Gutter Chapter 12.1

It felt like waking up after a very long sleep. Yeonjo lifted his eyelids with difficulty. Light began to quickly enter his darkened vision.

The first thing he saw was an IV pack hanging upside down. The cool air, the soft blanket covering his body, the chilly and dry scent resembling winter.

Yeonjo immediately recognized that this was a hospital room. Because he had visited the hospital so often to see his grandmother, the atmosphere wasn’t unfamiliar. However, perhaps because it was a single room, the usual bustling feeling was absent, creating a strange sense of alienation.

Did he collapse? What was he doing when he collapsed? He forced himself to eat and fell asleep, then woke up… and searched the living room for his grandmother’s belongings. And… after finding Boss Gu asleep on the sofa….

Yeonjo pieced together his fragmented memories. Then he remembered strangling Boss Gu’s neck.

“Ah.”

Did he lose consciousness after that? Then what happened to Boss Gu? At that time, he was just looking at him nonchalantly….

“…….”

Yeonjo, busily racking his brain, turned his head and almost screamed. It was because Boss Gu was close by, making his worry embarrassingly unnecessary.

He was sitting in the chair provided in the single hospital room, staring at Yeonjo. With an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips and both hands in his trouser pockets, he pressed the call button next to the bed when their eyes met.

Before Yeonjo could even think of something to say, the doctor and nurse arrived quickly. Not knowing what was going on, Yeonjo had no choice but to let them check his body.

“Patient Cha Yeonjo, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

“…….”

“Malnutrition is a problem, but the test results show signs of damage to your lungs. With this severity, it seems like you would have been taking medication beforehand. Could you tell us what kind?”

“…….”

Since Yeonjo didn’t answer, perhaps judging that he was still half-asleep after just waking up, the doctor explained his condition again slowly. Malnutrition, the scar on the sole of his foot from being stabbed by glass, traces of an ankle injury, and the most problematic lung function.

He wasn’t surprised because he already knew all these facts. As the doctor said, he had been taking medication for a long time, but he wanted to keep quiet in front of Boss Gu. Because to explain when and how he developed lung disease, he would have to go back to the day he abandoned that child and ran away.

Because it was a topic Yeonjo didn’t want to mention in front of Boss Gu, he stubbornly maintained his silence.

“Ah, are you still not fully awake? You might be confused after being suddenly hospitalized. Or is there somewhere you’re uncomfortable….”

Now that he looked, it was the same doctor who had come to his officetel last time. When Yeonjo just lay there blankly even after hearing the explanation, Boss Gu glared at the innocent doctor again, putting pressure on him as if it were all the doctor’s fault that Yeonjo wasn’t speaking.

“Did his lungs suddenly get worse, or were they always like this?”

He questioned the doctor.

“Well….”

“If you examined him, the doctor should know.”

The doctor, holding the chart, stammered, sweating.

“I’m not entirely sure, but… it seems like it’s been a while. At least five years…?”

Giving up on getting an answer from Yeonjo, the doctor prescribed precautions and medications, informed him of the schedule for additional tests, and then hurriedly left the hospital room with the nurse.

Boss Gu, who had been glaring fiercely at the doctor’s flustered retreating figure until the very end, only then straightened his head when they were alone in the room.

“Give me back my grandmother’s belongings.”

Yeonjo finally spoke after a long time, as the existence of the items he had hidden came to mind.

“Take your medicine.”

Ignoring the request for the belongings, Boss Gu spoke unilaterally.

“You said you’d return them last time.”

“Medicine first.”

He got some water from the water purifier and handed Yeonjo a cup and pills. His mouth was dry. He didn’t have the energy to argue any further.

Bothered to even ask what kind of medicine it was, Yeonjo took what was offered and put it in his mouth. After drinking the water and swallowing the pills, while handing the empty cup back to Boss Gu, he inadvertently looked up and saw his neck.

A vivid purple bruise. It was clearly a mark from being strangled by someone.

Yeonjo dropped the cup in shock.

“That…on your neck….”

Fortunately, the cup fell onto the bed and didn’t break. Boss Gu picked it up and placed it on the table.

However, Yeonjo wasn’t even aware that he had dropped the cup. The bruise on his skin, although tinged with purple, was closer to black, making it visually quite shocking.

Yeonjo couldn’t take his eyes off Boss Gu’s neck. Did he have the strength to do that to someone? Especially to Boss Gu.

“Bend down, let me see.”

Yeonjo said anxiously. His tone was close to pleading. Boss Gu obediently bent down. He still had the cigarette in his mouth, so a faint smell of tobacco wafted as his upper body came closer.

Yeonjo immediately reached out and touched the bruise. It was horrific, not just severe. Perhaps it was him, not Yeonjo, who should be hospitalized. His heart ached at the sight of the colorful marks he had created.

He had definitely wanted to kill him. Considering it was the result of the murderous intent he felt at the time, it wasn’t that severe. But why did his stomach hurt so much?

Even though he had done much worse to Yeonjo, this situation didn’t feel remotely satisfying. Everything related to that child was full of things he couldn’t define.

Unable to find anything to say, Yeonjo carefully traced the long mark with his fingertips.

“Did you get it treated?”

Boss Gu just stared intently at Yeonjo without a word. The cigarette he had been holding was no longer visible.

“We’re at a hospital. With something like that, you should see a doctor….”

Yeonjo closed his mouth when Boss Gu suddenly grabbed the hand that was stroking his neck. He spoke, still fixing his gaze on Yeonjo.

“If you’re sorry, kiss me.”

“What?”

Yeonjo parted his lips in surprise.

“Hyung feels sorry for me right now, right?”

“What does that have to do… Mmmph!”

Spouting strange logic, Boss Gu kissed him without warning. Yeonjo was surprised once by the soft sensation on his lips, and then surprised again, belatedly, when he registered the term of address he had used.

Did he hear wrong? Just now, he definitely….

“Haa…Mmm…cold.”

Yeonjo’s thoughts stopped as Boss Gu ravaged his mouth like a starved beast. He cupped the back of Yeonjo’s head, pulling him closer as if not allowing the slightest gap between their joined lips.

Yeonjo couldn’t hold his breath for long. More than anything, the fact that he had called him “hyung” made him feel extremely strange.

He reached out to push him away, but hesitated when he saw his dark neck in his field of vision. He usually wore turtlenecks just fine, so what was his intention in revealing such an unsightly mark? Yeonjo inwardly criticized Boss Gu, feeling a pang of guilt.

His heart softening, Yeonjo stroked his collarbone and neck as if handling a very fragile creature instead of pushing him away. At this, his broad chest rose and fell heavily.

