At times like this, he absolutely had to ask the remaining one person for help. When Wonyoung looked at Heegang, Heegang, who had been watching the screen with a bored face regardless of what popped out, made eye contact with Wonyoung.
He looked Wonyoung over carefully and then smiled brightly and said.
“Why are you so cute? It makes me want to make you cry more.”
‘No, let’s not go that way.’
That bastard was a dangerous element. Who knows what would happen if he went there? One of a spanner, hammer, or saw would definitely come out.
Wonyoung ultimately chose to keep his seat.
“A promise is a promise.”
However, as soon as he sat down sniffling, Wonyoung screamed again at another ghost that popped out.
“Hwaaaaak!”
Looking at Wonyoung who was panic-stricken and burying his head in his own solar plexus, Taerim said as if sighing.
“If you’re going to be like this, why are you even watching the screen? Just close your eyes instead.”
“But……”
[※Sub Mission Alert※]
Goal: Watch the movie safely.
Reward: Early leave from work
If he just watched this movie well, he could go home……!
Wonyoung, who wanted to go home more than anything else, whether he liked it or not, steeled himself again, straightened his posture, and watched the movie. What was reassuring for now was that the background had changed to broad daylight. Wonyoung let out a long breath and stared at the screen.
But…….
‘Why are you going into the forest in broad daylight? Why? Why are you going alone?’
Why do all horror movie protagonists only do things they’re told not to! And sure enough! A tomb appeared in the middle of the forest, and a pale-faced female ghost popped out from inside and dragged the protagonist away.
“Hiyaaaak!”
Wonyoung kicked at the air and buried his face on Taerim’s firm thigh. Taerim clicked his tongue as if exasperated, but he didn’t push him away.
“Ah, it’s too scary……!”
As Wonyoung was even getting annoyed and smearing tears and snot on Taerim’s suit pants, suddenly a large hand came and touched the back of his hand.
“Hyung, don’t cry. You’re cute but pitiful, and pitiful but cute……”
When Wonyoung lifted his head, a fair face was smiling prettily.
“Siyeon……”
“Here, blow your nose. Hmph.”
Siyeon held out a tissue and said that. But wasn’t that treating him too much like a child? As Wonyoung hesitated, Taerim took out his own handkerchief and vigorously rubbed Wonyoung’s nose.
“Ow ow ow, it hurts!”
“You’re not even a little kid. It’s fortunate it’s only us, otherwise it would have been quite a nuisance.”
“I know that too…… I’m sorry.”
Wonyoung sniffled and returned to his seat deflated. Taerim, who seemed a bit flustered, was about to say something when Heegang’s voice was heard from behind Wonyoung’s back.
“Rae. Would this be a bit better?”
Then his vision was immediately covered. Heegang had covered his eyes with one hand. Wonyoung recalled the sub mission and was about to say it was useless, but he nodded because he was grateful for the consideration. The mission would be a failure anyway since he hadn’t really watched the movie.
“Thanks, Heegang.”
As Siyeon and Taerim disliked that, Heegang even showed the leisure of sneering at them.
“Insufferable bastard.”
Siyeon muttered caustically. Taerim said nothing, but had an extremely displeased expression.
Only Wonyoung, who knew nothing, was just thinking that even the sound was scary.
After watching the movie through such twists and turns, the next thing was riding a duck boat at the nearby riverside. These days the world was good, so there were boats that could accommodate 4 people for families. Wonyoung was truly relieved.
Of course, there was a bloody battle to occupy the seat next to Wonyoung, and this time’s winner was Siyeon. Wonyoung suspected whether the game was considering balance and giving opportunities evenly to everyone.
“This is my first time riding something like this.”
Soon Wonyoung muttered while pedaling hard. The riverside breeze was warm, and the waves receiving sunlight looked good. Only then did Wonyoung realize, a little late, that he had never experienced something like this before.
Eating together like this, watching movies, and riding duck boats were all first-time experiences.
And although the bickering men were a bit burdensome…… it seemed to be enjoyable too.
“Me too. Why would I ride something like this if it weren’t for hyung?”
At Siyeon’s answer sitting next to him, Wonyoung looked at him. He continued with a somewhat complicated expression.
“But it’s also kind of fresh. Thanks to hyung, there are really many things I’m doing for the first time.”
Me too. Wonyoung muttered that and turned his head back to the water surface.
Except for the silent back seats where not even breathing could be heard…… it was truly a good walk.
* * *
[※Mission Complete! Reward has been granted.※]
Only after going to the arcade after the duck boat and then having dinner did Wonyoung finally escape from the shackles of game over. The stamina he had left was 3. He had truly enjoyed everything he could do as instructed.
And the role of taking him home unexpectedly fell to Heegang. Because both Siyeon and Taerim had work come up. Siyeon especially left while repeatedly urging him to be careful. It seemed the gangster’s intuition had sensed Heegang’s danger.
‘Still, he’s not that dangerous of a kid.’
