Work Text:
Kim Soleum knew that the moment his name was drawn from the jar, he was finished.
It was all over. He wanted nothing more than to curl up in the corner of his room and cry, but he had to remain professional. He put on his best corporate smile and stepped forward as the room erupted in applause.
“Congratulations, Soleum-ssi.”
“Congratulations!”
“Don’t forget to treat me!”
“Don’t forget about me, man!”
There's a reason why the people here were so eager to get elected. First, the job is very easy for an intelligence agency like theirs: no fistfights or shootings—just a casual stroll that could pass for an ordinary. Second, the opportunity for promotion is unusually high, something that rarely happens even if you suck up to your boss to the hilt.
If Kim Soleum's early career was made into a novel, it would have been a blood-filled action story. He had fought, spied, gone undercover, and carried out other activities typical of state intelligence officers. He even once pretended to be a lady of the night to catch a fugitive drug dealer.
Since Kim Soleum is a coward, he always tries to find the quickest and most efficient way to complete his mission—and that efficiency earned him promotions. At that moment, his superior gave him a choice: focus on the field or sit at the table like an office worker. Naturally, Kim Soleum picked the second option. Since then, Kim Soleum has never been assigned to another field mission again. Instead, he's now the one who organizes and assists field agents from the safety of his office desk.
However, now his peace is disturbed. While it's not a bloody, action-packed mission straight out of a movie, Kim Soleum knows how crucial this task still was to Earth's survival.
It all started with the detection of a signal from outer space. Hoping for a breakthrough in cosmic science, NASA attempted to communicate. When the message received a reply, the world drew the same conclusion: there was other life in the universe. Humans weren’t the only ones.
However, what should have been a historic achievement soon turned into a crisis. By responding, the existence of planet Earth was exposed, and the aliens were even interested in conquering it because they were tempted by Earth’s resources. Competent diplomats from various countries were summoned and tried to prevent the destruction of Earth.
After intense negotiations, the two sides finally reached an agreement. First, Earth and Planet 6934-SEX must engage in peaceful transactions and cooperation. Second, to strengthen the partnership, each planet must send several of their representatives to be matched with one another.
Unfortunately, Kim Soleum became one of those chosen people from Earth.
After shaking hands with a forced smile, he received a thick stack of papers containing the alien who would be his dating partner. He sacrificed some of his precious sleep to read the notes. Kim Soleum was determined to truly give it his all in this meeting, unlike his previous dates with his exes.
___
Not at a fancy restaurant, an expensive resort, or on a vacation abroad.
Their first date would take place at a movie theater near his home.
Kim Soleum assumed they would choose a luxurious location so that planet Earth wouldn't be looked down upon. However, a message from his superior quickly proved him wrong.
That was our initial plan, Soleum-ssi. But the aliens wanted to observe the lives of ordinary humans.
As a result, an ordinary cinema near his residence was selected for the first date. The cinema had been booked in advance to prevent any leaks of the aliens' presence. Even the entire staff had been replaced by intelligence personnel.
What incredible dedication.
Kim Soleum sat on the sofa near the entrance. He checked the time on his phone.
09:50 AM
He had deliberately arrived ten minutes early, wanting to make a good first impression on his date. He looked down at his casual clothes—as requested for this mission—and made sure there were no stains on them. Perfect.
His hands were covered in cold sweat. He took out the piece of paper he'd been given yesterday.
Name: Lee Jaheon
Alien name: SPF-UV 50
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Height: 190
A white lizard with a human-like body. He has glowing red eyes, scaly skin, and a long tail. His physical strength is above average. Contrary to his strange appearance, Lee Jaheon has a calm personality in all situations. In fact, the aliens considered him a reliable figure. His way of speaking was similar to that of the Planet 6934-SEX aliens in general: formal and stiff. It is not yet clear how he interacts with humans, but so far Lee Jaheon has never harmed a human.
Data regarding Lee Jaheon will be added as observations progress.
Kim Soleum then looked at the photo printed on the paper. It displayed an alien figure with a lizard head atop a muscular human body. Its reptilian face showed no expression. His white shirt and black suit fit perfectly, making him look like a typical office worker, if you didn't look at his head.
“Are you Kim Soleum-ssi?”
