Chapter 16: The Insane Proposition

Sa-yoon exhaled deeply, clearing his mind with a momentary shift in thought. When Han Do-hoon first mentioned he had something to tell him, a subtle unease had lingered—a fear that perhaps he’d noticed something odd during their last mission. Thankfully, given the insane question he’d just posed, that possibility seemed to have vanished.

Sa-yoon slowly regulated his breathing, then crossed his arms and questioned Han Do-hoon.

“Well, how you dealt with your team members is none of my business. So, what exactly did you mean by that ‘insane question’?”

Han Do-hoon, who Sa-yoon expected to get straight to the point as he did on set, stood quietly in the center of the waiting room, looking down at him. Surrounded by lights, a colossal mirror, cosmetics, and perfumes, Han Do-hoon appeared to be the room’s rightful master. No, that wasn’t quite right. Sa-yoon’s own looks were formidable; it was simply that Han Do-hoon was as tall as a lamppost, making him seem imposing.

After a long pause, Han Do-hoon finally spoke.

“I’ve heard, Mr. Jin Sa-yoon, that you’ve only ever engaged with Guides until now.”

“Is that so? I suppose I have.”

“Is there a specific reason you only engage with Guides? When it comes to intimate partners, that is.”

The words sent a jolt down his spine once more. Sa-yoon quickly snapped his gaping mouth shut.

“What kind of nonsense is this…?”

“An intimate partner. I’m asking about your preferences for a s*x partner. Do you have a specific type or conditions you look for?”

“No, I understood you. There’s no need to explain it again.”

Sa-yoon cut off Han Do-hoon’s surprisingly helpful explanation. Left unchecked, that wretched mouth would chatter on forever. Sa-yoon was so dumbfounded, he felt on the verge of fainting.

“But why are you even curious about that?”

“If you answer, I’ll explain.”

Han Do-hoon’s insistence only drew a sigh from Sa-yoon. He finally unpressed his tightly sealed lips.

“Fine, fine. It’s not some great secret between men. My relationships have simply been for the sake of Guiding. It just so happens I haven’t had a romantic partner until now. I don’t specifically prefer Guides for dating.”

“A romantic partner.”

Han Do-hoon’s brows furrowed. It was a look Sa-yoon had never seen before. Han Do-hoon always maintained a relaxed, unreadable expression that twisted people’s insides, but this was the first time Sa-yoon saw a hint of anxiety on his face.

“That’s difficult.”

“What? Are you implying it’s difficult for *me* to find a romantic partner?”

Sa-yoon bristled instantly. Of course, he hadn’t had a lover yet, but to openly insult him like that, suggesting he’d remain single forever! Despite Sa-yoon’s indignant reaction, Han Do-hoon remained lost in his own thoughts.

“You don’t have a romantic partner right now, do you?”

“Are you trying to provoke me?”

“Then what about me?”

Sa-yoon’s brain, which had been furiously processing and fuming, completely shut down. He turned his head with a creak, like a robot whose gears were seizing.

“If you don’t have a romantic partner yet, I wanted to ask what you think of me as an intimate partner.”

The definitive statement made Sa-yoon’s head spin. He gulped down the cold water prepared on the table. Han Do-hoon’s incomprehensible actions weren’t new, but this kind of insane proposition was a first.

“Did you hit your head at the headquarters? I thought you were fine when I rescued you. Maybe I hit you wrong when you fainted?”

Watching Sa-yoon’s confusion, Han Do-hoon stroked his chin and chuckled.

“Actually, I’ve been having the same dream lately.”

Han Do-hoon began to speak in a low voice.

“It’s always a dream where you and I are entangled and passionately entwined in a dark, confined space.”

“Damn it. Why are you telling me that? Just keep it to yourself.”

“When I wake up from the dream, I always wonder: Is it really just a dream? Or is my desire so desperate that it feels this real?”

Sa-yoon rubbed his ears. He’d only indulged him out of kindness, and now his ears were rotting. The only silver lining was preventing Han Do-hoon from spouting such strange things in front of others. He couldn’t express how relieved he was to be the only one hearing this.

“If you’re so frustrated, go find someone else to take care of it. Dreaming such things is for young kids. It’s disgusting.”

“I wish I could, but the dreams persist. It makes me wonder: What would the reality truly be like? Would it be as satisfying as the dream?”

Han Do-hoon’s eyes gleamed. The predatory gaze sent a chill down Sa-yoon’s spine.

“He’s really gone mad.”

Sa-yoon’s lips twitched. He tried to feign annoyance, but every time he heard the word ‘reality,’ his heart pounded.

‘Surely this beast-like man isn’t unconsciously remembering what happened back then?’ No, that couldn’t be it. He was just a guy who’d been hitting on Sa-yoon from the start. Sa-yoon tried to remain calm.

“So, if you don’t have a romantic partner, I’d appreciate your cooperation.”

