The House of Three Chapter 13.1

For several days, the cell phone had been quiet. Until just four days ago, more than ten threatening text messages a day had flown in from his younger uncle, but these days, for some reason, the message box was silent.

It was a situation that amplified anxiety rather than providing relief. Why would his younger uncle, who had been causing a ruckus demanding he move the body immediately, cut off contact without any reason?

No way…… He wouldn’t be trying to touch the grave on his own, would he?

At that thought, his heart dropped.

He had not even chosen a grave relocation company yet, so it seemed like a good idea to at least call him first and ask for more time.

Heeyoung immediately called his younger uncle’s number. The call connected before the ringtone had even sounded three times.

“Hello? Younger uncle, it’s me, Heeyoung.”

ㅡOh, yeah. What’s up?

An unexpectedly calm voice came from over the phone. Did something good happen to him? It was bewildering, but it was for the better.

“Um, actually, I am looking into grave relocation companies. But it is taking some time to consider the costs. Could you possibly give me a little more time……”

ㅡAhem, are you doing this on purpose? Forget it, just stop. Leave your father’s and younger brother’s graves as they are.

“……What?”

But his younger uncle, who had been badgering him about the grave site issue, was suddenly saying to treat it as if it never happened.

He would have been grateful for even just an extension. It was absurd that he was now telling him to leave the graves as they are, as if a sudden whim had struck him.

If he was going to say this, he should not have sent those threatening texts or spewed verbal abuse over the phone all this time. Heeyoung felt a momentary surge of anger and deliberately retorted.

“But you said it was unsettling. You said it smells like something is rotting……”

As he subtly revealed his deeply hurt feelings, a slightly irritated voice returned.

ㅡAh, what can we do about what’s already buried! Our Hyung brothers have all finished talking it over, so let’s just consider this a non-issue. Got it!

Just as it seemed he was about to raise his voice according to his temper, he quickly softened his tone and soothed Heeyoung.

ㅡIf you have any hard feelings toward me, let them all go. Okay? I was tired right after coming back from America, so that’s why I was being more sensitive. Old people are all like that. They get annoyed easily, and then they get over it easily, that’s how it is.

“Ah……”

ㅡSo if I said some harsh things to you until now, forget them all. Do you get it, or not. Your younger uncle is apologizing this much!

Do people really get angry so easily and get over it so easily when they get older? The younger uncle, who had acted like he would never back down, was now not only showing mercy but also asking for a reconciliation.

His head was spinning from the apology that seemed half-forced. Heeyoung wanted to ask why he was suddenly acting this way, what his intentions were, but he did not open his mouth, worried it would just become tiring.

ㅡHello. Can’t you hear my voice? Ah. Ah. Is Heeyoung listening?

“Ah, yes. I…… thank you for understanding my situation.”

ㅡWhat is there to thank me for. Okay, I’m hanging up.

The call ended with the clumsy reconciliation. It was a truly dumbfounding conversation.

Was all the past viciousness just his younger uncle’s way of venting or just a whim? He said the Hyung brothers had finished their discussion, so perhaps his eldest uncle had used his influence.

In any case, it was clear that the worry that had been troubling his heart was washed away in an instant.

He had never imagined that his problem would be resolved so suddenly, at such an unexpected moment. But what’s done is done…….

He did not want to get more stressed by digging into his younger uncle’s intentions. Heeyoung decided to cleanly shake off the lump of worry that had been firmly stuck in his heart.

Now that the grave site issue was somehow resolved. Since his younger brother’s birthday was next Friday, he thought he should go down to Yesan for a visit.

By now, the grave would be overgrown with weeds. The tombstone was also certainly covered in a good amount of dirt and dust.

My Heemin, I wonder if he will cry, saying Hyung is here after a long time.

Even though there were still six days until the birthday, his heart started to feel impatient.

Heeyoung headed to the first floor, where Gyojin would be, to ask for permission to go out. His heart was in such a hurry that his footsteps on the stairs were quicker than usual.

Just like Cheonghyun would do, he went down with a pattering sound, and the back of Gyojin, who was just entering the dining room, came into view.

Naturally following behind him, Heeyoung spoke.

“Boss-nim, can I go out next Friday and come back?”

As he asked cautiously, Gyojin, who was drinking water, put down his cup and shrugged his shoulders.

“Going out is up to you, why do you ask me every single time. Ah, is it because you want my attention?”

He was jumping to strange conclusions and saying weird things on his own again. Even though he called him Boss-nim, Boss-nim every day, he seemed completely unaware of his position as a boss.

