Half-Line

When I was twelve, my father committed suicide in the car. The same car we used to travel to the sea and the mountains with as a family during holidays and vacations.My father was a factory owner. We lived a comfortable life without much lack and assumed it would continue that way. But after his passing, I learned that he was barely maintaining a bankrupt business, just a figurehead of a company.Terms like seizure, repayment, collateral, and auction were new to me then, and as soon as I learned them, we had to vacate our home. My mother, who had been addressed as “Ma’am,” lost everything in an instant and was thrown out with my two younger twin siblings, who hadn’t even started elementary school, holding hands. After giving up everything to the creditors, we gathered the meager remnants and moved into a half-basement studio.My mother sank into depression and panic, spending her time alternating between alcohol and medication. She knew it was dangerous, and I hated it, but I couldn’t stop her.A local playroom kindly agreed to look after my siblings while my mother worked. I would pick them up right after school and take care of them. The twins, who thought our father was just on a long trip, instinctively sensed the chaos in our home. They grew darker and less like typical children.Reflecting on my own younger days, I remembered being a happy and joyful child at their age. It pained me that my siblings couldn’t share the same kind of childhood. There wasn’t much I could do, but I tried to create joyful moments for them by smiling and playing with them.During those times, they would return to their innocent smiles. Thankfully, being an older brother required just time and effort, not money.At night, when the twins were asleep, my mother would often hold me and cry. She tried to hold back her emotions in front of the younger ones, but couldn’t do so with me, her eldest. I felt I shouldn’t cry if she was crying, so I held back my tears and comforted her until she stopped. Sometimes, I would gently pat her back with my small hand.Looking back, I believe that if I had been older, it would have been harder to endure those days with a clear mind. I often think that being on the verge of adolescence allowed me to get through that difficult period. Young children, like half-wild animals, don’t really know how to pity themselves.‘Lee Hajoon, you have a sense for kicking the ball. Have you thought about joining the soccer team?’At fourteen, when I entered middle school, a PE teacher called me to the preparation room. Worried I had done something wrong, I went to see him, only to receive a completely unexpected offer from the soccer club advisor and soccer enthusiast.Surprised, I hid my embarrassment and responded nonchalantly.‘My family is struggling financially, so I don’t think I can join a sports team.’‘Yeah, I heard a bit about it. That’s why you should join. Our school’s soccer team is famous. We have strong support, so you won’t have to prepare anything yourself. You’ll get uniforms, and I’ll arrange soccer shoes in your size if you agree. Your homeroom teacher mentioned you’re on basic living support, right?’‘Yes.’‘You might not know this, but it’s actually better for you to join. I can try to get some support funds for you. If you’re selected as a promising player, you might even get scholarships from the school and the district.’‘…But I’m not that good…’‘Snacks are provided during training, too. You won’t lose anything by joining.’I told him I’d think about it and spent that night contemplating. The conditions—support funds, snacks, potential scholarships—were good. I decided to try it, knowing I could quit if it didn’t work out.I had always thought sports required a lot of money, so I never dreamt of joining a sports team. But luckily, playing soccer allowed me to earn a little money instead.Even though I often played soccer with friends in elementary school, I had never considered myself talented or particularly fond of the game. So, I was surprised when they said I had talent and even more surprised when I was selected as a promising player in the second semester and received a school scholarship.Proper training revealed that I might actually have some talent. Playing street soccer with friends was all about running fast and scoring goals. In the soccer team, it was more important to block the opponent’s ball and accurately pass and carry the ball according to strategies.According to the coach, I had a high understanding of tactics and soccer intelligence. He said defenders should have strong patience, tenacity, and a good grasp of the overall game flow. That’s why I primarily played as a left-back defender.At sixteen, when I was called to the national youth team in the third year of middle school, I couldn’t believe it. I was both excited and scared. I started soccer because of hunger and financial need. Did I really deserve to be here?I felt overwhelmed by how big the situation had become. I feared that if I stepped onto the big stage, my inadequacies would be exposed, and I would lose even the little support I had.Among the youth national team, there were few middle schoolers; most were high school students. Middle