Mother Tape – Chapter 2.1

Author: nicotine

Kwak Jaekwon recalled Wisoo four days later.

Three days after leaving the house, Hwang Gujo was hospitalized. Hwang Gujo initially thought his symptoms were simply due to a change in water. He endured it for a day before ultimately being taken to the emergency room.

“Some people die from food poisoning. You’re lucky it’s just this.”

Even as the doctor said this and left, Kwak Jaekwon naturally didn’t think of Wisoo.

“I don’t have anything urgent to go back to, so I can rest a bit.”

“Then why did you keep rushing me to leave immediately? I haven’t been back to Korea in a long time, and there’s so much I wanted to eat!”

“So what did you eat that made you sick?”

Jaekwon clicked his tongue.

“I don’t know. I don’t even remember. Ugh, I’m dying. I’ve never had enteritis before.”

“Really. This is the first time I’ve seen you sick.”

“The way you say that, CEO, is really annoying.”

“I’m not the CEO anymore. It doesn’t bother me when you say that.”

“What?!”

Hwang Gujo, startled enough to shake his IV stand, blinked.

“I resigned from the CEO position. Only the board’s decision remains. Once it’s decided, I’m going to live a life of leisure.”

He knew Jaekwon had enough money to live luxuriously even if he didn’t work, but he still couldn’t understand his sudden resignation after working like a madman.

“Jaekwon, are you finally crazy?”

“You’re talking down to me as soon as I say I quit being CEO?”

Hwang Gujo was actually Jaekwon’s classmate. They had been close friends since high school and through college in the United States. Therefore, Hwang Gujo thought he had the right to say such things.

“People die when they change that suddenly.”

“That’s a pretty harsh curse. Thanks?”

“Hey, how can you change your mind so suddenly? After living like a bulldozer, how are you going to cope with the boredom of resting?”

Jaekwon craved a cigarette. He patted his pockets, then remembered he was in a hospital room. Hwang Gujo took a sip of the drink he couldn’t even taste.

“I have to learn how to live that way too.”

“…Is it because your father passed away?”

“…….”

He didn’t deny that he had lived like a madman because of Kwak Bonyoung. Hatred was so futile. If he had strangled him with his own hands, it wouldn’t have been like this. He had hated a man to the point of madness, and now that the man was gone, he felt empty and wondered what he had been living for.

“I should have taken the house after all.”

Jaekwon muttered, rolling the bottle cap in his hand.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo?”

“…….”

If someone suddenly moved and settled into a house large enough to live in until death, there must be a reason. There must be an attachment. He wondered if destroying and dismantling that attachment would make him feel better.

“The owner of the house whose wall we crashed into contacted me.”

The gluttonous Hwang Gujo said this while staring at Jaekwon’s bobbing Adam’s apple as he drank his juice. Licking his lips was a bonus.

“Why? I told them to use whatever materials and people they wanted to build it sturdy.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t about the wall.”

Hwang Gujo picked up his charging phone, tapped the screen a few times, and then showed it to Jaekwon.

“That house… they said no one has come or gone for four days.”

“…….”

“Mr. Seon Wisoo hasn’t come out once either.”

“The old man has a lot of time. To even observe such things.”

“He must be the neighborhood’s information hub, the hub.”

Jaekwon tapped the already empty glass bottle.

Seon Wisoo hadn’t mentioned anything about the lawsuit he had brought up. In fact, there had been no contact at all. He might have been flustered at first, but now that some time had passed, he seemed to be thinking clearly. Even if he couldn’t get a large sum of money at once by disposing of his assets, he could probably withdraw enough cash to live more comfortably than others. He had even told his lawyer that he didn’t need to inform him if that young omega contacted him for cash.

So he assumed Wisoo was doing well. Naturally, he thought there would be no reason to worry about him or be involved with him again.

But no one has come or gone, he said. What did he say last time he left? That even if Kwak Jaekwon was fine, the people around him would get hurt, or something like that. It sounded like nonsense to anyone.

“I think that Mr. Seon Wisoo said you would get hurt.”

“Huh. Why?”

“I don’t know. Anyway, I think he said something like that.”

Jaekwon stood up. He threw the glass bottle into the trash can with a thud.

“That Seon Wisoo… does he really have that kind of… aura?”

“What aura?”

With his hands in his pockets, Jaekwon stared blankly at the bright blue trash can and answered indifferently.

“The aura of seducing older men?”

“Hey. With that face, women would like him too. It’s not like he’d only seduce men.”

“So what. He’s shut himself in.”

And besides, so what. He spouts nonsense and has an academic complex.

Jaekwon snatched the car key from the nightstand and put it in his pocket.

“Where are you going!”

“To get army stew. Oh, and the board hasn’t made a decision yet. I’m still the CEO.”

“That guy, only when it suits him…!”

Hwang Gujo turned around and smacked his lips at Jaekwon’s disappearing back.

“Can’t you get me some takeout too?! …Can’t you?! Huh?!”

❖ ❖ ❖

Jaekwon realized that Google Maps didn’t work in Korea and cursed under his breath. It had guided him through strange roads, making him go in circles.

Thanks to randomly selecting a menu item, he couldn’t find an army stew restaurant, but he did find a kimchi stew place attached to a butcher shop. He ordered two servings of kimchi stew with thick slices of pork and four portions of rice. Two portions were for him, but he wasn’t sure if Seon Wisoo would eat two. In any case, the man needed to gain some weight.

Jaekwon frowned at the early summer afternoon sun. It felt too soon to put on sunglasses, as he was almost home. Before entering the garage, he muttered.

“It’s still a creepy house.”

Actually, the house wasn’t as gloomy as Jaekwon described. It was old-fashioned and even pretty. That was just Jaekwon’s impression.

Jaekwon entered and went upstairs with the sloshing kimchi stew bag, his steps lazy. As soon as he opened the front door, he felt a chill, as if the air conditioner was on full blast. But that was only at first, and he soon realized that the inside of the house was sticky and muggy.

“What the….”

Jaekwon muttered and stepped inside. It felt hotter than outside, yet his bones felt chilled. It was unpleasant. Above all, there was no sign of life.

