<27>
“Driver, sorry but I need to change the destination. Please turn the car toward Yongsan District.”
Han Jaekyung, who had been lying in the back seat fast asleep, suddenly spoke up just as they had stopped for a traffic light. Yeonhu glanced back wondering if he had woken up, but his eyes were still closed. Jaekyung was sleeping soundly using Yeonhu’s bag as a pillow and covered with Yeonhu’s jacket as a blanket, emanating a strong alcohol smell that made one scrunch their nose.
“Jaekyung, are you awake?”
“…Driver, I’ll pay extra fare. Please… hurry and turn the car around. Where I want to go is…”
If the phrase “dead drunk” became a person, it would be exactly Jaekyung right now. He seemed to be mistaking this for a taxi, continuously mumbling requests to go somewhere else without even being able to open his eyes.
Yeonhu cheerfully played along, asking “Where shall I take you, customer?” Yongsan District… Hannam-dong… The address he barely managed to whisper out in a murmuring voice was pointing to the main family mansion where Yeonhu lived. Yeonhu’s lips curved up even more in a bright smile.
“Yes, we’ll be there soon. Don’t worry and sleep more.”
“Yes…”
As if he was determined to turn everything upside down, he’d stubbornly refused to answer calls for days, making Yeonhu sulk a bit, and now seeing him looking like the world had collapsed, completely deflated—it made his chest tingle. When he’d checked before putting him in the car earlier, hadn’t he even blocked his number?
He’d immediately unblocked it, but separately from that, feeling offended, he’d planned to make him cry properly. But seeing him finally seeking him out, even if it was with the help of alcohol, rather than wanting to make him cry, he just felt an impulse to hold him in his arms and coax him gently.
Anyway, this is my problem… When I see you, I just want to be nice to you, you know? I keep getting soft-hearted.
He grumbled internally while gently turning the steering wheel. If Jaekyung, who had been called to the CEO’s office today and thoroughly scolded because of the change in Yeonhu’s attitude, knew this, it would be such nonsense that he’d grab the back of his neck in disbelief.
Inside the car heading toward the familiar destination, only the sound of Jaekyung breathing evenly in deep sleep could be heard. When Yeonhu arrived home, he deliberately didn’t go into the garage but parked the car a bit away from the main gate like a real taxi driver.
“We’ve arrived, customer. Please wake up.”
“Mmm. Thank… thank you. Here’s my card…”
“You already paid earlier. You can just get out.”
“Yes… Then drive safely…”
Jaekyung even bowed his head politely before shakily opening the door and tumbling out of the car. He must have been completely out of it since he left his bag and coat behind in the back seat. Yeonhu gathered Jaekyung’s belongings for him while following his movements with his eyes.
Staggering in a state where he couldn’t even walk properly, Jaekyung slowly shuffled forward at a very slow pace, then finally positioned himself in front of the large, firmly closed main gate and crouched down.
His neck, which kept nodding forward as he couldn’t control his strength, looked as fragile as a newborn animal. Fragile, but stirring Yeonhu’s chest with a force greater and stronger than anything else.
His disheveled hair and wrinkled shirt. His shoes half kicked off. The elite lawyer Han Jaekyung, who always appeared upright and proper as if receiving everyone’s trust, was nowhere to be seen. What was crouched in front of Yeonhu’s eyes now was just a fragile wild animal trembling while waiting for him.
The intoxication bubbling inside must have been quite difficult. Jaekyung occasionally threw his head back as far as it would go and let out deep sighs of “Huu…” His dry hands, which irritably slapped his own cheek as if trying to wake himself up, seemed to glow white even in the darkness.
Yeonhu didn’t immediately approach Jaekyung to embrace his shoulders, but instead scrutinized him thoroughly with his gaze while maintaining distance, as if appreciating the sight.
Someone who didn’t know how to lean on anyone but Yeonhu… Someone who had nothing without Yeonhu… Just Jaekyung.
His heart pounded so hard with excitement and joy that it hurt. It was even difficult to manage his expression.
He’d willingly taken on various burdens because it was cute watching him struggle desperately to climb the ladder, but once he’d filled up that storehouse, Yeonhu had felt somewhat disappointed. It seemed like his influence on Jaekyung was gradually diminishing. So how much this sight, seen for the first time in a while, stimulated his appetite needed no further explanation.
If he could follow his heart, he wanted to just scoop him up and throw him into his bedroom. That white, supple body would be sweet as if custom-made. He wanted to grab those slender ankles and relentlessly drive him until he clung on crying and pleading.
But he hadn’t endured all this time hoping for just one night of pleasure. Yeonhu loved Jaekyung far too deeply to hand him over so cheaply.
Really. To a terrifying degree.
“…What are you doing here?”
