Chapter 4
“What do you want?”
Hyungoh held up both palms—a clear signal to stay back. Right now, Theo’s bulky, muscular frame felt genuinely threatening. Ignoring the gesture entirely, Theo leaned against the wall, his expression dead serious.
“I need your help.”
“With what?”
“You need to delete a CCTV video from Hunter’s USB.”
That bastard Hunter. Theo’s jaw clenched as Hyungoh frowned.
“Why the CCTV footage?”
“There’s something on it. Wait—why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because this is obviously sketchy. Why would you want to delete someone else’s security footage?”
“I told you, there’s something on it! Just do what I say.”
“No.”
“What?”
“Why should I do what you tell me to?”
What’s in it for me? Theo stared down at Hyungoh, who kept his chin up defiantly, refusing to back down. The corner of Theo’s mouth twitched. Huh. Look at that. For someone who looked like he’d fold easily, he had some spine.
“For an Asian.”
“…You realize that’s racist, right?”
Theo’s mouth twitched again as he looked at Hyungoh, who’d caught the words that slipped out before he could stop them.
This guy, seriously. Usually Asians crumbled at the slightest intimidation. Oh, right—he’s Hunter’s nephew. That explains it.
Hyungoh was uncomfortable. He’d never met anyone this rude in his entire life. Was this a cultural thing? No, it couldn’t be. Hyungoh shoved Theo’s shoulder and stood up from the bed. No matter how massive Theo was, he wasn’t intimidating enough to make Hyungoh cave to such an unreasonable demand.
Besides, he wasn’t exactly small himself. Back in high school, people always said he was bigger than most guys his age. Well, not compared to Theo. Hyungoh took a step back as Theo rose from the bed too.
“Fine. Got it. I’ve figured out your whole deal.”
“Good. Now get out.”
“Whoa, whoa, hold on.”
Theo grinned and raised his eyebrows. Then he opened his crossbody bag and pulled out an old, cracked laptop. Hyungoh squinted. The laptop looked strangely familiar.
“I went back and grabbed your suitcase.”
“…Is that my laptop?”
“Yeah. Yesterday you and Hunter were so hyster—I mean, worried, so I went back for it.”
“Give it here.”
As Hyungoh reached for the laptop, Theo yanked it back and held out his fist with a sly grin. Well? What do you think? Hyungoh, who’d brightened at the mention of his suitcase, saw Theo’s extended fist and his face immediately hardened again.
Wait. Are you trying to make a deal with this? You’ll give back my suitcase if I cooperate?
“But you’re the one who left it behind in the first place.”
“Let’s not split hairs. The point is I went through the trouble of getting your stuff back, right? See how nice I am?”
“Look, just tell me one thing. Why do you want to delete the CCTV footage?”
Theo hesitated, his expression twisting.
“Do I really have to tell you?”
“Fine, don’t. But I have a conscience, and I’m not messing with my uncle’s stuff for no reason.”
“Ah, fine! I’ll tell you!”
Theo covered his eyes with his hand, hesitating in a way that seemed completely unlike him.
“…I did it.”
“What?”
“Fuck, I had sex with my boyfriend in Hunter’s garage.”
And it was caught on CCTV. At Theo’s confession, Hyungoh’s jaw dropped.
“Are you serious? Why would you do that?”
“Why? It’s a thrill.”
So exciting. Theo smiled suggestively, as if savoring the memory.
“Anyway, I need that video gone. That bastard Hunter’s been holding it over my head at school.”
“At school?”
“Yeah. Giving me shit during class, making me run errands whenever he feels like it…”
“Wait, wait. What do you mean by that?”
“What?”
Theo tilted his head.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know Hunter teaches at our school?”
“He’s a teacher? Then…”
School. Teacher. Hunter and Theo. Hyungoh deliberately tried to sort through his jumbled thoughts.
So you’re a student?
Hyungoh was more shocked that Theo was still a teenager than by the fact that Hunter was a teacher. “How old are you?” he asked incredulously.
Theo answered casually. “Me? Eighteen.”
“…”
“Hey, that’s not what matters right now. Look.”
Theo led the stunned Hyungoh to the window. Hunter, carrying a black briefcase, was walking out of the house. Looked like he was heading to work. He seemed so carefree—it was irritating. Theo clicked his tongue and flung the door open.
“This is our chance. The faster we get this done, the better for both of us, right?”
With Theo’s urgency pushing him, Hyungoh had no choice but to head to Hunter’s room. Sure, he was cooperating for the laptop, but honestly, he was curious about what was inside Hunter’s room. After yesterday, his curiosity about Hunter had only grown, and he’d been planning to dig into Hunter’s background eventually to ease his unease.
This might actually work in my favor, with Theo coming to me like this. If I get caught, I can blame Theo. Hyungoh took a tense breath and turned Hunter’s doorknob.
“Huh. It’s so ordinary.”
