Chapter 75: Affection Without Permission

“Ah, it hurts…!”

For a brief instant, the pain flaring at the back of his neck overwhelmed the pleasure.

Han-geon shook his head and slipped free of Eun-gyeol’s palm, a harsh scraping sound tearing from his throat.

“Sorry.”

When he turned his head, Eun-gyeol’s eyes met his—filled with a strange, unsettling light.

“…Next time, I’ll be gentler.”

Despite the words, his touch was tender.

The fingers tracing over the bite marks he himself had left felt oddly ambiguous.

Wherever Eun-gyeol’s fingers brushed, a faint spark seemed to crackle.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been bitten before, yet this wound alone burned fiercely and ached.

“Choi Han-geon.”

The world spun.

Calling his name in a voice heavy with heat, Eun-gyeol laid him flat on the bedding.

Straddling him, he leaned down and pressed their lips together.

Han-geon parted his softened, melted lips obediently.

But that was all.

He merely held the hot tongue that pushed insistently into his mouth, letting it roam without resistance.

“Mm, huh….”

“…Suck my tongue.”

Their lips parted slightly as Eun-gyeol whispered.

Each time Han-geon moved his lips to match the quiet coaxing, stretched strands of saliva swayed between them.

The sight was dizzyingly obscene.

For the first time today, kissing Eun-gyeol struck harder than any other stimulation, numbing Han-geon’s thoughts.

That hardened tongue plunged in again.

It swept insistently across his palate and the tender membranes of his mouth, urging him on.

The hesitation didn’t last long.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Han-geon finally curled his tongue around the intruding one and carefully sucked.

An embarrassing, wet sound rang loudly through the room.

It was different from the earlier violence.

Eun-gyeol’s kiss was so sweet it felt as though it would melt his tongue away.

His eyelids kept drooping, heavy with languor.

Feeling the flutter of trembling lashes, Han-geon clutched desperately at Eun-gyeol’s clothes.

After gasping out a few breaths, Eun-gyeol covered his lips again.

“Han-geon.”

His voice, thick and sodden with saliva, called his name.

“Do you know how much I like you…”

“…..”

“…You really have no idea.”

At the end of that honeyed kiss—one that felt as though it might dissolve Han-geon entirely—there was a cliff.

With that final kiss, Eun-gyeol’s hand slowly pushed him off the edge and withdrew.

Farther.

Farther still, into something distant and unreachable.

The heart that had already been shattered had nowhere left to break.

So Han-geon listened to his words without any particular change in expression.

Even so, the hands stroking him were cruelly gentle.

Wiping his wet face.

Smoothing his hair.

Tending to his wrecked body.

The hands that had just shoved him away so brutally now cradled the very bottom of his soul, carefully touching each fragment that had already been torn apart.

Eun-gyeol opened his arms and pulled Han-geon’s head against his chest.

Inside that solid body, his heart thudded loudly.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Come to think of it, had Han-geon ever heard Eun-gyeol’s heartbeat race like this before?

Despite the pounding beneath his ear, sleep kept creeping in.

Without thinking any deeper, Han-geon slowly closed his eyes.

As his consciousness drifted shallowly, it felt as though Eun-gyeol wiped his body down with a towel.

After he was dressed in fresh clothes, Han-geon was drawn into a deep sleep.

***

“Let’s see.

Today’s remaining shoot is… just this one at nine, right?”

Han-geon muttered as he looked over the daily shooting schedule.

Often shortened to il-chwal-pyo, it was the pre-written plan for the day’s filming, and by now he was quite used to it.

It was 7 p.m.

Eun-gyeol, who had just finished a new shoot, had no further schedule except for a brief wide shot at the end, so he could wait comfortably.

“Good work, Eun-gyeol.”

“Yeah.”

Eun-gyeol smiled easily as he took off his gown.

After removing the stethoscope from around his neck, he sat back in a chair, and Yujin along with another hair-and-makeup staffer approached, fanning him with handheld fans.

Yujin lightly fixed his hair, then stepped away—only to return moments later.

She wore a mischievous grin and carried a cake topped with lit candles.

Han-geon’s eyes widened slightly as Geonho, standing beside him, called out in a loud voice.

“Happy birthday, hyung!”

“Happy birthday, Team Leader!”

“Happy birthday, Han-geon-ssi!”

“Ah—thank you so much.”

The manager, the security team, the hair-and-makeup team, and even Eun-gyeol.

Everyone smiled as they congratulated him.

Han-geon laughed, flustered, his cheeks flushing.

Friday, September 7.

Today was Han-geon’s birthday.

That morning, waking up in the same hotel room, Eun-gyeol had been the first to congratulate him.

Hearing those words the moment he opened his eyes, Han-geon couldn’t help but recall what had happened days ago.

Since fighting with him at the family house and tangling their bodies into a mess, Han-geon had treated Eun-gyeol awkwardly for days.

The wound he’d received still crouched inside his chest, vividly warm.

More than the fact that he’d been forced into something he didn’t want, it was the words that followed that gentle kiss that tormented him.

After making him lose his mind like that, Eun-gyeol had clearly pushed him away.

And yet Cha Eun-gyeol kept pressing in relentlessly.