Why didn’t he resist and just stay still on the sofa back then? With this kind of grip strength, he really could have died. What if he hadn’t let go?

The unasked question lingered in his mouth like a hangnail.

“Focus.”

Boss Gu urged Yeonjo, lightly biting his lower lip with his teeth. Then he bit his lip roughly, and Yeonjo, feeling like he would be pushed to the point of breathlessness again if he stayed like this, inserted his tongue into his mouth first.

And he led the kiss more slowly and gently than Boss Gu had. He intertwined their tongues, softly licking and occupying the space.

He smelled faintly of cigarettes and the cool scent of dry autumn leaves scattering.

Boss Gu, who had paused for a moment, soon continued the kiss, matching Yeonjo’s leisurely tempo.

The somehow ticklish yet feverish kiss continued for a long time.

“Fuck.”

As soon as they parted their lips, Boss Gu suddenly cursed. Brought back to his senses by his harsh voice, Yeonjo realized what he had just done and blushed.

“You started it… first.”

“Who said otherwise?”

“Then why are you cursing?”

“Ah.”

Boss Gu habitually took out a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth, then realized he couldn’t light it and held it in his hand again.

“Wasn’t talking to you.”

Yeonjo’s brow furrowed slightly, feeling like that was an excuse.

“Is there anyone else here besides me?”

“I was wondering who the fuck taught you to kiss like that.”

“…….”

“I should find him and kill him.”

He muttered darkly, crushing the cigarette he was holding. He sounded so serious that Yeonjo felt a chill run down his spine.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Is it that bastard Joowon?”

“…What? Are you crazy? No, it’s not!”

It was an absurd and out-of-the-blue guess. When Yeonjo strongly denied it, Boss Gu narrowed his eyes as if checking the truth.

“That’s a relief. I would have regretted killing him too easily.”

“Joowon’s dead?”

What did he just hear? Although his tone was flat, the content was truly shocking.

Knock, knock.

Before he could add anything about what was going on, someone knocked on the hospital room door.

“Come in.”

“Sir, should we proceed with the discharge?”

A tall man in a neat suit entered and bowed to Boss Gu. His sharp attire and movements left an impression different from his usual somewhat slovenly subordinates.

“Is it okay if I leave now?”

“Yes. They said outpatient treatment is possible if you wish. I’ve packed your belongings and scheduled your next checkup.”

Listening quietly to their conversation, the curiosity about Joowon’s life or death quickly faded. However, Yeonjo became curious about what the subordinate was reporting. It was right to be discharged since his condition wasn’t bad enough to stay in the hospital bed, but did he have enough belongings to require packing?

Looking around the hospital room, there weren’t many of his things. Judging by the doctor’s and Boss Gu’s attitudes, it didn’t seem like he had been unconscious for very long.

“Then let’s go.”

As soon as Boss Gu made the decision, everything was handled quickly. The nurse called by the subordinate came in, removed the IV from Yeonjo’s wrist, and checked his condition again.

“I’ll bring a wheelchair right away.”

“Is that necessary?”

The subordinate, about to leave for the wheelchair, hesitated. At the same time, Yeonjo’s body was lifted into the air. Boss Gu had hoisted Yeonjo, still in his hospital gown, onto his shoulder.

“What are you doing? Put me down, I can walk.”

“This is faster.”

Ignoring Yeonjo’s opinion, he opened the door and left the room.

“It’s not about being fast, I’m more comfortable walking by myself!”

Yeonjo, who was flapping like a fish caught in a net, quieted down as soon as he got on the elevator that the subordinate held for them. It was because the gazes of the people inside all flew towards them.

This is embarrassing. His face flushed red, so Yeonjo buried his head in Boss Gu’s firm shoulder as if hiding. He quickly realized that resisting would only draw more attention unless he was willingly put down. He didn’t have the strength to resist anymore anyway.

As they reached the lobby on the first floor and headed for the exit, the curious stares of the hospital visitors felt even more piercing. It was natural for them to stare since Yeonjo, in a hospital gown, was draped over the shoulder of a large man who looked like a gangster, like Boss Gu.

Someone pointed at Yeonjo and whispered, “Oh my, did he faint?” Yes, it’s better if it looks like I fainted. Letting out a sigh, Yeonjo did his best to pretend to be unconscious.

Unlike having been carried like luggage, he was gently placed and seated in the back seat of the car parked at the hospital entrance. As soon as the door closed, the subordinate took the wheel and started the engine.

Yeonjo awkwardly shifted his eyes at the smooth ride without any bumps. The car was different from the one he usually rode. Whether it was newly bought or not, the scent of the seats still lingered, and it was a famous foreign car, even Yeonjo, who didn’t know much about brands, recognized.

The direction the car was going wasn’t towards the officetel where he usually stayed either. Yeonjo looked back and forth between Boss Gu sitting next to him and the driver’s seat, bewildered. However, he didn’t bother to open his mouth and ask what was going on. He figured he probably had business elsewhere.

Or maybe, after receiving bad health results at the hospital, he was finally going to sell him off somewhere. He couldn’t do that now that he had signed the body waiver.

Yeonjo rested his chin on the car window and glanced at Boss Gu, who was staring blankly outside with a blank expression. The mark on his neck was still horrifying to look at. Perhaps the reason people in the lobby were fleeing in terror was because of that bruise. Was it okay to leave it like that?

Yeonjo looked away from the man and stared blankly at the unfamiliar road unfolding outside the window. He was confident that he wouldn’t be surprised even if this road they were passing by was the road to his death. Even with the worst-case scenarios floating in his head, Yeonjo felt no particular emotion.

Ah. Grandmother’s belongings. I forgot again. It was undeniably frustrating. He should have gotten them beforehand, no matter what. But if he really died today, there would be no need for regrets. Because everything would be meaningless after death.

The speeding car turned off the road and into an alley. Contrary to Yeonjo’s various ominous imaginations, the car stopped in front of a spacious, luxurious villa complex.

“We’ve arrived.”

🚬

Once again, Boss Gu lifted Yeonjo without asking and carried him into the villa. As he opened the front door, the interior of a luxurious villa, the kind seen only in dramas, unfolded. The ceilings were high, and all the furniture inside was brand new. A faint smell of paint lingered, as if they had just moved in.

“Stay here.”

Boss Gu brought Yeonjo into this unfamiliar house, sat him down on the plush sofa in the living room, and then tried to leave again.

Yeonjo was dumbfounded. He had imagined being dragged into the middle of a dangerous construction site.

