By Zephyria Woo Hyeong-seok was released from the police station after a full day. The detective who looked up his personal information wore an expression that suggested he knew the type. It seemed they had judged the accident that occurred on the road last night as a common power struggle between violent organizations. They said they would investigate more thoroughly later, but there was no telling when that would be—or if they even had any intention of actually solving the problem.
Furthermore, Woo Hyeong-seok himself was in a position where a prolonged police investigation would benefit no one. There was a high probability that the opponent had started the incident knowing this. They might even have strong connections within the police force.
“’The people’s servants,’ my ass.”
As he grumbled and left the police station, a horn honked. Looking over instinctively, he saw a car parked there. He watched from a distance, wary of the unfamiliar exterior, when the rear window slid down. Jo Jung-man’s face appeared beyond it. Come to think of it, the accident had happened on the way to his office.
Woo Hyeong-seok gave a wide, mocking grin and climbed into the back seat of the vehicle. Jo Jung-man’s complexion looked far from refreshed.
“What brings you all the way here? Surely you didn’t personally come to pick me up out of worry.”
“…I got played by that bastard.”
Jo Jung-man hissed, gritting his teeth. It wasn’t surprising. In fact, it was something he had expected to some extent from the moment Jo Jung-man said he would deal with Baek Do-un personally.
While staying at the police station, Woo Hyeong-seok had tried to piece together the details in his own way. He had no doubt that the man who had suddenly appeared and pushed him as if to kill him was Baek Do-un. This meant that the person Jo Jung-man had met was someone acting as his substitute.
However, he had completed an investigation into Baek Do-un beforehand. The person in the photo he saw then looked nothing like the driver of the black sedan. Since Jo Jung-man would have investigated Baek Do-un even more thoroughly than Woo Hyeong-seok, he would have recognized at a glance if someone different from the photo had appeared.
Consequently, the one who visited Jo Jung-man’s office must have been the Baek Do-un from the photo. Then who on earth was the driver of the black sedan?
“Baek Do-un, that bastard wouldn’t just back down so easily. Since he touched you, he’ll try to hit me back now. Damn it, I should have been more suspicious and cautious when he agreed to the deal just for the sake of a damn mongrel…”
Jo Jung-man could not hide his agitation. It was absurd that someone with such a lack of nerve intended to run a business.
“What should we do about that mongrel you’re keeping? How should we use him…”
“He’s gone now.”
“Wha—what?”
“I left him to my subordinates, but no one is answering the phone. I suspect that while you and I were getting hammered by Baek Do-un, their people snatched him away.”
“Hey! How the hell are you handling your work!”
“Don’t get excited; it’s not over yet.”
“Is it bluffing until the very end?”
“No. In fact, thanks to them moving that far, I think I’ve figured it out.”
“Figured what out?”
“The ‘Baek Do-un’ you investigated beforehand was the one who appeared before you, right?”
“What on earth are you talking about…”
“Do you really think that man is the Baek Do-un we know?”
Jo Jung-man frowned. He didn’t seem to understand the intent behind the question. Woo Hyeong-seok didn’t elaborate and instead wore a triumphant smile.
Jo Jung-man carefully retraced his memories of meeting Baek Do-un. No matter how he looked at it, the man didn’t seem like the leader of an organization or a businessman. Rather, as previously researched, he suited the role of a doctor better. Even when they shook hands, there had been a faint scent of disinfectant.
“He was a shadow.”
“A shadow?”
“The medical profession is quite demanding. It doesn’t end with getting into medical school. I don’t know for sure, but I heard you have to be holed up in a hospital for ten years to properly function as a doctor, and Baek Do-un successfully obtained his license. And you said there was no management vacuum at Baek Mu Trading from the time of Baek Jang-hun’s death until now. Isn’t that strange?”
“So, what you’re saying is…”
“There must be a different person in power. The real protagonist of the rumors you’ve heard.”
“Who the hell is it?”
“I don’t know that either.”
Woo Hyeong-seok shrugged. Jo Jung-man leaned back, feeling hollow. If there was indeed a power-player using Baek Do-un’s name as Woo Hyeong-seok speculated, all the questions were resolved.
Additionally, another new question arose. The fact that Baek Jang-hun, who was rumored to be a money-obsessed demon, had suddenly entrusted his entire fortune to someone who wasn’t even his own flesh and blood. Was he a hidden child?
Regardless, if Woo Hyeong-seok’s prediction was correct, that was frightening in its own right. The other side had already identified Jo Jung-man’s identity, but he knew nothing about them. He was completely lost.
As if noticing Jo Jung-man’s concern, Woo Hyeong-seok added with a grin.
“But I think I know a way to lure that person out in front of us.”
“Really? How?”
“It’s simple. I have an item that will force that person to move personally.”
Now, Jo Jung-man’s goals or the reward he would receive from him didn’t matter. He simply wanted revenge. It would be incredibly thrilling to take down the real Baek Do-un with his own hands.
Woo Hyeong-seok remembered that gaze clearly. The moment their eyes met, he felt as if he had encountered a ferocious beast on the edge of a cliff. Would he have been that angry simply because he had been provoked? No, it would be more reasonable to assume he had lost his mind because his territory or possession had been encroached upon.
“If my prediction is correct, that person will definitely come.”
Woo Hyeong-seok asserted with a smirk. If the real Baek Do-un cherished Ju-wan terribly, he was inwardly curious to see how he would react to the gifts Kim Je-guk had sent in the past. It wouldn’t be too late to completely erase Ju-wan from this world after dealing with him.
* * *
Jeon Mi-nam arrived at Kwon Su-hyeok’s house around 3 PM. He had intended to leave early in the morning as usual, but after being scolded by Baek Do-un for lacking tact, he decided to wait quietly until Kwon Su-hyeok called him.
Then, he received an urgent contact from another subordinate at the office. They said Jo Jung-man’s side wanted to meet again. He couldn’t understand what they were relying on to be so emboldened now that Ju-wan had been safely rescued. However, since Jo Jung-man wasn’t the type to bluff without a basis, he felt uneasy.
He came to the house to report to Kwon Su-hyeok and confirm his intentions. The scenery inside the house hadn’t changed compared to when Jeon Mi-nam had left. The firmly closed bedroom door showed no sign of opening for a while.
Baek Do-un shook his head as he watched Jeon Mi-nam, who was fidgeting and glancing toward the bedroom.
“Stop staring. Is the door going to open just because you do that?”
“…….”
At the following rebuke, Jeon Mi-nam awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. He couldn’t decide whether he should step forward and wake Kwon Su-hyeok or continue waiting. While he was agonizing over it alone, the bedroom door suddenly opened. Kwon Su-hyeok, whom he had been waiting for, walked out.
Contrary to concerns, Kwon Su-hyeok didn’t look exhausted at all. Rather, he looked refreshed, as if a long-standing indigestion had completely vanished.
“Is Ju-wan-ssi safe?”
Baek Do-un asked mischievously with a grin. Kwon Su-hyeok completely ignored his question. Jaguar, who had been wandering all over the house as soon as he opened his eyes, was now pinned down by Baek Do-un and unable to move. Baek Do-un was restraining Jaguar under the pretext of protecting the rabbit, but to Jeon Mi-nam, it looked more like he was bullying the animal out of affection.
Jaguar, who had been growling as if he were dying of annoyance, suddenly bolted upright. Then, before Baek Do-un could grab him again, he jumped down below the sofa. He headed straight toward the bedroom with quick steps, then lifted his head to look up at Kwon Su-hyeok. Kwon Su-hyeok stared at him for a moment.
But that was all; Jaguar didn’t act cute as usual and walked straight into the bedroom. He pushed through the slightly open door with his head. Baek Do-un didn’t bother to follow him.
Kwon Su-hyeok brought a bottle of mineral water from the kitchen. Moistening his dry throat with it, he sat on the sofa with a familiar air.
“What is it? I told you not to disturb me.”
“Jo Jung-man contacted me again.”
“Contact?”
“He says he wants to renegotiate.”
“With what nerve?”
“I’m not sure how, but it seems they have the footage from Park Ju-wan-ssi’s hospital room.”
A deep wrinkle suddenly formed between Kwon Su-hyeok’s brows. Baek Do-un, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation nonchalantly, took on a puzzled expression.
“Are you sure?”
“It seems possible. On the day I visited that hospital, they sent someone as well. I don’t know who filmed and sent that footage, but seeing as it came into our hands, Woo Hyeong-seok, who is legally related to Park Ju-wan-ssi, might have received the same footage.”
“What do those bastards intend to do with that video?”
Baek Do-un showed his thin patience. Kwon Su-hyeok also stared at Jeon Mi-nam with a sharp gaze. Jeon Mi-nam sighed softly and answered with difficulty.
“He says if we don’t agree to the deal, he’ll distribute it to the press or the internet. There’s a high possibility that the corruption and atrocities of the Central Psychiatric Hospital staff will become news based on that footage.”
Kwon Su-hyeok clenched his teeth. His fists, strained with strength, turned white and trembled.
If it were Woo Hyeong-seok, he wouldn’t stop at threats; he would carry it out without hesitation. It was too obvious what would happen after that. People do not blame only one side even in cases where the perpetrator and victim are clear. They try to determine right from wrong by questioning the victim as well—why they stayed still, why they didn’t try harder to escape, or if surviving that way was the best option. It was common for people to dig into the victim’s personal information out of light curiosity.
If such a thing happened to Ju-wan, his world would become much narrower than it is now. He couldn’t let him live turning his back on the world again. Moreover, he had been feeling dissatisfied because he hadn’t dealt with Jo Jung-man and Woo Hyeong-seok properly. He had to set an example of what happens when someone touches him. Only then would no one ever provoke him so recklessly again.
Having made up his mind, Kwon Su-hyeok suddenly looked at Baek Do-un.
“Baek Do-un, there’s something I need you to do.”
* * *
Feeling the bed swaying, Ju-wan’s eyelids slowly lifted. He didn’t know when or how he had fallen asleep. He remembered being conscious until dawn.
He tried to move his body but gave up with a groan. He had no sensation below his waist. His whole body felt bloated as if soaked in water, and it throbbed as if he had been beaten severely.
Suddenly, feeling something pressing down on his waist, he turned his head. Jaguar immediately filled his vision.
“Ah… Su-nam is here?”
His voice was pathetically cracked. Jaguar tilted his head, perhaps finding the voice unfamiliar. He flickered his round ears. Ju-wan pulled his hand out from under the blanket and hugged the animal’s face tightly. As he gently scratched the thick neck, the bright yellow pupils narrowed into slits. A purring sound wrapped lazily around his ears. He let out a soft smile, loving the animal’s characteristic high body temperature and the feel of its soft fur.
“Where did you sleep yesterday? I didn’t see you outside… did the teacher take care of you?”
Though Jaguar couldn’t understand or answer, Ju-wan kept asking questions. Jaguar kept pushing his face against Ju-wan. It seemed he was trying to find the cause of the change in Ju-wan’s aura compared to last night. Thinking it was simply an expression of affection, Ju-wan kept rubbing his cheek against Jaguar.
Soon, the bedroom door opened wide, and Baek Do-un entered. He greeted him in his characteristic bright voice.
“Ju-wan-ssi, did you sleep well?”
“Ah, teacher.”
Ju-wan quickly pushed himself up to sit. The disheveled bedding, the randomly scattered clothes, and the hickeys left all over Ju-wan’s white skin seemed to testify to the events of the previous night. However, Ju-wan wasn’t embarrassed in the slightest.
Baek Do-un, also without any awkwardness, grinned and sat on the edge of the bed. Jaguar sat pressed tightly against Ju-wan, simply glaring silently at the man who had tormented him all night.
Baek Do-un’s eyes keenly scanned Ju-wan’s body. Not to mention the area around the neck, the collarbones and chest were all mottled. The skin below the ears had even turned into blue bruises from how much they had been nibbled. It looked as if he had been marked as territory under the guise of sex all night.
Baek Do-un let out a low sigh while examining Ju-wan’s skin, which looked as if it would sting at the slightest touch. Then, he suddenly reached out his hand to Ju-wan.
“Can I have your hand?”
“My hand?”
“Hurry.”
Without any particular suspicion, Ju-wan placed his hand on Baek Do-un’s. Then, Baek Do-un took a syringe out of his pocket. He removed the cap from the needle and, with quick and skilled movements, filled the cylinder with some medication. As he pressed the piston to remove the air, a bit of the transparent medicine beaded at the tip of the needle. Ju-wan silently extended his arm.
“What kind of medicine is this?”
“A nutritional supplement. I don’t think your stamina can hold up, Ju-wan-ssi.”
