Projection Novel (Completed) - Chapter 110

Kwon Sejin went through the physical test and interview still dazed. Not knowing what an honor guard company was, he still had to stand before sharp-eyed soldiers, explaining why he chose this unit. Of course, he couldn’t say he was forced by someone else, so he had to invent some plausible reasons.

During the application process, they even asked for his high school transcript. Sejin had no interest in working in the honor guard company, so he secretly hoped to be rejected, but even with deductions for frequent absences, he still scored perfectly in the interview and physical test, and thus smoothly entered the honor guard company.

Even before entering the training center, Sejin had somewhat guessed, and as expected, military life was twice as miserable as he imagined. Although he didn’t know anyone among the new recruits, which somewhat eased his mind, the stricter atmosphere compared to other units, plus being forced to do things he didn’t want to with seniors he didn’t like, truly made Sejin very uncomfortable.

Yet, he still didn’t hit anyone to get locked up, nor did he desert; he continued to cling to the honor guard company for only one reason: the times he got to meet Cheon Sejoo at official ceremonies organized by the unit outside.

The army’s honor guard company often participated in military ceremonies or weddings of VIPs in the military, as well as many other large and small events, including those that civilians could attend. Somehow, Cheon Sejoo knew all the schedules, and occasionally appeared at ceremonies, startling Sejin.

The honor guard company’s performance uniform was a dark green suit with yellow accents. The sleeves were embroidered with a tiger in gold thread, the honor guard emblem was on the chest, the infantry symbol on the collar, and gold tassels on the shoulders. Along with that were a white belt, ankle-tight pants, combat boots, and a military cap. Compared to regular combat uniforms, this one was unbelievably flashy. Sejin found it a bit tacky, but Cheon Sejoo didn’t seem to think so.

When performing, spinning his rifle in front of so many people, Sejin always felt a persistent, burning gaze—Cheon Sejoo’s eyes.

Because they had to participate with their comrades, even if they met at an event, they couldn’t talk. Yet Sejin could still read the words Cheon Sejoo conveyed with his eyes. “You’ve worked hard,” “Just a little more,” “I love you,” “I always support you.”

Just being able to meet Cheon Sejoo like that gave him the strength to continue enduring the wretched military life. Even when they were apart, Sejin always lived through Cheon Sejoo. He lived through the image of the ring still on his ring finger.

The reason Sejin got leave without Cheon Sejoo knowing was that he completely forgot about the reward leave he had been given at some point he couldn’t even remember.

“Hey, aren’t you going on leave?”

“…Huh? Me?”

Sejin was preparing for morning duties when he suddenly realized his comrade’s question was a reminder that today was the first day of his 3-day, 4-night leave. How could he forget? He was surprised at his own foolishness, but instead of blaming himself, he quickly packed his bags and left the barracks.

On the way, he called Cheon Sejoo, but he didn’t answer. Sejin glanced up at the gloomy, hazy sky, as if it was about to rain, then quickened his pace. It was almost noon when he got home. Even though it was a weekday, Sejin knew Cheon Sejoo was enjoying a surprise break after a busy period, so he gently opened the door and entered.

The house was dark, no lights on, not a sound. Cheon Sejoo usually slept in on holidays, so Sejin wasn’t surprised, quietly walking through the hallway. When he reached the kitchen overlooking the living room, Sejin’s lips curved slightly. He frowned at the empty dish drying rack then quietly walked to open the refrigerator.

He knew well that without him, Cheon Sejoo wouldn’t eat properly, but facing the empty refrigerator, his heart ached. The dishes he had cooked during his last leave seemed to have been eaten, but the problem was not just that they were gone. There was no fruit, no vegetables, not even water in the fridge. Cheon Sejoo always found it troublesome to get water from the filter, so he always drank bottled spring water. But during Sejin’s absence, even that had been replaced by beer. Only a few cans of beer, looking like they were bought from a convenience store, lay lonely in the fridge.

“….”

Sejin frowned, took off his cap and placed it on the kitchen counter, then opened the lid of the recycling bin. The smell of unwashed alcohol wafted from the crushed beer cans. He sighed softly, tied the trash bag tightly, and took it to the storage room.

In the storage room filled with recyclables, besides that trash bag, there were also long rows of neatly arranged whiskey bottles. Sejin began to wonder if Cheon Sejoo ate anything other than alcohol, then quietly left the storage room. He stopped by the bathroom to wash his hands thoroughly, took off his military jacket, then entered the bedroom.

As expected, Cheon Sejoo was asleep on the bed. But instead of sleeping in, he was sleeping off a drunken stupor with several bottles and glasses scattered on the nightstand.

Sejin gently approached the bed, trying not to make a sound to avoid waking him. He bent down to pick up a glass stopper that had fallen under the tray, intending to re-cork the whiskey bottle when—

Suddenly, an arm reached out from behind, covering Sejin’s mouth and nose, while the other hand tightly gripped his waist just above his solar plexus. Caught by the sudden pressure, Sejin had no time to react before being thrown onto the bed. Though completely surprised, only Cheon Sejoo could do this, so Sejin didn’t resist, simply surrendering his body.

