By Zephyria 
A fairly annoying task had been resolved, and he’d had a pleasant meal, so he thought he might be able to catch a few hours of sleep. Contrary to his expectations, his mind grew more alert by the minute.
“…….”
Every time he tossed and turned, the sound of the thick sheets rustling and wrinkling echoed. The room was silent. Perhaps because the guy who had spent days noisily playing games and watching videos beside him was gone, the silence felt exceptionally heavy.
He had turned on some instrumental music thinking it might help, but he turned it off after less than ten minutes because it only made him focus more on the sound of the rain. With his mind wide awake and only his eyes closed, a faint headache seemed to creep in.
Maybe I should look over some work. Ah, I left everything in the office because of the company dinner. Then maybe a movie? Hmm, I watched all the movies I wanted to see while Gyu-oh was staying at the house, didn’t I? If not that, maybe some alcohol? But I did that yesterday, so maybe not.
The train of thought eventually stopped at the same place. Why on earth is Won Gyu-oh not here on a day like today?
“……While he’s the one wandering off.”
Muttering to himself, he reached out and turned on the lamp attached to the headboard. He grabbed his phone and scrolled through his contacts.
Among the names saved for work, there were several combinations of numbers with unknown meanings. As he stared blankly at the sequence of numbers, he remembered the detective who had sent repeated texts saying he was waiting in the lounge. He searched through his messages for the history with the man, but no matter how much he looked, he couldn’t find it.
“Ah, right. I changed it and blocked him……”
He clearly remembered the scene of typing in random numbers instead of a name, deleting all their correspondence, and blocking him. He hadn’t even slept, yet he’d become entangled in various numbers. Clicking his tongue, Min-ho suddenly realized why Gyu-oh had so strongly urged him not to wander off. That guy must have known he’d be like this.
“Forget it. It’s not like I’m actually a slut.”
After letting out a small chuckle, he called a younger colleague he’d spoken to recently. He should be having dinner around now. He wondered if the kid was eating some weird grass again.
He continued the call until Ji-ho, who happened to be out buying dinner, returned to his lodgings. Although they didn’t exchange any affectionate words, perhaps because he heard his younger brother’s voice, he was able to get a little sleep that night.
* * *
“Imagine how great it would be if all of this were my land. Right?”
Gyu-oh said as he pasted a new map across one entire wall. He had cleanly peeled off the previous one and stacked it neatly at his feet. Changing the map like this meant they had entered a new project.
“If we land this contract, there’ll be enough left over to buy that much land.”
T Corporation, a well-known company in Korea, was establishing a development center complex, and Woo-won had begun preparations to secure the contract. While it might not be enough money to buy that much land in reality, it was a project expected to bring in significant profits.
“Then we’ll have to let our Min-ho Hyung just play and eat. His dark circles are getting deeper by the day.”
“As if. Don’t even think about putting me to work.”
Even at this trivial conversation, Gyu-oh let out a giggle. The awkwardness that had floated between the two for a while was completely gone.
After finishing the corner of the map outlined in red, he shook off his hands.
“It really is wide.”
The site was much larger and the scale more substantial than what he usually handled. It was also a demanding task that had passed through many employees’ hands before it finally landed on Min-ho. Whenever he faced such a large project, a strange excitement stimulated Min-ho rather than tension. Though he was already tired thinking about how much he’d be ground down until the contract was acquired.
Min-ho took off the glasses he’d been wearing and grabbed his phone. Although the documents hadn’t been formally submitted yet, he requested more organized materials needed for the presentation. Then, with tired eyes, he checked the calendar.
It’s almost the end of the year, so maybe I should prepare some gifts. He recalled the faces of a few executives at T Corporation who would be in charge of the new center. Among them, he thought of the Executive Director he often went on rounds with. Soon after, he found a contact in his phonebook.
“Call for a second.”
He placed his index finger in front of his lips. At that, Gyu-oh, who had been crouching his large frame to clear away scraps of paper, quieted down.
“Executive Director, have you been well?”
—Oh, look who it is! Why haven’t you come for golf lately?
“I’ve been too busy with work. Do you still go to the field often?”
The man on the other end responded with a hearty, boisterous laugh. His voice was so loud it felt like Min-ho’s eardrums were vibrating. Nevertheless, he had to listen to a long story about golf, a sport he had no particular interest in.
—That’s right. Son Pro often asks about our Director Cha; would it be alright if I gave him your contact info?
“Ah, Son Pro? Is he doing well?”
Perhaps because it was an unusual surname, a faint memory surfaced. He was a golf coach the Executive Director had kept around for some time, a strange man who would subtly touch the backs of hands or thighs under the guise of correcting posture. It wasn’t particularly welcome, but it seemed he had grown closer to the Executive Director in the meantime.
