Chapter 22
“Where does someone suddenly act like this, really?”
The kitchen lady, who had taken off her rubber gloves, grumbled as if she couldn’t believe it.
“Tomorrow right away. Isn’t that too much? How many years have I worked with Boss Park?”
“You think I want to do this? That gangster bastard openly told us to close up, so what choice do we have?”
Hey, shit. The curse muttered just audibly enough represented Boss Park’s feelings. Having kicked the trash can as soon as he entered the store, he had been spewing harsh words since earlier.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere was terrible. Only the kitchen lady, who was around the same age as Boss Park, openly expressed her dissatisfaction.
“Weren’t you on good terms with those gangsters? You kept going to see those guys all the time, so I was just trusting in that.”
“Ha, really. What didn’t I trust? He acted like he would just quietly let it slide, then that bastard suddenly completely changed his tune.”
Boss Park’s face had turned bright red from how angry he was.
“That young punk, just because he has some money.”
Boss Park grumbled to himself for a long time. Saying he didn’t like his arrogant gaze, that despite being just a gangster he was disgustingly haughty. Words he could never dare say in front of Jeonghyeok, he rattled off one after another.
Yuwon silently listened to that conversation from a corner of the kitchen. Until Boss Park stormed out of the kitchen at the kitchen lady’s nagging about why he didn’t do better.
“……”
He felt like his head was spinning.
So, the gangster Boss Park kept cursing about was his ajeossi. The man who had coaxed and touched him until just last night.
Before that, they had sat facing each other eating pizza together. When he asked why he was so late, he had talked about Boss Park. What had ajeossi said then?
‘I’ll have to clean it up quickly.’
At Jeonghyeok’s voice that suddenly came to mind, saliva went down his throat with a gulp.
Yuwon rinsed the scrubber in his hand with water. Even while thinking it couldn’t be, deep in his heart he kept repeating the same words.
Because of me. Could ajeossi have done this because of me?
It definitely wasn’t that, he knew it couldn’t be. But if by any chance it was, why would ajeossi go that far?
Of course, it might not have been done on purpose but just a coincidence. Closing the store was already decided to happen at some point anyway.
Then what did he mean when he said he would clean it up yesterday?
While grilling meat and serving as usual, Yuwon pondered deeply. Even while finishing work and heading to Jeonghyeok’s house, those thoughts wouldn’t leave his mind.
Even after entering the officetel building and taking the elevator, even after arriving in front of the front door, Yuwon stood blankly worrying about questions with no answers.
Just as he was standing still, unable to press the doorbell, the door suddenly opened.
“What are you doing there?”
Jeonghyeok in comfortable clothes spoke while sweeping his hair up.
“I waited for a while but you weren’t coming in.”
“Ah… I was just about to go in.”
Even though his hasty excuse was completely obvious, Jeonghyeok silently stepped aside. It meant come in.
Yuwon clenched his hands against his thighs and entered the house. While he was taking off his shoes, Jeonghyeok went past the entrance to the living room first.
Looking at his broad back, the curiosity he had been suppressing all day suddenly burst out. Yuwon couldn’t hold back and called out to stop Jeonghyeok.
“Ajeossi.”
Jeonghyeok turned to look at Yuwon with a “why?” expression.
“The boss said today that we have to close the store now.”
“Ah, I see.”
It was an indifferent expression. Like someone completely unrelated, making it impossible to ask anything more. But Yuwon stubbornly continued.
“He said ajeossi told him to do that… is that right?”
“Me?”
Jeonghyeok’s shoulders shrugged up.
“I never did that.”
“…Really?”
“Really.”
No, it was a lie. His face, subtly lifting the corners of his mouth in a smile, didn’t even show an effort to hide it.
Yuwon narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth, then closed it again. It seemed like even if he asked more here, he wouldn’t get the answer he wanted.
After taking off his coat and roughly hanging it on a dining chair, he approached next to Jeonghyeok who was sitting on the sofa. He was sitting with his legs crossed, holding the remote control. After carefully watching him flip through channels with his usual bored expression, he soon opened his mouth.
“I might not be able to come for dinner for a while.”
At Yuwon’s words, cracks appeared in Jeonghyeok’s expression. A sharp gaze turned toward Yuwon.
