Baek Seungyeon nodded his head with a smile. Even after he stepped back, the car remained there for quite a while. How much time passed as they stood confronting each other like that? Just as Baek Seungyeon was about to take a step to say something, the car window opened and an unfamiliar man’s voice was heard.
“Contact me anytime at that number.”
The man who left those words like a notification drove off and disappeared. Only after the car completely vanished from view did Baek Seungyeon move his feet. Even until then, Jung Sanho stood still, holding his breath. Baek Seungyeon seemed not to have discovered him yet. Even knowing that wasn’t the case, the calm back view heading toward the apartment entrance felt as if he was deliberately ignoring him.
He simultaneously wanted to grab Baek Seungyeon and demand to know who that man was, and at the same time didn’t want to confirm anything at all.
The luxury shopping bag that was clearly a gift, the other party showing kindness by taking him all the way home—all of this seemed like nothing to Baek Seungyeon. The more he got angry and interrogated about such issues, the more miserable he would become. Moreover, even if he got angry, the current situation wouldn’t change.
‘He’s young, has lots of wounds, has family issues. When everything I like is gathered together perfectly, how can I not be curious?’
What could he say now to someone who approached him because he was easy to use? It’s not like there was any love in the relationship. From the beginning, it had been a connection continued through begging and coercion. No matter what excuses were made, he was just one of the many fish in the vast fishing ground Baek Seungyeon had set up.
“Fuck, seriously…”
Something surged in his chest. Layers of betrayal he couldn’t swallow piled up amid irritation and anger. The fragments of emotion he thought he’d somehow digested when fighting with Yoon Taerim and when listening to the audio file protruded sharply again.
“Baek Seungyeon!”
At Jung Sanho’s shout, Baek Seungyeon flinched in surprise and turned his body. His eyes widened as he looked back. Jung Sanho glared at Baek Seungyeon with sharp eyes.
“Who was that just now? That wasn’t Yoon Taerim’s car either.”
Jung Sanho ruthlessly snatched Baek Seungyeon’s shopping bag. At the sudden ambush, Seungyeon, who’d lost the shopping bag as is, looked at him with a dumbfounded face.
“What?”
“Not Yoon Taerim and not me either. Who the hell are you meeting at this hour? You should play with people in moderation.”
“What? No, that’s not—”
“Not my ass! I saw everything! Happily receiving this kind of shit! Do you think someone doesn’t have money? This kind of thing, fuck, what the hell is all this…!”
Whatever was in the shopping bag, he could give him even better things, but Baek Seungyeon being swayed by just this was cruel. If he needed money, if he needed gifts, he could give him as much as he wanted. But he doesn’t even ask, and yet behind his back he’s secretly receiving gifts from outside men?
“What the hell do you see me as…!”
“No, why are you…! Give it back, quickly!”
The shopping bag held in the seething Jung Sanho’s hand swayed precariously. The flustered Seungyeon gestured urgently. However, the more he panicked, the more defiance filled Jung Sanho’s eyes. Jung Sanho, who’d hidden the shopping bag behind his back entirely, snorted as if there was no chance.
“I don’t want to.”
For whose benefit? The flow of thoughts that had already twisted completely jumped in a strange direction. Even cold water has a top and bottom, and when giving gifts there’s an order. When he himself hadn’t even given one yet, was he supposed to let some worthless bone-like bastard who rolled in from who knows where give one first? Absolutely not. When this side is currently shitting around with love triangles and whatnot, how could he stand by and watch another bastard make the first move?
“Until I give one, no one can give gifts.”
He recited lowly as if making a murder announcement. Whether Baek Seungyeon muttered “What the hell kind of bullshit is that?” or not, Jung Sanho resolutely glared at the beggar-rag-like shopping bag.
The very next moment, he turned around and ran still holding the shopping bag. At his back disappearing into the dark alley, Baek Seungyeon couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
“No… No, what the hell is this right now…?”
Seungyeon, who belatedly came to his senses, ran after Jung Sanho as if possessed. He followed for a while, but at some point, even his back was no longer visible. Was it because his legs were long? Seungyeon, who’d stopped under a streetlight, muttered while gasping for breath that had risen to his chin.
“Is he seriously crazy?”
When Jung Sanho called his name, honestly, he was surprised. But he wasn’t flustered. Perhaps because he was so unpredictable and selfish, his appearance itself wasn’t so much a shock as just the thought that what was coming has come.
However, the situation that unfolded next was beyond absurd—it was ridiculous.
Who would have known that Jung Sanho, who’d been muttering incomprehensible words, would suddenly be possessed by a pickpocket and run away? And of all things, he’d stolen the shopping bag containing his noona’s watch that he’d received from Go Won.
Jung Sanho wasn’t a beggar, and it wasn’t like he didn’t have money, so why would he suddenly develop kleptomania and do such a thing? The more he mulled it over, the more absurd it was—he could only laugh. In an alley with no one around, Seungyeon burst into silly laughter like a crazy person.
