FH 1.4

“He’s actually ignoring me.”

The streets were quiet in the early morning. In this area, where luxury residential complexes were concentrated, famous figures whose names everyone knew lived every other house.

Won-hyeop held a leash in one hand and his phone in the other. Cookie, walking beside him, was wearing a muzzle. After Won-hyeop left for work, the Housekeeper would arrive and take Cookie for a lunchtime walk around noon. Since the Housekeeper gave him another walk before finishing her shift, on the rare occasions Won-hyeop left work early, Cookie could go for a night walk as well, totaling four walks a day.

“So that key wasn’t a house key.”

Checking the time on his wristwatch, Won-hyeop quickened his pace. Normally, he would have showered and eaten as soon as he arrived home before heading to work, but today his plans were different.

Upon arriving in front of his house, Won-hyeop called Ji-su. Ji-su had not checked the message sent last night up until this hour. As expected, he didn’t answer the phone either.

After Ji-su had left yesterday, Gyeong-jin had repeatedly explained how dangerous Ji-su’s condition was and requested his phone number, but Won-hyeop had sent Gyeong-jin away without giving it, stating, ‘I’ll take him to the hospital myself.’

It seemed Ji-su absolutely loathed hospital treatment. While Won-hyeop didn’t appreciate being ignored, Read on Read BL Novelsthey could unauthorized copybe said to be in agreement on that one point.

Hanging up the unanswered call, Won-hyeop entered the house instead of trying again. As soon as he removed Cookie’s muzzle, Cookie shook his head vigorously and ran to drink water.

Won-hyeop called Jang-ho. While the dial tone continued, he gazed at the dim, tranquil garden. He had a feeling that soon, he would see Ji-su watering the flowerbeds in that garden wearing nothing but underwear.

[Yes, Chairman.]

When Jang-ho answered, Won-hyeop spoke rapidly.

“I need to go meet Ppyani with Jong-bae this morning, so push the meeting back by two hours.”

✿✿✿

The sound of shouting reached him faintly.

The first thing he felt was the hard, cold floor. Next was the sweat on the nape [visit our site]of his neck and his forehead. unauthorized copyAs he slowly opened his eyes, the surroundings were bright. The sunlight was glaring, making the crown of his head and his back feel hot.

Blinking slowly, Ji-su let out a shallow cough. Then, he suddenly bolted upright and looked around. He was on the rooftop.

Checking the time on his phone, it was past 8 AM. He had fallen asleep right there after crouching by the railing and crying last night.

Shouts mixed with curses drifted up from the alley below the villa. It wasn’t just one person, but two, and their pronunciation was slurred as if they were drunk. It was the kind of noise one might hear on a weekend night or early dawn, but in this neighborhood, it was common even in the early morning. It was frequent to see middle-aged men staggering around drunk at 10 or 11 AM.

Forcing strength into his trembling knees, he leaned against the railing and looked down. Two men were fighting loudly at the entrance of the alley. He saw men in tracksuits smoking between the alleys. He saw a grandmother pushing a cart loaded with waste paper. He heard dogs barking and the sound of motorcycles.

His eyelids were so swollen that he couldn’t open his eyes properly. His cheeks felt rough, his lips were dry, and he felt an intense thirst and hunger.

The pain in his neck crept in slowly.

“Ugh…”

Groping his neck with his hand, Ji-su unauthorized copysat unauthorized copyon the railing, his body aching and tingling in [unauthorized copy]various places. Sweat beaded on his skin.

Stupidly, he no longer felt the urge to jump and die.

As he sat there blankly, tears welled up in his eyes. While he sniffled and wiped them with his sleeve, he spotted a familiar Mercedes in the distance of the alley.

Squinting, he watched as the Mercedes drove straight down the alley and stopped in front of the villa. Someone stepped out of the driver’s seat. He recognized the face immediately. It was the man who had been driving the Mercedes at the time of the fender bender. Startled, he lifted his hips from the railing just as the man opened the rear door.

The person who stepped out of the car was Won-hyeop.

Ji-su instinctively lowered his body. After looking around, Won-hyeop entered the villa’s recycling area while talking to the man.

Crouching completely, Ji-su curled his back. He felt a surge of panic.

“How did he… find this place…?”

