2.3 Dawn After This Night (1)
“Do you know where I’m going?”
“I don’t either.”
Geum Seoul tilted his head curiously as he raised his elbow, following the man’s lead to fix it in place. The white shirt sleeve slid up his arm. The movement of buttoning the cuff was slightly uncomfortable, making him shrink his shoulders, but the man continued to move his hands with an expressionless face.
In the morning, someone else had come to trim his hair, and now this person had come to dress him. The entire day had been full of unfamiliar things.
“The clothes feel a bit tight.”
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t that the current clothes were tight, but rather that the clothes he usually wore were too large; however, for Geum Seoul, who was experiencing this for the first time, it couldn’t help but feel strange. While he fidgeted with his fingers, the man flicked up the collar of the white shirt and wrapped a tie around it.
“This is your exact size.”
“Is that so? Is this how everyone wears them?”
“Yes. That’s how tailored suits are.”
He had never worn a shirt before. To be precise, he had worn loose, oversized button-downs, but a crisp, form-fitting white shirt like this was a first. Fascinated by the quick movements of the hands tying the necktie, he stealthily lowered his head to look, but the man commanded, “Please lift your head.” He quickly looked forward again, his eyes darting around.
The only saving grace was that he was allowed to put on the pants himself. However, when the man tried to help with the belt, Seoul had to wave his hands in a panic. He had moved so abruptly that he nearly lost his balance.
If the interior of the house hadn’t been cool, cold sweat would have been dripping down his back, but the man left the house as soon as he put the suit jacket on, as if his task were complete. Left alone in front of the mirror, Geum Seoul awkwardly fiddled with his sleeves.
“I think these are expensive clothes, but…”
Even as he tilted his head this way and that to examine himself in the mirror, he couldn’t tell if he looked good. He felt strangely overwhelmed, wondering if someone like him was allowed to wear such fine clothing, and repeatedly turned his body to look at himself from different angles. Yet, no matter where he looked, he felt awkward, and his fists clenched instinctively. The hair trimmed so neatly that his eyes were visible felt the same.
It was Yoo Jeong-ham who rescued Geum Seoul, who had been pacing around, unable to even sit on the sofa for fear of wrinkling the fabric. Appearing at 6 PM behind the wheel of a car, Jeong-ham was also dressed sharply.
“Jeong-ham-ssi, it suits you very well. You look great.”
When he praised him, Yoo Jeong-ham also looked surprised and gestured with both hands from the top of Geum Seoul’s head to his toes.
“You too, Seoul-ssi. You look wonderful.”
“Thank you.”
He was grateful for the praise, but the outfit was still uncomfortable, so he had to shift his hips several times even as he left the house and got into the car.
“What about the Assistant Manager?”
Today, the side windows of the backseat were covered with pitch-black curtains, so Geum Seoul only realized the car had entered a wide road by looking through the front windshield. When he asked tentatively, Yoo Jeong-ham glanced at the rearview mirror.
“He’s currently on outside business, so he’ll come straight to the site.”
“Ah. The site.”
The Assistant Manager had called it a party, but Yoo Jeong-ham called it a site. Geum Seoul blended the two words in his understanding. He’s working. That thought actually made the tension leave his shoulders. It was a very positive feeling.
“Ah, the Assistant Manager didn’t explain it well, did he? I mean, Seoul-ssi is going there to relax, but for us, it’s work…”
“It’s okay. If it’s like that, it’s actually more comfortable…”
Fearing he might have upset him, Jeong-ham hurriedly added more words, but the man in the backseat was leaning back comfortably for the first time since getting into the car.
To Geum Seoul, the phrase “going to work” sounded much better than “going to a party.” The fact that he was going to a place where he didn’t belong to play or relax made him uncomfortable. He would rather be going to work. Only then did his heart, which had been riddled with anxiety, begin to throb.
Because it felt like he had a use.
Geum Seoul hoped that he would be a useful person to someone—no, to Gye Do-hyeop. The man had told him that simply finding that small device was a great feat of an errand, but he didn’t believe that was truly the case.
