The House of Three Chapter 13.2

“No, no. I think my uncle is confusing me with someone else’s story. I do not really know what this is all about….”

“Nonsense! That person was talking all about you, Heeyoung! How could I be confused? It’s impossible to be confused!”

It was absolutely not true, his uncle was the one who was confused. He explained, waving both hands in wide gestures, but it did not work. Byungchul was already convinced.

“I saw the person you’re going to marry with my own eyes that day. You don’t have to pretend you don’t know! He was as tall as that tree over there, his face was all slick and handsome, but his eyes were sharp! Ah, yes, and he was wearing two flashy gold bracelets on his hand. Ahem, he was a bit foul-mouthed too….”

He listed the specific characteristics as if he had genuinely seen his marriage partner right in front of him.

Tall, with a slick face but sharp eyes, wearing two gold bracelets on his hand, and foul-mouthed.

Above all, an alpha who said he would be marrying me soon…….

Boss-nim?

Listening to him, they were all words that described Gyojin. Now, Heeyoung was also certain.

Heeyoung calmly organized the thoughts that were complicating his mind. However, as he unraveled the tangled threads one by one, what he found was unfortunately not peace.

Horror. A feeling that could only be described by this single word surged up from the tips of his toes.

The fine hairs on his arms stood on end and the back of his neck grew stiff. Uhh, uh……. Only a shrill breath escaped from his agape mouth.

Then, then…… does this mean my problem was solved not because my uncle simply understood my situation, but because Boss-nim purchased this land?

When he did not offer an answer for a while, Lee Byungchul, who had been waiting impatiently, tapped Heeyoung’s shoulder and urged him on.

“Heeyoung, why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Ah, no, I am so flustered right now that I cannot speak….”

“So it’s true! It is!”

As Heeyoung, who had just grasped the situation, trailed off, his uncle clapped his hands loudly as if he knew it all along. Smack! Along with the sound of friction, his sweaty palms could be seen sticking together and then pulling apart.

Byungchul grinned, his eyes folding like a Hahoe mask, so pleased about something. In the fine wrinkles around his eyes, a dirty greed was smeared.

“The reason I brought this up is because, as an elder, I have my reasons. Heeyoung, you might not know because you’re still young, but when you get married, you’re supposed to meet all your relatives in person and greet them. You know, bringing something nice. For example, something expensive…!”

Seizing the opportunity to give advice, Lee Byungchul, who was getting ahead of himself, suddenly stopped mid-sentence. He then pulled out his phone from his hiking spring jacket with an annoyed scowl.

Bzz. Bzz. The vibration sound reached all the way here.

“Who is it at this time?! It’s not a call. Wait, let me check my messages.”

How could the vibration be so loud when it was not even a call. Annoyed by the flood of messages, Byungchul flipped open the black leather case with a flap.

It was not enough to hold the screen right in front of his face; he even took out a magnifying glass and slowly read through the messages that had arrived in real time.

[Mister, back the hell off]

[You’re not backing off, huh?]

[You’re gonna be in big trouble if you run that mouth any more]

[Looks like mister wants to be buried in that land too]
[Should I grant your wish?]

The chat window was packed with sentences composed solely of threats.

That was not the end of it. Vulgarities, too shameful to even utter, continued to arrive.

Perhaps because of the enlarged font, the profanities filling the speech bubbles felt even more menacing. Byungchul, taking them all in with his eyes, looked around in alarm. As he frantically scanned his surroundings, his eyes darting around like a madman, he spotted a car parked down the slope.

A black sedan. It was the car that Heeyoung’s marriage partner had arrived in that day, the day the land was sold.

Byungchul personally realized what it felt like to have a chill run down one’s spine.

To think that grim reaper-like bastard would have accompanied him all the way here!

Quickly shutting his mouth, he put his phone away with a trembling hand.

How could he safely get down this slope without being caught by that bastard. Byungchul’s back was already soaked in a cold sweat.

“Uncle, is something wrong? Why so suddenly……”

Heeyoung worriedly observed his uncle, who had stopped talking and turned pale. He had been shouting with veins popping on his neck just a moment ago, but now he was terrified, and Heeyoung wondered what kind of messages he had seen.

He had heard that elderly people could sometimes faint suddenly like this.

Unable to watch any longer, Heeyoung reached out his hand. It was to support his uncle’s body so he would not collapse.

But as soon as his hand touched him, his uncle had a fit.

“Hyaak! Oh, my goodness, you scared me!”

“I am, I am sorry. Are you okay?”

Byungchul, who had moved two steps away from Heeyoung, ended the conversation while staring only at the ground. As if he had been ordered by someone.

“No, it’s nothing. Hey Heeyoung-ah, I was just talking nonsense. You know I didn’t mean anything by it, right? Huh? Just forget everything I said. That’s what you should do, okay?”

