Fuck, why the hell is this gun even here? Wasn’t a bed a place to let down all the tension in your body and rest? To have a gun in such a space.
As expected, you’re not in your right mind.
Whether you blow my head off with this gun, or I blow your head off, nothing would be strange about our relationship.
The gun he’d taken from the Filipino cops, that cold thing—he secretly picked it up and spread open the gap in his gown. He pushed it through the gap into the gown that opened pure white.
The cold thing crushed against his chest. This clamorous sensation brushing against his skin. Right, this was the relationship between this man and him. …This is reality for us.
“I asked what you’re doing?”
“…It’s slippery because of the water.”
“Slipped? The great Lee Woonghee? Even dogs would laugh their asses off.”
He approaches. The musky scent he exuded from his entire body grew thicker. Without noticing anything, he turned Woonghee’s body as if familiar with it. Woonghee’s nose naturally buried into the man’s nape. Whoof, an unfamiliar smell wafted from him.
Thick hair, tanned skin, even the tattoo carved on his back…. Judging by that appearance alone, he was reminiscent of an emperor of the night. He was a man like the ecstatic neon signs of dark dawn. Wasn’t the tangled gossip about him also extremely promiscuous?
From such a man spread the scent of sweet fruit flesh. It was a crushing, sloppy scent. It was his own body scent. Just as the man’s smell had permeated his body, his own body scent must have permeated the man.
“I missed you.”
His head became completely, emptily white. Woonghee’s arms that had been hanging limply flinched and trembled.
“Don’t do this, I just washed so I’m still damp.”
Soon he pushed the man away with both hands filled with strength. Then the man sharply frowned his thick eyebrows. As if he’d been rejected.
“Why does your body scent smell like this even after washing?”
He whispers. Naturally burying his nose in Woonghee’s ear, he embraced his waist. Every time the man was like this, Woonghee felt his waist tickle. If only he could, he wanted to shove his hand down his throat and scratch his heart thoroughly. If he did it until blood came out, wouldn’t even this shitty feeling stop?
“Did you wash properly? Did you scrub your hole squeaky clean too?”
“…Of course.”
“Your whole body reeks of my scent.”
“We were stuck together all day. We’re… lovers.”
So wouldn’t the scent permeate? When Woonghee asked that, the man rubbed their skin as if leaving his body scent on Woonghee.
“Even a dog’s smell permeates the body….”
“Dog?”
He felt the skin pressed together trembling slowly. Woonghee felt like his heart would drop with a thump.
“Ah, Gi Junhyuk-ssi probably doesn’t know. Dogs and humans also do something called love.”
When he made this nonsensical joke, as if it scratched inside, the man laughed slowly. It was a face like he’d heard something unpleasant.
“I’ve heard plenty of bastards calling me a dog behind my back, but you’re the first human to openly treat me like a dog to my face.”
“I’m glad it’s refreshing.”
Woonghee pretended to smile gently. He gently scratched the nape of the man who was smiling with furrowed brows with his thumb. As if asking him to bend down a little closer to him, he raised his heels and clung to him.
“Mm…?”
Then, the man bent his head down. Did he know? That he was lowering his height to match Woonghee on his own. Woonghee brought his lips to his arrogantly handsome ear, even his earlobes. Smooch, Woonghee parted his lips making a wet sound. The man slowly wetted his lower lip with his tongue as if impatient.
“I need to go to the bathroom for a moment….”
Tap, tap. He patted his chest as if calming down an excited dog. Woonghee slowly turned his back on him and slowly entered the bathroom. Thud, only after pushing the door closed with his back did he hurriedly pull out the gun from his chest.
‘Whew….’
Fuck, what gun when this isn’t even American soil? When the man who’d pulled up the cruise smashed his motorboat to pieces, Woonghee had been sucked into the sea together with this gun.
Hadn’t the man fished it up then….
In the midst of urgency and confusion, only that one thought became distinctly clear. This gun must be held in his own hands.
Woonghee turned on the faucet. Whoosh, as the stream of water burst out, he stepped up onto the toilet. Carefully, so unnecessary noise wouldn’t come out. So the man wouldn’t notice.
When he pushed up the light fixture on the ceiling with his palm, the cover opened. He secretly hid it inside.
Only then did Woonghee hop down. It was a light movement like a butterfly. The moment his toes caught on the toilet lid and he heard a clatter, he stiffened his back with a flinch.
“…….”
Creak, creak. He turned his head like a robot. He quickly checked the movement outside the door.
