There were two more specific individuals besides Jung Sanho. The fact that one was a perverted oriental medicine doctor and the other a gangster who constantly made threats weighed heavily on his mind, but psychologically, this side was actually better since they were openly bad guys. At least he wouldn’t feel guilty about deceiving and fleecing those bastards.
When the time really came that he needed the penalty nullification right, he could either go to that oriental medicine clinic or get the contact information from Baek Sehee and go meet Go Won.
“Right, let’s not act like trash too.”
He shouldn’t do that to an innocent kid. Better to try to manipulate the perverted bastards instead.
As for his body, well, it’s not like it wears out—as long as he doesn’t die, it’ll be fine. Strictly speaking, this body wasn’t even Seungyeon’s. When you think about it that way, what did it matter if he offered up one body somewhere?
Seungyeon decided to think simply about this too. If he had to preserve the purity of either his mind or his body, he was slightly more inclined toward the former.
Strike while the iron is hot—he immediately looked up Jung Sanho’s contact information.
After steeling his resolve, he made the call, but even after a long while, there was no answer. After pondering for a moment, Seungyeon typed out a text.
[You’re not answering your phone, so I’m texting. Want to meet up and talk sometime when you’re free?]
If he left it like this, he’d get a response later, right? Or well, he could just keep contacting him until he picked up. It wasn’t about anything else—he was going to say let’s break up, so shouldn’t he at least see his face when saying it?
At that moment, his phone vibrated softly. Just then, a text came in under Jung Sanho’s name.
[7 PM today, here]
Below the brief sentence was the name of a hotel restaurant. Seungyeon tilted his head. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but somehow that short text felt awkward.
When they’d met at the department store, he’d sent a link with the full address, but now he was being unfriendly and cold. Was the kiss really that shocking? Was that why?
“Maybe it was too stimulating for a twenty-year-old…?”
He scratched his chin while checking the destination Jung Sanho had sent. It seemed like if he left right now, he’d barely make it to the appointment on time. Seungyeon hurriedly left the cafe, his steps becoming rushed.
*
The taxi stopped at the hotel entrance. Seungyeon got out of the car and looked around.
The luxury hotel he was setting foot in for the first time in his life was impressive from the entrance. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but even the people passing by seemed to exude an air of wealth somehow. Seungyeon shrank back as he looked over his own outfit.
Faded jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. With a bomber jacket layered on top—anyone could see he looked like someone with no connection to a place like this. Should he have been late and gone home to change first?
“No, it’s not like I came here to show off my clothes.”
Though he felt intimidated from the entrance, Seungyeon’s purpose was clear anyway. Meet Jung Sanho, apologize for what he should apologize for, honestly express his feelings, then part with a smile. Just getting through that would be the end of the problem.
Gathering his repeatedly shrinking heart, Seungyeon walked energetically toward the front desk. When he gave Jung Sanho’s name as he’d been told in the text, the staff member became even more courteous and guided him toward the elevator. At the kind and friendly staff member’s attitude, Seungyeon kept bowing in greeting. In the awkward atmosphere, Seungyeon swallowed dry saliva as he got on the elevator. As the elevator numbers went up, the moment of meeting Jung Sanho drew closer and closer. Just thinking about him made it feel like a heavy weight was hung around his chest.
It would be a lie to say he didn’t regret Jung Sanho’s money or the penalty nullification right. Even now, his heart kept wavering this way and that. He’d asked with his own mouth to be fleeced, so wouldn’t it be fine to just wipe his mouth clean and give him what he wanted? But still, how could he backstab someone like that?
In the end, even when he arrived in front of the restaurant, Seungyeon couldn’t get his bearings. It feels like I could just close my eyes once and be done with it, but ignoring the voice of conscience is too difficult.
Unlike his complicated feelings, his body followed the staff’s guidance toward Jung Sanho. First, let’s eat. Then apologize for what happened last time. After that, if we resolve things through conversation like adults…
“…Huh?”
Seungyeon’s steps suddenly stopped. He stood frozen in place as if nailed down, blinking his eyes.
The panoramic view of the city at sunset spread out beyond the glass window. Someone was sitting at a table positioned at the center. Because of the backlight from the sunset, he couldn’t see the face properly. However, the silhouette somehow seemed unfamiliar. The build was much thinner than Jung Sanho’s.
Did I get the wrong seat? He looked around, but there was only one table with someone sitting at it.
Did I get the time wrong? Seungyeon hesitated and stepped back. Just as he turned around without even hiding his flustered expression, the man sitting at the table called his name.
“Baek Seungyeon-ssi.”
It was definitely a voice he’d heard before. But when exactly was that?
