By Zephyria Jeong-gon Hyung, make lots of money and come back.
Namu didn’t have to wait long for Jeong-gon’s reply. He had barely checked the message he received less than a day later when he was called out by the manager before he could even react.
“Namu, hi!”
“Hello, Noona.”
In a room with two standing treatment tables, two customers were lying face down side by side. Turning their heads to greet Namu, they appeared to have showered after work, as their hair was straight and their faces were bare. Since most massage shop customers preferred wet treatments, they were both shirtless.
“Jeong-gon is really nowhere to be seen, huh? Did that brat actually join a gang?”
“I heard Manager Park saw him slaving away in Dongbaek-dong.”
It was Yuni, lying next to Sera, who answered the question Sera had posed to Namu.
“He kept singing the ‘gang, gang’ song, and now his wish has come true.”
“I bet my new luxury bag that he’ll be out in less than a month.”
“I’ll bet the car I just bought.”
“What, then the bet isn’t fair.”
“It’s so obvious we don’t even need a bet. Right, Teacher Kim?”
Teacher Kim, who entered the treatment room after Namu, gave a gentle smile and stood by Yuni’s head. Having taken over the reservations in place of Jeong-gon, Teacher Kim had spent six months in the tiny room before Namu did. Because she happened to vacate the room, Namu was able to secure room and board.
“Namu-namu, your bruises have faded a lot! Last time you were walking around all purple. Is recovery faster when you’re young?”
“The manager bought me medicine to clear the bruises.”
“Ugh! That manager is such a fox, such a fox.”
Sera and Yuni, who knew all too well how the manager toyed with young Namu and gaslighted him, shuddered exaggeratedly.
“President Yoon is such a pervert; he eventually turned the kid into red bean porridge. He doesn’t even know the value of a pretty face.”
“Did Namu get settlement money? The manager must have squeezed it out of them.”
“I heard it ended in a verbal agreement since it was mutual.”
“Since when did that money-grubbing manager do that? I guess this thug was actually scary?”
“You think it was because he was scared? He’s the type who won’t even associate with someone if it means stirring up trouble for nothing.”
“I don’t know about other things, Namu, but you should learn how to play it safe from the manager. Got it?”
“Do you think Namu did it because he didn’t know? In this industry, you get hit while staying still and you get hit while trying to avoid it; do you think learning everything actually works?”
Namu did not rashly intervene in their conversation. He knew that he was merely the subject of the conversation, not the protagonist.
“Namu, leave this industry as soon as you pay off your debts. Don’t screw up your life by getting delusional like that bastard Jeong-gon.”
“Right, right. No matter what the madams or managers say to tempt you, let it go in one ear and out the other. Namu should live a graceful life. Why—as the old saying goes, people should live according to how they look.”
The conversation between the women, who worked at a nearby room salon, was both light advice and a warning. Because Namu was white, pretty, and young, he frequently received scouting offers from managers or madams of surrounding establishments.
If he wanted to do it, that would be one thing, but it wasn’t pleasant for them to see kids who got lured in when they were naive and ended up trapped. They had been through it themselves, and it was a common case among those they had worked with.
Of course, not everyone was like them. There were far more people like madams or managers who tried to lure them in for profit, men who acted as pimps and clung like leeches to suck their lifeblood, and managers who dug traps for their own gain and then washed their hands of it. It wasn’t just in ‘Gamgyul City.’
“Or do you want to be my pimp, Namu? I wouldn’t mind even if you sucked my soul dry.”
“What complaint could there be for a kid who’d be satisfied just by smiling sweetly beside you. I’d be living in luxury in my old age.”
The hollow jokes were their own way of showing consideration. Namu, who always appreciated that consideration, always did his best. His touch, carefully tending to customers who wanted to end their exhausting day with his fingertips, was seamless and delicate.
Namu’s attitude—focusing only on the treatment and smiling foolishly from time to time without any flattering words or sycophancy—won the favor of the customers. The feeling of receiving equal care regardless of one’s personal quality of life, environment, or background was quite refreshing. While his skill was a factor, it was this quality that satisfied customers and turned them into regulars.