After that, the Executive Director rambled on about how many strokes he’d saved or how many more meters he’d rolled thanks to Son Pro—all things Min-ho found boring. While he was nodding along with a soulless expression, a deep shadow fell over the desk. Glancing up, he saw Gyu-oh leaning over the desk with both arms braced, his lips moving.
‘Speakerphone.’
Min-ho responded with a small nod and moved the phone away from his ear, pressing the speakerphone button.
—I’ve decided to go for a round in Bangkok next month. Son Pro would be so happy if our Director Cha came along too.
“Ah. You’re going for a round in Bangkok together?”
—Yes. Everyone here is an old fogey, but Min-ho is around the same age.
At those words, Gyu-oh suddenly crossed his arms and stood askew.
“What to do, it sounds great, but I have a new project I’m handling lately.”
—Goodness, you really love your work.
The Executive Director laughed boisterously once more. The loud laughter echoed through the quiet office.
—Anyway, I’ll pass along Director Cha’s number, okay?
“……Yes, I’d appreciate that. Is Madam coming along as well?”
—Oh, no. She hates playing with a bunch of old men.
It seemed he had obtained most of the necessary information. Covering his ringing ears with his palms, he steered the conversation toward a wrap-up.
“I’ll contact you as soon as I have a moment to breathe. My body is feeling stiff too.”
—Right, right. If you leave the clubs for too long, you lose your touch. Give me a call, okay?
“Yes, goodbye then.”
He ended the call without mentioning a single word about the contract acquisition. As soon as he hung up, he leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.
“Ugh, my head is ringing.”
He closed his eyes, pressing his temples with his bent knuckles.
“Sending a gift instead of going?”
To Gyu-oh’s question, he nodded with his eyes still closed. After that, there was silence. Gyu-oh didn’t say anything particular, and Min-ho gave himself time until the clutter in his head settled. After a long, heavy silence, Gyu-oh’s voice drifted in.
“I’m heading out for a bit.”
“Heading out?”
When he opened his eyes, he saw Gyu-oh’s back as he was already walking away. He stared blankly at the guy who disappeared without looking back, walking with quite urgent steps.
“……What’s with him.”
Why is he acting like that all of a sudden? It was puzzling, but that guy had always been unpredictable. Shaking off the last of his sigh, he picked up the glasses lying on the desk. Then, he fixed his gaze back on the laptop screen.
About an hour passed. The door swung open without a knock. Min-ho, who had just opened his inbox, shifted his eyes to confirm Gyu-oh’s entrance.
“Where did you go?”
Rattle. Contrary to his quiet footsteps, the loud sound of wheels rolling followed. Rattle? Arching an eyebrow, Min-ho quickly turned his head. In Gyu-oh’s hand was a large, jet-black suitcase.
“What’s this? Are you going undercover somewhere again?”
There had been no mention of such a thing during the meeting earlier. And they weren’t prepared enough to go undercover anywhere yet. As Min-ho blinked blankly, Gyu-oh tilted one corner of his mouth up.
“No.”
Was he following some Managing Director who had taken a vacation as soon as work ended? He recalled how Gyu-oh used to follow the couple Mu-gyeong and Hong-ju around to hang out.
“Then what? A trip following Mu-gyeong?”
“I’m moving into Hyung’s house.”
“Hyung? Whose Hyung?”
“Yours.”
To ensure there was no confusion, Gyu-oh even gestured toward him with his chin. Understanding the words a beat late, Min-ho pointed his index finger at his own chest.
“……Me?”
“Yep. You, Cha Min-ho.”
“Why?”
Every word he spoke was followed by a question mark. He felt his expression must look incredibly stupid right now, but he couldn’t help it.
“Why else? Because we have an important task ahead.”
“…….”
“Teamwork is crucial at times like this. That’s why athletes do training camps and all that.”
The stream of words began to enter his head with a slight delay. Simultaneously, the traces of Gyu-oh in his house came to mind one by one. Underwear, toothbrush, blanket, favorite ramen. He’d even left his gaming console there. He’d occasionally visit in the middle of the night saying he wanted to play games. He already had plenty of belongings there, so bringing a suitcase meant he was determined.
“What about the homeowner’s opinion?”
“Aw. We’re one heart and soul.”
“……Since when?”
Gyu-oh gave no answer to the question. He simply shrugged with a wide smile. He couldn’t exactly spit in the face of a smiling person, but looking at the suitcase gave him another headache. Seriously, Won Gyu-oh was going to make his head explode.
Knowing that no matter what he said, it wouldn’t work if the guy had gone this far, Min-ho silently rummaged through the desk drawer. He took out a headache pill he rarely took for fear of becoming dependent and popped it into his mouth.
“You should have just followed them on a trip.”
“How could I go and leave Hyung alone at the company?”
Gyu-oh pressed a kiss onto his own palm and displayed it toward him. He even blew a breath onto it—an immature act that made Min-ho frown instinctively. The surprising thing was that he didn’t entirely hate it. It was much better than acting awkward.