schoolers were often chosen as rotation candidates, and I followed the training diligently, not wanting to get on the wrong side of my seniors. I felt more anxiety than joy but persevered through the training.I didn’t even tell my mother or siblings that I was called up to the national team. The training program included a two-week-long training camp, but I explained my situation and only joined the last two nights. The coach was reluctant but didn’t exclude me from the roster.My mother’s condition had improved but she still struggled with depression and emotional swings, making daily life difficult. My siblings were too young to fully understand what being called to the national team meant. While my mother would be happy, I feared that her excessive joy might also destabilize her emotions.The training camp aimed to build teamwork and, in a hidden sense, effectively control and lead young and rough players. The coach probably let me skip most of the camp because I had been obedient in training. As a young candidate who couldn’t even look up in front of senior players, participating for just that short time was probably satisfactory.During the almost final two-night, three-day camp, I saw ‘that guy’ a few times. Outside of training, he seemed uninterested in others, often wearing earphones and staring into the distance or sleeping with his eyes tightly shut.Despite the lack of hostility, his reputation and the unspoken air of “don’t mess with him” kept even peers from approaching him freely. I was no exception.Once, I went to make a phone call and saw him talking on the phone, unusually smiling and joking. Curious, I watched for a moment before quickly leaving, afraid he might catch me staring.The first U-17 World Cup qualifier I participated in was approaching. I was so nervous that I had to catch my breath. I criticized myself for being so tense despite not being a starter, but I couldn’t control my shaking.Hajoon found a quiet spot and hid there. Wanting to calm his nerves, he untied and retied his soccer shoes, but his trembling hands couldn’t do it properly.What do I do? Sitting on a plastic box, seemingly prepared for recycling, behind the stadium building in a mild panic, he kept staring at his toes when someone spoke to him.“What are you doing here?”Hajoon looked up. There stood a handsome boy his age. It was the boy who always listened to music or slept—the only middle schooler in the starting lineup.The same boy who, even after being called up to the national team, sometimes skipped training when he felt moody, causing the coach to erupt in anger multiple times.Hajoon had observed these scenes from a distance, wondering how the boy managed to get away with such behavior. Despite repeated scoldings, he never seemed to cower. Even after all the reprimands, he remained in the national team, and his audacity made sense. Whenever he skipped training, he’d return to his original coach, Mr. Park Junsung, get a stern lecture, complete his basic training, and come back to the camp—Hajoon learned this later.Though the boy didn’t seem to recognize Hajoon, Hajoon had known of him before joining the team. Kim Mukyeom was already famous among domestic middle and high school players. Soccer fans were eagerly awaiting Mukyeom to grow older and become a more mature player.Despite being called to the national team together, Hajoon and Mukyeom were in different leagues—first team and second team, respectively. They had rarely spoken or trained together, and they stayed in different rooms, so seeing Mukyeom up close was a first.Seeing him up close, Hajoon realized how much bigger Mukyeom was despite being the same age. He wouldn’t be intimidated by the older high school boys. His expression was different too—confident and almost arrogant, with a relaxed demeanor.Unable to respond, Hajoon just looked up at him. Mukyeom took something out of his jersey and put it in his mouth. Hajoon’s eyes widened, and he finally found his voice.“Don’t smoke.”“…Why?”“What do you mean why? We have a game soon. Even if we didn’t, athletes shouldn’t smoke.”Mukyeom smirked, looking down at Hajoon with a mocking gaze.“Johan Cruyff, Zinedine Zidane, Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole, Oliver Kahn.”“…….”“They all smoked.”Mukyeom even took out a lighter, lit the cigarette, and took a puff, releasing smoke that floated upwards. Hajoon grew anxious, wondering what would happen if someone saw them. Trying to persuade him, Hajoon added more.“Johan Cruyff died of lung cancer because of that.”“…….”“He also said, ‘Soccer gave me everything, and smoking took everything away.'”Mukyeom glanced sideways at Hajoon and chuckled.“I didn’t know that.”“Put it out. Those players were adults. We’re still middle schoolers. If you get caught, you might have to pack your bags and leave.”“Let them send me back if they want.”Despite his nonchalant response, Mukyeom must have been affected by Hajoon’s words or had a change of heart because he only took a couple more puffs before putting out the still mostly fresh cigarette. Then he looked down at Hajoon.