Everything about it was strange, from one to ten. Showing up out of the blue at the grave, going on about Gyojin, and then suddenly telling him to forget everything.

Byungchul, finishing the conversation on his own terms, started walking without even a word of departure. He was almost running.

But Heeyoung did not let him go. Afraid of losing his uncle, Heeyoung strode quickly and grabbed his thin arm. It was because he still had unanswered questions.

“Wait, just a moment! You’re leaving like this? Can’t you tell me more about what you said earlier?”

“Aish! I told you I was just talking nonsense! It was all a lie, a lie!”

“No, but….”

“Ahem, well then, say a proper goodbye to your younger brother, and go safely.”

Where exactly did he meet Gyojin, how did they meet, what happened on that occasion. There was a mountain of things he wanted to know, but it seemed his uncle had not the slightest intention of telling him.

After a hasty goodbye, he pulled his arm free and hurried down the slope.

How hastily he descended that rough path. Even as his feet slipped on the sand, his body teetering precariously, he did not slow down.

Heeyoung could only watch blankly as Byungchul’s figure fled with his tail between his legs.

As the sound of footsteps on the stone ground faded, the surroundings were tinged with tranquility.

The sound of the whooshing wind, the sound of grass rustling as it brushed against itself, the occasional caw of a crow.

Those mundane sounds of nature stimulated his hearing, and only then did Heeyoung feel his insides calm down.

Hah…….

A hollow breath, a mix of many emotions, escaped from between his parted lips.

Heeyoung, who had been standing there blankly all along, tilted his head back and looked up at the sky.

Everything, everything was taken care of by Boss-nim. So that’s what happened.

No, how did he even know what happened with my uncle, and how did he resolve it so quickly?

“What am I to you. Why are you treating me so well….”

No matter how many good deeds I do for others here and there, I could never catch up to the way Boss-nim cares for me, to the warmth based on that love.

Overwhelmed with emotion, his eyes grew hot. Heeyoung could not hold back the welling emotions and finally let a single tear drop.

Then, he suddenly mulled over what his uncle had said.

‘Hey, Heeyoung-ah. I heard you’re getting married soon, does that person do everything you say? Is he head over heels for you, Heeyoung?’

Pfft! A cheerful laugh burst out of Heeyoung’s mouth like popcorn.

He is so assertive. He must have announced their marriage in front of my uncle. And yet, he never even mentioned the ‘m’ of marriage in front of me.

He was a truly funny man.

Heeyoung stood in the middle of the path and chuckled for a long while. Because it was funny. Because Gyojin kept making him laugh. He even sat down and giggled, then at some point, he shot up to his feet.

“So foolish, really. Even with a body as big as a mountain. It’s cute….”

There was a new strength in his steps as he entered the cemetery. But Heeyoung fell into the illusion that he was flying.

Every time he stepped on the ground, it felt as soft as stepping on a cloud. No, maybe he was not stepping on the sky or clouds at all.

An endlessly pouring love. Heeyoung was now being carried upon love. He was sure that this path, made just for him, would continue into the distant yonder.

He could climb mountains for a lifetime and his legs would not ache.

🌿

When he opened the front door, a pitch-black darkness greeted Heeyoung.

The hallway, which was always lit by a yellow light, the spacious living room, and the stairs leading to the second floor were all completely dark.

He had thought that for such a vast house, it had a rather lived-in feel. But now, left alone in this large house, he felt the air was particularly chilly.

Heeyoung immediately touched the control panel on the hallway wall. When he turned on the main power, a bright light finally spread throughout the house.

Traveling a round trip of six hours had completely drained him. On top of that, he had skipped lunch because the timing was awkward, and his stomach had been screaming for food for a while now.

In the end, he gave up on showering first and went straight to the kitchen. He took out the side dishes he had made in advance from the refrigerator, portioned them out, and in his hurry, thawed frozen rice in the microwave.

Kimchi and beef braised in soy sauce. There were only two things that could be called side dishes, but Heeyoung sat at the table and polished off a bowl of rice in no time.

After filling his stomach and finishing the dishes, he hurried into the bathroom to wash up.

As he took off his clothes, he felt a chill, and it seemed his physical condition was not good. He thought taking a shower with lukewarm water would worsen his cold symptoms, so he deliberately poured hot water over his body.

As if that were not enough, he filled the bathtub with hot water and took a half-bath for about 20 minutes. After relaxing his muscles, which were stiff with fatigue, the flu-like symptoms seemed to recede a little.

Without dawdling any longer, Heeyoung came out to the powder room and dried his wet hair thoroughly. The next thing he did was take a multi-symptom cold medicine from the first-aid kit.

“Cough!”

