The House of Three Chapter 3.2

“Trying to get yourself killed, you bastard.”

In that short interval, the light had turned green. Before starting the car again, Gyojin downloaded all the photos and videos that Team Leader Jeong had sent.

It wasn’t for any particular reason. He just saved them out of habit. Like any normal father, habitually.

🌿

7:30 in the evening. Heeyoung, who had been eating dinner with Cheonghyun and then reading him a storybook in his room, had dozed off.

The cozy scent and warm air from the child’s room made his body so languid. In the end, he couldn’t resist the encroaching sleepiness and had closed his eyelids.

How many minutes had passed like that? Suddenly, from a distance, he heard a thump, thump sound. It seemed someone was coming up the stairs. Startled awake by the sound, Heeyoung hurriedly wiped the sleep from his eyes and straightened his back.

Before long, the door opened and the just-returned Gyojin appeared.

“Boss, you’re here.”

It was a relief that his hearing hadn’t dulled even while sleeping. If he had been asleep when Gyojin arrived, there was no telling what he might have heard. Heeyoung shot up from his seat and bowed.

He was wearing the same clothes as before, as if he had come straight from work. Seeing that he came to check on the child without even taking off his coat, it seemed he had gone through quite a bit of mental hardship today. Heeyoung quietly gave his report to Gyojin, who was approaching the bed.

“He just fell asleep.”

At that, he looked down at the sleeping Cheonghyun with an affectionate gaze.

Heeyoung secretly glanced at Gyojin’s face, which was full of worry. A father is a father after all. Without needing to say a word, he could tell how much he cherished his son just from his eyes, which were filled with many emotions.

“Is he sleeping after eating dinner?”

“Yes. I fed him warm porridge.”

Gyojin, who didn’t forget to check if he had eaten his meals properly, reached out his hand as if to check the child’s fever. Soon, a palm larger than the child’s face was placed unhesitatingly on Cheonghyun’s forehead.

Heeyoung watched the sight and was silently horrified. Whether he couldn’t control his strength or what, Gyojin was pressing on the child’s forehead so hard that the pillow was sinking deeply. It didn’t look like he was simply checking the fever, but like a hand determined to wake the sleeping child.

“He’ll wake up if you touch him like that……!”

Heeyoung, who couldn’t watch any longer, stepped in, and Gyojin, as if by magic, removed his hand and shifted his gaze to the medicine packets on the side table.

He meticulously checked that the lunch and evening medicine packets were gone. He also examined with the eyes of a hawk whether the amount of syrup fever reducer, which the doctor had insisted he take, had properly decreased.

Honestly, it was unexpected. He didn’t know he would pay attention to such trivial things one by one.

Heeyoung, who felt awkward just standing there next to him, needlessly struck up a conversation.

“Um, Cheonghyun didn’t want to take his medicine, so I gave him jelly. Just two pieces…….”

“It’s something prescribed because he’s sick, so of course he should take his medicine diligently. Why present him with junk food? You’ll spoil the kid’s habits.”

It seemed he didn’t like the fact that he had given him jelly after all. Gyojin frowned as much as he could and repeatedly urged him to either eat the remaining junk food himself or throw it away.

While spewing such words, he took out his wallet from his back pocket and slipped out two yellow bills. Then, he placed the bills, stiffly straightened as if ironed, on Cheonghyun’s bedside.

He’s not a fallen Santa Claus, is he. Heeyoung looked at Gyojin, who tried to solve everything with money, with an incredulous expression.

Who is saying who is spoiling whose habits. It seems he couldn’t think that giving money was stranger than giving jelly.

It was clear that he adored his son, but the more he saw, the more his educational methods were strange and unconventional. The important thing here was not just that it was unconventional, but that the word ‘strange’ was attached to it.

Usually, parents who tried to solve everything with money were often cases where they wanted to be comfortable themselves, or they didn’t have enough affection to pay much attention to their children. But Gyojin didn’t seem to be using money to get by because he wanted to be comfortable, nor was he not loving his child.

