I Bought the Male Lead with Money

32.

Yu Jin regretted it.

‘Why did I come this way of all places?’

He thought he knew the paths well since it was the garden of his own mansion, but apparently not. When night fell, he couldn’t tell where anything was. So he kept moving forward, only to end up where Jinhyeon was.

Jinhyeon’s attitude was gentler than before, but that made him even more frightening. Yu Jin couldn’t guess what he was thinking inside. The one fortunate thing was that the guards were nearby.

He was glad he listened to Keith. Even though they had spent the night together, Yu Jin still didn’t trust Jinhyeon. Especially since he had left the room angrily earlier.

‘Don’t let your guard down.’

Jinhyeon is a psychopath. Yu Jin steeled himself against relaxing. By then, their conversation had ended. After talking about finding a teacher for Jinhyeon, there was nothing more to say.

“Well, I’ll continue my walk then.”

Yu Jin said this as he turned to leave. But Jinhyeon didn’t let him go so easily.

“I’ll come with you.”

“Where?”

“You said you’re going for a walk? I’ll join you.”

Jinhyeon fell in step beside Yu Jin as if it were the most natural thing. Yu Jin regretted not saying he was going to bed, but had no choice but to walk through the dark garden with Jinhyeon. Walking so close, Yu Jin caught Jinhyeon’s scent. He must have sweated during training, but strangely it didn’t feel unpleasant.

‘Is this the protagonist’s charm?’

Well, the protagonist is supposed to be special. It’s not that strange.

‘The strange one is me.’

Yu Jin’s hand gripped his clothes tightly. He had smelled Jinhyeon’s sweat before. Under the moonlight streaming through the window, on the shaking bed.

The heavy weight pressing down on him, the thick, hard member pushing inside, the low breathing in his ear. As those thoughts came to him, a strange sensation took over his body. A small spark ignited in his lower abdomen, growing hotter. In other words, he was getting aroused.

Yu Jin was usually someone who sought comfort through other senses when things got difficult, but he never expected to think of this now.

‘No!’

Yu Jin dug his nails into his own flesh, trying to suppress the unbidden sensations. He thought the pain would distract him, but it wasn’t nearly enough. This wouldn’t do. He needed to get away from Jinhyeon, the source of these feelings.

“I’ll stop here. I’m a bit tired.”

He tried to retreat while pretending to be calm, but Jinhyeon approached him. Surprised, Yu Jin stepped back, but Jinhyeon followed.

“W-why?”

Yu Jin stammered in confusion.

“I’m going with you. You’re heading back, right? I’ll escort you.”

Jinhyeon’s sudden show of goodwill made Yu Jin uncomfortable.

“It’s fine. This is my mansion. I know the way well.”

He tried to politely refuse, but Jinhyeon paid no attention.

“Then let’s say I don’t know the way. If you leave me here, I’ll wander around the garden. Is that okay?”

Faced with Jinhyeon’s grinning words, Yu Jin couldn’t refuse any longer. He tried to retrace his steps, but wasn’t he the one who had gotten lost and ended up at the training ground in the first place? No matter how far they walked, the mansion didn’t come into view.

‘Why is this garden so huge!’

Should he ask the guards following behind for directions? As he was considering this, he felt a tingling sensation on the side of his face. Jinhyeon was staring at him. Had he noticed that Yu Jin was lost and was silently pressuring him? Yu Jin glanced at Jinhyeon nervously. But when he looked, Jinhyeon’s face didn’t seem displeased at all.

He wore a soft smile, even seeming to be in a good mood. Of course, Yu Jin shouldn’t judge Jinhyeon solely by appearances, but he felt his tense body relax a little.

“What are you so happy about?”

The question slipped out in an instant. At Yu Jin’s query, Jinhyeon’s eyes curved into crescent moons. Then a languid voice flowed from him.

“Just… It feels nice walking like this.”

Seeing this unfamiliar, relaxed side of Jinhyeon, Yu Jin found himself staring in a daze. His heart fluttered strangely. And it seemed Jinhyeon noticed this flutter too.

As they walked, Jinhyeon grabbed Yu Jin’s steady hand, turned it over, and discovered the nail marks on his palm. After looking at the marks, Jinhyeon raised his head to examine Yu Jin. Then he smiled, but it was different from before.

Instead of ease, there was a mischievous glint in his smile.

“You’re excited.”

Jinhyeon’s calloused finger pressed firmly into Yu Jin’s palm. The light pain it caused made Yu Jin’s body heat up.

