I’m Too Lazy To Run away - Side Chapter 1

The scorching midday heat was suffocating.

The sun broke into shards of light across the sea, and the salty scent carried by the wind soaked into every corner.

In front of a picture-perfect seaside villa, someone sat before a canvas. His loose white shirt, stained with paint, fluttered in the sea breeze; the sunlight revealed glimpses of his fair, translucent skin. The man paid no mind, his hand moving steadily with the brush.

Scratch, scratch.

Blue paint, the color of sea and sky, spread wherever his brush swept.

At the center of the canvas was a cool-toned blue gate, surrounded by flowers of every hue in full bloom. Despite the boldness of the blue that could easily steal one’s attention, its harmony with the bright, lively flowers brought both freshness and lightness to the scene.

The world inside the painting felt clear and still, as though a gentle breeze might actually flow from it. Outside the canvas, however, things were different. The blazing summer sun heated the ground until the air shimmered. Birds folded their wings, and the once-playful dog scrambled to find shade. Only two figures endured the heat, the large-headed golden cat basking lazily in the sun, and the man absorbed in his art. His cheeks, dry and unblemished by sweat, flushed like summer roses.

Sunlight rippled through the layers of paint, spreading color across the canvas like the depths of the sea. With every passing breeze, the man’s golden hair stirred softly. The distant sound of waves brushed gently against his ears, soothing something deep within him. He stopped painting for a moment and lifted his head to gaze out at the ocean.

The glittering midsummer sea shimmered dreamlike and endless.

“Beautiful…”

Dong-Yoon added the reflection of light upon the water to his painting. As he layered in the fragments of that broken glow, the line between reality and dream blurred. Though no sea was actually drawn, it felt as if the painting itself were submerged beneath it.

He had been immersed in painting for a long while when a cold touch brushed his cheek, startling him. He turned around quickly. The backlight made it hard to see the person’s face, but even from the silhouette, Dong-Yoon recognized him instantly. Then came that low, velvety voice, one that always carried a teasing warmth.

“Didn’t I tell you to paint indoors during the day?”

It was Cha Gil-Do.

Dong-Yoon smiled as their eyes met.

“I’m almost finished.”

Gil-Do handed him a glass filled with a cold drink. Dong-Yoon set down his brush and accepted it. Inside was a grapefruit ade, shimmering a clear, rosy red. Suddenly, he realized how thirsty he was.

He took a sip through the straw. The fragrant tang of grapefruit filled his mouth, cooling his throat as it went down. The refreshing taste made him smile without realizing it.

“It’s delicious!”

“I’ll have to make it for you more often.”

Gil-Do smiled faintly.

Clink.

The sound of ice striking glass caught Dong-Yoon’s attention. He looked toward Gil-Do’s cup, it was filled to the brim with ice. His own drink was cold enough, but it didn’t have that many cubes. Watching the ice glisten and shift, Dong-Yoon couldn’t help but blurt out,

“Ice…”

 “Hm?”

 “I want mine with ice too.”

 “Isn’t it already cold enough?”

 “Well, yes, but…”

He trailed off, eyes still fixed on the sparkling cubes in Gil-Do’s glass.

Realizing what he meant, Gil-Do smiled but shook his head.

“What if you get a stomachache?”

Dong-Yoon blinked, incredulous. He wasn’t that fragile, and if that were the case, shouldn’t Gil-Do avoid iced drinks too? Feeling a rare burst of defiance, Dong-Yoon frowned and said firmly,

“Then let’s share it. Half the ice for me.”

“…No.”

 “Why not?”

 “It’s for keeping myself awake.”

 “Huh?”

 “……”

Instead of answering, Gil-Do popped a piece of ice into his mouth and bit down on it with a sharp crunch. Then, meeting Dong-Yoon’s eyes, he stared as if waiting for him to understand.

“……!”

The moment Dong-Yoon realized what he meant, his face turned scarlet, and he ducked his head.

Crack, crack.

The sound of ice shattering between Gil-Do’s teeth filled the air. A strange silence lingered, only Dong-Yoon’s pounding heartbeat and flushed warmth betraying his thoughts. His face burned hotter than the summer sun; he dared not lift his head, knowing his cheeks must be as red as a tomato.