It seemed he truly believed that the educational method of giving rewards with money was the right one.

Heeyoung decided not to think badly of Gyojin. It must be the first time for a parent to be a parent, so wouldn’t it be possible for them to be clumsy at raising a child? With just a little help, he would be able to correct his educational philosophy quickly.

“Um, Boss. It’s a great blessing to grow up without any lack, and being able to do anything for your child is a very good thing for both the parent and the child, but.”

“…….”

“I know it’s presumptuous for someone like me to say this, but if I may offer my advice ca-cautiously…… teaching him to spend according to his age, and to distribute and use his allowance well himself is—”

As he was trying to explain in a roundabout way, being careful not to make any rude remarks as he was meddling in someone else’s family affairs, Gyojin didn’t seem to be listening at all. He was focused on fixing Cheonghyun’s blanket the whole time Heeyoung was mumbling.

Then, he suddenly cut Heeyoung off and changed the topic of conversation.

“You really got beaten up. Look at that swollen cheek.”

Heeyoung couldn’t hide his perplexed expression at the subject that was suddenly directed at him. How did he find out that I was slapped?

Gyojin poked Heeyoung’s reddishly swollen cheek with his index finger. As he frowned at the sharp, throbbing pain, he clicked his tongue as if in pity.

“What did you do to get slapped in the face?”

At the blunt question, Heeyoung became dispirited. It was because it felt as if Gyojin was being sarcastic. It felt like he was implicitly warning him, asking how insolently he had behaved towards his lover to get hit.

His head dropped low, feeling truly like a sinner. Should I tell Gyojin the truth? The thought that flashed through his mind was folded up and put away.

If he tattled, it was obvious that he would just become a guy who couldn’t grasp his place, meddling between lovers and causing trouble.

“I’m sorry…….”

He would have to continue to eat and sleep in this house, so there was nothing to be gained from getting on the Boss’s bad side. Heeyoung apologized cleanly. At that, he heard a sarcastic-sounding mumble from above his head.

“So-orry? My ass.”

It seemed he was thoroughly angry at his rude behavior. The thought of being scolded by Gyojin on top of being slapped by Seowon made his vision go dark.

Heeyoung recalled the incident a week ago when Gyojin had stormed into the establishment and smashed a troublemaking customer’s head, and he hunched his body tightly. An angry Gyojin was scary. He was especially terrifying when he wielded violence without thinking, and there was no guarantee he wouldn’t do the same to him.

“Heup……!”

Sure enough, Gyojin’s hand landed on top of his head. Heeyoung felt his tension rise to its peak and squeezed his eyes shut.

Will my head be slammed into the ground like this? Or will it be slammed into the table? It was when he was waiting for the pain, imagining a miserable scene.

Contrary to his expectation, Heeyoung’s head was lifted up towards the ceiling, not the floor. Gyojin had pulled up his slumped head with force.

Heeyoung, who was suddenly forced to meet his eyes, slowly lifted his closed eyelids. He tensed his shoulders in case he might get slapped, but for some reason, that didn’t happen either.

The air touching his skin was still gentle. There was no instance of his whole body aching from a murderous gaze.

Only then did Heeyoung look up at Gyojin’s face properly. And the moment he met his calmly settled eyes, he felt relieved without even realizing it.

Ah, I must have misunderstood something.

In his eyes, which were uncharacteristically devoid of venom, and in that calm gaze that was merely looking at his face, the thought that he probably wouldn’t harm him began to slowly raise its head in his mind.

Until yesterday, he had only thought of him as a mere gangster. It was a truly bizarre phenomenon.

“You, try not to run into Lee Seowon if you can help it. Whatever he babbles on about, just skillfully get past it and run. You’ll just get your ass kicked if you try to deal with a crazy bastard for no reason.”

“…….”

“Don’t you get a feeling after experiencing it today? That his head is screwed on loose.”

