“—…You’ve become quite shameless.”
Pyo Changgeon’s laughter subsided. Siwon ignored Teolbo, who kept glancing at the rearview mirror, and continued speaking.
“I guess the stakes at the Jeongseon tables aren’t what they used to be? They say when a card shark can’t read the game, it’s time to retire… but that’s not the case with you, is it?”
“—…What?”
“If that’s not it, then there’s no way you wouldn’t know that Choi Jeongcheol is making a scene in your branch’s front yard.”
Siwon tapped the armrest with his fingers and asked leisurely.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know? Since you didn’t say anything, I’m on my way there myself.”
Siwon’s eyes darkened. Even while pretending to be relaxed and probing his opponent, he couldn’t help but think of the worst-case scenario.
What if the Cartel has already extended its reach to the branch…?
Pyo Changgeon, who had been blabbering until just moments ago, said nothing. Siwon pulled the phone away from his ear to check if the call had been disconnected. Confirming it was still connected, he brought it back to his ear when Pyo Changgeon’s indignant voice came through.
“—I knew! I knew all along! I was watching to see when you’d catch on! Insolent bastard! When my eyes are wide open, how dare you from Gangwon…! I’ll have everything prepared, so you just hurry up and get here!”
It was a deliberately exaggerated angry voice, trying to hide his embarrassment. Pyo Changgeon, who had been thunderously threatening, hung up without giving him a chance to respond.
Siwon calmly put his phone in his pocket. A fishy smile still remained on his lips.
Even if he’s an old dog, isn’t it admirable how he tries to please his master? When their eyes met through the rearview mirror as Teolbo kept glancing, Siwon grinned and said.
“The Gangwon branch is graciously providing us with people.”
“Ah, is that so? That’s really fortunate!”
Teolbo’s face brightened considerably as he increased speed. The SUV roared as it cut through the wind and rain. The downpour that had seemed like it would wash everything away was gradually subsiding.
***
“Fuck, you tell him!”
“Okay. I got it. Cheong-ah. But what should I say?”
“Tell him honestly, duh!”
“That I got angry thinking you and Daerim hyung were kissing and broke it?”
“Fuck, you don’t need to be that detailed!”
“Mmm…”
It was noisy by the bedside. The sounds of bickering were disturbing his deep sleep. Seongyeom frowned in his half-asleep state.
“Please be quiet, he’ll wake up at this rate.”
“Sorry.”
“Mm…?”
“He’s awake, he’s awake! Hide! Hyung, you come here quickly too!”
As he barely lifted his drowsy eyelids, the still-dark interior came into view since the sun hadn’t risen yet. His body felt stiff from sleeping in one position for so long. He tried to turn on his side, but felt bandages wrapped tightly around his left shoulder and chest area.
Seongyeom, who had been running his fingertips over the rough texture of the bandages, slowly got up. Beyond the window with blackout curtains, the sound of tapping on the glass continued endlessly. He must have woken up from the sound of rain.
“Haah…”
Seongyeom pressed his forehead as he looked down at where Siwon had been lying. He had naturally assumed he’d be beside him, but he was nowhere to be found. A large pillow was occupying its owner’s place instead.
Don’t tell me I’ve developed a mental illness where I mistake pillows for people now.
“No, maybe that would actually be better.”
Seongyeom clutched his head at the memories of yesterday flooding in like a tidal wave.
I thought it was the nightmare I always had. A dream I could only wake from by dying. If I’m going to die either way, I thought it would be much better to die having sex with a handsome guy than suffering trapped in a pit of fire.
“But it wasn’t a dream…!”
A groan escaped him involuntarily. The touch that felt hotter than the flames in his nightmare, the low breathing that settled by his ear, the passionate sensations that seemed to turn his whole body inside out. It was all a reality more dreamlike than any dream.
“So that’s how big it could get…”
Seongyeom rubbed his lower abdomen where Siwon’s thing had filled him. He still felt a stabbing sensation inside. As he followed those memories with his head bowed, the back started to tingle.
Dangerous. Different thoughts, different thoughts!
Seongyeom shook his head vigorously, trying to recall the romantic moments.
Right, we shared the same blanket and I was held against that broad chest!
However, the pure(?) memory was fleeting. The next scene immediately followed. The memory of his stomach being pressed by Siwon’s leg. Because of that, semen flowing down endlessly… …He had almost died of shame then too, but now he wanted to die even more actively.
“Ha… should I just jump from here.”
Seongyeom gripped the blanket and hung his head.
What’s going to happen to me now?
He couldn’t remember properly tutoring since entering this house. The shock from what happened at the karaoke room had even exposed his mental illness, so he’d have to return all the money he received and be kicked out like this.
Anxiety piled on anxiety. Meanwhile, the sound of rain hitting the window gradually subsided. A silence as if time had stopped settled on Seongyeom’s shoulders. Seongyeom gulped. After the accident, this was the feeling he hated most. The feeling that some unseen person was watching him.
