The air vibrated intensely.
Even though Seo Ui-woo did not intend it, the force he released tore through the air and spread across the entire bedroom. It felt like an invisible weight had been added, making Jae-jin feel as though he was being crushed, a primal fear arising in him.
Like how animals sense impending disaster and flee in droves, Kwon Jae-jin also felt the urge to leave this place.
But he did not back down.
"Ugh, Seo Ui-woo, the guiding you want from me involves contact with the mucous membranes, right? Sucking tongues and, well… having sex… Normal people can't just do things like that randomly. It needs to be something they want."
Seo Ui-woo gripped the handcuffs tightly, staring at Jae-jin with a penetrating gaze. His dry, ash-gray eyes sank into darkness, revealing the depths of his turmoil.
"I get it. I understand that you hate it. That's why I'm trying to forcefully keep you here. I need you, Jae-jin, and I need the guiding…"
The twenty-year-old Esper, starving for so long, was in a state where his desperation clouded his judgment and drove him to the edge of reason. His instincts screamed at him to chain Jae-jin down and devour him entirely. He wouldn't be at ease until he had touched Jae-jin's skin, felt his mucous membranes, and consumed every part of his body.
But it is not the cold wind that removes the traveler's cloak; it is the warmth of the sun.
With a trembling hand, Kwon Jae-jin slapped Seo Ui-woo's forehead with a sharp "chop." He considered indulging Seo Ui-woo by kissing him but decided against it. Instead, he pulled Seo Ui-woo by the waist, pushing him down onto the bed.
"So, if you need it, make me like you a little, Seo Ui-woo."
He straddled Seo Ui-woo, looking down at him coldly.
"Try to seduce me."
As obvious as it may sound, Seo Ui-woo also had a job.
He went to the Center, a government institution responsible for managing, supervising, educating, and deploying Awakened individuals, for regular training.
Only twice a week, though.
Since he was an S-Class Esper, he didn't need to participate in group training with lower-ranked Espers. Instead, he was on standby for emergency calls that could come at any moment.
For instance, if a swarm of creatures appeared near the border wall or a gate opened in the frontier district, Seo Ui-woo had to respond immediately, using teleportation to get to the scene.
This meant he had to be on standby around the clock, just like an emergency room doctor, firefighter, or police officer.
Sometimes, there would be no calls for more than two weeks, while at other times, he could get called three or four times in a single day.
This week, Seo Ui-woo was extremely busy.
'Maybe it's for the best?'
When Seo Ui-woo wasn't home, Kwon Jae-jin could finally find some peace.
Jae-jin first sorted through the groceries delivered by express shipping and moved them into the kitchen. There were plenty of other packages stacked up, but the groceries needed to be put away first since they'd spoil at room temperature.
He unpacked the boxes, removed the ice packs, and began neatly storing the fresh ingredients in the refrigerator. The beef ribs were of exceptionally high quality.
'Maybe I'll make braised short ribs with large chunks of potatoes.'
Jae-jin used his favorite kitchen knife to chop mushrooms, potatoes, onions, and carrots while he let the blood drain from the meat. He blanched the meat in a large pot first, removing impurities before adding all the other ingredients. A mix of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, and cooking wine for seasoning, and once it was all boiling, it was almost ready.
While he was in the middle of cooking, a flash of white light flared from a distance, like a camera flash. Tiny droplets of light lingered before disappearing — traces of instant teleportation. Seo Ui-woo must have returned.
"Again with the cooking. You're always in the kitchen, Jae-jin."
Seo Ui-woo walked straight over to Kwon Jae-jin as soon as he emerged from the sterile teleportation room.
It was hard to decide if this was akin to a loyal dog following its owner or a scavenger dog sneaking over to steal hidden food. Most likely the latter. To Seo Ui-woo, Kwon Jae-jin was probably nothing more than a delicious bone to chew on right now.
Seo Ui-woo wrapped his arms around Jae-jin's waist and licked the back of his neck. The sensation made Jae-jin's fine hairs stand up, and his body tensed from his toes to his lower back, but he kept his focus on cooking.
"Don't touch me when I'm by the stove. Can't you see I'm holding a knife?"
"I see it. Very clearly."
"How many times… Never mind. Since you're here, check if the seasoning for the braised ribs is right."
Jae-jin used tongs to pull out a piece of tender, cooked rib meat and held it up to Seo Ui-woo's mouth. But Seo Ui-woo simply curved his eyes lazily into a smile without any reaction. There wasn't even a hint of hunger in his glossy gray eyes.
"Ah, I guess it's not time yet."