“It’s not that, I’m an employee working here, and you are the employer, Boss-nim. I’m still paying off the debt……”

Gyojin, who had been imagining a lovey-dovey life with Heeyoung, calling each other honey and darling, finally had a moment of realization. He had made Heeyoung say the words, ‘You are a loan shark, and I am a debtor,’ himself.

He was already feeling guilty for being the son of a bitch who was swindling Heeyoung out of his money.

Gyojin decided to redefine this relationship, now that the topic had come up.

“I just want to be your lover. It is just a number anyway, let’s just erase it.”

There was nothing much to correct. Was it not a relationship that had started without a proper contract in the first place? As for the debt, he could just erase it. It was a matter that could be easily resolved with just one word from Gyojin, saying he would not accept it.

Of course, that was looking at it from Gyojin’s perspective; for Heeyoung, it was not a matter to be taken so lightly.

On the day he was first dragged to Ignis, Heeyoung had clearly heard how much money he had to pay back. It was an amount in the hundreds of millions. It was a level where it was questionable if he could ever repay it even if he worked his entire life to earn the money, and Gyojin had declared that he would not accept that money.

No matter how you look at it, it was money his father had borrowed, and he had not even recovered the principal…….

Heeyoung was not optimistic enough to be purely happy about such words, nor was he an ignorant fool.

“You’ll erase it? It’s not something else, it’s a debt. Boss-nim, you haven’t even gotten the principal back yet. You’ll regret it.”

He was not a philanthropist. To say he would not even collect his own money that had all gone to a gambling den. He might feel a certain way right now, but in the future, he might come to regret today’s decision.

And if such a day came, the relationship between Gyojin and himself would also falter.

Heeyoung did not want that. He was so grateful just for Gyojin saying this that he wanted to at least pay back the principal.

Working at Ignis was hard, but was he not working at Gyojin’s house now?

As long as no other financial problems arose, there was no issue with his living situation. Perhaps because he was provided with room and board, it was possible to get by for a month on just one-third of his salary.

But what was this. The loan shark who had lent the money was the one who would not bend his will. The debtor said he would repay the debt, yet he stubbornly refused.

Gyojin was shameless in a strange way.

“Regret, my ass. I’m not taking it.”

“How can you say that……!”

“What do you mean, how, it’s right here. It’s my money, so I’ll do as I please. Huh?”

Why is this Boss-nim really being like this? Looking at him with concern did not work.

Soon, he came right up to Heeyoung’s nose and, with a hand on his hip in a somewhat thuggish posture, declared his conviction.

“Lee Heeyoung, I don’t want to take money from you. I only want to spend it on you.”

“……”

“That’s my conviction, you fucker. I can’t stand just receiving from someone I love, I’d rather die. What kind of a man would do that?”

It was a conviction that truly made a person feel awkward. Especially the last part. What kind of a man would just receive from someone he loves.

He spouted such words so easily when that very man was standing right here.

For some reason, feeling sullen, Heeyoung furrowed his brows and retorted.

“Then are you saying I’m not a man?”

When he asked coyly, Gyojin’s serious, crumpled expression bloomed. He grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth, looking like a fool.

“You can’t see it that way. Don’t you know you’re an exception? Not a man, but Lee Heeyoung. It’s more correct to say you’re just Cha Gyojin’s.”

Whether he said it this way or that way, it was the same in that he was not treating him like a man. He stubbornly insisted he was ‘Cha Gyojin’s’ and thumped his own chest with his fist. His actions were comical and did not match his large build, making only a hollow laugh escape.

Haah, it was when Heeyoung, laughing in disbelief, sensed his defeat.

With a fresh melody, the intercom began to ring, ding-dong, ding-dong. It seemed someone had pressed the doorbell at the front gate.

Did a guest come? Heeyoung, stopping the argument that was not quite an argument, hurried to the living room and could not help but widen his eyes upon checking the intercom screen.

“Uh……?”

The face of the Ignis manager was visible on the screen. It was still broad daylight, but it was questionable why he, who was active only at night like an owl, had come here at this hour.

It was Gyojin who pressed the door open button. He held Heeyoung, who was staring blankly at the screen, in his arms and said, ‘He’s finally crawling over.’ It was a remark aimed at the manager.

And a moment later, belying the words that he had crawled over, the manager, who had run over panting, knocked on the front door.

Gyojin, still holding Heeyoung in his arms, waddled out and opened the door for him.

Since it was an embarrassing position to be seen in by others, Heeyoung had to push Gyojin’s body away with all his might before the manager could come in.

Fortunately, the manager, who had not witnessed the two’s skinship, stepped inside the entrance. As soon as he spotted Gyojin standing like a village guardian post at the hallway entrance, he bowed his waist 90 degrees in greeting.

“Boss-nim, I hope you have been well. Here, I’ve brought the ledger……?”