“Where is this place?”

Yeonjo hurriedly asked before he completely left the house. Boss Gu, who was heading towards the entrance, looked back at Yeonjo, standing awkwardly with bandages on his feet.

“Home.”

“Home… you say? What about the officetel you were staying at before?”

Did he suddenly move? Even so, the difference between this place and that old officetel was drastic. Marble floors and wall tiles, all in ivory tones, spotless ceilings, kitchen, balcony. Large windows and a private elevator. It was a completely different world from that dingy officetel.

It was suspicious that the car suddenly changed too. New car, new house. He suspected that he might have kidnapped and killed a rich person and then moved into their house illegally. Boss Gu was the kind of person who would do such a thing. Didn’t he say he killed Joowon without changing his expression?

Boss Gu didn’t seem short of money, but the items he owned and his living environment weren’t particularly luxurious, making it even harder to dismiss his suspicions.

“Where are you going!”

Yeonjo called out to Boss Gu again, who was about to leave him and just go out, as if explaining was too much trouble.

“There’s still some paperwork left for the house, so I have to go sign it.”

“So you’re leaving me here alone?”

Yeonjo questioned, looking around the excessively large house.

“Can’t you stay alone? You’re not a child.”

“…….”

When he didn’t answer, he took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, then left the house without a second thought. Just like that, Yeonjo was left alone inside the villa.

“…Did you really kill some rich guy and steal this place?”

Muttering what he couldn’t ask Boss Gu directly, Yeonjo looked around anxiously. He should have at least explained it properly. Why did he suddenly change houses?

Yeonjo limped around the rooms. He couldn’t bring himself to open the large wardrobes and storage room doors, only glancing at them visually, just in case he actually discovered a corpse.

Then, seeing the date on the electronic clock, he realized he had been asleep for about two days. He didn’t think he had slept that long, but he had been in the hospital room for two whole days.

“There’s a study too.”

The room at the very end of the long living room was decorated as a study. The floor was herringbone wood tile, and the furniture was all wood, creating a weighty atmosphere.

On the desk were a small box, a laptop, and Boss Gu’s gloves, and the bookshelves were filled not with books but with documents. And what caught his eye the most were the large and small safes placed throughout the room. It’s such a him kind of room, Yeonjo thought.

It seems like there’s no body, thankfully. After a quick glance, Yeonjo, who was about to leave the room, stopped as if he remembered something. Then he turned his gaze to the desk.

He had a feeling that if he didn’t look closely at this room now, he wouldn’t get another chance, so he decided to look around a little more.

Even though he knew no one was home, he couldn’t help but shrink his shoulders, feeling like he was intruding on the owner’s room without permission. Yeonjo carefully checked for anyone around and reached for the desk drawer. The inside was empty, as if it hadn’t been organized yet.

The laptop on the desk was the one he had already opened at the officetel last time. Yeonjo shifted his gaze to the box next to it. Inside the box were several large envelopes, mostly containing documents with personal information of people he didn’t know.

There was one photo with a large face, like an ID photo, and several other photos that seemed to have been taken secretly, capturing their daily lives. Red X marks were drawn over some of the photos.

Roughly understanding what it was for, Yeonjo organized the papers he had rummaged through to put them back.

Then, one photo slipped out of the documents and fell to the floor.

“Uh oh.”

He was about to quickly pick it up and put it back when he saw a familiar face in the photo he had picked up without thinking.

For a moment, he thought his heart had stopped.

“Mom…?”

Yeonjo uttered the word he had tabooed in his life for the first time in a very long time.

A worn and faded photo. Forgetting to put the document back in its place, Yeonjo stared at the photo with wide eyes.

Surprisingly, it was Yeonjo’s family photo.

A very old photo taken at a nameless photo studio, with his mom, dad, younger brother Yeonsu, and 6-year-old Cha Yeonjo sitting side by side and smiling.

His legs gave way. Yeonjo, who almost stumbled and collapsed, barely managed to hold on by grabbing the desk.

“Why is this… here….”

He thought he had forgotten all his family’s faces because there were no photos left, but seeing the picture slowly brought back old memories.

That’s right. Mom and Dad looked like this. These were their faces.

Yeonjo, forgetting to even breathe, traced his parents’ and young brother’s faces with his fingers. His touch was cautious, as if he were touching real people.

His family’s expressions and faces, seen after such a long time, felt slightly unfamiliar. This fact was indescribably sad. Thump, thump, thump. His heart beat so fast that his head spun.

After looking at the photo for a while, Yeonjo rummaged through the rest of the documents in the envelope with trembling hands. He wondered if there might be another family photo tucked away somewhere. But no matter how thoroughly he searched, he couldn’t find anything else related to him. All the other photos were of unfamiliar faces.

Yeonjo had no choice but to arrange the documents back to their original state.

Why does Boss Gu have this? He was anxious, unable to even guess how he obtained it. From the orphanage? Or Director Park? It was clearly his photo, so how did it end up in Boss Gu’s study now?

Putting aside the unanswered questions, Yeonjo looked at each of his family members in the single photo, as if imprinting them on his heart. And as he was about to put it in his pocket, something that brushed against his fingertips caught his eye.

Yeonjo stopped putting the photo away and checked the edges.

Burn marks.

Although faded and worn from the passage of time, there were definitely burn marks on the corners of the photo.

“Ah!”

Only then did Yeonjo remember where he had lost it.

The day he ran out of the single room, without even a moment to pack his belongings.

“No way.”

It was the very day of the fire.

He felt dizzy. Unable to stand, Yeonjo barely managed to sit down on the chair, gripping the desk. And then he kept repeating to himself,

“No way… There’s no way.”

The fact that Boss Gu had this could only mean that he had taken the photo out of the room amidst the fire.

As soon as he realized this, scenes buried somewhere in his memory began to flash one by one like lightning.

The day he left the orphanage. Yeonjo had packed the family photo along with his belongings, and after barely securing the single room, he had kept it hidden in the wardrobe. And the wardrobe….

“Burned.”

He had seen it with his own eyes.

Unless his memory was distorted, when Yeonjo went back into the single room to look for him, the wardrobe where he had put the family photo was already collapsing from the fire. The wooden furniture, which had caught fire quickly, was in particularly bad shape compared to other areas.

“But how… how is this here….”

Scattered fragments of the past swirled uncontrollably in his mind.

The moment he first stepped into the single room, and the moment he unpacked his belongings on the moldy linoleum floor. The moment he organized his belongings in the single wardrobe there, hiding the family photo deep inside. And him, standing still and watching all of this.

“Ahh.”