Kim Soleum turned toward the source of the voice. He saw a figure that matched the one in the photo, though he was dressed far more casually in a black sweater and blue jeans.
While Kim Soleum had seen photos, seeing the alien in person was a completely different experience. Kim Soleum's face remained impassive, but internally he was stunned by the sight. Had he not been warned, he might have fainted on the spot.
Kim Soleum swallowed his fear and nodded. “Yes, I’m Kim Soleum.”
“Nice to meet you, Kim Soleum-ssi. Let me introduce myself. My name is Lee Jaheon.” The lizard held out his hand, inviting him to shake it. “According to our observations, Earthlings usually shake hands first when they meet someone.”
“That’s right.” Kim Soleum took that hand. Instead of direct contact, his hand felt the texture of the alien's black gloves. "Nice to meet you, Lee Jaheon-ssi."
For the sake of the mission's success and to protect the alien's feelings, especially since the lizard used the honorific '-ssi', Kim Soleum chose to address the lizard with the same honorific. It was polite and inoffensive.
After shaking hands, Lee Jaheon paused and held one hand out toward Kim Soleum.
“Kim Soleum-ssi,” he said, “I understand that holding hands is customary on human dates. Would it be acceptable if we did so?”
For a moment, Kim could only stare at the offered hand. Then he carefully placed his own in Lee Jaheon’s palm. The alien’s fingers closed around his with surprising gentleness. Then, with his free hand, Lee Jaheon pointed toward the concession counter.
"Kim Soleum-ssi, for the sake of a deeper understanding of life on Earth, I would like to try human food. Can we go there first?”
Kim Soleum nodded and replied, “Of course.”
Still holding hands, they headed to the cashier. When Lee Jaheon asked for his order, Kim Soleum refused. He watched the white lizard order one large caramel popcorn and one jumbo glass of soda.
Lee Jaheon is a gentleman. Kim Soleum's assessment of the alien increased.
After paying, Lee Jaheon carried the popcorn and soda with both hands. Just a few seconds later, a voice came from the speaker to announce that the film they were about to watch was going to start.
“Let's go in, Kim Soleum-ssi.”
Kim Soleum walked alongside the alien, mentally preparing himself as a memory flashed through his mind.
___
Even Ghosts Also Look for Work
That was the title of the film Kim Soleum was going to watch with the lizard alien. He didn't even look at the cover and went straight to the synopsis. This film followed Agent Grapes, Agent Bronze, and Agent Choi as they investigated a supposedly haunted high-rise building. There, they saw a row of ghosts of various kinds sitting on chairs, waiting for their turn to be interviewed.
While there were some comedic moments, Kim Soleum had already read the reviews beforehand. Eight out of ten viewers rated the film as extremely scary.
When Kim Soleum asked his superior to change the film, his request was denied. First, the aliens wanted to watch the best-selling horror film. Second, his boss thought choosing a horror film would be easier because Kim Soleum used to be a field agent.
Soleum-ssi has seen more brutal things in person. This one should be easy-peasy.
When Kim Soleum heard that, only one word came to mind.
Fuck.
If this mission had not played such a crucial role in the sustainability of the Earth, Kim Soleum would have already fled.
Luckily, this wasn't the first time he had found himself in a similar situation. He planned to keep his eyes shut throughout the film and ask to be woken up when it was over. With that decided, he poked the shoulder of the lizard who was chewing popcorn.
“Lee Jaheon-ssi, may I ask you a favor?”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to sleep. I worked late yesterday. Please wake me up when you’re done.”
“Yes.”
Kim Soleum was very grateful the lizard didn't ask any questions. He closed his eyes and sank into the audience seat. Throughout the film, he focused on listening to the actors' dialogue, the sound of popcorn munching, and the lizard's slurping of soda. Kim Soleum resisted the urge to cover his ears as the deafening screams, horror movie sound effects, and shrill laughter filled his ears. Instead, he gripped both armrests on either side of him.
Ironically, despite being a coward, Kim Soleum is a horror story lover through and through. Every night before going to bed, besides watching children's cartoons, he also reads Darkness Exploration Record, a wiki containing a collection of horror stories. He enjoyed reading scary stories on a screen, but add in creepy music and disturbing images, and he was finished.
