“Yeon Ian-ssi, are you inside?”
When he reached near the front door, a voice that seemed unfamiliar yet familiar called Ian. Ian flinched and put strength firmly into the hand holding the cane.
“I am Lee Jaehyun who serves Executive Director Tae Ganghyuk. I’m with the Executive Director right now. The Executive Director is currently very drunk and deeply asleep. If it’s not rude, could you please open the door?”
At the courteous voice, Ian headed toward the living room window. Through the window hazily covered with dust, he could see three men. Two were standing in front of the front door, and one had his arm over another’s shoulder with his head deeply bowed.
Although he couldn’t see the face well, just from the profile and silhouette he could tell it was Ganghyuk. The cane Ian let go of rolled on the floor.
He quickly went to the front door and opened it. The man wearing half-rimmed glasses standing in front of the door smiled brightly at Ian.
“I apologize for the late hour. I don’t know Ian-ssi’s number yet. I unavoidably caused a disturbance.”
The intellectual handsome man bowed his head politely to Ian along with an apology. Ian also bent his waist in half.
“Aiya, hurry up and move aside. Why did hyung-nim’s body get so much heavier? You’re a complete rock, I tell you. Aigo, I’m dying.”
Following Jaehyun, a man spoke in a rough voice. Ian straightened his back in surprise. The man’s voice was quite rough and reminded him exactly of Hongdo.
Moreover, his appearance was quite different from Jaehyun’s. Jaehyun looked like he’d place first in class if he took a test, but the man with a buzz cut and an earthworm-like scar at the corner of his mouth was giving off an ominous atmosphere from his whole body.
The bright red floral patterned shirt worn under his black suit and the thick gold necklace around his neck were also similar in style to Hongdo.
Hongdo was still the culprit who made Ian have nightmares. As memories of what happened with him came back, Ian’s complexion turned pale blue.
When Ian backed away with a face full of fear, Jaehyun gave an awkward smile, turned around, and mercilessly pinched the man’s cheek flesh with his thumb and index finger.
“Sucheol-ah, straighten out your expression. Ian-ssi got scared.”
“Ahhh! What are you saying! Shit… It hurts, I tell you! Let go quickly, damn it!”
Even though Jaehyun looked like a bookworm, among those who served Ganghyuk closely, his grip strength was second.
As if it wasn’t an exaggeration, tears slightly formed in the man’s eyes. Thanks to that, Ian was able to escape from his panic state. The ridiculous behavior showed that the man was a different person from Hongdo.
“Greet him. In a clear voice.”
“Ah, crazy bastard. Why are you becoming more of a psycho, really? Is he my boss or something?”
While roughly rubbing his reddened cheek with his palm, the man glared at Ian. When Ian’s shoulders flinched at the fierce gaze, Jaehyun firmly pressed the man’s foot with his shoe.
“Ugh, shibal! My name is Gwang Sucheol!”
Sucheol’s voice rang loudly throughout the house. At that moment, Ganghyuk, who had been drooping, raised his head.
His half-closed eyes slowly rolled toward Sucheol. Sucheol, whose eyes met Ganghyuk’s, closed his mouth tightly and tried to slyly put down Ganghyuk’s arm he’d been supporting. His skin tingled because of the pheromones flowing from Ganghyuk.
“Sucheol-ah.”
“Yes.”
Despite the languid voice, Sucheol, full of energy, pressed both arms tightly to his sides.
“Shut up. Because you’re noisy.”
“Yes.”
Ganghyuk pressed his furrowed brow firmly with his palm as if his head hurt. Confirming that Ganghyuk’s mind had somewhat returned, Jaehyun slyly stepped back.
“Executive Director, then we’ll be going now.”
Permission saying ‘alright’ fell over Jaehyun’s crown as he bowed. Jaehyun grabbed and pulled Sucheol’s arm.
Even after the two disappeared, Ganghyuk stood in front of the half-open front door, occasionally swaying his upper body back and forth.
“Executive Director, are you okay…?”