Like during the fire accident, Seongyeom checked the window and corners of high places in the room, imagining the arsonist’s gaze. He hated himself at times like these. As if cursed, trapped in those memories, he looked around the room here and there.
Holding his breath and rolling his eyes anxiously, Seongyeom almost fainted without even managing to scream. Two dark heads were peeking out from the bathroom doorway.
“Ah, hello? Teacher Seongyeom…?”
When their eyes met, Cheong awkwardly waved his hand. Seoldong, who seemed utterly pleased to be hugging Cheong from behind, also waved his hand with a beaming smile.
“You, you guys—how long have you been there?!”
“Since you were snoring…?”
“When, when did I ever snore?!”
Seongyeom swung his right arm wide to throw the pillow. At that moment, along with the feeling of his back muscles pulling, the injured area throbbed. At the pain like being stabbed in the shoulder with a thick needle, Seongyeom grabbed his shoulder.
“Ugh…!”
“Teacher… are you okay?”
As Seongyeom collapsed onto the bed, Cheong looked flustered too. He erased his playful smile and exchanged glances with Seoldong standing behind him. While the kids didn’t know what to do, another voice was heard.
“You shouldn’t move roughly.”
“Ahjussi Daerim…?”
Daerim, who had been hiding together behind Cheong and Seoldong, revealed himself. As he straightened his clothes, Seongyeom asked hesitantly.
“But… you all weren’t in there together, right…?”
He didn’t seem like it, but does he unexpectedly have a childlike side? He gets along well with high schoolers too… Seongyeom looked at the three people with a warm gaze. At the look that clearly revealed his thoughts without saying anything, Daerim clicked his tongue briefly and approached.
“Let me see.”
“Ah.”
Daerim pressed down on the back of Seongyeom’s head to make him lean forward and checked if the wrapped bandages were well secured. Fortunately, the wound didn’t seem to have opened or anything. He tapped the several layers of overlapping gauze and covered Seongyeom with the blanket.
“Keep this on. It’s a bit chilly because of the rain.”
“What? Ah, thank you.”
He didn’t particularly feel cold, but there was no reason to refuse the kindness. As Seongyeom tried to burrow into the blanket, he suddenly discovered vivid bruise marks remaining all over his body.
His face flushed instantly. The bed shook as he wrapped himself up to the point of covering up to his neck.
“What, are you cold, Teacher? I think it’s just right.”
Cheong said as he plopped down beside him. Cold sweat ran down Seongyeom’s back at the thought that if he’d realized just a bit later, he would have shown Cheong something unseemly.
“Mmm, maybe because I’m not feeling well.”
“Can’t be helped. When you’re all better, you should train with me too, Teacher!”
“Training? Not exercise…?”
“Yeah, Kwonmyeonghoe initiation training. I’ll talk to hyung so you can learn just one of our programs. Then you won’t get your ass beaten like a dog somewhere like this time.”
“……”
Ah. The future of our Republic of Korea is so bright…
No, this kid must have his reasons too. He might be trying to make his mark in the gangster world. …Come to think of it, even gangsters don’t just become one. They even receive training. It’s quite systematic.
“I’ll talk to hyung about it. You agree, right, Teacher?”
“Haha… yeah, sure.”
“Awesome!”
I’m going to get fired soon anyway.
Seongyeom nodded awkwardly with a smile. He thought it wouldn’t be bad to go along with it for now. That kid who always did as he pleased brought this up first thinking of him. He seemed to inwardly feel responsible for this accident.
At the time, he had resented Cheong and Seoldong. But looking back, as an adult, he shouldn’t have been swayed by the kids’ words. Maybe he had acted impulsively because he felt rebellious at being told not to go.
Excited Cheong rattled off various plans in an animated voice. As he watched that with a pleased smile, his eyes suddenly met Seoldong’s.
“Hm?”
“……”
Then he averted his eyes like a restless puppy. That appearance was just like a gentle retriever.
Kid, how cute.
Seongyeom smiled and patted the seat next to him. Seoldong and Cheong exchanged glances. The plan seemed to be working. Seoldong sat down beside Seongyeom with a demure gesture that didn’t match his large build. And spoke in the most apologetic tone possible.
“Teacher… I’m sorry.”
“You little punk. At least you know?”
The bear-like guy was so cute fumbling around that he thoroughly messed up Seoldong’s semi-curly hair. When the already thick hair puffed up like bread sprinkled with yeast, he couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing. When even Daerim, not just Cheong, covered his mouth and turned his head, Seoldong’s cheeks flushed red.
“Since you laughed, you’re forgiving me?”
“Yeah, yeah. Ah, so funny.”
“Are you forgiving this too?”
“Yeah, I said I got it.”
Seongyeom laughed for a good while until his bruised belly hurt. He generously nodded at the kids’ urging, then belatedly noticed the object Seoldong held out and stopped laughing.
“……?”
Seongyeom’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.
“Hey! Why is this like this!”
