Humanity Chapter 3.2 - Reunion

Not long after, Yimyeong could somewhat guess the reason. It seemed that the more he himself became known and gained fame, the more the stigma of his parents followed him, so he had no choice but to keep a low profile.

As long as he did not become famous enough to be reported in the media, a rumor would end as just a rumor. Perhaps that was why, even among the employees of Ilwan Gallery, the rumor that Han Jiwan was the illegitimate son of a chaebol family was rampant. Such misunderstandings were precisely what Han Jiwan welcomed.

Was it because of such rumors? Han Jiwan had been given the nickname ‘Prince’. When Yimyeong found that out, he almost frowned without realizing it.

To be precise, he would be the prince of the underworld.

In any case, there were times when such a Han Jiwan took the lead in handling matters.

Although Ilwan Gallery was operated for the purpose of money laundering, Han Jiwan did not necessarily purchase artworks only for that purpose. He selected works based on his own standards and would reveal a pathological possessiveness for the pieces he cherished. Perhaps because of this, whenever an occasion arose to exhibit his own artworks, he would become extremely tense and try to control the exhibition from A to Z.

During these periods, Han Jiwan became quite busy, unlike his usual idle self. It was only natural that Yimyeong, who followed him, also became so busy that he lacked sleep.

After finishing his day’s work and entering the bedroom, Yimyeong suddenly realized something he had forgotten.

‘Come to think of it, we’ve been having sex less often.’

Han Jiwan had a strong sex drive, so he never went a single day without sex. It was not a misconception that it had become less frequent. Nights where they skipped the act of entangling their bodies had begun to appear.

He must have found another man.

There were times when, if Yimyeong lay down pretending to be asleep first, the scent of a sexual encounter would waft from Han Jiwan as he lay down beside him. Before long, Yimyeong realized that Han Jiwan’s partners were not just one or two. It seemed he was having relations with countless men, including the youthful-looking garage attendant he had witnessed before, as well as men Yimyeong did not know.

Upon realizing this, a gentle ripple stirred in Yimyeong’s chest.

Is he starting to lose interest in this body too?

It felt as though the day of his liberation was not far off. Yimyeong swallowed a quiet thrill.

‧₊˚

It was a summer when the heat of the Olympics, which had passionately swept the nation, had cooled down.

The exhibition that Han Jiwan had put a great deal of effort into had begun.

This special exhibition, which included several pieces from his collection, was held in the form of a charity event. Perhaps because it was operated with dirty money, Ilwan Gallery tended to pay more attention to social contribution projects than other places. This exhibition could also be seen as a part of that.

He heard that for the promotion of the exhibition, not only art lovers but also socially renowned celebrities were invited. The gallery, which usually did not welcome the general public and had a high threshold, would be unusually bustling with crowds.

On the opening day of the exhibition, Yimyeong started his day feeling more tense than usual.

“What’s this, why are you up so early.”

Han Jiwan spoke in a deeply sunken voice.

“The security team briefing is at 7.”

Although Yimyeong was Han Jiwan’s private bodyguard, on days like this, he had to cooperate with an external security team. He had told him in advance yesterday that he would be attending the preliminary security team briefing, but Han Jiwan seemed to have conveniently forgotten.

“You’re leaving now…?”

He sighed as if uninterested, then reached out and pulled Yimyeong’s thigh closer. Then he tried to undress Yimyeong, who had already finished getting dressed.

“Right now, if I don’t leave… I’ll be… ugh.”

Reaching a large hand over the suit, Han Jiwan squeezed his crotch tightly. It was so obvious where he was aiming the pressure that Yimyeong’s brow furrowed.

“What does it matter. It’s not like you’ll get fired. If anyone’s going to fire you, it’s me.”

“If you’re going to do it… do it quickly.”

Yimyeong muttered in resignation. It was because he knew Han Jiwan’s temperament to act out even more if he was stubborn.

Seeing Yimyeong’s reaction, Han Jiwan grinned as if letting him off the hook.

“Then get on your knees there and suck my cock.”

“……”

“I’ll let you off with a blowjob. The faster you finish, the faster you can leave.”

Give it a try. Saying so, Han Jiwan spread his legs. As Yimyeong settled himself between the thick, lazily spread thighs, he wet his lips perfunctorily. It was unintentional, but it looked just like he was licking his lips before a man’s cock.

Soon, he grabbed the base of the shaft with his hand to make it stand, then took the wilted member into his mouth with only his lips, without using his teeth. He sucked hard, making his cheeks hollow, and opened his throat to receive the cock deep inside. Even when the back of his throat was poked, causing his stomach to lurch with nausea, he controlled his breathing and did not spit it out carelessly.

Unlike at first, Yimyeong had become very skilled at fellatio. Although his face still looked conservative and neat, in reality, he was already inured to such lewd acts. That gap still stimulated Han Jiwan’s carnal desires.