It was already his second cold in this house. The first time was a cold he caught after falling into a swimming pool in the middle of winter. Thinking back to that time, this was nothing to be sad about.

“I should sleep before it gets worse.”

The lid of the first-aid kit closed with a thud. After putting the first-aid kit back in the pantry, Heeyoung climbed the stairs to the second floor.

It was particularly hard to climb the stairs today, so he deliberately took slow steps. Then, around the time he reached the midpoint, he flinched and stopped walking.

When he cast his gaze over the railing, the view of the first floor was clear. Among them, what caught his eye was Gyojin’s room, located to the right of the hallway.

After a brief moment of thought, Heeyoung finally turned around and came back down. The destination was clear.

When he opened the door, a cooler air than elsewhere rushed to greet him. The unique refreshing scent of bamboo, which only emanated from Gyojin, lingered in the air.

It was surely against etiquette to enter the room of an absent owner without permission, but Heeyoung decided to be rude just for today. Because his physical condition was not good. He made that excuse to himself.

Lying down on the wide bed, the moderately plush mattress enveloped his entire body cozily. Heeyoung, spread out like a star, swept his palm across the bed.

Was the bed always this big? He had not realized it when he had been intimate with Gyojin here last time, but the mattress was excessively large for one person to use alone. But then, remembering Gyojin’s large frame, he quickly conceded. Ah, Boss-nim would need something this big.

As he was thinking such thoughts and pulling the covers over himself, he suddenly felt a sense of loneliness. Was it because the house was so quiet? He could not sleep, and his body felt shivery for no reason.

Heeyoung wrapped the blanket tightly around his entire body. Even when he lay there with his arms and legs immobile, like a caterpillar in a cocoon, the strange loneliness was not resolved.

Come to think of it, it had been a very long time since he had felt this way. It felt like he had returned to those childhood days when he stayed home alone and spent the night while his mother was hospitalized.

If this feeling were to be defined in one word, it would be this.

Loneliness.

And Heeyoung knew better than anyone. The fact that he could never soothe this loneliness by himself.

Moreover, it was the day he had visited his younger brother’s grave. No matter how much he talked there, no one answered. Perhaps because he had been muttering to himself the whole time, the loneliness clinging to his body was sticky and would not leave.

He yearned for warmth. He missed the bustling, chaotic atmosphere, and he wanted to see someone who would not miss a single word even if he muttered to himself.

To be precise, he wanted to see the owner of this bed.

In the end, Heeyoung threw off the covers and picked up his phone. When he turned on the lock screen, the time was clearly displayed.

7:12 PM. It was exactly the time to have dinner and rest.

Seeing the time gave him a silent courage, and Heeyoung pressed the eleven-digit number he had somehow memorized into the dial.

When he entered the last digit, 9, the name he had saved as ‘Boss-nim’ appeared below. Boss-nim. Boss-nim. He muttered the name that made him feel good just by looking at it and then pressed the call button.

The dial tone rang about three times. The call did not connect and was abruptly cut off. Quite flustered, Heeyoung stared blankly at the screen that had returned to the home screen.

Is he still in the middle of the program? As he blinked his eyes, a call came back from Gyojin’s side. It was not a regular call, but a video call.

When he carefully touched the accept button, Gyojin’s face appeared on the screen after a loading symbol displayed for about a second.

He was so happy to see his handsome face completely filling the small square box. Heeyoung forgot to even say hello and was busy looking at Gyojin.

He had his bangs, which had been down and fluffy just this morning, roughly pushed back. Was he uncomfortable because he always had his hair slicked back with wax? His forehead, coolly revealed because he kept sweeping back his unstyled hair, looked more handsome than usual.

It would be cold at night. He wondered where he had thrown his windbreaker jacket, and he was also worried because he was only wearing a black short-sleeved t-shirt. Looking closely, there was also black charcoal dust on his muscular arms.

What on earth has he been doing? As he was thinking deeply, Gyojin spoke first.

—Did you have a good visit with your brother?

His tone was quite gentle, and the corners of his mouth went up.

“Yes. I arrived around six, washed up, ate, and now I’m lying down.”

Heeyoung gave his report familiarly. Then Gyojin, who was nodding his head lazily, brought his face close to the camera. He stared intently at Heeyoung’s screen and then suddenly muttered this.

—He’s lying in my bed, that sly thing. Who is he trying to tease, calling from there. This is torture, shiit…….

His face was scrunched up, the expression of a delinquent gangster. It was an impression that others might mistake for anger, but Heeyoung was not scared in the slightest.

Hee. Instead, a goofy smile formed. As he smiled dazedly, the reaction ‘Huh? You’re smiling?’ came from the other side. That too was funny, so he giggled, and soon, Gyojin also let out a silly laugh.

“Is camping fun?”