Han Do-hoon spoke of s*x as if it were a mission. Sa-yoon, finding it hard to control his expression, turned his back.

“If it’s too difficult, even just once is fine. Once we’ve confirmed, I won’t have to ask such a difficult favor again.”

“It’s already difficult enough!”

Han Do-hoon said, his expression unchanged.

“You won’t have to do anything difficult, Mr. Sa-yoon. Just stay still, and I’ll take care of everything.”

“Ugh, my head hurts.”

“I guarantee you’ll be satisfied. I’m quite good, you see.”

If Han Do-hoon were only an A-class, Sa-yoon would have flipped him upside down. But this madman was an S-class. Jin Sa-yoon clutched his face with one hand and waved the other.

“You’re not worth dealing with. I’m leaving. Count to three, then come out. And make sure to drink some cold water.”

He wanted to escape this place as quickly as possible. Whether this beast-like man remembered what happened or not, Sa-yoon had no desire to discuss such a topic any longer.

He needed to go home, tear into some dried shredded squid, and just lounge around to sort out his complicated feelings. As Sa-yoon turned the doorknob and pushed, a warm palm settled over his hand. It was Han Do-hoon’s.

“If you dislike it, push me away.”

“Uh…!”

Before Sa-yoon could even demand why he was grabbing his hand, his head was seized from behind and turned. What loomed before him was Han Do-hoon’s smooth skin and dark eyes. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, a soft, probing tongue invaded his mouth.

His lips were roughly parted, and a thick tongue swept against the soft palate and lining of his mouth. Sa-yoon suppressed the gasp that threatened to escape. When he tried to bite down on the tongue, Han Do-hoon chuckled softly, angled his head, and deepened the intrusion. With a wet, persistent sound, Han Do-hoon delved deep, tracing the very root of Sa-yoon’s tongue before finally pulling away, a light lick lingering on his lips.

Sa-yoon gasped, his breath ragged. He roughly wiped his still-tingling lips. He almost felt as if something was still squirming inside his mouth. Standing beside him, Han Do-hoon kindly opened the door.

“You…”

“I hope that helps with your decision.”

Helps? What help? Did he mean ‘try it and decide how good I am’? And his method was a surprise kiss? Sa-yoon wanted to crack open Han Do-hoon’s skull to see how his bizarre brain structure was formed. No, he’d just do it.

Jin Sa-yoon grabbed Han Do-hoon’s nape with one hand, intending to open his skull. As Han Do-hoon’s round head drew closer, Sa-yoon seized his collar with the other hand and pulled him closer. The moment Han Do-hoon’s face was mere inches away, something clattered to the floor at the doorway.

“Oh my god…”

It was Kang Ah-jun, his coffee spilled on the floor, his eyes wide and unblinking, frozen in utter paleness.

“I didn’t mean to see it. I just came to give you coffee and go home…”

“Ah-jun.”

“Ack! Team Leader’s lips are red! Team Leader Han Do-hoon’s are red too!”

“Hey. Calm down.”

“I, I’ll go to headquarters first! You two, please be comfortable, no, have fun, no… anyway, see you later!”

Kang Ah-jun scrambled away, his retreating figure quickly vanishing from sight, leaving the spilled coffee untouched on the floor.

Kang Ah-jun was known to be a chatterbox. If left alone, it was obvious even the dogs in the headquarters’ backyard would know about this. Sa-yoon took a few steps, intending to catch him and give him a piece of his mind, when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Not many people called Sa-yoon on his cell phone; most people at headquarters used communicators. Catching Kang Ah-jun was the priority, so Sa-yoon ignored the call and kept moving. A moment later, the call ended, and a text message immediately came through.

He decided to check how urgent the matter was, given the persistent contact. Upon seeing the message, Sa-yoon’s brow furrowed terribly.

“Now what’s going on here?”

It was a text from home, the first in several months. This day was truly cursed. A distinctly different kind of annoyance now clouded his features, far beyond what he felt dealing with Han Do-hoon.

In an era where half the country’s land had lost its function, and land prices soared closer to the capital’s center, a mansion built on a corner of Yeouido boasted walls as high as its exorbitant price.

Sa-yoon stood before the massive gates, so tall that even two people stacked atop each other couldn’t glimpse a single blade of grass in the yard, and took a deep breath. This place, a symbol of immense wealth, was nothing more than an expensive prison to Sa-yoon. He rubbed his rarely hardened lips, trying to relax them.

“You’ve arrived, Young Master. The Master is waiting.”

“Waiting for what? More like, he’s probably debating how to tear into me.”

Sa-yoon tossed his navy coat onto the ground. The white-haired secretary, with a sigh, picked it up and brushed off the dirt. Sa-yoon walked quickly towards the study on the second floor, a pace so swift that the trailing secretary struggled to keep up. He swiftly ascended the marble floor and stairs, stopping before a large door.