Translator: She.Wee
Chapter 17
“Don’t be stubborn. Seriously, it’s not even a kiss, so why take responsibility? You know it was a mistake.”
Noeul had no words in response to Kyungsoo’s smooth talk. Although he felt a bit guilty, he had a strong feeling that getting involved with someone who was demanding responsibility would lead to trouble.
[Server] Ji9star: Location info on MeowieMeowMeow <<< First to report gets 2000! Hold him down for 5000!
[Guild] MeowieMeowMeow: ;;What are you doing?
[Server] Ji9star: Playing around ㅎㅅㅎ
[Server] neutaaaa: ThousandSunsets game LOLOL
Kyungsoo, trying to avoid the guild members who were teasing him by following him around like Cheon Noeul, hid in a dungeon. Sensing a gaze, he turned his head to find Noeul staring at him.
“What, what is it?”
Noeul, with a cold face Kyungsoo had never seen before, stood up and approached him. Kyungsoo pushed his wheeled chair back little by little, retreating until he hit the wall and had nowhere else to go. Noeul lowered himself and whispered.
“You said it’s not even a kiss, so why take responsibility?”
“…”
“Does that mean you’d take responsibility if it were really a kiss?”
With innocent eyes, Noeul dropped a bombshell. And then, just like before, their lips touched suddenly. Startled, Kyungsoo kicked Noeul’s shin. Before he could even feel the soft sensation, Noeul had already pulled back, while Kyungsoo covered his mouth with his palm.
“Shit, do you really want to die?”
“The one who backs off first loses.”
“What?”
“So, you lost, Hyung.”
“….”
Hearing the word “lost,” Kyungsoo furrowed his brow and took a deep breath. He was the kind of person who hated losing more than anything in the world, and Noeul knew that better than anyone.
“You lost, Hyung. You backed off first.”
With a sly smile, Noeul repeated himself, almost like driving a nail into the coffin. Kyungsoo grabbed Noeul by the collar.
“If I don’t back off first, that means I win, right?”
Noeul tilted his head and smiled faintly.
“Yes.”
“…”
As much as he wondered what he was doing, Kyungsoo also thought that since they had already kissed once, why not again? A kiss was just a kiss, after all.
Kyungsoo tightly closed his eyes and bit his lip. After some hesitation, he brought his trembling lips close to Noeul. When their lips met and stayed like that for a while, Noeul murmured softly.
“Hyung, could you open your mouth a little?”
“…”
“Can’t you?”
Could he really? Instead of answering, Kyungsoo pressed his lips together even tighter. Noeul adjusted the angle of his head and licked Kyungsoo’s lips with his tongue. The wet sensation sent shivers down Kyungsoo’s arms. Frustrated by Kyungsoo’s refusal to open his mouth, Noeul began to gently suck on his lips, making embarrassing noises to stimulate him.
Kyungsoo’s hand twitched as if he was about to push Noeul away, but the thought of losing if he backed off first paralyzed him. Eventually, the ticklish sensation wore him down, and his strength gave out, allowing Noeul’s pointed tongue to slip between his lips.
‘…I’m fucked.’
This was really a kiss. It wasn’t just a childlike peck that anyone could do. And this time, it wasn’t even an accident. Red warning lights flashed in Kyungsoo’s mind.
Kim Kyungsoo, you crazy bastard! What are you doing with a guy with a dick dangling below? His rational mind screamed at him, but his competitiveness was stronger than that voice.
‘...Oh, fuck.’
When Noeul’s wet tongue tangled with his, Kyungsoo truly felt that he was doomed. He wanted to knock Noeul down and storm out of the house. The moment he had that thought, Noeul chuckled.
Was he laughing at him? As soon as Kyungsoo felt the breath on his face, he threw away his passive attitude and grabbed Noeul by the collar. The seemingly confident Noeul flinched at the sudden move.
“Ugh…”
Kyungsoo could feel Noeul’s fingers trembling slightly with tension. Once again, he was reminded of Noeul’s feelings for him.
‘You really do like me, don’t you?’
Not long after, Noeul pulled away from Kyungsoo, his neck and the top of his head flushed red. Unlike his bold proposition earlier, he was now fanning himself to cool off. Seeing Noeul’s reaction, Kyungsoo started to believe, even if just a little, that it really was his first time.
