SMNTCERR, Special Chapter 29: Syntax Error #15. 

   “Heh, heh…”

   Jaeyoung continued to hold Sangwoo tightly, which made Sangwoo’s body tremble. Suddenly, he raised his face and moved down to find Sangwoo’s lips, his finger snaking through his hair, followed by his hand cupping his cheek. They were both out of breath, and had to exhale every two to three seconds, but their lips immediately connected.

   Jaeyoung pressed his nose down until it touched and gently brushed his cheeks, nose, mouth, and other random spots. Sangwoo was able to express his feelings after the love making they had just experienced.

   “When I traveled for work somewhere, you must have been hungry for it?”

   His voice was hoarse for a moment, and the sound that came out lacked continuity.

   “My love, you shouldn’t be able to say that sentence. Even if you don’t see my face you will still cum.”

   Jaeyoung responded with a laugh, and the other’s hair stood up with sweat, his chest rising and falling heavily as if he had just run a long distance.  “Hot.”

   Jaeyoung slowly pulled his body away from Sangwoo’s. Then, he sat down and began to unbutton, but after a few attempts, he struggled to remove it, wet like a taut t-shirt with a lack of patience. It seemed difficult for a shirt that clung tightly to the sweat-soaked body, and ultimately, the tearing sound became louder.

   “I put on a fitted shirt, and this is how it turns out.”

   Jaeyoung threw away a piece of fabric that was once a shirt, which looked good on the wall before he took off the sweat-stained and stained boxer briefs and kicked them far away.

   ‘It’s best not to wear anything at all.’ 

   Sangwoo picked up a condom and put it on himself. As he sat on  Jaeyoung’s lap without hesitation and started kissing, the person being kissed tightly wrapped their arms around Sangwoo’s waist. Jaeyoung cock gently brushed against the inside of Sangwoo’s legs as he moved back and forth, if you didn’t see the whitish stains stuck under the condom you wouldn’t know if it has been released or not.

   “Darling, shall we gamble this time?”

   “Hmm? Gamble what?”

   “Whoever cum first has to give the other person a blowjob fifty million times.”

   “No, thanks.”

   While Sangwoo changed to a new condom and applied lube on it, Jaeyoung continued to talk aimlessly as if he were at ease, like a group of celebrities. But as Sangwoo pulled him closer and swallowed that part of him with his love hole, the expression on Jaeyoung’s face changed.

   “Hey… wait.”

   Jaeyoung used his other hand to stroke Sangwoo’s shoulder and let out a low moan before lifting him up to lie down again with a lustful expression.

   “It’s my turn now. Now you keep still.”

   Sangwoo pushed his shoulder aside, hearing that, Jaeyoung smiled devilishly like a drunk person.

   “What if I don’t?”

   “Then I’ll tie your hands together, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.”

   “You want me to beg for a real touch but only speak…”

   Jaeyoung used both hands to hold Sangwoo’s buttocks and smiled teasingly. Then, Sangwoo pushed the chest of the man he cherished, causing him to collapse back onto the pillow instead of giving an answer.

   ***

   “…until then, I still thought that he was just a planner, a bit straightforward, but on the last day when we were drinking together, he just couldn’t stop talking. I listened to him bragging about his daughter for two hours.”

   “Does he have a daughter? When I talked to him on the phone, it seemed like he said he was still single.”

   “Oh, well, he went back and forth and it seems that he has three daughters now. I also learned Danish with him, you know.”

   Jaeyoung raised his finger to write words in the air, silently reciting the words that Sangwoo couldn’t hear.

   “Offensive words.”

   “How do you know?”

   According to the resume, Jaeyoung can speak five languages, but if we count just the offensive words, he can curse in fourteen languages.

   “Oh. And he said he would invite us to his wedding, so I accepted.”

   “When can we meet to get the invitation?”

   “One day…maybe.”

   Sangwoo frowned, initially he was hesitant about the number of guests attending the wedding. It had already increased significantly from the number he initially planned. However, Jaeyoung insisted on adding two more guests before Choi Yoona, who had originally declined the invitation because it was too far, changed her mind and decided to come along. This caused the need to add one more person, creating a real headache.

   “So…183 people?”

   “I’m not satisfied with the number.”

   The number Sangwoo initially set was a specific number. He believed that the special number 1 and himself, who could be divisible by it, were fitting for the ceremony that claimed to love only the couple. Therefore, he disliked the number 183, which was a composite number.

   “It’s too many divisible numbers.”

   “Then let’s add four more people, making it 187 people, to match my height.”

   “Height is a number that changes with time. What does it even mean?”

   “What? Are you saying that I will shrink when I get old?”

   “…I didn’t mean it that way, the latest measurement of your height was 188, not 180 or something, the height is a variable number, that’s it.”

   It might be because of my thick socks, or maybe it’s because of the shoe inserts, but either way, Jaeyoung firmly believes that he grew one centimeter taller. 

   “I was just joking about that.”

   “…”

   “Well then, let’s go with 189 people, it’s a prime number, right?”

   “No, the numbers that can be divided evenly are 1, 3, 7, 9, 21, 27, 63, and

189. I strongly disagree with choosing numbers that have too many divisors.”

   Hearing Sangwoo speak seriously, Jaeyoung burst into laughter as if he heard a joke.

   “In that case, let’s set the date for the 4th day, April at 4 o’clock and 44 minutes. Let’s invite 44 people.”

   “Are you still playing? Do you think that skepticism and the desire for everything to be perfect for me are the same?”

   “No, it’s not the same. I don’t believe in those superstitions.”

   Jaeyoung playfully leaned against Sangwoo’s back without hiding his laughter. Then he kissed his neck.

   “Then how about 191? Is it a prime number?”

   “Oh.”

   “Let’s go with that one then, it’s like rate 19+[1] perfect.”

   “Okay.”

   Sangwoo sighed, the starting rate of the wedding guests was around 53% of the current number, but now it has increased so much that it’s difficult to call it a “small wedding.”

   “It’s all because of you, 101 the guests would be all complete now.”

   “No, I don’t really like it, it reminds me of Dalmatians.”

   “…”

   “Sangwooya.”

   “What?”

   “How many guests will there be? the important matter between the two of us is getting married.”

   “It’s a joke. And not long ago, you were still saying that if the song Salut d’Amour played, you wouldn’t get married.”

   “Ah… that song doesn’t really matter, you know.”

   Sangwoo heard a loud yawn from behind, he pulled Jaeyoung’s arm and lightly tapped his head, while the hand that was hugging his waist tightened. At the same time, he felt something that he assumed to be Jaeyoung’s lips pressing against his neck before pulling away. 

   Although he enjoyed sleeping and talking like this, Sangwoo wondered how long he had to let himself stay in this state, because Jaeyoung, who was currently dozing off, had finished cummed but still seemed unwilling to let Sangwoo’s body rest. 

   “Darling, I want to take a shower.”

   “Let’s stay like this for a little longer.”

   “How long is ‘a little’?”

   “Ten minutes.”

   A large hand rested on his head and ruffled his hair. This conversation had happened three times before, but Jaeyoung still didn’t let go of Sangwoo’s waist. There was one time where he shifted his body and the disgusting and fearful thing almost slipped out, but he said, ‘Poor little child’, breathed, and shoved it back in.

   After Jaeyoung promised not to do anything and left the other party alone like that, Sangwoo thought that if the other party tried to do anything even a little, he would get up immediately. But Jaeyoung hugged Sangwoo from behind and remained calm, playing with the back of Sangwoo’s body with pleasure, by brushing his shoulders and sliding his fingers along the spine.

   Then he whispered sweet-nothings into his ear before blowing air into it.

   The hand that had previously been rubbing the back for a moment climbed up along the spinal bones and came up to the point where there was a tattoo.

   Jaeyoung kissed that spot gently.

   “But my dear, why did you lose weight so much during the time we didn’t see each other?”

   ‘No, not really.’ 

   After going through a period of growth, even though Sangwoo maintained the same weight, sometimes Jaeyoung would find him thin, weak, or sullen. During those times, when he brought up the topic of weight, the other party would often argue that their eyes and hands were more accurate, so it would be better to listen to what the other party wanted to understand.

   “I wasn’t with you for six days. I was stressed and burned more energy, I think.”

   “Really? Is that so?”

   “Um, yes.”

   “I thought I would find something delicious for you to eat since I went to the market.”

   “…we are going on a vacation already. Why are we going to the market?”

   “Don’t complain.”

   Jaeyoung hugged Sangwoo’s waist tighter than before.

   ‘You wanna go to the market today. Even though we’re going on a three-week vacation tomorrow. You’re really strange.’ 

   According to Jaeyoung’s style, he probably bought several things according to his desires. Not only food to eat today, but of course everything would be frozen. The smart choice for a day like this would be to order delivery or go to a nearby restaurant.

   ‘And we still haven’t packed anything yet.’ 

   He was worried since the other party had a work schedule outside before the vacation. So he scolded the other party to prepare in advance, but of course, Jaeyoung traveled to Denmark leaving his empty suitcase as before.

   ‘We will travel the day after tomorrow. Need to clean up.’ 

   Since Jaeyoung wasn’t at home for six days, the house was surprisingly well maintained, but they still had to dust because they wouldn’t be at home for a long time and left the cat alone. Even though the neighbors would come to check on it twice a day, they only came to take care of the cat.

   There were many things to do, but Jaeyoung still had an insatiable appetite and kept the parking card on the bed with the excuse that it was cold outside.

   Sangwoo finished thinking and opened his mouth to speak.

   “Now I should get up… There’s still a lot to do. First, let’s go take a shower and talk about dinner together, just showering. If you think about starting again, I will get really angry. Right now, I think ordering food is a better option than cooking, so let’s order food. And while we wait for the food to be delivered, I will dust off and tidy up.”

   “…”

   “Hey?”

   He started feeling uneasy when he saw the hand that used to tightly hold his waist comfortably lie down on the bed and heard the constant sound of breathing from behind when he tried to listen closely. When he turned his face to look, he realized that Jaeyoung was sleeping.

   “Hey, Jang Jaeyoung!”

   Sangwoo shook the other person’s shoulder before he fell into a deep sleep, but it was useless. Even though he called his name near his ear, there was no movement, but rather, it seemed more like a coma.

   Considering the time difference, the flight time, and Jaeyoung’s habit of watching movies on the plane without sleeping, it could be predicted that the other person had been awake for about twelve hours already, and if that was true, he wouldn’t wake up until tomorrow morning.

   “You’ve done too much. Damnit.”

   Sangwoo took a deep breath and got up from the bed. His legs were trembling, but he slowly crawled to collect the clothes that needed to be washed, including the scattered condoms, and made the bed. Then, he took a damp towel and wiped Jaeyoung’s body before dressing him in a fresh pair of underwear.

   Before leaving, he had something to do. Sangwoo climbed onto the bed and tightly hugged the sleeping Jaeyoung. Then he whispered clearly into the other person’s ear.

   “I want to marry Chu Sangwoo.”

   Even though Jaeyoung happily accepted Sangwoo’s proposal five years ago, he now had thoughts of whether to get married or not. Jaeyoung firmly believed that even if there were no legal documents, he was content with his current life, and his life right now wasn’t any different from being married, so he didn’t know how it would be different. Sangwoo failed to persuade the other person with logic, and after that, he tried to brainwash Jaeyoung whenever he had the chance and when Jaeyoung was not conscious.

   “I want to marry Chu Sangwoo.”

   After repeating the same sentence five times, Jaeyoung’s lips twitched, revealing a hint of a smile. This was a sign of receiving some kind of idea or suggestion. Sangwoo moved closer, observing his every move. Jaeyoung blushed slightly and muttered.

   “Chu Sangwoo…”

   “Marry.”

   “Me.”

   “I want to marry Chu Sangwoo.”

   “Sangwoo… cute…”

   “I want to marry.”

   “Have… sex.”

   Sangwoo thought about whether to fluff the pillow on his boyfriend’s face before taking out the cloth to wipe.

   ________________________________________.

   [1] Korean rating 19+ = Normal rating is 18+, the numbering discrepancy is due to the Korean age counting system including the years spent in the womb. 

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SMNTCERR, Special Chapter 28: Syntax Error #14. 

   Jaeyoung exhaled heavily, swept his gaze around like a madman, and took out a condom packet. He opened it and inserted the smooth and shiny layered cock forcefully into Sangwoo’s tight entrance, almost like a one hit wonder. The other party’s rough entrance was so tight that it seemed physically impossible for the cock to enter. Even though it seemed impossible, that thing had brought joy to Sangwoo countless times.

   Jaeyoung grabbed one of Sangwoo’s legs and pressed it against his own body, with a lost expression. He used both hands to spread the buttocks wide and inserted the gel into the entrance immediately.

   “Ah, it hurts!”

   Despite preparing himself mentally, the moan still slipped past, escaping from the firmly bitten lips, and Jaeyoung’s hands slid down to firmly grasp Sangwoo’s butt, his face looking terrible. At the same time, he squeezed the slippery gel more than necessary onto Sangwoo’s body. Then, he held Sangwoo’s arm tightly and rested his chin on his shoulder, pushing the heavy flesh that was harder than it appeared into the narrow and forcefully pushed it into his body.

   “Wait… it hurts, ah, slowly… gentle.”

   Jaeyoung covered Sangwoo’s mouth with the same organ and did what was left unfinished, the intense feeling of something foreign entering his body was so intense that tears welled up in his eyes, and his head bumped loudly against the headboard, creating a loud noise throughout. Although they had only done this twice, it may be because it hadn’t been done in a long time…

   Jaeyoung felt exceptionally more emotional and overindulgent.

   Jaeyoung pushed in until the very end with a force that almost broke Sangwoo’s body and then released his lips.

   “Hah, hah… Hey, if your ass grips me this hard I will be turned into an eunuch.”

   “…”

   “If my cock breaks, you will also lose.”

   Sangwoo forgot to blink his eyes tightly before they flickered weakly, feeling like they were just forcefully penetrated that his cock lost feeling and then deflated altogether. But when he heard Jaeyoung’s whispering, his cock surged up and hardened again.

   When looking up, the stimulus in his stomach became stronger. Between the brows that were furrowed under the dark brown hair, the eyes moved aimlessly like a drunk person. The chest moved up and down due to intense breathing, with sweat sticking, especially on the white shirt that was cut just enough to be moist with sweat and attached to the chest. Just by looking at that image, the lower part swelled up.

   ‘Wow, it feels like I legally cheated.’ 

   Sangwoo pondered the forbidden words in his mind. At that moment, Jaeyoung frowned as if reading his thoughts.

   “What were you thinking just now?”

   “… I wasn’t thinking about anything.”

   “Tell me quickly.”

   As Sangwoo turned his face away, Jaeyoung’s gaze became sharper. So Sangwoo had to speak without evasion.

   “I think it’s like I am doing something dishonest within the boundaries of the law.”

   “Are you going to say it feels exciting and thrilling like having sex with someone else?”

   Jaeyoung twisted the meaning of those words in the most sinister way possible. His mental state was not normal to begin with. And now, it seemed like he was fanning the flames even more. In times like this, comforting actions would not be effective. So Sangwoo put on the most pitiful expression.

   “I-I’m s-so-sorry, Se-Senior Jae-young.”

   “…”

   “Please-forgive-me.”

   Jaeyoung seemed completely unaffected by the sincere apology. The other party laughed lightly, teasingly sliding a finger between his neck and collarbone, and pulled, causing the tie he was wearing to loosen. Then he grabbed the long ends of the tie and placed them on the back of Sangwoo’s head, tying it up. His vision became completely dark.

   Sangwoon had experienced this before, but never had everything happen all at once before, no matter how much he could handle, this was just too unfair.  Sangwoo couldn’t see what was in front of him, so he assumed that Jaeyoung’s face was already there and he pushed him away.

   “This is too much. I think I also need freedom to enjoy sex now. Punishing me with all three things is unfair, release one… “

   Jaeyoung pulled his body back slightly before pushing his hips forward. Sangwoo, who wasn’t ready, accidentally gasped and let out a cry. As he spread his legs unintentionally, Jaeyoung grabbed the remaining leg and pressed it against Sangwoo, hands tied, body folded in half, and at the same time, the movement began.

   “Ah, wait…wait- … it hurts!”

   Jaeyoung barged in with determination. He went through the steps of covering his body with kisses until Sangwoo relaxed and responded back aggressively.

   Sangwoo bit his lips tightly to withstand the pain. The reason his tears welled up was not only because of the thoughtless action, but there was more to it. The other party seemed to fucking without mercy, but that cock kept brushing past his G point and made him close his eyes tightly.

   It had been seven years since they got together and they had been sleeping together often and sharing the same bed. Jaeyoung, who knew Sangwoo well, almost like his own skillful hands, never missed his target. Sangwoo didn’t want to show that his emotions were triggered so violently that his eyes were closed, his arms restrained, but the moans that came from deep within his stomach still slipped out. Sangwoo took a deep breath and moved his head, and at that moment, Jaeyoung’s lips brushed against the nape of his neck.

   “My love, who am I?”

   ‘Such a silly question. I guess I should answer.’ 

