Just as Richard said, after walking a short distance, Jeong Taeui noticed a small stream to the
right.
To cross to the other side of the stream, an average height person would have difficulty
getting across without getting their pants wet unless they rolled them up to their thighs. On
this side of the stream, connected to the west wing, there were horse-riding trails, while on
the other side was a pristine forest perfect for strolling.
Jeong Taeui, who had boldly claimed the day before that he loved such primeval forests, had
crossed the stream but had to turn back almost immediately due to the dense, thorny
underbrush entangled among the ancient oak trees.
Hence, it made sense that this area was so quiet.
Jeong Taeui looked towards the stream with regret.
The day before, when he had crossed the stream to the other side, he had shivered with cold
because the sun wasn't out, making the water icy. But today was different. The weather was
extremely hot, and even in the forest, he could feel the scorching sunlight above. A rare cool
breeze passed through. The thought of immersing himself in the stream to swim came to his
mind.
"Swimming in such a large stream would be amazing... The people in Tarten can vacation
here without needing to go far. And on a day like today, it would be perfect... Today is so
hot..."
Jeong Taeui nodded while looking at the stream from the dense forest.
He decided to forgo the walk.
Jeong Taeui enjoyed walking on gently cloudy days and even on rainy days, he could walk
under an umbrella. But he couldn't resist swimming when faced with such cool water on a hot
day like this.
He stepped out from the shade.
On both sides of the stream, smooth pebbles from upstream were piled up.
Jeong Taeui looked around once to make sure there was no one else there, even though he
probably wouldn't mind if someone appeared. He took off his shirt and, after a moment of
thought, decided to only remove his pants and stay in his boxers. His perfect plan was to just
wear his pants when he got out and take off the boxers once he returned.
Jeong Taeui placed his clothes neatly on a rock in the warm sunlight and jumped into the
water.Oh my, it was freezing.
Perhaps because the water was directly from the upstream, even with the sun shining on it, it
was as cold as ice, chilling to the bone.
"OH MY... People with weak hearts shouldn't come in here."
Jeong Taeui exclaimed while diving underwater again. He submerged his body completely,
letting the water envelop him. The water wasn't deep, but it was enough to lie in.
It felt great.
When it came to swimming, he could swim freely in Berlin. The Tarten mansion had a pool,
and the mansion in Berlin had a pool too. It was even large enough for many people to swim
together.
But how long had it been since Jeong Taeui had the chance to immerse himself in cool
natural water deep in the forest like this? He couldn't even remember.
Whether it was the surrounding atmosphere or the water temperature and quality, it was far
better than the home pool, and even the feeling of swimming in such shallow water was
special.
It felt really good.
Jeong Taeui dived near the bottom of the stream as he used to do when playing in streams as
a child. Actually, the water wasn't deep enough to be considered diving, but the sensation of
being completely submerged was wonderful. There was nothing better than turning, opening
his eyes, and looking up at the clear water and sunny sky.
Next time, they should vacation at the beach.
Jeong Taeui thought as he remembered how Kyle would take his family on vacations once a
year.
After frolicking in the water for a long time, he soon ran out of breath.
Jeong Taeui emerged from the water, gasping, and stood up, spitting out some water. The
scorching sun above warmed his body.
"A... it would be great if the water were a bit warmer... hm?"
Jeong Taeui suddenly felt as if something he hadn't seen before slipped past his line of sight
as he entered the water, so he turned his head back. The moment he confirmed the existence
of 'that thing,' he was momentarily speechless.
It was… Well.... A white horse.
A large white horse was standing right next to the rock where Jeong Taeui had placed his
clothes, looking down at him proudly."..."
And a second later, he also realized that Christoph was sitting on a large rock beside the
stream. The white riding clothes he wore today looked particularly hot.
"Chri..."
"Sit down."
"What?"
Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Christoph frowned and ordered. Jeong Taeui stared
blankly at him for a moment.
"Sit down? Sit down where?"
"In the water."
"...Why?"
"I don't want to see your wet underwear clinging to you."
Just a minute ago, Jeong Taeui had looked at his own body and thought, 'This should be
fine...'
He remembered the satisfaction he felt with his body at that moment, then felt embarrassed
under Christoph's cold gaze, and quietly crouched back into the water.
"...It's so cold."
"Then turn around and stand with your back facing me."
Jeong Taeui, with only his head above water, looked pitifully at the beautiful young man
speaking emotionlessly without changing his expression.
"I have a better idea... why don't you continue on your way? Besides, this isn't even a horse-
riding path. Why are you here?"
"This is the path I always take. Moreover, this is where I always rest."
"This isn't a horse-riding path!"
"I never go on those paths. I don't like accidentally meeting people."
Jeong Taeui fell silent.
Now he sank his mouth into the stream.
Christoph stood up and walked over to the horse resting beside a rock under the shade of a
large oak tree. He took out something resembling a snack from a small bag attached to thesaddle and placed it in his palm. The horse immediately nuzzled his hand. With one hand, he
fed the horse, while the other hand gently stroked its mane.
The scene was warm but... oh my, it was cold.
When submerged in the water, Jeong Taeui hadn't thought much about it, but now that he was
aware, the water felt as cold as ice.
Meanwhile, Christoph sighed softly and looked up at the sky, wiping the sweat off his
forehead under his hat with his finger.
...Ah.
"Christoph. Christoph."
Jeong Taeui called his name in a friendly manner. Christoph, wiping the sweat from his
forehead, turned around with surprise. Jeong Taeui gave a beauty queen smile.
