Han met Sara at a club a year ago, after he managed to sneak out of his home the day after his 18th birthday. They have been best friends ever since, but it was no ordinary club they met at. It was a BDSM club and Sara had saved Han when he had ended up in a situation he did not want to be in. They had talked that night and Han had told Sara about his feelings and how worried he was. He had also told her about his mother and father. His father was very strict and did not hesitate to use physical punishment if necessary. He had left Han and his mother a few years ago, but it was considered that he still had the right to decide how they would live their lives. Han also mentioned his attempted suicide, which he had not talked to anyone else about before. Sara was a member of one of the city's safer BDSM clubs, SKZ, and introduced Han to the owner, Bang Chan, who immediately took Han under his wing and made sure that Han was safe at the club.

Sara tried to help Han as much as possible, but knew she wasn't the right person for this. She came up with a plan.

- Han\, do you want to come with me to my uncle Minho's house this summer and stay at his house for a few weeks this summer?

- I would love to\, but my mom and dad would never approve.

- Tell them you're going to a church camp.

- Do you think they would go for it?

- You can always try.

That same evening, Han talks to his mom and she's happy that Han wants to go and do something other than just stay at home, so she says yes.

Sara picks Han up when it's finally time to leave, they had said that Sara and Han had met during a church meeting so Han's mother didn't mind Han going with Sara. It would take about two hours to get to Sara's uncle. After a while they arrived and they drove up to a huge iron gate. Sara pressed a button on a post next to the gate and she heard Minho's voice.

- Finally you're here\, he said. I'll open the gate and you can drive up to the house.

The gates went up with a creaking sound and Sara continued up to the house, up close the house was very impressive. He thought it looked like a real fairytale castle. Sara turned to Han.

- I know you're interested in old houses.

Han nodded and became more grateful that Sara had invited him along. They arrived at the house and Sara parked and got out of the car while Han sat there, staring wide-eyed at the house. The front door opens and there stands a guy. Han looks out the window and straight at the guy, the most handsome guy he has ever seen. Sara turned to him and says:

- That's my uncle Minho.

- What? Han exclaims. Is that your uncle?

- Yes\, Sara answered. What did you expect\, an old bald guy? He's only five years older than us.

- Hi Sara\, Minho says as Sara walks up to him.

- Hi uncle.

- Oh please\, Minho said. You make me feel like I'm 80. Is that your friend you were talking about? Minho looks towards the car and Han.

- Mmm\, but like I said\, he's a bit quiet.

Minho nods and remembers the conversation that Sara and he had a week ago when they had talked on the phone. Han was quiet and had a tough time at home, but they had similar interests. Sara had also mentioned that the clubs they used to visit because Han was curious, but didn't know how to handle everything and that Han was now a member of their club. That was partly why Sara had chosen to stay with Minho, because she knew he was also a member of SKZ and might be able to guide Han.

- Han came now\, Sara said\, and Han nervously got out of the car.

- Hello\, he said quietly.

- Hello\, Minho replied. Come in and I'll show you your rooms.

Minho showed Han the room where he would sleep, Sara laughed when she saw the room.

- Haha\, you gave Han the room I had when I was little and slept in.

- What? Han sighed. Am I going to sleep in a children's room?

Sure, it was redone but it still feels strange. After Minho showed him the room, he and Sara went on to show Sara's room. He stood alone in the middle of the room and decided that it wasn't actually that bad after all, it seemed more like a suite than a room and quite impressive with a large double bed. There was a large bay window that looked out onto a huge pool. He fantasized about draining the pool of water and being able to skateboard in it.

- She's just messing with you.

Han turned around and saw Sara's uncle standing in the doorway. Never before had he met someone like Minho, someone so tall, handsome and muscular. His hair was quite long, but still styled in a way you only saw on male models with their own hair stylists.

- Sara\, clarify Mino when Han hasn't said anything. By mentioning that this was a children's room.

Han nodded and shoved his hands into his jeans pockets.

- She said you're not talkative and that wasn't an exaggeration.

Minho came in with Hans's bag over his shoulder, he himself can barely lift it but Minho barely seems to even notice the weight.

- Sorry.

Previously he had only managed a squeaky hello when they had arrived and got out of the car.

- It's okay\, Minho nodded\, liking it. One word is better than nothing.

Han tried to think of something to say that would interest a rich and handsome guy like Minho, but his head was empty.

- Should I put the bag on the bed?

- Sure.

Minho gave him a small stern look.

- Say something else or you won't get it.

- Sure the bed will be good\, Han managed to get out.

- Oh\, five words! Minho exclaimed while holding up five fingers.

Han laughs and blushes a little, Han holds up his own hand and shows four fingers.

