Gutter Chapter 20.2 - Epilogue

The weather was gloomy. It was a fickle holiday morning where a light drizzle had been falling and stopping repeatedly since dawn. Because the temperature had suddenly dropped, Yeonjo’s physical condition was a mess. Suppressing a persistent dry cough, Yeonjo walked down a long hallway.

The columbarium, as gloomy as the weather, was deserted and quiet with no visitors. Only Yeonjo’s footsteps echoed solitarily inside.

Among the numerous urns visible as soon as he entered, Yeonjo found his grandmother’s spot at once. Looking at the ceramic with a bluish tinge, his stomach felt heavy as if he had indigestion.

Yeonjo took out a scarf he had picked out himself at a department store a while ago and a picture he had taken with his grandmother, and placed them neatly right next to the urn. Gazing blankly at his grandmother in the photo, who was smiling somewhat awkwardly, old memories he had kept buried unfolded piece by piece.

The walk to visit his grandmother was still not easy for Yeonjo. He thought his heart would become much lighter after hearing that he was the grandson she had looked for at the end, but it was still as burdensome as if he had swallowed a lead weight.

Although not a single drop of blood was shared, to Yeonjo, his grandmother was as precious as a real family, no, even more so. That was why he missed his grandmother so dearly.

Yeonjo found it hard to look at the urn and the photo, so he couldn’t stay long and turned his body. He walked back down the hallway he had just passed as if fleeing.

“Cough, cough…!”

His throat kept getting tight, and after letting out shaky, unstable breaths, Yeonjo started coughing. Because of that, his busy steps came to a halt. Yeonjo took out his inhaler and inhaled the medication.

After taking a deep breath and waiting for a moment, the irregular cough gradually subsided and his breathing stabilized.

“Huuu….”

Yeonjo, who had barely calmed down, started walking again. At the end of the hallway, there happened to be a vending machine. With a thirst that felt like his throat was on fire, Yeonjo took a bill from his pocket and bought a drink. After taking a few sips to wet his throat, he checked his cell phone out of habit.

11:10 AM. Just like when he had entered this place, no notifications had appeared on the screen.

“He must be very busy….”

He said he was going on a business trip. Boss Gu never made trivial texts or calls. A call once a day, late at night approaching midnight, was the entirety of his contact. Even that was just a short greeting asking if he was well.

If Yeonjo called first, he would mostly not answer on his end, so he had no choice but to wait endlessly for his call.

Today marked exactly the fourth day since he had left for his business trip. He said tomorrow was the day he would return, but unfortunately, tomorrow was Yeonjo’s workday, so he wouldn’t have time. Even if Boss Gu came to the resort, he would have to wait until he got off work to barely see his face. More than anything, even tomorrow felt too far away for Yeonjo.

A sigh escaped him on its own. Since when had he become so dependent on Boss Gu.

Ever since he had suddenly shown up at the resort to say he had to go on a business trip and left, no matter what he did, only the three letters of his name floated in his mind. This was a serious problem. Something must be wrong with him. He had lived just fine without the man named Gu Mooncheon until now, so it didn’t make sense for him to suddenly develop separation anxiety. Just the thought that he was not in Seoul and was somewhere Yeonjo didn’t know made his mood sink endlessly like a drenched, sagging piece of cotton.

Unlike him, who was this anxious, looking at Boss Gu who hadn’t contacted him at all, it seemed he wasn’t thinking much about it.

“He should call more often.”

Yeonjo said to himself in a resentful tone. Then, after throwing the empty drink can into the trash, he headed for the columbarium exit.

The scenery outside was still blurry. Now that he was going back to the resort, what should he do. How had he spent his time alone until now. It wasn’t as if he had lost his memory, but his mind was as blank as a white sheet of paper.

Yeonjo, with a dark face, picked up the umbrella he had left at the exit and went outside the building. Then, he spotted a man standing in front of the central door.

“You….”

Yeonjo, who had stopped in his tracks, froze while holding the umbrella. Boss Gu, wearing black gloves and a black suit, was standing in front of the building as if it were a lie.

“You came out quickly. I thought you’d be longer.”

“How did you get here? And what are those flowers….”

Spotting the bouquet of chrysanthemums in his hand, Yeonjo’s eyes widened.

“Because I heard you went in without buying flowers.”

Boss Gu said, as if he knew everything because someone had told him. Yeonjo consciously looked around, checking if anyone was watching him. He had never once felt that someone was watching him. Did Boss Gu’s subordinate follow him all the way here?

At Yeonjo’s flustered look, Boss Gu let out a rare chuckle. For some reason, he looked more gaunt than when he had last seen him at the resort four days ago.

“Did you not sleep well?”

“Yeah.”

“How come.”

“I was rushing to take care of some work. And I was worried about you.”

“Don’t you think it’s brazen to say that after putting someone to watch me without a word?”

“Still, if I’m not seeing it with my own eyes, I’m always anxious.”

At his stiff voice, Yeonjo shut his mouth. After a period of silence, Yeonjo spoke first.