After completing five consecutive sessions, Namu stopped tidying the treatment room and looked toward the door. He bowed and smiled as the manager abruptly opened the door and entered.
“Manager.”
“The next customer is 15 minutes late.”
“Do they think other people’s time is shit?” While grumbling, the manager entered with a face that suggested this was actually convenient, closed the door, and perched on the treatment table. Realizing the manager had something to say, Namu put down the items he was organizing and straightened his posture.
“Namu, don’t you have anything to say to me?”
“Pardon…?”
Wondering what he had done wrong this time, Namu’s wide eyes flickered. Because there were too many things he could have done, he couldn’t give an answer. The manager, staring at him, looked disappointed.
“How come you haven’t asked about President Yoon even once?”
“…….”
“Regardless of the details, this happened because of you. Aren’t you curious about President Yoon’s condition or how things were settled?”
The tone was friendly as usual, but the content was not. Standing blankly at the question that felt like an accusation, Namu quickly shook his head.
“Oh, no. It’s not that…”
“If it’s not that, then what is it? I wasn’t going to say this, but President Yoon is making a huge fuss about reporting you for inciting assault.”
A sigh was mixed into the admonishing voice.
“What on earth happened that day? Hmm?”
A brief silence fell over the treatment room where the old air conditioner was humming. After his lips trembled several times, Namu finally managed to speak.
“President Yoon… was he badly hurt?”
“They say it’s a 20-week recovery period. There isn’t a single spot on him that’s intact. Half of his scalp is torn, four teeth are gone, and his cheekbones and ribs are cracked or broken. It’s a miracle he didn’t become disabled.”
“What about the customer?”
“What?”
“The customer… what does President Cha say?”
At the unexpected question, the manager narrowed his eyes and scanned Namu carefully. It was certain that he hadn’t hooked up with that mysterious thug, President Cha or whoever. Whether they had fallen for each other or not, Namu simply didn’t have the social tact for that.
President Yoon, who was raging about reporting him for inciting assault, would soon quiet down. While he wasn’t in a position to argue right or wrong—since the one who caused the mess is usually the one who gets angry—he would likely tuck his tail out of fear of the thug who had beaten him nearly to death.
However, the manager intended to use this incident as an excuse to make Namu indebted to him once more, so he subtly tested the waters. A 100-million-won watch, my foot. Adding a new debt to Namu, who was struggling to pay off a watch worth less than 300,000 won, was like twisting a child’s wrist.
That was why he had brought it up, but he hadn’t expected the thug to come out of that small, pretty mouth. Both President Yoon of the fish restaurant and President Im of the massage shop had already settled the matter by receiving settlement money to keep them quiet. Perhaps the thug was trying to save face by not making a big deal of it to Namu, so the manager decided to poke around.
In this incident, the manager hadn’t received a dime, let alone a settlement fee or even a running errand fee. His plan was to get the cost of his hard work in mediating from Namu. As long as he hid the fact that President Cha had already paid settlement money to both sides, Namu would be completely fooled.
If he could make the settlement money a debt for Namu and take a commission, he could make a decent amount of pocket money. But it seemed that Namu and the thug weren’t as distant as he thought. If that were the case, this plan would be worse than doing nothing.
Quickly organizing his thoughts, the manager asked slyly with a face that knew nothing.
“Weren’t you in contact with President Cha separately?”
“…….”
Startled, Namu shook his head with wide eyes.
“N-no, Manager.”
“You’re nothing, yet he buys you clothes, buys you shoes, lets you sleep at his place, and feeds you?”
“That’s because the customer is a kind person…”
Whether the words were good or bad, Namu stopped talking and looked down, as if it were uncomfortable to mention someone in their absence. Even the manager, who was exploiting him, sometimes found the kid’s pitifulness irritating.
He couldn’t even look after himself.
“A kind person turns President Yoon into a living corpse?”
At the manager’s press, Namu couldn’t say a word.
“Sigh, everything you do is just like that.”
