By Zephyria 
He yawned widely, messing up his disheveled hair. After rolling around in the ownerless bed for a while longer, Gyu-oh sprang up. After tidying the bedding and roughly cleaning the house, he scanned the quiet interior once and stepped outside.
He was used to situations where a lead seemed almost within reach but remained elusive, but he felt particularly impatient with this task. He moved from place to place so much that to anyone else, it would look like he was just wandering aimlessly all day. It felt like if just one person opened their mouth, everything would come spilling out. Gyu-oh was poking around everywhere to find that ‘one person’ who would take the lead and speak first.
“So. You’re saying you don’t know this face?”
One of Gyu-oh’s companions, a particularly large and menacing-looking guy, stepped forward to set the mood. The guys cornered in the corner were too scrawny to even be called gangsters; those who did look large were just soft fat.
“H-he hasn’t visited in a l-long time……”
“A long time? Dammit. You’re lying through your teeth, aren’t you?”
When he raised his hand threateningly, a few of the guys huddled in the corner flinched. Gyu-oh, arriving late, placed the motorcycle helmet he had been carrying under his arm on the table and scanned the interior.
“Ugh, damn, the dust.”
A small breeze carrying musty air stirred. The nightclub, which looked like it had been built twenty years ago, had a different kind of air. The space was so full of mold that it felt like one could catch all sorts of diseases just by breathing.
While Gyu-oh was frowning with his palm covering his mouth, a vibration sounded in his pocket. Despite the red and blue lights being on, the light pouring from the screen spread white across the dim space.
After confirming the familiar name, he immediately stood up and left. As soon as he stepped out of the building, climbing the stairs three or four at a time, he felt like he could finally breathe. He took a deep breath, expanding his chest, and let it out. Meanwhile, the call didn’t disconnect.
“Yes, Hyung-nim.”
—Cut that ‘extra’ voice.
“What’s wrong? Doesn’t it bring back old memories?”
When he replied stiffly in a playfully lowered voice, a series of disgusted sounds followed from the other end.
—Stop it, it reminds me of those sleazy faces.
It was typical of Mu-gyeong to go around saying the reason he hated gangsters was that they weren’t clean. Gyu-oh chuckled and pinned the phone between his shoulder and cheek. Fumbling through his jacket pocket, he headed toward a secluded spot inside the alley.
“Yes, what is it?”
Since it was the season when the weather turned chilly, there were many people sitting on the street sharing a drink. This alley was no different. Even as he reached a corner where the light didn’t hit, the noisy sounds continued to follow him like tinnitus.
—Is work tough lately?
“Well, where is there a job that isn’t tough?”
Click, as he flicked the lighter wheel, a long flame leaped up. Since it was a lighter he had arbitrarily snatched from another nightclub, the quality didn’t seem very good. While he took a deep breath, lighting the end of the cigarette, Mu-gyeong’s monotone voice followed.
—Tell me if you want to take a break from work. I can get you out.
“Hmm.”
His cheeks hollowed and his chapped lips gripped the cigarette tightly. Feeling the pungent air flow past his throat, he expanded his chest. At the same time, he was busy trying to figure out the intention behind Mu-gyeong’s question.
Why ask that suddenly? There were many jobs harder than this, and he had never asked to be taken off a job.
A breath filled with doubt escaped through his lips. The hazy cigarette smoke blurred his vision.
“I don’t particularly want to. It’s tough, but it’s manageable.”
—Is that so?
Although it was impossible for the person on the other end of the phone to see, he answered by nodding his head. Even though the blur of smoke had completely melted into the darkness, his vision was still shimmering.
—Min-ho was worried. He asked if you could let him rest for a bit after this job.
“……Hyung did?”
Had I ever told Min-ho Hyung that I was struggling? I might have said I wanted to rest after the work was finished, but I never said I wanted to wash my hands of it immediately. Besides, he should know that I’m running around day and night because I want to wrap this up quickly. Did that bother him?
He tilted his head and looked down. For some reason, he felt strange. It was a peculiar feeling, and he couldn’t even pinpoint why it was uncomfortable.
—How much of a wreck must you look like for a young guy to make him say that. For a guy who doesn’t care about others to say such a thing.
Perhaps noticing a hint of flusteredness, Mu-gyeong changed the subject in a casual tone. Gyu-oh followed suit, squeezing out a forced laugh and replying nonchalantly.
“Maybe he misspoke? If anyone needs a break, it should be that Hyung.”
After that, a rather pointless conversation ensued. Things like how he would use several months of vacation all at once once the work was settled, or how he would book a five-star hotel with the company card. Mu-gyeong played along to some extent as the call continued. After about five minutes, they ended the call with a suggestion to have a meal together sometime.
“…….”
He took one last deep drag of the now short cigarette and dragged the tip long against the wall. The fire died out, and the ash fell in clusters. Silence swept through the back alley in an instant. The noise that had been ringing like tinnitus no longer reached his ears.
“……Something is definitely strange.”
