By Zephyria 
“So sensitive.”
Ignoring the mocking voice entirely, Min-ho slid his hand into his inner pocket. He had intended to buy time by pretending to negotiate and dig out the location of the pseudo-pastor. But if he acted that calmly, he might suffocate from the smell.
“The proposed compensation is 960 million. Out of old times’ sake, I’ll round it up to 1 billion.”
He skipped several steps and abruptly brought up the main point.
“Hey. Don’t you know the current market rate?”
“I know. It’s 1.2 billion.”
“How does the money go down when you’re adding ‘old times’ sake’?”
At the response that sounded incredulous, Min-ho took out the photos he had kept in his pocket and tossed them. Several photos taken from various angles scattered across the floor. A believer with clear signs of assault and the gangsters surrounding them. A face identical to the people in the photos was present in this room.
“It’ll be more profitable to just split 1 billion quietly and disappear. If you go to a prison cell for kidnapping and assault and don’t get a single cent, you’re just doing the pastor a favor.”
“Wow. Is this what Won Gyu-oh called ‘corporate negotiation’?”
As Min-ho shifted his eyes, he immediately locked gazes with Gyu-oh.
Hyung, is this right? Is it right to do this now? The silent cry was clearly legible, but Gyu-oh simply shrugged and acted nonchalant on the outside. Min-ho cleared his throat once and swept back his hair. He felt a pair of dark eyes land on the watch fastened to his exposed wrist.
“Time might be the only thing you jobless bastards have in abundance, but we don’t.”
“Sss. It’s true that we have plenty of time… but why are you being so aggressive? What if we just hold out?”
The shaggy-haired man pushed the photos on the floor one by one with the tip of his slipper. He even blocked the man standing next to him who tried to bend down to pick them up.
“You shouldn’t perceive mere photos like these as an attack.”
At the calm words delivered with a small laugh, the shaggy-haired man’s eyebrows twitched slightly. He narrowed his eyes and stared intently, as if trying to pierce through him.
“……Well, I guess you’ve got some solid evidence?”
“If you’re curious, try holding out. You said you have plenty of time.”
The following voice was also devoid of emotion. While delaying was something this side wanted as well, the man didn’t seem to have predicted that.
“Don’t think I’ll humor you. Won Gyu-oh might be kind enough to listen to all your bullshit, but that won’t work anymore.”
“That’s right. Every time I came in and out of here, they grilled me so hard. I thought I was going to die of fear.”
Gyu-oh, who had been listening quietly, complained and brought his index finger to the corner of his eye. He even pulled the corner of his eye down to create a pouting, tearful expression. The shaggy-haired man, glancing at him, snorted as if it were absurd, but Min-ho stood by Gyu-oh.
“Because you guys treated him like a rat when he was young, the kid couldn’t even stand tall. If it weren’t for that, he would’ve grown to 190cm. Look at how stunted he is.”
At the words added as if it were a pity, Gyu-oh played along and hunched his large frame. Despite being the most prominent in terms of height and bulk in the room.
“That guy is kind? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
“And what’s so reasonable about a bunch of washed-up, worthless gangsters trying to squeeze out billions?”
Unlike when he looked at Gyu-oh, he scanned the men with a cold gaze. These bastards had surely heard rumors from somewhere. That if they kept obstructing the redevelopment project like this, the urgent party would eventually match their compensation demands.
Unfortunately, since he had dealt with this type of people for more than a year or two, there was no way he would easily follow along.
Ha, ha. The shaggy-haired man, who had been letting out hollow laughs, suddenly shouted.
“Th-that’s what you call ‘creative economy.’ Does a guy with a long education not even know that?”
“If you knew how to do a creative economy, you wouldn’t be living like this.”
“…….”
Even at words that trampled and ignored his pride, they didn’t react strongly. It was also their loss if they caused trouble, and since they had been active in the field together, a structured way of living might have become ingrained in them. Or perhaps they were intimidated by the presence of Won Gyu-oh, who stood beside him with arms crossed.
Regardless, it was a relief that he hadn’t lost the initiative despite the negotiation being rushed and different from the plan.
“And you idiot, what you’re doing is just shaking people down for money.”
He snapped and pressed his knuckles into his dry eyelids. After doing so, it felt as if the blood was starting to flow again.
“I’ll give you two days, so persuade the pastor well and bow down. It’s better to take a reasonable amount and leave than to cook a meal only to give it all to the pastor.”
“…….”
“I’m telling you this out of old times’ sake, so take it to heart.”
When he signaled that it was time to leave, Gyu-oh straightened his body from leaning on the ping-pong table. Several gazes clung to Gyu-oh as he rolled up his sleeve to check the time. Seeing them frown immediately, Min-ho thought it was a good thing they both wore expensive watches.
“Ah.”
Min-ho, who was about to leave the ping-pong hall, stopped abruptly. Gyu-oh, who had been leading the way, waited while holding the glass door that had a faint sticker of a ping-pong paddle.
“Shave your head again. You look like shit; you were better off when you could blame your hair.”
