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Naru, who got out of the car, didn’t look back and headed straight for the elevator. Gyu-yeon, who followed behind, naturally took the spot beside Naru.
Swoosh.
Pouty Naru stepped back a pace. Gyu-yeon deliberately closed the distance by two steps. Their figures were faintly reflected in the gold-colored elevator doors.
Naru, stubbornly defending pride for no reason, stepped three more paces away. At that moment, the elevator doors opened. Gyu-yeon stepped in, pressed the open button, and waited.
One, two, three, four…….
No matter how long he waited, he couldn’t see Naru. Using the mirror on the opposite wall, Gyu-yeon peeked at Naru standing pressed against the wall. Watching the indecisive hesitation almost made him laugh.
What is he doing, seriously.
Gyu-yeon teasingly lifted his hand off the open button.
“The doors are closing.”
With a polite announcement, the elevator doors slowly began to close. Naru flinched noticeably. Gyu-yeon pressed the open button again and reopened the doors.
This is maddening.
Naru, beyond the mirror, shuffled back and forth and stamped his feet. His drooping brows made him look so earnest it just added to his cuteness.
“Hurry up, Song Naru.”
“……”
“Naru.”
“……!”
“If you don’t come, I’ll actually leave without you.”
Gyu-yeon’s voice echoed down the hallway. He called his name like calming a puppy and kept watching Naru’s reaction in the mirror as a final gambit. At the threat of being left behind, Naru inhaled sharply and finally appeared.
A tuft of hair popped out adorably enough to make him want to nibble it. Testing the waters, Naru slipped his foot into the elevator just before the doors could close.
What am I supposed to do with him. Fuck. He’s so cute it’s making me curse.
Below Gyu-yeon’s shoulder Naru’s round nape was visible. He pressed his palm to his forehead and barely swallowed the urge to leap out.
Press.
“58th floor.”
“Guh…….”
When the elevator didn’t move, Naru timidly pressed the floor button for Gyu-yeon’s apartment. The laugh he’d been holding in finally burst out. Gyu-yeon quietly chuckled through a sigh.
Whack!
Naru spun around and punched Gyu-yeon’s chest. Earlier he’d kicked the car’s front wheel, and now he used his fist. Funny thing was, his hit had a surprising sting to it.
They say small peppers are spicy — apparently that’s not wrong.
Gyu-yeon brushed his chest with his hand and started to act hurt. He furrowed his brows dramatically, and Naru’s expression slowly softened. His fierce, glare-like eyes were gradually turning round.
“Does it hurt?”
“Yeah, it hurts.”
“…It normally hurts when you hit someone.”
Trying not to seem worried, Naru answered coolly but kept glancing at Gyu-yeon. Each time he did, his lemon-tinted light brown hair swayed.
Gyu-yeon wanted to scoop Naru up right then. The round head bobbing beneath him was insanely cute. He was almost tired of thinking he was cute, but he couldn’t help it.
“58th floor. The doors are opening.”
The elevator halted with no fanfare. Naru popped out as the doors opened and stood politely by the front door, waiting for Gyu-yeon. His behavior was pure puppy.
Gyu-yeon stared at Naru standing pressed against the front door without entering the code. That brought them physically very close.
Naru lifted only his eyes to meet Gyu-yeon’s gaze. He wondered when he had learned that; the way he looked at him was seductive.
I can’t stand it.
Gyu-yeon couldn’t help himself and opened his arms wide. Suddenly a small body collided with his, then wrapped its arms around his waist.
He had intended to hug him, but Naru hugged him first. Gyu-yeon silently recited the national anthem in his head four verses over.
“You’re mine, Yu Gyu-yeon.”
“……”
“Don’t hug just anyone. Don’t wag your tail.”
“I didn’t wag my tail. I’m wronged, Song Naru.”
Gyu-yeon mimicked crying in mock outrage. Naru tightened his hold instead of answering. Gyu-yeon felt so happy he could die. The two arms around his waist felt oddly reassuring.
Gyu-yeon covered his face with his hands and sighed, then pulled Naru into a tight hug.
Soft, rhythmic breathing.
He could hear Naru’s breathing against his chest. The steady warmth emanating from her tickled Gyu-yeon’s chest.
Even the way he breathes—ugh… I’m tired of saying he’s cute.
“Huff, ugh…….”
“……”
Gyu-yeon deliberately hugged Naru tighter. There wasn’t even a sliver of space between them.
Naru, breathing hard while staying still in his arms, eventually tapped Gyu-yeon’s back. He couldn’t quite wrap both arms fully around him, and his flustered way looked clumsy.
“I-I can’t breathe…!”
“Want me to let go?”
“…No.”
When Gyu-yeon eased his hold slightly, Naru pulled his face away. He no longer had to struggle for breath buried in his chest. He shook his head, refusing to be released.
After hugging for a long while, the two only separated after ten minutes. In that time, Naru’s mood had completely lifted. The sulky expression was gone, leaving only his round, soft eyes.
Gyu-yeon snapped back to his senses late. He should bring Naru inside and have a serious conversation, but he’d let affection blind him.
