Kiss the Ground

Chahyun felt engulfed in the sensation of becoming a compliant driver as he opened the car door and stepped out of the driver’s seat. It was all coming to an end anyway. Mustering the remaining patience, he approached him, and as Lima took a step forward, she whispered into Chahyun’s ear.“There’s one more thing I want to ask before it’s all over.”With that, she grasped the sleeve of Chahyun’s garment. It was an abrupt close distance. Under the pitch-black night sky that had suddenly stained the air, Lima’s characteristic brown hair softly swayed.“How far can you go as an escort?”“Pardon?”“Would you accompany me only to the room?”Her grey eyes were so close, almost touching. Chahyun stared blankly at her without even considering turning her face. But the moment the gaze that pierced Chahyun’s eyes sharply aimed beyond his back, it was fleeting.And then, a thunderous roar shook the entrance of the hotel.“Yuan―!!!!!”“Gasp…..”Startled by the sudden call of his name, Chahyun reflexively turned in that direction. Lima’s hand, which had been clinging to his arm, slipped off, but he had no spare attention for anything else. Standing where his gaze turned was Lima’s younger brother, his hair disheveled messily.“…Misha?”Why on earth was he standing at the entrance of the Queensgate Hotel?Chahyun stiffened like a winter scarecrow. Misha, breathing heavily like a raging rhinoceros, seemed to have dashed from somewhere around the joint. His gaze towards Chahyun, standing as if rooted to the spot, flared up like flames. A small gasp behind his back came right after Chahyun confirmed his fierce appearance. It was a very faint sound, enough to be heard only by Yoon Chahyun, who stood close by.“Oh, something big has happened.”Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, Chahyun turned his head in surprise at Lima’s fresh voice. The strange premonition brushed through his mind in a belated moment. Could it be… Chahyun muttered in disbelief with a puzzled expression.“Did you happen to call him?”“Yes, I did.”Yoon Chahyun’s mouth fell open. Was it perhaps the same thing he was tapping in the car earlier? Lima, seeing Chahyun’s bewildered face, rummaged through the bag he was holding and then took out his phone, turning the screen directly toward Chahyun’s face.▶[On the way to the hotel:)]Underneath that short and chilling message with Misha as the recipient, there was a photo of Chahyun, who had just been sitting in the driver’s seat holding the steering wheel. It was undoubtedly taken from the passenger seat angle. The appearance was enough for the recipient to easily imagine what was going on.“When on earth was this taken?!”“Just now?”Lima shrugged in response. Her narrowed eyes, seemingly even more interested in the turning situation, only added to Chahyun’s confusion.“I said I’d help you with rejecting him.”“I told you I didn’t need it!”“Did you?”Lima’s tone was incredulous, only tilting her head at Chahyun’s bewilderment. Chahyun’s previous plea for Lima not to meddle in his issues with Misha seemed to have no effect. Was this what helping with rejection meant? This insane… It couldn’t be one of the worst ways imaginable.“Look at his face. I’ve never seen such an expression before.”Ignoring Chahyun’s astonishment, Lima laughed pointedly while pointing at Misha standing a few meters away. Slowly turning his head forward again, following Lima’s outstretched finger, Chahyun swallowed hard. Misha, with an eagle-like gaze, seemed to be staring through the entire conversation between the two. Perhaps this situation appeared to be a cozy tête-à-tête between just the two of them.No… this isn’t right. This kind of…Chahyun involuntarily raised both hands in a gesture akin to appealing for innocence to a referee in the midst of a game. But the suave appeal seemed to have little meaning to Misha. With a demeanor as if he could pull out a card at any moment, his heavy, resolute footsteps approached the two… thud, thud. They were heavy and solemn, enough to create an illusion of the ground shaking.“Well, now it’s up to you.”“Why on earth are you doing this?”“Well, think of it as a gift from a fan.”When was it ever a pathetic joke about football? But before he could voice such a protest, Misha was already too close for comfort. Whether he sensed it or not, Lima placed a hand on Chahyun’s back and stood close as if hiding his body. Seeing Misha’s eyes going slightly wilder as he approached in a storm, it was undoubtedly an intentional action.“Just a moment.”In the rapidly narrowing distance, fearing a fight might break out, Chahyun instinctively stepped forward to protect Lima, like adding fuel to the fire. Misha’s gaze upon witnessing this scene seemed to flare up as if spitting fire.“Lima…”“Hello, Misha. What a lovely night.”Misha’s voice, as if descended from hell, and Lima’s feather-light voice crossed paths with Chahyun caught in between like a human sandwich between the peculiar siblings of the Asplund family, cautiously observing. How on earth did this situation come about?