14
“You want to come all the way to the entrance?”
“Oh, well. The shoe area is so long that it doesn’t feel like I’m properly seeing you off.”
It wasn’t just an idle comment. The entrance hall was so long that it took three or four steps in shoes to reach the front door. Because of this, it felt no different from saying goodbye from inside the room.
Junghyun had expected Seunghyeok to willingly agree, but the response was different from what he’d anticipated.
“No matter how much it’s indoors, the inside and outside of the house are different. It’s particularly chilly at this hour, so just coming to the door is enough.”
After this gentle refusal, Junghyun couldn’t press the matter further.
In the end, standing next to Seunghyeok at the front door, Junghyun spoke as if he’d just thought of something.
“Um, could I make dinner?”
“Dinner? You know how to cook?”
“Not well, just… a little.”
“We could just order delivery and eat comfortably.”
Junghyun couldn’t counter Seunghyeok’s words and rubbed behind his ear with his finger.
“It feels a bit strange just staying at home without doing anything. Makes me feel like a good-for-nothing.”
“You even know the term ‘good-for-nothing’?”
Seunghyeok said teasingly. Junghyun, uncharacteristically, flared up.
“Of course I do. I know. Despite appearances, I am a college student.”
The words came out before he knew it. Although he had enrolled in university, he’d been pushed into Seunghyeok’s office before having a proper chance to attend.
Seunghyeok just smiled as he looked at Junghyun. Without making any sound of laughter, just lifting the corners of his mouth, Seunghyeok said:
“If that makes you more comfortable, go ahead. But don’t overdo it.”
When Seunghyeok gave his permission, Junghyun thanked him. Although cleaning the house dust and using the kitchen seemed similar, they felt somewhat different. It felt like a deeper level of involvement, which made Junghyun smile weakly.
Seunghyeok, still with a smile on his face, spoke.
“This is strange. You’re the one doing the work, but I’m the one being thanked?”
“Well… but CEO-, no… if it weren’t for you, I would have been sleeping on the streets. So this much…”
As he listened quietly to what Junghyun was saying, Seunghyeok’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He soon said, “Go ahead and do that.”
Just then, the elevator seemed to have arrived, as a faint notification sound was heard through the thick metal door.
As Seunghyeok left the house, he said goodbye to Junghyun.
“I’ll be back.”
Hearing the affectionate-sounding voice, Junghyun realized that he should have said goodbye first. He quickly responded.
“Have a good day and be careful on your way to work.”
Seunghyeok’s smile deepened at the returned farewell. He looked at Junghyun with a meaningful gaze. For some reason, Junghyun felt anxious under that silent, staring gaze.
Though the actual waiting time probably wasn’t that long, perhaps due to nervousness, it felt quite lengthy.
“I’ll be going then,” said Seunghyeok as he stepped away. Watching his retreating figure, Junghyun felt a creeping sense of regret.
Even after the front door closed, Junghyun stood there for a while before returning to his room. He was worried that he might not be able to fall back asleep since his mind was so clear. However, ridiculously enough, not much time passed before Junghyun’s consciousness sank into a deep sleep.
Beyond his faint awareness, the thought that he had forgotten to ask about Seunghyeok’s designation flashed by, but even that soon faded away.
* * *
When Junghyun woke up, the room was bright.
Checking his phone to see how long he had slept, Junghyun was stunned to see it was past 11 o’clock. Even though he had woken up in between, this was too late to be considered a proper waking time.
Of course, it wasn’t as if Junghyun had always lived a perfectly disciplined life. He had slept late before, but the problem was that where he was staying now wasn’t his home.
Junghyun quickly got up, washed, and prepared to go out.
He needed to shop for groceries if he was going to make dinner.
He wondered if he should let Seunghyeok know.
[I’m planning to go to the supermarket]
After sending this simple message, Junghyun changed into what appeared to be the smallest of Seunghyeok’s clothes for his outing. Even the smallest one was still quite large on Junghyun. The outer coat was so large that it couldn’t even pass as an oversized fit.
He turned on his screen to check if Seunghyeok had replied. But what greeted Junghyun was a phone with no new messages. Was Seunghyeok so busy that he couldn’t check his phone? However, Junghyun couldn’t complain about the lack of a response.
Junghyun put his phone in his pocket.
In the end, wearing his own clothes, Junghyun opened the door only to be confronted by a large figure blocking his way.
