Chapter 135
“…Damn. What’s going on?”
Jeff, who thought he had arrived quite quickly, bit his lip as he saw the wide-open iron gate. As he climbed the hill, he noticed not only Mitchell’s car but two other large moving trucks as well.
Wondering if Mitchell had called other people besides him, Jeff parked hastily and practically ran to the front door.
Opening the broken door wide, he entered to see unfamiliar faces along with some familiar ones.
“Oh! Oh! You need to take off your shoes before coming in. There are indoor slippers next to you.”
It was the helper, Sandy, who stopped Jeff. He couldn’t remember if today was the day the helper was supposed to come.
Blocked at the entrance, Jeff glared slightly at Sandy before quickly changing into the offered slippers.
“Where’s Mitchell?”
“He’s taking a shower right now.”
Before Sandy could finish her answer, Jeff brushed past her and headed towards the bathroom in the living room. There were more unfamiliar faces inside the house besides Sandy.
A spicy smell wafted from the kitchen, and four or five men were gathered around the fully open windows. They were installing a flat platform over the window frame, and a large transport cart was visible nearby. They seemed to be employees of a moving company.
Confirming that no one was in the living room bathroom, Jeff went straight to the bedroom.
‘What’s this?’
The memo he had left on the bed was nowhere to be found. He quickly checked the dressing room as well. It too was neatly organized. Ignoring the sound of running water from the bathroom, Jeff immediately went to find Sandy.
“Did you clean the bedroom?”
Jeff spoke condescendingly to Sandy, who was old enough to be his mother. He was partly frazzled and partly just that kind of person.
“Yes. I did it with the other helpers.”
“On the bed…”
He couldn’t finish his sentence. How could he ask if she had seen the message left by Geon-woo?
It was a problem that Sandy might immediately report to Mitchell if he said something unnecessary. Although Sandy appeared to have a warm and gentle demeanor, she could act shrewdly depending on the situation, so he had to be careful with his words.
“Never mind… But what are you making now? It smells so spicy!”
As Jeff, who usually disliked spicy food, shouted loudly, everyone’s attention turned to him. The moving company employees, the helpers in the kitchen, and even Mitchell, who had just come out, all looked at Jeff.
“Why is it so noisy?”
Mitchell, wearing shorts and a white T-shirt, came out of the bedroom. With a towel draped over his head, he immediately asked Jeff.
“Did I say you could come to the house?”
“Ah, that… Sorry.”
Jeff apologized to Mitchell, not Sandy. His voice was barely audible. Jeff was someone with an exceptionally strong sense of pride. He was an inconsiderate person who never bowed his head to those he considered beneath him.
“Weren’t you just going to play at the villa for a while and come back? You’re not moving out completely, right?”
Jeff quickly changed the subject. Mitchell flopped down on the sofa in response. While drying his wet hair with a towel, he answered Jeff’s question.
“That’s right, I’m just going there to play for a bit. Those are just some unused furniture I’m getting rid of.”
“Is that what you meant when you said the dates got mixed up with the company?”
“No. It’s about the villa remodeling.”
“Oh. So that’s why you came…”
Jeff, mumbling his words, took a seat near Mitchell. He was about to sit right next to him but ended up sitting diagonally across. It was the central sofa directly facing the floor-to-ceiling windows. He shook his legs and fidgeted with his hands. He couldn’t keep still due to an inexplicable nervousness.
“Where’s Geon-woo?”
Jeff asked casually. Sandy wouldn’t have thrown away Mitchell’s belongings carelessly. She might have placed them on a table or somewhere visible. The memo wasn’t in the bedroom. There was a high probability that Sandy had already handed it to Mitchell or that Mitchell had found the memo first. Either way, Mitchell must have seen the memo.
“Why are you asking about Geon-woo?”
“Just wanted to see his face one last time. Didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.”
“But why are you…?”
“It’s just… it’s the last time. He won’t be coming to LA for years now.”
