By Zephyria 
As soon as the door closed, Tae-heun embraced the man tightly. But the man hadn’t fully pulled his injured arm away, so the embrace was awkward. They giggled and separated.
Tae-heun helped the man take his injured arm off the armrest, and then embraced him gently this time.
“I was worried. You disappeared so suddenly. Without a word.”
His voice trembled.
“I’m sorry.”
“You should have at least said something before leaving.”
“I thought you wouldn’t let me go if I told you.”
Stung to the quick, Tae-heun hugged the man even tighter.
“I missed you.”
He buried his face in the Man’s neck. He sniffed, inhaling the familiar scent. The Man’s scent. He felt the man chuckle silently.
“Ki-beom? Didn’t you miss me?”
“I missed you.”
“Me too. I really missed you.”
They stayed like that for a long time before finally breaking apart.
“Are you okay anywhere else? I heard you fell? You’re not scraped up?”
He asked, feeling the Man’s body. The the man pushed Tae-heun’s hands away, saying, “I’m fine. I’m not hurt anywhere.” Tae-heun felt a little hurt.
“Okay. That’s good.”
“Tae-heun’s wrist.”
Instead, the man looked down at Tae-heun’s hand with a worried expression.
“Ah. This? I was just fooling around.”
“What kind of fooling around leaves you with bruises like that?”
“I don’t know.”
He smiled foolishly. The the man shook his head, saying, “Honestly, Tae-heun.”
They exchanged glances. The the man stared at Tae-heun with that somewhat indifferent expression he always wore. The Man’s dark eyes seemed particularly deep.
“I have so much I want to say.”
Tae-heun said this and kissed the Man.
Jeong Jae-jin was just on the other side of the door, and there was a guy named Kim Deliveryman, but he didn’t care. It could be the last embrace, the last kiss, the last everything, so he poured all his passion into kissing the Man.
Startled by the sudden kiss, the man tried to push him away but soon gave up and accepted Tae-heun’s kiss.
The kiss quickly turned into a make-out session. Both Tae-heun and the man explored each other’s mouths as if parched. Their tongues intertwined, bit, and sucked. They cupped each other’s cheeks with both hands and tilted their heads, pressing their lips together without any gaps. They forgot all about embarrassment and panted.
The Man, startled by the sound of knocking on the door, pushed Tae-heun away. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand, looking shy. Tae-heun was so disappointed that he went back to the man and pecked at his lips. The the man laughed.
Too eager, Tae-heun’s expressions of affection were just hectic.
“Let’s go home. Let’s do it there.”
The the man said innocently.
“Yong-joon turned himself in. The prosecutor thought Yong-joon was secretly contacting me, so he followed me and heard the news that he turned himself in. He was waiting at the terminal. I didn’t even know.”
The the man said that much and then added, “Anyway, we can go home now.”
The the man seemed very excited as he said this.
Kwon Yong-joon turned himself in.
It was news to Tae-heun.
“Tae-heun, you’ve suffered a lot because of me. Because I was so stubborn, we ended up coming all the way out here.”
The the man said apologetically, smiling awkwardly.
The the man thought that the start of this whole journey was because of him. He genuinely believed that Kwon Yong-joon had contacted him for help, and that’s why he had left home with Tae-heun.
In reality, it was Lee Seon-jae’s escape, but the man really didn’t know anything. He had to tell him the truth now. But he couldn’t bring himself to say it. The the man looked happy for the first time in a long time, and he seemed genuinely relieved, so he didn’t want to shatter that expectation. He knew it was a cowardly excuse, but that’s how he felt.
“Let’s stop by Seoul to see Ji-hye before we go home, okay?”
“Yeah. Okay.”
Tae-heun couldn’t say anything. He just said, “Okay. That’s a good idea.” He smiled brightly.
His throat kept tightening. Because this might be the last time, because it could be the last time.
His heart crumbled at the thought that he might never see the man again, never hold him, never kiss him. His insides were rotting.
The Man, who knew nothing, looked at Tae-heun with a puzzled expression. His reaction must not have been very enthusiastic. Maybe he was grimacing because he was trying not to cry.
“Why? Does your wrist hurt?”
“No. I’m just so happy to see you, Ki-beom.”