Baek Do-un smiled brightly while rubbing an alcohol swab on Ju-wan’s arm. Then, he inserted the needle without causing pain. As the medicine entered his body, he felt a slight sense of drowsiness. It was probably an illusion. Along with Ju-wan, Jaguar watched the needle exiting Ju-wan’s body with sparkling yellow eyes.
“Done.”
Baek Do-un pressed the injection site with the alcohol swab. Ju-wan reached out to stop the bleeding himself. However, before his hand could touch his arm, it dropped limply. Simultaneously, his head spun, and his vision blurred. He shook his head to regain consciousness. Uselessly, even the face of Baek Do-un sitting right in front of him didn’t appear clearly and began to waver.
“Teacher… why, this, I’m… dizzy.”
Just by closing his eyes once, the strength was sucked out of his limbs. He collapsed flat onto the bed. Baek Do-un laid Ju-wan straight and pulled the pillow to support his head.
Jaguar, seeing Ju-wan suddenly fall asleep, paced around in confusion. Then, hearing Ju-wan’s soft breathing, he calmed down. Soon, he pressed his body tightly against Ju-wan and dropped his head onto his front paws.
“Sleep deeply. Have sweet dreams.”
Baek Do-un whispered softly while tucking in the blanket. He hoped Ju-wan could rest without any worries, and that when he woke up again, he would be completely free from the ill-fated connections and nightmares that had tormented him.
He quietly closed the bedroom door and stepped out. The gaze of Kwon Su-hyeok, who had changed his clothes in the meantime, immediately locked onto Baek Do-un. It was a look that seemed to demand whether the requested task had been completed successfully.
Baek Do-un nodded and headed to the bathroom to prepare steam towels to wipe Ju-wan’s body. Only then did Kwon Su-hyeok put on his jacket. Just as he was about to leave the house, he paused for a moment and looked back toward the bedroom.
He intended to wrap everything up by the time Ju-wan woke up from his deep sleep. He wanted Ju-wan to remain unaware of the process. Only then could Ju-wan enjoy complete freedom without any hesitation. He hoped that Ju-wan would never again suffer from nightmares or tremble in anxiety. Kwon Su-hyeok was determined to make it so. Closing his lips firmly as if reaffirming his resolve, he left the house without hesitation.
Kwon Su-hyeok left most of his subordinates on standby around the house and the company, taking only a small group of elite personnel to meet Jo Jung-man. As seven identical vehicles with dark tinting moved in a line, people on the road cast curious glances their way.
A war-like tension lingered inside the car. No one dared to speak rashly. Kwon Su-hyeok also kept his eyes closed in silence. He wasn’t praying for a safe return, nor was he burning with a childish fighting spirit. He was simply calming his inner self to condense his strength.
Until now, his fights had mostly been closer to retribution. If anyone coveted what was his or deceived him, he retaliated without mercy. He believed that creating a precedent as cruel as possible was the only way to ensure they wouldn’t dare challenge him again. This time was not significantly different. It was just that he placed more weight on ‘protection’ than ‘retribution.’ He could never forgive anyone who touched Ju-wan.
The car, driving without pause, soon left the city outskirts. By the time the sun began to set, they reached an open lot in front of an abandoned warehouse. When Jeon Mi-nam stopped the car, the following vehicles stopped in unison. Jeon Mi-nam watched Kwon Su-hyeok, who still had his eyes closed, through the rearview mirror.
“President, we have arrived.”
As soon as Jeon Mi-nam spoke, Kwon Su-hyeok abruptly opened the rear door. He stepped out of the car first, without even the minimum cover. Jeon Mi-nam and the other subordinates hurried out and surrounded him.
Perhaps sensing a presence outside, the warehouse doors opened and a group of men walked out. Every one of them held wooden planks, bats, or claw hammers. However, neither Jo Jung-man nor Woo Hyeong-seok was among them.
“Stop hiding and come out,” Kwon Su-hyeok demanded in a low voice. A sandy wind carried his voice. In the deep sunset, his face and the wide open lot began to be stained red.
Even after some time passed, the people he was waiting for did not appear. Only the men from both sides stood in a tense standoff, as if engaged in a battle of wills.
“Come out!”
This time, he roared so loudly that it echoed across the entire lot. Even the men facing off flinched in surprise.
Thick veins had risen on Kwon Su-hyeok’s smooth forehead and jaw. His eyes, glaring at the opposite side, were honed as sharp as blades. The color drained from his face and lips. The more agitated he became, the colder his blood seemed to run.
Just as Kwon Su-hyeok’s echoing voice completely subsided, the sound of engines broke the silence. It came from behind them.
Four vans appeared suddenly, and dark-clad men poured out of them. As if by agreement, they surrounded Kwon Su-hyeok’s party in an instant.
Kwon Su-hyeok did not panic and waited silently. Before long, a fleshy middle-aged man and Woo Hyeong-seok walked out from among the men. Facing Kwon Su-hyeok, Woo Hyeong-seok wore a cryptic, smirking smile. The middle-aged man standing beside him appeared to be Jo Jung-man.
“A different guy actually showed up? Are you that Baek Do-un?”
“…”
“I’m asking if you’re the actual person in charge of Baek Mu Trading.”
“Why does that matter? Your only interest is likely this contract anyway.”
Kwon Su-hyeok pulled a document from the inner pocket of his jacket. Then, he crumpled it ostentatiously. Jo Jung-man’s face contorted in response. Kwon Su-hyeok didn’t stop there; he pulled out a Zippo lighter.
“What are you doing!”
Jo Jung-man shouted, seized by an ominous feeling. Soon, his fear became reality. Kwon Su-hyeok flicked the Zippo lighter without hesitation. A small flame flickered at the edge of the contract, quickly charring the paper black. Then, the contract burned away at a terrifying speed before it could even curl.
Leisurely burning the document, Kwon Su-hyeok let the wind blow away the remains. The half-burnt contract fell at Jo Jung-man’s feet. Jo Jung-man hurried to stomp out the embers, but it was already impossible to discern the contents of the document. Jo Jung-man gnashed his teeth.
“…You bastard.”
Woo Hyeong-seok, who had been watching with his arms crossed, let out a short laugh.
“I guess you don’t care if the video of Park Ju-wan gets leaked?”
“That won’t happen,” Kwon Su-hyeok replied firmly, staring directly at Woo Hyeong-seok. For a while, the two simply glared at each other in silence. Woo Hyeong-seok’s eyes were full of an unknown euphoria, but Kwon Su-hyeok’s gaze was brimming with murderous intent. It felt as if the surrounding air was tightening, almost like an illusion. Kwon Su-hyeok muttered, barely moving his lips.
“Because I’m absolutely not letting you leave alive today.”
Woo Hyeong-seok burst into open laughter.
“What, you’re stupider than I expected. Did you really think I wouldn’t consider the aftermath? You don’t think it’ll be over just by finishing me off, do you?”
“That doesn’t matter either,” Kwon Su-hyeok asserted, cutting Woo Hyeong-seok off. As Woo Hyeong-seok said, if he had leaked Ju-wan’s video as a precaution, eliminating him right now might be meaningless. Even so, nothing changed. He would remove Woo Hyeong-seok from Ju-wan’s life. Regardless of the circumstances, the primary goal remained the same.
“Because I’ll erase everything related to you. The people who remember you, those who colluded with you, everything your fingertips touched—I’ll wipe it all from this world.”
“Ha? What are you, a god? How can a mere human possibly…?”
“You think I can’t?” Kwon Su-hyeok asked with a cold sneer.
Woo Hyeong-seok, who had been grinning the whole time, shrugged exaggeratedly to provoke him. Kwon Su-hyeok looked him straight in the eyes and threw off his jacket. As if that were a signal, Jeon Mi-nam and his subordinates slowly dispersed, keeping a wary eye on their surroundings. It was a quiet and orderly movement, like predators about to begin a hunt.
“If you don’t know, I’ll make you understand.”
Kwon Su-hyeok’s fist sliced through the air in an instant. If Woo Hyeong-seok hadn’t stepped back a beat sooner, that stone-like fist would have landed squarely in the middle of his face. Even with the fist narrowly missing, Woo Hyeong-seok’s hair fluttered. With that much power behind the blow, one would expect his balance to be thrown off, but Kwon Su-hyeok immediately kicked off the ground and lunged. Before Woo Hyeong-seok could dodge, he grabbed him by the collar. It was fast and precise, as if he had calculated the opponent’s range of motion in that brief moment.
Woo Hyeong-seok was pulled right in front of Kwon Su-hyeok’s face in a single motion. There was no time to resist. In the blink of an eye, a violent pain exploded on the left side of his face. His head snapped back so completely it was a miracle his neck didn’t break. The impact shook his brain to the roots, making his vision dizzy for a moment. He barely managed to stay upright on his staggering legs.
Woo Hyeong-seok wiped a liquid—whether saliva or blood—off his hand and smirked. Then, he suddenly kicked off the ground and lunged at Kwon Su-hyeok. At that moment, the men from both sides, who had been watching the fight, clashed into each other without needing a signal. Jeon Mi-nam also walked steadily toward Jo Jung-man, who was hurriedly retreating. He brushed aside the men blocking his path with a single hand.
Kwon Su-hyeok raised his arm and easily blocked Woo Hyeong-seok’s fist. Immediately after, he completely caught the opposite fist swinging toward his flank with his palm. Then, Woo Hyeong-seok quickly spun his body and attempted a kick. The moment Kwon Su-hyeok let go of his hand to defend, Woo Hyeong-seok raised his elbow and struck Kwon Su-hyeok’s jaw. This caused him to lose his balance slightly and step back. He glared at Woo Hyeong-seok while rubbing his stinging jaw. Woo Hyeong-seok beckoned him with his finger, as if telling him to come at him.
In some ways, Woo Hyeong-seok was like a child who enjoyed mischievous pranks. Even while his own life was threatened, he seemed to feel a strange euphoria in the situation where violence ran rampant. Someone else’s misfortune became his nourishment. He was no different from the incarnation of a demon. If God had a conscience, He should feel some guilt for letting such a person into the world.
In a flash, Kwon Su-hyeok dashed forward and grabbed Woo Hyeong-seok’s neck. Flustered by the unexpected speed, Woo Hyeong-seok tried to shake off Kwon Su-hyeok’s hand, but the physical strength was so overwhelming that he couldn’t. The more he tried to push the arm away, the more it felt like his gripped neck would snap.
Kwon Su-hyeok squeezed Woo Hyeong-seok’s neck until his knuckles turned white. Eventually, his fingertips dug into the thin skin, and red blood began to seep out. As Woo Hyeong-seok struggled, saliva bubbled at the corners of his mouth, turning into foam. The gaze with which Kwon Su-hyeok watched him was so cold that not a shred of humanity could be found. It wouldn’t have been strange at all if he had simply strangled him to death right then.
“Damn it… what is this bastard…!”
Gnashing his teeth, Woo Hyeong-seok reached out with a trembling hand and pulled something from his waist. Then, he swung it sharply. A sharp pain grazed the back of Kwon Su-hyeok’s hand. Because of this, his grip on Woo Hyeong-seok’s neck loosened.
Woo Hyeong-seok didn’t miss that split second and kicked Kwon Su-hyeok’s abdomen with all his might. Kwon Su-hyeok’s body was pushed far back.
Kwon Su-hyeok glanced at his right hand, which was quickly covered in blood. Despite the deep wound that should have been painful, his expression didn’t change. Woo Hyeong-seok clutched his neck and gasped for air. Because his windpipe had been squeezed so tightly, he broke into a fit of coughing. If he played around, he couldn’t guarantee what would happen next. It seemed far more advantageous to finish this quickly. Woo Hyeong-seok gripped the blood-stained knife tightly, thinking about where and how to attack Kwon Su-hyeok.
Even seeing blood, Kwon Su-hyeok was not shaken. This was because he had never expected a fair fight from Woo Hyeong-seok in the first place. Those who survive by licking the boots of others are usually petty and cowardly. It was ridiculous to expect manners in a fight for one’s life.
Kwon Su-hyeok clenched his wounded hand into a fist. Fresh blood soaked the back of his hand and seeped between his fingers, but to someone who had lived his life always one step away from death, it was nothing.
“I’m curious about something. Why on earth did you buy Park Ju-wan? That guy is so pathetic he’s useless for anything. No matter how much I think about it, I just don’t get it.”
At the mention of Ju-wan, a frown creased Kwon Su-hyeok’s brow. Woo Hyeong-seok didn’t miss that stark change and smirked.
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those too? Back then, our old man couldn’t help himself whenever he saw that guy, like a dog in heat. I heard that guy got absolutely railed by some doctor at the hospital. Did you take Park Ju-wan for that purpose too? Were you that desperate? Is it because you’re a homo?”
“Are you done?”
Though his nose wrinkled in disgust, Kwon Su-hyeok did not openly lose his temper. He simply growled low, glaring at Woo Hyeong-seok as if he were about to tear him apart. Woo Hyeong-seok continued to wear that strange smile before suddenly kicking off the ground and lunging.