“How about now.”

“Seeing you in person is much better.”

Seeing his face and hearing his voice, his mood instantly lifted. Boss Gu held out the bouquet of flowers to Yeonjo, who was smiling faintly. Only then did Yeonjo accept it.

“Wait a minute. I’ll go give this to my grandmother.”

Yeonjo went back inside the building and placed the pure white chrysanthemums next to his grandmother’s urn. Then, as he came back down the hallway he had walked just a few minutes ago, his previously dark insides began to tingle, as if he had never been depressed. The heavy feeling in his chest that sank whenever he thought of his grandmother also became much lighter. It was such a drastic change in mood that he wondered if he had bipolar disorder in addition to separation anxiety.

“Let’s go now.”

Yeonjo, who had come outside, said to Boss Gu. He held out his hand, clad in a black glove, and tightly grasped Yeonjo’s pale hand as if to crush it. Funnily enough, Yeonjo had missed this tingling grip.

“Did you drive here alone?”

“I came right after I finished work.”

For once, Boss Gu sat in the driver’s seat himself. Usually, a subordinate who drove for him was always by his side, so it was rare for the two of them to sit alone in the car. That was why this moment was all the more welcome.

The fact that he had driven here himself right after his business trip ended made the hurt feelings from not being contacted melt away like snow.

He thought they were going to his house in Seoul, but the direction they were heading was different. It wasn’t towards the resort either, and it was an unfamiliar road he had never seen before. Before the puzzled Yeonjo could ask anything, the car soon stopped in front of a famous hotel.

“Get out.”

“This place is….”

Boss Gu got out of the car and handed the keys to an employee. Yeonjo stared blankly at the hotel sign, which he had heard of a few times.

“I made a reservation at a restaurant for lunch.”

“A restaurant?”

“I heard this place is famous. I don’t know much about that stuff, though.”

He answered as if someone had recommended it to him. That was probably the case, as Boss Gu’s sense of taste was dull, so it was unlikely he would have chosen a restaurant based on his own judgment of whether the food was delicious or not.

Yeonjo tried to suppress the corners of his mouth, which were trying to lift for no particular reason, and checked the time.

“Isn’t it a little early to have lunch already?”

It was an awkward time for a meal. He wasn’t even hungry yet, so Yeonjo muttered softly.

“Then since we have time, shall we go up to the room first.”

“…I knew it.”

When Yeonjo made a ‘I knew it’ face, Boss Gu stood nonchalantly in front of the front desk in the hotel lobby. An employee recognized him and greeted him.

“It’s been a while since your last visit. I heard this is your first time using a guest room, would you like some guidance?”

Boss Gu shook his head and only received the key. As if in a great hurry, he pulled Yeonjo and walked towards the elevators.

“What brought you here before?”

“A few times for work.”

He was curious what kind of work he did to have visited the hotel so often that the staff recognized him. But since he said he had never used a guest room, Yeonjo decided not to pry. He felt frustrated with himself for paying attention to every little detail like this, but when it came to him, he strangely reacted sensitively to even the most trivial things.

Boss Gu took Yeonjo’s hand and entered the elevator that had just arrived. As it was still morning, there were few people in the hotel. They were the only two people in the elevator.

The doors closed, and the elevator, with soft classical music playing, began to ascend. It felt strange to be standing side by side with him in such a luxurious place. It was a hard-to-describe feeling, as if it didn’t suit Boss Gu, yet it did.

Unlike his own unfamiliarity and awkwardness, he seemed accustomed to such facilities. He probably went to decent hotels and not just bars while managing his territory.

The elevator stopped with a soft mechanical sound. Boss Gu led Yeonjo and hurriedly entered the room.

“Ueup…! Wait….”

As soon as the door closed, he pushed Yeonjo against the wall and kissed him. His breath pouring over his lips and chin was hot and sweet at the same time.

Boss Gu, who pulled his thin body close as if not to allow a single gap, greedily savored every part of Yeonjo’s mouth.

“Ngh, eu… haah. haah.”

However, when he saw that Yeonjo was struggling, he relaxed his body and pulled his head back. He was worried that if he pushed any further, Yeonjo might collapse.

Boss Gu rested his chin on the top of Yeonjo’s head and let out a groan.

“I’m out of breath….”

“Sorry.”

He knew he had to be gentle and slow, but whenever his body touched Yeonjo’s, his reason evaporated in an instant. To cool his heat, Boss Gu completely pulled away the body that had been clinging to him.

Only then did the structure of the room come into Yeonjo’s view, as he was finally able to catch his breath. Through the large glass window, the city scenery was revealed. It was a suite room with a spacious living room and a clearly separated bedroom area. Yeonjo rolled his eyes and fully appreciated the room and the city view.

“You must have a lot of money, Gu Mooncheon.”

“I do. So there are many things I can do for you.”

As if he didn’t want to be separated from Yeonjo, he approached him again and hugged his waist from behind.

“For example, buying the house you and your grandmother lived in and building a new one.”

“…Huh?”