   When he closed his mouth and refused to respond, Jaeyoung, who had stopped his actions for a moment, became even harsher, thrusting forcefully until Sangwoo screamed out.

   “I asked who I was.”

   He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. In an instant, Jaeyoung grabbed his neck and pressed down, creating a sound of flesh hitting on flesh.

   Sangwoo lost his coolness instantly.

   “Uh, uh, uh… ugh…”

   Even though Jaeyoung acted tough, his arms still held Sangwoo’s waist tightly, and his lips moved up to touch his cheek, breathing heavily like a roar in the ear.

   Not being able to see ahead, Sangwoo felt that his sense of touch became even more sensitive. The weight of Jaeyoung pressing down on him, his scent, the breath that felt like a threatening sound in his ear, the squelching sound of saliva, the sharp sound of bed frame, the wet feeling of his soaked shirt as if it had just come out of water, and the heavy pressure on his body that made him unable to hold back his groans.

   “Ah, ahh! Ah, oppa… Jae… Jaeyoung.”

   “Uh, ah, ah… right answer.”

   Sangwoo often forgot that his hands were tied and attempted to reach out to Jaeyoung. He wanted to embrace his neck and hold him, but he couldn’t. With regret, he tried to spread his legs as far apart as possible. In an instant,

   Jaeyoung’s upper body went deeper and rubbed against the inside wall.

   “Ah, ah!”

   After colliding and almost tearing their bodies apart for a moment, the pain quickly turned into unexpected pleasure, and that was the only pleasure in this world that he was given. Jaeyoung pushed himself in, roughly rubbing Sangwoo’s hair and pulling. Then, he forcefully stuck his stiff tongue into his mouth, as if it was his body. Sangwoo sucked on it without consciousness and began to match his movements waist with Jaeyoung’s rhythm.

   The sound of moaning grew louder, saliva dribbled from the edge of their mouths, and their chests touched closely. The overwhelming pleasure made his brain go blank, and the embarrassment disappeared. He even forgot the resentment that Jaeyoung had provoked unjustly. If there was something he didn’t like, there was only one thing, the fact that he couldn’t see the other person’s face at that moment.

   “Sang… Woo-ya.”

   Amidst the loud moaning, Jaeyoung muttered with a hoarse voice. It was uncertain whether he felt it himself or not, but it was clear to see that the other party’s cock was getting bigger and bigger. But the reproductive organ that had always been difficult to penetrate into the same old place remained stubborn and difficult to slide in, diligently pushing against the inner wall. “If…you.”

   “Uhum.”

“Remember, if you switch your thinking off with other vermin, you will die for sure.”

“Huh, huh, uh huh, uh, shut the fuck…up.”

Sangwoo had no consciousness to reply in language, he flicked his face sideways to match the rhythm of Jaeyoung’s movements. The feeling of something encroaching on his limited spaced hole made his skin crawl, causing him to feel like crying. Every time the connecting parts came close, his hair stood on end, and his body trembled. He wanted to push Jang Jaeyoung away, want to swallow the other party, and want to embrace the other party, more than anything else. Above everything else, he wanted to see the face of that person and wanted to touch that body to the fullest.

“Ah, huh. Don’t like it. Don’t…like it.”

“Don’t like…anything. Even though I really like it.”

“I…want, huh! I want to see you.”

His difficult plea was stifled. Not only that, it only further stimulated Jaeyoung. Jaeyoung exhaled heavily, lingering beside his ear, affecting his body more intensely than before.

“Ah, uh, huh! Please…I beg you…”

Poke, poke, poke. The speed increased gradually, making Sangwoo unable to keep up with the movements of the person above even a little bit. His body, which relied on Jaeyoung softly, trembled violently, accompanied by the sharp sound of metal, so loud that it made his ears hurt. The sound of grinding teeth, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it, was replaced by cries in an instant.

The impending feeling rushed in his balls faster than usual, coming up like rising water. Sangwoo tried to hold it back in every possible way, but since both of his hands were tied up, there was no way to resist. The dam of water endured the continuous onslaught a few times and finally exploded.

Pure white delight poured over his body, trying to wash away every nerve sensation, tears, sweat, saliva, everything soaked in pleasure and writhing without order. Sangwoo both surprised and hated Jaeyoung for tying him so tightly and making him feel so miserable that he cried out in anguish.

Jaeyoung pressed his body against Sangwoo’s and hesitated for a moment, then his lips touched the corner of the other’s mouth, his wet tongue licked the edge of his eyelids and slid down to his chin. After that, not long after, the front image brightened.

Sangwoo locked eyes with Jaeyoung through teary eyes. Jaeyoung raised his hand to wipe the remaining tears on his cheeks and used his tongue to lick.

   “Afraid that I’ll be thirsty?”

   “I’ve told you before, I don’t like it!”

   “It’s alright. You are good at it.”

   Jaeyoung smiled and put his hands on both sides of Sangwoo’s waist and lifted slightly, causing the cock still lodged in his body to shift and press on the sensitive spot. Sangwoo’s eyes closed tightly and a moan escaped, the cock that had just released cum a while ago slowly hardened without any signs of fatigue.  “Wait, hyung…”

   “Why?”

   “Untie my hands…please. I’m uncomfortable.”

   “It’s a punishment for teasing me.”

   “Just untie my hands, you bad person.”

   Jaeyoung let out a breath that sounded like a laugh. Sangwoo couldn’t see the other party clearly because of teary lashes acting like curtains. As he blinked, the liquid at the corner of his eye flowed and wet his cheeks.

   “What should I do, huh? Do you think crying will solve it?”

   Jaeyoung softly grumbled and lowered his body. Then, he gently kissed the corner of Sangwoo’s eye as if he had never been rough before, his tongue licking away the tears. At the same time, his hand reached over to the headboard and unfastened the tightly tied buckle.

   The moment he was set free. Sangwoo wrapped his arms around the other’s neck. Once he held onto that shoulder, he didn’t want to let go anymore.

   Jaeyoung laughed, unable to speak immediately.

   “I forgive you because I see that you’re cute.”

   “Give me a kiss…foolish person.”

   “Yes.”

   Jaeyoung’s tongue slid through the corner of his mouth into Sangwoo’s mouth and lifted his body in one motion. He had just cried and expected the other party to be a little more gentle, but it turned out to be the opposite. Jaeyoung lifted Sangwoo’s body slightly and hugged him. Then, he lifted his lower body until there was a sound of flesh colliding, as if his moans turned into fueling desires. Sangwoo held onto that shoulder tightly and lowered his hips to let his body get penetrated faster.

   “Sang… Woo-ya, please control yourself a bit.”

   “Oh, huh! Can’t… Ugh!”

   “You… are teasing too much… I’ve almost cummed several times.”

   Jaeyoung whispered quietly, hugging Sangwoo, who was lost in thought. Despite Sangwoo holding Jaeyoung tightly by the neck, as the penetration grew deeper, his body began to shake uncontrollably.

   Jaeyoung smiled softly and sucked on the corners of Sangwoo’s lips, which were swollen and tender from countless kisses. Below, their bodies intertwined passionately. While it seemed like the angry animal had turned into a gentle lover, there was not much change. The rhythm of their lower bodies colliding became faster and more intense.

   “Oh, huh, huh! Ah… Hyung…”

   “Why, darling… Do you like it?”

   “Ah, uh… Mmm.”

   Jaeyoung firmly held onto Sangwoo’s trembling thighs, his face flushed like a person caught in the wind. Although he couldn’t fully open his eyes, his hips moved even faster, like a timid predator. Their hands entwined, lips pressed against each other, the two bodies melding together, and the synchronized breaths pushed Sangwoo towards ultimate pleasure once again.

   As soon as he closed his eyes with an overwhelming stimulation he couldn’t resist, the large hand cupped his cheek as if to strike. Jaeyoung wanted Sangwoo to always look at him. When he pouted and lifted his eyes, the other person smiled, causing the corners of his eyes to droop even more. It was an unbelievably joyful smile for such a passionate and intense love that made sweat drip down their temples.

   Sangwoo smiled foolishly, forgetting that he had just cried. Jaeyoung’s mouth hung open with a floating expression, and then he let Sangwoo lie down and held his body tightly. As their lower bodies continued to collide, the person on top pressed his lips onto his neck and sucked on his flesh until it hurt.

   “You… have to do this with me… alone, ah, forever.”

   “Ah, ah! Mmm, huh, mmm.”

   “Damn it, just try… cheating on me, and I… I will… fuck you till…”

   “Uh…ah…, stop…. fucking… talking nonsense!”

   They held hands tightly, while their bodies trembled. As Jaeyoung gently brushed his forehead against Sangwoo’s shoulder and closed his eyes, the other gently slipped a finger into his mouth. Sangwoo was reaching his limit, biting Jaeyoung’s finger and tightly embracing his neck, but he couldn’t withstand it any longer.

   The moment Jaeyoung whispered his name in his ear, the deep connection spread throughout Sangwoo’s body, causing pure happiness to cover him from head to toe. Sangwoo was burning, both physically and mentally, as he was overwhelmed by a single person, by the fullness, by Jang Jaeyoung.

   Sangwoo felt as if he couldn’t breathe anymore.

    SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Special Chapter 27: Syntax Error #13. 

Jang Jaeyoung just looked at the other person and rushed to undress, and if the clothing stripping was not as fast as desired, he would probably tear it apart in the first few moments they were together. Sangwoo knew well that the other party was tired and had not rested for a long time, resulting in no sexual desire. However, he was disappointed because this was a time he had been waiting for all week. Jaeyoung looked at Sangwoo silently before gently tapping his nose with his finger.

“Sir… You seem to be saying something strange to Jaehong a lot.”

“I’m saying something.”

“Are we talking about lack of sex? You don’t need to say anything more.”

“I didn’t say anything like that. And it’s actually a serious matter.”

“People don’t call it lack of sex after just two days.”

“But it’s been seven days. 156 hours.”

“Does sexting not count? Well, yeah, you did say it’s something to do with me using my body…”

Jaeyoung’s hand, which was resting on Sangwoo’s stomach, began to move. All five fingers moved as if they were sliding down to his jeans, circling the protruding bones at the back, and teasing his buttocks.

“What does it mean when you say I’m naughty?”

“It means that you were useful when we first met.”

“Really? Anything is better than being an error.”

His slender fingers slowly brushed against the soft flesh on the inside of his thighs, grazing past his crotch. Then gradually, they moved closer to the center with an irritatingly slow speed, bit by bit. Finally, they lightly touched the bulging shaft. Sangwoo couldn’t help but inhale sharply. Jaeyoung stared at

Sangwoo’s face with a mischievous glimmer dancing above his reproductive organ.

“And what about it? If Jang Jaeyoung dresses like that, I might lose control right here. What do you think?”

“…”

Why did that man have to say something that would arouse him after their conversation? Sangwoo could feel his cheeks getting hotter.

“That outfit… I can wear it again. Want to try it on?”

It was hard to decipher whether the proposal was serious or playful. Sangwoo fell into a momentary daze, but he wasn’t foolish enough to not notice the pitfall.

He shifted his attention away from the cheese on the mousetrap. 

“I just said it like that. I like you best when you’re stripped bare like you are now.”

“Really?”

Sangwoo paused for a moment, bewildered.

“Then can I throw that outfit away? But it’s expensive.”

“…Ah, um.”

Jaeyoung smiled slyly before whispering as he slid the tip of his thumb above the erect cock, unnoticed.

“Or maybe, I could wear it right now.”

“…”

“What kind of style and standards do you like? That’s all they do to make a living.”

Sangwoo bit his lip to suppress his heavy breathing, feeling hopeful. At that moment, he felt his nostrils widen. Jaeyoung looked at him with a calm face and smirked.

“But there are two conditions for the exchange.”

“Um, uh, what?”

“Forbidden words, infidelity, moral wrongdoing, and trespassing. There are consequences.”

“…”

“And my siblings’ names. If I hear you talking about him while we’re having sex, I will immediately leave the house and sleep on the street throughout the summer break.”

“Won’t speak. I won’t say anything.”

Sangwoo sighed. Jaeyoung rolled his eyes, clearly displeased. Sangwoo cautiously asked.

“What about the second condition?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

While he was still pondering about what the second condition could be, his vision was suddenly obstructed. Jaeyoung threw a blanket over Sangwoo’s head and jumped off the bed, causing a slight shaking sound.

“Stay like that for ten minutes. Think about dirty obscene things.”

“…Um.”

Sangwoo’s heart raced, but he had no choice but to close his eyes. Ten seconds felt like a long time, but Sangwoo counted honestly before reaching the deadline of one second. He then heard Jaeyoung’s voice nearby.

“Add another fifteen more seconds.”

“…What?”

“No peeking.”

Just by wearing clothes, it takes a long time. Sangwoo was frustrated but had to start counting from one again, unlike helping. Fifteen slow seconds of unbearable agony passed, but this time it was the same before the deadline of one second. Jaeyoung spoke up loudly.

“Another ten seconds.”

The other party deliberately tormented Sangwoo clearly, the clothes were a barrier. Sangwoo wanted the person in those clothes now to be different.

“Is it not enough to just come here?”

“Wait a minute.”

“I am hard already.”

“Well, you saw it earlier, right?”

“I can’t hold it anymore…”

“No, wait, just a moment… Done.”

Sangwoo quickly pulled down the blanket and looked up absentmindedly.

Jaeyoung stood right in front of him.

“Oops…”

The other party was wearing a perfectly fitting white shirt and gray trousers that hugged his chest, with a neatly tied necktie and a messy hairdo. While Sangwoo was stunned, Jaeyoung took a step forward.

“Sangwooya, it’s like this.”

“Huh?”

“I heard something strange…”

The other party put his hand in his pocket and sat playfully on the bed, pulling up the gray silk cloth that covered his legs, revealing the sculpted body that was pushed to the side.

“Is it true that you secretly look at other men with such an entranced face?”

“What?”

Sangwoo was surprised by what he did wrong to the point where it couldn’t be pointed out his misinterpretation of the word ‘perceptive,’ because even though it was the distinctive characteristic of the twins, he secretly looked at the man, Jaehong, for just a few minutes.

Jaeyoung focused his forehead, placed his finger on Sangwoo’s forehead and pushed forcefully, causing Sangwoo’s body to fall backward instantly. Jaeyoung used his palm to brace both of Sangwoo’s shoulders, causing white fabric to crease along the muscular shape, and the tattoo in the shape of a complex and intricate letter ‘S’ on his left chest and the faded tattoo on his right arm.

“I asked if it’s true or not.”

I lowered my horse face and pressed against the receded forehead, creating a pale shadow above the unique eyes, and the hand that grazed Sangwoo’s cheek was very gentle, but the owner’s face didn’t smile at all.

“He just looks like you… so I accidentally…”

“Feel uncomfortable?”

“Uh, um…”

“Then it’s not your fault then.”

“Um!”

“What I’m upset about is not my fault either, Sangwoo-ya, if we arrange it in order, it would be your fault.”

“…”

“My little hubae, what should I do when you make your sunbae angry?”

“Are you still angry?”

“Does hubae have to be punished first?”

The corner of Jaeyoung’s mouth curled into a smile, his dissatisfied expression had a frightening angle, but it blended well with the rugged, buttoned-up shirt collar and the tightly fitted jacket, looking perfect for a moment. If it wasn’t for Jaeyoung’s meaningless muttering. Sangwoo paused

 

 

and looked at him, not because he accepted his fault, but because he wanted to be punished immediately. Jaeyoung cast his gaze downward, glancing at him.  “Take it off.”

“…”

Sangwoo took off his shirt, pants, and underwear in order and folded them on the side. Meanwhile, Jaeyoung couldn’t take his eyes off him even for a second. Sangwoo took the items he needed from the bedside table, full hands, and placed them beside the pillow before getting into bed and covering himself with a blanket, feeling a bit embarrassed. At that moment, Jaeyoung gave the next command.

“Raise your hands.”

Sangwoo boldly raised both of his hands. If it was a punishment while having sex, he had experienced it before when they played <The Teacher and the

Troublesome Child.>. Even though it required highly skilled acting because

Jaeyoung just pretended to be the dominant one and enjoyed being submissive.

Jaeyoung unbuttoned his belt quickly, catching Sangwoo off guard. The other person grabbed the belt and pulled it tightly from both sides, without even diverting his gaze from Sangwoo’s face.

“Raise them higher.”

Once that command was spoken, he raised his hands even higher until his palms touched the cold metal bed frame. Jaeyoung grabbed both of Sangwoo’s wrists and pulled them towards himself. Then he tied the wrists with the belt to the bed.

He attempted to shake his arms two or three times, but his wrists, tightly bound, didn’t come loose. Sangwoo felt a little panic, but tried to think that it wasn’t a big deal. If it was binding his wrists, he had tried it before when they played. Even though he wasn’t tied to the bed.

This is the second condition.”

“…”

“Do you want to stop now?”

“No.”

Sangwoo quickly responded. Jaeyoung then smiled and reached his hand to his forehead, his index finger stretched straight and pressed between his eyebrows before slowly moving down to his nose, gradually sliding through the groove above his upper lip. And then gently massaging the edges of his upper lip, before stopping at the chin for a moment and moving to the neck.