He didn’t give Han-geon a moment to sink into his thoughts.

To the point that Han-geon wondered if it was even possible to properly think through their relationship and calmly sort out his feelings while being together like this all the time.

Whether Han-geon responded or not, Eun-gyeol took care of him kindly every single day—so much so that Yujin joked she couldn’t tell who the manager really was.

On the morning of his birthday, Eun-gyeol had been even more excited than Han-geon, saying they’d properly celebrate together at his place in Seoul after filming.

Lost in thought, Han-geon snapped back to attention at Yujin’s urging to blow out the candles.

With an embarrassed smile, he blew them out.

“Thank you so much for going out of your way to—”

Before he could finish, Eun-gyeol’s long fingers reached out and dabbed a bit of white cream onto Han-geon’s face.

Laughter burst out around them.

“Must be because he’s handsome.

Even with cream on his face, he looks good.”

“Exactly.

Han-geon-ssi!

Do you know how much better our team’s mood has gotten since you joined?

You’re seriously our treasure.”

The manager stepped forward and hugged Han-geon’s shoulder with an emotional expression.

Yujin chimed in enthusiastically beside him.

“It’s true.

Since Han-geon-ssi came, Cha-cha’s gotten so much calmer.

Doesn’t he look like a cat with a leash on?”

“Cats don’t wear leashes, idiot.”

“It’s just an expression!

And how dare you talk back to your noona!”

“My hair’ll get messed up.

You’ll have a hard time fixing it again.”

As Yujin lunged at him noisily, Eun-gyeol calmly caught both her wrists.

Watching their usual bickering, Han-geon cut the cake.

“Ah, this feels a bit lacking.

Should we grab a drink once we’re back in Seoul?

A team dinner—and a birthday party for Han-geon-ssi.”

“Should we?”

At the sudden suggestion, Yujin’s eyes lit up.

But Eun-gyeol cut in sharply, his expression cold.

“Han-geon’s tired.”

“…I—”

“You said you were tired.

We’re going to my place to rest together, remember?”

Faced with Eun-gyeol’s firm, unquestionable tone, Han-geon eventually nodded.

True enough, Eun-gyeol had been more excited than anyone since morning, telling him to look forward to it.

Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, Han-geon smiled, and the manager nodded regretfully.

As they chatted and ate cake, actor Lee Seoil suddenly approached with a small camera.

Playing an intern in the drama, he was Eun-gyeol’s junior and the youngest among the cast.

“Hello, Sunbae Eun-gyeol!

I’m here to film a vlog!”

“Oh.”

“Could you say hello to the viewers, please?”

Hearing his cheerful, polite voice, Eun-gyeol slowly set down the plate and fork he was holding.

On-set vlogs aimed for a relaxed, natural atmosphere, so there was no need for excessive formality.

“Hello, I’m Cha Eun-gyeol, playing Cha Kangwoo in Heart for Love.

Nice to meet you.”

Smiling brightly, Eun-gyeol waved both hands at the camera.

Seriously handsome…

Watching him, Han-geon repeated a thought he’d had tens of thousands of times over the past seventeen years.

“Yes, Sunbae Eun-gyeol.

May I ask what you’re doing right now?”

“Ah, today—”

Speaking in a sweet voice, Eun-gyeol smiled playfully.

“It’s our manager’s birthday.

We’re on standby right now, so we took a moment to celebrate.”

“Ohh, I see.”

Smiling fondly as he watched, Han-geon couldn’t hide his fluster when the camera suddenly turned toward him.

“Oh!

You’re the hot topic these days.

Manager-nim, your handsome face has been all over.

Did you know?”

“Eh?

Ah… th-thank you.”

Completely flustered, Han-geon bowed awkwardly toward the camera.

From beside him came Eun-gyeol’s muffled laughter.

Seoil laughed too and continued.

“You’re also his bodyguard as well as his manager, right?

You’ve been getting famous as a handsome bodyguard-manager combo.

So, could you say hello to the viewers too?”

Han-geon shot Eun-gyeol a pleading look.

It was a clear SOS, but Eun-gyeol only smiled slyly.

Left with no choice, Han-geon bowed again and haltingly introduced himself.

“…H-hello.

I’m Choi Han-geon, actor Cha Eun-gyeol’s manager and bodyguard.”

Satisfied, Seoil smiled and framed both of them in the shot.

“Thanks for that.

Oh, and the two of you are also famous for being really close.”

“I-Is that so?”

“Yes.

I rely on Han-geon-ssi a lot.”

Unlike Han-geon, who was clearly flustered, Eun-gyeol said it calmly, smiling.

Seoil’s eyes sparkled as he made a playful request.

“Then could you show the viewers a sweet pose together?”

“Of course.”

Answering without hesitation, Eun-gyeol naturally draped an arm over Han-geon’s shoulders.

Han-geon thought it would just be a casual side hug—but the hand around his neck slid down across his chest.

The other arm wrapped firmly around Han-geon’s waist, fingers lacing tightly.

Completely trapped in his arms, Han-geon’s eyes flew wide open.

From the tips of his ears down to his neck, he flushed red, unable to hide his flustered expression.