By Zephyria 
“Should I drop you off at home?”
At Mu-gyeong’s question, Gyu-oh paused for a moment. It was well past midnight. By now, that fucking after-party must be over.
“No, let’s go toward Hyung’s house first. I’ll get off halfway.”
“Where are you planning to detour to now?”
Gyu-oh pulled down the sun visor attached to the passenger seat ceiling. He pressed his face into the mirror, which was smaller than his palm, and examined himself thoroughly. Forehead, cheeks, chin—he even tilted his head back to check his neck. After confirming there were no blood splatters or scratch marks, he pushed the sun visor back into place with a brisk motion.
“I’m going to pick up Min-ho Hyung.”
“Didn’t he go for a drink after golf?”
His head nodded before he even spoke. Simultaneously, his fingers became busy tapping the keypad. Even if they were drinking, the replies had been coming back promptly.
“That’s right. That’s why I’m going.”
These days, everyone was moving in their respective positions to win a large contract acquisition being prepared by T Corporation, and Min-ho, who knew them directly, inevitably had to be the pivot. He was narrowing the distance by playing golf once or twice a week, and Gyu-oh was in the process of checking the atmosphere by visiting areas scheduled for redevelopment.
“Why you?”
When asked why, the first thing that came to mind was a face he wasn’t familiar with. It was a guy called Son Pro, who often asked after Min-ho through the Executive Director of T Corporation. Although they had never actually met, Gyu-oh could tell that the man was favorable toward Min-ho Hyung, but whether that was simply because he wanted to get close or for some other reason… he couldn’t be sure. However, since he couldn’t state these reasons plainly, Gyu-oh quickly racked his brain.
“I’m Min-ho Hyung’s shadow, after all.”
“Since when?”
At the short question, Gyu-oh shut his mouth and searched his memories. When did he start getting entangled with Min-ho? Was it around the time he caught Mu-gyeong’s eye and began landing important tasks one by one? Back then, the guys who had entered Seongtak before him had envied and bullied him relentlessly. The baldie he had reunited with not long ago was one of them.
They had tormented him so much, both inside and outside of work, that they managed to grate on his nerves despite his best efforts to ignore them. He had almost flipped the table and staged a grand rebellion, but every time, Min-ho had stepped in to mediate. In truth, it was less like mediation and more like Min-ho standing by his side to shield him.
Looking at Min-ho’s back as he blocked the way for him, Gyu-oh felt he had made a resolve back then. That he should stick to this person like glue.
Since Mu-gyeong had heard this long-winded story enough times for his ears to grow calluses, there was no need to bring it up again.
“What, are you jealous? Want me to be your shadow now?”
“Hard pass. It’s a godsend that the evil spirit moved over to you, so why would I?”
“Aren’t you the evil spirit?”
While this trivial conversation drifted back and forth, the phone in his hand gave a short vibration. As expected, it was a reply from Min-ho.
[Cha Cha Cha: Atmosphere is starting to shift toward leaving]
Along with the update on the situation, he sent the location of the bar where he was staying. Since it was near where the car had just entered, it seemed walking would time it perfectly.
“I’ll get off at that intersection over there.”
[I’ll go that way]
Typing a quick reply, Gyu-oh pointed to the nearby intersection. Mu-gyeong changed lanes without much word.
“Where is it?”
“It’s a short walk from there.”
“You’re walking?”
“I told you, I’m built for walking. Just hurry up and go home; you’ve got a kid at home.”
The “kid” he referred to was the lover Mu-gyeong lived with. An employee at the cafe on the first floor of the company building, they lived together and were essentially attached at the hip all day. Once, when Gyu-oh jokingly asked if they didn’t get sick of each other, he was told, ‘Won Gyu-oh and Cha Min-ho are disgustingly attached, so why would we get sick of it?’
At the time, it didn’t bother him, but thinking about it now felt strange. Is that how we look to others?
“Fine. Since you know there’s a kid at home, stop dropping by unannounced.”
Meeting the glancing gaze, Gyu-oh closed and opened one eye. He had started mimicking Mu-gyeong’s frequent, sly winks to tease him, but it seemed the habit had now transferred to him. After unconsciously winking, he was startled and reacted with irritation.
“Ah, damn. What’s with the winking?”
“…….”
“Hyung, why do you just take it?”
As he complained and made a gesture as if poking his own eye, Mu-gyeong let out a hollow laugh.
“Unbelievable. Who’s the one talking out of turn here?”
“I ended up like this because I was following Hyung.”
“You’re the one who did it, so who are you taking your anger out on?”
When he did it to Min-ho Hyung, it felt fine, but why was it so cringeworthy now? He brushed down his forearm, his shoulders shaking slightly. At that, Mu-gyeong reached out as if to grab him by the nape. It was a familiar action between them, but this time Gyu-oh quickly blocked the touch.
“Whoa, don’t touch me. I don’t really like skinship, okay?”
Watching Gyu-oh sensitively push him away, Mu-gyeong snorted.
“Seriously, you’re a pain to please.”
“Where else would you find someone as easygoing as me? Just let me off over there.”
The conversation, which had continued with them picking at each other’s words, naturally dissipated as the car stopped.
“You brat. Make sure you collect Min-ho so he doesn’t wander off.”
