* * *

When Taeryu’s tongue found a vulnerable spot inside Junhee’s mouth, tracing it, a strange tremor ran up Junhee’s spine.

It was only a kiss, but he felt a warm, unfamiliar sensation spreading below.

“Can’t you focus, Junhee?”

Taeryu bit Junhee’s lip again, his tongue tracing over it as Junhee shivered.

But Junhee’s focus was soon shattered again by Taeryu’s hand, creeping up his thigh, drawing all his senses to that spot.

“Don’t go…!”

As Junhee tried to stop him, Taeryu’s voice scraped his ear in irritation.

“Then tell me, how far can we go?”

A long finger brushed lightly around his navel, like an artist’s brush.

The sensation lingered, pulling warmth deep within Junhee’s stomach.

“Here?”

Junhee flinched and shook his head, but the hand moved again.

When those fingers reached his chest, Junhee’s eyes went wide at the touch to such a sensitive spot.

“And here?”

Taeryu’s lips twisted into a smile.

“That spot is absolutely…!”

“Then damn it, I should’ve just tied your hands from the start.”

At Taeryu’s sharp words, Junhee began to gather his senses again, or rather, he sensed the danger closing in.

“That’s enough…”

Hazy eyes, parted lips glistening with saliva, and heavy breaths — everything felt dangerous.

“What, didn’t you enjoy it? I can do even better.”

Taeryu’s touch trailed over Junhee’s shoulder, damp and unsettling like a summer monsoon.

Realizing he was about to lose himself again, Junhee scrambled to make excuses.

“This should be enough for confirmation… so please, stop.”

“Ah, confirmation. That’s right, I kissed you for that reason.”

Their lips were close, almost touching again, teasingly close.

Every time Taeryu spoke, his lips brushed Junhee’s, sparking a ticklish urge to scratch the itch on his lips.

“So, how was it?”

“…I’m fine. I mean, it’s definitely not for me.”

Junhee tried to convince himself it was only natural to be shaken by a single kiss — it was his first, after all.

It was strange and unfamiliar, that’s all.

Even as he answered with cold resolve, Taeryu didn’t look disappointed.

He only tilted his head, gazing at Junhee’s flushed cheeks.

“Really? But I’m not so sure.”

Then, Taeryu pressed his lips to Junhee’s cheek, rubbing slowly against him.

“It doesn’t feel like it’s not to me.”

---

“Damn it… this doesn’t make any sense.”

Junhee, lying on his bed, suddenly sat up.

Not even the pitch-black night outside could extinguish the fire inside him.

What spell had he fallen under?

“Pheromones… yeah, it’s all that cursed pheromone’s fault.”

Taeryu’s alluring scent had been captivating him for a while now.

In the beginning, it had been nauseating, something he couldn’t stand.

But then, somewhere along the line, it changed.

Junhee had never felt desire for anyone before.

He’d spent 25 years baffled by people who lost control over such impulses, who committed mistakes and even crimes because of them.

And yet…

“I could do even better.”

Junhee remembered Taeryu’s lips, flushed and enticingly damp.

“Stop it, stop thinking about it,” he told himself.

But the way he had crumbled from just one kiss was shameful.

Still, he knew that even if he were to go back, he wouldn’t have been able to resist.

It was like placing a feast before someone starving for ten days.

Of course, it was just a kiss.

He could forget it.

There was no lasting mark, no record.

But the problem was, Taeryu didn’t seem to be quite over it.

“What do you mean by ‘not so sure’? What are you saying?”

“Guess I’ll need to see you more often.”

Junhee stared blankly at Taeryu, like someone who had just received unbelievable news.

Only when Taeryu planted a short kiss on his cheek did Junhee realize he was done for.

It was too late by the time he’d realized.

When he tried to flee, Taeryu would always pull him back and press another kiss to his lips.

After each kiss, he would lean in again, pressing his lips to Junhee’s cheek, as if he enjoyed the sight of his raised hair and flushed face.

To avoid being caught again, Junhee kept looking for a chance to escape.

