#082
Leaving the restaurant, Yeon Tae-soo put Yoo Seong-woo in his car and went for a drive. Due to the snow, there were no people on the streets.
Bright neon signs illuminated the wet black roads, and between them, cars and motorcycles passed by, scattering light. White substance, the only thing untouched by human hands, was scattered over the deep indigo city.
The snowy night streets were quiet, but the brilliant lights illuminated the roads almost noisily.
As they turned onto a deserted street, Yeon Tae-soo switched to automatic driving mode and kissed Yoo Seong-woo in the passenger seat.
Yoo Seong-woo felt the heat rising from his body and fully accepted Yeon Tae-soo’s kiss. Even knowing this heat was a side effect of the medicine, it felt like part of his emotions.
Between the two as they exchanged breaths, snow continued to fall. Like snow that falls without knowing it will all melt when the weather warms, emotions grow suddenly. Perhaps he would have to abandon all this and leave. Emotions that had grown unbearably in such a short time would only become baggage when leaving.
***
Yeon Tae-soo only drove toward the city. Yoo Seong-woo knew this place wasn’t far from Mount Jiri. He guessed the reason Yeon never went near the mountains was for his sake.
Their casual chitchat eventually led to how the fight with the Ministry of Defense was progressing.
The sniper who had shot at Yeon Tae-soo’s car had confessed to receiving assassination orders from General Kim. General Kim was investigated, and during the process, several corruption cases were also revealed.
Being confined to the safe house, Yoo Seong-woo hadn’t known, but outside, this incident had become a major topic. Yeon Tae-soo being a celebrity was one reason the rumor had spread.
“Public opinion isn’t good. You might not know… but I’m quite popular these days. They call me a national hero or something.”
Yoo Seong-woo laughed at these boastful words spoken in a playful tone.
“Oh, you’re laughing? What’s so funny?”
“I’m happy that you’re popular, Mr. Yeon.”
“Hey! You should be jealous when your lover is popular.”
Despite bursting out in anger, there was a smile on Yeon Tae-soo’s face.
“I’m not narrow-minded like someone I know.”
“What are you saying? You’re so tight I feel like I’m going to burst every time.”
In the end, Yoo Seong-woo shook his head in surrender.
“Well… anyway, I think we can implicate the minister soon, but we still lack decisive evidence.”
Yoo Seong-woo knew that the Minister of Defense was Yeon Tae-soo’s biggest enemy. Nodding absently, he suddenly asked:
“But… what crime did the minister commit?”
He had heard from Kim Ji-heon that during the war, Yeon Tae-soo had worked as a mercenary and passed European Union intelligence to the Republic of Korea. And that the Ministry of Defense was hostile to Yeon Tae-soo.
“Besides corruption, it seems there’s something more.”
Yeon Tae-soo opened his mouth and closed it. He seemed to have something to say but was hesitating, so Yoo Seong-woo didn’t ask further.
Yoo Seong-woo’s gaze returned to the window. The snow was gradually stopping, and though there were few cars on the road, Yeon Tae-soo didn’t release the manual driving mode and continued holding the steering wheel.
Tap, tap, he drummed the steering wheel with his metal fingers, recalling the mass android massacre he had seen—no, participated in—during the war.
He also recalled the minister’s face he had seen in the darkness that day. What he saw in that mouth with its white spots was insensitivity.
That face, as insensitive as himself carrying the black moonstone. That face that didn’t waver at all while committing terrible acts.
Once, Yeon Tae-soo thought he resembled the minister’s terrible insensitivity.
But not anymore. At least to one person, he was ashamed of his sins.
And even if not for that reason, he couldn’t tell him of all people. Because of one fact that was right before his eyes but he absolutely didn’t want to admit.
***
Because of the side effects, Yoo Seong-woo couldn’t wait for the return journey and clung to Yeon Tae-soo in the car, groaning.
Yeon Tae-soo didn’t ask about the cause of the heat and carefully touched his body. His comforting, soothing touch was so hot that Yoo Seong-woo reached climax several times.
The sensations Yeon Tae-soo gave him accumulated one by one inside his body. However, these sensations couldn’t create a database.
But that didn’t mean these sensations simply disappeared. The sensations that flowed into some unknown place within him clearly pooled inside. In some place that was neither database nor memory.
Yoo Seong-woo screamed as he accepted Yeon Tae-soo entering him. He hoped that Yeon would never know that these near-screaming moans were his distress signals.
All sorts of contradictions sparkled and scattered. Despite still having the desire to live in one part of his brain, the desire to spend his last moments burning like this under Yeon Tae-soo also existed.
