#28
“Ah… The thing is… That is…”
His vision went dark. The same words kept spinning around in his mouth.
He decided that saying he was going to the bathroom would be the most appropriate response. The problem was that he seemed likely to be questioned about why he was wearing outdoor clothes. So he planned to answer that he put them on because it was cold.
Yeoul looked at Eun Sajun while thinking of forced excuses. But he was sleeping again.
“What?”
Yeoul was dumbfounded. Hadn’t he just spoken to him? Or was it sleep talking?
But what he had felt during the past few days of sharing a bed was that Eun Sajun’s sleeping habits were very quiet. Not only did he not snore, but he also didn’t grind his teeth or toss and turn much. It felt like he was encountering a side of him he was learning about for the first time.
Yeoul was momentarily flustered, but now was his chance to escape. He tiptoed over, opened the bedroom door, and came out. He could see the living room with mood lighting on. Though it was a more cramped space than the mansion he was usually exposed to, the interior seemed to have transferred Eun Sajun’s tastes exactly – the furniture arrangement and color scheme felt familiar.
The sightseeing was brief as he carefully looked around, wondering if there might be other staff. Fortunately it was quiet and he couldn’t sense anyone else’s presence. He thought even more that he needed to get out of here quickly.
After passing through a short hallway, stairs leading to the first floor appeared. Yeoul picked up his pace a bit and went down the stairs.
Since it was his first time in this space, he briefly wandered looking for where the entrance was, but found it quickly. He opened the door with the feeling of pushing through thorny vines. He felt the cold sea breeze. It felt like blades were slashing at his face everywhere.
“Wow, it’s cold.”
It was more intense cold than he had thought.
For a moment the coziness of the bed came to mind, but he shook his head. From the beginning, being by Eun Sajun’s side wasn’t where he should be. But now that he was actually leaving him, he was confused about why he felt regretful.
“Let’s get it together.”
Yeoul slapped his own cheek and then started running. At the same time, he felt an intense sense of liberation as he opened the gate and came out.
“Wow…”
He could see the sea with waves rippling along with the vast expanse of sandy beach. He had seen the sea from the window earlier, but seeing it up close like this felt more real. If he watched the sunrise from here, it would really be beautiful, he thought. He suddenly wanted to see it, but such romance was a luxury right now.
Now it was time to contact Shin Taeon. He looked around for a place where there might be people to borrow a phone. It was generally a quiet area. He could only see scattered villas and houses here and there. Yeoul felt frustrated and quickened his steps.
Then he saw a convenience store in the distance. Yeoul quickly headed there. And there were blue eyes following behind Yeoul’s back, but he didn’t notice.
* * *
-Ding-a-ling
Yeoul opened the convenience store door and entered. A kind-looking man wearing glasses was at the counter, and he hurried over.
“Excuse me… I’m sorry, but could I ask you for one favor?”
“Yes, what is it?”
“I have a situation, so could you lend me your phone?”
The man looked at Yeoul from head to toe with a bewildered expression, scanning him completely. He seemed to be wary of Yeoul.
“Please…”
Yeoul, who had become anxious, blinked his big eyes and rubbed his hands together. The man, who had hesitated for a moment, soon held out his phone to Yeoul.
“You can’t talk for long.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much!”
Yeoul politely received the phone and then called Shin Taeon. The dial tone continued. Tension rose and his heart pounded as if it would burst.
Pick up. Pick up.
He clearly knew that he was active at this time, but he didn’t know why he wasn’t answering the phone. As he became impatient, sweat formed on his palms. Wasn’t he waiting for the outcome of a missed call like this?
When he felt like he was going crazy with fear.
[Hello.]
Shin Taeon’s voice was heard like a lifeline.
“Hello! It’s me. Geum Yeoul.”
His voice naturally became louder due to being so urgent.
[What? Why are you calling at this hour?]
“It’s not anything else, I found out the code…”
But Yeoul couldn’t continue with his next words.
Bang!
