“Jung Sanho!”
Seungyeon rushed to embrace Jung Sanho. Though his leg cramped from suddenly standing up after crouching, was that important? If a lifeline came down right in front of his nose, he had to grab it first. With the desperate resolve that he’d die if separated from him, Seungyeon clung tightly to Jung Sanho. It wasn’t a joke—without this kid, it would really be the end.
“Why is hyung here, no, how are you here?”
As if the current situation didn’t make sense, Jung Sanho stuttered like a broken robot. Unable to push away clinging Seungyeon, but also unable to naturally embrace him, he stiffly froze and only blinked. Seungyeon held onto Jung Sanho like that and stepped outside. As soon as they escaped from the emergency staircase, an unexpected scene appeared before their eyes.
The carpet on the floor swallowed even footsteps with each step. Along with a dry but fragrant smell, paintings by unknown artists hung here and there on the walls. Doors installed at regular intervals and the numbers hung above them. Whether looking forward or to the side, it was definitely a hotel.
“That fucking bastard……”
Kidnapping me and bringing me to a hotel, I can guess with my eyes closed what he was planning to do. Was he planning to do filthy, dirty things? Is that why he brought me to a place with no guests?
When his thoughts reached that point, another question arose. Why is Jung Sanho even here?
Seungyeon looked at Jung Sanho with sleepy eyes. This bastard didn’t come here to do something weird too, did he? Not because he didn’t trust Jung Sanho, but the circumstances before and after planted distrust in Seungyeon. The status window clearly said it would summon the closest specific individual. Then didn’t that mean Jung Sanho was already here before this incident happened?
“Jung Sanho, you don’t tell me……”
He doesn’t have some relationship with Go Yeongbin, does he? Maybe if it were Yoon Taerim, but Jung Sanho didn’t fit at all, really didn’t fit. However, even if his head defended Jung Sanho, because he’d already been severely hit from behind once, there was no way to withdraw his suspicion. Seungyeon stepped back a couple of steps from him, showing wariness. Jung Sanho, who didn’t know the reason, looked at him playing both drum and janggu and let out an empty laugh.
“What? Why are you suddenly looking at me like that? But hyung shouldn’t be able to enter here, so how did you come?”
“A place I can’t enter? What? Where is this that you’re saying that? Do you really have some relationship with Go Yeongbin?”
“Go Yeongbin? Who’s that ag—.”
Jung Sanho stopped talking mid-sentence and whipped around. From the far end of the corridor, murmuring voices could be heard. Jung Sanho, who scrunched up his face, suddenly grabbed Seungyeon’s wrist.
“Come here first.”
It already hurt like hell, but when Jung Sanho grabbed and pulled, tears welled up. Jung Sanho tagged a card key on a nearby guest room door. He pushed Seungyeon, who couldn’t even resist, through the open door gap.
Seungyeon, who regained his balance while staggering, turned his head. Because of Jung Sanho who had already locked the door, he couldn’t see anything except the closed door. It was absurd beyond bewildering.
He grabbed the handle to say something about what kind of situation this was. Seungyeon’s hand, which was about to kick open the door and leave, stopped abruptly. Though distant, the clearly heard voice chilled the back of Seungyeon’s neck.
“If he came up from there, he’s somewhere in this building. I’m sure.”
Faint excitement and anxiety mixed strangely in the irritated tone. Seungyeon instinctively held his breath. He stiffly froze while gripping the handle and listened to the presence outside. Along with footsteps getting closer and closer, another man’s voice was heard.
“Huh? Sanho-ne?”
Someone called Jung Sanho’s name gladly. Though it was only a few words, he was somehow a man who made the other party tense. Since he didn’t expect another person to appear, Seungyeon also hunched his shoulders.
“Isn’t the gathering not over yet? What are you doing here instead of at the banquet hall?”
“I was going to find Director Yoon. I heard he’s somewhere here.”
“Ah, I see. Should I say something to Director Yoon? To act like a servant if you’re a servant?”
“It’s fine.”
“Hmm……”
When the man paused, silence instantly descended. Neither Go Yeongbin nor Jung Sanho spoke. As if pleased with the reaction of the two people quietly waiting for his words, the man opened his mouth in a much softer tone.
“Well, then. Hyung will go first. My friend lost something, so I was helping him look for it. Sanho, have you seen him by any chance? His height is about this much, his appearance is shabby, and his face is kind of pretty.”