“I didn’t expect you to come all the way here. You’re quite something.”“What’s your reason for still being here?”“Is it strange for me to be at the hotel I’m staying at?”“You promised you’d leave as soon as you saw me.”“I’ll leave. After tonight.”Saying so, Lima wrapped her hand around Chahyun’s arm. Only after her slender fingers touched his wrist did Chahyun realize that Lima’s sudden words and actions were solely meant to provoke his brother. Casting a brief glance at the scene, Misha growled like a beast.“Why are you with that person?”“Is it not allowed? It’s my freedom to be curious about the person you mentioned.”“Lima.”“And it’s his freedom too.”Chahyun could feel the tension in Lima’s hand gripping the hem of his clothes. She must have laid the groundwork. In the midst of the tragic scene, Chahyun held his breath.“No, Misha, I understand the misunderstanding, but that’s…”It was precisely at that moment when a tremendous force seized Chahyun’s arm.“Ah!”His body, which prided itself on not being easily swayed by physical force, was unceremoniously pulled. In the sudden imbalance, Chahyun clumsily stumbled, and immediately after, his cheek collided with Misha’s chest. It was also then that long arms and firm hands enveloped his confused shoulders and body.He was embraced by Misha.This guy hugged me. At the entrance of a hotel lobby in central London… With a belated realization, Chahyun opened his eyes wide. Although he could hear Misha’s voice above his head, it was directed towards someone else.“Don’t play games, Lima.”Misha’s booming heartbeat echoed near his earlobe touching his collarbone. It seemed as if he was protecting Yoon Chahyun from his sister. Embraced in his arms, Chahyun stood motionless like a shellfish.“I don’t mind if you do that to me, but not this person.”“Well? You’ll know whether it’s a joke or not if you ask directly.”As if asking when he had been hiding behind Chahyun, Lima stepped forward with a neat expression, staring at Misha. Her tangled gaze met Chahyun’s. Now, say you don’t want it. Push him far away. It was a look that seemed to convey those words. Chahyun could feel the ball being passed to him.A cruel and resolute rejection, no longer dragging things out. Perhaps that was truly for Misha’s sake. If he didn’t have a clear certainty that his feelings would be reciprocated, it would be better to deliver a proper refusal. Despite knowing Lima’s words were a quick and cunning scheme to pique his interest, he couldn’t deny having such thoughts.Yet Chahyun ultimately couldn’t do it. Buffeted by Misha’s relentless words and actions, he was just vacillating, and he had never reached a conclusion to reject him in the first place. The reason he couldn’t utter a single word like a fool while being embraced by Misha was likely because of that.Chahyun placed his hand on Misha’s chest and slowly stood up. Then, he turned to Lima, who was watching from behind with a triumphant expression. Unable to escape from the arms that held him firmly, all he could do was turn his head.“Lima, I don’t have that intention.”Lima immediately stiffened his expression. Her face, devoid of any hint of laughter, was as expressionless as a blank canvas. Having been smiling all day, her colorless face looked incredibly awkward, as if tired of a toy.“I have no intention of accepting the gift you’re offering. This is my decision.”“It seems different from what I expected. I thought you were someone who preferred a little more safety.”“It’s not a safety issue.”“I’m trying to help you.”Well, that’s news to me. Lima’s motives were more about poking at Misha’s feelings through Chahyun rather than genuinely caring about Chahyun’s feelings. The probing voice continued.“I haven’t already forgotten what I said, have I? Can you handle the person you’ve let go of?”That’s still uncertain. Misha, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, suddenly tightened his grip on Chahyun’s arm and spoke.“Explain what you mean.”Lima retorted sarcastically.“I told this person everything. About your condition, and how you’ve been trailing after this person for ten years.”“…”“Oh, and as a bonus, I mentioned Laika too. Seemed curious about it.”With the close contact, Chahyun could feel Misha’s body stiffening. He was as shocked and frozen by the sudden revelation as Chahyun was. But what concerned him even more was Misha’s reaction to the leaked information. After a moment of silence, he spoke up.“Stop. If you continue with unnecessary talk, I won’t forgive you.”“Why? Because if your true nature is revealed, that person will end up hating you?”“You have no business meddling in this.”“You’re not yourself. You’ve never looked so desperate, Misha.”“Go back now.”Tension filled the air, and the chilly evening wind cut through the three of them. Unable to break the silence, Lima was the first to speak.