Cheon Sejoo placed his hand on Sejin’s neck, his eyes hazy as he looked down. Uncorked whiskey dripped out, wetting Sejin’s neck and military uniform. When his fingertips felt the cold liquid, Cheon Sejoo seemed to sober up slightly, blinked, then released his hand from Sejin’s neck.

“…What is it?”

A hoarse voice escaped with a smile that softened his icy face. Sejin smiled faintly, looking up at him. Seeing Cheon Sejoo about to leave him, Sejin sat up and kissed his cheek. Chut, chut—continuous kisses until their lips met. Sejin kissed him deeply until Cheon Sejoo gasped before stopping. The corners of Sejin’s lips curved under his flushed cheeks. He smiled at the still dazed man and asked:

“Surprised?”

“Why are you here… Deserting?”

Cheon Sejoo stroked Sejin’s face, stammering as if he still couldn’t believe the situation. The serious question made Sejin shake his head, then he placed the half-empty whiskey bottle on the nightstand, took off his alcohol-soaked shirt and placed it beside him, then hugged Cheon Sejoo, burying his head in the hollow of his neck.

“No… I got leave but forgot. I called you this morning but you didn’t answer, I thought you were sleeping so I came straight home.”

“How long?”

“Four days, three nights.”

“…Such a long leave and you forgot?”

“It’s strange, isn’t it…”

Sejin himself didn’t know how he got the leave or why he forgot. Perhaps it was the day the drill training ended, when he was called by his seniors for punishment along with his friends, that he forgot. But anyway, he was safely home now, so it no longer mattered. Never mind, Sejin avoided the thought and took a deep breath.

He felt as if the smell of alcohol had seeped into Cheon Sejoo’s skin. Sejin asked, holding that hot body in his arms:

“Cheon Sejoo, have you been drinking a lot lately?”

“…Yes.”

The still hazy voice didn’t deny it. Sejin thought he was about to fall asleep again, so he reached out and gently rubbed his back through the bathrobe. Compared to last time, he seemed thinner, the curves of his bones clearly protruding under his lean muscles. A sudden sadness filled Sejin’s heart, he looked up, met his eyes, and spoke:

“Can you stop drinking? You keep getting thinner. Your health will also worsen. You probably don’t eat properly at work either.”

“No… I eat well there…”

Every day when he went to the hotel for work, room service would come twice. Because of the large number of people, there would be two or three food carts each time, with a diverse menu from pizza to Korean dishes. Eating the same thing for a month was tiring, but it was still better than the delivery food he used to order when he was in the task force. By Cheon Sejoo’s standards, that was eating well enough.

“Eating well enough? Don’t lie.”

But according to Sejin, Cheon Sejoo’s food intake was no different from starving. Sejin said decisively, then lowered his hand to rub his lower hip.

Cheon Sejoo was wearing only a thin silk robe, which Sejin had mistaken for an intruder and pulled onto the bed, so the ties were loose. Sliding his hand inside the slippery robe, Sejin clearly felt his buttocks had thinned compared to before. He gently stroked his buttocks, then looked sadly into his eyes.

“If you keep this up, I’ll punish you.”

“……”

Sejin’s strict voice made Cheon Sejoo laugh in confusion. He opened his eyes, a smile still on his lips, then immediately buried his face in the bed.

Cheon Sejoo gently pulled down his robe, revealing his bare shoulder and the clear black tiger tattoo on his broad back. Even though he could only see the sharp tail and the neatly placed pipe next to it, along with a part of the hat, Sejin felt his heart burning.

“I’ll still be like this later… punish me now…”

Hearing Cheon Sejoo’s lazy voice, Sejin quietly reached out, his fingertips, still smelling of alcohol, gently touching his back. After leaving the task force, Cheon Sejoo only maintained the most basic physical exercises. Thanks to that, his previously sharp muscle lines had softened, but even so, his body still retained alluring curves.

“Hug me.”

Seeing Sejin caress his body, Cheon Sejoo turned his head to glance at him and said. His hoarse voice contained a longing for his lover after many days apart.

Every time Sejin’s hand touched Cheon Sejoo’s alcohol-infused body, he felt as if dead nerve cells suddenly awakened. But unlike that, his mind, which had been forcibly awakened when he realized an intruder was present, was gradually relaxing.

Along with the clear excitement, a sluggish drowsiness descended. Cheon Sejoo turned his back to him and gently lifted his robe. He felt the silk robe covering his buttocks being pulled up to his waist as he turned. Perhaps Sejin’s gaze had reached that spot, Cheon Sejoo gently closed his eyes, found Sejin’s hand, and held it tightly. He squeezed his warm fingers, pulled them towards him, and whispered:

“Hug me, Sejin…”

Sejin knew that it wasn’t just a simple hug. His eyes gently looked at Cheon Sejoo. The man’s face, with his eyes closed comfortably, seemed to sink into a distant dream. Sejin swallowed hard, his hand rubbing his back slid downwards.

His long fingertips glided lightly over the thin robe. Cheon Sejoo’s body trembled slightly, burning hot as if on fire. Perhaps it was due to the alcohol. Thinking so, Sejin seemed to understand why he drank.

“Are you cold without me?”

As soon as the soft question ended, Cheon Sejoo seemed to nod. Sejin choked back the rising sorrow and moved his hand between his legs.