“Why are you here if you don’t have anything to do?”Unable to say that his hands were shaking too much to tie his shoes, Hajoon just averted his gaze. But Mukyeom seemed to have figured it out.Before Hajoon could ask what he was doing, Mukyeom suddenly approached, knelt in front of Hajoon, and began tying his untied shoelaces. The loosely tied laces tightened, securing Hajoon’s feet snugly.Hajoon, stunned by the sudden situation, could only watch Mukyeom’s head and his hands moving swiftly and deftly over his shoes.“Lost strength in your hands? You must be really nervous.”Hajoon felt embarrassed to be looked down upon by a fellow player his age, and was also taken aback by the future star tying his shoelaces. While he was still in shock, Mukyeom stood up and lightly patted Hajoon’s shoulder.“Why are you scared? It’s just grass. It’s not gold-plated or anything.”With that, Mukyeom left, leaving the half-smoked cigarette butt behind.Hajoon sat there for a while before quickly picking it up and finding a trash can to dispose of it. He felt like an accomplice cleaning up crime evidence.Testing the fit of his shoes by tapping his toes and heels on the ground, Hajoon finally returned to where everyone else was. It seemed no one had noticed his brief absence, as everyone was busy. Luckily, he arrived just in time to join the team meeting.The starting lineup was announced. Hajoon confirmed the list that he and the other players already knew. Hajoon was a substitute, and Mukyeom was, of course, a starter.Seeing Mukyeom’s arrogance firsthand, Hajoon sat on the bench, curious to see just how good he was.Up until then, despite being a soccer player, Hajoon hadn’t enjoyed watching others play. People often assume that soccer players love watching games, but just as some fans prefer watching to playing, the opposite also exists.The match started. The opponent was the German youth national team. Youth soccer was rougher and wilder than adult games, but the difference in skill was clear. The European boys played a much more polished game compared to the Korean team.Their confidence was different too. The Korean boys, with little international experience, were easily intimidated by the boys from a soccer powerhouse. On the field, fear was quickly sensed.From the start, it was clear which team had the upper hand, but fortunately, the German boys were also inexperienced and overly excited, rushing shots near the goal. Despite their solid midfield play, they often missed key shots, unable to convert their dominance into goals.Even within a team that was in disarray, Mukyeom was sprinting around, quickly finding his place with agility. Despite being the youngest player on the team, he chased the ball with the skill and ferocity of a seasoned hunter pursuing prey, his tall stature not making him seem outmatched even among the many tall players on the German team.His runs were aggressive, but his ball-handling skills were notably seasoned and sophisticated. Once he got the ball, he seemed to calm down, and even while obsessively chasing it, he would deceive the defenders into thinking he was going forward, only to suddenly pass the ball, leaving the opposing players bewildered.The problem was that there were no players adequately positioned to receive his passes. Conversely, even when players were well-positioned to receive the ball, the passes were often not up to par, and the ball wouldn’t reach Mukyeom.Sighs of “Ah, oh my” could be heard from the bench several times. Hajoon, who was more nervous than anyone despite not playing, couldn’t even sigh, his shoulders hunched as he focused on the game. After this happened a few times, Mukyeom, seemingly frustrated, threw his arm up in the air and then flung it down.“Fuck!”The rough curse from Mukyeom’s mouth echoed loudly to the bench. Hajoon could feel that Mukyeom was starting to get heated.Around the 33rd minute of the first half, it was Germany’s chance for a corner kick. Despite the clear disparity in strength, goals weren’t coming easily, so the casual attitude among the German players disappeared. The tension eased, creating an even more unfavorable atmosphere for the Korean team than before.Fortunately, the long corner kick hit a Korean defender’s head and went far from the goal. It was a counterattack opportunity, but the ball didn’t become Korea’s. The ball was stolen again in the midfield, passed to the German right winger, and finally, a chilling shot was fired near the Korean goal.However, miraculously, the ball hit the post and bounced out. The fast-moving ball met resistance and flew off at an unexpected angle, rolling ownerless on the field for a moment, and then Mukyeom quickly ran and seized it.Deciding to solve it himself, Mukyeom then dashed towards the opponent’s goal with all his might. With everyone crowded in front of the Korean goal, the German side of the field was nearly empty except for the keeper. Although the defenders started running back, Mukyeom, who was further back, was faster.Mukyeom dribbled past players without passing, and the German players chased him. He was truly fast. Despite the desperate efforts of those chasing him, the distance between Mukyeom and his pursuers didn’t close until he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper.In a situation where there was no need to worry about offside, Mukyeom kicked the ball sharply without even a slight deceleration.It was the first goal. Since no one expected Korea to score first, the mood in the stadium changed instantly.