By Zephyria 
Upon arriving at Im Gyeong’s residence, Hee-shin was guided up to the second floor, where he found a sight he couldn’t believe. He had assumed Im Gyeong’s request to “play for a day” meant drinking or shopping as before, but…
“What are you doing? Sit down.”
Hee-shin stared at the crudely drawn fruit cards and the bell placed in the center. Im Gyeong began to explain as he flipped the cards. He said the first person to ring the bell when the total number of a certain fruit reached five wins. He emphasized that reflexes were crucial. Dammit. Reflexes aside, he was currently pushing his patience to the absolute limit.
“Do you want to change into something more comfortable? You look like you’re uncomfortable.”
“I’m fine.”
“Alright then. Shall we start?”
“Do I really have to do this?”
“You said you’d play with me.”
As he spoke, Im Gyeong shuffled the cards. His form was enough to rival a professional casino dealer. He then split the cards in half and handed some over.
“What should the penalty be?”
Hee-shin let out a sigh of resignation.
“Do whatever you want.”
“A kiss on a spot of the winner’s choosing?”
When Hee-shin glared at him openly, Im Gyeong actually laughed out loud.
“A flick to the forehead?”
Right, that would be better than a kiss.
“Fine, do that.”
“You’d better give it your all. I work out, so my hands are stinging.”
Hee-shin didn’t even pretend to listen and snorted. He just needed to play along for a bit, find the original file, and leave. He had never played such a game, but when it came to reflexes, he didn’t lose easily to anyone. Thus, the game began, and upon discovering that the total number of grapes had reached five, he reached out.
Unfortunately, Im Gyeong was one step faster. Im Gyeong took the cards, and though Hee-shin looked for the next opportunity, his turn didn’t come easily. As time passed, his competitive streak flared up.
I should just punch a hole through this bastard’s forehead. The mere thought was thrilling. However, things didn’t go his way, and toward the end of the game, the frequency of his sighs only increased. Im Gyeong, sitting opposite him, kept smirking as if he were having the time of his life. I need to split that bastard’s forehead…
As expected, the game ended in Im Gyeong’s victory.
“Come here.”
Since Im Gyeong beckoned him with his hand like he was calling a dog, Hee-shin reluctantly moved toward him.
“Closer.”
The distance closed until their knees were touching. The moment Im Gyeong reached out to brush back his hair, Hee-shin’s body flinched involuntarily. As he instinctively tried to pull his head back, Im Gyeong gently cupped his chin.
“No. Running away is cheating.”
With his brow furrowed, Hee-shin looked down. Im Gyeong curled his fingers into a circle and blew a soft breath—hoo—onto his skin. He claimed to have moved to Japan and grown up there as a child, but his behavior was unmistakably Korean. Then, he fully exposed Hee-shin’s forehead.
“You’re even more handsome with your hair pushed back.”
“…….”
“You should go around like this. Or would that be more tiring?”
“Stop talking and just hit me already.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a loud smack echoed, and a shock hit his forehead. Ack! Forgetting all about his dignity, he clutched his face. He had thought that because Im Gyeong looked pretty, his grip would be weak, but apparently not. His head felt numb, as if it had been pierced.
Then again, this bastard had used his strength to pin him against the sink in the restroom back then.
Why did that thought suddenly occur to him?
Just as Park Tae-min said, he must have a damn long memory for grudges.
“Ha, fuck…”
“See? I told you to give it your all.”
Glaring at that beaming face, Hee-shin shifted his position.
“Giving up?”
“No. One more round.”
“Unexpected. I thought you’d run away.”
The word ‘run away’ grated on his nerves. It was his first time playing the game, and he had been too distracted by thoughts of the original file. Now that it had come to this, he felt he wouldn’t be satisfied until he hit that bastard at least once. He felt pathetic for being such a childish person, but it felt unfair to leave now.
Thus, the board was set again, and once more, it ended in Im Gyeong’s victory. The bastard kept smiling softly and refused to go easy on him. Aren’t they called ‘ttak-bam’ (forehead flicks) because they make a ‘ttak’ sound? If it makes a ‘ppak’ sound, it’s no longer a flick.
It hurt so much he wondered if he’d been hit with a fist. After losing three rounds in a row, when he finally won the fourth, he genuinely rejoiced, even throwing a punch into the air. Though he quickly became embarrassed and returned to his usual self.
After winning the fifth round, the two finished the game with their foreheads turned bright red.
“Now give me the original.”
Im Gyeong ignored him and lowered the blinds with the remote.
After that, he personally brought popcorn and drinks and set them on the table.
No way…
“How about a movie? Is there a genre you like?”
Ha, unable to contain himself, Hee-shin raised his voice slightly.
“Are you kidding me? Be honest. You never had any intention of giving it to me from the start, did you? You gave me the edited version just to screw with me.”
“Don’t get excited and just sit down. If there’s no movie you want to see, I’ll pick one myself.”
He wondered if this bastard even listened to people.
The lights in the house went out, and an image appeared on the screen in front of them. Frustrated, Hee-shin roughly swept back his hair. He had played along, doing things he’d never done in his life, only for this to happen. Did the guy even have the original? Maybe he should have gone to Assemblyman Choi instead.
Meanwhile, the movie started.
Hee-shin cracked open a beer from the table and sat at the very edge of the sofa.
“Want some?”
