Mother Tape Chapter 2.2

“Just now, I heard the reason why Secretary Shin dislikes Mr. Wisoo, and those words keep coming to mind.”

He rubbed his chin and smiled mischievously.

“So, that company that’s taking care of, or should I say possessing, Mr. Seon Wisoo. I looked it up, and it’s listed as some kind of education… foundation? What exactly is this Hyegwang Foundation?”

Jaekwon leaned his head back against the sofa. Then, he reached out and abruptly pulled Wisoo closer. Wisoo, unexpectedly pulled down onto the sofa, looked stunned.

Teacher.

Because only his teacher could push him down and pull him back up, Wisoo had no choice but to seek him out this time as well.

‘Never talk about us to anyone outside. No one will understand. Wisoo, the only person who can understand you is your teacher. It’s all for you. I don’t want you to get hurt.’

Wisoo licked his lips repeatedly. Still, he felt parched.

“It seems like you’re involved in education, too, but why on earth did you leave Mr. Seon Wisoo’s highest level of education at elementary school? … I just don’t think that makes any fucking sense.”

Jaekwon gave a languid smile to Wisoo sitting next to him.

“My teacher, I mean, that foundation….”

“All of my relatives, led by our so-called uncles, described Mr. Seon Wisoo as someone who warmed my father’s bed. Only Secretary Shin spouted some nonsense about a medium or something.”

Wisoo’s eyes darted around. As his anxiety intensified, his surrounding vision became increasingly distorted. The decorations on the pillars seemed to melt and drip down, and the stairs seemed to wriggle like snakes, crawling towards him.

“Is that teacher, the one you mentioned, Mr. Seon Wisoo’s guardian? The one who buys, sells, and lends him out?”

“C-Can you stop asking about that?”

At Wisoo’s irritable response, Jaekwon pressed further.

“I think we need to talk about your teacher. It seems we can’t avoid talking about him if we want to understand Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

“My teacher, well, my teacher….”

His teacher taught Seon Wisoo. He shaped Seon Wisoo’s world, clothed him, and told him that these were the right clothes for him. And, if Jaekwon’s words were true, he was also the one who lied to him….

“I can’t be with you without knowing anything about Mr. Seon Wisoo. The same goes for becoming his guardian.”

Wisoo stood up abruptly. He pressed his forehead as if he had a splitting headache.

“Are you constantly asking me all these questions because I have to know everything?”

“What are you talking about?”

Jaekwon let out a hollow laugh. However, he couldn’t laugh any longer at Wisoo’s following words.

“Because I don’t know what medicine my mother was taking, you think my mother’s death is because of Kwak Jaekwon, don’t you?”

“….!”

Jaekwon jumped to his feet. Wisoo stumbled backward, his face contorted as he bit his lip, expressing distress. Yet, his eyes were glistening with tears. It was strangely unsettling.

“Kwak Jaekwon, I can tell you how my mother died.”

By the time Jaekwon came to his senses, Wisoo was already slammed against the wall, struggling to free himself from Jaekwon’s grip. Jaekwon’s eyes were gleaming ferociously. Wisoo frantically scratched at the back of his hand, then slowly closed his eyes. Only then, Jaekwon, startled, released his grip.

As his hand fell away, Wisoo coughed, “Cough!” It wasn’t just a cough. It was the desperate gasp of someone who had nearly died.

“Fuck.”

Jaekwon recoiled, flustered by his own actions.

This was something Kwak Bonyoung would do, not him. Jaekwon’s vision blurred red. His ears rang. Say you love me, say you love me, say you love me! The image of Kwak Bonyoung ranting over his mother, his mother struggling as she scratched at the hand choking her, and the moment he ran to her, shouting, “Don’t do that to Mom!” only to be struck by Kwak Bonyoung’s thick hand and thrown into a corner, was vivid in his mind.

That thick hand. There was someone who admired that hand, saying it was a hand that wouldn’t let go of wealth…. Jaekwon’s mind went blank.

Wisoo, who had been clutching his throat and coughing for a while, raised his tearful head. Then, he saw things swarming towards Jaekwon, who was collapsing while clutching his head. Chillingly, some of them looked like Kwak Bonyoung. As soon as Wisoo saw the figure of the old man, brimming with possessiveness and obsession, he opened his eyes wide and rushed forward.

“Don’t!”

Wisoo embraced Jaekwon, as if to hide him, as he bent over, clutching his throat in dizziness.

“Don’t! Don’t come near him!”

However, Wisoo had no power to repel them. He was merely a doorway, a speaker.

Kwak Bonyoung, with his tongue lolling out and his face pale, seemed to still be lingering in this world, his 49 days not yet passed. That stubborn old man. At this rate, he might stay even after his 49th day memorial.

“Don’t come near him! Don’t bother him!”

Wisoo’s voice was hoarse and ragged from being choked.

“Don’t….”

Tears he hadn’t shed even when he was being choked now streamed down his face.

Fortune tellers were scholars, and shamans were those who diligently practiced until the techniques and traditions passed down through the ages were fully ingrained in their bodies. Fortune tellers, shamans, and mediums all seemed similar, but they were different. This meant each had their own domain. And Wisoo was the most powerless among the three.

The powerless Wisoo was a tempting opening for them. Now, with Jaekwon in a state of panic, they were rushing towards Wisoo, as ravenous as they had been starved.

“Don’t…. Don’t….”

Wisoo sobbed. Jaekwon, feeling the grip that seemed to crush his back, suddenly came to his senses. Only then did he hear Seon Wisoo’s rough voice.

Jaekwon straightened up. Then, without knowing what he was doing, he hid Wisoo behind him. He felt like he had to.

“What is it?”

He couldn’t see anything. He had no idea why Seon Wisoo was crying, pleading, and shouting like that.

“There’s nothing, there’s nothing there, why….”

Jaekwon muttered in a bewildered voice.

As soon as Jaekwon regained his senses, Wisoo saw the entities retreating with whimpers and wails, between his arms and sides, and burst into tears.

“I was scared!”

He wrapped his arms around Jaekwon’s waist and sobbed like a child.

“What am I supposed to do if you lose your mind too, Kwak Jaekwon! I’m the one who got choked!”

Jaekwon was bewildered by the combination of Wisoo crying his heart out and his recent panic. Seeing someone cry, he instinctively reached out and stroked his back. Wisoo clung to him even more.

Human souls were so diverse that it was impossible to adapt to them. It was nearly impossible to adapt to their constantly changing forms and approaches. It was always terrifying and dreadful. A melancholic feeling that chilled him to the bone and convinced him that there would be no hope or happiness in his life.