While hoping that Yeon would never know about him, he simultaneously wished Yeon would understand his situation.
Even knowing how angry Yeon would be if he found out, he hoped Yeon wouldn’t be hurt.
He could be angry, tremble with betrayal, and pour out hatred—but please, don’t let the wounds be too deep.
But he wasn’t sure if he would still be functioning by then. The fact that he had little time left was what saddened him most.
As his body shook and his head hit the car ceiling, Yeon Tae-soo reached out his hand to cradle his head. Under the shade created by that large hand, he shook freely.
Yeon Tae-soo left marks on his chest and collarbone. Each time, his vision sparkled.
He forcibly fixed his blurred vision on Yeon Tae-soo. Yeon Tae-soo’s eyes looking up at him—like a blue dwarf star and universe in the dead of night—were looking up as if to devour him.
The gold light he had seen before shimmered around them. That sight flowed into him and accumulated in that unknown place.
Could something that’s not even the universe contain a galaxy? But you are elevating me to such a magnificent being.
Suddenly, Yeon Tae-soo stopped thrusting his hips and reached out to touch Yoo Seong-woo’s face. His fingertips moved along the long scar.
“…Is it ugly?” Yoo Seong-woo asked, mixing in labored breaths. This face was made to appeal to as many humans as possible, but he had ruined it with a scar—would Yeon Tae-soo’s fake attraction, created by his function, now fade?
“No. It just hurts.”
But the words Yeon Tae-soo spoke were unexpected.
“You’re the one who’s hurt, but every time I see it, I hurt too.”
Though it was clearly a joke, Yeon Tae-soo’s expression was serious.
Yoo Seong-woo cradled Yeon Tae-soo’s face with both hands. He kissed the man before him.
Outside the car window, the sky had cleared after the snow stopped. There were no stars in the dark, clean sky.
That day, Yeon Tae-soo and Yoo Seong-woo didn’t return to the safe house. Until sunrise, they leaned their heads together in the car, talking about meaningless things with an unremarkable night view before them.
As the sun fully rose between gray buildings and electric wires that looked like someone had carelessly drawn them in the air, Yoo Seong-woo fell asleep. He felt Yeon Tae-soo taking off his jacket and covering him with it.
***
How much time had passed? When he opened his eyes, the car was moving, which made Yoo Seong-woo a bit puzzled. He had thought they would return to the safe house while he was sleeping.
“You’re awake? There’s an issue at Eden, so we’re heading there.”
Seeing his puzzled expression as he wasn’t fully awake, Yeon Tae-soo explained.
“An issue… happened?”
In his still drowsy mind, the first thing that came to mind were the sponsors. Those who had played with his body like an object.
If they had come looking, Yeon Tae-soo would certainly know his identity and wouldn’t be calmly driving him around like this. This realization hit him a beat later. Only then did he fully wake up.
“Yes, some shitty business.”
Yeon Tae-soo laughed low. Anger was embedded in his laughter.
“My precious establishment has been suspended from business.”
“What?”
Everyone knew that several key figures from business and political circles frequented Eden. It was also common knowledge that they committed indulgences at Eden, with the intensity just barely avoiding legal issues.
Even in recent times when Yeon Tae-soo was often absent, the rules were strictly applied. Yet there was a sudden business suspension order.
“It seems they deliberately targeted a time when I was away.”
“This time too… was it the Ministry of Defense?”
“The minister probably pulled some strings.”
The car’s speed increased slightly. Veins stood out on the back of Yeon Tae-soo’s hand gripping the steering wheel.
“The business suspension is actually nothing. It’ll be lifted if we appeal.”
“Then this is a warning.”
Yeon Tae-soo nodded.
“His underling got caught, he wouldn’t just sit still? He’s trying to mess with me.”
Although he said the business suspension was nothing, considering the amount of money that circulated in Eden in a single night, it was far from a trivial matter.
Moreover, massive funds were also Yeon Tae-soo’s greatest weapon. Knowing this, the minister had probably used the business suspension strategy.
“I need to start moving in earnest too. I’ve been pretending to be moderate all this time, and everyone seems to have misunderstood that I’m truly a gentle person.”
Did he have some kind of plan? As Yoo Seong-woo stared at him, Yeon Tae-soo turned the steering wheel. Now that he noticed, the direction the navigation indicated wasn’t Haeya-dong.
“Where are we going?”
“Someone you know too… no, um, anyway, to meet someone.”
Yeon Tae-soo didn’t explain further and looked ahead. Since his expression wasn’t bad, Yoo Seong-woo didn’t ask any more questions.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
