Mother Tape Chapter 1.2

Hwang Gujo genuinely admired it. It fit perfectly, without a single flaw. Just as Seon Wisoo had assured, it was a perfect fit for Jaekwon’s body.

“How did you know my size?”

Seon Wisoo asked, lightly patting the clothes.

“Didn’t you have any nightmares?”

However, the response was a baffling non sequitur.

“What are you talking about?”

At Jaekwon’s question, Wisoo looked towards the stairs and then turned his head back.

“When you were napping upstairs. Were you alright?”

“I slept well. I’m not picky about where I sleep, you know.”

Jaekwon grinned slyly and leaned his head towards Wisoo.

“You look like the type who can’t sleep unless it’s hotel bedding. Surprising, isn’t it?”

The boss is at it again. Hwang Gujo turned his head and adjusted Jaekwon’s schedule, considering the time difference with the local time.

“Really, you didn’t have any dreams at all? Not even sleep paralysis?”

“Things like that happen when you’re tired or not comfortable where you sleep. Take your vitamins and go for a walk. You believe in things like that, stepmother?”

Despite the seriousness in Wisoo’s voice, Jaekwon acted nonchalantly. He even turned his body away, as if he didn’t want to continue this conversation any longer.

Right on cue, the alarm rang. It was a request to open the driveway gate to the garage.

“Looks like they’re here. Now that you’re dressed and looking civilized, I’ll escort you inside.”

“Let’s do that. No matter how peculiar the content is, let’s get it over with and leave.”

Wisoo trailed closely behind Jaekwon as he headed towards the entrance. At first, Jaekwon thought it was his imagination, but when he purposely changed directions, Wisoo followed him in the same manner. It wasn’t his imagination.

“Why are you following me so closely?”

“Uh… just because?”

“Strange person.”

As Jaekwon tilted his head, Hwang Gujo, who had gone to greet the lawyer, appeared behind him. Behind him, a man with white hair entered, dabbing his forehead with a neatly folded handkerchief.

“I am lawyer Na Hakyoung. It is an honor to meet you.”

“I am Kwak Jaekwon. It’s not a pleasant occasion, but it’s nice to meet you.”

He lightly shook the hand Jaekwon extended.

Not a pleasant occasion, he says. I bet he’s inwardly enjoying the chairman’s passing. He’s such a good liar.

Hwang Gujo, who had been smiling faintly behind them, saw Seon Wisoo standing blankly and nudged him slightly.

“He said both of you need to be present. Go in.”

“Ah… Yes. That’s right. Yes…”

Unlike a little while ago when he seemed clear-headed, albeit with unclear thoughts, he was now rambling. However, Hwang Gujo felt the same way as Jaekwon. He saw no need to be kind to someone who, judging by all appearances, seemed to be the chairman’s young lover.

Wisoo followed Jaekwon and Na Hakyoung to the living room. Unable to find a place to be in this wide-open first floor, Hwang Gujo headed to the yard.

Despite the obvious spot intended for him, Wisoo hesitated, unable to take those last few steps.

“What are you doing? Come sit down.”

Kwak Jaekwon urged him once and left it at that. The lawyer, rather old-fashioned for this day and age, took a yellowed envelope out of an equally old-fashioned briefcase. Kwak Jaekwon rested his arm on the back of the sofa, crossed his legs, and thought, well, at least this much is classic.

After taking out all the documents, the lawyer looked around and then raised his head towards the empty seat.

“Seon Wisoo-ssi, is that correct?”

Wisoo clasped his hands together, constantly tormenting his thin skin. His gaze was wavering like a madman. Kwak Jaekwon tilted his head back and stared intently at Wisoo.

And then, Wisoo, looking at the place that should have been his seat, made eye contact with Jaekwon.

The moment his eyes met that deep, verdant forest-like gaze, the tightness and nausea in his chest suddenly dissipated. It was as if he could finally breathe. Wisoo gulped and finally managed to move his hesitant feet.

As he passed by Jaekwon, he leaned slightly. Jaekwon’s fingertips brushed against his thigh. That alone was enough to revive Wisoo. And only then did the chair, which had seemed to be rotting with sticky liquid and damp moss, look like a piece of furniture suitable for sitting.

“I’m sorry… for being slow.”

“Why apologize for such a thing? It’s only right to wait for those who have suffered a loss. Isn’t that right, lawyer?”

Jaekwon asked smoothly. Even Na Hakyoung, who had spent 20 years as a partner lawyer and believed he had met all sorts of people, felt tense around every single action of Jaekwon’s. Even with this pointed joke veiled in a languid tone.

“Yes, yes. It’s alright. Don’t mind it.”

Pushing up his glasses, Na Hakyoung picked up the will. And he cleared his throat once with a cough.

“Then, I will read the will.”

Kwak Jaekwon swung his crossed leg and looked away, then fixed his gaze on Wisoo. He desperately wanted to see Seon Wisoo’s expression as the will was read. How much would the young, discarded mistress anticipate the scraps she might be left, and how disappointed would she be?

Wisoo, who had been sitting on the edge of the sofa with his fists clenched on his lap, raised his eyes at the gaze directed at him. Their eyes met, and Jaekwon heard a popping sound from somewhere. It was a bursting sound like soap bubbles popping right next to his ear. Jaekwon, still maintaining eye contact with Wisoo, rolled his tongue so that his cheeks puffed out.

“Testator, Kwak Bonyoung…”

Perhaps my father’s young mistress isn’t as interested in the will as I am, Kwak Jaekwon mused briefly, meeting the gaze fixed on him.

The contents of the will were quite predictable. It was simply a matter of, the old man made so much money, he couldn’t even spend it all and went to the grave.

Jaekwon, who had been listening with a bored expression to the tedious details of trusts, paintings, ceramics, and other art pieces, real estate, and cash assets, only changed his expression when he heard the clause that had been added most recently.

“And this is…”

Before reading that part, Na Hakyoung cleared his throat. Then, glancing at Seon Wisoo, he requested a glass of water. Jaekwon stopped Wisoo, who was about to get up, by showing him his palm and brought the water himself. Na Hakyoung didn’t know what to do with himself.

“Don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me quickly.”

It was strange to hear a man who probably had never experienced such anxiety say such a thing. Wisoo couldn’t take his eyes or ears off Jaekwon’s words and actions. He was a captivating man in many ways.

Na Hakyoung turned his attention back to the will.

There were many words, back and forth. Above all, it was complicated. Jaekwon, who had been listening with his temple resting on his hand, closed his eyes and frowned.

“A 10-year contract? What does that mean?”

“Well, Seon Wisoo-ssi is currently under a 10-year lease contract with Hyegwang Agency. 5 years have passed, and… there were plans to extend it further.”

No matter how he listened, it sounded sordid. Jaekwon frowned even more deeply.

