Peculiar Mark [M]

Drowsiness weighed heavily behind Kang Jinha's reddened eyelids. 

Oh, how he was so tempted to just close his eyes and succumb to the dreamland once more, but a glimpse of an unfamiliar dark ceiling above him abruptly jerked him back to reality. 

With his mind still groggy, he squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again. He attempted to move, but his entire arms were so numb and heavy that they no longer felt like his own. It took a considerable effort on his part to be able to twitch his fingers. 

For a split second, Kang Jinha thought that he was back in prison, and his rebirth—including everything that happened afterwards—was nothing but pipe dream and a bizarre product of his imagination to cope with the ruthless reality. It was not real to begin with. This bleak notion lasted until he propped up an elbow to push himself into the sitting position, only to feel a hot, sharp pain searing through the unspeakable part of his body. 

"Ah—" With a muffled cry, Kang Jinha fell back into the bed. 

He stared wide-eyed at the mottled ceiling above him, his limbs spasming and twitching in aching soreness. Every inch of his body felt foreign, especially the lower half from his waist down to the tip of his toes. It was as though someone had savagely torn him apart before reassembling him together once more. 

A layer of cold sweat soaked his body, which lay naked under the quilt… wait, naked?? What the hell had happened to him?! 

Oh, right, he clutched his aching head with a groan. I wandered outside, went to a bar, got myself a drink, and then—

A torrent of chaotic and blurry images returned to him in waves, drawing out another pained groan from his bruised and swollen lips. The last memory that remained vivid to him was when he accepted a stranger's daring offer for a hook-up and then— there's no 'and then'. 

His mind drew an abrupt blank after that. 

He supposed they must have moved to the nearest motel, but he did not have the slightest recollection of it. Why had he never known he could be a blackout drunk? 

Had that person—what's his name again— left already? 

Kang Jinha couldn't sense the presence of another in this room, which caused him to breathe a sigh of relief. 

Leaving early was the right decision; he wouldn't know how to feel or react if he were to wake up sober and find a stranger in the same room, whom he had no memory of sleeping with. Good thing the other person was cold and decisive. 

Kang Jinha needed not the care of a random someone he would not meet again for the second time. They had promised to only take what they needed from each other, after all. 

"Haa…" he draped an arm over his face with a long sigh. As he waited for the soreness and numbness to subside from his body, his mind couldn't help but wander. Had the aftermath of sex always felt this uncomfortable for everyone? Or was it simply because this was his first time? 

It felt… great, he supposed. He had a fuzzy notion that he truly enjoyed what they were doing, though it was probably a little too intense to his liking.

Not that he would complain. The man wasn't lying when he boasted that he was a pretty decent fuck. He had taken care of Kang Jinha fairly well, even going as far as to help him wipe down his body and cover him with a blanket. Kang Jinha was genuinely grateful that he did not have to wake up with a sticky sensation in his lower body. 

Alas…

Too bad he couldn't quite recall anything about the man. Kang Jinha let out a regretful sigh. Let alone his name, Kang Jinha couldn't even remember what he looked like. The only faint impression that lasted until now was that the man had an impressive figure, a warm and intoxicating voice akin to the finest wine, and an alluring scent that made him go… hungry.

As soon as this thought flashed in his mind, a loud growl rumbled from Kang Jinha's stomach. 

Come to think of it, he had vomited his dinner last night. No wonder he felt so famished after going through such an intense exercise. A glance at the clock on the bedside told him that it was now a little past 3 AM – the time when the whole city still lay in a sweet slumber, not yet ready to embrace the brilliance of dawn. He could still make it in time if he were to leave now.

After making up his mind, Kang Jinha no longer hesitated. 

Despite the discomfort all over his body, he still managed to sit up, albeit with a faint grimace. He did not even need to check to know that the rim of his ass must be swollen. 

"Beast…" he couldn't help cursing under his breath, harrumphing. 

Clearly he's the one who got drugged, but why did it seem like the other person was more excitable and vigorous instead? 

Sucking in a breath, Kang Jinha braced himself and rose to his feet. He was, after all, someone who had experienced the harsh life of prison for five whole years. This kind of mishap wasn't nearly enough to knock him down. 

