By Zephyria 
“Who said I’m only at the company?”
Min-ho countered indifferently while flipping through documents.
“Then what? Taking a break? Going out to play?”
With a voice containing hidden anticipation, Gyu-oh shrugged, pretending to keep his words to himself. Gyu-oh seemed convinced that Min-ho would take a half-day off to get some fresh air. Min-ho swallowed a laugh as he met those conspicuously sparkling eyes.
“Do you want to come along?”
“Yes! Of course!”
The guy, who had pushed the suitcase aside, approached the desk. He pulled Min-ho’s arm to make him stand up, peppering him with endless questions.
“Where are we going?”
“Just somewhere cool, with lots of people. A place where we can spend money lavishly?”
“Wow. Has the work-demon finally found peace?”
Min-ho felt a slight prick of conscience at the delighted face, but it wasn’t entirely wrong. Watching Gyu-oh’s back as he led the way with excited steps, car keys in hand, Min-ho scratched his eyebrow.
“Ah. The department store.”
Gyu-oh muttered softly as he stood in the crowded lobby. Every time that sound reached his ears, Min-ho felt a prick of guilt, but he tried to ignore it and stepped forward.
“Department stores are great. Cool, lots of people……”
The end of his sentence dropped heavily, as if weighted by a heavy plumb bob. Even a sidelong glance showed he was sulking. Min-ho had the illusion that a non-existent tail was drooping and dragging on the floor.
“……Still, isn’t it better than circling redevelopment complexes and being stuck in an office?”
“Right. Who goes abroad or to the beach for vacation these days? How extravagant. Look how great the department store is. Autumn is just around the corner, yet look at the air conditioning blasting.”
“…….”
The tone was completely devoid of emotion. Min-ho couldn’t even meet Gyu-oh’s eyes and busily scanned the area, pretending to look for a store.
“If we’d driven at this speed, we’d have arrived by now and the grilled clams would be cooked. But I’m fine here, Hyung. Just buy me a slushie later.”
Still, this was the best spontaneous action Min-ho could manage. Leaving the stifling workspace without deviating too much from the schedule or overdoing it. Of course, they were here as an extension of work. He suppressed his awkwardness with a fake cough.
“……If you’re really like that, do you want to go home and rest?”
“No, let’s go together. I’m telling you, it’s fun! Seriously!”
Despite not even having gathered his overflowing regrets, Gyu-oh shook his head lightly and plopped a hand on Min-ho’s shoulder.
“Looking for the golf apparel store, right? We have to go one floor further.”
Min-ho hadn’t explicitly stated why they came, yet Gyu-oh had managed to grasp his intention. Then, he even took the lead, offering to guide him to the store. Fortunately, no more guilt-inducing sulky voices were heard after that, but strangely, Min-ho kept checking Gyu-oh’s expression.
The two had polar opposite tendencies. Unlike Min-ho, who bought only what was necessary and left, Gyu-oh had to stop at every store that caught his eye to be satisfied. It was natural that he made unplanned expenditures every time.
However, it was different when the two were together. Throughout the time they spent buying gifts for the T Corporation Executive Director, Gyu-oh never once wandered off and stayed glued to his side.
“Is this it?”
Gyu-oh naturally took the shopping bag from Min-ho’s hand. It wasn’t even heavy, yet he continued to take charge of all the luggage.
“Yeah. Now……”
Just as he was about to suggest they go home and rest, Min-ho’s gaze lingered on one spot. Gyu-oh, standing close beside the halted Min-ho, leaned his waist slightly. They were so close that the bright lighting was half-blocked.
“Huh? I didn’t hear you.”
“……Come here.”
Min-ho stepped back slightly and grabbed Gyu-oh’s forearm. Even without much force, Gyu-oh followed obediently.
“For the Executive Director’s son?”
It seemed they thought he had come to buy shoes for the Executive Director’s son. When he didn’t bother to answer, Gyu-oh wandered around the store with one hand shoved in his pocket. Min-ho pointed to a model he had been eyeing since outside the store and asked for a pair two sizes larger than his own. Only after carefully examining the shoes the employee brought over did he call out to Gyu-oh.
“Gyu-oh.”
At the short call, Gyu-oh’s gaze immediately shifted toward him. When Min-ho gestured for him to come over, the boy approached, scratching the nape of his neck where his tattoos were etched. His attire, expression, and gait were all incredibly delinquent. He didn’t fit in at all with the store’s calm music, but the moment Min-ho saw these sneakers, he felt they were perfect for Gyu-oh.
“Try them on.”
“Me?”
Gyu-oh pointed to his chest with his index finger, his eyes widening. At a glance, he looked like he was angry, but Min-ho could tell he was actually quite flustered.
“Hurry up before I change my mind.”
“You didn’t have to do this.”
Gyu-oh set a shopping bag aside and sat on the chair. The design—white base with black lines—was flashy but not overbearing. It was an atmosphere that blended perfectly with Won Gyu-oh, and as expected, the shoes looked great on him.
Even when the clerk praised him, saying he pulled them off well because of his long legs, Gyu-oh didn’t act shy at all and played along. Seeming to quite like them, he stood before the mirror, shifting his position this way and that to see the shoes from different angles.
“Do you like them?”
“Yeah. I’m gonna wear them right now.”