“Of course, the ownership still belongs to Hyegwang, but due to the chairman’s death, which is considered a force majeure event, it is possible to renew the contract. Originally, that is… the chairman, in anticipation of this situation, set up a trust fund for Seon Wisoo-ssi and appointed Kwak Jaekwon-ssi as his guardian… that is what he stated.”

“Nonsense without my opinion or the opinion of our Seon Wisoo-ssi here?”

“…….”

“I’ll accept that it’s the nonsense of a dead man. But…”

Jaekwon leaned forward, resting his elbow on his thigh. And he stared at Wisoo as if looking at a complex problem.

“What exactly is Seon Wisoo-ssi that he can be transferred and owned like an object?”

Wisoo found Jaekwon’s question difficult to understand. It was because he had lived like this his entire life. He rented himself out short-term to those who needed him. Sometimes it was for a day, other times for a week. Chairman Kwak had been the first to lease him for such a long period. Because he had never not been transferred and owned, Jaekwon’s question was too fundamental and basic for Wisoo to answer.

When Seon Wisoo didn’t answer, Jaekwon waited for a while before pulling back his upper body. Then, he asked Na Hakyoung, who seemed more likely to understand.

“Alright. Let’s set that aside for now. What if I refuse?”

“In that case…”

Na Hakyoung rummaged through the documents with a troubled expression. Jaekwon, seeing that he was clearly stalling because he was embarrassed, clicked his tongue.

“I don’t care about not receiving the inheritance, so just tell me the conclusion.”

“Yes. There is a condition attached, as you mentioned, and if a guardian cannot be appointed, Seon Wisoo-ssi will be returned to Hyegwang. The contract fee will be refunded for the remaining period due to early termination. And among the items included in the trust…”

“This conversation is repeating itself. It’s quite unpleasant. Because I’m a reasonable person who dislikes buying and selling people.”

He really treats him like some kind of object. He specifically requested that he be present to hear this, and the deceased’s last wish is to instantly treat a living, breathing young person like property. Even in death, Kwak Bonyoung was truly sickening to Jaekwon.

And after hearing the conclusion, Wisoo lowered his head sharply. He clasped his hands together and tried to endure. However, thinking about the solitary confinement he would return to and the harsh training from his teacher, he wanted to stay here, even if this wasn’t exactly a warm, sweet home, and fill the remaining time.

Wisoo, unaware that Jaekwon was staring at him, kept fidgeting with his fingers. His hands were covered in cuts and scars.

Jaekwon slowly turned his head. His gaze lingered last. It seemed Na Hakyoung wouldn’t be able to answer, and Seon Wisoo wouldn’t tell him. He swallowed a sigh and suddenly clapped his hands.

“Let’s think about that part and I’ll contact you.”

“Ah, and one more thing.”

“It’s not over yet?”

“Yes. There is one piece of real estate remaining. This house has been transferred to Seon Wisoo-ssi. The title transfer has already been completed.”

At those words, Wisoo quickly raised his head.

He thought he would be completely discarded, like a young mistress with no support, but he at least received a house. Jaekwon, who had been thinking of demolishing and destroying this place, curled his lips into a slight smile then erased it. It was because Seon Wisoo’s expression, despite receiving the house unconditionally and separately from other conditions, wasn’t good.

No, it wasn’t just not good; it was terrible. His pale face was drained of color, and his lips and hands trembled. It was completely different from the sulky expression of someone receiving a large estate in an area with ambiguous investment value.

“I… I don’t need to accept it.”

“Seon Wisoo-ssi, the title transfer is already complete.”

“No, I don’t want to accept it.”

“The chairman said Seon Wisoo-ssi would like this house.”

“N, no. He was mistaken.”

Jaekwon observed Seon Wisoo, who was leaning back on the sofa with a stunned expression.

“Then, do you mean to transfer it to Kwak Jaekwon-ssi?”

At that, Wisoo’s expression became even worse than before. Jaekwon subtly frowned as he saw the agitated gaze sweeping over him and somewhere in the house.

“Is that what you mean, Seon Wisoo-ssi?”

Combined with Na Hakyoung’s attitude, which was quite different from how he treated him, Seon Wisoo’s panic seemed even more dramatic.

He looks like he’s about to collapse.

Even if it became his, Jaekwon didn’t mind Seon Wisoo showing such reluctance, as he only intended to tear it down and crush it. But he didn’t want to see someone collapse in this remote place where it would take at least tens of minutes for an ambulance to arrive, even if called.

Jaekwon clicked his index finger and thumb together. At the sound, Seon Wisoo came to his senses as if he’d been slapped.

“It’s a hot day, and with the sudden sad news and long-distance flight, my condition isn’t very good either.”

Kwak Jaekwon lied without batting an eye.

“I will contact you directly, lawyer. It’s a long way, so you should probably leave now.”

At the firm dismissal, Na Hakyoung quickly agreed and gathered his documents.

Jaekwon personally saw the lawyer out. It was closer to politely kicking him out than seeing him off. He opened the door and called Hwang Gujo, who was smoking outside.

“Gujo. The lawyer is leaving. See him off.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hwang Gujo nodded. Na Hakyoung knew very little about the chairman’s son, so based solely on the atmosphere so far, he made his own assumptions about Kwak Jaekwon’s profession. The aura surrounding him was sleek yet simultaneously cruel. Like fur.

Could he be a gangster? If so, it seemed like an apt, yet undeserved profession for the son of a cash-rich man called “Teacher.”

But while he was lost in thought, the door closed again. Na Hakyoung, clutching his briefcase tightly, looked back at the firmly closed door and hurried down the steps.

Wisoo remained in the same position in the chair the entire time. Kwak Jaekwon, dressed in one of the clothes Wisoo had grabbed while out of his mind, sauntered back in. Though Wisoo thought he might say something, he sat down unceremoniously and turned on the TV. It seemed he didn’t have anything particular he wanted to watch. He flipped through hundreds of channels meaninglessly. Wisoo felt strangely comforted by the TV noise coming from behind him.

“Seon Wisoo-ssi.”

Jaekwon called him after a long while. Wisoo, who had been spacing out, lifted his head. Kwak Jaekwon was looking behind him, not at him. Leaning his head against the back of the sofa with his arm resting on it, Jaekwon looked like a man of leisure.

“I don’t need this house. And the assets, since they’re tied to you anyway, feel free to use them as you like. It will be a bit of a hassle. You won’t be able to sell the building or the land, and you’ll have to coordinate with the lawyer every time to receive some cash. But…”

“…….”

“Anyway, I’m not interested at all, so take it if you want it.”

