Chapter 70
He had supplied drugs and encountered a man somewhere whose nickname “Pig” suited him well. It didn’t take long for Si-yul to recall.
“Was it at the bar that time?”
Even though Si-yul didn’t mention a specific time, Hyun-se seemed to understand and nodded. “Ah,” Hyun-se said, slowly massaging Si-yul’s nape. It was the beast who had tried to use the bathroom in a disgustingly improper way. He had only been put on the blacklist, but looking back now, that wasn’t enough.
He had dared to try to touch Kwon Si-yul.
“…Pigs should stay on the farm.”
A vein throbbed at Hyun-se’s temple. His neck muscles tensed visibly. Even his pheromones enveloping Si-yul quickly showed the change. Si-yul, sensing it keenly, looked up at Hyun-se. His gaze was filled with worry at the sharp, needle-like energy pricking his skin.
Hyun-se erased his cold expression and smiled as usual, lowering his head. The chilling pheromones around him quickly dissipated. When he said it was a joke, Si-yul’s tense expression finally relaxed.
“I’m so worried. He always says he can handle things himself, but this seems too dangerous.”
“I sent Hae-jung, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Hae-jung?”
“Yeah. Haven’t you seen him once before? The big guy.”
Si-yul furrowed his brow, not immediately recalling who it was, but then recognized him from the added description. It was the man who had stood behind Hyun-se. He was as large as Hyun-se and had an equally intimidating presence.
“Hae-jung is from a special forces background. So Kwon Yuwon will be safe.”
“Is he that skilled?”
Hyun-se nodded silently. Si-yul placed a hand on his chest and let out a whistle-like sigh of relief, but then his eyes widened as if something had occurred to him.
“Then what about you? Won’t you be in danger while he’s gone?”
Hyun-se couldn’t help but laugh briefly at this adorable concern. He hadn’t hired Hae-jung primarily for protection; that wasn’t even an important factor. If he couldn’t take care of himself, he wouldn’t have made it this far, and his body would have long been wrapped in plastic, buried in some unfindable mountain or sea.
It was both amusing and heartwarming that Si-yul worried about someone of above-average build being harmed by others. Hyun-se had never experienced this kind of concern in his life, either before or after coming of age.
“As much as Yuwon is in danger, you’re important too. We should bring that person back…”
But that would put Kwon Yuwon’s safety back in jeopardy. Si-yul knew this too, so his words trailed off. His expression showed his conflicted thoughts. Looking at Si-yul’s utterly serious face, Hyun-se couldn’t resist kissing his cheeks and nose. It was a face he couldn’t help but kiss.
“Kwon Yuwon is the urgent matter now, so it’s right for him to be there. As for me, I only go between the office and home, so where’s the danger?”
Still, Si-yul didn’t seem convinced, his expression remaining gloomy. Hyun-se chuckled and rubbed his forehead against Si-yul’s.
“You’re in danger too, so don’t go to the bar for a while.”
“What? But that’s… Yuwon said it would be fine if it’s a place he doesn’t know about.”
“Well, I think differently. The world is surprisingly small.”
Hyun-se gave plausible examples, saying there’s a reason for the saying that everyone is connected within six degrees of separation, and asking what Si-yul would do if he ran into someone on his way to work or met them by chance as a customer coming for a drink. Si-yul’s face darkened. Despite Kwon Yuwon’s advice, he had planned to keep going to work at the bar.
“Just take a break while Kwon Yuwon’s situation is being resolved. It won’t take long.”
Hyun-se patted Si-yul’s back, trying to comfort him. Rationally speaking, Hyun-se was right. Trying to maintain his daily routine might just be Si-yul’s selfish desire.
Unlike the dejected Si-yul, the corners of Hyun-se’s lips were turned up. It was a very satisfied smile. He had been subtly pondering how to keep Kwon Si-yul at his house, and now the opportunity had presented itself on a silver platter. The cunning Hyun-se wouldn’t let this chance slip away.
* * *
One worry about Kwon Yuwon was alleviated. If it had been someone else, anxiety might have remained, but because it was Woo Hyun-se, Si-yul’s trust was solid. Hyun-se wouldn’t lie to him about Yuwon’s life.
[Can’t you come visit?]
[Everyone misses you]
[Especially me]
[The bar feels empty without you]
[Did you take your tonic? Make sure to take it even if it’s bitter]
He didn’t tell the truth to the bar staff. He vaguely said he needed to rest due to poor health and quit the job. Everyone was disappointed. They held his hands and earnestly asked him to come back when he got better. Lying to such kind and good people pricked his conscience, but he buried the truth deep down.
