Honbul: Flame of the Soul

Yoon Taehee looked at Jaegyeom in silence for a while. When they met again, Jaegyeom seemed calmer than he had expected, but Yoon Taehee could tell. He was furious right now.

“...”

Yoon Taehee slowly took a few steps back, his gaze still fixed on Jaegyeom. Stopping several paces away, he moved his arms behind his back. His feet were set shoulder-width apart, his posture at ease. The movement pulled the suit jacket fitted around his body taut.

“Hit me.”

He added quietly,

“Until you feel better.”

“...”

Jaegyeom lifted his eyes and looked at him. Judging by his expressionless face, he did not seem to be joking or playing around. He was simply serious.

“Why should I?”

“Because I made you angry.”

That was true. Jaegyeom was angry, and his mood was foul. Right now, he was trapped in this muddy mess, and that was why he could not go home. If he went home covered in mud like this, his warm house would be dirtied too. The one who had shoved him into that mud was Yoon Taehee, standing right in front of him.

Of course, Yoon Taehee’s apology had been unexpected. It was the first time Jaegyeom had seen the man, who had always been confident and easygoing, take a step back, so yes, he had been surprised. But an apology did not make everything disappear. The scars left in his heart were as deep as the apology.

Even so, whether he liked it or not, he had no choice but to go along with Yoon Taehee. If that was the case, he needed to avoid any further conflict. Jaegyeom wanted Yoon Taehee to quietly get out of his sight. From the moment he saw him, Jaegyeom had been suppressing his anger. But whether Yoon Taehee knew what Jaegyeom was feeling or not, he was telling him to hit him until his anger eased. It was like pouring oil onto a fire.

“Hey. Are you trying to provoke me right now?”

Jaegyeom snapped back in a low, dark voice. He knew better than anyone that he could not, and should not, swing his fist the way he had before.

“No, I’m serious. Hit me until you feel better.”

On the contrary, Yoon Taehee’s attitude did not waver. Jaegyeom pressed his lips together and glared at him. Seeing him stand there so meekly, it almost seemed as though Yoon Taehee was willing to accept anything. But watching him brace himself to take whatever came did not soothe Jaegyeom’s anger. It only seemed to feed it further.

Hit him until I feel better? He was truly dumbfounded. In the Chief’s office, he had slapped him in anger. But if he kept beating him until his anger subsided, Yoon Taehee would probably end up in the afterlife. Yoon Taehee clearly had no idea how much Jaegyeom had endured. That was why he could say something like this.

How much I’ve put up with you. How much I...

“...”

Swallowing down the rage that surged up in him, Jaegyeom lowered his head in silence. For a while, stillness passed between the two as the crickets chirped. The streetlight cast a gloomy backlight over Jaegyeom’s face, and only after some time did he open his mouth.

“No. No, there’s no need for that.”

Jaegyeom, who had been sitting on the bench, suddenly stood. He loosened his tie with one hand and walked toward Yoon Taehee, who stood a few paces away. Facing him directly, Jaegyeom threw the loosened tie to the ground and carelessly took off his suit jacket too.

Yoon Taehee, standing there with his hands still behind his back, narrowed his eyes at Jaegyeom’s incomprehensible actions.

“Let’s just fight.”

Yoon Taehee looked puzzled.

“I’ve been thinking about it. What exactly are you trying to do to me, carrying around that much resentment? But no matter how much I think, I don’t understand. So the conclusion I came to is that you’re just born this way. You’re just a bastard who can’t leave people alone without getting restless.”

Jaegyeom shot the words at him coldly, his voice low.

“It’s unfair for only one side to endure and accommodate the other. There’s no need to bother with that anymore. I’m sick of taking everything in stride, so let’s just fight it out. Don’t worry. I’m not backing out of your plan. You know better than anyone that I can’t.”

If Jaegyeom simply beat Yoon Taehee half to death according to his temper, would this misery and sense of injustice go away? He did not think so. He would rather fight him properly and argue it out. Then maybe he would feel relieved. He took one step closer.

“I’ll draw the line clearly, so if you’re dissatisfied, come at me, you bastard.”

Yoon Taehee, who had gone still, said nothing and only looked down at Jaegyeom. Then, after a while, he lowered his head and smiled faintly.

“I’m not sure about that. That won’t work...”

Yoon Taehee seemed to loosen slightly. He rubbed the end of his eyebrow and murmured,

“First... I’m not confident I can beat you with bare fists. I’m not the type to pick a fight I know I’ll lose. Avoiding a fight when the outcome is uncertain is the best policy. And...”

For a moment, Yoon Taehee fell silent, then added quietly,

“If both you and I get hurt, the loss will be too great. It could set back our future plans... And I don’t want you to get hurt. If one of us has to get hurt, I’ll take it. I’ll take the blows, so just hit me.”

“...”

Jaegyeom’s eyes wavered briefly.

Again. He was talking like that again. He did not want him hurt? Jaegyeom’s heart had already been hurt several times. His face stiffened for a moment, and then he let out a small laugh.