“…It’s Kwak Jaekwon-ssi’s property, not mine. Kwak Jaekwon-ssi should receive it…”

“Honestly, the old man’s assets aren’t that appealing to me. So, being Seon Wisoo-ssi’s guardian doesn’t interest me either. I wonder why I should bother with such a troublesome task. What I want to ask is why Kwak Bonyoung went through such trouble to keep you, instead of letting you go…”

Wisoo, who knew a little about it, flinched. Jaekwon, watching him with cold eyes, asked slowly.

“Or does he want to keep you tied to this house? Not that he doesn’t want to let you go, but…”

“…….”

This house was Kwak Bonyoung’s massive obsession and lingering attachment itself. Because of this house, the one who should have left was lingering in this world, unable to pass on. That’s what the shaman had said. Blinded by a large sum of money, the shaman, prepared to face the consequences of the curse, bought this land and built a house similar to the deceased’s house to make him lose his way. That shaman, too, had been introduced by his teacher.

The shaman died horribly in a car accident just before the house was completed, and Kwak Bonyoung, unable to confirm whether the shaman’s words had come true, lived for a few years before obtaining him from his teacher.

It cost a fortune, and in the meantime, the house, in addition to Kwak Bonyoung’s obsession, had attracted other things. It was like a trap made of wood and brick. The spirit, trapped here after losing its way due to prolonged shamanistic rituals meant to hold it, was now unable to leave because of the lingering evil.

‘Thanks to Wisoo, I’m keeping it well contained.’

Even though the spirit had already lost its way, his teacher took credit, saying it was thanks to him. That’s why Kwak Bonyoung kept him bound. He wanted to bring him back here so that he could meet the spirit and be with it.

A sordid, vile obsession. Within it, there was no respect for the deceased spirit or consideration for the living Seon Wisoo.

‘Wisoo, just do what you’ve always done in this house. Just as you’ve always done.’

His teacher’s voice echoed in Wisoo’s head. The voice that had been repeated countless times as he stood before this large, suffocating house, his shoulders gripped…

Jaekwon, tearing his gaze away from Wisoo’s dead, black eyes, waved his hand dismissively.

“Whatever it is, whatever the intention, I’m not really curious. It’s none of my business. So, let’s resolve the will we heard today simply. Let’s each go our own way.”

Kwak Jaekwon’s words made perfect sense. They weren’t acquainted, and to suddenly become involved as a guardian must feel like a burden to Kwak Jaekwon. But… Wisoo still didn’t want to go back.

“I don’t know what the agency sells, but it seems best for both of us if you return. And take care of the house yourself. Sell it or keep it.”

“That…”

“Ah, I’m not asking for your opinion, so no need to answer.”

He felt a lump in his throat, choking him. Wisoo licked his dry lips. His lips were as damaged as his hands.

Jaekwon finally stopped flipping through channels when he landed on an educational broadcast playing an old black and white movie.

Against the backdrop of the dramatic, old-fashioned scenes from the black and white movie on the educational broadcast, Seon Wisoo looked much more fitting in the wicked green bathroom of his imagination.

“I… don’t want to go.”

Wisoo confessed, as if spitting out needles.

“I don’t want to go back, Kwak Jaekwon-ssi.”

“Well, I wasn’t asking for your opinion, you see.”

“Let me stay.”

Wisoo pleaded with more determination.

“I’ll do anything. I’ll be helpful. I’ll do anything…!”

“Helpful?”

Jaekwon burst out laughing as if he had heard the word for the first time in his life.

“Seon Wisoo-ssi, did you major in business administration?”

“…….”

“Do you know anything about branding? Or development?”

“…No.”

“Then, are you exceptionally good at sales?”

“…….”

“Ah, just to avoid any misunderstanding, I’m not talking about pillow sales.”

Wisoo instantly understood the misconception Jaekwon held about him. The humiliation he had sensed ever since Jaekwon called him stepmother poured out even more blatantly.

“If you can’t do any of that, I have no use for you. Actually, I have no use for pillow sales either. My work involves dealing with company to company, rather than person to person.”

“Still, I can do anything… I’ll even do housework.”

“Housework is precisely the area where there’s even less for Seon Wisoo-ssi to do.”

Jaekwon pushed him away with polite and gentle words. Wisoo’s mind raced, but the more he tried to think of skills he could offer, the more self-loathing he felt.

Jaekwon yawned long and turned off the TV. He didn’t want to spend the night in this house that felt like a stone coffin, but it was already getting dark to go back to Seoul. No matter how long summer days were, at 7 PM, a remote place like this would quickly become dark.

After a brief deliberation, he decided to stay the night. He could leave as soon as the sun rose. Soon, Hwang Gujo opened the door and came in.

“I saw the lawyer off safely.”

He would ask Hwang Gujo about the schedule and organize it, then quickly sleep in this coffin-like house and wait for sunrise. As Jaekwon was about to get up, Seon Wisoo rushed forward and grabbed him as if throwing himself at him.

“A, anything! I’ll do anything!”

“…….”

“Just let me stay by your side, just by your side…”

Jaekwon stared at Wisoo’s arm gripping him, then shook it off as if brushing away something dirty.

“I don’t sleep with my father’s lovers. It might be commonplace in Seon Wisoo-ssi’s world, but not in mine.”

“That’s not it…! And with the chairman, I didn’t do that kind of thing with the chairman…!”

Those words, of all things, grated on Jaekwon’s nerves. Vulgarity didn’t matter. They weren’t going to share a bed. No, sometimes vulgarity was convenient. There was no need to beat around the bush or feign modesty; needs could be identified, and transactions could occur without loss. What Kwak Jaekwon hated was pretense.

“Say something believable so I can at least pretend to believe you.”

Jaekwon ran a hand through his hair, expressing his annoyance. He expected Wisoo to flinch, but he remained motionless, unintimidated, sending only a defiant gaze. He looked desperate, but it was understandable given that the rope he had been clinging to had suddenly been cut.

Jaekwon grabbed Wisoo’s chin. His lips parted with a small “ah” from the grip. Before he could adapt to the pain, Jaekwon abruptly turned his head, making Wisoo sway like a rag doll.

“You lived with my father for years as a young omega, and you expect me to believe that?”

“Ah, ah…”

Wisoo’s pupils dilated with pain and surprise. Seeing his lips move as if to ask, ‘How did you know I’m an omega…?’, Jaekwon burst into laughter.

“I like experienced ones. I do, but pretending otherwise is really tacky. You’d better heed my advice, stepmother.”

“That’s not it…!”

“With your scent wafting around like this…”

Jaekwon tilted his head and brushed his nose against Wisoo’s neck before pulling away.

“It’s impossible not to know. The old man must not have talked about me much. He didn’t tell you his son is an alpha?”

“B, but there’s no scent at all…”

“A civilized person manages their own pheromones. Just like perfume has its time and place. Someone who leaks pheromones like this… you’re the first stepmother I’ve seen like this.”

