“Is anyone here…?”
“Oh my, welcome. Loan consultation… hiiik.”
The employee who had been approaching with a pleasant smile recognized Wonyoung, let out a thin scream, and stepped back. He hurriedly looked around Wonyoung to check if Heegang was there.
“Y-you, what! Why are you here!”
“No, I, there’s something I urgently need to ask…”
“Hyung-nim, hyung-nim! That bastard’s here! The crazy dumbbell murderer!”
Crazy dumbbell murderer. That’s harsh…
‘More importantly, I’m not the one who swung the dumbbell. And nobody murdered anyone either.’
It seemed getting hit once last time wasn’t enough. Still, Wonyoung held back thinking of Siyeon.
Soon a big, burly man he’d seen once before came out from inside the office. He looked at Wonyoung with arrogant eyes, then asked his subordinate.
“What is it, then? What’s all this fuss about? Looks like he came alone.”
“B-but still, you never know. Birds of a feather and all…”
“This guy’s nothing. That crazy bastard has different eyes from the start.”
Wonyoung awkwardly listened to the two men’s conversation. It was because he remembered himself launching a dropkick to save that crazy bastard. Birds of a feather did seem right…
Anyway, this wasn’t the time for this. Wonyoung interrupted the two loan sharks.
“Excuse me, but I have something to ask. Do you happen to know anything about a person named Ki Siyeon? He works in this field.”
“Ki Siyeon?”
“Ah, that Hwajeong Union mad dog bastard…”
The man stopped his subordinate who was hurriedly opening his mouth and said.
“Why should we tell you that? How do you know that bastard?”
[He’s my friend.]
[He’s my lover.]
Wonyoung was naturally about to say friend but hesitated. Our kid is a mad dog… Then wouldn’t it be more effective to play the role of that mad dog’s lover here?
At least they wouldn’t want to get involved with a mad dog on top of the crazy dumbbell murderer. Judging so, Wonyoung chose the lower option.
“He’s my lover.”
“What?”
“I thought you were dating that dumbbell murderer?”
“…He’s… well, a friend for now.”
At that, the two men exchanged glances and talked to each other.
“No matter how you looked at it back then, they weren’t just friends.”
“Hyung-nim, this bastard seems to be a homme fatale. No wonder he looks so slick.”
What’s homme fatale? Wonyoung, who had been thinking quietly, asked with suspicion.
“Homme fatale?”
“Yeah, homme fatale!”
“…”
‘I’m amazing for guessing right.’
“You don’t need to worry about my love life, and do you have any news about Siyeon?”
“You say he’s your lover. Why ask us? Especially when we’re from different organizations.”
“That’s… Siyeon didn’t tell me anything. It’s already been a week with no contact… I have absolutely no way.”
If I’d known it would be like this, I should have found out a few things even if Siyeon hated it. Wonyoung lowered his eyes at the regret that came belatedly.
At that sorrowful expression made with Narae’s face, the men’s eyes wavered.
“Hyung-nim, that bastard really does seem to be a homme fatale.”
“Shut up.”
The man who silenced his subordinate said.
“Even if we knew, I don’t see why we should tell you.”
“I’ll give you money! I’m paying back my debt well, aren’t I? I’ll deeply apologize for what happened last time. Please help me just once…”
Wonyoung appealed sincerely. Then the man who had been looking at Wonyoung with a crooked gaze unexpectedly opened his mouth.
“Recently there’s been talk that bastard tried to leave the organization. But, you know? For bastards like us, getting out of that cesspool isn’t easy.”
“…”
“That bastard started this kind of work early for someone so young, so he knew a lot of things he shouldn’t know. Because of that, I heard their boss went ballistic.”
Siyeon tried to leave the organization? Was it possibly because of him? Wonyoung fell into confusion.
And the man poured oil on that confusion.
“This is my guess, but if there’s been complete silence for a whole week, he’s either dead… or in a similar situation.”
At those words, Wonyoung’s face turned deathly pale. Dead? Ki Siyeon? That can’t be. Didn’t a mission appear? A mission to find Siyeon…
But Wonyoung’s heart was pounding ominously. Even if he wasn’t dead, something big might have happened as the man said. Thinking so, his fingertips felt frozen.
The man looked at such a Wonyoung and asked with a smirk.
“What will you do? Your lover’s about to die?”
“…Y-you’re saying, that on purpose. Because you have a grudge against me.”
“But you’re also feeling it’s not completely wrong, aren’t you?”
Unable to deny those words at all, Wonyoung kicked off from that spot and rushed out. Whether it was Kyung Taerim or Baek Heegang, he needed to find him even if he had to receive anyone’s help.
Wonyoung, who hurriedly exited the building, almost bumped into someone but was barely caught by the other person.
“Rae.”
At the familiar voice that was soon heard, Wonyoung raised his head with a start.
“Heegang!”
