By Zephyria 
Now that all the tension had vanished and he was left alone in the quiet space, drowsiness finally pressed down on his eyelids. Min-ho, who had kept his dry eyes closed for a moment, reached out and fumbled along the sofa. He picked up his discarded phone and peeked open one eye.
“…….”
He entered the keypad in the order Gyu-oh had told him. ‘Music for a Lonely Puppy’s Sleep.’ A wave of self-loathing washed over him every time he typed the words, but among various music, nothing was as effective as this.
As he pressed the play button, calm music mixed with the sound of rain flowed out. He let out a deep breath and didn’t try to hold onto his hazily scattering consciousness.
Unfortunately, however, he failed to fall into a deep sleep. Despite the dim interior, the quiet space, and the music that always led him to sleep. After wandering the boundary between reality and dreams for a long while, the sound of a door clicking open and shut reached Min-ho’s ears, and he felt the presence of someone sitting beside him.
Is he back already? He wanted to check, but he felt consumed by the sound of rain in his ears, unable to move a single finger. He thought he could wake up immediately just a moment ago. Even as something was draped over his shoulder and he felt his body tilting, Min-ho remained buried deep in a swamp-like slumber.
“Sleep well.”
He wanted to respond to the familiar voice whispering softly. That he had been like this because he knew you were coming. That if you had come on time yesterday, he would have caught a few hours of sleep. But if he revealed that he relied on him that much, it would surely be a burden. He didn’t want to make Gyu-oh feel uncomfortable.
“…….”
The sound of rain and piano melodies layered with regular breathing. Only now did Min-ho feel at peace and fall completely into unconsciousness. It was the deep sleep he hadn’t been able to get for days due to Gyu-oh’s nightly outings.
* * *
“That’s music to my ears.”
It was while they were dining at a restaurant with a great atmosphere, thanks to Gyu-oh insisting on eating out. Gyu-oh was speaking to someone on the phone with a quite delighted voice. When Min-ho looked up to check, Gyu-oh covered the bottom of the phone with his palm and silently mouthed the name ‘Park Jae-young.’
“…….”
He was the police officer in charge of the drug-related matters involving Seong-tak and the cult church. Wasn’t the only time they met when he handed over the materials in Min-ho’s stead? Normally, the contact should have come to him; why was he calling Gyu-oh? While Min-ho tilted his head in confusion, the call continued.
“He’s like a little rat, isn’t he?”
Gyu-oh laughed softly and gave a thumbs-up. It seemed the materials he delivered earlier had certainly played a part.
“Understood.”
The call ended after a brief exchange. Min-ho, who had been waiting for this exact moment, suddenly spoke up.
“When did you two get so close? Why is he calling you?”
It might have sounded like he was interrogating him, but it was genuinely puzzling. No matter how sociable Won Gyu-oh was, he had only met the man once and simply exchanged materials; it seemed unlikely he would act close with him.
“What’s this? Is it jealousy?”
Gyu-oh raised the end of his sentence with a mysterious smile. Min-ho knew he was using a shallow tactic to change the subject, yet he fell for the lure again.
“Do you think my jealousy has frozen to death? If it started with me, it has to end with me.”
“I caught a glimpse earlier…”
Gyu-oh rubbed his hands together and sucked in a breath. Even though he suddenly looked serious, Min-ho didn’t believe he was about to say anything important.
“That cop has a great body.”
As expected, the prediction was spot on. Min-ho pressed his forehead where a slight headache lingered and quietly looked up.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Don’t you know how dangerous it is when supply meets demand? Huh? You said you saw Hyung’s body. You said that trashy baldie’s body was decent too… No, how can you ignore the face to that extent?”
So, he was saying that something might happen between him and that cop. Just because he’s a slut, does he think everyone is a total mop? Min-ho’s eyebrows twitched fiercely.
“You little shit. Do you think all men like that?”
“I wouldn’t say that. But it’s true that you like men with good bodies.”
To be precise, it was true that his eyes were drawn to a good physique. Even if it wasn’t out of romantic interest, he tended to find guys with toned bodies cuter. As he kept his mouth shut, a look that said ‘I knew it’ followed.
“……Anyway. What did he say? Did they catch them already?”
As the topic shifted, Gyu-oh’s expression, which had been dark until a moment ago, instantly brightened. He was such a simple and easy guy. That was probably why they had gotten along without any issues so far.
“He said they raided the scene where the pastor was handing over the testers. They rounded up all the guys guarding the neighborhood too.”
Whether his mood had improved, Gyu-oh refilled his half-empty wine glass and gulped it down. Min-ho wondered how he could drink such strong stuff so easily.
“The processing is faster than I thought. I should share this.”
Min-ho put down his knife and wiped his mouth with a napkin. During the long call reporting the situation to the company, Gyu-oh continued to refill his glass.
“What’d they say?”
Gyu-oh’s question hit the moment the call ended.
“That we’ll visit the neighborhood in two days with the settlement agreements.”
By then, the menacing neighborhood would only be filled with congregants who had lost their leader, so it would be easily resolved if he went with a few guys who could appropriately intimidate them.
“Ah, I’m glad I don’t have to see those unlucky gangsters’ faces.”