In the large house, there wasn’t much work to [visit our site]do, so he couldn’t even earn his keep. He had been told to live by running errands, stolen contentbut Gye Do-hyeop never asked for anything.
‘I’ll teach you, so try it. Something brilliant.’
He recalled the words he had heard at the hospital. Since he had never heard of a Gem Grade rising so much, Geum Seoul couldn’t gauge how high his own gemstone would go. Even though he shed tears once a day and held the gemstone up to the light, rolling it around, it didn’t seem to become exceptionally transparent, leaving him feeling hopeless.
‘Geum Seoul. Just pray that you go into Heat.’
Ah. Is having sex also an errand? Geum Seoul tilted his head slightly to the side. As he turned toward the car window, the pleated black curtain was close to his eyes. He blinked, watching the edge of the quiet fabric move in sync with the heavy, steady chassis of the car.
Geum Seoul already knew about the Flower Price. Living while drifting through abandoned villages, it was one of those common things he couldn’t possibly not know. He had seen the conversations, the feelings, and the atmosphere between them and the customers from up close.
‘Today, I’m going to shove it in this far.’
He acted as if he were in heat all over his body. Occasionally his language became rough, and he made Seoul feel his immense strength firsthand, but that was only for a moment. He could feel consideration in Gye Do-hyeop’s actions. Because such things were so rare, Geum Seoul could clearly distinguish his consideration.
In other words, it was closer to a ‘reaction’ than a ‘request’ made after paying the Flower Price. Moreover, he didn’t feel like someone who could be priced. Geum Seoul lifted the back of his head from the seat and looked quietly down at his chin. A body that wasn’t neatly groomed like the [stolen content]Assistant Manager’s couldn’t properly pull off such a wonderful outfit. He didn’t look like a body that anyone would find worth paying money for.
“Mmm…”
Geum Seoul mumbled without even realizing he was making such a sound. Why does the Assistant Manager sleep with me?
From his perspective, sex with Gye Do-hyeop was as ecstatic as it was unfamiliar. It was likely because his pheromones kept melting his body, but even without that, he felt so much every time they did it that he nearly fainted. When the Assistant Manager sucked on his fingers or toes, or masturbated while twisting his nipples with his fingers, or left marks with his lips as if stitching along his side. Every time, his entire body was submerged in a tingling sensation that burst like fireworks.
In those moments, it felt as if only the Assistant Manager and he remained in the world. All judgment and reasoning drifted away, and he simply floated on the thought of wanting to stay clung to him, submerged in these pheromones, until his lower abdomen trembled.
Geum Seoul pressed his ten fingers tightly together. Imagining the sex with the Assistant Manager—that touch, that voice, and those pheromones—made him feel thirsty for some reason, so he shook his head and massaged his hot nape.
“We’re here.”
He snapped out of it, startled by the voice from the driver’s seat. Only then did he realize he had been thinking about Gye Do-hyeop for quite a while, and his cheeks flushed. While Geum Seoul prepared to get out, Yoo Jeong-ham took something out from the passenger seat and handed it to him.
“Do I wear this?”
What he handed over was a mask that covered about half of the face. It didn’t have a special shape; it was just two crudely made black masks. Yoo Jeong-ham, who put one on, shook his head in disgust.
“As you can tell from seeing our Assistant Manager, there are many eccentric people among the wealthy. Since celebrities come too, I think it’s meant so people can act like idiots comfortably. Anyway, everyone has to wear the same thing. It might be a bit confusing once you go in.”
“Ah…”
Only then did Geum Seoul understand its purpose, and he reached out to put on a mask. An object that covered the entire eye area might have been uncomfortable, but having things plastered on his face was quite familiar to him. In fact, he felt slightly more at ease, and he checked with some composure whether the rubber band was securely hooked behind his ears.
“Seoul-ssi, your name today is Kim Young-woon, and you’re an official from Sun Entertainment.”
“Yes.”
Kim Young-woon. Sun Entertainment official. After muttering it once, Seoul slowly stepped out through the open door.