His powerfully thrown punch was caught instantly. Then, the leg attempting to kick his shin was also stopped. Using that moment, Woo Hyeong-seok drove the knife in his left hand downward.
The tip of the blade sank in accurately and perfectly. The corners of Woo Hyeong-seok’s mouth curled up. He looked up, expecting to see Kwon Su-hyeok’s face distorted in pain. However, his expression soon turned blank. Even though the blade had clearly pierced Kwon Su-hyeok’s shoulder, and his shirt was being stained red, Kwon Su-hyeok stared at him without even a single frown. He seemed like a human who felt no pain at all.
“For a last will, it’s quite pathetic,” Kwon Su-hyeok muttered to himself. A strange glint flashed in his dark eyes. Startled, Woo Hyeong-seok put strength into his hand, intending to twist the knife, but even that wrist was caught by Kwon Su-hyeok. Kwon Su-hyeok slowly bent his wrist in the opposite direction. Even as he tried to resist, it didn’t go as planned. As the wrist was bent to its limit, a stiff sensation traveled up his forearm. The moment he felt a sense of danger, a loud cracking sound erupted from his wrist.
“…!”
Right before Woo Hyeong-seok’s eyes, his wrist snapped completely backward. Whether it was due to the indescribable agony or because he couldn’t process the situation, Woo Hyeong-seok could only widen his eyes. Kwon Su-hyeok, while the other could barely gasp for air and couldn’t even scream, gripped his fingers and crushed them.
“Kugh! Aaaaagh!”
Woo Hyeong-seok let out a piercing scream at the pain exploding from every joint. Thick veins rose simultaneously on his forehead and neck. His entire face, from his neck up, turned bright red. It looked as if his eyeballs might actually pop out of his wide-open eyelids.
Kwon Su-hyeok shoved Woo Hyeong-seok’s arm away. Consequently, Woo Hyeong-seok staggered violently and fell to his knees. The left arm that had been held by Kwon Su-hyeok could no longer maintain its shape and dangled helplessly. His strangely bent fingers only trembled.
Woo Hyeong-seok clutched his ruined arm with his other hand, panting in an agony that felt like it would cut off his consciousness. Before long, a shadow fell over his face. When he looked up, Kwon Su-hyeok was standing tall. Without hesitation, he pulled Woo Hyeong-seok’s knife out of his shoulder. Red blood gushed from the wound. Some of it even splashed onto his face. His shirt was so drenched in blood that it was hard to tell what its original color had been. Yet, there wasn’t a hint of urgency in Kwon Su-hyeok.
Kwon Su-hyeok tossed the extracted knife onto the ground. Just as Woo Hyeong-seok reached out with his right hand to pick it up, he kicked it far away. Then, he grabbed him by the collar again and roughly hauled him up.
As his heels were precariously lifted off the ground, Woo Hyeong-seok struggled, pushing at Kwon Su-hyeok’s face. He even reached out his fingers, intending to gouge Kwon Su-hyeok’s eyes. Kwon Su-hyeok opened his mouth and bit down on the thumb that was crushing his lip. In that instant, Woo Hyeong-seok was seized by an ominous feeling. A chill ran down his spine, and goosebumps broke out on his skin.
“You crazy bastard… Aaaagh!”
Woo Hyeong-seok screamed frantically at the pain of his thumb being bitten raw. His face turned red instantly, and red blood poured from the wound on his neck. Kwon Su-hyeok threw the struggling Woo Hyeong-seok to the ground. Woo Hyeong-seok rolled around on the floor, clutching his bleeding right hand.
Kwon Su-hyeok spat out the piece of finger in his mouth and wiped his soiled lips with the back of his hand. Then, he approached Woo Hyeong-seok, who was screaming that he was dying. Soon, his shadow covered Woo Hyeong-seok. Even facing the Grim Reaper wouldn’t have felt this hopeless. Woo Hyeong-seok trembled in a terror he had faced for the first time in his life.
Meanwhile, Jeon Mi-nam ducked low and hoisted a man lunging with a wooden plank over his shoulder. Due to the man’s momentum, his body flew into the air. At the peak, Jeon Mi-nam slammed him mercilessly into the ground. The man, who fell on his back, writhed in pain that vibrated through his spine. The wooden plank he had been swinging rolled away haphazardly. Jeon Mi-nam stepped firmly on the wrist of the man who was trying to reach for the plank again. A crunching sound came from the man’s wrist.
“…Aaaaagh!”
He kicked the head of the man who was violently crying out in pain. The man’s head snapped back. Then, his eyes rolled back to show the whites, and he lost consciousness.
Immediately after, Jeon Mi-nam avoided a steel pipe aiming for his back with a single kick. Then, he grabbed the hair of a man whose upper body had momentarily collapsed and slammed his knee into the man’s face. Blood erupted from both nostrils of the man whose nose had been crushed. As he began to collapse forward helplessly, Jeon Mi-nam grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and yanked him back. The impact of his spine bending in the opposite direction made the man let out a yelp and tumble away.
Having quickly cleared the men lunging at him, Jeon Mi-nam walked steadily toward Jo Jung-man, who continued to back away. He was the root of all the trouble. If he hadn’t coveted Kwon Su-hyeok’s share, Ju-wan would never have reunited with Woo Hyeong-seok. Kwon Su-hyeok would have found and eliminated Woo Hyeong-seok first. Had that happened, things wouldn’t have escalated this far. Human greed always invites disaster.
“Damn it! What are you doing! Fight properly!”
Feeling his life in danger as Jeon Mi-nam approached, Jo Jung-man frantically pushed the backs of the men surrounding him. His voice, consumed by fear, was trembling miserably.
Bones snapped, flesh and blood splattered, and horrific screams filled the air. As the sun fully set and darkness descended, it became difficult to distinguish one person from another.
“Damn it, fight! Kill them all!”
Pushed forward by Jo Jung-man, two men lunged at Jeon Mi-nam simultaneously. Jeon Mi-nam caught the wooden plank and the bat they swung with one hand each. A heavy impact hit his palms, but without a hint of hesitation, he snatched the weapons away and hurled them far aside. Then, with his bare hands, he grabbed the necks of the charging men and slammed their heads together. With a dull thud, the men’s bodies went limp.
Jeon Mi-nam dropped the unconscious men and approached Jo Jung-man again. Cornered and desperate, Jo Jung-man frantically fumbled through the inner pocket of his jacket. Soon, a Colt was gripped in his hand. The muzzle trembled like an aspen leaf, looking precarious at best.
Ignoring this, Jeon Mi-nam strode forward, closing the distance. Despite clearly seeing the Colt, he showed no sign of hesitation.
“Stop!”
Jo Jung-man shrieked. Jeon Mi-nam ignored the warning. Backing away haltingly, Jo Jung-man turned pale when he realized there was nowhere left to retreat. He looked urgently toward Woo Hyeong-seok, but he too was struggling against Kwon Su-hyeok. His subordinates and the mercenaries hired by Jo Jung-man seemed too preoccupied with their own fierce battles to spare a thought for Jo Jung-man.
“Fuck, if you come any closer, I’ll shoot! Stop right—!”
Despite the final warning, Jeon Mi-nam instead kicked off the ground and rushed forward with incredible speed. In an instant, he tightly gripped the wrist of Jo Jung-man, who held the Colt.
Jo Jung-man gritted his teeth and struggled, refusing to let go of the gun. In that moment, his finger accidentally pulled the trigger.
Bang. A clear gunshot echoed across the wide open lot. The men who had been tangled in combat all stopped moving and stared toward the source of the sound. After a brief moment of daze, Jeon Mi-nam quickly twisted Jo Jung-man’s wrist, forcing the Colt to drop from his hand. He then kicked the fallen gun far away.
Having subdued Jo Jung-man in one breath, Jeon Mi-nam pulled back his arm to drive a fist into his face. However, he was unable to deliver the final blow. It was because of a sudden commotion that erupted behind him.
“President!”
He turned his head, bewildered, hoping his ominous intuition was wrong. But soon, the image of Kwon Su-hyeok—hit by a stray bullet, staggering, and finally falling to his knees—was vividly etched into Jeon Mi-nam’s vision.
* * *
“…….”
He slowly opened his eyes. He couldn’t see anything. He raised his hand to rub his eyes, but it was useless. The darkness covering his vision did not fade. However, the surrounding air, the scent, and the feel of the bedding against his skin were familiar, making him realize he was in Kwon Su-hyeok’s bedroom. It seemed night had fallen while he was unconscious.
He felt as though he had been asleep for quite a while. He hadn’t dreamed of anything during that time. Yet, his mind didn’t feel refreshed; it was merely foggy. Perhaps because he had just woken up, his heart, which had been moving slowly, began to thud rapidly. Even though it was a natural physical reaction, it felt strange.
Blinking slowly, he retraced how he had fallen asleep. He had been held in Kwon Su-hyeok’s arms for nearly a full day. It was a time of unprecedented fulfillment.
Then, Jeon Mi-nam and Baek Do-un had come to the house. Kwon Su-hyeok had stood up first and left the bedroom. Immediately after, Jaguar had come inside. While he was hugging the creature tightly and stroking its soft fur, he could hear the low murmur of conversation outside. He couldn’t tell exactly what was being discussed.
Before long, Baek Do-un appeared. Then, without warning, he gave him an injection, calling it a nutritional supplement. His mind immediately grew hazy, and his vision blurred. He had no memory of what happened after that.
He bolted upright. The sudden change in posture made his head spin. Was everyone outside? He wondered, as he felt no presence inside the room or even outside.
He instinctively tried to get out of bed but hesitated. His body, which should have borne the lingering traces of their sexual encounter, felt strangely refreshed. He had no memory of washing. Just in case, he peeked under the covers and found that clothes had been put on his naked body. His skin felt soft and clean, as if someone had wiped him down and dressed him. Had Baek Do-un taken care of him?
At the slight movement from Ju-wan, Jaguar, who had been sleeping pressed against him, twitched its back muscles and suddenly opened its bright yellow eyes. As soon as Ju-wan woke, he stroked the creature from its ears to its chin. Jaguar made a pleased sound and rested its head entirely on Ju-wan’s shoulder. As he gently caressed the fully exposed nape of the creature’s neck, the door opened. It wasn’t Kwon Su-hyeok. He could be certain just from the silhouette and the scent drifting in.
“…Oh? “Mr. Ju-wan.”
Baek Do-un looked surprised. He seemingly hadn’t expected Ju-wan to be awake already. Turning on the light, he approached the bed and sat on the edge. He then reached out to pet Jaguar. When Jaguar tilted its head to avoid the hand, Baek Do-un smiled and grabbed the creature’s cheeks, pulling them wide. Jaguar twisted its head this way and that, annoyed, but it didn’t move its body to escape.
After a while, Baek Do-un withdrew his mischievous touch and looked at Ju-wan with narrowed eyes. It was his usual eye-smile.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. But….”
Ju-wan stared intently at Baek Do-un, as if seeking an explanation. His gaze wasn’t sharp, but it was quite stubborn. He looked curious as to why a sedative had been injected into him and why Kwon Su-hyeok and Jeon Mi-nam were nowhere to be seen.
“If you mean Su-hyeok, he went out.”
“Did he go to work?”
“Well, something like that.”
“What about Mr. Mi-nam?”
“He went with him, of course. Those two are always together.”
“…….”
Ju-wan did not pull away his persistent gaze. Baek Do-un chuckled and lowered his eyebrows.
“Don’t look at me like that. We agreed to keep the rest a secret.”
“…Doctor.”
“If you find out, do you think Kwon Su-hyeok will leave me alone?”
“It’s his business; I don’t want to be kept in the dark.”
The edge of the blanket was subtly curled into Ju-wan’s grip. Baek Do-un’s gaze fell upon his tightly clenched fists. Ju-wan then continued.
“I already know a fair amount. Mr. Mi-nam said his work is in trade, but if that were all, there would be no need to prepare for emergency blood transfusions. And the scars on his body… I like him including those parts, and I’ve decided to accept his entire life. So, please tell me everything, without leaving anything out.”
Ju-wan almost looked aggrieved. Since it was the first time he’d seen such an expression, Baek Do-un was momentarily speechless.
“Ah, I give up. Honestly, you’re right. There shouldn’t be secrets between lovers, right?”
Baek Do-un raised the white flag. Kwon Su-hyeok likely hadn’t expected the secrets to be perfectly kept when he entrusted Ju-wan to him.
“Let’s eat first. You need a full stomach to wait.”
Baek Do-un took Ju-wan’s hand and pulled him out of bed. As they left the bedroom and headed toward the kitchen, he whispered.
“Su-hyeok went to meet someone.”
“Is it something dangerous?”