His eyes turned red.
“I’m so glad to see you that I feel like I’m going to cry.”
He deliberately tried to be cheerful.
“Honestly, Tae-heun, the more I see you, the more simple you seem.”
The way he tossed the words out was affectionate.
“I’m not simple, I’m just sensitive. I’m secretly sentimental.”
The the man chuckled at the word “sentimental.”
“Ji-hye would tease you about that for the rest of your life if she heard you.”
“Really? It’s a secret from Ji-hye.”
“Yeah.”
Tae-heun kissed the man again.
“Hey. Why don’t you stop that?”
Jeong Jae-jin knocked on the door roughly.
The two men laughed as they kissed, ignoring the intruder’s voice. The the man pulled away first. At the same time, the door swung open. Jeong Jae-jin poked his head in and said, “Ki-beom, Kim Deliveryman says you have to go now?”
“Ah. Deliveryman Hyung is going to take me.”
It seemed that he and Kim Deliveryman had become close enough to call each other “hyung” in the meantime.
“Really?”
“Yeah. He has some business to take care of, so he’ll do that first. I told him that Tae-heun and I could go together, but the prosecutor doesn’t seem to be reassured. He said they’re dangerous people and they might take it out on me because they’re angry about losing Yong-joon.”
The the man genuinely believed Jeong Jae-jin’s words. That was a relief.
“That’s right. I heard that too. They’re bad people, and they might mess with innocent people if they get upset.”
Tae-heun agreed exaggeratedly.
“Right?”
“Yeah. I’m glad I listened to the prosecutor.”
The the man was pleased with Tae-heun’s praise.
“Let’s go, quickly. Deliveryman Hyung is waiting.”
The the man put the armrest back on and pulled Tae-heun’s hand with his good arm. But when Tae-heun didn’t budge, he turned back with a puzzled look.
“I can’t go with you.”
Tae-heun put on a troubled expression.
“Huh?”
The Man’s eyes widened.
“You know how the car was stolen in Pyeongtaek?”
“Yeah.”
“It looks like it was found in Jeonju.”
“Ah.”
“The police told me to come, but Hyung is in Pyeongtaek, so it’s a bit difficult for him to move right away. And I happen to be nearby. So I decided to go and check it out first. They said it might take a while.”
Uncharacteristically, his excuse was long and rambling. He hated himself for having to lie even at this moment, which might be the last with the Man.
But the unsuspecting the man nodded diligently and said, “That’s right. Since the owner is different.”
“So what I’m saying is, Ki-beom, go first. I’ll take care of things and follow you right away.”
Even though he had been nodding a moment ago, the man looked disappointed. He seemed to want to say that he wanted to go together, but he didn’t because Tae-heun added that it might take a long time. It must have been because of the the child.
“Then, the contact.”
He pointed to the pager and cell phone he was wearing on his belt.
“Ki-beom, you take them.”
“How can I do that?”
“What do you mean, how? Just take good care of them like you’re doing now.”
Tae-heun deliberately stroked the belt with his hand. As he did so, he hugged his waist lightly and then let go.
“Then I’ll just take the pager. Tae-heun, you use the cell phone.”
When the man tried to take out the cell phone, Tae-heun held his hand tightly.
“Ki-beom, you take everything.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll just buy another one.”
He winked.
“Why? They’re going to be really expensive.”
The the man was genuinely concerned.
“That’s how I’ll talk to Ki-beom.”
“Still. It’s almost useless when you go to Dongjam-ri because it barely works.”
“You’re going to Seoul, right? It works everywhere there. And I was going to buy one for Ki-beom anyway. I feel bad that I get to use the new one first.”
The two bickered over the pager and cell phone.
“Hey, is this some kind of pager store? You’re going to see each other again, what’s with all the fuss about the pager? Ki-beom, let’s go.”
Kim Deliveryman urged the Man.
The the man grabbed Tae-heun’s hand one more time, as if he was sad that they couldn’t go together.
“You’ll call, right?”
The the man asked.
“Of course. I’ll call you so often that it’ll be annoying.”
When Tae-heun joked, the man laughed with an expression that said he couldn’t help it.
“Let’s go. Quickly. He’s waiting.”