With a seriously furrowed brow, he was about to call out, “Mr. Seon Wisoo,” when he heard a series of clattering footsteps. It was coming from the stairs. Naturally assuming it was Seon Wisoo, he turned his head sharply, only to find no one there, his lips twisting into a slanted grimace.

“If you’re going to play hide-and-seek, shouldn’t you ask me if I want to play first?”

He dismissed it as Seon Wisoo playing a prank.

But soon, from deep inside the first floor, he heard a series of stumbling, bustling sounds and thuds. Then Seon Wisoo appeared, dressed ridiculously in a large long-sleeved t-shirt over an equally large short-sleeved t-shirt, the hems of his pants dragging on the floor.

“Mr… Jaekwon?”

It was only a moment later that Jaekwon realized the clothes Seon Wisoo was wearing were the ones he had shown him before, saying they would fit. Jaekwon frowned and stared for a long time at Seon Wisoo, his hair disheveled and his face a pitiful mess.

“…Let’s air out the house first.”

The house was filled with the scent of Seon Wisoo’s pheromones.

❖ ❖ ❖

Wisoo sat blankly, holding his spoon, watching Jaekwon’s back as he bustled about in the kitchen.

He wondered if he was hallucinating. Seeing Kwak Jaekwon moving around in this house’s kitchen felt that unreal.

“Get some water out, please.”

Jaekwon said without looking back. Wisoo hurriedly opened the refrigerator and took out two water bottles. Jaekwon, who had turned around at the sound, approached, closed the containers, and looked inside.

“…Haven’t you eaten anything?”

Everything was exactly as he had last seen it before leaving. The positions of the food containers, the amount of food inside.

Jaekwon opened a container, looked inside, and frowned slightly. It was early summer. The season of decay. No matter how long something was kept in the refrigerator, there was a limit.

“I asked if you haven’t eaten anything.”

“No.”

Wisoo gave an unbelievable answer. Jaekwon turned around, dumbfounded.

“Because there was no food? Or because you were too lazy to cook?”

“Because there was only meat and spicy food….”

“You’re quite picky.”

Jaekwon muttered and closed the refrigerator door.

He hardly eats, Jaekwon thought. He considered this all Wisoo’s choice.

“Oh, but can you eat kimchi stew? It’s spicy and has a lot of meat.”

Jaekwon brought out the heated food. Wisoo gulped at the sight of the rice and stew in front of him. The stimulating smell and visuals made Wisoo’s body, which had only consumed water and a little soy milk for the past few days, scream with hunger.

“Should I buy you something else?”

At the question, Wisoo quietly looked around the house.

No one was there. It was quiet. How long had it been since he experienced this silence? It really felt like he and Kwak Jaekwon were the only ones in the house. There was no one watching him, no one to report what he ate or did, no one to scold him.

Wisoo gripped his spoon tightly.

“No. I’ll eat.”

Wisoo carefully scooped up the stew Jaekwon served him. The bright red broth shimmered with oil. He blew on it gently, took a small sip, and the mixture of salty, spicy, and savory flavors exploded like fireworks in his head.

“…….”

He must have looked up with an expression of pure joy, as if he was about to cry. Jaekwon chuckled and said, “Oh, you’re going to cry.”

It was delicious. So delicious that he could eat it every day for a year. As he gulped it down, Wisoo realized why his teacher had forbidden him from tasting such flavors. Forbidden things were tempting and sweet. Wisoo wanted to eat only sweet things.

Jaekwon watched him eat, so delighted by how much Wisoo enjoyed it that he put down his own spoon.

“Eat slowly. Don’t choke.”

The man who had left as if he would never return was acting strangely warm. However, Wisoo, preoccupied with filling his mouth and stomach, failed to notice the peculiarity.

Even as he ate, the sleeves of the ill-fitting clothes kept sliding down. Jaekwon found it strange that Wisoo wasn’t sweating at all, despite wearing multiple layers.

“Why don’t you roll up your sleeves?”

At his words, Wisoo mumbled and rolled up his sleeves. They fell back down again. As long as they don’t fall into the stew, Jaekwon thought as he resumed his own meal.

Jaekwon finished a bowl and a half and put down his spoon. While he had eaten that much, Wisoo hadn’t even finished one bowl.

“I have a question.”

Wisoo swallowed what he had been holding in his mouth and nodded.

“Hwang Gujo was hospitalized.”

“…Yes.”

“Is this what you meant, Mr. Seon Wisoo, when you said I wouldn’t be able to leave?”

“…….”

“I told you to talk to the dead people, right?”

Jaekwon crossed his arms and sank into his chair.

“I’m disappointed…. Didn’t you speak to them properly?”

“I tried to, but they wouldn’t listen to me.”

Seeing Jaekwon’s smile, Wisoo pressed his lips together. He didn’t believe him again….

“It’s true. I tried talking to them.”

“Alright. Hwang Gujo is hospitalized, and since you said so, Mr. Seon Wisoo, I should at least pretend to believe you.”

Wisoo cautiously raised his head. His eyes, despite his attempts to hide it, sparkled. As if to say, “See?” Jaekwon chuckled in disbelief.

“Are you happy?”

“…No.”

“You can say you’re happy if you are. Your stepmother seems happy.”

“She’s not my stepmother. Why do you keep asking, Mr. Kwak Jaekwon, when you don’t believe a word I say?”

“Because it’s amusing to hear you talk nonsense seriously.”

Jaekwon poured water and handed it to Wisoo. Then he drank the remaining glass himself.

It was only after drinking the water that Wisoo realized he had eaten too quickly. He felt uncomfortably nauseous, as if a live octopus was squirming in his stomach. He repeatedly sipped the cold water.

“Why were you wearing clothes that don’t even fit? Did you wear them and masturbate while thinking of your new stepson?”

“N, no. That’s absurd….”

Alcohol, cigarettes, and sexual desire were also forbidden to Wisoo.

“They were clothes I’d never worn, so my pheromones wouldn’t have been on them.”

He couldn’t sense pheromones anyway.

“I thought if I wore these, the dead people wouldn’t talk to me.”

“So, did they not talk to you?”

“No….”

Wisoo sadly shook his head. They kept lingering. They seemed to crave him even more. That was why he had ended up wearing so many layers. He felt like he had to wrap himself layer upon layer, like armor, to protect himself.