“Is that person so important to you?”Um, hello… I’m also clearly present here. Caught in the midst of an awkward conflict, Chahyun was consumed by a subtle but overwhelming feeling. Yet, amidst the embarrassment, his heart was pounding madly, awaiting Misha’s response. He could hear Misha inhaling through his ear.“They are important. And…”He paused, then continued in a resolute voice.“Don’t bring up Yuan in front of me anymore. I don’t want to hear it.”Insane.Listening to a line straight out of a movie, Chahyun unexpectedly felt his face burning with embarrassment. It was such a hot statement that he wanted to cover his eyes and grab his cheeks. Despite having heard stories of declarations of love before… Having such a declaration directed at him in front of others made his heart pound so hard it felt like it could burst through his ribs. The long sigh from afar came at that moment.“Right. That’s not very entertaining.”Lima’s face remained stiff as she raised both hands in a surrender-like gesture, then brought her hand to her cheek and looked at Chahyun.“I rather liked you. Maybe because I share the same blood with that kid?”She left an oddly lingering impression until the end. With a muffled sound, Misha pulled Chahyun’s arm tighter around him. Looking at Chahyun, who was confined against his solid chest, Lima said,“Well… I guess I can’t escort you to your room.”Chahyun replied nonchalantly,“Lima, sorry but I can’t allow that…”“I understand. I’m not that lacking in pride either.”Then Lima waved her hand a few times and turned straight towards the lobby entrance.“I hope you won’t regret this.”With those parting words, she walked straight into the brightly lit lobby. Misha’s hand was what snapped Chahyun back to reality as he silently watched Lima’s retreating figure.“Yuan!”“Whoa, Misha…”“Are you okay?!”Misha grabbed Chahyun’s shoulder and turned him towards himself. The abrupt movement made Chahyun’s gaze shake, taking some time to look at Misha. Unlike his strong demeanor just moments ago, his focused face seemed incredibly vulnerable. His drooping eyebrows and wrinkled eyes reflected his unease.“I’m okay.”“Did you hear something weird?”Chahyun nodded without saying a word.“Threats or insults?”He had. But seeing Misha’s anxious face, he couldn’t readily agree. With his shoulder still held, Chahyun glanced around.“It might have seemed like that, but nothing serious happened.”“Sorry. I thought it was better not to explain. I was wrong. I should have told you everything.”As Misha clumsily offered his apology, there was a hint of guilt on his face. Lima Asplund was indeed a strange person. From a kind smile to persistent probing, he was the kind of person rarely encountered in life, switching attitudes like flipping a coin.“I promised we wouldn’t meet again…”Chahyun closed his mouth as he looked at Misha’s stern forehead. It was the result of a mix-up of misunderstandings and an encounter with a character and situation beyond common sense. A trembling voice faintly emerged.“I’m sorry…”Beneath the shadow, where no expression could be seen, a palpable tremor of heartache was felt. It was the guilt of his own clumsy handling and ultimately putting Yoon Chahyun against his sister in a difficult situation.Chahyun gently lifted Misha’s cheek, which was bowed down. It was as expected. His clear gray eyes were vibrating aimlessly. Staring into those heart-piercing eyes, Chahyun could be sure of something even more than any doctor in the hospital could provide.Lima was wrong. And so were his parents.Otherwise, could anyone say Misha lacked emotions after looking into those eyes? Even Chahyun, who spent only a year with him, could sense the countless emotions within him. It started from simple impulses and blind attachment, leading to pitiful desires and possessiveness, now culminating in guilt and sadness before Chahyun’s eyes.“Misha.”Chahyun’s throaty voice was slightly hoarse. Misha raised his sunken gaze hesitantly.“Should we… do that?”His eyes wavered as if unsure of the intention. Yoon Chahyun himself wasn’t sure if he was ready for what he was about to say. But amidst that confusion, one thing was certain: Chahyun ultimately didn’t want Misha to be with anyone else.If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to take at least one step forward on my own?Misha’s warm skin, touching Chahyun’s palm, trembled slightly. Yoon Chahyun took a deep breath and whispered in a small voice that only he could hear.“Your suggestion. Shall we try it?”“What?”With his cheek held in Chahyun’s hand, a few centimeters lower, Misha blinked, his neck tilting awkwardly. The word “suggestion” coming out of Chahyun’s mouth seemed to confuse him. It was a topic completely unrelated to their previous conversation, so it was understandable. The lips, which were cute when closed, made his face look even more innocent.“W-What suggestion…?”“Have you already forgotten?”Chahyun couldn’t help but smile, feeling a bit amused. So persistent before, and now behaving so innocently. Eventually, it fell upon Chahyun to voice the bold proposal.