“……I don’t know. I haven’t seen him.”
“Really? Then is he on a lower floor?”
The man who muttered indifferently and Go Yeongbin exchanged some words. At the words that if he’s not there even after going down, it’s annoying so you handle it yourself, Go Yeongbin answered that he understood in a cowed attitude.
The presence of the two men who left without greeting gradually grew distant. Around the time when no more sounds could be heard, Jung Sanho knocked on the door Seungyeon was holding.
“I’m coming in.”
As soon as he reflexively moved a couple of steps away, the door immediately opened. Jung Sanho with a more tired expression than before came into the room. Only after carefully fastening even the auxiliary lock did he turn around and look at Seungyeon.
“That guy you mentioned, Go Yeongbin or whatever, was that person earlier right?”
Though he couldn’t see the face, he clearly heard the voice. Seungyeon nodded meaning that was correct.
“Yeah. One person was definitely Go Yeongbin. But who was the person who acknowledged you? You seemed like close acquaintances.”
The man’s overbearing attitude was also uncomfortable, but Jung Sanho’s reaction was also different from usual. Unlike the time when he was arrogant and did as he pleased, he answered calmly and showed he didn’t want to get involved. Though he only overheard a few words, even Seungyeon could see that man earlier seemed to have an unbearable personality. Just seeing him hang around with Go Yeongbin, doesn’t the picture come out clearly? Birds of a feather flock together, and green is the same color, so people of the same level hang around together.
“Just, well…… We have the same father.”
Instead of explaining he was a biological brother or family, an extremely ambiguous answer flowed out. Because it was obvious he didn’t want to talk about it, Seungyeon didn’t ask any further. Jung Sanho would have his own family circumstances, and there was no need to create trouble by scratching.
More than anything, his own nose was three feet long right now. With Go Yeongbin even dragging in other people to look for him, could he safely escape from here? They even had a lot of money. No matter how you looked at it, it was a fight Seungyeon could only lose.
“Don’t be scared.”
A hand touched Seungyeon’s head. Jung Sanho, who swept back disheveled Seungyeon’s hair, raised his eyebrows asking what the problem was.
“I don’t know what happened, but I’m here now. Whether it’s Go Yeongbin or a cat, that bastard won’t come here either. Given Jung Seyeong’s personality, he won’t play along for long. So rest here for a bit and watch for a chance to leave. I’ll take you there.”
Whether because of Jung Sanho’s calm attitude or because of the hand stroking his head, Seungyeon also gradually regained stability. It felt like finally finding a seatbelt in a car that had been racing at high speed without any safety device. If he just stuck right next to Jung Sanho, escape would be a piece of cake. Since he said he’d take responsibility and escort him, he should gladly just hold his hand tightly.
Since he thought of it, he grabbed Jung Sanho’s arm to hold hands first. He interlocked fingers and stuck his body close to him, still feeling slightly anxious. Jung Sanho flinched, surprised by the sudden skinship. Regardless, Seungyeon was only focused on grabbing the lifeline. After sufficiently holding him to his satisfaction, Seungyeon belatedly rolled his eyes to look around. Once his emotions became calm, only then did other questions appear one by one.
“But where is this?”
It was definitely a hotel room, but for that, everything seemed brand new. Like the parking lot, this entire building was like a movie set or ghost city. Seungyeon scanned the interior with eyes mixed with curiosity and wonder. Not just the queen-sized bed, but everywhere his gaze touched was perfect without a single thing out of place.
Jung Sanho, who had been fidgeting with their interlocked hands, glanced at Seungyeon’s profile.
“It’s a resort scheduled to open next week. Since it’s a temporary opening, they won’t accept regular guests yet.”
“Ah, it’s a soft opening.”
So that’s why there were no people. Seungyeon nodded. He approached the bed and plopped down on the spot. Jung Sanho, who naturally sat in the seat next to him because their fingers were interlocked, turned his gaze to the opposite side. What’s he being so shy about?
To be considerate of Jung Sanho who was acting awkward without even making eye contact, he sneakily pulled his hand out. As he smoothly unlocked their fingers, Jung Sanho’s gaze also naturally went to Seungyeon’s hand.
“……What’s this.”
As if doused with cold water, his voice instantly sank. Jung Sanho, who discovered the scarlet scar remaining on his wrist, scrunched up his face like a yaksha.
“This fuck…… What is this!”
