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He didn’t say anything either. He just looked at him with that same expression.
It was Yoon Donghwan who had told him to come to Ilsim by 10 AM. There had been no particular contact in the morning, and seeing that he was still silent now, it seemed his business was elsewhere. Taein thought about striking up a conversation, then decided to just go his own way. He looked furious, and he didn’t want to pour oil on that fire for no reason. It seemed like they could each handle their own business and meet at Ilsim.
“Huh? You’re leaving?”
He heard such sarcastic words, but there wasn’t even a single cat in the alley.
Taein, who had momentarily hesitated, turned his head at the word “leaving?” that sounded like a dot being placed.
“…I thought you might have other business.”
“What other business.”
Honestly, he didn’t particularly want to continue the conversation, but it was Yoon Donghwan who would introduce him to the boss later. For now, he shouldn’t do anything to get on his bad side.
“There was no separate contact, so I thought you weren’t coming today.”
To what he had said as carefully as possible, Yoon Donghwan immediately responded.
“Ah, so you weren’t looking forward to me?”
“…That’s not it.”
“Come on, let’s go. I have something to check.”
It was an ambiguous distance. Standing roughly between the gangster office and the motel, Taein expressionlessly watched Donghwan getting into the car. Why was he acting like this from the morning? Did he get hit by bird shit? While having that thought and observing the car hood, there were no particularly noticeable traces. The car window was just smooth too. Taein, who had walked at a moderate pace, opened the passenger door. Then he saw Yoon Donghwan openly looking at him from the side.
For now, he sat in the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt.
“I told you not to wash in the motel bathhouse.”
“…I didn’t wash. I just washed my face.”
“You’re lying. Your hair and everything is wet.”
“I just touched it with water.”
“Anyone can see you washed with the motel guys, and you’re lying about this?”
Yoon Donghwan stretched out his long arm and touched the back of Taein’s head. Though it was slightly wet with water, it was just traces of being combed by hand as Taein had said.
“Let’s see. Put your head here. Let me smell it.”
“……”
Just a moment ago, he definitely wanted to make a good impression so he could smoothly go through the interview. His patience was running thin with Yoon Donghwan who insisted on checking with smell. Taein stiffened his body and just stared ahead. Then Yoon Donghwan applied force with his hand and stroked the back of Taein’s head up and down. He also threw out sarcastic words.
“You must have rubbed it properly. If you wash there, it fucking stinks. Do I have to tell you this with words? If you smell during the interview, that’s all going to screw me over.”
“I said I didn’t wash. And it’s the same water, so what’s the big deal about this? Whether you wash in a hotel bathroom or wash here, the dirty and clean are the same. There’s no difference.”
Though he could have expressed his temper fully at the rude behavior, Taein spoke while suppressing his emotions as much as possible. Even as his anger surged sporadically from having the back of his head touched carelessly, he gritted his teeth and endured it for the upcoming interview. With Yoon Donghwan’s hand still touching his head, Taein only shifted his gaze and subtly glared to the side.
“I have to smell it to know. You think that’s an ordinary place?”
“…This is too much…”
The words “you’re going too far” were about to come out when Yoon Donghwan stopped him first.
“What.”
“…Nothing.”
How far should he accommodate the man’s low-level prejudices? Taein completely withdrew his gaze from the man who insisted on putting his nose to his head. Then he completely relaxed his body and just let himself be dragged along as the man did. He felt his neck tilted to the side and the man’s nose touching around his temple. Rather than just lightly smelling the surface, he was sniffing inside and rummaging through his hair like a mole. Taein, who frowned in displeasure, turned his head to the side to avoid that movement.
“What are you doing…?”
“Checking thoroughly. Whether it smells like the motel or not.”
“…This is enough now.”
“Huh? You’re talking arrogantly. As if you know how I’m going to relay things.”
Similar threats. This man didn’t know how much of a big impact this had on his life. He probably didn’t want to know either. Taein, who looked ahead in a half-given-up state, didn’t answer anymore. What he had felt during the few days of getting close to the man was only that the man’s level was lower than he thought. Even when the situation got bad, he couldn’t break his old habits and looked down on others this much. Taein looked at the approaching main road with cold eyes.
“If you listen to me well, rice cakes will come out even while sleeping.”
“…Yes.”
Since he chose only narrow shortcuts to drive, they reached the beach area quickly too. Originally it would take about 10 minutes by car, but thanks to the man cutting through roads while avoiding all signals, they were already passing through Dog Alley. Had it taken 5 minutes? Then as they entered the road behind Dog Alley, the speed gradually decreased. It was an alley connecting to the parking lot, a zone where not only cars but people rarely passed through.
“Are we walking?”
He said that because he wanted to get out of the car for now. Taein also grabbed the door handle and just waited for Donghwan’s answer to come. But what Donghwan had to say was the complete opposite. No, move your hand, he said and just grabbed Taein’s left wrist.
“Why?”
Taein, whose face was slightly flushed, applied force to pull his arm out.
“I need to touch your hair properly. Neatly.”
Donghwan left only incomprehensible words and pulled Taein’s arm toward himself. Taein, who was pulled over, had no chance to pull his body back. He ended up just offering his head to Donghwan’s two hands that touched him. His hair, roughly arranged with water, was neatly parted in Donghwan’s hands, and finally even both his ears were covered by his hands. Taein slightly frowned and opened his mouth.