Wisoo clung to Jaekwon, burying his face against him, trembling. He even saw Chairman Kwak, who had died. Seeing him from his living state to his dying moments, and even after his death, was all the more chilling.

“Don’t lose your mind. Please don’t do that, Kwak Jaekwon. Please just stay like this….”

Jaekwon felt a strange sensation at Wisoo’s plea to stay like this, hugging the man who had just choked him. This behavior, which diluted the guilt and provided an excuse for his actions, felt unfair. It wasn’t right. It was a harmful attitude, both to the other person and to himself.

“First,”

Jaekwon clicked his tongue and turned Wisoo around. Wisoo, pale to the point of gray, was chattering his teeth. Jaekwon, seeing Wisoo’s wildly darting eyes, raised his index finger.

“Focus on this.”

Wisoo did as Jaekwon said. Slowly, his focus returned.

“Then listen to me.”

“…….”

“I’m sorry.”

The man who had repeatedly insulted and scorned him was strangely reasonable in this odd situation. He didn’t believe in ghost stories and dismissed anything supernatural or invisible as unreal. Then he choked him and immediately apologized. Wisoo thought that Jaekwon might be the crazy one.

And if he was crazy, Wisoo thought it was alright for him to be treated like a crazy person by him.

“I’m sorry. I used violence. I shouldn’t have.”

“…….”

Jaekwon didn’t say anything like, “But you insulted my mother by mentioning her.” Asking how he knew about that was something for later. This was a different issue from knowing that he had injured himself on a persimmon tree branch. Because this was the last remaining dregs in Kwak Jaekwon’s Pandora’s Box, something only he knew.

“I… accept your apology.”

Wisoo answered, gasping between sobs.

“But,”

Jaekwon frowned at Wisoo, who was talking about ‘buts’ with a neck that was sure to bruise purple. Should he call him impudent, or amusing?

“Let’s sleep together tonight.”

“…….”

Jaekwon has a very cold impression. When he frowns, he looks like a sharpened blade. He felt like a traditional sword that Chairman Kwak would polish every chance he got. He didn’t know if it was a Japanese sword or a Korean sword, but Wisoo always felt a chill when he saw it.

However, Jaekwon had a sharp feeling but no chill.

“The next room is fine too.”

“…….”

“I’m scared of this house.”

Wisoo confessed, his lips trembling.

“But I’m not scared when I’m with Kwak Jaekwon.”

“Is that why you did that at the hospital too?”

“When I’m with Kwak Jaekwon, I can’t see or hear anything.”

The voice, whispered as if confessing a deep secret, was almost ticklish. Jaekwon scratched the back of his hand, the one that had choked Wisoo, as if pinching it.

“Kwak Jaekwon, you’re my sanctuary.”

Wisoo whispered in Jaekwon’s ear, as if afraid the things in the house would hear and raid his sanctuary.

“You’re my ground zero.”

“…Do you know that ground zero refers to the ruins after a bomb explodes?”

“But it’s quiet.”

Ruins. Bomb. Jaekwon thought ground zero might be a more appropriate term than sanctuary.

He felt something like Wisoo’s early winter scent tickling his nose, then pulled his head back. His gaze, about to say, “Even so, that’s not allowed,” landed on Wisoo’s nape.

“…Then the next room, that’s it.”

Jaekwon replied with a sigh.

❖ ❖ ❖

The room Jaekwon chose was packed with books. Wisoo insisted he use the room with the bed, but he refused. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. That was the feeling he had.

He pulled out books one by one from the shelves. All of them showed signs of having been read.

“All of these?”

No way. Jaekwon shook his head. There were quite a few difficult books that he himself had only selected to read.

He opened the window around dawn, feeling stuffy. He opened the window and smoked a cigarette. With a green lamp on, the kind you’d find in an old library, he chose a surrealist novel from South America. It was something he didn’t understand and wasn’t interested in. He deliberately picked it out, hoping boredom would induce sleep.

“It’s hot.”

Jaekwon muttered, flapping his clothes. He could hear the loud croaking of frogs.

Then he went down to the first floor. Wisoo’s door was slightly ajar. He assumed it was because of the heat and didn’t pay much attention to it. He poured liquor over ice, glug glug, and stood at the bottom of the stairs to go back up. That’s when he spotted Wisoo.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo?”

Seon Wisoo was staring blankly into space. Wearing a large, long-sleeved t-shirt, the look in his eyes as he stared at something was chilling. Jaekwon, frowning, followed his gaze, but he couldn’t see anything.

“What are you doing there? Can’t sleep?”

“…….”

Based on his past experiences, Jaekwon decided that if he grabbed him, Wisoo would come to his senses. Before he could reach out and grab Wisoo’s shoulder, he observed Seon Wisoo from two steps below.

On a summer night, within the dark and eerie house, Seon Wisoo looked pale and ethereal, as if he didn’t belong to this world. Jaekwon tilted his head. Wisoo still didn’t seem to recognize him.

“Seon Wisoo.”

As he reached out and grabbed Wisoo, Wisoo snapped to attention as if startled from a deep sleep. His gaze, suddenly clear, wandered through the air before settling on Kwak Jaekwon.

“…Kwak Jaekwon.”

Wisoo slowly smiled.

“Were you on your way to the bathroom? It’s at the end of the second floor.”

Jaekwon walked past him and into the room. He slammed the door shut and opened the book again.

However, even as he savored the liquor and emptied his glass, he had only turned one page of the book. Even that didn’t stay in his mind.

“…….”

He ruffled his hair and stood up. Thinking he needed another drink, he pulled open the door to find a figure crouched in front of it, nearly toppling over. Reflexively, he blocked the fall with his leg.

“Do you have a hobby of sitting in strange places in strange ways?”

“Ah….”

“Did you use the bathroom?”

He asked as if speaking to a child. Wisoo just stared up at Jaekwon.

Jaekwon, unable to sleep and finding the excessive quiet, unlike the city, almost noisy, squeezed in next to Wisoo.

“What are you doing here?”

“Just… I wanted to be near Kwak Jaekwon.”

“Sounds like a stalker.”

Jaekwon replied indifferently. The half-melted ice clinked as he swirled his glass.

“I don’t like people who obsess over me.”

“Then what should I do?”

At the innocent question, Jaekwon chuckled.

“You want me to like you?”

“Yes.”

There wasn’t a second of hesitation. Jaekwon wondered if this was Seon Wisoo’s business tactic or if it was innate. At least, the people around him who acted this way only did so after calculating the costs and benefits and deciding that the benefits outweighed the losses.

