Jaewon hesitated, the thought lingering longer than he'd expected.
"But... I... can't."
"Yes, you can—and don't insult yourself by pretending otherwise," Maya shot back, her smile thin, predatory. "Look at you. You've got brains, looks, ambition—everything except money. And money?" Her gaze flicked pointedly toward him. "Money is standing right there, practically begging to be claimed."
She leaned closer, voice dropping, icy and deliberate. "You don't marry for love when you're born without privilege. You acquire stability. You secure power."
Maya scoffed softly. "Try it. Test-drive the life you were never meant to have. If it fits, don't hesitate—devour it whole."
Her eyes hardened. "Feelings are a luxury. Morals are negotiable. Opportunities like this don't come twice."
Then, the final strike—quiet, brutal. "Either you stay poor with your pride intact, or you become rich and learn to live without it. Choose."
The friends shared a knowing look, then turned their attention to their meals, savoring the quiet indulgence. After settling the bill, Jaewon and his friends said their goodbyes, but Maya lingered near him, her voice a low reminder. "Don't forget what I told you."
He exhaled, a little weary. "Huh… yeah, yeah."
***
Back home, Jaewon found a goodnight text waiting from Taesan and replied with a similar note. But as he sat in his gaming chair, hands pressing into his face, he muttered.
"Why am I so confused? Taesan's my friend, and yet... seeing him, it's just...fuck!"
His voice trailed off, memories unbidden. He suddenly gets an imagery of Taesan's slim waist and plum lips. It's makes him aroused, and he realizes he's got a bit hard—maybe more than a bit.
"What the fuc-! Why am I hard???" Jaewon tries to brush off the sudden income from these lewd memories.
Jaewon touches his crotch and realizes how hard he has got. "Ahhhh...!!! Fuckkk...it's rock hard." He slowly puts his pants and boxers down a bit. His throbbing member was licking a bit. He teases the tip as he starts stroking himself a bit. "Hnghhh fuck...this guy ...why do you have to be soooo sexy, huh?!!!" He starts to stroke faster as he imagines Taesan getting undressed. "Ahhhngh....fuck...just .... hnghh"
"Sunbae...hng..hrn..ah.." With the last stroke, he shoots his load out—his hands and table a mess.
He pulls a few napkins from the box, wiping himself off with a shaky hand.
"What...was that? Did I just...lose control and jerk off, thinking about Sunbae?" Jaewon presses his fingers to the bridge of his nose, a pained expression crossing his face. "Ahhh! What am I doing? This is all so...wrong." He whispers to himself, the words laced with guilt. "Sunbae... I should never have let this happen."
***
The next Day.
Jaewon and Taesan wandered through the park, caught up in their usual lighthearted banter. "Sunbae, could I borrow your Algebra notes?" Jaewon asked.
Taesan raised a brow and teased, "Since when do you ask me for anything?" Jaewon chuckled, "Sunbaeee... come on!"
As they walked along the quiet path, dusk slowly settling around them, the air grew heavier with the coming night. The calm shattered when they suddenly ran into Gui-nam and his gang blocking the way.
"Well, well, look what we have here," Gui-nam sneered, his eyes scanning them with open contempt. "Our two favorite losers, out on a cute little evening walk. And you, Taesan." He laughed harshly. "You look even more pathetic up close."
Taesan did not flinch. His voice was steady as he replied, "Back off, Gui-nam. Walk away unless you want to regret it."
Gui-nam burst out laughing, gesturing toward his group. "You seriously think the two of you can handle six people? Just look at yourselves. Absolute jokes."
One of the men stepped forward, gripping a baseball bat tightly, his expression dark and threatening. Instinct kicked in as Jaewon moved in front of Taesan, his body shielding him without a second thought. Before Jaewon could act, Taesan surged ahead, throwing the first punch and igniting the chaos.
The fight erupted instantly. Fists flew, bodies collided, and the quiet path echoed with shouts and impact. They were outnumbered, but neither Jaewon nor Taesan backed down. Every hit they took only hardened their resolve, driving them to strike back harder, faster, refusing to fall.
After what felt like an endless stretch of time, the fight began to tilt in their favor. Jaewon sent one attacker crashing to the ground with a sharp, well-placed strike, while Taesan faced Gui-nam head-on, their anger colliding just as fiercely as their blows.
"You bastard!" Taesan shouted, driving his fist into Gui-nam's face. "I warned you to stay away from my work!"
With one final punch, Gui-nam crumpled, his body going limp as he hit the ground. Silence followed, broken only by heavy breathing. Bruised and exhausted, Jaewon and Taesan remained standing.
Jaewon turned to Taesan, worry etched across his face. "Sunbae, are you okay?"
"Yeah… yeah," Taesan replied between breaths. "What about you?"
As relief briefly washed over them, they failed to notice movement behind them. Gui-nam stirred, his eyes snapping open with quiet fury. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small knife, fixing his gaze on Taesan's back. In a sudden burst, he lunged forward, blade raised.
Jaewon saw it in an instant. Without thinking, he shoved Taesan out of the way, placing himself directly in the path of the attack. The impact sent him collapsing to the ground as everything blurred into darkness.
Taesan reacted immediately. Spinning around, he drove his foot into Gui-nam's face with all his strength. Gui-nam fell hard, losing consciousness once again, his body hitting the ground without resistance.
The fight was finally over, but the cost was far greater than either of them had expected.
"OH MY...GAWWWDD!!!!. JAEWON!!!!!!!! Are you okay?!!! OH NO SO MUCH BLOOD!!!!!" Taesan shouted as he saw the state of Jaewon.
Taesan hurried with carrying Jaewon to the hospital. "Jae hang in for some time. Nothing will happen to you," tears flow from his eyes.
***
At the hospital doors, he reluctantly let go of Jaewon's hand as the doctors whisked him away into surgery. Taesan stumbled into a nearby chair, his head in his hands, tears streaming down his face. His hands wouldn't stop shaking. Jaewon's blood had already dried on his sleeves.
"Why couldn't I protect him?" he whispered, as flashes of memories with Jaewon—moments of laughter, friendship, and loyalty; flooded his mind, filling him with a profound and painful regret.
Over the past few months, Taesan's bond with Jaewon had deepened in ways he hadn't anticipated. What started as friendship had transformed into something more, an attachment so profound that the mere thought of losing Jaewon became unthinkable.
Now, with his shirt and hands stained in Jaewon's blood, Taesan was trapped in a nightmare he couldn't escape. Jaewon wasn't just a friend anymore; he was someone Taesan cherished, someone he couldn't bear to let go. It felt as if he had known him for a lifetime. Taesan whispered, voice choked with guilt, "Jae, this is my fault. That bastard was after me. Why did you push me aside and take the blow yourself?" Tears slipped down his face, each one a testament to his anger. "I can't lose you... not you, my best friend, my only one."
When the doctors emerged, Taesan jumped to his feet, desperation in his eyes. "Doctor, how is he? Did the surgery go well? Please... I need to know."
——————— TO BE CONTINUED