“That guy’s a genius, isn’t he?”Someone on the bench murmured in admiration. Mukyeom roared like a beast as he ran across the field. The boys followed, clinging to him, and later, they hugged each other to celebrate the goal. You could see the opposing team’s staff and scouts, who had come to watch, exchanging words in amazement.Just over thirty minutes.That was how long it took for Hajoon’s soul to be captivated by Mukyeom, as he watched him from the bench.The sullen profile with earphones in, listening to music, the face jokingly laughing while on the phone, the young beast-like visage roaring right in front of him.The arrogant, sneering eyes looking down at him, the white smoke wafting from between his lips, the weight of the hand that casually touched his shoulder after he bent down to tie his shoelaces.All these images swirled in Hajoon’s soul, drawing it deep somewhere. For ten years after that day, the soul once taken never thought to return to its owner.🏀Kim Mukyeom, Kim Mukyeom, Kim Mukyeom!The stadium was filled with cheers calling one man’s name, followed by songs cheering for the team. Hajoon listened to these cheers from the bench, watching the game move towards its end in the second half without even blinking. With about a minute left until the end, they won a foul and were given a free-kick opportunity. If this free-kick went in, the game would end right there.The free-kick taker was Mukyeom. He placed the ball at the marked spot and stepped back a few steps. In the stands, where people had only seen his free-kicks on video from foreign lands, the cheers and songs quieted down, surprisingly silent.Hajoon knew that Mukyeom had his own mechanism for taking free-kicks, which could be described as superhuman. Standing with his hands on his hips, gauging the distance and angle, after a few steps of run-up, he precisely struck the ball at the point he wanted.The ball flew over the jumping wall of defenders, drawing a low arc. The goalkeeper, although he guessed the direction correctly and jumped, was a step too late to block the powerfully flying ball.Wow!The cheers grew even louder. With this free-kick goal, Mukyeom completed a hat-trick today, securing a great victory. The stands were packed today, and the team’s mood, which had been down due to Junsung’s absence, was slowly lifting. The final whistle blew, and Hajoon closed his notebook.“Well done!”“Good work!”The expressions of the players who had achieved a pleasant victory were bright, and their voices exchanging greetings were cheerful. City Seoul continued its unbeaten run into the middle of the season. Not only was league victory in sight, but as someone had mentioned before, even a good performance in the Club World Cup seemed possible.“Congratulations, Kim Mukyeom!”“Congratulations, hyung.”Amidst the congratulations for the hat-trick hero, Mukyeom just chuckled dismissively.“Yeah, man. A hat-trick is nothing to you, right?”With Jungkyu’s teasing and the people’s congratulations, Mukyeom, while pretending to be indifferent, neatly collected the ball as a memento of his first hat-trick in this league.Even with Kim Mukyeom, it wasn’t like he would score three or four goals every game in the K League. Soccer isn’t a sport that runs on the abilities of one player alone. If one great player could lead to indiscriminate victories, there would be no upsets in the World Cup. And Mukyeom was a player who felt the same joy after every victory, in any match or league.Today was the ‘away game’ Hajoon had talked about. After the game, especially after a victory, the excitement mixed with a sense of achievement and sexual desire would boil within him. Whether they won or lost, Mukyeom always needed sex after the game more than before. Today, he needed to check with the new coach again.“Coach Lee.”Hajoon was examining one player’s body who had taken a hard tumble after a tackle during today’s game, along with the medical staff. As Mukyeom approached, the player turned to look at him with an indifferent expression.“I’d like to discuss the matter we talked about last time today.”“Sure. Let’s decide on it later.”Seeing the player’s emotionless face while he worked, Mukyeom gave a faint smile and headed straight to the shower room.In the communal showers attached to the stadium, several players were already there, completely naked, washing themselves. Mukyeom tried to feel some excitement by looking at each of them, but instead of feeling anything, he just felt worse.“Hey, look at me for a sec.”“Uh?”He tapped the shoulder of one of the players who was considered relatively handsome in the team, making him turn around. After looking at the guy who was giving him a puzzled look, Mukyeom made another gesture.“Never mind. Turn back.”