‘But why the hell does this bastard like me? Is he crazy?’
Even though he won, Kyungsoo didn’t feel good about it. Watching Noeul, who still looked tense, Kyungsoo felt nothing.
“Hyung… I’m hot.”
“So what? Drink some water.”
One thing became more certain. Kyungsoo was sure he wouldn’t come to like Noeul, not even by next year.
He had a nightmare. It was a dream where reality played out exactly as it had happened. In the dream, he lost control, tackled Noeul, and accidentally kissed him, then ended up mixing tongues with him after being provoked.
After waking up from the dream, Kyungsoo lay in bed with his head in his hands, deep in thought. Even if Noeul didn’t realize it, Kyungsoo knew this wasn’t his first kiss. Moreover, nothing earth-shattering happened just because they kissed. In some countries, friends kiss each other all the time, and compared to that, what happened yesterday was really nothing.
But still, Kyungsoo had no intention of kissing Noeul again.
‘What happened yesterday was a mistake. Let’s both forget about it. That’s the best thing for you, and for me too.’
He planned to say this when he next faced Noeul. But…
“I dreamt about you last night, Hyung!”
It wasn’t easy to respond cruelly to someone who said they dreamt about you just because of a single kiss. After some hesitation, Kyungsoo decided not to tell Noeul to just forget about it. He knew that even if he said it, Noeul wouldn’t listen, and besides, it wasn’t something that could be easily forgotten.
“…What kind of dream?”
“It was too erotic to talk about.”
“…”
Noeul blushed, embarrassed. What the hell did this bastard dream about me? Kyungsoo couldn’t hold back and painfully pinched Noeul’s cheek, pulling it hard. As he twisted Noeul’s cheeks, tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.
“Don’t ever dream about me again.”
At that, Noeul looked devastated, covering his now red cheeks, and protested.
“But! It’s not like I can control my dreams…”
“Don’t dream about me.”
“…Okay…”
Only then did Kyungsoo feel satisfied. Noeul, although initially sulking, quickly regained his energy. It was kind of funny how he immediately sidled up to Kyungsoo after being scolded.
“You won yesterday, Hyung. So as your reward… you can do whatever you want with me.”
But Kyungsoo could never get used to Noeul’s shy face.
“Then sit in the chair.”
“Okay.”
Noeul plopped down in the chair, eyes gleaming.
“Stay still.”
“…Still?”
“Yes, do your best.”
“Hyung…”
Ignoring Noeul, Kyungsoo focused on what he was doing. Noeul, who kept calling out to Kyungsoo eagerly, eventually dragged his chair closer to sit beside him. Even when Kyungsoo lightly pushed him away with his foot, Noeul clung back.
“I said to stay still. I won, didn’t I?”
“The time limit expired… five minutes ago.”
“Time limit, my ass…”
“Then, if I stay still, will you give me another kiss before we go home?”
Another kiss, are you out of your mind? Kyungsoo shook his head vigorously.
“Am I crazy?”
“It was fine yesterday, so why not today?”
“That’s just how life is. Things don’t always go your way. Not now, not ever.”
“You haven’t lived that long yourself…”
Noeul grumbled, always having something to add to everything Kyungsoo said. As they were getting ready to leave, Noeul suddenly appeared in front of Kyungsoo, stealing a kiss with a mischievous grin.
“Do you want to die?”
Startled, Kyungsoo froze for a moment before wiping his lips with the back of his hand, threatening Noeul menacingly.
“I’m sorry!”
“You’ve been tiptoeing around me all day just to pull that?”
“What was I supposed to do? You never give me any openings. From now on, I’ll kiss you whenever I see a chance.”
“Then I’ll just hit you every time.”
Kyungsoo clenched his fist tightly. Noeul blinked his clear eyes before grabbing Kyungsoo’s hand with both of his own, tilting his head up. Wondering what Noeul was up to, Kyungsoo waited, only to find Noeul planting more kisses on his hand. When Kyungsoo kicked him hard in the shin, he finally stopped.
“I’m leaving. Don’t follow me.”
“Why? Will you take me home today?”
“…”
What if he tries this outside too? That was Kyungsoo’s biggest concern. If Noeul suddenly kissed him in public, it would be a disaster.
