Chapter 136
Junman felt pain as if his entire body had been struck with iron balls. After regaining consciousness from being hit on the head, he didn’t move a muscle, fearing he’d be hit again if they discovered he was awake.
His buttocks were numb, and his bound arms felt as if they weren’t his own. He didn’t remember being strangled, but his voice came out raspy whenever he tried to speak. Anyway, his jaw and mouth area were so swollen that it was difficult to speak properly.
Junman felt wronged. He couldn’t understand why this was happening to him. He had stayed at the house for a day with Mitchell’s permission. Then, having learned the password and the dates when the house would be empty, he secretly visited again. After all, the house would be empty, so he had only planned to stay for about a week. He had just borrowed the roof and comfortable bed without the owner’s knowledge, and now he was in this state.
The one who appeared before Junman was a devil.
It was a devil who hated Mitchell. Although Junman didn’t know what kind of relationship the devil had with Mitchell, he constantly cursed Mitchell. And he sometimes called Junman “Geon-woo.” It must have been a devil with a grudge against Mitchell who had mistaken him for Geon-woo and done this.
He had experienced hell for sneaking into an empty house, drinking without permission, and passing out. Unfortunately, it had happened when both Geon-woo and Mitchell were away.
Junman tried to explain again that he wasn’t Geon-woo. But the devil didn’t even give Junman a chance to speak and resorted to violence. His swollen mouth slurred his already clumsy English pronunciation. Every time he tried to speak, he received an even stronger punch. After that, he had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.
Although he could only see darkness due to the blindfold, he kept his eyes tightly shut, not wanting to comprehend the nightmarish reality that had befallen him. He kept his ears wide open, preparing for sudden violence, when he realized that his surroundings had become quiet.
Junman felt puzzled by the prolonged silence. Recalling his last hazy memories, he remembered that the voice of the man who had joined later had completely disappeared, and afterward, the devil had been talking to someone on the phone. At some point, even the devil’s presence had completely vanished.
“Ugh…”
He made a sound, prepared to be hit.
“S… b… you…”
Just uttering that one phrase made his head ring. And then it was quiet. Even when he deliberately made a sound, there was no response.
After pondering for a while, Junman moved his hand to lift the blindfold covering his eyes. Squinting, he looked around and found that there really was no one there.
Trembling all over, he forcibly raised his upper body. Once again, pain flooded his entire body. Gasping for breath from the searing pain, he took a deep breath and composed himself.
This might be his only chance to escape.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself up and painfully walked to the door. Outside the room was a warehouse of an old repair shop.
His heart was pounding as if it would burst. Figuring out who these people were was a problem for later. For now, he needed to get out of here immediately.
However, Junman was naked except for his socks. His legs were free, but his arms were still bound with cable ties. While leaning against the wall and moving around the warehouse interior, he soon found scissors and painfully cut off the cable ties.
As if the law of survival was on his side, there were clothes hanging next to the exit door. It was a one-piece work outfit that a mechanic would wear.
Groaning, he put on the oil-stained outfit and headed for the side door next to the lowered shutter. When the door opened easily, Junman burst into tears on the spot. At the same time, he exerted superhuman strength and ran towards the park across the street.
***
“Would you like a drink?”
Sandy, with a smile, asked the people sitting on the sofa.
“Coffee?”
Mitchell asked Jeff, who quietly nodded.
“Just one coffee, please. We’re fine.”
“Alright, I understand.”
As Sandy went into the kitchen, Geon-woo nudged Mitchell’s shoulder.
“Why didn’t you ask me?”
“You drank a lot yesterday. Try to cut down on caffeine at least. Whenever you drink coffee, your eyes become wide awake and you can’t sleep. It makes me more worried, so please listen.”
“…”
Geon-woo, glaring at Mitchell with those wide-awake eyes, shook his head. He wanted to have an argument, but he held back because there were many people around and an unfamiliar guest had arrived. Despite Mitchell benefiting the most from Geon-woo’s drinking, he still nagged like this. Even though Geon-woo had sucked him off so diligently while drunk.
“But who is this?”
Geon-woo glanced at the unfamiliar man and asked Mitchell in a somewhat lowered voice. He had expected Mitchell to introduce him, but when he remained silent, Geon-woo asked first.
“Hmm.”
