chapter 40

Caesar let out a deep, amused laugh, lifting his glass in mock salute. "Touché."

Eun-jae leaned back against the chair, one leg crossed over the other, lazily tapping his fingers against his thigh. The alcohol was settling in, bringing with it a light buzz that made him just bold enough to pry into Caesar's very questionable sex life. He had a feeling it would be messy—and he wasn't wrong.

"So what about you?" Eun-jae drawled, swirling the liquor in his glass before taking a slow sip. His sharp gaze flickered toward Caesar. "I'm guessing you've slept with a lot of men."

Caesar didn't even blink. "Yeah, I have. Women too. But I don't really like omegas. Too easy. I prefer alphas and betas—the ones that are difficult to break."

Of course, he does. Eun-jae snorted, shaking his head.

"Hah. Figures. You like a challenge, don't you?"

Caesar smirked, taking another drag from his cigarette. "Obviously. There's no fun in something that gives in too easily."

Eun-jae raised a brow, watching the way Caesar exhaled smoke like he was some mysterious, brooding villain in a movie. It was giving 'pretentious bastard with a God complex,' and honestly, that was probably accurate.

"Hmm. I see." He tapped his chin in mock thought before grinning. "So, that means your body count is more than… seventeen?"

Caesar didn't even hesitate. "Yep."

Eun-jae's eyes gleamed. His smirk stretched wider.

"AHA! I KNEW you were lying!" He pointed at Caesar like he had just caught him in a crime. "Seventeen is too damn low for someone like you! So let me guess…" He leaned in, eyes glinting mischievously. "Fifty plus?"

Caesar tilted his head slightly, his smirk deepening. "Kinda."

Eun-jae clutched his chest in fake horror. "Oh my fucking—are you some kind of international playboy?!"

Caesar let out a low chuckle, taking another sip of his drink before lazily exhaling a cloud of smoke.

"No. I just don't sleep with people more than once. They get clingy. It's annoying."

Eun-jae blinked. "Wow. So you're telling me that you just fuck 'em, dump 'em, and move on? Damn. Ruthless."

Caesar merely shrugged. "It's cleaner that way. No attachments. No drama." He lifted the cigarette to his lips, inhaled deeply, then exhaled a perfect ring of smoke into the air.

Eun-jae's eyes narrowed. "Oh? You can do smoke rings?"

Caesar raised a brow. "Yeah?"

Eun-jae smirked, flipping his hair over his shoulder dramatically. "Cute. I can do hearts."

Before Caesar could react, Eun-jae took a deep drag from his own cigarette, pursed his lips, and smoothly exhaled a string of heart-shaped smoke puffs into the air. They floated up like tiny love letters made of nicotine and sass.

Caesar let out a rare, genuine chuckle, his blue eyes flashing with amusement. "Heart-shaped smoke, huh?"

Eun-jae smirked, resting his elbow on the table and propping his chin in his palm. "What can I say? I'm full of love."

Caesar snorted. "Yeah, right."

Eun-jae's smirk widened. "Nah, but seriously. You should try it sometime." He winked. "You might fool someone into thinking you actually have a heart."

Caesar chuckled, swirling the drink in his glass with lazy amusement. His smirk was sharp, teasing, but there was a glint of mischief behind those pale blue eyes. He took another drag from his cigarette before exhaling a perfect ring of smoke.

"You know," he started, tilting his head slightly, "I heard Koreans tend to stay with their parents even after they're adults. Look at you—calling your mom, telling her everything. What a good little mommy's boy."

Eun-jae froze mid-sip, his eyebrow twitching at the accusation. He set his glass down with an exaggerated clink and rolled his eyes. "Ugh. It's not like that."

Caesar smirked, clearly enjoying how easily he got a reaction. "Oh? Then tell me what it is." He leaned in slightly, resting an arm on his knee. "Come on, spill. If you do, I'll stop calling you 'Mommy's boy.'"

Eun-jae clicked his tongue, inhaling deeply as if debating whether or not to dignify that with an answer. He hated talking about his past—it felt like opening up an old wound that should have scarred over by now. But at the same time, something about the way Caesar looked at him, those unreadable eyes waiting, made him sigh.

"My mom just worries a lot, okay?" Eun-jae muttered, running a hand through his damp hair. "She's all I have."