“You’re leaving again, right?”

Wisoo asked dejectedly. He knew from their first meeting that Jaekwon wasn’t someone who could be held back. If so, he wanted to keep even a trace of him.

“If you’re leaving, could you wear these clothes, just for a while?”

Jaekwon’s expression turned subtle. He smiled as if frowning. Despite making a request that could easily be misunderstood and even offend someone, Wisoo was persistent.

“Just a little while. Even 30 minutes….”

“…….”

“Or 20 minutes…?”

Since Jaekwon didn’t seem inclined to agree, Wisoo gradually reduced the time. He wished that even a little of Jaekwon’s clean, quiet, dark, empty presence would linger on the clothes.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo. The food in your refrigerator is rotting, and you haven’t eaten anything for three days.”

Jaekwon spoke slowly, arms crossed.

“And you’re wearing multiple layers of ill-fitting clothes as if it’s not a problem at all. In early summer, no less.”

“…….”

“And all you’re asking is for me to wear those clothes for a few minutes? That’s all?”

“Then even 10 minutes….”

“Look.”

No matter what he said, Wisoo was desperate. He felt nauseous, and the house, quieted by Jaekwon’s presence, felt muggy again. The absence of the chill didn’t lessen the cold. He felt a shiver despite the stifling heat.

“When I came in, I thought I had to clean up a corpse.”

“…….”

“If you’re going to lose it, do it where I can’t see you. If you’re going to die, die where I can’t see you. Don’t make me clean up after you.”

“I’m not losing it, and I’m not going to die…!”

Wisoo abruptly stood up, unable to finish his sentence. He ran to the bathroom with a retching sound, and Jaekwon, watching him, reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

“He’s really something.”

He muttered, lighting a cigarette with the food still in front of him. He didn’t think Wisoo would be able to eat any more, even if he came back.

❖ ❖ ❖

Wisoo was clearly suffering from indigestion. Watching Wisoo groan and sweat profusely, his face pale, Jaekwon picked up his car keys.

“…Are you leaving?”

Even while sick, Wisoo looked up at Jaekwon and asked anxiously.

“Yes. I’m leaving.”

“…….”

Wisoo withdrew his hand like a puppy with its tail between its legs. Even looking at the young man looking so pitifully dejected, Kwak Jaekwon remained cold.

While Wisoo vomited everything he had eaten and continued to retch, Jaekwon cleaned up the mess. He decided he would have to call someone to empty the refrigerator.

Like leftover food rotting away, the only thing left in this house that couldn’t be dealt with was Seon Wisoo.

“Why isn’t Secretary Shin coming?”

“Secretary Shin? Was he supposed to come?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

Jaekwon clicked his tongue. This was news to Wisoo. Secretary Shin was someone who used to come and go when Chairman Kwak was alive, not someone responsible for things after his death.

“I’ll contact Secretary Shin. That’s all I’ll do for you.”

He shouldn’t have come here. He had never expected anything, but he wondered why he had come all this way, feeling like he had wasted his time. Even as he walked to the front door, Wisoo didn’t try to stop him. Jaekwon, holding the door, lit a cigarette.

Then he heard a whimpering sound from inside.

“Jaekwon.”

Was he crying? Or laughing?

“Where are you going? Don’t go….”

It was clearly Seon Wisoo’s voice, but it resonated as if layered with an echo. An unpleasant resonance. One that made his hair stand on end, not his eardrums, as if it was tugging and shaking them.

“Don’t go…. Don’t leave me alone….”

Jaekwon tossed the cigarette he had only taken one drag from to light and came back inside. Shoes still on, he entered and stood before Seon Wisoo like a demon.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

Wisoo was standing. With his sleeves drooping and the hems of his pants dragging, he literally looked like a madman. Jaekwon reached out to shake Wisoo threateningly and yell at him. His hand touched Wisoo’s shoulder. At that moment, Wisoo’s eyes rolled upwards, and he collapsed as if he had fainted.

❖ ❖ ❖

Whether it was blocks or puzzles, he enjoyed meticulously putting them together. However, it wasn’t for the sake of completion, but for the pleasure of spectacularly destroying the finished product.

Jaekwon sat with his legs crossed, solving a 4×4 Rubik’s Cube. He held it up in the air, turning it this way and that, then repeated the assembly process a few times.

The sound woke Wisoo.

At first, he thought it was raining or had just stopped raining because of the steady dripping sound. However, he soon realized it was the sound of liquid dripping from an IV.

“Malnutrition. Not surprising at all.”

Jaekwon spoke without even glancing at Wisoo.

Wisoo lifted his arm and rotated it.

“Don’t move around unnecessarily and make yourself bleed. Just stay still. Unlike your first impression, you’re quite restless, Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

“What is this?”

“It’s an IV drip with nutrients. It’s expensive. Make sure you get every last drop.”

“…….”

“I’m thinking of charging it to the trust fund tied to your stepmother. Is that okay? You have plenty of money, right?”

“That’s all… Mr. Kwak Jaekwon’s money.”

“No, it’s not. I have no intention of taking care of you, Mr. Seon Wisoo, so it’s yours.”

Jaekwon tossed the completed Rubik’s Cube to the side. A thick carpet covered the floor, so even the relatively heavy plastic puzzle didn’t make a sound when it landed.

“Stay still until it’s all done.”

But before he could even finish his sentence, Wisoo struggled to pull out the IV needle. Failing even at that, he thrashed around, pulling the blanket over his head.

“Is this a hospital?!”

Jaekwon frowned and approached as Wisoo thrashed about, certain to cause blood backflow, swelling, and bruising.

Wisoo, curled up like a cocoon, wouldn’t let Jaekwon touch him. This reaction was quite different from the courtesy he had shown Jaekwon so far.

“I hate hospitals. I want to leave. I want to leave…. Please…!”

The world appeared differently to Wisoo than to others. As if another layer had been painted over a picture. And that layer, despite its high transparency, wasn’t beautiful like a watercolor painting.

Hospitals were battlefields of life and death. People died every day, and people left alive every day. Wisoo sobbed and cried, unable to even cry properly, “Huu, huu, huu.”

“I want to go out…. Please let me go out, Teacher….”

