By Zephyria 
“…Sorry, I must have misunderstood for a moment.”
“Ah, that can happen.”
Fortunately, Eric laughed it off heartily. Usually, when such an awkward situation occurs, people tend to wrap up the conversation and leave, but he continued to linger in front of Hui-won, making small talk. Was he really that happy to meet a fellow Korean? The reason was unknown.
“These guys are having a blast too. How about we meet up often for walks together?”
“Yes… that sounds good.”
“Can I call you Hyung then?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Please speak comfortably.”
“I am comfortable.”
When Hui-won clearly drew a line, Eric, sensing the mood, pushed his phone forward again. He was quite persistent, as if getting a number was some kind of mission.
Hui-won let out a small sigh as if he had no choice and typed his messenger ID into Eric’s phone. Handing the phone back to the other man, whose face was full of anticipation, he added a comment.
“I’m still using a Korean number. Please contact me via messenger.”
“Thank you. And Hyung, if you ever need any help with anything, call me anytime. Day or night, doesn’t matter. I’m a freelancer, so I have plenty of time.”
This level of proactiveness was excessive for people who just met on the street. No wonder I misunderstood. Hui-won lightly scratched his forehead.
“Expatriates are supposed to help each other out, right? There’s hardly any expat network here, so I’m really glad I met you, Hyung.”
“……”
“Like, if something unavoidable comes up and you need someone to look after your dog, or if you get sick and need to go to the hospital. Or even if you just feel like having a beer. Life abroad can be so lonely… Think of me as someone to talk to.”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
It felt odd hearing a Korean-American talk about the hardships of life abroad. Hui-won, feeling uneasy, kept rubbing the back of his neck.
“See you next time! Come on, Willy!”
Having achieved his intended goal of exchanging contact information, Eric promptly said he should get going. The sturdy man jogged off lightly, leading his equally sturdy Golden Retriever.
He’s exceptionally sociable. Is it because he’s in his 20s? Or is it the American mindset?
“Alberto, let’s go too.”
Hui-won watched the receding figure for a moment before turning away. They might run into each other while walking, but he didn’t think there’d be any reason to contact him. Feeling like he’d experienced something quite peculiar, a faint smile began to spread across Hui-won’s face.
That evening, he told Kwon Young-je about what had happened earlier. Since calling was more convenient than texting, it had naturally become a habit to call in the afternoons.
– He said to have a beer?
“He was probably just saying that. Meaning he wants to be friends.”
– That’s excessive.
The voice coming through the earpiece sounded serious. Hui-won, sensing his mood, chuckled quietly.
“He’s a Beta and not even gay. I thought he was hitting on me and misunderstood, ended up making a complete fool of myself.”
Hui-won confessed how embarrassed he had been. Even though he deliberately spoke with a laugh in his voice, Kwon Young-je showed no reaction. After a period of silence, he replied curtly.
– I’m busy, let’s talk later. I’ll call you back.
And then the call ended. Hui-won blinked his lips in disbelief. He might genuinely be busy, but Hui-won could easily infer Kwon Young-je’s current mood just by hearing his voice. He was clearly displeased right now.
“…Is this something to get serious about?”
Anyone seeing this would think I actually cheated. Feeling awkward, Hui-won tossed his phone aside.
The next day, around the same time, he ran into Eric again at the park. He was alone, without his dog, seemingly waiting for someone.
The man, who had been sitting rigidly on a bench, flinched his shoulders the moment he saw Hui-won.
“Hyung!”
“Ah… hello.”
And then, in the blink of an eye, he rushed right up to Hui-won’s face. Eric looked unmistakably flustered.
“I really, truly have no ulterior motives towards you, Hyung! I even have a girlfriend I’m about to marry. My girlfriend is incredibly beautiful!”
“Huh?”
What’s with this? At the sudden outburst, Hui-won asked back, half-dazed. He couldn’t understand Eric’s words at all, pouring out what sounded like either bragging or excuses, as if possessed.
“Okay, congratulations.”
“I’m telling you this because I was worried you might misunderstand. I really, really didn’t have any other intentions when I spoke to you! I asked for your contact just because I wanted to help… and when I said let’s have a beer, there was no other meaning either!”
“……”
“Men usually become friends quickly when they drink, right? How could I possibly try anything with a married man!”
While the excited Eric passionately made his excuses, Hui-won’s eyes gradually grew cold.
He really seemed like someone who had been called out for yesterday’s remarks. The more he observed the strange behavior, the more his suspicion solidified. Hui-won quietly raised his eyes.
“Do you know Kwon Young-je?”