His heart pounded. His breath hitched. His palms broke out in a cold sweat. As time passed, fear crept through his body.
Whether he was trapped in an illusion or something, Kim Soleum felt like time was passing slowly. He didn't know how long he kept his eyes closed.
Then, he felt something stroking the back of his hand.
Kim Soleum’s eyes flew open, before landing on his left hand, where a large hand clad in a black glove rested over his, thumb rubbing in a slow, soothing stroke.
Kim Soleum turned his head to find the lizard staring at him. Only now could he see the alien's face more clearly. For a lizard—at least compared with the ones he often saw on the Internet—Lee Jaheon was… handsome.
His face looked more like a cross between a lizard and a dragon. His jawline was sharp, and white, scaly skin stretched across his face like living porcelain. A pair of glowing red eyes with vertical pupils radiated a calm, unnerving gaze, as if they could reveal the veil behind the lies caught in their gaze. Curled eyelashes framed his blood-colored eyes gracefully. Strange yet alluring, the combination of those features made it impossible for Kim Soleum to look away.
“Kim Soleum-ssi, is there anything I can do to help you overcome your fears?”
He knows!
“I apologize for disturbing your viewing experience, Lee Jaheon-ssi.”
“It's okay. I'm more concerned about your well-being, Kim Soleum-ssi," Lee Jaheon responded. "According to what I've learned, a partner's comfort is the most important thing in dating."
Kim Soleum was relieved that the lizard wasn't angry. He then began to open up to the alien a little, while also extracting information from Lee Jaheon. “Then... may I ask about you and the alien race? I am very curious.”
“Yes.”
A movie date gradually turned into a subtle interrogation session. Kim Soleum continued to ask all kinds of questions, while Lee Jaheon patiently answered them. As the credits rolled on the big screen, he asked the reptile to keep his weakness a secret. Lee Jaheon's response touched his heart.
“Every living creature has flaws. You are a human, one of the organisms at the top of the food chain. It's natural to have weaknesses and try to hide them.” The lizard paused, took a breath, and exhaled. “You don’t need to hide your timid side, Kim Soleum-ssi. I want to know everything about you.”
That's how the first date ended. At home, Kim Soleum typed up a report on his computer. He wrote various things about the alien race. When he got to the very last column where he had to give his assessment of Lee Jaheon, he started to write the following:
Evaluation of Lee Jaheon/SPF-UV 50:
Lee Jaheon demonstrated a sensitive and considerate demeanor throughout the encounter. He was polite, understanding, and prioritized his date's comfort.
His interest in human culture is very high. Overall, Lee Jaheon is a kind alien and shows no desire to harm people, despite his unusual way of speaking in terms of human standards.
Kim Soleum immediately sent the report. The lizard had left a very positive impression on him. As he thought about Lee Jaheon, a strange sensation stirred in his chest. He decided to lie down on the bed and go to sleep.
That night, Kim Soleum dreamt of a red-eyed white lizard riding a UFO and bombing a television studio. What an absurd dream.
___
Sunday has arrived.
Unlike last time, this time Kim Soleum was looking forward to his date.
Instead of wearing a simple white sweater and blue jeans like last week, on this date Kim Soleum decided to put more thought into his clothes and appearance for this date.
A loose white shirt draped over his frame, its collar left unbuttoned. Over it, he wore a sleek black, buttonless vest, adding contrast to the outfit. The top was paired with ankle-length black trousers, polished leather shoes, and a luxury watch on his left wrist. His black hair was neatly combed, and the fragrence of elegant wine wafted from his body.
Using the car provided by his workplace, Kim Soleum set off for his first date. This week, his date took them to three locations: an art gallery, an aesthetic cafe, and a library.
In just ten minutes, Kim Soleum arrived at his destination. He entered the gallery and saw Lee Jaheon sitting on the sofa, looking at his tablet.
“Ah, Lee Jaheon-ssi, you're here. I hope you didn’t wait for too long.”
“I just got here, Kim Soleum-ssi.”
The second date began much like the first. Just like before, the only people present were them and the staff who had been replaced by people from the intelligence agency. At first, the alien remained silent, staring and studying each of the paintings in total focus, muttering to himself or letting out a soft hiss every now and then. Unable to bear the silence any longer, Kim Soleum tried to break it.
