* * *
“Oh, sorry.”
Startled, Yoochan quickly pulled his hand away from his thigh, Yoochan’s eyes wide with surprise as he flailed his hands nervously.
It wasn’t the first time he’d touched Joobin there, but now didn’t seem like the right moment.
Even though he tried to act like it was no big deal, he wasn’t sure how he felt, so Yoochan apologized again, “Sorry.”
But then, Cha Joobin suddenly burst out laughing and hugged him tightly.
Yoochan blinked in confusion, “Uh?”
“It’s not the first time you’ve touched me there, so why are you being so cute about it?”
“Uh…”
Right, Cha Joobin was right.
Yoochan grinned, resting his head on his shoulder.
Despite his words, his hips had retreated far away.
Yoochan should’ve just stayed still like usual, but after his hand brushed against his crotch, he couldn’t stop thinking about him.
His palm still tingled from the brief contact, like his heat had left an imprint.
It felt like his hand was molded to his shape.
It was strangely distracting, making it hard to focus.
Yoochan lay there in a daze, nestled in Cha Joobin’s arms, then turned over to lie on his back.
He thought it might be better to just sleep and avoid making things even more awkward.
“Are you going to sleep?”
“Yeah.”
Cha Joobin soon pressed the master button, turning off all the lights in the room.
Then Yoochan heard the sound of him shifting behind him.
Joobin’s arm tightened around his waist, pulling him close until he was hugging his stomach tightly.
He almost let out a sound, barely holding it back.
Even though he had taken a suppressant, his senses were reawakening to his pheromones.
Besides, isn’t the waist and stomach sensitive areas?
Being this close wouldn’t help, so he tried to wiggle away from him.
“Stay still, just…”
“…”
“At least sleep comfortably.”
His voice was barely audible, a soft whisper in his ear.
He froze.
His crotch was pressed against his backside, more obvious now than before.
Yoochan mouth went dry.
In the darkness, the red light of the camera blinked on and off.
Feeling trapped, awkwardly huddled against Joobin, the arm around his waist tightened even more.
But that wasn’t all.
Now, his warm breath was brushing the back of Yoochan’s neck, heating up and cooling down repeatedly.
It was driving him crazy.
If it weren’t for the heat, Toochan could’ve ignored it, but now, everything he did felt too intense.
Yoochan pulled down his shirt, desperately trying to cover himself.
He was already hidden under the blanket, and with him behind him, he couldn’t see, but Yoochan still didn’t want Joobin to notice his arousal.
‘I’m going crazy… How am I supposed to sleep like this?’
His body wasn’t in great shape already, and now, he was sure he’d be up all night, feeling more and more frustrated.
Cha Joobin’s hand patted his chest softly, like he was trying to lull him to sleep.
Meanwhile, his breath on the back of his neck kept switching between burning hot and cool.
He must have been exhausted from the shoot, as his breathing gradually slowed, but the more relaxed he became, the more alert Yoochan felt.
Yoochan stayed still for a few minutes, stiff as a board.
“Hyung.”
Cha Joobin called out to him softly from behind.
Yoochan responded, glancing back at him, seeing his eyes wide open, watching him.
“You’re not asleep?”
“How could I sleep when you’re fidgeting like that?”
“Sorry.”
“Do you want to go outside for some fresh air?”
“Together?”
“Together.”
Cha Joobin answered firmly, pressing his forehead against Gong Yoochan’s nape with a light push.
At this point, it seemed better to burn off some energy outside and come back exhausted enough to fall asleep.
“There’s a bowling alley in the basement here. Want to check it out?”
“Ah, should we?”
“If you’re not feeling well, just let me know.”
Gong Yoochan shook his head.
Agreeing with Cha Joobin’s suggestion that going outside was better than awkwardly lying around, Gong Yoochan rose first.
Joobin flashed a small smile and playfully tapped the bridge of his nose.
“Let’s go play just two games. If you feel unwell, you’ll let me know immediately.”
“Mm, I wonder if anyone else will be there?”
“There’s only our staff here, and they’re probably all asleep since they’re exhausted.”
With an indifferent shrug, Joobin turned on the light.
He wrapped a blanket around his waist and wore the same pleasant expression as he did back in the day.