Next, just as he was politely handing over a thick file he took from his coat, he suddenly spotted Heeyoung standing next to Gyojin and flared his nostrils wide.

Anyone could see it was a look of bewilderment.

Well, with all those employees gone and only Heeyoung standing by Gyojin’s side in comfortable clothes, it would be strange not to be surprised.

Above all, working as the Ignis manager had made him sharp as a tack. He could tell the subtle, tingly atmosphere between an alpha and an omega with just a glance.

Instantly grasping this strange situation, he rolled his eyes as if surprised.

He had thought it was impossible, but to think Lee Heeyoung had really settled into this house. The combination was so unbelievable no matter how he looked at it that his gaze became increasingly blatant.

For Heeyoung, it was an incredibly shameful situation. Until he came into this house, he had acted as if he had no interest in the person called Boss. Now, to have become this and that and to be standing in front of the manager was just so embarrassing.

So he was trying his best to look down and avoid the gaze that felt piercing.

Gyojin, who had snatched the ledger from the manager’s hand, frowned as if displeased.

“What are you doing standing there blankly. Are you going to live here? You want to be my wife too?”

“Oh, no! Then I will be on my way. Ha, haha. Heeyoung, you look well. See you later!”

“What a load of bullshit, fuck, what bullshit.”

As the roar of disapproval erupted, the manager, who jumped in surprise, dashed out the front door as if his feet were on fire.

Even as he did so, he could not easily tear his gaze away from Heeyoung. He disappeared in a bizarre posture, his waist bent, his head turned, and his feet sprinting at full speed.

He had not even been able to say a proper goodbye, and he wondered if it was right to end such a short encounter like this.

However, Gyojin, having achieved his goal by obtaining the ledger, seemed to have little interest in how the manager left.

He passed through the long hallway, casually flipping through the ledger. Heeyoung also followed him into the living room and said a word.

“The manager-nim seemed to have a hard time getting here, shouldn’t we have at least offered him a cup of tea?”

When he asked worriedly, a different answer came back. No, it was not even an answer.

Lee Heeyoung. Lee Heeyoung. Gyojin, who had been murmuring Heeyoung’s name and scanning the page with the tip of a white-out pen, suddenly committed an impulsive act. He threw away the white-out pen in his hand and ripped the thick ledger apart, bbu-uk.

And how strong was his grip. Every time his arm muscles tensed fiercely, the thick sheets of paper were torn to shreds.

“What, what are you doing?”

To tear up what the manager-nim had gone to the trouble of bringing. Heeyoung, who was staring at Gyojin with eyes that asked if he was out of his mind, quickly picked up the pieces of paper that had fallen to the floor.

Reading the contents closely, it was a ledger where debts were recorded. A ledger that meticulously recorded how much the principal was, how much interest was added each month, and when and how much money the debtor had repaid.

On another piece of paper fallen by his feet, the name ‘Lee Heeyoung’ was stamped.

What kind of lightning-fast action was this. Heeyoung was so surprised he could not close his agape mouth.

So his words about erasing the debt were not a lie. He really, really tore up this whole ledger. Without a shred of lingering attachment. The interest, the principal, everything, all became mere trash scattered on the floor.

Just this one pile of paper was torn, yet Heeyoung was freed from the debt that had shackled him and regained a normal life. It felt both hollow and still unbelievable that something he had only thought of as a vague dream had been achieved so easily.

Could life be solved this simply? Both his younger uncle’s land problem and the debt, it felt like he was floating in a dream.

Was he just staring blankly at the pieces of paper scattered like flower petals? Gyojin, who had satisfyingly torn up the very last page, spoke as if teaching him. His tone was kind and gentle, unlike him.

“See. Now you and I are not in a tiring relationship like loan shark and debtor, but just lovers. Not a relationship where I’m on top and you’re at the bottom, but a relationship where we walk side by side, holding hands.”

Then he added that the only time a top and bottom exist is when they have sex. Whether he is fucking from above, or being fucked from below. That would be the only difference.

Even with the crude joke he added playfully, no scolding came out.

Heeyoung felt the sensation of his back, which was not even stooped, straightening up. The feeling of shaking off a long-held burden. His body felt as light as if it could fly.

Not a loan shark and a debtor, but just lovers. With those words, he could truly feel that the shackle of debt had disappeared.

The past when he had been dragged into Ignis, sobbing, seemed to gradually fade from his memory.

Equal lovers. Boss-nim and I, we are really in that kind of relationship now. Without a single thing weighing on my mind, we just have to love each other with a peaceful heart……?

The first emotion that hit his head was not joy or anything of the sort.

It was just…… gratitude. He was so grateful that the words ‘thank you’ could not contain all of this feeling.