“You said you’d take responsibility for me. You said you’d do anything for my play, whether it’s a kiss or anything.”A few days ago, in the pretty orange-colored restaurant. After hearing Chahyun’s absurd hypothesis and experiments, Misha made such a proposal. And even then, he held Chahyun’s hand very tightly. Just as Misha did at that moment, Chahyun held his head even tighter.“Then let’s try it. That damn thing.”The gray eyes in front of him wavered like a lake hit by a stone.“Since we’re not talking about play, listen properly. I’ve been weird lately. Acting stupid and saying useless things… even thinking thoughts I’ve never had before. You know?”“Yuan.”“I know it’s all because of you, but I still don’t know everything else. So I need to figure out what this is.”“…”“I hate the idea of ​​letting someone else take care of me, even more than dying… I’ve never even thought about it until now.”Chahyun took a breath. What he was about to say might be words that could never be taken back. While Misha’s proposal could have been stopped by sealing his mouth, what Chahyun was about to say couldn’t be.“But now someone has to take responsibility.” Until just a moment ago, Misha had been confidently spouting his words with a bold and shameless expression, but now he looks flustered like a child standing in front of a fire. Along with a faint satisfaction of having shaken up the person who always turns people’s insides out, Chahyun carefully observed his foolish yet somewhat cute demeanor.He was wearing a white t-shirt and pants that looked like loungewear, along with an outrageously expensive pair of sneakers casually thrown on top and the cuffs of his pants wrinkled. It was an unbalanced combination that didn’t suit his handsome face. He seemed to have rushed straight from home. All this drama over just one message that could be considered a mere provocation.Chahyun felt a strange sensation as if his heart were floating. He stood up firmly.“If you’ve changed your mind, just say you don’t want to. If you want to reconcile later, I won’t stay quiet then.”“I haven’t changed…!”Finally, Misha changed his expression and rushed to him. Chahyun asked with a slightly mischievous tone, “So are you going to do it? Or not?”“Of course, I’ll do it. I’ll do it, but… well.”Misha held Chahyun’s hand and lowered his gaze together. It was an unexpected face of doubt. Yes, Chahyun had thought he would be quite pleased even if he didn’t rush to write the contract! But faced with this unexpected attitude, he quietly observed that face.“Why? You were so shameless back then. Why not now?”“It’s not like that. That day, I wasn’t really in the mood. Until this morning, I… didn’t think you’d accept it.”Misha pursed his lips as if worrying about something. Facing his anxious gaze, Chahyun quietly waited for his next words.“Did… Lima say something to make you doubt?”“Lima? About your feelings and obsessions?”Misha nodded his head as if admitting guilt like a guilty child. In the end, that was probably the reason. Seeing Misha, who had been watching them with concern like an unfamiliar sibling, Yoon Chahyun couldn’t help but feel unexpectedly touched.“Why worry about that?”“……”“Are you afraid I might be swayed by someone else’s words? Is that why you made this decision?”Misha’s pupils darted around. His lips, which had been tightly shut, uttered a few weak words.“Because… it might upset you.”At the accusatory tone, Chahyun clenched his own sleeve. What was making him so uneasy? There was so much about Misha that Chahyun didn’t know. Why did his sister hate Misha so much, and why were Misha’s parents so quick to cut ties with him?Bits and pieces of information he had heard, combined with sudden revelations of past facts, swirled in Chahyun’s mind like an unsolvable puzzle. Yoon Chahyun truly knew nothing about Misha… all he had learned now was that beneath his indifferent and stubborn exterior, Misha harbored some vulnerability.“Okay. It’s true that I heard about you from that person. Under the guise of advice.”“…I figured as much.”Misha’s expression twisted. Not wanting to dwell on that look for long, Chahyun quickly continued.“But this decision is mine alone.”“Still, why all of a sudden…?”From Misha’s perspective, it was a valid question. Today, Yoon Chahyun had learned for the first time just how much a person’s feelings could rollercoaster in just one day.Strictly speaking, it was true that Misha’s encounter with Lima, which he was concerned about, had pushed Chahyun to his breaking point. The questions from Cahill probing their relationship had been the same. But what Chahyun had realized amidst days of turmoil and conflict was that defining their relationship was solely at his discretion. It was a decision that stemmed solely from Yoon Chahyun’s impulse.Chahyun shook his head once and looked at Misha.“…It’s not sudden. I’ve thought about it in my own way. About the terms of the contract.”