Tensegrity

Thank you @Karu & @Nonchi for Ko-fi. Next update: 2/10/23

The hand that came in from behind slowly stroked the back dimples and then moved forward along the ribs. The gentle groping of the hand was ticklish and at the same time, strange that Jun-Kyung shoulders couldn’t help shaking.

A light kiss followed on his neck. The movement of the hand inside the shirt became bolder and bolder. Executive Director Min just needed to twist a little bit to hover over Jun-Kyung since he was sitting close.

Contrary to Jun-kyung who was completely lying down, Director Min supported his whole body with his hands and knees. It was when Director Min was just pulling up the hem of Jun-kyung’s clothes that a TV screen lit up.

A black screen began to rise. Jun-Kyung eyes naturally went there, but Director Min’s hand grabbed his chin and made him look straight again. To be precise, look straight ahead to a sharp, handsome face. Dark lust reflected on his features, which were lightly shadowed thanks to his back to the light.

“Jun-Kyung -ah.” A husky, low-pitched voice rang out. His pulse quickened. It felt different from the shock yet familiar. Junkyung’s body temperature also rose as much as the hands touching his back and chest. Director Min, who tilted his head, bit his earlobe lightly, “Don’t look elsewhere…”.

“Everyone, look at this big male killer whale.”

An old man sounded in a cheerful voice from the TV.

“A male in heat is trying to get the attention of a mate he is interested in.”

An empty laugh broke out. Jun-Kyung coughed in vain and raised his upper body.

Cough. Cough. His whole ribs vibrated with how loud the cough was.

When he looked up with physiological tears shed, Executive Director Min was staring at the TV with an arrogant frown. A marine documentary full of blue light was displayed on the huge screen.

“Water, please, some water.”

As Jun-Kyung hit his chest and coughed, Executive Director Min brought bottled water right away. It was only after he emptied half a bottle in his seat that he could breathe a sigh of relief. While calming his thumping chest, Executive Director Min looked around the table, searching for something.

“What are you doing?”

“Remote.”

The concise answer was emotionless. However, Jun-Kyung sensed that he was quite annoyed. He was outrageously interrupted, so that’s understandable.

Jun-Kyung also got up and groped around the sofa. Judging by the sudden turn on of the TV, it was clear that the movement of the two of them had touched the remote control.

The TV turned on by chance, and it happened to be a documentary channel, and the commentary and the situation coincided oddly. Will there ever be another weird thing like this? Looking back on the situation, it was quite funny.

“Pfft.” He burst into laughter without knowing it. Executive Director Min’s actions, which had been searching around the sofa, stopped immediately.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Hahahahaha.”

He tried to hold it in, but he burst into laughter at Executive Director Min’s question.

“Jun-Kyung.”

“Oh, sorry. It’s so funny.”

“What?”

The laughter grew even bigger because the other person who was looking this way look as if he was in a bad mood. Jun-kyung, giggling, collapsed onto the sofa. Director Min, who gave up searching for his remote control, sat down beside him.

Suddenly, the voice on the TV grew louder. Executive Director Min, who immediately looked at his seat, found the remote control stuck in the corner of the sofa.

It was when Executive Director Min, aiming the remote at the ultra-expensive TV like a sniper rifle, was about to press the button that Jun-Kyung  stopped him. Even if he turn off the TV, Jun-Kyung doesn’t think he will be able to set the mood again, and more than anything, he wanted to hear the nonchalant and cheerful documentary commentary more.

“Wait. Let’s see it some more.”

Realizing that Junkyung had no intention of continuing what he was doing, Executive Director Min handed over the remote control. He turned up the volume a bit. The voice of a middle-aged voice actor with a unique accent that evokes nostalgia continued.

The scene quickly changed, as if the program was not particularly focused on killer whales. Creatively-looking and vibrantly colored fish wander among the coral reefs. The emerald blue sea was very beautiful.

“Is that fun?”

“So so?”

If you ask me if it’s fun enough to be mesmerized, Jun-Kyung is not going to say yes. However, he didn’t particularly hate it. Even if it’s just a broadcast, watching nature makes him feel at ease. Aren’t most people like that?

“Is it not fun? Shall we turn somewhere else?”

“No.” Executive Director Min, who had been watching quietly, crossed his arms.

Jun-Kyung took a simple psychology class while attending the security department. It is not because human psychology is really important, but because it is easier to distinguish outsiders with impure intentions when we know about the postures humans take unconsciously.

Crossing arms is a posture humans take when they unconsciously feel a need for defense or when they feel displeasure.

‘Are you in a bad mood because the atmosphere is cut off?’

There is no reason to feel defensive in a comfortable home, so of course it was the latter. Living nearby and being conscious of each action made it fairly easy to grasp the feelings that lurked beneath the brusque, cold surface.

‘To be angry at me for not calling you hyung, and to be upset at not being able to do it, he’s more childish than I thought.’

