By Zephyria 
“….”
Min-ho picked up a photo that seemed to have been taken at night. It showed a few guys he’d seen at the ping-pong parlor exchanging something with the cult pastor. It was a beverage box of the kind used when visiting a patient in the hospital, and Min-ho felt he knew what it was.
He quickly rummaged through the pile of papers and examined another photo. It captured a man in a car opening the beverage box and checking the contents. It was a scene of someone peeling away layers of styrofoam and plastic wrap.
“It’s probably not a drug deal. It’s too weak to link it to that.”
At Mu-gyeong’s words, Gyu-oh searched for and pulled out a few more photos. They contained images of the pastor. It was a scene of him checking powder contained in a very small zipper bag. Because it had been taken with maximum zoom, the image was slightly pixelated, but it was definitely the cult pastor.
“It’s not a deal, it’s a test.”
While some people who distribute drugs never touch them, the majority were addicts. Such people would taste the product first as a quality test, then mix in impurities to increase the volume and sell the drugs at a lower quality grade. In other words, the pastor was currently serving as that tester.
“You’ve got a hell of a nose. You’re practically a police dog now.”
Mu-gyeong let out a short, dry laugh as he seriously examined the photos.
“How can I wait around for someone to follow proper procedure? Hyung, you said it yourself—for us, time is money.”
“You’ve learned well.”
Unlike Mu-gyeong, who wore a satisfied smile, Min-ho simply pressed down on his head, nursing a growing headache. So that’s why he had been sneaking out every night. To gather perfect evidence that the gangsters from Seong-tak and the cult pastor were in cahoots.
“If I hand this over as is, they can skip the formalities. Right?”
“Presumably.”
Since he had even filmed the pastor acting the part and attending services, the evidence was sufficient. If he handed these materials over to the police contact he was connected with, he could take down the gangsters, the cult pastor, and the followers in one fell swoop without lifting a finger. Since most of the people holding out in the redevelopment district were likely involved, the neighborhood would be emptied in an instant.
“I hated spending money on those bastards. This works out well.”
“If you decided to put tails on them, that should have been the end of it. Why do this dangerous thing alone? Without a plan?”
Mu-gyeong praised him, but Min-ho’s voice remained sharp. He wasn’t sure if it was due to lack of sleep, lingering alcohol, or simply because he was worried about Gyu-oh.
“It’s easier on the mind to get it over with quickly. There was no need to bring anyone.”
He did often move alone during work. However, this was a matter that had already been decided—to put tails on various locations in a few days.
“You should have brought someone. You went there alone without a shred of fear.”
Dark circles were heavy under Gyu-oh’s eyes, and his lips were chapped. It was only natural, considering he had spent days doing that in the shadows and returning home only at dawn. He hadn’t even come home last night. He certainly wouldn’t have slept a wink. Min-ho was equally sleep-deprived, yet it still bothered him.
“I wanted to wrap it up quickly. Today was D-Day for meeting those guys.”
“…….”
What on earth did that have to do with anything? As Min-ho stared at him with a fierce gaze, Gyu-oh roughly ruffled his hair.
“Ah, just… I just didn’t want to see those bastards’ faces anymore.”
“How much more could you possibly see? And if you hate them that much, why did you keep going to that neighborhood and stirring things up?”
“I don’t know, it’s just annoying.”
Avoiding his gaze, Gyu-oh aimlessly flipped through the photos scattered on the table. Even though the situation had resulted in saving both time and money, Min-ho pressed him to the end.
“What.”
“…….”
“What’s so annoying.”
But he didn’t answer in the end. He simply remained silent, his broad back hunched. He used to scoff at people who picked on him out of inferiority; he wondered what button had suddenly been pushed. There had to be a reason. As Min-ho stared at Gyu-oh as if trying to gauge him, Mu-gyeong suddenly chimed in from across the table.
“If you two are going to have a lovers’ quarrel, can I leave now?”
“Leave where?”
Min-ho snapped back brusquely with a fierce glare, and Mu-gyeong shrugged. Taking advantage of the shift in attention, Gyu-oh pulled something out of his pocket and handed it over.
“……I have a recorder too.”
Mu-gyeong tossed off his gloves and pressed the play button on the recorder.
—Can you match the date?
—After the service, if we do, even if we push the kids hard, it’s possible…
The latter part was cut off intermittently, drowned out by the sound of a car, but it was clearly the pastor’s voice. It was a recording that could serve as evidence that the congregants were being used for drug supply.
“…….”
Given the quality of the conversation, how close must he have been to record this? The thought of him entering such a place alone and unprepared made Min-ho’s head throb. There was no need to act this dangerously.
However, it seemed he was the only one whose head hurt over Won Gyu-oh’s recklessness. Mu-gyeong and Gyu-oh himself were simply having a trivial conversation about how they should cancel today’s appointment, their faces nonchalant.
As Min-ho sat there scowling, Gyu-oh, who had been gauging his reaction, suddenly wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
“Why are you like this? It’s great that it’s solved quickly.”