Jaekwon sneered openly.

“Even those in that line of work don’t spread it around so carelessly. I knew the old man’s tastes were vulgar, but don’t try the same approach with me.”

Jaekwon abruptly released Wisoo’s chin, just as he had grabbed it. Wisoo, who almost stumbled from the force, hadn’t yet regained his balance when he shouted after Jaekwon, who was walking away.

“If you need an omega, I’ll still be here!”

Hwang Gujo, who had been watching this dramatic scene with interest from the entrance, sighed, “Oh, dear.” It was admirable that he wasn’t crying or appearing hurt, but this was a blunder. Hwang Gujo waited for Jaekwon’s reaction as he ascended the stairs. It was entertaining.

“You’re not my type, stepmother,”

Jaekwon replied, humming a tune.

“My tastes are a bit peculiar. I like sturdy people.”

And Jaekwon disappeared completely onto the second floor.

Hwang Gujo stared after Jaekwon, then looked at the pale Wisoo and nodded. Then, he too followed Jaekwon upstairs.

Left alone, Wisoo stared at the second floor with a complex expression for a while, then lifted his arm and buried his nose in it. He seemed to be smelling a scent he couldn’t detect on himself.

And a damp chill, enough to make his hair stand on end, swept over Wisoo’s neck, which couldn’t sense pheromones. Wisoo, startled as if he was about to scream, fled to the kitchen.

❖ ❖ ❖

The next morning, or rather, dawn. Hwang Gujo, who had stayed up all night, came down the stairs. His eyes were stinging from dryness. Barely able to blink, Hwang Gujo groaned, his shoulders, which had been fine even after the long flight, now stiff, and his neck aching as if he had pulled a muscle.

“Did he buy a cheap mattress or something? With all that money.”

Hwang Gujo’s eyes were hollow.

After his restless sleep, he headed straight to the kitchen, thinking he should drink some cold water and have something sweet. And then, intending to go for a short run around the neighborhood, he headed outside.

He was thankful he had packed his running shoes and light clothing, just in case, despite intending to stay only briefly. Hwang Gujo was able to shake off the lingering discomfort from the previous night only after running a lap around the neighborhood and working up a sweat.

Panting as he entered, he was about to head to the second-floor shower room but, feeling uneasy, went to the first floor instead. And just as Kwak Jaekwon had done, he clicked his tongue at the ghastly taste.

“In art films, a murder always happens in a place like this.”

Ugh, shuddering, Hwang Gujo finished his shower and came out just as Kwak Jaekwon was also coming downstairs after waking up.

“Did you go for a run?”

“Yes. The neighborhood is quiet, so it’s good for running. You should go for a jog too, sir.”

“I’d rather go for a swim. Never mind. I don’t have my running shoes.”

Kwak Jaekwon opened the refrigerator on an empty stomach, clicked his tongue, and closed it again. No matter how hungry he was, he wasn’t tempted by food that unknown people might have touched. Especially in this house.

Instead, as he drank water, Jaekwon asked, as if suddenly remembering,

“Where’s Seon Wisoo?”

“I wonder. He must be in the room on the first floor. Probably sleeping or something.”

Young people sleep a lot, don’t they? Hwang Gujo chattered away, not even knowing Seon Wisoo’s exact age.

Jaekwon, who was about to dismiss it as well, scratched his chin and clicked his tongue. His footsteps turned sharply towards the only room on the first floor.

The door was slightly ajar.

“I’m coming in.”

Kwak Jaekwon announced his presence almost as he pushed the door open. Jaekwon, who had zero etiquette, frowned at the flat bed, which should have been bulging.

“Did he run away?”

Would he really do something so foolish? If he served as the old man’s mistress, he should at least get the house.

Jaekwon tore his gaze away from the large bed, presumably his father’s, which made him nauseous just looking at it. And then he smelled the overwhelming scent of pheromones, almost suffocating.

It was a very delicate, thin, glass-like scent. It felt somewhat nervous and sensitive, yet simultaneously cozy. In any case, it wasn’t to Jaekwon’s liking, who preferred more flamboyant scents.

Following the scent, Jaekwon moved his feet and grasped the door with wainscoting and a glass top half. It was extremely unpleasant. This elegant taste wasn’t Kwak Bonyoung’s, but rather ‘Kwak Bonyoung’s idea’ of his mother’s taste.

“Seon Wisoo-ssi.”

Jaekwon called Wisoo in a cold voice.

And as he slowly lowered his gaze, he soon found the person he was looking for. Seon Wisoo was inside. He was surrounded by, and clutching, the clothes Jaekwon had been neatly wearing just the day before.

Wisoo, who generally woke up around the same time every day even without anyone waking him, opened his eyes at his usual waking time.

The difference was that he was on the floor, not in bed, and he was not alone.

“Did you sleep well?”

Jaekwon asked, accompanied by the rich aroma of coffee.

Wisoo thought this was a dream or one of the hallucinations he experienced almost daily.

However, the quiet act of sipping coffee and the slightly disheveled hair told him this was not a hallucination.

“Uh, uh…”

Flustered, Wisoo tried to sit up and compose himself, but the tangled clothes and his groggy state upon waking made it difficult. How ridiculous he must look, floundering on the floor. His teacher would have scolded him severely, but Jaekwon simply watched while drinking his coffee.

“There’s a cafe that opens early.”

“Ah… Yes.”

“Do you want coffee?”

“…….”

He doesn’t drink coffee. More accurately, he hadn’t tried it.

His teacher used the word ‘vessel.’ He said that only when a vessel is transparent and clean can the contents inside be seen clearly, a statement that resonated with many. Such obvious words, spoken eloquently, were bound to be persuasive. And under such teachings, Wisoo hadn’t touched coffee, alcohol, or cigarettes. Along with countless other forbidden things.

“It’s not that you can’t drink it, right?”

He didn’t know, because he hadn’t tried it.

But he had always been curious. What would this liquid, with such a rich aroma, taste like?

The more he smelled it, the stronger his curiosity grew. Because it was forbidden, he craved it even more. Seeing Wisoo absentmindedly wetting his lips, Jaekwon readily stood up.

“Come on out. I’m starving.”

Only after Jaekwon left was Wisoo able to confirm the identity of the fabric tangled around him.

His face flushed hot. He couldn’t remember when or why he was like this. Wandering around like a sleepwalker was familiar, but being wrapped up in clothes like this was a first.

As Wisoo started to untangle himself and tidy up, he heard the voice, ‘Don’t bother cleaning up, just come out quickly.’ How did he know without even looking? Startled by the words, Wisoo tried to get out as if burned by fire, barely managing to avoid falling.

“The contents are more substantial than I thought.”

Two large men huddled together, rummaging through the food they had bought.