Sangwoo twitched his shoulder slightly and blushed, feeling the touch of the finger on the sensitive spot made him feel ticklish and embarrassed because Jaeyoung was currently scrutinizing him with an expressionless face.

Sangwoo held his breath as Jaeyoung slowly moved his fingers down to his chest and touched the top of his chest. The breath of Sangwoo became heavier, and his lips began to tremble.

The more Jaeyoung teased him with gentle pressure and circling movements, the more Sangwoo’s nipples responded. Sangwoo bit his lip to suppress a moan, and as soon as he did, Jaeyoung glanced at him and gently pulled and twisted his nipples. “Ah, wait…”

Sangwoo’s body twisted, but since his wrists were tied, nothing happened.  Jaeyoung’s gaze fell on his neck, blushing hotly, and suddenly he pulled off  the blanket and sat on Sangwoo’s thighs. Then, he licked his lips and leaned down.

The room fell silent, with only the sound of Sangwoo’s body twitching and the occasional rustling of the bed sheets. Jaeyoung pressed his tongue hard against Sangwoo’s nipple, before using the tip of his tongue to tease it quickly. Sangwoo tried his best not to make any loud noises, but when Jaeyoung sucked and pulled his nipples into his mouth, his lips automatically parted.

Ugh… Ah!”

Inside Jaeyoung’s mouth, his proficient tongue played with Sangwoo’s nipple, and when he couldn’t hold back his stimulated feelings any longer, he bit. In a situation where just physical stimulation was overwhelming, the sight of the other party moving his lips back and forth along his lips with a soft wet sound made Sangwoo lose control and precum dribbled without him realizing it.

Sangwoo wanted to use his hand to relieve the intense desire that was building up, but he could only lift his hips up and down. He bit down hard and roughly on the flesh between his legs and Jaeyoung’s thighs.

“Stay still.”

Jaeyoung’s hand slid along the sweat waistband and moved down to the lower back, where the condom, which he didn’t know when it was put on, was already securely in place on his finger. As soon as it happened, both pieces of fleshy buttocks were pulled apart and were followed by a wet, slippery object that intruded into his body. Jaeyoung bit down on one side of Sangwoo’s chest and slowly lifted his eyes to meet his gaze.

Sangwoo closed his eyes tightly and turned his face away. He thought he had become accustomed to various lewd behaviors and had lost his sense of shame for a long time, but it was strange that he suddenly felt so embarrassed that he couldn’t bear it. But it didn’t help, because while his body was exposed, not even a single thread covered him. He still had to raise his arms above his head, while Jaeyoung was in a buttoned suit up to his neck.

“Why are you closing your eyes? Little boy, are you sleepy?”

Jaeyoung whispered without a startle, his fingertips slid through the point that sensitively pierced through his inner senses before rebounding against the wall and pulling away.

Sangwoo squinted and secretly glanced at the other side. Then the gazes met.

“Why are you so embarrassed, we do this every day?”

Because… I haven’t done it for a week.”

 

 

“Is it because of that reason?”

“Mmmh…ugh…”

“It’s not likely.”

Wrinkled fingers moved more and more accurately, savoring the part that sensitively pierced through the senses, as if having real sex. Sangwoo closed his eyes tightly and buried his face in his pillow. He wanted to use his hands to cover Jaeyoung’s eyes so he wouldn’t see his body, see his fluid dripping without stopping, but he couldn’t do anything because his arms were tightly bound. No, it was too unfair.

Inside the silent room filled with the quiet sounds of mucus and the quiet moans of Sangwoo, after that, the sound of Jaeyoung’s breathing became heavier. Sangwoo lifted his eyes slightly and collided with the man who was staring at him with a strange red face. When he looked down, he found that the gray pants on one side of Jaeyoung’s legs were soaked with slippery liquid.

“Hyungnim… this is enough, right? And…”

“Hmm?”

Sangwoo extended his trembling leg to the lower part of Jaeyoung, placed his toe on the wet spot, and moved his toe along the shape of the flesh that protruded in an emotional shape. Jaeyoung stopped his hand that was moving vigorously.

“Why? Do you want to eat this?”

As he abruptly stopped, Jaeyoung’s fingers that used to be tightly pressed inside were pulled out. Jaeyoung hastily pulled down his pants and lay down, closing his eyes. But in that very moment, a shadow descended upon his face.

And then the wet piece of flesh inserted itself between the edges of his lips.

‘I didn’t mean it like that!’ 

Instead of an answer, a moan escaped from his throat. Jaeyoung pressed his cock against the back of the head and his cock was engulfed by Sangwoo.

Jaeyoung moved the cock with deep-veined flesh, unable to see the tormented expression on Sangwoo’s face. It was hard enough to breathe normally when Jaeyoung’s cock was swinging down his throat…when Jaeyoung was in an angry state, it was even more difficult.

“Does it taste good?”

‘No…’

Jaeyoung asked. Then he started filling the space where he was supposed to use to provide an answer. It was something they had done countless times before. Sangwoo always struggled with oral sex, because humans can’t increase the size of their mouths or reduce the size of their genitals.

When his throat was pressed and he tried to spit it out without realizing it, Jaeyoung would forcefully push it in even more. Although it was a length that could not go all the way to the base, he would continue to push forward every time he closed his eyes in pain and agony, until the skin on Jaeyoung’s index finger peeled off. If Sangwoo didn’t directly face Jaeyoung’s pain, he would lower his hair and look up.

“Hah, hah… Ah… Hah.”

The louder Jaeyoung’s moans became, the harder Sangwoo’s cock became, and the image of his lover in bliss and dripping sweat from the tip of his chin looked overly seductive. Besides, just thinking about what would happen if this hard-rock body that was moving in and out of his mouth entered his body, he felt a knot in his stomach. Sangwoo tried to lower his hand without intending to, before realizing that his arm was tied up.

‘This is not a good manner, fuck.’ 

This is punishment for the infidelity that he never actually committed. He knew from past information that no matter how he tried to appease, it would be useless, and he had to let the other party do what he wanted until his emotions cooled down. Sangwoo vented his frustration, thinking that it had become like this anyway. At least it would be better to make the other party get over his anger quickly. At that moment, Jaeyoung withdrew his cock.

“Move your legs.”

 

    SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Special Chapter 26: Syntax Error #12. 

   Sangwoo, who was left alone, stood with an annoyed expression. He was wrong for not paying attention to the warning to stop three times, but he also didn’t understand why the other party was so angry just because he acted indifferent with a few words. Furthermore, he had even worn someone else’s costume and played around. Jang Jaeyoung was a person who seemed familiar but also unfamiliar.

   “If you want to get angry, then get angry. Why break the glasses?”

   The task of sweeping up the broken glass later became unavoidable for Sangwoo.

   Sangwoo blocked the doorway to prevent the cat from getting close. Then he put on the same clothes and gloves before starting to sweep up the glass shards.

   There has been glass broken by Jaeyoung once a year, so now there is only one glass left out of the set of four. The first glass was broken because he accidentally knocked his elbow when having sex on the dining table. The second glass broke while washing dishes. The third glass is today’s glass, broken because he crossed the line with his lover’s tease due to infidelity.

   Among all these reasons, he thinks this is the most ridiculous.

   After he wiped the table and finished cleaning, eight minutes had passed.

   The cat walked around under the table, looking for Jaeyoung’s traces.

   Sangwoo used his foot to gently kick the tail of the animal.  “Do you know why your boss is like this?” Meow.

   “Seems like he is very angry, with no conscience at all.”

   Sangwoo looked at where Jaeyoung went before slowly following his footsteps. He took one step at a time and climbed the carpeted stairs to the second floor, passing through the game room until he reached the closed bedroom door.

   Knock knock. Sangwoo knocked on the door and waited for a moment, but didn’t hear any sound from inside. He cautiously opened the door.

   The room was dark without the lights turned on. Although there was a little light coming through the gap in the open curtain, it was not enough to brighten the room. Jaeyoung lay face down on the bed, the suit that was angrily discarded scattered on the floor, while he wore only pants. His back and neck were wet, as if the other party was trying to wash away the scent of perfume.  “Are you asleep?”

   Sangwoo cautiously approached the bed. It seemed like Jaeyoung was already asleep, probably exhausted from working outside for six days without being able to rest fully.

   ‘I should let him sleep for about two hours, when he wakes up, maybe his anger will subside. Then we can have sex and have dinner together and pack things.’ 

   Sangwoo sat for a while, gazing at the handsome face. Then he helped brush away the messy hair behind, kissed, and lightly kissed the forehead of the other before going up to the bed and pulling up the blanket that was under the legs to cover him. As he lifted the other party’s head slightly to insert the pillow, unexpectedly Jaeyoung opened his eyes and pushed Sangwoo’s shoulder to sit down immediately.  “Uh, what is it?”

   His body twisted in the blink of an eye, allowing him to see the ceiling.

   Sangwoo suddenly became aware of his back touching the bed. Meanwhile, Jaeyoung rested on his waist, holding onto his arms on both sides. Jaeyoung stared at Sangwoo without saying a word. Sangwoo was the first to break the silence.

   “Thought you were still asleep.”

   “…”

   “I was just gonna cover you with a blanket and leave.”

   “Is that all you wanted to talk about?”

   It was clear that it was a question with a correct answer, but Jaeyoung wanted to hear something else.

   “You used your younger brother to test my sincerity. I was just role playing around, five minutes later you already got angry. I think it wasn’t fair.

    I didn’t really cheat, so why be angry? Stupid.

   Starting tomorrow, we’re going on a vacation. Forgot already? Go pack, lazybones.”

   Pointing out the truth is not always the best way to solve a problem because humans are emotional creatures, and some humans tend to rely more on emotions. Sangwoo remained silent. Jaeyoung slowly opened his eyes, observing him.

   “What were you thinking earlier?”

   “…”

   “Seems like you were thinking something annoying.”

   It seemed that Sangwoo’s boyfriend was angrily disregarding reason and logic. Two years ago, when he sold the limited edition skateboard of the other party on eBay, Jaeyoung’s anger had reached the level of 4.0 due to a misunderstanding. At that time, Sangwoo gave the buyer seven times the money to buy back the skateboard and fix the mistake. However, this time the anger had no tangible reason, in other words, there was no way to solve the problem because it was based on an optical illusion.

   “Are you just going to keep thinking about other things?”

   The other person forcefully grabbed Sangwoo’s chin, squeezing his cheek in a way that made his face look funny. Meanwhile, Jaeyoung pretended as if it was normal, imitating a fish hooked on a fishing line. Sangwoo smiled, while Jaeyoung kept his mouth shut with a calm expression. However, Jaeyoung had been waiting for Sangwoo for a long time, whether he was in a happy or angry mood, he waited eagerly to sleep together.

   “Are you smiling?”

   Even the small wrinkles between Jaeyoung’s eyebrows looked cute.

   Sangwoo felt his lips curl into a smile. At the same time, he extended his arm. When his fingertips touched Jaeyoung’s forehead, Jaeyoung’s face immediately looked worse than before. Sangwoo used the fingers of his dominant hand to press against Jaeyoung’s forehead before sliding his fingers down to his nose.

   He then cupped his cheek with his hand, gently lifting it up.

   “I missed you so much.”

   “Don’t change the subject. Do you think doing that will make me forgive you?”

   Sangwoo evaluated Jaeyoung’s words and raised his head, slightly touching the corner of the other’s lips. Although Jaeyoung agreed to let him kiss him quietly, his face didn’t show any emotions. Sangwoo repeated the same action, causing Jaeyoung to turn his face and the kissing landed a touch on his cheeks instead. Sangwoo kissed him twice more without paying attention.

   “Wait, wait…”

   Kiss, kiss, kiss. When he kissed him, Jaeyoung stretched himself without knowing what to do. Sangwoo’s two arms embraced the other’s neck tightly and pulled him down to himself.

   “This is enough…”

   When he held the other’s neck tightly and quickly kissed all over his face, Jaeyoung closed his eyes, as if surrendering. Although there was a slight cooling of emotions, the other’s face still seemed dissatisfied.

   “You have many ways to abate my anger in this world.”

   “…”

   “Do you think just being cute is enough?”

   Jaeyoung squinted, his eyes almost closed. The face that is often seen when the other relaxes gently, the soft surroundings that enveloped both of them, the image when Jaeyoung blinked slowly, like a slow-motion music video.

   “Close your eyes. I’m going to kiss you.”

   Sangwoo gently brushed the corner of his lips, causing Jaeyoung to laugh and cover his nose. Soon, the eyelids of the other party also slowly closed, revealing his eyelashes. This was one of the ways to turn the broken-hearted man into someone who was loved, making sleeping peacefully an easy task.

   Sangwoo pressed his lips against his own cautiously, as if it was their first kiss.

   “Once more, you are going to apologize using your body, you ar-…”

   Sangwoo swallowed the useless words from the person above his lips, and as a result, the corners of Jaeyoung’s mouth curved up. Even though Sangwoo had his eyes closed, he knew that the other party was laughing silently.

   Jaeyoung focused on kissing as if he had never been heartbroken before. The other party’s hand cupped his cheek, while his knees began to move closer between his legs. Jaeyoung hugged Sangwoo tightly around the waist before taking a deep breath, appreciating the considerate actions. It was a stark contrast to the intense gaze and expressions of dissatisfaction from the person who used to look at him.

   After a while, their lips separated. Jaeyoung rested his chin on Sangwoo’s collarbone and looked up, his eyes seemingly softer than before, making him feel securely bound. Sangwoo willingly let the other party take control. At the same time, he was pulled into the warm embrace beneath the darkness.

   Year after year, Jaeyoung was no longer the teenager he once was. The handsome face preserved his tenderness. Now, he experienced the time spent together with Sangwoo. Sangwoo still appreciated the changing appearance of the other party every day, after being together for seven years in this sweetsmelling disease called love. Sangwoo stopped intending to find an antidote forever, and instead chose to live in a world far from reality.

   “Chu Sangwoo.”

   “…Hm?”

   “Don’t tease me like that again.”

   Was he being taught by Jang Jaeyoung about ‘teasing’ like this? Sangwoo had many things to say, but he knew that when Jaeyoung acted like a child, kissing was much more fruitful than arguing. As he paused, the larger hand slowly moved closer and touched his eyelids. 

   “I know you haven’t done anything, but just by looking at others like this… I feel really bad.”

   “Even if it’s just imagination?”

   “No, don’t make me think.”

   “Okay, I won’t.”

   As he responded with happiness, the hands that used to cover his eyes slid up to Sangwoo’s head.

   ‘You’re really strange.’ 

   Jang Jaeyoung has a habit of not caring about information and believing in intuition without reason. But from what Sangwoo saw, that intuition isn’t very accurate, and he gave an example. Jaeyoung stares at the employees of a burger shop with a suspicious look, afraid that those people will hit on Sangwoo. But among the countless people, there are few who genuinely show interest in Sangwoo, about 0.8% to be exact. “For example, Mike, Cornerman, who is one of Jaeyoung’s victims, didn’t just come closer to Sangwoo, their relationship wasn’t good either.”

   However, what is important is that Sangwoo doesn’t care about anyone except his beloved, that’s the truth. If he were a reasonable person, he wouldn’t imagine that a device that works continuously from beginning to end, 81 months, would have unexpected results. Sangwoo understands that Jaeyoung’s suspicion is not the product of a rational thinking process, but rather an imaginative and inspiring activity that gives power and inspiration to himself, like watching movies or playing VR games.

   Sangwoo didn’t express these thoughts, because on the contrary, he believes in data more than intuition. In this case, he knows well what to say.

   “I love you.”

   Jaeyoung blinked a few times. Then he shifted his gaze away from Sangwoo and stared at the pillow almost piercingly, without necessary need.

   “I told you I love you.”

   Jaeyoung closed his eyes, pretending not to hear and nestled into Sangwoo’s embrace quietly.

   [Minor conflicts have been resolved. 

   The system is back to normal.] 

   For dating with love, maintaining it is as important as developing it anew. Now, Sangwoo has successfully closed the conflict as he used to be in the army for seven years. Of course, Jang Jaeyoung will have to talk about this again someday, because the protagonist is a vengeful person. But at least for now, he is relieved.

   When he released Jaeyoung like that, he buried his nose in the back of his neck and took a deep breath, and the corner of the other party’s lips dropped as if satisfied.

   “The smell of Chu Sangwoo… It hasn’t smelled for a long time.”

   After being angry and arguing, they reconciled and explained like children. The one who finds it easy to lower the other person’s anger is the protagonist, isn’t he? Jaeyoung kissed Sangwoo’s neck before grabbing his shoulder and flipping him over.

   Sangwoo expected something different from that pushy action, but Jaeyoung hugged Sangwoo gently like a brother and pulled his T-shirt down slightly. He could tell what the other party was thinking. On the back of Sangwoo’s neck, there is an intricately decorated J letter, which is permanently tattooed in a position that cannot be seen when Chu Sangwoo is wearing a shirt.