“Okay…”Passing by the player who awkwardly turned back, Mukyeom stood under an empty showerhead. It seemed he wasn’t attracted to just any man. After all, even with women, it was the same; if the partner was male, it was no different.As he washed off the sweat and thought about the upcoming sex with Hajoon, the indifference from a moment ago seemed like a lie as he already started to feel a subtle heat in his body. While washing shampoo out of his hair, Mukyeom hummed a little tune only he could hear. To others, it might seem like the hero of the hat-trick was in a good mood.After changing in the locker room, the players boarded the bus one by one to head back to Seoul. The staff had already paired up and were seated, but Hajoon was sitting alone by the window. He had been scribbling notes during the game and now was busy organizing them, with both a notebook and a tablet PC on his lap. Mukyeom sat down beside him without hesitation.Hajoon glanced at the person sitting next to him with a wary look, then, without saying much, turned back to his notebook. Mukyeom leaned close to his ear and whispered.“Have you decided?”“Yeah. Let’s do it tomorrow.”“Today.”“…Okay.”Although it sounded like they were talking about work in a calm tone, it was welcome news to hear. Mukyeom slightly pulled up the corners of his mouth in a smile and sat back up. Hajoon, while responding, focused on his notes and tablet, continuing his work.Isn’t he too diligent? Mukyeom thought as he leaned back, resting his head on the seat and closing his eyes. The players, high from the victory, were still noisy even on the bus, and with a rumble, the bus started moving.Mukyeom woke up suddenly after dozing off. The bus, which had been noisy when they left, was now as silent as a grave, probably because everyone was tired. He moved his stiff neck from side to side and looked beside him. Hajoon had also fallen asleep with his notebook on his knees.Mukyeom reached out and opened the notebook Hajoon carried around daily. Although both he and Hajoon had not been with the team for long, this was already the second notebook, with a label marked ‘2’ on the spine.Several pages had colored tapes on them, and notes were neatly organized in somewhat rough handwriting compared to Hajoon’s stern face, detailing what was wrong with each player, what needed to be reinforced, and what training should be instructed.The notes were very detailed. Some players were noted to have reduced training due to poor complexion on that day, while others had their diet and sleep times checked. Hajoon occasionally asked Mukyeom about these details too. He categorized each player’s type, noting if they had good endurance, speed, or power, and how quickly they recovered from fatigue.After flipping through a few pages, Mukyeom looked for his name. The front part was for daily records, while the latter part was sorted by jersey numbers, so his name appeared in the middle. Skipping the familiar training program notes, he saw a section marked with an asterisk where Hajoon had noted points to watch for himself.— Continue to monitor ankle imbalance. If not corrected properly, it could strain the knees.— Strengthen core muscles, but maybe reduce upper body muscles a bit? Keep an eye and instruct.— Check rest. Make sure to fill rest times completely. Monitor sleep times as well.— Why is he like this???The last note was written in a burst of emotion amidst the training-related memos, making Mukyeom almost laugh out loud, but he bit his lip to suppress it.“Mmm…”Hajoon muttered in his sleep and moved his head. Mukyeom quickly closed the notebook, put it back on Hajoon’s knees, and sat back with his arms folded. Fortunately, Hajoon didn’t wake up and just tilted his head slightly towards the window, breathing evenly with his eyes closed.Mukyeom, with his arms crossed, tilted slightly to look at Hajoon’s face, then sat back up with a silent laugh. He’s subtly funny, this guy.After driving for about two hours, the bus arrived at the training ground. The players got off one by one and did some light stretching to loosen up their bodies, following Hajoon’s instructions. He clapped his hands and greeted them.“You all worked hard today. Get some good rest, and let’s meet in the afternoon tomorrow. Tomorrow, we’ll only do a fatigue recovery program with no regular training.”“Good work!”After the farewell greetings, the players hurried to the parking lot. Hajoon stood there, hesitating on what to do next. Last time there were no prying eyes, but today there were a lot of people. Riding in Mukyeom’s car from here would attract attention. Then he received a message on his phone.Come to the bus stopHajoon stared at the message for a while. It was strange that Kim Mukyeom’s message was on his phone.Hajoon had saved every player’s number in City Seoul for emergency contact as a coach, but it was odd that Mukyeom knew his number. While it was natural since all numbers were shared on the internal intranet, it still felt awkward.Hajoon went to the bus stop and found not the orange Lamborghini but a silver Maserati in the same spot as last time. Even though they had already agreed, Hajoon hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and briskly walking to open the passenger door and sit down without greeting.