Hui-myeong took out anything from the paper bag scattered in the living room, changed into it, and took a selfie.
I bought this today. How is it?
As soon as he sent the picture, Do-ha checked it as if he’d been waiting.
Pretty.
The reply was three letters. Though he wasn’t originally the type to speak at length anyway, Hui-myeong read affection even from those three letters. He was probably soothing his hardening cock while zooming in on the picture and examining every corner. That was Do-ha, who got aroused just by looking at a picture of Jung Hui-myeong with his shirt buttons fastened tightly up to his neck.
“You might be very late, so go to bed first.”
Hui-myeong’s lips curved up slightly at the next text that arrived.
‘So he’s coming home late.’
“I’ll miss you♡”
As soon as Hui-myeong finished replying, he sprang up from his seat energetically. Good opportunities like this didn’t come around often.
‘It shouldn’t be closed yet, right?’
Since the lights were still on past 10 o’clock yesterday, Hui-myeong expected he’d be able to see Geum-gang today too.
His heart pounded at the exceptionally refreshing night air.
***
The place Hui-myeong arrived at by taxi was that pawn shop from yesterday. Since it was after sunset, the sign was lit up, but the light flickered as if its lifespan had run out.
‘So it was Daemul Pawn Shop.’
Looking closely, the bulbs in the ‘Daemul’ part had burned out, so only ‘Pawn Shop’ was barely visible. It was a strange name, but pawn shops didn’t need pretty names anyway.
Recalling his past as a low-level gang member, it felt awkward that he would suddenly establish himself in such a frightening place and act like a boss. Geum-gang had always been taciturn yet playful, showering him with unconditional love, so he had never been scary to Hui-myeong.
Seeing the lights on in the building, it seemed someone was inside. Today, he wanted to talk with Geum-gang about anything. All the trivial things like how he’d been, what he’d been doing with his life.
‘Does hyung even wonder about me?’
When this thought suddenly occurred to him, Hui-myeong’s steps naturally stopped.
The last time Hui-myeong saw Geum-gang was the day before Christmas Eve. Because Hui-myeong kept whining that he wanted to see him, Geum-gang asserted he would definitely make time. Even though the bar he was in charge of would be extremely busy during the Christmas rush, Geum-gang reassured Hui-myeong that he’d come running right away.
It was a day cold enough to turn his fingertips white. Not knowing when he’d hear from Geum-gang, Hui-myeong couldn’t sleep that day. Suseolhwa was also busy that day as it was peak season, with customers constantly pouring in.
But on Christmas Day, and the day after that, there was no contact from Geum-gang. Since this had never happened before, Hui-myeong grew increasingly anxious as he waited.
He received news about him the day before New Year’s. And it was from Lee Do-ha.
“Wh-why are you here?”
When Do-ha, who had stopped bullying him after he started hanging around with Geum-gang, suddenly appeared, Hui-myeong was quite flustered.
“Waiting for that bastard Geum-gang?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“There’s no point waiting. That trash Geum-gang killed someone and went to prison.”
“What are you talking about?”
Hyung killed someone? He couldn’t believe it. No matter how much of a gangster he was, the Geum-gang that Hui-myeong knew wasn’t someone who used violence recklessly.
“It means you won’t be seeing Geum-gang anymore, and you have to follow me.”
Do-ha presented a contract with Hui-myeong’s mother’s signature on it.
“That’s a lie!”
Hui-myeong shook off Do-ha and ran blindly to the police station. His legs gave out and he fell, scraping his palms raw, but he didn’t even feel the pain. After begging at the police station and asking around, Hui-myeong finally managed to find out which detention center Geum-gang was in. But he couldn’t meet him.
Without even wearing a proper coat, Hui-myeong came out of the detention center building, getting hit by white snow. What blocked the pouring snow was Do-ha’s umbrella.
“Get it away.”
Hui-myeong violently swatted away Do-ha’s umbrella. His heart pounded at his first act of rebellion against him, but suddenly Do-ha grabbed his throat and violently shoved him against the wall.
As expected, Do-ha wasn’t someone who would tolerate someone like Jung Hui-myeong’s temper.
“This fucking bastard can’t read the room!”
“Ugh!”
Even as his breath ran short, Do-ha’s eyes were clearly visible. Eyes crazed with jealousy and possessiveness. They weren’t the eyes of a mere nineteen-year-old boy.