Theo slipped into the room and looked around. He was right—Hunter’s room was basically a study. Countless textbooks lined the shelves, blankets thrown over a sofa, a large TV dominating one wall, and a somewhat messy desk. As Hyungoh stepped inside, the strong smell of old paper hit him like he’d walked into a library.
Theo scanned the room and headed to the desk where two computers sat, rummaging through the clutter around them. A red USB. Round and flat. He definitely waved that thing around when he was threatening me. Hyungoh nodded. Round and flat…
“Could it be this?”
“Oh, that’s it!”
Where’d you find it? An excited Theo rushed over to Hyungoh, who was crouching in front of the bookshelf. When Hyungoh opened a box on the bottom shelf, he found various USBs collected inside. Carefully examining the old, worn box, Hyungoh hurried to Hunter’s computer at Theo’s urging.
“Oh, right. The password.”
“Ah, damn it!”
Hyungoh and Theo groaned simultaneously at the Windows lock screen. That bastard Hunter! Theo clenched his fist and slammed it on the desk.
“Hey, Hyungoh. Don’t you know anything? It’s your uncle’s computer.”
“Are you kidding? Passwords and family ties aren’t related.”
“Asians are supposed to be good at math. Figure it out!”
“…What are you even saying?”
Hyungoh muttered irritably. Why did this guy keep bringing up race?
Faced with this unexpected obstacle, Theo was frantic. What do we do? His resentment toward Hunter seemed to have peaked—he looked like he’d only be satisfied smashing a computer. I hope he doesn’t take it out on my laptop. Hyungoh started to worry.
“Ah!”
Hyungoh clapped his hands as a thought struck him. God, I’m an idiot. He laughed. I can just plug the USB into my laptop.
Theo, who’d been standing there confused watching Hyungoh suddenly laugh, asked, “What? Why are you laughing?”
“Give me my laptop. We can delete it from there, right?”
At Hyungoh’s answer, Theo thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. “Oh, right!”
Is this Dumb and Dumber? Hyungoh chuckled as he opened the laptop.
“Wait, isn’t this locked too?”
“Folder locks are easy.”
Hyungoh smiled confidently. What’s he saying? Theo frowned at the Korean he couldn’t understand.
As Theo expected, the USB folder was locked. Figured. When a security window popped up asking for a password, Theo groaned. Hyungoh, meanwhile, calmly typed away.
“…Huh?”
What the… this guy… Theo’s eyes widened. His gaze moved from Hyungoh’s fingers, gliding across the keyboard like he was playing piano, to the laptop screen. The security window had vanished, and a familiar yellow folder appeared. Whoa. How’d you do that?
“Just got lucky.” Hyungoh shrugged meaningfully.
“Here’s the garage folder.”
Theo pressed his face close to the screen. Hundreds of CCTV videos appeared. “Scroll down more.” A smile gradually spread across Theo’s face.
“Found it! This is it!”
Theo pointed at a video. “Click it.”
“No way.”
“We need to confirm it’s the right one, idiot.”
Theo grabbed the mouse and clicked the video, fast-forwarding. In it, Theo and another guy appeared in a garage full of tools, kissing passionately and stripping each other’s clothes off.
Huh?
Hyungoh whipped around to stare at Theo. Theo, who was muttering “Yeah, this is it” seriously, met his eyes.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Theo… you’re gay?”
“Huh?”
The moans from the video grew louder. Just as Hyungoh reached out to turn it off in embarrassment, he witnessed something he’d never seen before.
“Hey, you okay?”
Theo extended his hand to Hyungoh, who’d fallen from the chair with a loud crash.
“W-where did you just put your hand?”
“What?”
“In the video!”
“…Oh.”
Theo glanced at Hyungoh’s shocked face, then at the video, and grinned mischievously.
“Where do you think? In his ass.”
“Why would you put your hand there?”
“Because it feels good.”
“What? No way that feels good!”
It has to hurt. Hyungoh shuddered.
“Wow. You really are clueless.”
“What?”
“Don’t you know about the prostate?”
Prostate. At the unfamiliar English word, Hyungoh tilted his head. What’s that?
A mischievous smile flashed across Theo’s face. You don’t know? Really don’t know? Hyungoh frowned. What? Why’s he making that face?
“Want me to show you what it is?”
“No. I don’t think I need to know.”
“Come on, don’t be shy.”
For every step Theo took forward, Hyungoh took one back. Instinctively, he felt his innocence was under threat. What’s with him? Soon, the cold wall pressed against Hyungoh’s back. Theo’s grin made him deeply uneasy.
“Stop! Don’t come any—”
“What are you two doing?”
Hyungoh and Theo’s heads snapped around simultaneously. Hunter stood in the doorway, his brow deeply furrowed. The intense moans echoing through the room, the messy desk, Hyungoh and Theo pressed together—Hunter took it all in, then slowly closed the door. His expression had already crumpled like a rotten apple.
“…Oh.”
We’re screwed.
Hyungoh, who’d slumped down like a tragic protagonist, murmured softly.
