* * *

Startled, Haebom let out a sharp cry just as Wonho’s face drew dangerously close once more.

“Ugh…? Wh-what are you—! Wonho…!”

Haebom’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit, and he tried to protest.

But his words were muffled—completely swallowed—by the pressure on his lips.

Wonho had sealed his lips over Haebom’s.

A kiss.

Haebom’s mind went completely blank.

He had never once considered another man as a romantic partner.

The thought of kissing a man had never even crossed his mind.

Not that he had ever dated a woman, either.

He had been too busy just trying to survive.

In truth, it wasn’t just men—he had never seriously thought about dating or loving anyone at all.

He had only ever held a vague notion that, someday, he might meet someone.

That was it.

And yet, though it wasn’t something he had particularly treasured, his first kiss had been stolen—like this.

By a man.

This had to be a dream.

“Mmph…!”

That was bad enough, but the bigger issue was the thing trying to force its way between his lips.

It wasn’t the soft sensation of lips but something firmer, more insistent—something trying to pry his mouth open.

Realizing this, Haebom abandoned his protests and clamped his lips shut.

Wonho let out a low, frustrated growl, clearly displeased with his resistance.

“Ah…! W-wait a—mph!”

But Haebom’s defiance didn’t last long.

He felt something touch him—through the thin fabric of his t-shirt.

It wasn’t just his imagination.

Someone was really touching him.

At that moment, Haebom gasped in shock.

His lips parted slightly—just enough for what had been relentlessly pressing against them to slip inside.

He knew exactly what it was.

Wonho’s tongue.

This wasn’t just a stolen kiss anymore. It was a full-on, deep kiss.

His first kiss had been taken.

And now, his first real kiss—had been stolen, too.

By someone who wasn’t even in his right mind.

Wonho’s tongue moved like a living thing, slow and deliberate, tracing the roof of Haebom’s mouth.

It grazed his teeth, exploring each one as if memorizing their shape.

Then, suddenly, it latched onto his own tongue, sucking on it as though determined to pull it out completely.

Haebom’s heart pounded wildly in his ears.

He couldn’t tell if it was his own heartbeat or Wonho’s.

But in the end, it didn’t matter—whoever it belonged to, it was racing madly.

“Hnn…! Haa…!”

He was running out of air.

Was this what a kiss was supposed to feel like?

It felt like he was being devoured.

Was that normal?

He had never kissed anyone before—never even thought about it—so he had no way of knowing.

The kisses in dramas and movies weren’t like this…

Maybe it was because this was his first time being kissed so suddenly by someone he had never even met before, but his body was going weak.

His legs threatened to give out beneath him, yet something invisible held him in place, preventing him from collapsing.

“Pwah…! Hey…! Snap out of it!”

As Haebom panted, struggling to catch his breath, Wonho finally pulled away.

He gasped for air, then shouted at him.

But when their eyes met—those blood-red irises—he realized that Wonho still wasn’t fully conscious.

Why was someone who wasn’t even in his right mind kissing like this?

That was already a problem.

But an even bigger problem remained.

Not only had Wonho stolen his first kiss—he was also touching him.

“Ahh! That tickles…!”

Haebom squirmed, letting out an involuntary laugh.

He had always been sensitive to tickling, and this—this was unbearable.

“A-ah…! Why are you—! H-hang on!”

Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes as Wonho’s hand slid down his side, making him flinch violently.

He tried to jerk away, but he still couldn’t move.

The only thing he could do was writhe in place, helpless against the invisible force restraining him.

Wonho’s hands were visible—only two of them—but it felt like multiple hands were touching him.

“Haa… S-stop…! Don’t touch—hnngh…!”

If he couldn’t move, then he had to push Wonho’s hands away.

It didn’t matter that they were both men—this was crossing the line.

But Wonho seemed irritated by his protests.

Without warning, he swallowed Haebom’s lips once again, muffling his voice.

At the same time, his hands resumed their exploration, touching Haebom like he was searching for something.

Haebom thought he was going to lose his mind.

He was being groped and kissed by a man he had just met.

And each time Wonho touched or kissed him, he felt weaker.

Not just physically.

It wasn’t as simple as losing strength—he felt like something was being drained from him.

Like his very soul was being siphoned away.

How had things come to this?

All he had been doing was camping…

‘I just wished he was alive, not that I wanted to meet him…!’

A tear rolled down Haebom’s cheek, tracing the curve of his face before falling.

But Wonho showed no mercy.

If this continued, his tongue would get pulled out—or worse.

In sheer desperation, Haebom bit down.

Hard.

He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t done it sooner, but it worked.

Wonho froze instantly.

“Guh…! Ngh…!”

And then, as if something had snapped, he suddenly staggered backward, clutching his chest.

Haebom barely had time to process his own relief before staring at him in shock.

“H-hey…?”

With a sharp slap, Wonho swatted Haebom’s outstretched hand away.

Haebom was speechless.

The very same person who had just been clinging to him, touching him all over—was now acting like he didn’t even want to be touched?

“You… wh-what… who… ngh…! Shit…!”

“Oh? Are you coming to your senses? Oh? Wait! No—what—hey!”

The blood-red eyes that had been flickering without focus suddenly sharpened.

And that focus landed precisely on Haebom. It was as if he could finally see him.

Just as Haebom felt relieved, thinking that Wonho had come to his senses, Wonho clutched his chest and collapsed as if he had no choice but to succumb to gravity.

Slumped on the ground, Wonho let out a pained groan before completely losing consciousness.

Only moments ago, he had been lucid enough—if not rational—to pin Haebom down and kiss him with sheer force.

But now, he had suddenly collapsed.

Shocked, Haebom grabbed his body and shook him.

“Shit! Are you okay? Hey!”

He shook him hard enough that Wonho’s hair, stained with some strange liquid, whipped around wildly.

But his face only contorted in pain, his eyes remaining shut.

For a brief moment, Haebom wondered if he had died.

But seeing the way his face twisted, it seemed he was still alive. That was a relief—sort of.

If he had regained consciousness, he could’ve at least told Haebom how to get out of here before passing out!

Frustration bubbled up inside him, even though he knew it wasn’t really Wonho’s fault.

“Haah… What the hell is this? Seriously.”

First, a desert appeared out of nowhere.

Then, his first kiss was stolen—just like that.

And now, he was stuck in this scorching desert with a massive burden on his back.

Could things possibly get any worse?

He wished it were just a dream, but the solid weight pressing against him from behind made it painfully clear that it wasn’t.

The only silver lining—though he had no idea why—was that as long as he stayed close to Wonho, he didn’t feel the searing heat of the desert.

A refreshing chill emanated from him, making things a little more bearable.

It meant he’d have to carry around a walking air conditioner while trekking through this desert.

The guy had not only stolen his first kiss but had also shamelessly groped him, so there were plenty of reasons to leave him behind.

But after desperately hoping that Wonho would survive, he couldn’t just abandon him now, watching him slowly die right before his eyes.

Damn it, this is so annoying…

* * *