The night sky was covered with dark clouds as if it were about to rain, and the wind was quite chilly. Ja-kyung took a look at the alcohol and snacks that had been left on the table by the staff. The sweet peach-scented cocktail probably belonged to Ja-kyung. And the strong liquor must be Kang Il-hyun.
While looking out at the pool, he took a piece of ice from the ice bucket and placed it on the palm of his hand. The color of the pool’s water has changed in many ways because of the lighting coming up from the floor. And soft music was playing from the speaker next to it.
Throwing ice into the pool produces a fondant-like sound. It was fun, so he threw a few more and stood up. He put his hand in the water and it was still cold. He pulled out his hands and walked around the pool.
Kang Il-hyun suggested that they go home and have dinner and then play in the pool. Ja-kyung refused, saying he didn’t like it, but Il-hyun didn’t even pretend to listen. He had found the USB anyway, there was no reason to stick around him on purpose. However, he thought that if he refused more, he would be teased, so he decided to come out and pretend to be sitting.
Ja-kyung took a seat on the sunbeds and took a sip of the cocktails brought by the staff. It tasted like a non-alcoholic drink. He didn’t like sweet things, but the taste was just okay. After emptying about half a cup, he picked up the canapes that were served as snacks. The staff explained that what went on top was beluga caviar. A little bit of gold powder was also sprinkled on top of it.
A mosquito flew in and landed on his arm while he was eating snacks. He slapped it and made a loud sound. He brushed it off with a frown. He had seen the repellent work a few days before, but because the area was surrounded by a forest, it was always infested with moths and insects.
“You don’t swim?”
A man in a dark blue robe approached, but he didn’t recognize him at first. Kang Il-hyun came out from the shower with his hair down and covering his brow. It was the first time Ja-kyung had seen him like this since he arrived, and he appeared much younger. He didn’t appear to be under 30 though…
“How was the cocktail? The bartender made it himself.”
He hired a bartender today to eat this. If there’s anything you want, he’ll make it for you. Ja-kyung didn’t drink much anyway, so two or three glasses were the limit. While savoring the taste, Kang Il-hyun turned and took off his gown.
While picking up cherries from the cocktail glass, Ja-kyung’s gaze reached his back and stared at him. A truly flawless body. There was no fat and the muscle was dense. The shoulders were broad, and the proportions were amazing.
It was quite surprising that he didn’t have a tattoo on his back. Ja-kyung thought he was going to have at least one dragon tattoo. He put the cherry in his mouth, and Il-hyun turned around. Ja-kyung’s eyes widened. He almost spits the cherry in his mouth. He wanted to ask him what he put in his panties.
Kang Il-hyun walked over and grabbed a glass of wine.
“Cheers.”
Standing close and holding out a glass, the front of his triangular swimsuit panties was quite bulging. Ja-kyung wondered if it was an erection or if it was always like that even when he wasn’t erect. It was difficult to keep a straight face. Ja-kyung’s upper body slowly receded back without realizing it.
“Would you like some?”
Il-hyun grabbed the cherry from his glass and held it out to Ja-kyung, who looked up in surprise.
“You seemed to like it.”
Fuck. Il-hyun spoke to him while he was looking down. He wished he could go swimming or sit down for a while. He was confused as to why this man was doing this right in front of his face. Turning his back made him look conscious, and remaining in this position annoyed him.
“Why do you keep stealing a glance at my dick?”
It was both shocking and embarrassing. When Ja-kyung looked at him, he smiled and picked up a glass.
“I didn’t glance at it… Because it’s sticking out like that in front of me… ”
“It must be an optical illusion. It looks like it’s been sticking out even though it’s not. Because it’s so big.”
“…”
Actually, when he went to bed last night, he was thinking about Kang Il-hyun. Ja-kyung felt a bit sorry for Il-hyun because he had lost his mother when he was young and had to be killed by his father as he grew older. However, this human snout has the talent to blow it away. Even if he died, he was a scumbag.
Il-hyun turned around, set down his glass, and went to the pool. The combination of the trickling water and crying bugs was pleasing. Ja-kyung sat on the sunbed and stared at Il-hyun. His soaked muscles shimmered even more in the light.
He felt like a different person today with his hair down. He jumped right into the water. When he swam to the end of the pool, he looked more like a dolphin than a human. He wasn’t joking when he said he was good at swimming. He made a powerful turn in front of the wall and didn’t come out of the water until he was back in the first place.
Il-hyun soared out of the water and wiped his wet hair, then smiled brightly at Ja-kyung. Ja-kyung couldn’t even blink and was stunned for a moment at the sight. Handsome. So fucking handsome. He belatedly came to his senses and looked away.
