Chapter 61: Bathwater Confessions

Seong Ju-an stared blankly for a while at the smile that could charm anyone before finally coming back to his senses and sitting down beside Gong Se-yoon. He had been imagining a bleak, empty apartment, so this felt unreal.

“Se-yoon, you couldn’t have had much time. When did you do all this interior decorating?”

“Do you like it, hyung?”

Ju-an nodded. The interior itself was beautiful, but what made him even happier was the fact that Se-yoon had grown attached enough to life to spend this much time and effort decorating his home.

When Ju-an gave him a thumbs-up and sincerely praised it as amazing, Se-yoon grabbed his hand and led him around the apartment.

The study, kitchen, and even the bathroom were decorated in the same style. The exotic atmosphere made him feel as though he had traveled abroad.

“You told me before, remember? That if I changed my environment, I wouldn’t feel lonely even when I was by myself. You were right.”

“I said that? Then you really did a great job.”

Ju-an spoke honestly as he patted Se-yoon’s back. Not only had he remembered every word Ju-an said and acted on it, but the way he proudly admitted it had worked made him seem lovable.

‘Why did someone this pretty have to suffer so much?’

‘Why else? Because I wrote his character that way.’

Watching Se-yoon smile with crescent-shaped eyes made guilt slowly creep up inside him again. Without thinking, Ju-an reached up and stroked his hair.

After quietly leaning into the touch for a while, Se-yoon picked up a robe and some underwear before tugging on Ju-an’s arm again.

“Shall we go wash up?”

“Huh?”

Gong Se-yoon blinked at him with wide eyes, looking as though he couldn’t understand why Ju-an was reacting like that.

“Aren’t we going to wash up?”

“We’re going together.”

“With me?”

“Who else would I go with besides you, hyung? We’re bathing together.”

Ju-an had no idea why Se-yoon thought that was such an obvious thing, but he strongly felt he needed to stop this before they actually entered the same bathroom.

“There are two bathrooms. Why do we need to bathe together?”

“Come on, hyung. What if a Hunter using stealth sneaks in? Protecting you is my duty.”

‘W-Well, that is technically true…’

Ju-an looked into Se-yoon’s eyes as he spoke so matter-of-factly. Tiny blood vessels had burst, making his pale brown eyes look reddish.

The corners of his eyes, which usually drooped whenever he was depressed, were sharply lifted today, and his lips looked especially red, giving him an even more dangerously seductive atmosphere than usual.

“We’re both guys, so what’s the big deal? You saw how big the bathroom was earlier.”

Hearing Se-yoon say it so innocently made it difficult for Ju-an to refuse. He was afraid that rejecting him outright might suddenly trigger another depressive episode. In the end, Ju-an reluctantly followed behind him.

****

“Hyung, want me to scrub your back?”

Good. So far, everything’s going according to plan.

Gong Se-yoon swallowed hard.

Using his ability, he adjusted the bathwater to the perfect temperature for relaxation and added a few drops of aromatic oil. At first, Seong Ju-an had looked flustered and unsure what to do, but eventually he undressed on his own.

After rinsing himself off quickly with the shower, he slipped into the bathtub.

Se-yoon quietly stared at him sitting in the steaming water. The hazy steam only made Ju-an’s graceful figure look even more alluring.

Maybe because he had been fighting so often lately, he had more muscle than when they first met, and his jawline had grown sharper.

And at some point, a sensuality had begun lingering around his eyes, though whenever he smiled, he still looked like a boy, and that contrast made Se-yoon’s heart pound uncontrollably.

“It’s okay. You should come in too, Se-yoon. It’s warm and nice!”

“Then I’ll help loosen up your muscles.”

Afraid Ju-an might refuse again, Se-yoon quickly turned him around and grabbed his shoulders. Water splashed onto his robe, but that didn’t matter since he was going to wash up anyway. Ju-an offered no resistance and simply let him.

The moment Se-yoon placed his hands on those stiff shoulders, the soft texture of Ju-an’s skin made his hands slide downward on their own.

After touching him once, all thoughts of massage techniques vanished. Instead, he only wanted to sink his teeth into those shoulders immediately.

‘No!’

Se-yoon widened his eyes and forced strength into his hands. He had spent countless nights practicing on a teddy bear while thinking about Seong Ju-an. He couldn’t ruin things now during the real thing.

Tonight, he absolutely had to win Ju-an’s heart so completely that the other men would never even cross his mind again.

Just because he had endured watching the others flirt with Ju-an didn’t mean Se-yoon was actually okay with it. Even in his cheerful state, he had no desire whatsoever to share Ju-an with anyone.

But as time passed, even the S-ranks who initially showed little interest began growing obsessively attached to Ju-an, and that made Se-yoon increasingly anxious.

Mo Jun-young was seriously the biggest surprise. He looks like the type who wouldn’t act like that…

If even Mo Jun-young had become that possessive, then there was no need to mention the others.

Several times a day, Se-yoon indulged in terrible fantasies. Like escaping somewhere with Ju-an after shaking off all the other S-ranks using his own power.