“Hmm, a bit. More for the other person than for Su-hyeok.”
Baek Do-un suddenly turned to look at Ju-wan. A confident smile hung on his face, as if telling him not to worry.
“That guy Su-hyeok is a monster.”
* * *
Jeon Mi-nam froze completely in place. A few subordinates rushed toward Kwon Su-hyeok. Kneeling on the ground, Kwon Su-hyeok had his head bowed low, clutching his blood-soaked left chest.
“Pres—!”
Just as Jeon Mi-nam was about to rush to Kwon Su-hyeok, he whipped his head around due to an unsettling intuition. A wooden plank suddenly swung into his field of vision. It was already too late to dodge. He barely managed to jerk his head aside, but the descending plank slammed into his thigh.
There was a thud. It felt as though either the plank or the bone should have broken. However, both remained intact. This was because the nail embedded in the plank had pierced through Jeon Mi-nam’s thigh.
Startled, Jo Jung-man let go of the plank. Jeon Mi-nam looked down at his thigh, where intense pain was surging, and abruptly yanked out the lodged plank. Blood flowed steadily from where the nail had been pulled out. Jo Jung-man’s face grew even paler.
“…….”
Jeon Mi-nam raised his head and stared directly at Jo Jung-man. Having lost all his weapons, Jo Jung-man continued to back away.
He should have resigned himself when the kidnapping of Ju-wan failed. He should have spent that one day of grace devising a way to survive. He would have been caught by Kwon Su-hyeok and paid the price eventually, but if he had wanted to survive for even a minute or a second longer, he should not have picked a reckless fight like this. Human greed always endangers one’s own life.
Jeon Mi-nam approached Jo Jung-man with heavy, imposing strides, like a massive tank. Jo Jung-man’s unstable gaze shifted from his face to somewhere over his shoulder. In an instant, the sound of something slicing through the air brushed past his ear. Then, with a thwack, a pain that felt like his head was splitting exploded.
He staggered for a moment. His head spun violently. Simultaneously, a chill ran down his spine, and cold sweat broke out. The reason he couldn’t properly feel the pain seemed to be that his brain was failing to function due to the sudden shock.
He shook his head. However, his vision shattered and scattered like glass shards, making it impossible to see ahead. Soon, something hot flowed down the side of his face. It seemed his head had finally burst. Jeon Mi-nam simply stood there, unable to regain his senses for a while.
“Aha… haha.”
Jo Jung-man finally let out a hollow laugh, as if relieved. The man who had swung the iron pipe at Jeon Mi-nam looked at him. When their eyes met, Jo Jung-man nodded as if telling him to finish it quickly. The man hesitated for a moment, then raised the iron pipe high again.
Once more, the iron pipe sliced through the air fiercely. It was aimed at the back of Jeon Mi-nam’s neck. If it hit directly, no matter how strong a man was, he wouldn’t survive.
In an instant, Jeon Mi-nam raised his arm and blocked the iron pipe. Then, while the man was bewildered, he gripped the pipe tightly with his other hand. The man struggled desperately to pull the pipe back, but eventually, both his hands were left empty.
Jeon Mi-nam used the stolen iron pipe to smash the man’s shin. The man let out a scream and collapsed, clutching his leg. Jeon Mi-nam then kicked the man’s shoulder, knocking him flat on the ground. He slammed the iron pipe into the face of the man who was groaning from a mild concussion. The man’s nose collapsed instantly, and as he writhed in agony and respiratory distress, he flinched under the subsequent blows of the iron pipe before going limp. His face, too, was completely caved in, unable to withstand the ruthless strength.
Having finished the punishment, Jeon Mi-nam slowly stood up. The arm that had blocked the pipe and the head that had been hit were in serious condition, but he appeared completely composed. There wasn’t a hint of change in his cold expression.
Seeing the blood dripping from the iron pipe, Jo Jung-man turned his back and fled in a panic. But he didn’t get far before he tripped and fell. It was because the iron pipe Mi-nam had thrown hit his leg precisely.
“Ugh….”
As Jo Jung-man tried to stand up while clutching his throbbing leg, he was swallowed by Jeon Mi-nam’s shadow. Jo Jung-man gasped and looked back. Jeon Mi-nam, who had already approached him, reached out. Before he could dodge, his face was grabbed in one hand. As his vision was suddenly blocked, Jo Jung-man pleaded in a trembling voice.
“Save… me.”
“Die.”
As Jeon Mi-nam tightened his grip, Jo Jung-man’s face crumpled like paper. Jo Jung-man, who had initially been frozen in fear, began to struggle to survive as he found it difficult to breathe. He screamed and gasped for air. Soon, his face flushed as if it were about to burst. The fingers adorned with gold rings slowly curled.
Instinctively sensing the end, Jo Jung-man didn’t hesitate to kick and punch Jeon Mi-nam. Even while being pummeled by blind fists, Jeon Mi-nam remained steadfast. Instead, he applied more pressure with his fingertips, choking the life out of Jo Jung-man.
“…Hack!”
The final breath escaped Jo Jung-man in a futile gasp. Immediately after, the two arms that had been pushing Jeon Mi-nam away dropped. Jeon Mi-nam indifferently snapped his neck to ensure he was finished, then stood up and rushed to Kwon Su-hyeok.
Kwon Su-hyeok wasn’t the only one fallen by Jo Jung-man’s reckless firing. Woo Hyeong-seok, who had been tangled with him, also failed to avoid a sudden bullet. He had been hit in the knee. His pants, soiled with dust from the fight, became damp with blood. Dragging his mangled leg, Woo Hyeong-seok stood up and screamed in rage.
“Fuck! You piece of shit! Where the hell did you shoot… Argh!”
The pain was beyond imagination, making it impossible to keep his senses. Even standing on two legs was a struggle. His entire body was instantly drenched in sweat. Beads of sweat kept flowing into his eyes, blurring his vision. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, Woo Hyeong-seok watched Kwon Su-hyeok. Kwon Su-hyeok’s subordinates, who had rushed from all directions, were surrounding him.
Is he dead?
It was just as Woo Hyeong-seok’s lips curled into a slight smirk. Kwon Su-hyeok gripped the ground tightly and began to push himself up. His subordinates tried to stop him, telling him not to get up, but he ignored them and bolted upright. Because of this, red blood spurted from the wound on his left shoulder.
Jeon Mi-nam pushed through the subordinates to support Kwon Su-hyeok. However, Kwon Su-hyeok rejected even that and stood up on his own, staggering.
As Kwon Su-hyeok stubbornly headed toward Woo Hyeong-seok with unstable steps, the subordinates surrounding him slowly cleared a path and stepped back. Red blood poured from the wound with every step he took, but the look in Kwon Su-hyeok’s eyes did not waver. Woo Hyeong-seok grinned continuously as he watched him approach.
“…We should see this through to the end.”
Kwon Su-hyeok muttered, staring coldly at Woo Hyeong-seok. His tone was languid, but the atmosphere was not. Woo Hyeong-seok stuck out his tongue and licked his dry lower lip. He felt the smell of blood rising in his throat, but it only excited him. His subordinates also recovered one by one and lined up beside him, gripping broken planks and blood-stained tools. It was a fight that would not end until one side was annihilated.
Kwon Su-hyeok lunged first. As his subordinates moved to protect him, the two factions quickly became a chaotic mess. Kwon Su-hyeok rapidly closed the distance to Woo Hyeong-seok and threw a punch. Woo Hyeong-seok ducked, barely avoiding the blow. As weight shifted momentarily onto his shot leg, a sharp pain surged. It was his own body, but it didn’t feel entirely like his own.
“…K-ack, fuck!”
Kwon Su-hyeok’s situation was likely no different. Yet, he immediately turned and gripped Woo Hyeong-seok’s dangling arm tightly. A dizzying pain shot through the arm where the joints had already been broken. It wouldn’t have been strange if he had fainted from shock immediately.
“Aaaaaargh!”
An irritated scream erupted from Woo Hyeong-seok. He jammed his fingers deep into the shoulder wound of Kwon Su-hyeok, who was pulling him close by the collar. Only then did Kwon Su-hyeok flinch and grit his teeth. A thick vein popped on his forehead.
Despite the agonizing pain and gasping for breath, Kwon Su-hyeok did not let go of Woo Hyeong-seok. Instead, he twisted the collar tighter, choking him. Woo Hyeong-seok’s face turned bright red as his neck was squeezed enough to wrinkle the skin.
“You son of a—”
Woo Hyeong-seok gritted his teeth and recklessly gouged at Kwon Su-hyeok’s gunshot wound. As the raw flesh was torn with a wet friction sound, Kwon Su-hyeok violently shoved him away. He then clutched the throbbing wound and exhaled sharply.
“…Kugh.”
Woo Hyeong-seok, thrown to the ground, groaned in pain but giggled while looking at Kwon Su-hyeok. Then, spotting an iron pipe fallen nearby, he crawled toward it. Just as his hand was about to touch the pipe, his body slid backward. It was because Kwon Su-hyeok had grabbed his ankle and pulled.
Kwon Su-hyeok grabbed Woo Hyeong-seok by the scruff of his neck, hauling him up as he tried to escape. Woo Hyeong-seok hurriedly reached both arms back to shake off his grip, but with his shirt stretching and sagging, he was utterly helpless. As he struggled, Woo Hyeong-seok’s heels gradually lifted off the ground. He tried to kick Kwon Su-hyeok with his one functioning leg, but the blow lacked power and proved futile.
“Ack… Fuck, let go of me!”
The more he struggled, the tighter the grip around his neck became. Kwon Su-hyeok held him aloft, enduring until Woo Hyeong-seok began to make choking sounds, then suddenly swung his arm downward. Woo Hyeong-seok’s weakened body was slammed violently onto the floor. Hitting the ground headfirst, Woo Hyeong-seok could not even scream, only twitching spasmodically.
Heaving deep, ragged breaths, his shoulders shaking, Kwon Su-hyeok picked up the iron pipe that Woo Hyeong-seok had been aiming for. Then, he walked with steady, heavy steps toward the prone and immobile Woo Hyeong-seok. Only Woo Hyeong-seok’s pupils remained fixed on the approaching Kwon Su-hyeok. That eerie smile had long since vanished. The image of Kwon Su-hyeok raising the iron pipe was reflected in his bloodshot eyes.
With an expressionless face, Kwon Su-hyeok brought the iron pipe down. The sounds of things breaking and bursting echoed without pause. Woo Hyeong-seok could only howl like a beast, unable to make any distinct sound. Perhaps something had gone wrong when he hit the ground, for he could not even open his jaw easily.
Kwon Su-hyeok broke Woo Hyeong-seok thoroughly and mercilessly. Woo Hyeong-seok trembled violently, as if convulsing. His eyes rolled back, showing only the whites. Even then, Kwon Su-hyeok did not stop. He was relentless, as if mincing a piece of meat.
Jeon Mi-nam, who had secured the USB in question after eliminating all of Woo Hyeong-seok’s subordinates, could only watch Kwon Su-hyeok blankly. The other subordinates, too, could not bring themselves to approach him, as he looked as though he had completely lost his mind.
The blows only stopped when Woo Hyeong-seok’s body ceased to exhibit even reflexive spasms. Kwon Su-hyeok used the blood-dripping iron pipe to turn Woo Hyeong-seok’s face over. Woo Hyeong-seok’s wide-open eyes were clouded and hazy. Blood bubbles clung to his mouth. He let out occasional rattling sounds, suggesting that his breath had not yet left him.
“After today, Park Ju-wan will completely forget you. As if you never existed from the start.”
“…….”
“Because I will make sure of it.”
He spoke clearly to the unconscious Woo Hyeong-seok. Not only Ju-wan, but everyone would fail to remember him. The world would continue to flow smoothly without him, and even Ju-wan would shake off the past, including him, and live an utterly ordinary life. To be eternally alone in death, just as he had been while being born and raised. For Woo Hyeong-seok, who had been broken by his parents’ indifference and abuse, there could be no more cruel punishment than that.
Raising the iron pipe high once more, Kwon Su-hyeok brought it down on Woo Hyeong-seok’s head. Woo Hyeong-seok’s head snapped sideways limply, and his body went completely slack. Beside him, the iron pipe fell with a clatter.
“President.”
Jeon Mi-nam rushed over to support Kwon Su-hyeok. Because he had lost so much blood, Kwon Su-hyeok did not decline his help this time.
In the vacant lot shrouded in complete darkness, a chilly wind blew, carrying the thick scent of blood. Leaning his head back as if exhausted, Kwon Su-hyeok murmured languidly.
“…Let’s go back.”
Home. To where Ju-wan was waiting.
With a loud bang, the front door shook violently. Ju-wan’s gaze immediately flew toward the sound. Jaguar, sensing something with animal instinct, rushed to the entrance in a single bound. Ju-wan hurried after him.