Heeyoung, turning onto his right side and holding his phone comfortably, started a proper conversation.

The words he offered were close to a formal question, but an immediate reaction followed swiftly. The first thing that came from over the speakerphone was the sound of a tongue clicking, tsk.

—I don’t know about fun. I just grilled a shitload of meat.

Gyojin, answering with a somewhat sulky expression, was surprisingly cute. Especially that look in his eyes that said he was annoyed to death. He probably grilled the meat more passionately than anyone, but his deliberate show of dislike was childish.

“Grilling meat is really hard, Boss-nim, you must have gone through a lot. What about Cheonghyun?”

—Our little prince? He ate his fill of meat and passed out a while ago.

“Already? He must have had a really fun time.”

For Cheonghyun, who runs around energetically even at 10 PM, to have fallen asleep already. It seemed he had enjoyed the camping more than anyone.

At this point, he could not help but wonder what they did at the camp.

“What did you do all day?”

As he showed his curiosity, Gyojin, as if he had been waiting, began to recite the day’s schedule.

—Well, as soon as we arrived, we did some exercises, took pictures, and made bookmarks or something with picked flowers. Oh, we also prepared lunch together. Something about cooking with dad. They said it helps with bonding, but this shiiit, it’s all bullshit. If we cook together two more times, my personality is going to be ruined.

That bastard Cheonghyun, he listens even less when we’re outside. And then we did a treasure hunt…….

It seemed controlling Cheonghyun by himself was a headache. Gyojin, looking at him through the screen as if to say, ‘Lee Heeyoung, you should have come,’ looked pitiable.

After that, he whispered stories about how he was terrified when Cheonghyun almost got hurt, and how he won first place in a mini sports day.

During that time, Heeyoung could not take his eyes off Gyojin’s face. As he watched his expressions change subtly with every word, a corner of his chest suddenly churned and fluttered.

It was because the fact that Gyojin was trapped inside a phone was so regrettable. He wanted to talk while holding each other tight right next to him, but he could not, which made him sad.

Again. A chill ran through his body again, and the thought of being lonely welled up. The more he was reminded that he was alone in this house, the more his gloom seemed to multiply.

He felt sicker for no reason. And like he was running a fever.

Normally, he would have tried to hide his sick appearance and end the call, but strangely, he did not want to do that today.

It was because of the promise he had made with Heemin earlier. Heeyoung recalled the conversation he had while sitting in front of his younger brother’s grave.

It was a promise he had left behind, as if making a vow to himself, with no one to answer.

‘Hyung used to be someone who couldn’t take care of himself, but after being loved, I realized why I should cherish myself. So I’m trying to make an effort, little by little.’

‘Heemin-ah, Hyung won’t foolishly endure or suffer, tied down by the past anymore. I’m going to live happily here, with the people who cherish me. I’ll whine, and we’ll fight, and then we’ll love each other as if nothing ever happened. I’m going to live like that for the rest of my life.’

A promise to be happy with the people who cherish him, without destroying himself anymore.

As he repeated that vow, the true feelings that had been vaguely stuck in his throat popped out.

“Boss-nim, I miss you.”

At the sudden confession, Gyojin stopped talking and fell silent. Only his pupils, which contracted into black dots in an instant, clearly showed his surprise.

After spitting it out, Heeyoung gained a little courage and whined about being sick for the first time in decades.

“I am, I’m sick right now. I think I have a cold, I’m coughing and have a fever. I took medicine, but I feel lonely just lying here like this….”

It was more like a report than a whine. In the end, he even pouted his lips and tried to look sad.

Then, before he could finish his sentence, a clatter! sound was heard. Gyojin, who had been slouched in a camping chair, had shot up. A thunderous voice followed.

—What the fuck, you’re sick?! You have a fever?!

“Well….”

—Did something happen in Yesan? Or what. Where and how are you sick! Do we need to go to the hospital?!

“That’s not it….”

—Never mind. Hey son, Cheonghyun-ah, wake up. Let’s go home.

This was definitely not the reaction he was hoping for. Things were taking a strange turn.

Gyojin moved without giving Heeyoung a chance to answer. He shot up from his seat, roughly pushed the camping chair aside, and immediately went into the tent to wake up the sleeping child.

Terrified, Heeyoung started to stop Gyojin with a loud voice.

“Ah, no, Boss-nim, what are you doing? Wait a moment! Don’t tell me you’re coming now?”

He asked urgently, and Gyojin, who had lifted Cheonghyun into his arms in a single motion, replied while packing his things. His hand movements were unhesitating as he threw the camping gear into a bag.

—Yeah. Should I be comfortably playing and eating here when my wife is sick? What are the symptoms exactly, just a cold? It’s not a heat, is it?

