Chapter 71: Are You Embarrassed?
by Gideon“I only accept heartfelt handwritten letters from my fans, but I still accepted the handkerchief you gave me, Jubin. That’s how much of a big deal this was for me.”
They had never explicitly agreed to it, but they had both been tacitly following an unspoken guideline—and now, it seemed they had both crossed that line.
Perhaps Jubin was the one who crossed it first.
He had agonized over buying the handkerchief. He’d worried Zion might refuse it. If he does, oh well, I’ll just move on, he’d told himself. But Zion had gratefully acknowledged the weight of his feelings.
He just hadn’t expected to receive something so much bigger in return.
“The handkerchief just suited you so well,” Jubin said. “I would have been genuinely upset if I hadn’t given it to you.”
“That’s exactly how I felt before I bought the diving watch,” Zion replied. “I felt like I’d regret it if I didn’t give it to you.”
Understanding the sentiment behind each other’s gift, they both broke into smiles.
“Right, let’s hold off on these kinds of big gifts from now on. We’ll just count this first one as our exchange.”
“Let’s do that.”
The indoor diving center Zion had recommended was the deepest pool in the country, suitable for both scuba and freediving. Its parking lot was appropriately spacious.
“Good job today.”
He gathered the gifts he’d given and got out of the car. As the distinct scent of a swimming pool wafted from the parking lot, Jubin started to feel a bit nervous.
“Sunbae.”
He called out, gesturing for Jubin to follow. Jubin nodded and trailed after him.
But as they walked, he noticed they were heading away from the pool entrance, toward a secluded, dimly lit area. Jubin trusted him, wondering if it was a shortcut, but the further they went, the more it felt like they were entering a dark, abandoned parking garage.
“Sunbae, I’ve been curious about this since the day of the reading…”
Zion, who had been walking ahead, came to a sudden halt. His voice was grave, as if something had been bothering him the entire time.
“What?” Jubin asked.
“Did you…”
Before Jubin could even ask what he was doing, Zion’s hand shot out and grabbed the back of his head.
Without giving him a chance to react, Zion buried his nose against the crown of Jubin’s head.
“Did you change your perfume?”
Flustered, Jubin tried to gently push Zion’s hand away, his eyes asking, What the hell are you doing?
“…No?”
“The scent is definitely different.”
Perhaps Jubin’s push had been too weak. Zion buried his nose against the crown of his head again.
Feeling too awkward to just let him sniff his hair, Jubin pressed his palm firmly against Zion’s chest. The broad, solid muscle felt firm beneath his hand.
“What are you doing, Zion? You’ve been acting weird.”
“What did you change? Your shampoo? Body wash?”
Zion seemed fixated. Even as Jubin tried to push him away, he remained relentlessly persistent.
“I told you, I didn’t change anything!”
“But you smell better and better.”
Zion clung to Jubin with an obsessive intensity, pulling him close to inhale his scent. He was acting so shamelessly, it was as if he’d completely forgotten where they were.
“Hey… let go!”
“No.”
This was a first. Zion had never flatly refused him like this before.
Jubin’s eyes darted around, his voice sharpening. “Someone’s going to see.”
“No one ever comes here.”
Zion didn’t care who saw. He kept pressing forward, driving Jubin back toward the wall.
Jubin stumbled backward, the cold surface of the wall finally meeting his back with a sharp chill. Only then did he notice the strange glint in Zion’s eyes—a look he’d never seen before.
“Hey, you—”
Sensing danger, Jubin tried to bolt, but Zion slammed his hand against the wall, blocking his path.
Startled, Jubin tried to act calm, attempting to soothe him.
“What’s wrong? We have to go to class…”
The aura Zion was giving off was anything but normal. Jubin found himself frozen, unable to move as Zion’s gaze bore down on him.
“Do Zion…?”
Before he knew it, Zion’s lips were against his neck. Jubin twisted his head away, pushing him back with all his might.
“Ah, seriously. Ha, Do Zion…”
He won’t budge.
Zion’s soft lips parted, and his wet tongue trailed down Jubin’s skin. He yanked Jubin’s collar down to his shoulder, relentlessly sucking on the spot he had marked the day before. The suction was intense.
“Why… there… Ah! No. Seriously…!”
Trapped in Zion’s grip, Jubly could only tremble as the faint, sweet scent wafting from him stimulated his senses.
It wasn’t a scent that would make my heart race, but it was… pleasant.