“Lee Jaheon-ssi, you were so kind to answer my questions yesterday. Now, you may do the same."
The lizard turned his head away from the abstract painting that looked like spilled paint and faced Kim Soleum. "Then, I'll ask Kim Soleum-ssi what these pictures mean. Is that okay?"
Kim Soleum smiled faintly. “Of course. I’d be happy to explain.”
Lee Jaheon pointed to the painting he had been looking at earlier. "Kim Soleum-ssi, could you explain this painting?"
"Ah, of course…"
Kim Soleum confidently explained what he knew about the painting. As someone who works in the intelligence service, gathering information before a mission was simply part of his job. He spent several days memorizing every painting in the art gallery and planned to use them as conversation topics during their visit.
Lee Jaheon continued to do the same thing with the other paintings. The lizard asked questions as Kim Soleum happily answered them. Instead of feeling like a date, today’s outing began to resemble more of a guided tour of the art gallery.
Finally, the corners of the lizard's mouth lifted slightly. His eyes remained as blank as ever, but there was a glint of enthusiasm in them.
“I'm glad that Kim Soleum-ssi has such broad insights. This is very beneficial for 'us’.”
Kim Soleum was curious about what the lizard meant by ‘us’. "Lee Jaheon-ssi, could you explain what ‘us’ means? You mention it often."
“Yes."
Lee Jaheon's deep voice seemed to flow from his mouth like a waterfall as he explained it. In simpler terms, his people, these aliens, possessed a collective consciousness, meaning they thought, acted, and shared information as if they were a single organism.
“Does that mean you don’t have your own consciousness?” asked Kim Soleum.
“I have it and can act as the entity ‘Lee Jaheon’ without involving ‘us’. But I usually prefer to act as a coalition because so far its decisions have always aligned with my own thinking and it is more effective and efficient in solving problems.”
Kim Soleum understood, and thanked the lizard for answering so sufficiently.
The couple then headed to the next location.
___
Kim Soleum looked at the photos he had taken earlier, both the ones on his phone and the printed versions from the cafe's photobox.
On his phone, there were three photos of Lee Jaheon: one of him gracefully drinking a cup of coffee, another of him eating a strawberry cake, and a third of him simply staring at Kim Soleum without doing anything. Meanwhile, in the printed photo, they posed affectionately like a normal couple—even though they had to retake it several times because Lee Jaheon had no idea how to pose like earthlings.
At the cafe, Kim Soleum had also sneakily watched Lee Jaheon eat and drink like a human being. He had half-expected the lizard would stick out his long tongue to slurp up the coffee, then lift the plate of cake and devour it in one bite.
“Let's go to the last location."
"Okay."
The car was moving at a moderate speed, and it took them half an hour to reach the library. They were greeted with the same quiet atmosphere as the other carefully secured locations.
On the way there, they agreed to split up at first to look for reading material based on their own preferences before meeting up again. After making their selections, they met again at a table near the window.
Kim Soleum came back carrying a pile of books in his arms and spotted Lee Jaheon already seated in the distance. The alien patted the empty seat next to him.
“Sit here, Kim Soleum-ssi.”
Kim Soleum did as followed, and placed his stack of books on the table. He picked up the top one and began reading.
All that could be heard throughout the library was the occasional turn of pages of the book. Warm afternoon sunlight streamed in through the windows, spilling across the table where they sat.
Time continued to tick by. Before he knew it, Kim Soleum was almost finished, with only the last page left. He read on until the very last sentence.
Kim Soleum closed his book with a soft thump. He had deliberately chosen thin books so he could finish them quickly. When he turned to Lee Jaheon, the lizard was still focused on his own book. The title Strengthen Your Beautiful Muscles! was clearly displayed on the cover. He decided it would make a good conversation topic.
“Lee Jaheon-ssi, do you like exercise?”
“Yes.”
“I read in the intel from my superior. It was stated that your physical strength is above average. I wonder how strong you are?”
“I could destroy this library with a single stomp.”
Wow.
Kim Soleum breathed a sigh of relief that Lee Jaheon was a friendly alien. He resumed his conversation with the lizard.