In the end, it was over 20 minutes later that he was able to leave that room. Yimyeong hurriedly made his way towards the gallery, which was not far from the mansion.

“Your name?”

“Ah, I am Yimyeong, Director Han Jiwan’s personal bodyguard.”

The gazes of a few people gathered on the late-arriving Yimyeong and then scattered. Yimyeong quickly sat down and opened the documents he had been given. His jaw, which had been forcing down and sucking Han Jiwan’s large cock just a moment ago, still throbbed.

Working with a large number of strangers was a very burdensome task. Still, being away from Han Jiwan, even for a moment, felt like he could finally breathe.

“If you turn the page, there is a list of guests invited on the opening day. The media press team will also be entering, so please be sure to check the pre-issued press passes every time a camera comes in…”

Yimyeong turned the page and checked the invitation list.

There were a particularly large number of celebrity visits on the first day. Even to Yimyeong, who was oblivious to social issues, familiar names were visible at a glance. A great chaos of press and fans mixed together was expected. It was a day when he could not let his guard down.

It was then, as he was skimming through the list with his eyes.

“The invited guests will visit at the pre-arranged times. After the photo-op, they will come inside, and their route will be…”

Yimyeong’s eyes stopped on a certain line.

[Kwon Seolyoung — Olympic Bronze Medalist Diver.]

Yimyeong’s eyes widened slightly upon discovering the unexpected name. The three-syllable name, buried in the past, was right before his eyes.

‧₊˚

From then on, he could not calm down at all. Yimyeong underlined the name several times with his pen.

The name of a one-sided love he had thought he would probably never meet again.

As he lifted the tip of the pen, his hand trembled slightly.

A moment later, letting out a long breath that resembled a sigh, Yimyeong fell into thought with a calm expression. He could not quite tell what his own emotions were, whether it was gladness, fear, or anxiety.

But it was not as if anything would change by clearly knowing the shape of his emotions. After all, the feelings he had harbored were a secret known only to himself.

Thinking about it rationally, it was in fact a shallow relationship, insufficient to even be called friends. He did not even know if Kwon Seolyoung still remembered Yimyeong.

After graduating from high school, the gap in their lives had widened so much that it was difficult to even fathom. While Kwon Seolyoung was enjoying his prime as an athlete and on a roll, Yimyeong was in a situation where he was making a living day-to-day amidst a mountain of unaffordable debt.

Not only the financial gap, but the social gap was also enormous. If Yimyeong were to suddenly disappear in an unforeseen accident one day, the world would not bat an eye. That was clear just from what he had experienced while being confined in Han Jiwan’s mansion.

He was not pessimistic about his life because of it. It was just that he found it amazing that, as the gap had widened, he was now able to exist in the same space again with Kwon Seolyoung, with whom he could find no social point of contact.

The fact that Han Jiwan was the catalyst for that was strange. If it were not for Han Jiwan, he would not have had the opportunity to come into close contact with this world of wealth and fame in the first place.

But this meeting was unlikely to hold any great significance.

There was a 99% chance that they would just pass by each other even if they met again.

Considering how many human relationships must have clung to Kwon Seolyoung, who had been a celebrity since high school, using a slight connection as a pretext, he only thought that it would be better not to act rashly.

Nothing will happen.

Thinking that way, he seemed to calm down a little.

As he drew another circle over Kwon Seolyoung’s name, Yimyeong realized how fleeting a one-sided love was. The two bodyguards sitting in front of him were whispering about the names of celebrities one would only see on TV.

‘Kwon Seolyoung is coming too. Isn’t he the hottest among the Olympic athletes these days.’

‘Right. The media will be all over him too.’

‘That’s why he’s coming, I guess. I’m curious what he looks like in person.’

Everyone was curious about him, and also loved him. Kwon Seolyoung, whose stock had risen tremendously with the recent Olympics, combined with his striking looks, was receiving explosive attention from the media.

Yimyeong once again realized what an absurd person he had dreamed of and gave a bitter smile. A connection that had fortunately occurred, and a target who was incredibly easy to love. Come to think of it, his own sincere feelings were probably nothing special. Countless people must regard Kwon Seolyoung as special in this way.

The only question was…

‘It was over a long time ago.’

Why his heart clenched just by seeing the name.

He was sure he had folded it away neatly in a corner of his heart, but his heart was stirring again. Was it a longing for the past that he could not return to? Or was it pity for his younger self, who had felt confused without even knowing he was an omega?

The pen that had been tracing circles on the paper stopped, nervously stamping a period.

The reason one feels nostalgic for a forgotten past is because the present is miserable. As soon as he recalled the name of the man who had dragged his already turbulent life to an even lower bottom, Han Jiwan, Yimyeong’s chest grew cold again.