Reprimanding Namu and naturally ending the conversation, the manager left. Even as he heard the sound of the door closing, Namu did not rashly stop him. He was worried that a slip of the tongue might make someone uncomfortable.
President Yoon, who had gotten drunk in broad daylight and beat Namu.
The accident that happened while trying to stop President Yoon.
The customer who decided to take care of Namu while the accident was being resolved.
The source of all those words passed on by others was Namu’s customer. Though vague, they weren’t complete lies, and Namu feared the facts that would be revealed if someone dug deeper.
President Yoon had sexually harassed Namu, and when things didn’t go his way, he beat him nearly to death and attempted rape. A customer who happened to witness it saved Namu—while inflicting injuries on President Yoon that required a 20-week recovery.
Namu instinctively knew that this situation would not work in his customer’s favor. That’s why he checked the CCTV and erased his customer’s traces.
When the paramedics arrived, the police would also come. The police would surely trust President Yoon, a solid self-employed businessman, more than Namu, an orphan with no home, or a thug wandering around without a fixed base.
He was so, so scared that the customer who helped him would suffer because of him. That was what Namu was afraid of. That’s why he couldn’t even ask for help. He wanted the customer to leave the alley quickly before the ambulance or the police arrived.
Then, he felt relieved when he realized it was something his customer could calmly handle. At the time, he thought President Yoon was going to die, but he was mistaken. He felt relieved realizing that the customer wouldn’t try to kill someone because of someone like him. After layers of shock and stress, relief arrived, and he suffered a seizure and fell asleep.
When he woke up in the inn room, Namu thought everything had been resolved well. Because he wasn’t in a hospital, a cell, or a police station. Because Mu-won, who opened the door and entered, looked so peaceful. Because Jae-un, who disapproved of him, didn’t get angry or interrogate him, blaming the accident with President Yoon instead.
In truth, Namu didn’t want to think deeply about President Yoon. He believed that just as nothing had happened except for him getting hit a few times, President Yoon would be fine too. He wanted to believe the matter had been well-managed and resolved.
Because he felt that if he treated it as if it never happened, it might actually become something that never happened. Because he felt that if he didn’t bring it up, it might pass quietly. Because a vain hope arose that perhaps everyone could just move past it without knowing. Namu tried to treat that day lightly and forget it quickly.
His heart sank at the manager’s words that he knew President Yoon would cause a big accident eventually, but he was soon able to feel relieved.
An accident that happened while a customer, who happened to see President Yoon beating him while drunk in broad daylight, tried to stop him. Since it seemed to be settled that way, Namu quickly shut his mouth.
He denied the events of that day to the manager, who had flared up, asking if President Yoon really beat him and what President Cha had to do with it. Anxious that sparks might fly toward his customer, he desperately explained that they were absolutely nothing. Since the fact that they were nothing was true, the manager fortunately let it go.
Jeong-gon, who said Namu and President Yoon had disappeared while he was in the bathroom for a moment. Jeong-gon, who didn’t know that President Yoon had beaten Namu like a dog in heat. Jeong-gon, who had been passed out from drinking during the day for two days, remained in a corner of his mind, but Namu didn’t even venture a clumsy guess about it. If he asked Jeong-gon directly, he would answer. As he always did.
Jeong-gon
Hyung’s busy
That was the message that came back to Namu, who had asked about that day.
Jeong-gon
Are you very busy? How’s your body? You’re doing well without any pain, right?
Since you didn’t even ask how I’m doing and just jumped straight to the point, I didn’t think it was our Namu-namu.
Sorry… How are the people there? Are they good to you?
Of course. I’m not the type to be hated wherever I go.
Don’t worry about me and just take care of yourself.
Jeong-gon, that day when you went to the bathroom,
President Yoon beat me and tried to rape me.
There was no following reply. Namu, who had waited patiently, thought deeply and pressed the pad again.
Jeong-gon
President Yoon said you knew.
He said he stepped away because he knew President Yoon would do that to me.
Is that true?
If I say it’s not, do you have any intention of believing me?
Yes. I trust you.