“Why?”
“I have to look for a part-time job. It would have been good if I knew in advance, but it happened so suddenly…”
Though he felt relieved that Jeonghyeok seemed to have gotten revenge on Boss Park, on the other hand he felt hopeless. Finding a new part-time job wasn’t a big deal, but the timing was too tight.
“Are you that desperate for a job?”
“I don’t have living expenses or spending money right away.”
“You have my card.”
“That’s ajeossi’s.”
“Pay me back later. My job is lending money, so can’t I even do that?”
At his nonchalant tone, Yuwon was at a loss for words. He had only used Jeonghyeok’s card for grocery shopping when coming to his house. He never intended to use it like his own spending money. Moreover, money transactions between people who were dating – he wanted to avoid that if possible.
However, even seeing Yuwon’s distorted face, Jeonghyeok spoke firmly.
“Use the card. Come every evening without fail.”
There was no gap in his words. His will to not accept any refusal was clear.
Yuwon sighed with a frustrated heart and said:
“It’s not just because of that…”
“If that’s not all. Is it because of the house? Rent, something like that?”
At Jeonghyeok’s still sharp attitude, Yuwon’s mouth closed tightly.
“If it’s because of that, stay at this house.”
“What, that won’t do.”
“Why won’t it work?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I can’t pay back that much money.”
Living expenses could be managed by being frugal. He could save as much as possible, spend little money, and pay Jeonghyeok back that much. But rent was a completely different problem.
Yuwon looked around the house carefully. The room with warmth flowing all day, the spacious dining table, even the brilliant scenery outside the window. He didn’t even want to imagine how much the rent for this level of house would be. Even if they asked him to pay half of half, it would be impossible.
“You know. I’m not that well-off. I absolutely hate being in debt.”
“If you don’t have to pay it back, then it’s okay, right?”
What was this supposed to mean? Yuwon asked back with a puzzled face.
“How can I not pay it back?”
“Because you’re my boyfriend?”
Suddenly, Yuwon’s eyes trembled finely. Boyfriend – he doubted whether that word really came from ajeossi’s mouth.
“Don’t you like it?”
“It’s not that I don’t like it, I just feel sorry for being indebted.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”
Jeonghyeok, who had gotten up from the sofa, approached with large steps.
“If you’re not here, I’ll starve for dinner now. Is that okay?”
“……”
“Hm?”
Yuwon obediently shook his head. His white skin was completely flushed red.
Wasn’t it cheating to suddenly talk about being boyfriends and then add such uncharacteristically soft words? He felt newly embarrassed.
Jeonghyeok looked at Yuwon’s reddish earlobes and whispered:
“Then it’s settled. Stay here.”
“Still, staying for a long time is, ugh…”
Because staying too long would be a nuisance, he would only impose for about a month. That’s what he was trying to say.
His lips were quickly captured. Afraid that his loudly beating heart might somehow be transmitted to Jeonghyeok, Yuwon unnecessarily twisted his body.
The more he did that, the more deeply Jeonghyeok embraced Yuwon. So their bodies could stick together without gaps, so he couldn’t escape.
While fully taking in his plump lower lip, he mulled over the words Yuwon had just uttered. Those pathetic words about not being able to come for a while.
What was the reason for closing that small restaurant in the first place?
He didn’t want to be interrupted in his time with Yuwon. He wanted him to stay at this house as much as possible. It might be a reason others would laugh at, but there was no choice.
He didn’t want to see Boss Park bothering Yuwon, and he didn’t like having to wait until Yuwon’s work was completely finished every evening before eating. And he was someone who didn’t know how to endure things he disliked.
“Ajeossi…”
Listening to Yuwon’s voice scattering like a sigh, Jeonghyeok pressed his lips to his soft nape.
A distinctive body scent spread from where his pulse beat. Every time he deeply inhaled that body fragrance, his chest ached.
He couldn’t know exactly what this rippling feeling was. He didn’t expect that even at this age, emotions that were hard for him to recognize would remain.
Heavier than affection and clearer than lust, he wanted to keep Yuwon, who had awakened this unidentifiable emotion, by his side. He wanted to hold him until he got sick of it. He didn’t know when that would be, but that was his intention.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