Salmon, BLT bagels, and sandwiches filled with chopped boiled eggs in mayonnaise sauce were gathered together with several cups of coffee. Wisoo, feeling like this unfamiliar scene was a dream, paused for a moment. Then, he was startled by a breeze tickling his ankles.

This house, even with several air purifiers running 24/7, wasn’t well ventilated. It was only ventilated when Wisoo occasionally went outside with Chairman Kwak or when the caretaker aired it out. So, how unfamiliar the wide-open window and the lukewarm, dry breeze that blew in from outside, before the humid heat arrived, must have felt to Wisoo.

The draft seemed to dispel some of the lingering mustiness that only Wisoo could sense, despite the dehumidifier and air purifier.

“Seon Wisoo-ssi, come quickly.”

The two men, having slept without eating the previous night, were starving. Hwang Gujo, unable to take his eyes off the sandwiches, urged Wisoo. Even if they were to return to Seoul, he was so hungry that he wouldn’t be able to concentrate enough to drive.

Whether Wisoo came or not, Jaekwon took a large bite of the bagel. More than appreciating the taste, he was simply glad to have something in his stomach.

“There’s plenty in the refrigerator.”

“I’m not eating anything that’s been touched.”

Jaekwon replied, wiping the hollandaise sauce from the corner of his mouth.

“I can’t eat anything that the old man might have breathed on or touched. If you don’t like the menu, stepmother, please eat plenty.”

“…I’m telling you, that’s not it.”

Wisoo replied, gulping as he looked at the fresh-colored vegetables.

Seeing the look in Wisoo’s eyes, Hwang Gujo pushed the BLT sandwich towards him. Wisoo opened the sandwich, carefully removed the ham, and left only the vegetables. Glancing at this, Jaekwon asked,

“Are you a vegan?”

“A vegan?”

Wisoo rolled the unfamiliar word around in his head, then, recalling a magazine page he had once seen, mumbled a reply.

“Something like that.”

There were many things forbidden to Wisoo. As little salt as possible, almost no red pepper flakes, absolutely no coffee, alcohol, or cigarettes, and no meat except when absolutely necessary.

And countless other things besides.

“There’s a designated time for eating.”

And now was not that time.

Jaekwon stared at Wisoo at the vague answer. He lowered his gaze slightly, and the way he chewed his food meticulously was quite neat, but there was also something suffocating about it.

Did the old man teach him that?

However, to conclude that the old man had taught him that seemed too simple; he was a man who, regardless of Jaekwon’s presence or his son’s, would fight with his wife at the dinner table, throwing food and dishes indiscriminately.

Jaekwon put down his sandwich and clasped his hands together. Then, looking at Wisoo, he asked,

“Is it something like, you can eat when the old man calls you to his room, but not otherwise?”

“Yes.”

Wisoo, who had answered unconsciously, looked up in a fluster.

Jaekwon rested his face on his clasped hands and smiled gently.

“No, he didn’t call me with that intention.”

“I didn’t say anything. I don’t know what intention you’re talking about.”

Jaekwon took a sip of his coffee.

“I’m a bit naive.”

Hwang Gujo coughed beside him.

Jaekwon, unconcerned whether his confidant and right-hand man Hwang Gujo choked or not, picked up a thin slice of ham, limp like a discarded handkerchief. The bright red slice resembled a tongue more than processed meat.

“Then eat it. If it’s not because of a belief or an allergy.”

Jaekwon suggested, still smiling faintly.

No, was it a suggestion?

“If it’s not a personal belief or a physical problem like an allergy, but because someone, whether it’s the old man or Secretary Shin, told you not to eat it, then I…”

As if choosing his words carefully, Jaekwon paused for a moment.

“I want to break that rule.”

Those words were extremely tempting to Wisoo.

His teacher had taught him: wicked things are sweet to the ear and sweet to the mouth. So, if something seems sweet to you, spit it out.

But Wisoo wanted to taste something sweet. He wanted to hear something sweet. He was sick and tired of bitterness, and Wisoo, barely restrained by the rules tightly wrapped around him, was immensely curious. Only twenty-one years old. Wisoo’s inner self was like the suffocatingly lush trees outside.

Wisoo glanced at the room Chairman Kwak used. Jaekwon waited patiently. He held out his hand as if offering a document, sipping his coffee with his other hand. And when the young mistress, whom he mocked as his stepmother, turned his head, his neck tingled as if with static electricity.

“…….”

Wisoo opened his mouth. He took the dangling, tongue-like ham Jaekwon offered from the bottom, nibbled the tip, then, his eyes widening, quickly ate half of it. Like a foolish fish that had taken the bait.

“Alright. This is the kind of work I do.”

Jaekwon, having fed Wisoo the ham, dusted off his hands and introduced himself in a cheerful tone.

“I’m the kind of person who tears down meticulously built towers, long-established rules, and then reassembles them.”

In short, he was someone who led mergers and acquisitions of companies through private equity funds and the like. It was simply a more effective and easily understandable way of explaining it to Wisoo.

“So, what do you really do, Seon Wisoo-ssi? There’s only that one room on the first floor, and from the stairs leading down from the second floor to the kitchen, living room, and entrance, there’s nothing to obstruct the view. The second floor has adjoining rooms and is practically a duplex due to its lack of efficiency, composed of Gujo. Oh, and about the windows. They don’t open. As if someone was worried about someone jumping out.”

Wisoo gulped at Jaekwon’s eloquent explanation.

“Traces of the old man’s obsession with our stepmother, just like he was with my mother, are all over this creepy house, yet Seon Wisoo-ssi, with your pheromones wafting around, vehemently denies sleeping with the old man. So, what do you do here?”

Gujo crumpled the wrapping paper from the sandwiches, muttering.

“He, he wanted to see Kwak Jaekwon-ssi’s mother through me.”

“No, I mean, I heard that, but the mother I remember and Seon Wisoo-ssi don’t have a single thing in common.”

Jaekwon casually touched Wisoo’s hair as if flipping through clothes on a rack.

“My mother had light brown hair, and Seon Wisoo-ssi has black hair.”

Then, he cupped Wisoo’s cheeks. Turning his face this way and that, he assessed him.

“My mother had tanned skin, and Seon Wisoo-ssi is unpleasantly pale.”

Jaekwon released Wisoo and looked at him intently.

“I’m saying, there’s not a single resemblance.”

“He wanted to hear the words I speak, not see my appearance.”

“So, unlike your appearance, you’re quite eloquent?”

Jaekwon’s smile deepened. However, it was a suffocating gaze, sharp like the edge of polished glass.

“Watch your words.”

“…….”

“We all have only one tongue. Right, Gujo?”

“Yes. Just one.”

Hwang Gujo replied half-heartedly. He seemed accustomed to Jaekwon’s sudden shifts in attitude and chilling threats.

