Chapter 29: A Date in the Dark

“……”

The man’s demeanor abruptly shifted, his face first hardening with a terrifying intensity, then twisting into a peculiar expression before he finally burst out laughing.

“Wow, this is really driving me crazy,” Sagyeol exclaimed, his tension soaring. He lightly grasped Yeowon’s wrist, a gesture that now felt utterly natural. Helpless, Yeowon found himself being led along.

“I was going to suggest we meet inside a cafe,” Sagyeol explained, “but then I realized it wouldn’t be appropriate to cause such a commotion and then revisit.” The place Sagyeol led him to was the multiplex he had mentioned previously.

He suggested a movie to Yeowon. Yet, it was a suggestion in name only; he had already purchased the tickets, and their entry into the theater was utterly seamless.

Yeowon found himself entering the cinema almost by chance, vaguely settling into a seat. By the time he collected his thoughts, the lights had already dimmed, plunging the theater into darkness.

The film was a fantasy epic set against the vast expanse of the ocean. It chronicled the tale of a fisherman’s son who, after a near-fatal drowning, began to hear the voice of a mysterious fish. Gradually, even the fish, which harbored a deep disdain for humans, found itself developing an inexplicable attachment to the boy.

Given the narrative, most of the settings were either along the coastline or deep beneath the waves. Despite the film’s stunning, mystical beauty, Yeowon struggled to concentrate. Feigning indifference, he covertly stole glances at Sagyeol, who sat beside him.

Sagyeol’s face appeared starkly pale under the screen’s ethereal blue glow, resembling a mask. This illusion was further enhanced by his lips, which always seemed to curve upwards as if painted on. Even now, they remained fixed in that enigmatic smile.

Though Yeowon tried his utmost to remain inconspicuous, Sagyeol, somehow discerning his gaze, turned his eyes to him. Slowly, he leaned his upper body toward Yeowon, his broad, firm shoulders tensing. Sagyeol then feigned ignorance, whispering into Yeowon’s ear.

“Is there something you wish to say?” Sagyeol murmured. Yeowon hastily shook his head in response, and Sagyeol offered a faint smile.

“I do,” Sagyeol replied.

“……”

“I’m telling you this because you seem unaware,” Sagyeol continued, “but this, in fact, is a date.”

Sagyeol placed his hand over Yeowon’s, which rested lightly on the armrest. Yeowon’s fingers twitched instinctively. Sagyeol, however, pressed down firmly, slowly lacing their fingers together. A palpable wave of bewilderment washed over Yeowon’s skin, yet he made no move to pull his hand away.

Sagyeol, bowing his head, lifted Yeowon’s hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. Again, Yeowon’s hand trembled slightly, yet his expression remained remarkably calm.

Sagyeol yearned to see that composure shatter. The ‘fish,’ so susceptible to kindness and affection, would now find escape nearly impossible. He decided to subtly tighten his net.

“I like you,” Sagyeol confessed.

‘I wish you would look at me,’ Sagyeol thought. ‘I wish you would like me. Surely, these thoughts and desires aren’t inherently bad.’

The fervent confession from the time of the white-striped wolf now overlapped with this current declaration. Yeowon maintained an impassive face, yet cold sweat trickled relentlessly down his back.

The phrases “I wish you would like me” and “I like you” seemed superficially similar, yet they resonated with an entirely different weight.

“It’s just… that’s how it is,” Sagyeol stated simply. As if having said all there was to say, he turned his head back to the screen, focusing entirely on the film without another glance at Yeowon. Consequently, Yeowon’s mind became an absolute battlefield of thoughts.

Until the film concluded, Sagyeol never once released their entwined fingers. Yeowon, though visibly agitated, ultimately did not force his hand away.

As light returned to the formerly darkened space, Sagyeol, still holding Yeowon’s hand, inquired.

“How was the movie? It was fun, wasn’t it?” Sagyeol asked. Yeowon didn’t know. Not a single detail of the plot lingered in his memory. Considering it was just him and this man in the entire cinema, it must have been a rather forgettable film.

“Yes,” Yeowon affirmed, if only for the moment. Yet, Sagyeol was not one to let such a vague answer pass.

“Which scene did you find most entertaining?” Sagyeol pressed.

“……”

“Haha, there’s no need for such a face,” Sagyeol chuckled. “Truth be told, I didn’t watch it either.”

Sagyeol, his smile languid, leaned in and whispered as if imparting a profound secret.

“I was too busy looking at Kim Cheol-su to have the leisure for that.”

Yeowon suddenly felt an intense thirst. No, it was as if his entire body had instantaneously withered and parched. He yearned for something, though he couldn’t pinpoint its exact nature. Even in the dictionary he had consulted countless times, such an overwhelming sensation remained undescribed.

Subtly, he slipped his hand into his pocket, out of Sagyeol’s sight. His fingers brushed against something small and smooth, like a polished stone. He found himself, once again, at a critical crossroads. While escaping the demon realm, he had never once hesitated, but now, he felt compelled to ponder and deliberate endlessly.

Sagyeol gazed intently at Yeowon, who was lost in contemplation. To be preoccupied with other thoughts while in his presence! This man had truly wounded his pride on numerous occasions, a pattern established from their very first encounter.