If it was not a misunderstanding, he was excited right now. Although he was passionately asking about the symptoms, his oddly spirited tone and bustling gestures were clearly those of an excited person.

“Yes, it’s just a light cold, so I’m fine. More importantly, it’s a camping trip you went on with Cheonghyun, so you should finish it properly before you come back. I just… remembered you told me not to hide anything and to talk, so that’s why I said it.”

Placing a hand on his chest, he had no intention of causing trouble for the kid like this. How could he have known that Gyojin would immediately rush out of the campsite at his words?

As he was shrinking back, thinking he should not have said anything, a firm voice came from the other side.

—Today’s schedule is all over anyway. Tomorrow we just eat breakfast and disperse, so is there really a need to sleep here? So don’t feel unnecessarily sorry. You being sick is the most important thing right now, not finishing up the camping trip.

And how fast were his hands. He was seen loading all the packed luggage into the trunk and closing the door. He properly slung the child he had been holding at his hip onto his shoulder and headed somewhere.

Before long, his voice could be heard softly, asking for the teacher’s understanding.

—…cher. My spouse is sick, so I think I need to head back urgently. …did, and… yes. I am sorry for this.

Ah, it was so embarrassing that his face burned hot. Heeyoung put the phone aside and covered his face with both hands.

To think things would turn out like this. Amidst the apology and embarrassment, he did not feel entirely bad. An old adult should not be happy about something like this. It seemed he was becoming more of a fool after starting to date.

What should I do. I’ll have to go camping with Cheonghyun separately later. I must apologize for ruining this precious event…….

Was he suffering from guilt alone? A rustling noise was heard again. When he looked at the screen, Gyojin, who had laid the child down in the back seat, had already gotten into the car.

He got into the driver’s seat and immediately started the engine. Then he attached the phone to its holder and said.

—Don’t hang up. Take this chance to tell me everything if you have any sorrows. You’re supposed to talk about everything when you’re sick. You didn’t know that.

“……”

—Huh? You can whine more. You can even swear.

It seemed he was that pleased that Heeyoung had opened up his heart for the first time. Gyojin carefully soothed his weakened heart so that Heeyoung could speak more comfortably.

At the voice that coaxed out his emotions, gently luring him as if handling a child, tears welled up for no reason.

When he acts like that, it really makes me want to whine like a child…….

He pouted his lips to hold back the tears, and a walnut-like wrinkle formed on his chin. After hesitating for a long time in that state, Heeyoung finally opened his mouth.

“When I’m sick while I’m alone, it’s really lonely. It wasn’t like this before. I think it’s because I’m used to being with you and Cheonghyun now, Boss-nim. Trying to stay quiet in a quiet place makes me think of the old days, and it’s sad.”

Boss-nim, actually, when I was young, you see…….

Once he started talking, the emotions he had kept in the abyss poured out as if a dam had burst. Heeyoung told him everything.

From being neglected by his father and maturing early due to losing his mother at a young age, to the process of his life, and how he came to work at Ignis, everything.

“And, and also, it was sad enough being dragged away by gangsters, but when the store customers started touching me, it was truly humiliating. And also Mr. Lee Seowon. I told you every day that I was okay, okay, I lied. Actually, living with Mr. Lee Seowon was so painful. He insulted me, and slapped me… you didn’t know, Boss-nim.”

Every time he tattled on every little detail, Gyojin would chime in in agreement. Even while driving, he never listened to Heeyoung’s words carelessly.

—Ah shit, is that so? I let that bastard off too easily. Not even knowing Lee Heeyoung had suffered that much. I’m the son of a bitch. I’m the one who should be killed.

Encouraged by his fierce reaction, he took the opportunity to confess all of his uncle’s misdeeds as well. Heeyoung was on the verge of tears the whole time, but though his voice trembled, he did not shed any tears.

“Once Mr. Lee Seowon was dealt with, this time my uncle threatened me over the grave site issue. I was really, truly just following my great-uncle’s words. He asked how I could bury a corpse on his land, if I had no sense, and I was so upset….”

—No sense? What kind of heartless bastard is there? And he’s a so-called uncle, that motherfucker!

The roaring shout was refreshing. Heeyoung felt like he could understand why children cry louder when they are being comforted.

Responding, empathizing, and openly appealing that no matter what anyone says, I am on your side, how could one not cry? Every time Gyojin agreed with him, word by word, sorrow welled up so much that he was panting for breath.

“And, and also….”

As he was rambling on without even knowing how to breathe, Gyojin, who was glancing at the screen while turning the steering wheel, became antsy.

Just watching him made his body twitch, as if he himself was burning up, and he pleaded.

—Hey Heeyoung-ah, I’ll listen to everything. I’ll listen to it all, but drink some water while you talk, okay? You’re going to collapse at this rate. No, this shit, I’ll just get there quickly.