Caesar said nothing, waiting.

Eun-jae let out another sigh, staring at the amber liquid in his glass as if it held the answers to all his problems. "My father's side… they were all agents or soldiers. I never knew who my father was, but my mom told me he was an agent—a good one." His voice was almost detached, as if he were reciting facts from a book rather than his own life. "He went on a mission before I was born, and he never came back. Just poof, gone."

Eun-jae snapped his fingers, his expression unreadable.

"He was declared dead. My mom was pregnant with me at the time, so I never got to know him. Not even a picture. Nothing." He scoffed, leaning back. "Just a name on a document and a bunch of whispered 'what-ifs' that don't mean shit now."

Caesar remained quiet, his expression neutral but his eyes sharp, watching Eun-jae like he was trying to decipher a puzzle.

Eun-jae gave a dry chuckle, his fingers tightening around his glass before he loosened them with forced ease. "After that, my mom met someone else. She needed support, you know? Raising a kid alone isn't easy." His voice dropped slightly, turning bitter at the edges. "I grew up thinking he was my real dad. And for a while, things were... normal."

His fingers drummed against the table, an anxious habit he didn't even realize he had.

"Then my sister—my only sister—never came back from the military." His voice faltered for just a second before he covered it up with another chuckle, but it was hollow. "She died in an accident. Just like that. One minute she was supposed to come home, the next, she was gone. No warning, no last words. Just some damn phone call telling us she was dead on the spot."

Eun-jae took a deep breath, rolling his neck like he was shaking off the weight of the past. "And after that... everything changed."

He lifted his glass, downing the rest of his drink in one go before slamming it back on the table.

"That man— the one I thought was my father? Turned out he was nothing but a fucking monster." He let out another bitter chuckle. "I was a teenager when things got really bad. He would..." Eun-jae trailed off, his jaw tightening as his fingers clenched around the glass.

For a brief second, there was a shift in his expression—a ghost of pain before he quickly masked it with his usual sarcasm.

"Let's just say, it took me too long to realize some people are only good at pretending to be human."

Caesar's gaze darkened slightly, his fingers tapping idly against the side of his own glass.

Eun-jae leaned back, forcing a smirk. "Luckily for me, that bastard is rotting in jail now. Life sentence. If I had my way, I'd have sent him to hell personally, but I guess this is good enough."

He stretched his arms, forcing a yawn like he hadn't just poured a bucket of trauma onto the table. "And that's the story of why my mom worries about me. Because now, I'm all she has left."

The room was quiet for a few moments.

Caesar didn't say anything right away. He just stared at Eun-jae, expression unreadable, fingers still tapping rhythmically against his glass.

Eun-jae sighed, rolling his eyes at the silence. "You gonna say something or just keep staring at me like some broody drama lead?"

Caesar finally spoke, his voice softer than usual. "So, what you're saying is... you really are a Mommy's boy."

Eun-jae nearly choked on air. "OH, FUCK YOU."

Eun-jae reached for the bottle again, pouring himself another glass with the ease of a man who had done this plenty of times before. The liquid sloshed in the glass as he brought it to his lips, taking a slow, deliberate sip, letting the warmth settle in his throat before exhaling with satisfaction.

Caesar watched him, resting his elbow on the armrest, swirling his own drink with lazy amusement. His gaze flickered briefly over Eun-jae's exposed forearms, the glint of metal catching the dim light. "So," he said, voice smooth, "where else do you have piercings?"

Eun-jae arched a brow, smirking over the rim of his glass. "Oh? Interested, are we?"

Caesar gave him a slow, unreadable smile. "Just making conversation."

Eun-jae leaned back, his smirk widening as he slowly stuck out his tongue, flicking it upward to reveal two glistening silver bars running horizontally near the tip. His snake-eye piercing caught the light, along with the standard piercing that sat further back. He curled his tongue slightly before retracting it, watching for a reaction.

"That answer your question?" he asked, tapping his glass against his knee.

Caesar hummed, his gaze lingering for a fraction of a second longer before shifting back to Eun-jae's face. "Interesting choice. That must've hurt like hell."