"I just thought of another good idea. How about you soak and relax too? It's very refreshing,
really good."
Christoph just sneered contemptuously.
Of course, it wasn't going to work.
Jeong Taeui sank back into the water up to his nose.
But it seemed Christoph didn't entirely dismiss the idea.
Christoph thought for a moment and then asked Jeong Taeui.
"Is it really good?"
"Huh?"
"Is soaking in the water really good?"
"Huh? Yes, of course, it's very refreshing. But if you soak too long, it gets a bit cold."
Jeong Taeui felt uneasy and slowly stood up. Just having the upper half of his body out of the
water felt much warmer.
Christoph pondered again. He glanced at the horse, then gently patted its nose as if to say,
'Wait a bit.'
Then Christoph approached the stream and began taking off his riding outfit, placing it next
to the rock where Jeong Taeui's clothes were.
Starting with his hat, then his gloves, and then the tight-looking jacket, finally the boots—all
were neatly placed beside the rock. Next, he removed his uncomfortable-looking pants and,
lastly, the spotless white shirt.Jeong Taeui unconsciously watched every movement of Christoph, unable to take his eyes off
him.
Finally, Christoph removed his watch and placed it on the pile of clothes, wearing only his
underwear, and walked towards Jeong Taeui.
"Wow... a walking statue... it's amazing..."
Jeong Taeui mumbled with his mouth half-submerged in water. The words, mixed with water
bubbles, were unclear, so perhaps Christoph couldn't understand them. Actually, he did it on
purpose because if Christoph understood, he would be dead.
Honestly, Jeong Taeui didn't know where to focus his gaze with Christoph right in front of
him. Christoph was stepping into the cold water, standing for a while as the water only
reached his calves, seemingly colder than expected.
Jeong Taeui often thought that Christoph's appearance was breathtakingly beautiful, but when
he took off his clothes, that beauty became even more intense.
His slender and graceful body was slightly thin but with smooth and balanced curves.
Absolutely gorgeous.
Jeong Taeui thought that just covering that body with a thin layer of plaster would create a
perfect statue.
As he was lost in thought, he looked up at Christoph, who was getting closer after getting
used to the water temperature.
"Your lips are pale."
Christoph suddenly said, making Jeong Taeui realize how cold he was. He saw that his nails
had also turned a light blue.
"Can I stand up?"
When Jeong Taeui hesitantly asked, Christoph remained silent for a moment, then feeling
more comfortable after soaking in the water, he nodded.
Jeong Taeui immediately stood up. He took a few steps and sat on a rock protruding in the
middle of the stream. The water dripping from his soaked body wet the rock, but the hot sun
quickly dried it.
It was like they had switched places. This time, Christoph was the one soaking in the water.
Even though the water was only waist-deep, and even when submerged, one could see clearly
from above, Jeong Taeui knew that didn't matter to the person soaking. The sensation of the
water enveloping the entire body was all that mattered.
"…"Jeong Taeui sat with one leg propped up on the rock, resting his chin on his hand, watching
Christoph soak in the water. The ivory-white back shimmered faintly under the water. The
long, slender legs looked as soft as silk. Jeong Taeui swallowed unconsciously.
Then he suddenly drew back and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Not good, not good. Not yours. Don't be greedy."
Jeong Taeui suddenly remembered Ilay's words. Christoph wasn't his type; otherwise, Ilay
wouldn't have let him stay by his side.
Jeong Taeui nodded, reassuring his racing heart.
If Christoph wasn't his type and he was already this captivated, what if he was his type? It's a
good thing he wasn't. Otherwise, he might have fainted and been floating on the water by
now.
As Jeong Taeui was patting his chest, Christoph unexpectedly stood up from the water. When
wet, his platinum blonde hair looked darker. The blue eyes seemed to sparkle with water
droplets.
Snap out of it. You're not a scholar bewitched by a fox spirit.
"Is Rick your lover?"
However, Jeong Taeui didn't need to stay calm for long. Christoph's unexpected question
blew away all other thoughts from his mind.
"...Huh?"
Jeong Taeui asked back blankly. Christoph remained silent, his head slightly lowered, lips
tightly pressed, looking both contemplative and angry.
But how could he be angry after just soaking in the cool water?
Jeong Taeui scratched his head, water dripping from his hair onto his hand.
"Have you and Rick... advanced to a deeper relationship?"
Christoph asked after a moment of silence. This time, the question left Jeong Taeui's mind
blank.
Jeong Taeui was stunned, "Huh?"
Suddenly, a question flashed through his mind: For someone with such an ideal and pure
view of male relationships as Christoph, what exactly did a deep relationship mean?
"Have you kissed?"Christoph asked so seriously that Jeong Taeui thought if he didn't answer now, something
serious would happen. Jeong Taeui also became serious, even though he was still dazed.
"...Um."
The moment Jeong Taeui answered, Christoph's expression became even more fierce. His
gaze at Jeong Taeui was harsh.
At that moment, a thought flashed through Jeong Taeui's mind.
Right, come to think of it, Christoph had known Ilay since they were very young. Whether
they admitted it or not, they were childhood friends. They even worked together in the
special forces, going through life and death together. So it wouldn't be surprising if feelings
beyond friendship developed between them during that time.
Jeong Taeui became more serious.
"Chris, do you..."
"...have feelings for Ilay?" - Jeong Taeui didn't dare to ask the whole question as Christoph's
expression became even darker.
Wow. It seems to be true.
Jeong Taeui stood there, stunned as if he had just been struck on the head.