Chapter 100
Hyun-se drove hurriedly. He crossed the quiet roads without obstruction and arrived near the inn. It was a run-down area no matter when he saw it.
Signs with separated consonants and vowels, low and shabby buildings that might as well have melted into the ground, narrow alleys, and except for a single convenience store, no places had lights on late at night. Even the sparsely placed streetlights were dim, failing to fulfill their purpose properly.
He entered the convenience store and ordered cigarettes, glancing to the side. One drink among those lined up in the refrigerator particularly caught his eye. He turned towards it and took out a bottle. It was a type of overly sweet drink he hadn’t even known existed and wouldn’t drink even if he bought it now.
He didn’t particularly intend to give it to anyone. Yet he placed it on the counter. Even as he put it in his pocket while leaving, he couldn’t understand why he had bought it.
He threw it in the car and entered the alley. The inn was halfway up the slope. It wasn’t time for Si-yul to return yet. He stood like a totem pole in front of it and unwrapped a new pack of cigarettes.
One, two, and then the third. Even though he smoked slowly, deliberately letting the ash grow long, Si-yul didn’t come. Whenever a shadow fell or footsteps passed by, he would turn his head from staring blankly into space.
Isn’t this like a dog waiting for its owner?
He was aware of how ridiculous he looked. If so, he could turn back now while it wasn’t too late, but he kept delaying, thinking Si-yul might enter the alley if he waited just one more minute, if he smoked just one more cigarette.
Cursing himself inwardly for being stupid, he took out a new cigarette. This would be the last one he’d smoke here. If he didn’t see that small head after finishing this, he would leave. He would delete all the photos on his phone, stop the stalker-like behavior, dispose of the officetel, and then…
As he was thinking through this series of steps, his ears perked up. The approaching footsteps sounded familiar. He looked up while deeply inhaling the smoke. Si-yul entered the dim alley. His black hair, the faint wisteria scent he emitted, and his incredibly fair skin that seemed to glow even in the darkness remained the same.
His face was revealed under the faint streetlight. He pressed his fingertips firmly against both eyelids, then saw Hyun-se. The gaze didn’t last even a few seconds. With a tired look, he lowered his eyes and tried to pass by.
As if he had seen an inanimate object.
“Shall we talk for a bit?”
He wanted to grab that arm. He clenched his fist and held back. The flower scent that had been seeping into his nostrils faded and eventually disappeared. He regretted that. He wanted to grab Si-yul’s shoulders and tell him to at least emit his scent if he wouldn’t speak. No, he should have said kindly that he had bought Si-yul’s favorite drink in the car, so he should at least wet his throat before going.
Withdrawing his scent was Si-yul’s answer. It was a rejection. He was resolute that it would be better to end things here.
Inevitably, Hyun-se brought up his business. Si-yul just tilted his head. Every time those lips said it didn’t matter anymore, every time they said not to worry about it, Hyun-se’s nape felt chilly, as if someone had pressed a cold blade to his palm. It wasn’t his hand that stung as if cut.
“Kwon Yuwon.”
He didn’t want to bring up this name. He had thought about quietly finishing the job and returning him to Si-yul’s side, but he hadn’t intended to use it as bait like this. Sure enough, Si-yul, who hadn’t budged at his proposal, flinched and reacted the moment he heard Kwon Yuwon’s name.
Despite the time he had waited, the conversation ended quickly. Si-yul brushed past him and went inside. The creaking, slamming shut of the old iron door was the wall between them.
If there had been any lingering scent, he would have inhaled it like cigarette smoke, but there was nothing in the air. He didn’t want to mix his scent with the emptiness. Especially because he didn’t know what kind of vile smell his scent might give off towards Si-yul.
He returned to the car without any gain. Suddenly feeling very tired, he leaned his head on the headrest and closed his eyes. He opened them again, inwardly chanting a hundred times that he should just sort things out now, that it was over, that there would be no more entanglement.
But of all things.
