“Come… over here.”As the voices drew nearer, Muhae slipped deeper among the boxes. He planted himself in the narrow gap and tugged Joo-o in; without resistance, Joo-o squished beside him.“Shh.” Muhae pressed a finger to his lips. Joo-o nodded.From this angle, Muhae noticed how long Joo-o’s eyelashes were—every blink sent their dense length swaying.“These days they’re sending more and more. The shopkeeper said to let him know if any’s left over—they say the taste changes.”“There’s no time for it to change. It’s not for personal collection, and it all goes fast. Just bump it up a bit more.”If one didn’t know better, the hushed conversation passing by wouldn’t seem suspicious.“By the way, those five bottles you said were missing? Not a shortage—just a lamp issue. They couldn’t inspect it properly. They want clearer labeling.”“That’s tough for us to do so explicitly. I’ll pass on the word, though.”As their voices drew near, Muhae stilled his breathing. Joo-o, however—perhaps starved for air—pressed his nose against Muhae’s neck and exhaled in soft bursts.Through the loosened collar of his shirt during break, Muhae felt warm, ticklish breath. He flinched, nudged Joo-o lightly, and Joo-o’s smooth face lifted to meet his gaze.Up close, Joo-o wore an expression so natural Muhae felt an urge to press a finger against his forehead. Yet Joo-o’s eyes narrowed, as if his exhalations were deliberate.A sudden whiff of fragrance hit Muhae. How was it that Joo-o always smelled good, no matter the situation? At this age, males—human or beast—usually reeked. Muhae himself was relatively scentless, yet he’d never smelled anything so clean and perfumed, even as a child.Kkuuk. With no signal from outside, Joo-o bowed his head against Muhae’s body. Though he’d only touched Muhae’s neck, it felt like his lungs were being compressed.At that moment, Muhae realized fully how tightly Joo-o pressed against him. Joo-o’s warmth seeped through clothing to bare skin.The sensation deepened as Joo-o relaxed. Using the narrow space and pressure as an excuse, he leaned fully against Muhae, legs drifting in the cramped gap.Every subtle movement sent a strange thrill through Muhae’s spine, making the fine hairs on his neck stand up.“…They said they’d check in with us soon.”“They can come in person. We can’t go to them.”Muhae forced himself to focus on the conversation outside. Had Joo-o really seen that person in Sakdal? There must have been hundreds of people passing that day—how could he remember?Surely it was a mistake or another one of Joo-o’s flights of fancy. Yet if the rumor of smuggling led to Sakdal, the story fit.As Muhae’s mind raced, Joo-o gripped his waist again. As always, Joo-o stuck without thought; Muhae nearly wobbled.“Hee.” A tiny laugh tickled Muhae’s neck. Joo-o was enjoying it—Muhae forgot they were working. When Muhae didn’t push him away, Joo-o pressed his forehead under Muhae’s chin, rubbing lightly.Tap-tap. Muhae tapped Joo-o’s clinging fingers to warn him. Joo-o’s red eyes flicked up in response, sulking, but he didn’t let go.‘Damn.’ In this confined space, there was nowhere to retreat. If Muhae ignored it, the moment would pass.He tried to listen again, but his attention drifted. To the heat wrapped around his narrowing waist. To Joo-o’s shoulder pressed against his chest.Joo-o’s face seemed to flutter. He inhaled softly, then looked up at Muhae with a bright smile—lips slack, as if intoxicated by a scent.Whirr- Clack!Creeeak- Click! Click!Outside, a loud clatter of moving crates began. A nearby box nudged Muhae, but its faint rattle vanished in the noise.“Cut it out.”Only then did Muhae whisper a warning to Joo-o. Perhaps taking it as permission, Joo-o didn’t pull away but replied cheekily.“Senior, the smell’s stronger.”Shit. The fresh body in the gap was just as unaware. His rising heat only made the limp, melting Joo-o grow warmer.With his hair tied back, Muhae caught sight of Joo-o’s round ear, so neat and tempting he almost wanted to rub it with his thumb.