Seungyeon slowly turned his head. Behind him, the deep orange sunset was still setting. Because of the backlight, it was hard to make out the man’s face. Seungyeon squinted his eyes. He saw the black silhouette leisurely rising from the seat.
“I wondered if it might be, and it really is you. It’s quite strange, isn’t it—this thing called fate.”
With each step the man took closer, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu. He’d definitely met him before. Rather than pondering when that was, realization struck first. Seungyeon pointed at him with eyes narrowed in a glare.
“You…!”
The sparkling eyes, fair white skin and flushed lips, the face armed with a gentle smile yet somehow giving off a cold impression—Seungyeon remembered it clearly. How could he forget? The image of the perverted oriental medicine doctor who had talked about a past even Seungyeon didn’t know about still remained vividly in his mind. Faced with Yoon Taerim again at this unexpected moment, Seungyeon had absolutely no idea what expression to make.
“How are you here…!”
If he were to rank people he never wanted to run into again, this person would definitely be in the top two. Though there hadn’t been any unsavory incidents yet, he was certain that if he got even slightly more entangled with Yoon Taerim, things would definitely become unsavory. These kinds of premonitions rarely missed either. That’s why he’d even changed his phone number on purpose. So how could he run into that bastard here?
As soon as he grasped the situation, Seungyeon stepped backward. Following the thought that something was wrong came the judgment to just run away first.
Seungyeon ran without looking back. However, before he could burst out of the restaurant door, he felt a hand grab the back of his neck. His body forcibly stopped as if caught in a trap.
“Really now. How can you run away without even saying hello? You’re hurting my feelings.”
His upper body was yanked back by strong force. He planted his feet to avoid falling. Dragged by his neck to the seat, Seungyeon’s eyes shook wildly. Yoon Taerim gently patted the shoulder of Seungyeon sitting in the chair. It was a warning not to run away.
“I called you because I wanted to talk with Seungyeon-ssi, but running away as soon as you see my face is a bit hurtful.”
Conscious of the completely frozen Seungyeon, he sat down in the opposite seat. Under the gaze that didn’t leave him for a moment, Seungyeon swallowed dry saliva. Yoon Taerim smiled and pointed to the menu on the table.
“Shall we order food first? We have a lot to talk about, but you can’t be hungry while doing it.”
Seungyeon only rolled his eyes to look at the menu. Both the sudden meeting and Yoon Taerim’s smile whose intentions were unclear just felt creepy. He wanted to say, Do you think food will go down my throat in this situation? but contrary to his thoughts, his thoroughly intimidated body remained silent. Was it because the first meeting had been so intense? He didn’t want to provoke Yoon Taerim for no reason, and if he didn’t want to provoke him, no reaction was the best option for now.
At the sight of Seungyeon with his mouth firmly shut and fully on guard, Yoon Taerim smiled again. He leaned forward slightly.
“Seungyeon-ssi.”
At the plain voice, Seungyeon flinched and looked at him. Yoon Taerim leisurely rested his chin on his hand as he observed Seungyeon.
“Are you scared I’ll eat you up?”
“…What?”
“No, it’s just that you’re watching me so carefully. I was wondering if I seemed like someone who called you here to eat you up. I was wondering if it showed that much.”
Yoon Taerim shrugged his shoulders. The tone itself was light like a joke, but the word choice was far too unsavory. He’s not a cannibal—why would he eat a person?
“No, that’s… not it. I was just wondering why you’re suddenly here…?”
Seungyeon muttered while avoiding his gaze. Come to think of it, Jung Sanho was the one who contacted him, so how did this person appear? No matter how much he looked around, Jung Sanho was nowhere to be seen. There was too little information available to Seungyeon right now to determine how this happened.
Not only was Yoon Taerim’s sudden appearance strange, but he also had no idea why this person was so obsessed with him. Even without knowing exactly what happened in the past, let’s say the three of them—including whoever Yeongbin or Jeongbin was—had an extremely hot night together. Even so, wasn’t it too strange to act like a stalker now?
“I’m here because it’s natural for me to be here. I told you earlier, I came to talk with Seungyeon-ssi.”
At the strangely chilling eyes, Seungyeon’s eyelids twitched. Whatever he wanted to talk about, if he said ‘I don’t want to?’ here, the atmosphere suggested he wouldn’t be able to pick up his bones.
“I… see. Then let’s pick from the menu first. Let me see, which menu would be good…”
At the speed of an inchworm, he reached out and pulled the menu on the table toward him. Deliberately ignoring the sound of someone chuckling, Seungyeon quickly lowered his head, pretending to look at the menu that wasn’t even registering in his eyes.