When he actually arrived at the front door, it was deathly silent outside. However, it felt as though he could faintly hear something like breathing, as if it were an illusion. He had to check. He reached out hesitantly and lowered the door handle. The lock clicked open without resistance.
As soon as the front door creaked open, an unsettling sight filled his vision. Jeon Mi-nam was standing leaning against the wall, looking unusually disheveled. There was a pungent smell of blood, though it was unclear if it originated from him. Ju-wan’s heart began to throb violently.
Ju-wan hurriedly flung the front door wide open. Then, the sight of a limp Kwon Su-hyeok, supported by Jeon Mi-nam, filled his entire field of vision. His body was covered in blood. He didn’t even seem fully conscious.
There were too many things to say. There was a mountain of questions he wanted to ask. There was so much to say. But his throat tightened, and he couldn’t bring himself to utter a word. He couldn’t breathe properly.
Perhaps noticing that Ju-wan was beside him, Kwon Su-hyeok opened his eyes weakly and looked at him. Ju-wan slowly reached his hand toward his face. His fingertips trembled uncontrollably. He barely managed to brush away a strand of hair clinging to Kwon Su-hyeok’s forehead. He then traced the cheek stained with blood and sweat.
“I waited for you.”
“…Yeah.”
Kwon Su-hyeok gave a faint smile. Declining Jeon Mi-nam’s support, he took a step toward Ju-wan. Then, he lost his balance and collapsed. Ju-wan, who had instinctively hugged Kwon Su-hyeok, couldn’t hold him up and fell backward, landing on his backside with Kwon Su-hyeok collapsed on top of him.
Ju-wan looked frantically at the face of the now-unconscious Kwon Su-hyeok, then lowered his head to press his ear against his chest. His heart was still beating. A faint breath continued. With a face that looked as if he were about to cry, Ju-wan rubbed his cheek against Kwon Su-hyeok’s forehead. Fearing he might lose him, he hugged his body with utmost desperation. He only hoped that his earnest heart would reach him.
“…Wan-ssi.”
“…….”
“Ju-wan-ssi!”
“…Yes?”
He snapped out of it after staring blankly at the unconscious Kwon Su-hyeok. Baek Do-un’s serious face filled his vision. Baek Do-un grabbed the wrist of the dazed Ju-wan and pulled him onto the bed. Then, he placed Ju-wan’s two hands over the gauze on Kwon Su-hyeok’s gunshot wound.
“It will only take a moment, so please apply pressure here.”
The usual composure was missing from Baek Do-un’s voice. His always smiling face was stiff and drenched in sweat. It was proof of how critical the situation was.
Ju-wan silently did as Baek Do-un instructed, pressing the gauze to apply pressure to Kwon Su-hyeok’s wound. Blood seeped out slowly from the affected area. Kwon Su-hyeok let out a low groan and furrowed his brow. He looked to be in immense pain. Even so, Ju-wan couldn’t stop the hemostasis, so he simply squeezed his eyes shut.
After stepping out for a moment, Baek Do-un returned with several bags of blood and transfusion equipment. These were samples he had collected from Kwon Su-hyeok periodically in the past. With fluid movements, Baek Do-un inserted a needle into Kwon Su-hyeok’s arm. As he opened the regulator, blood flowed quickly through the transparent tube. Then, feeling that it wasn’t enough, Baek Do-un practically squeezed the blood bags.
Kwon Su-hyeok’s complexion remained pale. Baek Do-un climbed back onto the bed and wrapped a compression bandage tightly over the gauze Ju-wan had been pressing. He then finished stopping the bleeding from the wound on the shoulder. Ju-wan helped by holding Kwon Su-hyeok’s body steady.
“Just keep an eye on him for a moment. Tell me immediately if the bleeding doesn’t seem to stop.”
“Yes.”
Having finished the emergency treatment, Baek Do-un left Kwon Su-hyeok in Ju-wan’s care and turned to Jeon Mi-nam. He was kneeling in front of the bedroom. Baek Do-un strode over and grabbed his arm firmly, but Jeon Mi-nam didn’t budge, as if he had committed a great crime. His head remained bowed low.
Baek Do-un frowned, a rare sight, and raised his voice.
“What, are you planning to just die like this?”
“…….”
“Stop the self-harm. Who is going to be happy about this?”
“That’s right, Mi-nam-ssi. Please get treated quickly. What if it gets worse?”
Unable to watch any longer, Ju-wan also tried to persuade Jeon Mi-nam. Despite this, he showed little intention of moving.
Suddenly, Baek Do-un let go of Jeon Mi-nam’s arm. It wasn’t a gentle release. He abruptly pushed Jeon Mi-nam’s shoulder and pressed his knee into his chest, flipping him backward. Then, he grabbed the buckle of his trousers.
Jeon Mi-nam tried to stop him hurriedly, but Baek Do-un was relentless. He couldn’t use force against Baek Do-un. Do-un eventually undid the buckle of Jeon Mi-nam’s trousers. As he tried to pull the trousers down immediately, Jeon Mi-nam urgently grabbed his hand.
“I understand. I get it, so….”
Only after Jeon Mi-nam waved the white flag did Baek Do-un’s hand let go. He gestured with his head toward the outside of the bedroom, as if telling him to follow. Jeon Mi-nam had no choice but to adjust his trousers and follow him.
Taking Jeon Mi-nam to the kitchen, Baek Do-un abruptly cornered him toward the dining table.
“Take them off.”
“Doctor….”
“You might die any second, is this the time to be modest? Take them off, now.”
Baek Do-un brushed aside the hesitating hands of Jeon Mi-nam and stripped his trousers off himself. No wonder the trousers were exceptionally soaked; as suspected, a narrow and deep wound was visible on Jeon Mi-nam’s thigh. It looked as if he had been punctured by a sharp nail or something similar. He took out a prepared syringe and medication.
“Turn around.”
Baek Do-un’s instructing voice was colder than ever. There seemed to be no room for compromise. Jeon Mi-nam had no choice but to slowly turn around. Then, Baek Do-un relentlessly pulled down Jeon Mi-nam’s briefs. A startled Jeon Mi-nam grabbed his hand, but Baek Do-un shook that hand off as well. Then, he drew the medication into the syringe.
“You’ll get three shots. Don’t move.”
After rubbing an alcohol swab on the firm buttocks, he inserted the needle without hesitation. As he pressed the piston, the medication in the cylinder was pushed in. As announced, it was immunoglobulin, antibiotics, and then a painkiller. Because Kwon Su-hyeok and his subordinates were frequently injured by blades, tetanus medication had become a staple for Baek Do-un.
After giving the final injection, Baek Do-un turned Mi-nam around again. Then, he pushed him to sit on the dining table. He poured disinfectant over the thigh wound while watching Jeon Mi-nam’s face. More accurately, he was observing the movement of his pupils. The amount of blood loss was significant. If he had been struck by something, there was a high possibility of cerebral hemorrhage or brain edema. Even if he seemed fine for now, there was no telling when he might collapse.
“It would be best to get a CT scan as soon as we get to the hospital.”
The composure was still missing from his voice. No, rather, it carried a hint of anger. He had expected things to turn out like this when they set out to punish Woo Hyeong-seok. But just because it was expected or frequent didn’t mean he wasn’t exhausted. Above all, he was angry at Kwon Su-hyeok, Jeon Mi-nam, and the subordinates for neglecting their own bodies.
Once the emergency treatment for the most critical people was finished, the strength left his legs. But this was only the beginning. Now he had to move them to the hospital to assess their condition more closely and perform surgery if necessary. There was no time to rest. Pressing his throbbing temples, Baek Do-un made a phone call.
“Hello? Seonbae, it’s me. Lend me an operating room.”
He had no time to explain the details to the person asking what happened. He simply requested an ambulance, saying he would explain upon arrival.
“…Yeah, thanks. I’ll be waiting.”
As soon as the call ended, his hands trembled. It was from exhaustion. Even if he had ten bodies, it wouldn’t be enough. He had no idea how time had passed since Kwon Su-hyeok’s return.
Forcing his exhausted, collapsing body to move, Baek Do-un headed to the living room. The place resembled a medical tent in a war zone. Baek Do-un took care of only the critical patients, while the others had to treat their own wounds. Painkillers were woefully insufficient.
Jaguar, smelling the blood, was locked in a nearby room. Whether out of excitement or confusion, he couldn’t even sit properly and paced around frantically. It was truly chaotic.
The ambulances Baek Do-un had requested arrived in ten minutes. Baek Do-un prioritized loading the unconscious patients, including Kwon Su-hyeok, into the ambulances. The remaining patients decided to drive themselves and follow.
Ju-wan grabbed the hem of Baek Do-un’s clothes as he was about to enter the ambulance.
“Doctor, I’ll go with you.”
“If he goes into surgery, it will take a long time. I’ll contact you if anything happens, so Ju-wan-ssi, stay at home….”
“My blood might be needed.”
Ju-wan clung to him, cutting off Baek Do-un’s words. Indeed, looking at Kwon Su-hyeok’s current state, a massive transfusion was necessary. The blood previously collected had already been exhausted during emergency treatment. It was uncertain how much RH-AB blood was available at the hospital. Nor was it a situation where blood could be sought publicly.
Still, Baek Do-un shook his head firmly.
“I don’t want to use Ju-wan-ssi’s blood. Su-hyeok wouldn’t want it either.”
Although Ju-wan had become healthier than before, Do-un did not want to use him for the purpose he had originally been brought for. If Kwon Su-hyeok were conscious, he would have tried to avoid that above all else.
But Ju-wan did not back down easily. He gripped Do-un’s hand tightly with both of his and pleaded.
“Please use me. I’ll do anything. I want to keep staying by Su-hyeok-ssi’s side. I don’t want to leave Su-hyeok-ssi alone ever again.”
Baek Do-un scratched his head with a troubled expression. Meanwhile, time continued to slip away. He could delay no longer.
“I’m not usually such a soft person. Get in, quickly.”
With a long sigh, Baek Do-un gestured toward the ambulance. Ju-wan bowed his head and quickly climbed in. The four ambulances sped through the night roads without sirens.
Until they arrived at the hospital, Ju-wan tightly held Kwon Su-hyeok’s wound-covered hand. Perhaps feeling Ju-wan’s warmth, Kwon Su-hyeok’s fingers twitched intermittently, brushing against his. Please be safe. Please wake up without any issues. He prayed and prayed to his Grandfather in heaven.
* * *
As he took a deep breath, the thick scent of disinfectant filled his nose. Was this a hospital? The surroundings were so quiet that the sound of a humidifier felt loud. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids wouldn’t open easily. He felt it would be easier if he could lift his hand to rub his eyes, but both arms felt as heavy as if they were made of iron. Had someone tied his entire body up? He felt suffocated, unable to move even a single finger.
“…Ugh.”
“Huh? Is he awake? Hey! Are you conscious?”
Someone approached the bed. The voice was unfamiliar. Who was it? No matter how much he searched his memory, no one came to mind.
The unknown man continued to shout at Woo Hyeong-seok to wake up. The untimely noise pollution made Woo Hyeong-seok’s brow furrow deeply. The man kept touching the bed, triggering dizziness. He struggled desperately just to open one eye. Slowly, his eyelid parted.
However, the incoming light was too bright, so he squeezed his eyes shut again. Not only his eyeballs but even his optic nerves felt stinging. In reality, the surroundings might not have been that bright. Perhaps Woo Hyeong-seok had simply been buried in darkness for too long.
“You’re finally awake. Are you okay? Do you know where you are?”
The man from before asked with relief. Woo Hyeong-seok braced himself once more and opened both eyes. He was uncomfortable due to the persistent glare, but this time he endured it, frowning. His vision, which had been blurred white, gradually stabilized and captured the surrounding scenery. A white ceiling and walls, a bed, curtains, and an IV drip. As expected, it seemed to be a hospital.
Woo Hyeong-seok rolled his eyes to find the man who had been calling him. Soon, he saw the man standing close to the bedside. As expected, it was a stranger.
“Mr. Woo Hyeong-seok?”
“…Ugh?”
He was about to ask who the man was, as the man had mentioned his name exactly. However, that question got stuck in his throat and failed to manifest as language. Had his tongue stiffened because it had been so long since he tried to speak? Woo Hyeong-seok strained his neck until his face turned red, trying to utter any word. Uselessly, his jaw would not move at all.
He poured all his strength into the simple act of opening his mouth. His limbs were stiff and trembled violently. He had no idea what had happened to him. It felt as if his pupils would roll out of his wide-open eyes. The man, flustered or perhaps trying to deny reality, tried to restrain Woo Hyeong-seok as he struggled with all his might.
“Calm down. It’s dangerous to move suddenly.”
“Auuu… uuu?”