“Wow…”
However, before he could even take two steps, he looked up at the massive building unfolding before him. The car stopped in front of wide, high stairs. The person who had just opened the door was also wearing a mask, so Geum Seoul stepped slightly closer to Yoo Jeong-ham.
“This way. It’ll be a disaster if you lose me today.”
“Ah. I will.”
To be precise, the one for whom it would be a disaster was Yoo Jeong-ham, not Geum Seoul, but he didn’t realize that meaning. Hurriedly straightening his back and bracing himself, Geum Seoul followed Yoo Jeong-ham up the stairs. Despite the number of steps, the rise was low, so it wasn’t particularly tiring. However, when he stood before the building entrance, Geum Seoul let out another low gasp of “Wow” at the magnificent majesty of the pure white marble.
Click.
“Yes. List confirmed. Please go straight inside and take the elevator.”
The man standing at the door confirmed their fake names and then guided them inside. Seoul, giving an awkward greeting, entered through the heavy opening door.
“There will be a brief check. As [Read on Read BL Novels]stated in the invitation, electronic devices are not [Read on Read BL Novels]allowed today, so you must leave them here.”
But before they could even reach the elevator, they were blocked again. Geum Seoul didn’t have any electronic devices to begin with, so he could simply pass through the scanner, but Yoo Jeong-ham had to take off his wristwatch and hand it over. After waiting for him for a moment, they resumed their walk toward the elevator.
“They’re really over the top, right? They even took out all the surveillance cameras and blocked radio waves in the building, so we couldn’t even bring our walkie-talkies.”
“It’s just a party, why go that far?”
At the question asked with blinking eyes, Jeong-ham caught his breath for a moment. It was because he was calculating where to start explaining.
“Umm…”
In truth, bringing Geum Seoul here was a unilateral decision by Gye Do-hyeop, without any prior discussion. Of course, it was possible since it wasn’t a demanding task.
The host of today’s party was a male artist named Jin Go-hee, and the superficial reason for the party was that he had recently successfully completed a fairly large solo exhibition. He, who frequently held grand parties for various reasons both domestically and abroad, was the core target of today.
On the surface, he was a quite active artist, but within the NSSD, he was referred to by titles like ‘bastard’ or ‘bat.’ In reality, he was a figure who provided a channel for brokers or foreign intelligence agents [visit our site]to meet with internal factors. Since he was Read on Read BL Novelsa central connector in a tangled web of intelligence, the agents had no choice but to keep a close eye on him.
Information had been received that Jin Go-hee, who usually provided a venue secretly and then stepped back, had recently begun to move meaningfully after becoming entangled with Gwak Chun-young. Today, they had come to find out who he was acting with and what plans he was hatching. There was no clear code of conduct and no particular reason to arrest him, so it wasn’t dangerous. That was why Gye Do-hyeop had brought Geum Seoul along.
“They’re just… the kind of kids who play like that. This building has 8 floors in total, and only the 2nd through 4th floors are the party venue.”
“Yes.”
“They renovated everything this time, so there might be places we haven’t fully identified yet…”
Zzzzt.
Just as Yoo Jeong-ham was about to continue, the elevator doors in front of them opened.
Thump. Thump.
The loudly echoing music felt as if it were vibrating through his entire body, and Geum Seoul almost covered his ears. He said I came for work. Muttering to himself, he [unauthorized copy]pressed strength into stolen content[unauthorized copy]his knees and straightened his back to look as natural as possible.
As soon as they stepped out, the hallway was already filled with numerous people. Some leaned against the walls talking, while others swayed their bodies busily while drinking beverages. The music is so loud it feels like my brain is shaking; how can they enjoy it like that? Geum Seoul looked around, a question mark floating in his mind. Just as he was startled to see someone slumped over in a corner, Yoo Jeong-ham signaled him with his eyes. It meant don’t look.
“Could you lower your head for a moment and look at my cuff?”
Geum Seoul carefully lowered his gaze. The cufflink attached to the end of the sleeve was a fluorescent green.