Idiot.
The conversation ended there. Without a yes or no, Namu, who had been waiting for Jeong-gon, who had unilaterally stopped replying, looked up. At the sound of the bell announcing a customer’s visit, he hurriedly put his phone in his pocket and left the tiny room. Upon arriving at the sofa area, which was too embarrassing to call a lobby, a look of gladness crossed Namu’s face.
“Customer!”
Jae-un, who was exchanging cash with the manager at the counter, frowned but cast a glance at the voice that sounded pleased. Mu-won, who had just passed the counter, acknowledged the greeting with a look.
“Jeong-gon quit due to personal reasons. Would another teacher be alright?”
“Well, just pair me with someone who’s good.”
Jae-un, who knew Jeong-gon’s whereabouts best but pretended not to, stuffed his wallet into his inner pocket.
“You’re here, customer!”
Namu’s light brown eyes, looking up at Mu-won with a beaming smile, sparkled as if stars were embedded in them.
Since he had come abruptly today without a reservation, he hadn’t requested anyone, but seeing Namu’s behavior, it seemed he firmly believed Mu-won had requested him. Whether he accepted that or not, it was very much like his older brother.
Because of that, Jae-un, who usually wouldn’t care, unusually observed his brother’s reaction. Whether he noticed the immense interest from the subordinate or not, Mu-won, looking down at Namu, who was much smaller than him, unbuttoned his jacket.
“Did I request Namu-ssi today?”
“Pardon?”
Namu, who habitually took the jacket Mu-won took off, asked back without realizing it. He soon understood the meaning and became flustered.
“Uh… O-oh, today, you’re n-not getting it from me? I-I’m sorry. I naturally thought you’d get it from me…”
“Naturally?”
Namu’s face, which was already heating up, turned bright red.
“N-no. Not naturally. It’s r-right for the customer to get it from the person they w-want. I-I’m sorry, customer. I’ll hang the clothes in the dressing room. If you r-request another teacher, then…”
As Namu turned toward the dressing room, rambling in confusion, a large hand suddenly grabbed the back of his neck. It was Mu-won.
“Which other teacher?”
“Y-yes…?”
Namu, who was practically dangling as he was pulled back to his original position, stuttered.
“I was wondering who the teacher is that our Namu-ssi specially recommends.”
“Ah…”
Namu, whose eyelashes trembled rapidly, looked up into the smooth, black eyes like polished gemstones and parted his lips.
“T-Teacher Choi is here. Teacher Kim is here. The m-manager is here too…”
“Including Namu-ssi, that’s four. Are those all the teachers here?”
“……Yes.”
“What about Namu-ssi’s friend?”
“…He quit.”
“And since Namu-ssi doesn’t like talking about others, you probably won’t answer if I ask why he quit.”
Responding indifferently, Mu-won let go of Namu’s neck and looked around the massage shop. Looking only at the treatment rooms crowded in the narrow hallway, it seemed small, but the actual floor area was quite wide. This also meant there were many hidden spaces in every corner.
“Do the four of you handle all the customers who come in and out until the threshold wears down?”
Namu nodded at the question that seemed to be thrown out casually.
“Yes.”
Looking down at Namu, who answered without even realizing there was an intention behind the question, let alone grasping it, Mu-won grinned. The heat that had barely cooled down set Namu’s cheeks on fire again.
“Is that why Namu-ssi’s skill was good?”
“…Is my skill good?”
“Yes. Namu-ssi is good.”
“T-then why didn’t you request me today?”
“I was busy.”
“Pardon?”
A smile flickered in the corners of Mu-won’s eyes as he looked at Namu’s small face, completely hidden by his own shadow. Of course, it was only for a brief moment.
“Should I get a massage from another teacher today?”
“…No! I-I will. I’ll do it for you. I can do it much better than last time!”
Namu, clinging desperately, was hugging Mu-won’s jacket tightly instead of Mu-won himself.
“That aside.”
“…Eh?”