Woo Hyeong-seok continued trying to say something, but his intentions were still not refined into language. The watching man scratched the back of his head with a troubled expression. Then, he suddenly pulled out his wallet and thrust it right in front of Woo Hyeong-seok’s nose.
Inside was the man’s identification.
“I am Park Jong-hyeon from the Violent Crimes Unit of the Incheon Western Police Station. I am investigating the murder and arson case that occurred a week ago at the old logistics warehouse. Mr. Woo Hyeong-seok, for now, you are the only person related to the case.”
It seemed as though Detective Park would not jump to conclusions about whether Woo Hyeong-seok was the perpetrator or the victim of the case, but his eyes were filled with suspicion. First, Detective Park gave a rough explanation of what had happened while Woo Hyeong-seok was unconscious.
“A report was received by the 119 emergency services around 4:30 AM a week ago. It was about a large-scale fire that broke out in an abandoned logistics warehouse. When we arrived at the scene, not only the warehouse but more than ten cars had been completely incinerated, and several corpses were discovered. Since they were mostly reduced to bone, it was difficult to determine the cause of death, but they said it wasn’t asphyxiation due to the fire. Large and small fractures were seen on each body, and tools such as iron pipes and knives, as well as firearms, were frequently found at the scene. Did you happen to have some kind of grudge against the deceased Mr. Jo Jung-man?”
“Mmph! Mmm-uuu!”
“Pardon?”
“Mmm-mph! Mmm-uu, uu!”
Kwon Su-hyeok’s existence was completely excluded from Detective Park’s assumptions. If left like this, the investigation might proceed as if Woo Hyeong-seok and Jo Jung-man had harmed each other after a dispute over interests. He had to correct this. He screamed the name ‘Baek Do-un’ until his throat felt like it would burst.
However, to Detective Park, it sounded like nothing more than indistinct shrieks.
“Good grief, how am I supposed to investigate like this? He can’t speak, he can’t move his hands…”
Detective Park complained to himself, irritably scratching the back of his ear. He let out a deep, heavy sigh.
Woo Hyeong-seok had already realized for some reason that he had become unable to speak. No matter what he tried, his jaw wouldn’t open at all. But he couldn’t even use his hands?
“…Mmm.”
Woo Hyeong-seok strained every nerve to move his fingers. But it didn’t go as planned. He remembered when Kwon Su-hyeok had made it so he couldn’t use his arms. It must be that the broken arms from back then hadn’t fully healed, and that’s why it was just temporarily uncomfortable. It had to be that.
Perhaps it was because he had been lying in bed for a week. His lower back was too stiff, and the back of his body touching the bed throbbed as if it were chafed. He jerked his upper body up, intending to sit up.
“……?”
For some reason, not a single part of his limbs would budge. It was as if only his soul inhabited a dead body; only his consciousness was clear. He tried to be optimistic, wondering if it was because he had been asleep for too long and strength hadn’t yet returned to his muscles shortly after regaining consciousness, but his breathing only grew more rapid. His body remained stuck to the bed. Even the bed didn’t shake at all. It was the same no matter how many times he tried.
“…Uuu!”
Detective Park looked down complicatedly at Woo Hyeong-seok, who was squirming incessantly in an attempt to get up—though in reality, he wasn’t moving a muscle—his face flushed bright red.
“You’ll find out soon anyway, but according to the doctor, it’s a miracle that you’re even alive, Mr. Woo Hyeong-seok. Because the nerves were damaged when your spine broke, you won’t be able to use anything below your neck. You have full-body fractures caused by a blunt object. The degree of damage is severe. It’s as if the bones in your entire body have been turned to powder. As for why you can’t speak, it’s because of the burns on your jaw. Even if it’s reconstructed through plastic surgery later, there’s a high possibility that your ability to speak will be permanently lost… It’s frustrating for us, too. For the sake of solving the case, we really need you to recover, Mr. Woo Hyeong-seok.”
“…Uuu? Mmm! Uuu-uuu!”
Woo Hyeong-seok screamed at the top of his lungs, denying his situation. Of course, even that was trapped inside his melted-together mouth and couldn’t leak out properly. It had to be a nightmare. It was a nonsense dream that would be nothing once he woke up.
Woo Hyeong-seok put all his strength into his body and struggled desperately. His bloodless face flushed red again, and veins stood out tautly on his forehead, jaw, and neck. However, even as he squeezed out every ounce of strength, he couldn’t move even a single tiny pinky finger as he wished. His body was not his own.
“Mr. Woo Hyeong-seok, please calm down. I know this is a shock, but you need to stay stable…”
“Uuu-aaaa! Uuu! Uuu-aaaa! Uuu-uuu-uu!”
Woo Hyeong-seok howled fiercely without any sign of calming down. Even if his throat burst, he was determined to make a sound. Unable to watch any longer, Detective Park pressed the call button. Medical staff soon rushed into the room. With practiced movements, they pinned down the highly agitated Woo Hyeong-seok’s limbs.
“Patient Woo Hyeong-seok, please calm down!”
“Uuu-uu! Uuu-uuu!”
“Breathe! You have to breathe.”
“Au-uuu! Ua-uu!”
“This won’t work.”
The doctor gave a silent signal to the nurse. The nurse nodded and took out a certain medication and injected it into Woo Hyeong-seok. It was a sedative. Through direct administration, the drug spread quickly through his body. The aggression of Woo Hyeong-seok, who had been struggling desperately while foaming at the mouth, noticeably subsided.
‘After today, Park Ju-wan will completely forget you. As if you never existed from the start.’
As his mind grew hazy, Kwon Su-hyeok’s final words suddenly came to mind. Whether Woo Hyeong-seok died like this or survived as a cripple, time would flow indifferently, the seasons would change without fail, and the world would go on as if nothing happened. Ju-wan, too, would live his future brazenly, having completely forgotten the existence of someone like him, as if nothing had happened and as if he hadn’t been hurt. He hated it. He could never stand the image of only Ju-wan being loved and happy while he himself was endlessly miserable.
If a god truly existed, he wondered how they could be this cruel to him. He felt resentful. Shouldn’t they not be like this, even if only out of apology for neglecting him like that during his childhood? He wanted to demand if there had ever been a single time when God was on Woo Hyeong-seok’s side.
Pitch-black despair opened its maw wide and swallowed Woo Hyeong-seok in one gulp. Wishing that everything was a dream, he lost consciousness.
At the sound of low footsteps, the inside of Kwon Su-hyeok’s eyelids fluttered. Soon, he slowly opened his eyes. His vision, which was blurry at first, gradually became clear, and he saw a familiar ceiling. Even so, his head was groggy, making it difficult to tell if he had woken up or if he was still in a dream.
Taking a weary breath, he turned his head toward where he felt a presence. He soon locked eyes with Jaguar, who was entering the room, pushing the open bedroom door with his head. The beast stood still, staring up at Kwon Su-hyeok with bright yellow eyes. A blanket was held in its mouth.
After facing Jaguar for a while, Kwon Su-hyeok rolled his eyes downward. Then, the sight of Ju-wan, asleep and lying face down on the bed, came into view.
Jaguar trotted the rest of the way and stretched his head out over the bed. Kwon Su-hyeok let out a dry laugh and gently stroked Jaguar’s head as he acted like a giant cat. The feel of the soft fur and the warm body temperature seemed to prove that this was not a dream. Receiving his touch obediently, Jaguar narrowed his eyes as if he were in a good mood.
He didn’t know how long he had been unconscious, but the sensation in his hands felt strange. His gaze turned back to the sleeping Ju-wan. He couldn’t see his face well. Had he been worried? He must have been. A poignant feeling welled up.
Just then, Jaguar stepped back and dropped the blanket he had been holding onto the back of Ju-wan’s body. He seemed to be trying to cover Ju-wan in his own way, but it didn’t seem easy. After nudging the blanket, which kept sliding down Ju-wan’s back, with his front paw, he eventually ended up bumping into Ju-wan.
Ju-wan, who had been in a light sleep, flinched his shoulder and soon began to wiggle his fingers. It seemed he had woken up.
“…Mmm.”
Kwon Su-hyeok silently watched Ju-wan as he slowly lifted his head. Ju-wan seemed not to know when or how he had fallen asleep. He blankly looked at Kwon Su-hyeok’s hand, which had been resting on his forehead, and then looked at the bustling Jaguar. Jaguar was still struggling with the blanket. Perhaps finding Jaguar admirable, Ju-wan reached out and hugged the beast tightly. Jaguar slightly lifted his head and rested his chin on Ju-wan’s shoulder. It was now as natural as if it were a habit. As Ju-wan gently stroked his back, Jaguar narrowed his eyes again and slowly wagged his tail against the floor. His two round ears were also flopped down without fail.
“Su-nam, when will Su-hyeok-ssi wake up? I have so many things I want to say…”
Ju-wan murmured in a bitter tone, repeatedly rubbing his cheek against Jaguar’s head. He paused because a hand suddenly reached out from behind and lightly ruffled his hair. Ju-wan turned his head with a bewildered expression. Eventually, his eyes met those of Kwon Su-hyeok, who had been watching him all along. A small gasp escaped Ju-wan.
“…Uh.”
As Ju-wan froze, unable to take his eyes off his face, Kwon Su-hyeok wrapped his hand around the back of Ju-wan’s head and slowly drew him into his embrace. Ju-wan didn’t resist and was drawn to him as if possessed. Ju-wan’s forehead bumped against Kwon Su-hyeok’s shoulder. He could clearly hear his weary breathing in his ear.
“Park Ju-wan.”
“…I was worried. Because you just kept sleeping. I was afraid you might not wake up. I was so scared.”
Kwon Su-hyeok shushed Ju-wan, who was pouring out the fear he had felt in a disjointed manner. Ju-wan, who had been becoming rapidly agitated to the point of barely breathing, finally calmed down.
“Sorry.”
He whispered softly and kissed Ju-wan’s head. Ju-wan just shook his head silently.
Every time Kwon Su-hyeok inhaled and exhaled, his firm chest rose and fell. That vitality was transmitted entirely to Ju-wan, who was pressed against him. The body temperature was the same. The steadily beating heart sounded peacefully in his ear. Though he had been badly hurt, he had returned alive like this. He couldn’t ask for anything more.
Ju-wan reached out his arms to hug Kwon Su-hyeok’s neck. Kwon Su-hyeok, who was about to embrace Ju-wan willingly, suddenly paused and grabbed his wrist firmly. When Ju-wan looked up in wonder, Kwon Su-hyeok’s gaze was fixed on the inside of his arm. Ju-wan looked at the same spot. Though it had faded slightly over time, a bruise from a needle remained on the inside of his arm. It seemed he had ended up giving blood. And not just once, but several times.
Kwon Su-hyeok’s brow furrowed. He gripped Ju-wan’s wrist tighter and pressed him.
“What is this? What on earth did you do…”
“I ate a lot.”
“…What?”
“I didn’t skip a single meal, and I ate fruits, vegetables, and meat evenly. Because I wanted to give Su-hyeok-ssi healthy blood if possible. I’ll keep doing that in the future. If Su-hyeok-ssi is in danger, I’ll give everything. So if you hate that, don’t handle this body carelessly. Don’t get hurt again. If you do it again, then I’ll really be angry…”
Ju-wan’s warning-not-a-warning couldn’t be finished. It was because Kwon Su-hyeok abruptly pressed his lips against Ju-wan’s, swallowing the remaining words. The brows of both men furrowed deeply at the missed sensation. The touch of carefully pulling each other closer was infinitely affectionate.
The breaths exchanged little by little through the touching lips trembled faintly. Kwon Su-hyeok’s dry tongue gradually became moist as it entwined slightly with Ju-wan’s. As they sucked on each other’s lips with kissing sounds, Jaguar, who had been watching quietly, leaped onto the bed. Then, he abruptly shoved his snout in. Ju-wan burst into a giggle. Sweet exhaled breath scattered ticklishly across the philtrum of Kwon Su-hyeok.
Kwon Su-hyeok embraced both lovely creatures. Jaguar struggled to escape his embrace, seemingly very uncomfortable, but failed because Ju-wan also hugged him.
Listening to the steady sound of Kwon Su-hyeok’s heart and buried in Jaguar’s soft fur, Ju-wan closed his eyes tightly. He felt full. So much so that even a single minute and second flowing by felt like a waste. He didn’t have to be anxious anymore, and he would always be this happy in the future, yet every single moment felt precious.
As if he didn’t want to miss a single instant, Kwon Su-hyeok held the squirming Ju-wan tightly and repeatedly rubbed his nose against his skin. Smelling the missed scent made his heart swell. He wondered if a piece of trash like himself was allowed to enjoy the luxury of someone like him.
He had never been afraid of dying in his entire life. From the moment he lost his sibling, from the moment he was betrayed by the person he trusted so much, he had given up on his future. Not once had he dared to dream of happiness.