   They both want to possess each other, but they have different ways. Sangwoo wants their relationship to be legally accepted, while Jaeyoung, after writing his initials on Sangwoo’s body, wants to come and bite him more often. Both don’t really understand why the other party is trying to do that, but they still respect each other.

   Jaeyoung was determined to bite and lick Sangwoo’s neck for a while, enduring the itchiness. Sangwoo felt as if a big dog had climbed onto his back. Just act like an animal and go with it, but he thought it would be nice if it was during that peak phase.

   “Writing your own name on the body AS PROOF OF OWNERSHIP OF

   LOVE is like a clear way of doing things for a child.”

   “Silent…mine.”

   “Isn’t there a method that suits people our age?”

   “Like what?”

   The voice from behind was full of longing. Jaeyoung is a person who understands things very quickly, and likes to ‘tease Chu Sangwoo.’ More than his main job. Sangwoo naturally avoids Jaeyoung’s traps.

   “Sign on the marriage certificate.”

   “That can be done in the winter, what can be done now?”

   Jaeyoung’s fingers, which used to stop at the back of his neck, slid down to his waist. Sangwoo twisted his body slightly and replied.

   “Let’s discuss it like adults.”

   “Really? Okay.”

   “Huh?”

   “At first, I thought we would have sex in another minute, but let’s discuss it like adults.”

   “No!”

   Sangwoo accidentally shouted and turned over lying down, while Jaeyoung was trying to cover his mouth to suppress laughter. Sangwoo thought the picture was cute, but at the same time felt annoyed because it seemed like his lover was just playing around. He did not expect to have real sex at all.  _____________________________________.

[1]                  “eBay”- the largest online trading platform in the world. 

[2]                  “VR” refers to the description of new computer games that provide a virtual reality to allow players to experience the game action from a first-person perspective. 

   SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Special chapter 25: Syntax Error #11. 

   “Strange, why aren’t you responding?”

   “…Okay… Why?”

   “For you, Chu Sangwoo, you only have Jang Jaeyoung. Are you sure?”

   “I just spoke about the same important issue a moment ago.”

   “If you speak again, will you die?”

   That man… Did his voice always sound sexy like this? Actually, it’s just that Jaehong has a different way of speaking, but it sounds like Jaeyoung, right? Well, it must be because he’s been driving in the car all the time, and the surrounding museum sounds were so loud that he couldn’t concentrate.

   Sangwoo wants to hear the other side’s voice more than this.

   “If the two of us are stranded on a deserted island, even then, will you think of Jaeyoung and fight for him?”

   “I will only go on vacation with Jaeyoung.”

   “If Jaeyoung is not home for a year, will you patiently wait for him?”

   “Just take a temporary leave and he will come back.”

   “If Jaeyoung is fired and returns all his assets to society, will you still be with him?”

   “Yes.”

   “Even if he becomes a beggar with no money at all?”

   “I don’t care. We will just limit extravagant spending habits. I can support him with my income.”

   “Wow, that’s amazing.”

   “Wait. And why do I have to answer these questions, every single question?”  Suddenly, Sangwoo, who was unintentionally waiting for the next question, felt his heart race. He felt too familiar with the pattern of the conversation, to the point where he joined without realizing it. Wait, did he just talk to a man like that easily? His face turned red as if he had done something he shouldn’t have.

   “If Jaeyoung hasn’t taken a shower for half a year and comes to ask for a hug…”

   “It’s fine now!”

   Sangwoo tried to hide his discomfort and dismiss it.

   “Why do you have to bother me?”

   “Bother? I just asked a few questions.”

   Sangwoo opened his mouth, ready to retort, before looking at the floor in confusion. The creature that normally never appeared in Sangwoo’s vicinity suddenly emerged from its hiding place. Then it walked hesitantly in front of the sofa. That little mouse jumped onto Jaehong’s lap and curled up in a ball.

   The man seemed to be doing something inappropriate.

   “…Huh, why is the cat you just met acting like this?”

   The other person picked up the creature and tried to put it down, but the animal resisted and snuggled closed, making Jaehong hesitate. However, he used his index finger to gently stroke the space between the cat’s eyebrows. It was surprising because this had become Jang Jaeyoung’s habit.

   “…”

   Sangwoo lowered his gaze. Then he began to observe the man who couldn’t see someone’s eyes well until now.

   A gray summer suit that was formal and refined. His forehead was exposed due to the pushed-back hair, and the atmosphere suited a gentleman. The way he spoke was heavy and elegant. All of this seemed to indicate Jaehong, but now the distinct difference appeared before his eyes.

   There were three pierced holes on his left ear, the ring finger on his left hand was empty, although the faint trace of a removed ring remained, and there was still a faint scar on his right hand from a cooking accident three years ago.

   The other person wasn’t the pale Jaehong, but an imposter, Jang Jaeyoung!

   Sangwoo quickly used his brain.

   [i]. Jang Jaeyoung was testing the sincerity of my answers. It’s highly possible that Jang Jaeyoung knows about the incident that Jaehong is trying to cover up. 

1. Jang Jaeyoung appeared in Jae Hong’s outfit without any signs of  anger or annoyance. There is a high possibility that the relationship between Jang Jaeyoung and Jae Hong is friendly. 

   Therefore, it is highly possible that Jang Jaeyoung and Jaehong collaborated and tested me from the beginning.] 

   “Hey, want to play something else?”

   Sangwoo felt angry, but instead of immediately retaliating, he came up with a better revenge plan. He took off his gloves and placed them on the table. Then, he slowly unzipped his feather coat. The loud noise caught Jaehong… no… Jaeyoung’s attention and he turned to look beside him. Sangwoo took off his feather coat and placed it on the neighboring seat, revealing his naked body.

   Jaeyoung paused his hand which was stroking Visual Base.

   “Why did you suddenly… take off your clothes?”

   “No matter what, I had to take them off anyway.”

   Jaeyoung blinked quickly, showing a confused expression, as if he forgot he had to act.

   As he moved closer, sitting one seat away, he could smell an unfamiliar fragrance wafting in. The closer he looked, the more he could clearly see the distinct differences— a man who always smiled up to his eyes, with wrinkles around them, a man with constantly tanned skin, regardless of whether it was summer or winter. He was truly foolish to think that the other party was someone else from the beginning.

   “Jaehong.”

   “Yes?”

   Jaeyoung stepped back a little and knelt down. Then, he used his foot to kick Sangwoo’s leg. Sangwoo exerted force to resist the push and held onto the leather sofa to avoid being pushed off. Meanwhile, the animal let out a cry and jumped down to the bottom.

   “Do you know when Jang Jaeyoung will come back?”

   “Right now. Immediately. In an instant… he will come in abruptly.”

   “Then it’s bad. Did you lock the door before coming in? If he sees it, he might misunderstand us.”

   “Well… then we shouldn’t let him misunderstand, right?”

   “Yes. It is highly possible that both of us will be killed if caught. So, we have to take risks together.”

   At that moment, Jaeyoung’s once tense face had changed. A smile appeared in his eyes, which were once filled with fear and hesitation. The corners of his mouth dropped and he raised a smile on one side. Jaeyoung turned his head back before bursting into laughter and making eye contact with Sangwoo again, cigarette in one eye and teasing conversation.

   “Ah. So Chu Sangwoo, you also know how to gamble.”

   “…”

   “I didn’t even know I had such a function.”

   It seemed that he was caught in excessive acting. Sangwoo was enjoying himself, so he felt regretful that this teasing had to come to an end like this. On the other hand, Jaeyoung’s eyes were shining as if he was having the most fun in the world.

   Jaeyoung leaned back on the sofa, his posture different from before, his highquality silk cloth looking mesmerizing and showing signs of wear above his knees.

   “Chu Sangwoo.”

   The low and soft voice made Sangwoo raise his head. As soon as Jaeyoung flicked his finger, he immediately obeyed as if under a magic spell. As Sangwoo walked slowly on his knees closer, Jaeyoung raised his hand to lightly pat his cheek with a playful face.

   “Do you want to play with me?”

   “…Yes.”

   “If I do something for you…what would you do for me then?”

   “…”

   “If you give me a blow job, I’ll think about it.”

   “I’m not very good at that.”

   Sangwoo smirked, he was the one who started teasing first, but before he knew it, Jaeyoung caught up. Could he really not defeat an expert like him?

   “Move closer.”

   Jaeyoung flicked his finger and licked the corners of his mouth, slowly and teasingly, as Sangwoo struggled to swallow his saliva and leaned in towards the other side.

   Two slender fingers slipped through the corner of Sangwoo’s mouth, lightly pressing against his tongue, causing his intestines to churn. Jaeyoung gazed at Sangwoo, teasingly inserting his fingers deep into his mouth and slowly pulling them out, as if knowing exactly how he felt.

   “I asked if you would allow my cock to enter here.”

   Sometimes, Jaeyoung, who used to be a theater actor at the university, wanted to play a role with Sangwoo, such as…

   It seemed that today the other party wanted to play the dominant role. As the play seemed to be about to begin… Sangwoo had to act as if his boyfriend had turned into Jaehong.

   While Sangwoo sucked on Jaeyoung’s fingers, he slowly climbed onto his lap, holding Jaeyoung’s wrist and teasing his tongue along his index finger.

   “What are you doing?”

   Jaeyoung pretended to ask innocently, but his eyes, which looked at  Sangwoo, were covered with an overwhelming desire that could not be hidden by acting. Sangwoo placed his free hand on Jaeyoung’s chest. Then slowly moved down to the tightly squeezed waist, and passed through the area between the legs slowly until his fingertips touched something hard like a stone.

   “So, if you tell me to stop, I won’t continue.”

   “…”

   “If so, then I have to measure the size of your cock first because my mouth is relatively small, Jaehong.”

   Jaeyoung raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat dissatisfied with those words. Sangwoo slowly touched the other person cock through the fabric of his pants with his wet fingers. Normally, Jaeyoung would immediately plunge and  strip him, but this time he sat still and couldn’t move.

   “What are you doing? We have to hurry before Jang Jaeyoung comes.”  “That is it.”

   Jaeyoung hugged Sangwoo tightly around his waist and pulled him closer.

   Sangwoo took a deep breath as he was embraced, and at that moment, Jaeyoung’s hand brushed against his backside before roughly grabbing a handful of his hair. Then, he heard a stifled sound.

   “Just when you think that you are about to have secret sex with someone other than Jaeyoung, are you excited?”

   “Yes. It’s the first time I’ve ever cheated.”

   “…”

   “Actually, having sex with another man is also a first for me. Or rather,

   Jaehong, you are my second man.”

   He waited for a response, but Jaeyoung remained silent and motionless, as if indicating that he should handle it himself.

   Sangwoo began unbuttoning from the top, wanting to quickly remove the shirt clinging to his amazing body. His movements became faster and more impatient, but Jaeyoung didn’t cooperate at all.

   “Seems like you’ve wanted to cheat all along.”

   He heard a chilly voice coming from above, causing Sangwoo to be slightly startled before meeting Jaeyoung’s terrifying face.

   He chuckled. Even when role-playing, he could still curse without flinching, but now it seemed as if Sangwoo was actually committing a sin. Sangwoo tried to erase the traces of his smile and placed his hand on the button again.

   “Not like that. But if we try it and it turns out good, it might be worth it.”

   “Oh… so if it’s good, we’ll continue?”

   “There is one time already. Will there not be a second time? Next time, I’ll sneak off on my own when Jang Jaeyoung goes to work outside the office.”

   When he said something intentionally provocative, Jaeyoung laughed coolly, giving Sangwoo a teasingly good feeling that only a man who couldn’t possibly know which way the reaction would go could provide. Sangwoo leaned in and whispered close to Jaeyoung’s lips, making his cool gaze seem as if it was about to kiss.

   “I’m really in the mood. Help me out here.”

   He grabbed the other party’s hand and pulled it down, but then Sangwoo’s hand was immediately pushed away.

   “Don’t be too much.”

   The cold, gloomy voice came out with the sound of teeth clashing against each other. That was a signal to stop this game. However, Sangwoo didn’t want to stop because even though they had been together for 7 years, Jaeyoung had always provoked Sangwoo, and the opposite case had hardly ever happened. He didn’t want to miss this opportunity that had come by chance.

   “Why are you angry, Jaehong?”

   “That’s enough.”

   “I understand. I’ll let you fuck me if you want.”

   Sangwoo moved his hand to the waistband of the other party’s pants to ease the heavy arousal, but Jaeyoung swept away Sangwoo’s wrist and pushed him in the chest, causing Sangwoo to fall off the sofa. Jaeyoung breathed in and out forcefully. Then he quickly grabbed the glass of water on the table and drank it.

   ‘Is this something to be angry about?’ 

   Sangwoo thought for a moment before concluding that it wasn’t. he to imagine the situation in reverse and reached the same conclusion. It was just a game. No matter what Sangwoo said, the truth was that his loved one was Jang Jaeyoung. He had never cheated and would never do so in the future. Sangwoo could still remember when they were playing. No matter how nonsensical

   Jaeyoung’s words were, he would still endure it, even if he said not to play. Jaeyoung always did what he wanted, but when it was Sangwoo, why couldn’t he do the same?

   Sangwoo felt the limitations of his own creativity and decided to mimic the words he had heard from Jaehong today.

   “I want to try having sex with you, Jaehong.”

   “Keep your mouth shut.”

   “I wonder if the two of us have the same style…”

   Before he could finish speaking, Jaeyoung placed the glass he was holding on the table and threw it, causing a terrifying sound as the glass shattered and the shards fell onto the floor.

   Sangwoo surveyed the opponent’s hand first with surprise, luckily it seemed that he wasn’t injured. Jaeyoung stared at Sangwoo as if he wanted to strangle him with his eyes without realizing it.

   “Uh… look what you’ve done.”

   Because they were peacefully enjoying their break, Sangwoo forgot that his partner could become stubborn when angry.

   “How many times do I have to tell you to shut up!”

   “Just playing around.”

   “Mister…”

   Jaeyoung bit his lip but didn’t say anything, the level of Jaeyoung’s anger was probably at a 7.5. It had been a long time since Sangwoo had seen the other person so furious, since he misunderstood and ran away from home five years ago. Jaeyoung gritted his teeth and spoke softly. 

   “If you want to play, play something else.”

   As soon as the other party finished speaking, he turned around abruptly and walked up to the second floor without giving him a chance to respond. 

   ‘Are you overreacting…’ 

   SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Special Chapter 24: Syntax Error #10. 

   In the quiet and serene residential area, a black sedan appeared on the road lined with cypress trees.

   The car slowed down before stopping in front of a two-story blue-roofed house. As soon as the car door opened, it revealed a graffiti image on the wall, depicting a black snake and complex lettering. Inside the garage, various sports and luxury cars filled the space, with a white SUV already parked in the middle slot.

   The black car squeezed into the right-hand slot in one go. The car door then opened violently.

   The owner of the car, Chu Sangwoo, in a very bad mood, locked the car and closed the garage door with a remote control. He quickly strode towards the entrance of the house, not even noticing the neighbor who was waving to water the plants. After changing into indoor shoes, he went straight to the kitchen, rinsed a glass, and drank quickly.

   At that time, the orange-striped cat, his rival, walked insolently through the flap door next to the entrance. Normally, they would have exchanged glances, but Sangwoo was too preoccupied with other matters to feel annoyed with the cat.

   ‘I am interested in you, Chu Sangwoo.’ 

   Jang Jaeyoung’s twin brother, Jaehong, manipulated Jaeyoung’s innocent nature in order to create an opportunity for him to be with Sangwoo. He tried to provoke Sangwoo openly, knowing that he was associated with morally questionable people. Sangwoo had imagined being in a relationship with two lovers of the same sex, but these two scenarios were purely speculative.

   “What should I do?”

   Things that have already happened cannot be changed, and the problem is that after this, after returning from work, Jaeyoung will ask with a bright smile if he had a good time. If Sangwoo refuses, the other party will surely ask for the reason. At this point, Jaehong’s attempts to interfere will go awry…

   [i. “Keep it a secret.” ii.

   “Tell the truth.”] 

   He had to carefully predict which option would cause the least harm based on the information he had.

   Previously, Sangwoo had received an offer to meet secretly behind his boyfriend’s back three times. He was lucky to have escaped twice because Jaeyoung had something going on that day and did not ask any suspicious questions. However, there was one time he was caught. Jaeyoung grabbed a baseball bat and Sangwoo had to call the police to prevent his boyfriend from committing a crime.

   ‘It’s better to keep it a secret.’ 

   But is that possible? Sangwoo couldn’t lie to Jaeyoung, even about the smallest things. He had never lied before, and if those kind and gentle eyes ever looked at him, he would have no choice but to speak the truth.

   “It’s not my fault.”

   After pondering for a moment, he immediately thought of Jaeyoung’s words that stuck in his mind.

   ‘Try to think from my perspective.’ 

   Sangwoo, who does not have any siblings, therefore hypothesizes about clones and simulates similar situations. And soon after, he is overwhelmed with anger as he imagines the clone figure tempting Jaeyoung in a place where Sangwoo cannot see, making it difficult for him to bear. Sangwoo quickly ends the simulation.