At first, Jun-Kyung thought he was a mercury mannequin just by looking at its appearance, but Executive Director Min was also an ordinary human being. His displeasure was cute, so Jun-Kyung peeked at him while pretending to look at the screen.

Dark eyebrows twitched, and a light wrinkle formed between his brows. His fierce eyes narrowed and his cheekbones twitched. His mouth has been stiff for a while. The arms, which were loose at first, gradually tightened, and then the long legs were folded. He looks pretty unhappy.

Should he be so angry that he couldn’t do it?

Jun-Kyung was quietly holding the remote control when Director Min suddenly interrupted.

“I hate water.”

“What?”

 Why does he hate water all of a sudden?

It was difficult to grasp the context behind it. Director Min must have sensed his gaze, but he stared at the screen steadfastly. To be specific, he didn’t just look at it, he glared as if he was going to kill it.

“Large, deep bodies of water like oceans and lakes.”

“I knew it for the first time.”

On the contrary, even though he hated water to the point, Director Min was mature and considerate in watching that it made Jun-Kyung feel bad.

I’m sorry for calling you childish. 

Apologizing inwardly, he turned the screen quickly with the remote control.

“You can keep watching.”

“I didn’t really mean to see it. I can watch it by myself later.”

“If it’s because of me…”

“Because it’s not that fun enough to force people to watch it.”

Jun-Kyung changed the channel roughly, and the ad appeared. All in all, it was a soft drink advertisement, so a sky-blue swimming pool filled the screen.

“By the way, the swimming pool is the worst among large bodies of water.”

Jun-Kyung just turned off the TV altogether. Why bother making the landlord uncomfortable by watching such a thing? He wanted to just grab the TV and shake some sense into it.

“I didn’t know you hated water. Do you have any bad memories?”

Seeing that he hated swimming pools, it must have happened while he was learning to swim.

“When I was little? I was helpless because I was a child at the time.”

Jun-Kyung couldn’t even imagine young Executive Director Min drowning and struggling.

“Can’t you swim?”

“I can swim. If not, how could I have saved you then?”

“Ah.”

It was just a while ago, but he forgot. Does he learn how to swim despite having water trauma? Did he deliberately learn more about survival swimming because of the accident? It’s quite likely. At this point, Jun-kyung looked at Director Min again.

“Thank you.”

Executive Director Min, with his arms folded, looked back at Jun-Kyung with a rather relaxed attitude.

“You hated water yet jumped right into the pool to save me.”

“If I don’t like water, then I don’t like water. And I don’t like you in danger either.”

“Still, it’s not easy for a person with water trauma. Thank you so much for saving me.”

Jun-Kyung got up from his seat and bowed his head, wanting to say thank properly. Executive Director Min was silent for a moment, then grabbed Jun-Kyung’s wrist.

This time, Jun-Kyung ended up sitting on his lap.

“No matter how thankful you are, it hurts if you greet me with such a serious expression. I am hurt.”

It’s a normal statement, but with Executive Director Min, it sounded very different. What’s there to be hurt by saying thank you?

“That’s an appropriate greeting when you’re helped by a third party.”

“Ah, I was short-sighted.” It would be better to keep the feelings of gratitude and apology only in the heart. Executive Director Min hugged Jun-Kyung who leaned back like the doll, but the question arose again.

“If you hate water, then why did you book a room with a swimming pool?”

“It was the most luxurious suite.” Indeed, this is the reason for being born with huge amounts of real estate and stocks in both hands.

Jun-Kyung quietly appreciated the distant noise of city life and the faint sound of nature from the mountains for about 10 minutes. The topic of water started by Executive Director Min floated around in his head.

The black and turbulent rough waves are far from the clear and fresh sea seen in documentaries. At some point, a hand with disgusting black veins came up from a gap and grabbed Jun-Kyung.

A shudder ran through him. Jun-Kyung buried his head into the nape of Director Min’s neck while firmly holding on to the shoulders of both arms. His opponent’s arm, loosely wrapped around his waist, tightened.

Vague emotions began to take concrete shape. Jun-Kyung hated dark, dark water. He hates the smell of black death that the water carries. A sense of disgust crept up. As long as he lives with the memories that he can’t confide in anyone, this will happen and whenever that happens, Jun-Kyung suffers from the illusion of guilt that binds his whole body.

However, there is a person by his side who accepts Jun-kyung as a whole body. He is a person who silently embraces a grown man.

“Are you okay?”

The other person, who shrewdly noticed Jun-Kyung inner thoughts, was worried about Jun-kyung. Their relationship started with hypocrisy and contracts, but he reached out to Jun-Kyung the most. The same is true now. He can’t be sure that it will always be that way.

He was the only object Jun-Kyung could hold on to, floating in the black sea stained with guilt- the person who made a way for Jun-kyung, who was helpless at the news of his pregnancy, the person who jumped into the swimming pool without hesitation even though he was traumatized by water, and the one who reached out his hand when he was about to stop breathing in shock.

“Mr. Hyun-Seung.” Jun-Kyung hugged him with all his might.