“If you let me win, I won’t follow.”
“Let you win? Damn it…”
Noeul tilted his head slightly, leaning in for a kiss. As Kyungsoo prepared to push him away, he thought about how disastrous it would be if Noeul did something like this outside. He couldn’t let that happen.
So Kyungsoo let Noeul have his way. The result was the same as before. Just like yesterday, Noeul’s eyes trembled as he quickly lost.
“…Are you done?”
“…Yes.”
For all his bold attempts, Noeul never accomplished much.
“I’m leaving.”
Once again, Kyungsoo won without doing anything. He couldn’t understand why Noeul kept challenging him, knowing he’d lose every time. It was almost funny, like a clueless puppy barking at a tiger.
—
In the guild chat, someone named Ji9star sent a message.
「Ji9star: Did you hear?」
「Ji9star: Sunset came back yesterday.」
Two shocked puppy emojis followed, emphasizing the shock. Every time Sunset was mentioned, Noeul’s eyes would shake, as if expressing ‘How could such a bastard exist?’
Since morning, the guild chat had been buzzing with talk about Sunset. The sub-guild master, who had witnessed Sunset’s appearance up close yesterday, was still recounting the story with great enthusiasm.
「HalloweenEggplant: I was in the first channel for a trade.」
「HalloweenEggplant: I saw a real-life version of the parting of the Red Sea.」
It seemed like they had been counting the days. As soon as Sunset appeared in the middle of Isis village where the event portal was, a miracle occurred. The nocturnal players who had been chatting and playing in the early morning immediately parted left and right to avoid him. Even on the community boards, people were calling Sunset a descendant of Moses.
「Ji9star: Makes sense ㅇㅅㅇ LOL」
「Ji9star: What about you, Sub-Guild Master?」
「HalloweenEggplant: Of course」
「HalloweenEggplant: I avoided him too LOL」
「ParkRoach: No class…」
「Ji9star: Total no class」
「HalloweenEggplant: Could you guys have done differently?」
「HalloweenEggplant: (photo)」
A series of ten screenshots from the game followed, showing the moment when Sunset appeared and everyone scattered.
[Server] Hipjji: @@@@@1st Channel – Sunbal¹ jerk appeared. Move to another channel quickly@@@@@@@@
[Server] Pale Ale: Sunbal guy is back;;;;;; If you’re in the guild zone, leave immediately!!!!!!
[Server] Sunset: Hey, if you type in Server, I can see everything tooㅇㅅㅇ!!
[Server] Soragae: Damn, we’re screwed, lol. Guys, I’ve got the kill shot, so run away quickly, lololol
[Server] Hipjji: Sorry, it was my cat that typed the chat… ;;
Warnings like “Isis 1st Channel Alert” and “Urgent Evacuation if in Guild Zone” spread widely.
[HalloweenEggplant: Lol, 1st Channel is always crowded, even at dawn, right?]
[al0ha: If it’s not crowded, it’s at least normal.]
[HalloweenEggplant: By the way, has anyone seen 1st Channel as ‘Comfortable’?]
He shared a picture proudly showing ‘1st Channel (Comfortable).’
[Poseidon Captain: LOL!]
[Poseidon Captain: But if you saw that window, did you switch channels?]
[HalloweenEggplant: Yeah, I switched, lol. We agreed to trade in the 5th channel, lol.]
[Ji9star: You must have been really scared, lol.]
Even in Melody, they didn’t stay still. Amid the astonished users, they alone enjoyed the festive atmosphere. Although they received some verbal abuse from users, Melody, who had been the target of the victims’ anger while Sunset was away, casually sent out a ‘Welcome back, Sunset’ Surma mixed with special characters.
[neutaaaa: Damn, thinking about it brings back memories, lol. I almost quit the game that day.]
[Me: My friend actually quit that day…]
[PeaPea: Me too, lol. I even sent a whisper to the deputy guild master saying I couldn’t take it anymore, lol.]
[Ji9star: Damn.]
[ParkRoach: Impressive determination.]
[HalloweenEggplant: Determination, lol.]
[HalloweenEggplant: Funny thing is, that guy was the first one to log in after the emergency maintenance. I was second.]
[PeaPea: [Whisper] Shh, I told you that’s a secret.]
[Ji9star: First place? Explain yourself.]