Eun-jae shrugged, rolling his tongue in his mouth as if testing the weight of the metal. "Eh, pain's temporary. Besides, I kind of like it." He tapped his lower lip with his index finger. "It makes certain activities more... fun." His tone was deliberately teasing, watching to see if Caesar would take the bait.

Caesar, however, just took another sip of his drink, eyes steady. "I see. And?"

Eun-jae's smirk didn't falter. "I got back dermals, too." He lifted his shirt slightly, exposing the two tiny, symmetrical silver studs embedded just above his lower back. "Looks hot, doesn't it?"

Caesar tilted his head, observing with mild curiosity. "Functional or just aesthetic?"

Eun-jae scoffed. "What, you think I got them for utility? Like, what? Built-in coat hangers?" He rolled his eyes, letting his shirt drop back down. "Of course it's aesthetic. It's sexy, and it makes people wanna touch."

Caesar chuckled, shaking his head. "Fair enough. No tattoos, though?"

Eun-jae took another slow sip of his drink before shrugging. "Nope."

Caesar gave him a look that was almost skeptical. "Huh. Would've pegged you as the type to have something inked somewhere. A little rebellious streak, some sentimental design… Maybe a cryptic phrase in Latin."

Eun-jae rolled his eyes dramatically. "Ugh, please. Do I look like the type to get 'Carpe Diem' tattooed on my ribcage?" He huffed, shaking his head. "Nah, tattoos are cool, but I just never got around to it. Plus, they're permanent."

Caesar arched a brow. "So are piercings, if you don't take them out."

Eun-jae smirked, swirling his drink. "Yeah, but at least with piercings, I have the option to change my mind. One bad breakup, and boom—just pop it out. With tattoos, you're stuck with your shitty decisions forever." He clicked his tongue. "And let's be real—half the people who get tattoos end up regretting them. I've seen some tragic ones. 'Live, Laugh, Love' in cursive on someone's forearm? A misspelled quote? A damn butterfly tramp stamp? No, thanks."

Caesar laughed, taking another sip. "You sound awfully passionate about this."

Eun-jae smirked. "I'm just saying—I'd rather keep my body a blank canvas. If I ever do get one, it'll be something meaningful, not some cringe-ass inspirational quote I'll wanna laser off in ten years."

Caesar nodded, setting his glass down. "Fair point."

Eun-jae stretched, sighing. "But who knows? Maybe one day I'll wake up, down a whole bottle of soju, and end up with a neon pink Hello Kitty tattooed on my ass." He grinned, eyes glinting mischievously. "If that ever happens, just put me out of my misery."

Caesar smirked, shaking his head. "Noted."

Eun-jae leaned back against the headboard, rolling his glass between his fingers, watching the amber liquid swirl lazily inside. He had answered enough questions for the night, and if he had to keep talking about himself, he might actually start feeling sentimental—something he refused to do. It was time to flip the script.

"Enough about me. Let's talk about you," he said, tilting his head toward Caesar.

Caesar blinked, feigning surprise, before a slow smirk curled at his lips. "Me?"

"Yeah, you," Eun-jae said, voice dripping with mock impatience. "Like, family stuff. I dunno—your siblings, your childhood, all that fun shit." He waved his hand dismissively. "Spill the tea, rich boy."

Caesar exhaled, his smirk lingering as he lazily ran a hand through his golden hair. "I do have a lot of siblings," he admitted. "Enough that I don't even bother worrying about my parents. My older siblings will handle that for me."

Eun-jae hummed, tilting his head. "Must be nice. So while they're busy being responsible adults, you're out here being a full-time menace to society?"

Caesar's smirk widened slightly. "Pretty much. If I get bored, I just look for someone to entertain me." His gaze flickered toward Eun-jae, sharp and teasing. "At least I don't spy on people jerking off in the bathroom."

Eun-jae choked mid-drink. "Ugh—" He groaned loudly, throwing his head back in frustration. "Will you ever shut up about that?"

Caesar let out a low chuckle, clearly enjoying his suffering. "Not a chance."

Eun-jae rolled his eyes dramatically, waving him off before setting his drink down. "Whatever, perv. So, do your parents even know you live like this?"

Caesar raised a brow. "Live like how?"

Eun-jae gestured vaguely in his direction. "You know, being a whole damn serial killer. Killing everyone that comes your way. That kind of 'this'."