Choi Gang-hu’s hand, about to tear off the shirt buttons in one go, stopped abruptly. His brow furrowed slightly. It was because the image of Ryu Seo-ha, staggering incessantly and coughing up blood whenever he thought it was over, flashed through his mind.

“What do you mean by that?”

The sight of him silently shedding tears also came to mind. His behavior of postponing self-treatment without clear reason, and his past of always moving busily despite frequently fainting.

“…It’s nothing.”

Though Ryu Seo-ha calmly denied his statement, it was already after Choi Gang-hu had seen a look of embarrassment flash across his pale face.

“Tell me honestly.”

Anxiety mixed into his voice as he asked threateningly, growling. An ominous premonition had struck.

“There’s no tomorrow?”

His recent movements, as if settling his affairs, behaviors that had been bothering him like thorns stuck in his nerves, suddenly started to take on a different meaning.

“It’s just a common slip of the tongue.”

“Then why.”

“Because I was scared.”

He wanted to bite and swallow those lips spouting nonsensical excuses right away. Even if he was terrified like a small animal sensitive to external shocks, even if he tried to hide in a corner startled, he would tie him up tightly.

“I just said anything to calm Choi Gang-hu down first…”

“Calm down?”

Choi Gang-hu twisted the corners of his mouth while roughly grabbing Ryu Seo-ha’s shoulder as he tried to surreptitiously leave the bed while speaking.

“Do I look calm to you?”

“Ugh.”

“After running away like that?”

Self-reproach was evident on his face, bright as if freshly washed. But his pretty lips didn’t open in the end. As if there was something he wanted to hide. Many clues pointed in one direction.

“It’s an incurable disease, isn’t it.”

His voice sank involuntarily. Seeing those eyes sparkling like stars planted in them shake greatly, Choi Gang-hu was certain. The fact that his lover was suffering from an incurable disease that even an S-class healer couldn’t cure.

“Is that why you ran away?”

Suddenly, he recalled the materials found among his possessions neatly organized like relics. His final gift, obtained while looking for clues about places where Ryu Seo-ha might hide.

It was a book written as if predicting future information. A so-called ‘future event journal’, written separately to be attributed to Choi Gang-hu personally, not the guild. Though its contents would clearly be of tremendous help, he wasn’t happy at all.

“Were you trying to die alone, without anyone knowing?”

When he gritted out the words while firmly gripping the round shoulders, the small head shook from side to side. He grabbed the arm trying to get up and away from him and pushed it against the wall.

“Where are you going?”

A wave of unfamiliar emotion heated his head like lava. Ryu Seo-ha, who had always been within reach, disappearing forever? Just the brief imagination brought on a severe headache. Even his normally fine heart ached as if slashed.

Choi Gang-hu looked down at his young lover, who seemed to have given up on everything, with his jaw muscles bulging from clenching his teeth so hard. His long eyelashes cast shadows under his eyes like a fan’s ribs.

“What’s the name of the disease?”

“…”

“What’s the cause, I said.”

His appearance of quietly lowering his eyes even to the successive questioning looked sorrowful and precarious. If driven according to his temperament, he seemed like he would go out like a fragile candle flame at any moment.

“Let’s look for a way together.”

Though he tried to soothe him gently after taking a deep breath, vitality did not return to his bright face.

“I’ve tried everything.”

Ryu Seo-ha’s lips, which had been silent for a long time, finally opened.

“Treatment by first-generation S-class healers, self-treatment based on increased magic quantity and proficiency, even amplifying treatment effects using the Minification phenomenon.”

Along with a painfully bitter smile. Only then did his busy movements, to the point of recklessness, start to make sense.

“But nothing worked.”

His eyes, devoid of light, stared blankly into space. Like a candle that had burned out while no one was watching, with only the wick barely remaining.

“The elixir.”

It suddenly occurred to him. The existence of the S-class item that greatly contributed to reviving Ryu Jeong-ah. Dr. Han Gang-seok’s words, excitedly talking about research results belatedly, also came to mind.

“We can just get it again, can’t we?”

If that’s not enough, we can bring all the healers in the world. It felt like light was shining on the reality he had wanted to deny.

“There’s not even a day left now.”

But those lovely lips crushed that hope with calmly spoken words. His heart pounded greatly.

“…What?”

When he asked back, pretending not to understand the meaning, that beautiful face was tinged with deep sorrow.

“Please. Let me close my eyes peacefully at least in the final moment.”

His pleading voice was wet enough to be pitiful. For a moment, it felt like his brain’s fuse had blown.

“Who decided that.”

It was unacceptable. Anger boiled up. The magic in his body started to rampage unstably.

Skill ‘Telekinesis’ is activated.

The telekinesis skill, responding to Choi Gang-hu’s will, swiftly brought the discarded necktie. The soft, long cloth writhed like a snake and tightly bound Ryu Seo-ha’s slender wrists.

“I can’t allow it.”