[PeaPea: …….]
[PeaPea: I can’t abandon my precious character, lol.]
Contrary to predictions that Sunset would relieve their pent-up stress on the users in the guild zone, they quietly sat in front of the Isis auction house and organized their items.
‘Party Title: [1ch] Star Fragment 60 each – unlimited sales’
‘Party Leader: Sunset’
‘Details: Sunpe Huskie 6.0 Full Option Obelisk 2.0 Flower Fragments 50 each Star Fragments 60 each – contact me to join the party’
The server went into chaos upon hearing about the party matching chatroom created under Sunset’s name. Contrary to the assumption that he would kill anyone who approached him under the pretext of trading, he spent an entire hour quietly selling his items. From limited summer pet adoption certificates to season fashion items with four options attached at SS grade, he sold everything cleanly, leading to speculation that he might be quitting the game.
However, Kyungsoo thought differently. If he were really going to quit the game, why would he log in exactly on the day his suspension was lifted, and why would he keep the guild master position? It seemed more likely that he was planning to reconfigure his weapon options to resume his player-killing spree. After all, equipping a max-level user’s weapon requires a significant amount of money and luck.
[ThousandSunsets: Sunset returned yesterday.]
Kyungsoo clicked on the chat window with Cheon Noeul again and placed his hand on the input box.
[Me: We’re doomed, lol.]
[ThousandSunsets: T_T]
After briefly replying to Noeul’s message, Kyungsoo jumped up and left the classroom. He intended to inform another classmate who had quit the game about Sunset’s return.
Noeul, dressed casually, was rambling about his school life all day without being asked. It looked like he would have to deal with him for two hours without gaming.
He mentioned that he bought something cheap at the auction yesterday, a ‘Snow Rabbit Hot Spring 2-Hour Pass,’ which gives experience points just by staying still, and gifted one to Kyungsoo as well. Although the hot spring pass wasn’t necessary unless you wanted to take pretty screenshots, Kyungsoo couldn’t decline the gift since Noeul had been considerate enough to buy two passes.
“Hyung? Are you listening to me?”
“……”
“Hyung?”
Kyungsoo blinked blankly and then responded.
“Yeah, I’m listening. You were talking about the store owner’s foreign car.”
“…That ended a while ago.”
“…No, it didn’t.”
“Yes, it did. You’re not listening to me right now.”
Kyungsoo fell silent, having nothing to say. Noeul’s lips pouted out, and he lowered his gaze sullenly. Seeing this, Kyungsoo unconsciously placed his hand on his chest, feeling a slight pang of guilt. He hadn’t been ignoring him entirely; he’d just been a little distracted.
Suddenly, Noeul’s gaze fell on Kyungsoo’s chin. His small pink lips parted slightly.
“Hyung… here.”
“What, again?”
“……”
Noeul propped himself up on the low table and reached out his hand. As his face came closer, Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow. After all, it was a game he was going to win today too.
“……”
Although he closed his eyes tightly and waited, he didn’t feel the familiar softness he was expecting.
‘……Is this not it?’
When he sneakily opened his eyes, Noeul was frozen, his hand near Kyungsoo’s chin. It was hard to tell what had surprised him so much. He seemed slightly flustered, shocked even, as if he didn’t know what to do.
It had already been over a month since he had met Noeul. The weather that had been refreshing turned chilly, and dried leaves fell abundantly from the branches. Throughout that time, Noeul had consistently responded with a bright smile, even after being badgered by Kyungsoo. Even when he was grabbed by the collar or lost in their kiss bets, he never made this expression.
“What, why?”
“Hyung, you’ve got an eyelash here.”
“……?”
“I was just going to get it for you….”
Mumbling absentmindedly, Noeul brushed Kyungsoo’s cheek with his thumb. An eyelash? He could have just said it instead of confusing him…. Kyungsoo frowned slightly. The finger that brushed his cheek traced his face down to his jawline. Noeul tilted his head while holding Kyungsoo’s face with both hands.
“Eek.”
“……”
This time, he finally felt the long-awaited sensation. Noeul gently cupped Kyungsoo’s cheek, pushing the table aside in the process. The empty water cup tipped over, but Noeul didn’t even give Kyungsoo the chance to reach for it. Startled by Noeul’s unexpectedly aggressive approach, Kyungsoo quickly responded, albeit bewildered.
