Chapter 104
“Do you like it that much?”
He threw the words at Shin-do Joo’s back as he turned away. The other glanced back. His reddish eyes lacked any interest or curiosity about others, or even a hint of warmth that humans should have. Shin-do Joo wore a human mask, but if you peeled it off, there was a thousand-year-old serpent inside.
“You mean you’d be happy to lie on your back like a dog for your young master?”
“…”
Shin-do Joo stared intently at Hyun-se. As if trying to see through his true intentions. Hyun-se met his gaze calmly. After a long stare, Shin-do Joo smirked and pointed at him.
“I didn’t think you were like this, CEO Woo. You have no romance in you.”
It wasn’t something he should hear from Shin-do Joo of all people. Nevertheless, Hyun-se smiled back. It was the kind of smile someone who’d been hit right on the mark would typically wear.
As Shin-do Joo was about to leave the room, he turned his head as if something had just occurred to him, saying “Ah.” With his hands deep in his pockets, he casually threw out:
“CEO Woo, I hear your cousin is going abroad to study soon.”
The only cousin Shin-do Joo could be referring to was Tae-joo Woo. That cheeky kid had called Shin-do Joo “hyung” obsequiously despite only meeting him a few times. As if the vicious scar on his nose bridge wasn’t even visible.
“Yeah.”
“Maybe that’s why he was partying in a private room.”
Whatever. Showing disinterest in the topic, Hyun-se waved his hand, urging him to get out quickly. Shin-do Joo’s eyes crinkled prettily. The teeth revealed between his lips were infuriatingly even.
“Your little pet seemed excited too.”
Hyun-se, who had been nonchalantly taking out a cigarette to put in his mouth, jerked his head up. His eyes looking at Shin-do Joo were filled with a chilling light. As he was about to jump up and grab the other’s collar, Shin-do Joo quickly swatted away the approaching hand with a loud slap.
“Why is Kwon Si-yul here?”
The back of his hand quickly turned red. Ignoring it, Hyun-se bared his teeth. Even his scent was ominous, as if ready to take down a person.
“The kid should have some fun, right?”
“Get out of my way.”
He pushed past Shin-do Joo’s shoulder and left the room. He heard sneering remarks from behind about old men not butting into young people’s fun and maintaining dignity, but he ignored them. He strode across the dim hallway with long steps.
As he went down the stairs, he saw a room full of familiar faces. But through the transparent glass wall, he only noticed Kwon Si-yul among the others.
He was smiling with his eyes curved like crescent moons, seemingly very amused about something. Sitting next to Tae-joo Woo, with his arm around his shoulder.
“…”
For a moment, he couldn’t hear anything. His vision went black, and only after blinking did it return. His feet were already moving. It felt as if someone was pushing his back forcefully. It seemed like a voice was whispering to him to rush in and cut off that arm on the shoulder first.
Hyun-se followed the voice urging him and headed towards the room. When he flung the door open, all eyes turned to him at once. Including Si-yul’s. He opened his eyes wide, as if he hadn’t expected to see him here.
Tae-joo, sitting next to him, also noticed Hyun-se and started to get up awkwardly. As soon as he called out “Hyun-se hyung,” Hyun-se strode over, grabbed the back of his head with a strong grip, and slammed it down on the table. With a thud, thick bones and tendons stood out on the hand pressing down on Tae-joo’s head.
“Didn’t I tell you not to eye what belongs to others?”
As violence was added to the sudden situation, people around scrambled to their feet. But no one dared to stop Hyun-se. A murderous intent that seemed like it could cut just by touching a fingertip was pouring out from Hyun-se’s entire body. Everyone was scared that the menacing blade might turn towards them instead of Tae-joo.
“Hyung, your hand…!”
Tae-joo, with his cheek pressed against the table, barely managed to spit out. Instead of replying, Hyun-se lifted his head. He was about to slam it down once more, with a shriek as background noise.
“Stop it!”
A white hand grabbed Hyun-se’s wrist. Glancing down, he saw Si-yul looking up with a face as pale as paper. Unable to withstand the overwhelming aura, his complexion was sickly as if he might vomit at any moment. The hand holding Hyun-se was also trembling finely.
“Stop it, hyung! He’ll really die like this.”