Wonyoung, who got a ride in Heegang’s car to go home, was seriously discussing the harmfulness of horror movies, then dozed off.
And.
‘……Did I fall asleep?’
Wonyoung, who suddenly woke from sleep, opened his eyes. The surroundings were dim, and he was on a bed.
He sat up from his position feeling an inexplicable sense of incongruity.
Soon Wonyoung, who had been blankly staring at the city night view spread out in the distance, murmured in a daze.
“Where is this?”
He was in an unknown place.
Was he dreaming? As he tilted his head and got down from the bed, he froze at a clinking sound. At the same time, he felt something foreign around his ankle.
When Wonyoung lowered his head, he saw shackles fastened to his ankle.
“Huh? Hey, fuck?”
[This is an inappropriate statement for your character. Warning 1. If warnings accumulate beyond a certain number, a penalty will be given.]
Wonyoung was truly pale with shock, to the point where he couldn’t even see the warning window.
Apparently…….
He seemed to have been confined.
* * *
There was no cell phone, and no clothes. What he was wearing was just some large shirt and underwear.
‘Should I be grateful it didn’t go as far as no-panties man?’
Wonyoung, who had been greatly flustered at first, soon regained his reason. So clearly he had been with Heegang and ended up like this. But was Baek Heegang an ordinary person? If someone had tried to attack and kidnap him, he was someone who would have at least pulled out a stun gun.
So this current situation was…….
‘Baek Heegang must have created it.’
It was reasonable to think that.
Then the next thing to think about was the cause.
‘Why did he lock me up?’
Originally, Heegang was already very obsessed with Narae. To the point of secretly picking up his hair, so he had gone far beyond the bounds of normalcy. But he had shown respect for Narae’s wishes to that extent.
But why did he risk danger and do something like this? There must be a reason for it.
‘To find that out, I first need to see Baek Heegang.’
If he waited like this until morning, they might naturally meet but…….
Wonyoung knocked on the door just in case. Of course, the door was locked. But Wonyoung wasn’t trying to open the door.
“Heegang. Are you there?”
No answer came back. As Wonyoung was about to turn back in disappointment, a voice was heard from outside the door.
“Rae.”
It was Baek Heegang’s voice. And soon, the door opened.
“You’re awake.”
“……”
The words that he had regained his reason were a lie. Now that he saw the composed Heegang, Wonyoung’s mind went blank.
And the warning he’d heard from Siyeon flashed through his mind.
‘Hyung, be careful of that bastard. He’s a dangerous bastard. Remember my words. You must never let your guard down.’
Right, those words seemed correct. Wonyoung smiled bitterly while feeling the sensation of the shackles on his ankle.
Heegang asked with the elegant face that Wonyoung loved so much.
“Are you angry?”
“……No, I’m surprised and flustered.”
Wonyoung’s voice trembled a little but was calm. Wonyoung considered that fortunate.
“Something came up. I’ll let you go when it’s all over.”
“What is it? I need to go to work too, and I have my own life.”
“Yeah, I’ll handle it quickly. Sorry.”
Heegang saying that had a truly apologetic face. Wonyoung bit his lip.
“It’s not something that can be solved with an apology. Let me go even now. It can still be passed off as a minor incident.”
At those words, Heegang let out a hollow laugh.
“A minor incident? Right, if you can think of it that way, go ahead.”
“……Siyeon.”
“Don’t try to persuade me. Don’t try to understand either.”
“……”
When Wonyoung fell silent, Heegang opened his mouth again.
“It’s okay if you hate me.”
At those words, Wonyoung was somewhat surprised. Not because of Heegang. Because of himself.
He still didn’t hate Heegang. Was this how all those ukes felt, who just cried pitifully even when kidnapped and confined? If so, had he become such an uke too? It was bewildering in many ways.
Still, he tried to pull himself together and chose words befitting Heo Wonyoung.
“There’s nothing to hate or not hate. I just want to know the reason. If your reason is valid, I’ll stay here too.”
“It’s not valid at all.”
Heegang smiled faintly.
“It’s a selfish, terrible reason.”
“That’s still fine, so tell me.”
Then Heegang, who had been silent for a moment, slowly opened his mouth.
“Because I hate you touching others. Because I hate you being held by others, clinging to them, smiling at them, talking with them—I hate it all to death.”
Wonyoung, who had hesitated for a moment, soon shook his head and denied those words.
“No, that’s not the reason. Because you care more about Narae than your own feelings.”
At Wonyoung’s assertion, Heegang laughed ‘haha.’ As if he absolutely couldn’t handle it.
But soon, unexpected words flowed from his mouth.
“Rae, you also have something you haven’t told me. So it’s only fair if I have a secret too.”
“What? ……What does that mean?”
When Wonyoung asked back vacantly at the unexpected words, Heegang opened his mouth.
“Rae, you don’t know who I am.”
“Don’t know?”
“You can’t remember who Baek Heegang is.”
“!”
