The car glided eastward. The noise and heaviness of Seoul were left behind. The atmosphere was tense at first, but Sojin, who was surprisingly calm today, decided to break the silence. He began to ask questions cautiously, as if afraid of pushing Aziel away.

​— "Aziel, I’ve always wanted to ask... why Korea? Egypt is far away, and the culture is completely different. And you speak our language so well... how did that happen?"

​Aziel felt the tension release its grip on him. He turned toward Sojin and began to tell his story.

— "Belly dancing is very famous in Egypt, but the competition is terrifyingly high. Only a few manage to get paid well and achieve real success. I wanted more. As for Korean..." Aziel smiled slightly, "my aunt's husband, Mr. Kim, is Korean. I’ve been very close to him since I was a child; he was the one who taught me my first words. When my family came to Korea as tourists at age 15 and stayed at their house, I simply fell in love with this country. I knew back then that I would return."

They made stops along the way, eating ice cream and trying various street foods. Koreans, seeing Aziel’s exotic and vibrant appearance, were shocked; many approached him and asked to take pictures. Sojin watched it all silently from the side, seeing how Aziel responded to everyone with kindness and a smile.

​When they finally reached the seaside, Aziel’s breath hitched. Although Egypt is a coastal country, he had missed the smell of the water and the horizon so much.

​Sojin stayed a little behind. He took out a cigarette, lit it, and took such a deep breath as if he had been starved of oxygen his whole life. At that moment, he seemed so peaceful that Aziel dared to approach and ask:

— "Sojin, how long have you been smoking?"

Sojin gave a slight smirk, inhaled the smoke again, and looking into the distance, said quietly:

— "A long time..."

​There was so much pain and heaviness in that single phrase that Aziel fell silent for a moment. He felt that this "long time" was connected to the very bruises and scratches he had seen in the bathroom. But Sojin didn't let the atmosphere get heavy.

— "Do you want to swim?" he asked, turning toward Aziel.

​Aziel’s mood changed instantly. His eyes began to shine like a child's.

— "Of course!" he exclaimed.

​As soon as they reached the shore, Aziel, with childlike joy, quickly took off his clothes. Sojin stood nearby, smiling slightly as he watched the boy run toward the water. Aziel threw himself into the waves, starting to swim and laugh, splashing water into the air with his hands.

​Sojin took out his phone and began to film Aziel. He thought these shots would be wonderful for the boy's blog. With each subsequent frame, the image appeared closer and closer. As he zoomed in, Sojin’s smile suddenly vanished. On the screen, upon Aziel’s wet and sun-glistening chest, he noticed two delicate, metal piercings. Water droplets slid over them, creating a scene so sexual and raw that Sojin held his breath for a moment.

​— "Sojin, come on! The water is a miracle!" Aziel shouted, waving his hand.

The voice snapped Sojin out of it. He refused, but Aziel came out of the water, ran to him, and despite Sojin’s resistance, dragged him toward the waves by force. The next moment, both were wet and laughing, forgetting about everything else.

​Since it was the weekend, there was only one vacant room in the hotel. When they went up to the room to rinse off and dry, Aziel noticed Sojin’s body again. The bruises had darkened, and some wounds even looked fresh.

​Later, sitting in a restaurant with a sea view, Aziel couldn't resist. He stared at the marks on Sojin’s neck for a long time, then directed his gaze into his eyes.

— "Sojin... those wounds," he said in a low voice, "What happened? I saw them when you were changing."

Sojin tried to change the subject, but Aziel didn't back down. He just looked at Sojin with a gaze that demanded an answer.

​— "Family matters, Aziel," Sojin finally said, leaning back in his chair. "Nothing interesting."

But seeing Aziel’s serious and worried face, he realized that this boy wasn't just asking a question—he truly wanted to know. Sojin began to tell his life story, as calmly as if he were talking about someone else...

​He told him that his parents had divorced long ago and he had no news of his father. Since the day he was born, he had lived with his mother's family, but it wasn't a normal family—it was a family of kkangpae (gangsters), of which his mother was the boss. He explained that he was mainly raised and educated by his grandfather, but after an accident, his grandfather became disabled, and now Sojin takes great pleasure in supporting him. He rarely communicates with his mother and brother, and only when they demand help from him.

