The Milky Way.
Yes, it was the Milky Way.
Hakyung could only think of that word as he gazed at the symphony of light filling his vision.
His kneeling posture, which he’d maintained for a while, straightened on its own.
He moved his feet, inching closer to Muheon.
With each step, his own mysterious and beautiful Milky Way grew closer.
Just as Hakyung was mesmerized by the light flowing against the black backdrop, he came to his senses and found a colossal eye right before him.
Hakyung, so timid that he even hesitated to breathe in front of Muheon’s true form, slowly moved his fingers.
His fingertips touched the familiar black scales he knew so well.
The black scales that occasionally appeared were now all around him.
He gently moved his fingers, feeling a strange sense of emotion, and a light resembling the Milky Way shimmered along with his touch.
It was as if it was following Hakyung’s fingers.
Not just the scales, but the eyes holding a black universe, were also following Hakyung.
Hakyung chuckled softly at that devoted reaction, then lowered his head and pressed his lips against the scales.
A jolt ran through him, all the way to his toes, a sensation completely different from touching them with his hands.
A low growl, like an animal’s rumble, resonated from above his head.
It seemed to mean that Muheon was pleased.
When Hakyung kissed him again with a soft “mwah,” the growl rumbled once more.
“Can’t you speak?”
「Mm, I can do this.」
Hakyung gasped, “Hmph!” as Muheon’s voice resonated directly in his head.
To experience telepathy or psychic communication firsthand, something he’d only read about in novels!
He’d certainly lived long enough to see everything.
If Muheon, who had truly lived long enough to see everything, knew Hakyung was thinking this, he’d probably make an exasperated face, but even Muheon couldn’t read other people’s minds.
Anyway, Hakyung clutched his temples, feeling as if his head was ringing.
「Is it uncomfortable?」
“No! It’s not uncomfortable or painful, but it’s amazing, and my head feels like it’s buzzing!”
「It’s probably your first time experiencing it like this. Tell me immediately if it gets even a little difficult.」
After speaking, Muheon gently nudged Hakyung’s cheek with his snout.
In his own way, it was the most peaceful and smallest display of affection, but to Hakyung, it felt like being gently bumped by a compact car.
And why was the breath from his nose so strong?
Hakyung’s fluffy pink hair fluttered wildly, as if caught in a fan.
Both Muheon, who had made the affectionate gesture, and Hakyung, who had received it, were flustered.
“By the way, your true form is huge! Wow, I really didn’t know you’d be as big as this cave.”
「Too big?」
“Too big? Don’t you know what’s popular these days? ‘The bigger, the cuter.’ You’re perfect.”
「Why is that popular?」
Muheon, who preferred “river dolphins” to be small and thus cuter, found this trend incomprehensible.
His head tilted sideways.
Even just a slight change in the angle of his head caused a loud rumble, like thunder, to echo through the cave.
It was a clear difference in impact compared to when he was in human form.
It was an unbelievable transformation, even as he witnessed it directly.
Yet, it didn’t feel unfamiliar or frightening.
This was unusual for Hakyung, who tended to be timid.
In fact, before he opened his eyes, he had resolved not to be too scared or surprised, for fear of hurting Muheon’s feelings.
But that resolution itself was meaningless; even seeing Muheon’s true form, larger than a house, he felt nothing but awe and wonder.
Hakyung now openly embraced Muheon’s massive body, rubbing his cheek frantically against the scales.
“This way, you’re so cute and huge that I don’t have to worry about wearing you out by rubbing! That’s why being big is good.”
「Good grief.」
Hakyung belatedly offered evidence to support his “the bigger, the cuter” hypothesis.
It was a quite subjective and messy piece of evidence, but Muheon brushed it off with a chuckle.
He didn’t want to nitpick when someone was calling him cute.
***
Hakyung thoroughly admired and touched Muheon’s house-sized true form.
「I’m going to take a tour now… Want to come along?」
“In your true form?”
「When I’m in my true form, I can survey more places than when I’m human. So I thought, why not take a quick tour? You can rest here if you want.」
“I’ll go too!”
There was no way he would refuse to go with Muheon.
Hakyung quickly clung to Muheon’s side, fearing he might disappear alone.
In truth, he wasn’t sure if it was Muheon’s side or thigh.