He remembered the settlement agreement he had signed at Won-hyeop’s house [unauthorized copy]yesterday, but [stolen content]he hadn’t written his home address on it. He had only written unauthorized copythe date and time of the accident, his name, resident registration number, phone number, and license plate number. The next blank space had been for the home address, but he had put the pen down before finishing it.

How on earth did Won-hyeop know he lived here?

✿✿✿

Won-hyeop let out a hollow laugh as he looked up at the villa building. A foul smell wafted from the recycling area.

The entrance door to the villa was wide open, and a shabby CCTV camera, which he couldn’t tell was even functional, was haphazardly attached to the ceiling. Cigarette butts, flyers, and all sorts of trash lay scattered on the ground.

The most hideous part was the exterior of the villa. The outer walls were peeling off in several places.

“He lives here?”

As Won-hyeop muttered in a bewildered voice, Jong-bae, who was beside him, answered.

“The address you mentioned is definitely here.”

Jong-bae said nothing else, focusing on catering to Won-hyeop’s mood. Although he had been quite abusive toward Ji-su during the accident, he knew his place in front of Won-hyeop. It was unusual for Won-hyeop to personally visit such a wretched place at this hour. That meant he took a very strong liking to Ji-su.

“He’s been tucked away in a piece of trash like this, that’s why he hasn’t caught my eye until now.”

Won-hyeop looked around to see if Ji-su’s motorcycle was visible. Knowing which floor Ji-su lived on, he led Jong-bae into the villa. His purpose for coming here was to take Ji-su to the hospital. More accurately, he intended to have Jong-bae ensure he received medical treatment. Once the examination was over, Jong-bae would bring Ji-su back to his home.

As he climbed the stairs, he checked the first-floor unit and saw a digital door lock on the entrance. He had wondered who still used keys in this day and age, but it seemed not everyone in this villa did.

“Tsk. I guess they can’t even afford a door lock.”

Jong-bae waved his hand to shoo away a flying fly, and just then, the first-floor door opened and a person stepped out. It was a ‘man’ with long, wavy hair, a tight short-sleeved cardigan, a short skirt revealing his thighs, and high heels. Although his face was covered by a mask, his physique was hard to mistake for a woman’s, and it was obvious he was wearing a wig.

Jong-bae, who had been chasing the fly, widened his eyes in surprise. Won-hyeop also frowned. He then spoke loud enough to be heard.

“What the hell is that?”

Hearing the voice, the man closed the door and looked up the stairs. Instead of looking straight on, he glanced sideways, prompting Won-hyeop to turn fully toward him.

The acrid smell of cigarettes permeated the entire stairwell. It seemed the man had been smoking inside. Under the continued gaze, Won-hyeop lifted his chin and said,

“What are you looking at, you bitch? Speak up if you have something to say.”

At that, the man clicked his heels and walked out of the villa. The sound of the heels was so loud it could be heard for a while before stopping.

Irritated, Won-hyeop spat on the stairs and said,

“All sorts of psychos live in this tiny excuse for a villa.”

Startled, Jong-bae chimed in with Won-hyeop’s words.

“Isn’t he some kind of pervert? I thought I was seeing things.”

Won-hyeop continued up the stairs. The second floor also had a door lock. Upon arriving at Ji-su’s door one floor higher, Won-hyeop confirmed that the entrance did not have a digital lock. He signaled Jong-bae, who pressed the bell. At the ‘ding-dong’ of the bell, Won-hyeop licked his lips with pleasure.

“Even the doorbell sounds coquettish.”

There was no sign of anyone inside.

“Open it.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jong-bae took out Ji-su’s key, which he had received from Won-hyeop, from his trouser pocket.

Won-hyeop briefly considered the possibility that Ji-su might not be living here, but when the key fit perfectly and the door opened, he spoke boisterously.

“Let’s see how our Ppoyani keeps his little nest.”

The lights inside were on. Jong-bae, who held the door open, flinched upon seeing a house centipede crawling across the entrance floor.

As Won-hyeop stepped inside in his dress shoes, he stepped right on the centipede, crushing it. The centipede, flattened by a foot as large as a pot lid, struggled its legs for a moment before stopping. Jong-bae, who had a weak stomach, frowned, but Won-hyeop lifted his shoe and said,

“Wipe it.”