“Terms?”“Yeah. Conditions I’ll set for you. Remember what you said to me? Never kiss anyone else besides me.”Misha’s eyes widened again. This time, he truly seemed baffled by what was being said. Well, that was to be expected. It was Yoon Chahyun’s first time vocalizing such a thing after all.“It’s unfair that only I have penalties in this contract, don’t you think?”“Conditions are…”“Listen well. There are three of them.”Chahyun raised three fingers with a steel-like expression on his face. Rarely caught off guard by his own audacious attitude, Misha, in turn, displayed a peculiar expression.“First. I’ve said it before, but I won’t use you or treat you like that. This is a promise made from an equal position, not a one-sided demand from anyone to anyone.”Misha pressed his lips together and nodded slightly, albeit slowly. Perhaps there was no retort because there was no need to add anything to a statement that had been reprimanded once before. Sensing that Misha didn’t fully understand, Chahyun added casually:“This… doesn’t necessarily mean it has to come from my side first.”“What?!”“Secondly.”As Misha leaned forward like a jack-in-the-box, Chahyun nearly bit his tongue in surprise. Admiring his own instinctive agility in swiftly shifting the topic to the next item, Chahyun recited the next condition:“…You, too, won’t be with anyone else. No kissing or anything like that.”His voice trembled. Perhaps this item was the crux of this absurd contract. Yoon Chahyun couldn’t exactly pinpoint why he didn’t want Misha to be with others, but he just didn’t want it. It was a product of the results proven by several days of agonizing experiences.“Do you understand what I mean? It’s the same as the conditions I’ve set for myself. These things should apply equally to each other… so, I thought…”“……”“Misha?”Instead of speaking, Chahyun looked at Misha’s face. Misha had clasped his hands together like he was praying, wrapping his own mouth. His large, wide eyes resembled those of a rabbit.“What’s… wrong?”“I never intended to do that from the beginning, Yuan.”“……”“I thought it might be an unnecessary item.” His face flushed with heat. Yes, Misha hadn’t thought of that at all. What had troubled Yoon Chahyun were just Yoon Chahyun’s own thoughts and imaginings.As Misha furrowed his brow with embarrassment, this time he covered his face with his hands entirely. Even through the faint light at the hotel entrance, his blushing cheeks were clearly visible. It was Chahyun, who had become embarrassed, that exclaimed.“Why are you suddenly embarrassed?!”“Just… the fact that you had that thought, somehow… made me happy.”“……”“Yuan, did I really assume that I might do that? Did I ever think I’d do what we did together with someone else?”“Uh…”Ah, of course… never ever speak about whatever imagination crossed your mind. Remembering the thoughts he had harbored about Lima and Misha, his lips seemed glued together as if coated with adhesive, rendering him unable to utter a word. His cheeks warmed instantly. Perhaps Yoon Chahyun’s face wasn’t much different from Misha’s own.How surreal it must have looked for the two men to stand facing each other with flushed faces in front of the hotel lobby. To suppress the image that involuntarily popped into his head, Chahyun tapped his foot incessantly. The earnest voice of Misha shattered the unbearable, embarrassing moment.“Even without it being a condition, I can promise you, Yuan. I won’t look at anyone else but you.”The heat in his eyes, like his flushed cheek, seeped through the gaps between his fingers. His gaze oddly overwhelmed Chahyun. As a result, his sparse responses trembled.“Yeah… it shouldn’t… I can’t be the only one… so…”“Never. I swear.”As Misha took a step forward and leaned in as if to embrace Chahyun, though there weren’t many people around, it wasn’t entirely deserted either. Yet, somehow, Chahyun couldn’t bring himself to push away that arm.“Look at me, Yuan.”“Just a moment… Misha.”“Until now, and from now on… it will always be you, not anyone else.”In an instant, their faces drew close as if their lips were about to touch. It was a dangerous distance. Every time at this distance, Chahyun found himself swept away by Misha. Chahyun raised his slightly stiff hand and gently grasped Misha’s chin.“We have to finish this. There’s one last thing left.”As if urging for the next words, Misha, obstructed by Chahyun’s career path, looked slightly anxious as he gazed at Chahyun’s face. Looking at Misha’s face, illuminated by the backlight against the dim light, Chahyun took a moment to steady his mind. With the final condition, finally, some sort of relationship was about to be established between the two.“Thirdly.”A contract that couldn’t be specified or easily spoken about. Yet, perhaps it was alright for relationships to start with such strange things in this world. With his gaze fixed on Misha’s eyes, Chahyun finally uttered the last condition.