Gyojin explained Lee Seowon in a bad light, twirling his finger next to his head. It was a strangely harsh attitude for someone talking about their lover.

Why on earth is he not scolding me? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand Gyojin’s behavior. Heeyoung, completely dazed, could only stare blankly at him with his lips parted in an ‘eh’ shape.

He too looked down at Heeyoung’s roundly parted lips, and soon frowned as if something was displeasing.

“I’ve given you this much of a hint, that should be enough, so why are you staring at me like that. What the fuck, you want me to get rid of him for you one by one?”

Heeyoung hadn’t said a single word, but he jumped to conclusions and got ahead of himself. When a flustered Heeyoung tried to answer, ‘That’s not it,’ he cut him off again and mumbled to himself.

“But since a while ago, fuck, who is he trying to act cute for.”

It was a statement that left him speechless. He needed to quickly answer that he had never done such a thing, but when he actually opened his mouth, only panting breaths came out.

By the time he came to his senses and tried to rebut, the opportunity had already passed. It was because Gyojin had suddenly left his spot.

He rummaged through Cheonghyun’s desk drawer and came back with a half-used tube of ointment. The ointment was placed on Heeyoung’s palm as if it were a matter of course.

“I’m not a Boss who has shitty employee welfare. For now, apply this, and if you want to go to the hospital, tell me. I’ll give you my card.”

“……Pardon?”

“You’re frustrating. This cheek of yours, the one that got hit. I’ll take responsibility.”

Heeyoung was still not used to Gyojin’s strangely gentle attitude from a while ago. He acted like a person without common sense, then acted like a normal person again. He was confused, not knowing which one was his real personality.

“The Boss taking responsibility, why, why?”

“Uh, yeah, fuck. You want to play word games with me?”

“No. It’s not, that. Thank you…….”

First things first, since he had received the ointment, it was right to express his gratitude. Heeyoung bowed his head low in thanks and added.

“But I don’t think I need to go to the hospital. I’m really okay.”

The inside of his cheek was torn, but it was a wound that would heal quickly with a few applications of medicine. He refused, thinking a hospital was a bit of an overreaction, and Gyojin suddenly reached out and grabbed Heeyoung’s chin. He was truly a person whose actions were unpredictable.

He held Heeyoung’s chin and turned his face here and there. He checked how swollen the slapped cheek was, then checked if the opposite side had been hit, and finally, he pushed his thumb between his lips to look at the inside of his mouth.

Thanks to that, feeling embarrassed became entirely Heeyoung’s share. Heeyoung, who didn’t know where to put his eyes and was looking over Gyojin’s shoulder, half-resigned himself.

Hoping the check-up would end soon, he opened his mouth wide, ‘ah,’ and Gyojin, who was looking at the torn flesh inside, twitched his eyebrow.

‘This one has a surprisingly dazed side to him, huh?’

Without knowing he was thinking this, Heeyoung just rolled his eyes.

“Hey, give me your phone.”

Gyojin suddenly straightened his back and held out his hand in front of Heeyoung. One moment he was checking his face, and now he was asking for his phone.

“Why are you asking……?”

“Aish, fuck, I must need it if I’m asking for it. You think I’m going to steal it? That piece of shit phone of yours?”

He just asked out of curiosity, but he felt strangely hurt after hearing unnecessary words. He had used it for a while, but it was a phone that worked just fine. He’s good at looking down on people with no money.

Heeyoung, with his lips pouted, took his phone out of his pocket and handed it to him. Gyojin, who took someone else’s phone as if it were his own, unlocked the screen which didn’t even have a password, and entered eleven digits into the dialer.

And when he made the call, a vibrating sound buzzed from his coat pocket. This was, to anyone’s eyes, the act of exchanging numbers. And it was done so brazenly that it was impossible not to know.

“What is this you’re doing right now—”

“A special privilege I’m giving you because you seem close to my kid.”

When he asked what he was doing, a shameless answer of it being a special privilege came back. Heeyoung, who got his phone back, stared at his number left in the call log and asked again.