Anyway, he just wanted to cling to Muheon.
Muheon replied with a low growl and lifted Hakyung’s rear with his snout.
With a whoosh!
Hakyung was lifted into the air and, in the blink of an eye, placed somewhere on Muheon’s back.
When he first climbed onto Muheon’s back, the elevated view made him dizzy, but he quickly adjusted to the broad back that could easily support his body and the smooth touch, allowing him to settle in comfortably.
Only after confirming multiple times that Hakyung was comfortable did Muheon move his long, large body and emerge from the cave.
He began to leisurely swim through the West Sea at a calm pace so that Hakyung wouldn’t be scared.
The jet-black, colossal Imugi, cutting through the calm current, was quickly spotted by the inhabitants of the West Sea.
Those who hadn’t seen his true form in hundreds of years, and the shapeshifters who were seeing him for the first time, all prostrated themselves, overcome with emotion.
Hakyung, riding on Muheon’s back, lowered his head further in embarrassment.
Even though they were too far away for anyone to notice his presence, it felt uncomfortable, as if he was receiving respect meant for Muheon.
「Looking at them do that, sometimes I feel like I’ve become a deceased ancestor.」
Showing respect to the one who governed their territory was natural for the sea shapeshifters, who were creatures of that domain.
However, Muheon, who was treated like a totem every time he appeared, was displeased.
Even if the sea was slower to modernize than the land, what era was this that they were still bowing?
Even being treated with such extreme deference was a minus for his twisted personality.
Hakyung chuckled softly, hearing his grumbling.
It was like watching his siblings during puberty, grumbling despite secretly enjoying something.
“Why? I’m so grateful and happy to see the West Sea family respect you, honey.”
「Really…?」
“Of course! How grateful! These days, there are so many people, whether they’re adults, CEOs, or family, who act disrespectfully without any regard for status. Wouldn’t you be upset if they ignored or cursed you?”
Sometimes, Hakyung would nag more old-fashionedly than Muheon.
It seemed to be a natural value system he had absorbed from spending more time with elders than his peers.
Muheon rumbled in his throat at Hakyung’s continuous chatter.
Was this what nagging sounded like?
He couldn’t understand why humans hated it.
It just sounded pleasant to him.
Thinking such an utterly doting thought, Muheon carried Hakyung on his back and swam in circles.
Hakyung laughed heartily, feeling like he was on the safest amusement park ride in the world.
His clear laughter echoed throughout the sea.
As he had mentioned before leaving the cave, the time it took to tour the area Muheon governed was not long.
Still, not being able to move freely and staying in one position had made his joints stiff.
Muheon lifted Hakyung, who was stretching in place, with his snout.
Again, with a whoosh, Hakyung landed on the ground and chuckled softly.
“Wow, it really feels like getting off an amusement park ride!”
「Amusement park ride… Which one?」
“Which one? Oh, um, I’ve never actually been on an amusement park ride, so I can’t really compare it, but…”
Muheon, seeing Hakyung’s embarrassed smile, hinted slyly.
「Humans say they go to amusement parks a lot on dates, should we go too?」
“Huh? Really?”
「If you want to.」
“Do you think I’d say no?”
「Never.」
Hearing the firm answer, Hakyung chuckled sweetly, thinking that couples really know everything about each other.
He was going on an amusement park date after marriage, a place he hadn’t even been to for school picnics.
Just imagining it felt so good.
His mind was already filled with picnic menu ideas for when they went.
The two shared conversations that others might find trivial and boring, but they were filled with affection.
The cave, meant for the Imugis’ rest, was incredibly cozy and comfortable, perfectly suited for its purpose.
Hakyung leaned against Muheon’s massive true form and let out a languid sigh.
He shouldn’t fall asleep here too, but his eyelids were getting heavy.
“Hyaaawn.”
Hakyung, yawning widely, eventually drifted off to sleep.
In a situation no different from last night, Muheon let out a big huff from his nose.
If he let him sleep comfortably even here, he’d probably get scolded again, wouldn’t he…?
While Hakyung’s sharp anger was intimidating, Muheon also didn’t have the patience to endure it repeatedly.
Muheon, having transformed into his human form, bit Hakyung’s earlobe with his lips.
It was a lustful nip.