“Do you like me, Mr. Seon Wisoo? That’s unlikely. I can be quite rude, you know.”

“Really? I don’t know.”

“You don’t know even after hearing me call you a concubine, a stepmother, and a male prostitute? You’re stupid, Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

Despite the blatant insults, Wisoo just stared at Jaekwon. His face held none of the strange allure from earlier, but only a clear, age-appropriate aura.

“I’ve read a lot of books.”

“Yes.”

Even though he had already seen Wisoo’s traces, Jaekwon pretended not to know.

“I’ve read romance novels too. Between betas, beta and alpha, beta and omega, omega and alpha, alpha and alpha….”

“Not interested in your preferences.”

“In those stories, everyone falls in love at first sight. Even if they fight, they fight because they like each other.”

“Yes. That’s because they’re fiction.”

Real life isn’t usually that fictional. Jaekwon scoffed as he drank the melted ice water.

“But if that’s somewhat true, did I fall for Kwak Jaekwon? At first sight?”

“Huh.”

“Do I like you, Jaekwon?”

“You’re asking me?”

“…….”

“My answer is this: No. You’re just grabbing onto anything you can because you don’t want to go back. It just happened to be me. I’m a rotten lifeline. Because I have no intention of holding onto you and taking you to the heavens.”

Jaekwon emptied his glass. He’d refill it when the ice melted again.

“Why do you think you like me, Mr. Seon Wisoo?”

Jaekwon decided to be a little lenient with the younger man. By refuting each of his misconceptions.

“I want to be near you, Jaekwon. My eyes keep following you. I want to be with you, I crave you. I wish you were mine.”

However, Jaekwon laughed because his words were quite convincing.

“When I’m near Kwak Jaekwon, everything becomes quiet, I can’t see anything… Isn’t becoming blind and foolish love?”

“Mr. Seon Wisoo, you’re not blind and foolish, you’re chasing after me because you want to be that way.”

He was right. Wisoo closed his mouth, hit by Jaekwon’s accurate words.

“Let’s say what you’re saying is true.”

Jaekwon played along, showing no sign of believing Wisoo.

“Let’s say that you can’t see anything when you’re with me. Do you think I’m the only one like that? The population is 8 billion now.”

“How can I meet all 8 billion people? And I’ve met quite a few people, but you’re the only one, Kwak Jaekwon.”

“Why am I the only one? I’m pretty ordinary.”

A strikingly handsome man was talking about being ordinary. He rested his head on the arm holding the wet glass. Strange. Talking to Seon Wisoo was making him sleepy. He felt pleasantly drowsy. Maybe it was because of the meaningless conversation.

“It’s because you’re not afraid of anything, Jaekwon.”

That’s right. It was because of Seon Wisoo’s tone of voice and the way he spoke. His empty voice like the blowing wind, and his whispering tone.

“So please don’t be afraid of anything in the future either.”

Like when he mentioned his mother, when he became agitated, and the dead things swarmed in, taking advantage of the moment, such a thing must never happen again. Wisoo was determined. Such a thing absolutely must not happen. You, of all people, must not be like that.

“I’ll take away everything you’re afraid of, Jaekwon.”

“Hmm….”

Jaekwon responded in a half-dazed state. Wisoo leaned in close, bringing his face towards Jaekwon’s, who was tilting away from him. He wasn’t whispering, he was whispering.

“I’ll take away everything you’re afraid of, Jaekwon. So please, continue to be like this.”

“…I feel like I’ve heard this somewhere before….”

Jaekwon muttered, his brow furrowing slightly.

Sensing the grip on his hand loosening and the glass about to fall, Wisoo quickly caught it. He placed the glass beside him and helped Jaekwon lean against the doorframe. He didn’t tell him to go inside and sleep. He craved the space next to this man.

“Sleep well.”

Wisoo whispered and rested his cheek against Jaekwon’s sleeping shoulder, snuggling close to his side.

He couldn’t see anything, and finally, he could hear the croaking of frogs.

That was the quiet. The silence within the ruins, ground zero.

❖ ❖ ❖

Wisoo woke up in front of Jaekwon’s door. Since his last memory was of crouching on the bare floor, he naturally expected to wake up on the bare floor, but he found himself covered with a pillow and a thin blanket. He woke up groggily and looked around, but Kwak Jaekwon was nowhere to be seen. There wasn’t even a trace of his presence.

“Kwak Jaekwon…?”

Wisoo rubbed his eyes and called out, but there was no reply.

The blanket seemed to have been solely his, with no trace of Jaekwon. Nevertheless, Wisoo wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, curled up tightly, and carefully went downstairs.

From sunrise to noon, the dead things were relatively quiet. They started moving around 4 p.m. in the summer and 3 p.m. in the winter. Of course, there were some particularly persistent ones. They talked to Wisoo day and night, but it seemed like there weren’t any of those today.

The first floor was silent. He couldn’t even feel the trace of anyone living there. It had only been a few days since the time it had been completely empty.

Wisoo trudged along. The way to the kitchen felt especially long. Just the fact that Kwak Jaekwon wasn’t there made his feet heavy and his shoulders slump. However, he had no reason to be disappointed in him. Kwak Jaekwon had never explicitly promised to stay with him or take him anywhere. He hadn’t said, “Let’s take the GED exam together,” but rather, “Take the GED exam.”

“Ha….”

Wisoo sighed deeply and opened the refrigerator door. He blinked in surprise to find all the food containers that had filled it were completely gone. Jaekwon had taken away a few, but now it was entirely empty. Only water remained.

“What the….”

It didn’t matter since it wasn’t his food anyway, but this really made the house feel uninhabited. Wisoo closed the refrigerator door dejectedly and sat down at the dining table.

“…….”

He rested his chin on his hand and frowned deeply, lost in thought. What should he do now? He couldn’t see any future ahead of him, and he was worried about the immediate future, from 4 p.m. today, which felt terrifyingly distant.

How long had he been lost in thought? The door opened. Wisoo jumped up at the clatter. It was Jaekwon who entered, dressed casually in sneakers as if he had been running.

“I took some clothes from the dressing room. They must be mine.”

Jaekwon, who called it the dressing room instead of the master bedroom, deliberately avoiding that unpleasant space, exuded a fresh, energetic scent.

“I’m going to shower, so eat first if you’re hungry.”

He quickly took off his clothes, tossed a paper bag onto the dining table, and headed for the bathroom. Just before the bathroom door closed, he heard him grumbling, “What a taste, for fuck’s sake.”