“Want to sleep together?”

It wasn’t just a simple invitation to share a bed. He probably meant to have sex. Yu Jin struggled to speak.

“Is that what you want?”

He was asking if Jinhyeon wanted to use one of his two remaining wishes. Jinhyeon responded with a sly expression.

“I do want it, but I’d prefer not to count it as one of the times.”

What a thief. Yu Jin was speechless at the audacity, but even in this situation, Jinhyeon continued to seduce him. He interlaced their fingers and pulled Yu Jin’s hand up to kiss the back of it.

“Can’t two consenting adults sometimes have sex if they’re in the mood? Does there need to be a price for that?”

Jinhyeon’s words were contradictory. Their first time had been transactional after all. Even knowing this, Yu Jin felt his resolve wavering. He knew he should refuse, but the words wouldn’t come out. Sex with Jinhyeon had been incredibly rough, but equally pleasurable.

Yu Jin had been with several partners before, but none had given him such intense pleasure. It seemed he preferred things a bit rough in bed.

However, what held him back from readily agreeing to sex was the thought of Keith, whom he’d left in his room.

“I…”

As Yu Jin was about to speak his decision, Jinhyeon lightly bit his hand. The sharp pain made Yu Jin squeeze his eyes shut.

‘I shouldn’t…’

But he couldn’t bring himself to refuse anymore.

Instead of returning to his own room, Yu Jin headed towards the guest room where Jinhyeon was staying. As they entered the bedroom, Yu Jin’s entranced state cleared somewhat.

‘I’m crazy!’

No matter how good the sex was, to think of doing it with Jinhyeon again. He must have gone temporarily insane. Wondering if he should still try to escape, Yu Jin stared at the door, but then Jinhyeon entered and promptly took off his shirt.

His upper body, even more solid and larger than when they first met, was impressive. Yu Jin unconsciously swallowed, and in the quiet room, the sound seemed to echo like thunder.

‘I want to cry.’

He wanted to hide in a mousehole out of embarrassment. Seeing Yu Jin like this, Jinhyeon laughed out loud. It was a laugh befitting his actual age. Yu Jin hadn’t known he could laugh like that. Once again, he found himself staring blankly at Jinhyeon.

“Shall I go wash up?”

Jinhyeon asked with smiling eyes. And before Yu Jin could answer, he added:

“No, I think it would be better if we bathed together.”

“…Why?”

“If I go in first to wash, I think you might run away in the meantime.”

Yu Jin inwardly exclaimed:

‘Correct!’

He had been planning to flee the moment Jinhyeon was out of sight. But agreeing now would mean losing the chance to escape.

“Why would I run away?”

He tried to answer as nonchalantly as possible, but Jinhyeon didn’t buy it. He lifted Yu Jin up and carried him into the bathroom. Though it was a guest room, most guests were nobles, so the bathroom was properly furnished. It wasn’t as nice as the one in Yu Jin’s room, but it was still spacious and beautiful in its own right. Jinhyeon set Yu Jin down in a corner of the bathroom.

“Shall I undress you too?”

“No! I can do it myself.”

Yu Jin shook his head desperately and started by removing the ornament at his neck. As he did so, his loosened top fell off. Seeing his flat chest, incomparable to Jinhyeon’s, he couldn’t help but sigh.

‘No, it’s not bad for someone who doesn’t exercise.’

Though he was skinny like a dried anchovy, he was at least a good-looking anchovy. As he tried to comfort himself, he suddenly felt self-deprecating.

‘I should build some muscle.’

Though he wasn’t sure where his muscles even were, he had been called a prodigy as a child, so he thought he could manage somehow. He chose not to think about how many childhood prodigies end up as ordinary adults.

Yu Jin couldn’t let go of even this small hope. He sighed softly and then undid the decoration at his waist. He moved at a pace slower than a turtle, but Jinhyeon waited patiently. No, he seemed to be enjoying it somehow.

Each time a piece of Yu Jin’s clothing fell, the smile disappeared from Jinhyeon’s face. Eventually, he started looking at Yu Jin like he wanted to devour him.

‘I’m going to be eaten.’

Knowing this, anticipation began to rise within him.

“Come here.”

Following Jinhyeon’s gesture, Yu Jin moved to stand in front of him. He saw Jinhyeon’s perfect body, so different from his own. His gaze traveled down Jinhyeon’s chest and lingered below.