Behind his words, a vroom sound of an engine followed.

Heeyoung, who knew his usual driving style, was startled by the meaningful engine sound. It was obvious that he would be weaving in and out of lanes to increase his speed by now.

“No. You’ll get into an accident, so come slowly…!”

—Slowly, my ass. You’re having a hard time, how can I go slowly?

When he was driving Cheonghyun, he always drove safely, but it seemed his heart was in quite a hurry. Gyojin thought he was having a hard time.

But Heeyoung’s current state was the opposite of what Gyojin was thinking.

“No. Strangely… the more I talk, the more I feel relieved. I’m not having a hard time anymore. Because, you solved everything, Boss-nim. All of it. You always take my side. Because you love me, you only do good things for me. So I’ve become okay. I really mean it.”

Strangely, it was true. Really, as he let out the pent-up sorrows from within one by one, the unfair and upsetting things no longer hurt. Nor did those stained emotions remain in his heart or memory to torment him.

Literally, it was all thanks to Boss-nim. For taking his side, for stepping up to solve everything, and for loving him.

If it were not for this person, my life would still be bleak right now. Heeyoung was truly grateful that Gyojin had come to him.

So he folded that grateful heart carefully and embedded it in his voice, and along with his last words, he handed over his beautifully folded heart.

Fortunately, it seemed his heart was well-conveyed to him.

The phone went quiet for a moment. A subtle silence was gradually lengthening. It was then that Cheonghyun’s voice rang out softly, as if he had just woken from sleep.

—Whas dis, where are we? Huh? Daddy’s crying?!

Crying?

Heeyoung, whose eyes widened in disbelief at the unbelievable words, stared at the phone screen.

“Boss-nim, are you crying?”

When he asked in a surprised voice, a annoyance-mixed reply came back from Gyojin.

—Who’s crying, what crying. Son, did you see things after waking up from sleep? Go and sit up properly.

—Nooo. I think Daddy’s crying?!

—Huh? This punk is messing with me? When did Dad ever cry. Hey, you not gonna sit down? Whack. Hurry up and buckle your seatbelt.

Huh, the rims of Gyojin’s eyes in the screen were indeed a little red. When Heeyoung stared at him, he deliberately turned his head and pretended to check the side mirror. He seemed unaware that the tips of his ears had also turned bright red.

It was cute how he kept spewing out trustworthy words until the end.

—And also. Talk more. Talk until your heart is empty.

Pfft, a laugh escaped at his composed tone. Heeyoung, who had been teary-eyed until a moment ago, smiled brightly as if nothing had happened.

“I’ve said everything. Just, please hug me tight when you get home. I’m lonely being alone.”

—Lonely? I’ll make the word ‘lonely’ itself disappear from your head today. I’ll hold you so much you won’t even know what lonely means.

Gyojin was burning with determination. It was suspicious how he would occasionally scowl and clench his teeth, imagining who knows what.

Then, he would glance at the side mirror and mouth words. It was undoubtedly a profanity. At any rate, his quick temper had to be acknowledged.

Goodness……. Heeyoung, who was sighing and laughing in disbelief, put strength into his gently relaxed eyes and warned.

“Thank you. But Boss-nim, don’t forget to drive safely. If you step on the accelerator recklessly again… I won’t marry you.”

When he uttered the most powerful warning ever, an immense reaction returned. He shouted so much. It felt like the speaker would burst.

—Wah, shit. Hey Lee Heeyoung, you’re even thinking about marrying me? Huh?! You like me that much? You do? You love me, damn it, that much?! To the point where you want to bind me with marriage?!

My goodness. He was ridiculous. He himself had been the one spreading talk of marriage everywhere. It was absurd how he pretended not to know, playing dumb like a sly fox.

Heeyoung, letting out a playful chuckle, showed off a primness unlike himself.

“Then I’ll be waiting.”

He uttered only those words and hung up the phone abruptly.

Afterward, a heavy silence filled the room. However, Heeyoung did not wrap himself in the blanket out of loneliness.

Just hearing Gyojin’s voice had given him the strength to move. The feeling of loneliness had also long since retreated from his heart.

Now, rather than being lonely, his heart was fluttering. Heeyoung, sitting up against the headboard, placed his phone on the pillow and displayed the time. Then he wiggled his toes while watching the seconds tick by quickly.

It was still a long time before Gyojin would arrive, but just sitting on the bed in this room waiting for him made his heart race.

I’ll wait here, and when I hear the front door open, I’ll run straight to the entrance. And when Boss-nim and Cheonghyun come in, I’ll hug them both tightly in my arms.

After making even small but happy plans, his anticipation amplified.

Heeyoung waited. He waited without being lonely. Because although he was alone, he was not alone.