The nuance that he was entrusting Min-ho to him gave Gyu-oh a strange sense of responsibility. He gave a solemn nod and stepped out of the car. Fortunately, the road looked familiar enough that he didn’t think he’d have trouble finding the way.
Despite it being well past midnight, there were quite a few people in the alley. It was even more chaotic with taxis coming and going through the narrow path, but Gyu-oh scanned the area with bloodshot eyes, searching for a familiar figure.
After walking into the alley for about five minutes, a familiar silhouette began to enter his field of vision.
“……What the hell is that.”
Perhaps because he was feeling the heat, Min-ho was holding his jacket in one hand, and someone was clinging tightly to his side. It was Son Pro, the man he had only seen in photos. Hyung didn’t even seem that drunk, so why was he stuck to him like that? The sight of the man holding onto his arm and waist under the guise of supporting him was appalling.
Honestly, at first, he wondered if he was overreacting. But in reality, an unnervingly high number of suspicious scoundrels tended to swarm around Hyung.
“…….”
Gyu-oh frowned and quickened his pace. He was glad he came. The closer he got, the more certain that thought became. Toward Min-ho Hyung, who was waving his hand as if rejecting something, Son Pro was saying something with a smiling face.
“……seems like he did.”
Because he couldn’t hear well, he widened his stride, almost running toward the end.
“Did you call the designated driver?”
And he abruptly cut between the two. A startled Son Pro stepped back slightly, while Min-ho simply looked up to confirm it was him. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded and replied.
“……Yes.”
“When did you call a driver?”
Son Pro spoke with a smile, but it sounded almost sarcastic. Gyu-oh wanted to get out of this situation quickly before Min-ho became more embarrassed.
“Give me the car keys.”
As he abruptly reached out, Min-ho fumbled through his jacket pocket a beat late. In the meantime, Son Pro continued to talk to Min-ho.
“Next time, I’ll contact you directly without going through the Executive Director. He usually says okay to almost any rounding schedule.”
“Please do. Well, get home safely then.”
“Where is the car parked?”
When Min-ho pointed to the parking lot right in front, Son Pro followed, insisting on accompanying him to the entrance. It seemed the Executive Director’s party had all gone back in cars with drivers, and Son Pro seemed reluctant to go home just yet.
“Yes. Please make sure to use a designated driver.”
“Aw, I told you my place is close. That apartment over there.”
He even appealed that it was his home, pointing in a direction that was barely visible in the dark.
“Ah.”
Min-ho gave a lifeless reaction, casting a meaningless gaze in the direction of the man’s fingertip.
“Contact me when you get in.”
“Yes.”
Leaving the waving man behind, the two got into the car. Sitting in the passenger seat and fastening his belt, Min-ho let out a small sound.
“I could have just taken a taxi.”
“If I left it parked here and went, it would cost a hundred million won.”
Min-ho let out a small laugh at those words and sank deep into the seat. As the car slowly exited the parking lot, Son Pro’s gaze followed the rear of the vehicle intently.
“Why is he watching like that?”
“I don’t know.”
There was no particular strength in the hand twisting off the tie. His voice was also sluggish, appearing more exhausted than drunk.
As they entered a narrow alley where taxis were moving in a line, the speed naturally slowed. Gyu-oh stepped on the brake and reached out to pull down Min-ho’s tie for him. Min-ho let his limp, idling hand drop and quietly accepted the touch—unlike how his expression had stiffened awkwardly when Son Pro touched him.
“How much did you drink?”
He didn’t smell like it. Gyu-oh leaned his body slightly and buried his nose in Min-ho’s shoulder. Since he was sniffing like a dog, Min-ho pushed Gyu-oh’s cheek away with a warm palm.
“Whyyy.”
When Gyu-oh acted cute in a way that didn’t suit his size, Min-ho pulled his lips wide in disgust.
“How much could I have possibly drunk?”
“True.”
He was a man who always claimed he got drunk after just one can. Looking at him now, it seemed he had downed a few glasses, but Gyu-oh was relieved that he seemed mentally alert.
If he hadn’t come to pick up Hyung today, that Son Pro guy would have clung to him, suggesting a second round. Hyung might have gone along with it. Though the possibility was low since the work wasn’t finished yet.
In the past, he wouldn’t have bothered interfering in Min-ho’s business. But now that he knew Min-ho was a dangerous man who had a history of hooking up with people he was professionally entangled with, he couldn’t let his guard down.
Still, he felt he had timed it well, catching him before Min-ho was snatched away. He stroked his chest, feeling a sense of relief, and gripped the steering wheel.
It was a distance of about twenty minutes to the house, but because the alleys were quite congested, it seemed it would take longer. With the radio on, as they emerged from the clogged alley and merged onto the road, a steady sound of breathing came from the passenger seat. Turning his gaze slowly, he saw Min-ho with his eyes quietly closed. His eyelids and cheeks were flushed. It felt as if a hot body temperature would be felt if he touched him.
“……He must have been tired.”
He hadn’t been able to rest properly for the past few days and had even gone golfing, so it made sense he’d be tired. Gyu-oh quickly lowered the radio volume. Even though they had escaped the crowded alley, the car drove at a slow speed on the road.