“What are you doing…”
“Is that nose yours?”
He said this while staring intently at his face.
“What?”
“Your nose, have you never touched it?”
“No.”
“You’ve never had your eyes done either?”
“…No.”
“You must have been popular?”
“…That’s enough.”
Taein, who just laughed lightly, only turned his eyes to the side. His head was still caught in Yoon Donghwan’s hands. Though he could see the Ilsim Capital building, it wasn’t really a distance worth walking. He should either drive the car, or if he really had to walk, he needed to start now. He couldn’t keep accommodating Yoon Donghwan’s nonsense.
“What do you mean enough? How important a factor appearance is. I have to do all the final checks before handing you over so there won’t be trouble later.”
When he answered “yes” halfheartedly, Yoon Donghwan made a deflated laughing sound. Yoon Donghwan, who seemed to smile while raising one corner of his mouth high, also muttered something like “Am I funny to you? Do I look easy?” He wasn’t sure about that specifically, but he did feel like he should respond appropriately. Taein, who had drawn a merciless line with Yoon Donghwan inwardly, pushed away Yoon Donghwan’s hand while pretending to stroke his own forehead.
“It’s almost 10 o’clock.”
When he said that and opened the door, Yoon Donghwan didn’t hold him back anymore either. Taein, who slammed the passenger door shut, started walking while looking at the Ilsim Capital building standing in the distance. Soon after, he heard the sound of a door opening and closing behind him. It seemed Yoon Donghwan had gotten out of the car, and he could also hear the sound of quick running as a bonus.
“But how popular were you really?”
Yoon Donghwan, who caught up to the distance in an instant, threw out such words casually.
“……”
When he just looked at him silently, thinking it was an unnecessary question, Yoon Donghwan said “Huh? That look in your eyes?” while also giving a reason.
“What if it’s like putting a loach in a decent workplace? You know this and you’re still doing it.”
Whether he was annoyed at having to add such explanations, irritation immediately showed on Yoon Donghwan’s face. Taein looked with bewildered eyes at the back of Yoon Donghwan, who left only those words and quickly passed in front of him. He was walking this distance toward the alley. There were so many spots in front of Ilsim Capital.
While doing so, he scanned Yoon Donghwan’s back with his eyes.
Broad shoulders as if padded, back muscles revealed with every movement, and long legs. Though he was big and muscular, it was a body without any excess. Perhaps because of some vague past admiration, there were many times when he particularly envied Yoon Donghwan’s body. Though he had also done physical labor for a long time so his body wasn’t unsightly, it would still be pathetic compared to a body like that.
It was when his eyes were also heading quite far down. Yoon Donghwan, who had reached the front of the building, suddenly turned around.
“What are you looking at? Don’t tell me you were looking at my hips? This is crazy. You’re not smitten, are you?”
It was something he often said jokingly, so there was no emotional disturbance. Taein just reacted one beat late since it was true that he had been looking at him.
“…Yes, I’m not.”
* * *
He had told him to come by 10 o’clock, but the clock was passing 10:30. There wasn’t a single person at Ilsim Capital. Taein was just sitting quietly at the round table where he had sat when he first visited Ilsim Capital. Occasionally, Yoon Donghwan would make him coffee mix or bring banana crackers and butter cookies from what was presumed to be a storage space. This time he was trying to order jjajangmyeon outright.
“Daejeong. Are you nearby? Just order two jjajang for me. Yeah, to Ilsim.”
To Donghwan, who quickly hung up the phone, Taein immediately threw words.
“What jjajangmyeon? Cancel it. How do you know when the boss will come?”
“Isn’t it all about making a living by eating? If you don’t want to eat, don’t. I can eat it all.”
“Is it just the two of us? There’s someone coming. Stop bringing snacks too… now—”
Stop it, what are you constantly eating when you can’t even earn money – such words had come up to his throat.
He heard clear and cheerful bell sounds, so when he turned his head, he saw a man estimated to be in his mid-thirties wearing a suit and looking around the inside of the office. That must be him. Taein immediately got up from the table and roughly cleaned up the surroundings.
“Oh, you came.”
Yoon Donghwan, who had been heading toward the back of the water dispenser, suddenly popped out in front of the man. Then he raised both arms in a circle to welcome the man. The man who received the warm welcome also said “Oh, yes” and clasped hands with Yoon Donghwan. He had thought Yoon Donghwan was just pretending to be friendly with the boss, but that didn’t seem to be the case. The two seemed quite close.
“That’s Mr. Kang Taein over there.”
After roughly exchanging greetings, Yoon Donghwan pointed to him with his hand. At the words “Mr. Kang Taein,” Taein came out from the table and greeted again. When he bowed at a proper angle and straightened up, Yoon Donghwan had come right up in front. Though he momentarily made eye contact with him, he tried to look at the boss behind him first. It was when he was trying to look behind by even pulling his head to the side.
Yoon Donghwan blocked Taein’s view with his large frame.
“Look at what’s on your mouth.”
Yoon Donghwan, who said this in passing, raised his hand upward. Wiping his lips was quick. Taein just made an expression of feeling uncomfortable with the burning sensation remaining on his lips. Receiving such blatant touch was unfamiliar. Even if he had wiped his mouth to maintain his dignity, the process was embarrassing. Taein had rarely received anyone’s consideration or concession, so he was sometimes flustered by the man’s natural actions. It was the same now.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