Namu’s mouth fell open as he immediately recognized the object Mu-won was waving in front of him. Reflexively, he tried to fumble around his thigh, but catching the Manager’s gaze, he quickly curled his fingertips. However, even without touching, he could tell by the significantly lighter weight. The phone that should have been in his pants pocket was in Mu-won’s hand. It was truly baffling.
“Take it.”
“Pardon…?”
Mu-won didn’t leave Namu with a million question marks on his face for long.
“Payment for the phone I broke last time.”
“A-A customer…?”
Namu still couldn’t recall the moment his phone had vanished from his memory that day. One thing was certain: Mu-won was not the one who had broken or lost it.
“Aren’t you taking it? Isn’t this what kids like these days? Chief Jo, didn’t you say the kids like this one?”
“Yes, that’s correct, CEO. I heard the brats carry these around a lot.”
Before Namu could utter a word, Mu-won spoke, nodding simply at Jae-un’s answer. Even then, his dark eyes remained fixed on Namu.
“Is it not to your taste, Namu-ssi?”
“Ah, no… No. It’s just…”
“I suppose you’re waiting for my arm to fall off before you take it.”
“Gasp. Ah, no it’s not!”
Startled by Mu-won’s exaggeration, Namu quickly took the phone with both hands.
“Carry it with you. That way, people can request you.”
“…….”
Faced with words he couldn’t understand or believe, Namu could only look up at Mu-won. He felt frustrated because he didn’t know exactly why Mu-won was acting like this or what he was talking about. Feeling upset by his own perceived stupidity, Namu hid his gloomy mood and gripped the phone that had returned to his hand.
“Oh my. Our Namu must be quite a favorite of President Cha? To give him such an expensive phone… Namu, what are you doing? Hurry up and thank him.”
“T-Thank you, customer. I’ll… really put it to good use.”
Startled by the Manager’s fussing as he stepped out from behind the counter, Namu hurriedly bowed his head.
“I was quite grateful myself when you provided everything from new clothes to sneakers last time.”
“I should have sent the boy out naked.”
“Hahaha, our President Cha says things he doesn’t mean. You have no idea how desperately Namu waits for President Cha to arrive. Every time he hears the door open, he strains his neck, hoping it might be President Cha.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, yes. Of course it is. Right, Namu?”
“Yes?”
As Namu looked up at the Manager’s call, he found himself staring blankly with his lips parted, having had his jacket taken by Mu-won. Mu-won, with the jacket snatched from Namu’s arms draped over his left arm, met Namu’s eyes pointedly. It was a gaze waiting for an answer. Naturally, the Manager’s and Jae-un’s gazes also turned toward Namu. Having suddenly made three adults wait, Namu answered hesitantly.
“Yes…”
“Yes? After all that fussing, all you have to say is ‘yes’? Sigh, CEO. Our Namu is just so shy. He’s the type of personality that couldn’t even get a bowl of porridge anywhere, I tell you. Hahaha.”
Mu-won, who didn’t spare a single glance for the Manager who was rambling on his own, stared only at Namu. Namu, who stealthily avoided his gaze, had red earlobes. From the back of his head, which looked rounder due to his thick hair, one could read his embarrassment and bewilderment.
He felt awkward at the Manager’s behavior, which was suddenly and blatantly trying to pair him with Mu-won, and he couldn’t read Mu-won’s intentions—giving the phone, taking it back, and then giving it back after taking it without Namu even realizing it.
Does he… usually like to play jokes…?
Still, since it was true that he had desperately waited for Mu-won, Namu simply agreed and needlessly toyed with the phone in his hand. As always, the ones actually being tormented were Namu’s fingernails scratching against the hard phone.
Namu’s movements as he climbed onto Mu-won’s lower back were skillful. If Jae-un saw Namu fearlessly climbing onto Mu-won’s body, he would be horrified. In reality, Mu-won was stingy about entrusting his body to others, and for various reasons, the massage therapists who had treated him until now had not dared to climb onto Mu-won’s back.
“Customer, is it uncomfortable here?”
“Mmm.”