Mumbling to himself, Jae-jin turned the tongs toward his own mouth, taking a bite of the meat. It was cooked just right, and with a little more simmering, it would be perfect.
"Time? What time?"
"The time when you eat, Seo Ui-woo."
"I don't have such a thing. I rarely eat."
"Right, which means it's not time yet."
Not eating, huh. Seo Ui-woo gave a soft smile and bit Jae-jin's ear. As he gently chewed, he murmured in a muffled voice, "I'd rather eat this." Jae-jin shook his head in annoyance, trying to get Seo Ui-woo to stop.
"Just… stop it. Let me cook."
"Later. Let's do the guiding first. I came up with a great idea."
"It may be fine for you to starve, Seo Ui-woo, but I need to eat. If I keep starving, I'll die."
"You can just use the healing factor…"
"I knew you'd say that. I don't like it, so just wait quietly. If you have nothing to do while you wait, there are plenty of packages piled up at the entrance. Why don't you take them to the second-floor room?"
"The second floor?"
"The big room in the middle with the best lighting. I'll be using it as my room. Move the stuff there."
"Ah… Sure, I guess it doesn't matter…"
Seo Ui-woo grabbed Jae-jin's chin and kissed his lips. His tongue slid in deeply, lazily caressing Jae-jin's as he sucked. After a moment, the braised rib pot started boiling over noisily, as if it would spill at any second.
Kwon Jae-jin nudged Seo Ui-woo's chest with the tip of his favorite kitchen knife. Seo Ui-woo didn't dodge; he let the knife press against his body. His flesh, protected by multiple layers of his power, remained unscathed.
"The packages. Move them."
"Mm, I'm moving everything now. But what's this?"
Suddenly, a sound came from the living room — a box being opened. Even though both Kwon Jae-jin and Seo Ui-woo were in the kitchen, it seemed Seo Ui-woo had been using telekinesis to move the packages and had decided to open one. The sound clearly came from the living room.
"A motorcycle?"
Seo Ui-woo lowered his gaze calmly, staring down at Jae-jin.
The braised rib pot continued to bubble over noisily.
"Are you planning to take this and go somewhere?"
"Where would I go?"
"To run away from me? Far away, because you hate me?"
Kwon Jae-jin reached out to turn off the stove. His arm didn't reach; Seo Ui-woo had him in a firm embrace, preventing him from shifting his center of gravity.
"It's for display. I liked the design, so I bought it. It doesn't even have fuel, so it can't start."
"There's fuel. Gasoline."
"Oh, is that so? I didn't order any… maybe it's included…"
"..."
Seo Ui-woo's eyes narrowed to slits, eventually giving him a glare akin to that of a flatfish.
This time, rather than the sound of a box being torn, there came the sound of metal plating crumpling in the living room. Jae-jin grumbled in frustration.
"Don't destroy my things. I'm not leaving. I told you, I'm not leaving the house."
"Really? Do I not need to use the handcuffs then? I can overlook it once, but not a second time."
"I mean, would someone planning to run away be calmly cooking like this? Or buying so much stuff? Look at me before you start doubting me."
"Hmm…"
"And keep your eyes wide open. Do you think staring at me like that makes you look cute or something?"
Actually, it does make him look a bit cute.
With his well-proportioned features and fair, handsome face, the expressions Seo Ui-woo made were amusing. It seemed that being attractive made everything more entertaining.
"…So, Jae-jin, do you like cooking and shopping?"
"Sorry?"
"You told me to seduce you. I know very well what Kwon Jae-jin dislikes, but I still have no idea what you like."
"Oh… Well, yes."
"Did I guess wrong…? Do you even like anything?"
"If you look hard enough, I do. I'm still a human being."
"..."
Seo Ui-woo pursed his lips like a bird's beak. Then, the gas flame suddenly went out. It must have been Seo Ui-woo who turned it off.
Seo Ui-woo placed a series of kisses on Kwon Jae-jin's cheek, the tip of his nose, and his eyelids. One of Kwon Jae-jin's black eyelashes stuck to Seo Ui-woo's lower lip. Blowing it off as if whistling, Seo Ui-woo abruptly asked:
"Jae-jin, say it."
"Say what?"
"Ui-woo. Call me that."
Kwon Jae-jin let out a baffled breath.
Knowing full well that it was an empty threat, he poked Seo Ui-woo's chest here and there with his favorite kitchen knife.
"I don't know what you're trying to do, but if you're done moving the stuff, get out of the way. I'm going to eat."
"If you think about it, you're really strange, Jae-jin."