And Wisoo, too, was well-versed in dealing with threats and intimidation.

“I see dead people.”

Hwang Gujo, who had seemed indifferent and distracted, choked and coughed. Jaekwon raised an eyebrow and let out a short laugh.

“Dead people can speak through me. And the living can hear the words of the dead through me.”

Because Jaekwon didn’t interrupt, Wisoo continued his explanation.

“Of course, there are conditions. First, the spirit has to be here, whether as a earthbound spirit or in some other form…”

“Ah, stop.”

Jaekwon, rubbing his eyebrows and eyes with his hand, let out a series of hollow laughs.

“Stepmother, you’re a strange person.”

“…….”

“I don’t believe in fortune-telling or tarot cards. Things like that sound as nonsensical as saying personality is determined by blood type.”

Bang—

Jaekwon slammed his hand, which had been rubbing his face, down on the table and glared at Wisoo, growling.

“I can’t stand hearing such nonsense about my mother.”

“No, I really…!”

“I don’t care whether Seon Wisoo-ssi is crazy or if the old man was fooled by a con artist and slept with you. Fine. Furthermore, I can even find it endearing that Seon Wisoo-ssi wants to act innocent.”

“Kwak Jaekwon-ssi, so…!”

“But don’t do that to me. And don’t even mention my mother.”

Jaekwon stood up abruptly. His back, as he turned to leave, looked as if he was about to leave the house immediately, so Wisoo stumbled out of his chair. Gujo, who had grabbed his car keys while Jaekwon was getting up, caught Wisoo, who was about to fall, and winked, saying, “Take care.”

Wisoo, forgetting the tingling pain in his shins and ankles from hitting the chair, ran after him. Jaekwon was already heading out the front door.

The threshold between him and Jaekwon, who was walking out with his hands in his pockets and slippers dragging, as if he were a man of leisure, felt like the divide between life and death. As soon as Jaekwon stepped out, Wisoo, feeling as if the house was about to engulf him, frantically looked around and then, without even putting on his shoes, ran out and clung to Jaekwon’s back, his waist.

“You scratched yourself on a branch while picking persimmons at your maternal grandfather’s house, Kwak Jaekwon-ssi!”

At the shout, uttered with his eyes squeezed shut, Jaekwon stopped dead in his tracks. Unaware that Jaekwon had stopped, Wisoo continued to shout desperately, his eyes still closed.

“G, Grandpa’s shoulders…! Mother said to leave some persimmons for the magpies…!”

At the rambling words, unable to finish a single sentence, Jaekwon spun around.

His startled face turned sharply, his hair swaying. A faint scar was visible on his hairline, extending towards his temple. Just as Wisoo had said, it was a scar from being scratched by a branch when he was three, touching a persimmon tree while riding on his grandfather’s shoulders. It was Kwak Jaekwon’s first memory.

However, rather than surprise, Jaekwon expressed cynicism. If his intention earlier had been mostly to intimidate, now he was genuinely annoyed. He pulled Wisoo’s arms off his waist and brushed his clothes as if something dirty had touched him.

“Did the old man, that Kwak Bonyoung bastard, tell you?”

Jaekwon asked in a distinctly irritated voice.

In fact, it wasn’t even a question.

“It wasn’t only my deceased mother and maternal grandfather who saw me get hurt. There was the person who treated me, the driver who carried me to the hospital, and the person who looked after my grandparents’ house. Childhood injuries are fond memories to reminisce about every season. Who told you?”

“N, no, I really saw it…”

“You don’t look it, but it seems Seon Wisoo-ssi is older than me. Well, this is a mess. I haven’t even thought about sorting out the family register.”

Jaekwon sneered.

Wisoo, realizing that no matter how much he insisted he knew through what Jaekwon’s mother had told and shown him, it wouldn’t be accepted, dropped his arms无力地.

“Must be nice.”

Wisoo muttered dejectedly.

Nice? Jaekwon raised an eyebrow at the unexpected, nonsensical remark.

“I wish I didn’t look that way either. And I wish I only had people around me who didn’t believe what they saw.”

But Jaekwon was a ruthless person. Even if someone insulted him on the street and threw eggs or spilled coffee on him, he wouldn’t bat an eye. So, he wasn’t about to be suddenly moved by Wisoo’s words.

“You can choose who you associate with. You’re still young, so get your act together and live properly. Don’t go around being an old man’s mistress.”

Wisoo, for the first time, felt a surge of anger at being constantly treated and spoken to as someone who sold his body. He couldn’t argue if someone said lending his body to the dead was the same as selling it, but being endlessly insulted for something that hadn’t happened was unfair, even for Wisoo.

“I’m telling you, it’s not true!”

Wisoo glared at Jaekwon with reddened eyes, his fists clenched tight.

“I really didn’t do that kind of thing with the chairman!”

At that moment, a crisp crack appeared on the eaves tile of the gloomily beautiful house. And as the tile fell and shattered completely, a silence fell among the three men, paradoxically.

Jaekwon concluded that the house must be so old that it crumbled from a skinny man shouting. He kicked away a piece of tile that had landed near his feet and clicked his tongue.

“Well, I guess it would be a bit uncomfortable to have sex in a house like this.”

Jaekwon chuckled.

Actually, Kwak Jaekwon wasn’t usually someone who harbored such persistent malice. It was inefficient. Yet, strangely, and to an extent that even Hwang Gujo wouldn’t find odd, Jaekwon’s malice towards Wisoo seemed natural. There was even an objectively valid reason. To the point that he didn’t question wasting time tormenting this person. The gloomy, damp atmosphere of the house made all of this feel natural.

Letting out a sigh, Jaekwon grabbed Wisoo, who was making his skin crawl with discomfort. He was irritating and annoying. Perhaps it was because of the flowing pheromones and the thought of his father’s touch all over this person.

Even though he was holding Seon Wisoo, it felt like he was holding Kwak Bonyoung, and Jaekwon, unable to even suspect his irrational and illogical malice, simply suppressed his nausea.

“I’m not asking for this house. I’ll tell Secretary Shin to give you a little each month for house maintenance and living expenses. So, there’s no need to cling to me.”

“…….”

“It wasn’t a pleasant meeting, to say the least, but I don’t wish you ill. That’s how you live, so what can I do. So, let’s each live our own lives, Seon Wisoo-ssi.”

Jaekwon nodded to Gujo, leaving the stiff Wisoo. Taking the hint to leave, Hwang Gujo ran to the garage to get the car. Jaekwon, walking out to the garden, spotted the hose and turned it on to wash his hands. Wisoo stared for a long time at the dripping water trails from Jaekwon’s wet fingertips as he walked away.

Then, at the sound of the car engine starting, a realization flashed through his mind. Ignoring the hands scrambling to grab him from behind, Wisoo ran out.