“I’m seriously going to go insane.”
Soon Baek Sehee would come looking for the watch—what excuse could he make? That he was robbed by someone he knew in front of his house? If he said someone he knew stole it so he could find it quickly, would she believe him?
“…Yeah right she would.”
He’d be lucky if he didn’t get scolded for making ridiculous excuses in moderation. Anyone in this situation would think he was making up an absurd excuse out of greed to intercept the watch. His head was spinning wondering how such shitty things could happen.
Moving his feet wearily, Seungyeon glared at the alley where Jung Sanho had disappeared. Somewhere, the sound of a dog barking echoed faintly.
“It won’t be easy to find the way either.”
Theft aside, the direction Jung Sanho had fled bothered him. It wasn’t a main road but an alley bordering a residential area, so it would be difficult to find the way, and above all, a wild mountain continued behind the residential area, so stray dogs wandered around frequently at night. The residents knew this so they had no worries, but Jung Sanho… would he really be okay?
Anxious, Seungyeon called Jung Sanho on his phone. However, for a long while only the signal went through with no answer coming. Though he wasn’t without hesitation, he still felt guilty leaving it alone like this.
Grumbling about why the day was so damn long, he trudged up the uphill path. How many more shallow stairs had he climbed? Not far away, the sound of a dog barking could be heard.
He could tell instinctively. There. It hasn’t already gone wrong, has it? With seeping anxiety, Seungyeon picked up his pace a bit more. When he turned the corner, he saw Jung Sanho surrounded by a pack of stray dogs under a telephone pole.
“Jung Sanho!”
With a bit of exaggeration, a black dog the size of an adult man lunged at Jung Sanho. The moment the surprised Seungyeon was about to shout something, the black dog whined and licked Jung Sanho’s cheek frantically.
“Woof!”
The highly excited dogs surrounded Jung Sanho, wagging their tails vigorously. Jung Sanho, who didn’t seem to dislike it either, was diligently petting the dogs. It was a friendly attitude where anyone would believe they were his dogs.
Only after realizing it wasn’t a threatening situation did relief wash over him. Perhaps because the tension released, strength wouldn’t enter his legs. Seungyeon let out a sigh while pressing his trembling knees with his hands.
“You really…”
Jung Sanho, who’d been scratching the black dog’s nape vigorously, flinched and stopped his hand. Having belatedly noticed Seungyeon’s appearance, he rolled his eyes quickly. The stray dog, not sensing the subtle atmosphere between the two, kept barking wanting to be petted more. Seungyeon rubbed his forehead and frowned.
“First, give that back, the shopping bag. While I’m asking nicely.”
It really wasn’t funny. If you weren’t going to run far away, why did you run? Seungyeon held out his hand asking for it quickly. Jung Sanho, who’d been tightly clutching the shopping bag until then, slightly avoided his gaze.
“I don’t want to.”
“Woof woof!”
“You really don’t listen to nice words. Alright, let’s go as far as we can, you bastard.”
“Woof woof woof!”
Seungyeon, who’d even rolled up his sleeves, quickly approached Jung Sanho’s side. At the motivated attitude, Jung Sanho urgently hid the shopping bag behind his back. At the sight of him reading the situation and backing away, Seungyeon blocked the only path as if there was no chance. In the midst of this, the dogs, which had somehow increased to four, circled around the two people wagging their tails.
“I don’t want to. I won’t give it.”
“Woof woof!”
“No, that’s mine, you know?”
“Do you have proof? Do you have proof that this is yours, hyung!”
“Woof woof!”
“This crazy bastard calls that talking…!”
It was even more chaotic because the dogs barked in between. If words won’t work, you have to use your body—what choice is there? Seungyeon made up his mind and lunged at Jung Sanho.
“Give it!”
“I said no! I don’t want to!”
“Woof!”
“Seriously, give it while I’m asking nicely!”
“You’re already not using words right now!”
“Just give it anyway!”
Tumbling and wrestling, he snatched the shopping bag from Jung Sanho’s hand. However, before he could run away, he was immediately stopped by Jung Sanho. Blood vessels stood out on the hand gripping the shopping bag without an inch of concession.
“Let go. Let go first and then talk.”
“You let go first.”
“No, you let go first.”
With neither willing to concede easily, ten minutes that felt like an hour passed. It felt like his tightly clenched hand would cramp, and doubts washed over him occasionally, but he couldn’t back down here. Just as Seungyeon was about to yell strongly once more, one of the stray dogs circling around squeezed between the two at a brilliant timing.
“Woof woof!”
The black dog that swiftly snatched the shopping bag wagged its tail excitedly and disappeared in a full sprint. The other stray dogs chased after it barking. Seungyeon and Jung Sanho, who’d become like dogs chasing chickens, looked down at their empty hands with stupid faces.
“This is… what is this.”
Seungyeon’s hollow voice, having been pickpocketed right before his eyes twice, echoed emptily.
