Soon he said, “No, it’s fine,” turned his head, and walked straight into the sea.Jung Tae-ui, blinking in confusion, realized too late that he’d missed his chance to call him back and say something, and shouted, “Hey, you!”—but it was already too late.Ilrey plunged into the water, sending up a towering spray, then sank below the surface and vanished from sight.When he dived in, everyone around scattered in pale terror as if a great white shark had been set loose, yet even after some time passed, he did not resurface—and no victim was dragged away, torn by sharklike jaws.…Jung Tae-ui clicked his tongue, sighed, and thought to himself: I should at least clear my head.He stripped off his shirt, rolled his pants up to his thighs, glanced down at himself for a moment, then decided to wade in as he was. He need only go deep enough that those water-demon fools—eager for a chance to dunk someone headfirst—couldn’t grab him before he bolted back onto the sand.Just as he took that first step, his eyes met a man already splashing about joyfully in nothing but underwear. Instinctively, his face twisted in disgust. It was Kim Jeong-pil.Jeong-pil scowled the moment he saw Jung Tae-ui’s gaze, pushed himself upright through the waves, and snarled, “What are you staring at, you homo bastard?”Right on cue. Jung Tae-ui couldn’t help laughing in exasperation.“Only someone with something to see would have to say that…”Jeong-pil sneered, hunching his shoulders: “Aren’t you gonna move?! I don’t want to share the water with a homo!”“This is the sea, not your private pond. If you don’t like it, you can get out. And just so you know, Kim Jeong-pil—”Jung Tae-ui shifted his stance on the sand trickling between his toes, gave Jeong-pil a deliberate once-over from head to toe, then snorted.“I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole. Don’t think every dick-owner is automatically a ‘man.’”Muttering, Jeong-pil bristled, “What the hell, you bastard?!” and took a step toward him.“Hey, hey, don’t come over here. I’m already melting from the heat—let’s just keep our distance, okay?”Jung Tae-ui waved a hand in weary surrender. It was too hot even to argue. But Jeong-pil clearly had other ideas, wading toward him as if determined to haul him out of the water.“That guy never listens,” Jung Tae-ui muttered, scratching the back of his neck. Under the blazing sun on the beach, he was making quite a show for the others.As Jung Tae-ui braced himself to fight and stepped back into shallower water, Jeong-pil suddenly halted. His brow furrowed oddly as he stared fixedly at the spot where Jung Tae-ui had just scratched his neck.“You…?!” Jeong-pil’s voice trailed off uncertainly. Jung Tae-ui returned the puzzled look.Before either could speak, a sharp splash broke the silence a few paces away. The man who emerged from the water flicked his wet hair back from his eyes and exhaled deeply. Beneath those dripping locks glinted pitch-black, cool eyes.The great white shark that had disappeared was standing right before them.…Could he really have been submerged and moving underwater all this time? Probably.Jung Tae-ui recalled how in Berlin, Ilrey had once dragged him under without a sound, grasping his ankle and leaving him panicked milliseconds before resurfacing.“If he only grabbed ankles, it’d be one thing—but surprise gropes underwater really give you the creeps…” Jung Tae-ui muttered under his breath.Ilrey glanced first at Jung Tae-ui, then at Jeong-pil, as if nothing had happened, and simply strode between them up onto the shore. He used his discarded shirt as a towel to dry himself with a few broad strokes.…Jeong-pil, who’d been about to fight, found his eyes following Ilrey’s hand unconsciously. Jung Tae-ui reflexively followed that gaze and frowned.No surprise that Ilrey’s thin trunks clung to him, revealing every line of his body as clearly as if he were naked. Jung Tae-ui turned his head away, inexplicably embarrassed by someone else’s body.When he glanced back, Jeong-pil’s eyes—once casually flicking toward Ilrey—had frozen, unblinking, as if trying to see through the wet fabric. A slow, dawning shock colored his expression.Of course he’d never had a chance to see him like this in the all-male military environment. Jung Tae-ui knew exactly what was going through Jeong-pil’s mind: a man’s instinctive curiosity—“I want to see the real thing.”Jung Tae-ui silently turned away again and waded deeper. He didn’t care if Jeong-pil stared wide-eyed at Ilrey’s crotch. He only needed to submerge up to his thighs to feel cool relief, then bent forward to splash water up onto his bare chest. The cold sea water stung his neck and shoulders; he even dunked his head for a quick washing to beat the scorching sun.After a long exhale, he straightened and happened to catch Jeong-pil’s gaze again just as Jeong-pil looked away, suddenly realizing something.