It was definitely summer, yet the scent clinging to him was like a cool autumn breeze carrying the fragrance of daphne. It shook me to my core.
Jubin shoved him again, harder this time.
“Stop it! We’re in public!”
This time, he gave way easily.
“How can a person smell like this?” he muttered, his voice raw and unfiltered. He was so fixated on the scent that normal conversation seemed impossible.
“What is that scent, anyway?”
“The scent of the dawn air.”
“What…?”
“The dawn air on a rainy day.”
I stared up at him in silence, and he asked, “You don’t know it?”
“That scent is great, isn’t it? So refreshing.”
“Refreshing…?”
Jubin couldn’t relate. The air at dawn usually just reminded him of his grueling schedule.
On rainy days, his pheromones would spike, leaving him feeling damp, lonely, and utterly miserable. Ever since he’d become an adult, he’d been channeling that anguish into sexual release.
Thank God there hasn’t been a long rainy season this year… Zion would never even imagine.
“Let me smell it one more time.”
“…Again?!” Jubin tried desperately to block him.
“Please, just once, okay?”
“No! Stop it already!”
“Oh, come on, Sunbae. Just once. Hmm?” Zion coaxed him with a sweet, pleading tone, but Jubin shook his head firmly, refusing to budge.
“I’ve already let you do it enough.”
“I won’t lick you.”
“Ha, that’s a given.”
“It’s just that you smell so good.”
Just once, he pleaded, pressing his advantage. Jubin was running late for class, and this absurdly inappropriate scuffle was happening in a public place.
“I said no.”
As Jubin tried to push him away and escape, Zion wrapped his arms around him from behind, clinging to him like a vine. Jubin could feel Zion’s forehead resting against the space between his shoulder blades, shaking his head gently.
I’m completely wrapped around this guy’s finger… Jubin sighed.
“Ha, just listen to me for a second, Zion…”
He’s acting like a giant puppy today, Jubin thought. Instead of doing this here, we should just find a proper place to be alone.
“Let’s go to a hotel after class. Okay?”
Zion lifted his head from where it had been buried.
“Really?”
“Class will be over soon. I’ll let you do whatever you want. Sound good?”
Who would have thought I’d be the one suggesting a hotel? Jubin wondered. Zion’s constant escalation of his touch had finally pushed me to this.
Thanks to the chip, he no longer felt that dizzying, heart-bursting ache he used to get. Instead, a pleasant, gentle tickle stirred in his gut.
This is an offer I’d never make to anyone else, he thought, but Zion has no idea.
“Let’s just finish class first,” Jubin urged gently.
Zion’s lips parted as he considered the offer, finally agreeing with a nod. “Okay. Let’s do that.”
Who called this big guy a jaguar? Jubin mused. He’s just a giant puppy who needs to get his way.
Wary that Zion might pounce on him again, Jubin quickly took the lead. “This way, right?”
Fortunately, Zion was being patient, merely parting his lips without lunging forward again.
The indoor pool, located in the same building, was vast and spacious. The pleasant, pristine environment was perfect… except for one problem: Jubin was as terrified of the water as if it were a horror movie.
“Let’s go in.”
“Yeah, okay.”
The men’s locker room was crowded. Everyone there had a great physique and exuded an aura of professional confidence, making Jubin unconsciously shrink back.
Zion took off his shirt with practiced ease. Their lockers were close together, so they kept lightly bumping into each other as they moved.
“Aren’t you going to change?”
“…I have to.”
Jubin replied, his voice tense.
“Are you shy?”
In contrast to Zion’s relaxed demeanor, Jubin swallowed hard and nodded.
“A little…”
Not a little. A lot.
Jubin felt exposed. He was used to being in front of a camera, but this kind of raw, public vulnerability was too much. He had always disliked crowded spaces, and the idea of showing his body had made him uncomfortable since he was young.
But more than anything, his shoulder was a complete mess after letting Zion mark him yesterday.
A suit would have covered it, but he didn’t want to be half-naked in front of so many people.
“The new shoot will be even more embarrassing,” Zion said.
“That’s in front of a camera.”
Business was different. The word must applied to his work, but in real life, he had a choice.
“Want me to cover you with a towel?” Zion asked, already stepping out of his own pants.
“I’m going to the bathroom. You go in first.”
I can’t tell you that you’re the one I’m most self-conscious about…
Of course, Zion seemed to have already figured it out. A faint smile touched his lips.
“Sure, I’ll go on ahead.”
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