Jaekwon’s hand, reaching out to touch Wisoo while avoiding his thrashing, stopped at the pleading voice from under the blanket. Seon Wisoo’s voice was desperate, and his speech was childishly slurred.

“I’ll be good…. I’ll take my medicine properly….”

Jaekwon’s expression crumpled instantly.

“I’m so scared….”

“Hey, Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

“Aaack!”

This time, when he tried to restrain him forcefully, Wisoo flung his arm away. It was the arm with the IV needle. He didn’t seem to feel any pain. Wisoo quickly scrambled away from Jaekwon’s hand and huddled against the wall. His tear-soaked eyes darted around, unable to focus.

That was from Jaekwon’s perspective. Wisoo saw everything. There were women and men, elderly people and children. Wisoo covered his face with trembling hands. As if they all had much to say, they reached out to Wisoo, their mouths constantly moving and chattering.

“Ugh, ugh. Huu….”

He didn’t know whether to cover his eyes or ears. He wished they would just stay put and not act. Wisoo buried his face between his raised knees and covered his ears. Even the sight of Jaekwon reaching out was overlaid with that extra layer of the world only Wisoo could see, making him appear just like the dead.

“Go away…. Go away….”

“Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

Alarmed by Wisoo’s unusual seizure, Jaekwon pressed the nurse call button. Then, before Wisoo could thrash around again and further injure his arm with the needle, he hugged him tightly.

It was a very strong force. Wisoo, who had been struggling and frothing at the mouth, blinked as a sensation like entering a forest overlooking the sea washed over him.

His wet eyelids separated.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo, you say you hate hospitals, then why are you doing this? If you keep this up, you’ll have to stay longer.”

He finally heard Jaekwon’s soothing voice.

With his face buried in Jaekwon’s shoulder, Wisoo stared blankly at the terrifying world.

The people who had been complaining to him, ranting about their pain, or crying ear-splittingly were all gone. The extra layer vanished easily, like peeling off boiled bean pods, and all that remained was the living Kwak Jaekwon.

“Do you hate hospitals that much?”

Kwak Jaekwon asked. Wisoo nodded. It was such a slight movement that he wasn’t sure if Jaekwon had noticed.

“You hate hospitals, but you don’t eat and you flail your arms around. I don’t know what you’re trying to do.”

“…I hate it. I’ll… I’ll be still. I’ll eat properly too.”

“I don’t want to say this… but you and my father’s beloved, Mr. Seon Wisoo, have something in common.”

Knowing that Wisoo had calmed down enough to understand, Jaekwon pulled away and ran a hand through his hair.

“My mother also shuddered at the mention of hospitals.”

“…I know.”

“Yes, well. You know.”

Even though he didn’t believe him, Jaekwon turned around. A nurse entered at that moment. Even though it was obvious that there had been a commotion, the nurse pretended not to notice.

“His arm looks like it will swell badly. The blood vessels are probably damaged too…. I’ll insert the IV in the other arm.”

“What if he does this again?”

“He shouldn’t.”

Jaekwon smiled at the obvious answer.

His preference was for women rather than men, and for a sturdy build rather than a thin one. By that standard, the nurse who had just entered was Jaekwon’s type. Seeing the softening of Jaekwon’s gaze, Wisoo unconsciously reached out and tugged at his clothes.

“Can I… hold onto you like this?”

First asking to wear his clothes for a few minutes, and now asking to hold onto him. Jaekwon was about to say something, but he held back, remembering Wisoo’s pale face and the absurd reason for his hospitalization: malnutrition. He wasn’t the type to speak kindly, but he wasn’t an asshole who would be cruel to a patient. Probably.

When Jaekwon plopped down beside him, Wisoo smiled quietly. It was nice. Even though it was a hospital, it was quiet and not cold. He wanted to lift Jaekwon’s arm, make space at his side, and snuggle up against him. He felt like if he held him tight, there would be nothing to fear in the world.

However, he couldn’t because he had to extend his arm for the new IV, making it easier to find a vein. Disappointed, he gripped Jaekwon’s clothes tighter, and Jaekwon fiddled with his phone, ignoring the grip.

“Be careful. Even if it’s thin, a needle is still a needle.”

The nurse, after giving Jaekwon a warning look, left.

Silence filled the room again after her departure. Wisoo liked that too. He had always lived amidst noise.

“Ah. I need to use the restroom.”

Jaekwon said to the air, putting down his phone. He meant for Wisoo to hear.

“…Is it urgent?”

Wisoo asked, still clinging to the now-crumpled fabric of Jaekwon’s clothes.

“You want me to hold it in if it’s not?”

He didn’t answer, but it was an affirmation. Jaekwon was speechless.

“Excuse me, but it is urgent.”

Jaekwon acted petulant. As he pulled his clothes from Wisoo’s grasp and walked away, he felt a gaze on his back like that of a whimpering puppy. It wasn’t actually that urgent. He even deliberately lingered by the wall, wasting time. He should have said he was going out for a smoke.

Thinking about it made him actually crave a cigarette. Until he opened the sliding bathroom door and saw Seon Wisoo crouched right in front of it.

“Should I make a psychiatry appointment for you too?”

“Excuse me?”

Wisoo looked up at Jaekwon, who slowly crossed his arms as he looked back at him.

He had waited for him to come out. Being just outside the door, separated by a single wall, negated Jaekwon’s effect. He could see the dead people again, and there were even more of them than before. As if angry, they were crowding around him, their faces close, complaining and arguing. There were people who appeared to have been severely injured, cancer patients, and…. Ah, he didn’t even want to think about it.

He later understood that Jaekwon, upon seeing him like that, had judged him to be mentally unstable. For now, Wisoo threw his arms around Jaekwon’s legs. The surrounding air cleared instantly, as if ventilated.

“I’ll find you a doctor.”

“…….”

Wisoo, nuzzling Jaekwon’s leg and reveling in the sensation, looked up.

“Ah….”

“I’m sure I can find one if I look.”

“I’m not crazy.”

“You seem like it.”

“No, I’m not. I’m just vulnerable to places like hospitals and funeral homes. Temples are a bit better….”

And this place was much better than a temple. No, this was the best place.