   “Fuck!”

   His gaze, which used to be fixed on the ceiling, slid down to the wall.

   [Chu Sangwoo ♥ Jang Jaeyoung] 

   The fabric sign on the wall captures his attention. It’s a sign that has been hanging for five years since it was made, and now the color has faded. They have moved houses several times, but Jaeyoung always keeps it and hangs it in the living room.

   The day Jaeyoung accepted the marriage proposal. Sangwoo still vividly remembers the moment of pure delight when Jaeyoung saw the fabric sign sticking out from the back of a car and smiled with embarrassment, from that day until now. Whether it’s legal matters, financial issues, opposition from the other partner’s family, bizarre obstruction of cooperation or any other obstacles, he has dealt with them fervently or endured them patiently, and finally, in another 175 days, he will achieve his goal.

   The picture hanging next to the poster <Veggie Venturer 2> is a large-sized likeness of Jaeyoung. Two years ago, they participated in a fun activity in an exhibition featuring graphic design works that Jaeyoung joined as a commentator. It was an activity where they had to draw each other’s faces without prior preparation and submit the works, but only Jaeyoung’s picture was selected and received an award. Jaeyoung consoled Sangwoo, who was disappointed.

   ‘Wow. My Sangwoo is the best, an artist, like Fauvism [1], clear as day, 

   Abstract Expressionism [2], isn’t it…’ 

   It was the first time he received positive feedback about his artistic abilities, but even then, Sangwoo was still hesitant. So, Jaeyoung scanned his picture, enlarged it magnificently in silk screen print, and hung it on the wall.

   Under the frame is a four-tier bookcase, with the first and second floors filled with literature and comic books that Jaeyoung reads, while the third and fourth floors contain instructional manuals that Sangwoo reads. Jaeyoung almost never touches anything in Sangwoo’s area, but he has secretly hidden a spy wire on the fourth floor. Sangwoo thinks that the book between <How to Marry Your

   First Love.> and <Perfect Parenting: How to Discipline Babies and Toddlers.> is really a bit of an eye sore.

   <Blood Types and Human Relationships.> 

   Whenever Jaeyoung wants to annoy Sangwoo, he opens that particular item and reads it out loud for everyone to hear. Sangwoo has accidentally dropped that odd item quite a few times, but each time Jaeyoung has helped increase sales by ordering it internationally, so he has lost interest in it for many years.

   Next to the bookcase is a large cork board with Polaroid photos and photos of dolls arranged in a pattern, with lightbulbs interspersed with pins.

   The oldest photo is of Sangwoo when he was still a student, taken while coming down from a hill at an amusement park. Sangwoo’s face looks normal, but Jaeyoung has turned his face sideways and buried his forehead on Sangwoo’s shoulder.

   The most recent photo is a photo taken by colleagues at a year-end party last year when Sangwoo was promoted. In the photo, Sangwoo is smiling while hugging a bouquet of red roses, while Jaeyoung is hugging him and kissing his cheek.

   In addition to that, there are also photos from Jaeyoung’s master’s graduation, photos from Christmas parties with acquaintances, group photos, family photos of Sangwoo with Jaeyoung included, photos of various relaxing places such as sports fields, parks, and tourist attractions. As for other digital photos that have not been printed, he backs them up and stores them in the highest quality on cloud and hard disks.

   ‘Protecting this relationship to this extent, cherishing these memories.’ 

   Jaeyoung must feel really bad about this, so Sangwoo can only prove that he has never wavered even for a split second with Jaehong, the only person he loves in this world, and since that conclusion was first established, it has never been changed.

   It was right at that moment that Jaeyoung called. Sangwoo answered with great nervousness.

   [Sangwoo, where are you?] 

   “…Home.”

   [Are you at home? Jaehong said he wants to talk to you.] 

   The words on the other side of the line felt like a clear sky in the middle of the day, but all that came out were his breaths disappearing.

   [Did you hear that? Jaehong said he will come to the house.] 

   “Darling, are you coming?”

   [No, it’s just him alone.] 

   “Why? I don’t like that person.”

   [Hey, come on. Be nice to him a little, he’s still my sibling.] 

   “I told you I don’t like him! Don’t let him come, please…”

   [I’ll be coming back soon. I have few meetings to talk about work, just this.] 

   “No, I don’t want to!”

   Sangwoo was frustrated, but the call was cut off before he could say anything. Jaeyoung, being pure-minded, trusted his younger brother who was no different from garbage.

   After that, Sangwoo called Jaeyoung twenty times, but the other party did not answer. The best option left was to send a message, but in this situation, it was too risky to express it in writing. This matter concerned siblings, not anyone else. He had a premonition that this time it wouldn’t just end with attempts to harm with a baseball bat.

   ‘We only have to talk.’ 

   The aquarium incident shocked him so much that he tried as much as possible to avoid seeing that man again. However, Jaehong was Jaeyoung’s only sibling, the person he trusted to take care of his assets and be responsible for 33.33% of the family members he invited to the wedding. Convincing Jaehong to realize his mistake and send him back to England before Jaeyoung noticed anything was the least damaging option.

   Sangwoo opened the wardrobe and looked for a suitable outfit for the conversation.

   “Sangwoo, are you there?”

   When Jaehong knocked on the door, Sangwoo was in a knee-length down jacket and wore football socks under his long jeans. He also had skiing gloves on both hands. Since it was mid-summer, sweat dripped profusely, but he didn’t want to unnecessarily provoke the other party’s sexual desire. He had to cover his exposed skin as much as possible. As soon as he opened the door, Jaehong was taken aback.

   “Oh, sorry, I got startled.”

   That man had such a tall and imposing figure that his head almost touched the doorframe, just like Jaeyoung. His well-groomed suit looked impeccable, but inside, there was a demon that wanted to lead Sangwoo astray.

   They stood about two meters apart, observing each other. Sangwoo analyzed the opposing party with sharp eyes, while Jaehong looked at Sangwoo without flinching, with eyes that showed no signs of fear. The one who looked away first was the visitor, and Jaehong coughed twice before taking off his brown sandals. As the other party prepared to put on the shoes at the entrance of the house, Sangwoo quickly blocked him.

   “Take off your shoes. No footwear allowed.”

   The sandals had the letter “J” written on the front, indicating that they belonged to someone. The man slowly took off his sandals.

   “Open the shoe cabinet and look for a pair with the label ‘G1’.”

   The other party grabbed a pair of guest sandals and put them on as instructed before walking into the living room. Sangwoo maintained an appropriate distance and slightly gestured towards the sofa.

   “Please sit on the far right and do not stand up or move without my permission.”

   Sangwoo poured water into a glass and placed it in front of the other party along with a coaster. He then sat down at the end of the sofa, two spaces away from Jaehong, and a moment of silence ensued as the other party didn’t say anything. Sangwoo had to be the one to break the silence.

   “Jaehong.”

   “Please speak.”

   “Let’s make peace and put this behind us.”

   “…”

   “You don’t want to lose your brother for a moment of sexual desire right now. If you admit your mistake and promise to cut off all ties with me. I will try to handle this situation.”

   He heard a snort from the side. Sangwoo slowly turned his head to the left and found Jaehong covering his mouth, suppressing laughter. He hadn’t noticed this before, but these siblings had a similar habit of laughing. Sangwoo momentarily glanced at the familiar smile before quickly looking down at the floor again.

   “Sangwoo… It seems like you love only one person with your whole heart, right?”

   “Yes. Besides Jang Jaeyoung, I see other people as mere paper. So stop trying to be close to me.”

   “Is there anything good about Jaeyoung?”

   Sangwoo looked up and accidentally locked eyes with Jaehong.

   Strange, he had always thought the other party had no charm, just a neat appearance. But this man he encountered again was different in some way. His confident posture and slightly upturned corners of the mouth drew his gaze, and his eyes had angles that made it difficult to look away. He didn’t want to be like this, but his gaze kept being drawn towards him.

   ‘Crazy. That’s Jang Jaeyoung’s younger brother!’ 

   Sangwoo slapped his cheeks and forced himself to turn his head back.

   “Don’t ask anything strange. I apologize. And I promise that from now on, I won’t look at you with impure eyes. Then I myself will try to tell Hyung

   Jaeyoung what happened today in the least incorrect way.”

   “Sangwooya.”

   The man ignored Sangwoo’s words and called out a familiar name. Sangwoo felt strange and couldn’t respond immediately.

   “Chu Sangwoo?”

   “…”

   “I am calling you.”

   Just being called twice, but in that moment, Sangwoo’s heart started beating violently. At the same time, he felt so disgusted horny that he had to grit his teeth.

   ________________________________________.

[1]                      Fauvism, a style of painting, emphasizes the use of bright colors and intense contrasts. It reintroduced the use of lines in a new way, with simple forms and preferred colors such as green, purple, brick red, and orange. It originated and was popularized only in France. 

[2]                      Abstract Expressionism, a movement in art that emerged in the  20th century after World War II. Artists in this movement developed an

   Americanized form of painting influenced by certain aspects of the Cubist and Surrealist movements. They used techniques to create images based on personal visions. 

    SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Special Chapter 23: Syntax Error #9. 

Chu Sangwoo’s eyes sharpened, seeing the other side’s tense expression, he thought of slapping the face again, but the subject turned to the side and looked at the floor.

“You’re Jaehong. You have a perfect exterior, but it seems like inside, you are a pretentious and ungenerous person.”

“…”

“Rude, disordered, immoral, stubborn, cannot be reused, like an improperly separated eggshell in wet trash…”

“…Aren’t you speaking too harshly?”

“Where is the harshness? You have a hidden motive towards the man who is going to be your brother-in-law, but you don’t want to be blamed for it, right?”

Fortunately, no one around here knows Korean. Jaehong felt confused because this was the first time in his life that he had been scolded so harshly, but now that he had come to this point, he couldn’t back down.

“If the bodies attract each other, does it matter if you become your brotherinlaw or not?”

Bonobos may not be like that, but human society has norms that need to be maintained.”

“Just keeping it as a secret is enough, isn’t it? You yourself are interested in me, right? You said it yourself that you like me because my style is different from Jang Jaeyoung, isn’t it?”

“Your overthinking imagination is just as heavy as mine.”

The man in front of him smirked, saying that Jaehong is a truly funny person.

“You are Jaehong, not Jang Jaeyoung. Even though you have the same last name, you are different people, you know.”

The other party, who seemed to be thinking logically, was actually speaking without understanding the situation. While it seemed that he considered cause and effect, when the topic was Jang Jaeyoung, he displayed an attitude similar to non-religious fanatics, the young man placed his hand forcefully on the table and stood up abruptly. Then, he looked down and stared at Jaehong coldly.

“I promised to take you on a trip for two hours, but I’m really sorry that I couldn’t keep that promise.”

“…Are you leaving now?”

“Yes. If you want to go back to your country safely, then don’t tell Hyung

Jaeyoung about today and book the earliest flight.”

“Wait. You, Chu Sangwoo!”

Jaehong’s call was lost and dispersed in the air, as the man assessed his words and turned away like that.

While Jaehong was contemplating whether he should follow after him or not, the man returned. The other party stood in front of the table, took a deep breath, and looked down, staring at Jaehong.

“I see you as a foreigner in this city, so I thought of letting it go, but it bothers me all the time…”

“Really?”

“You have to differentiate between ‘different from each other’ and ‘different from one another.’ And use it correctly. Different styles, different from a dog and a cat, different people, different points. Not points that are wrong from each other. If you’re using the Korean language, you should know this much.” [1] 

“…”

“Farewell, Eric Jang.”

The man said goodbye in a Korean-accented English, as if disappearing into the wind, leaving Jaehong sitting alone, floating like a lost soul for a moment.

‘Fuck you.’ 

He rubbed his confused face and leaned back as if exhausted. Then, weariness seeped out. As he slowly reflected on various things that happened from the moment he exchanged business cards with that man until the moment the other party left, he felt even more tired, after a quick analysis. The conclusion was simple.

It’s been a failure from the beginning, he thought of ways to create a romantic atmosphere with that man but there was no way, not even one way. For Jaehong, the other party was like a door with no knobs and it was like indigestible artificial food.

‘Well, if you’re not comfortable, I wouldn’t have let it happen from the beginning.’ 

He just realized that when the line disconnected, the answer was on Jang Jaeyoung’s seemingly impervious face. It was as if saying try looking at it closely. Jaehong’s eyes were closed off with correctness until the end, wasting time and energy with useless matters.

‘Why did I come all the way here? I could have let those crazy people marry and live happily together.’ 

At that moment, even the end of the table where he gazed had passing shadows.

Where did Sangwoo go?”

Jang Jaeyoung threw the suspicious wig, which seemed to have been found from somewhere, onto the table and sat down on the vacant chair. The other party was wearing a suit, both the top and bottom looked new, and Jaehong exhaled before responding.

“He got bored, so he ran away.”

His lip corners smiled with satisfaction. Jaeyoug lifted the wine glass of that man and examined it to make sure there were no traces of imbibing before raising his hand to fix his hair. Even though he followed because he was uncomfortable, the other party revealed a calm smile.

“You met my man. How about it?”

“Not normal.”

“He’s cute, isn’t he?”

“Cute?”

The man’s voice that insulted him as a pretentious person, even though he was not even worth a shred, still echoed clearly in his ears.

“Compared to before, you’ve become much gentler.”

“Weak… gentler?”

“You are like a cat that thinks it’s a snake, only sometimes it goes back and forth a lot, but he’s not a bad kid. Don’t dislike him.”

“…”

“After you get married, I will correct the misunderstanding and officially advise you again.”

“So you want me to agree to be misunderstood for another six months.”

“What about it? He’s not your husband.”

Jaehong took a continuous breath, feeling like he was running back and forth on the palm of Jang Jaeyoung all day. He encountered too many shocking things today that it wouldn’t be easy to recover from.

Suddenly, Jaehong thought of the most unbelievable thing he had heard today.

“But… Did you really tell Grandfather?”

“Um.”

“You’re crazy.”

“That day, I thought I might as well plan a funeral.”

Jaeyoung wiped his face with an irritated expression.

“How was it? Did you both get hit?”

“Just me, I got slapped once.”

“That’s why, he is already the best.”

“I thought the same way, but when Sangwoo saw me get slapped, he seemed really shocked. That gentle and delicate boy got so angry that I couldn’t forget it. He screamed loudly like a mad Doberman… Grandfather rubbed his neck as if his blood pressure increased, while Mother cried, and in the meantime, the clay figurine flew and hit the table, causing it to break. And then there was shouting and screaming…”

“…”

“But even in that situation, it ended well. It seems like he’s not as violent as before, it’s a good thing that the kid is not inclined towards violence.

Otherwise… I don’t even want to think about it.”

It’s an image that just the thought of it makes the head spin. Jaehong hardly knows anyone who doesn’t bow when they see their grandfather. Their grandfather was used to having power over others, and he was a person who used his emotions to the fullest with anyone, but for some reason he refused to lose to the imagined image of that man, even when facing your grandfather with just a single word.

“How did you manage to court someone like that?”

Jaehong asked with curiosity, and Jaeyoung, who had always spoken with a tense face, burst into laughter.

I can’t tell you everything. If I wrote it in a book, it could fill four volumes.”

The other party leaned back in the chair and placed both hands under their chin with a slight smile.

“Was it a good time? He always wore a black hat every day and kept complaining, but he was so adorable. As I continued to follow him, he eventually became my boyfriend.”

“And now, when you realize it, he’s about to become your husband?” “That’s right.”

Jaeyoung smiled and confirmed.

“I’m trapped. Even if I let him win, by the time I turn eighty, he’ll probably still be complaining while I clean his dentures here next to me.”

“…”

“If I were born again, maybe I would follow him to the next life too.”

If it had been before he met that man, he would have probably laughed and mocked the other party for speaking too much, but Jaehong immediately agreed with him.

“That’s awful.”

“I don’t know, but in this world, there’s still a ‘chain’ that has been attached to my neck and it feels good.”

Jaehong could feel that his face was stiff, the dark corners in his heart felt a slight lack of emotions gradually emerging. Jaehong considered it normal for the boasting of the “people who have” to be a common thing. If Jaeyoung showed a happy expression and boasted about his salary or the size of his house like everyone else, he probably wouldn’t feel anything at all.

About things like the hidden picture of memories, a story that made tears burst like a comedy, the sudden smile that appeared for a moment, or a way of speaking filled with confidence that made him very annoyed, Jaehong chose words that would make Jang Jaeyoung feel bad and want to retaliate with a smile.

“Your fiance has a cute smile.”

“…”

“Although his personality may be a bit strange, his face is handsome.”

“Handsome?”

Jaeyoung, who had been smiling until just now, looked grim and  spoke up with a scary face, and Jaehong wanted to curse him, but he resisted the smile.

“He looks just like my dentist, so much so.”

“Oh, really? I was really surprised. I thought you were going to say Sangwoo was like that too.”

“…”

“If other men are handsome, what’s the point? Seriously, what are you coming here for, trying to act all clever and all.”