“……”
As usual, staying still would have guaranteed victory. It always had, and it always would.
“……”
But this guy… Normally, he would have given up immediately, but today, he was holding out longer.
“……”
Why is this taking so long? …Wait, what?
“……Mm.”
This isn’t right.
Cheon Noeul lowered his light brown eyelashes and kissed him deeply, much more intensely than before. The warmth of their breath mingled. They briefly parted lips and opened their eyes, confirming that neither was ready to surrender. Then, their lips met again, Noeul’s tongue exploring Kyungsoo’s mouth.
‘What the heck is this?’
Kyungsoo frowned as he thought. This is just a kiss, something meaningless that could be done with anyone, without any emotions involved. But something felt off. However, Kyungsoo’s pride as a competitor, unable to tolerate even a single loss, prevented him from backing down.
“Mmm, wa-wait…”
Kyungsoo mumbled in a strained voice. With their foreheads still touching, Noeul softly whispered.
“Wait? why?”
There was a fierceness in Noeul’s eyes that Kyungsoo had never seen before. It was unsettling, but he stubbornly bit his lip in defiance. The kiss resumed. Unlike the usual passionate Noeul, Kyungsoo was barely engaged. But as the kiss dragged on longer than usual, he started to feel… different.
“I give up!”
“Huh, what?”
Kyungsoo pushed Noeul away with both hands, propped his knees up, and grumbled nonchalantly.
“Ugh, I can’t breathe! You win this time, Cheon Noeul.”
Noeul, who had been watching Kyungsoo carefully, eyed him suspiciously.
“Hyung, stand up.”
“……”
This is bad.
“Who are you to give orders?”
“Please, just stand up.”
“……”
“…Pretty please?”
Noeul smiled slightly as he said this. But Kyungsoo couldn’t smile back. He didn’t have the luxury to retort that adding ‘please’ didn’t make it a request. Worse, there was no way to escape since they were boxed in by the walls. This was bad. If he got caught, it would be really bad… Kyungsoo tensed up, trying to maintain a neutral expression.
Noeul’s hand moved towards Kyungsoo’s face, where he brushed away the hair stuck to his cheek. Then, his fingers slowly slid down to Kyungsoo’s nape.
“Fine. If you don’t want to stand up, then don’t. But in return…”
“……”
“A kiss.”
With a playful tone, Noeul’s delicate fingers gently ran through Kyungsoo’s hair. Contrary to Kyungsoo’s expectation that Noeul would demand it immediately, his actions were surprisingly tender. But Kyungsoo didn’t let his guard down for a second. There must be something more to this.
Noeul pressed his lips forward, but Kyungsoo turned his head away, dodgin the kiss. Instead, Noeul kissed his cheek softly and whispered.
“Why do you keep avoiding me? It’s not like it’s your first time.”
“What?”
“We’ve kissed so many times. Today, it even seemed like you enjoyed it. Didn’t you?”
“N-no, what nonsense.”
The soft voice tickled Kyungsoo’s ears, sending shivers down his spine. He felt like scratching his ears to get rid of the goosebumps. Noeul playfully kissed Kyungsoo’s cheek again and again, making him feel a growing discomfort with each touch.
“Get off me, seriously…!”
Kyungsoo’s mind went blank as he realized the gravity of the situation. He tried to sing a song in his head to escape, but it didn’t work. Noeul’s hand, which had been supporting the back of his head, slid down his neck and firmly cupped his cheeks. Then, their lips met again.
Kyungsoo couldn’t focus. He didn’t want to focus. His mouth tasted of iron as his lips were slightly torn from Noeul’s forceful kiss. As soon as their lips parted, Noeul’s tongue slipped inside, intertwining with his. Kyungsoo squeezed his eyes shut. This isn’t good. Not good at all. Not good at allll… Contrary to his mental protests, his body reacted involuntarily, his hips shifting as their tongues tangled. His mind felt light, and his heart pounded hard.
They kissed until their lips were sore, until the pleasure made Kyungsoo’s vision blur. He felt like he had been lifted to the highest peak and then dropped suddenly. This kiss was different from any they had shared before. As his white-blurred vision returned to normal, Noeul finally pulled away.
