BB 79

“Does it really have an effect?”

“Right? Everywhere I go, I might hear that I’m rude, but I never hear that I’m unlucky. A walking lucky charm? Something like that.”

There was laughter embedded in the end of his confident words. The reason he didn’t find Gyu-oh’s bold behavior annoying was likely because Gyu-oh wasn’t wrong.

“Good grief.”

“I’m telling you, I’m beneficial to you in many ways, Hyung. I help you sleep soundly, I do your work for you, I’m full of energy, huh? And I’m great at playing the boyfriend. Isn’t that right?”

The act of tapping his shoulder with the back of his hand was quite sly, but this too wasn’t particularly hateful.

“I wonder.”

“What do you mean ‘I wonder’? Look, just see if you dream or not for the next month.”

Somehow, he felt a sense of trust in the way Gyu-oh boasted his guarantee. Though his chest still felt tight and he felt guilt whenever he thought of Jae-hyeok, he wondered if he might eventually be able to shake it all off if he stayed by Won Gyu-oh’s side.

“I lived like this for about eight years. Could it really disappear overnight?”

“If it’s been eight years, it’s about time you forgot. I wonder when Mr. Cha Min-ho will finally forget that Hyung of his.”

Back then, even though he and Gyu-oh had shared the same meals, they weren’t that close. He had been so focused on saving money that he didn’t have the mental capacity to look after his subordinates, and Gyu-oh was the type of guy who was loved by everyone even without any particular effort.

“Was I… that close with Jae-hyeok?”

How long had it been since he had spoken Jae-hyeok’s name so comfortably? Since he invariably suffered from nightmares whenever he brought the man’s name to his lips, he had rarely called him out loud. But now, he felt a conviction that something would be different.

“Hmm.”

“If he were here, he probably would have gotten along great with you. You’re both similar in that you’re both crazy.”

If he were alive, that guy would have moved to Uwons together, and he would have lived like family with the others. Since he often did things that were completely off-kilter despite appearing normal, he likely would have been a perfect match for Won Gyu-oh and they would have been very close.

Once the memories of an old friend began to flow, they continued for quite a while. Min-ho, who had been listing memories while gazing out the window, only realized after a long time that silence had fallen inside the car.

“Back then, when he ripped the tires of Hyung’s car……”

“…….”

The voice that had been rambling on faded away.

Ah, I’m screwed.

Won Gyu-oh’s expression, staring intently straight ahead, was exactly the same as when he had encountered the strange doctor yesterday. He was staring forward with a cold gaze that showed no interest in past memories, sweeping the inside of his cheek with his tongue. With the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, it was an atmosphere where continuing to speak would lead to disaster.

“……What happened after that? I don’t remember well.”

“Why? Tell me more. It’s interesting to hear about the old days.”

The forced curl of his lips tilted crookedly. As Min-ho shut his mouth and kept his gaze fixed on the scenery outside, Gyu-oh let out a breath, his shoulders heaving. He seemed to be barely suppressing his irritation, but his breathing was so rough that it was impossible not to know his emotions were running wild.

“Excuse me, Director. I’m just asking just in case. Hyung, by any chance, with that Hyung too—”

“No.”

Since it was a question he had roughly anticipated, his response was quick this time. After firmly nailing down that it wasn’t the case, he emphasized the relationship between himself and Jae-hyeok once more.

“He was just a friend. A damn close friend. Like Seong Mu-gyeong or Cha Jae-hee.”

“Like Seong Mu-gyeong and Cha Jae-hee? Is that… supposed to make me feel relieved right now?”

It seemed that didn’t quite work on Gyu-oh. As Min-ho was about to continue with a detailed explanation, he countered.

“Yeah. Don’t you have friends like that?”

“Yeah. I don’t.”

Well. He wasn’t the type of guy to be easily caught by people. He was the kind of guy who would make you feel relieved that he had completely become your person, only to turn around and leave without a trace with a smirk on his face once you realized it. Perhaps that was why people swarmed around him, but with a few exceptions, no one stayed close for long.

“……What a boast.”

“It is a boast. Unlike some people, the chance of a lover getting jealous converges to zero.”

“…….”

Since he had experienced this so often—Gyu-oh appealing himself whenever there was a chance—he just kept his mouth shut and took it as usual. It was more effective to not react as much as possible. However, he couldn’t help but retort to the following words.

“Besides, I’m not gay or anything. How safe is that?”

“……If you’re not, why do you pounce on me like that?”

For his part, he had wandered through an ambiguous sexual orientation before eventually turning toward men who could handle him roughly, but Won Gyu-oh had only dated women from the start, and that was natural for him.

Though he had eventually ended up like this after becoming conscious of Min-ho’s words…… for someone like that, his physical affection was remarkably bold. Not only kissing, but he didn’t seem to have much aversion to the act of gripping and shaking another man’s cock. Whether it was the wandering or the denial that those who meet men for the first time usually go through, that period had been incredibly short. To the point where he wondered if this inclination had been latent in him all along.

“I’ve thought about it. Panting while naked with another man? Fuck, just imagining it feels disgusting. It’d be way better to just strip off our shirts and fight until one of us dies.”

“…….”

Contrary to his rough language, Gyu-oh tapped the steering wheel and made a right turn. A familiar office-tel came into view.