“Feels like we’re running some kind of spy operation.”Mukyeom made a jest, but Hajoon wasn’t in the mood to reply, not because he was upset or regretted it, but because he was nervous. Seeing Hajoon’s tense expression, Mukyeom just shrugged and started the car without further comment.The atmosphere in the car was so quiet it was hard to believe two people going for sex were inside as it merged into the night streets.This time, they arrived at Mukyeom’s house again. As Mukyeom entered the living room and started undressing, he asked:“Do you want to shower?”“Yeah.”Hajoon went into the same bathroom as before. Unlike the last time when he sat in an empty tub just letting the water run over him because he was sick, he now carefully lathered and washed every part of his body. The level of concern was different before and after having sex.Though it didn’t seem like a frequently used place, the bathroom with a bathtub was spotless, not a speck of dust on the tiles. The bathtub, sink, and even the mirror on the wall exceeded Hajoon’s imagination of a home bathroom. Even the neatly arranged bathroom products on the shelf felt so pristine that he felt guilty splashing water around.Should he go out in clothes or go out naked? Since he’d have to take them off anyway, did he really need to put them on? After some thought, Hajoon put all his clothes back on.Upon opening the door, Mukyeom was just coming out, drying his hair with a towel. In contrast to Hajoon, who had dressed completely, Mukyeom was wearing only a robe. The dark gray, luxurious-looking robe wrapped around his sturdy frame exuded an unfamiliar, mature charm that Hajoon found himself staring at without thinking until Mukyeom gave him a slight smile.“You dressed so meticulously even though you’re just going to take it all off anyway.”“…I’m not really used to walking around naked.”“Come to think of it, didn’t you say you live with your family?”Mukyeom tossed the towel he had used and moved closer to Hajoon.“It doesn’t matter. Undressing you is fun too.”With a smooch, Hajoon felt dizzy as soon as the words ended, with Mukyeom’s lips pressing just below his earlobe.“That day, I was a bit rushed, so we did it on the couch.”His lips brushed a little lower. Hajoon had only recently learned through Mukyeom how sensitive his skin was to others’ touch. Every time those lips playfully pressed and slid, his legs felt like they’d give out. Before he knew it, Mukyeom’s arm was wrapping around his back.“Ah, uh…”“Okay, okay. Seems like our Coach Lee is in a hurry too.”Mukyeom lifted his head from Hajoon’s neck to look down at him. There was more mischief than lust in his eyes, making Hajoon feel somewhat unfairly agitated by his own impatience.“Anyway, let’s take it slow today, in bed.”Hajoon followed Mukyeom, who was moving towards the bedroom, almost being dragged. The door opened behind him, and before he knew it, Hajoon was laid on the bed.Lying on the wide bed, Hajoon quickly looked around the room. It was spacious and simple with a small nightstand, a mirror, and a single wardrobe by the bed. There was a large window on the wall where trees could be seen outside. Despite knowing it was on the third floor of a rather tall building, the sight of the dense leaves outside was intriguing, and Hajoon looked away after a moment.For a room used by a single man, it seemed adequate, yet it felt surprisingly modest and ordinary. It didn’t feel much like a lived-in space; there was a subtle chill in the air despite the room’s warmth.Even as Mukyeom’s lips were marking his body, Hajoon’s eyes were darting around until Mukyeom frowned and lifted himself up.“Why are you looking around instead of focusing?”“Nothing. Just…”While Hajoon was distracted by looking at the room, his pants had already been removed. Mukyeom grabbed the hem of his t-shirt to lift it, and Hajoon lifted his arms to help him take it off.At first, they hadn’t taken off all their clothes. When Hajoon was completely naked, his scars became a concern, leading him to cover them with his hand, which Mukyeom then moved away. Feeling embarrassed, Hajoon turned his head slightly to the side.The navy-colored sheets and duvet made Hajoon’s white skin stand out even more. Mukyeom looked down at him, his lips curling in satisfaction like a hunter pleased with his catch. Though Hajoon might be offended if he said it out loud, even the scars seemed to enhance the flawless beauty of his skin.Hajoon’s body, which Mukyeom had seen before, looked even better when laid bare – muscles toned to an optimal balance, not too much or too little. From the sharp line from his neck to his shoulders, the firm line from his shoulder to his arm, the taut chest with small nipples, down to the well-defined abs.Despite the body being masculine and not slender, it had an intricately crafted air about it, perhaps innate. If Mukyeom’s body was like a rough oil painting, Hajoon’s was like a line drawing in ink.Mukyeom traced the diagonal muscles from Hajoon’s jawline down to his collarbone with his fingers. Each touch made Hajoon twitch and clench his lips, trying not to make a sound even though he had been told not to hold back.Then let’s make him unable to hold back. Mukyeom bent down, grazing his teeth against Hajoon’s neck, gently nibbling while his fingers teased the nipples, rendering Hajoon’s efforts futile.