“Wh-what?”
Leaving behind the face that was turning bright red, Min-ho stepped forward. Through the closing glass door, he could hear someone cursing, but the two didn’t care. As they were heading back down the stairs, Gyu-oh, with his hands in his pockets, nudged him with an elbow.
“The atmosphere really is different when Hyung comes. I guess the subordinate instinct is still in their bodies.”
“…….”
“Even if they act cheeky, they lose their nerve.”
That probably wasn’t the reason. Min-ho didn’t bother to correct him. There was no way he could say, ‘It’s because they’ve slept with me,’ in front of a guy who radiated nervousness just by hearing that he was going to meet someone at night. Min-ho kept his words to himself and lowered his head, pretending to focus on the stairs.
Just ten minutes after entering the shabby building, the two left the neighborhood.
* * *
[Viper: Photo]
[Viper: CEO’s vehicle is on standby — Driver Won]
Until a moment ago, his head had been throbbing from being buried in documents, but he felt the tension leave his body at a single text from Gyu-oh.
“Does he get an itch if he doesn’t act like a lunatic for even one day?”
Despite saying that, he zoomed in on the photo of a motorcycle helmet and a coffee cup side by side. The table in the background was a common steel table, but it was familiar to Min-ho’s eyes.
“I told you not to ride it, but you just don’t fucking listen.”
He gets cursed out every time he rides, yet he still can’t give it up. Maybe I should have kept his motorcycle keys confiscated.
Min-ho folded a few sheets of paper and tucked them into his inner pocket, then slid some photos into the front pocket of his jacket. After packing his things simply, he left the office.
His destination was a cafe located on the first floor of the same building. Gyu-oh was sitting in the expected place, at the expected spot. He was holding his phone horizontally, looking at something with such intense focus that he didn’t even blink once.
“Did you think I wouldn’t find you if you sent it like that?”
Only then did those black pupils roll toward him as Min-ho pulled out a chair and sat opposite him.
“As expected, Hyung, your interest in me is profound.”
“I told you, you’re right in the palm of my hand.”
Hearing that, Gyu-oh chuckled, his shoulders shaking. Then, he flipped over the phone he had been focusing on and stretched his arms out low, as if waking up. It took only a moment for Gyu-oh’s body temperature to touch the tips of Min-ho’s fingers, which were resting quietly on the table.
“…….”
“…….”
Both of them flinched simultaneously. Unlike Min-ho, who slightly curled his fingers, Gyu-oh withdrew his arm, pretending to adjust his seat. Since it was only natural to feel uncomfortable, Min-ho didn’t particularly feel hurt or resentful, but… he felt a strange tightening in his chest, as if the distance between him and Gyu-oh, who had always been close, had grown slightly.
An awkward silence flowed briefly. While he was pondering how to start a conversation, unfamiliar footsteps broke the stillness.
“Here is your coffee.”
Min-ho frowned the moment he took a sip of the coffee the employee had left. Usually, he drank it strong, even adding extra shots, but this tasted strongly of decaf. This was the only decaf menu item at this cafe, and it was the one Gyu-oh often bought for him.
“Why is it always decaf?”
“What’s a man who can’t even sleep doing with caffeine?”
As if the lingering awkwardness had been an illusion, their conversation returned to its usual rhythm. Strangely, the pouring nagging sounded quite sweet, blending into the soft music filling the cafe.
“I can’t even buy my own coffee the way I want.”
Won Gyu-oh’s trivial interference likely wouldn’t have much effect, but the effort was commendable. While Min-ho steadily emptied his cup, Gyu-oh demolished two pieces of bread in an instant and pulled his hands away.
“Are you going to take the motorcycle?”
“With Hyung on the back.”
Gyu-oh nodded as if it were obvious, tapping the helmet resting on the chair. Min-ho shook his head with a slight frown. He knew Gyu-oh wouldn’t ride dangerously, but accidents always happen at the most unexpected moments.
“And my opinion on this?”
“Your heart is my heart.”
Gyu-oh replied slyly, winking one eye. He wondered who on earth had taught him to be so brazen.
“Take my car.”
“No. Ride this today.”
Min-ho looked up at the quite firm tone. A glimpse of stubbornness was readable on Gyu-oh’s face as he tucked the helmet under one arm.
“I’d like to live a long life.”
“I’ll escort you safely. Ride this today.”
He even showed off by tapping his chest, telling Min-ho to trust him. Usually, he would back down if Min-ho showed this much dislike, but today he was particularly persistent.
“So why do we have to ride that?”
If it was for intentional showing off like last time, a car would have been sufficient, or he could have used a watch or clothes. Gyu-oh hesitated for a moment at Min-ho’s question. The guy, who had been poking bread crumbs on a wide plate with a fork, finally spoke.
“Thinking about it, it pisses me off that those bastards act all smug with Hyung, just like they do to me.”
“…….”
“I think they keep forgetting what our relationship is.”
I need to remind them that if they touch Hyung, I’ll step in too. His grumbling face looked genuinely serious.