The kitchen was noisy with the sound of boiling pots, the hood running, and the helpers chattering. On the opposite side, by the floor-to-ceiling windows, there was quite a commotion from the moving company employees. They were constantly thumping and banging as they moved large pieces of furniture onto carts.
No one seemed to be paying attention to Mitchell and Jeff’s conversation. Everyone was busy with their own tasks.
It was annoyingly loud, but the owner, Mitchell, hadn’t made any complaints. The helpers were used to the free atmosphere. If anything, Mitchell seemed to enjoy the hustle and bustle.
On the contrary, Jeff, the visitor, was gradually becoming displeased. He wanted to yell at all the helpers gathered in the kitchen and the moving company employees to get out.
The busy surroundings, distracting to the point of irritation, were interfering with his ability to fully appreciate Mitchell’s misfortune. Every person in this house seemed like a nuisance to him. He wanted to fully enjoy the sight of Mitchell being unhappy due to Geon-woo’s disappearance.
“This is really hilarious.”
At that moment, Mitchell chuckled with a snicker.
“…What is?”
Mitchell ignored Jeff’s question and turned his head to the side.
“What do you think you’re doing there?”
Mitchell said, looking at someone among the moving company people who were engrossed in their work.
In fact, Jeff was secretly rejoicing amidst his uneasiness.
No matter how he thought about it, Mitchell must have seen the memo. Given that he probably couldn’t contact Geon-woo, it would be natural for him to be confused, but Mitchell seemed unbothered. He was overflowing with composure and appeared no different than usual.
Jeff thought this was evidence that Geon-woo didn’t hold a significant place in Mitchell’s heart. He must have been thoroughly disappointed in Geon-woo who had left and no longer cared about him.
Despite all the fuss about being lovers, originally, feelings of love are like smoke that disappears in the wind. If money issues are involved, it could turn as black as soot.
Once, when Jeff and Mitchell discussed love, they confirmed that their thoughts aligned. Jeff said that love was just a pretty packaging for sexual desire, while Mitchell looked down on love, calling it an emotional game.
So Jeff didn’t believe that Mitchell had found a lover he truly loved. He might have been distracted for a moment, but he would inevitably return to his original state.
As expected. Jeff was delighted to see Mitchell looking peaceful even without Geon-woo.
But suddenly, Mitchell looked at someone and laughed playfully, then affectionately asked what they were doing there.
Mitchell’s loving demeanor was unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar as if he had seen it before. Jeff widened his eyes and quickly turned his head following Mitchell’s gaze. Mitchell was looking at the moving company people.
For a moment, his hair stood on end. He suddenly remembered the reason for the déjà vu. It was the same look Mitchell had when he called Geon-woo “baby” that day.
“I used to work part-time at a moving company.”
One of the men mixed in with the others turned to Mitchell with a pouty expression. Then he took off his cap and approached Mitchell. As soon as Jeff confirmed he was Asian, he rolled a curse in his mouth.
‘Damn it… Who the hell is that guy? Wait a minute!’
Eventually, the man sat right next to Mitchell. The closeness of their bodies, almost touching, seemed familiar to both of them. Mitchell immediately draped his arm over the back of the sofa. If there hadn’t been a sofa, it would have looked like he was putting his arm around the man’s shoulders.
“You worked part-time? That’s cute.”
As soon as he heard Mitchell’s words, Jeff unconsciously leaned back. His mouth hung open and wouldn’t close. The conversation and physical contact between the two seemed unnervingly natural.
“Stop saying weird things. Why are you like this lately?”
The man belatedly glanced at Jeff and scolded Mitchell. While keeping an eye on Jeff, he lightly hit Mitchell’s chest. He seemed embarrassed and awkwardly averted his gaze.
“What’s wrong with that…”
Just then, Mitchell’s gaze left the man and settled on Jeff. His eyes curved as he smiled happily, and his green eyes sparkled as he finished his sentence.
“…baby.”
Sweat trickled down Jeff’s spine. Mitchell’s gaze lingered on Jeff for a while.