Yeonjo’s wavering eyes fixed on a black object placed on the edge of the desk. A pair of gloves that Boss Gu always wore.

Come to think of it, even Cha Yeonjo himself had entered and exited the fire scene, but his hands were fine even then. It was because he instinctively bent his upper body and pushed through with his torso whenever he passed a flame.

But why did Boss Gu suffer burns even on the back of his hands? Even his back was understandable, but….

A suspicion he had never entertained before surfaced.

“…….”

Boss Gu wouldn’t do that.

Yeonjo desperately tried to deny the emerging assumption. Surely Boss Gu wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t have taken such a risk just to get one photo.

But what if it was him?Him at that time might have recklessly opened the burning wardrobe door to retrieve something Yeonjo cherished.

Was it an overinterpretation? It didn’t make sense that such a small, young child could open a burning piece of furniture, take out a photo hidden deep inside, and escape.

Even though he desperately tried to deny it, there were clear points that bothered him.

If he hadn’t brought it out, how did this family photo with burn marks on the corners end up here, and how did Boss Gu get burns even on the back of his hands? How, how did it happen?

How could this be? Yeonjo bit his lower lip in anguish.

His head felt like it was splitting from the oncoming headache. He wished all his thoughts were just conjectures. Just an overinterpretation born from confusion….

Ding-dong.

As if pulling Yeonjo out of his dark thoughts, the doorbell rang particularly clearly. Startled back to reality, Yeonjo shoved the photo into his trouser pocket and hurriedly tidied up his surroundings.

As he limped into the living room, the face of Boss Gu’s subordinate, whom he had seen a few times on the intercom, appeared.

“Hey! Why aren’t you opening the door quickly, you bastard!”

The impatient subordinate urged him, banging on the door. When Yeonjo pressed the unlock button on the intercom, the front door opened automatically.

“If someone rings the doorbell, you should come out right away. Why are you being so slow and disrespectful?”

He grumbled, taking off his shoes carelessly at the entrance. Yeonjo, inwardly nervous in case he had figured out what he had been doing in the house and come to check, observed the subordinate from a distance.

“Hey.”

“…….”

“Damn it, can I come in?”

He suddenly asked for permission, even though he had never asked before. Yeonjo nodded absentmindedly, and the subordinate grinned.

“The boss told me to always get your permission before coming in. Ah! I should call him Director now.”

The title doesn’t really roll off the tongue. Muttering to himself, he entered the living room. And he started looking around the house.

“Wow, nice house, huh? You’ve really moved up in the world. It’s so grand, perfect for playing the role of a madam.”

As before, the subordinate’s hands were full of shopping bags, as if he had bought daily necessities. He placed the bags on the kitchen island and continued to scan the interior of the house busily.

“Whose house is this?”

Yeonjo cautiously asked him after some deliberation.

“This? It’s Boss Gu’s house.”

“…Really?”

At the suspicious tone in his voice, the subordinate chuckled as if he had heard something strange.

“Then do you think it’s stolen? Didn’t the doctor say your lungs weren’t good, madam?”

The subordinate started shoving refrigerated food items into the refrigerator haphazardly, pretending to organize them himself.

“I knew it, you look more delicate than a girl. As soon as he heard that the old officetel might be bad for your lungs, our boss, no, no, our Director, moved houses.”

He was relieved it wasn’t trespassing and illegal occupation, but it was difficult to just watch as the subordinate made a chaotic racket, shoving the groceries into the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets. You shouldn’t put that there. Vegetables should go in the vegetable compartment….

“Oh, right. And this. You hid it really well in the corner, huh?”

The subordinate took the cash Yeonjo had put in the shoe cabinet at the officetel out of his inner pocket and tossed it to him like a piece of luggage. It wasn’t much money since he had used most of it for his grandmother’s hospital bills, but it seemed he had brought it along since it was Yeonjo’s.

Yeonjo fiddled with the bills he received. What use was money now that his grandmother was gone? He wasn’t happy at all. Even if he diligently saved money, it would be far from enough to pay off the accumulated debt. Yeonjo knew he wouldn’t be able to repay it all with his abilities. That was reality.

“Anyway, while you were lying down, he changed cars and moved houses. Thanks to you, I was the only one working my ass off. So stop acting like a princess and behave yourself around Boss Gu, got it?”

“…….”

“Hey, I organized all of this. You didn’t even lift a finger, okay?”

The subordinate emphasized shamelessly, despite the mess he had made in the refrigerator, which could hardly be called organized. Then, telling him to check the rest of the groceries himself, he left the house with a swagger. Until the moment he closed the front door, he kept chattering, Wow, this house is really something.

Yeonjo, used to tidying up due to living in small spaces, went into the kitchen to clean up the mess the subordinate had left.

“Organized my ass.”

It was so messy that he would have believed a burglar had broken in. Yeonjo slowly took out the groceries and started putting them back in neatly. He had to carry them one by one because carrying multiple items put too much pressure on the soles of his feet. Because of this, it took a long time.

Perhaps because his body hadn’t fully recovered, he easily became short of breath. As his breathing quickened, his throat and lungs stung. Still, judging by the fact that his cough wasn’t getting worse or painful, it seemed to be largely due to the environment. The house was clean, so his symptoms were definitely less severe than before.

Even though the subordinate was already gone, his words left a lingering discomfort in his heart. Boss Gu moved and changed cars because of him? Wasn’t it him who benefited from keeping Yeonjo locked up in that old officetel and making him suffer?

“Keep a close eye on that slippery bastard and make sure he doesn’t disappear. I’ll take care of the aftermath.”

The temperature inside the house was high, so by the time he finished tidying up, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. Just as he sat down at the dining table to rest and blankly took out the family photo again, Boss Gu returned.

“Send the documents over to us one by one, and report immediately when Hong Ki-hyuk starts to move.”

As soon as he heard the low baritone, Yeonjo hurriedly hid the photo he was looking at. Boss Gu saw Yeonjo awkwardly sitting at the empty dining table, fidgeting, and hung up the phone.

“Were you secretly jerking off?”

And then he said such vulgar words. Yeonjo, anxious about being caught stealing the photo from the study, immediately frowned.

“No, I wasn’t.”

“Then why do you look like you just got done fucking?”

It seemed his face was flushed from struggling and moving around while cleaning. Yeonjo wiped the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand and shook his head.

“…I think I have a slight fever, so I was resting. Don’t say weird things.”

Since he used being sick as an excuse, Boss Gu seemed to believe him and stopped his suspicious gaze. However, his words made Yeonjo uncomfortable, conscious of how disheveled he must look.