“Ah, uh…”Hajoon’s skin, which Mukyeom had noticed anew in the shower and locker room, was not just pale but smooth and finely textured, making it hard to believe it belonged to an athletic man. Hence, the slightest touch made him moan. Feeling amused, Mukyeom moved his lips from Hajoon’s neck down to the opposite nipple he was touching. With a smooch, he sucked on the protruding tip, and Hajoon’s hips lifted slightly. On impulse, Mukyeom bit down on the nipple.“Ah, that hurts!”Hajoon’s voice rose sharply. He frowned, looking at Mukyeom with displeasure. Mukyeom looked up to meet his gaze, then licked the bitten nipple soothingly with his tongue. As the tongue slid over it, Hajoon seemed to give up arguing and closed his eyes.Seeing the nipple now swollen and slightly redder than before, Mukyeom was intrigued. This time, he ran his tongue down the center of Hajoon’s chest, over the spine. When his tongue reached the sternum and his free hand rested on Hajoon’s pelvis, teasing, Hajoon’s body twitched with moans escaping him, not knowing where the sensation was coming from.“Ung, uh, uh, ah.”Interesting.Mukyeom thought he understood why sex with Hajoon kept coming to mind. While the sensations during penetration were good, sex with Hajoon was quite entertaining for him.The very act of laying a coworker from the same team and training ground on his bed was stimulating, and watching the usually neat face twist in pleasure beneath him was enjoyable. The body that reacted sensitively to touch anywhere was even more intriguing.He couldn’t guarantee how long this fun would last, but at least Hajoon’s body wasn’t one to get boring after just two times. It was good that he had initiated this.“Ah, ah, uh!”Pressing his lips to the inner thigh next to Hajoon’s exposed erection after pulling down his briefs, Hajoon’s hips lifted lightly. As he tried to turn to the side to escape, Mukyeom spread his legs and firmly held him with a large hand, sucking hard on the inner thigh. Hajoon squirmed, but his leg couldn’t escape from Mukyeom’s grip.“Ah, ah, there, it tickles, uh!”“If it tickles, you should laugh. Is this tickling?”“Ah, ah, ah!”He could feel the strength in Hajoon’s leg trapped in his hand. Despite retiring years ago, his thigh muscles were still firm and resilient. As he listened to Hajoon’s helpless moans like music, Mukyeom noticed his own erection and lifted his head.Despite Hajoon’s futile attempts to resist, he looked at Mukyeom with a pitiful expression. Mukyeom liked that look too. He completely removed Hajoon’s briefs and threw his own aside before opening the bedside drawer to take out gel and condoms. Hajoon seemed to tense up a bit.“Hand.”At Mukyeom’s command, Hajoon hesitantly extended his hand.As the slightly clenched, pale palm came before him, Mukyeom squeezed gel onto it without further explanation. Hajoon looked at his hand, unsure what to do, observing Mukyeom for direction.Nodding towards his lower body, Mukyeom said,“Today, you touch me too. There’s no rule saying I should be the only one doing the touching, right?”Following Mukyeom’s gesture, Hajoon’s gaze moved down to where Mukyeom was fully erect. Hajoon swallowed hard, which Mukyeom could see.Feeling more relaxed, Mukyeom sat back while Hajoon, who had been lying down, got up on his knees to come closer. Mukyeom chuckled to himself watching him; it was hard to tell if Hajoon was shy or eager, but at moments like this, he seemed definitely the latter. Just like before, his eyes sparkled whenever he saw Mukyeom’s erection.Despite having the same equipment, Hajoon looked at it like it was something fascinating, gently taking it in his hand. His fingers wrapped around it one by one as if playing piano keys, and once he had a firm grasp, he muttered in awe.“It’s hot.”“Why are you acting like it’s your first time touching a dick?”Teasing, Hajoon closed his mouth but slid his hand, now slick with gel, up the shaft. The sensation of the smooth, gel-covered palm was special. With a slight sigh from the languid feeling, Mukyeom looked down at Hajoon, who was kneeling before him, focused on his task. He was watching Mukyeom’s erection with concentration, moving his hand.Hajoon’s hand was moving diligently up and down, creating a sloshing friction sound where his palm met the surface of Mukyeom’s erection, yet there was no hint of lewdness on his face. He looked even more serious than when he was reading notes at the training ground.It was almost as if he was observing his ankle at the training ground rather than handling an erection. This time, Mukyeom couldn’t help but laugh out loud.“What?”Hajoon looked at Mukyeom, who was suddenly chuckling, with a bewildered expression. Did I do something wrong? Such thoughts were evident on his face, and Mukyeom shook his head.“No.”As Mukyeom leaned forward, Hajoon let go of the erection and lay back down, hesitant. Mukyeom’s erection, which had grown even larger in Hajoon’s hand, was now fully prepared.Mukyeom tore open the condom packet with his teeth. Hajoon, looking surprised, grabbed Mukyeom’s arm.“Wait, just a second.”“Hmm?”