“Why is a number a special privilege?”

“What else would it be but to call me if something happens? I’m saying I’ll solve it for you if you call.”

“…….”

“Especially that Cha Cheonghyun, that young punk has an extraordinary temper, so it’ll be hard for you to handle him from now on. So if anything happens, give me a call first.”

Gyojin, who answered with a frustrated expression, glanced one last time at Heeyoung’s swollen cheek and added one more thing.

“You can tattle on anything, too.”

Although his tone was a bit thuggish, they were all words that stemmed from consideration. Heeyoung realized once again that he might have been wrong about Gyojin.

Seeing him genuinely worry about Cheonghyun made him feel that he wasn’t just a bad person, but now, he felt like he could be sure. It was just that his first impression was bad; he probably wasn’t just a gruff man.

But if asked if he was a good person, that wasn’t it either. Still, shouldn’t he at least let go of his prejudice and wariness towards him?

Heeyoung, feeling more at ease, approached Gyojin without hesitation and opened his mouth.

“You said Cheonghyun has an extraordinary temper, Boss, but watching him from the side, it’s not like that at all. There probably won’t be many reasons to call. So please don’t worry too much.”

“…….”

“He might have a more mischievous side than his peers, but he knows how to be considerate of others, and he’s a child with a lot of affection and aegyo. I could tell even though I’ve only been with him for a day, that Cheonghyun is a good kid.”

He wanted to reassure Gyojin, who was worried about the child to the point of giving him his phone number. Of course, it was a statement filled with sincerity, without a single grain of falsehood.

Heeyoung looked back on the day that had been incredibly happy because he was with Cheonghyun. It was a pleasant day of watching TV, eating, reading a storybook, and falling asleep while having an innocent conversation in a warm and cozy room. It was a daily life he couldn’t have even dreamed of without Cheonghyun.

“I like Cheonghyun. I’m also happy that I got to be in charge of Cheonghyun. It’s like a miracle to me.”

His eyes, which adored the child with all his heart, sparkled brightly. As if someone had scooped up a handful of the Milky Way from the night sky and embedded it into Heeyoung’s auburn eyes. His two eyes twinkled very prettily.

On his fair and milky white face, as if powdered, a faint blush appeared along with a gentle smile. At the same time, his round eyes folded into a half-moon shape, and under his long eyelashes, his plump aegyo-sal rose.

Heeyoung let out a cute breath, shiit, and smiled. It was a very faint and thin sound, but Gyojin heard it clearly.

He couldn’t take his eyes off Heeyoung, who was smiling brightly like a flower, as if being drawn in.

Heeyoung was literally expressing that he liked Cheonghyun with his whole body. Gyojin’s chest felt ticklish again, and he became unbearably stuffy.

“Are you, being serious when you say that?”

Even at the threatening question, Heeyoung answered without erasing the smile from his lips.

“Yes, I’m serious…….”

Then, he noticed that Gyojin’s expression was somewhat unusual and thought, oops. Heeyoung quickly bowed his head to express his gratitude.

“I heard it’s difficult to come work here. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity, Boss.”

He thought he had given the answer he wanted, but it seemed he had been mistaken. Because no answer came back from Gyojin for a long time, Heeyoung had to keep his back bent.

Gyojin just stared blankly at the top of Heeyoung’s head, stroking his lower face with a puzzled expression.

Why isn’t he saying anything?

By that point, Heeyoung, feeling puzzled, slowly straightened his back and looked up at Gyojin.

In an instant, two gazes intertwined in mid-air. Heeyoung blinked his innocently opened eyes, and Gyojin, before long, turned his head away sharply.

“……Boss?”

Heeyoung, unable to bear it, called out to Gyojin and tried to meet his eyes again. As he moved his head this way and that, chasing his gaze, he turned his back without even answering.

Gyojin left the room just like that.

Thud.

Soon after, the door was slammed shut.

Heeyoung, left alone in the middle of a conversation, was bewildered.