Ignoring Im Gyeong, who offered the popcorn, he just gulped down the beer. The movie was a romance about a terminally ill male protagonist who falls in love with a female protagonist. There were several touching scenes, but because he hadn’t slept well last night, he couldn’t focus on the movie or anything else.
His only thought was how to get the original and go home quickly. As time passed, sleep began to wash over him. His clothes and posture were uncomfortable, so he leaned slightly to the side.
Then he looked at Im Gyeong, and my god…
Tears were welling up in his eyes.
He was focused on the screen with an expression that looked as if he would burst into tears at any moment.
If it had been a close friend, he would have teased him for being a crybaby…
“….”
His impression of Im Gyeong was slightly different. Perhaps because of his face, he looked like a meticulously crafted piece of art. He realized that when a person is too handsome, these kinds of feelings arise naturally. He prided himself on having benefited quite a bit from his own looks in life, but just how much had this guy enjoyed? He felt a sudden surge of envy, followed by irritation. The thought that there was nothing he was better at than Im Gyeong. No, surely he was better in terms of human character?
Then, Im Gyeong finally shed a tear.
He was so immersed in the movie that he didn’t even think to wipe it away with his hand.
…What is so sad about that?
There are so many tragedies in the world worse than a movie. He was simply envious of the luxury of being able to shed tears while watching a film. A harsh life had made him cynical, and at some point, it had become increasingly difficult for him to feel pity or such emotions for others.
His eyes, which had been watching the screen, slowly closed. How much was left? It felt so long. After stealing a few glances at the screen and Im Gyeong’s profile, he couldn’t fight the overwhelming sleep and leaned his head diagonally against the armrest of the sofa. The dialogue of the protagonists led him into a dream like a lullaby.
When he opened his eyes, it was well past midnight. A blanket was draped over his body. After rubbing his face to shake off the sleep, he looked beside him and saw Im Gyeong watching a movie in the same position. It seemed the movie had changed in the meantime.
Sensing his presence, Im Gyeong turned and smiled.
“You’re awake? If you’re tired, go sleep in the bedroom.”
Hee-shin pushed the blanket aside and reached for the bottled water in front of him. After moistening his dry throat, he grabbed his coat without hesitation.
“I’m leaving.”
“Weren’t you going to stay the night?”
Hee-shin laughed in disbelief.
“Just give me the original.”
“I don’t have it?”
What? As Hee-shin looked at him with a stunned expression, Im Gyeong paused the video. It stopped just before the man and woman on the screen shared a kiss. Then, Im Gyeong turned to face him.
“Actually, it’s in Gangnam. You know the house I first came to? There.”
“…….”
“Want to go now?”
Hee-shin clenched and then released his teeth.
“You said it was here earlier. Isn’t that why you asked me to play with you? I played that fucking game and watched that boring-ass movie with you. Are you playing with me? Am I someone you can just toy with, Mr. Im Gyeong? Huh?”
He suppressed his indignation as much as possible. If he hadn’t, all sorts of curses would have flown out by now.
Listening to this, Im Gyeong lowered his eyebrows into an inverted V and made a pitiful expression.
“Do you know? That your language gets rough when you’re angry?”
“Then what, am I some kind of idiot that I’d be smirking in this situation?”
“I’m sorry. I only thought of myself. What should we do? Shall we go get it now?”
As Hee-shin’s voice rose slightly, the guy’s face became even more brazen. He sat sideways, crossed his legs, and stared intently, which was irritating to the point of absurdity. Hee-shin checked the time again. Considering the route, it seemed better to stop by on his way to work. Im Gyeong’s gaze followed him as he put on his coat.
“Are you leaving?”
“I’ll stop by in the morning, so just have the original ready.”
Im Gyeong frowned.
“You’re talking as if you’re the one doing me a favor. Isn’t Kang Hee-shin the one in a pinch here?”
At those words, Kang Hee-shin let out a short laugh.
“You’re seriously delusional. If you don’t give me the original, I can just wash my hands of this. I have nothing to regret and nothing to be sorry about. Getting chewed out by my boss? It’s not like it’s my first or second time. Leaking it to the press? Even without that, there are more than enough incidents every day. How long do you think people will remember? I guarantee they’ll forget in three days. So don’t act arrogant as if you’ve caught my weakness.”
His snapping voice was as cold as ice. Im Gyeong’s expression turned intrigued. His eyes seemed to say, Go on, do more. Enough, let’s stop. What is there for you and me to talk about. He turned and went to the entrance, put on his shoes, and stepped outside. He couldn’t remember what Im Gyeong’s final expression had been.
Once he got to the car and started the engine, the breath he had been barely holding burst out.
Fuck, he felt a mix of regret that he should have endured a bit more, and a sense of satisfaction that he had at least kept his pride. As he started the car and drove out into the alley, he noticed a black van parked some distance away. It was a rare vehicle to see in such a high-end residential area. Moreover, this spot was a blind spot.
He intentionally turned the car toward it and flicked on the high beams. The tint on the windows was dark, but he caught a glimpse of a person’s silhouette. As his suspicion grew, he drove around the neighborhood once and returned to the spot. The van was still there.
A sense of déjà vu kept him from leaving. It was similar to the day Kim Jun-gu was kidnapped.
He got out of the car and approached the van. He knocked on the door, but there was no sign of anyone inside.
Why did he do it? He unconsciously looked back at Im Gyeong’s house.
The house that had been bright was now completely dark, as if it had never been lit.