#Aftermath (4)
The moment the question flew at him again, the conversation Kwon Dae-woo had heard earlier from the man flashed through his mind. The name he had affectionately called the other person. The moment the name “Ha-min”—which he had dismissed as common—came to mind, Kwon Dae-woo’s pupils dilated extensively. Reading his expression, the man burned Kwon Dae-woo’s eyelid with fire, his face completely devoid of any trace of a smile. The sound of flesh burning sent chills down Kwon Dae-woo’s spine.
“AAAAHHH!!!!”
The burning cigarette fell from Kwon Dae-woo’s mouth to the man’s feet as he screamed in pain. Kwon Dae-woo crawled on the floor, clutching his face and writhing. He spat out saliva as if about to vomit and clawed at the marble floor with his fingernails, trying to expel the pain.
“I’m not done yet.”
Two burns still remained. Pressing down on Kwon Dae-woo’s struggling back, the man continued coldly.
“Kugh—, y-you, this is a crime. You know that? You think you can get away with doing this to me? Do you know who I am… fuck, fuck—!!!! How dare you—!!!!!”
Clutching his eyelid, Kwon Dae-woo roared, losing his composure. The searing pain had eaten away what little reason he had left.
“You, you’re really dead. Do you know who my father is? If he finds out what you did to me, you won’t just leave prison easily. No? I’ll have someone kill you, got it?!”
“How frightening.”
The man responded with artificial nonchalance. This made Kwon Dae-woo’s eyes fill with even more intense madness.
“Fuck, you think this is a joke? I have three lawyers. I can kill someone like you without breaking a sweat!!!”
“Wow, we’re on the same page.”
“What…?”
“Me too.”
“……”
“I can also kill someone like you without breaking a sweat.”
At these firm, unwavering words, Kwon Dae-woo was once again speechless. The man before him showed no trace of playfulness. He emanated a deadly aura that suggested he could carry out his words without hesitation. Though Kwon Dae-woo felt his sanity returning coldly, he continued, his lips trembling.
“M-my father, you don’t know who he is… I-if something happens to me, you’re fucked. Do you know what kind of family I’m from, you piece of—!!”
“Kwon Hyung-cheol?”
The three syllables that came from the man’s mouth froze Kwon Dae-woo. They were his father’s name—three syllables he himself dared not speak carelessly. Unable to hide his confusion at the casual utterance of his final defense, Kwon Dae-woo’s torn lips quivered.
The spotless toe of the man’s shoe stepped closer. Even this small movement triggered a reaction from Kwon Dae-woo. Instinctively backing away, he raised his head. The man’s face, shadowed against the bathroom light, looked like a demon. His next words were just as unexpected.
“Do you know how much debt your father is accumulating to keep his company running?”
“…How do you…”
“Do you know where the money to run the company comes from?”
“……”
Kwon Dae-woo lost focus in his eyes, his complexion turning pale.
“You should really know.”
“……”
“Who I am.”
Only then did Kwon Dae-woo realize this situation wasn’t accidental. He recognized that his opponent already knew him and understood everything, which filled him with helplessness and fear. Kwon Dae-woo knew better than anyone that this situation was only possible because the other person was in a far superior position, even while knowing about his family. After all, that’s how he had always treated others—looking down on them and tormenting those who had less than him, who were infinitely weaker. He’d always identified and tormented the vulnerable.
Feeling a chill down his neck, Kwon Dae-woo gasped for breath. And he realized it. He now understood why the man was threatening and intimidating him.
“…Could it be Song Ha-min…”
“……”
“You’re doing this to me because of that bastard Song Ha-min—!”
The watch that was unfastened landed squarely in Kwon Dae-woo’s mouth without hesitation. Faced with the hard weight that ached just from touching his teeth, Kwon Dae-woo stared at the man with his mouth open, unable to even make a sound. The man looked down at Kwon Dae-woo with a fierce expression. Under his overwhelming presence that felt more like terror than mere intimidation, Kwon Dae-woo shed pathetic tears. But without an ounce of mercy, the man commanded in a low voice.
“Bite down hard.”
“Ugh, ugh….”
“Hard enough to break your molars.”
As if this were just the beginning, a solid fist smashed into his face. The sound of bones cracking and teeth breaking struck his eardrums. In the face of unbearable pain and fear, Kwon Dae-woo wet himself without offering any resistance, enduring indiscriminate violence. The man didn’t stop the violence until Kwon Dae-woo lost consciousness, his face lolling limply.
Even after his opponent passed out, the man, unable to contain his rage, continued to shove the man’s face into the toilet. Still, his anger didn’t subside. The only way to express all the self-loathing and fury he felt when seeing his lover’s scars was through this act.
The man looked down at his bloodied fists with heaving breaths. This was a messy revenge that didn’t suit him. Getting his hands dirty with blood for revenge wasn’t his style at all. He usually preferred to cleanly reduce someone to nothing or have others carry out his work, but this time was an exception.