Namu, who sharpened all his senses during a treatment, could discern Mu-won’s answer from just a low groan. As he felt the hollowed muscle below the shoulder blade, he felt the firm inner muscle. The outer muscle surrounding that inner muscle was slightly tense.
Mu-won’s muscles, whose quality was excellent without any excess, were surprisingly flexible and elastic. It seemed that even a professional athlete who made a living fighting couldn’t be more perfect. Of course, he had never cared for a professional athlete, but Namu was certain.
Muscles of this level had good recovery resilience even without the touch of a practitioner. Therefore, if he borrowed the hands of a professional far more skilled than himself, it was clear that a more definite effect would be seen. Thinking that a faster response would be possible even in a potentially dangerous situation, Namu felt sorry on his own behalf.
However, Namu did not voice his thoughts. There must be a reason why Mu-won sought out a ‘tangerine massage,’ and Namu didn’t want to pry into that reason, nor was he in a position to do so.
Still, since his customer was someone whose body was his asset, Namu did his best to care for Mu-won despite his lacking skills. In fact, he had recently been passionately studying human anatomy in his spare time. While he had previously only vaguely thought he should work hard, he now had a more concrete goal.
His goal was to know and master Mu-won’s body better than anyone else while Mu-won came as his customer, providing the best possible service. It was so small and insignificant that others would laugh if they knew, but to Namu, it was currently the most important thing.
“Customer, may I move down a little bit?”
“Go ahead.”
Having received Mu-won’s permission, Namu moved his position from the lower back to the thighs, moving on his knees. As Namu sat straddling Mu-won’s thighs, which were three times thicker than his own, his crotch spread wider.
His soft inner thighs were crushed against Mu-won’s firm muscles. Feeling uncomfortable with Mu-won’s thighs filling his crotch, Namu opened his knees wider to the sides. Then, he hooked his knees over the edge of the treatment table to balance himself well.
“Customer, I’m going to touch your lower back area. Please don’t be surprised.”
The hand that had been pressing the latissimus dorsi slid along the erector spinae to the thoracolumbar fascia. Soon, as Namu lifted his hips and put weight into his palms, Mu-won let out a pleasant groan. A smile naturally formed on the lips of the focused Namu. Whenever the customer was satisfied, Namu’s mood improved as well. And a happy Namu became talkative.
“Customer, how is the pressure? Is it just right? Should I do it a bit stronger? The outer muscle here is much more knotted than before. Did you lift something heavy? Or did you suddenly use your muscles urgently? Up to here is the erector spinae, and from here is the thoracolumbar fascia. The knotted part is where the two meet. Doesn’t it feel stiff? I’ll put in a bit more pressure.”
Namu’s cheeks puffed up as he chattered incessantly, mentioning muscles that an uninterested person wouldn’t even know. The yellow incandescent light fell on his cheeks, which were flushed rose-pink.
“Do you exercise every day, customer? You don’t have a single bit of excess fat. You stretch often, too, right? Your muscles are very flexible and healthy. I’ve been studying human anatomy again lately. They say 80% of human muscle is innate and 20% is effort. But they said that 20% is usually not easy, and that maintaining the same level of muscle mass and quality consistently is truly amazing.”
Whenever Namu’s knees slid down along Mu-won’s lower body, the hands massaging the muscles slid as well. Namu’s grip, which had been applying pressure from the gluteus medius to the gluteus maximus and the adductor magnus, gradually loosened.
“Excuse me, customer. About the phone earlier. You did that on purpose, right?”
It wasn’t just because he was in a good mood that he was talkative. He had a long introduction because there was something he wanted to ask.
“Because if I suddenly have a new one, the Manager might misunderstand. You did that for my sake, right?”
“What would the Manager misunderstand?”
“Uh… He might think I stole it, or that I received it from customers.”
“Let’s say getting caught stealing is a disaster because it’s a crime. What’s the problem with receiving it from a customer?”
“Uh… well, that is.”
Namu, who often stuttered when scared or flustered, swallowed hard as if suppressing a hiccup.
“Right, it would be very troublesome to be caught operating secretly from the Manager.”
“…….”