Gyojin kept making him forget his pain with his own existence. He solved what were immensely big problems for him so easily. He foolishly endured it all just for him, even if it meant taking a loss himself.

As expected of a baby’s father. He did not know why his way of loving was so devoted.

Anyone who heard this would call him a pushover and curse at him. Because he had been dragged to the entertainment establishment run by Gyojin for the reason of having to pay off his father’s debt, and had worked there suffering all kinds of hardships.

It is natural for a debtor to work hard to repay a debt, but considering the interest that fiercely grew every month, Cha Gyojin was a bad person to him from the start.

But, even so…….

He was the only person who had taught him the emotion of love. Moreover, was he not doing his best to clear up the uncomfortable past embedded between them? With the debt gone, he had perfectly finished even that.

Heeyoung was fine with just this. He could praise Gyojin not as a bad person, but as the kindest person in the world.

Heeyoung, who had been engulfed in a heart-warming feeling for a while, on the verge of tears, suddenly rushed into Gyojin’s arms and hugged him.

“……Thank you.”

As he buried his face in the hard chest and mumbled softly, Gyojin hugged Heeyoung back and patted his butt.

Thanks. Seriously, you fucker, thanks?

How can there be such a gentle person.

For months, while he was hitting on Lee Heeyoung, he had not been able to tear up this one piece of paper.

And yet, Heeyoung had never once hit him on the head, saying, ‘Boss-nim, you say you like me, but you won’t even cancel a single debt?!’

He even said he would repay at least the principal. Is this making any sense at all? He should be tearing the guy who was a loan shark until yesterday a new one to celebrate becoming his husband, but the kid was too pure, way too pure.

Ugh, you fucker…… this pushover. Blockhead. I told you to live a little more shrewdly.

A nagging rose up to the tip of his chin, but he did not let it out. Instead, Gyojin changed the subject so that Heeyoung could calm his emotions.

“So, where are you planning to go out next Friday?”

As he asked slyly, Heeyoung, who was breathing softly in his arms, peeked his head up.

“I’m planning to visit my younger brother.”

“Want me to go with you?”

“No. I want to go alone that day.”

His voice, politely refusing by saying he would go alone, was bright.

Right, he probably has a lot to talk about with his younger brother.

Gyojin, who had been about to tag along, nodded his head only after confirming Heeyoung’s bright expression.

As the conversation concluded and a natural silence floated between them, Gyojin, who had been hesitating about something, glanced at Heeyoung as if he had something more to say.

He was about to start speaking, timing it just right, when he noticed Heeyoung’s cheek pressed against his chest and squeezed his eyes shut. You fucking hell. Maybe because of the visual stimulation, it was hard to even open his mouth once.

Should I just lean down and bite that cheek right now? He pondered for a moment, then firmly held onto his reason.

“You looked so down before, but now your complexion looks a bit better. Did your worries disappear?”

He had neatly resolved the land issue, but since Heeyoung had not said anything, he was subtly probing.

At that, a child-like smile floated onto Heeyoung’s clear face. The harmony of his roundly raised lips and the cheeks tinged with a faint pink was breathtakingly cute.

“Yes……. I’m a little bewildered too, but it somehow got resolved. Actually, that worry was also resolved today. But then you, Boss-nim, even like, got rid of the debt and all. At first, I honestly thought it was a dream. Heh heh, I wonder what day it is today.”

“……”

“So I think I can go see my younger brother on Friday with a comfortable heart. Just have a pleasant talk, and give my Heemin some jellies too……”

Heeyoung, who was talking to himself quietly, kept letting out shy laughs, as if he was happy just imagining it. While talking about what he would buy for his younger brother, he even swayed Gyojin’s arm gently.

He did not hide the fact that he had a worry and that it was resolved. Although he failed to hear the detailed circumstances, Gyojin decided to be satisfied with this.

It was definitely not because he was distracted by Heeyoung suddenly swaying his arm and acting cute.

“Go and chat with your younger brother as much as you want. Those jellies, don’t give him too many. It’s not good if it becomes a habit.”

“Heh, what kind of habit would it become. You’re funny.”

“Eh? You’re ignoring me. Hey, you have to take even better care of kids. Did you say your younger brother is young? You, forget the jellies and go buy some organic rice bread. Kids go crazy for that.”

“Rice bread? He’s not that much of a baby……. Boss-nim, when I look at you, you’re very meticulous about food. Since you said organic, you sound like a perfect 100-point dad.”

“You have to go with organic for what kids eat. You think I’ve only been a baby’s father for a day or two? Huh? You don’t know, but I’m amazing at childcare. If we have a second child? You won’t have to lift a single finger, I’ll raise them all.”