“Ah, so frequent exercise makes you that strong? Are there any other factors?”
“Yes.”
“Can you explain, Lee Jaheon-ssi?”
“Exercise is just one factor. Alien genes and a protein-rich diet also play a role, Kim Soleum-ssi."
“So, the lizard alien race is basically physically above average by Earthling standards?”
“Yes.”
Kim Soleum imagined thousands of lizard aliens in various colors marching in a line, destroying their surroundings with punches and kicks and occasionally throwing bombs. It was a terrifying image, making the weight on his shoulders feel even heavier.
“Kim Soleum-ssi, I have a request. You can refuse it if you don't want to do it.”
Kim Soleum tilted his head. "Let me know."
“Both I and ‘us’ want to do one of the other normal activities that Earth creatures do when dating.”
Don't ask anything weird! Kim Soleum was sure that Lee Jaheon wouldn't force him, but it was different with 'us' because he wasn't that familiar with the alien race.
“May I kiss your cheek?”
Kim Soleum's eyes blinked twice. "Eh? That's all?"
"Yes."
If Lee Jaheon had made such a request on the first date, Kim Soleum would have definitely declined. Despite his charming yet strange physique, he wasn't yet familiar with the alien. However, now he had an idea about the lizard's nature.
“No problem.” Kim Soleum faced the table, away from Lee Jaheon, his left index finger pointing at his cheek. “Just kiss me.”
The lizard's snout slowly approached the man’s slender cheek, closing the distance between them. Kim Soleum instinctively closed his eyes, his heart raced as he waited for the kiss with breathless anticipation. Lee Jaheon's scaly lips pressed softly against his smooth skin for only a few lingering seconds before the white alien pulled away.
“This is enough."
Kim Soleum could feel his cheeks heat up. He quickly picked up the book and began flipping through the pages. Beside him, Lee Jaheon hissed softly when he saw his obvious awkwardness.
___
Have I become a furry?
Several dates with the lizard made Kim Soleum start to question his sanity. He only meant to treat this relationship as another mission, never expecting to grow other feelings in his heart. But reality had other plans.
It was all because the lizard was such a green flag—the kind of person who fulfills every romance readers’ ideal: kind, polite, respectful of boundaries, honest, and reliable. Furthermore, Kim Soleum recently found out that Lee Jaheon was incredibly wealthy. If he himself had been poor and drowning in debt, he might have found himself living out the familiar rich seme x broke uke trope from a BL manhwa. Luckily, his salary from the intelligence agency was above average, allowing him to splurge on himself without having to go into debt and only stopping when his wallet was empty.
Kim Soleum decided to asked his close friends for their opinions. Of course, he lied a bit by changing Lee Jaheon's character to a woman.
—Hey, I'm on a date with a girl.
—wow, who's that?
—Secret :3 I'll tell you later.
—boooooooo…
Kim Soleum then recounted various moments from his date with Lee Jaheon and his own reactions to being near the lizard. After he finished, he observed his friends' responses and waited to see what his two more experienced friends would say about his feelings.
—wow, he wasn't abandoned like before because he didn't want to watch horror movies
—finally, someone wants our scaredy-cat bro.
The corner of Kim Soleum's lips twitched.
—Do you guys want to die?
—sorry
—sorry, bro!
After a brief pause, the tone of the conversation shifted. Kim Soleum stared at the screen as his friends confirmed his growing suspicions.
—hmm... that means you like her
—wow our soleum is in love again.
—if i were you, i would chase that woman all the way.
—true
Kim Soleum's hand reflexively went to his chest. His heart was pounding. A blush colored his pale cheeks. After thanking his friends, he sat down in front of his computer, needing one more confirmation before he could accept he was really in love.
Kim Soleum typed ‘furry fanart’ into his social media search bar. His right hand moved the cursor and scrolled the page, passing by various images of half-animal people that ranged from the normal to indecent.
Then he searched 'handsome men', and his screen was immediately filled with muscular, half-naked men.
Nothing.
Unlike when he was with Lee Jaheon, he felt no reaction at all. Kim Soleum began to question his sexual orientation.
Am I Lee Jaheon-sexual?
His mind was noisy and thoughts spiralled into a mess of questions. With a groan, Kim Soleum pressed the 'X' button, and closed every tab before massaging his temples.