Wisoo quietly opened the bag. The smell of egg bread, unusual for summer, wafted out enticingly. The coffee was just instant coffee from a convenience store and an ice cup. It didn’t suit Kwak Jaekwon, yet it did. Wisoo smiled quietly.

“Is the reason you only wear long sleeves in this heat not because you’re sensitive to the cold, but because of needle marks?”

Jaekwon, coming out without drying his hair, sat down next to Wisoo and asked. Wisoo, who was meticulously picking apart his egg bread, turned sharply. Jaekwon devoured what Wisoo would have taken several bites to eat in three. The sound of ice cracking as he poured the instant coffee was pleasant.

“I saw them at the hospital. Do you do drugs?”

Wisoo immediately shook his head.

“Yeah, I actually knew that. Your blood test was clean.”

“…….”

“It looked like you’d been injected more than once or twice.”

“My teacher gave them to me.”

“Teacher?”

Jaekwon frowned at the title that seemed permanently attached to Wisoo.

“Do you even know what it is that you’re taking? Oh, does Mr. Seon Wisoo know?”

“Yes. It’s a pheromone supplement.”

“Pheromone supplement? Do you have pheromone imbalance? There’s no record of that.”

He vaguely recalled the doctor saying that his levels were excessively low, and that they needed to monitor it consistently to determine whether it was an irregularity or a constant state.

“I took them during puberty to transition to an omega.”

Jaekwon, his cheeks bulging with egg bread, raised his head. Wisoo calmly picked out and ate the egg yolk, hiding the fact that he had other medications to take.

“But wouldn’t you have been an omega even without the injections? I don’t really know.”

“…You know that’s illegal, right?”

“It’s illegal?”

“It can cause health problems.”

“I’m healthy.”

“Well, not really….”

You’re crazy.

Jaekwon barely swallowed the rest of his sentence. He gulped down his coffee, his throat choked from hurriedly swallowing the egg bread.

“Tell me a little about this teacher of yours.”

Wisoo was slightly swayed by Jaekwon’s gentle tone. He didn’t know that he was deliberately being sweet to extract information.

“He’s just my teacher. Everyone calls him that.”

Unfortunately, Wisoo simply didn’t know much about his teacher. It wasn’t that he was trying to hide anything.

“What does he look like?”

“Thin, wears glasses. His hair is salt and pepper.”

“Are there any other distinguishing features?”

“He limps. One leg. He said he had polio as a child.”

It was still insufficient information. Jaekwon became curious about the teacher, not because of Seon Wisoo, but because he seemed to be beyond unconventional, bordering on criminal.

“You don’t know his age or name?”

“I don’t know. …Can we stop talking about this?”

Jaekwon finally realized that Wisoo had stopped eating even the yolk he had been picking at and was now crumbling the remaining bread into dust. His hands were trembling slightly. It showed that his relationship with this teacher was far from good.

“Alright. It’s not good to ruin a meal with unpleasant talk.”

Thanks to Jaekwon readily backing down, Wisoo breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did he see the state of the bread he had crumbled. His stunned expression was met with Jaekwon pulling his plate away and placing his own in front of him. Jaekwon pushed the crumbs aside and took out two new pieces of bread, placing one on each plate.

“There was someone selling these even in this weather. Must be a hobby.”

“I didn’t know. This is my first time trying it.”

“So, how is it? Does it taste bad?”

“No. It’s delicious.”

It was bland and moderately sweet, matching the flavors Wisoo was used to. The fact that Jaekwon wasn’t asking about his teacher anymore probably helped him taste it.

Jaekwon, staring at Wisoo eating, turned his head.

What are you so captivated by? Hwang Gujo’s incredulous voice came to mind. Jaekwon felt the need to correct him, saying it wasn’t captivation but pity. And he felt a renewed surge of disgust towards his father. Whatever the relationship between that teacher and his father, it must be disgustingly repulsive to think about during a meal.

Wisoo glanced over Jaekwon’s shoulder and saw Chairman Kwak’s spirit, hovering nearby, eager to get close to Jaekwon. With his tongue hanging out grotesquely, reaching down to his solar plexus, Wisoo almost gagged but managed to suppress it.

He would take on all of Jaekwon’s fears. He would endure it all. Because he wanted Kwak Jaekwon to stay right there. His wildfire. His landmark. His sanctuary….

❖ ❖ ❖

Night fell. Jaekwon closed the door and went inside, then opened it again 30 minutes later. Sure enough, Wisoo was curled up in front of the door.

“You’re really something, Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

Jaekwon clicked his tongue and pushed Wisoo’s back with a measured force. Following the force of Jaekwon’s shin against his back, Wisoo kept bending and straightening his back.

“I don’t want to sleep in the hallway when there are rooms available.”

“…….”

“Go on. I can’t sleep with you here. Go and sleep in your room.”

“I’m not satisfied with the next room.”

“It’s only been a day, one day.”

“Can’t we sleep together? I’ll just hold your hand.”

Jaekwon was dumbfounded that Wisoo was saying something a mischievous lover would say with ulterior motives.

“What? I’ll just hold your hand.”

“You’re out of your mind, Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

Jaekwon crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe.

“Consider it saving someone who’s out of his mind. Just this once.”

For Wisoo, living in a constant horror he could never get used to, a person who finally gave him stability had appeared. Jaekwon didn’t understand his desperation. This desperation that forced him to be shameless.

“I don’t want to sleep with you. What am I supposed to do?”

Jaekwon said firmly. Wisoo’s expression became extremely pitiful.

“Then at least your clothes….”

“No. Who knows what you’ll do with my clothes.”

“Ah, I won’t do anything! I don’t even masturbate!”

“Okay. I wasn’t curious, but… well, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Wisoo grew increasingly anxious because of Jaekwon’s indifferent reactions, no matter what he did.

Jaekwon, watching Wisoo constantly licking his dry lips, went inside. Since it was originally used as a study, there were various tools. However, things like scissors and knives were child-safe versions.

Jaekwon came back downstairs with a pair of scissors. Wisoo trailed after him. Rummaging through the kitchen, Jaekwon found paper cups and untied the thin string that was holding the plastic bag closed. After some rustling, he had created two paper cups connected by a string.

“What’s that?”

“A paper cup phone.”

Jaekwon handed it to Wisoo.

“Put one in my room and one in yours. Then you’ll be less scared.”

Of course, Jaekwon knew better than anyone how ridiculous this was, and that it wouldn’t help. But just like the placebo effect, he hoped that giving Seon Wisoo something like this would make him less bothersome.