“I came after getting your text. Why did you come to a place like this alone? Was there any trouble? Are you okay?”
“Uh, I’m fine. More than that…”
“I’ll help you.”
Gripping both of the anxious Wonyoung’s shoulders firmly, Heegang said calmly.
“This time I’ll help you.”
“…”
“So don’t worry about anything.”
Heegang’s brown eyes were firm and gentle as always. Wonyoung looked at Heegang’s face and slowly nodded his head. Only then did his clamoring heart seem to settle down a bit.
[Seeing Heegang’s handsome face calms your mind. Composure +80]
‘Remove the “handsome.”‘
Wonyoung grumbled inwardly at the game that didn’t know mood. It meant he had regained enough composure to do so.
He said to Heegang in a calm tone.
“I need to find Siyeon. He might be in danger.”
“Okay. Got it. Let’s go to his place first.”
At Heegang’s immediate answer, Wonyoung widened his eyes.
“You know where Siyeon lives?”
“He’s an existence that might threaten you. I’ve looked into most things.”
As expected, an obsessive top! I believed in you!
“Let’s go, I’ll take you.”
Heegang said that, then turned around with a smile. Wonyoung, who had been watching such a Heegang for a moment, spoke casually.
“Thank you, Heegang. Really.”
If Heegang hadn’t appeared right now, he probably would have fallen into a panic and been unable to do anything. Wonyoung was sincerely grateful to Heegang who appeared putting everything aside at just one contact from him.
“I can do anything if you want it. Even if it’s helping a pathetic third-rate gangster or something.”
“…Yeah, let’s just use nicer words.”
At that, Heegang pursed his lips for a moment and made a thinking expression, then soon smiled brightly.
“Pathetic third-rate gangster. How dare he make Rae worry. He should die.”
“No, it doesn’t work just because you say it with a pretty expression…”
Wonyoung, who had been looking at the dazzlingly brilliant smile, sighed and approached Heegang’s car parked to one side.
“Anyway, let’s hurry. I’ll definitely repay this debt later.”
“Yeah, I’ll look forward to it.”
With a fresh answer, the car soon departed.
“Rae.”
Wonyoung, who had been planning in his head what to do when meeting Siyeon, raised his head at Heegang’s call.
“Yeah?”
“That thing, Ki Siyeon.”
As Siyeon’s name came out of Heegang’s mouth, Wonyoung was startled in advance and hurriedly laid out excuses.
“Ah, Siyeon’s not such a bad kid. Really. I heard he’s even trying to leave the organization…”
“I know all that too.”
Heegang, who cut off Wonyoung’s words, sighed deeply, then said in a very reluctant tone.
“Even if he stays by your side, it doesn’t seem worth killing him. I was trying to say that.”
“…”
Feeling Wonyoung’s gaze piercing his profile, Heegang silently continued.
“You acknowledged the effort I made to stay by your side. I thought about it… and it seems that Ki Siyeon thing also tried in his own way to stay by your side.”
“Heegang…”
“This is my best. I can’t do more than this. Even this, I’m only enduring for you. You know. That I’m not normal.”
Heegang frowned slightly. He felt bad for momentarily taking out his frustration on Wonyoung out of petty spite. The pathetic one wasn’t Ki Siyeon but himself.
But then, Wonyoung opened his mouth.
“How could I not know your best?”
“…”
“I’m always grateful. And you don’t need to push yourself too hard. I won’t let you make the effort alone.”
After being silent for a moment, Heegang opened his mouth. His voice was a bit choked up.
“When you’re like this, I…”
Can’t help but like you.
Swallowing the words he couldn’t say now behind his throat, Heegang could only smile.
* * *
“This is where Ki Siyeon lives. Unit 401.”
Wonyoung got out of the car and looked up at the officetel building. He’d never been here before. Never even asked. He thought it was for Siyeon’s sake, but was that really the truth? Wonyoung’s mood sank.
‘Now’s not the time for this.’
Wonyoung, who recognized the current situation and pulled himself together, tried to enter the building, but Heegang who was behind him suddenly spoke up.
“Rae, I’ll go somewhere else.”
“Huh?”
“To Ki Siyeon’s organization side. There’s a high possibility someone knows his whereabouts.”
“Th-then me too.”
“You can’t.”
Heegang firmly blocked Wonyoung. Wonyoung bristled and said.
“Then you want me to send you there alone? What if something happens?”
“You’re worried about me? Shouldn’t you worry about the organization people?”
“Why would I care about those people? And even you, if you face a large number…”
Wonyoung, who had been continuing, hesitated at Heegang’s laughter.
“You still don’t know about me.”
He was smiling, but his eyes were as chillingly cold as a sharp blade.
“I’m very cowardly and despicable. Like you said, I have to face a large number, so there’s no way I’d stupidly go alone.”
“…Th-then?”
“I added some seasoning. They’re probably having a gang fight right now.”
“What?”
