“Phew. That’s done. Now hurry up and take off your clothes so I can apply medicine.”
Wonyoung, who was about to demand what he’d been doing going around like this, was defeated by Siyeon’s aegyo and spoke as if sighing. Then Siyeon crossed both arms in an X and acted coy.
“Take off my clothes, hyung. Isn’t that too promiscuous?”
“Ki Siyeon…”
“Do you want to see my body that badly?”
Wonyoung was about to hit this fox-like bastard’s back but held back thinking of the warning. He’d already received one warning as it was.
“Then should I take them off?”
“…”
No, I should hit him once after all. As Wonyoung tried to raise his hand, the t-shirt rolled up first. Seeing the clearly revealed abs and pecs, Wonyoung froze. It was such an excellent body that it left him speechless.
Wonyoung waved his hand belatedly and stammered.
“B-ba, back, ba-back, turn to the ba-back.”
“Hyung, you’re going to drool.”
“Be quiet. Don’t say anything more!”
Siyeon giggled and obediently turned around. An excellent latissimus dorsi greeted Wonyoung as expected, but more serious than that were the bruises and wounds. Wonyoung’s brow furrowed on its own.
“Do you think this is some kind of emergency room? No, it would be fortunate if you even thought that. Why didn’t you tell even me?”
“Well, it’ll heal soon anyway. And I’ll get them again soon.”
“Is that something to brag about?”
“…”
When Wonyoung’s face looking worriedly at his wounds was suddenly reflected in the mirror placed to one side, Siyeon’s lips quietly rose.
“What are you grinning about alone… why are you smiling by yourself?”
“Because I’m happy.”
“Happy after getting beat up like this.”
Wonyoung took out ointment and bandages and treated the wounds with quite practiced hands. However, he couldn’t help but let out deep sighs unknowingly here and there.
Siyeon probably didn’t enter this path because he liked it either. Just like he himself didn’t enter a large corporation as an orphan because he was so great.
But to go down a different path now might require too many sacrifices. That’s why he couldn’t unconditionally tell him to leave the organization. In case Siyeon got hurt even more seriously than now.
In the end, today too, Wonyoung said something different from his true feelings.
“Since it’s payday today, hyung will buy you beef.”
“Is that okay?”
“What’s not okay about it?”
“I eat a lot though.”
“That’s even better then.”
Wonyoung urged them to go quickly and put on his clothes. Today was the day marking one and a half months working under the terrible Kyung Taerim. Last month the pay was small because he only worked half the month, but this month with full attendance was different. The time for the 140 million won annual salary to shine had come!
‘Thank you, Kyung Taerim!’
This time he won’t make the same mistake as before. Who would say anything about spending his own money?
“Eohuk!”
However, excited Wonyoung stumbled over the threshold as he left through the gate. Siyeon quickly grabbed Wonyoung and let out a sigh of relief.
“Let’s hold hands.”
“Huh? Uh…”
“Not with ulterior motives, in case you fall. This is sincere concern. Really.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
Siyeon smiled and answered, “That’s right.” Wonyoung’s face reddened as he wiggled his fingers inside the large hand.
The place the two arrived at, slowly matching their pace, was a high-class restaurant near home. It was a place convenient for eating comfortably as it was all private rooms.
It was a place that had caught his eye from before, and it seemed to work out well.
“First, 4 servings of special rib eye, and 1 serving each of inside skirt steak and thin skirt steak please!”
“Hyung, is it okay to order that much?”
“You said you eat a lot. It’s oka… wait a moment.”
Wonyoung suddenly took out his phone that he’d put in his pocket at the continuous vibrating sounds.
[**Bank withdrawal 7,500,000 won
Maru Capital Co., Ltd.
Balance 1,553,200 won]
[**Bank withdrawal 500,000 won
Oh Joo-in
Balance 1,053,200 won]
“Huh?”
The balance that had been over 9 million won was reduced to 1 million won in an instant. Wonyoung was dumbfounded with his mouth hanging open.
‘Maru Capital… is that where Narae owed money?’
Even if you’re paying back with the principal together, no really, how is the interest like this… Did they not get enough of Baek Heegang’s tools last time?
‘And Oh Joo-in was the landlord, probably?’
What’s with that damn house’s monthly rent being like this…?
At Wonyoung’s appearance blankly staring at his phone, Siyeon asked worriedly.
“Hyung, what’s wrong?”
“Huh?”
As Wonyoung was about to brush it off, choices appeared.
[Because I have too much debt… How much does a kidney go for these days?]
[Because the monthly rent is too expensive… Ah, that’s right! How about living with me to save on rent too?]
‘Is this crazy?’
It seemed certain that Narae had lost his salary and gone insane. Or the game creator was desperate to screw him over.
Looking at the two choices, Wonyoung nervously messed up his hair then buried his face in both hands. He couldn’t choose either one. Kidney vs cohabitation? He really felt like going crazy and jumping around. How does the game creator come up with such choices?
When Wonyoung’s eyes were getting moist, eventually the top choice was selected due to the time limit.