Suddenly, Gong Yoochan felt at a loss for words, though he didn’t know why.
Just moments ago, he had been so tense that he could feel his hair standing on end, but now he felt at ease.
As they arrived at the bowling alley, it was just as Cha Joobin had said—completely empty.
A few startled staff members rushed over and asked how they could assist the unexpected visitors.
The production crew handled the explanation.
As soon as they announced they were going out, some camera crew members from the next room tagged along, asking for permission to film in the bowling alley.
Luckily, the facility had no objections, granting permission for the shoot without any issues.
After being assigned a lane and choosing their bowling balls, Gong Yoochan couldn’t hide his excitement for playing again after such a long time.
Back when they first started dating, they used to wander around quite a bit, frequenting bowling alleys, pool halls, and even arcades in the early hours of the morning.
Though it had been a while since their last visit, those active days had been some of their most fun.
As fond memories surfaced, a smile unknowingly spread across Yoochan’s lips.
“Wanna make a bet?”
Lost in his thoughts, Gong Yoochan turned his head at the sudden suggestion.
Cha Joobin, holding two identical-colored balls, playfully tilted his head.
“What kind of bet?”
“Loser buys dinner.”
“That’s it? Not much of a bet.”
“I’m thinking of making you buy something really expensive. A place you need a reservation for, and if you don’t book a month in advance, you won’t get in.”
“Where’s that?”
“If I told you, it’d be like giving them free advertisement. Since they haven’t sponsored us, I’ll keep it a secret.”
Cha Joobin mischievously raised his eyebrows.
Gong Yoochan nodded, understanding.
When it came to bowling, he was confident.
And as for buying dinner, he didn’t mind treating Joobin to something expensive, not at all.
“What about you? What do you want?”
“I want a wish coupon.”
“Then I want one too.”
“Nope. What’s said is done. You’ll just enjoy your free meal.”
Gong Yoochan chuckled, loosening his arms.
He spun the heavy bowling ball in his hand to avoid straining his wrist, while next to him, Cha Joobin seriously started warming up.
He stretched out his legs, twisted his wrists until they cracked, and even rotated his ankles with smooth motions, displaying his flexibility.
To any onlooker, it would have looked like a pro had just entered the lane.
Gong Yoochan let out a small chuckle, not bothering to hide his amusement.
“You’re really going all out against me, huh.”
“Of course! My wish is to have Gong Yoochan treat me to an expensive meal.”
“Anyone hearing this would think I never buy you dinner.”
“Have you ever?”
Joobin jokingly scratched his ear.
Finally done with his warm-up, Joobin inserted his fingers into the bowling ball and shuffled up to the lane.
Supporting the ball with his left hand, he swung his right arm back, stepping forward before launching it.
With a solid ‘thunk’, the ball sped down the lane with a loud rumble, quickly knocking down all the pins with a crash.
“Wow, you’re like some kind of powerhouse.”
A strike on the first throw.
Gong Yoochan let out an exaggerated sigh, shaking his head in disbelief as Joobin smirked, puffing up with pride.
“I’m pretty good, right?”
Just seeing Joobin’s bright smile made something in Yoochan’s chest tingle.
For some reason, his heart fluttered, and he instinctively placed a hand over his chest as he stepped up to the lane.
Mimicking Joobin’s steps, he focused on the neatly lined-up pins before throwing the ball.
With a rolling sound, the ball hit dead center, sending the pins flying in all directions.
“Nice!”
Gong Yoochan let out a triumphant shout, running over to jump into Joobin’s arms.
“Did you see that? Did you? I’m pretty good too, thanks to someone teaching me well.”
He hugged Joobin tightly, letting out a hearty laugh, but it was only for a brief moment.
“…”
Joobin, who had been hugging him back, suddenly stiffened.
His face flushed a deep red, as if it were about to explode. His eyes were wide open in shock.
“You… you scared me.”
His voice trembled as he hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand.
Then, as if too embarrassed to show his face, he pressed both hands over his cheeks.
Even Joobin’s large hands couldn’t fully cover his now-bright red ears.
His heart was beating loud and fast against Yoochan’s chest.
* * *
*Summary page is only available for login users. Non-users can view the chapters on the chapter list.*