Yet, he found he didn’t dislike it. Was it because this man was a returnee? Or perhaps because his slightly exposed nape and sturdy chest still appeared so undeniably appetizing?

Sagyeol let out a soft, dismissive chuckle.

‘What does it matter?’ he mused.

Such trivialities held no importance whatsoever. What truly mattered was the peculiar, intimate atmosphere that had now settled between them.

Sagyeol moved abruptly. As his large frame suddenly lunged forward, almost engulfing him, Yeowon’s vision was completely obscured. His body swayed, tilting precariously backward, his back sinking into the chair, twisted at an awkward angle. Yeowon’s immediate thought was that the man was attacking him.

‘Why?’ Yeowon wondered. ‘Could everything up until this moment have been a calculated trap, designed to make me drop my guard?’

Yet, his body, meticulously trained to detect murderous intent and hostility, remained strangely calm. This was no attack. So what, then, was the reason for such an advance?

“If you dislike it, push me away,” Sagyeol whispered. “I’ll pull back immediately.” Before Yeowon, still dazed by his words, could fully comprehend, Sagyeol leaned in and kissed him.

“…?!” Yeowon’s lips parted slightly in sheer surprise. Not missing the opportunity, Sagyeol’s tongue probed inward, an unexpected intrusion. Yeowon froze completely, rigid as stone.

Meanwhile, Sagyeol, who had internally vowed to unleash every technique at his disposal to utterly bewilder his opponent, found himself half-bewildered the moment he actually entered the other’s mouth.

The man’s mouth proved hotter than Sagyeol had ever imagined. For him, whose body temperature was naturally low due to his inherent abilities, it was a surprisingly stimulating warmth. Yet, Sagyeol did not retreat.

He traced the inner walls of Yeowon’s mouth, then entwined his tongue with theirs. The firm flesh, rigid in response to its owner, only further fueled Sagyeol’s surging desire.

From the breath pooled at the root of Yeowon’s tongue, a faint demonic energy emanated. Even this, Sagyeol found exhilarating, akin to the delightful pop of candy crumbs dissolving on his tongue.

Though he typically recoiled from demonic energy gathered in stagnant waters, the subtle traces emanating from this returnee acted, paradoxically, as a potent stimulant.

Before he could even register the strangeness of the sensation, the man’s face, positioned directly before him, came into view through his narrowly opened eyes. The hair that typically concealed his eyes was now swept back.

The sculpted, impassive mask of his face had already shattered. The expression that seemed capable of remaining calm even amidst the world’s demise was now stained with utter bewilderment. This was the other side of the man he had so desperately yearned to uncover. The furrow that appeared between his brows and his trembling pupils were maddeningly, intoxicatingly sexy.

‘Oh, f*ck,’ Sagyeol thought, a raw expletive.

Sagyeol lunged forward, driven by an instinct as primal as a starving beast’s.

While he meticulously maintained his public image, Sagyeol’s private life was, in truth, quite messy. Currently in Baekdam, he was undergoing an unwelcome period of abstinence, driven by his life’s overarching mission to acquire the returnee. Ordinarily, however, if he didn’t find release even for a single day, his sleep would remain anything but restful.

‘That’s why,’ he concluded.

All this intense, burning desire was entirely a consequence of that abstinence.

The kiss continued, accompanied by wet, fervent sounds. Yeowon’s firm body stiffened further. Each time their lips briefly separated, the other man gasped for breath. This clear evidence of his unfamiliarity with kissing only fueled Sagyeol’s impatience, driving him to press on with even greater fervor.

Then, as the rigidity in Yeowon’s body finally began to ease, and hesitant hands tentatively wrapped around Sagyeol’s neck, he nearly bucked his hips. He had never indulged in drugs, yet the only suitable comparison he could find for this sensation was narcotics.

‘What is this,’ he thought, ‘I’m not some callow youth who’s just discovered s*x.’

Sagyeol’s highly excited hand delved inside Yeowon’s shirt. His cool hand, fitting for an ice-attribute user, stroked the firm abdomen. Sexual allure flowed freely. Up until that point, Yeowon had merely flinched and let out low moans, showing no significant resistance.

His attitude shifted abruptly, however, when Sagyeol’s emboldened hand slid further up, reaching his chest.

Two pairs of wide eyes stared into each other.

‘Wait, his nipple is….’

‘……!’

Sagyeol squeezed his chest. No matter how he felt, there was only one protrusion.

Yeowon was more startled by the touch on his scar than by the sexual implication of the gesture. His mind snapped wide awake.

Thwack!

He shoved Sagyeol’s chest, half-rolling out of his embrace. He darted between the chairs like a squirrel, then sprinted down the aisle.

Sagyeol was left alone. His captured prey had escaped, yet the man remained composed. He looked down at his empty hands. The sensation of still clutching something was vivid on his fingertips.

The impact of the single nipple had been so strong that he hadn’t immediately realized it, but retracing his touch, the texture of the skin had been different. A deeply carved wound had healed over again. It seemed the nipple had been lost when that injury was sustained.

“f*ck,” Sagyeol muttered, his voice laden with genuine feeling.

“That’s just too sexy….”

He couldn’t tell if it was strange for him to find it sexy, or if the man, with only one nipple, was strange for allowing his hand to explore beneath his clothes.