By Zephyria 
A short while later, an unexpected visitor arrived at the house.
Hui-won stood frozen in the corner, unable to hide his bewildered expression. A massage bed had been set up right in the middle of his living room. Watching the seamless setup, he couldn’t tell if he was in a home or a luxury aesthetic shop.
The masseuse, dressed in a neat uniform, calmly went about her business, while Kwon Young-je sat on the sofa, watching. It was none other than Kwon Young-je who had called the masseuse to the house.
What on earth is going on…?
The question dangled on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it down. As if ready, the masseuse looked at Hui-won and gave him a gentle smile.
“Would you like to lie down?”
“Ah… I’m really okay.”
No matter how much he refused, no one here seemed to understand his intentions. Hui-won eventually had to perch awkwardly on the massage bed.
“Could you take off your T-shirt?”
“…….”
Hui-won fumbled at his chest. This won’t do… His T-shirt was covered in traces of the night before. Even if it was his house, it wasn’t something he could show to others. His anxious gaze turned to Kwon Young-je.
“About the clothes…”
“Take it off. There’s no one here who’s going to look at you strangely.”
A firm order was given. The masseuse added a word of reassurance in a gentle voice, and Hui-won had no choice but to take off his T-shirt and lie face down on the massage bed.
Soon after, the lights went out, and the surroundings were completely dark. Only the flickering candles emitted a warm light. Listening to the soft meditation music playing in the quiet, he felt like he was really in an aesthetic shop.
Soon, oil-coated stones were placed on Hui-won’s bare skin. His back twitched reflexively at the warm heat.
“Is it too hot?”
“…No, it’s okay.”
The masseuse slowly rubbed the smooth stones along his skin. Her focus solely on the massage, without unnecessary small talk, revealed her professionalism. Thanks to her, Hui-won was able to relax more easily.
Since Kwon Young-je had arranged it, she was probably a VIP specialist. The towel covering the bed was plush, and the masseuse’s touch was indescribably gentle. Although it wasn’t what he had wanted, he was certainly enjoying the taste of money.
“Your lower back is very tight. It must have been painful.”
The masseuse straightened her arms and pressed down on Hui-won’s lower back with her stacked palms. The considerable pressure caused his toes to curl, and a groan escaped involuntarily.
“Ugh!”
“Is this pressure okay for you?”
“Hngh, y-yes… Ugh, g-good.”
The masseuse’s hands were as warm as the stones from earlier, and slick with oil. As her professional touch moved along the muscle fibers, his stiff body gradually loosened. Hui-won soon forgot his embarrassment and became completely absorbed in the massage.
A clean towel covered Hui-won’s pelvis, and his pants and underwear were pulled down slightly. Soon, her two thumbs began to apply pressure, drawing a long line along his tailbone and spine.
“…Ah, there.”
“It hurts here, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, just a little softer…”
“That’s enough.”
A low voice suddenly interrupted the conversation. Kwon Young-je, who had risen from his seat, stood with both hands in his pants pockets.
“Leave everything and go.”
“Yes, Executive Director.”
As soon as the order was given, the masseuse simply slipped out. Lying there half-naked, Hui-won blinked, not knowing what was going on. Is she leaving all this behind? This is my house….
Meanwhile, Kwon Young-je approached and picked up the oil bottle that the masseuse had set down. He read the writing on the glass bottle with a displeased look, like someone conducting an inspection.
“Secretary Kim, just get a massage machine for the house.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Don’t even think about getting it from a professional.”
“Did I do something wrong?”
Hui-won raised his head slightly, resting his forearm on the bed. His bare back, glistening with oil, shone even in the darkness.
“…….”
But instead of answering, Kwon Young-je only shot him a cold look. He pressed down on the back of Hui-won’s head, making him lie face down again. His face disappeared into the deeply hollowed hole.
“What kind of moans are you… Ha, never mind.”
“It’s because it’s my first time getting a massage.”
He heard a clattering sound from the side. It seemed Kwon Young-je was doing something. But with only the floor visible in front of him, his distrust deepened.
“But what are you trying to… Ah!”
When a cold hand came up on his back, Hui-won bit his lip tightly. He tried to hold it in, but a moan escaped helplessly.
“This is the problem.”
“Executive Director, your hands are too… Ugh, cold.”
“Don’t twitch your back. We’re not having sex right now.”
The face buried in the hole turned red. Only then did Hui-won realize that his reaction was not normal.