After confirming that his legs had recovered enough to support him, he began to move around the room like a bumbling, newly born fawn, bending over here and there to pick up the articles of clothing which were strewn all over the floor. When he eventually reached the last one – his baggy cargo pants near the door – his hair was already damp with sweat. 

Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he abruptly noticed a suspicious white stain on the hem of his pants, while some also splattered on the wall nearby. 

This was…

For a few seconds, Kang Jinha's mind blanked out.

"Already cummed?" a raspy, sultry chuckle sounded right beside his ear, tinged with a hint of sexy breathlessness. "Come on, darling, aren't you a little too sensitive? I don't think this has anything to do with the drug. You're just naturally weak to pleasure, aren't you? Look, you came all over the wall. Tsk, tsk, what would the staff think when they clean the room later?" he continued his teasing, his toned body hot and heavy against Kang Jinha's back, pinning him against the wall.

Let alone respond, Kang Jinha did not even register what the man was saying. He was still too overwhelmed by the ripple of ecstasy spreading through every inch of his body akin to jolts of electricity. His mind was drowned in bliss, his body shuddering uncontrollably. 

When he sensed something hard, thick, and hot pressing against his ass, he instinctively arched his spine and grinded against it, earning him a muffled curse from the man. 

"Fuck…!" Then came a breathless chuckle, sounding as low and velvety as ever, though this time it carried a rough and sharp edge that promised nothing but thrilling pleasure. "A natural tease, aren't you? Alright, let's move to the bed. Here, wrap your arms around my neck…"

Kang Jinha nearly jumped like a cat whose tail was being stepped on when that random piece of memory popped up in his mind without warning. 

W–What the hell was that?! T-The two of them… right here…

Staring at the dried stains on the wall, Kang Jinha's face instantly turned beet red as though blood could be squeezed out of it. He clutched the clothes to himself and dashed to the bathroom so swiftly like a devil was chasing after him. 

The door slammed shut with a loud bang, and he leaned against it, his breaths heavy and erratic. 

"Oh God…" he buried his face into his hands and let out a muffled keen. He had no idea that recalling things after doing the deed could be so… so mortifying! Was this the so-called post-nut clarity?? 

Giving his head a little shake, Kang Jinha moved to place his clothes on top of the sink counter, but he nearly dropped them out of shock when he caught sight of his own reflection in the mirror.

"Fucking hell…" he couldn't resist cursing despite himself, his mouth falling open in bafflement. "Is he a dog?"

Cluster of hickeys and bite marks scattered all over his collarbones, chest, stomach, arms, back, and even further to the inside of his thighs and calves – it was a struggle to find even a single patch of intact skin on his body. He even found a circular bite mark on the jut of his ankle. Not only that, there were also faint purplish fingerprints on his waist and thighs where the man had grabbed him too tightly! 

Heol, whoever saw him right now would probably think that he had been mauled by a wild beast! It was a wonder how the man had not gobbled him up alive! 

Kang Jinha furrowed his brow in annoyance. He was lucky that all these marks could easily be covered by clothes, or else he wouldn't know how to explain himself to his aunt and cousin. Setting his aunt aside, Kwon Minhyuk would certainly hunt down and kill whoever had done this to him, believing that his dear cousin had been 'bullied'! 

A mixture of warmth and amusement trickled into Kang Jinha's heart at the thought of his precious family. He wanted to return as soon as possible to avoid making them worry, but as he was about to head to the shower stall, he inadvertently made eye contact with himself in the mirror, and once again, he froze in his tracks.

"This…" he leaned closer to the mirror to inspect himself, stunned. Just a few hours ago, he had looked so weary and haggard; the bitter soul of a depressed twenty-nine-year-old man could be clearly seen from his dull eyes. 

But now he was literally… glowing?? 

His icy blue eyes were bright and sparkly, his lips full and moist, and his cheeks were tinged with a healthy, rosy hue. He looked like he had been thoroughly rejuvenated, even giving off a faint beguiling aura…

Kang Jinha was thoroughly bewildered as he pinched his cheek and released it, feeling it bounce back like a spring. 