“…”
“Let go of this hand…”
Hyun-se just stared blankly at Si-yul. It seemed like he would calm down after three more slams, but he had only done it once and was being told to stop. The eyes looking up at him were desperate. He was sincerely trying to stop him.
That displeased him even more. It wasn’t for his own sake. He was grabbing his arm, trembling with fear, just to save Tae-joo.
Hyun-se’s grip tightened harshly. Tae-joo, with his neck bent back, gritted his teeth in pain with a groan. If he slammed him down like this, he would at least spend a few weeks quietly in the hospital.
“Please…!”
Si-yul clutched Hyun-se’s clothes with both hands. Tears welled up under his eyes. His scent also wafted out. The wisteria flower scent seemed precarious, as if it might disappear at any moment.
“…”
He wanted to kill him, but he wasn’t stupid enough to commit murder in a place with so many witnesses. He had planned to just beat him moderately and hospitalize him.
Clicking his tongue, Hyun-se relaxed his hand. Ignoring Tae-joo who collapsed coughing, he straightened his disheveled shirt sleeves. Even after attention was drawn, even as someone hurriedly attended to Tae-joo, Hyun-se only looked at Si-yul.
“Shall we talk?”
“…Outside. Let’s talk outside.”
Si-yul answered, squeezing out the words with clenched fists. If Kwon Si-yul was willing to leave this place of his own volition and on his own two feet, there was no need to rough up Tae-joo.
Hyun-se led the way and opened the door. Only after letting Si-yul out did Hyun-se leave as well.
Si-yul stopped in a deserted back alley. Hyun-se barely restrained the urge to put a cigarette in his mouth. Facing Si-yul’s clear face, something dark welled up inside him. He felt indescribably frustrated.
Why wasn’t he by his side, and yet he sat so close to Tae-joo, smiling so brightly?
He shouldn’t have let Tae-joo off so easily. He should have broken at least one part of him to keep him out of his and Si-yul’s sight for a few months. Or isolate him from the world by making him legally incompetent.
…Or Si-yul.
“What do you want to say?”
Si-yul asked boldly. Instead of a cigarette, Hyun-se bit his lip and ran his hand through his hair. His noticeably longer hair fell back onto his forehead despite his efforts.
If he could fill his lungs with smoke, his nerves might calm down a little. The image of Si-yul smiling with Tae-joo’s arm around his shoulder flickered before his eyes.
“Is this why you left?”
He seemed not to understand. Hyun-se mentally cursed. He didn’t want to show such a disheveled appearance in front of Si-yul if he could help it. Though he knew rationally that the other was much younger than him, he could no longer pretend to be composed.
Since Si-yul left, control had slipped from his hands. He couldn’t wear a mask like before, couldn’t stop words from spilling out, and wouldn’t hesitate to throw a punch if given the chance. He had asked himself countless times why he was like this, but the conclusion was always the same. Si-yul was the problem.
The day he left, abandoning him, Si-yul had stolen something from inside him as well.
“Was Woo Tae-joo Kwon Si-yul’s new partner?”
He explained it kindly. Si-yul pressed his lips tightly. After glaring at him, he turned his head away sharply. His scent disappeared again. No matter how hard he tried to suppress it, it was useless. Si-yul erasing his scent in front of him pushed his buttons.
“In front of me.”
He took a step closer. Si-yul retreated just as much. The distance between them was already far enough.
Get even further away from here. He wanted to grab his shoulders. If he grabbed them, would he break the bones? Hyun-se dug his nails into his palm.
“Don’t hide your scent.”
He emits a spring-like scent to others, but in front of him, he hides it as if facing a complete stranger. He couldn’t understand that. He didn’t want to understand it.
He wanted Si-yul to return to his former self. He wished he would curve his long eyes and smile like a flower bud bursting when he saw him. He should have emitted a much sweeter wisteria flower scent from his nape, wrists, and behind his ears than others could smell. That was the minimum courtesy Si-yul should show him.
“You can do at least that much, can’t you?”
Even if we’re over.
He couldn’t possibly add the words that followed in his mind. Instead of opening his mouth, Hyun-se wiped his face with his hand. He deliberately erased it, not wanting to reveal his unstably fluctuating scent.