Namu no longer had any intention of actively explaining or denying Mu-won’s misunderstanding. It wasn’t a particularly important fact, and in a broad sense, Mu-won’s misunderstanding wasn’t entirely wrong. Above all, he was more grateful and liked that Mu-won cared for him in his own way, even while thinking of him as that kind of boy.
The words that other characteristics didn’t matter as long as there was utility and value were comforting. That’s why he felt an even stronger desire to show his utility to Mu-won. He hoped that even his meager skills would be helpful to Mu-won.
“I won’t do it anymore.”
“What?”
“Things that would get me scolded by the Manager.”
“I see.”
A voice that didn’t sound very expectant sank languidly. Namu’s touch, which had been touching the inside of Mu-won’s thighs, became cautious and soon slid outward.
At the same time, Namu stepped off the treatment table and slightly curled his fingertips. Once again, he almost touched the customer’s testicles. When he first made the mistake, he didn’t even know he had touched the customer’s testicles. Usually, other customers’ testicles or penises didn’t even reach a quarter of the gracilis muscle. He had never imagined they would be felt halfway there.
The customer with the grand frame had everything large and refreshing, and his genitals were no different. Fortunately, the customer, who didn’t even react whether Namu touched his penis or testicles, seemed to have fallen into a light sleep.
He had always been careful not to repeat the first mistake, but that was not easy. There was one more problem. He didn’t want to wake the sleeping customer, but he had to wake him now. While feeling regretful, Namu whispered softly.
“Customer, please lie on your side.”
Even though the large body shifted, there was no feeling of heaviness at all. Only the old treatment table, unable to withstand Mu-won’s weight, let out a low scream.
“Thank you.”
There were often customers who got annoyed even though it was a posture change necessary for the treatment. On the other hand, Mu-won had never been like that. Every time, he moved silently as Namu requested. Even when his sleep was interrupted like today. Namu, who hadn’t even considered that Mu-won might not have been asleep, pushed a pillow under the customer’s neck so his muscles wouldn’t get stiff.
“And… I won’t do things that the customer has to worry about.”
“Did I worry about you?”
“I mean… that is. I don’t mean that you thought of me specially. Uh… right. I won’t do things that are… annoying.”
“For example?”
“Uh… I won’t show that I’ve been beaten. I won’t show that I’m pitiful. I won’t touch you carelessly. I won’t do things that are conspicuous in the customer’s eyes. I’ll try my best not to.”
“So?”
As expected, the customer was smart. Namu, who had been continuing his detailed explanation, hesitated for a moment and poured out his inner thoughts.
“So, please continue to request me in the future.”
“Why?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m asking why you want me to request you, Namu-ssi.”
“T-That’s because.”
“Because?”
Namu, who hadn’t expected such a direct question, stuttered and rolled his eyes. Then, he hesitantly opened his mouth.
“You were kind to me.”
“I was?”
“Yes, customer. You were kind to me.”
Namu spoke clearly as if this were the absolute truth, and his fingertips became firmer.
“You didn’t scold me even when I made mistakes, you didn’t get annoyed even if you didn’t like what I did, and you only got angry at me when I really did something wrong. Even when you were angry, you didn’t hit me. And also…”
As if to prove he wasn’t just saying it, reasons that didn’t even sound like reasons flowed smoothly from Namu’s small mouth.
“You applied medicine for me, you used the teacup, you bought me clothes, you bought me sneakers, you bought me a phone, you looked after me for two days, you bought me samgyetang, and… and.”
Namu, whose voice was gradually trailing off, requested a posture change, saying, “Customer, please turn over to the other side.” This time too, Mu-won complied quietly. Firm fingertips followed Mu-won’s trapezius muscle down to the deltoid.
“You saved me.”
When Mu-won didn’t give much of a response, Namu, who had been focusing only on his fingertips, stole glances at him. Even so, all that entered Namu’s sight were the indifferently closed eyes and the high bridge of his nose.
He’s really handsome.