Suddenly, a message appeared on his phone screen.
Soleum-ssi, we have an urgent mission for you. We're short on field agents. We need your assistance.
___
Damn it.
Kim Soleum already had a sinking suspicion as to why the field agents carrying out this mission disappeared without a trace. They had all been murdered. Their organs harvested and sold.
Indeed, tragedies like this are nothing new in the intelligence world. They must be prepared to face death at any moment. Even so, by any normal standards, what drug dealers do was inhumane.
Kim Soleum adjusted his glasses. His hair, which was usually parted in the middle, was now completely down, covering his forehead. After several days of investigation, he had gathered enough evidence, and his disguise as a cleaner was now ready for his escape. Then, suddenly, a large man confronted him.
“Kim Sol-ssi, the boss has summoned you to his office.”
Gulp.
Kim Soleum had a bad feeling, but he nodded and took the elevator to the top floor.
Once he arrived, Kim Soleum opened the door and found his boss sitting in a chair like an arrogant king.
“Kim Sol, come here.”
Kim Soleum gave a polite bow, walked over and stopped in front of his boss.
“Kim Sol, I want you to serve me now.”
Damn it.
There was no way Kim Soleum could mistake what his boss meant. The implication behind his words were far too obvious.
Kim Soleum stared at the fat man with the unattractive face. Even if his taste of a man had become strange due to a certain someone, Lee Jaheon, the lizard alien, was still thousands of times more handsome than the drug boss who is actually human. He kept his expression, but his mind was busy as he thought of ways to get out of this troublesome situation.
Suddenly, Kim Soleum remembered his boss's habit before having sex: drinking a glass of whiskey. He thanked the window cleaner who accidentally saw his boss having sex from start to finish.
Kim Soleum started to force a smile.
“Boss, before we do anything, let me get you a glass of whiskey, okay?” Kim Soleum tried to keep himself from vomiting.
The fat man smiled and clapped his hands. "Wow, so you know what I like. Okay, go get it, Kim Sol."
“Then if you’ll excuse me.” Kim Soleum winked coquettishly, then hurriedly walked to the kitchen.
Kim Soleum took a bottle of whiskey and poured it into a glass. Before the mission, he had prepared a dose of sleeping medication for emergencies and hidden it in a small vial inside the pocket of his cleaner’s uniform.
He slipped the vial out, added its contents to the drink, and stirred it with one finger. After wiping his finger on the leg of his overalls, he carefully set the glass on a tray and carried the drink that would save his ass.
Back in the office, Kim Soleum placed the whiskey on his boss’s table and watched as the man downed it. Once the drink had been finished, he carried out the second stage of his plan. He held his stomach, twisted his face into a pained expression.
“Boss, I think my stomach hurts really bad."
The smile on the man's face faded, a soft snort escaping his nose. "Fine. Go to the toilet first, Kim Sol. I’d like for you to perform your best for me tonight."
Kim Soleum thanked him and hurried to the restroom. He locked the door behind him. He silenced his phone and sent a brief message to his colleague: Pick me up in fifteen minutes.
Then he played a video of loud farting sounds and turned it up to a high volume, just enough for the sounds to carry through the door. With the audio playing in the background, he waited and hoped the boss was convinced his stomachache was too bad for him to come out anytime soon.
Kim Soleum sat on the closed toilet lid, his eyes focused on the clock on his phone. When ten minutes had passed, he paused the video and walked out of the restroom.
When he returned to the office, a smile tugged at his lips. His boss was already asleep.
Without wasting any more time, Kim Soleum left the room and took the elevator down. He hurried out to the meeting place he had agreed on with his colleague.
However, instead of finding a black car with another intelligence officer ready to pick him up, Kim Soleum found a group of gang members surrounding the badly damaged four-wheeled vehicle. Nearby, the limp body of his co-worker was being dragged away.
Luckily, they hadn’t spotted him yet, so Kim Soleum immediately hid behind a nearby concrete pillar. Cold sweat broke out across his skin. His escape plan failed, and he had to find another way out and save the man.
As Kim Soleum racked his brains. Startled, he suddenly heard a scream. He peeked out of his hiding spot—and froze.
