“I’m taking this. It’s mine.”
“I bought it though.”
“It’s true you paid off my debt, but that doesn’t mean you bought my passport too, does it?”
He hid the passport behind his back warily, worried Ray Jun might snatch it away. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be thinking of taking it back, as he raised one corner of his mouth and said.
“Aren’t you going to say thank you?”
“……”
“If it weren’t for me, you don’t know where you would’ve been dragged off to.”
Kang Siwon pressed his lips tightly shut. He couldn’t deny it. If he had been caught in the Baeksa Faction’s clutches, he would have fallen to being a money exchange broker next, and in the worst case, he might have become a call boy. In his situation, having Ray Jun as a creditor was rather better than the lawless and reckless Baeksa Faction.
“But still, that’s…!”
“That’s, what?”
“……Thank you.”
His pride was hurt to admit it obediently, so he raised his voice, but then his momentum broke and he muttered. Then Ray Jun’s eyes widened and he burst into laughter.
“Hahahaha!”
“What, what? Why are you laughing like that? Am I funny?”
“No, because you’re cute.”
Ray Jun, who had suddenly approached, hugged Kang Siwon tightly. Kang Siwon suddenly found himself caught as if bound by ropes and struggled.
“Let go of this?!”
“Ah…… You’re cute, Siwon.”
Now he even buried his face in his neckline and breathed in his scent. When that breath touched him, goosebumps rose, and Kang Siwon twisted his body even more violently.
“I’m your debtor, not your slave? You’re doing whatever you want?”
“Where is there a master who treats a slave this well? I even have a gift prepared for Siwon.”
Ray Jun said while loosening his arms slightly. He could finally breathe, but he was still trapped in his embrace. Kang Siwon asked without letting down his guard.
“What is it?”
“A ticket to Singapore.”
“……”
“Siwon, you were worried about becoming an illegal resident. Let’s go to Singapore together. Departure is July 20th.”
He had been frustrated because he only had three days left on his visa-free stay. The 20th was cutting it close too, but still, it was a relief. Honestly, since he said ‘gift,’ he thought he was going to play another outlandish prank, but this time it was truly something he needed. Kang Siwon expressed his thanks in a much softer voice.
“……Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Smooch, Ray Jun kissed Kang Siwon’s cheek and finally moved away. In any case, this guy didn’t give him much time to be purely grateful. Kang Siwon wiped his cheek and asked.
“But why Singapore? Not Hong Kong.”
From Macau, Hong Kong was just about an hour away by ferry. Singapore wasn’t far either, but since they had to take a plane, the procedures would be cumbersome.
“Actually, I have business in Singapore. I have someone to meet too.”
He thought it might be the Sovereign directors he’d been pulling to his side lately, but unexpected words followed.
“Mother is in Singapore right now.”
“Ah……”
“It’s been almost a year since I’ve seen her, so I should show my face.”
“I see.”
He answered calmly, but inwardly he was puzzled. Ray Jun had only worked at Sovereign Casino for about nine months. But if it had been close to a year since he’d seen his mother, didn’t that mean they lived separately even before then? He wondered if there was some circumstance.
“I was already anxious about leaving you alone, so I should take you along. But Siwon, you can behave well, right?”
Hazel eyes swept over Kang Siwon. Until recently, he had only thought them mysterious and pretty, but lately that gaze felt like a scalpel. Like a sharp blade thinly slicing through skin.
“What do you mean behave well?”
“I mean stay right next to me. If you run away by any chance, I’ll be very, very sad.”
“……”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
When Ray Jun started controlling him, rebelliousness surged for no reason. When he kept his mouth tightly shut, he murmured in a low voice.
“Siwon, don’t forget that I’m someone who can legally collect from you.”
“……You’re really playing the creditor role properly. I didn’t even plan to run away in the first place, you know? It’s not even Macau, how would I run away in a country I’m visiting for the first time?”
“From the way you’re talking, it seems the thought wasn’t entirely absent…… Anyway, got it.”
Ray Jun nodded. Finally, the tense atmosphere eased and became much lighter.
“Then let’s have a good trip. It’s because of your visa problem, but it’s our first overseas trip together.”
Despite having subtly tightened the leash until just now, Ray Jun smiled brightly. At this point, he didn’t even have the energy to argue, so Kang Siwon nodded silently.
