#157
He was not in a good mood. He could clearly feel his mouth drying up with tension.
It was a fresh realization that Yoon Pa-ran viewed everything as a clear business relationship. It was just recently that he’d thought about gradually changing that.
However, contrary to his intentions, Yoon Pa-ran didn’t seem willing to accept Dan Joo-hyuk’s intentions at face value. Those clear eyes that seemed to have never considered anything beyond their transaction pierced Dan Joo-hyuk.
Everything was exactly as Dan Joo-hyuk had intended from the beginning.
Even though he already knew this, why did his pierced heart still feel pain?
“…I don’t know.”
In the end, Dan Joo-hyuk murmured quietly, unable to withstand those eyes still waiting for an answer.
At his bewildering response, Yoon Pa-ran looked troubled. Finding this strangely difficult to bear, Dan Joo-hyuk slowly lowered his head.
It was obvious how Yoon Pa-ran would interpret a kiss as some kind of transaction, but this time he couldn’t help it. Especially since that anklet was something Yoon Pa-ran had to wear.
“…”
Yoon Pa-ran quietly closed his eyes without saying anything. Should he consider this fortunate?
Their lips pressed together hotly. As Dan Joo-hyuk buried himself between those weakened lips, he struggled to overcome this inexplicable sensation.
Despite having forced himself to eat earlier, the strange hunger that still remained increasingly fueled Dan Joo-hyuk. Soon forgetting his intention to just briefly taste and let go, Dan Joo-hyuk continued leaning toward Yoon Pa-ran. As if an irresistible force was pressing down on him.
“Mm…”
His tongue, which had been moving slowly, began to explore Yoon Pa-ran’s mouth more desperately. Even seeing Yoon Pa-ran’s eyelids flutter in surprise at the intense movement, he simply couldn’t restrain himself.
Dan Joo-hyuk’s slightly tilted body eventually covered Yoon Pa-ran’s completely as he sat in the passenger seat. Not satisfied even with that, he finally reclined the passenger seat backward with a swift motion.
“Ah…!”
Startled, Yoon Pa-ran’s mouth opened wide. Dan Joo-hyuk tilted his head and rushed in, completely moving over to the passenger seat.
In a more stable position, he pressed down on Yoon Pa-ran. Even Yoon Pa-ran’s hands gripping his shoulders in confusion became an electrifying stimulus.
With both hands holding that small face, Dan Joo-hyuk kissed him endlessly. Until Yoon Pa-ran, breathless, seriously pushed against his shoulders with force.
“Ugh…!”
“Ha…”
Finally coming to his senses, Dan Joo-hyuk exhaled while still holding Yoon Pa-ran’s cheeks in his hands. His gaze was entranced by Yoon Pa-ran’s face, which had turned red below the eyes.
After a long moment, Dan Joo-hyuk whispered softly.
“You’ve definitely received your payment.”
“…Yes.”
“This really ends it.”
“…”
Yoon Pa-ran looked up at Dan Joo-hyuk with complicated eyes as he reaffirmed this. His confused mind was filled with racing thoughts.
There was no way the payment could be finished with just this, so why did he keep trying to deceive him?
Dan Joo-hyuk had always been this kind of person, so why did it suddenly make him feel bad?
“…”
“…”
Due to their different thoughts, both remained silent for a moment. In the car’s strange atmosphere, Dan Joo-hyuk struggled to control the strength in his hands.
He wanted to take Yoon Pa-ran to his home like this. His instincts kept urging him, saying there were more than enough excuses.
Just as those surging instincts were about to take over, Dan Joo-hyuk’s phone rang.
“…”
“Ah.”
At the vibration sound, Yoon Pa-ran snapped back to reality with a surprised voice.
Though Dan Joo-hyuk wanted to ignore the call, he slowly backed away. Yoon Pa-ran’s attention had completely shifted to the phone, seemingly concerned about who might be calling.
Having no choice but to return to the driver’s seat, Dan Joo-hyuk ran his hand through his hair. With a much more indifferent expression than before, he turned on his phone screen.
“…”
However, his face soon hardened seriously.
Target movement. Two of them.
It was a message from Kim Sin-cheol. Lee Tae-jung was showing suspicious movement. And with Heo Sang-yeon.
If Heo Sang-yeon was involved, he would need to move personally. Especially since Heo Sang-yeon had been consistently targeting Yoon Pa-ran, he needed to stop him before any unexpected situations arose.
“I’ll take you home.”
Finally suppressing his impulses, Dan Joo-hyuk quietly started the engine. Yoon Pa-ran, who had returned the passenger seat to its original position, gave him a worried look.