​Aziel listened silently to Sojin’s calm tone. But before he could ask the next question, Sojin’s tone changed. He said in a cold and threatening voice:

— "No one knows about any of this. If a single word slips from your mouth, it's very possible I'll have to silence you."

He made it clear that this was not a game and the conversation was closed. Aziel got flustered and, to warm up the atmosphere again, simply praised the delicious meal prepared by the chef.

​Sojin was already lying in bed, but sleep was far from him. When Aziel entered the room with his camera in hand, they only exchanged a brief "good night" and tried to sleep. However, in the silence, Aziel could clearly hear Sojin’s heavy, irregular breathing.

— "Sojin, does it hurt a lot?" Aziel asked, sitting up.

— "It's not the first time, sleep," Sojin answered curtly.

​But Aziel didn't listen. He brought the ointment and, without asking for permission, began to carefully apply it to Sojin’s wounds. Sojin froze for a moment, then grabbed Aziel’s hand.

— "I'll do it myself, there's no need to help."

Aziel did not obey. He continued his work, and inside Sojin, a real chaos of emotions began. He was angry that Aziel wasn't listening to him, but at the same time, he felt pleasure from the boy’s gentle touches. Passion was slowly suffocating him. Aziel was so close... Sojin’s gaze froze again on those "stupid and vulgar" piercings. He couldn't believe that those pieces of metal attracted him so much.

​Suddenly, with a rough motion, Sojin grabbed Aziel’s hand, pinned him to the bed with all his strength, and looked down at him. With one hand, he pressed Aziel’s two wrists above his head, and with his legs, he immobilized his legs. Aziel was in shock, while Sojin’s gaze seemed to devour him.

— "What is happening?" Aziel barely whispered.

​— "The girls I paint and take to my studio always end up in my bed," Sojin’s voice was husky and low. "It's the first time I've taken a boy there... maybe it’s worth a try. Especially since it’s you, with such a delicate and passionate body."

​Aziel blushed. He was simultaneously annoyed by Sojin’s bedroom "list" and flattered that Sojin found him attractive. From the tension, he began to bite his lower lip.

Sojin smirked, following the movement:

— "Are your lips that tasty, huh? Give them to me, let me try too."

​He kissed Aziel abruptly and passionately. Aziel couldn't believe his senses. It was the first kiss of his life—a wild mix of emotions, fear, and desire that simply turned off his reason.

​Sojin’s kisses slowly descended. He felt the pulsing vein in Aziel’s neck with his lips, then moved to the chest, exploring every inch. Finally, he reached those nipples whose piercings had given him no peace since the first day. Sojin began to play with the delicate metal rings using his tongue and lips, as if it were the most delicious meal in the world. He let go of Aziel’s hands, but the boy was no longer running away; he was caressing Aziel’s chest with his hands and lips, and Aziel, unable to restrain himself from pleasure, began to moan softly.

​However, just as Sojin was about to kiss his way down to the waist, the silence was shattered by a phone call. Sojin stopped for a moment, looked at the screen, and saw the name "Mother." His mood changed instantly. Passion was replaced by cold tension. Without saying a word, he got up, took the phone, and left the room.

​Aziel remained alone in the bed. He was breathing heavily, his heart ready to jump out of his chest. When he recovered a little and tried to get up, he felt wet between his legs. A feeling of shame covered him like a tomato. He ran to the bathroom, rinsed off quickly, changed his clothes, and lay down again, but sleep would not come.

​Sojin did not return all night. Aziel thought of a thousand things: "Who was the caller?", "Why did he leave like that?". He began to remember Sojin’s words about the other girls and felt sad; maybe he wasn't as desirable to him as they were.

​In the morning, Sojin entered the room and woke him up abruptly:

— "Get ready, we are returning to Seoul."

On the way back, Sojin was extremely nervous. He drove the car in silence, but every movement showed that something serious had happened during the night. Aziel didn't even dare to breathe next to him.