"Should I hug you?"
Even though Ryuseoha knew the aning behind his words was slightly different, he pretended not to notice and spread his arms wide, asking the question. Choi Kanghu, looking at him with affectionate eyes, let out a small chuckle and nodded.
Trying to fit his large body into Ryuseoha’s embrace, Choi Kanghu awkwardly scrunched up, burying his nose in Ryuseoha’s neck as he tried, but failed, to fold his arms properly. A natural smile appeared on his lips.
“Aren’t you going to pat ?”
Like a child craving affection, Choi Kanghu shalessly made his next request. Ryuseoha had been about to reach out and gently rub his back, but he hesitated before touching the freshly engraved Black Scale tattoo.
“But what about the life transfer thod? How does that work?”
Ryuseoha had nearly let this important issue slip in the midst of getting caught up in Choi Kanghu’s pace once again. Thinking about it, there was no way soone who had insisted he didn’t want to take life force would easily reveal such a thod.
“When you were engraving the Black Scale on my back with your tongue, didn’t you feel anything?”
“...No.”
The suspicion that he had been tricked into more intimate contact faded as Choi Kanghu confidently questioned him, making Ryuseoha wonder if he was simply too insensitive to notice.
“Hm. I guess we’ll have to try again.”
Choi Kanghu then sat back on the bed, motioning for Ryuseoha to return to his earlier position. He gestured for him to press his lips back to the Black Scale.
Ryuseoha found himself staring at Choi Kanghu’s back, which was now glossy with his own saliva. The intricate design, like a roaring black tiger, was srizing, much like the description he’d once read in the original novel.
“Choi Kanghu.”
Ryuseoha gently stroked the broad expanse of his back, softly calling his lover's na. His voice was filled with pent-up curiosity.
“If this is just a joke about sothing trivial, I don’t mind, but I really don’t like being misled about sothing so serious.”
He didn’t demand answers or accuse Choi Kanghu of lying, but simply expressed how he felt, his tone gentle yet firm. His fingers, which had been tracing along Choi Kanghu’s collarbone, had now moved to his shoulder blade, repeating the motion.
“I’m sorry.”
Choi Kanghu’s imdiate apology stopped Ryuseoha’s fingers in their tracks. He had been worried he might have overreacted, but the mont Choi Kanghu spoke, all his movents ca to a halt. As soon as Ryuseoha pulled his hand away, Choi Kanghu turned around with a slightly stiff expression.
“Was this not related to the life transfer thod at all?”
Ryuseoha asked again to confirm, holding Choi Kanghu’s hand gently, not wanting to give the impression that he was upset. Choi Kanghu let out a faint sigh, his eyebrows knitting together.
“No, I thought if I gave you so guidance, you’d figure it out on your own.”
It seed that Choi Kanghu believed Ryuseoha could have discovered the thod through the interaction of their mana. Even though there was no direct connection, Choi Kanghu reiterated that he had never intended to take Ryuseoha’s life force.
“Then why did you ask
to help with the engraving?”
“…I wanted to receive that kind of affection from you.”
The response was so out of the blue that Ryuseoha blinked in surprise.
“Huh?”
Ryuseoha tilted his head in confusion, as if trying to comprehend this strange statent. Choi Kanghu sighed again, as if even he found his own answer absurd.
“When I ask for help, it ans you’ll focus entirely on
for that ti.”
Ryuseoha frowned slightly, trying to understand the aning behind his words. Was this all because he didn’t like how kind Ryuseoha was to everyone? Was it not enough that he had already been doing his best to keep that in check?
“Have I been distracted by soone else without realizing it?”
Concerned that he might have inadvertently hurt his lover, Ryuseoha looked at Choi Kanghu, who then reached out and gently stroked his hair.
“You’ve been paying attention to sothing that wasn’t a person.”
Following Choi Kanghu’s gaze, Ryuseoha looked toward the small table in the corner of the RV, where a scented candle sat. His eyes widened in realization.
“…Ruby?”
Choi Kanghu nodded, his face calm as he admitted his jealousy, while Ruby, the little red bird, was curled up asleep, utterly exhausted from helping maintain the barriers over the past few days. Ryuseoha alternated his gaze between the slumbering bird and his lover, who was jealous of it, before letting out a defeated sigh.