Jong-bae grabbed a newspaper resting on the shoe rack. Barely suppressing a gag reflex, he wiped Won-hyeop’s shoe clean and threw the newspaper into an empty plastic bin on the entrance floor.

“Ppoyani, come out and greet me.”

Won-hyeop entered the living room still wearing his shoes. However, Ji-su was nowhere to be seen. Moldy walls, yellowed linoleum, an old mattress, and a broken fan that looked like something Ji-su would sleep under caught his eye. Nothing was in good condition—not the sink, the refrigerator, nor the ceiling lights. The large veranda window was blurred with thick grime. A musty smell, like that of a warehouse, permeated the entire house.

“Ugh, damn, a cockroach.”

Jong-bae made a loud fuss in surprise, then quickly shut his mouth after glancing at Won-hyeop.

Won-hyeop’s expression became incomparably more severe than when he had first looked up at the villa from the car.

“Is this a place where a human lives?”

Jong-bae replied, unable to hide his disgust.

“The smell will soak into your clothes. Why don’t you wait outside?”

Won-hyeop’s gaze fell on an overturned chair. A tent rope lay beside the chair. Jong-bae’s eyes also changed as he saw the chair and the rope. The chair looked as if it had been pushed over, and the tent rope lay in front of a wall with a thick nail driven into it. It was easy to guess what had happened inside this house.

Won-hyeop reached the same conclusion as Jong-bae, but he didn’t pay it much mind and looked around the house. He stared with a gloomy gaze at a pair of white underwear hanging on a drying rack.

Continuing to scan the interior, he pointed to a corner of the ceiling and told Jong-bae,

“Install a CCTV camera in that spot later when I tell you to.”

Jong-bae answered instantly.

“Understood.”

Won-hyeop headed to the bathroom. He turned on the light and looked inside, but it was too narrow to find a spot for a CCTV camera. The wall and floor tiles were hideously cracked in places, and the wall-mounted cabinet was so covered in water stains that its original color was unrecognizable. The sink faucet and showerhead were rusted black, and water was dripping from them. While imagining Ji-su showering was pleasant, he didn’t want to look at the state of the bathroom for long and quickly turned off the light.

“Let’s go.”

After Jong-bae opened the entrance door, Won-hyeop stepped out and called Ji-su. Even though he could have had Jong-bae do it, he took the trouble of doing it himself.

As he waited in silence for the dial tone, a faint ringing sound could be heard from somewhere. Jong-bae didn’t hear it, but Won-hyeop looked back toward the stairs leading to the 4th floor. The ringing soon stopped. The dial tone over the phone also cut off. An automated message announced that the connection could not be established.

Won-hyeop’s eyes widened.

He stopped mid-climb up the stairs, frowning because of a subtle smell of Read on Read BL Novelsburning. A step later, Jong-bae also [Read on Read BL Novels]caught the scent and looked around.

“Do you smell something burning?”

Jong-bae sniffed the air, as if following the scent.

As Won-hyeop climbed the stairs, he gestured with his chin toward the floor below.

“Go down and check.”

“Where are you going, Hyung?”

“Upstairs.”

“I’ll check both the lower and upper floors. Please wait outside.”

“Forget it. Just go down and check.”

Won-hyeop strode up the stairs, taking them three at a time. Upon reaching the 4th floor, he found that the entrance there also had a door lock.

Assuming the source of the bell he heard earlier was the 5th-floor rooftop, he looked up the stairs. In front of the rooftop door, junk like a useless chair, a mop, and a garment rack were piled up messily.

He climbed to the 5th floor and flung open the rooftop door. As soon as he opened it, he saw Ji-su standing by the railing. Startled by the harsh sound of the door, Ji-su’s shoulders trembled.

Won-hyeop blocked the door with his foot as it closed with a creak.

“You were here?”

Ji-su was dressed exactly as he had been yesterday. His eyes were severely swollen, and his hair was sticking out in all directions as if he had just woken up. His scruffy appearance was like a rat living in a gutter. It felt as if grime would come off if one were to lick his face thoroughly.

“Why are you hiding here?”

Clinging to the rooftop railing, Ji-su looked at him with a startled expression. Now that Won-hyeop knew he lived in a place visit our sitelike a pigsty, the Read on Read BL Novelssight was somehow funny. He looked like he belonged with only expensive, high-quality things, yet [Read on Read BL Novels]he was so clueless about sophistication that Won-hyeop wanted to shower him in money from head to toe.