"Are the effects of sex this good?" he wondered to himself. He had not planned to play such a dangerous game for the second time, but if it really had such a magical effect, then perhaps it might not be so bad to find a hook-up once in a while…

With that thought in mind, Kang Jinha hopped in the shower for a quick rinse. He was totally unaware that, amidst the path of hickeys and bruises trailing down his back, existed a peculiar mark that wasn't there before. It was three thin vertical slits arranged in a fan shape, around the length of two finger knuckles and light blue in color. 

When the warm water flowed over them, the slits opened and closed, almost as if they were… breathing. 

Kang Jinha stepped out of the shower less than three minutes later and casually dried himself with a towel. He then slipped on his shirt, only to hiss in pain when the fabric brushed against his red, puffy nipples. Even with a glance, one could see that they were painful to the touch and were extremely sensitive for sure. 

At this moment, yet another snippet of memory surged to the forefront of his mind, catching him utterly off guard.

"S–Stop…" he choked out, his voice muffled through the cover of the back of his hand. "Stop sucking on them, you damned pervert! I'm not a woman…!"

The said pervert let go of his nipple with a resounding pop, but not without blowing on it, watching in satisfaction as a shudder rippled through his entire body. 

"I know," he said, his dark and amused gaze meeting Kang Jinha's wet, humiliated ones. "Of course, I am not blind enough to consider you a woman. But have you seen your own nipples?" He gave it a playful flick in good measure, causing Kang Jinha to tremble. His eyes twinkled with a hint of mischief and undeniable arousal, "They're inverted! How shy, just like you! I have to coax them tenderly and patiently if I want them to come out, don't you agree?" his husky voice murmured before he leaned in to devour them again.

 .

"Sssh, don't hold back your voice, you're going to bite your hand bloody at this rate. Why don't you cry out my name? Hmm?" he cooed, temptation dripping from his tone akin to warm, melted honey. "Come on, open that sweet mouth of yours… what do you want me to do? Do you like it like this or… harder?" His lips tugged into a wicked smirk. 

Kang Jinha's breath escaped in rugged hitches. He scrambled to grab onto the man's arm for purchase, his nails digging into the flesh. 

Unable to endure the other person's slow and languid thrusts anymore, he bit down on his lower lip, surrendered to his fate, and opened his mouth to choke out, "P–Please, faster—"

"—Sa."

Kang Jinha's face darkened. He remembered the culprit's name now. That crazy bastard Sa! 

Huffing and puffing, Kang Jinha hurriedly put on his clothes, strode out of the bathroom to grab his belongings, and left without looking back. 

Little did he know that, around fifteen minutes later, the stillness of the room was shattered once more when a group of burly, able-bodied men in suits charged in like a tornado. They appeared like trained, elite bodyguards as they immediately spread out to scour through every nook and cranny of the room. 

Alas, the room was just this large and they finished their inspection in less than one minute. 

They then came to a baffling conclusion— 

The body was missing.

With a somber countenance, the leader made a firm decision, "Report it to Special Assistant Nam!"

Poor Special Assistant Nam Sanghun, who had not gotten a wink of sleep for the past 36 hours and was currently having a short coffee break, nearly had a heart attack for the second time when he received the news. 

"WHAT?!" He shot up to his feet and splashed the hot coffee all over himself, but he did not even pay it any mind. His complexion blanched as he questioned in horror, "D-Do you mean to say that someone took the body before us?!"

.

.

A/N: hello everyone, thank you so much for reading until ch 20, I hope you enjoy the story so far! ^^ 

This is the end of the promotional chapters I'm publishing on this app. You can read the rest of the available chapters on TAPAS app with the same title and cover. I will be waiting for you there!

Some common tropes of this story: 

- rebirth/second chance

- nonhuman x human

- ballet dancer Guide x singer-songwriter Esper

- hidden bloodline

- found family

- teamwork

- dungeon and monsters

- elder brother's best friend

- age gap (10 years)

- poly but 1 vs 1 (how does this work?? hehe if you've read the manhwa 'Salty Lust' you will understand what I'm talking about ^^) 

- mpreg but m stands for... monster? 0.0 *inspired by Lovecraftian horror

If you have any questions, feel free to leave it on the comment section. Comments and reviews are much appreciated to let me know what you think of the story so far! 

xoxo, delana