Now that he thought about it, his hair was probably greasy from not being able to wash properly while he was in the hospital. His hospital gown was also sticky from the sweat he had shed while unconscious. He needed to wash up and change his clothes.

“Where are you going?”

“To take a shower. I haven’t washed in days.”

Saying so, Yeonjo went into the bathroom. Unlike the previous bathroom, which smelled fishy due to accumulated grime, this bathroom was clean, with no signs of use. There was a large bathtub and a separate shower stall next to it.

“Do you know where the towels are?”

There were toiletries, but he couldn’t find any towels to dry himself with, so Yeonjo came out of the bathroom again. Since there was no answer, he thought he hadn’t been heard, but a moment later, Boss Gu came from another room with a large towel.

He took the towel and was about to close the door when Boss Gu followed him into the bathroom.

“Why, why?”

“How are you going to wash?”

Boss Gu gestured towards Yeonjo’s bandaged foot.

“I can wash by myself.”

“You shouldn’t get water on it.”

“Ah, I can manage that much on my ow… Ow! What are you doing!”

Unasked, Boss Gu rolled up his sleeves and lifted Yeonjo, seating him on the armrest of the bathtub.

“You? You can barely walk, you weakling.”

Barely walk? He wanted to retort that if that were the case, he would have crawled to the bathroom. But he decided to swallow his words, fearing he would get hit if he argued back.

He really wanted to wash by himself, but the doctor at the hospital had warned him to be especially careful while washing, saying the wound could get infected if it got wet. In Yeonjo’s experience, it was nearly impossible to wash without getting his foot wet alone, so he did need help. He also didn’t think Boss Gu would back down even if he refused.

Moreover, the family photo he had stolen from the study was in his hospital gown pocket, and if he made a fuss, there was a high chance Boss Gu would find it. The mere thought of having the photo taken away made Yeonjo feel a tightness in his throat.

As Boss Gu reached out to undress him, Yeonjo clutched his shirt tightly and meekly surrendered.

“I’ll… I’ll undress myself, just stop staring.”

His gaze lingered for a moment on Yeonjo’s white hand gripping the collar.

“Suit yourself.”

Conscious of his gaze, Yeonjo lowered his head. Unbuttoning his hospital gown while being watched made him flush, even though they weren’t strangers to each other’s bodies.

After carefully taking off his shirt and then his trousers, which held the photo, Yeonjo folded them neatly and placed them in a corner of the tiled floor so he wouldn’t touch them.

Boss Gu turned on the water, seemingly uninterested in the hospital gown. Warm water immediately poured from the showerhead. He looked at the white body still perched on the edge of the bathtub and took off his leather gloves.

As Yeonjo drew his knees together and huddled, embracing them with his arms, warm water touched his back.

“Tilt your head back.”

He moved his head as instructed, and his hair slowly began to get wet. His touch wasn’t exactly rough. But it wasn’t gentle either.

Once his hair was sufficiently wet, Yeonjo straightened his head again. Then his gaze fell on Boss Gu’s hand touching his shoulder.

Rough burn scars, like walnut shells.

Seeing that, he involuntarily pictured a scene he had never witnessed: the child standing on tiptoe in the burning room, opening the wardrobe and taking out the photo. Even though there was no evidence that such a thing had actually happened, it felt prickly and uncomfortable, like a thorn in his throat. And the discomfort soon turned into anguish. The image of him crying in fear amidst the flames flickered before his eyes.

Yeonjo buried his face in his arms and cried.

Should I ask?Why are your hands like that?How did you get the photo?Is it true that you brought it out, the photo I thought was lost forever in the fire?

How did you get out of the single room that day, why weren’t you there when I arrived later, what kind of life did you live after that, how long did you resent me for leaving you there…

And now that we’ve met again, where do you want to take me, where do you want to take us?

He had so many questions. But as always, Yeonjo chose silence. Because he didn’t have the courage to face the truth. Cowardly, as he was.

A large hand covered Yeonjo’s trembling, wet shoulder.

“I… I still have a lot of debt left….”

“You do.”

His low voice resonated in the humid bathroom. Yeonjo asked in a voice choked with tears,

“I won’t be able to pay it all back, will I?”

There was no reply. The warm stream of water from the showerhead washed away the slippery body wash from Yeonjo’s back. Yeonjo found the sensation unbearable.

Gu Muncheon’s existence. The life you threw at me is too much to bear.

“Why….”

Why do you have the photo?Am I right?

The voice that started the question couldn’t finish it. His lips wouldn’t part any further.

I’m afraid of what you might say.Terrified, even.

If you say you rummaged through the wardrobe to bring it out while I abandoned you that day. If you answer that way…Because I don’t have the ability to compensate for your past.So I don’t have the courage to hear your answer.

“It’s nothing.”

Yeonjo shook his head as if it were nothing. In the end, after going around in circles, he chose avoidance.

You have every right to hate me. I would too.

“Tell me. Don’t be so frustrating.”

At the firm pressure on his arm, Yeonjo raised his head. Tilting it further back, he saw Boss Gu’s neck, darkly bruised from where he had strangled him. And his hand, covered in burn scars, resting on his arm.

He had thought that he was the only one hurt. But perhaps he, too, had been relentlessly clawing at him.

‘I’m going to monopolize you, as much as I haven’t been able to all this time.’

Boss Gu’s words in front of the funeral home came to mind. The chillingly ominous voice. It was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.

Monopolize.

For the first time, Yeonjo looked back on the past from his perspective. The loss and betrayal he must have gone through, just like Yeonjo, the gloomy days stemming from the loneliness of having nowhere to turn….

Yeonjo looked at Boss Gu’s hand gripping his arm, then lowered his head and carefully kissed the scarred back of his hand.

At the same time, he felt Boss Gu’s firm body stiffen. Yeonjo barely managed to ask the man behind him in a pale voice,

“Your gloves… why do you always wear them?”

“Are you drunk?”

“No.”

“Crying one minute, kissing the next. What the fuck.”

“Yeah. Why am I like this?”

At Yeonjo’s listless reply, Boss Gu muttered a curse.

“You asked for it.”

“What did I…”

Before he could finish, Boss Gu lunged at Yeonjo. As he tried to kiss him without warning, Yeonjo pushed away his rock-hard torso.

“What are you doing? Why are you suddenly like this?”

“Let’s do it.”

“…….”

“I want to.”

Yeonjo gulped at his blunt demand. Shhhhhhh. The hot water continued to pour from the showerhead. The bathroom was getting increasingly humid.

“I’m still sore… And I don’t feel well. I don’t really want to.”