Even if Jaekwon didn’t know, his secretary had clearly had nightmares and sleep paralysis. And Hwang Gujo would be driving. That meant Jaekwon wasn’t safe either.

❖ ❖ ❖

Ten minutes after their departure, Hwang Gujo and Kwak Jaekwon were stranded again. The car, its hood crumpled and smoking, was smashed against a wall, and Kwak Jaekwon handed his business card and contact information to the homeowner, who had suffered this misfortune first thing in the morning.

“I definitely wasn’t sleepy.”

Hwang Gujo, bewildered, scratched his head as he looked around the car. Although he had slept poorly, he had been wide awake when they left. He couldn’t understand how he had suddenly dozed off and crashed into a wall after only ten minutes of driving, not even an hour.

The homeowner, who had rushed out, looked back and forth between Kwak Jaekwon’s business card, his attire, his appearance, and the car, then cleared his throat. The man, who was more than neat, even handsome and beautiful, apologized without any embellishment, “I will compensate you in any way possible. I am truly sorry.”

“Well, even if you settle the estimate later, what about the car? Isn’t it expensive?”

“It’s more important that no one was hurt. And your wall, which we damaged.”

It seemed he was more concerned about the car than the decades-old wall. The man in his undershirt peered at the car he had only seen in photos or on video platforms.

“Sir, I think we need to get a replacement car.”

Even if a tow truck arrived, they had no immediate means of transportation. Jaekwon, having already anticipated this, nodded.

“I’ll go back and get a car.”

“Alright. Go and get a checkup at the hospital too. A car accident is dangerous.”

“I’ll get a thorough checkup.”

Hwang Gujo, who took impeccable care of himself even without being told, immediately replied.

Suddenly stranded, Jaekwon took out a cigarette and lit it. Then he offered one to the homeowner, asking if he smoked.

They shared a light, and a moment later, they heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

“D, did you have an accident?”

It was Wisoo.

His panting breaths sounded as if he had just run a marathon.

Jaekwon slowly scanned Wisoo, his cheeks flushed and breathless, then frowned at his bare white feet.

‘They look like the feet I saw before going to the funeral home. But he couldn’t have been at the house at that time. And there was no sign of anyone.’

Wisoo was more interested in the car than Jaekwon’s gaze. Considering the damage, the two men were remarkably unscathed.

“Are you alright? Any injuries?”

Wisoo looked around the car, even though no one answered.

The homeowner also showed interest in Wisoo, who had appeared barefoot.

“Ah, he lives in the house up there.”

Jaekwon asked as if to say, ‘You’ve seen him before, right?’ However, the homeowner looked bewildered.

“A young kid like that lived there too?”

“…….”

Seon Wisoo had said he lived with the old man for five years. Even if he had only been living there for three, no, even just one year, it would be difficult not to have seen him at least once in this small village. Wasn’t it a place where rumors spread quickly?

Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, the homeowner muttered, “Ah! The one who lived with that old man…!”

“The owner of that house… Didn’t he have a heart attack or something?”

The homeowner asked hesitantly, glancing at Jaekwon. He knew as much as he needed to know. Even the whispered remark, “They said it wasn’t a heart attack, but something else,” was audible, though quiet. The homeowner’s gaze, now a mix of curiosity and contempt, lingered on Wisoo.

Jaekwon shifted his position slightly as if to shield Wisoo from the gaze.

“Yes. We were just about to head back after the funeral.”

“Oh. Is that so…”

The homeowner muttered, exhaling a puff of smoke, and asked again. He was far more curious about the unfamiliar strangers and the barefoot young man than his collapsed wall.

“Is this your son?”

Jaekwon’s eyes twitched. Even though he knew, after a paternity test driven by paranoia, that he and Kwak Bonyoung were undeniably father and son, he was reluctant to admit it readily.

“Yes. Well. That’s right.”

“Oh dear. Must be tough.”

“Yes, yes, turn right at the hardware store!”

Hwang Gujo, glancing at them, made a deliberately loud call to the tow truck driver.

They could hear the engine. Good timing. Jaekwon went to Seon Wisoo, who was dangerously close to the scattered debris on the road, grabbed his arm, and pulled him away.

“Coming out barefoot. Do you want to add to the rumors that you’re crazy?”

Jaekwon didn’t bother saying to Wisoo, ‘Isn’t it enough that there are rumors you killed the old man during sex?’ It was simply because the villagers had no right or qualification to insult this young man.

Rather than pain, Wisoo felt relief at the force with which Jaekwon pulled him. Jaekwon pulled him closer and placed him on his feet.

“You must be heavy…”

“You do need to gain some weight.”

The private tow truck demanded a hefty sum. Jaekwon, annoyed, paid what they asked. Instead, Hwang Gujo decided to ride in the passenger seat. The tow truck driver grinned and nodded when Jaekwon said they would settle the matter person to person, without contacting the insurance company.

“I’ll be back with a replacement car!”

Hwang Gujo shouted, leaning out the passenger window. Jaekwon nodded.

Wisoo, confirming that the unpleasant something clinging to Hwang Gujo had been removed with this accident, felt relieved. It was a proper cleansing. If only the car was damaged and no one was hurt, it was a small price to pay.

“As you can see, we need to go back.”

Jaekwon’s voice was laced with annoyance. Well, no one would be in a good mood after experiencing such a thing.

The homeowner in his undershirt said, “Wait a minute,” and brought out a pair of old bathroom slippers from his house.

“Wear these. It wouldn’t look good for a young man to be walking around like that, might start some strange rumors.”

“Thank you.”

Wisoo bowed his head. The homeowner, seeing that the son of the old man from up the hill, who never showed his face even during holidays, wasn’t offering the young man a ride, discreetly placed the slippers in front of them. Only then did Jaekwon release Wisoo.

He seems like a kind person.

Wisoo thought quietly as he slipped his feet into the slippers.

Though his words were harsh, he wasn’t a bad person. Wisoo had seen many bad people, selfish people, and the worst of all, cowardly people, so he liked Jaekwon. His words weren’t scary, and they didn’t even hurt. There were some unfair aspects, but unfairness, like its pronunciation, was bland and frustrating, not painful.

Wisoo walked back the way he had come, alongside Jaekwon. Jaekwon walked straight, keeping a distance wide enough for Wisoo’s arm to fit comfortably between them. He was wearing the loafers Wisoo had bought, though the memory was hazy. It was the first time he realized they were slip-ons.

‘All the things I bought were for him.’

It felt strange. He would frantically pick and choose items, then come to his senses amidst a pile of shopping bags. Chairman Kwak watched him do this a few times before bringing him to this house. Why the chairman had been so displeased, Wisoo learned thanks to the ranting of the dead, whose screams were splitting his head.

