2. Blood in the Cup

ch VI.

Wooyoung's body tenses as he tries to maintain his composure, while San's touch becomes more intense. The sensations flooding him are both overwhelming and embarrassing. San's fingers seem to know exactly where to touch to make Wooyoung's breath catch, causing the outside world to disappear entirely.

As the speaker's speech continues,
Wooyoung desperately tries to focus on the words, but San doesn't give him a chance. His fingers keep moving, touching deeper and more sensitive places, making circular motions. Wooyoung, with his head lowered and his teeth clenched, tries to suppress his feelings, trying not to make any sound that could betray him.

San's face remains indifferent, as if nothing is happening, yet he continues the teasing with a gentle but determined hand. Wooyoung feels that he can't hold on much longer; his body is trembling, and his face burns with restrained excitement. Each touch sends electric waves through his body as he struggles to keep his composure.

The speaker’s speech finally comes to an end, and the crowd begins to applaud. This brings a momentary sense of relief to Wooyoung, but San’s fingers still don't stop. Wooyoung gathers every bit of strength he has left and tries not to collapse in public. The noise of the applause drowns out the wild beating of his heart, and once again, attention is diverted away from him.

As people stand up to take a break, San finally pulls his hand out of Wooyoung’s pants, looking at him with a satisfied smile. Wooyoung can barely stand; his legs are trembling, but he tries to pull himself together. San leans closer and whispers softly into his ear:

"Don’t forget who really owns your body."

Wooyoung takes a deep breath, trying to return to reality. The room slowly empties as people leave, chatting and laughing. San stands up and extends his hand to help Wooyoung.

"Let’s go, it’s break time," San says, as if nothing happened.

Wooyoung, with trembling hands, accepts the help and stands up. He looks deep into San’s eyes, trying to figure out what to think about the previous moments. But San’s face remains inscrutable, only a small smile flickers across it before they head toward the door.

After the event ends and the crowd disperses, San and Wooyoung make their way toward the parking lot. The darkness of the night envelops them, with only the distant streetlights illuminating the way. They walk side by side in silence, both lost in their swirling thoughts.

Once they get into the car, San starts the engine, and they head home. A tense silence fills the car, broken only by the hum of the engine. Wooyoung stares out the window, trying to organize his thoughts, but the memory of San’s closeness and the events of earlier keep resurfacing.

After a while, San breaks the silence. "You know why I did it, right?" he asks quietly, focusing on the road.

Wooyoung slowly turns toward him, meeting San’s gaze in the rearview mirror. "Not really," he replies honestly. "But I suspect you were trying to send a message."

San smiles, but there’s a seriousness behind it. "I just wanted you to remember who you belong to. Sometimes you forget, and I have to remind you. Plus, that was your punishment for being so mouthy."

Wooyoung sighs and places his hand on his thigh, where San’s hand had been earlier. "I know what you think of me, San. But sometimes you go too far."

San pauses for a moment, then nods. "Maybe you’re right. But I can’t help it. You are my weakness and my strength at the same time."

The rest of the ride is silent, both of them absorbed in their thoughts. When they finally arrive at San’s apartment, San turns off the engine and briefly turns toward Wooyoung.

"Come on, let’s go inside," he says quietly but firmly.

Wooyoung nods and gets out of the car. San follows, and they enter the house together. Behind the door, the silence descends upon them again, but this time, there’s something else too—the weight of unspoken words and the events that just transpired. San takes off his coat and hangs it on the rack before stepping closer to Wooyoung.

"Wooyoung," he says softly, placing his fingers under the boy’s chin to lift his head. "Remember, you will always be the most important to me."

Wooyoung’s eyes meet San’s, and he slowly nods. "I understand," he says quietly.

San smiles and gently kisses Wooyoung. "Let’s go to sleep," he whispers, his lips brushing against Wooyoung’s as he speaks, then takes his hand and leads him towards the bedroom.

"I'm not sleeping with you," Wooyoung clarifies immediately.

"What?" San turns to him.

"I… I mean, I’d like to think and be alone for a bit. I hope that's not a problem," Wooyoung says hesitantly.

"Hmm. I see," San replies indifferently. "Fine. Sleep alone," he says, letting go of the boy’s hand before disappearing up a flight of stairs.

"And how am I supposed to know where the room is...?" Wooyoung mutters to himself.

As he starts walking through the unfamiliar, enormous house, he begins peeking into the rooms. After exploring the downstairs area, he goes upstairs. When he opens the door to the first room, which turns out to be an office, he sees San.

Wooyoung stopped in the doorway and glanced at San, who was no longer reading, just staring out the window. San heard someone enter and slowly turned around.

"You’re here again?" he asked, his tone somewhat cold, but there was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.

Wooyoung awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah. I couldn’t find my room, and I thought maybe you could still help," he said quietly.

San looked at him for a moment, then sighed.

"Alright, I’ll show you," he said, standing up from the desk.

Wooyoung nodded gratefully and followed San down the hallway. As they walked, San's tone softened.

"Sorry if I was cold earlier. I was just surprised by what you said," he explained.

"I didn’t mean to upset you," Wooyoung replied. "I just need some time to sort through my thoughts."

San nodded, and after a few minutes of silence, they stopped at another door.

"This is your room," he said, opening the door.

Wooyoung stepped into the room, which was even more beautiful than he had imagined. The bed looked comfortable, the windows were large, and the furniture was elegant and modern.

"Thank you, San," he said gratefully.

"Goodnight, Wooyoung," San said softly, giving Wooyoung a small kiss before turning and heading out.

Wooyoung stood in the doorway, watching San walk away, and a warmth began to grow in his chest. Maybe there was still hope for the two of them, he thought, as he closed the door and approached the bed.

i am sick:(