Chapter 67
It’s Yeo Moon-beom!
The small hand that was unbuttoning the shirt from the top suddenly stopped at the fourth button.
The half-dokkaebi, forgetting all about how to appear disheveled in a shirt, rushed outside, putting everything else aside.
He wanted to greet Moon-beom face to face, asking if he had a good trip. He longed to nuzzle his cheek against Moon-beom’s warm chest that melted his heart with just a touch.
With a fluttering heart, the path to Moon-beom felt like walking on a floating cloud. The ground felt so soft that each step forward was light as if he might fly away.
He wished every moment could be like this.
Not knowing that clouds are capricious beings that arbitrarily sprinkle rain and lightning.
“…Huh?”
Moon-beom’s presence, which had felt distant, suddenly drew near. Just as Eun-hwi was puzzled by the fishy smell hitting his nose instead of Moon-beom’s usual cool, minty scent,
“Moon-beom!”
Through the half-open gate, Eun-hwi saw Moon-beom looking very different from when he had left.
“I’m back, Eun-hwi.”
“…Moon-beom.”
“Why are you outside when you’re not feeling well? Go back inside quickly.”
Contrary to his calm gesture, his white shirt was messily stained with yellow liquid and shattered eggshells. Eun-hwi’s feet, which had felt so light before, now felt as heavy as if tied to iron weights.
Staring blankly at Moon-beom covered in traces of egg, Eun-hwi asked in a voice that stuck in his throat:
“Why… Why are you like this? Did the village men bully you?”
“It’s not like that. There was a bit of an accident.”
“…An accident?”
“I happened to fall in a chicken coop, of all places.”
Though Moon-beom replied with a smile as if it were nothing, Eun-hwi, who had experienced all sorts of bullying since childhood, could tell just by looking. He understood what kind of situation Moon-beom had been through before returning here.
Suddenly, his eyes stung and tears welled up. Before he even realized he was crying, a teardrop hanging from the tip of his eyelashes fell and rolled down his cheek.
“Hic…”
He had thought Moon-beom was maintaining good relations with the villagers since he went down to the village every day to bring in outside goods. But now it seemed that wasn’t the case.
He felt indescribably angry.
He felt pathetic for leaving Moon-beom in this state, feeling jealous and worried that he might grow distant while getting along well with the village men.
“I hate them. Those bad village men. Hic.”
Self-blame soon turned to resentment, darkening Eun-hwi’s heart. For the first time in his life, he felt the urge to punish humans. He wanted to put on his dokkaebi hat right away, go down to the village, and scatter pebbles all over the yards of the men who had done this to Moon-beom.
“Don’t cry.”
“Hic hic.”
“Stop it.”
“…Sniff.”
Moon-beom wiped his hands on a clean part of his pants, then gently caressed Eun-hwi’s wet cheeks. Through the blurred vision of tears, Eun-hwi could faintly make out Moon-beom’s distorted outline.
He felt upset that he couldn’t clearly see the face he had longed for so much. Despite Moon-beom wiping his eyes several times, Eun-hwi couldn’t stop his broken tear ducts. He looked up at Moon-beom, big drops falling steadily.
“…Hic hic.”
His heart ached. Seeing himself from the past in Moon-beom who had returned after suffering such humiliation, the half-dokkaebi swallowed a regretful sigh. They say friends become alike, but he never thought they would share such rock-bottom experiences.
Did Gabi always face him with such a regretful heart?
He finally understood the feelings of his father, who would rush out with his dokkaebi club whenever Eun-hwi returned after being bullied by ghosts, and Moon-beom’s feelings when he swung an axe at the human-faced bird in anger.
It was a desperate desire to protect a precious being, even at the cost of sacrificing oneself.
“Moon-beom.”
Eun-hwi, who had been crying endlessly with shaking shoulders, held the large hand on his cheek and said:
“I’m on your side, Moon-beom. No matter what happens, I’ll be by your side.”
“No matter what happens?”
“Yes. No matter what happens.”
It was something he had always wanted to hear from someone, so he thought Moon-beom would be happy to hear it. Contrary to expectations, Moon-beom lowered his eyes and remained silent before speaking in a self-deprecating voice:
“Eun-hwi.”
“Yes?”
“You shouldn’t make such heavy promises carelessly.”
“…Why?”
“Because in life, there always comes a moment when you can’t stay by someone’s side.”
“But dokkaebi always keep…”
Before Eun-hwi could finish saying “their promises,” Moon-beom spoke first.
“I really appreciate the sentiment. But I don’t want to make you promise such things.”
“Why…? We’re close friends.”
“Because we’re close friends. I can’t burden you more.”