🌿

The sound of the door lock unlocking was unusually hasty today.

Heeyoung, who had been waiting in front of the entrance, saw Gyojin enter all by himself and his eyes widened. He had planned to hug both of them tightly when they returned, but since only one person entered the doorway, he could not help but be surprised.

“Wait, where’s Cheonghyun? Where did you leave Cheonghyun?”

When he asked, bewildered, Gyojin answered nonchalantly.

“I left him at the neighbor’s house.”

Far from worrying about his son whom he had left behind, he was busy checking Heeyoung’s condition. He checked his forehead, which had a slight fever, with his hand, and also swept a hand across his cheek.

Regardless of that, Heeyoung’s attention was fixed on Cheonghyun.

“Why? Why at the neighbor’s house….”

When he asked persistently, Gyojin kissed him and pulled away as if there was nothing more to explain. Smooch, after sucking on his lips deeply, he moved away and shrugged his shoulders confidently.

“Why do you think. I left him there because I wanted to do this with you.”

“……”

“We can’t be kissing and sucking in front of the kid. A father shouldn’t show such a sight.”

It was a truly dumbfounding answer. You said you were worried about me, but you were already calculating how to kiss and suck on me. His face flushed at his frankness.

Gyojin wrapped his arms around Heeyoung’s body and walked into his bedroom. The series of actions, laying Heeyoung on the bed and bringing a thermometer to place in his ear, flowed smoothly.

“Did you take medicine? Since when have you been like this.”

“It got worse on my way back home. I ate and took medicine as soon as I got here. A fever reducer and a multi-symptom cold medicine.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a beep sound from the machine echoed in his ear. Gyojin removed the thermometer and checked the blinking number in the small square.

37.5 degrees.

It was a temperature that could just be called a slight fever.

Heeyoung, who craned his neck to check the number together, nodded his head as if he had expected it.

“The fever must have gone down because I took the fever reducer. I’ll get better soon if I go to the hospital tomorrow and get some medicine. I thought I was really sick earlier….”

He felt sheepish for being in a fine state for someone who had called and whined about being sick. A moment ago, he really felt like he could not bear it. Why am I like this.

As he lowered his gaze and fidgeted with his fingers, Gyojin covered him with the blanket, saying it was always like that.

“Right. It’s natural for the fever to go down after taking a fever reducer. That’s a relief. Get a good night’s sleep.”

He stripped off the pants and shirt that had gotten dirty from camping and lay down next to Heeyoung. It seemed like his lower part, which he had glimpsed, was fiercely swollen, but he played innocent and skillfully hid his lower body with the blanket.

Soon, his bare skin touched him over his clothes. His large, wall-like body was holding him tight. He began to pat Heeyoung’s back as if to put him to sleep.

But there was no way he could fall asleep so quickly. Heeyoung grumbled glumly, feeling a persistent sense of guilt.

“I really didn’t know you would abandon the camping trip and rush over. Cheonghyun will be disappointed….”

When he made a choked-up sound out of gloominess, Gyojin told him not to worry and gave him an update on Cheonghyun’s situation.

“Disappointed? He went next door all excited for a dessert party. He’s probably got his face buried in a cake by now. What was all that worrying about Hyung being sick, that little punk.”

“Really? Then that’s a relief, but….”

“Yes, really. So you just think about yourself first.”

He cupped Heeyoung’s cheek in his large hand and kissed his soft-looking lips again. Peck. After lightly stamping his lips and pulling away, he curled his lips into a grin.

The gaze looking down at Heeyoung was filled with pride.

“Still, you did well today. If anything happens, tell me everything like you did earlier. Even if it’s nothing, just tell me first. You saw, I solve everything. If you tell me, I’ll solve it all.”

“……Yes. You really do solve everything. Thankfully. And you take my side….”

“You keep stating the obvious. Hey, you know what. Even if you killed someone, I would only take your side.”

Just when he was doing so well, it was another absurd statement. Saying he would take my side even if I killed someone. A hollow laugh burst out at the boundless favoritism.

Heeyoung timidly poked Gyojin’s cheek with his index finger and nagged.

“There you go again. You shouldn’t take my side for something like that.”

“If you’re going to do it, so what. There must be a reason.”

Gyojin, who replied bluntly and buried his face in Heeyoung’s neck, looked quite cute. Was he wearing rose-colored glasses? Could there be a kinder person in this world?

Cringingly, Heeyoung felt proud that Gyojin was his lover.

There must be many lovers who share even deeper emotions and love, but Heeyoung fell into the delusion that among them, he was the most loved.

He had been certain that the doting fool was Gyojin, not him, but he was wrong. Heeyoung realized that he, in love, was an unexpectedly unstoppable bulldozer.

They say people of a feather flock together. It seems that was not a wrong statement.