- Thank you very much.

- You are welcome.

Then Han began to count his fingers and held up both hands.

- 10 words? Minho guessed and Han nodded.

- Thanks for letting me live here. The house is amazing.

- It's no problem\, Sara and her friends are always welcome here.

Han smiled.

- Do you like the room?

- It's really nice for a nursery.

- It's an old-fashioned English nursery\, that is\, one of a number of rooms where you hid the children\, but if it's wallpapered of course.

Han couldn't take his eyes off Minho even though he usually got a little scared by big muscles. His dad uses his size to scare and belittle other people, but Minho seems really nice and confident.

- When I had this room\, there was Noah's Ark on the wallpaper. I'm not religious\, but the Ark is about the end of the world\, isn't it?

- Yep\, Han nodded.

- In that case\, you can decorate with the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Han shrugged, looking at the elegant blue walls.

- Well\, kids usually like horses.

Minho stares at him before he starts laughing out loud.

- Sara didn’t tell me you were funny\, Minho said with a smile that was so happy and bright that it almost burned his eyes.

- I didn’t know I was funny.

- You are.

Minho was still staring and Han blushed a little. Han thought about the warning Sara had told him that Minho was dominant and decided that it had to be a dominant thing. Why would a guy like Minho and others look at him like that?

- Hope you’ll enjoy yourself here\, Minho said before leaving the room.

Han could finally let out the breath he had been holding. Was it a stupid thing to come here with Sara? She had said that she could help him sort out his thoughts and figure out what he really wanted and preferred within the sexual spectrum. Now Han wondered how it would work when they were in a big house with only three people.

Later that evening, Han sat on the couch when Sara came in. She threw herself down on the couch next to him and Han stiffened.

- Why are you so tense Han? Sara wonders.

T- here are many reasons. I'm going to live all summer, at someone's house I don't know. Both my parents would get a beating if they knew I was here.

Sara puts a hand on his shoulder and looks at him.

- Honestly now. Why are you so stressed?

Han turned his head and looked out the window, there's a huge swimming pool outside.

- I know\, she smiled. All you want to do is empty it and skate on the bottom\, right?

- How did you know?

- Because I know you\, but now I want you to answer the question.

- I don't belong here\, with you and Minho in this house. It feels completely crazy.

- I know\, but give it time and it will feel better\, I promise. Now it's time to go to bed and then we'll start again tomorrow.

Han nods and they head towards their own bedrooms.

The next day, Han is sitting on one of the loungers by the pool with a sketchpad in his lap, he's sketching a pair of wings. Suddenly someone comes and sits next to him.

- Hey\, what are you doing? Minho asks.

- Ahh\, nothing special\, Han answers and closes his pad.

Minho doesn't push, but understands that Han isn't comfortable showing what he's created.

- Sara asked me to go through the checklist with you. She thought it might be better if you did it with another guy. Go through the list\, Minho winked.

- A checklist?

- A good dominant goes through a checklist with their partner before they do anything kinky. That way\, the dominant already knows in advance what the submissive likes and doesn't like\, and you don't have to have anxiety attacks in the middle of a game. For example\, you don't want to put an old prisoner of war in a cramped little cage.

- Maybe not\, Han nods.

- Should we go into the pool house instead? There are many sides and the sun is very warm now\, it's cooler inside.

Han nods and they both get up and go into the pool house, where there isn't much furniture inside. A two-seater sofa and a TV stand.

- I've just renovated so there isn't much furniture yet\, Minho says and sits on the sofa. Sit down.

Han looks at the sofa but decides to sit on the floor in front of Minho, befitting a submissive. Once again Minho stopped himself and stared so intensely that Han pulled his knees up to his chin and tucked his long hair behind his ears. It felt a little strange to be stared at like this, but still good.

- Yeah\, okay Minho muttered and took pen and paper out of his back pocket. It's not complicated\, just answer on a scale of one to five\, where one means it's as arousing as kissing grandma on the cheek and five means you're getting your pants on just thinking about it. Never mind if you've done it or not\, it ended up here if you want. The first category is six.

- Five\, Han answered immediately.

Minho grinned broadly.

- It was just the category but it's nice that you're so enthusiastic. By the way\, can I call you Hannie?

- Hannie?

- Yes\, Han feels so formal and I'm not very formal.

Han thought after, no one had called him anything other than Han except his dad who called him a nickname for a while when he was little, but that nickname was horrible and not something Han wants to think about.

- It'll be fine\, Han decided and smiled.

While Minho leafed through the pages, he muttered a few to himself

- Okay\, he finally continued on a scale of one to five\, how do you like vaginal sex?