“…Wait here for a moment.”
It was dangerous to go any further. Noeul was left behind as Kyungsoo rushed to the bathroom. He needed to wash his face and cool down. Shortly after, the door handle rattled.
The door opened.
*
When Kyungsoo emerged from the bathroom, his legs trembling, unable to focus, Noeul asked.
“Hyung, did I make you uncomfortable?”
“Why are you acting like you know?”
It’s like he knows exactly what’s going on. But that can’t be. Kyungsoo answered indifferently.
“I’ll practice more for next time.”
“With who?! Do you have someone else besides me?”
“Huh? No, I meant I’ll practice by myself…”
“Oh, I see.”
Kyungsoo thought Noeul might have been used to doing this as if it was an everyday thing. Noeul had said Kyungsoo was his first… Kyungsoo let out a sigh of relief as his surprised heart finally calmed down. But then Noeul, equally startled, asked again what was wrong. Every little reaction was met with the same question, and it was getting really tiresome.
“I don’t know. If you ask one more time, I’m going home.”
“I liked it. A lot…”
“……”
“I like you, Hyung.”
As Noeul confessed, his face turned red, and Kyungsoo awkwardly averted his gaze.
“Is it supposed to feel this good? We didn’t even get to the main part.”
“What do you mean, ‘main part’? I don’t know either, I’ve never done it.”
Kyungsoo muttered in frustration. He wondered why he had even done this with Noeul in the first place. He must have been temporarily insane.
“Then, do you want to try it with me?”
“…?”
Despite the words, the tone sounded oddly casual.
“What did you say?”
Did I hear that right? Kyungsoo frowned and asked again. Understanding Kyungsoo’s confusion, Noeul kindly added more details.
“Let’s try it. Sex.”
“Are you crazy? We’re not ready for that yet!”
“Why not? If we try it, we might understand.”
“No! …Come to think of it, it’s foolish to expect you to be reasonable. Sorry for not realizing that sooner. Are you satisfied?”
“We’re going to do it eventually anyway, so it’d be good to practice…”
“You really say the most absurd things as if they’re nothing. Who practices that?”
Noeul smiled with his eyes and kindly gestured as if giving a lesson.
“You and I.”
“Hey! That’s not what I meant! …How do two guys even do that, you idiot?”
At Kyungsoo’s words, Noeul finally seemed to understand, his mouth opening slightly in realization. It was absurd that he had suggested doing it without even knowing that, and Kyungsoo couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.
“…Oh, is it not possible?”
“Of course not, are you really this clueless?”
I mean, there’s no place for it to go in the first place, what nonsense was that? Kyungsoo chuckled to himself. After being on the back foot for so long, he finally felt like he had won. Noeul blinked at Kyungsoo’s response, then suddenly let out a sound of realization, as if he had found a solution.
“What if it’s possible?”
“It’s not. What we just did is all there is.”
“They say nothing is impossible. You can create a solution.”
“There’s a reason the word ‘impossible’ exists. A solution? How do you plan to make one? Are you going to reincarnate as a woman and come back?”
“That’s… too late. But what if I find a way? What if I study and come back with the answer?”
There’s no way that’s possible. Even Isaac Newton only discovered gravity, which already existed. Creating something that doesn’t exist is impossible. Also, naturally changing one’s gender is impossible. Given Cheon Noeul’s track record, he’d probably come up with some weird method and insist on it, but Kyungsoo was confident he could spot any flaws and shut it down. Smirking, Kyungsoo said something that his future self would surely regret:
“Ha, study? If studying could create solutions, I’d have researched a way to become a building owner and gotten rich by now.”
“Stop changing the subject.”
“Fine, I’m in! But only if you can come up with something that actually makes sense.”
Noeul, meticulous as always, grabbed a nearby calendar and ripped out a page. He scribbled some bizarre terms on the blank side: “If broken, Illusion account deletion.” After that, Kyungsoo added his name below with a scoff and handed it back to Noeul. That piece of paper was then hidden somewhere in Noeul’s room.
[T/N: I can’t be the only one feeling like I am violating their privacy while reading this, right?]
1. Sunbal is a mixture of Sunset and Ssibal. Sunset is the name of Guildmaster of Melody whereas Ssibal is a Korean cuss word equivalent of Fuck.