Jaekwon yawned and went upstairs. Wisoo followed him, holding the cups in both hands with an excited expression.

“I’m sleepy.”

In other words, it meant “Don’t bother me anymore.” Wisoo nodded.

Jaekwon immediately burrowed into his spread-out blanket. A clicking sound came from behind him as he turned to lie on his side. It was the sound of placing down the paper cup.

“Good night.”

“…….”

“I’m supposed to talk into this, right?”

Even though they were in the same space, Wisoo deliberately spoke into the other end of the paper cup.

“You have to… hold onto it. Okay?”

“…….”

Jaekwon stubbornly remained silent, but Wisoo was also stubborn.

Tap, tap. With the receding footsteps, Jaekwon opened his eyes. Turning around, he saw the white paper cup standing tall in the darkness, like a headless snowman. Jaekwon stared at it for a moment, then pushed it away. With his size, he could easily roll over and crush it in his sleep.

Near dawn, when Wisoo snuggled up next to him, Jaekwon wasn’t surprised. He felt like he had known this would happen.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

Jaekwon tried to push Wisoo away and wake him up, but Wisoo clung to him twice as tightly.

“I told you to sleep separately.”

Jaekwon’s sleepy rebuke was useless.

“You didn’t answer….”

Wisoo, on the contrary, blamed Jaekwon.

“I called you so many times….”

“…….”

Of course. It was just a paper cup, not a cell phone. This was just a makeshift solution to reassure him, like giving a child a security blanket. And it hadn’t worked at all. Jaekwon reached out, grabbed the paper cup, and crumpled it.

“And you had a nightmare, Kwak Jaekwon.”

“Don’t lie.”

“It’s true….”

“I slept soundly without a single dream.”

In fact, he slept so deeply that he wondered if it was even possible to sleep so well. Wisoo grumbled, “It’s true, it’s true…”, as if feeling wronged.

Jaekwon, dazed, left Wisoo’s arms wrapped tightly around his waist. He didn’t seem to be conscious of it. He rested his arm on his forehead, staring at the ceiling, blinking slowly. Each time he blinked, he seemed to see blotches on the ceiling that would then disappear, but he dismissed them as floaters, not giving them much thought.

“You really had a nightmare.”

Wisoo mumbled.

No matter how much he tugged on the paper cup, Jaekwon didn’t respond. No matter how many times he called his name, there was no reply. Finally, prepared to be scolded and rejected, he went to Jaekwon’s room.

He was sleeping on his side, his back exposed, and behind him, the dead were crouching, watching him. Even if they couldn’t attach themselves to or influence Jaekwon, their presence could still disturb his sleep.

‘Go away!’

Wisoo hissed and waved his hand. Lowering his voice so as not to wake Jaekwon, he flailed his arms, but they just stared at him, flicking their detached eyes or long, dangling tongues, showing no reaction. At times like these, his constitution, which only allowed him to see and hear, felt all the more powerless.

‘Go away! Get lost!’

The dead slowly rose. Some limped, others hopped. Wisoo clung to the door, trembling. Instead of leaving, they surrounded Wisoo, tilting their heads and thrusting their faces close.

A putrid smell, which shouldn’t exist, wafted over him. Perhaps Wisoo couldn’t smell other people’s pheromones because he was too used to this stench. That’s probably why he was so cautious, worried that he might smell bad himself.

‘Ugh….’

Wisoo turned his head sharply, cold sweat dripping down his face, because of a female ghost with a flickering tongue.

This woman had died in the 70s, so despite her young age, she was wearing baggy pants.

‘G-ge-get…out….’

As Wisoo turned his head, the man who was croaking in his ear was a bachelor in his thirties, rumored to have died of lovesickness. He had also died in the 70s. In reality, it wasn’t lovesickness but the fact that he had relentlessly pursued the woman he loved, and her father had pushed him off a ridge in a rice paddy. He hit his head on a rock and died. Because of that, the back of his head was smashed, and his brain was oozing out.

‘Please. Please….’

Suppressing his nausea and covering his mouth with his hand, Wisoo threw himself through the gap as soon as it opened. Then he hugged Jaekwon tightly.

‘Hmm.’

Jaekwon only frowned slightly. Unaware that he had just been saved, he turned over peacefully. Wisoo, his body chilled with cold sweat, clung tightly to his side. Then, they couldn’t get any closer. Because it was night and their energy was strong, they weren’t completely invisible, but they appeared only as a faint mist, like smudges frantically rubbed away with a palm.

‘Don’t have nightmares.’

Wisoo chattered his teeth and pressed himself closer to Jaekwon. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted Jaekwon not to have nightmares or whether he wanted to avoid having them himself. Still, he was certain that staying like this was beneficial to both of them.

‘Don’t call them. Call me instead.’

Wisoo whined and whispered to Jaekwon as if acting spoiled.

‘I’m too nice. You ignore me, Kwak Jaekwon, but I come here and save you.’

Wisoo unconsciously pulled Jaekwon’s hand, which was embracing him, and made him stroke his hair.

‘There, there. Good boy.’

He even imitated Jaekwon’s voice. Then, the chilling coldness subsided somewhat, and his body relaxed a little.

Wisoo finally felt like he could sleep. Just like Jaekwon’s furrowed brow had smoothed out.

That’s how it happened.

“It’s all thanks to me.”

Wisoo mumbled drowsily. He resented Jaekwon for not acknowledging it at all.

“Yes, yes. I know.”

Jaekwon didn’t believe him and sat up abruptly. Because he pulled his arm away suddenly, Wisoo rolled over and glared at the ceiling with a disgruntled expression.

“…This place has bad energy.”

“I told you. Even if the energy is bad, the GTX will fix everything. These days, exorcism is done with money.”

“There are so many things that can’t be solved with money.”

“There are. If everything could be solved with money, your old lover wouldn’t have died either.”

“He wasn’t my lover!”

Wisoo sat up and protested. Jaekwon chuckled. He was changing his clothes. Into running clothes. After all the insults, Jaekwon was wearing the clothes he had been captivated into buying very well.

“Alright. I think I’ll have egg bread again today, is that okay?”

Jaekwon complained that there wasn’t even a supermarket here, and that the housekeeper wouldn’t be coming until the weekend, which felt like forever.

Wisoo listened attentively to his grumbling. The sounds of a living person. It was an expression he could never understand, no matter how many times he heard it, but he understood it through Kwak Jaekwon. He smelled and sounded like a living person.

“I’ll go too.”

So Wisoo followed Jaekwon out.