Kang Il-hyun walked out of the pool, grabbed a gown, and put it on. He opened his mouth and cursed while biting his lower lip.
“Fuck. It’s so cold.”
Ja-kyung, who was drinking the cocktail, was having difficulty suppressing his laughter. Il-hyun wondered when Ja-kyung would take off his clothes. Ja-kyung sat there with a cold expression on his face even after Il-hyun went into the cold water. Il-hyun smiled and turned his head to the side before coming to the front and sitting.
“Is it funny?”
Ja-kyung shook his head. But the laughter didn’t stop once it started. He didn’t laugh out loud, but Kang Il-hyun’s appearance a while ago was too human. Ja-kyung bit his lower lip, but his cheeks continued to twitch. He couldn’t help himself, so he buried his face between his legs.
“You’re laughing.”
Ja-kyung, who had his face buried between his legs, slowly lifted his head.
Ja-kyung felt as if he had been struck. Kang Il-hyun held a glass of wine in his hand as he gazed at the calm pool. The sound of insects was especially loud because they both remained silent. Il-hyun called the staff after finishing the cocktail. The staff brought the next cocktail. It was as if the universe was contained within the glass. Ja-kyung shook the glass and looked inside amazedly.
“Don’t you miss your Mom?”
He sounded like he was asking a child a question. Ja-kyung shook his head at the sudden question about his mother.
“We talked on the phone every day, so it’s okay…”
“How does it feel?”
“Yes?”
“Having a mother.”
Ja-kyung didn’t answer. How does it feel?
“It’s good…”
He was confused as to why Kang Il-hyun was asking such a question. Ja-kyung was aware of Il-hyun’s mother’s death. She hung herself from the second-floor balcony railing. Ja-kyung pondered why she would kill herself. He didn’t think a wealthy wife would have any problems. The pleasant sound of grasshoppers had become pathetic.
Kang Il-hyun, who was staring indifferently at the calm surface of the swimming pool, spoke up.
“When I look at the pool, I think of my deceased mother.”
Kang Il-hyun first brings up the story of my mother.
“You must have swam with your mother when you were young…”
“No. She tried to kill me by drowning me in the pool.”
“… ”
“And after a while, she hanged herself and died.”
“…”
Il-hyun frowned as he drank the rest of his drink. He then returned his gaze to Ja-kyung.
“I understand. It must have been terrifying to live with a man you don’t like and have a child like me.”
For a moment, Ja-kyung didn’t know what to say. After a long silence, Kang Il-hyun looked up at the sky and muttered. Oh, I miss my mom.
What’s the matter with him… In the sudden serious atmosphere, Ja-kyung was at a loss for words. Kang Il-hyun turned his head and looked at Ja-kyung.
“I wish someone comforted me.”
He looked at Ja-kyung intently, but there was not a trace of sadness in his eyes.
“I want to be comforted, Yi An.”
He held out his hand with a gloomy expression, like a dog in the rain, which didn’t suit him. He didn’t even look pitiful, but rather frightening. Ja-kyung shook his head left and right as he grabbed the watermelon served as a snack. Considering he almost died from his parents, looks like he also had a lot to say. Kang Il-hyun remained silent.
“Comfort.”
Il-hyun kept talking insistently, so Ja-kyung turned his back and ate the watermelon slowly, pretending not to notice. Meanwhile, mosquitos continue to stick to his hands. Come to think of it, mosquitoes only attacked Ja-kyung. Mosquito, you also don’t like Kang Il-hyun, do you? Ja-kyung wanted to ask if he could have a conversation. Kang Il-hyun spoke to him as he swung his hand away.
Il-hyun got up with a cigarette in his mouth and held out his hand.
“Go in. I can’t stand the mosquitoes.”
Ja-kyung, who had been unsure, took the hand. He got up slowly, but he was suddenly pulled. Huh? He attempted to balance, but he was one step behind. In an instant, his body plunged into the pool.
When he came up on the water with his arms swinging, he saw Kang Il-hyun smoking a lit cigarette and smiling like a villain. Ja-kyung screamed angrily.
“What are you doing!”
“I wish you would have done that.”
Il-hyun sipped his wine and stepped back while lightly waving his hand. He told Ja-kyung to think about what he did wrong there and not to come out until he had done it, then turned around and walked away. Ja-kyung, who was dumbfounded, later discovered that his glasses had disappeared. When he looked at it, he noticed it was right next to the watermelon he had just eaten. Ah, fuck.
He came out of the cold water. He was grinding his teeth and walking towards the house when it began to rain. Ja-kyung looked up at the sky with resentful eyes.