Then my birthday should be today. Since you’re taking me out to eat.

No one dares touch you.

Worrying about you is my job.

He is someone precious, so please treat him that way.

That man was always like that. He said strange things and confused people. He made them feel as if they were special, as if they were precious. Yoon Taehee’s method was to make someone lower their guard, then throw them into filthy, stinking mud in an instant.

It was the same now. Acting as though he would accept anything was just him hiding his real feelings and pretending to think of Jaegyeom, pretending to act for his sake. It was all false, all made up, and Jaegyeom had been deceived again. He could not let himself be swayed by Yoon Taehee anymore. To avoid being fooled, he had to seize control of the situation from the start. Then he would not be confused, would not expect anything, would not be disappointed. He would not be deceived by Yoon Taehee anymore.

“Do I look like an idiot to you?”

Jaegyeom took a step closer and grabbed Yoon Taehee by the collar. When he yanked him forward, Yoon Taehee was pulled obediently, and the scent of his perfume came with him.

“Come at me.”

Jaegyeom warned him in a low voice.

“...I don’t want to.”

Yoon Taehee answered quietly.

“I said come at me.”

Even though Jaegyeom threatened him again and gripped his collar tight, Yoon Taehee’s gaze remained steady and calm. He did not seem to have any will to fight at all.

“...”

“...”

A long silence followed. Yet the gazes locked on each other were taut. It felt as if they were locked in a silent battle. And then, at some point, Jaegyeom felt a strange impulse. He released the collar he had been holding. Jaegyeom was the one who stepped back first.

“I’ve told you over and over.”

Jaegyeom took a step back, eyes fierce.

“Don’t make me say the same thing twice. Or three times.”

At the same time as he spoke, Jaegyeom raised his hand and slapped himself across the face. Yoon Taehee’s face hardened. Because the slap was loaded with spiritual force, the inside of Jaegyeom’s mouth split open. Jaegyeom flinched at the pain, then turned his head to the side and spat out blood. Seeing that, Yoon Taehee’s eyes went hard, and he strode forward, grabbing Jaegyeom’s arm with force.

“What are you doing?”

Jaegyeom shook off his hand.

“All you have to do is come at me.”

His gaze was sharp and resolute. For a moment, Yoon Taehee was speechless. Jaegyeom was protesting now because Yoon Taehee did not want to hurt him, did not want to fight him. It was that reckless, daring temperament of his, springing up in an unexpected direction. As Yoon Taehee stood frozen in disbelief, Jaegyeom swung his hand again instead of saying it twice. This time, too, it was aimed at himself. He wanted to vent his anger somehow. But this time, Jaegyeom failed to hit himself because Yoon Taehee seized his wrist with crushing force and held on.

“...Stop.”

Yoon Taehee muttered, frowning. Jaegyeom did not even pretend to listen and simply shoved at him, but this time Yoon Taehee did not give ground easily. Instead, he caught Jaegyeom’s other hand as well. His grip was so strong it hurt.

“Let go!”

With both wrists caught, Jaegyeom struggled fiercely, trying to free himself, but Yoon Taehee was persistent.

“I told you to stop.”

Furious, Jaegyeom shoved him with all his strength. Yoon Taehee lost his balance for an instant under the force and stumbled backward, falling into the flower bed. But because he was still holding Jaegyeom’s wrist, Jaegyeom was dragged along with him and fell into the wooded flower bed as well.

Even after they fell among the plants, the struggle between them continued. The force trying to break free and the force trying to hold on clashed violently. They rolled through the grass, tangled together aggressively. In the process, grass was crushed and flowers were trampled.

“So come on, hit me! You fucking bastard!”

They fought desperately, like inexperienced boys in a brawl. As they tumbled through the dark grass, their neat suits wrinkled and their hair fell into disarray. Now and then they scraped against stones. ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) They were not throwing punches, but it was already close to a dogfight. They hurt each other bit by bit as they collided and fell.

“Let go of me!”

After a while, Jaegyeom finally succeeded in shaking off Yoon Taehee’s hand. Not missing that brief opening, he immediately climbed on top of him. Then he began throwing anything he could grab, taking his anger out on him.

“Why... why won’t you hit me? Who do you think you are?”

Torn grass, dirt, splintered twigs, and small stones flew toward Yoon Taehee. Panting, Jaegyeom shouted in a trembling breath,

“Stop dodging and fight back, you coward!”

At that moment, something inside Yoon Taehee snapped. He grabbed Jaegyeom by the collar and slammed him onto the ground. It was an extremely rough, brutal motion, unlike his earlier restraint.

Thud!

Jaegyeom, thrown down hard, let out a faint groan. In the blink of an eye, Yoon Taehee came down over him and grabbed him by the collar again. It all happened in an instant.

“Uh...”

Before the shock could fade, a powerful force hauled his body up. Thinking a punch was coming, Jaegyeom squeezed his eyes shut and covered his skin with spiritual force. It was a reflexive action, his body reacting before his head could think.

But what came was not a fist.

It was a kiss that felt as though it would devour him.