Jaekwon didn’t stop him. But he didn’t wait for him either. Wisoo couldn’t run in slippers. Even with sneakers, the situation wouldn’t have been much different. Jaekwon lapped him once, then twice. Wisoo was still panting.

“Your stamina is trash.”

Clicking his tongue, Jaekwon walked slowly with Wisoo.

“I don’t walk much….”

“It does seem like you’ve been cooped up in the house.”

Jaekwon deliberately avoided the house with the broken wall. It seemed like the owner of that house was quite nosy. Instead, they went to the food stall where he had bought the egg bread, and saw the owner already baking bread early in the morning.

“Peanut…”

Wisoo stood behind Jaekwon, his eyes wide. The sweet and savory aroma tickled his nose.

Glancing at Wisoo, who was practically drooling behind him, Jaekwon asked for 50 peanut breads as well. The tiny, pinky-finger-sized treats filled the bag. Having purchased those and four egg breads, the two walked slowly.

“You didn’t drink coffee last time either.”

Jaekwon asked casually as he entered the convenience store.

“I… haven’t really had much coffee.”

In truth, the few sips he had shared with Jaekwon were all he’d ever had.

“Hmm.” Jaekwon made a sound that was half a reply, half a groan, then led Wisoo to stand in front of the refrigerated section.

“Get whatever you want to drink.”

All the drinks were high in sugar. He had deliberately positioned Wisoo there. Wisoo, able to read but finding the colorful array of drinks and their descriptions baffling, stared at them for a long time before picking one with a picture of grapes on it.

“I’ll pay for this too.”

Jaekwon, without even looking at Wisoo, took the drink he had chosen and held it out. He also bought a pack of cigarettes.

On their way back, both Kwak Jaekwon and Wisoo had their hands full. Jaekwon was carrying one of the bags because Wisoo had insisted on helping, even though he didn’t need to. Wisoo carried the breads. Even though it was summer, a warm feeling emanated from the bag in his arms, as if melting the chill around Wisoo’s heart.

Back at the house, while Jaekwon was showering, Wisoo took out the drink he had chosen and examined it from all angles.

“Mine…”

He muttered, then giggled. He felt strangely proud and satisfied to have chosen a drink for himself. It sent a tingling sensation all the way down to his toes. Jaekwon emerged from the shower just as Wisoo was hugging the bottle, his cheek pressed against it.

“Isn’t that a bit pathetic for someone who has a car?”

He chuckled in disbelief and took the bottle from Wisoo. Before Wisoo could react, he opened the cap and handed it back.

“Try it.”

The pang of disappointment that Jaekwon had opened his drink vanished with the fragrant aroma.

“Oh….”

Wisoo drank, as if mesmerized by the scent, and his first impression was astounding. It was refreshingly sweet, making him almost forget the summer heat. It made his head spin. For Wisoo, who had little immunity to liquid sugar, it induced an excessive sugar high.

“It’s so delicious….”

“I don’t usually drink things like this in the morning, but whatever. Mr. Seon Wisoo is an adult.”

“Adult….”

While it was true, no one had ever treated him as such. They hadn’t given him the right to be. With this single bottle of juice, Jaekwon had easily granted Wisoo that right and treatment.

It was that thrilling. If his teacher knew, he would have made him vomit it all up, then confined him to solitary confinement with a three-day fast, but his teacher wasn’t here now. Only Kwak Jaekwon was here. Wisoo savored the intoxicating sweetness.

Jaekwon, taking out Wisoo’s share of the bread, suddenly wondered when they had become so comfortable with each other.

But before that thought could deepen, Wisoo spoke again.

“When you can’t sleep, don’t think about strange things, don’t think about anything at all, just sleep. Don’t think about your mother either.”

“I’d prefer it if Mr. Seon Wisoo didn’t talk about my mother. I think that would help me sleep better.”

Jaekwon now knew that Seon Wisoo was quite stubborn and would say whatever he wanted to say. He brushed off Wisoo’s advice with a sigh.

Undeterred, Wisoo was about to add more to ensure Jaekwon’s sound sleep, but the sudden ringing of Jaekwon’s phone interrupted him.

“Hello.”

Jaekwon answered, holding his phone between his shoulder and ear. He quickly finished his peanut bread. They were quite small for him.

“Yeah. Come over.”

Come over? Wisoo wondered who it was, then guessed it was Hwang Gujo. And his guess was correct.

“Oh. Bring some groceries when you come. Snacks and something like dough for breakfast.”

He could hear Gujo grumbling about how many errands he had to run even though he had quit his job. Jaekwon laughed, then turned his head at Wisoo’s intense stare. Noticing Wisoo’s gaze fixed on his ordinary phone, he called out to Hwang Gujo.

“Buy me a phone when you come.”

“….!”

Wisoo’s eyes widened with anticipation.

“Yeah. Anything. Just something easy to use. Design?”

Finding Hwang Gujo’s detailed questioning about the design annoying, Jaekwon caught sight of Wisoo’s sparkling eyes. Quickly averting his gaze as if he had been caught peeping, he muttered,

“A pretty one. Just buy a pretty one.”

It was an impulsive remark. After ending the call, Jaekwon clicked his tongue, thinking he had said something unnecessary. As long as a device functioned well and had good security, that was all that mattered. No, wait, did Seon Wisoo even need security?

“Is it for me?”

Wisoo asked, his eyes shining. Jaekwon didn’t answer.

“It is for me, right?”

“Just eat your food.”

Jaekwon took his share of bread and went upstairs. He poked Wisoo’s forehead and pushed him away when he tried to follow.

“It really is for me, right?!”

Jaekwon couldn’t help but smile at the excited voice chasing after him until the door closed. Without even realizing it.

❖ ❖ ❖

“You two…”

Hwang Gujo began hesitantly.

“You’ve become quite close.”

Across from him, Jaekwon was catching up on his messages on his laptop, and Wisoo was glued to his side, undeterred by Jaekwon’s repeated attempts to push him away, clinging to him, trying to get even closer. Even when his attempts failed, they remained firmly pressed together on the long sofa.

“When did you two get so close?”

At Gujo’s question, Jaekwon gave him a look that said, “Close? What are you talking about?”, but judging from his posture and the distance between him and Wisoo, they looked like an obnoxious couple, oblivious to their own sickeningly sweet behavior.

Only then did Jaekwon realize that Wisoo was clinging to him like glue. He must have gotten so used to it over the past few days that he didn’t even think it was strange. He clicked his tongue and pulled his arm away. Wisoo’s eyes drooped at the corners.

“Even though I tell him not to, my stepmother seems to really like me.”

“I’m not your stepmother.”

