By Zephyria 
Every time he smiled, there was a pain of his dry lips pulling tightly. It seemed like only a matter of time before he saw blood.
“I drank until morning, so I’m still groggy.”
“Until morning? I couldn’t smell any alcohol, so I had no idea.”
In truth, it was obvious he was suffering from a hangover just by looking at his hazy eyes, but he wore a fake smile so intense that his jaw and cheeks felt numb. Although he had contacted Son Pro often and gone on rounds together, this was the first time they had a meal alone.
Publicly, he said this meeting was arranged because he felt sorry for rejecting previous appointment proposals, but Min-ho’s purpose was to find out exactly what kind of person Son Pro was. What his relationship was with the Executive Director of T Corporation, and whether he was a man with enough guts to publish damaging articles using the newspaper company.
Of course, he didn’t expect to find a clue in a single meeting. He planned to gradually get to know him by closing the distance with Son Pro, who showed interest in him in some sense.
However, as the meal continued, it became so uncomfortable that he wondered if a next meeting would even be possible.
“Director Cha, you’re not married yet, right?”
Son Pro was one year younger than him and said he hadn’t specifically dated anyone since breaking up with a partner he had promised to marry. It was information he hadn’t asked for, and it was uncertain if it was true, but Min-ho carved each detail into his mind.
“Yes. I’ve been working so much I’ve lived without realizing I’m getting older.”
“It’s not because of work.”
Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he placed both arms on the table. Then, with his fingers interlaced, he rested his chin on top of them.
“……Pardon?”
“Isn’t it because it’s you that you’re not married?”
There wasn’t a hint of hesitation in his voice. Min-ho immediately understood what the man meant by “that side.”
Usually, even when someone was certain, they didn’t ask so blatantly. They would merely sense a strange atmosphere through a glancing look or the brief touch of fingertips. Furthermore, Min-ho had an impression that didn’t particularly suggest interest in either men or women. That was why this was the first time he had been asked so directly.
“That… side? Ah, uh…”
He trailed off, pretending to have only just realized. The man blinked one eye slowly, wearing a greasy expression. It was a look Gyu-oh and Mu-gyeong often wore, but Min-ho wondered how the vibe could be so different.
“Ah, I knew it. People who don’t look like they’d be into it according to my data are always the ones who are.”
“Maybe it’s because I’ve been single for so long, but I’ve had that misunderstanding before. I’m not.”
“Oh, really? But you’re this handsome and people just leave you alone?”
Despite the answer, the man’s narrowed gaze didn’t waver.
“Well, I guess I just haven’t found the right person.”
Min-ho let out a small laugh, fiddling with his cheek. He tried to ignore the sticky gaze lingering on the corners of his mouth as he sipped his water. In a moment like this, gulping down wine would have been a definitive blow. However, he couldn’t touch alcohol, fearing an accident might occur.
“Then I’ve been rude. Actually, I have a few friends on that side. In America, it’s not really an atmosphere where people hide it… I think I was thinking too casually.”
The man continued to ramble for a while, saying things Min-ho hadn’t asked, but the gist was that he was a person without prejudice. Moreover, he left a subtle opening, suggesting that as long as he liked the person, gender didn’t matter. It was likely a way of saying that since he knew Min-ho’s orientation, he should be smart enough to catch on and enjoy what he could.
“Director, don’t cling to work too much. You have to have some leisure, wander a bit—that’s how you live.”
Then was Son Pro’s goal really just sex? Had he tried to bed him, and because he kept refusing, he was now grating on his nerves by publishing articles? If so, shouldn’t he have hinted at this nuance from the start? He clearly had something going on with the Executive Director of T Corporation as well. Everything was just vague.
“I think so too. Though it’s hard to rest these days since I’m preparing for an important project.”
The attempt to naturally change the subject failed. Son Pro leaned his upper body in to close the distance and stared intently at his face. Min-ho wore an awkward smile, enduring the gaze that had become almost obsessive.
“No wonder. Your complexion looks a bit worse than before.”
“Maybe it’s because of my age; everything shows immediately.”
Pretending to touch his cheek, Min-ho subtly shifted his upper body back. However, a large hand followed the distance he had created. The touch brushing against his eyes was bold. The hand stroked the soft skin under his eyes and gently pressed the outer corner.
“Your eyes are red. It makes me feel like I’m wasting your time.”
If you know, let’s just eat and go. Unless you have something important to say. Those words rose to the tip of his tongue, but he barely managed to suppress them.
“Wasting? If I can relax and have a good time, then it’s fine by me.”
Haha. He avoided the touch while wearing a “good person” smile that the people at the office would likely find creepy. Fortunately, the man withdrew easily this time, but there was no telling when he might attempt contact again. While acting as if he weren’t conscious of it, Min-ho had to remain tense with his back straight to stay on guard.
He couldn’t tell if the steak was going into his mouth or his nose. The meal continued to be so uncomfortable that he felt he would have been better off starving.
“Well, please head out.”
“Yes, I’ll set a date and contact you again soon.”