“…How did you know to come here?”

“I have my ways.”

Won-hyeop reached out. The ring on his finger sparkled in the sunlight.

“Let’s go down.”

Guessing the reason Won-hyeop had come all this way, Ji-su shook his head.

“…I have no intention of going to the hospital…”

Won-hyeop lowered his hand. As he stared in silence, Ji-su avoided his gaze.

“Why are you ignoring my calls?”

Ji-su hid the phone in his hand behind his back.

“I sent a message last night, and I called an hour ago. And just now, too.”

Ji-su looked puzzled. Feeling intimidated, he asked hesitantly,

“…When did you send the message last night?”

It was true that he had hung up the call that just came in, but the message from last night was news to him. As for the call from an hour ago, perhaps because the phone was too old, missed call or message notifications sometimes failed to arrive. Checking just in case, he found there were indeed three messages sent by Won-hyeop last night. The missed calls were the same.

“I wasn’t ignoring you, so please don’t misunderstand. I only saw them just now. My phone doesn’t work properly sometimes…”

But Won-hyeop did not believe him.

“I hate it when people ignore me. Don’t do it.”

Won-hyeop raised both eyebrows as if demanding an answer. Feeling the power in his voice, Ji-su was momentarily speechless. He had a feeling that from this day forward, if he failed to answer Won-hyeop’s contact even by mistake, something unbearable would happen.

“I’ve made myself clear. From now on, answer immediately when I contact you.”

Overcome by a frightening thought, Ji-su couldn’t meet Won-hyeop’s eyes. After hesitating, he answered reluctantly.

“…Yes.”

His voice was barely a whisper, but Won-hyeop heard it clearly and smiled.

“Now, let’s go down.”

Ji-su gripped the railing tightly. The bones of his palm hurt from the pressure against the railing, but he didn’t let go.

“I’m not going to the hospital…”

“Whether you go to the hospital or not, you can’t stay here. Come here.”

Just as Ji-su was about to shake his head, he covered his nose. He looked around.

Won-hyeop had smelled the burning scent seconds ago, but he acted leisurely.

“Stop being so damn stubborn and hurry up.”

Just then, the rooftop door opened urgently.

“Hyung, there’s a fire on the 1st floor!”

Startled, Ji-su looked down over the rooftop railing. In an instant, Won-hyeop approached with quick steps and scooped him up.

“Ah!”

Draped over Won-hyeop’s shoulder like a piece of laundry, Ji-su’s arms and legs dangled.

Without panicking, Won-hyeop told Jong-bae,

“Call 119.”

“Yes! Please get outside! It’s dangerous since the fire started on the 1st floor!”

While Jong-bae took out his phone, Won-hyeop carried Ji-su on his shoulder and left the rooftop. The entire stairwell was thick with the smell of burning. Terrified, Ji-su looked around, but Won-hyeop didn’t waver, descending the stairs with fast strides.

Upon reaching the 3rd floor, Ji-su spoke desperately, his voice trembling.

“I-I want to go back and grab my things from the house…!”

“No.”

Jong-bae, who had followed them down, explained the situation rapidly once 119 connected.

“This is Daehyun Villa, there’s a fire on the 1st floor!”

When they reached the 1st floor, thick smoke was leaking from behind the closed entrance door.

Smelling a strong scent of burning for the first time in his life, Ji-su covered his nose with his hand. As he stepped outside the villa with Won-hyeop, smoke was also leaking through the windows.

Because it was his first time witnessing a fire, Ji-su was flustered, and believing Won-hyeop had no obligation to do so, he didn’t think about the people inside the villa and climbed into the parked Mercedes. Only Jong-bae remained in front of the villa, continuing the call with 119. As the smoke gradually thickened, passersby began to gather in front of the villa one by one, starting to murmur.

Sitting side by side in the back seat of the Mercedes, Won-hyeop looked out the window and asked nonchalantly,

“Do you have anything expensive in your house? You don’t.”

Ji-su looked out the window with a hollow expression. Just then, a person rushed out of the villa. It was the housekeeper who unauthorized copylived on the 4th stolen contentfloor. She was holding the hands of her two sons in both of her hands.