Admiring him every time he looked, Namu unconsciously opened his mouth. He had agonized immensely before speaking, but strangely, the more he spoke, the lighter his mouth felt. It seemed to be because the customer listened quietly without showing any dislike.
“From President Yoon.”
“Was I not the one interfering?”
“Pardon?”
Namu, with his eyes wide open, soon parted his lips with an “Ah” and shook his head vigorously.
“No. You weren’t interfering. I wasn’t working.”
Mu-won seemed not to trust him much. No, it was more accurate to say he wasn’t particularly interested. Still, Namu couldn’t swallow the words pouring out. He really wanted to tell Mu-won. Whether he believed it or not, Namu wanted to tell him the truth.
“I don’t like being hit either. It hurts when you’re hit. I hate pain too.”
“Aha. Namu-ssi hates pain?”
“Yes, I really don’t like it. Who in the world likes pain?”
“There are people like that.”
“Pardon?”
“If you didn’t know, you don’t need to know in the future.”
Namu, who didn’t understand, focused on Mu-won’s reaction instead of prying. Namu was very glad that the pressure was going in particularly well today. On days like this, both the customer and Namu had very high satisfaction.
“I’ll go get a hot pack. Please wait a moment, customer.”
With about 20 minutes of treatment left, Namu, as always, asked for understanding and stepped through the bamboo blind. He walked quickly through the hallway and took a hot pack from the warming oven. Seeing that the counter was empty, it seemed the Manager had also entered a treatment room. Indeed, the Manager’s voice, lamenting that he might have to borrow manpower from another establishment, leaked out from Room 9. Although he hadn’t done anything wrong, Namu unconsciously walked on tiptoe, passed through the hallway, and returned to Room 7.
“…….”
Namu, who stepped through the bamboo blind, came to a sudden halt. What was reflected in his pale eyes was the back of Mu-won, who was standing with his back turned. It was the first time he had seen the three snakes, tightly entwined as if binding their respective torsos, from this angle. Perhaps because of the lighting, the giant bodies that had only seemed threatening now looked like shackles.
“Customer…”
Mu-won, who had been facing the wall, turned around. He met the eyes of Namu, who was clutching the hot pack wrapped in a dry towel, and smiled faintly.
“A secret space, I see.”
It was a dangerous smile, but to Namu, it just looked wonderful.
“The CEO’s hobby here is quite unique.”
As Mu-won stepped aside diagonally, a hollowed space appeared, as if a piece of a cube had been popped out. The pitch-black space, large enough for one person to enter, was a place that had originally been a flat wall.
“…….”
The deep rectangular indentation, large enough to fit a coffin, returned to being a flat wall. The one who restored the wall to its original state was Mu-won, who had discovered the secret space.
“Namu-ssi.”
At the voice calling him, Namu approached Mu-won with a bewildered expression. Soon, he flinched and grew tense. All the tactile senses of his body became concentrated on Mu-won’s hand, which had grasped his. Their eyes met. In an instant, Namu’s pupils dilated.
Mu-won, who seemed to smile, placed their overlapped hands somewhere on the wall. Clunk—the pressed wall pushed back and then opened like a sliding door. The rectangular secret space was revealed once again. Mu-won, pulling the overlapped hands, pushed Namu right into it.
“No one would find it unless they knew.”
Mu-won, leaning his forearm on the top of the wall, looked down at Namu, who was completely swallowed by his shadow. Staring intently at Namu, who remained entirely defenseless even in this situation, he curled the corners of his mouth.
“If Namu-ssi hides in here.”
Because the tone was so nonchalant, Namu couldn’t feel the slightest bit of tension. The fear that Mu-won might strangle him and close the wall at this moment, and no one would ever find him, didn’t even occur to him. He was simply captivated by the large palm enveloping his hand and the eyes filled with amusement.
Thump-thump. His racing heart hammered violently against his ribs. The source of that pounding was not anxiety, but a tremor of excitement. To begin with, Namu had no sense of caution when it came to Mu-won. To Namu, Mu-won was a safe person. Someone who would not hurt him. Before he knew it, Mu-won had been imprinted in his mind as such a person.