Our lips remained connected in a soft kiss that made my heart beat even faster. After a while, I slowly pushed him away, as he showed no signs of stopping. Unconsciously, I brought my hand to my lips, still feeling the lingering sensation of our kiss.
"Dan."
"Don't tell me you want another one."
"Can I ask for just one more?"
"That's enough."
"I've seen some people use body language too."
I covered my face with my hands, embarrassed by what I had just said. I replied in a muffled voice.
"Can we save this for later?"
"When?"
"I don't know."
"Alright, then just like before."
"Yeah, but that's enough for today."
"Okay."
The next morning, I woke up still feeling drowsy. At first, I panicked, afraid I would be late for work, but then I remembered that I didn't need to go anymore. It was already nine o'clock, and Jay was nowhere in the house. I checked my phone and saw a message from him saying that he had already gone to training and had given me a good morning kiss before leaving. Such a troublemaker.
I replied that I was awake, then took a shower, got dressed, and went downstairs. Mom, who was watching television, greeted me as soon as she saw me.
"Oh, Dan woke up late. You don't have to rush to work anymore, so you can rest."
"Yeah, I slept well last night."
"Because you slept cuddling your boyfriend?"
"Mom," I chuckled. "What's for breakfast? Where's Nao?"
"Nao took Fei to school with Tiger, then they went back to sleep."
"Tiger isn't working today?"
"He took the day off to spend time with his husband," Mom replied with a smile, then led me to the kitchen, where she had prepared breakfast on the table. I ate while chatting with Mom, then we sat down to watch a drama series. Lately, Mom has become addicted to Korean dramas.
"The male lead in this drama is very handsome, but I think my son-in-law is even more handsome."
"Haha," I laughed. "Mom, you're exaggerating."
"It's true, don't you agree?"
"Tiger is handsome."
"And your boyfriend? Why aren't you praising him?"
"Well..."
"If I were Jayden, I'd feel heartbroken."
"He's handsome," I finally admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed. Jayden really was attractive, both in looks and personality. "Many fans follow him because he's good-looking. Some even started watching boxing because of him."
"Including me. If Jayden wasn't fighting, I wouldn't be watching boxing," Mom said.
We watched the drama until nearly noon, when Nao and Tiger came downstairs. The first thing Nao looked for was food. Mom told him to heat it up himself since she was busy watching, so I offered to do it.
I brought the food to the table, and the three of us ate together.
"Mom is so addicted to that drama she won't even eat. Is it really that good?" Nao frowned.
"It's an important part," I answered. "I'll bring her food to the couch later."
"Alright. I'm going to boxing practice, do you want to come?" Nao invited me, then hesitated for a moment. "Wait, no, forget I asked."
"Why? I want to go."
"For the same reason as always."
"No, I really want to go," I insisted. "I've decided that if I have free time, I'll learn martial arts. Now I have time."
"You want to box?" Nao widened his eyes. "That's painful."
"I'll just practice a little."
"Just pinch the punching bag instead of hitting it, so your hands don't hurt."
I laughed. "Pinching a punching bag? You're ridiculous." I turned to Tiger. "Are you coming too?"
"Yeah, I'll go. It's good to practice boxing once in a while. I haven't done it in a long time."
"Boxing?" Tiger looked at his husband, who had just made a joke.
"Yeah."
"Oh."
"Do you want me to say that I want to punch you?"
"Whatever, just play around."
"Who could possibly beat you? You're too adorable," Tiger replied while lowering his head to eat.
"North," Nao answered.
"Him..." Tiger trailed off and sighed in frustration.
"Have you two ever fought?" I asked, intrigued. I didn't remember Nao ever mentioning it.
"Oh, I never told you," Nao said. "It was when we lived together."
"Wasn't that when you attacked North while sleepwalking?"
"That was one of the incidents. Not the only one. When we were interns and living together, we argued every day about everything. Dan, there was no peace. I didn't tell you because you were busy with exams, then I forgot," Nao explained. "One night, I thought I was sleepwalking and did something. North couldn't take it anymore and punched me in the face while I was asleep."
"Oh."
"I woke up in shock and asked him what he was doing. He said I attacked him first. At that point, everything escalated. We really fought, throwing punches at each other. We both ended up with swollen faces and went to work without looking at each other. That night, Tiger and Phi Joe forced us to make up."
"How did it end?"
"We apologized and went drinking together. That was it."
"I'm glad it didn't end badly," I commented.
"It did get worse after they got back together," Tiger interrupted, annoyed. "I suggested they sleep in separate beds, but North refused because he was scared of ghosts. He couldn't sleep alone."
"Yeah, that was a problem," Nao groaned.
"Dan," Tiger suddenly said, as if remembering something. "Is your boss still bothering you?"
"Oh, right," I nodded. Nao must have complained to Tiger about it.
"Are you just going to let it go?"
"I don't want any trouble."
"We'll take care of it."
"No, that'll make things worse."
"I understand that someone as peace-loving as you doesn't want trouble, but we don't agree. Don't you think that if you let him go, he'll just do the same thing to someone else? It could be one of your friends. Do you want someone else to go through what you did?"