“It’s made of Luminescent Stone. Electronic devices aren’t allowed here, so I was worried you might get lost, Seoul-ssi. All our team members are wearing them, so if you happen to lose me, just find someone wearing this.”
“Ah. Yes. I will.”
Even that was only half-visible, covered by the sleeve of the coat, but it seemed like it would be a great help if he truly got lost. It would be best not to be left alone, though… Swallowing dry saliva, Geum Seoul diligently matched his stride with Jeong-ham’s.
The music had practically become noise. It seemed loud for others as well, as he could see everyone pressing their lips close to each other’s ears when talking. Disliking the feeling of his shoulders touching so many strangers, Geum Seoul tensed his body. He wanted to stay as far as possible from the limp movements of the people dancing or drinking.
As he had heard earlier, the men were mostly in suits and wearing the same masks, making it difficult to tell who was who. Therefore, Geum Seoul kept his gaze slanted downward, trying to see only the sleeves, but checking the cufflinks was harder than he thought.
“Ah, and one more thing.”
When someone staggered from behind and almost collapsed toward Geum Seoul, Yoo Jeong-ham instantly reached out, pushed the man away, and spoke almost like a shout. It was barely audible given how noisy the surroundings were.
“You must not go to any floors other than this one. Our job is to figure out what kind of things they do where others aren’t looking.”
“Yes. I will.”
Seoul nodded firmly. Even if he couldn’t be of help, he had no intention of being a hindrance. No matter how noisy it is here, I mustn’t even turn my head elsewhere. Putting strength into his eyes, he slowly scanned the surroundings.
The lounge, with semi-circular sofas and tables placed here and there, was blocked by a wide wall at the back.
“According to the blueprint, there should be another room here, but I guess they installed a temporary wall.”
Yoo Jeong-ham explained first, noticing the curiosity in Seoul’s eyes. Honestly, from Yoo Jeong-ham’s [unauthorized copy]perspective, bringing Geum Seoul here was practically like adding another mission. If Geum Seoul hadn’t come, he might have spent his time mingling with others to gather more appropriate information instead of staying by his side. However, [stolen content]as always, everything was up to Gye Do-hyeop, so Yoo Jeong-ham only hoped that nothing would happen to Geum Seoul.
“It’s about time for the Assistant Manager to arrive…”
Yoo Jeong-ham muttered. No matter if he had put a mask on him, he wasn’t the kind of person to leave Geum Seoul in the care of others for long in a party venue full of people drunk on drugs or alcohol. He glanced around. Even with a mask, Gye Do-hyeop’s tall stature couldn’t be hidden, but he wasn’t visible yet.
“Would you like something to drink?”
“Yes. I’m thirsty.”
Yoo Jeong-ham stayed by Geum Seoul’s side even while going to get drinks, which was reassuring for Geum Seoul, who was unfamiliar with such an environment. Receiving a tall champagne glass, he carefully pressed his lips to it and swallowed a sip. As per Jeong-ham’s explanation that it was the ‘weakest and sweetest alcohol,’ it was very sweet, allowing him to take two sips in a row.
If they had played music this loud in that old neighborhood instead of those ghost-like sounds, they could have driven people away. While thinking such thoughts, Geum Seoul shifted his gaze. The wide lounge was teeming with people. They were playing frantically, hugging or jumping around while dancing. At a nearby table, people were gathered in small groups talking happily, and those clinging to the walls, pillars, or the bar were…
“Wow…”
Geum Seoul closed his mouth. Just as his gaze landed, two people were kissing. When he saw their tongues as they tilted their heads with arms wrapped around stolen contenttheir necks, he was startled as if he had peeked at something he shouldn’t have, and he turned his body completely the other way. However, on the other side, there were similar people.
Perhaps because he had recognized it once, people clinging to each other began to catch his eye everywhere. Every time, Geum Seoul consciously whipped his body away, and only after turning nearly 360 degrees did he choose to lower his head and keep his eyes on the floor. Wow. This is unbelievable… in public…
Slide.
“Uh!”
At that moment, a hot warmth touched his back. At the touch of a hand wrapping around his waist, Geum Seoul was so startled that he nearly jumped.