In the space where silence flowed as if a storm had swept through, Ian, who had been frozen, spoke to Ganghyuk and slowly walked toward where he was.
The closer he got, the stronger the terrible smell of alcohol. He was someone who hadn’t shown a single sign of being drunk even after drinking more than two bottles of soju, but unlike usual, his eyes were also flushed red, making him wonder just how much he had drunk.
The slightly disheveled hair and the appearance of wearing a shirt with three buttons undone and no tie was strangely sensual. He was worried about him continuing to stand at the front door and was wondering what to do.
Marks spread in various colors over Ganghyuk’s nape entered Ian’s eyes. At first, he thought it was hives. But looking closely, someone had sucked with their lips and left marks.
“Uh…”
Ian lost his words and just blinked in confusion. Even when he rubbed his eyes with his hands, the kiss marks looked even clearer. Moreover, between the smell of alcohol, he also felt an unfamiliar perfume scent.
It was a strong scent, strong enough to be felt through the harsh alcohol smell. A scent that would suit someone much more mature than Ian with his downy peach fuzz. And more suited to a woman than a man.
Come to think of it, the hem of Ganghyuk’s shirt was also a bit wrinkled. Just like someone who had hastily straightened their clothes.
Strangely feeling a tingling sensation at the bridge of his nose, Ian clenched and unclenched both fists, trying to calm his emotions.
The regret and sadness he had felt all day looking at his phone with no response jumped up like a fish meeting water.
It wasn’t something to feel hurt about at all. He knew it in his head. But his heart, which had become soft from experiencing love for the first time, was impossible to easily suppress with reason.
“Who did you… drink with…?”
When he asked in a trembling voice, Ganghyuk lowered the hand covering his face. His characteristic cool expressionlessness shone palely under the fluorescent light.
A look of annoyance passed over his pitch-black pupils. Ian’s eyes, witnessing fragments of emotion right in front of him, became teary.
“I hate annoying things the most.”
At the words that came out as if driving in a wedge, Ian opened his eyes wide. Ganghyuk, who had taken off his shoes, walked past Ian just like that. The sound of a door closing came from behind his back.
Ian, whose legs lost strength, swayed like Ganghyuk had just before and barely managed to go sit on the sofa. His eyes staring at the closed door were red.
He pulled his knees to his chest and sat glaring at the door as if it were Ganghyuk himself. Just when he received the phone as a gift, he had felt good.
He had thought he’d have nothing more to wish for if he could occasionally exchange text messages with Ganghyuk, even if not often. Ganghyuk had shown him through today’s actions and a few words that it was an excessive dream.
Saving Ian from danger, letting him continue living where he originally lived, asking what his dream was and then generously supporting him when he said he wanted to run a soup restaurant.
The more he thought about it, counting on his fingers one by one, it felt like more than simple kindness, but Ganghyuk was really treating Ian only to that extent.
He felt a sense of crisis that once he became self-reliant, Ganghyuk would turn his back and leave without regret. The newly sprouted feelings were in danger of being pulled out by the roots.
‘…This can’t happen.’
He hadn’t even made a proper confession yet. He thought it was good that he hadn’t shown his feelings. If he had really said he liked him, it would have been a disaster.
He should be grateful just for realizing that to Ganghyuk, Ian wasn’t a romantic interest but just an annoying kid if he crossed a certain line.
His unnecessarily positive personality shone even in front of his unrequited love interest who showed cold distance. Being dejected was only for a moment. Ian snorted and got up from his seat.
Showing himself spending the night on the sofa like a pathetic person was a childish thing to do. With vigorous steps, he went to the kitchen, placed a water bottle and cup filled with barley tea on a tray, and brought it to Ganghyuk’s door.
If he drank that much alcohol, he’d surely wake up in the middle thirsty. When he rummaged through the cupboard, he saw one packaged dried pollack.
He took it out next to the gas range and entered his room. No tears came out, but his nose ran. Sniffling, he crawled into the blanket.
The warm heat of the electric blanket soothed his wounded heart. He covered himself with the blanket all the way to the end of his face, then lowered it to just below his nose because it was stuffy.