But after meeting Ju-wan, watching him, and beginning to hold him in his heart, he became curious about tomorrow. He wanted to stay by his side and watch how he changed day by day.
He felt sorry for his sibling, but he felt relieved at every single moment. He was glad he had lived until now.
Baek Do-un was sitting slanted in a dining chair. With a medical bag spread open in front of him, he rested his chin on his arm and observed someone. Where his steady gaze landed, Jeon Mi-nam, with a bandage wrapped around his head and a cast on one arm, was in the middle of preparing a meal. The scent of cool bean sprout soup wafted up. The rice cooker had also begun to steam.
Jeon Mi-nam, who was turning toward the refrigerator unconsciously, paused upon discovering Baek Do-un staring at him. Soon, he let out a shallow sigh and made a troubled expression. It was bothersome to be watched continuously as if under surveillance.
“Please rest outside. I’ll call you when the meal is ready.”
“Don’t mind me and just do what you were doing.”
To stare like that and tell him not to mind. Jeon Mi-nam sighed softly, took the necessary ingredients from the refrigerator, and headed back to the cooking counter. Baek Do-un again obsessively examined his movements. Though it was only slightly, his injured leg still seemed uncomfortable.
As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Kwon Su-hyeok was moved to the operating room and Jeon Mi-nam to the imaging room. In Kwon Su-hyeok’s case, the bullet had passed through his body and hadn’t touched any dangerous areas. He was lucky. The stab wound on his shoulder was deep, but only the muscle was damaged, and the tendons and ligaments were relatively in good condition. Although he had improved significantly, showing monster-like recovery after surgery, it would be difficult for him to move around for a while.
As a result of the CT scan, Jeon Mi-nam showed signs of a micro-cranial fracture and cerebral hemorrhage. If the bleeding increased, surgery would be inevitable. Fortunately, as the pooled blood was slowly absorbed, he barely managed to avoid the operating table. Even so, he would suffer from dizziness for a while. All strenuous physical activity was prohibited until he stabilized. In reality, he was ignoring the advice to just get plenty of rest and was preparing a meal.
He stood up and walked toward the pot. The bean sprout soup was boiling appetizingly. Jeon Mi-nam, who was taking out a frying pan with the intention of frying tofu, watched Baek Do-un, who was lingering in front of the stove, with suspicion.
“I can taste this, right?”
While asking for permission, Baek Do-un had already taken out a spoon and scooped up a spoonful of soup. Then, while blowing on the hot broth to cool it, he chattered.
“Whenever I see someone who’s good at cooking, I feel like getting married.”
Jeon Mi-nam sliced the tofu as if he couldn’t hear Baek Do-un’s words. Tofu was cut into uniform sizes and shapes by his hand. Meanwhile, Baek Do-un slurped the soup he had sufficiently cooled. As expected, it was refreshing and the aftertaste was clean. Jeon Mi-nam’s gaze subtly landed on his cheek.
“Wow, it’s delicious. Mi-nam-ssi, won’t you really marry me?”
He threw out a sudden joke with a sly smile. He probably meant it as high praise, but to Jeon Mi-nam, it just felt like he was teasing.
“…Could you move aside? I have to fry the tofu.”
“That’s too much. Rejecting a proposal with tofu.”
Again, Jeon Mi-nam acted as if he hadn’t heard, turned on the heat, and placed the frying pan on top. He poured a generous amount of oil. Baek Do-un, who was watching from the side, suddenly reached out and turned off the heat that had just been turned on. Then, he pulled the arm of the bewildered Jeon Mi-nam.
“Fry the tofu later and let’s disinfect first.”
“I’ll just finish preparing the meal first…”
“Then you’ll just tell me to eat first because the food is getting cold. Mi-nam-ssi, start taking care of your own body now. Do you know how ridiculous this is? Who’s taking care of whom, when you’re both patients.”
At the following scolding, Jeon Mi-nam couldn’t argue further and shut his mouth. Baek Do-un stood him in front of the dining table. As he took out gloves from the medical bag and put them on, he scanned the motionless man from top to bottom.
“What are you doing? Take them off.”
“That’s a bit…”
“I’ve already seen your butt, so why are you suddenly being shy?”
“…….”
“The pants won’t roll up to the wound area. Because your thighs are thick, Mi-nam-ssi. Or what, do I have to take them off for you again?”
Baek Do-un looked as if he would pounce at any moment. Jeon Mi-nam hurriedly said, ‘I’ll do it,’ and undone the buckle. However, even after lowering the zipper, he kept holding onto his waist. Baek Do-un casually brushed his hand away. Only then did the pants slide down and catch on his knees.
Kneeling on the floor, he stared intently at the wound on his thigh. Although the area was narrow, it was quite deep, meaning it required consistent disinfection and care to prevent infection. The swelling around the wound hadn’t fully subsided yet. Under Baek Do-un’s cautious gaze, Jeon Mi-nam abruptly turned his head away. The tips of his ears flushed a subtle red. As Baek Do-un shifted his eyes away from the wound, his expression suddenly turned mischievous.
“You’re not wearing briefs today?”
“Just hurry up with the disinfection.”
In an instant, not only Mi-nam’s ears but his neck turned red as well. Baek Do-un let out a short laugh and used tweezers to pick up a cotton ball, soaking it thoroughly in medicine. He then meticulously disinfected Mi-nam’s wound. Despite repeatedly dabbing away the dripping liquid with cotton, a single droplet stubbornly slid down toward the knee. Baek Do-un’s eyes slowly followed the movement.
When there was no word that it was finished despite the wait, Jeon Mi-nam looked down at Baek Do-un, questioning the long silence. Baek Do-un suddenly snapped back to his senses and beamed. A playful expression had settled on his face in the meantime.
“Mi-nam, you’re quite gallant today, aren’t you?”
“Please stop saying things like that.”
“Why? What do you think I meant by that?”
“…….”
“Did it sound erotic? I just said it because I’m envious. Even to another man, your body is impressive, Mi-nam.”
“That sounds like sexual harassment.”
Jeon Mi-nam hurriedly adjusted his pants. Baek Do-un chuckled as he tidied up. As he did, he muttered something cryptic: “So you weren’t completely oblivious.”
Jeon Mi-nam hurried back toward the kitchen counter. Even from behind, the backs of his ears were bright red, as if they were about to burst. Seeing such an honest reaction only made Do-un want to tease him more.
“Are you running away again?”
“…The soup is boiling.”
The excuse was so clumsily typical of Jeon Mi-nam that Do-un burst into laughter. Because Jeon Mi-nam moved awkwardly, like a machine experiencing buffering, Baek Do-un’s laughter showed no sign of stopping.
He hadn’t known he’d be able to laugh while exchanging light jokes like this. During the time when Ju-wan wasn’t there, this place had been nothing but a desolate space. There was no smell of delicious food, no sound of loud chatter, and no sunlight that reached inside all day. There were never any days that felt precious. He simply moved because the sun set and rose again.
One person cannot change everything in an instant. However, someone’s warmth spreads slowly, bit by bit, and before you know it, you look back to find that many things have changed. It would likely continue to change subtly like that in the future. He began to look forward to what tomorrow would bring.
* * *
It was a spring day, about two months later, when contact came from Lee Seon-yong. He delivered entirely unexpected news. It was about Woo Hyeong-seok, with whom Ju-wan had no current connection.
He said that several people had visited Ju-wan, who was legally Woo Hyeong-seok’s only remaining relative. It was to notify him of the fact that Woo Hyeong-seok had died. Since Ju-wan’s whereabouts had been unknown after his forced admission to the psychiatric hospital, it seemed they had even gone as far as searching for the address of his birthplace.
Woo Hyeong-seok was dead. The man he loathed had suddenly vanished from the world. A suicide, they said. He wasn’t happy. He wasn’t sad either. He simply thought, I see.
He had always hoped that his ties with Woo Hyeong-seok would be severed. He wanted him to be miserable, to pay dearly for his sins. However, he hadn’t expected his long-held wish to be realized through the man’s death. Much less that Woo Hyeong-seok would let go of life on his own.
He was purely curious. Why would Woo Hyeong-seok—a man who spent his life hiding his own faults by blaming others and justifying violence through resentment toward his parents—suddenly harm himself? What kind of despair had driven a man who cared only for himself to such an extreme?
An indefinable sense of emptiness washed over him. Was this the feeling of being liberated? He didn’t know. Strangely, his chest felt a sharp ache. It felt as if, in trying to treat a festering, suppurating wound, the healthy flesh around it had been carved away as well. Did Woo Hyeong-seok repent in the moment his breath stopped? If so, it might have provided some small comfort to the victims he had produced and their families, but the thought was so unimaginable that it left a bitter taste.
“We have arrived.”
He had come to meet the detective who had left his contact information with Lee Seon-yong. Jeon Mi-nam, as well as Kwon Su-hyeok and Baek Do-un, accompanied him. It was out of concern for Ju-wan, who might be confused.
Before getting out of the car, Kwon Su-hyeok suddenly took Ju-wan’s hand. Ju-wan looked at Su-hyeok’s hand tightly enveloping his own, then shifted his gaze to his face. Su-hyeok, who had been staring straight ahead, turned his head to meet his eyes. For some reason, his gaze was trembling slightly.
“I did it.”
“What? Su-hyeok, what did you….”
“I wanted to remove Woo Hyeong-seok from your life, once and for all. Since there is no God, I wanted to be the one to judge that bastard. To make him regret tormenting you, and to ensure he could never touch you again.”
Ju-wan’s eyes widened. He had thought that the reason Kwon Su-hyeok had been seriously injured recently was due to professional friction. Su-hyeok had mentioned that even before living with Ju-wan, he had lived a precarious life to the point where there wasn’t enough blood available for transfusions.
He had no idea that Su-hyeok would engage in such a reckless fight for Ju-wan’s personal revenge. This was because everyone, including Kwon Su-hyeok, had kept it strictly hidden from Ju-wan. If Ju-wan knew that others had dirtied their hands for his sake and ended up getting hurt, he would surely be plagued by unnecessary guilt. Had he known of Su-hyeok’s plan, he would have undoubtedly urged him to stop.
But evil does not disappear by being appeased or ignored. The more it is overlooked, the more it tends to assert its presence. If it could have been corrected, it wouldn’t have become so evil in the first place. An irredeemable villain must be thoroughly isolated, even for the public good.
While Woo Hyeong-seok might not have died directly by Kwon Su-hyeok’s hand, it was as if he had killed him. That was Kwon Su-hyeok’s way. Until now, he hadn’t felt any particular guilt. Yet, there was an unprecedented anxiety in the way Su-hyeok held Ju-wan’s hand.
“If you’re scared, run away. Go to that detective and tell him everything….”
Ju-wan suddenly leaned in toward Kwon Su-hyeok. Their lips brushed lightly before parting. Ju-wan gazed steadily at the bewildered Kwon Su-hyeok. He turned his hand to properly clasp Su-hyeok’s.
“…If it weren’t for you, Su-hyeok, I might have done it myself one day. Thank you. And I’m sorry for making you do such a dangerous thing because of me.”
He gave a calm smile to reassure Kwon Su-hyeok.
“I’ll be right back.”
Ju-wan entered the cafe alone, without anyone accompanying him. Since it was a secluded cafe and early on a weekday, it wasn’t hard to spot Detective Park. Detective Park noticed Ju-wan approaching and stood up with a nod.
“Mr. Park Ju-wan?”
“Yes. I am Park Ju-wan.”
“I am Park Jong-hyeon, the detective from the Incheon Western Police Station who contacted you.”
Detective Park offered a handshake without hesitation. Since handshakes were awkward for him, Ju-wan lightly gripped his hand and then let go.
“Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
“You must have been surprised to get the call.”
“…Yes.”
Detective Park first asked simple questions about the relationship between Ju-wan and Woo Hyeong-seok. Given that they were half-brothers who met after they had already grown to some extent, and that there had been no contact since Ju-wan’s hospitalization in the psychiatric ward, the detective seemed to have a general idea of their relationship.
“So, have you completed your treatment?”
“Yes.”
Detective Park nodded and briefly explained the events that had recently occurred to Woo Hyeong-seok. He said that a large-scale fire had broken out during a common power struggle between organizations, and Woo Hyeong-seok was found as the sole survivor at the scene.
However, while he barely survived, he had become a disabled person beyond words. While receiving treatment at the hospital without a guardian, he had reportedly stopped his own breathing out of despair over his condition. Until then, he had frequently suffered from seizures while denying reality, enduring each day by relying on sedatives.
What had Woo Hyeong-seok thought while deprived of both will and freedom? Had he too realized that a bound life is worse than death? Compared to the ten years Ju-wan had endured, or the pain Ju-wan’s deceased girlfriend had suffered, it was an infinitely short and light punishment, but it would have been enough to taste a fraction of that agony.