A familiar figure stood among the gang members, beating them one after another.
“FUCK—he’s too strong!"
“Ugh, get him off me!”
“What the hell…his head—IT’S A FUCKING LIZARD?!”
“FORGET THIS, JUST RUN!”
Lee Jaheon had come.
The alien tore through the gang members with ease, as though the tall, burly humans were made of nothing more than tofu. By the time the scuffle ended, there was no question who had won.
Of course, it was the handsome lizard.
Kim Soleum looked around the area, checking for any other enemies before stepping out of hiding. Without thinking, he threw his arms around the alien.
“Lee Jaheon-ssi, how did you get here? I want to know everything.”
“I asked the intelligence agency why this week's date was canceled. When I learned you were assigned to a field mission, I asked to participate. At first they didn't agree, but after being offered certain assurances and solutions from 'us' they allowed me."
Kim Soleum didn't want to know what assurances the alien colony had made. The important thing was that he and his teammates survived this mission.
“Thank you for saving me, Lee Jaheon-ssi.”
“Yes.”
The lizard carried the unconscious intelligence officer and placed him on its shoulder.
“Come with me, Kim Soleum-ssi.”
Kim Soleum followed the lizard down the asphalt road until he was eventually surrounded by wilderness. Because the figure he was following was Lee Jaheon, he trusted him.
Finally, they reached a clearing where a medium-sized UFO was parked. Kim Soleum stared at it in amazement.
“Is this an alien spacecraft?”
“Yes.”
“ thought your existence was still being kept hidden. Why bring a spacecraft here?”
“For the sake of efficiency and a smooth mission, ‘we’ decided to lend our technology. This UFO can be set to transparent mode."
Kim Soleum nodded in understanding and followed Lee Jaheon inside. His eyes scanned the interior of the alien vehicle. The control area resembled that of a man-made airplane, while the rear contained a sofa, a table, a water dispenser, and a supply of human food.
Lee Jaheon placed the unconscious man on the sofa, then went to the control area and pressed a series of buttons whose functions Kim Soleum could only guess.
“Kim Soleum-ssi, please sit here.” Lee Jaheon patted the passenger seat next to the pilot chair, just as he had patted the empty seat beside him at the library.
Once Kim Soleum was seated, the alien pressed a red button. Lights flickered to life throughout the ship, followed by the soft hum of its engines.
“Kim Soleum-ssi, can you tell me more about your mission there?”
Everything he experienced flowed out of his mouth as he recounted it without missing a single detail. The alien was silent until the part where the boss proposed to sleep with him.
“Kim Soleum-ssi, did you experience a traumatic reaction after your consensual boundaries were violated?”
“It’s nothing unusual when we're on missions, Lee Jaheon-ssi," Kim Soleum responded casually. "It was a bit disgusting, but I got over it."
“...”
Lee Jaheon fell silent. His vertical pupils blinked twice. Kim Soleum wondered if the alien no longer wanted to hear the rest.
“Would you like me to continue?”
“Yes.”
Kim Soleum continued to tell his story while the lizard listened. Only when he was finished did Lee Jaheon begin piloting the UFO. At first, everything went normally, until the alien vehicle stopped right on top of the drug lord's headquarters building.
Then, Lee Jaheon pressed a blue button, and a long, ear-piercing sound rang out. Kim Soleum even had to cover his ears.
When the UFO began moving again, Kim Soleum lowered his hands from his ears. He looked back and saw the once-sturdy building in flames and turned back to look at the alien in surprise.
“Lee Jaheon-ssi, could you please explain why you burned the building down?”
“After consulting 'us' and receiving permission from the government and intelligence agencies, we concluded that, given their criminal history, destroying the building was more efficient than going through the trouble of bringing the criminals in for prosecution.”
Lee Jaheon then turned to face Kim Soleum. His reptilian gaze was calm and composed, but his next words carried a sharp edge.
“Also, my ego as the entity 'Lee Jaheon' makes me feel offended that someone violated the boundaries of your comfort zone, Kim Soleum-ssi."
Crazy lizard! Crazy alien! Asdfghjkl@$_&&&!!!