Of all things, the drink he had bought at the convenience store caught his eye. The owner of the drink wasn’t him, but Si-yul. Just sitting quietly in the car, it looked like it had been abandoned without fulfilling its purpose.
‘I fell in love with it the moment I first drank it. A whole new world.’
He said he fell in love the moment he first drank it.
‘You’ll see. Soon you’ll be looking for only this, CEO. I guarantee it.’
He had boldly claimed it would be addictive.
Si-yul had made him look for only this, made it catch his eye even when he wasn’t looking, and then ignored him. It was nothing if not irresponsible behavior. He wanted to throw a tantrum, demanding that Si-yul be brought back immediately to take responsibility, or at least restore things to how they were. Despite his age, all the things he wanted to do were actions a child under ten might do.
Si-yul makes Hyun-se miserable and pathetic.
He grabbed the steering wheel and buried his head in it. The scent he had been holding back blossomed like leaves. But there was no spring to receive it. Even if it bloomed, it would only wither and twist in the barrenness.
* * *
Si-yul straightened his back after bending over to wipe the table and glanced at the second floor of the building across the street. He hoped it was his imagination, but sure enough, the same person as before was sitting by the window looking down at him.
When he met the gaze steadily, the other person turned away first. Though the person pretended not to notice while sipping coffee, Si-yul knew. It was the gaze that had been following him for days.
At first, he thought it might be his own oversensitivity. But as it continued for a long period, he couldn’t help but notice. Someone was watching him. On the main road leading to the inn, near the meat restaurant, and in the building opposite the cafe.
Who could it be?
He was curious about their identity. He even considered going to ask directly. Whether it was someone Hyun-se had sent, or someone related to Kwon Yuwon. Because there was no reason for anyone else to have someone follow him.
But although he had Hyun-se’s number displayed on his phone, he couldn’t press the call button. He didn’t have the courage to hear that voice directly. He knew that just hearing a “hello” would make all the questions he needed to ask swirl in his throat before plunging back inside due to overwhelming emotions.
The person seemed to have no intention of harming him, just lingering around. So he had tried to ignore it to some extent.
Today was a day without an evening part-time job. He hurried his steps home after finishing his cafe work. Just as he entered the narrow alley where the inn was located, someone standing in front of the door looked at Si-yul as if they had been waiting.
“Mr. Kwon Si-yul?”
“Who are you?”
Although he had noticed a stranger lingering around, the neatly dressed man in a suit was clearly someone he was seeing for the first time. Si-yul looked at the man while hiding his chin in his pilled scarf. Wariness was evident in his eyes.
“Ah, there’s someone who wants to see Mr. Kwon Si-yul. Would you come with me for a moment?”
“I asked who you are.”
Shouldn’t he identify himself first? But the man seemed to have no intention of introducing himself or easing Si-yul’s wariness, remaining expressionless throughout. Si-yul took a step back, prepared to run if necessary.
“It’s related to Mr. Woo Hyun-se.”
The retreating foot paused. But hearing those three syllables didn’t mean he could blindly trust the man in front of him. Si-yul silently looked at the other person, and finally spoke.
“Then it has nothing to do with me.”
“We just need a moment of your time. We’re not bad people.”
We. There were others besides this man. Si-yul rolled his eyes, quickly looking for a place to escape. The hill above was a complex maze of narrow alleys like an ant colony, so if he hid well, he could safely shake them off. As he stepped back and turned his body sharply, two men who had appeared out of nowhere blocked the narrow alley entrance.
Si-yul turned his head to look at the man in the suit. The man’s face was still expressionless.
“We’re not trying to harm you. It will be over after just a brief conversation.”
“If that’s the case, let’s just do it here and end it.”
“The person who sent us wants to see Mr. Kwon Si-yul in person.”
The man, seeming bored with the continued argument, gave a signal with his eyes to those standing at the alley entrance. The two men took big steps forward, approaching closer. As Si-yul retreated hesitantly, they reached out their hands as if hunting. He tried to run away, but was too late. The men grabbed Si-yul’s arms.