Kwon Young-je quietly continued the massage. His skills were clumsy compared to a professional, but his hands were so big and the pressure was so strong that it definitely felt good. Hui-won let go of his complicated thoughts and entrusted his body to his hands.
This was luxury at its finest. When else would he ever get a massage from Kwon Young-je? Gradually, the corners of his lips relaxed, and a silly smile escaped.
“Are you feeling very sorry for me?”
“You can tell, can’t you?”
His tone was still indifferent, but his touch was gentler than before. His fingertips, warmed by his body temperature, gradually became warmer.
When he ran the fleshy part of his palm down his back and to his hips, his spine trembled again without fail. He heard a tsking sound from above.
“Can’t you control yourself?”
“…I can’t help it.”
“…….”
Kwon Young-je said nothing more after that. He left the areas where Hui-won was sensitive alone and only pressed down on the tight trapezius and scapular areas. The sight of him acting as a masseuse was completely out of character, but he didn’t show any signs of annoyance. Hui-won, who had been with Kwon Young-je for a long time, knew. This was Kwon Young-je’s way of apologizing.
Hui-won relaxed and entrusted himself to him. After all, there was no one who would listen even if he tried to stop him. Despite the clumsy massage, his stiff muscles were steadily loosening. Perhaps it was because it was a familiar hand that he felt more at ease.
As his body relaxed, sleepiness began to creep in. The background music that calmed his mind and body, the fragrant aroma of essential oils, and Kwon Young-je’s touch. There was nothing that wasn’t peaceful.
Could he still be dreaming? There was no way Kwon Young-je could be this kind… In the fading sensation, his eyelids drooped. Before long, he fell into a sweet slumber.
When he woke up, he had been moved to the bed. Lying on his side as usual, Hui-won was even more startled by the fact that Kwon Young-je was sleeping next to him than by the fact that he had been moved to the bed without his knowledge.
“Hnghk!”
Kwon Young-je woke up to Hui-won’s scream. He frowned with his eyes still closed.
“What is it.”
“Why, why are you sleeping here?”
He rubbed his face as if he couldn’t be bothered to answer. Soon, he turned to his side and pulled Hui-won into his arms with his long arm. His slow hand patted his back gently.
“Just sleep. Isn’t it annoying to ask about everything?”
His low voice was thick with fatigue. Before long, the hand patting his back slowed down, but Kwon Young-je was still holding Hui-won in his arms.
“…….”
He could have easily escaped, but Hui-won remained trapped in his strong arms. He could smell the familiar scent from Kwon Young-je’s neck, which was touching the tip of his nose. It was a very warm scent, unlike his cold nature.
He felt a thumping vibration somewhere, like someone was beating a drum. The source was their chests pressed together. Was the rapidly beating heart Kwon Young-je’s, or his own?
Hui-won sighed and squeezed his eyes shut.
He was doomed. It seemed to be him after all.
***
“Clear an hour in the afternoon. There’s somewhere to go.”
“Yes, Executive Director.”
Hui-won adjusted his schedule without complaint. It was an instruction that was no different from usual, so he didn’t suspect for a moment that it was related to him.
The destination was a business hotel in Gwanghwamun. When he got into the back seat without any ulterior motive at the word to get in, Kwon Young-je handed him a file that looked heavy at a glance.
“Understand the contents while we’re going. Just read the highlighted parts.”
There were only about twenty minutes left until they arrived at the hotel. Hui-won suppressed his frustrated feelings and fiddled with the black binder cover. The word ‘Confidential’ stamped on the front indicated that it was not something to be taken lightly.
As Hui-won slowly opened the cover, he gritted his teeth as soon as he checked the contents.
The documents were filled with Japanese. And below it was the same content translated into English. As Kwon Young-je had said, yellow highlighter was applied to the middle of the pages. The more he read the marked parts, the paler Hui-won’s complexion became.
“What… is this?”
“I told you. I’ll take care of it.”
Kwon Young-je said casually. Judging by his voice alone, it seemed like nothing much, but what he was doing was an incident that could turn the archipelago upside down.
The opponent was the head of a company. He was by no means an easy opponent, and if he started a fight recklessly, he was likely to face a backlash.
But Kwon Young-je was not an easy man either. Rather, no one could match him in his tenacity. He held in his hand solid evidence to subdue Chairman Takano.
“Executive Director, I don’t really understand what’s going on right now… Please explain.”
Hearing the trembling voice, he turned his gaze away from the window for a moment. He looked at Hui-won’s stiff face and twisted his lips.
“Do you know what the characteristics of people who commit sexual crimes are?”
“…….”
“They never do it just once.”