“Did you come alone?”
“Assistant Manager?”
A voice whispered in his ear. Along with that low voice came a subtle, pleasant scent that made Geum Seoul lift his head back. However, he couldn’t fully turn around because Gye Do-hyeop was holding him firmly around the waist from behind.
“Who’s the manager? Did you come alone?”
“No. I didn’t come alone.”
“Right? With a face like that, there’s no way you’d be here alone.”
Though he answered tactfully to the chilly prompting, Geum Seoul still didn’t understand the nature of this conversation. It was strange that the man was asking if he came alone when he was the one who brought him, and the comment that he “couldn’t have come alone” was equally odd.
“Which bastard did you come with? Point him out. I’ll fuck him right where he stands.”
“Who?”
“Hurry. Or I’ll go over there and snap his neck right now.”
“…The manager is talking about himself?”
“Ah, fuck….”
Gye Do-hyeop suddenly burst into laughter at the complete failure of his dirty talk and gripped Geum Seoul’s lean lower abdomen. Startled by the touch, the champagne overflowed from the glass and trickled down to his wrist; Gye Do-hyeop, standing behind him, grabbed that wrist and licked it clean. A hot, soft tongue meticulously swept across his palm. He almost dropped the glass. Geum Seoul quickly transferred it to his other hand, his fingertips turning white from the tension.
“Do you have any shame? You’re still conspicuous even with a mask on.”
“Me?”
“Who else would it be, you little rabbit?”
A new nickname replaced the abandoned roleplay. Seoul turned his head to look at Gye Do-hyeop, who was burying his face in Seoul’s palm. The man, also wearing a mask, looked perfect regardless. While Seoul was marveling once again at how he could be so handsome even with his eyes covered, Gye Do-hyeop—having licked between his fingers before letting go—used the hand around his waist to once again caress Geum Seoul’s flat lower belly. His cufflinks were also fluorescent green.
“Do you remember everywhere I came inside yesterday?”
“Please don’t say things like that. We’re outside….”
“If anyone overhears, I’ll go over and pierce their eardrums. Just count to three.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Geum Seoul’s ears turned red at the grinning face. In that moment, he felt incredibly embarrassed that he actually wanted to take off the manager’s mask. He had thought the masked look was handsome, but he wanted to see the man’s smiling face properly. Geum Seoul swallowed hard. Yoo Jeong-ham, who had been standing close by as a sentry, was nowhere to be seen, but neither of them paid him any mind. Gye Do-hyeop continued to pour out erotic words in Geum Seoul’s heated ear, recalling the events of yesterday, while Geum Seoul repeatedly shrugged his shoulders and let his eyes dart around nervously.
“Aren’t you here to work today?”
“I am.”
“Do you work in places like this? There are so many people.”
Despite the question, Gye Do-hyeop continued to hug Geum Seoul tightly from behind, in front, and from the side, enjoying the man in his suit as if flirting with him was today’s primary mission.
“Sometimes it’s safer when there are a lot of people.”
“When is that?”
“It’s hard to explain; you just find out.”
It was hard to ask any further. Whether it was burying his nose in the nape of Seoul’s neck while sitting on the bar stool, fiddling with the neatly tied necktie, or gripping the small buttocks while pretending to touch the hem of the suit, Geum Seoul was at a loss until he eventually gripped the man’s wrist cautiously. At that, Gye Do-hyeop continued to interrogate him, asking, “Are you pulling my hand because you want me to touch somewhere else?” He only withdrew his hand after Geum Seoul finally uttered, “No, you can’t.” Even then, his hand had only moved from the buttocks up to the waist.
“Manager.”
Holding the second glass of champagne handed to him by Gye Do-hyeop, Geum Seoul turned his head at a call that drifted through the loud music. Yoo Jeong-ham, who had vanished until a moment ago, brought his lips close to Gye Do-hyeop’s ear. Geum Seoul leaned his upper body back to create some distance, but since Gye Do-hyeop’s arm was still wrapped around him in the same position, his upper body simply stretched away.