Gyu-oh tilted his head and rolled his shoulders. His face looked almost refreshed. Whether he didn’t want to meet the Seong-tak crowd, or whether he didn’t want them to encounter Min-ho. Min-ho tried to erase the uncomfortable assumption filling his mind. Still, since the matter was resolved faster than expected, that was enough.
“You did a great job this time.”
“See? Do you think I act recklessly just for the sake of it? I always keep my eyes on the goal before I step forward.”
There was no particular argument against his boasting, given that he had brought back such fast and certain results. After readjusting his knife, Min-ho lightly tapped Gyu-oh’s plate.
“Stop admiring yourself and eat.”
“Whyyy. It’s a good day.”
As Gyu-oh swirled the glass in his large hand, red waves surged. The sweet yet pungent scent brushed against the tip of Min-ho’s nose, making him feel as if he were getting drunk along with him.
“Drink while you eat. Your speeds are too different.”
The steak was half-finished, but the wine bottle was already nearly empty. He usually ate well, so Min-ho wondered why he was so focused on the alcohol today. At Min-ho’s scolding, Gyu-oh leaned in, closing the distance. Then, he whispered softly enough for only Min-ho to hear.
“Honestly, this isn’t even hitting the spot. Let’s go home and order pizza.”
Then, he cut a large piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth. In just a few bites, the plate was empty. After that, he sipped his wine while waiting for Min-ho to finish his meal. Min-ho wanted to eat leisurely, but feeling that he had to stop Gyu-oh from drinking more, he hurried his knife work.
On the way home, Min-ho, who hadn’t drunk, took the wheel. As the weather shifted into autumn, the night breeze was quite cool. With the windows down, the car filled with the cool wind and a refreshing scent. The feeling of being drenched in fatigue seemed to lift slightly.
As soon as he parked and turned off the engine, Gyu-oh suddenly spoke.
“Hyung, go inside first.”
Hadn’t everything been finished? Where was he going at this hour? The thought of the desolate, silent house gave him a slight chill down his spine, but he asked without showing it.
“……Where are you going now?”
It felt as if their roles had reversed. Until now, it had been Gyu-oh’s role to ask where he was going every night.
“I’ve got places to be.”
Gyu-oh was a guy who loved meeting people and preferred a lively atmosphere. At his age, hanging out with friends outside was far more interesting than having someone stay by his side all night with some boring instrumental music playing in the background.
After a brief hesitation, Min-ho unbuckled his belt as if nothing were wrong and opened the driver’s side door. The brief moment of relief he’d felt was instantly choked off by the stale air of the underground parking lot.
“Stop wandering around so much and crawl back home early.”
“I know, I know. I’ll do that starting tomorrow.”
Even after being told this, Gyu-oh didn’t say he wouldn’t go. Min-ho wondered where on earth he was planning to go at this late hour. He wanted to dig for the destination, but having been brushed off once, he couldn’t bring himself to ask again.
Unaware of Min-ho’s inner turmoil, Gyu-oh draped an arm over his shoulder and leaned in close, leading him toward the elevator. The guy, who had acted as if he might slip away down a side path at any moment, ended up accompanying him all the way to the front door.
“Darling, don’t go wandering off while I’m gone, okay? Just go night-night? Yes?”
Gyu-oh whispered, tapping Min-ho’s arm with the hand resting on his shoulder. Night-night? Min-ho’s face crumpled at the sound of words too cringeworthy to even utter aloud.
“Are you crazy?”
Seriously, if you leave this blockhead alone, he just climbs right up to your head. Min-ho brushed the arm off his shoulder, but Gyu-oh held on with strength. He gripped Min-ho’s forearm, pushing him toward the entrance and even blocking his path.
“Let go while I’m asking nicely.”
“I’ll let go once you answer me.”
Contrary to his sly tone, his strength was immense. When he first met this guy, Min-ho had been quite the fighter himself. If it were back then, he wouldn’t have been pushed around by force like this. He felt pathetic yet amused by his own helplessness.
“I won’t.”
“Uh-huh. Your voice is too quiet.”
Is he a drill sergeant or something? A sudden memory of the military flashed through Min-ho’s mind, and he squeezed his eyes shut. The sensor light at the entrance dimmed, then brightened again as Min-ho struggled. Even then, Won Gyu-oh seemed to be waiting for an answer with the volume turned up.
“……I said I won’t, fuck.”
“Keep your promise.”
As if words weren’t enough, Gyu-oh actually grabbed his hand and linked their pinky fingers. He wondered how much of a slut he looked like in this guy’s eyes, to the point where he was actually curious.
“You’re doing everything but the normal stuff.”
“There, the seal is stamped. If you break it, you’re going to a prison cell, okay?”
“…….”
Only after getting a firm confirmation—even stamping it with a thumb—did the tight grip finally release. Only then did a sense of liberation spread through their entangled bodies. With a sudden push to his back, the defenseless Min-ho stumbled.
“Goodnight, Hyung.”
Gyu-oh waved through the closing door. He smiled brightly after pushing a person around like a piece of luggage. As the door closed completely, the sound of the automatic locks engaging followed.
“……Is he doing this because he doesn’t want to come inside at all?”
And here he was acting like he wanted to stay glued to him. Then again, since when was Won Gyu-oh’s fickleness a new thing? Shaking his head and clicking his tongue, Min-ho stepped into the desolate, dark house.