- Five\, Han answered hesitantly. He didn't know if Minho would say anything if he knew Han was gay. He remembered when his parents found out he was gay and since then it's been hell. From his dad he had heard insults and harsh words like sick in the head and his mother turned her back on him. He didn't want Minho to do the same\, so he lied.

- I agree\, Minho replied after a while.

Han felt his stomach clench and at the same time felt that it was a good thing he lied.

- Oral sex?

- Five.

Minho looked at him for a while before continuing.

- Even better. Anal sex?

- Five\, Han answered honestly\, thinking he could tell he was bisexual if the subject came up again. He looked down at one of his wrists to double-check that his watch covered the scar.

- More than one partner?

- No\, just want to be with one.

- Then I guess threesomes are a no too.

Han nodded.

- Male partner?

Han turned around and looked at the floor for a long time before answering.

- He’s absolutely perfect\, Minho said as soon as he entered Sara’s room a little later.

- Did you go through the checklist?

- Yep\, your friend is unique and I’m in love.

- You’re not at all\, Minho\, you can’t last a relationship\, the longest was three weeks. You’ve also just met Han.

- So?

- And Bang Chan said Han is off limits.

- Why?

- How did the list go? interrupted Sara instead. Did anything come up that we can help him with?

Minho took out the list and sat down next to Sara on the bed.

- When it came to sex\, it was mostly five\, except for those with multiple partners.

- Mmm\, he's very shy.

- No direct fetishes\, like pissing.

- How lucky\, I don't know how I could help him with that.

- He likes the usual stuff. All forms of bondage and pain get fives. But this is a bit fishy\, Minho said and looked at the last page.

- What?

- He likes pain and submission\, but a big one for blood games with cutting and such.

Sara thought about the scars on Han's wrist and thought it wasn't so strange.

- I don't like bastinado myself\, I hate when someone does something to my feet\, Sara said to distract Minho. Han can tell Minho himself if he wants\, she thought.

- Okay\, then I know\, Minho said with a raised eyebrow. He doesn't like people raising their voices either.

Sara sighs and thinks it's probably because of the asshole of a father he has.

- And then one last thing about Hannie.

- Hannie?

- I call him that\, Han sounds so formal.

- Okay\, what's that?

- He said he likes vaginal sex\, but also that he can imagine a male partner. Is he bisexual?

- I know he's not straight\, Sara answered.

- Mmm\, Minho muttered and realized that Han hadn't been completely honest with all the questions.

Han started unpacking his things after the conversation with Minho, at the top of the bag was his skateboard. Now he regretted bringing it, Sara knew he skated but not Minho. Would he think it was childish? Probably Han thought and rolled the board under the bed. Han unpacked his usual cheap clothes but it felt wrong to put them in the antique dresser that had probably cost more than his mother's car. At the bottom he found his books, his yaoi books. Han looked at them, it was with the help of these that he realized what he preferred, that he understood that he was gay. He sighed and put the books down, what am I doing here Han thought. The house screamed fortune, he was just a completely ordinary lost eighteen year old with no direct plan for the future.

- If I asked you to smile\, would you? a voice came from the door.

Sara stood in the doorway and looked at him.

- How is it Han?

- I feel overwhelmed.

- I understand\, but this trip is to help you. So you don't need to think about anything else.

- Mmm\, Minho seems nice at least.

Oh no, why did I say that, Han thought.

- Yes\, he is\, Sara replied and smiled while Han looked nervously down at the floor.

Han woke up and saw that it was still night. He lay on his back and looked up at the ceilings, he couldn't believe that he would be living in this house for several weeks and getting training on how the BDSM world worked. Sara and he had talked about what fantasies he had, what he wanted to try, what he wanted to learn. They had also talked about safety and that Han should start taking vitamins so that bruises would heal faster. They also talked about the system of yellow, green and red and what his stop word would be. His thoughts started to wander and he came to think of his father, how disappointed he must be to have had someone like him. He had probably expected a son who was masculine and athletic, nothing like Han. But more like Minho, with his powerful body and his facial features. Han shook off the thoughts and tried to fall back asleep, he decided to ask Sara tomorrow if she could tell him a little more about Minho.

- Haha\, your dad would find just as many faults with him. Minho was a thug when he was our age and was over twenty when he calmed down. Plus\, as you know\, he's very kinky and bisexual.

- Is Minho bisexual? As Han said that\, he felt his whole body tingle.

- Yep\, as you wish\, Sara laughed.

Han moaned softly.

- Guys aren't supposed to be that pretty.

- Starting to sound like you're falling in love\, Sara laughs.

- Quiet\, Han replies with flushed cheeks.

- Shall we go hang out by the pool for a while?

- Sure\, Han replied.