“Yeah. Tae-heun, finish your work and come right away.”
“Yeah. I will.”
No sooner had Tae-heun finished speaking than the Man’s hand moved away.
The the man staggered and disappeared out the door. Tae-heun couldn’t bear to see the Man’s back, or rather, he didn’t want to see it, so he stood with his back turned.
“Tae-heun.”
“Huh?”
Despite his vow never to look back, he rushed to the Man’s call.
The Man, standing below the platform, pointed to his sneakers and said, “I’ll wear the dress shoes.”
“They got a little wet in the rain, but I dried them overnight, so they should be fine to wear.”
“No. I’ll wear the dress shoes. Take them off.”
Tae-heun stepped barefoot onto the dirt floor and immediately squatted down at his feet. Then he stubbornly tried to take off one of the dress shoes the man was wearing. The Man, flustered, tried to pull his foot away, lost his balance, and plopped down on the platform.
“My shoes are a mess because I’ve been walking through mud on the rainy road. I should have cleaned them if I knew I was going to see Ki-beom. And my style right now is all black. So I want to wear matching shoes if possible. I like matching colors more than you think.”
He said nonsense and stubbornly put the sneakers on the Man. As he put them on, he stroked the Man’s ankle and caressed his anklebone. The Man’s face turned bright red. It was probably red up to his neck.
“I’ll put them on.”
“Hey, just stay still. The shoe prince is supposed to put them on for you.”
“Honestly, Tae-heun. Why is there a prince here?”
The the man complained, conscious of the two men who were watching them, but he didn’t stop Tae-heun.
“Damn it.”
Kim Deliveryman clicked his tongue. At that sound, Tae-heun and the man looked at each other and smiled slightly. Tae-heun mouthed, “He must be jealous.”
As he put on the sneakers, all sorts of emotions surged through him.
“All done.”
He looked up at the man and smiled brightly.
The the man looked down with affectionate eyes. The Man, standing on the wooden floor, reached out his hand to Tae-heun.
Tae-heun used the Man’s strong hand as a support and stood up. The two men shook hands as if they were going to shake hands.
“See you later.”
The the man said.
“Yeah.”
Tae-heun replied.
“Hey, let’s go. Let’s go! Why are you saying goodbye for so long? Are you dating?”
At Kim Deliveryman’s grumbling, the man and Tae-heun laughed loudly at the same time.
It was really time to say goodbye now. Tae-heun smiled at the Man. He tried to show the Man, who he might never see again, the prettiest face he could, with the brightest smile he had ever given in his life.
The the man nodded and then, very indifferently, followed Kim Deliveryman without looking back. The door of the greenhouse closed like that.
The the man left. He really left. He sent him away without even telling him who he was.
The Man’s figure was faintly visible beyond the greenhouse. Staggering, the man was diligently following the small, nimble shadow. The Man’s wobbly back, which had never bothered him before, was very sad today.
You will become a cripple wearing my white sneakers, And I will become a cripple wearing your black dress shoes.
Each time we walk, one world will tilt to the right, And one world will tilt to the left.
I wanted to be your lost half, your missing right foot, for the rest of my life It seemed he was being stripped of that right because of the great sins he had committed.
A surge of sorrow welled up, and he swallowed it down.
Tae-heun was wary of his own sadness, wondering if it was because he knew the Man’s past, or if his current sorrow was out of pity for the Man.
“I’m not a good guy.”
He mumbled words that would never be heard, trailing off at the end.
Tae-heun wanted to tell the Man, even just a little, about how despicable, filthy, and base his life had been. He wanted to give the man a choice. But he couldn’t.
There was plenty of time. Tae-heun hadn’t been unable to, but unwilling. He just wanted to hold onto the Man, wanting to be remembered as a good person for a little longer, so he deliberately ignored the truth.
Looking back, it seemed like it was for the best. Rather than knowing that the person he liked was a son of a bitch, wouldn’t the man gain some strength to live on if he was remembered as a good person forever, even if it was a lie?
Just as I lived because of you, I hope you will too, Tae-heun, Lee Seon-jae thought.
Goodbye, Ki-beom.
Goodbye, Shim Kang-woo.
Chapter 181