Every time Song Ha-min’s name came from Kwon Dae-woo’s mouth, he felt his insides turning over and boiling. How long had it been since he felt such reason-consuming anger? Had he ever felt it before? One thing was certain—he would do anything for that boy without caring about the consequences. He would gladly accept dirty revenge and vulgar anger for his sake.
The man caught his breath and called his longtime friend who owned this bar.
-Hey. You done?
Though his fingertips trembled slightly with the desire to smoke, the man snapped his fingers and suppressed the urge.
“Yeah. Have him taken away.”
-You sure about this?
“Put him in a car and make it look like a drunk driving accident. Plant some drugs in the car too.”
-But wasn’t that guy from a well-off family? Won’t this get found out?
“Just need to shut his father’s mouth. I’ve had people manipulate the company funds in anticipation of something like this, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
He replied indifferently, as if discussing someone else’s business, while checking his face in the sink mirror. His face was fine, but blood had splattered all over his shirt, making him click his tongue softly.
-You meticulous bastard.
His conversation partner muttered lowly, seemingly amazed at his thoroughness. The man continued to the main point with an expressionless face.
“I’ll repay the favor.”
-Of course you will. You ruined a whole day’s business.
“Will a resort in Jeju do?”
-What?
“It’s been open for a short while but doing well. Hee-jae will know if you ask her.”
-Like I wouldn’t know about that. But that…
“I’ll send the transfer documents through my lawyer within the week.”
-Are you crazy? Do you know how much that’s worth… Hey, I’ll get hit with a massive tax bill.
“I’ll also provide a skilled tax accountant.”
-You crazy bastard.
“Just set it up properly.”
The man ended the call without hesitation, having finished his business. He then looked over Kwon Dae-woo, who was sprawled like a corpse, and only then did his face return to its normal state, as if his indigestion had finally eased. With a calm, emotionless face, he leisurely left and made another call.
The other person answered after just a few rings.
-Hello…
It was a heavy voice tinged with sleep. A pleasant resonance flowed through his ear, drawing a gentle smile on the man’s face.
“Were you sleeping?”
-No? I wasn’t sleeping.
At the obvious lie, the man chuckled as he walked down the hallway.
“Your voice sounds heavy.”
-No, I wasn’t sleeping. …I was waiting for you, hyung.
“Just go to sleep if you’re tired.”
-…But you told me to wait and not sleep.
At the voice that grumbled as if upset at the contradiction, the man ran his hand over his chin but stopped when he saw his blood-covered clothes and hands. Realizing he had a lot to clean up, he continued with a regretful voice.
“I think I’ll be late tonight.”
-That’s okay. I’ll wait.
“It’s late. Go to sleep. But in my room instead.”
-Will you be very late…?
“A bit.”
The man returned to his table, pulled out tissues, and neatly cleaned his hands. The establishment was already empty of even a single ant, likely due to Kim Sa-hyun’s intervention.
-Alright. Then I’ll go to sleep first.
“Okay.”
-But don’t come back too late, hyung.
“Why?”
-Huh?
The man playfully questioned while opening a bottle of whiskey and pouring it over his hands. The strong smell spread relentlessly, but he nonchalantly continued disinfecting his hands.
“Is Ha-min trying to manage me?”
-What? No, that’s not it…
“Then?”
The man often put the other person in awkward positions like this. To hear the answer he wanted, or to confirm affection. He had never wanted to confirm someone’s affection before, but the other person was always an exception.
-…Just. It’s dangerous if it’s too late.
It was the first time he’d heard someone say the night streets were dangerous. The man laughed softly and added:
“Is that all?”
-…Because I…
“I can’t hear you well, Ha-min.”
-…Because I… want to see you…
Imagining his partner saying this with his whole body blushing, the man felt abundant satisfaction and smiled smoothly. Today, his heart felt especially full. This constantly surging emotion was very awkward and unfamiliar to the man, but he had decided to accept it as it was. Because what this feeling was seemed all too clear, the man now had no hesitation or reluctance.
“I love you too.”
At the man’s sudden confession, he could hear surprised and hesitant breathing. Finding even that breathing lovable, he added:
“I love you, Ha-min.”
The tenderness that welled up after the previous incident made him confess without hesitation. It was a phrase he uttered as naturally as breathing. Since his first confession, he had said it at every opportunity—during sex, while falling asleep together, whenever his heart swelled painfully with love for the other.
And his partner would always smile shyly or awkwardly embrace him in return. Seeing that, he would have the same regret. If only he had known sooner. If only he had known the boy’s past and heart a little earlier.
In response to his bold confession, the other replied with a barely audible “me too” before ending the call. After hanging up, he wanted to rush over immediately, kiss him breathless, touch his hairless genitals, and penetrate his loosened entrance that had been used for days. He felt a surge of desire to have sex day and night, ejaculating and marking him with his traces. He had never experienced his sexual desire being proportional to his affection before, but his partner was always the exception. He was the one who had turned his life upside down.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