Because the convenience store door fell to the floor as if it had been torn off. At the same time, he suddenly felt a familiar pheromone.
Yeoul, whose heart sank, trembled and looked back. He could see men in suits like stone statues, and in the middle of them, Eun Sajun’s blue gaze was flashing toward him.
“I told you that going out alone was forbidden, didn’t I?”
“Gasp! How… how…”
Yeoul, startled by his sudden appearance, stepped backward. Why was the person who had been lying in bed suddenly in front of his eyes? It was to the point where he wanted to believe it was a fantasy.
[What? Why aren’t you answering the phone anymore!]
In the midst of this, Shin Taeon’s violent voice rang out from beyond the phone. Yeoul, who thought things would get worse, first pressed the call end button. Then he returned the phone to the man at the counter.
“Haah…”
Eun Sajun’s eyes gradually became sharper. He raised both arms and wrapped them around Yeoul’s back, hugging him tightly. Yeoul’s small body became embraced in Eun Sajun’s arms in an instant.
Immediately, Eun Sajun’s prominent nose bridge headed toward Yeoul’s nape. His breathing could be heard strongly as if he was inhaling. It was like a starving beast checking before hunting.
“Baby. Let’s go back.”
“I… I…”
If he was dragged away like this, it seemed like the opportunity to meet Shin Taeon would disappear forever. That was troublesome. Yeoul, putting strength in his eyes, stepped on Eun Sajun’s foot.
“Ah!”
Eun Sajun’s face was also full of bewilderment, as if he hadn’t thought Yeoul would come out like this. The men positioned around them were also shocked. It was as if they had witnessed a suicidal act.
If he gets caught now, he’ll really die.
Yeoul quickly pushed Eun Sajun away and went outside through the convenience store door.
* * *
“Huff… huff…”
A gale-like wind blew crazily, but he ran desperately.
He didn’t know the geography here, so he couldn’t even tell where he was going. So he decided he should go to a place with as many people as possible.
How long had he run desperately without looking back?
He entered a quiet road. Since it was late at night, there was no sign of people around, let alone cars driving by. It felt like he was alone in a space where humanity had perished. It was despair itself.
His stamina was depleted and his legs gradually began to lose strength. It seemed like it would be difficult to run anymore. He looked around. Judging by how quiet the surroundings were, it didn’t seem like Eun Sajun had followed.
“Whew…”
Relieved, Yeoul took a deep breath and then sat down on the ground. But just in case Eun Sajun and his employees might discover him, he hid his body behind a telephone pole.
Was it because he had run until his muscles felt like bursting? Sweat flowed out. It felt like standing in the middle of a desert.
He didn’t understand why Eun Sajun had been there. He had clearly been sleeping until he came out. It takes about 10 minutes on foot from the villa to the convenience store. Had Eun Sajun woken up and immediately followed during those 10 minutes? He had tried to come out hiding his presence as much as possible, but he must have disturbed his sleep.
“This is really driving me crazy…”
Yeoul felt his insides burning black. He had to go to Seoul… How should he go? First, since his legs were getting numb from standing, he sat on the ground. A cold wind blew. His sorrow doubled and made his chest ache. He felt like crying for no reason, but he swallowed it.
The sky, which had been dark, gradually began to brighten. The first sun of the year was about to rise.
Then he felt someone’s presence going down his spine.
“Baby. What are you doing hiding here?”
It was Eun Sajun.
Yeoul’s anxiety increased. He couldn’t be caught like this. It was troublesome. He fumbled his hand on the ground looking for something to fight back with. He grabbed dry grass, tree branches, and a hard stone. It was almost like a hammer.
A bizarre aggressiveness came alive in Yeoul’s eyes. The moment he picked it up, Eun Sajun was getting closer and closer.
“Let’s go back.”
Yeoul carefully looked back.
“I… I have something to do so I need to go now.”
“What kind of business are you doing this for? Come here while I’m being nice.”
Eun Sajun was getting closer and closer. Yeoul, who became anxious, finally ended up throwing the stone he was holding at him.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
