulders, Inheon spoke in a low tone, “You said it was a manifestation of my subconscious. If that’s the case, then of course it would’ve done that.”
Inheon could even sense the movement of Juwon’s Adam’s apple, shifting as he swallowed, all while holding onto his body. Unlike his calm tone, the cock digging into him was roughly twitching. His voice grew lower and lower.
“How was it? Did you like it?”
Inheon, who had been stroking Juwon’s butt, then firmly gripped it. As the soft skin was squeezed into his firm clutch, Juwon felt a mix of pain and pleasure.
“Ah, hngh!”
“Did it feel like this?”
Juwon hurriedly shook his head from side to side.
“Haa, that butterfly was you. Its existence is the same as yours…”
“Well…”
Inheon smiled, his eyes narrowing. He entered the bedroom, hugging Juwon, who was breathing heavily in his arms, and placed him on the bed.
“Anyway, that is true…”
Juwon’s back touched the soft mattress. Inheon quietly gazed down at him. He was still inside him.
For some reason, Juwon sensed an ominous premonition, and chills ran up his spine. It felt as if he were ensnared between muscled arms, leaving no room for any softness. Juwon placed a hand on Inheon’s shoulder and rubbed it, as if trying to placate him, emphasising once more, “T-there’s no need for you to be jealous of yourself. Plus, that was just an illusion, so…”
Inheon squeezed Juwon’s other wrist, rubbing the area where his pulse thumped with his thumb. The skin on the inside of his wrist was especially pale and soft. He positioned that hand above his shoulder before grabbing Juwon’s waist. He began to slide his cock out as he slowly nodded. “I see…”
Wanting to show him a little taste of what a manifestation of his subconscious would really be like, Inheon relentlessly thrust into him with the head of his cock.
Fwop! His cock cut through his inner walls and roughly penetrated him. A creak came from the large and soft bed, sounding as though it were going to break. Having been thrust into hard enough for it to reach his colon, Juwon had no choice but to tightly hold onto Inheon’s shoulders. His chin tilted backwards, and an indistinct moan escaped from him.
“Hnngh, ugh, ah…!”
Every time the cock penetrated deep inside him, a violent wave surged from his stomach, inundating his entire body. Light flashed through his corneas, and a warm heat blossomed like sparks.
“Haa, how does it feel to, have butterflies in your stomach?”
Juwon vehemently shook his head.
“How can this, hngh! Be butterflies…?!”
Leaving traces that were closer to heated iron than butterflies, it penetrated deep inside him. Nevertheless, his swollen insides burned as all of his senses became more sensitive.
The throbbing that went down to his bones made it so Juwon was unable to control his body. Not only was his heart pounding every time his prostate was thrust into, but it even felt like his breath was being taken away.
“Aah, ugh!”
Like thin fissures, liquid spilled from his cock, which was standing erect in the air. The overwhelming stimulation made his vision flicker, like a television that had lost reception. Juwon hugged Inheon’s neck, feeling like he was being lifted into the air before falling to the ground.
“Hng… ugh, agh!”
“H-hold me tighter…”
Juwon held him tighter, like a person on the brink of a fall, a sensation that Inheon loved. It seemed as though the colours of everything in the world were becoming clearer and more vivid, yet it also felt like he was losing focus, unable to see anything except Juwon. A violent shudder ran down his spine. Every sensory cell of his was alive and trembling, and the sound of his beating heart could be clearly heard.
The feeling of life became clearer whenever he was with Juwon. So, it was alright to leave illusions as just illusions.
The rhythm of his thrusting hips accelerated. Juwon had no option but to tremble helplessly beneath that large shadow all night long. He had to yell in a hoarse voice later on, “You’re no butterfly, you’re a son of a bitch.”
Sunlight gently seeped through the gaps in the white curtains. The marble flooring, bathed in sunlight, held onto its warmth, making the bedroom even warmer.