Tiger's words made me pause. "I don't want that, but how are you going to teach him a lesson?"
"What do you want?"
"The same question as Nao," I answered quietly. "I don't know, but can we avoid using violence?" Nao visibly looked irritated by my response.
"Okay," he said, clicking his tongue. "Let's kidnap him and make him work until he gets nosebleeds, just like Dan. That way, he'll know what it feels like to work hard for nothing."
"Wouldn't kidnapping him cause problems?"
"Relax," Tiger said. "Our plan is perfect. We'll do research on him. We'll make it look like he's on vacation, book a plane ticket in his name, and have someone impersonate him. He'll withdraw money from the bank as proof that he's really traveling. When he claims he was kidnapped, no one will believe him because there'll be evidence he was on vacation."
"Is that possible?"
"Yeah, we've done it before," Tiger said confidently. "Do you like the plan? There might be a little violence during the kidnapping."
"I see," I nodded. I figured this was the least violent plan. If I let Tiger, a mafia, handle it another way, it would definitely be worse.
"Have you told Jayden?"
"No, I don't want to make this a big issue."
"Once, North got hit. He only bled a little, but Joe caught the attacker and hit them back."
"Wow... they really protect him."
"Don't you think Jayden would protect you too? Jayden also defends what's his."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
The three of us headed to the gym. Jayden looked slightly surprised before stopping his training and walking toward me, drenched in sweat.
"Dan?"
"Nao came to practice, so I tagged along," I said with a smile. "I thought I'd try boxing a little."
Jayden frowned. "That's painful."
"I won't know until I try," I replied. We changed into our workout clothes. Neither Jayden nor Nao let me take off my shirt. Honestly, I didn't want to either. My body wasn't like theirs. If I had muscles, maybe I'd want to show them off too. In the end, both Tiger and Nao wore shirts too, out of solidarity.
"How do I start?"
"Try punching the bag first," Jayden suggested. I stood in front of the bag while the three of them watched me.
"Why are you all watching so closely?" I asked.
"We're curious," Nao replied. "Dan has never hit anyone in his life."
"I don't know how to punch," I muttered before hitting the bag. "What do you think?"
"Well..." Nao blinked and turned to Jayden. "What do you think?"
"You punch in a really cute way," Jayden said.
"Yeah, really cute," Nao agreed. "If you stepped into the ring, even a champion like Jayden would lose. He'd let you hit him just because you're so cute."
"No, that's wrong," I said, trying to take off my gloves to pinch his arm. "I've never hit anyone before. Teach me."
"Jayden, do you want to keep training?"
"Yeah."
"Go ahead, I'll stay with Dan," Nao said.
"Who's staying with you?"
"Go train. If Tiger stays here, Dan will feel pressured."
"Really?"
"Okay, I'll stay close," said Tiger as he walked away to find his training partner. That left just me and Nao.
Nao taught me how to position my body and how to punch. Once I managed to land a punch, he taught me how to kick. But when he told me to use more force, it hurt.
"My leg hurts."
"That leg is like a chopstick," said Nao.
"Why are you bothering me so much today?"
"It's a sign of love. That's enough, don't kick anymore, or you'll hurt yourself," said Nao. "I've heard of a boxer who kicked so hard that his bone broke."
"What?"
"Then the bone healed and became even stronger, which is why some people have shins like iron bars. One kick could break your ribs."
"Like Jayden?"
"Jayden isn't at that level yet, he's just really strong. But if he keeps training, he could get there. People will call him 'Jayden the Iron-Leg,'" said Nao as he pointed. "Look."
I looked in the direction he pointed and saw Jayden kicking the punching bag so hard that it swung back and forth. He kept doing it while his coach watched closely. Every time I saw him kick, I was always amazed. How painful would it be to get hit by a kick like that?
"I want bones like iron."
"Oh, really?"
"I'm kidding," I smiled. "I can't. My whole body already hurts now."
Nao laughed. "Learn the basics of self-defense. Carry something with you. Even if you know how to box, against a gun, there's not much you can do. Do you want to learn how to shoot?"
I nodded slightly, pressing my lips together. I didn't continue training because my body felt sore. I sat down to watch the others. Around 2:30 PM, we went home. I took a shower and changed clothes to pick up Fei from school.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
After dinner, I told Jayden about my boss and Tiger's plan.
"Why didn't you tell Jayden?" His expression showed frustration, and his tone was slightly firm, surprising me. This was the first time he had scolded me. "Why is Jayden, your boyfriend, the last one to know?"
"Sorry," I lowered my head.
"Don't do it again, okay?" His tone softened. "Next time, tell me."
"Alright."
"Good."
"Now you're praising me?" I looked at him, surprised.
"And praise Jayden often."
"Really?"
"Can I pat your head?"
"Huh?"
"When you praise me, you like to pat my head. Now that I'm praising you, I want to do the same." I smiled and nodded. His large hand gently patted my head.
"What do you think about Tiger's plan?"