The man brought his thumb and pinky finger to his cheek. Min-ho squeezed out the last of his strength to smile. Then, the moment he turned around, he wiped all emotion from his face.
“Thank you.”
With a dry greeting, he climbed into the open driver’s seat. He had only eaten one meal, so why was he so drained? During the conversation, he had contemplated several times whether to move the venue to a hotel. Of course, that would be breaking his own rules, but seeing how the man laid his cards on the table and pushed so aggressively, he wondered if that method would be far more efficient.
“Phew.”
But strangely, truly strangely, Gyu-oh’s face came to mind at that moment. That tired face that would only visit his space late at night to finally get some sleep.
Was it because they spent too much time together that he was finally getting sick? Or was he still bothered by the nonsense he’d rambled while drunk before? Regardless, the important fact was that Gyu-oh’s face flickered in his mind, and in the end, he didn’t go to the hotel room. Why did he think of that guy at a moment like that?
“…”
He ripped off his tie roughly and threw it onto the passenger seat. His gaze landed on the tie as it fluttered and landed lightly. Gyu-oh had bought that for him, probably. Even though they hadn’t seen each other’s faces much lately, the thoughts of the man wouldn’t subside. It must be because Won Gyu-oh’s traces remained everywhere.
Finally pulling his gaze away from the tie, he gripped the steering wheel. Seeing as he’d been thinking about alcohol for a while, it seemed he would have to drink heavily today.
* * *
He monitored until noon the next day, but there was no report of finding any articles related to Woowon.
“Still clean, right?”
“Yeah. Nothing.”
Min-ho answered shortly and downed a handful of multi-vitamins in one go.
“I guess his goal really is a man,” Mu-gyeong muttered in a disgusted tone.
“Is he crazy? If that’s the case, he should go to a gay bar.”
Min-ho closed the vitamin lid and put it in his pocket.
“I guess the guys who frequent those places aren’t useful enough for him.”
At the indifferent voice, Min-ho sank into deep thought. True. If he really wanted a man to roll around with, he could just go to such a place, and if he needed someone with a guaranteed social status… didn’t he say he had many such people around him? He could just get an introduction. Why was he showing such strange interest in him?
He spent a long time in thought, rubbing his chin. Then, a sudden thought occurred to him.
“Should I try playing along?”
Mu-gyeong, who was holding the steering wheel, slowly shifted his gaze. His face was devoid of prominent emotion, making it hard to tell if he was agreeing with the opinion or ignoring it. However, seeing his eyebrow twitch, it seemed he wasn’t particularly pleased.
“Are you still drunk?”
“…No. I want to know what he’s trying to do by coaxing me, if that’s really his goal. That’s what we’re curious about.”
“Who knows what that bastard is up to; you’re just going to let yourself be swept away like that?”
At most, it’ll be sex. Those words rose to the tip of his tongue, but he barely held them back. Instead, he continued, sounding quite logical.
“I feel like once I dip my toe in, everything will come spilling out.”
“Isn’t that your specialty? And it’s not too late to think about it after meeting Gyu-oh first.”
Mu-gyeong cut the idea off completely and scolded him to just keep a good lookout outside.
After driving for a while longer, they entered a roadside area that wasn’t even properly marked on the navigation. Min-ho, sitting in the passenger seat, pointed out the window.
“…Is it there? The door is open.”
The door of a lonely abandoned warehouse was wide open. As if it had been waiting for them. In an instant, his fingertips turned cold.
“There’s a reason he called only me.”
As he muttered, he felt Mu-gyeong’s gaze glancing at him. Since Mu-gyeong knew what kind of nightmare he suffered from, he was likely worried. Still, not wanting to seem weak, Min-ho pretended to look around nonchalantly. In truth, he was incredibly tense.
“Why aren’t there any cars?”
Nothing was visible around them. There should have been some trace of whatever Gyu-oh had arrived in. Tilting his head, Min-ho got out of the car first and examined the dirt ground. Only footprints and tire tracks were scattered haphazardly. After hearing a humming tune drifting from inside the wide-open abandoned warehouse, he signaled toward the driver’s seat.
“Is it really okay to go in? Wait in the car.”
Mu-gyeong, knowing that Min-ho didn’t have particularly good memories of such spaces, asked tentatively. In truth, Min-ho hadn’t expected it to be such a full-blown abandoned warehouse. He had thought it was strange that only he, and not Mu-gyeong, had been summoned.
“…Well, for a little bit, it’ll be fine.”
As he shrugged, Mu-gyeong stepped closer and tapped him on the back. Following the hem of the coat leading the way, Min-ho took tense steps forward.
The scene inside was as expected. Four or five bulky guys were kneeling, and in front of them was Gyu-oh, perched on a drum. With his foot resting on the half-crumpled low drum and smoking a cigarette heavily, he looked every bit the gangster.
“Why are you alone?”
“I sent them all in because I wanted to go with Hyung—. Oh, Min-ho Hyung came too?”
Through the hazy spreading cigarette smoke, red lips that jutted out slightly were visible. When Min-ho lifted his eyes toward the chapped lips, he met black pupils. However, that gaze filled with worry quickly shifted away.