With another satisfied moan, Wisoo rubbed his cheek harder against Jaekwon’s leg. It was such a spectacle that Jaekwon thought Wisoo would be lifted off the ground if he moved his leg, so he stepped back. Wisoo followed him.

His arms crept higher, almost reaching Jaekwon’s crotch. Before that, Wisoo frowned, feeling something hard against his cheek as he nuzzled.

“I told you, you’re not my type, Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

Jaekwon pushed Wisoo’s head away.

“You’re certainly novel. This is the first time I’ve seen someone behave so shamelessly.”

“…….”

“It’s better than jumping on someone sleeping naked or suddenly pulling down your pants and spreading your legs. Still, being this blatant might be a turn-off for some, so it would be better to find a different approach.”

Saying that, Jaekwon abruptly extended his leg.

He hadn’t intended to kick him, but he wouldn’t have cared if Wisoo got kicked. Wisoo was pushed back as if he would roll over, but he didn’t give up and scurried back to Jaekwon.

“Then what is Mr. Kwak Jaekwon’s type?”

Jaekwon ignored him and lay down on the hospital room sofa. His legs dangled off the end. The message to not disturb him was clear from the way he rested his head on his arms and closed his eyes.

“Your type. I’ll guess.”

“Don’t you have any pride, Mr. Seon Wisoo?”

“Pride doesn’t help me.”

“But it doesn’t make you look cheap.”

“I don’t care if I look cheap. As long as I can’t see what I see. I don’t care how others see me.”

Jaekwon didn’t answer.

Wisoo, watching Jaekwon’s expression, cautiously rested his head on the edge of the sofa. Then he gradually inched his way up. Rubbing his cheek, he pressed himself against Jaekwon’s thigh.

Just being in the same space made them less visible, but now he had to be touching him. It must be due to the nature of this space. Wisoo, pleased that Jaekwon wasn’t pushing him away, closed his eyes with a faint smile. It was a pitiful sight: the patient crouched on the floor, and the healthy-looking man lying on the sofa.

❖ ❖ ❖

The psychiatrist said he couldn’t make an accurate diagnosis without meeting the patient directly. He emphasized the importance of clinical tests and other detailed examinations. He cautiously asked, “Are his eating and sleeping patterns regular?”

All he knew about Seon Wisoo was that he had lived with his father before he died, and his occupation was left to the imagination. He was an awkward and uncomfortable presence. Despite this, Jaekwon could answer immediately.

“Not at all.”

If they were regular, there wouldn’t be red mold growing in the food containers in the refrigerator, and he wouldn’t have crawled out of his room in the summer wearing clothes like that.

“A regular lifestyle is the foundation of all health, both physically and mentally. If his condition seems serious, hospitalization is also an option.”

Jaekwon lightly scratched his chin. He thought for a moment before answering.

“I’m not his guardian.”

“We need the guardian’s consent.”

Did Seon Wisoo have parents? Or would he have to contact that suspicious agency or whatever it was?

Jaekwon said he understood and turned to leave.

Wisoo woke up a minute before Jaekwon returned. He was mumbling absentmindedly, then his eyes flew open and he scrambled backwards in fright.

“Ah, aaack!”

He was so startled that he couldn’t even scream properly.

The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was an empty, bleeding eye socket. Where the eyeball should have been, there was nothing but a gruesome, black cavity. It was talking to him, its lips moving and making chattering sounds. Wisoo flailed his hand. What he was holding was shaken along with it. Strangely, the dead person, despite aggressively invading his space, couldn’t get any closer.

“St, stay away!”

Wisoo seized the opportunity and shook it even harder. He had backed away so much that his back bumped against the door.

As if provoked, the figure, with blood dripping from its empty sockets and hair so tangled it looked braided, came closer. Its appearance was so horrific that he couldn’t even tell if it had been male or female in life.

“Haa, ugh, ah. Aghhh!”

Just as Wisoo squeezed his eyes shut, half-resigned, with a gasping moan, the door opened. The sliding door slid open, and Wisoo, who had been leaning against it, fell backwards. As he fell into the arms of the person who had opened the door, the figure that had been reaching out to touch him vanished like smoke. The stagnant stench and eerieness were sliced away by something sharp.

“Bad dream?”

Jaekwon reacted calmly to Wisoo’s outburst. As if he was used to this person losing it. Wisoo raised his tear-streaked face and looked up at Jaekwon. Tears streamed down his face as he blinked.

“Did you burst another blood vessel?”

Jaekwon clicked his tongue. It wasn’t the issue, but he acted as if the backflow of blood was the only problem, making Wisoo feel like his near-death experience had been a dream.

Kwak Jaekwon dragged Wisoo to a chair and sat him down. Only then did Wisoo realize that what he had been gripping and shaking was Jaekwon’s clothing. His fingers were numb from how tightly he had been holding on.

“That’s expensive.”

“It’s just a hoodie…?”

“There’s a world where even a ‘just a hoodie’ costs an exorbitant amount. Just like there’s a world where you keep rolling your eyes, Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

“…….”

Jaekwon, after checking the IV, knelt on one knee in front of Wisoo and looked up. His expression was serious. Wisoo recognized this expression. Not from Jaekwon, but from other people.

“Who’s your guardian, Mr. Seon Wisoo?”

“…….”

“You don’t have to tell me, but the admissions office will ask. And the psychiatric department too.”

Wisoo jumped to his feet. He knew it. He knew it!

“How about trying hospitalization?”

Wisoo flung Jaekwon’s clothes, which he had been holding, to the floor.

“Don’t think so negatively. It’s to make sure you wake up, eat, and sleep on time.”

“You think I’m crazy?”

“Then are you not? Look. The reason I don’t ask whether you and my dead father were in a common-law marriage or not is because, regardless of your relationship, I have no intention or desire to become your stepson or anything like that.”

Jaekwon ran a hand through his hair.

“Much less your guardian.”

“…….”

“So tell me quickly who’s responsible for you, your guardian or your boss, or whoever.”

Even at the growl in his voice, Wisoo wasn’t intimidated. This was probably because, although he could be a threat to others, he had seen things far more terrifying than Jaekwon, who had probably never felt threatened himself.

Wisoo checked his IV. The fluid had just finished. He pulled it out and, pressing his bleeding arm, backed away.