It was a man of considerable size. His sharp eyes and thin lips added to his cold impression. The man looked down at Junghyun, who had opened his eyes wide in confusion.
“You can’t leave.”
The baritone voice blocked him. Junghyun had no idea how long the man had been standing there. And he couldn’t grasp why he was there.
“What? Why? I’m just going to the nearby supermarket.”
Hearing these casual words, deep wrinkles formed on the man’s forehead. He made no attempt to hide his disbelief.
“If you don’t understand what position you’re in, why don’t you just quietly go back inside?”
At the immediate informal speech, Junghyun closed his mouth.
The contempt discernible in the man’s expression and attitude was blatant. And Junghyun wasn’t oblivious enough not to notice it.
“…Am I, perhaps, being held captive here?”
“…”
The man pressed his lips tightly together. The emotion settling in his eyes was clearly disbelief. His attitude suggested that he didn’t even find Junghyun worth responding to. Yet, what came out of Junghyun’s mouth was an exclamation that didn’t match the situation.
“Ah… I see.”
Twitch. The man’s eyebrow moved slightly.
“No, I really had no idea. It was so comfortable here. …I see.”
Muttering and nodding as if in understanding, Junghyun hunched his shoulders under the sharp gaze.
He didn’t feel like facing the man with a complex mix of emotions—disbelief, bewilderment, and indescribable feelings. One of the reasons was that the man’s expression was becoming increasingly grim. Unless Seunghyeok had sent a message permitting him to go out, Junghyun couldn’t insist on leaving without any response.
In the end, Junghyun obediently turned around and went back inside.
He plopped down on a bench that offered a view of the entrance hall and rubbed his cheek, looking troubled.
“…So I’m captive.”
Junghyun muttered as if freshly realizing it.
He truly hadn’t known.
After all, who in the world would confine someone without taking away their phone, while ordering delivery food for them and not even binding their hands and feet? Seunghyeok had even said they would go clothes shopping later.
At this point, it was understandable that Junghyun hadn’t noticed at all.
The situation was a bit strange and funny. Even trying to think about it seriously didn’t work well.
Reviewing all the circumstances, he could only sigh, “Huh,” in disbelief.
After sitting for a moment, Junghyun recalled asking Seunghyeok if he could make dinner. In this state, not just dinner but going out itself seemed impossible.
It was difficult to explain the situation to the man outside the door. And he didn’t seem likely to calmly listen to Junghyun’s explanation.
But why had they stationed the man at the door? Junghyun had nowhere specific to go and no intention of going anywhere. If he had planned to escape somewhere, he would have called the police or 119 for help using his phone.
No clear answer emerged no matter how much he pondered.
Making a groaning sound, Junghyun placed his hands on his knees and stood up.
A response from Seunghyeok came about two hours later.
It wasn’t even a message but a call.
He had just finished washing his hands after warming up and eating chicken for a late lunch. With his hands thoroughly wet, Junghyun was startled to see “Seunghyeok Hyung” on his phone screen and accidentally pressed the reject call button. The moisture on his hands had made the screen fail to properly recognize his finger, resulting in this disaster. Junghyun let out a panicked sound and kept repeating, “What should I do?”
But the phone rang again immediately. This time, to avoid making a mistake, he wiped his hands on his clothes before answering.
“Yes, yes. Is this Hyung? Um, just now, I accidentally pressed the wrong button. I didn’t mean to reject the call.”
-Is that so? Alright. What were you doing?
Fearing a misunderstanding, Junghyun explained desperately. Seunghyeok’s voice had a hint of amusement in it.
Thanks to his smooth transition, Junghyun was unsure if Seunghyeok truly understood, but it felt awkward to question someone who had already said they understood.
“What was I… Oh. I just ate some chicken. The leftovers from before.”
-Chicken? What about the lunchbox?
“What? Lunchbox? Ah… I did eat that too, but it’s a waste to throw food away.”
He had no memory of receiving a lunchbox. He wondered if the intercom had rung and he hadn’t heard it, but that wasn’t the case. However, he chose not to mention it. It might have been a mix-up, and he didn’t want to cause trouble for the man standing outside. He had filled his stomach with chicken anyway, so it didn’t seem to matter much. It seemed better not to mention every little detail.
There was a moment of silence from Seunghyeok. Junghyun checked his phone, wondering if the call had been cut off. The call time was still running.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