“Huh?”
“Did Kwon Young-je tell you to approach me?”
“No?”
Eric panicked and waved his hands. He didn’t seem to realize his answer had already given him away halfway. Eric should have asked ‘Who’s that?’ instead of saying ‘No.’
“Are you going to keep denying it to the end?”
Hui-won tilted his head back halfway and let out a long breath. These guys are making a fool out of me. Muttering to himself, he pulled his phone out of his pants pocket.
“Fine. I’ll just tell him you confessed everything.”
“No!”
Eric snatched Hui-won’s phone. It was a reflexive action, and perhaps realizing he was screwed, he covered his face and let out a small curse, “Shit….”
“……”
Hui-won, on the other hand, had a calm expression. He took his phone back, shoved it into his pants pocket, and firmly gripped the leash.
“An explanation seems necessary.”
“Hyung, it’s…”
“Follow me. Alberto needs his walk, so we can hear the whole story while walking.”
“Hey… if you could just pretend not to know this once.”
“Is that even remotely reasonable in this situation?”
The decisively cutting tone somehow sounded familiar. Eric suddenly thought this couple was quite similar. The voice of Vice President Kwon Young-je from yesterday’s call seemed to overlap onto Hui-won’s face.
In the end, he had no choice but to drag his reluctant feet. With plodding steps, Eric’s confession began.
After finishing his walk and returning home, Hui-won became a permanent fixture on the sofa. Even as the sun set, his posture remained unchanged. The dinner left alone on the dining table was growing cold.
The house was now engulfed in darkness. In the pitch-black surroundings, Hui-won quietly sorted out his thoughts. It was true that Eric had approached him on Kwon Young-je’s orders. He probably colluded with the landlord too. Was that all? After learning the inside story, everything became suspicious. Hui-won crossed his arms and silently glared.
Eric said his assigned task was bodyguard duty, but he planned to approach while hiding his identity and watch Hui-won’s every move. It was essentially no different from surveillance.
After a long while, he picked up his phone. The call log was filled only with Kwon Young-je’s name. Hui-won stared blankly at the screen before pressing the call button.
After a short ringtone, he answered the call. Unlike usual, there were no exchanged greetings. They just held their breath, listening to each other’s reactions.
“Kwon Young-je.”
Soon, a low voice flowed from Hui-won’s lips. His breath was slightly heavy from suppressing his anger.
“Did you put someone on me?”
– Yes.
The shameless answer made his anger surge to the top of his head. Hui-won leaned his head back and let out a hollow laugh.
“Why.”
– Because it was necessary.
“Are you out of your mind?”
– Did you think I’d be at ease sending you off alone?
Not a shred of guilt could be heard in the voice coming through the speaker. On the contrary, he even retorted to Hui-won as if his actions were justified.
“……”
Hui-won momentarily lost his words and tightly closed his mouth. He had planned to relentlessly interrogate him if Kwon Young-je admitted his guilt. But being in a position to understand better than anyone why he had gone this far, his words got stuck.
“Even so, does surveillance make any sense?”
– It’s not surveillance, it’s bodyguard duty.
“Don’t play word games.”
– Kim Hui-won.
Haa, Hui-won let out a long sigh and ruffled his hair. His scalp felt hot from trying to calm his anger.
“This is a matter of trust.”
– For me, it was a means of reassurance.
“……”
– Don’t even call, I’ll handle everything on my own. Yeah, I know you’re someone who can take care of yourself. But shouldn’t you at least give me a chance to feel at ease? Am I supposed to just die here worrying myself sick?
Kwon Young-je didn’t yield a single word. Each retort was filled with sincere pleas. How could he misinterpret that heart? Because he knew him so intimately, he understood painfully well. Hui-won looked up at the empty ceiling, calming his complicated feelings.
“You should have at least told me. Putting someone on me without discussion isn’t the right thing to do now.”
– …….
“Why can’t you say anything? If you have an excuse, go ahead.”
– Wait. Let’s talk in person.
“What… nonsense?”
His mouth fell open in disbelief. For a moment, Hui-won thought he had misheard. It was too absurd.
– Turn the car around to the airport.
But the words that followed drove the point home. Kwon Young-je was saying he was dropping everything at the company and coming to him right now.
“Executive Director.”
– Stay home. I’ll be there soon.
With that one-sided notice, the call ended. Hui-won, half out of his mind, dropped the phone from his ear.
“…This bastard must be really crazy. Does he think this is Busan or something?”
Following his muttering, a laugh burst out as if he’d lost his mind. A splitting headache began to throb.