As Seoul took another sip from the thin glass, his eyes drifted through the air toward Do-hyeop’s mouth. He seemed to be saying something… Fuck? Piece of shit? Something like that? Seoul tried to gauge the words by watching the lips gather and open, but he soon shrugged. Surely the entire sentence couldn’t be composed of curses.
Slide.
Gye Do-hyeop glanced at Geum Seoul and pulled his lips into a smile. He gently stroked the unkempt hair that contrasted with the well-tailored clothes and pressed his body close.
“I have to go check on some work for a moment.”
“You can go. I’ll stay right here and won’t go anywhere.”
As if those words were highly satisfactory, Gye Do-hyeop’s thumb lightly touched the tip of Seoul’s pointed chin before pulling away.
“I have to take this piece of shit who doesn’t earn his salary with me, so I’ll attach another guy to you. You can stay put quietly, right?”
The “piece of shit who doesn’t earn his salary” Gye Do-hyeop was referring to was likely Yoo Jeong-ham. As Seoul looked over with wide, shaking pupils, Gye Do-hyeop bit and chewed on his pale earlobe. Seoul quickly averted his gaze.
“Don’t pity him.”
“…Yes.”
“I’ll come back quickly and finish telling you how red your ass got yesterday.”
“No. You don’t have to.”
“Nope. You can’t. Tomorrow has tomorrow’s bullshit, so I have to settle today’s quota before midnight.”
After pinching his soft cheek, Gye Do-hyeop finally turned away after Yoo Jeong-ham called him once from behind. The words he spoke were not audible, and only the shape of his mouth was briefly visible; this time, Seoul read “piece of trash” and hurriedly shook his head. He chose to ignore it.
Just as Gye Do-hyeop had said, another team member stepped in to stand beside him instead of the two who had left the party. Just in case, Seoul glanced down, and the man, noticing, slightly pulled back his jacket sleeve to reveal the cuff that had been half-hidden. The same color. Geum Seoul gave a polite nod.
It felt slightly awkward to be alone after being pressed so closely against Gye Do-hyeop, so Geum Seoul aimlessly fiddled with his champagne glass.
“What are you eating? Is it good?”
Startled, Geum Seoul turned his head. A man who was clearly drunk stumbled toward him and shouted loudly. The moment Seoul’s eyes widened and he reflexively gripped his mask tight, the man standing half a step behind him quickly blocked the way. After waving his hand and saying a few words, the drunk man glared for a moment and then turned away. Despite this, the tension didn’t fade, and Seoul rubbed his stiff neck. There was no one else nearby, and the loud music continued, but Geum Seoul just stood there silently again.
“What is your name?”
He then struck up a conversation with the person who had come to take the manager’s place. With broad, visit our sitemuscular shoulders and neat short hair, the man [stolen content]simply stepped half a pace closer, as if he hadn’t expected Seoul to speak to him. Only after Seoul asked again in a louder voice did he finally answer.
“Ah, I’m Choi Da-ol. I work under the manager.”
“Hello. I’m Geum Seoul.”
Seoul had introduced himself because it seemed the man had been assigned the boring task of just sticking by his side, but Da-ol only parted his lips as if he wanted to say something and then gave an awkward smile. Wondering if speaking to him was unpleasant, Geum Seoul also stopped talking.
However, Da-ol wasn’t displeased. Rather, he was being extremely cautious. Today’s mission only involved six or seven of them coming. At first, he had been relaxed, thinking he was just going to hang out, but Yoo Jeong-ham, sensing his intentions, had disciplined him severely.
‘Don’t be too surprised if you see something unsightly today.’
That warning had been the start.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Your manager is a bit… lately….’
Yoo Jeong-ham had circled his index finger between his eye and temple, but Da-ol hadn’t understood then either.
‘You mean he’s his usual self?’
‘Choi Da-ol. How did you even get into the NSSD with that kind of intuition?’
‘Huh? You sound exactly like the manager right now.’
‘Humiliating. Truly humiliating. Just go ahead and curse my parents.’