His body temperature rose uncontrollably. A terrible headache struck, as if his skull was being smashed with a hammer, or his brain stabbed with an awl.

“Ryu Seo-ha is mine.”

He had no intention of letting go at all. Even if the opponent was death, a disaster without substance. Even Ryu Seo-ha himself couldn’t take him away from Choi Gang-hu.

He saw his lover with a pale face before his reddened eyes. Holding the arm that felt fragilely trembling even more strongly, Choi Gang-hu lowered his head.

The scent that always moved him grew closer. If he could monopolize this exciting fragrance forever, it seemed he could gladly give up even his own lifespan.

“I absolutely can’t let you go.”

He grasped that pretty chin and deeply savored those lovely lips. The splitting headache subsided as if washed away. An absurd sense of fulfillment rang out like New Year’s bells, deng─ deng─.

Following his instincts, he pushed his tongue in a little deeper. The taste, shockingly refreshing and sweet, set off fireworks in his mind. Paradoxically, an even greater thirst arose.

“Mmm…”

He briefly released the lips to lick up the tears flowing from his lover’s eyes. Even that was unbelievably sweet. It felt like finding a clear oasis after wandering aimlessly in a dry desert.

❖ ❖ ❖

Ryu Seo-ha couldn’t avoid Choi Gang-hu overlapping their lips with dazed eyes. It wasn’t just because his chin was firmly held by large hands so he couldn’t turn his head.

It wasn’t because of the fear conveyed to his instincts by the grip strength that had grown strong enough to break his arm, having lost control, nor because of the guilt that he would leave indelible wounds on his precious one’s heart.

Unlike the forceful touch, the scorching body temperature that came in contact as if pleading him not to go, as if desperately clinging, tied up his heart tightly.

“Ah…”

An unfamiliar sensation dug in between his lips that were being devoured, along with hot breath. His mind turned completely white.

He didn’t know how to breathe. His eyelids trembled at the movement of the tongue that entangled wildly like mating snakes.

Tears came for no reason. The kiss paused briefly. Then a hot tongue licking up his cheek lengthily conveyed a strange sensation.

His lips were swallowed again. Wet breaths mixed messily. Saliva that couldn’t be swallowed in time flowed stickily down the corners of his mouth.

“Wait…”

Choi Gang-hu paid no heed and hurriedly devoured his lips. Like a beast craving heavenly fruit tasted for the first time in his life, clumsily and recklessly.

He tried to awkwardly match the rhythm, but it was absolutely impossible. Without realizing it in the confusion, he wrapped his arms tied by the necktie around Choi Gang-hu’s neck.

In fact, Ryu Seo-ha wanted him too. The hot body temperature restraining his body as if comforting his cold heart was supremely satisfying.

“Haa, mm, haa…”

His breath rose rapidly. Yet Choi Gang-hu didn’t stop kissing. He only briefly released his lips when licking the ceaselessly flowing tears.

Perhaps bothered by his squirming movements as he was exhausted to the point his whole body went limp, midway through he lifted Ryu Seo-ha’s body and continued kissing.

How long had it been since he received the hasty and persistent shower of kisses while sitting on Choi Gang-hu’s thick forearms like a 3-4 year old child, leaning his back against the wall?

It felt like a whole day had passed by his perception. His mind was distant. Even more so as the embarrassing sounds of chu, chu erotically rang in his eardrums.

“That’s enough now…”

Ryu Seo-ha finally couldn’t endure anymore and turned his face while pushing his waist away with his knees. Only then did Choi Gang-hu, who had been biting, sucking, and licking until his lips were swollen, pause.

“Huu…”

With a face full of regret, he released his lips and stroked Ryu Seo-ha’s cheek while catching his noticeably roughened breath. It was a very affectionate touch.

The body temperature that had returned to normal by now pleasantly caressed his skin. Chu, chu chu, a shower of kisses poured down like a waterfall all over his face.

When the ticklish lips started to suck on both cheeks and jawline again as if trying to pull them into his mouth, a grumbling sound was heard from somewhere.

“…”

His eyes met Choi Gang-hu’s. The eyes that had been red with intense excitement curved like crescents. Heat rose from embarrassment.

“You must be hungry from running away so hard.”

“…”

“Shall we eat first?”

He whispered while burying his lips in the reddened cheeks. The sensation of the low voice and breath-laden lips smearing on his skin was vivid.

“Or should we just continue?”

As he gently bit the lips glistening with saliva of unknown origin, an implicit voice followed as if urging an answer. His gaze was not ordinary.

Shaking his head, he carefully removed his arms wrapped around Choi Gang-hu’s neck. He had become too engrossed, swept up in the heat.

He felt like he had suddenly lost not only his sense of time but also his awareness of his lifespan. Ryu Seo-ha tried to gather his thoughts and called up his status window. At that moment,

Status: Remaining lifespan 1 day 7 hours 7 minutes

He saw the numbers that had significantly increased.