While Mitchell hesitated for a moment, Jeff opened his mouth.
“Nice to meet you.”
The expression with one corner of his mouth raised crookedly was peculiar. He was definitely smiling, but strangely, he didn’t seem to be in a good mood. As if someone had forced him, he continued his introduction.
“I’m Jeff Wood. I’m an old friend of Mitchell’s… You’re Geon-woo, right?”
“…”
As soon as he heard the name Jeff, Geon-woo’s face hardened. When Geon-woo just glared without answering, Jeff asked once more.
“You are Geon-woo, right?”
“…Yes.”
At Geon-woo’s belated answer, Jeff closed his eyes tightly and then opened them again. He had certainly thought that the person they had caught from the glass house yesterday was Geon-woo. The person he had been tormenting since yesterday should have been Geon-woo!
He couldn’t even gauge where things had gone wrong. The person they had caught was definitely Asian and looked exactly like the Geon-woo he had seen on the news…
No, was he exactly the same? He certainly seemed that way, but it wasn’t him?
Then who on earth…
His head throbbed at the chaotic situation. He had failed to drive a wedge between the two, and someone he didn’t even know was lying in a shabby state in the warehouse.
Jeff pressed his temples and glanced at Geon-woo. Every time their eyes met, a cold gaze was directed at him.
“What brings you here?”
Geon-woo didn’t hide his hostile expression or sharp tone at all. While Jeff was surprised and angry in his own way, Geon-woo was equally furious.
He had already been in a bad mood recently because of Jeff. Just yesterday, he had caused a scene, misunderstanding that Mitchell had gone to New York to meet Jeff.
Geon-woo had lain down in the living room and protested forcefully, even though the boarding time for the flight to Miami was approaching. He threw a tantrum, saying that if Mitchell didn’t speak honestly, he would go to the villa alone. As a result, Mitchell really did leave Geon-woo behind and pulled the car out of the garage.
Seeing Mitchell’s car coming out of the garage, a panicked Geon-woo had rushed out, and the car stopped just then. Mitchell had never intended to leave without Geon-woo in the first place. It was a given.
The journey to the airport afterward was quiet. Mitchell had first pulled Geon-woo’s hand onto his leg, asking for reconciliation, but said nothing more. Geon-woo also leaned on Mitchell’s shoulder, and his brief rebellion ended as if it had never happened.
Of course, they had passionate reconciliation sex at the villa after the flight, so it turned out even better.
Anyway, the cause of that fight was now right in front of him.
If there hadn’t been a mix-up with the villa remodeling schedule, they would have stayed in Miami. Geon-woo was already upset about having his happy vacation with Mitchell interrupted, and now Jeff had barged into the house, so he couldn’t help but feel sick to his stomach.
“Jeff came here on his own, but I also have something to say.”
As sparks flew between their clashing gazes, Mitchell stepped in. He explained the situation with a face that looked like he might start humming.
“…”
Geon-woo’s eyes trembled at the words “came on his own!” Geon-woo and Jeff quietly glared at each other.
“Please have your drink and talk. We’ll be leaving now.”
Just then, Sandy brought the coffee. Sandy and the other helpers finished cooking and cleaning and all left early. The furniture moving company people also finished their work not too late. After sending everyone away, the atmosphere became strangely quieter than usual. Now only three people remained.
Of course, Geon-woo’s mind was noisier and more complicated than ever. Whether Jeff came on his own or with permission, Geon-woo didn’t like Mitchell being involved with Jeff. His chest burned hot.
This was the second time the three of them had gathered together. That day when Geon-woo had sneaked into Mitchell’s house. Geon-woo had witnessed Jeff and Mitchell in the same bed.
At the time, he had only been surprised, but looking back now, he felt enraged and sparks flew from his eyes. He thought that perhaps Mitchell had been taken away by the person in front of him. Geon-woo glared at Jeff as if looking at his one and only enemy in the world.
“What did you want to say?”
Jeff openly met Geon-woo’s gaze before turning to look at Mitchell. If Mitchell weren’t here, he would have punched that guy in the face.
His breathing quickened as he tried to suppress his temper. As he took a sip of coffee from the table, Mitchell spoke.
“Did you have fun yesterday?”
Jeff sputtered coffee and coughed violently.