The impudent retort, and

“Whatever I call you, it’s my prerogative. I’m going to be the immature son who lost his mother early and is emotionally stunted.”

The way he responded so smoothly made it clear that they had become much closer.

Although Hwang Gujo meant it as a joke, he chuckled, finding it strange to see Jaekwon actually looking like an immature child. He had known him for a long time, but this was the first time he had seen him like this.

“The board wants to give me a sabbatical to smooth things over.”

Jaekwon tossed his laptop aside and clicked his tongue. Hwang Gujo nodded as if he had expected it. As expected. That’s why he had reverted to formal speech. Jaekwon glanced at Hwang Gujo.

“There are plenty of bad guys who wield knives, but few who wield them well. It’s natural they don’t want to lose me.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“It was an insult.”

“Still, thanks. I’ll live a long life thanks to you.”

Jaekwon rested his arm on the back of the sofa. Then, he closed his eyes and rested his head against it. Wisoo, seizing the opportunity, snuggled close to Jaekwon’s side. Hwang Gujo was genuinely intrigued by the fact that Jaekwon let him. Without taking his eyes off Wisoo, who looked utterly content and comfortable, Hwang Gujo brought up the real reason he had come. Of course, his discharge from the hospital was part of it, but there was a bigger reason.

“By the way, the elders in your family are quite something. They persistently contacted me even though I said I was on sick leave and hospitalized.”

“Who?”

“Your uncles. Oh, and I also got a call from your cousin. He said he wanted to see you and asked where you were and when he could visit.”

“So. You didn’t tell them, right?”

“I told them I didn’t know when, but I knew where you were.”

Jaekwon opened his eyes in astonishment. At his incredulous, “You really said that?”, Hwang Gujo flinched and quickly corrected himself.

“I’m kidding. I told them you went on vacation without me. Still, they’ll contact you soon. With that kind of persistence, they’re bound to find out your number.”

“They’ll probably use an easier method.”

Jaekwon made a face that suggested he was used to this.

“They’ll put someone on you.”

“What?!”

Hwang Gujo, who was drinking coffee, was shocked by the stalker-like behavior. He had never thought something like being followed would happen to him, not in Korea, let alone America.

“I picked the wrong friend.”

Hwang Gujo shook his head and sighed dramatically.

“You give me a big bonus.”

“That bonus got wiped out by grocery shopping. Why are prices like this? How are the ingredients more expensive?”

“Are you cooking yourself?”

Wisoo, who had been silently listening to their conversation, interjected. Jaekwon gave a vague, affirmative “Yeah”.

“Wow. Are you good at cooking?”

“You’re smoothly trying to get a free meal from me, Mr. Seon Wisoo?”

“I can’t cook.”

“That’s not something to brag about.”

“Even if I did, I’d use no red pepper flakes and just a tiny bit of salt. Is that okay?”

“That’s… problematic.”

Jaekwon muttered, stroking his chin.

Hwang Gujo, quickly forgetting the stalker-like relatives and watching the two with amusement, commented,

“You two get along really well.”

“What do you mean, get along well?”

“Wow. Thank you!”

Two completely different reactions came out at the same time. Hwang Gujo found himself developing an unexpected fondness for the childlike Wisoo. It was a person-to-person fondness. At first, he had viewed him negatively due to the seemingly plausible prejudices created by the situation, but now he saw him in a much more positive light, almost as if those prejudices had been misunderstandings. He wondered if it would even be Wisoo’s fault if he truly were Chairman Kwak’s young lover.

“Oh dear. You’re not very gentlemanly. It seems the CEO’s blood doesn’t make a gentleman.”

However, the amicable atmosphere was short-lived as Hwang Gujo’s phone rang. It rang again. He didn’t have them saved, but he knew. They were the same numbers that had been relentlessly calling him. They even had the same last four digits.

“Just meet your relatives. Are they going to keep this up?”

“They’re drooling over the inheritance. The old man’s ashes have cooled down a bit, that’s all.”

Jaekwon muttered, closing his eyes as if it was a headache.

Then, a thought occurred to him, and he looked up at Wisoo.

“If they find out you’re tied up in a trust, those hyenas will be drooling.”

“…….”

“They might even eat you alive, tie you up, and lock you in a basement.”

“Why do you always have to put it like that….”

Gujo clicked his tongue. Indeed, Wisoo’s face had paled. He jumped up from his seat, his limbs trembling, and fled towards the room on the first floor with an obviously stiff gait. He tried to appear nonchalant, but his awkward smile only highlighted his fear.

It was clearly a flight. At the sound of the door slamming shut, Jaekwon looked at Hwang Gujo.

“Was that something to be that upset about?”

Hwang Gujo sighed deeply.

“He’s not upset, he’s scared. You wouldn’t understand, since you’re not afraid of anything.”

“He’s strangely jumpy. He didn’t even react when I called him a male prostitute or a courtesan.”

“Go and comfort him. He’s still young.”

“You’ve become quite soft on Seon Wisoo, Hwang Gujo.”

Jaekwon put his hands in his pockets and stretched his long legs as he stood up. He gave Gujo a strange smile and whispered,

“You seem to be captivated by him.”

It was the same remark he had made earlier, laughing about Gujo being captivated by something.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

Jaekwon called out to Wisoo as he went up the stairs. Before he even reached the top, he saw Wisoo sitting midway up the stairs, looking at him reproachfully. Jaekwon smiled gently.

“I thought you weren’t easily scared? Since you said you see a lot of strange things.”

“That’s why I’m even more scared.”

Wisoo muttered in a fading voice.

“Don’t talk about things like basements.”

Jaekwon sat down next to Wisoo. Just him sitting down made the space feel full. Wisoo wondered if Jaekwon knew that he couldn’t refuse him. Even now, despite his fear, he found himself drawn close to Jaekwon.

“Why? You have memories of being locked in a basement?”

“I don’t know if it was a basement.”

“You don’t know….”

“It was enclosed on all sides. There were no windows. When I went in, I was blindfolded, so I don’t know.”

Jaekwon frowned at the unexpectedly dark and heavy story.

“Did your teacher do that?”

“Yes…. He’s a bit of a scary teacher. Very strict.”

“I don’t think this is the time to be defending him.”

“What can I do, it already happened….”

“Still, it’s strange. Mr. Seon Wisoo defends his teacher but doesn’t admit to any wrongdoing on his part.”

Wisoo was firm on this point. He shook his head vehemently.

“I didn’t do anything wrong!”