Despite the glare, Gyu-oh slyly winked. Recently, he had flinched whenever they touched, but he didn’t anymore. Seeing him act like his old self, Min-ho’s sharp edges gradually softened.
“……I should have just pushed them into the cult church.”
When Min-ho subtly tried to pull away from the close contact, he felt the grip on his shoulder tighten again.
“Hey. That’s a bit too far.”
“I told you so from the start.”
Min-ho let out a low sigh as he watched Mu-gyeong agree while putting on his gloves. Still, it was a relief that he returned without any incident. Since he was a guy specialized in this sort of thing, he probably would have escaped even if he’d been caught while tailing them. It was also true that he wouldn’t have to face those unpleasant people. He tried to soothe himself with these thoughts, pressing his eyelids.
“Then today’s negotiation is off. We’ll hand over the materials immediately.”
“Yeah.”
As soon as the blunt answer came, Mu-gyeong stood up.
“Then I’ll be going, since my bunny-like lover is waiting?”
With a half-hearted wave of his hand, he immediately left the office. Was he really that happy just to act as his lover’s chauffeur? The smile spreading across his usually stoic face felt unfamiliar yet sparked curiosity. They had lived together for several years, yet could he still be that head-over-heels?
“When will those two ever stop being newlyweds?”
Gyu-oh muttered as he gathered the photos. Since it matched exactly what Min-ho had been thinking, a dry laugh escaped him first.
“My thoughts exactly.”
Though he had scolded Gyu-oh, he couldn’t deny the feeling of relief, as if a painful tooth had finally been pulled. He leaned back deeply into the sofa, covering his face with both hands. He could immediately feel a heavy, lingering gaze fixed on him.
“Sorry for acting like a loose cannon. But I really didn’t want to see those guys’ faces anymore.”
Right. It was understandable to hate repeatedly encountering the people who had tormented him. He might have wanted to settle it quickly even if it meant overextending himself. Therefore, it was better to quickly erase the hypothesis that Gyu-oh’s actions were connected to Cha Min-ho.
“……You’re making me age, seriously.”
Though his eyes were still covered, he could feel the persistent gaze as if it were transparent. A moment of silence passed. He heard the sound of the sofa shifting and felt a presence beside him. Min-ho slowly lowered the hands covering his face and turned his head, following Gyu-oh’s shadow. He simply stared blankly at the back of the man as he slid the blinds shut.
It wasn’t even 8 o’clock yet, but the office was quickly plunged into darkness.
“What are you doing?”
Click. Gyu-oh, having turned off all the lights except for one, returned to the sofa. He then familiarly took Min-ho’s phone and fiddled with it.
“What’s the name of the cop we’re handing the info to?”
“Park Jae-young. Why?”
Instead of answering the question, Gyu-oh scrolled through the phone with a face devoid of any smile. Since they had been in contact recently, it probably wouldn’t take long to find the trace of their conversation. Sure enough, after a short while, Gyu-oh’s red lips parted.
“I’ll go meet him and hand it over. I’ll also contact the table tennis center ghosts and tell them today’s appointment is off.”
That was Min-ho’s job. Since Gyu-oh had risked himself to gather the evidence, it was only natural that the cleanup was his responsibility. However, Gyu-oh insisted on finishing it himself.
“Forget it.”
When Min-ho reached out to take the phone back, the other man sucked in a breath through his teeth and pulled away.
“Sss.”
“…….”
He even went as far as to firmly press his own hand down with his palm.
“Hyung, just get some sleep.”
He spoke in a firm voice, looking him straight in the eye. With the smile completely gone, he looked quite cold. Anyone who didn’t know Won Gyu-oh well would have been intimidated, but the problem was that Min-ho knew him too well.
“Fine. It’s better for me if you do the work instead.”
There was no reason to refuse someone offering to do the work for him. Let’s not attach unnecessary reasons to Gyu-oh’s behavior.
Min-ho closed his eyes and gripped his tie, pulling it loose. The discomfort that had been strangling his neck all night finally seemed to ease. He used to never be this relaxed in the office, but Won Gyu-oh really had a way of spoiling a person’s habits.
Seeing Min-ho completely buried in the sofa, Gyu-oh left the office looking satisfied. The door, which was almost closed, suddenly swung open again, and Gyu-oh popped his face back in.
“I’ll be back within 30 minutes. If you’re not asleep, I’m flipping everything upside down.”
Min-ho tilted his head slightly and looked toward the door.
“……And how exactly are you going to flip it?”
“There are plenty of ways. If you’re curious, feel free to keep working.”
“…….”
Curved lips and slanted eyes. Beyond that forced, deep smile, a fatigue similar to his own seemed to peek through.
“Go to sleep, Min-ho-ya.”
“This little shit.”
As Min-ho bolted upright as if to jump out, Gyu-oh quickly retreated. He didn’t forget to give a playful wink. Through the rapidly closing door, a playful voice drifted in: “His Highness commands that no one be admitted.”
“……Loose cannon.”
Just when he thought things had quieted down, the guy had found a new joy in being cheeky. Min-ho let out a small laugh and leaned his head back, surrendering his body to the sofa.