“I don’t care whether you just met Geum-gang or not. From now on, you only follow me around. Your mom sold you for five thousand.”
“Th-that’s… a lie…”
He squeezed out his voice with difficulty, but the grip strangling his throat only grew stronger.
“Like hell it’s a lie, she took the money without even haggling. And she calls herself a mother.”
“Ugh, haaah!”
As the physical struggle intensified and the security guard at the entrance peered over and tried to approach, only then did Do-ha’s hand drop. White snow piled up on Hui-myeong’s body as he collapsed in that spot, gasping for breath.
“Let’s go, Jung Hui-myeong.”
Before he could catch his breath, Do-ha grabbed Hui-myeong’s hair and dragged him to the car. Even when his feet tangled and he fell and was dragged along, Do-ha didn’t look back. After shoving the disheveled Hui-myeong into the back seat, Do-ha opened his twisted lips.
“You’ll never see Geum-gang again in your life. If you see him again, it won’t end with just something like this. Not for you, not for that bastard Geum-gang either.”
The sound of the car door slamming shut sounded to Hui-myeong like the sound of his life closing.
On the day he was abandoned by both Geum-gang and his mother, Hui-myeong was picked up by Do-ha. He remembered everything from that day—the air, the sensation of snowflakes falling on his frozen hands, even Do-ha’s harsh gaze looking at him.
‘Was he upset that I didn’t visit him after that?’
Even after that, he went to visit a couple of times, evading Do-ha’s eyes, but was refused. Each time, even as his lips split and he was beaten by Do-ha until his whole body was covered in bruises, the fact that Geum-gang wouldn’t see him hurt more. And not long after, he was dragged to America, so after that they had no news of each other.
‘Does he even imagine that I lived with Do-ha?’
He especially didn’t want to tell Geum-gang that he’d been trapped with Do-ha for ten years. Since Geum-gang was the one who saved him from Do-ha’s bullying, he would feel devastated to learn that after he left, Hui-myeong was caught by Do-ha again.
“Ugh!”
Hui-myeong rubbed his arms as the wind suddenly penetrated his shirt. He’d been so absorbed in the past that he’d forgotten how cold it was. He hadn’t even grabbed a coat when rushing out of the house. But since he didn’t know when Do-ha would return home, he couldn’t waste time.
He took a deep breath and was about to enter the pawn shop when the door opened at that moment and he came face to face with Geum-gang. His massive frame was large enough to completely block the door.
“Ah, you scared me!”
As soon as he faced him, Hui-myeong panicked and lowered his gaze. Geum-gang leaned crookedly against the door and looked at him with a scoffing “huh.”
“I told you not to come again.”
“Wh-what pawn shop turns away customers? Let me in!”
Hui-myeong tried to push past Geum-gang who was blocking the door with his body, but like a massive boulder, the solid man didn’t budge an inch.
“Oh my, our little brother came again?”
“Baby boy, are you gonna show us your dick today? Hehehehe!”
“Hyung will suck it good for you. Didn’t say what I’d suck though, did I?”
Geum-gang’s subordinates, who had somehow recognized Hui-myeong’s voice, started giggling and throwing raunchy jokes. They’d only met twice, yet they had no hesitation in teasing Hui-myeong.
“Shut your fucking mouths, you assholes.”
When Geum-gang whirled around and shouted curses, the office instantly fell silent. ‘I guess the boss is the boss after all,’ Hui-myeong thought.
Geum-gang caught his breath and once again looked down at Hui-myeong with a cold stare.
“I guess my words sounded like a joke to you.”
“I’m not joking either!”
Emboldened, Hui-myeong actually shouted back. It was definitely Geum-gang, but he was annoyed that he acted so roughly without even acknowledging him.
“But this bastard, we said he was pretty and now he talks down to hyungnim?”
The subordinates who’d been listening from behind couldn’t stand it anymore and approached Hui-myeong with their hands in their pockets, walking cockily. Geum-gang, who’d been blocking the door, tilted his head and gave an order to his subordinates.
“That’s enough, throw this out.”
At his one word, the subordinates lifted Hui-myeong’s limbs.
“Ahhh!”
Hui-myeong was flung outside and sprawled on the ground like a piece of paper. He’d thought if not a warm greeting, they’d at least exchange pleasantries, but this kind of treatment. He was so upset he couldn’t stand it.