Of course, from his teacher’s perspective, he must have done something wrong. Maybe he secretly ate a sausage, or maybe his teacher sensed his disapproval of secretly eating. But Wisoo wondered if it was really such a big mistake to warrant being locked up in such a scary place.

He knew that his stubbornness was the reason his teacher became stricter, but he couldn’t help it. He just wished his teacher would accept him as he was, with his innate ability to see and hear the dead.

“You probably didn’t do anything wrong.”

“…How do you know?”

“It’s relative. Unless your teacher is so evil that you killed someone or made someone kill someone, I think anything else is fine.”

Wisoo’s face brightened at his words.

Jaekwon found it strange that Wisoo, who seemed to have lived a highly controlled and violent life, even based on what little he had heard, was showing such honest emotional responses.

“It’s amazing… that you’re listening to me this much, Kwak Jaekwon.”

“My initial impression of you wasn’t very good. The person who caused my mother’s death lived with a young omega for years. If you’re human, after hearing that, you’d naturally think of….”

Jaekwon poked his temple with his index finger.

“A dirty and sordid scandal.”

“…My teacher strictly forbade sexual relations with clients. Including acts similar to sexual intercourse.”

Jaekwon rested his chin on his hand and stared at Wisoo, who was speaking about sexual acts in a very textbook manner.

“I guess there was someone you wanted to do it with?”

“No!”

Wisoo denied vehemently.

“The clients… the clients who are desperate enough to seek me out are mostly covered in dead things. They rarely look human. Can you kiss a corpse, Kwak Jaekwon? Not a cleanly embalmed one, but one in a gruesome state? Could you embrace it and get aroused?”

“Hmm… Absolutely not.”

“Me neither….”

Wisoo nodded glumly and continued to mumble. Perhaps because Jaekwon was listening so attentively, Wisoo was unusually talkative today, revealing things Kwak Jaekwon had been curious about. Of course, the credibility of his stories was a separate issue. Kwak Jaekwon was a cynic who scoffed at talk of ghosts and spirits.

However, Seon Wisoo’s soft voice and manner of speaking were quite pleasant to listen to. The way he chose unblemished words was also interesting. There were no slang words or trendy expressions mixed in.

“I didn’t know your teacher controlled even that.”

“There are a lot of rules for me.”

Wisoo clasped his hands on his lap and raised his head. His eyes were vacant, as if recalling countless rules.

“Not only sexual intercourse, but masturbation is also forbidden. Kissing, too. Even when I met my parents, he told me not to hug them.”

Seon Wisoo seemed completely devoid of warmth. It was surprising that his desire for it hadn’t been extinguished as well. Jaekwon asked, looking rather surprised,

“Masturbation too? Then what do you do when you’re in heat?”

Heat and rut were supposed to feel like your brain was melting and oozing out of every pore in your body. Jaekwon couldn’t imagine Wisoo enduring even that.

However, Wisoo’s answer was unexpected.

“I experienced heat once. Briefly. I don’t remember because I slept for a long time.”

“…You slept? You’d need quite a lot of sleeping pills for that.”

“I don’t remember.”

Wisoo answered vaguely. Jaekwon felt a bit uneasy but didn’t pry further.

He had to admit it. His attitude and feelings towards Wisoo had changed drastically from the beginning. At first, he truly disliked him. He despised him. But now, he could see him as a rather endearing younger acquaintance. That alone was enough to amplify his pity tenfold.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo. Do you want to get out of there?”

“…….”

Wisoo wondered if he had misheard. Yet, he couldn’t help but look at him with hopeful eyes. Half doubt, half expectation, thinking, “If I say yes, can you really do it? But it will be difficult.”

“At least if I become your guardian, we can postpone things, right?”

“Yes… Yes…! That’s right!”

Jaekwon rubbed his chin, then answered readily.

“Alright. I originally had no intention of doing so, but I will. Mr. Seon Wisoo is an adult anyway, and there’s no need to send you back to school or transfer schools.”

“….!”

Wisoo’s eyes lit up with joy. For a moment, Jaekwon felt like he had become something akin to a god, or a savior, to this man. His gaze was that fervent. It made him wonder if this kind of gaze was the reason that teacher had tried so hard to tame Seon Wisoo.

“Let’s think about what happens after that later.”

Jaekwon stood up and went downstairs. Wisoo awkwardly followed, and Jaekwon, already standing on the landing below, looked up at him.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo, I don’t trust people easily.”

“…….”

“But I’ll trust you. I will. It might be difficult now, but let’s try.”

He smiled gently. Wisoo clutched his chest, tracing the silhouette of Jaekwon, who had disappeared from his view as he approached Hwang Gujo. His heart pounded. Thump, thump. His heart, which had never reacted this way to anything other than fear, sent Wisoo, who had no immunity to this feeling, into a dizzying spell.

Holding onto the railing to steady himself, he leaned forward. For the first time, Wisoo sensed someone else’s pheromones. He had thought there was something lingering where Jaekwon had been standing, like a silhouette, and it turned out to be pheromones.

It was an inky scent. A sharp, deep blue ink-like scent mixed with the soft smell of blankets. Oh, if only he could describe it better. Wisoo closed his eyes, savoring the complex aroma, then opened them at the feeling of something tapping his cheek.

“Your phone.”

Jaekwon, not finding it strange that Wisoo was halfway leaning over the railing, handed him the phone he had asked Hwang Gujo to buy. It was a sleek, black, small device.

“I saved my number and Hwang Gujo’s number in it.”

Wisoo received it with both hands, as if it were a sacred object.

“Call if you need anything. That paper cup phone is useless in the rain or when we’re far apart.”

Jaekwon grinned mischievously and went downstairs. Wisoo leaned further over the railing, watching his back as he headed towards the living room, then hurriedly turned on the unlocked phone. He fumbled with it before pressing the phone icon. Sure enough, two numbers were saved. Kwak Jaekwon’s name was above Hwang Gujo’s. Wisoo, filled with elation, pressed his name. The ringtone went off from Jaekwon’s pocket in the distance.

Jaekwon turned around. As if he knew who it was without checking the caller ID.

“…….”

Jaekwon, who had been staring at him, answered the phone. They were in the same house, barely 3 meters apart, yet they were connected by a phone call, their eyes locked on each other. Wisoo thought his breathing was too loud.

“Hello.”

Jaekwon greeted him in a low, gentle voice, the corner of his mouth tilted upwards.

At the “Hello” in response, Wisoo felt like he was melting. He smiled brightly, his lips parting. He had nothing to say, nothing in common with him, didn’t even know his interests, yet the simple act of him answering the phone made him feel connected.