But then Taeryu handed him a sheet of paper.

“What’s this?”

“It’s an invitation, as you can see.”

It was garish, somewhere between flashy and elegant.

Junhee carefully unfolded it to reveal a pop-up design, like a picture book, with dozens of playing cards strung together like a bridge.

He checked the sender’s name.

Kang Haesung — a name he hadn’t thought of in a while.

“Why would he send this to you, Director?”

“Good question. He seems to be planning something, likely connected to those photos.”

Photos.

Those incriminating paparazzi shots that could destroy him in an instant.

Could Kang Haesung really be behind them?

When Junhee asked if he should go, Taeryu said he needed more time to investigate.

He even suggested it might be better for Junhee not to go at all.

But as Taeryu’s thumb brushed over his own lower lip, that memory resurfaced for Junhee.

“Please, stop thinking about it.”

Junhee tried to push away the memories, willing himself to sleep.

It had been so long since Junhee had the luxury of lounging around on a Saturday without anything to do.

He wanted to stay in bed a little longer, but every time he closed his eyes, the memories of yesterday came rushing back, vivid and unrelenting.

Eventually, he decided he should get up, take a shower, and wash off the remnants of his thoughts.

He scrubbed particularly hard while brushing his teeth, until his gums ached.

As he was drying his hair, a message came in.

[Dr. Kim Daeheon: Junhee, it seems like it’s time to remove your splint. Why don’t you come to the hospital?]

He realized it had already been ten days since he’d been practically attached to this uncomfortable splint, wearing it almost constantly except for the brief times he’d removed it to shower.

Junhee flexed his hand a few times, cautiously rotating his wrist.

There was a slight tingling pain, but it was manageable.

Junhee clicked on the reply button and started typing:

[I think I’ve almost recovered. I could probably manage on my own without the splint…]

He stopped typing, fingers frozen.

‘If you’re going to ignore your doctor’s advice, why don’t you just keep treating yourself for the rest of your life! Always coming in for your meds on time but then ignoring my instructions—do you think that makes sense? If that’s how it is, maybe I should have gotten my medical license for nothing.’

The memory of Dr. Kim’s agitated voice flashed in his mind.

That hadn’t been directed at him, but Junhee didn’t want to be treated like Ki Taeryu, one of his more notorious patients.

‘It’s even considerate of him to check in like this on a busy Saturday… I’m grateful.’

With that, he found himself gathering his clothes and getting ready to go out.

---

As expected, the hospital was packed.

He wondered if he should register, but if he’d wanted to wait, he could have gone to the clinic closer to his house.

After a moment’s hesitation, he sent Dr. Kim a quick message and took a seat near the reception area. Soon, a nurse in a lab coat approached him.

“Are you Yoo Junhee?”

Even with the mask, she looked familiar. She was the nurse who had personally wrapped his wrist the last time he was here.

“The department head asked me to bring you in.”

Passing by the crowded waiting area made him feel a bit guilty, but as soon as he entered the exam room, Dr. Kim greeted him with a warm smile.

“Junhee, I’m glad you came. I was worried.”

“Thanks to you, I’m much better now. Thank you.”

“That’s because you actually listened to my instructions, unlike certain other people,” Dr. Kim teased, referencing his disdain for Ki Taeryu. “Alright, let’s take off the splint and check your range of motion.”

While Dr. Kim gently unraveled the bandage, Junhee spoke up hesitantly.

“There were so many people in the waiting room… is it really okay for me to skip the line?”

“Oh, Junhee, don’t worry about that. This is my way of repaying a debt to you,” Dr. Kim replied with a laugh, though Junhee thought that might be a bit of an exaggeration. After all, all he’d done was deliver a prescription once.

“And… does your wrist feel any discomfort?”

“Uh… no, it feels alright.”

Junhee’s heart raced a little.

The idea of being “indebted” weighed on him, especially since he was hiding secrets from Dr. Kim regarding Cha Yoonjae, who had asked him to keep quiet.

* * *