By Zephyria “I now know that depriving someone of sleep is the worst form of torture. It feels like you’re going crazy. I even saw things in the bathroom earlier.”
“Don’t say that. It’s scary.”
“It’s true. You know the second stall in the bathroom? They say someone hanged himself there while being investigated a long time ago. You’ve heard about it too, Sunbae, right?”
Just like school ghost stories, the Seobu Station also had its own ghost stories, and Nam-soo seemed to believe them quite a bit. Lee-eum found it cute, but also felt sorry for him, wondering how tired and stressed he must be to act like that.
“Are you going to meet your girlfriend? Should I drop you off at the station?”
“We decided to meet another time. How can I go looking like this?”
Nam-soo rubbed his stubbly chin and lamented his situation. Lee-eum unconsciously touched his own chin. He thought it was strange that he didn’t grow a beard even though he was a Beta, and that he had very little body hair, but he later found out it was because he was an Omega. That’s why he was sometimes envious of Nam-soo’s fresh, green stubble.
“Where on earth did Park Eon-soo go? At this point, doesn’t it seem like he has an accomplice?”
Lee-eum had been thinking something similar. The accident site was a crowded area with CCTV cameras everywhere, and Park Eon-soo had vanished without a trace after being last seen running into an alley.
“He hasn’t already fled overseas, has he?”
Just in case, they were also intensively searching the port, but there were no clues, which was frustrating. After talking, he dropped Nam-soo off on the way and headed back home, but his eyelids kept drooping.
He had been eating, sleeping, and showering at the police station, but since the situation seemed likely to drag on, he planned to sleep at home today and bring some simple luggage in the morning. He barely made it home and finished parking, but the fatigue washed over him, making him not want to move at all.
Lee-eum didn’t get out right away, but leaned back in the driver’s seat and closed his eyes. He was exhausted. He wanted to sleep here. Then, he snapped out of it, got out, and dragged his heavy body to the 13th floor. He arrived on the 13th floor, swiped his card key, and entered, but heard voices from the entrance.
“You’re here?”
Choi Won-joon, who had been sitting on the sofa, got up and approached with a happy expression. The news was playing on the TV by itself, and a can was on the table, as if he had been drinking beer.
“How long have you been here?”
“The whole time since I arrived.”
He kept asking when Lee-eum was coming home when they were texting, but he never imagined he would be staying here. It was infuriating that he was acting so confidently as if it were his own home, and when he looked closely, he had already changed things here and there.
“Come here. Let me give you a hug. I missed you so much.”
Lee-eum stopped Choi Won-joon from coming closer with his hand.
“I’m going to shower. I sweated a lot.”
“It’s okay.”
“I’m not okay. Don’t come near me. Stay away.”
After warning him with his hand, Lee-eum went into the bathroom. It felt so good to take a comfortable shower at home after a long time. He had to dry his hair after showering, but even that was too difficult and annoying. Seeing him come out with wet hair, Choi Won-joon brought a hair dryer, sat Lee-eum on the sofa, and dried his hair. It was the first time someone had dried his hair since he was a child, so it felt strange.
“Detective Kim must be having a hard time. His dark circles have reached his chin.”
“He hasn’t been able to sleep.”
After drying his hair, Choi Won-joon put Lee-eum’s legs on his thighs and massaged them. It felt so good that he stayed still, and then he laid him down completely and put the other leg up as well. The fatigue seemed to fade away as he massaged him firmly with his large hands.
“Hasn’t Park Eon-soo been caught yet?”
Lee-eum replied with his eyes closed.
“He disappeared without a trace.”
“Oh dear. He’s causing quite a bit of trouble. He needs to be caught quickly.”
Lee-eum, who had been silent, lowered his legs and sat up straight. He stared intently at Choi Won-joon, who smiled and caressed his cheek. Why? Lee-eum covered his hand and met his gaze with a serious expression.
“The Lord knows everything. Who is good and who is evil.”
“I’m Buddhist, though?”
“It’s not too late. Tell me honestly, even now.”
“Tell you what.”
“Park Eon-soo, President took him, didn’t he?”
Choi Won-joon sighed with a disappointed expression.
“Darling, I was busy in England looking for Director Lee. Park Eon-soo? Of course, I wanted to kill him. But for me, finding Director Lee, who holds my weaknesses, was a more important issue. If I even had bad intentions and revealed what I’ve done, it would be terrible just to think about it, right?”
“How many bad things have you done?”
Choi Won-joon, on the other hand, held Lee-eum’s hands tightly. With an expression as if he were confessing to a priest.