Inside, his heart loudly screamed about how crazy the alien beside him was, even though his face remained perfectly calm. However, at that moment, Kim Soleum knew that he could no longer resist Lee Jaheon's charm—not even the fact that he was a lizard alien could change that.
___
The UFO touched down at an intelligence agency safe house on the outskirts of the city. Once the unconscious man had been handed over to the waiting agents, Lee Jaheon and Kim Soleum were left alone in the quiet cabin.
Kim Soleum had spent the past couple of days still coming to terms with the possibility that he was in love with the lizard. He kept dismissing his feelings as curiosity, gratitude, or simply a byproduct of the closeness the mission had forced between them. But with Lee Jaheon beside him—listening to him, calmly defending him, and even showing a rare flicker of possessiveness at the thought of someone violating Kim’s boundaries—he could no longer pretend.
"I like you, Lee Jaheon-ssi."
Kim Soleum shut his eyes tight, unable to bring himself to look at the lizard. Once the words he had been formulating in his spilled out of his mouth, he could no longer stop them.
"Not because of the mission. But I really, really do like you, even though your head looks like a lizard, Lee Jaheon-ssi."
After saying everything he had been holding back, Kim Soleum finally opened his eyes.
The lizard had stood up and gone completely still. Lee Jaheon blinked twice, his expression impossible to read.
Kim Soleum lowered his head, his cheeks flushed and his heart pounding. His damp fingers gripped the fabric of his black trousers.
“Will you be my boyfriend?”
Really, Kim Soleum wanted to bury himself right now, or disappear into thin air. He felt like a lovestruck schoolboy confessing his love.
One word escaped from the lizard's mouth.
"Yes."
As that word, Kim Soleum immediately sprang from his seat and threw himself to hug the alien, burying his head in the creature's broad chest as a bright, sweet smile bloomed across his lips.
Beneath his cheek, he could feel the frantic beat of his beloved lizard’s heart.
Meanwhile, Lee Jaheon returned the hug with one hand on Kim Soleum's waist, the other hand stroking his soft, grape-scented black hair.
Kim Soleum then raised his head. Only then could Lee Jaheon see the man's face clearly. His handsome, sweet, idol-like face; the pale, ivory-white thin cheeks now decorated with a red hue, and a pair of dark eyes—tinged faintly with crimson—stared back at Lee Jaheon with warmth and affection.
Ah, that face. The same face that made Lee Jaheon's ego appeared when he fell in love at first sight during the mission.
When his superior assigned him to observe Earth, he had simply pointed to a name from the list of human aliases provided by the coalition. He had chosen “Lee Jaheon” and planned to carry out his duties as efficiently as possible, focusing solely on the mission's objectives.
But everything changed the day Lee Jaheon went to the park.
Kim Soleum was unlike any other human he had encountered thus far on Earth. When Lee Jaheon happened to see him climb a tree to retrieve a balloon caught in its branches, something strange stirred in his chest, something foreign but pleasant. Kim Soleum handed the balloon back to the little boy with a warm style, and the feeling only grew.
It was a simple act, but it melted Lee Jaheon's heart. He began to seek information about the man.
Kim Soleum, was the name of the person who drove him crazy. He had even made Lee Jaheon willing to negotiate with the coalition, arguing as logically as he could that it was better to try to cooperate with Earth rather than go to war.
After his suggestion was accepted, Lee Jaheon continued to argue that in order to get to know humans better, they should date Earth creatures. When the intelligence agency presented him with a list of agents willing to take on this mission, he chose Kim Soleum without hesitation.
That's how it all started. Not only Kim Soleum, but Lee Jaheon was also driven mad by love.
This time, Lee Jaheon took the initiative. He didn't want Kim Soleum to be the only one making a move. He wanted a real date with the man, one that had not been planned by the intelligence agency.
“Kim Soleum-ssi, may I invite you on a date at my home?”
“Yes,” Kim Soleum replied. Then, the man hesitated before asking, “Can I call you ‘Hyung’?”
“Yes," Lee Jaheon said instantly.
Suddenly, information about various terms of endearment for romantic partners popped into Lee Jaheon's mind. He looked at Kim Soleum, tilting his head slightly.
“Kim Soleum-ssi, may I call you… ‘Honey’?”
Kim Soleum promptly fainted, blood streaming from his nose.