Starting with the story of his younger brother, they chattered about this and that, and Heeyoung burst into hearty laughter. Even though he had subtly slipped in the words about having a second child, he was too busy laughing, ha-ha, to notice.

Just a moment ago, he was so moved that his eyes were welling with tears, but now he was radiating a bright energy as if that had never happened, which looked good.

After that, Gyojin continued to spin tales to make Heeyoung laugh, and around the time the color of the air became filled with a warm light, he made a silent suggestion.

“On that day, I will take you to where your younger brother is.”

“……”

“I am not trying to follow you, Heeyoung. When are you going to take the bus and go down there all by yourself. Be with me when you go, and when you come back. You will be very lonely if you leave your younger brother and come out alone.”

“Uh, umm……”

“Uh, uuumm? I am saying I will escort you comfortably, yet you are hesitating. You do not like it? Should I get a new car?”

It was a grave located in a place with no houses nearby, just fields and mountains. The surroundings were so empty that the only thing to be heard was the sound of the wind. The thought of Heeyoung chatting away alone in that empty grassy field made him feel concerned.

From the beginning, Gyojin had no intention of sending Heeyoung alone. He said it jokingly, but his heart was pounding, worried that Heeyoung might refuse, saying he did not want to.

If he says no, what should I use to persuade him. Jellies? Cha Cheonghyun? Sex?

As he was drawing up a plan B in his head, Heeyoung, who had been hesitating and dawdling, nodded his head emphatically.

“Okay. Then just drop me off. And do not get a new car……”

It was not the answer Heeyoung always gave as a habit, saying it was okay, you do not have to.

That was enough. That was.

Gyojin felt a lump in his throat over something so trivial. That one response felt so commendable that his chest began to boil with heat.

When Cha Cheonghyun first called him ‘Dad’. It was a feeling similar to that exact moment.

“Oh, oh, don’t get one? Then what should I take you in. Choose. You choose everything. Lee Heeyoung, I will do everything you want.”

The feeling of being a ridiculously doting fool that no one could stop. Gyojin felt that if he could just compress this entire world and place it all in Heeyoung’s arms, he would.

Love, it was truly like that.

🌿

“You cannot, Boss-nim. If you drop me off, you will be late for the camping trip. I can really go by myself.”

Today was the day to go down to Yesan, where the grave was, to commemorate Heemin’s birthday.

Heeyoung, who was standing in front of the entrance hall packing his bag, shook his head firmly. He had already said he could not more than ten times, starting from yesterday.

There was a good reason for this.

If nothing special had happened, he would have headed to Yesan in Gyojin’s car, but a very important event had popped up in the middle.

Cheonghyun’s school was holding a 2-day, 1-night camping program to go on with their dads.

According to the teacher, they had taken applications about a month ago, and it seemed Cheonghyun had circled it and submitted it without any discussion.

And Gyojin found out about this fact three days ago. If the notice had not been posted in the class notification chat, it would have been a real disaster.

Moreover, in what a coincidence, the camping schedule overlapped with the day of the visit to the grave.

Since things had turned out this way, Gyojin’s promise to take him to Yesan had to be naturally called off.

No matter what anyone said, the child’s schedule was the priority, so Heeyoung was not particularly disappointed or sad. On the contrary, he helped prepare Cheonghyun’s luggage, telling him to have fun at the camping trip.

But since yesterday, Gyojin had been stubbornly insisting on something strange.

“I am telling you, if I drop you off and then go, the timing will be perfect. Do not refuse, and let’s go together.”

It was an absurdly stubborn insistence that he would, come hell or high water, drop him off at Yesan before he left.

Heeyoung subtly glared at Gyojin, who was brazenly blocking the entrance hall and jingling his car keys.

Who do you take for a fool.

If he were to drive him to Yesan and then depart for Incheon where the campground was, he would end up being late for the assembly time.

It might have been different in the past, but now Heeyoung could see right through Gyojin. Just looking at that expression, it was obvious. He was surely harboring the thought of being late.

Being late for a group trip. It was something that could never be tolerated.

“I have already booked my bus ticket. So do not even think about following me. You must pack Cheonghyun’s things well at home and arrive at the assembly point no later than 10 minutes before the time. Got it.”

“Hey, I am telling you, there is enough time? It is all possible if I step on the accelerator like crazy. Have you not seen me drive?”

As he continued to refuse until the end, Gyojin, who had come all the way out to the entrance hall to block his path, spouted nonsensical words.

Strange. Until a few days ago, no, until the day before yesterday, there was so much love. When he looked at Boss-nim, his heart would tingle, and he was so busy kissing him to his heart’s content, but for some reason, his insides were boiling now. For heaven’s sake, even Cheonghyun was not throwing a tantrum and said, ‘Hyung, have a good trip,’ so why was the dad being so stubborn?