“What’s going on?”
“Heo Sang-yeon is moving with Lee Tae-jung. I’m going to check it out personally.”
“…”
When he answered honestly, Yoon Pa-ran’s face turned serious. Glancing at his darkened expression, Dan Joo-hyuk slowly moved the car.
“Should I come with you?”
“Don’t worry. Nothing serious will happen.”
Although he was going to prevent any possible situation, the likelihood of a direct confrontation with Heo Sang-yeon was slim. And if there were to be a direct confrontation, Yoon Pa-ran would need to be somewhere safe.
Being a weekday, the roads were quiet. Thanks to that, the car soon arrived in front of the orphanage.
“I’m going.”
As the car stopped, Dan Joo-hyuk also got out of the car following Yoon Pa-ran’s brief farewell. Yoon Pa-ran turned around, looking at him questioningly.
“Why are you getting out?”
“Just because.”
There really wasn’t any particular reason. Even knowing time was pressing, Dan Joo-hyuk found himself following behind Yoon Pa-ran without even realizing it.
He could see the orphanage walls getting closer. He could feel Yoon Pa-ran giving him puzzled looks, but he deliberately ignored them.
He didn’t understand why he was acting this way either.
Soon they approached the entrance of the orphanage. In front, security personnel hired by Yoon Pa-ran were standing guard with relatively diligent attitudes.
The security personnel Dan Joo-hyuk had placed around the area were the same. There were no signs of anything unusual yet.
“We’re here. You can go now.”
“…”
Despite knowing this, Dan Joo-hyuk unconsciously grabbed Yoon Pa-ran’s arm as he was about to enter the orphanage.
“…”
This time it wasn’t because of the impulse he had been stubbornly holding onto.
A vague sense of foreboding sent a warning to Dan Joo-hyuk.
“What is it?”
Yoon Pa-ran turned around with a puzzled expression. Without letting go of his hand, Dan Joo-hyuk fell into contemplation.
However, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t pinpoint the cause.
“Is everything alright at the orphanage?”
“Yes.”
In the end, all he could ask was this superficial question. It would have been easier if he had felt a clearer sense of danger.
The area around the orphanage was safe. He had made sure of that. Recently, no one with uncertain identity had come and gone inside either.
So why did he not want Yoon Pa-ran to go?
The more he thought about it, the vaguer his earlier sense of danger became. Dan Joo-hyuk frowned slightly, having never experienced this before.
Was it because he was concerned about Heo Sang-yeon’s movements? Or was it his own foolish impulse not wanting to part with Yoon Pa-ran that had deceived him?
“Stay at the orphanage for the time being.”
“You mean I shouldn’t go out?”
“Because of Heo Sang-yeon. I’ll resolve it quickly.”
Yoon Pa-ran nodded with a bewildered expression. Dan Joo-hyuk’s mood improved seeing that trusting attitude toward his words.
Things would get better once he quickly resolved the situation with Heo Sang-yeon and Lee Tae-jung.
“I’ll call you.”
“Okay.”
Dan Joo-hyuk finally let go of Yoon Pa-ran’s arm. However, for some reason, Yoon Pa-ran didn’t leave immediately and hesitated.
Then, suddenly turning around, he quietly said one thing.
“Be careful.”
At those words, Dan Joo-hyuk smiled brightly.
“I will.”
The vague sense of danger that had brushed against him earlier completely faded.
As Dan Joo-hyuk returned to his car, all that remained strongly within him was the desire to resolve this matter quickly.
❖ ❖ ❖
However, contrary to Dan Joo-hyuk’s wishes, the matter with Lee Tae-jung showed signs of becoming a long-term issue.
“Has that bastard figured something out?”
Kim Sin-cheol, traveling together in the car, frowned as he glared ahead. The car carrying those guys was driving far ahead, heading out of the metropolitan area.
“…”
After Dan Joo-hyuk’s visit in the morning, the two hadn’t moved from the guild building at all. Since Heo Sang-yeon was also with them, there were limits to Kim Sin-cheol’s surveillance, and he had barely managed to detect that the two had suddenly gotten in a car and were heading somewhere.
However, they suddenly changed their destination as soon as Dan Joo-hyuk joined up with Kim Sin-cheol.
“Where are they going?”
“Who knows.”
Dan Joo-hyuk didn’t particularly hide his presence. At this distance, only Heo Sang-yeon would be able to sense his existence. So the fact that they changed their behavior after recognizing Dan Joo-hyuk’s presence was evidence that Heo Sang-yeon was actively involved in their movements.
He certainly hadn’t expected a direct confrontation, but was his earlier sense of foreboding a premonition of this?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