* * *
Kang Siwon wiped his forehead. As soon as he exited Changi Airport, sweat poured down from the heat that hit him. Macau was hot too, but Singapore’s heat was on a different level. Because it was close to the equator, the sunlight was hotter and the humidity was high, making it hard to breathe.
“It’s hot……”
“Are you okay, Siwon?”
When he flapped the hem of his T-shirt, Ray Jun turned around. Even though they were in the same place, he somehow didn’t have a drop of sweat and looked fresh. Rather, his skin even glowed faintly under the intense sunlight.
“Aren’t you hot?”
“I’m hot, of course.”
“You don’t look hot.”
“Maybe it’s because I prepared myself mentally? Singapore at the end of July is always this kind of weather. Ah, it’s over there.”
Ray Jun moved toward where the pickup vehicle was waiting while pulling his suitcase. When Kang Siwon fell a bit behind, he didn’t forget to turn around and urge, “Hurry up.”
“I’m coming, geez.”
He had been persistently acting like this from the moment they left the penthouse. Every time he wasn’t in his field of vision, waiting for him to come to his side was routine, and it wasn’t uncommon for him to follow behind whenever he tried to go somewhere. As if he would run away if he didn’t do this.
Even though he should know it was realistically impossible, he didn’t loosen his vigilance at all. Well, if he lost a human he bought for 4.8 billion in just a few days, it would be a waste, Kang Siwon thought cynically.
“Looking at the license plate, it seems like that car…… Ah, right.”
Ray Jun headed toward a black Bentley. Just as he recognized the car, the driver also seemed to recognize him and got out of the driver’s seat.
“Welcome, young master. Welcome!”
Skin well-tanned by the sun, brown curly hair hanging down to her chest. She was a woman with a somewhat free atmosphere to be called a driver. Judging by her use of the title ‘young master,’ she seemed to be a subordinate employee, but they also seemed close for that.
“Long time no see, Gemma. Have you been well?”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Then you’ve been well. Get in first, my friend is hot.”
At those words, Gemma turned her gaze to Kang Siwon. Kang Siwon flinched for a moment. He didn’t know why he was so startled when he hadn’t even done anything wrong.
“Hello. I’m Gemma Romano.”
“……Hello.”
At the greeting in English, Kang Siwon hesitated a bit. He had learned English in middle and high school, but it was awkward because he wasn’t as fluent as he was in Chinese.
“You’re Kang Siwon-ssi, right? We’ll be spending the next four days together, so please take care of me.”
The woman extended her hand. Although it was their first meeting, he naturally wondered how she knew his name, but Kang Siwon didn’t show it and shook hands.
“Please take care of me too.”
“Then let’s move.”
Gemma opened the trunk. Ray Jun first put his suitcase there, then immediately took care of Kang Siwon’s suitcase too.
“I can do it my……”
Before he could stop him, Ray Jun put the suitcase in. Not only that, he even went to the back seat and opened the door.
“Get in, Siwon.”
“……”
He got in the car with his head lowered. He understood why he had wanted to avoid Gemma’s gaze just now. It was because he was uncomfortable lest she catch on to his subtle relationship with Ray Jun.
However, at this rate, it seemed like it would only be a matter of time before Gemma noticed the relationship between the two. The reason was that Ray Jun, who he thought would naturally sit in the passenger seat, deliberately sat next to him.
“It’s much better inside the car with the air conditioning on, right?”
Ray Jun said while brushing aside Kang Siwon’s bangs dampened with sweat. At that overly intimate action, Kang Siwon felt heat rise, making the air conditioning pointless.
* * *
While riding in the Bentley, Kang Siwon learned a few things about Gemma. First, that she was Ray Jun’s mother’s secretary. —He knew roughly because he had inadvertently eavesdropped on a video meeting.— That she seemed to have a long friendship with Ray Jun. And that she handled work smoothly.
“The CEO has finished most of her Singapore schedule. She’s met all the people she needed to meet. Right now she’s reviewing draft contracts at the hotel.”
“She’s still busy as always.”
“Yes. But she’ll definitely have enough time to have lunch with you, young master. I’ve made a reservation at Umami for lunch tomorrow.”
“Okay. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Mother, so we should have a delicious lunch.”
Even while saying that, Ray Jun glanced slightly at Kang Siwon. He vaguely understood yet didn’t understand the meaning of that gaze. However, not wanting to think deeply about it, Kang Siwon turned his gaze toward the car window. Outside the window, Singapore’s scenery, as neat as a movie set, was passing by.