He used the excuse that his body hadn’t fully recovered yet, but it was uncertain whether it would work. It wasn’t as if he had ever asked for consent before having sex anyway.

As expected, Boss Gu, unable to accept his refusal, pressed his body closer. His white shirt and jacket were now damp with water.

“You don’t want to?”

“…….”

“Ah, of course you have to pay.”

Boss Gu fumbled inside his jacket as if looking for his wallet. Yeonjo was speechless at his casual tone, as if he were buying something displayed at a supermarket.

“What, are you worried I’ll underpay you?”

He seemed to have judged that Yeonjo’s hesitation was due to money, so he nibbled on his ear reassuringly.

Where did things go wrong?

Strictly speaking, it was awkward to even call it wrong. It was Cha Yeonjo himself who went to the bar to sell his body, and he had even been caught giving Joowon a blowjob for money.

“Don’t worry. I pay more than those other bastards.”

His mouth felt bitter. Even if he received a lot of money now, there was nothing to use it for.

“Yes. Give me a lot.”

Having no intention of correcting his misunderstanding, Yeonjo whispered resignedly. Boss Gu rinsed off the remaining body wash from Yeonjo’s body and then lifted him, putting his arms around his armpits. Even though Yeonjo was a healthy man, he seemed weightless to him.

“I don’t have my wallet right now. It must be in the room.”

“…….”

“I’ll go get it.”

Boss Gu, holding Yeonjo with his legs wrapped around his waist, promised payment. And he started to kiss him. Already feeling uneasy being suspended in the air, Boss Gu’s insistent pressure made him feel like he was walking a tightrope.

“I think I’m going to fall.”

“I won’t drop you.”

His lower body, pressed against him, was already hard. What did he even do? Flustered but panting from the kiss, Yeonjo wrapped his arms around his neck.

Boss Gu left the bathroom and headed for the bedroom. With each step he took, his upper body swayed, making his erection even more noticeable against Yeonjo. It poked insistently at Yeonjo’s navel, excessively asserting its presence.

He said he’d wash me. His feet were slightly damp because Boss Gu, aroused mid-shower, had splashed water haphazardly at the end. Since it wasn’t enough to reach the wound, he didn’t bother complaining.

“Ugh….”

Boss Gu placed Yeonjo on the bed and tore off his damp jacket and shirt. He took out a disposable gel packet from the bedside table and pounced on Yeonjo, who was lying naked, as if to crush him. Then he hurriedly squeezed the gel onto his palm.

So he’s not just going to shove it in without warning. Yeonjo, relieved, spread his legs a little wider. At the same time, a finger entered his hole. It was uncomfortable due to the foreign sensation, but the gel made it easier.

“Why are you suddenly like this?”

As he leisurely pressed against his inner walls, Yeonjo grabbed his forearm. It was unusual behavior, making him feel uneasy.

“You said it hurts.”

“Uh….”

Yeonjo was momentarily speechless. Of course, it would hurt to have that large shaft shoved in without any gel or foreplay, but when had he ever cared? Was he deciding to be considerate now that he had been hospitalized?

Before he could adjust to Boss Gu’s strangely different attitude, the finger inside him pushed deeper. His bare hand was rough, so even the slightest movement stimulated his inner walls, creating a strange sensation.

His movements were much slower than usual. He had used his hand to forcefully open him up for his raging cock before, but this was the first time he had properly prepared him like this. Yeonjo’s waist trembled at the ticklish sensation inside.

“It’s weird. Just… it’s okay even if it hurts, so if you’re going to do it, just, ugh, just do it.”

As if he couldn’t hear Yeonjo’s words, Boss Gu added another finger. His calloused fingertips reached deep inside in an instant.

“Haa… please… I, hic, don’t like this.”

Every time he pulled his fingers halfway out and then back in, as if thrusting, the uneven surface of his burn-scarred skin scraped against his sensitive flesh. A squelching sound escaped from between his tightly clenched fingers, and heat rushed to Yeonjo’s face.

“Fuck, what. You go crazy just from having my fingers in your ass.”

“No, that’s, not it…!”

“Not it? You’re swallowing my fingers like you’re going to bite them off.”

“Hng… Ung!”

He pushed in a third finger and moved his wrist in small circles. His sensitive inner walls tightened further, giving him the illusion that he could feel the shape of his thick fingers inside him.

Squelch, squelch. Each time the fingers came out with an obscene sound, his wet, coral-pink inner walls were slightly pulled out with them. And when they were thrust back in, they touched the slightly protruding flesh inside, sending a jolt through him. He felt weak in the knees.

Yeonjo tensed his toes to endure the rapidly rising sensation of impending orgasm. However, it was difficult to withstand the relentless stimulation that gave him no respite. His cock, which usually only became aroused and came at the end of sex, was already hard and twitching, as if about to explode.

“My fingers could fuck you instead of my cock.”

“Haa… so, just, take your hand… out! Ugh, hic, if you take it out… ah, ah.”

Boss Gu scoffed at Yeonjo’s crumbling reaction. Despite his pleas to stop, he began to piston mercilessly with frivolous movements.

Yeonjo tried to push his arm away, but his body, weakened by pleasure, couldn’t muster any strength. The faster his movements became, the more his inner walls clenched around his fingers as if sucking on a cock. And at the moment he thought he couldn’t take it anymore,

“Ahhh….”

The excitement reached its peak. Yeonjo, clutching Boss Gu’s arm like a lifeline, let out a thin moan and came.

“…….”

It had happened in an instant. Cloudy semen splattered across his stomach and chest.

Yeonjo, unable to even think about wiping his body wet with his own cum, blinked slowly, lost in the afterglow of the orgasm spreading through his body.

“Ugh.”

Only when Boss Gu pulled his hand out of his slick hole did he slowly regain his senses. He was bewildered, having come so quickly, and by his hand no less. It had never happened before.

“I… I told you not to… The bed is dirty now, and it feels weird….”

Shrinking under his sticky gaze, Yeonjo made excuses. His mind was as confused as his appearance.

Why did I do that? He was so embarrassed that he couldn’t bear to look up and meet Boss Gu’s eyes.

“You were sucking on them just fine.”

He unbuckled his pants and took out his cock, shaking it. A moan escaped involuntarily at the sight of the already fully erect cock, which seemed incapable of growing any larger, bobbing up and down. His lower back stiffened, knowing the pain that came with that enormous thing entering him.

“What are you doing, now it’s time to suck on the real thing.”