“I’ve done a lot. But I’ve changed since I met you. Every time I see your face in the morning, I make a resolution not to commit any more sins. You’re like a religion to me. Because you gave me a new life.”
He sure knows how to talk… Seeing Lee-eum’s suspicious expression, Choi Won-joon rubbed the hands he was holding against his cheek and closed his eyes tightly.
“Love one another as I have loved you. John 13:34.”
“You said you were Buddhist.”
“It was hanging in a frame at my father’s house.”
“Ah.”
“Let’s love each other too. Without doubting. Okay?”
He stroked his cheek affectionately, then hugged him and rubbed his back. Lee-eum sighed softly. He’s still as slippery as an eel. But he didn’t ask any further. The desire not to was greater than being tired.
He soothed Lee-eum like a child and then hugged him as he was.
“Hold on tight. I’ll carry you to the bedroom.”
“I’m heavy.”
“Don’t worry. I can even carry you and do it.”
“……”
“Should I show you?”
Why is the conversation going in a strange direction? He glared at him, and he finally made him put his arms around his neck and lifted him up. He wrapped his legs around his waist to keep from falling, and he strode into the bedroom and gently laid him down. Choi Won-joon turned off the bedroom light and affectionately brushed Lee-eum’s hair away from his face.
“I’ll wake you up in the morning, so don’t worry and sleep well.”
He closed his eyes at the affectionate voice, and his hand went down and patted his chest. Suddenly, he thought of when Choi Won-joon used to put him to sleep when he was Young-shik, and he chuckled. Who would have imagined that we would end up like this?
He closed his eyes and opened them, and it was morning. He looked to the side and saw Choi Won-joon, who had said he would wake him up, sleeping soundly. Lee-eum checked the time and got out of bed. At the rustling sound, Choi Won-joon instinctively reached out and wrapped his arms around Lee-eum’s waist.
“Sleep more. You’re tired.”
“I have to go early. Don’t worry about me and sleep.”
Choi Won-joon didn’t let go and rubbed his cheek against Lee-eum’s shoulder.
“Want to quit your job?”
“……”
“I’ll earn a lot of money. Wouldn’t it be nice if you quit and just waited for me at home?”
Seeing Lee-eum’s sharp look, he quickly changed his words, saying it was a joke. He tried to push his arm away, but he hugged him even tighter, and his Pheromone scent intensified in an instant. Sensing the danger, Lee-eum quickly rolled out of his arms. Then, Choi Won-joon frowned.
“We haven’t seen each other in days, do you have to be like this?”
“I told you yesterday. I’m busy. It’ll be hard to come home for a while.”
“Until when?”
“Until I catch Park Eon-soo?”
Seeing Choi Won-joon’s expression twist, Lee-eum quickly headed to the bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror, and his appearance was at least somewhat presentable compared to yesterday. After washing up, he changed his clothes and came out, and just then the doorbell rang.
Choi Won-joon was nowhere to be seen, and Director Lee’s face appeared on the intercom. He went to the front door and opened it, and Director Lee politely greeted him and handed him a lunch box.
“President told me to take care of your nutrition, so I made a special request to the chef.”
Lee-eum apologized and accepted it.
“You must be tired, you don’t have to do this. I’ll take care of myself.”
“No, I’m just sorry for causing trouble for President with my personal affairs.”
“Trouble? People can have things like that happen when they live…”
Director Lee smiled faintly.
“Still, I cheered up thanks to you coming all the way to England. If not, I would have made a truly irreversible choice.”
Seeing Director Lee unexpectedly reveal his inner thoughts, Lee-eum felt sorry for him. He also felt sorry for not fully trusting Choi Won-joon and suspecting him. He said he was glad he had cheered up, and Director Lee nodded in agreement, said he would see him next time, and left.
Come to think of it, he’s thinner than before. He looks like he wouldn’t bleed a drop of blood even if you pricked him with a needle, but he has an unexpected side to him. He was thinking that as he turned around, Choi Won-joon was just coming out of the small room. He was holding a phone in one hand, so it seemed he had been on a call until now.
“Director Lee came.”
“He did? But what a shame. You’ll have to eat breakfast alone today.”
“Why?”
“My mom collapsed, it seems. She’s been hospitalized.”
Lee-eum, who was taking out the lunch box, looked at him in surprise. He asked why she had collapsed, but he said he didn’t know the details either. Choi Won-joon apologized, and Lee-eum said it was okay and urged him to get ready.
What happened to Madam Lee? Her actions were burdensome, but he was worried first because she was sick. Just in case, he offered to take him, and Choi Won-joon readily agreed. Lee-eum sent a message to Nam-soo saying he would be a little late.