It was a moment where his lips were pressed together and his eyebrows furrowed on their own. If he had his way, he would have coldly pushed Gyojin aside and left, but who was this Lee Heeyoung? He was the so-called angel who knew how to gently educate even the mischievous Cheonghyun.

Haah. Heeyoung, letting out a deep sigh, embarked on a mission of persuasion.

“Boss-nim. I am an adult, and I can get to Yesan just fine on my own by bus. But what about Cheonghyun? Even though he is an elementary school student, he is still a baby. Imagine if he is late for the assembly time for his first camping trip with his dad. The teachers must have worked hard to plan the whole schedule, and if he joins in the middle, it will be difficult for Cheonghyun to adapt, too.”

It was a sentence with no room to find fault and pick at. Every word he uttered was correct, so no matter how much of a Gyojin he was, it would be difficult for him to be more stubborn here.

Jingle. He, who had been pointlessly twirling the car keys, stood with his legs apart.

“Is it fair to bring up Cha Cheonghyun. A father is helpless when it comes to his child. You know that, and that is why you are doing this.”

“No way. I really said that thinking of Cheonghyun. But I will gratefully accept your sentiment, Boss-nim. Okay?”

He stood on his tiptoes and gave him a peck on the chin, and Gyojin’s sulking expression melted away. Even before the kiss, his lips had already been twitching as Heeyoung got closer.

In the end, he was going to be won over with just one kiss. Looking at him at times like this, Gyojin actually felt more childish than Cheonghyun.

Smiling faintly, Heeyoung thought, that should do it, and bent one knee to sit down. He intended to tie his shoelaces more firmly before leaving.

As he was wiggling his fingers to make a bow with the laces, Gyojin’s mischievous voice fell from above his head.

“You always drawl out your words only at times like this. I will graaatefully accept your sentimeeeent, Boss-niiim. Okaaay?”

“……”

“See, you fucker. Even when you hear it, you just want to bite them. They are so cute you could die.”

He made people feel dumbfounded in so many different ways. When had he ever drawn out his words like that. The way he exaggeratedly mimicked him was utterly annoying.

Seeing him act like that, it seemed certain that he was completely mollified.

“When did I ever do that. Why do you keep teasing me about the same thing since last time? More importantly, you must not forget to pack Cheonghyun’s tumbler later. If he drinks something like milk in it, make sure to wash the inside of the tumbler lid well with detergent. Ah! And I washed the glass straw next to the tumbler too, so make sure you take that as well.”

Whether Gyojin teased him or not, it was a familiar occurrence, so Heeyoung quickly changed the subject. In truth, more than half of it was nagging…….

Gyojin nodded his head perfunctorily, saying he would take care of it all. Then he also added a word.

“Lee Heeyoung, you too. Text me when you get on the bus, and send me a picture to show you arrived safely. Got it, or not.”

“Yes, I got it. I will definitely do that. Then I am really going now!”

When he checked the time on his cell phone, it was already 10 in the morning. If they had not been bickering at the front door, he could have gone to the terminal at a leisurely pace. It was a situation where every minute and second was precious.

Heeyoung, who had urgently opened the front door, was about to run out but then turned back. He stared at Gyojin with sharp eyes and implored him.

“The assembly time. Do not be late, ever. I am going to ask Cheonghyun everything.”

“Hey, I am telling you I will not be late. You do not trust me?”

“……”

“Oh, yeah, you fucker. From now on, I will become a Cha Gyojin who gives you trust. Look ahead when you walk. You will fall.”

He was playfully mischievous until the very end. Still, he knew that despite his words, once he was there, he would take care of his son better than anyone.

Only then did Heeyoung feel relieved and left the entrance hall with a peaceful mind. While walking across the lawn to the main gate, he had to listen to Gyojin’s worried nagging.

Things like to call him anytime if he did not want to go alone, and to be sure to buy some water at a convenience store because he might end up crying there. Gyojin must be the only person in the world who worried about him while treating him like a child. Heeyoung let out a small laugh.

As he closed the gate and came out, a cool wind blew. Perhaps because it had poured with spring rain for two days, the weather was a bit chilly.

Cough!

A cough burst out even though he had come out wearing a thin coat. Heeyoung zipped up his coat to his neck and then set off.

Inside the subway to the terminal. Despite it being a vague morning hour, the seats were all full.

Heeyoung, who had found a spot in a corner to stand, immediately took out his cell phone. It was because there was something he absolutely had to do.

[Younger Uncle]

He found his younger uncle’s number in his contacts and opened the message window, and the speech bubbles from their last conversation appeared.

They were mostly threatening messages toward Heeyoung.