“But I’m not like that with you, Hyung. Cha Min-ho is the exception. So, in the end, I’m not gay, I’m just Cha Min-ho’s prospective lover. That’s what I’m saying.”

“What the hell is a ‘prospective lover.’ It sounds tacky.”

“My thoughts exactly. Isn’t just ‘lover’ way better? We can switch right now. As long as you agree, Hyung.”

He pushed forward subtly again, overlapping his hand with Min-ho’s. Even though it was Won Gyu-oh’s hand that he had held countless times before, it was strange that it felt completely different lately.

“Trying to snatch it away so subtly.”

“I guess shallow tricks don’t work now that you’ve learned a bit?”

Gyu-oh chuckled and slid his fingers between Min-ho’s. After interlocking them firmly, he gently rubbed the back of Min-ho’s hand with his fingertips. Since he hadn’t used hand cream while staying at the hospital, his skin must have been dry. Because Won Gyu-oh’s touch was soft, he didn’t bother pushing him away.

As soon as they arrived home, he barely managed to shake off the boy who clung to him. Then, Gyu-oh suddenly lingered, saying he would help organize the luggage. He seemed to be stalling despite the fact that he had to go to the police station soon, but since the feeling of someone being with him wasn’t that uncomfortable, Min-ho left the tidying up to Gyu-oh.

He wasn’t particularly sleepy, but he lay down on the bed after playing the Rain-Sound Mixed Musical Piece that Gyu-oh often played for him. The sound of Gyu-oh’s busy footsteps flowed in through the open door.

It felt very awkward to leave his work to someone else and rest like this. Still, since he was a patient now, he figured it was okay to enjoy it to the fullest. It was while he was lying there in an uncharacteristically limp posture, just flicking his toes.

“Chief Kim Dong-chul? Who is this?”

Gyu-oh suddenly burst into the bedroom, holding the phone high. Seeing that it was a familiar model, it seemed he had been checking Min-ho’s phone.

“Kim Dong-chul?”

“I got a text.”

Standing with his weight on one leg, Won Gyu-oh tilted his head and stared intently at him. Min-ho, who had been relaxing while looking at the ceiling, scratched his eyebrow.

“Who was that? What did the text say?”

Ahem. Gyu-oh curled his hand in front of his mouth, cleared his throat, and lowered his voice. Then, he read the text in a theatrical tone.

“’Hope you are doing well. December is already just around the corner. I hope you wrap up the year well and have a happy year-end……’ blah blah blah. Who the fuck is this guy? Who else is this?”

Min-ho, who had been listening while blinking stupidly, let out a hollow laugh. That’s just the kind of content people usually exchange when the end of the year approaches. Moreover, there was nothing special about it at all.

“I thought it was something. It’s just a formality. Since it’s almost the end of the year.”

“Who sends year-end greetings in November? December isn’t even ‘just around the corner’ yet, so what do you mean ‘just around the corner’?”

It might be early, but is it not allowed? As Min-ho just looked up blankly, Won Gyu-oh’s eyebrows twitched. It was the same expression he’d seen earlier in the car when talking about Jae-hyeok. So this is the face Won Gyu-oh makes when he’s jealous. He had learned another fact that he hadn’t known while they were just close brothers.

“Suspicious. I’m blocking him.”

Seeing that he was saved as ‘Chief,’ he was likely one of the civil servants. Since he didn’t particularly remember him, it probably meant he wasn’t a very important person. With a groan, Min-ho held his side and pushed himself up.

“Uh, go ahead. I don’t care.”

Then he stepped out of the bed. He stood face-to-face with Gyu-oh, who was blocking the entrance. Gyu-oh’s eyes followed him immediately as he fiddled with the phone with his large hand, as if he really intended to block the number.

“Where are you going?”

“To brew some coffee.”

“Coffee? I’ll do it for you.”

He didn’t want to ask a guy who had to leave soon to do that when both his hands were perfectly fine. Shaking his head, he slipped through the narrow entrance.

Perhaps because it had been a few days, he entered the kitchen, which felt awkward. As Min-ho rummaged through the capsules, a warm body temperature pressed closely against his back. The large guy clung tightly to his back and rested his chin on his shoulder. Although he had been hugged with his whole body often before, this was the first time he had experienced such a seamless, lingering contact. He endured it, his body stiff with an awkward tension.

“……Aren’t you going to be late?”

He tried moving aside fussily and shifted his shoulder slightly, but far from pulling away, Gyu-oh moved even closer. After standing so close that the warm breath was felt directly on his cheek, Gyu-oh stroked his waist up and down with the hand wrapped around him. Thanks to the body temperature brushing against the area around his injured side, he felt even the slight remaining pain fade away.

“I probably will be.”

The low voice poured directly into his ear. It was a blunt tone, yet one that sounded truly indifferent.

“Then go quickly.”

“Why are you so anxious to send me away? If I leave, you’ll be alone, Hyung. What if something happens? You won’t even be able to take phone calls comfortably there. I’m worried sick.”

He couldn’t go to the company, and he couldn’t take on any work. All he could do was lie quietly in bed, yet there were so many things to worry about.

“I’ll just call Seong Mu-gyeong.”

“……Ha. Hyung, you’re bringing up that guy on purpose, aren’t you? Just to piss me off.”

The words flowed in a steady, single tone. While the coffee trickled down, angry huffs of breath dug into the nape of his neck.