“Because I have too much debt… How much does a kidney go for these days?”
“What did you say?”
Wonyoung laughed because even he found it absurd. Maybe the crazy one isn’t Baek Heegang but Narae.
“Hyung, you can laugh right now?”
“…No, it’s a joke. I’m sorry.”
Siyeon, who mistook Wonyoung’s deflated laugh for anguish, looked at Wonyoung with pitying eyes.
“Ha, hyung. You’re really making my heart ache…”
Wonyoung shook his head and deliberately changed the subject in a lively tone.
“Sorry, I said something useless, didn’t I? Let’s just enjoy the meat.”
“…I’ll buy today’s meal.”
“No, it’s fine, Siyeon! I didn’t say that for you to do that!”
“But I’m ordering alcohol too.”
“…”
Wonyoung looked at Siyeon in bewilderment. What alcohol when he’s injured? He’s still wet behind the ears.
However, before Wonyoung could stop him, Siyeon called the employee and ordered alcohol. Wonyoung, who had been blankly watching that, got angry belatedly.
“Siyeon, why are you drinking!”
“Because I’m frustrated.”
“What’s frustrating? Do you know how bad it is to drink when you’re injured?”
At Wonyoung’s scolding, Siyeon turned his head away with a sulky expression, chin propped up. The protruding lips were unnecessarily glossy, clear and pretty. Even in this situation, Wonyoung kicked his own shin for admiring lips.
“So sulking solves everything?”
“Yes.”
“Good grief.”
When Wonyoung looked at him incredulously, Heegang grumbled.
“Hyung, you’re making me angry.”
“What did I do?”
As Wonyoung played dumb, Siyeon suddenly straightened his head and asked seriously.
“Can’t I just pay it off for you? That debt.”
It was something he’d heard from Heegang too. However, Wonyoung shook his head this time as well.
“…This is my debt. And they said they won’t harass anymore now.”
“Because your crazy psychopath friend went nuts?”
“Use nicer words…”
Despite Wonyoung’s scolding, Siyeon’s expression showed no signs of relaxing. Actually, at this point, Wonyoung had truly thought about accepting help. But he felt the game somehow wouldn’t easily allow it.
And no matter how much half was paid off, the remaining 5,000 wasn’t exactly pocket change. He couldn’t accept from Siyeon what he’d refused from Heegang. Especially since he vaguely knew how he’d earned that money.
Wonyoung was still confused about how to treat the ‘conquest targets,’ but now the scale between person and data was heavily tilted to one side. Already from the moment he decided to refuse the game’s ending and stay.
What part of this man is a character, and what part of his concern is a scripted line? Wonyoung just wanted to believe what he could see.
“Still, if I work hard for just one year, I can pay it all off. I got into a good job too. It’s not enough for you to worry about. 100 ten thousand won is enough to last a month.”
“…I know too. That help from a bastard like me isn’t wanted.”
“What?”
As Wonyoung hurried to explain, at that very moment the employee brought the ordered meat and alcohol.
Wonyoung, who was restlessly watching the employee place expensive chunks of meat on the grill, eventually couldn’t stand it and said.
“It’s not like tha…”
Sizzle sizzle sizzle, grrrrrr!
However, breaking through Wonyoung’s voice and the sound of meat grilling, a rumbling sound echoed through the space.
Before Wonyoung’s eyes, the phrase ‘Status: Hungry (✽´ཫ`✽)’ was floating above the status window.
‘Again? Hungry again? Is there a beggar living in this bastard’s stomach?!’
Wonyoung couldn’t hold back his anger and hit his own stomach once. At that sight, the employee couldn’t help but burst out laughing ‘pffft’ and quickly covered their mouth.
“S-sorry.”
“No…”
Seeing Wonyoung’s unfocused eyes as he answered limply, Siyeon eventually laughed.
“Hahaha, Rae hyung is really…”
“Don’t laugh.”
“No, how are you so pure? When you live in the same world as me.”
“I’m not pure.”
Wonyoung answered while trying hard not to give his gaze to the meat. Siyeon said with a refreshing smile.
“That’s probably why I like you. They say you’re attracted to people who are opposite to you.”
“Are you going to keep saying weird things?”
Instead of answering, Siyeon shrugged his shoulders. Wonyoung, thinking he’d already shown the employee every unseemly sight anyway, spoke without hesitation.
“You’re kind too. I’m not pure at all, so we’re not even opposites. I know everything too. How materialistic I am.”
“Is that what you want to refute?”
“Then what should I refute?”
“Me saying I like you, hyung?”
At those words, Wonyoung glanced at the employee and said.
“That’s a bit embarrassing but not something to refute. Since that’s what you say.”
Then Siyeon sighed dramatically.
“This is what this hyung is like. So I can’t not drink.”
“Hey, ya!”
Before Wonyoung could stop him, Siyeon poured soju into a beer glass and gulped it down. Has he gone crazy? Wonyoung eventually hit Siyeon’s shoulder once.