After the briefing ended, the security team headed to the gallery. Leaving behind the security guards who were checking locations and routes, Yimyeong mechanically followed Han Jiwan’s figure. He was able to find him at the entrance of the exhibition hall, not far from the lobby.

“I will go over there.”

The security team leader nodded and gestured with his chin.

As he took a step, Yimyeong took a short, deep breath and put the radio earpiece in his ear. No matter how much he loathed the person, work was work.

Ironically, he thought that the moments he existed as a bodyguard by Han Jiwan’s side were rather better. Perhaps it was natural, as it was at least a more meaningful task than being in his bedroom.

“You’re here?”

Han Jiwan said, wearing a smooth eye-smile like a mask. He happened to be talking with others at that moment. Yimyeong gave a silent bow and stood guard near him.

“Who might this be? He has very handsome features.”

“He is my personal bodyguard.”

“It seems you pick your bodyguards based on their looks as well, Mr. Jiwan.”

As the attention momentarily focused on Yimyeong, the corners of Han Jiwan’s smiling mouth twisted.

“…Ah, Chairman Yoo is just arriving over there now.”

Only Yimyeong noticed the reason why he was awkwardly changing the subject. Han Jiwan showed his displeasure just by others giving Yimyeong their attention. Ignoring the transparently read emotion, Yimyeong turned his head.

Even before the opening event had started, the gallery was already bustling. The place, which was usually filled with a tranquil stillness, was very hectic with the presence of many people and the sound of voices coming from here and there.

A short while later, as the event time drew near, the press began to pour in. It was a larger number than expected.

“Why did they hand out so many press passes. It lowers the class.”

Han Jiwan muttered as if displeased. It was a voice just loud enough for only Yimyeong to hear. Yimyeong focused on the voice coming through the radio and followed behind Han Jiwan.

A moment later, Han Jiwan spoke.

“Go to the secretariat and tell them. Not to let everyone in just because they’re a reporter.”

“……”

“These days, people who aren’t even proper media shamelessly hand over business cards with a YouTube address on them.”

The event was just around the corner. He thought it might be pointless to block them now when they had already come in as much as they would, but since he had received an order, he had to resolve it. For the purpose of getting permission to leave his post, Yimyeong asked back.

“Shall I sort it out now.”

Han Jiwan replied without looking at him, as if annoyed.

“Now.”

“Then I will leave my post for a moment.”

Yimyeong left Han Jiwan and headed towards the lobby. The entrance, crowded with people, was doubly hectic beyond compare to the exhibition hall entrance. The clamor from the group of press members, who were clustered together, competitively setting up their tripods in front of the door, was particularly intense. He could also see people packed tightly as if they had set up camp from outside the gallery beyond the entrance.

When he arrived at the reception desk in the lobby, an employee who recognized Yimyeong as Han Jiwan’s bodyguard happened to look up.

“Who are those people?”

Yimyeong asked, pointing behind him.

“Ah, since many celebrities are coming today, I think there are also fans who have come.”

“Then are those people outside not entering?”

“Yes, most likely.”

Still, preparing for any unforeseen situations, Yimyeong carefully watched the outside of the glass door.

Then he leaned on the reception desk again and spoke.

“There’s something I need to tell you…”

“Yes, yes.”

“The director said not to hand out too many press passes to reporters.”

Saying so, Yimyeong pointed inwards with his thumb.

“It seems he wants only verified media outlets to enter.”

At those words, the employee frowned. Just from that reaction, Yimyeong noticed that things had taken a different turn from Han Jiwan’s intentions.

“The PR department said to maximize exposure today… Sigh, I guess we’ll have to start blocking them from now on.”

“Yes…”

“Another way is to prevent the press from entering the exhibition hall altogether…”

Saying so, the employee called over the other staff members who were inside the reception area. Watching the emergency meeting unfold, Yimyeong took his arm off the reception desk.

“I will leave it in your hands.”

Turning around, Yimyeong straightened his back and looked at the lobby.

Even at a glance, there were more reporters in the lobby than invited guests. People who were shooting videos with their phones, let alone proper equipment, also stood out. Every time a celebrity entered the lobby, camera shutters went off and people’s attention gathered.

Then, at one moment, a short scream was heard from among the people outside the glass door. Yimyeong turned his head towards where the sound came from. It was a very strange sound, as if a large crowd was letting out a collective gasp.

The crowd’s gaze was focused on a single point. It was clearly a huge celebrity.

At the same time, a barrage of camera flashes, incomparable to a moment ago, poured down. The press broke their formation to raise their cameras high. A torrent of light poured towards the lobby entrance, and Yimyeong, whose eyes were dazzled in tandem, half-closed them.

A tall figure entered his field of vision with quick steps.

For a moment, everything seemed to move very slowly in Yimyeong’s eyes. The sound of the flashes became distant and faint.