“Just a moment before we start.”A moment for what? Mukyeom frowned, and Hajoon, flustered, picked up the gel he had tossed aside, squeezing more onto his hand.What was he planning to do? While Mukyeom’s lower half was eager to thrust into the man in front of him, he was curious about what Hajoon intended and waited. Then, he opened his eyes wide in surprise.“Uh…”Frowning, Hajoon did not apply the gel to Mukyeom’s erection or his own; instead, he spread his legs and immediately inserted his middle finger between his buttocks. With legs slightly apart, he showed no hesitation in suddenly inserting his finger into himself.After inserting the finger, Hajoon began moving his wrist while looking down at himself, seemingly trying to widen the entrance. Mukyeom watched, speechless, as Hajoon rotated his hand while inserted, his face slightly contorted in discomfort from just one finger.“Hoo, ah.”What is this?Is this some kind of service?Because it’s the second time? Does he have a personal policy of providing visual service on the second encounter?Mukyeom was confident that he had enough experience not to be outdone by anyone, but he had never encountered someone who started masturbating right in front of him before even beginning. And if that someone was the man he was about to penetrate, even more so.He had always been the one leading in bed, but this was the first time he felt directionless due to surprise. Regardless, the heat in his lower body increased with this astonishing scene. As he watched, dazed by the situation, Hajoon spoke, seeming uncomfortable with Mukyeom’s silence.“Just wait a moment. I’ll be quick.”Hajoon, whose face had slightly reddened, was breathing heavily while moving his hand, attempting to insert his ring finger next to the middle one already inside. At that moment, Mukyeom moved close and grabbed his wrist. His eyes narrowed unintentionally.“Service is nice, but just watching isn’t my style.”“Service?”It was stimulating. His erection, which he thought was at its limit, seemed to rise even higher. As he pulled down on the wrist, the finger that was inside came out with a slick sound. The sight of it coming out was as arousing as when it went in.Pushing the man who was awkwardly sitting back down onto the bed, Mukyeom grabbed his erection and rubbed it against the entrance as if he was about to insert it. Hajoon hastily spoke.“Wait, just a little more.”“Why? I said it’s fine.”“If we don’t do this first, it’ll hurt, no, it hurts.”At those words, Mukyeom frowned.“Why? Last time you just said to go for it.”“That time…”Hajoon swallowed hard before answering.“I was in a hurry.”“What?”A scoff escaped Mukyeom’s lips. Hajoon’s face turned even redder at the sound.He should have told me from the start how to do it right, not to mess with me… When he was in a hurry, he said just to do it, but now he’s saying it’ll hurt if we do it like that?In his mind, there were two voices: one urging him to ignore everything and thrust right now, and another calming him, saying what can you do if it hurts. Mukyeom sighed lightly, lifted his hips away from Hajoon, and lay down next to him. As he applied gel to his fingers, he grumbled.“Then you should have said so from the beginning, why make a show of it?”“Huh? No, I didn’t mean to.”“Shut up.”In a fit of temper, Mukyeom pushed two gel-covered fingers into Hajoon’s legs, creating a slap sound as his palm hit Hajoon’s buttocks. Hajoon jolted and let out a short scream.“Ah!”“What, you want me to fuck you until you’re loose?”“Hic, uh!”Mukyeom thrust his fingers in and out rapidly, like he was inserting his erection. Ah, ah. Hajoon moaned, his body trembling, unsure if it was pain or pleasure.Once the fingers were inside, the hot, wet inner walls felt good against them, stirring a new curiosity over the urge to quickly experience the pleasure of insertion. Unlike the initial harsh, angry thrusts, the speed of his fingers slowed, and their trajectory changed from a straight line.“Haa, ah, ugh.”The motion of rubbing the inner walls with a circular wrist movement became stickier. Mukyeom slowly, deeply spread the warm lubricant inside, feeling the walls on the top, side, and bottom.Last time, with a condom on and moving at a quick pace, he hadn’t felt this much, but the soft, sticky sensation inside was fun to explore. It was also quite a mystery how he had managed to thrust his erection into such a tight space before.When he pushed his fingers in a bit deeper, bending the knuckles:“Hic!”Suddenly, Hajoon’s hips bucked up. At the same time, Mukyeom felt the inner walls that were wrapping around his fingers start to convulse, not just tightening but pulsating.Mukyeom, with a faint frown, rubbed the same spot again with his fingertips. Hajoon tried to pull his hips away, curling up.“Wait, just a moment.”“Why?”A faint smile spread across Mukyeom’s lips. He slid his arm under Hajoon like a pillow, pulling him close so his head was right at Mukyeom’s neck.In that position, he focused on one spot with his fingertips, moving his wrist quickly to rub it. Hajoon, despite being held, tried to pull his hips back to escape the touch.“Wait, ah, ah, uh, ah!”“Do you like this spot?”“Huh, huh, ah, no, not good, ah, ah, ah!”“Don’t lie, tell me honestly. If it’s good, say it’s good; if it’s bad, say it’s bad.”