Jaehong looked out the window without pretending and ignored those hurtful words. Meanwhile, Jaeyoung lifted the wine bottle and spun it while reading the label.

“You ordered some items to use here, can I take them?”

“Do as you please.”

“I have to buy some meat to feed him. During the time I did not see him he became a thin and pale vampire.”

Not just a vampire, that person is more annoying and tough than you can imagine. It seems that Jang Jaeyoung, who entered the room holding hands with that man, had already paid with his own feet and rationality as a reward.

Jaeyoung sat silently for a moment, tapping his fingers on the table before asking without hesitation.

“Are you going back now?”

“I don’t know.”

Stay a bit longer, have some fun before going back, there are many beautiful beaches here.”

“It must be like that.”

Originally, he had planned to return home after achieving his goal, but after experiencing a terrifying failure, he ran out of strength so he thought he should take a break. In those various beaches, there would probably be handsome men sunbathing somewhere who could help fill Jaehong’s emptiness, even if only temporarily.

Jaeyoung grabbed a piece of cheese to have before packing up the food and wine. Then he called the waiter to come and pay, himself paying before Jaehong could stop him. Then he shifted his gaze back to Jaehong again.

“Let’s walk together slowly, where did you book the accommodation?”

“Are you going to send me? Who said he was busy?”

“Well, it’s about that. And I have something I need from you.”

“What?”

“The outfit you’re wearing, take it off for me. And the perfume too.”

“…”

“We’re betting, right? Isn’t that right?”

Jaehong couldn’t remember for a moment what they had gambled on.

“Get up quickly. If you don’t tell me where you’re staying, then I’ll take you wherever.”

“You crazy people.”

Jaeyoung smirked at the insult coming out of the mouth of Jaehong as a compliment, while Jaehong slowly got up from his chair. Jaeyoung then strode quickly towards the exit.

‘You just have the same genetics, isn’t it… or is it?’ 

He pondered the words of that man. At the same time, he felt that his older brother looked different today, as if he had lost something important, and perhaps because of that, the back of the other party looked strange and unfamiliar.

“Jang Jaeyoung.”

“Why?”

When looking at Jaeyoung, who turned back with an unsmiling face, Jaehong felt a subtle difference between them without realizing why. It might be because the place where he used to stand alone was now divided into two. Jaehong couldn’t understand why he felt as if the man who used to hide his anxieties under a comfortable exterior had gone to another world. From now on, the other side would not shake or fall apart, causing conflicting and resentful feelings to coexist in Jaehong’s heart.

“Hurry, I am gonna go find Chu Sangwoo.”

Jaehong, who was completely defeated in the game, took a deep breath and followed Jaeyoung quickly. As they were about to leave the restaurant, they heard a loud announcement from the speakers on the ceiling. [Attention customers on the 15th floor, please. Currently, the customer’s travel bag named Eric, Jang, Eric, Jang, has been left at the counter. Kindly come and retrieve your luggage, thank you. Repeat announcement, the travel bag…]  Jaehong glanced at his twin brother before bursting into laughter.

________________________________________.

   [1] ‘Different from each other’, and, ‘different from one another.’ In the original, when Mr-Jaehong talks about differences, he usually uses the words, 틀리다, “teulrida.” throughout, which is the actual meaning of the word. This is, wrong/twisted/deviated/twisted/distorted, etc. As for the word, “different from one another.”. It really has to be the word, 다르다,

“daruda.” As for the point of difference, it has to be, 차이점. , 

 

 

“Chaeejeom.”. No, 틀린, 점, “teulrinjeom.” 

 

    SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Special Chapter 21: Syntax Error #7. 

   Jaehong felt a sudden surge of emotions. He was the man who took the photo because he wanted to possess Jang Jaeyoung. The man who went on a trip to see Jang Jaeyoung in the background scene was different. The man who expected the red aurora light only because it suited Jang Jaeyoung. Even though he spoke strangely or displayed an indifferent attitude, there was only one conclusion.

   ‘Aren’t you just getting married just because of money.’ 

   It may be because he had grown tired of relationships that were solely physical, or it may be because he saw married couples arguing over financial problems until they were bored. Just by imagining that, Jaehong no longer felt any emotions.

   “Chu Sangwoo?”

   “Yes.”

   “What kind of memorial park is the one we’re going to visit?”

   “It is a place that provides knowledge about the history of human conflicts and the importance of peace.”

   “It doesn’t seem very interesting. I would rather talk to you two in a quieter place.”

   The man standing close to the aquarium glass looked back with a questioning face. Jaehong remained silent.

   “I think we’ve looked enough. Let’s move to another place.”

   “From this point on, it’s worth seeing for real.”

   The man reached out his hand towards the sign that read <Komuflage –

   Stealth Experts> but Jaehong returns his gaze to the poster above that sign.

   [Romantic Skyline Dinner, 10% off! 

   Enjoy the beautiful view on the 15th floor, together with your loved ones.] 

   He wasted 58 minutes of his time, and he didn’t have any more time to waste. There was an elevator in the hallway, so Jaehong put one hand in his trouser pocket and pressed the elevator button.

   “Where are you going?”

   “15th floor.”

   “That’s a restaurant up there. Are you hungry?”

   “I already told you. I want to find a quiet place to talk to you, Sangwoo.”

   “If you insist on going, I’ll go along with your intentions. But I also have my own plans.”

   The man looked dissatisfied at his watch, but Jaehong pretended not to hear those words.

   Just then, the elevator arrived, and they entered the enclosed space together.

   Jaehong pressed the button for “15th floor” before leaning against one wall.

   Meanwhile, the other person turned to face the elevator door.

   ‘The outside looks normal.’

   The other person just closed his mouth and looked like a painting. Although his hairstyle held firmly to the normal and indifferent fashion, he looked naturally handsome. The curve from his forehead to between his eyebrows, or the faint shadow created by the tip of his nose made him look younger than his age. The sexy point was the slender and pale neck that extended from his chin, both thin and pale, inviting me to hold it tightly with just one hand…

   “Are you considering me?”

   The man looked straight ahead, his voice lifting slightly as if he had finally caught the strange atmosphere. Jaehong immediately replied as if he had been waiting.

   “Yes. What are you looking at?”

   “Why are you staring?”

   “So I can’t look? I think good-looking men are a public commodity.”

   “That must be a common joke among economists.”

   The other person turned slightly, with a mocking smile hanging on the corner of their lips. As both locked eyes, Jaehong realized that this was a chance that would not come again. Jaehong took a step closer to the other person, tying them down with his gaze so they couldn’t escape, whispering softly.

   “I…am I like Jang Jaeyoung?”

   “Yes. You’re twin brothers from the same test-tube, after all.”

   “Even so, we have many differences.”

   The young man furrowed his brows, his gaze slowly trailing down from Jaehong’s hair to his neck, chest, waist, until it reached his feet.

   “Where is your suit from?”

   “I had it custom-made.”

   “That’s a shame. I wanted to buy it for hyung.”

   Is it a normal behavior for someone to be openly seductive while the other thinks about whether the shirt suits his partner or not? Jaehong couldn’t understand the other person’s thoughts with his own way of thinking. The man shifted his gaze from Jaehong’s shoulders and looked into his eyes.

   “Hyung Jaeyoung doesn’t wear suits often, but he has a slightly different style. He thinks the standard style is boring.”

   “That’s true.”

   “Sometimes if he dresses like that…I would definitely lose my composure and jump him right there.”

   “…”

   After Sangwoo spoke casually, the elevator opened and they walked out. The man seemed fierce in contrast to his outward appearance, which looked polite and refined. He felt that he understood why Jaeyoung couldn’t concentrate. 

   The restaurant on the 15th floor had a decent atmosphere. It was now a time of uncertainty. It wasn’t lunchtime or dinner, but it was easier to do something than going to a war memorial. 

   When they sat at the table by the window, covered with a white tablecloth, the waiter immediately brought the menu. Jaehong looked at the wine before flipping the menu to pass it to the other person. 

   “What would you like? This time, I’ll pay for it myself.”

   “It’s okay, I don’t mind.”

   “At least order something light…”

   “I have to go have dinner with hyung.”

   Every sentence must end with “hyung.” Jaehong didn’t like it, but he pretended not to notice and ordered a cheese platter [1] and French wine.

   Both of them sat in silence for a while, the man’s hands crossed and hugged his chest and looked out the window. Meanwhile, Jaehong elegantly looked at the other person and chose a topic to discuss in his mind. The shoulder wrapped in a black polo shirt, the well-defined muscles on the stretched arms, the rough and protruding fingers adorned with a ring, just like the one Jaeyoung wore. The right hand had long and thin scars and a few blemishes.

   “Your hand was injured.”

   The young man briefly looked at his own hand before glancing outside again.

   “I have pets at home.”

   Judging by the appearance of the wound, it seemed like a cat. Ah, it’s an opportunity to make the atmosphere more relaxed.

   “A cat, huh? What breed?”

   “Domestic cats. Unlike dogs, they have a short history of breed  according to human conveniences so it’s not meaningful to categorize them. But if you really want to know, it’s a mixed breed.”

   “What’s the need of categorizing breeds according to human convenience?

   As long as they are healthy, it’s enough.”

   “When Hyung Jaeyoung found it, it had an infection and low platelets, which was life-threatening. But now it’s healthy.”

   “It’s really amazing. What’s its name?”

   “Its real name is ‘Visual Basic [2].’ And hyung Jaeyoung calls it ‘WB.’”

   “That sounds very unique.”

   “I named it related to my own work to make it feel close to me, but that plan failed.”

   “…”

   It seems like the conversation is going in the wrong direction, Jaehong changes the topic even though it’s awkward.

   “I don’t really like cats, because they don’t really like humans, which is wrong compared to dogs.”

   When he heard that, the other party nodded.

   “It would try to go hunting after not finding someone to feed it and pick up its waste. I don’t know if it’s stupid or if it has a bad temperament, but either way, it’s a big problem.”

   “I’ve never raised a cat, and my dad likes dogs, so we always had two dogs at home.”

   “I know. Lucy and Tan, purebred Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds. Hyung raised them until they were nine. I heard you cried a lot when you separated.”

   ‘Jang Jaeyoung, you’re telling this outsider everything.’ 

   Jaehong thought about the large dog he used to raise as a child, when his job responsibilities changed, his dad left the two dogs they raised for the military personnel who came to take over the position. From that day on, he could hear the sound of Jaeyoung crying every night.

   “And I raised Mir, a Samoyed breed in Hong Kong for two years.”

   “That’s right. That friend of mine, I stubbornly brought the dog with me to

   England.”

   At that time, his parents divorced. Jaeyoung returned to Korea with his mother, while Jaehong grew up under his father’s care in England.

   For some reason, the conversation continued as normal, so Jaehong pushed this momentum and thought of fun stories about dogs.

   “Among my friends from school, there was one person who likes to howl when drunk.”

   “Is that so?”

   “That friend is a man, but he howls like a female dog. If he gets drunk one day, the male dogs who are on heat would gather in front of his flat, causing great rumors among the other residents.”

   The other party didn’t laugh or smirk, just waiting for Jaehong to finish speaking and then pausing with an expressionless face.

   “It’s a very fun story. If you don’t mind, can I go back to the topic about childhood experiences?”

   “…Sure.”

   “Hyung Jaeyoung. When he was a kid, he was very popular among the girls.”

   Even though he vaguely mentioned childhood, in the end it was about Jang Jaeyoung that Jaehong answered.

   “I was more popular.”

   “You’re really good at teasing, aren’t you? There’s no way it’s like that.”

   “…”

   “He told me first girlfriend was when he was 10 years old. A girl named

   Emily. You might have met her.”

   “Yes…maybe.”

   “What kind of person is she?”

   “I remember she was not a good person.”

   “He would show off to everyone that she was his first love.”

   “…”

   “And he even said that he practiced dating for seventeen years to pursue me, who would believe such a meaningless story.”

   ‘And what should I answer?’ 

   Jaehong had to try his best not to make a cold face. At this moment, the man in front of him looked the most excited he had ever seen.

   “Hyung Jaeyoung. When he was a kid, did he play basketball in a cunning style?”

   “Did he ever raise his hand to present at school?”

   “At what age did he start drawing?”

   “Is he good at talking to seniors?”

   “How tall was he when he entered elementary school? How much does he weigh?”

   Besides, there were many other questions, but Jaehong cannot answer clearly because he does not remember things from his childhood often, and both have very different personalities so they don’t get along.

   “If you have a photo or drawing of Hyung Jaeyoung, find it and scan it to sell it to me. It would be better if you can give me the original.”

   “No.”

   “Diary, homework book, letters, or other information, anything?”

   “No, there is nothing like that.”

   When he heard both of them talking on the phone, Jaehong thought they were a couple who upheld traditional customs, and it was easy to break them by just snapping his fingers, but he was wrong because the man in front of him had crossed the line of love to a level that looked like a stalker. 

   “I want to know what is written in the record. He must have kept the love and admiration of every teacher reserved for himself, right?”

   “No. He is a troubled child who needs special attention.”

   “Please speak the truth.”

   “You must have misunderstood something very much… Jang Jaeyoung… He was not cute as a child. Not intelligent beyond his age, and not at all lovable.

   He was a troublemaker.”

   “Because he is your fraternal twin. That’s why you are so jealous of him.”

   Luckily, the waiter served the wine and dishes just in time, as Jaehong almost struggled to find words to answer. The waiter poured wine into Jaehong’s glass before turning to look at the other person, but the other side declined. Well, this is an excellent opportunity to change this boring conversation topic.

   “Looks like you’re not very good at drinking alcohol.”

   The man looked beyond Jaehong’s shoulder, seemingly there is something special that can captivate their attention for a while. Jaehong sneakily glanced behind, but only found a typical atmosphere of a restaurant.

   “Why? Is there something there?”

   “There’s nothing.”

   “What is it?”

   “Hyung Jaeyoung just goes back and forth.”

   “…Jang Jaeyoung?”

   “He acts like he’s busy, but he doesn’t seem to know what to do with the wig.”

   Jaehong turned around and looked behind him, but he couldn’t find Jaeyoung. Then the faint dry voice of another person grew louder from behind.

   “He’s gone now.”

   “If he’s been going back and forth for a while, does that mean you’ve seen him multiple times?”

   “On the first floor. Didn’t you see him? He walked in with us but stayed about a meter away.”

   ‘Damn it, crazy guy!’ 

   Giving him two hours, even setting a long condition like a tail, and still not being able to trust enough to have to follow? The man looked around before whispering softly, afraid that someone might hear.

   “Help me by pretending that you don’t know or see. I beg you.”

   “Huh? Why?”

   “If he’s caught red handed, hyung Jaeyoungwon’t be happy.”

   “…”

   ________________________________________.

[1]      Cheese, platter, or “Cheese, board.” Or, Cheese, plate, can be called by various names. It is a collection of various types of cheese, arranged on a wooden tray, with accompanying condiments, for snacking or socializing on various occasions. 

[2]      Visual Basic, or VB, is a programming language with a GUI (Graphic User Interface: using images as the user interface). Created by Microsoft, this language is one of the popular programming languages for business applications. 

SMNTCERR, Chapter 22: Syntax Error #8. 

“One April Fool’s day,  five years ago, there was this one time when he came knocking on the door and said there was a letter for me, but is there a man at the post office with such a handsome and charming appearance? I couldn’t resist and ended up kissing him without realizing it.”

“So, you mean he’s gone now, right?”

“Yes. He left just a minute ago.”

As I looked at the time on my wristwatch, I realized I still had 36 minutes left. There’s no time to waste. Especially now that Jang Jaeyoung is on guard duty.

Since the other party doesn’t understand indirect speech, the only option left is to directly suggest that we have sex. Jaehong took a sip of the wine left by Rint, then looked into the eyes of the man in front of him. Suddenly, those special pairs of black eyes flinched.

“Chu Sangwoo?”

“Yes.”

Jaehong remained silent for a moment before whispering quietly.

“Do you really think I came all this way just to watch the fish?”

“I heard that you came for a vacation on a hot holiday.”

“That’s just an excuse. I have another motive.”

The other party blinked two or three times. Then, they looked at Jaehong calmly, as if understanding everything.

“Actually, I have already figured it out.”

The unexpected response left Jaehong stunned.

“What?”

“That’s actually your goal, Jaehong. I’ve noticed it before.”

“Wh- When did you notice…?”

“When I got in the car, it took me 12 minutes. When you tried to come to my house but failed. I tried to guess why you wanted to go to someone else’s house.

Then suddenly I felt suspicious.”

The young man clasped his hands and spoke together with a serious expression and posture like a detective, Jaehong blinked his eyes and didn’t know what to answer. Therefore, the other party’s face looked more confident.

“You came to test whether I have the qualifications to marry

HyungJaeyoung or not.”

“Huh?”

“You checked my lifestyle, threw questions that evaluated my behavior, asked leading questions that could make me lose my cool, for example, words that are synonymous with breakup, and tested my instant reaction by assigning a task abruptly, which was to ask for help on how to take pictures. You evaluated my appearance in detail to assess whether I have a strong physique, and you judged my ability to deal with crises through an intense interview about personal life.”