As he stroked the back of the head buried in his neck, the corners of his lips twitched. In the end, unable to overcome the happiness filling his chest, he laughed heartily.

Just like that moment one day, when Gyojin, who was handing him an ointment, fell head over heels for him.

As a bright smile spread across his face, his gentle eyes curved into a half-moon shape. The brown pupils visible between them sparkled brilliantly, as if embedded with stars.

Shh, a shy breath flowed through his teeth. Then Gyojin raised his head and captured Heeyoung’s face in his sight, as if mesmerized.

He watched, completely entranced. He especially stared fixedly at Heeyoung’s clear, shining eyes.

Unlike his own deep and dark eyes, it was a gaze as vast and warm as if it could embrace everything. A smile that made worries and anxieties melt away and made one’s chest tickle just by looking at it. It was the moment Gyojin had wanted to see so much.

As their gazes locked for a long time, Heeyoung, feeling somewhat shy, averted his eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

An immediate answer came back to his timid question.

“What do you mean, why. Because you’re pretty. I fell for that eye-smile of yours. Tell me honestly. You smiled back then to seduce me on purpose, didn’t you. Knowing it would turn out like this. Huh?”

With his arm wrapped around his waist, he pulled Heeyoung closer to his side and pressed him. But Heeyoung did not even know when ‘that time’ Gyojin was talking about was.

“When did I ever do that. But I… fell for your heart, Boss-nim. Because you’re a warmer person inside than I thought. Because you’re so hot it feels like I could get burned, and it feels like my heart is getting hot along with yours….”

That’s why I like you, Boss-nim.

“I really like you. I like you so much, Boss-nim.”

At the confession, uttered calmly but affectionately, Gyojin felt a thrilling jolt run through his entire body.

The tips of his toes, his lower body, and his chest tingled without mercy. His insides were boiling over. He wanted to spew out all the uncontrollable emotions.

Was it being moved? Was it being deeply touched? Or was it a precious and valuable emotion that should not be dared to be expressed in words?

A sense of crisis that he might even cry out of love washed over him.

Because he is warm inside. Because he is so hot it feels like he could get burned. Because it feels like his heart is getting hot along with his, that’s why he likes him.

The dream-like ideal Hyung he had once uttered with his own lips had returned to him like a boomerang.

What Heeyoung had given him was more than just a confession.

It was as if saying, just as I love you for these reasons, you too are fully qualified to be loved as you are. It was no different from breathing ‘value’ into his own insignificant life.

This was not something anyone else could do, but a unique confession that only Lee Heeyoung could make.

“……Boss-nim?”

Unaware of what kind of deep emotion he had just gifted, Heeyoung tilted his head innocently.

At that innocence, the emotion that had been boiling like lava erupted violently. It was on an overwhelming scale.

Gyojin, panting with rough breaths, pressed his lips against Heeyoung’s. He pulled the back of his head, which fit perfectly in one hand, twisted his own head, and mixed their tongues.

He thrust his snake-like tongue in and freely explored the heated mouth. Whenever Heeyoung opened his mouth more as if responding to the kiss, he did not miss the opportunity and delved deeper, mixing their saliva more thickly.

He said he had a cold. With a slight fever, even the inside of his mouth was warm. When he licked the soft inner flesh of his cheeks, the impulse to chew and eat it all up filled his insides.

Gyojin licked all the way to the root of Heeyoung’s tongue. His body was on fire, wanting to swallow the entire person named Lee Heeyoung, but the reality that he could not made him go crazy with frustration.

Everything, he wanted to possess every single part, so he greedily sucked up the saliva Heeyoung drooled. He sucked until Lee Heeyoung’s tongue was dry and licked every single wrinkle on the roof of his mouth with the tip of his tongue.

After sharing a round of sordid kisses, he did not hesitate to pull down Heeyoung’s pants.

Gyojin was always a man of action before words due to his impatient nature. In an instant, he stripped off Heeyoung’s underwear and shirt, leaving him naked, and pushed his fingers between his slightly parted legs. Heeyoung, too, must have felt aroused, as the space between his buttocks was wet.

Having moved down to his neck, Gyojin sucked hard on the tender flesh, leaving a crimson mark, and lavished him with primal confessions.

“Heeyoung-ah, didn’t I tell you before. I don’t just like you, I love you. So much that I want to marry you and tie your ankles down tight, I freaking love you. You know? Do you know how fucking much I love you.”

With one word of love, his drawers were pulled down, and with another word of love, the thick glans rubbed against the wet opening.

“Ah, heuuhh…….”

As if he wanted to take all of him in, Heeyoung, who had obediently spread his legs, let out a heated moan and chuckled.

Then he raised both arms and wrapped them tightly around Gyojin’s neck, whispering back in response.