Jaekwon raised an eyebrow at Wisoo, who wouldn’t listen to a damn thing he said.

“I’m not crazy!”

Wisoo, who had been quiet until now, yelled. The aura emanating from Jaekwon was also ominous. It was so intense that, even without touching him, Wisoo couldn’t see anything else in the room. The entities that had been hovering around Wisoo, waiting for a chance to latch onto him, scattered like frightened mice.

“I’m not crazy.”

Wisoo said, his eyes gleaming. He was gradually moving towards the window. Towards the open window, which he had left open instead of turning on the air conditioner because Wisoo kept coughing in his sleep even with it on.

“Don’t go any closer to there, Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

Jaekwon’s eyes also became intensely sharp.

“I’d rather die than go back to a mental hospital.”

Wisoo spoke as if he had already been there countless times. Instead of focusing on the deja vu he felt from that sentence, Jaekwon felt his hair stand on end at the mention of death.

Once was enough to see someone choose death. When Seon Wisoo grabbed the window frame, even though he knew the window was too small for Wisoo’s thin frame to fit through without some maneuvering, he jumped.

“Let go, let go!”

There was no way Wisoo could overpower Jaekwon. As Jaekwon pulled him back and they tumbled, Wisoo thrashed wildly. However, the energy boost from the IV was only temporary. So, Jaekwon thought, he just had to hold on a little longer.

“You think I’m crazy! I, I, I told you I’m not crazy!”

But Wisoo’s distress was persistent. He sobbed, yet his strength didn’t diminish. It was a mystery where he was getting this strength from.

Jaekwon knew very well how to render someone unconscious by applying pressure to their carotid artery for a few seconds. He could also control his strength to avoid causing swelling. However, the body in his arms was so thin, bones jutting out everywhere he touched, and he himself was finding it difficult to maintain his composure. So, he decided to try a different approach. One that would lightly trigger Wisoo’s instincts since he wasn’t confident he wouldn’t break Seon Wisoo’s fragile body.

“Ah…!”

Wisoo froze as a heavy sensation suddenly pressed down on him. Like the humidity that hits you as soon as you step outside on a scorching August day, it enveloped him. But it wasn’t unpleasant; it was hazy. Not hot, but refreshing. As Wisoo’s limbs went limp, Jaekwon straightened up. His pheromones were still overwhelmingly released.

“Do I really have to resort to this? Huh?”

Jaekwon muttered, his voice thick with annoyance.

“Even if the family tree is fucked up, there’s a limit. Do you think it makes sense, Mr. Seon Wisoo, for a son to spill his pheromones on the body that rolled around in bed with his father?”

He dragged the limp Wisoo and laid him on the bed. Wisoo’s eyes were red-rimmed and moist. Different from crying.

“You’re really out of your mind.”

Jaekwon spat out irritably. Wisoo tried to frown, but he was too hazy, as if he’d been drugged.

Jaekwon’s face crumpled slightly at Wisoo’s reaction. Wisoo reacted as if he was experiencing another person’s, an alpha’s, pheromones for the first time in his life. He seemed to have zero immunity.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

Indeed, Jaekwon’s voice sounded resonant to Wisoo. A sweet and intoxicating scent. Wisoo smiled foolishly. His slowly closing eyelids narrowed his vision like a tunnel.

Miiiisteeer Seeeeon Wiiiisoooo.

Jaekwon’s pleasant voice stretched out.

Yeees, Miiiister Kwak Jeeeekwon.

Wisoo wanted to answer. He might have. He might not have.

❖ ❖ ❖

Wisoo woke up licking his lips. It was because of the kimchi stew. The taste of oil, chili powder, and salt lingered not only on his tongue but also filled his head.

He hugged what he was holding tighter, as if it were the ham from the stew. But the texture in his arms was completely different from the soft texture of ham. It was very firm and even so large that he had to stretch his arms fully, the space between his shoulder blades widening.

However, what felt even more strange was waking up without a splitting headache. It was a first. Wisoo wondered, how could he have woken up so comfortably? Was he still dreaming? Or had he finally been completely possessed? He opened his eyes wide.

“…….”

When completely possessed, the world appeared upside down. It was such an unpleasant experience that he couldn’t forget it. There was no way to confuse it. But the scenery in front of his eyes was all right-side up. He sighed in relief. Only then did his surroundings come into focus. For instance, the identity of what he was holding.

“…….”

Wisoo gulped. He could see long legs extending beyond the blanket, ankles crossed. He was hugging just below the chest. He could feel the volume of the pectoral muscles even through his arms. Wisoo slowly raised his gaze from the tips of the toes peeking out from under the blanket. Then he saw the man looking at his phone, half-leaning against the headboard, using Wisoo’s arm as a pillow.

“If you’re awake, could you let go of my arm?”

Kwak Jaekwon said, his eyes still fixed on the screen.

Wisoo, knowing why his morning was so pleasant, played coy. He dawdled.

It was because he was holding Jaekwon. For some reason, nothing could approach Jaekwon. The things that had always made him cry and shriek since he was old enough to be aware of his surroundings.

“My arm is stiff. I’m hungry too.”

Jaekwon pressed something on his phone and spoke again.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo, you’re still young, but you seem a bit too loose, and I’m a little worried.”

He was talking to Wisoo, who was still clinging to his chest.

Wisoo sulked. If only Jaekwon would allow him, no, he didn’t even need permission. If he just condoned it, he wanted to hug him properly, not just cling to his arm. But if he was already being called loose, he thought he would be called a slut next.

“If you think that, why didn’t you push me away? You could have just left….”

Jaekwon scoffed at his sullen voice.

“I was going to, of course. I don’t want to be involved in a farce like sleeping in the same bed as the omega who shared a bed with my father. It’s tacky.”

Jaekwon pushed Wisoo’s arm away. Wisoo, who had shared a bed with Chairman Kwak, though not sexually, couldn’t argue with that. Jaekwon got out of bed and pulled the fabric at his back, taking off his shirt.

“But you have to stop whining.”

As expected, his exposed torso was a landscape of sharp, sleek muscles. With that body, Jaekwon raised his fist and wiggled it near his eye, mimicking crying with a playful, “Waaah, waah.” Even though he was clearly teasing him, it made Wisoo laugh involuntarily.