He was a person who expressed his anger, saying he buried a corpse on his land, so what kind of harsh words would he say again if he visited the grave to place flowers or jellies.

Even though he had said to let it all be a thing of the past, he could not fully trust those words.

Thus, Heeyoung prepared himself to be scolded and sent the text.

Hello. Younger uncle. It’s me, Heeyoung.
The reason I’m messaging is because today is
my younger brother’s birthday. I plan to
visit the grave after a long time. I won’t
stay for long, I’ll just leave some flowers
and come back. Would that be okay?

He left a message that was almost a notification and quickly put his phone away before a reply could come.

Just in case he might say no. He planned to make an excuse later, saying he had not seen the message, if he got an earful.

After arriving at the terminal, he bought a few bags of jellies at a nearby convenience store, and stopped by a flower shop he had eyed beforehand to purchase a colorful bouquet. He even bought a mini car from someone crouching in front of the terminal selling trivial children’s toys and tucked it carefully into his pocket.

By the time he came out with both hands full of things he had bought, it was time for the intercity bus to arrive.

It was when Heeyoung, who had just boarded the bus, finished organizing his things. The cell phone in his pants pocket vibrated. The caller was his younger uncle.

What he expected had come.

Heeyoung, who had been debating whether to answer or not, cautiously touched the accept button.

“Hello……?”

He quickly lowered the call volume, thinking a loud yell might fly at him any moment, but surprisingly, nothing of the sort happened.

ㅡOh, it’s your younger uncle. You’re going to the grave? By yourself?

His mind went blank at the benevolent voice that followed. Was this really his younger uncle? Heeyoung, who stared at the screen and checked the number again, replied, bewildered.

“Yes, by myself. It is Heemin’s birthday, so I really wanted to celebrate it……. Would that be a problem?”

ㅡNo, it is not a problem. That is up to you. So, when are you planning to go?

He was even allowed to go to the grave as he pleased. It seems that phone call from before was not a dream. Heeyoung relaxed his tension and leaned his body comfortably against the seat.

“I just got on the intercity bus now.”

ㅡIs that so? Hey, by the way, Heeyoung, you, that is…….

“Yes?”

ㅡNo, never mind. You just got on the intercity bus? Okay, I got it.

He, who had been hesitating as if he had something to ask, trailed off and hung up the phone. Why does he end conversations at such random timings. It was bewildering, but he did not bother to call back.

His younger uncle’s attitude definitely seemed to have softened a lot compared to before. To the point where it was hard to believe he was the person who had sent him threatening texts…….

There were more than a few puzzling points, but still, it was a relief to have received clear permission. Heeyoung felt he could now go see his younger brother with a truly comfortable heart.

As he looked out the car window with a light heart, the day was bright. It was the perfect weather to visit Heemin.

Heeyoung immediately turned on his camera and filmed the scenery outside. The picture of the clouds he took was sent to Gyojin.

(Photo)

Boss-nim I just got on the bus!

Then, less than a minute after he sent it, a reply arrived.

You should send a picture of yourself, not something like that

He went to the trouble of capturing the sky scenery beautifully, and he tells him to send a picture of his face. He had never once taken a selfie in his life…….

Heeyoung, who was hesitating, took a selfie, albeit awkwardly. His expression, staring straight at the camera with his lips pulled up in a strange way, was a sight to behold.

Did I look like this? He could feel himself that he looked somewhat awkward. I can take good pictures of Cheonghyun……. His selfie skills were truly terrible.

After hesitating for a long time whether to send it or not, he sent another picture that came out relatively well, and this time too, the reply came back quickly. It was an explosive reaction.

???

Heeyoung don’t take pictures from now on I’ll
take them for you

He must have been in such a hurry that he sent it without even spacing it properly. My goodness. He told me to send a face picture, so I sent one, and now he tells me not to take pictures.

His pride was a little hurt by the overly honest reaction. Still, it was not so bad that you could not look at it.

When he changed the angle and sent a few more pictures, short vibrations rang in succession.

lolololol

Are you asking me to bite you?

(Emoticon)

An emoticon was moving comically above the chat room. It was an emoticon of a goblin taking a big bite out of a round monster’s cheek.

When did he buy something like this.

Heeyoung, who only had the default emoticons, sent a picture of a dog’s deadpan face and hastily pressed the hold button.

He felt embarrassed for acting so foolishly on his way to see his younger brother.

A long time ago, the road down to Yesan felt just like hell.

It may seem a bit frivolous…… but it was better to be foolish like now. Because he was just happy, with no time to recall the painful past.

🌿

The outskirts of the countryside where no people live. If you pass the fields and go up the slope, a evenly cut field appears. Heemin was sleeping there.