With a smile on his face, he met Min-ho’s eyes through the mirror. Since he was wearing slacks and a flowy shirt, the sneakers stood out a bit, but because it was Gyu-oh, it almost looked like a fashion statement.
“Suit yourself.”
While waiting for the employee to take the shoes he had been wearing, Gyu-oh spent the entire time looking down at his feet.
“Min-ho Hyung, you really have a great eye.”
“Stop flattering me.”
“No, seriously. Thank you, thank you.”
Gyu-oh went as far as hugging his own shoulder with one arm and leaning his cheek against it. This was the kind of skinship he only did when he’d been drinking. He must be really happy about the unexpected gift.
“Ah, is this kid crazy? We’re in public.”
Min-ho scolded him and pulled away, but the body temperature remaining on his cheek wasn’t unpleasant.
Taking the boy, who was thrilled over a single pair of shoes, they stopped by a few more stores. The pretext was that he had to buy a gift for his younger brother, Ji-ho, but in reality, it was just a stroll for Gyu-oh, who seemed reluctant to go home.
They looked through a few stores he wasn’t particularly interested in, and they even stood in line for twenty minutes at a soft-serve ice cream pop-up that had opened in Korea after being available only in the US. For Min-ho, who hated wasting time more than anything, he wondered if standing in line like this was necessary, but seeing dozens of other people in line, he just kept his mouth shut.
Holding sweet milk-flavored ice cream, they took a lap around the park near the department store. Afterward, at the suggestion of having dinner before heading back, they moved to a nearby hotel. Since they were already out, Min-ho figured he might as well put Gyu-oh in a good mood. Gyu-oh had been the one adjusting to him all this time, so he could do at least this much.
It was while they had ordered a dinner course and were discussing work right after sitting down. Gyu-oh’s phone vibrated. After checking the name on the screen, he frowned and turned the screen toward Min-ho to show him.
“He’s calling again.”
“Looks like Son’s technique worked properly.”
“Ha, seriously, this is exhausting, exhausting.”
The name on the screen belonged to a President Min-ho had stayed close with to win a golf course remodeling contract. The reason they were able to win that contract wasn’t because of Gyu-oh’s golf skills, but rather the influence of the Hwatu games they played on blankets in the shade.
The President, who had been deeply immersed in gambling for a while, seemed to have been completely captivated by Gyu-oh’s sleight of hand and Hwatu skills. All while remaining unaware that Gyu-oh had once been called ‘Viper’ and dominated the gambling houses.
“At this rate, just reveal your past. Tell him you’re Viper, a semi-pro gambler.”
“What, should I just come clean and flip the script?”
After giving a boastful reply, Gyu-oh signaled that he would take the call in a quiet place. Complaining repeatedly about how annoying it was, he stood up from his seat. Min-ho quietly watched his back as he crossed the lounge with hurried steps, then eventually looked away. Now, it was a matter of waiting.
Without even touching the bread served as an appetizer, Min-ho rested his chin on his hand and stared out the window. The call is taking a while. While letting such idle thoughts drift by, the sound of footsteps began to be perceived through the soft music. The steps drew near, and a silhouette reflected in the dark window came into view. The moment he recognized the shape, Min-ho’s eyes widened.
“It really is Director Cha.”
“…Hello.”
It was the detective who had texted him not long ago, saying he would wait in the lounge. The man whose saved name Min-ho had changed to a string of numbers, even though he hadn’t slept. The neatly dressed man approached with a genial smile.
“Did you catch the thief?”
Thief? Min-ho’s eyes darted as he finally recalled what excuse he had used to avoid the meeting.
[A thief broke into my house, so I can’t make it. Have a pleasant night.]
“Yes, well.”
Smiling awkwardly, Min-ho racked his brain. Because he couldn’t remember the name exactly, he was troubled by what to call him.
“I was worried because I hadn’t heard from you. Catching thieves is my specialty, so I wanted to help.”
The man spoke with great affability, even though he must know he had been blocked since Min-ho hadn’t responded to any contact since that day. After a moment of hesitation, Min-ho finally spoke.
“Um, did you come here for a meal?”
“Yes, my party is in that room over there.”
The man pointed to an inner room prepared for groups. If he had a party, he should just go; why was he lingering and continuing to talk?
Knowing what kind of meaning was implied in that lingering gaze, Min-ho found this unexpected encounter very flustering. However, to avoid showing his distress, he kept his lips curled up in a smile.
“Ah. I see…”
“Are you alone, Min-ho?”
He’s not even calling me Director anymore. Looking up at the man’s face, which wore a low smile, Min-ho quickly thought of an answer.
“No, I’m with—”
How should he explain it to avoid this uncomfortable atmosphere? He wished the food would just come out to break the mood. Or that Won Gyu-oh would return—just how long was that kid taking on the phone? Glancing toward the entrance, Min-ho replied with his lips curled up.
“A younger acquaintance.”
“Ah. An acquaintance? A man?”
He didn’t know why it mattered whether it was a woman or a man. Min-ho gave a small nod with an awkward smile.
“It’s good to have some tension.”
“…Haha.”
The man scanned the surroundings once and then leaned down. Because he spread his arms to lean on the table and the back of the chair Min-ho was sitting in, Min-ho was suddenly shielded within his embrace. Once the shadow fell, the secret whisper reached him without hesitation.
“Are you safe these days? I know a place that’s safe, where no thieves would break in.”