“…”

“How did I score?”

The man in front of him guessed wrong with a calm and quiet expression, just thinking about where to start correcting this misunderstanding, Jaehong had already figured it out.

‘But if I don’t do anything, Jang Jaeyoung will have to marry this crazy person!’ 

He began to deal with the problem directly.

“I object to this marriage.”

“I’ve thought about it and it has to be this way. I can understand it myself.”

However, before he could say the powerful words he had planned in advance, ‘I don’t think I’ll give Jang Jaeyoung to you!’ the other party responded casually.

Jaehong gradually lost his determination and bravery, he had always endured every small or big crisis that had passed, but this time he really wanted to give up, the economist who had excelled in his job had always been unfamiliar with failure. While raising his hand to wipe his face, the other party burst out.

“If you object because I’m a man like you, Shin Jongsok and Shin Mihee, then please reconsider one more time.”

“Huh?”

“Whether it’s me or Hyung Jaeyoung, we didn’t choose our gender to be born like this.”

“Shin…No. Have you met my grandfather?”

His grandfather is a very stubborn man, and the older he gets, the more stubborn he becomes. That man will never allow his grandson to marry someone of the same sex, no matter how much he loves them. However, the man in front of him responds nonchalantly, without any hint of difficulty.

“I met him three months ago and gave him an invitation card.”

He thinks that Jaeyoung must have kept the wedding a secret because that old man, despite being over seventy years old, is still strong enough to go golfing abroad and is ready to swing a golf club at his grandson if he is not satisfied.

“What happened? For example, did you protest or something?”

“Although I was verbally violated in a severe way, I didn’t suffer physically. I happen to have good visual perception skills. And even though I am physically strong, he is still an elderly person, isn’t he?”

“…”

“Although I didn’t receive any blessings, I did receive a clear answer that he will join the event.”

“How do you feel about it?”

“He said he would create a commotion just by coming. I feel grateful already.”

The young man officially announced that he has overthrown the boss of Lasst and is now in a deep valley.

‘This is a completely crazy person.’ 

Jaehong cursed inwardly. Then the silence dragged on.

The other party looked at Jaehong with a face that seemed to say there is something else to discuss. Jaehong couldn’t predict what would come out of that unpredictable mouth. But the other party reached out politely to both sides.

 

 

I am confident that I will be a good husband to Hyung Jaeyoung.”

“Is that so?”

“Because it is highly possible for a gentle person to be a gentle partner. I always try to understand Hyung Jaeyoung and listen to him. If there are problems, we have annual satisfaction surveys to improve and the average score over the six years is about 99.83 in the first year.”

“…”

“In the third year, I got 99 points, which made the average score decrease significantly. Because it happened the day after we had a serious argument.”

The young man spoke in a detailed manner, like conducting an election campaign with a smooth voice. Jaehong held back his throbbing headache and let his opponent continue speaking.

“I misunderstood. I don’t dislike you, Chu Sangwoo, not at all.”

Then he stopped talking. Why? Even if it is someone unfamiliar, he wouldn’t object to the marriage just because he is not satisfied with the other person. Even if the person involved is different, Jaehong would still hinder the marriage.

‘Quite reasonable.’ 

It is not difficult to conclude that he interfered because he was afraid of Jang Jaeyoung’s misfortune, but in truth, Jaehong simply didn’t want to accept the reality that his twin brother loved Chu Sangwoo like a madman.

The other party still waited for an answer with a pleased expression, but Jaehong couldn’t say out loud that he wanted Jang Jaeyoung to live a carefree life like himself. Jaehong faced the unchanging gaze of that person and spoke.

“Both of you… you are fundamentally wrong. If Jang Jaeyoung is a bird flying in the sky, then Chu Sangwoo, you are no different from a mushroom growing on the ground.”

The other party pouted. Then he had a solemn expression for a moment before answering with frustration.

“You’re better off scolding me like Shin Jongsok. I’m not so foolish to the point where I can’t even stand listening to your insulting words.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Don’t pretend to not know or not point it out. You assigned one side as a bird an animal and the other side as a mushroom, which is not even a plant.

Do you have a reason for it?”

If Jang Jaeyoung is a beautiful bird, then you Sangwoo are no different from a penguin. Are you satisfied now or not?” “Yes.”  Jaehong took a breath and continued speaking.

“Look, you’re a person who seeks a structured life, while Jang Jaeyoung is emotional and enjoys chaos. So why would both of you think about getting married? Just because opposites attract.”

“…”

“What I am saying is that Jang Jaeyoung is emotionally unstable, and also messy.”

The man in front of him listened to Jaehong until the end before responding indifferently.

“You may be an open-minded person who enjoys making decisions and embracing new challenges, but your choice of words can be harmful. And the phrase ‘messy personality’ is highly subjective. If that’s the case, I wonder what

‘clean personality’ means.”

“Does he not even clean his own room? Are you, Chu Sangwoo, the one who takes care of everything? How do you divide the household chores?”

“His lifestyle may not be organized, but I feel it’s okay, as I can handle the household chores easily while Hyung Jaeyoung struggles with them. If we were to quantify the difficulty level, it’s like a balance. And according to the second law of thermodynamics, the world naturally progresses from order to disorder. Making a mess in the room is just a natural human tendency. It’s not a flaw to be criticized.”

‘Is he really trying to justify different people being together in this extreme way?’ 

Jaehong looked at the man in front of him and thought of the dragon that guarded the princess’ castle.

“Both of you are too different…”

“The two assumptions, ‘different personalities’ and ‘incompatibility,’ don’t imply a simile [3]. And for example, the strong attraction between protons and electrons, which are oppositely charged, or a chessboard with black and white squares that visually attract attention. It’s a natural phenomenon. Chaos and cosmos [4] are two separate relationships.”

“…”

You must reconsider whether we are suitable for each other, take your time.”

The young man spoke negotiably, Jaehong sat listening attentively and was almost persuaded, but he remained calm. This is the last obstacle. If Jaehong gives up, Jaeyoung will have to marry this man, there is no avoiding it.

“I think there are many other people who are more suitable for you than

Jang Jaeyoung. Why does it have to be him?”

“Jaehong, you are someone who cannot be persuaded. If that’s the case, I will go to the next level and so you listen carefully.”

The once indifferent gaze of the young man was filled with a definite determination, and he spoke clearly and sternly, as if delivering a formal speech.

“I am someone who has achieved goals through competition. It does not make sense for me to listen to just two words from someone I don’t know well, and to give up the greatest joy and happiness that has been bestowed upon me.”

“…”

“In another 175 days. No matter what happens. I will marry Jang Jaeyoung. Even if you try to obstruct, you will surely fail. It is better for your mental health to prepare good wishes.”

Jaehong tried his best to maintain a calm expression, but he felt uneasy in his heart. He couldn’t speak at that moment and had transformed into an opponent fighting against Jaeyoung, while being in a situation where the man in front of him was giving orders.

‘This guy, if Soloman tells him to leave Jang Jaeyoung, Sangwoo would most likely tear him apart. So boring!’ 

Although he was frustrated with the unexpected lack of progress, he himself was familiar with striving for victory in competitions. He did not want to lose in any situation. Jaehong squeezed his last bit of strength and spoke with determination.

“You haven’t answered why it has to be Jang Jaeyoung.”

“I like Jang Jaeyoung.”

The answer that came back in less than a second was entirely different from the conclusion and all the words spoken up to this point. It was surprisingly simple, without any logic or reason.

If you try to look, there may still be many people who can provide much greater happiness for you, Chu Sangwoo.”

“That’s not possible.”

“How do you know? You have never tried dating other men.”

“It’s not necessary.”

“Take me for example! I have the appearance that you Chu Sangwoo likes, dress in the style that you love, and have a similar personality in seeking stability. Don’t you think so?”

The man in front of him revealed an anxious gesture, clenched his fists, focused his brows, and spoke in a tense manner.

“I am bisexual, and I feel that what I just heard is you making a proposition towards me. Please be careful with words and actions that can be misunderstood.”

‘I can’t read the atmosphere much, so let’s set some boundaries.’ 

Jaehong forcefully restrained his desire to grope the other party and spoke.

“Yes, I am courting you.”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t Jaeyoung tell you that I am gay?”

“That kind of matter…”

“I like men, and I am also interested in you, Chu Sangwoo.”

The young man’s eyes widened like coins, and the corners of his mouth were open as if to knock the back of his head. No matter what was said, the face that used to hide emotions would now show a little bit of joy to Jaehong.

Jaehong glanced at the small wristwatch, there is still 22 minutes left, which may seem short but also long, the opportunity has not disappeared, there is still a ray of hope.

“You haven’t taken your eyes off me for a while.”

He slowly stretched his chest and leaned back on the chair.

“Don’t you want to know if being twin siblings means we have the same style in bed?”

________________________________________.

[1]      Visual motion perception skills. In this context, it refers to the clarity of vision while the head is in motion, or Dynamic Visual Acuity: 

DVA, is one of the tests for obtaining a driver’s license. 

 

 

[2]   Thermodynamics, in physics, studies the relationships involving heat, temperature, work, and energy. The second law of thermodynamics refers to the increase in entropy or the dissipation of energy in a closed system, which can be explained in various ways. One of them is that heat cannot naturally flow from a colder to a hotter body. 

[3]      Simile, a term in logic, refers to things that are equal, in this case, Sangwoo means ‘different personalities.’ It does not mean ‘incompatible personalities’ and is therefore not a simile. 

[4]      Chaos = disorder, without order, Cosmos = complete order. 

 

   SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Special Chapter 20: Syntax Error #6. 

   The couple who have been together for seven years are no different from a married couple, even if they claim to have no basic sexual desires. Something exciting and deep. Jaehong decided to try it out. 

   “It’s hot, just like before.”

   He lowered his voice and slowly removed his coat. When the white shirt fitted perfectly against his body was revealed, the man turned around immediately. Although he looked back for a moment, he didn’t seem flustered.

   Jaehong smiled wickedly, unbuttoned his shirt cuffs, and rolled up the sleeves to the elbows. He wanted to match his appearance to the evaluation of his partners as sexy. He gradually loosened his necktie and unbuttoned two buttons of his shirt to reveal the well-defined muscles that came from a little exercise.

   Normally, he wouldn’t do anything so slow and deliberate, but he made an exception this time.

   Tint, tint, tint, tint, tint, tint.

   [Desired temperature inside the car: 18 degrees.] 

   Chu Sangwoo adjusted the air conditioning carefully, trying not to disturb Jaehong’s emotions.

   “I’ve set the lowest temperature. The temperature will lower in a moment.”

   “Thank you.”

   The other side is just an ordinary fool, or has high-level defenses.

   Jaehong buttoned up again and pondered heavily, but he couldn’t be sure of anything. He had three to four one-night stands per month and had encountered many different people, but this is the first time he has met a man with such an odd posture. A man who was proud of his status, a narcissistic man, a tall and self-aware man, a married man. A moody man. Among all these difficult cases, this man is nothing like any of them. It could be said that Chu Sangwoo accidentally ended up in a gay club without any intention.

   The situation is not good at all, as the man seems to see Jaehong as a clumsy and not very skilled Korean-speaking foreigner. However, the other party definitely admires Jaehong’s appearance. Whether it’s because he looks similar to Jang Jaeyoung or for some other reason, he has no other hope than to use it to his advantage.

   While Jaehong was quietly contemplating, the car arrived at the aquarium.

   The young man quickly parked the car before grabbing the camera bag from the back seat and putting it over his shoulder. He got out of the car without saying anything. When Jaehong got out of the car, the man briskly walked ahead. When he followed the other party to the ticket booth, a short argument ensued.

   “You’ve been driving, so let me pay for the tickets.”

   “It’s fine. Just keep your pocket money.”

   “No, I…”

   “If you really want to spend that much money, on the 175 th  day from today, you can put the money in an envelope.”

   “…”

   Jaehong couldn’t think of a quick retort and thus lost the argument once again.

   The young man used a 20% resident discount voucher to buy two tickets on his mobile phone before leading the way. When they entered the building, they encountered a hallway with walls and ceilings decorated as an aquarium, which was crowded with noisy children due to the venue’s reputation and it being a weekend.

   Jaehong draped his jacket over his arm and casually glanced at the fish tanks, paying little attention. After walking a few steps, he could feel the other party’s gaze on his neck and side profile. Trying to pretend not to care, he eventually couldn’t bear it and sneaked a look at his own reflection in the glass, while swiftly opening his pants pocket, feigning ignorance of the gaze.

   He encountered men who declined having sex with him with the reason that he already had a wife or had had countless boyfriends. If the attraction was purely physical, it would be useless, just like being in a relationship with someone who has a lover and has been dating for a long time. In this situation, even if the man was close to getting married and could control his emotions strongly, it was reasonable to be fearful.

   However, he couldn’t immediately deceive the other party, as the place was filled with children and it would be difficult to find even the letter “S” in the word “Sex”. Jaehong decided to buy the other party’s favor here for the time being. At that moment, the young man picked up the long-lens camera, as if it had become a heavy weapon, and started taking pictures of the fish coincidentally.

   “Do you like taking photos?”

   “Yes, I do.”

   “It’s a great hobby.”

   “I like it because it makes me feel like I can capture moments that cannot be revisited in two-dimensional form.”

   “I understand. Ultimately, photography is one of the most powerful results of human efforts to conquer time.”

   Although he didn’t do anything wrong when he first heard it, Jaehong quickly became accustomed to the young man’s speaking style and found it easier to imitate than he thought. The other side seemed satisfied with Jaehong’s answer and paused for a moment before responding reservedly but clearly.

   “Yes, that’s right. Because the appearance of each thing is different from one minute ago, ten minutes ago, or one hour ago. When it is captured on a flat surface, it feels like owning that thing during that time. It’s a pity that in the realm of physics it is said that time machines cannot be invented, so we can only rely on this imperfect method without other alternatives.”

   The other side looked at the camera with a pensive and intoxicated look before starting to take pictures of the fish in the tank again. Jaehong secretly admired the side profile of that person.

   “We can’t go back to the past… It’s a simple thought that is similar to philosophy, isn’t it? That’s why we must seize the moment, Carpe diem[2], choosing to capture a moment is always good, right?”

   After making his thoughts clear, he looked at the man without blinking, but the man seemed to not understand and looked confused.

   “Korean is quite difficult for you, isn’t it? I can speak English if you prefer.”  “…”

   The man continued to take photos until the large water tank was in full view, then he stopped and checked the pictures on the camera. When he glanced at the screen, it seemed like they were not exceptionally impressive images. Even Jaehong, who knew nothing, felt that the arrangement of the elements was scattered and looked no different from taking a photo with a mobile phone.

   Jaehong kept his thoughts to himself and praised him sincerely.

   “Hmm, an excellent ability indeed.”

   “I have seven years of experience.”

   “I have been wanting to study all along, can you help teach me a bit?”

   “How to take photos?”

   “Yes.”

   The young man gladly agreed.

   It went according to Jaehong’s plan. If he said he wanted to learn photography, he had to try taking photos and send them to him. Since the moment he received the camera, there have been countless ways to use it as a medium to receive impressions from the other side. However, the young man held onto the camera tightly and refused to send it to Jaehong.

   “First of all, this model is a single-lens reflex camera. The reflected image that enters the lens will be seen through the viewfinder, passing through the color separation process, and the light signals will be converted into electrical signals using a CMOS image sensor instead of film.”

   When Jaehong paused with an interested look, the theory class continued.

   “Look here. Does the lens capture the reflected image?”

   “Yes.”

   “The object being photographed will pass through the RGB filter inside and remain on the image sensor. The part that protrudes here is the pentaprism, which corrects the image to appear upright through a reflection process.

   That’s why it’s called a reflex camera.”

   ‘Finally.’ 

   The person requesting to be taught had no excuses to stop the explanation. If Jaehong knew that the lecture would take up to eleven minutes, he would not have pretended to see the camera from the beginning.

   “I’ll check if you understand correctly. What is the purpose of this part?”

   “It is used to adjust the focus of the object when using manual focus mode 

   [7].” 

   “What is it called?”

   “Focus Ring.”

   “Please explain the difference between contrast AF[8] and phase difference

   AF[9].”

   “Contrast AF has a strength in focus accuracy, while phase difference AF has a strength in speed. Your camera, Chu Sangwoo, uses a hybrid autofocus method that combines both techniques.”

   “Very impressive.”

   ‘Received a compliment, huh.’

   That was the only success of the day. Jaehong felt uncertain whether he should be happy or not, as he went back and forth with the other party, from receiving only cold reactions to interactions that made him feel even the simplest greeting seemed more valuable than ever. He smiled comfortably, responding without feeling anything.

   “Thank you for explaining so well.”

   “Yes, that’s right. You also know a lot.”

   At that moment, the young man smiled softly with eyes that once had no emotions, causing his eyes to disappear into the eyelids. Although it was just a slight movement of the facial muscles, the atmosphere that used to be tense changed completely by 180 degrees. The smile had an angle that resembled that of a small child.

   ‘My boyfriend? He is super cute.’ 