“Mmm. Ha ha…”Joo-o pressed his face against Muhae’s neck, inhaling deeply again and again. The skin under Muhae’s jacket was unmistakably warm. Joo-o even stood on tiptoe sometimes—was that a kiss? The thought of Joo-o’s teeth sinking into his neck made Muhae’s spine shiver and his heart thud.His pulse ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) pounded in his ears—either fear or excitement. Given the circumstances, it was definitely the latter. A curse slipped past Muhae’s clenched teeth.And, of all things, his trousers had caught slightly, tightening an already absurd situation.‘We’re undercover. We’re undercover.’He couldn’t afford another incident. Clenching his teeth, he tried to ignore Joo-o’s motions and trembling hands.“Let go.”But would Joo-o understand? His shameless body was simply responding to mindless touches. Unfortunately, Muhae couldn’t kick Joo-o away in this space. Better to placate him.“If you let go…”His voice dropped so low it scraped his throat. Muhae forced the words out:“If you let go, I’ll touch you back. Just take your hands off and move your legs.”He swallowed the final threat. He’d sooner bite his tongue than let Joo-o spot that he’d betrayed his own warning.“…Really?”Effective persuasion. Though limp, Joo-o’s fingers relaxed and slid away from Muhae’s side.“Hurry.”Joo-o tapped Muhae’s shoulder, urging him on.Muhae raised a hand—his face scrunched into the meanest scowl of late. How had things become so wrong?‘Damn it.’ He wanted to stroke Joo-o’s head, but the space was too tight. Aiming for the jumper, his hand ended up on the thin shirt beneath.Joo-o’s warm, supple hip pressed firm against Muhae’s fingers.Kkuuk. Joo-o mussed Muhae’s neatly arranged hair against his shoulder—an unmistakable signal to move faster. He knew the meaning of “I’ll touch you” all too well.Through gritted teeth, Muhae gently stroked Joo-o’s waist. Only then did Joo-o’s grip slacken and his naughty head rest quietly on Muhae’s shoulder.‘…What the hell.’Damn. Even with Joo-o’s hands gone, it was just as complicated. He could’ve simply patted Joo-o’s head, tugged his ear, rubbed his cheek, or pressed under his chin. But every other spot was too awkward in the gap. Better to wrap a hand around Joo-o’s back and sweep upward.Muhae slid his hand down Joo-o’s spine until he found the hollow of his back. He ran his palm along the vertebrae, and Joo-o’s body trembled with pleasure.“Fuu…” Joo-o exhaled ticklishly against Muhae’s throat, making Muhae feel even warmer. His chest tightened, and Muhae used his free hand to pinch Joo-o’s side.“Mmm.”“No sounds.”“Touch me under my clothes.”“I won’t.”Joo-o’s request had evolved. His lower abdomen twinged with self-loathing.Why did he keep making him do this? Regardless of Muhae’s chiding thoughts, dangerous signals crashed over him.“Before we come back to check items, maybe we can slip inside first?”“Shall we? Oh, I spent all my allowance…”Just then, the noisy commotion ceased. Muhae inhaled deeply, released his grip on Joo-o’s waist, and whispered,“The rest—not now.”He worried Joo-o would insist, but Joo-o simply nodded against his shoulder, obedient.“Let’s go out together. We should hit the restroom before the inspectors return.”As the voices and footsteps faded, Muhae slipped from the box gap. His shirt’s back was damp with sweat. He glanced down—thankfully, only his chest felt slightly fuller.“Haa… come out.”“Mm. Okay.”Joo-o staggered briefly, then trotted after Muhae and grabbed his sleeve.“Let go. Fix your clothes.”Muhae buttoned his shirt to the collar and shoved his crooked glasses into his pocket.He thought of the rat meat, the clinging stench in the tavern bathroom, the sticky residue in the hover-truck corner—and though his stomach churned, his body’s heat finally eased.“You said you saw that person in Sakdal?”Confirming again, Joo-o nodded vigorously. Even if luck helped him spot someone, the smuggling method didn’t seem very sophisticated. Cloud wouldn’t risk sending both of them here blind.“Go see for yourself and give me your opinion,” her words echoed in Muhae’s mind.

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