Eun-hwi felt hurt by Moon-beom’s attitude of drawing a line. However, understanding the consideration behind the cold rejection, the half-dokkaebi didn’t give up and conveyed his feelings.
“Still, I’m on your side, Moon-beom.”
Even if he was just a friend to Moon-beom for now, even if they were just sex play partners, Eun-hwi didn’t want to let go of the hope of someday becoming Moon-beom’s lover.
They say hope is an unextinguishable torch as long as you hold onto it.
As Eun-hwi tightly gripped the hand on his, Moon-beom nodded as if he fully understood and replied:
“I’m on your side too, Eun-hwi. That much I can promise.”
“…Really?”
“Of course. Really and truly.”
After giving reassurance in a confident tone, Moon-beom subtly changed the subject as if trying to lighten the mood.
“But why did you change clothes? I clearly told you not to do anything today and just lie down quietly. You’re not listening again. And you said you’d be on my side. Hmm?”
“Well, that… It’s not like I was going anywhere. I just wanted to greet you…”
“Is that so?”
“…Yes.”
Instead of being found cute for his subtle seduction attempt, Eun-hwi felt like he might be scolded for doing unnecessary things he wasn’t told to do. He answered with a cowed expression.
His eyelashes, trembling with anxiety, dropped the last teardrop clinging to their ends. Moon-beom’s hand on his cheek tightened slightly, unconsciously making Eun-hwi raise his eyes. His clearer vision was filled with a smile pulling up dry lips.
“I told you not to act coy, but you couldn’t resist and did it again so soon.”
“…Huh?”
“Stop being so cute. It’s turning me on.”
‘Don’t try too hard out of impatience. Just show a slightly disheveled appearance. If you do that, Manager Yeo will surely react, becoming eager himself, Dokkaebi-nim.’
…Did the seduction work?
As Eun-hwi stood there dumbfounded with his mouth in an O shape, Moon-beom chuckled and closed Eun-hwi’s open collar.
His expression looked refreshed, as if he had forgotten everything that happened in the village.
“Hey, Moon-beom.”
“What is it, Eun-hwi?”
“Can’t you just be turned on?”
Eun-hwi asked in a subtle tone to Moon-beom, who was kneeling on one knee and rebuttoning the shirt from the top.
His shaky legs had gotten considerably better, and his locked throat had loosened somewhat.
He hoped Moon-beom’s mood would improve because of him.
As Eun-hwi stared intently with confident eyes saying he could do anything, Moon-beom openly snorted and pressed down on the half-dokkaebi’s crown.
“You’re trying to seduce me again. Give it up, it’s absolutely not happening.”
“Why not?”
“People have pride, you know. I can’t get turned on looking like this mess.”
“Tch…”
“Even if I’m a thief, I have at least a speck of conscience.”
After fixing the last button and adjusting Eun-hwi’s clothes, Moon-beom stood up and looked at the white rabbit—no, the ripe plum-like Eun-hwi before him.
Even though the exposed skin was now covered by fabric, his lower body felt stiff, probably because Eun-hwi’s reddened eyes aroused his lust.
Conscience, my ass.
He had thrown away such things to the dogs from the moment he pretended to give in and embraced the child before him.
However, separate from the urge to bite those adorable eyes, he didn’t want to deal with Eun-hwi while covered in filth all over his body. It was enough that he alone had rolled in the stinking gutter.
Although he had made Eun-hwi his to gain power, he felt a selfish desire for Eun-hwi to remain an unstained white canvas.
Now, ridiculously enough.
“Moon-beom isn’t a thief.”
Just as he was about to stand up to quickly wrap up the conversation, the half-dokkaebi’s voice, muttering with pursed lips, clung to Moon-beom’s ear.
“If not a thief, then what? A scoundrel? A bastard?”
“No, a policeman.”
“A policeman?”
“Yes! You carry a baton in here.”
Eun-hwi pointed between Moon-beom’s legs where dirty egg whites had stuck, his eyes curved with mirth.
Seeing that carefree smile when he had been crying his eyes out just moments ago, Moon-beom felt heat rising inside him.
…Maybe I should pound him until he has no strength left to wag that tongue.
“This dokkaebi really doesn’t give me a moment to let my guard down.”
Moon-beom unzipped the sports bag hanging on his shoulder and handed a bundle of money to Eun-hwi, continuing:
“I’m going to wash up, so don’t wander outside. Just play bank inside.”
“Play bank?”
“I’ll check how much money you’ve counted when I get back.”
“All of this…?”
“Focus and count carefully. If you make a mistake, I’ll beat you with the baton, okay?”
Moon-beom slightly raised the corner of his eye, deliberately scaring the half-dokkaebi who was trembling while holding the bundle of money.