Recalling Yoo Jeong-ham’s ridiculous expression as he flew into a rage with sharp eyes, Da-ol snapped back to reality. It was because Geum Seoul, who had set his champagne glass on the bar, seemed to have something more to say. Though hidden by the mask, his brown eyes wavered slightly.
“Um, I want to go to the restroom.”
“Let’s go together. This way.”
Da-ol had memorized the layout of this building days ago. While carving a path through the crowds of people gathered in groups of two or three, Choi Da-ol had to keep checking on Geum Seoul. It would have been easier to just keep him tucked under his arm and pull him along, but there had been a request from Yoo Jeong-ham.
‘A civilian will be attached to you today, and either you or I will have to cover for them.’
‘Yes.’
He had been curious about who it was, but he knew he wouldn’t get an answer even if he asked. But that wasn’t all.
‘No matter what happens, you must absolutely, absolutely not touch that person.’
‘Huh? Who are they that… well, yes. Why would I need to touch them?’
The continuing instructions were only puzzling. At Choi Da-ol’s words, the shadows under Yoo Jeong-ham’s eyes seemed to darken further. Just as he thought it was a misconception.
‘There is only one time when it’s okay to touch them.’
Yoo Jeong-ham had lowered his voice with a serious face, as if leaking a secret.
“Um, Mr. Da-ol. Can I go in now?”
“Ah. One moment. I’ll check first and come back.”
At the cautious voice of Geum Seoul, who had arrived in front of the restroom, Choi Da-ol stepped forward. It wasn’t that something terribly dangerous was happening right now, but regardless, protecting this civilian was a mission given by none other than Manager Gye, so he had to execute it perfectly.
“I’m sorry, but could you wait while sticking close to the wall?”
“Oh, yes. I will.”
He wondered if the man was prickly or suspicious, but he wasn’t. Geum Seoul had been the one to ask for his name first, and when asked for a favor like this, he immediately nodded and complied. He even pulled his shoulders in, reducing the volume of his already small frame to press himself flat against the wall. In many ways, he was an easy target.
Screech.
The thumping music could still be heard even in the large restroom. Frowning at the hazy cigarette smoke, Choi Da-ol walked further into the restroom. There were already several people inside. Two drunks with their heads pressed against the wall while urinating. Two people kissing in short skirts. Three closed stalls. And one person smoking.
That last guy was an eyesore. He stood in the middle of the restroom, swaying, then wandered around with half-closed eyes, exhaling smoke as if searching for someone to pick a fight with. Da-ol approached him.
“Excuse me. If you’re not using the restroom, please move.”
“What the….”
The man glared, swaying with half-lidded eyes. Since he had lost the mask that should have been on his face, Choi Da-ol could look him straight in the eye. This, too, was because of Yoo Jeong-ham’s request.
‘When that friend looks like they’re about to touch someone else.’
‘Yes?’
‘That’s when you should grab them [visit our site]first and get them stolen contentout of that situation as quickly as possible.’
‘Wait, does protecting them mean making sure they don’t even touch other people’s bodies? Does that make sense? People will be clinging to each other because they’re drunk.’
Despite Choi Da-ol’s words, Yoo Jeong-ham had only nodded with his mouth shut. Since it felt as if he were saying, ‘That is the real objective,’ he absolutely had to get rid of this drunkard in front of him.
“Who the hell are you….”
“I said move. Unless you want to roll around on the floor here.”
The drunk man frowned at Choi Da-ol’s irritated tone, but perhaps realizing he was outmatched, he only glanced up and down before moving aside and leaning his back against the corner.
“Yes. Thank you. Stay right there.”
Responding in a voice that wasn’t particularly thankful, Choi Da-ol finally turned back toward the restroom entrance. It was to tell Geum Seoul that he could now enter.
“…Huh? What?”
But.
“Where did he go?”
The man, who had been standing in the hallway just a moment ago with his hands gathered, had vanished in an instant.
Thump!
Choi Da-ol immediately sprinted back out into the hallway.
‘Ah, and if you lose that friend.’
Through the loud music, Yoo Jeong-ham’s final warning seemed to echo.