After that, he occasionally got messages from others, but not as frequently as from Woo Tae-joo. The chat with Tae-joo was always at the top. Even though Si-yul only replied once for every ten messages, Tae-joo kept talking to him endlessly.
Thanks to that, at least he wasn’t bored. Stuck at home unable to go anywhere, the conversations with Tae-joo were a brief respite from the frustration.
During this time, Hyun-se firmly prevented him from going anywhere. Even when Si-yul said he just wanted to get some fresh air and take a walk in the nearby park, Hyun-se insisted on tagging along. As if that made any sense.
Feeling burdened, Si-yul ended up not going out at all. Days piled up, and a week passed. Though he wasn’t the type to enjoy going out much, after a week, he felt like he might start growing mold.
[Hyung, do you remember our appointment this Wednesday? My cousin’s concert]
Of course he remembered. He had been itching to get out of this confinement that wasn’t quite confinement. This time, he was determined to go out no matter who followed or guarded him.
On the morning of the day, Si-yul followed Hyun-se around with a smile. Though his waist was sore from their passionate activities in bed the night before and he wasn’t fully awake yet, he wanted to see Hyun-se off to work.
Even with Si-yul clinging to his back like a heavy load, Hyun-se moved about easily. He toasted olive ciabatta to a golden brown, fried eggs, and prepared fresh juice by blending tomatoes. Si-yul watched the preparation process while hanging onto Hyun-se’s waist, his head tucked between Hyun-se’s side and arm.
He even followed Hyun-se into the dressing room. It was more interesting than a museum. The watches gleaming under clear glass cases, the neatly arranged neckties in a row, the cufflinks of various shapes, and the shirts hanging tidily on hangers were all fascinating to look at. With Hyun-se’s scent added to the mix, it felt like stepping into a high-end tailor shop.
Si-yul sat on a high chair, slowly swinging his legs as he watched Hyun-se. He observed as Hyun-se put his arms through the shirt sleeves, straightened the collar that had rolled inward, and buttoned up from bottom to top. The fabric stretched particularly taut and wrinkle-free over his muscular forearms and broad chest.
“They say buttoning from the bottom up means you’re smart.”
“Is that so?”
He had learned it at the orphanage. Buttoning from top to bottom meant you were careless, from bottom to top meant you were smart, and from the middle meant you were foolish. You should start from the bottom to avoid misaligning the buttons. Hyun-se was smart.
“Can I choose your tie?”
Hyun-se gladly allowed it. Si-yul scurried over to the ties and looked back and forth between Hyun-se and the ties, wondering which would be good. Though anything would suit him, a smooth silk navy tie caught Si-yul’s eye. It was plain without patterns, but that suited Hyun-se’s striking appearance.
“How about this one?”
“I like it.”
Even though the “I like it” was meant for the tie, why did those words make Si-yul so happy? Grinning, Si-yul brought the tie over to Hyun-se. As he had done before, Hyun-se lowered his head to Si-yul’s height.
“Do you know how to tie a tie?”
“Of course. I wore ties like this when I was in school.”
He had worn hand-me-down uniforms from older kids at the orphanage. While other children wore clip-on ties, Si-yul and Kwon Yuwon used regular ties with frayed ends. Though he wasn’t particularly dexterous, he became a master at tying ties by graduation, as they say practice makes perfect.
It was easy when he tied it on himself, but facing Hyun-se made it difficult to handle. No matter how he twisted and turned it, the knot became increasingly strange. Si-yul went behind Hyun-se, stood on his tiptoes, and reached his arms over Hyun-se’s shoulders.
The tie was caught on his fingers, but the height difference made it very uncomfortable. His image in the full-length mirror, straining on tiptoes with his head tilted up, looked ridiculous.
Hyun-se chuckled and took Si-yul’s hands that had come down below his shoulders. He held the tie together with Si-yul’s hands and slowly wove the loop. While it had repeatedly tangled strangely when Si-yul did it, the tie seemed to recognize its owner’s hands and fell into place.
Even after tying the knot, Hyun-se didn’t let go of Si-yul’s hands. He gazed at Si-yul’s reflection in the mirror, with just his eyes peeking out like a crab over Hyun-se’s shoulders.
“Why are you being so cute today? Is there something you want?”