Inheon supported the side of his head with an arm as he lay, gazing at Juwon. The elegant arch that formed his eyebrows, his well-defined nose, and his slightly parted lips… Time seemed to slip away whenever he stared at his face as he peacefully slept.
The higher the sun rose, the more the light began to slowly creep in in long streams, casting its glow on the tousled blanket atop the bed. The pure white blanket began to shine even brighter. Inheon used his large hand to block the sunshine as it brushed against Juwon’s smooth and clear skin.
“Juwon-ah, just how long are you going to sleep for…?”
Before they knew it, it was already lunchtime.
Inheon liked watching Juwon peacefully sleep, but he also wanted to wake him up. Perhaps it was because the faint anxiety that Juwon wouldn’t recognise him once he awoke had disappeared.
As he gently lifted the cosy blanket that was covering him, Juwon curled up, as if sensing the cold in his sleep. He instinctively searched for warmth and burrowed into Inheon’s arms.
Finding his reaction amusing, Inheon gently kissed his forehead, prompting a slight furrow in Juwon’s brows. Whenever he kissed the corners of his eyes, they crinkled, and whenever he kissed his cheek, it twitched ever so slightly.
Seeing how he wasn’t opening his eyes even though he was this sensitive, Inheon wondered if he really was that tired from last night and stopped playing around to just quietly gaze at him.
After a while had passed, Juwon’s eyelashes began to tremble, and he slowly opened his eyes. With his long and plentiful eyelashes, Inheon couldn’t help but wonder if his eyelids felt heavy. Juwon blinked a few times before his hazy eyes found their focus.
“…Hm?”
Whenever Juwon woke up in an unfamiliar place, his eyes would take on their habitual wariness.
“Are you awake?”
“…Yeah.”
Yet, upon hearing Inheon’s voice, his defences seemed to crumble, as if he had never been wary at all. When their eyes met, he gently smiled. Witnessing the drowsy trust in Juwon’s gaze ignited in Inheon an illicit desire to only want to put him to sleep in unfamiliar places.
“It snowed at dawn.”
“…Really?”
Juwon slowly pushed himself up. Upon rising, he narrowed his eyes and massaged his back with his fist. The white blanket that had cloaked him slid down, revealing his naked body.
“Didn’t the weather report say it’d be clear…?” Mumbling with traces of sleepiness still present in his voice, Juwon walked barefoot across the marble floor, warmed by the sunlight. He stumbled slightly, and Inheon moved to catch him, but Juwon swiftly reached the window with his long legs.
Juwon stood in front of the large window and pulled back the curtains. As soon as the thin obstacle disappeared, sunlight poured down like sparkling diamonds, illuminating his naked body, adorned with bites and hickeys.
Although he wanted to continue to take his time admiring Juwon’s dishevelled hair, his pronounced wing bones, smooth waist, rounded butt, slender legs, and the red marks he had left all over his body, Inheon ended up draping the white blanket around his shoulders once more.
Juwon grabbed the ends of the blanket and wrapped it around himself. Cocooned in the blanket, he leaned his forehead against the cold window and gazed downward.
Large snowflakes had been quietly descending since dawn, blanketing the grass, trees, and buildings in snow and ice.
The cars slowed down, and people walked at a slower pace as well. The once dizzying and bustling scenery had been dyed a single colour, turning it quiet and serene. With the weather being so good, Inheon was secretly worried that the snow might melt before Juwon woke up. Fortunately, though, the white snowfields had remained undisturbed.
“Huh…?”
Powdery snow fluttered in the wind, as if the snow that had ceased at dawn had begun once more. It scattered about, as though it were dancing in the sky. Unable to tear his gaze away from the snow’s waltz, Juwon said, “Don’t you think we’ll actually be able to do the New Year countdown in Times Square?”