   It seemed like Jang Jaeyoung didn’t make a mistake, but then his calm and distinctive face quickly returned.

   “What I just explained was only the basic knowledge of the structure of certain cameras. Remember that the working principles may vary slightly depending on the model.”

   “Understood.”

   “You have to constantly learn in order to become a skilled photographer. If you want to, I will send you a link to a useful camera course through Hyung

   Jaeyoung.”

   “I understand.”

   Anything is fine, but the conclusion is, ‘through Hyung Jaeyoung’. Is that so? He didn’t like it, it took him eleven minutes out of his two hours to patiently listen to the detailed explanation, and the photographer wasn’t worth it. Even though he felt somewhat familiar with this stranger, well, that’s it.

   Jaehong reached out his hand and softly asked.

   “Now that we have studied the theory, is it time to practice?”

   Sangwoo shielded his arm around the camera as if Jaehong wanted to destroy it, and it seemed like he came up with the idea that they were getting closer.

   “I will show you a good example.”

   The other party carefully tucked the camera into the bag in response to Jaehong’s request. Then he took out his mobile phone from his pants pocket and scrolled through the album for a moment before selecting one picture to show Jaehong.

   One man wrapped a scarf around his head, holding the steering wheel of what appeared to be a car SUV top-down, with a dark, sandy beach background and the edge of the sky slanting gracefully. But the smile on the man’s face made the picture brighter and fresher, and it was only then that Jaehong realized that Jang Jaeyoung was someone who could smile so warmly.

   “After taking this photo, I accidentally dropped the camera. I don’t know why the sandstorm was so strong, and the equipment broke. Plus, I ended up eating a lot of sand. But because I managed to recover this photo, I didn’t mind.”  Suddenly, the man spoke up.

   ‘What should I say in response?’ 

   At times like this, he should speak in support of the other party’s words, but Jaehong instead revealed a puzzled smile. Why did he go to the beach? What did Jang Jaeyoung like to make him smile so widely? Jaehong didn’t really want to know the heartwarming memories of their shared past, so he strained his desire to speak out and changed the conversation topic.

   “Seems like you enjoy traveling.”

   “Yes. Because even the same object can look different depending on the background.”

   “That’s true. Where are you planning to go for your winter vacation?”

   “Canada, near the North Pole.”

   “You’re going to see the aurora, right?”

   “Yes. I’m going snowboarding. I went there four years ago, but at that time, there were weather issues so I couldn’t see the aurora. Hyung Jaeyoung said he wanted to see it, so this time I want to show it to him.”

   The young man spoke with an attitude of indifference as if he were being forced to go. He felt bored and a sense of responsibility towards his long-time partner. Jaehong thought that he had found an opportunity.

   “I don’t understand why those aurora lights are so special for tourists. It means people could do something more valuable than spending money and time there.”

   “Actually, I have thought the same.”

   “Really?”

   “If it were me seven years ago, I might have said that I didn’t understand why people get excited about the phenomenon of the eclipse and the burning of the atmosphere’s molecules.”

   Seven years ago was before they started dating. 

   “What about now?”

   “Now… when the atmosphere’s molecules burn in the eclipse. I hope that oxygen breaks down into ions in smaller quantities than other gasses like nitrogen or neon. Because in the visible light spectrum, Hyung Jaeyoung looks best in red.”

   ________________________________________.

[1]      Double cuff, “ขอ้มอืแบบแขนเบิล้ .” The end of the shirt sleeve folds up into two layers and does not come with buttons. It must be worn with cufflinks or shirt studs. 

[2]      Carpe diem, Latin for “seize the day.” It means to live in the present moment and make the most of it. 

[3]      Single-lens reflex camera, commonly known as SLR Camera. 

[4]      Viewfinder. The visual window. 

[5]      CMOS, Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. It is a sensor where each pixel has sub-circuits that convert incoming light into digital signals instantly. In addition to CMOS sensors, there are also other types of sensors such as CCD, MOS, or JFET, which have different operating principles. The choice of sensor depends on the brand of the camera. 

[6]      RGB, a color system for digital work, abbreviation for red, green, and blue. It is the process of mixing the three primary colors, which are red, green, and blue, to create various colors. 

[7]      Manual focus. Focusing manually. 

[8]      Contrast, Detection, : CDAF. A system, AF, used in Compact cameras, uses the camera sensor to focus by searching for maximum contrast, which is the point with the highest clarity, making the autofocus relatively slow but accurate. 

[9]      Phase, Detection, : PDAD. A system, AF, used in DSLR cameras, separates the incoming light into two parts to create two images. The camera considers the difference in focus points between the two images and calculates the desired direction when moving towards or away from the camera, and the distance, to achieve autofocus. Then, the lens is moved to align them, helping to achieve fast autofocus but with less accuracy compared to CDAF. 

   SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Special Chapter 19: Syntax Error #5. 

When Jaehong missed his chance to reply, silence fell in the car, and the man looked at his wristwatch while leaning against the car’s start button.

“Six minutes have passed. I’ll add one minute to make up for the interruption. Please announce each location you choose.”

“What? Um… just a moment, please.”

Jaehong, who had completely forgotten about the tourist destinations, shifted his attention to the book left open on the armrest, even though he was already late.

“Haven’t thought of anything else? I don’t think I’ve given you little time.

Strange.”

The other party’s tone did not sound reproachful, but Jaehong felt like a student who hadn’t done his homework. Surely, there had never been a situation like this during his school days. And why did the unfinished task have to be this one? He didn’t know. So, Jaehong flipped the paper in front of him in the wrong direction, causing the other party to stare at him with a low voice. 

“I had already thought that you might have something in common because we grew up in the same neighborhood.”

“What does that mean?”

“Hyung Jaeyoung. If I ask him to do something he will be lazy even while doing it, he often doesn’t finish it on time. You, Jaehong, are similar in that aspect.”

“Lazy…lazy? That’s a misunderstanding. I’m just…”

“But the way to deal with it is different.” The man interrupted.

“If it’s Hyung Jaeyoung, he would lock himself up and say that choosing a tour package is the responsibility of the tour guide.”

The other party snatched the travel book from Jaehong’s hand, preventing him from correcting the embarrassing misunderstanding. He placed the thick book back on the console in the car as he smirked.

“The Renaissance Accademia, The Monument of Second World War, Opera

House, City Hall. I recommend this package.”

That was a standard route package similar to high school field trips, a crisis moment where they had to tour only tourist attractions until their feet were almost burnt. He hoped the other party would just play around, but that expression seemed very serious. The fact that Chu Sangwoo was not your average kind of person, not just in terms of atmosphere or charisma, confused Jaehong. His attempt to pretend to be a gentleman must come to an end. It was time for him to assert his leadership.

“Enough about tourism. I want to go to your house more.”

Jaehong raised the corner of his mouth slightly and asked before the man went still for a few seconds.

“Why?”

“I’m a little tired.”

“In that case, I think it would be better for you to get off here. The more you move around, the more tired you’ll get.”

‘Fine. If it’s easy, it won’t be fun.’ 

Jaehong pondered to himself with a slight smile as he thought the driving force of propulsion was amusing. The more cautious and resistant he was, the higher the value of the goal. Although he knew that once it collapsed, it was just a body like any other, Jaehong wanted to overcome the opposing side that always refused.

“No, I want to go to your house.”

“It takes about thirty minutes to get to my house from here. If you want to relax, there are cafes, restaurants, parks, or nearby hotels as reasonable options.”

“I think it would be more fun to go and see your room.”

The other party remained silent as if lost in thought. There was no immediate response.

“I understand. However, if I want to take someone to my house, you need permission from the co-resident first. That means you have to submit documents signed by Hyung Jaeyoung or his voice file.”

“…Ah?”

How would Jang Jaeyoung react to this? If he told Jaeyoung that they would both go to the house, he would definitely refuse. Or maybe that troubled man had changed his mind and hid that man as tightly as before. Yes, this was an opportunity that he had brought. He wouldn’t let it go to waste. 

Jaehong spoke as if he were not disappointed. 

“Jaeyoung… is probably working. I don’t want to disturb him. So let’s go to a nearby hotel.”

“Okay. Let’s head to the Belmont.”

As soon as the man finished speaking, Jaehong reached his hand out to fasten his seatbelt before stopping. When he saw the calm and indifferent posture of the other party, he felt a sense of mystery. Generally, going to a hotel together meant having sex in the room, but in the end, would they both think the same way?

“I don’t know which hotel to go to.”

“You probably don’t know the way around here. So I’ll take you to the lobby, okay?”

“The lobby? Then you…”

“I’ll go back home.”

It was correct that he sensed something was off. The side profile that looked calm and cool was the face of someone who had no idea about Jaehong’s feelings. It wasn’t just rejection without thinking about it. The other party looked at Jaehong’s face before speaking.

“Don’t worry. You’ll definitely like it because it’s a five-star hotel.”

“That’s not a problem, let’s go have coffee in the room first. Don’t rush to leave yet.”

“No, thank you. I already have coffee to drink.”

‘What is wrong with this person?’ 

 

 

Jaehong felt speechless. If the other party did not lack the ability to read the hidden meaning in words or probably pretend not to notice the look that Jaehong sent to him. Whatever the case, both were hopeless, but still, it was better when looking at Chu Sangwoo’s facial expression and the content of the conversation… There was a high chance that it would be the first.

Even at that moment. The other party looked at Jaehong’s safety buckle as if telling him to fasten it. If they went to the hotel like this, it would definitely be over, after dropping off Jaehong at the lobby. The other party would have to leave without even turning back, and Jaehong decided to take a step back and return to at least a slightly hopeful path. 

“Then it’s better to go to the tourist attraction you mentioned for a while.”

That was no different from declaring surrender, the man grabbed the seatbelt without showing any surprise.

“Time is almost up. Fasten your seatbelt.”

“…”

“I might be difficult to listen… to everything, but I will do my best.”

While everything went in the opposite direction of what was expected, the car moved.

‘Damn, you’re so gentle and cute!’ 

Jang Jaehong thought that the other party fell into the trap of the enchanting smile that made people lose consciousness. What is this icebox person he chose to marry?

Jaehong looked out the window as if he didn’t feel anything, but the shock did not easily subside. That man didn’t reach the point of being stiff or afraid of strangers, but what was even more the lack of understanding of social norms…

Yes, that’s right. It’s like a machinery device.

Jaehong felt like surrendering, but he tried to reaffirm his own goal once again. He himself had a goal, even though it might not be the same as the other party’s. Once he set a goal, he wouldn’t easily give up.

While one person was driving, the other person just looked out the window, and the car crossed the bridge.

While driving, the young man explained that the Bascule [1] Bridge took several years to build. How long is it, including the number of cars that traffic on it per year, the weight it can bear, and the sound that doesn’t seem too high or low, like leaving the radio on. When he said that, The other party explained how long the central pavilion by the river was completed in how many years and how many years it has been in use.

Having traveled like this, he must have traveled wonderfully and returned. When the other party stopped explaining for a moment, Jaehong naturally joined the conversation.

“I heard that both of you are getting married.”

“Yes.”

“I would like to congratulate you in advance.”

The man paused in silence, showing that the other person didn’t care about anything special about love. Jaehong smiled coolly and smiled on the other side.

“There is a saying that marriage is the burial ground of love.”

“Yes. I think that is an interesting analogy.”

“Oh, what do you mean by that?”

“Usually, when one step is completed, we often have to start the next step.

Insects also change their shape.”

That party glanced at Jaehong’s face for a moment before speaking with added ritual.

“I don’t mean people who change their sex [2], but insects that change their shape by shedding skin. You are at the same level as Hyung Jaeyoung.”  Jaehong decided that this conversation was hopeless and jumped to the next topic.

“How much time is left until the wedding day?”

“175 days.”

“Poor thing, there is still a long time left. It is not strange that something changes during that time, right?”

“Yeah. I am truly in pain, because there is still so much time left before I can sign the marriage registration. I am trying my best to control any variables that may arise.”

Without knowing if the other party is unwilling or intentionally pretending not to know, the young man accepted Jaehong’s hidden intentions like a blessing and felt touched by it. There was a brief moment of silence.

Chusangwoo took a gentle breath and continued.

“During the 81 months, being in the role of Jang Jaeyoung’s lover has not been easy at all. Even though I made him my husband, I still can’t trust him fully.”

“Well, he is quite a romantic, isn’t he? You must have been exhausted by it all. Personally, I wonder if such low-quality behavior will change after marriage.”

“A romantic?”

The man tilted his head as if not understanding and then asked slowly, as if paying attention.

“I heard that you have been in England for a long time, so you must be more adjusted to the English language. From now on, can we speak in

English?”

“…Not necessary. I use Korean as my mother tongue.”

“Alright then.”

The young man drove in silence for a while. When he saw a stop signal, he stopped and spoke again.

“If it’s not a vocabulary problem, then you must have misunderstood what I said. I was complaining about the external system that can destroy the wedding system, which has had a detrimental impact and made me nervous in a different way.”

Jaehong tried his best to think using his brain, fearing that he would be treated as a foreigner again, but this time he really didn’t understand what the other party was saying.

“What do you mean by external system?”

The other party tightly closed their mouth with a stern expression before lowering their voice and speaking softly.

“I don’t believe in supernatural things like speaking words, making them inauspicious, becoming true. But at a time like this, I don’t want to say that word with my own mouth. A word that starts with ‘h’ or in English, starts with ‘d.’ Just as long as there is no system that is annoying. Then I will be able to fully possess and be truly satisfied, I am feeling sad.”

“Oh, um…”

“Don’t say it out loud!”

“…”

“Let me say it again. I don’t believe in luck.”

‘Jang Jaeyoung, that asshole, is he being held by someone unusual?’ 

Jaehong brooded over himself with a gloomy look in his black eyes, which revealed insanity. The person who described his own lover as ‘useful’ instead of cute or attractive seemed like a bottomless pit in marriage, possession, and something, which is the goal of Jaehong. The only appropriate words to add to him were ‘Jang Jaeyoung’s money’ alone. When he saw the other person’s obvious greed for gold, Jaehong’s intention to interfere with the wedding became stronger.

However, it had been 22 minutes out of two hours and he had not seen any clear results yet. While the man pointed out the poet’s favorite café outside the window, which was still not famous, Jaehong listened sometimes and sometimes not. At the same time, he devised a strategy to find the weak point of the relationship before infiltrating.

“You and Jaeyoung seem to get along well at some level.”

“What does that mean?”

“Long-term couples often argue or not argue so much until they lose interest in each other, and even if they talk about getting married, they eventually break up…”

The words hidden with malicious thoughts made Sangwoo’s hair stand on end.

“Oops, sorry. Please be careful when using words that does synonym with ‘breakup.’”

“…”

“And the disagreements between couples are not words that are synonymous with ‘breakup’ but the positive process of aligning opinions and tightening relationships.”

“It sounds like you argue a lot.”

“Align opinions and tighten relationships frequently.”

Jaehong didn’t miss the undertone hidden in the words. Jaeyoung spoke as if the two of them agreed, but it didn’t seem like Chu Sangwoo thought the same way.

“In most cases, aligning opinions in what matters.”

“Recently, we have been differing opinions on event venues, number of guests, order of ceremonies, catering companies, tuxedo designs, and song selections.”

“Preferences don’t often align.”

“That’s okay. When negotiation becomes difficult, let it be a matter of possibilities.”

“Do you draw lots?”

“We play rock-paper-scissors.”

“…”

“He is quite busy. So, I decided to make some small decisions myself.” The second party, both of them rarely have time together. 

“It’s unfortunate, really. It seems that once salaries have increased, workload has increased as well.”

“Yes. Sometimes I miss the times when he was carefree like a clown during his graduate studies. Every morning, he would complain and refuse to let me go to work, and every evening, he would insist on going out to have fun. Back then, I thought it was annoying… “

“Jang Jaeyoung has a side that acts like a child.”

“Because we’re a family, so I know well. He doesn’t let me sleep at night. During mealtimes, he makes me laugh until I can’t cook properly, and sometimes he pretends to be sick so I can feed him. He disturbs me when I have to go to work… Besides that, he calls me from unknown numbers, sends me big bouquets of flowers, suddenly appears at my workplace and scares me, hides post-it notes with lovely messages all around the house, spray ‘I love you’ on the walls, hides in the wardrobe and then comes out… They think it’s romantic, but sometimes it becomes difficult because he plays too much.”

Jaehong listened intently, thinking that the other party would talk about their dissatisfaction. However, the content turned out to be complaining, and Jaehong bit his tongue and silently nodded.

“That’s a big downside. Other people argue with their spouses about different personalities, alcohol addiction, aggression, or a lack of sexual desire.”

In the last sentence, the young man’s face turned pale, and Jaehong received the third party’s seat. It was common for the frequency of sexual intercourse between a long-term couple to gradually decrease and eventually disappear.  ‘So, it’s a lack of sex. I guess I’ll have to make more effort to increase it.’ ________________________________________.

[1]                   Bascule bridge is a bridge that can be lifted and closed. 

[2]                   The word “sexual perverted” or “transgender” is translated as “변태” (pronounced as “pyeontae”) in Korean, which means the same thing. 

 

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