Even if he switched into his depressed state during the fight, he didn’t care. Thanks to Ju-an, he had gained a passive ability that allowed him to overcome the debuffs of his depressive state.

Still, if he actually did something like that, Ju-an might hate him. So he had to be careful.

‘I have to win his heart first. Make him want to run away with me.’

“Hyung, relax your shoulders. Lift them once and then let them drop. It’ll feel good.”

Ju-an’s rounded shoulders lifted slightly before relaxing again. Se-yoon traced his fingertips from the crown of his head down to the nape of his neck, and he noticed Ju-an’s ears turning red.

‘He reacted!’

Se-yoon nearly let out a gasp of excitement, but quickly bit down on his lip to stop himself.

‘Make him feel good, but stay composed yourself. Don’t think weird thoughts. Focus only on your hands.’

Firming his resolve, Se-yoon pretended to press pressure points while brushing against Ju-an’s earlobe before slowly sliding his hands along the line connecting his neck and shoulders.

Every time he did, the taut muscles fitting perfectly beneath his palms felt incredible, but even better was Ju-an’s reaction, flinching slightly every time Se-yoon touched him.

Then Se-yoon casually let his hand slip over Ju-an’s shoulder and down toward his chest.

Ju-an startled and quickly turned his head.

“Se-yoon, weren’t you supposed to be loosening my muscles?”

‘Stay natural. Natural.’

“Right!”

“Then why are your hands moving to the front?”

“Th-There are pressure points under the collarbone too.”

Ju-an stared at him for a moment before simply turning back around.

Honestly, he had already started suspecting something when Se-yoon kept “accidentally” tickling random parts of his body under the excuse of massage. But he couldn’t bring himself to tell him to stop.

The careful touch of those trembling hands actually felt good, and he worried about how hurt Se-yoon might feel if his kindness was rejected. Someone who had only ever been rejected before… if there was something Ju-an could give him, he wanted to give it.

…And honestly, it really was helping with the fatigue.

Se-yoon’s hands once again gently wrapped around his shoulders. He traced along Ju-an’s shoulder line, pressed firmly beneath his neck, then slowly stroked down his back with painstaking care.

How many times had those motions repeated now?

Ironically, even though Se-yoon himself was touching him with restrained self-control despite his hidden desires, Ju-an’s own body had started reacting strangely from enduring it for so long.

Was it because of the pleasant warmth and scent? Or because Gong Se-yoon himself had a charm that could captivate anyone regardless of gender?

‘Seriously, this is driving me insane.’

Every time Se-yoon casually brushed his side, lightly tapped his chest, then pulled away pretending nothing happened, Ju-an’s body twitched involuntarily. He clenched his teeth tightly, afraid a m*an might escape.

“Are you almost done? I think it’s okay to stop now…”

Se-yoon, who had been repeatedly stroking down his spine, suddenly stopped.

Even after being told to stop, Ju-an thought he would probably keep going, so the sudden obedience felt unexpected.

Then a refreshing scent filled the air.

Turning around, Ju-an saw Se-yoon squeezing body wash onto a shower puff and working up a thick lather.

‘Don’t tell me he plans to rub that all over my body. My whole body?’

‘Just brushing my side is already driving me crazy. What would happen if those smooth hands touched everywhere?’

‘Absolutely not.’

Still facing away, Ju-an abruptly stood up and snatched the puff from Se-yoon’s hand. Since directly refusing him might hurt his feelings, Ju-an instead grabbed Se-yoon’s hand and pulled him into the tub.

Se-yoon’s eyes widened in surprise, but he obediently stepped in.

“I’ll do the washing instead.”

“…Uuh.”

Se-yoon trembled violently and wrapped his arms around himself even before Ju-an touched him.

‘Getting embarrassed now, huh…’

‘Thinking, I suffered through it too, so now it’s your turn, Ju-an turned Se-yoon around and carefully spread soap from his shoulders all the way down to his calves.’

As he slid the puff along Se-yoon’s body, Se-yoon’s shoulders started trembling harder and harder.

It was too severe to simply be sensitivity.

Concerned, Ju-an stopped and turned him around.

Se-yoon was crying.

Tears streamed endlessly down his face.

“W-Why are you suddenly crying?”

“Hyung…”

The moment Ju-an spoke, Se-yoon burst into even more miserable sobs and threw himself into his arms.

There was no trace of se*ual intent in the embrace anymore.

The situation looked somewhat strange given where they were, but the feeling itself was more like a stray puppy discovering someone kind and rushing into their arms.

Ju-an couldn’t help but hug him back.

He slowly stroked Se-yoon’s back, slick with soap bubbles. Se-yoon wouldn’t say why he was crying, but Ju-an could clearly feel just how heartbroken he was.

After crying against him for a long while, Se-yoon finally lifted his head.

His eyes were still glossy with tears.

“Hyung… you know… I…”

Holding his breath unconsciously, Ju-an listened carefully to Se-yoon’s voice.

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