Wisoo’s smile was rather foolish and awkward, making him look like he was about to cry. He had a delicate and sensitive, handsome face, but such an awkward expression didn’t do it justice.

Clicking his tongue, Jaekwon headed to the attached bathroom. He hadn’t been able to wash up because Seon Wisoo had been clinging to him and crying. He didn’t like any lingering scent, even his own pheromones. The strong pheromones he had released yesterday to calm Seon Wisoo had permeated every corner of the room, requiring a pheromone neutralizer. That’s how strong and tenacious Kwak Jaekwon’s pheromones were.

Jaekwon turned on the shower, then suddenly, as if something occurred to him, he opened the door. As the door slid open, Wisoo, who had been crouching, turned his head and looked back.

“…….”

He knew it.

“Do you need something?”

That you wouldn’t wait for me outside the door like this.

Instead of saying that, Jaekwon clicked his tongue and turned around. He turned the shower back on, leaving the door open. Wisoo, wanting to be as close to Kwak Jaekwon as possible, continued to crouch and wait in the same spot. Warm, fragrant steam escaped from the bathroom. Wisoo smiled quietly and rested his cheek on his raised knees. He closed his eyes and savored the scent.

Perhaps because he had opened the door before washing up, Jaekwon didn’t seem to mind that Wisoo was holding the door open. He didn’t even react when the hospital gown was tossed outside. He just sat by the window, drinking bottled water to quell his craving for a cigarette.

Turning his head to look out the window, he saw that it was quite a height. He wondered if Seon Wisoo had actually jumped yesterday, would he have died instantly if he was lucky, or ended up brain-dead if he was unlucky?

If he did it once, could he not do it again? He wasn’t an expert, but at a glance, Seon Wisoo wasn’t normal. He didn’t eat properly, and his clothes were a mess. One of the t-shirts he had been wearing layered was even inside out.

If he left him alone, he would probably die. Jaekwon rubbed his cheek roughly.

Then, a pale hand gripped the half-opened door. Wisoo, his hand wet, as were his hair and face, peeked his head out and looked at Jaekwon. Wet and flushed from the hot water, he looked even younger than his age. He was already young.

“What? Do you need something?”

Jaekwon asked, tilting his chin. He didn’t realize it was the same question Wisoo had asked him just moments ago.

“No. Just because.”

Wisoo shook his head.

Only after he retreated back inside did Jaekwon realize that Seon Wisoo, despite leaving the door open, hadn’t felt reassured and had checked on him.

Jaekwon left the hospital room, still undecided about Seon Wisoo’s living arrangements. Gripping the doorknob, he stopped at the nurse’s station and asked them to make sure the patient inside didn’t leave.

Then he went down to the first floor and stopped by the convenience store. It took him a while to choose and buy underwear in roughly Wisoo’s size. Probably because of the always-crowded hospital elevators.

“Oh, guardian! The patient was asking for you.”

One of the nurses at the station called out to Jaekwon, who had unconsciously quickened his pace. He nodded and quickly entered the hospital room.

Inside, Wisoo was huddled, shivering. Just a moment ago, he had looked healthy and somewhat cute, but now he looked like a drowned rat.

“Underwear.”

Jaekwon shook what he was holding so it was visible.

“I went to buy you underwear. Okay?”

“…….”

Wisoo looked at him reproachfully, making Jaekwon wonder why he was even bothering to explain himself to this guy. He tossed the bag. He threw it gently, in a slow arc, so it would be easy to catch, but Wisoo fumbled.

Wisoo, bending down to pick up the fallen bag, was still trembling. Did he wash with cold water? Jaekwon clicked his tongue, looking at Wisoo’s bony back. After several attempts, Wisoo finally picked up the bag, his nipples, flushed red, standing erect.

“It’s not even cold, so why are you shivering? I can’t even turn on the air conditioner because of you.”

Perhaps deeply offended, he didn’t answer. Jaekwon crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. Whether Seon Wisoo was upset or not had nothing to do with him. He wasn’t his lover, nor his actual stepmother.

Wisoo, looking down, tore open the underwear packaging. Then he bent over again to put them on. Watching the whole process, Jaekwon realized something. Seon Wisoo wasn’t at all self-conscious about showing his naked body to others. As if he was used to it.

Jaekwon frowned slightly. The information he had unintentionally accumulated about Seon Wisoo was far from wholesome. It was tilting his judgment in a biased direction. He didn’t intend to misunderstand, nor did he have the energy for it, yet it made him feel that way.

“I thought you left, Mr. Kwak Jaekwon.”

Wisoo, now dressed in underwear, put on his hospital gown. His hands fumbled several times as he tried to button it. His voice was quite calm, but his trembling hands told a different story.

“Would it be such a big deal if I left?”

“…….”

“You can have Secretary Shin pay the hospital bill. Oh, right. Why haven’t we seen hide nor hair of Secretary Shin?”

“Secretary Shin doesn’t like me.”

“Why? I don’t know you well, Mr. Seon Wisoo, but you don’t seem like the type to throw your weight around with the staff just because you snagged the mistress position.”

Wisoo shook his head as he put on his pants.

“I’m… not a mistress, but I think the reason is similar.”

Fully dressed, Wisoo, strangely, exuded an even more alluring aura than when he was half-naked. He wasn’t sure if it was because of his perpetually red-rimmed eyes or his lips. Jaekwon suddenly felt relieved that Seon Wisoo genuinely wasn’t his type. He was relieved that he was too thin for Jaekwon’s liking. Especially in a space like this, a bed, a closed room. Everything was in place.

“Secretary Shin thinks I bewitched Chairman Kwak.”

There probably wasn’t a more fitting word for Seon Wisoo than “bewitch.”

“Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

Jaekwon pushed himself off the wall and approached Wisoo. He looked down at him intently.

“I don’t like that Secretary Shin, but I somewhat agree with him.”

“…….”

“That you were kept by my father until his death because you could see and hear the dead and relay their messages.”

“…….”

“That you, intentionally or not, bewitched the old man and warmed his bed. And that you’re not seeing dead people, you’re just crazy. Which one do you think sounds more plausible to the world?”