Heeyoung, who had climbed the hill panting for breath, reached the end of the slope in 10 minutes.

Where was the entrance to the grave. He was looking around, scanning between the patches of grass.

“Is that you, Heeyoung?”

A middle-aged man standing with his hands behind his back called his name from nearby. Heeyoung, who reflexively looked in that direction, was almost shocked out of his wits. It was because a man with a face identical to his father’s was standing there.

Could it be father’s ghost. While he was lost in a delusion detached from reality, the man gradually got closer.

Looking closely, there was a mole next to the man’s nose that his father did not have.

“Younger uncle…… is that you?”

He had a rough idea of who it was, but it was hard to know for sure, so he asked cautiously. Then, the answer he expected came from the man.

“Yes, it is me. You are Heeyoung, right? Oh, you have grown up a lot. I saw you when you were about this big and have not seen you since. You grew up well, very well.”

It was indeed his younger uncle. He looked Heeyoung up and down, patted him on the shoulder, and even gave a good-natured laugh, saying he grew up well. As if he had been waiting right here for him to arrive.

Heeyoung, who had been just gaping his lips in bewilderment, bowed his head deeply only a long while after seeing his younger uncle.

“Ah, I hope you have been well……! It has been so long since I have seen you that I did not recognize your face. I am sorry.”

“What is there to be sorry about. Of course you would not recognize me since you have not seen me since you were a child. Oh, that is, it is nothing else. I got a house near here, and since I heard you were coming, I stopped by on the way. I was also too mean to you.”

The younger uncle he met in person was more gentle and kind than he had thought. Even if he got a house near here, it would still be some distance from the city, and he could not even guess since when he had been waiting.

On top of that, he even held his hand tightly, saying he was sorry for being mean. Heeyoung quickly shook his head.

“Ah, no. It is not like you did it for no reason, younger uncle, I would have been angry too. I completely understand.”

How could he refuse when an adult older than him was apologizing? He did not know what to do with himself in his discomfort.

Whether he knew his nephew’s feelings or not, Heeyoung’s younger uncle, Lee Byeong-cheol, continued to make excuses.

“Yes, thank you for understanding. No, I mean, the eldest Hyung-nim gave away the land without even telling me! When I came back to Korea and heard that, how could I not get angry in that moment?”

“Aah, yes……”

“This temper just gets worse with age. You have no idea how much my son nags me, telling me to control my temper.”

I see. Yes. Haha……. These three were all Heeyoung could manage. Responding appropriately and letting out an awkward laugh.

Then, Lee Byeong-cheol, who had been chattering on about this and that, cleared his throat with a dry cough. It seemed he himself knew that the current situation was not entirely normal.

He wanted to finish this not-so-welcome reunion here and go see his younger brother soon. Heeyoung racked his brain on how to get away from his younger uncle.

Should I just say I am going in. He hesitated for a long time in the suffocating silence and was just about to finally speak.

Lee Byeong-cheol, who had looked around widely, stepped right up in front of Heeyoung. He made a barricade with his hand as if to tell a secret and narrowed his eyes.

“Ahem, by the way, that alpha you are seeing now, what does he do for a living? Are his parents rich?”

He was wondering what kind of secret story he was about to share, but it was a truly startling topic.

“What……?”

The alpha he was seeing. The fact that Gyojin and he were seeing each other should have been noticed by, at most, the manager of Ignis.

How on earth did his younger uncle know that he had a partner. In all the times they had talked on the phone, he had never once mentioned anything related to Gyojin.

Heeyoung just stood there, stiffly frozen, with his mouth open. It would not be an exaggeration to say he was expressing his inner thought of ‘what are you talking about’ with his entire body.

When Heeyoung showed an unusual reaction, Lee Byeong-cheol became impatient. He began to reveal all sorts of circumstances to Heeyoung, who was standing there knowing nothing.

“Ah, to be honest, what is there to see in a piece of land stuck in this rural corner? But that young man bought this land without hesitation, did he not. And at five times the price! This has to be a pretty unusual thing!”

“……Th, that is, what.”

“Even if it is a worthless piece of land, do you know how much money this is! Hey, Heeyoung. You said you are getting married soon, does that person listen to everything you say? Is he head over heels for you, Heeyoung? He looks like he was raised spoiled in a rich family!”

The excited voice seemed to be poking his eardrums. Piece of land. Bought. Five times the price. Marriage. Unfamiliar words kept flowing in, one after another, causing confusion.

Heeyoung could not understand a single thing his younger uncle was saying.

So the person I am going to marry bought this land for five times the price……?

He did not know where or what story he had heard, but it was clear that his younger uncle was seriously mistaken about something.

If this continued, the misunderstanding could deepen, so Heeyoung started by denying it.