Despite his fear, years of ingrained habit made Yeonjo quickly turn over and lie on his stomach. He couldn’t face him right now. Expecting him to thrust in at once, Yeonjo relaxed his lower body as much as possible.

Boss Gu grabbed his pale buttocks, the only fleshy part of his otherwise skinny frame. The hole, glistening with clear fluid, was exposed.

As soon as the fingers he had been sucking on were removed, it quickly closed, pink wrinkles circling the entrance. It resembled a flower bud just before its petals unfurl. The way it twitched occasionally, opening and closing, looked as if it was begging to be fucked, making him indescribably aroused.

Boss Gu rubbed the blunt tip of his cock against his perineum and slapped it a few times. As he had learned, Yeonjo naturally spread his legs slightly and lowered his back to make it easier for him to enter. This made his buttocks look even more enticing from above.

Usually, one would get tired of it after a few times, but Boss Gu had never felt that way about Yeonjo. The desire to hold him in his arms and fuck him until he fainted only intensified.

“Do it properly.”

Muttering commandingly, Boss Gu pressed the head of his cock against Yeonjo’s wet hole. Unlike usual, the well-loosened wrinkles parted softly, enveloping the glans with just the right amount of pressure.

“Hng… Ugh.”

Yeonjo’s legs trembled visibly. Boss Gu slowly pushed in halfway, then paused and exhaled deeply.

And without warning, he slammed in, all the way to the root, his pubic hair brushing against Yeonjo’s buttocks.

“Heuk!”

Yeonjo gasped and stiffened his waist. His stomach churned as it was instantly filled. Fortunately, it wasn’t as painful as before. Rather, his loosened flesh was completely engulfed by the shaft, making his body writhe.

“Ung.”

This was the first time he had experienced such pleasure, completely devoid of pain. It felt as if his body was melting and flowing away.

Boss Gu let out a chuckle at the sight of Yeonjo writhing from the piercing stimulation.

“You know, you feel it better than most cheap whores.”

“Haa…”

“Fuck, should I like this or not.”

He slowly pulled his hips back and then began thrusting again, as if grinding down. Wet slapping sounds followed one after another. Yeonjo’s cock, which had come once, hardened again and swayed with every thrust of Boss Gu’s hips.

“Uh…hup, ugh… uh. Ah!”

Yeonjo clenched his lips to suppress the moans that kept escaping him, and as if that wasn’t enough, he covered his mouth with his hand. Exaggerated sounds, the kind one would hear in porn, kept spilling from his lips.

Displeased by this, Boss Gu, who had been thrusting roughly, gripping his buttocks as if to burst them, flipped Yeonjo over while still connected.

“Ah!”

As soon as they were face to face, he pinned Yeonjo’s hands above his head, as if binding them, so he couldn’t cover his mouth. And he started thrusting again.

Every time the monstrous shaft plunged in, heat rushed to his stomach and his stretched entrance. It was different from pain. Rather, his inner walls twitched, inviting greater pleasure as the cock went deeper.

“Ah, ng! Uh!”

As if he already knew Yeonjo’s desires, Boss Gu thrust violently, driving his cock deep inside. Each time his pubic hair rubbed against his perineum, slick with gel, a lewd slapping sound echoed.

Bothered by his dangling feet, Yeonjo wrapped his legs around the man’s waist, moving on top of him. However, his bones were significantly thicker than an average person’s, and his torso and waist were packed with thick, lean muscle, making it difficult for Yeonjo to wrap his slender legs around him.

“Ah, no, hic! A little, slower.”

“No?”

“It’s too fast, it’s weird… I can’t, take it, hup, uh.”

Despite Yeonjo’s pleas, he deliberately targeted his sensitive spots.

“Ah… Ah!”

He had only ever had sex in violent situations, so he was only realizing it now, but Boss Gu was excessively skilled at sex. He knew exactly where Yeonjo liked to be touched and how close he was to coming, without being told. As if he could read his mind. Unlike at the beginning, he controlled his pace so Yeonjo wouldn’t come too quickly.

Still holding both of Yeonjo’s wrists together with one hand, he leaned in to kiss him. As moans continued to escape Yeonjo’s lips even during the kiss, his lips curled into a smile.

“I like hearing you whine.”

“Haa, mm! Ung.”

Another moan escaped as soon as he spoke. Yeonjo’s face burned. He wanted to cover his mouth, which kept making embarrassing sounds. Since his hands were pinned down and he couldn’t cover his mouth directly, Yeonjo licked his chin with his tongue, urging him to kiss him.

“Kiss, haa, kiss me….”

He even thought it would be better to keep kissing him to block the moans. Boss Gu granted Yeonjo’s request and continued the kiss, moving his hips.

Slap! Slap! The sound of wet flesh slapping together and the sheets rustling filled the bedroom. At some point, Boss Gu’s testicles, slapping against Yeonjo’s perineum, hardened, and his thrusts became faster. The way Yeonjo’s thin body was crushed beneath him was almost savage.

Yeonjo instinctively felt the man reaching his climax. He became particularly violent right before coming.

Yeonjo was also close. Every time the cock, with its pulsing veins, pierced him, Yeonjo’s mind went blank. His vision flickered in and out with pleasure.

“Ah, don’t cum inside… ah, my stomach, it hurts.”

Even while writhing from the thrilling sensation that jolted his lower abdomen with every thrust, Yeonjo cried out urgently. It was a request he wouldn’t normally make, but for some reason, it came out today. Whenever Boss Gu came inside, his stomach would hurt, and he was worried that it would be difficult to clean himself up with his injured foot.

Boss Gu, sweat beading on his temples, looked down at Yeonjo and frowned.

“Haa, then, fuck… where should I cum?”

“Ung, ung, haa!”

Boss Gu pulled his cock out all the way and then slammed it back in to the root. Yeonjo gasped. At the same time, his thighs spasmed, and he came.

“Where do you want me to cum, Cha Yeonjo? On your face?”

“Yes, yes.”

Half out of his mind from having just climaxed, Yeonjo nodded without knowing what he was saying in response to the urgent voice. Boss Gu cursed gruffly and pulled his cock out of the hole.

“Give me your face.”

The gel and cum that had been tangled inside stretched out like silver threads. Boss Gu climbed on top of Yeonjo and shook his cock over his flushed face.

“Kuh!”

A messy slapping sound followed, and then, with a low groan, semen gushed onto his face. Thick semen spurted from the tip of his cock in several bursts.

Whitish fluid dripped onto Yeonjo’s still flushed face. Boss Gu shook his cock a few times as if to get rid of the residue. The sight of the cum dripping down his narrow, upturned nose, past his philtrum, and onto his lips was a spectacle.