Ju-wan, who had listened quietly without any emotional agitation, confirmed only one thing.
“The body….”
“Since we couldn’t reach you at the time of death, we had no choice but to process him as an unclaimed body. None of the people around Mr. Woo Hyeong-seok wanted the body returned. If you request it now, we can deliver the remains to you. You should also be able to inherit Mr. Woo Hyeong-seok’s estate.”
“No. That’s fine.”
He rejected it outright. Detective Park pressed his lips together and nodded. A stranger cannot rashly judge the relationship between the deceased and their bereaved family. Sometimes, blood ties are worse than strangers or enemies. Looking at Woo Hyeong-seok’s family history, Ju-wan’s indifferent reaction was unusual, but not strange.
“Is there anything else you would like to ask?”
“Is the place where the remains are enshrined far from Yangpyeong?”
“Yangpyeong?”
At the unexpected question, Detective Park raised an eyebrow in confusion. When he had been kidnapped by Woo Hyeong-seok, the man had excitedly rambled on about the end of his biological father. How his mother had harmed him, how he had helped, and even how he had framed his mother for the crime. He said his father’s remains were buried somewhere in Yangpyeong. He had also bragged that whenever his wretched past came to mind, he would go there and dig up his biological father’s grave over and over again.
He had spent a horrific childhood because of his parents and lived a twisted life, unable to escape those memories. There was no need to repeat that wretched ill-fate even in death.
“Anywhere is fine, as long as it is far away from that place.”
That was the first and last consideration he showed toward his half-blood relative.
Having finished speaking, Ju-wan gave a quiet bow and stood up. Then, he left the cafe without lingering. Kwon Su-hyeok, who had been waiting outside, embraced Ju-wan silently. It was the moment he was finally and completely liberated from the shadows of the past.
He didn’t know if he could forgive Woo Hyeong-seok or not. At the very least, it wasn’t something possible right now. However, after a long time had passed—long enough to forget even the fact of his death—those stale emotions would likely fade. Woo Hyeong-seok’s existence and the atrocities he committed would be buried under a new daily life and a colorful accumulation of emotions, forgotten one by one.
He felt a sudden bitterness. Because he felt certain that he could erase him perfectly and cleanly, as if Woo Hyeong-seok had never existed at all.
To have one’s existence completely erased from the world. And for the days to continue flowing indifferently despite that. To a man who feared indifference as much as brutal violence, there could be no harsher condemnation.
On the way back, neither Kwon Su-hyeok nor Ju-wan said a word. Ju-wan seemed lost in thought, and Su-hyeok seemed not to want to disturb him. Even Jeon Mi-nam kept his eyes fixed forward while driving, leaving Baek Do-un to stare boredly out the window.
Unable to endure the long silence, Baek Do-un suddenly looked back at the rear seat.
“Ju-wan, did you check what your grandfather left for you?”
“No. Not yet.”
“Why? Aren’t you curious what it is?”
“I am, but I haven’t had the chance to check.”
Baek Do-un nodded as if that made sense. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the past few months had been days of sheer passion. Even Baek Do-un himself had been frantic, so he could only imagine how it was for Ju-wan.
Soon, Baek Do-un grinned, curling the corners of his mouth.
“How about today, while we’re at it? Since we’re already out.”
“Today?”
“Yeah, today. It’s not something to keep putting off. Who knows what’s in the safe.”
“I don’t have high expectations.”
“Still, it’s a safe; something precious must be in there. Do you have the key?”
“Yes, I always carry it. Since my grandfather left it to me, it feels like a lucky charm.”
Ju-wan took out the key he wore as a pendant around his neck and fiddled with it. Kwon Su-hyeok reached out and gently stroked the back of Ju-wan’s head. Naturally, Ju-wan’s gaze turned toward him.
“Do that.”
A warm and gentle gaze settled on Ju-wan. It was a look that likely only Ju-wan could receive. The fine hairs on the back of his ears stood up for no reason. Ju-wan looked down at the key again and slowly nodded. Jeon Mi-nam, watching the scene through the rearview mirror, turned the car toward the bank on his own.
“This is it. Please take your time to check, and call me if you need anything.”
The bank clerk bowed politely and stepped out. Ju-wan was left with a small safe, about 30cm wide.
Taking a small breath, he inserted the key. With a click, the safe opened. Inside were several old envelopes. The most eye-catching among them was a small lucky pouch embroidered with blue and red threads.
He untied the string and checked the contents. Several small gold rings, presumed to be first-birthday rings, spilled into his palm. They seemed to be gifts he had received on his first birthday. Not a single one had been thrown away or used carelessly; they had been kept intact. It felt as if many people had celebrated Ju-wan’s birth and blessed his future.
Ju-wan pushed aside the envelopes containing various deeds and land documents and pulled out a leather notebook from the very bottom. The cover was considerably worn from the passage of time. As he flipped open the wrinkled cover, he saw his grandfather’s name engraved on the inside. He gently touched the name before turning the pages with trembling hands.
On the back page, there was a photo of his grandfather holding a newborn baby. Below it, the bewildered feelings of suddenly gaining a grandson, the worries, and the uncontrollable joy were written in dense detail. Following that, photos of Ju-wan growing up and his grandfather’s feelings at the time were recorded vividly and in detail, like a diary. Every single letter, written with care, was filled with affection and concern for his young grandson. The old notebook was a kind of parenting diary.
Upon reaching the final page, two faded photographs fluttered down. He leaned over to pick up the fallen photos. They were rare black-and-white photographs. His grandfather in his youth was there. And in his arms, a child was being held. He looked similar to Ju-wan as a baby, but he definitely wasn’t Ju-wan. Compared to Ju-wan, he felt more like his grandfather. Was it his father?
In the other photo was a youthful man who looked to be in his early twenties. It seemed to be a photo taken around the time he entered college. Though he had never seen him, there was no doubt it was his father. For some reason, his chest ached with a suffocating feeling.
Ju-wan hugged his grandfather’s diary and his father’s photos tightly. Kwon Su-hyeok embraced Ju-wan once more. Rubbing his head against Su-hyeok’s shoulder, Ju-wan wore a cozy smile.
“It really was a treasure.”
* * *
After finishing their meal, Ju-wan and Baek Do-un were sitting side by side on the sofa. Jaguar was also lying flat on its belly beneath them, enjoying its own leisure by nudging Ju-wan with its tail. Its eyes, however, were fixed on the rabbit that Baek Do-un was constantly petting. From the kitchen, the sound of Jeon Mi-nam doing the dishes could be heard occasionally. It was an extremely peaceful evening scene.
Kwon Su-hyeok, who had stepped into the bedroom for a moment, passed through the living room and headed toward the bathroom. Ju-wan, who had been lightly touching the rabbit beside Baek Do-un, turned his head to follow Su-hyeok. Baek Do-un, who also glanced at Su-hyeok, spoke while looking back at the rabbit.
“Kwon Su-hyeok, going to wash up?”
“Why do you suddenly care?”
“Be careful, you brat. If your wound gets infected, I’m the only one who suffers.”
Kwon Su-hyeok didn’t respond and turned away. It seemed Baek Do-un’s interference was quite annoying. He entered the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Baek Do-un, unbothered, shouted loudly.
“I warned you! Just try getting an infection. I’ll kill you then!”
It wasn’t entirely an empty threat. He didn’t know how much he had struggled treating Kwon Su-hyeok and Jeon Mi-nam. It was because both of them had ignored the instruction to maintain absolute stability. While Jeon Mi-nam had limited himself to housework, Kwon Su-hyeok couldn’t resist sex, which led to trouble. The sutures would burst at the slightest provocation, and wounds that had barely healed would become infected. It seemed that even Ju-wan’s attempts to stop him were useless. Since Su-hyeok hadn’t even gone to the office under the pretext of treatment and had stayed glued to him the whole time, it was obvious what had happened.
Since it was a hardship Kwon Su-hyeok brought upon himself, there was nothing to pity, but it was simply irritating that Baek Do-un had to repeat the suturing and treatment because of it.
Soon, the sound of running water began to echo from the bathroom. After watching intently for a while, Ju-wan stood up. He went into the bedroom, changed his clothes, and came back out wearing a thin short-sleeved t-shirt and wide-legged shorts. As he walked past the living room toward the bathroom, Jaguar, who had been watching, quickly scrambled up and followed closely behind him.
Meanwhile, Kwon Su-hyeok, who was sitting in the bathtub, stared toward the door at the sudden sound of it opening. Ju-wan and Jaguar entered one after the other.
“What is it?”
“I’ll help you wash.”
Since his injury, Su-hyeok had often received Ju-wan’s help to wipe his body and wash his hair. There was no longer a need for it, but there was no reason to refuse. Kwon Su-hyeok gave a small smirk and nodded. At that, Ju-wan perched himself on the edge of the tub. As he spread his legs to signal Su-hyeok to lean back against him, his white thighs were fully revealed.
“Lean here.”
Kwon Su-hyeok obediently turned around and rested his head against Ju-wan’s thigh. As if he had been waiting for this, Ju-wan applied a waterproof dressing band to the wound on Su-hyeok’s shoulder. Although it was almost completely healed now, given Baek Do-un’s warning, it didn’t hurt to be cautious.
“Looking back, Baek Do-un was a spy.”
Kwon Su-hyeok murmured softly with a smirk. His low voice and languid tone were quite captivating. Perhaps it felt that way even more because of his eyebrows, which had grown darker from being wet, and his sharply defined facial features.
Ju-wan’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. In a fit of inexplicable nervousness, he reflexively bit his plump lower lip. Then, keeping his gaze fixed on Kwon Su-hyeok’s face, he turned on the shower. He adjusted the water temperature and thoroughly soaked Kwon Su-hyeok’s jet-black hair; even as he began to shampoo, his steady gaze never wavered.
He worked up a generous amount of lather and gave Su-hyeok a refreshing scalp massage. He languidly caressed the areas around the ears and the nape of the neck. Kwon Su-hyeok’s face relaxed comfortably, and he let out a pleasant moan.
In the next moment, with a soft chu sound, their lips met lightly. Kwon Su-hyeok opened his closed eyes. Ju-wan’s dazed face filled his vision.
“…….”
“…….”
Ju-wan looked more surprised than the person who had been suddenly kissed. After staring at each other in silence for a moment, Kwon Su-hyeok twisted his body to turn around. He then grabbed Ju-wan’s wrist and pulled him close.
“Wait—”
Ju-wan’s voice, attempting to stop him, was blocked by Kwon Su-hyeok’s lips, which pressed against his with some intensity. The shower, which hadn’t been turned off, sprayed water haphazardly. An untimely torrential rain poured down in the warmth of the bathroom.
Even as their bodies became helplessly drenched, they continued to kiss. Exchanging hot breaths, they nibbled and pulled at each other’s lips. Every time their lips met and parted, a wet, friction-filled chu, chu sound leaked out. Their movements, craving and confirming affection, were quite poignant. As soon as they reluctantly pulled apart, they shared another light peck. Neither one started it; they simply did it together.
Kwon Su-hyeok gazed quietly into Ju-wan’s longing eyes, then pressed his lips carefully onto his eyebrows, eyelids, the bridge of his nose, the philtrum, and his chin. They were infinitely cautious kisses, as if afraid he might crumble. Ju-wan’s face relaxed in pleasure. The corners of Kwon Su-hyeok’s mouth curved into an arc.
He was a ray of light and a sweet rain in a life that had been nothing but deep darkness. It was the same for Ju-wan toward Kwon Su-hyeok. They had followed the light that came to them like destiny to reach this point. They were helplessly drenched in that rain. Love was that blind and ruthless.
Ju-wan rubbed his cheek against Kwon Su-hyeok’s hand. Then, with his clear eyes full of the man, he confessed.
“Please swallow me whole, without leaving anything behind.”
A pure devotion promising to risk everything. A plea to be fully accepted. Kwon Su-hyeok smirked at the strange and abrupt confession that carried both meanings. He then pressed his lips to Ju-wan’s before pulling away and warned him.
“Don’t regret it.”
Just then, feeling something suddenly pounce from behind, he reflexively turned his head. Jaguar, standing on the edge of the tub with his front paws, thrust his snout toward Ju-wan’s mouth. It had happened once before, so he thought it was a coincidence, but now it seemed the animal was mimicking Kwon Su-hyeok’s behavior.
Ju-wan grabbed Jaguar’s face and wiggled his fingers to massage the animal’s cheeks, then lightly pressed his lips to its snout. In response, the beast stuck out its rough tongue and licked Ju-wan’s lips and cheeks wildly. Ju-wan burst into laughter because it tickled.
Though not in a conventional sense, he had gained a precious family. He was being loved more fully than ever. He was in love. There was nothing more to wish for.