So Yeonhu approached Jaekyung and simply knelt willingly to meet his eye level. Suppressing his sinister inner thoughts, when he asked what he was doing, Jaekyung barely lifted his hazy eyes and blinked several times. His long eyelashes moved like feathers.
“Oh…”
“Han Jaekyung.”
Cupping the chin of Jaekyung, who couldn’t seem to come to his senses, Yeonhu called his name again. Only then did Jaekyung smile foolishly and mumble, “Oh oh… It’s Yeonhu. Yeonhu came…”
Was it because of the orange streetlight pouring down from above? That face, where his usual venomous expression was completely hidden, looked particularly young and vulnerable.
It seemed like the first time since middle school that Jaekyung had shown such an innocent and clear expression in front of Yeonhu. Because of that, Yeonhu’s heart melted again, and he released the strength from the hand cupping his chin, warming his cheek that had been hit by the cold wind with his palm as he spoke.
“What are you doing here at this late hour? Look at this. Your cheek is all frozen. Weren’t you cold?”
“Mmm… I wasn’t cold.”
Jaekyung buried his face in the large palm and rubbed his cheek as if being coquettish. If not for the strong smell of alcohol, it would have been an innocent sight that wouldn’t be strange even for a student.
“But, Yeonhu, why did you only come now…”
“Were you waiting for me?”
“Yeah. Fucking, fucking waited for so long, you bastard…”
Well, it wouldn’t be Jaekyung if he acted nice to the end. At the sudden burst of profanity, Yeonhu had difficulty holding back his laughter. Seeing Yeonhu suddenly lower his head and just chuckle while cupping his face must have been annoying even in his drunken state, as Jaekyung put strength into his glare again. Though it still only looked cute to Yeonhu.
“Right now, haa… Right now, am I funny? You bad bastard. Coming so fucking late and then just grinning.”
“Snicker. No. I wasn’t laughing. Why would Jaekyung be funny? Not funny at all.”
“This guy thinks I’m some kind of idiot moron…”
Jaekyung bit his lips hard and glared at Yeonhu, then was silent for a moment. Yeonhu also didn’t want to break this moment’s sentiment, so he just waited for Jaekyung, who seemed to have something to say.
“…Hey.”
“Yeah, what is it Jaekyung.”
Fuck, I… I’m having such a hard time I can’t take it anymore. The words that eventually burst from Jaekyung were already dampened with moisture.
“What’s so hard? Who made our Jaekyung suffer?”
“You crazy bastard… This is all, all because of you.”
“Yeah. I was wrong. Jaekyung was very upset because of me.”
“That’s right, everything, everything is all because of you.”
Jaekyung burst into tears and buried his head in Yeonhu’s chest, and Yeonhu patted his heaving back and shoulders. Having someone to comfort him, Jaekyung’s sobbing became even more intense.
“Hurry up and apologize to me. I’ll give you a chance… Say you’re sorry and beg.”
Even while sniffling, that shallow bravado of trying not to lose his dignity was both ridiculous and lovable. Yeonhu arbitrarily kissed Jaekyung’s hair while softly whispering, “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.”
“If you think about it, hic, it’s all something your mom made me do… Why are you only giving me shit, you crazy bastard. What did I… what did I do so wrong?”
“You’re right. It’s all my fault. Our Jaekyung didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Jang Yeonhu, did you. Did you give your mom shit like that too, hic, to your mom? Huh?”
If he burst into laughter here, he’d definitely get on his bad side for real. Yeonhu gritted his teeth and swallowed his laughter, just putting more strength into the arm embracing Jaekyung.
After sniffling for a long while, Jaekyung eventually fell asleep again, exhausted from crying. Was it because of his bad habit of not being able to endure without pushing himself to the limit? When Jaekyung relaxed, he often collapsed completely like this, as if his engine had been turned off.
Though his limp limbs felt twice as heavy as usual, Yeonhu easily lifted the sleeping Jaekyung into his arms.
He tried to move quietly, but it seemed difficult to completely eliminate any presence. When he opened the door to the main house and entered, one of the servants was waiting for Yeonhu with a face clearly showing drowsiness. It was Chanmo, who Jaekyung had been particularly attached to since childhood.
“You’re a bit late today… Oh my, isn’t that Jaekyung? Jaekyung’s room isn’t prepared.”
“Haha. I think he had a bit much at the company dinner. We’ll sleep together in my room, so don’t worry about it.”
“Should I make a warm cup of honey water and bring it up?”
“No, it’s fine. I think it’s better to let him sleep deeply without waking him. Oh, please make some pine nut porridge that Jaekyung likes for breakfast tomorrow.”
“Yes, I’ll prepare it. Then please call me right away if you need anything else.”
That night, Jaekyung slept soundly without waking up again. On Yeonhu’s bed, using Yeonhu’s arm as a pillow. It was an utterly satisfying night.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
