The bathroom mirror reflected Reya' s tired but gentle smile—one that concealed far more than it revealed.
His thoughts drifted back to the man he shared his nights with. For so long, Reya had believed that Inspector R despised money—refused to bow to the wealthy, hated fortunes built on schemes and deceit.
But today… the man himself had told him otherwise.
Money was necessary, not for survival, but for controlling those who already had it.
That sentence kept replaying in Reya' s head until it grew into a heavy knot in his chest. lf you want to defeat money-hungry men, you need more money. But if you want to win the heart of the officer lying next to you almost every night… then what?
He' d always thought that a kind-faced, soft-smiling, tenderhearted man like R would prefer a playful, clingy lover—someone who could ease his stress after long days. But the moment the name Lieutenant Yuu slipped from R lips, with that unfamiliar seriousness in his eyes… Reya began to doubt.
Maybe the "kindness" he saw wasn' t the answer at all. Maybe he didn' t understand what R truly wanted.
He doesn' t like greedy men.
He doesn' t like sharp tongues or rough faces.
Yet there was one exception… simply because that man—Lieutenant U never yielded to anyone, except him.
Even a fool could see that it wasn' t just about work.
If R was serious about that man… then what did that mean for Reya?
The thought made him shiver, even under the blazing sun.
The forced closeness of work between R and Yuu was the most dangerous thing of all. In proximity, crisis could always turn into opportunity. If Reya didn' t act soon, he might end up watching the man he loved being taken right before his eyes.
I need allies.
[Group Chat: "Reya Is the Cutest in the World"]
Reya: Guys… meet me at the underground bar. I' m facing the biggest crisis of my life.
Rome: Every damn thing in your life is a "big crisis," Rey.
Versailles: Change the group name. Looking at it makes me constipated.
Pyramid changed the group name to "I Built the Pyramids in One Day."
Rome: What the hell, Mid? Can' t you think of anything else?
Rome changed the group name to "I' m Immortal Because My Name Is Rome."
Reya: You assholes!! Listen to me! Don' t ignore me! LISTEN!! 😡
Versailles changed the group name to "Versailles Never Showers."
Reya: Stop changing the name, damn it, let me talk!!
Reya changed the group name to "Reya Is the Main Character, Okay?"
Underground Bar – "Khom Dam Din"
Rome arched a brow, lips twisting in a smirk. "Well, well. The empty void of your life never spares anyone, huh, Conehead?"
The tall bastard' s mocking grin only made it sweeter to see Reya—cocky Reya—actually look weighed down for once, not because of a game but something real.
Reya' s face soured like he' d just swallowed a wasp nest, fists clenching around his glass. "My lover' s about to get a new man."
He slammed back his drink, knuckles trembling against the glass.
"Ugh—ahhh!" His guttural roar shook the table, though what he' d downed was nothing more than chrysanthemum tea. Pyramid blinked at his own glass of the same, utterly lost.
Why the hell so dramatic?
Versailles only grinned wider, as if he were watching some sports festival.
"Great. Maybe now I can get back to work. I was bored anyway."
Reya exhaled sharply and slapped his friend' s broad shoulder, dragging him back to his love life.
Smack!
"Great, my ass! I' m damn perfect, why would he need someone else?" He refilled his tea furiously.
Rome leaned in, draping an arm around Reya' s shoulders. "Maybe you just don' t screw him well enough, Rey." His whisper burned like salt on a wound.
Reya whipped his head toward him, eyes wide, then flicked his gaze down to Rome' s crotch. "If my skills were trash, would Detective R really let me keep him this long? He' s already passed out on my chest once… I even made him lose control and piss from the pleasure."
Rome shrugged. "Maybe he was drunk. Maybe you pressed too hard on his prostate. Boom—golden shower."
Pyramid hurled peanuts at them. "Can you two stop turning this into a damn dick-measuring contest? Focus!"
But of course, Rome and Versailles caught the peanuts in their mouths and high-fived like idiots.
Reya dropped the clown mask, fixing Pyramid with a rare, steely gaze. His voice dropped low.
"There' s a cop sniffing around my lover."
Pyramid tilted his head, unimpressed. "And? That' s hardly unusual."
Reya jabbed a finger in his face, shouting so loud that spit sprayed Rome.
"Unusual, my ass! Why go after my man? Can' t he get his own?!"
Rome calmly wiped his face with a tissue and scooted away. "Your man? He' s the dog' s owner. You' re the dog, remember?" He slapped palms with Versailles, who burst out laughing.
"I don' t wanna be a dog," Reya muttered, his voice suddenly small, swinging between anger, sorrow, and manic energy like a damn bipolar storm.
"Who knows? For the past three months, maybe he never even thought of you as a person."
"Shit, why' d you have to say that now?" Reya' s face crumpled, half sulking, half defiant.
"Maybe the inspector likes someone who feels like an equal," Pyramid mused. "Lieutenant Yuu stern, commanding, same age. Not like some brat…" He waved vaguely at Reya.
"Think about it," Versailles chimed in dreamily. "Two men missing something, drawn close through work, bonding over drinks, admiring each other… it' s practically romantic~"
"Even you fell for the inspector' s gentle smile, Rey. You think others won' t?"
Reya slapped the table. "Why the hell did I even come here? You bastards only make it worse!"
Rome chuckled. "Don' t be naive. If you' re gonna fight for his heart, you' ve gotta be honest about your own feelings."
Pyramid exhaled slowly. "Mind if I go off-topic for a sec?"
Reya narrowed his eyes. "Go on, Professor Mid."
"If you manage to make him choose you… what happens when he finds out the truth about you? Wouldn' t all your efforts to keep someone 'more suitable' away just end with him brokenhearted anyway?"
Rome nodded. "Exactly."
Reya slammed his palm on the table. "What, like I chose to be born this way?! Can' t he just overlook a few things once we' ve slept together? We' re grown men! Politics are small, sex is big!"
Rome howled, "Reya, you damn fool. You' re not just some politician' s son—you are a politician. You' re aiming for a seat in Parliament. That' s the problem, dumbass!"