Yeonjo removed his thick arms and turned around. When he looked up with a surprised face, he gently caressed Yeonjo’s chin.

“How about it.”

Even though he was making a proposal that was thrilling enough to make one’s heart flutter, when a man as large and intimidating as him said it with a blank expression, it sounded like a threat. Yeonjo swallowed dryly and opened his lips.

“That place should have been redeveloped by now.”

“Even better. We can just buy the land or the house and live there. Of course, just the two of us, you and me.”

The house he lived in with his grandmother…. Why hadn’t he thought of that. Foolishly, he hadn’t even had the idea of going back there again. In a way, it was the place with the most memories of his grandmother.

“Can we really do that?”

“Of course.”

“……”

“Do you like it?”

“Yes, I like it….”

At Yeonjo’s answer, nodding as if mesmerized, a look of satisfaction appeared on Boss Gu’s face.

“Good. It’s also suitable as a piece of land to tie Cha Yeonjo down so he can never run away.”

When Yeonjo glared at him, Boss Gu pressed their lips together and muttered, I’m kidding.

“You’re not kidding.”

“You caught me.”

He continued the kiss. This time, he held onto his reason firmly and gave Yeonjo plenty of time to breathe in between.

“They said you seemed to be in a bad mood this morning.”

Boss Gu said during a brief pause.

“…Do you get reports on my mood too?”

“Because I’m curious.”

“……”

Yeonjo let out a groan, unsure where to even begin pointing things out. Even if he explained that it was abnormal to have someone watched and reported on just because you were curious about their mood, he probably wouldn’t understand.

“Do you know what I was thinking at the columbarium then?”

“What were you thinking.”

Boss Gu met his eyes as if genuinely curious. A blind gaze, shiny and black like lacquer. He was used to it by now.

“I was thinking that I missed you so much.”

“Are you serious?”

He narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice as if he had heard a lie. As if there was no way such words would come out of Cha Yeonjo’s mouth.

“Yes. So when you go on business trips, please contact me more often.”

“How often is often.”

He asked back with a face that genuinely didn’t know. He had never thought about such things in detail, so Yeonjo was suddenly at a loss for words. If he had prior dating experience, he would have given a smoother answer, but Yeonjo was currently dating for the first time in his life with this man.

“Just… whenever you think of me?”

“The whole day will pass by on the phone then.”

He murmured seriously.

“I’ll do it more often from next time.”

And then another deep kiss followed. This time, it was Yeonjo who, impatient with Boss Gu’s careful attitude, clung to him first. But not long after, cold sweat formed on Yeonjo’s smooth forehead. He was out of breath and his head was dizzy.

Knowing that Yeonjo was struggling, Boss Gu lifted his body and laid him on the bed. He got on top of him and, instead of his lips, licked his cheeks, chin, and nape as if tasting them, satisfying his impatience.

Boss Gu’s short, curly hair tickled his neck. Yeonjo carefully touched the black hair with his hand. Then, when he happened to turn his head, the sky, still covered with clouds, and the bustling city came into view.

“But the room is really nice.”

“If you want, I can let you stay at a hotel every day. Quit your job anytime if it’s hard.”

Boss Gu said willingly. As if he wished he would quit the resort right away.

“My job is comfortable because someone gets rid of all the strange customers. I might just work there for the rest of my life unless I get fired.”

“Ah. Fuck. I miscalculated.”

It was a reaction laced with genuine annoyance. Another smile appeared on Yeonjo’s lips. Boss Gu, who was looking down at it blankly, let out a pained sound and managed to get up.

“Let’s go. If we keep this up, I won’t even be able to feed you. You need to gain some weight.”

“I like it here, though.”

“There are still many things I want to do with you.”

Yeonjo blinked, looking up at him as he put his jacket back on.

“What do you want to do with me the most?”

“Marriage.”

“……”

At the serious answer, Yeonjo burst out laughing. It felt a little cute that a man as large as him, unbefitting his size, kept talking about marriage between men. For some reason, he felt that he would dislike it if he said he was cute, so Yeonjo didn’t voice his thoughts.

Still with a smile on his face, Yeonjo pulled his arm and led him to the bed again.

“Can’t we order room service? I don’t want to go out.”

“Why. Are you not feeling well?”

“No. I want to stay here alone with you.”

After hearing Yeonjo’s honest words, Boss Gu, who had a dumbfounded expression for a moment, was soon pulled to Yeonjo’s side without resistance. He stroked Yeonjo’s soft hair and stared, mesmerized, at his flushed cheeks.

“I missed you, Cha Yeonjo.”

“Me too. I really missed you.”

Yeonjo wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him slowly. Responding to him, Boss Gu captured his plump lips. Boss Gu’s jaw and arm muscles would twitch from time to time, as if he were holding back from getting rough. In his breath, in his rising and falling hard chest, the fast-beating pulse could be felt so vividly it was electrifying.

The sky outside the window was still blurry. But Yeonjo’s mood was more elated than ever. They were once again unreservedly entangled in each other’s lives. Deeper and more tenderly than in the past.