“What are you staring at so hard?” Jung Tae-ui snapped, scowling.But the reply came not from Jeong-pil, but from Ilrey:“Tae-i.”At that short call, Ilrey tossed his towel. It fluttered through the air; Jung Tae-ui caught it reflexively and looked at Ilrey in bewilderment. Ilrey merely nodded once, then turned and strode toward the shade with his canteen in hand.That guy still hasn’t gotten over it… when will he stop? Jung Tae-ui clicked his tongue, draped the ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) towel around his neck, and watched Ilrey’s broad back fade into the treeline. Ilrey sat beside his uncle on a breezy rock in the shade; they exchanged only a few words.Jung Tae-ui sighed at the blank stare directed his way and thought he might as well head for shade too. He turned to leave the water—but Jeong-pil blocked his path. Standing a few paces ahead, Jeong-pil glared at the edge of the towel around Jung Tae-ui’s neck and spat out,“You sure pick fights wherever you go. I heard you clashed with Rick too—is that why you fought? Because the homo bastard made a move on you and you took offense?”Jung Tae-ui’s mood was already sour on Ilrey’s account and the heat was climbing his discomfort. Jeong-pil just kept poking at him with words.“You.”Tired of Jeong-pil’s provocations, Jung Tae-ui braced himself and shot back,“What?”“You seem mighty close with Ilrey. Told him all sorts of things—those rumors back in the academy, the headaches you’ve had with people since your commission. Why share that stuff? Bored to death? Or do you get itchy lips if you don’t talk about me for even one day?”Anger flared, and Jung Tae-ui barked, “Why would I tell him my stuff? If you’ve got nothing else to say, talk about yourself—or your dog at home. Why blab my business to him? Don’t talk about me! Especially not to him!”In a fit of anger, he kicked at the water. A spray flew at Jeong-pil, who grimaced, muttering, “Is this guy nuts?”Jeong-pil’s scowl deepened as he snapped, “What’s this all of a sudden? You’re taking out your fight with him on me? Do you think I’m an idiot?! Fine, I told him! I told him all about your stupid shit at school, your homo antics, how you’ve bounced around in the army—so what? Think some enemy’s got dirt on you? Whether I tell or not doesn’t change that you’re that guy—so what are you so touchy about?! Or… maybe you actually like him, you homo bastard?!”“Uh…”Jung Tae-ui froze for a second at that taunt.Yeah, I like him! …That’s not the right answer.Who’d like him? …That’s wrong too.He could have fumbled something out, but his mind was scrambled by Ilrey’s earlier dive, and Jeong-pil’s barb clamped his tongue shut for a heartbeat—or two. Then Jung Tae-ui wiped away a curse as he saw Jeong-pil’s expression change.Jeong-pil had been shouting furiously, but when Jung Tae-ui’s retort went silent, Jeong-pil’s face flickered with surprise—then something stranger.“…”“…What, you really like him?”Jeong-pil sneered, but his eyes stayed sharp on Jung Tae-ui’s face. Damn. Jung Tae-ui hadn’t wanted to let this slip—especially not to Jeong-pil. He met Jeong-pil’s gaze in silence. Jeong-pil’s face twisted as if he’d heard something impossible, blinking twice before scowling.“Is it true?”Jung Tae-ui clicked his tongue instead of answering. Denying it now would just make him look ridiculous. He glanced away, cheeks warming at the strange reality that maybe he did like Ilrey.“You’ve got a girlfriend, though. Yet you like Rick?”The mocking tone was gone; Jeong-pil’s voice had gone low and menacing. Clearly he’d misunderstood: he thought Jung Tae-ui was pining for Ilrey while already dating someone else. Jung Tae-ui wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or annoyed…Jeong-pil’s face contorted in fury, his scowl deepening until he let out a rough breath: “Are you crazy?”He panted in disbelief for a moment, then spat out his next words. If someone like Carlo or Qing had asked, Jung Tae-ui would’ve said, “Yeah, I guess so.” But because it was Jeong-pil, he wasn’t about to confirm. He muttered sullenly, “What, asshole?!”Jeong-pil snarled under his breath, “Can’t even pick who you like—now you’re lusting after a comrade? You seemed straight with your buddies before… are you nuts? How can you do your job like that?! You’ve got a girlfriend, yet you’re so shameless? Do homos go for anyone? Huh?!”Jung Tae-ui thought Jeong-pil must be sun-struck crazy to be growling like that. He also suddenly understood how someone might snap in this heat.“Why do you care who I like? Are you crazy? You’re the one acting nuts! Why does it matter if I’m a homo, you bastard?!”Already on edge, Jung Tae-ui grabbed the towel around his neck and whipped it at Jeong-pil. It stung but not enough to hurt, though Jeong-pil’s anger flared harder.His slitted eyes flicked to Jung Tae-ui’s neck for a moment, then he clenched his teeth and yelled, “You homo bastard!” and threw a punch.There was some distance, so it barely landed. Jung Tae-ui stumbled back, his foot catching on a submerged rock, and he lost his balance.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.