Wisoo maintained a calm expression, but his chest felt raw. Although Seon Wisoo’s formal education ended with elementary school graduation and dropping out of middle school, he was intelligent. This was evident just from looking at the collection of books Chairman Kwak had generously chosen for his bookshelf.

It would have been better if he was stupid. If he was, he wouldn’t have had such rational, infuriating thoughts about Kwak Jaekwon’s words being persuasive.

“However, I can’t just abandon you and let you die because of that.”

Wisoo raised his head.

“Even though everything related to my father disgusts me, I don’t want to see anyone else die.”

He didn’t understand what he meant. Wisoo wished he would speak directly, without euphemisms. Like when he was criticizing him. Due to his lack of social interaction, despite the knowledge in his head, Wisoo had a little trouble understanding the context of conversations. He looked up at Jaekwon.

“Let’s go home for now. I’ll take you, Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

“…Really?”

“Do you know what my father and I have in common? Even though we’re assholes, we don’t lie.”

Jaekwon grinned, as if baring his teeth in anger.

“But I like stimulating, meat-heavy meals, so you’ll have to adapt to that.”

Wisoo nodded enthusiastically. The problems with that, or the fact that his teacher would be furious, were future problems. For now, he just wanted to be with this person.

Jaekwon turned and walked ahead. Wisoo, still in his hospital gown, followed and interlocked his fingers with Jaekwon’s.

“Huh?”

Dumbfounded, Jaekwon shook his hand, but Wisoo was persistent. If he shook him off three times, he grabbed on four times.

“Do as you please….”

Jaekwon muttered in exasperation.

“With the family already in shambles, holding hands with my father’s mistress is hardly a problem.”

Besides, Kwak Jaekwon felt no emotion or desire towards this man. He didn’t care what Seon Wisoo felt.

❖ ❖ ❖

After much deliberation, Jaekwon returned to the house where Chairman Kwak had died. Jaekwon, popping the capsule in his cigarette filter, frowned as he looked up at the house. It was a creepy house.

In fact, the reason for this was quite clear. The house Jaekwon had lived in as a child looked similar to this one. As if it had been copied and pasted, with only slight alterations to the contents.

Even though Jaekwon had gotten out of the car, Wisoo didn’t. He even heard the sound of the doors locking from inside. Dumbfounded, Jaekwon placed his hand on the car and bent over.

“What are you doing?”

He could hear the exasperated question, but Wisoo stubbornly looked ahead.

He had said they would go together, but he had brought him to this house. Kwak Jaekwon was a liar. Definitely a con man. He wondered if he was doing this on purpose, just to be different from Chairman Kwak.

He saw Jaekwon exhaling smoke in his peripheral vision. He felt like he could smell the cigarette smoke, even though he couldn’t.

“I’m not leaving you here, so come out.”

Jaekwon knocked on the door, cigarette in his mouth. Wisoo found it hard to believe him.

“I really don’t lie.”

“…….”

“It’s because I made a promise. To myself. So come out. Before I rip the door off.”

Even though he thought, how could he rip off a car door, he also thought Jaekwon was capable of it, so Wisoo finally emerged hesitantly.

“I haven’t found a house in Korea yet.”

Jaekwon showed him his phone screen. There was a reason he had been busy since morning. It was to find Mrs. Butdeul, the housekeeper who had taken care of the house. On the screen was a curt conversation with Secretary Shin. Wisoo carefully read the messages and saw the words, “I want to know about the young master’s mother…” cut off at the bottom. He had to scroll down further to see the full message and Kwak Jaekwon’s reply.

“See? I’ve rehired Mrs. Butdeul, or whatever her name is. She’s supposed to be good at taking care of the house.”

“…….”

“We’ll have to stay here for a while. In the meantime, let’s think carefully about your living situation, Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

“…Are you doing this because you’re worried about me?”

Looking at his sparkling eyes full of expectation, Jaekwon felt the urge to crack open Wisoo’s head and see what was inside. He imagined it would be filled with flowers instead of a brain.

Momentarily speechless, he answered frankly, “Yes. I told you, regardless of our relationship, I don’t like seeing someone I know die.”

Of course, Kwak Bonyoung was an exception.

Jaekwon opened the creaking gate and entered. The house, a strange and eerie mixture of a Japanese colonial-era house and a traditional Korean house, felt chilly despite the bright daylight. Wisoo followed closely behind Jaekwon.

“Shall we start with the GED?”

“Excuse me?”

Wisoo asked, hurrying after Jaekwon.

“The GED. You don’t like being an elementary school graduate, do you, Mr. Wisoo?”

“…….”

“A high school diploma is a level of education you can achieve through testing. Surely you knew that?”

He didn’t. Wisoo pressed his lips together. His teacher had said such things wouldn’t change his worth. That in the eyes of the world, he would be seen as someone who barely graduated elementary school, a maladjusted person prone to seizures. That only he recognized Wisoo’s unique and precious nature.

But Kwak Jaekwon said it could be changed. If what he said about not lying was true, then his teacher had lied to him.

“Open the door.”

Jaekwon nodded towards the door. Wisoo entered first, and Jaekwon, after flicking his cigarette butt to the ground, followed inside.

Wisoo cautiously looked around the house while listening to Jaekwon call Hwang Gujo.

Normally, there would be a scary woman staring at him, but today it was quiet. There was no child, nor any dead animals. Wisoo sighed in relief. It was because Jaekwon was there.

The house, situated at the lowest point in the neighborhood, was sunken like a dumpling wrapper pressed down by a thumb. So, all sorts of things collected and stagnated there. His teacher had found the location, and Jaekwon’s father had built the house. Neither of them had considered what it would be like for him to live there.

“Can I smoke inside?”

Jaekwon asked, running a hand through his hair in the heat.

“Oh, yes.”

He casually put a cigarette in his mouth and opened the windows wide. Despite asking if he could smoke, he didn’t light it.

“They usually install large windows that open wide, so why did they put in such small ones?”

Jaekwon muttered.

“Don’t they look ugly?”

Apparently, it hadn’t been a monologue. Wisoo quickly nodded in agreement.

“You said you didn’t need this house, Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

Jaekwon plopped down on the sofa. Wisoo trotted over to him.

“Yes.”

“I want to tear this place down.”