“Now let’s go in and talk about what we couldn’t earlier.”
“What talk?”
“About us.”
Gyu-yeon answered simply and opened the front door. Naru, tilting his head, went inside and dashed straight to the sofa. Leaning into the soft cushions, he felt drowsy.
Gyu-yeon sat across from Naru, preparing to get to the point. He looked obviously sleepy, so he planned to finish quickly.
“Song Naru.”
“Hm?”
“Answer me again, what are we to each other?”
“Closer than a dog and its owner……?”
Recalling the earlier situation, Naru gave a slightly different answer. Still, it was a step beyond dog-and-owner.
Gyu-yeon hoped Naru would naturally understand this relationship: not a clear master-servant hierarchy, but lovers standing equally.
It would be nice if he grasped it through actions alone, but it seemed that would take a long time. Gyu-yeon reluctantly chose to make it clear with both actions and words.
He gently cradled the back of Naru’s head and pressed his lips firmly to his. What he expected to be a quick peck lasted quite a while. Naru opened his mouth in surprise, eyes wide.
“Mmm……!”
It was his first kiss so soft and sweet. Gyu-yeon, after a bit of affectionate contact, slowly pulled away. Naru stared at him, puzzled, a hint of longing in his eyes.
Gyu-yeon stroked Naru’s hair and confessed his feelings. He was the gentlest he’d ever been.
“Not a dog and owner, but lovers.”
“Lo-ver…?”
“You used to act like that so well, so why do you have strange thoughts at the most important moment?”
“Lover.” It was an unfamiliar word for Naru. Though he had at first promised to open his heart to Gyu-yeon and become his lover, actually being called that left him dazed.
It was natural he wasn’t used to it. He had only ever lived through master-servant relationships his whole life and had never once been in a romantic relationship.
“Are you really my lover?”
“Yes.”
“Gyu-yeon, you’re the better person, aren’t you?”
“What are you talking about? In a relationship, there’s no better or worse between the two.”
It was a perfect answer. Excited, Naru wiggled his hips. Me and Gyu-yeon are really lovers—he wanted to pounce and kiss him over and over.
Just an hour ago he had trembled at the fear of the Previous owner, but oddly, after hearing Gyu-yeon’s confession, all that fear seemed to dissipate. His inner resolve hardened like soil after rain.
“I can’t believe it…….”
“You don’t believe it?”
“Uh, yeah…….”
“I love you.”
Thump!
Gyu-yeon intentionally melted Naru’s heart. At the sudden confession, Naru gasped and placed his hand over his left chest to calm his heart. It didn’t slow his pulse, though.
Gyu-yeon said he loved me.
Yu Gyu-yeon said he loved me.
He said he loves me.
He says he loves me. He says he loves me. He says he loves me.
Naru’s inner world became a riot. It felt like ten thousand thoughts filled his every second. Half of them, no, more than half, were silly gushing nonsense.
What should I answer. I want to kiss him. Yu Gyu-yeon is handsome. And he’s my boyfriend. Awesome.
After hesitation, Naru suddenly leapt. Using Gyu-yeon’s shoulder for support, he grabbed him and planted a solid kiss. So excited, he even bared her teeth.
A tiny canine tooth pricked Gyu-yeon’s lip as he pulled away. There wasn’t even the usual smacking sound. Naru grinned as if he didn’t care.
“I, me too.”
“What do you mean ‘me too’, huh?”
“I love you too, Gyu-yeon.”
Naru, who was embarrassingly incongruous, murmured that he loved him. He had bulldozed his way through before, but saying it directly made his face flush prettily.
A soft, hazy atmosphere drifted between them. After a while, Naru, holding back words, floated a question mark over his head and asked something curious.
“So now I’ll call you ‘honey’ instead of Gyu-yeon?”
“Just call me Gyu-yeon.”
“Why? If you love someone you call them ‘honey.’”
“Honey.” The ticklish pet name made Gyu-yeon frown, and he firmly refused. It was cute when Naru said it, but it was problematically cute.
By the way, where did he learn that nickname?
“…Where did you learn that nickname?”
“On TV it’s like that. Everyone calls each other ‘honey.’”
Gyu-yeon thought seriously. Should he thank TV?
Still, first he should stop Naru. The first reason was for his heart’s sake, and the second was that Gyu-yeon had never uttered such cheesy pet names.
Naru hadn’t used it before either, but oddly he said it flawlessly.
“We’ll leave that for later.”
“Will you once we’re married?”
“Guh, yes, okay. When we’re married.”
“Ah, got it…….”
Talking with Naru always brought unexpected things out. Marriage—what an audacious, cute word; Gyu-yeon laughed and nodded.
Naru accepted it easily. He had thought he’d pester him if he said no, but Gyu-yeon nodded right away, which was a relief.
Naru’s mouth curved into a grin. His smile looked especially bright today.
Now that we’re lovers, I’ll protect Gyu-yeon. Even if the Previous owner comes here, I’ll stick to Gyu-yeon’s side so he won’t get hurt.
Naru clenched his fist quietly, making that vow inside.
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