“Haa, haa.”

As if by habit, Yeonjo instinctively licked Boss Gu’s cock. He ran his tongue from the base to the tip, sucking the remaining semen from the urethra with his plump lips.

Boss Gu, about to sit up to grab a tissue, waited for Yeonjo to finish. He squeezed the last drop from his cock, rubbing the blunt glans against Yeonjo’s lips. The sight of the red lips sucking made him aroused again, and he thrust his cock in.

“Mm… umm.”

Even as he winced, Yeonjo slowly tightened around the cock that had slid down his throat. It felt similar to being fucked in his ass – wet and hot, and the part where the glans touched was suddenly tight. After thrusting his cock in and out of his mouth a few times, Yeonjo caught his breath and coughed.

Boss Gu rubbed his wet cock against his cum-stained cheek. Yeonjo closed his eyes and offered his face, letting him do as he pleased.

His cheeks were so pale that faint blue veins were visible. His pink lips, slick with cum from sucking, shone as if coated with lip balm. His finely curled eyelashes trembled at the corners of his downcast eyes. Like flower petals fluttering in the wind.

He looked like the handiwork of some mad artist who wouldn’t tolerate the slightest imperfection. Looking at that face, the man was often plagued by the chilling desire to preserve this sight as it was and keep it by his side forever.

“Haa, fuck.”

Feeling a dark lust rising within him, he laid Yeonjo back on the bed. As he spread his legs, Yeonjo, sensing what he was about to do, stopped him urgently.

“Wait.”

“What.”

“…I really am sore. I can’t do it anymore.”

Yeonjo put on the most pitiful expression he could muster. His foot hadn’t healed yet, and the pain in his neck and chest persisted. His back already felt stiff from the sex they just had. He was overwhelmed in many ways.

I was crazy, why did I suddenly provoke him while we were showering? A sense of foreboding washed over Yeonjo at the thought that if they did it again, he might not be able to get out of bed for a whole day.

“But.”

“I just got discharged from the hospital, and my head still hurts….”

“I’m not telling you to move, so just lie still… hey.”

As he moved to position his cock against him, Yeonjo threw his arms around Boss Gu. He wrapped his arms around his neck and his legs around his torso, clinging tightly, and Boss Gu stopped, unable to do anything.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m tired, so let’s do it next time. Just let me off today. Okay?”

“…….”

“Okay?”

“Damn it….”

Yeonjo flinched slightly at the husky voice, but thankfully Boss Gu didn’t push him away. He let Yeonjo stay nestled against him.

“…….”

“…….”

The thump, thump, thump of their hearts beating against each other’s chests resonated between them. Boss Gu’s body temperature was so high that Yeonjo’s body heated up as well. He felt like he was about to break out in a sweat, but he didn’t let go of him for a long time, fearing that if he relaxed even a little, he would pounce like a wild animal off its leash.

As his body warmed and his tension began to ease, he gradually became drowsy. I need to wipe my face and stomach.I want to brush my teeth too.I’m hungry after moving around so much. But more than anything, he wanted to pretend not to know and fall asleep just like this.

He felt Boss Gu’s abdomen, pressed against his upper body, twitch. Yeonjo blinked his sleepy eyes and unconsciously patted Boss Gu’s warm back as he lay nestled against him. As if hoping to tame the raging beast within him.

Boss Gu’s breathing, brushing against his ear, seemed to have become rougher. He couldn’t remember clearly what happened after that.

🚬

The next day, Yeonjo opened his eyes to an unfamiliar scene. The bedroom of the new house. The difference from the old officetel, from its age to the interior, was stark, making it easy to distinguish.

He had fallen asleep feeling uneasy, but surprisingly, his condition was good. He was dressed in pajamas, and the sticky fluids that had clung to his skin had been wiped clean. The bandage on his foot, which had loosened somewhat due to Boss Gu’s haphazard washing, was also neat, as if it had been redressed. Did he do it himself? Yeonjo awkwardly examined his body.

The new house was very quiet and bright. Sunlight poured through the large bedroom window, dazzlingly bright. A white, translucent curtain was drawn across the window, scattering the incoming light like shards of glass, and he was captivated by the sight, like something out of a movie.

The living room was also very bright with the afternoon sun. And a refreshing scent filled the air. Out of curiosity, Yeonjo looked around and walked towards the source of the smell, where he found a bouquet of flowers sitting on the dining table.

“What’s this…?”

A large bunch of flowers was wrapped in plain white wrapping paper.

Who brought this here? Yeonjo checked everywhere to see if there was anyone else in the house. But judging by the fact that only his shoes were in the shoe cabinet, Boss Gu was clearly out.

It must be a gift from somewhere. Thinking nothing of it, Yeonjo walked back to the dining table. The scent of the flowers seemed stronger now, tickling his nose. It was a fragrance that evoked memories of a summer day.

He suddenly felt nauseous. The nameless flowers that he had picked for him vividly resurfaced in his mind.

Could it really have been Boss Gu who brought them?

Even though he thought it was absurd, Yeonjo picked up the bouquet and smelled it. When spring was in full bloom at the ranch, the nearby fields would be filled with flowers, emitting a similar fresh fragrance. He seemed to have thought of him back then too.

Yeonjo stared at the dewy young petals, then went into the kitchen to find a large vase for the bouquet. There happened to be a clear glass vase in the cupboard, so he filled it with water. And as he was about to tear off the wrapping paper from the bouquet, Yeonjo paused in thought.

What if it’s not for me? He was worried about being scolded for carelessly unwrapping it. He didn’t think Boss Gu would get angry over putting flowers in a vase, but… he couldn’t be sure.

Although he hesitated, Yeonjo decided that, given the circumstances, it was probably bought for him, so he arranged the abundant bouquet in the glass vase. Placing it in the center of the dining table brightened the atmosphere of the house even more.

Looking at the fresh stems and vibrant flowers, he felt a strange mix of emotions. Every time he learned that Boss Gu also remembered the past events that he thought only he cherished, a corner of his heart ached.

He wasn’t displeased, but he couldn’t quite be happy either. He felt a sense of unease, wondering if this was okay. At the same time, the feeling of alienation, that he couldn’t belong in such a bright and fresh space, intensified.

“Ah, the photo!”

Yeonjo, who had been standing blankly in the kitchen, suddenly remembered the whereabouts of the family photo he had stolen yesterday. He had taken off his clothes in the bathroom last. Could someone have cleared them away?

Forgetting his sore foot, Yeonjo rushed to the bathroom. What if it’s gone?Did Boss Gu notice?