Fortunately there was no sign. Woonghee immediately placed both hands under the running water and pushed them in. Splash splash, while washing his face with ice-cold water, he placed both hands on the sink.
“Haah….”
Looking at the mirror, drip drip, water droplets that had gathered on his narrow chin flowed down.
His face that had been white was now flushed bright red as if about to burst—eyes, nose, lips, everything.
Blood quickly gathered in his head that had cooled down. Following the warmly spreading energy, Woongju’s voice rang in his head.
– After oppa disappeared I was so scared and afraid, but those people came and said oppa would be okay. They bought me lots of food to eat, and took me to school telling me not to worry.
Who on earth is that person, oppa? They said he’s famous….
Woonghee blankly looked at himself in the mirror. Parts of his white face were stained pitch black. It was a shadow cast because of the gun right above. He hurriedly climbed up and pushed the gun deeper inside.
“Get it together, fuck….”
After muttering that, he wiped off the moisture with a towel and came out pretending to be as natural as possible. Fuck, if he opened the door and went out like this, surely the man would be outside. Would he have to look at that face again?
Biting the inside of his cheek tightly as he came out….
What was this, the room was completely empty. However, the room door was left open. Outside was extremely chaotic. Staff were running around here and there, and he could hear the sound of walkie-talkies. What could have happened? Bewildered, Woonghee advanced into the hallway.
…Why was every single day like this when together with that man? Could pirates have attacked? Just as he was needlessly tensing up, he encountered someone turning the corner.
“Ah, shit, you scared me….”
It was a server he’d seen before. That unusual guy who’d come up to him and the man to pour wine.
“Customer Lee Woonghee.”
His slick face like a gigolo glittered under the lighting. He was like a nightclub tout, but also not. It was a strange face.
Woonghee raised his guard for no reason. Even when he wasn’t spending time with the man, he knew Woonghee’s every move.
Every time he was alone, he’d always make eye contact with this server. He wondered if this person was surveilling him.
Having groomed even each strand of hair like a doll, he bared his teeth and smiled like a Barbie doll. A smile so excessively perfect it looked painted.
“Do you need anything by any chance?”
“Ah, no….”
Woonghee wanted to hide like a shadow as much as possible. So he tried to pass by somehow, but the server who had something to say firmly blocked the way and just smiled like a clown.
Why is he acting like that? If he has something to say, he should say it properly. Or, it can’t be, but did he notice? The fact that he’d hidden the gun?
“Everyone….”
Woonghee had no choice but to force his lips apart.
“Seems busy.”
Then the server sighed long as if he’d been waiting. It was so contrived that it looked like he was performing a play. As if he’d tell tremendous news, he quickly approached Woonghee and whispered while covering his mouth with one hand.
“It’s the Managing Director’s birthday soon.”
Ahh, right, that man would have a birthday too. Though he was a man suited for an extraordinary birth like hatching from an egg laid by a crocodile or falling from the sky one day, in reality he too would have just been an ordinary child.
So it’s his birthday, so what, what should I do, anyway I have nothing I can give to the man.
“So, how about if Customer Lee Woonghee helps make a cake?”
“A cake?”
Woonghee frowned.
“Nothing is as romantic as a dinner party on a cruise at sea with one’s lover.”
Fuck, that damn lover talk. If he’d climbed to that position, he wouldn’t normally have lived off reading the room, yet he was doggedly treating them as lovers.
No, since he’s Managing Director Gi’s subordinate, he might be doing his job properly.
“Do we look like lovers to you?”
Woonghee drew a fishy smile on his face.
“Yes, of course.”
“I’m just….”
He was at best a guy who knew how to ride a motorcycle while hanging from a wire. Give him a hammer in his hands, maybe, but a cake? Isn’t that too cringey?
He was about to refuse like that….
For a moment the phone call with Woongju circled in his head.
– After oppa disappeared I was so scared and afraid, but those people came and said oppa would be okay. They bought me lots of food to eat, and took me to school telling me not to worry.
Who on earth is that person, oppa? They said he’s famous….
Right, whatever the truth may be, he’s the man who comforted Woongju who would have been alone so she wouldn’t be anxious. If it’s just a cake, if it’s just one piece of that kind of bread, wouldn’t it be okay?
“I’ll do it.”
“Please don’t say that, since it’s a special day, please think once more… Yes? What did you just say?”
To the shocked server, Woonghee opened his mouth again without batting an eyelash. After digging in his ear once and blowing on his finger.
“I said I’ll do it.”