He should go and check how the situation inside the nightclub was. But his feet felt frozen, and he didn’t budge from the spot.
The more he chewed over the events of the last few days and the contents of the call just now, the more everything seemed strange. The cigarette ember had completely died, but he still had the illusion of hazy smoke floating in his vision.
Combining all the situations, the result was that Cha Min-ho had indeed become strange. It was strange that he was always asleep whenever Gyu-oh entered in the early morning. Normally, he was a man who would be staring at documents no matter when he was visited. Was he really sleeping?
“Hmm.”
Moreover, in the mornings, he would just slip away to work without waking him up, so there was no time to properly face him. If Gyu-oh happened to be awake in the morning, Min-ho would wait until the alarm rang, snap his eyes open, and rush out as if escaping.
“Right? Since when did Darling wake up to the sound of an alarm?”
Come to think of it, he doesn’t answer the phone well either. He had naturally assumed he was busy and didn’t think much of it since he could see him by visiting the office. No, now that he thought about it, even in the office, he didn’t even make proper eye contact because he was only staring at documents? Even when suggested to close his eyes for a moment, he waved his hand and only stared at the computer screen?
Sss, Gyu-oh inhaled through his teeth and narrowed his eyes. Then, he took out his phone, the screen of which had turned black.
[Cha Cha Cha]
He pressed the number saved under an unsuitable name. The ringing continued several times, but the voice he was waiting for was not heard.
“……Cha Min-ho, look at this.”
The situation was the same when he entered the messenger. There were only traces of monologues that had gone unanswered for days.
“He really is avoiding me.”
Why? He was the one who said strange things while drunk. Why suddenly put distance? Did it show that I avoided him for a few days? Why does that matter? Shouldn’t he consider it a relief instead? No matter how much he searched his memories, no reason for Min-ho to avoid him came to mind.
“Ha, fuck.”
Gyu-oh couldn’t leave the shadows of the back alley for a long time. Even as he messed with his hair, lit another cigarette, and muttered curses to himself, nothing clear emerged. Only the fact that Cha Min-ho was avoiding Won Gyu-oh became certain.
“…….”
Could it be……
Occasionally, the subtle tension that had passed between the two of them came to mind. The face that looked exceptionally awkward when making eye contact as usual or when their body temperatures touched. The sight of his back as he avoided the spot first whenever Gyu-oh approached. Now, the puzzle seemed to fit together perfectly.
“Deputy General Manager.”
It was a title that hadn’t yet stuck to his ears, but Gyu-oh reacted quickly. The Bulky Guy poked his head around the corner, perhaps having come to find him since he had been gone so long.
“Yeah, I’m coming.”
He gave a casual wave to indicate he would follow and stepped forward. Even as he left the shadows, the subtle fluctuation did not vanish.
If he avoids me like that, should I accommodate him so as not to be noticeable? Or should I ignore it and just push through? Given his personality, he would have pushed through recklessly, but because the opponent was Min-ho, he hesitated a bit. His slow steps came to a sudden halt.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
The Bulky Guy, who was about to go down the stairs, turned around.
“Where’s the youngest?”
“He’s in the car. He’s a former driver, so he’s the one holding the wheel.”
Gyu-oh waved his hand at the Bulky Guy, who added information he hadn’t even asked for.
“Just five minutes. You go in first.”
“Ah, yes.”
The guy, rolling his eyes, quickly ran down the stairs. Gyu-oh’s steps headed toward the van parked at the entrance of the dark alley.
Still, he couldn’t just sit idly by. Since he was in frequent contact with Son Pro these days, who knew what a dangerous person was up to. Moreover, since he was also avoiding him, it would be difficult to check every single detail. If he didn’t prepare at least this much, he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on work due to anxiety. Therefore, there was a valid reason for his current actions.
Rattle, he roughly yanked open the van door. The guy, who had been watching Sports News on his phone, looked back in surprise. He was a guy whose head was completely blue, perhaps having had a buzz cut not long ago.
“Ugh!”
“Hey.”
“Yes, yes!”
Clatter, a loud noise followed as the guy clumsily dropped his phone. When Gyu-oh frowned and covered one ear, another loud shout followed.
“I-I’m sorry!”
“No, forget it. You……”
“Yes?”
Being constantly swayed by Hyung and feeling strange every time they faced each other, and his heart fluttering? Honestly, that was uncomfortable for him too. The fact that he looked strangely different was also bothersome. If Hyung avoids me, let’s accommodate him. Let’s stay apart for a while, not visit at night, and reduce the calls. Since work is busy anyway, for the time being, he’ll keep the distance Hyung wants.
After living like this for a few weeks, the strange atmosphere that had bloomed between them would probably fade. Then he could act as if nothing had happened. Like before. Like the original Cha Min-ho and Won Gyu-oh.
“Tail him. Have you done it before?”
Of course, to do that, preparing a countermeasure was a natural step. This was also absolutely necessary for Hyung’s sake and for the peace of his own heart.