‘Both of us will be hung upside down from the wall, vomiting until the seaweed soup visit our sitewe ate [unauthorized copy]when we were one unauthorized copyyear old comes back up.’
…I’m fucked.
Choi Da-ol felt cold sweat breaking out on his back as he checked his watch. His vision sharpened, and his peripheral nerves stood on edge. From now on, he had to remember everything down to the second to report to Gye Do-hyeop. That crazy Manager Gye would be waiting, holding his life in his hands like a time bomb. Beep. Beep. His overheated brain rang like a siren.
“Waah!”
Geum Seoul let out a strange sound. It was because the wall he had been pressed against suddenly pushed him backward.
He had simply wanted to avoid two people who had thrown away their masks and were kissing passionately, practically crawling down the hallway. Whether they were drunk on love or alcohol, they were kissing as if they were about to crush each other’s cheeks, oblivious to their surroundings, and pheromones were creeping through the air. He had merely taken two cautious steps back to avoid touching them. It was the exact moment he tried to curl up, pressing both arms tight against the wall.
Spin.
Geum Seoul had to practically lie against the wall to avoid falling. His eyes were wide open.
“No, what is this?”
His field of vision had completely changed. Until a moment ago, he had been in a hallway where he could see the restroom with its dome-shaped ceiling, but now he was in a large, stark white space.
“The door… is gone? What? Please open up….”
He quickly turned back to examine the wall, but only a tiny crack was visible; there was no doorknob. He spread his palms wide, groping and knocking everywhere. However, it didn’t seem like it would be heard over the music beyond the wall.
“Huh? I think I’m in big trouble….”
Turning around again, Geum Seoul slowly surveyed his surroundings. This place was a bit too wide to be called a room. It was so spacious that it felt more like he had emerged from a narrow corridor; on one side was a long horizontal stage, and on the other, velvet-covered seats were arranged in a semi-circle.
If it had been anyone else, they might have dismissed it as a very small performance hall, but to Geum Seoul, the layout and space were excessively familiar.
“…An auction house?”
Seoul’s eyes narrowed. The short podium on the stage was solely for auctions, and the small side tables next to the seats were just large enough to hold a number plate [stolen content]or a single glass of water. And on the white cloths Read on Read BL Novelscovering the long party tables on both sides, long candlesticks that hadn’t been lit yet, empty chafing dishes, and new water bottles were lined up, likely for food and champagne.
It was a level of luxury far beyond the auctions held in Park Gil-pyeong’s building, but Geum Seoul instinctively recognized the purpose of this space.
“Are they selling gemstones?”
Of course, it could have been a different kind of auction, but the deep-seated repulsion in his bones made him assume that first. Thanks to the dim lighting, the area beyond the large arch on the opposite side looked even brighter. Just as he thought he should head that way.
Screech.
“—so, the one I ordered—”
“—that way.”
The sound of a door and the voices of two people began to be heard from a distance. Because of the lighting beyond the arch, faint shadows were cast on the floor. For now, they were just muffled, but they would soon become clear as they drew closer.
Tap, tap, tap. Whether it was because the soundproofing visit our siteof [unauthorized copy]the walls was excellent or because the floor was marble, the sound of two people’s heels echoed at regular intervals through the booming music.
I have to get out of here.
Geum Seoul knew very well the nature of the people who frequented auction houses. Whether they were selling something else or dealing in gemstones, one thing was certain: he must not be caught by those people. He quickly turned back to the wall and searched for the doorknob again.
“Seoul. How did you open it? You’re quite capable.”
Please. Muttering to himself, he hurriedly recalled the moment. While leaning against the wall, he had felt something touch his hand, and the wall had spun to the other side. Since he had come in, there must be a way out.
Because the lighting was dim, Seoul had to focus all his attention on his fingertips as he groped the wall. A cold concrete wall. Earlier—that is, around waist height.
“—I told you not to bet!”
The irritated voice of a man could be heard even here. He bent his knees and leaned down to search for a minute crack, then turned his head back. The shadows on the floor were becoming more distinct. Tap. Tap. The footsteps were the same.
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