It was certain that there wouldn’t be any airplanes flying today or tomorrow, so the plan was to celebrate his husband’s birthday here. But how were they going to make seaweed soup? Did they have to go to a Korean market? A hint of laughter laced Juwon’s voice, still drowsy and calm.
Looking down the window, Juwon hummed a familiar carol.
The monotonous humming gently spread throughout the quiet bedroom. Inheon watched him quietly, then opened his mouth and said, “Juwon-ah.”
Juwon turned his head.
His gaze met Inheon, who was sitting at the end of the bed.
“I love you,” Inheon confessed. Though these were common words they occasionally exchanged every day, he remained sincere every time he said them.
He loved him both as a lover and a friend, cherished him as a brother and family, and revered him as his saviour and his God.
“I love you too,” Juwon replied with the same answer and faintly laughed. Outside the window, snowflakes continued to flutter down, white sunlight shimmering above them.
The moments that had been both dazzling and brilliant enough to make him want to stop time were now his every moment. He used to think that a happy life was a duty he had to perform, but it had now become his everyday life.
Inheon laughed as well.
Today was another ordinary and happy day.
<The End>
orcinus comments:
they make me want to puke (affectionate)
writing an emotional note after finishing the translation the first time and then having the author come back with new chapters a month later was a humbling experience but i hope you guys liked this novel as much as I did!
as always, you can leave a comment, review on nu, or rating if you want to show your appreciation 🫶 if there are any untranslated kr novels you would like to see translated, feel free to recommend them to me! but I think I’m a little picky since I only choose to tl those I’ve finished + really liked haha but pls I’m desperate I think I may end up translating the author’s third novel at this point
Thank you for your hard work 🫶 I’ll probably be re-reading this for Christmas every year!
thank you so much for translating this gem!! i think it was my first completed korean bl (novel only, manhwas don’t count!!) and it was such a good start for me
if you want an idea there’s one i started reading before but unfortunately it was taken down later (don’t remember why unfortunately), it’s called “the blue monster’s shell”; another one i know and love thanks to the manhwa adaptation is “i can see your stats!”
not sure these suggestions will help though, and once again thank you so much for taking the time to translate this!! 🥰
💖💖💖💖
Thank you so much for sharing this story
thank you so much! juwon and inheon will be one of my fav couples from now! theyre just so preciouss
Thank you very much for translating this!! 💖
Thank you so much for translating this novel, Orcinus! I really enjoyed this novel and it was hard to put it down. Your excellent translations really helped bring it to life. Looking forward to reading other translations from you. ❤️
Aaaaaaa I’m going to miss this novel if it really the last!!!
But this last extra (if it is) truly absolutely PERFECTING EVERYTHING!!!
JUWON LET OUT EVERYTHING!!! INHEON END UP LOVING HIM EVEN MORE MORE THAN EVER!!!!
THEIR LOVE TRULY END UP UNCONDITIONAL TO THIS POINT!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA IM ABSOLUTELY LOOOOOOOVING IT SOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!
THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR THE UPDATES!!! 🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for the translation 🙂
Might I suggest PASSION???
패션, 패션: 스위트 & 라가, 패션 : 다이아포닉 심포니아 by 유우지
“you’re no butterfly, you’re son of a bitch” hahahah juwon cursing is my new favorite genre. 😭 i’m glad he came clean to inheon about the dungeon and the alternated past. i felt like i cant rest in peace if the author doesn’t make extra chapter about it — now i can !!! finally 🛌🏻
thank you so much for ur hardwork to translate this, orcinus-nim! 💖 this novel cured my reading slump and pick my interest of reading k-novel again after such a long time 🥹
Thank you for translating this wonderful piece of work. Merry Christmas ⛄🎁
I love this. I was afraid they were going to forget abt the time loop thingy. This was such a memorable novel.
Thank you so much for translating!! This story is amazing, and I’m really grateful I was able to discover and read it thanks to your translation! 🙂
Thank you so much for your hard work!!
Thank you for the translation!