"It's good enough. You don't want to use violence, right?"
"Exactly."
"But he made you get a nosebleed. He should get one too."
I was silent for a moment. I couldn't stop them, and honestly, I didn't want to.
"Make him get a little nosebleed."
The next morning, Tiger called Jayden early. They had succeeded in making my boss leave. Nao and I weren't allowed to come along, so we waited at home. About forty minutes later, Jayden called me. I answered, worried.
"Jay, how did it go?"
"We did it. Just enough for a nosebleed, like you said," Jay said calmly.
"They didn't do anything rougher?"
"No."
"Alright. Are you coming home?"
"Coach said I have to train. Tiger has to work too. We'll be home later this afternoon."
"Alright. I'll wait for you," I replied before hanging up. I turned to Nao, who had just finished talking to Tiger.
"What did Tiger say?"
"He said he held back," Nao replied. "If not for your request, we might have seen something interesting. I haven't seen Jayden in beast mode for a long time."
"Beast mode? He's a sweetheart now, an adorable boyfriend."
"Yeah, from 'killer' to Dan's cute boyfriend. So, what's our plan for today now that we're free?"
"I want to ride a motorcycle."
"Okay, where to?"
"Somewhere nice. You drive."
"Perfect."
For the first time in a year, I rode Nao's motorcycle. We rode around the city because the weather was nice and not too sunny. We bought some food and sat by a pond to feed the fish. Each of us bought a pack of fish food.
"This place hasn't changed since we were kids," I commented.
"You mean this place is still as old and neglected as before? We could fall into the water at any moment. The wood is rotting," Nao complained.
"Shut up. Don't complain too loudly, the management might hear."
"If they hear, even better. They can fix it. Oh, a turtle! Dan, why is there a turtle here?"
"Is that a softshell turtle?"
"I don't know. Let me check." Nao took out his phone to look it up. "Yeah, they look like softshell turtles. Ah!" As I shouted, there was a cracking sound, and we fell into the water. A loud splash and people's screams filled the air. I struggled to reach the surface.
"Nao! Help!" Nao swam quickly toward me.
"Are you okay?" I nodded quickly, holding onto Nao because I couldn't swim. "Ouch, ouch, the fish are biting me," Nao complained as we swam back to shore. Someone helped us up. We sat down to rest while people asked if we were okay. We said we were fine, and they slowly dispersed.
"They really need to fix this place," Nao stood up. "My phone fell into the water."
"We can buy a new one," I said, checking my phone. "Oh no, I need a new one too."
"It's cold. Let's go home. I don't want to come here again."
"We're not coming back," I shook my head.
"And we came here on a motorcycle, damn it," Nao complained as we slowly rode home, soaking wet and freezing. The cold air made us feel even colder.
"Dan, you need to learn how to swim," Nao shouted over the wind.
"I need to learn a lot of things," I shouted back. As we stopped at a red light, it started to rain.
"Great," Nao sighed.
"At least we're washing off the dirt," I said.
"Yeah, and there was no bathroom earlier."
We rode through the heavy rain, looking for shelter. By the time we found one, we were already drenched. We stood shivering in front of a convenience store. Even though it was cold inside, we decided to go in and buy towels. At least we could dry off a little.
"Even though it was a bit unlucky, it was fun going out with you, Dan. It's been a long time since we did this," said Nao.
"True," I smiled at him. "Now that I have free time, we can spend more time together."
"Amazing."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
When we got home, Mom was shocked to see us. We hadn't told her we went out because she was asleep. She immediately told us to shower and change. Then she scolded us, just like when we were kids running off to play in the water. After scolding, she told us to prepare for the possibility of catching a cold.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
Nao and I fell asleep in my room from exhaustion. When we woke up in the afternoon, we realized we really had caught a cold. Our faces were red with fever. We looked at each other and laughed.
"We got sick," I said.
"Yeah, and we need new phones. Mom scolded us."
"And Tiger will scold you too."
"And you too."
Soon, they both entered the room. Nao and I just smiled sheepishly. Tiger didn't say anything—he just carried Nao away, leaving me alone with Jayden.
"Dan, were you being naughty?"
"No, it was an accident," I said.
"Why didn't you use a car?"
"I just wanted a different atmosphere."
Jayden sighed. "Alright. I'll get food and medicine."
"Okay. Jay, bring a mask too. I don't want you to get sick."
Jay nodded and left the room. He returned with a tray of soup. I ate the soup, took my medicine, and then put on a mask.
"Dan, don't you want to sleep?"
"I just woke up," I replied. "But I'll get sleepy soon."
"You don't need that mask. I won't catch a cold."
"Prevention is better than cure."
"Then how can we kiss?"
"We won't kiss until I'm better," I said. Jay pouted.
"I don't want that."
"No, or you'll catch a cold."
"I won't catch a cold."
"Wow," I smiled, even though he couldn't see it. I moved closer and touched his lips with the mask I was wearing, feeling a little shy. "That's enough for now. Wait until I'm better."
Jay smiled. "Alright."