He stared down at his grapefruit ade, fingers fidgeting around the cup.

‘He really doesn’t know what embarrassment is…’

Gil-Do had never hesitated to express his feelings. Especially when it came to desire, he was painfully direct, unashamed, unrestrained.

Dong-Yoon, on the other hand, was still learning to handle such open affection.

He fiddled with his drink, mustering the courage to finally speak.

“…We did it last week.”

“I can’t remember a single day I felt fine whenever I thought about you…”

Cha Gil-Do’s voice trailed off.

“I didn’t know it would burn like this.”

He gave a small, helpless smile, as if to say, see, I’m holding back pretty well, aren’t I? Then he tossed another piece of ice into his mouth. Each time his teeth ground against it with a sharp crack, Dong-Yoon’s shoulders flinched. Every time they did it, he’d end up fainting midway and bedridden for days afterward, so they’d agreed to take a break. Still, seeing Gil-Do act so composed made him worry again.

‘…Should I say we can do it today?’

It had been a week, he’d fully recovered, or so he thought. But when he sneaked a glance at Gil-Do, whose hollow-eyed expression as he crunched ice looked borderline feral, a faint survival instinct screamed don’t you dare. Sure, Gil-Do always took care of him, but Dong-Yoon still had some pride left; he couldn’t be the one collapsing and needing help every single time.

Avoiding his lover’s gaze, Dong-Yoon made a firm resolve.

‘I need to build stamina first.’

At least enough not to pass out halfway, that was his first goal.

While Dong-Yoon’s small brain busily plotted his self-improvement plan, Gil-Do, whose desire had been building like an untamed beast all week, found his gaze wandering toward Dong-Yoon’s collarbone. If he leaned forward just a little, he could see the faint pink of his nipples beneath the shirt. He couldn’t look away. Thank god no one else was around, what was he supposed to do with a lover so oblivious to danger?

Gil-Do swallowed the ice with a burning throat. But a few cubes were nowhere near enough to cool the fire raging inside him.

It’s been a week, so he should be fine now, right?

We could take it slow.

Ease into it, just halfway, it won’t be too much.

Maybe just once or twice, nice and light.

All the thoughts spinning in his head sounded reasonable enough, except none of them were things he’d actually manage to follow through on. Still, he convinced himself otherwise.

Just before his rationality could snap, Dong-Yoon spoke.

“Can you really keep holding back?”

 “…What?”

Gil-Do, who had been mentally undressing his innocent lover from head to toe, froze as if lightning had struck him. His mind went blank.

“W-Why?”

“It’s not enough. That’s no good.”

“….”

‘Not enough? What’s not enough?’

For a brief moment, Gil-Do’s thoughts turned white noise. He forced himself to stay calm, Dong-Yoon’s roundabout way of talking wasn’t new. All he had to do was ask what exactly he meant. But for once, Dong-Yoon spoke faster than him.

“Mm… I think I have to build it up.”

 “…!”

He nodded seriously, meaning his own stamina, but Gil-Do completely misunderstood, his face draining of color.

‘No, no, I must be misunderstanding something…!’

He’d misread things before, like that incident with the abalone, so he needed to clarify. Gil-Do struggled to speak.

“W-What do you mean, build what up?”

 “My lower body!”

 “…!”

Dong-Yoon’s earnest answer was full of determination. He’d decided to focus on lower-body training, thinking that since he was always the one on the bottom, strengthening his legs and core might help.

Would training only his lower half even improve endurance? He wasn’t sure.

‘The real problem is stamina anyway…’

He muttered again, thinking out loud.

“To increase staying power…”

 “……!!”

For the record, Dong-Yoon had mixed up stamina with duration, the phrasing couldn’t have been worse.

‘I should add some cardio too!’

While Dong-Yoon found his “brilliant” solution, Gil-Do’s face went ghost-white, even in the middle of summer.

The large orange cat that had been napping nearby stretched lazily and padded away, leaving the two of them in heavy silence.

It was a conversation of nonsense met with an equally nonsensical misunderstanding, and neither of them realized it.

Thank you Haley for telling me there’s a new update for sides. I haven’t been going to ridi lately since all novels had been picked up by other groups and I can’t seem to find another project to translate there. If you want to any books or recommendation for me to translate please comment here or join my discord.