Ryuseoha suddenly recalled how he had, in his exhaustion from long missions, often petted Ruby or kissed its back in thanks, as the bird was always tired from their travels.
“I was only comforting Ruby because it seed so worn out… Did it really bother you, even though it was Ruby?”
“That little creature may act cute, but let
remind you, it’s still an S-grade monster.”
“So then…”
“It has plenty of stamina. All that fuss it made was just to get your attention.”
When Ryuseoha turned his head to look at Ruby again, he noticed the slightest twitch in the bird’s closed eyes. Instead of feeling offended, Ryuseoha found it sowhat pitiable that even an S-grade monster could crave affection.
“So, you made an unnecessary request of
because of that?”
Ryuseoha focused back on their conversation, trying to clarify. Choi Kanghu reached out and fixed a few stray strands of his hair, shaking his head slightly.
“The task did require outside help. If I had used telekinesis or any of my skills, the mana could have mixed with the engraving process, creating a significant obstacle.”
Ryuseoha recalled how, in the original novel, Choi Kanghu had relied on the skilled hands of Raist, who had superior agility and sensory stats, to assist with the delicate engraving process. Even then, he had remained on guard, trusting no one completely.
“Why did you use this excuse to get my attention with such a sensitive task, then?”
“I knew you wouldn’t believe
if I pretended to be weak or in need of help.”
It seed pointless to question him further about why he entrusted such a crucial task to Ryuseoha, knowing that the outco was uncertain. In the end, it all ca down to wanting attention, mimicking the behavior of his tad monster, Ruby. Choi Kanghu's casual confession, made in a calm voice, sounded strangely forlorn.
“...I feel…”
Ryuseoha began speaking before he could even think of the right words.
“In the arms of the strongest person in the world, I feel nothing but peace and stability.”
He softly whispered, leaning into the familiar, comforting embrace always open to him.
“No matter where my gaze strays or what my hands touch, that fact will never change.”
He gently stroked the broad back in front of him, letting his words trail off. He locked eyes with Choi Kanghu, who had pulled away slightly, his expression unreadable.
“I hope my beloved can also find peace, instead of anxiety.”
Ryuseoha understood Choi Kanghu’s obsession. It likely stemd from a deep-seated fear and mistrust, ford during his childhood, rooted in his empathy for his mother and his profound distrust of his father.
“And now, you can sleep peacefully inside the Sanctuary, just as I have slept soundly every night in your arms.”
Choi Kanghu’s hand slowly reached out, his palm gently cupping Ryuseoha’s left cheek. The way he gazed at him, with deep affection, was overwhelming, as though he couldn’t believe soone so precious could exist.
“From now on, I’ll take care of your nights, for the rest of our lives.”
Ryuseoha responded to Choi Kanghu’s tender embrace, smiling brighter than the stars in the night sky. His soothing voice, reassuring his lover, sparkled even more clearly than the Milky Way.
“So, just as you always have, take care of my days.”
Choi Kanghu lowered his head, pressing his lips gently against Ryuseoha’s palm. After a mont of silence, he finally smiled back.
“Are you asking
to be a ‘dayti submissive, nightti dominant’?”
His playful question brought a soft flush to his cheeks, revealing that he had intentionally tried to lighten the mood that had grown heavy with his feelings.
“…What does that even an?”
The problem was that while Ryuseoha wanted to join in the banter, he didn’t fully understand the unfamiliar phrase.
“Hm, maybe it’s too outdated of a slang term.”
Seeing the mock-serious expression on Choi Kanghu’s face made Ryuseoha burst into laughter.
“Where do you even learn these things?”
Choi Kanghu’s effort to adapt to modern society and communicate with his younger lover was endearing, yet awkward, making Ryuseoha both touched and amused.
“Just express your feelings as they are, Choi Kanghu.”
Ryuseoha didn’t hesitate or hold back this ti, spreading his arms wide to wrap them around Choi Kanghu’s broad shoulders.
“That’s more than enough.”
As Ryuseoha struggled to embrace his lover's large fra, whispering gently, Choi Kanghu’s massive hand ca up to carefully cradle the back of his head.
“I love you.”
A simple yet profound confession.
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