“At first, I thought Seon Wisoo-ssi had punctured the tires or something.”

Jaekwon’s relaxed tone and voice made it feel like late afternoon rather than morning.

“That’s why the car suddenly lunged like a crazy animal.”

“…….”

Punctured tires. Why hadn’t he thought of that? He should do that next time. Next time, he should definitely puncture all four.

Unaware of the pebble-like thoughts rolling around in Wisoo’s mind, Jaekwon took out a cigarette from the pack in his hip pocket, then put it back.

They were back at the house before he knew it. The door, left unsecured in his haste, was wide open like a zippered backpack. Kwak Jaekwon let Wisoo enter first and then slammed the iron gate shut.

“You didn’t really do that, right?”

Despite the suspicious question, Wisoo smiled faintly. Entering with Jaekwon, even this house didn’t feel as damp.

“No. I really didn’t. I didn’t think of that.”

‘Didn’t think of that.’ 

Jaekwon’s eyebrows twitched.

“But how did you know to run out? You rushed out as if you knew there was going to be an accident.”

“The sound…”

“You heard that sound all the way here?”

Jaekwon scoffed. He didn’t seem inclined to let it go.

Wisoo turned and looked at Jaekwon. Even if he didn’t believe him, he lacked the creativity to lie, so he had no choice but to be honest.

“That man.”

“Hwang Gujo.”

“Yes. Hwang Gujo-ssi. He was sleeping upstairs and didn’t sleep well.”

“So, he dozed off? The guy who left with bright eyes, after ten minutes?”

“No, it’s because Hwang Gujo-ssi was touched by misfortune.”

“Misfortune? Saliva? Semen?”

Wisoo’s mouth clamped shut at the unexpected response and train of thought.

The people around Wisoo only spoke to him and listened when they wanted something from him. Kwak Jaekwon listened to him even though he didn’t want anything. He was excited and happy to talk, but his words were cut off like this.

“There is such a thing as… misfortune. Like bad luck.”

“Ah, if you’re going to spout such useless nonsense, I’d rather go inside and sleep.”

Jaekwon waved his hand and tried to pass by Wisoo. Wisoo grabbed him tightly and held on. Jaekwon chuckled at the sight of him resisting as if in a tug-of-war.

“You have no sense of personal space, Seon Wisoo-ssi.”

“You call me stepmother, right? Then listen to me.”

“You said you didn’t sleep with the old man? But you want to be treated like one?”

“I’m just asking you to listen to me!”

“It’s because your words are so useless. See?”

Jaekwon brought his index finger and thumb together as if picking off a bug and flicked them. It stung as if he had been flicked on the back of his hand.

Wisoo hurriedly chased after Jaekwon, who was walking away.

“Even though you slept soundly on the second floor, Kwak Jaekwon-ssi, Hwang Gujo-ssi didn’t sleep well and might have even experienced sleep paralysis. Those things are attracted to that kind of constitution. I thought they wouldn’t let him go easily. The car breaking down was a misfortune cleanse!”

From Jaekwon’s back alone, Wisoo could tell he wasn’t listening. He felt defiant. Perhaps it was because he was used to people who, while preventing him from saying what he wanted, would listen with bright eyes when he spoke about these kinds of things, even if he didn’t want to. Jaekwon was unfamiliar to Wisoo. And he liked it. He liked the strong energy that didn’t easily lend an ear to such ‘nonsense.’

“So, come with me.”

“How did the conversation get here?”

“The same thing could happen even if Hwang Gujo-ssi brings a new car. I’ll give you this house, Kwak Jaekwon-ssi. I don’t need it. So, take me with you. A, anyway, the inheritance is tied to me!”

“I don’t need the inheritance. I can make a living without it.”

Jaekwon, turning around, poured himself a glass of water and drank it. 250ml disappeared in an instant.

“You don’t know how to negotiate, Seon Wisoo-ssi. You make an offer only when the other party wants something. If they don’t, constantly suggesting things makes you look desperate. And easy.”

This time, Wisoo was pushed back by Jaekwon’s index finger, which flicked his forehead instead of the back of his hand.

“Go wash your feet. You’re getting the house dirty. It’s yours now, stepmother, so you should take care of it, right?”

Wisoo hurriedly washed up, worried that Jaekwon might disappear in the meantime. It was only for a moment, but Jaekwon wasn’t inside the house. He even checked the second floor, which he hated going up to, but he wasn’t there. He was about to rush outside when he remembered to put on the slippers this time.

“Kwak Jaekwon…! Ssi…”

His voice, which had started as a shout of bewilderment, trailed off.

Kwak Jaekwon was in the yard. He was smoking a cigarette, one hand in his pocket, the other holding the hose. A rainbow formed under the wide spray of water, its nozzle flattened. The leaves, neglected during the funeral period, were regaining their vibrancy as they were soaked with water. His slightly furrowed brow seemed to be a habit when he was lost in thought or thinking of nothing at all.

“My mother didn’t really like the garden.”

Jaekwon muttered as if to himself, making Wisoo wonder if he was actually talking to him.

“But using these as an excuse, she could stay outside the house, so she persistently cultivated them.”

“Here…?”

Jaekwon burst out laughing at Wisoo’s question.

“Here? No, at our original house. She diligently watered, fertilized, and nurtured them, even though she didn’t know the names of a single one of them. So, many of them died. When they died, she would dig them up and plant new ones. I think it was an obsession.”

“…….”

“It’s amazing how foolish the old man was to replicate it here, thinking she enjoyed doing it.”

Jaekwon walked over and turned off the water. Then, he apologized without a hint of sincerity.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I must have offended you by insulting your lover.”

“Not at all.”

Wisoo answered immediately. He was constantly confused about whether Jaekwon’s misunderstandings were genuine or stubborn.

“I told you he wasn’t my lover…”

“Then how did you end up living together like that?”

“Because he gave me a lot of money. Ah, not me, the company.”

“Right. About that company. I’m curious. What kind of place buys and sells people? I thought such practices ended in the early 20th century.”

“I told you. Because I can talk to dead people…”

“I told you. I don’t believe in that kind of thing.”

“…Then we’ll just keep repeating the same things.”

Jaekwon raised his head. He was gently stroking the wet leaves. Unlike Jaekwon’s mother, who hadn’t known the names or families of these plants, Wisoo felt that he somehow knew both. He could tell just by looking at which ones had been watered and which hadn’t.

“‘We’? Don’t lump us together like that.”

He drew a firm line, his words laced with a sharp edge.

Wisoo, pouting slightly in disappointment, crept closer to Jaekwon.

“You knew some of them, though.”

Then, he whispered,

“You knew hydrangeas, roses, morning glories, and dandelions, but you couldn’t tell the difference between azaleas and royal azaleas.”