The person who appeared was none other than Kwon Seolyoung.

“Please look this way!”

A reporter’s booming voice woke his senses, and Yimyeong barely found his grip on reality. It was a sensation as if a huge wave had engulfed him, drenched everything, and slowly receded. As the wave receded, the noise finally became audible. It felt like adrenaline had shot up to the crown of his head and then drained away in an instant.

I think our eyes met… It must be a misconception.

It was when Yimyeong was quietly turning away from the commotion.

“Mr. Kwon Seolyoung!”

The press, whose formation had collapsed, swarmed around Kwon Seolyoung, who had stopped walking for no reason.

“!”

Yimyeong instinctively tried to run that way. To get the trapped Kwon Seolyoung out of the circle, other bodyguards were also approaching.

It was then.

“Aaaah!”

A piercing scream was heard from inside the exhibition hall.

Yimyeong quickly turned his head in the opposite direction. The faces of the people looking into the exhibition hall were all filled with nothing but shock. At that moment, the radio crackled and a voice came through. The mention of ‘Director Han’ on the radio and the cold silence that followed the scream were ominous.

Yimyeong bit his lip hard and ran in the opposite direction of Kwon Seolyoung, to where Han Jiwan was.

The faces of the people just coming out of the exhibition hall were pale with terror. People who noticed he was a bodyguard from his attire made way for him, and he headed inside, against the tide of those pouring out.

And what he came face to face with was an unexpected sight.

A man with a knife in his hand and splatters of blood on the floor.

And what the tip of that knife was aimed at was none other than Han Jiwan.

Yimyeong cautiously approached from behind the man holding the knife. Around the man’s neck hung that damned ‘press pass’. Having allowed just anyone to enter, the worst-case scenario had finally occurred.

“Please step back.”

Yimyeong sent the people who were still around outside and slowly approached the assailant.

“You… how could you, you… you…”

The assailant spoke in a feeble voice. His voice, which only repeated words, was trembling abnormally, and his eyes were frantic. At a glance, he seemed mentally unstable. The assailant was tall but scrawny, and his skin was rough, giving the impression that he had let himself go without care.

But on closer look, he had a fundamentally handsome face. Yimyeong’s face, having guessed something, hardened.

“How could you, only me, abandon me…”

With the man between them, Yimyeong’s eyes met Han Jiwan’s. Even in a situation where a knife was pointed at him, Han Jiwan’s face was not one of fear, but only arrogant and cold.

The man was probably one of those who had been toyed with by Han Jiwan in the past. Yimyeong figured it out without difficulty. He was not even surprised by this situation. The guy’s hobby was to play with people using money. Having humiliated countless men, it would not be strange for him to be stabbed at any time.

Yimyeong closed the distance to the man, muffling his footsteps. The assailant had wrapped the knife in newspaper and cloth to get a firm grip so that his hand would not slip. He had come very well prepared to harm someone.

Moreover, although it was a small amount, spots of bright red blood were already scattered on the floor. Yimyeong deduced the stabbing situation from the direction the blood had sprayed.

As it happened, the blood was unmistakably Han Jiwan’s. It seemed he had already been stabbed once by the assailant while Yimyeong was away.

‘To have a face like that even after being stabbed.’

Yimyeong was once again disgusted with Han Jiwan.

In any case, it was a situation where he could not afford to waste time. He wet his dry lips and stared at the tip of the knife.

Once he got close enough to subdue the man, he had to end it in one swift move.

Yimyeong sent a signal to Han Jiwan on the opposite side. To move far away as soon as he subdued the man.

“Just die!”

At that moment, the man shouted in a tearing voice and rushed at Han Jiwan like a thunderbolt. At the unexpected attack, Yimyeong urgently lunged at the assailant from behind.

Simultaneously, the assailant, who noticed Yimyeong’s approach, turned around. Dodging the knife swinging in the air, Yimyeong stood close to the assailant. It was better not to give him an opening to stab.

However, the moment the target changed to Yimyeong, the color completely drained from the face of Han Jiwan, who was standing opposite him.

Get back.

Yimyeong mouthed the words.

However, whatever Han Jiwan was thinking, when the assailant swung the knife a second time, he instead ran towards them. His face was deathly pale.

“Die!”

Yimyeong bit down on his lip. This guy was utterly unhelpful, no matter what.

“Uaaaargh!”

The assailant swung the knife high. Yimyeong focused and aimed for the assailant’s wrist, but he only swung the knife towards the face, not the solar plexus or abdomen. The angle of the hand holding the knife was high, making it difficult to subdue him.

Ordinary people feel an unconscious fear of injuring the face. However, the assailant was consistently attacking only the face. An extreme rage was conveyed from him.

“I told you to get back!”

Yimyeong shouted at Han Jiwan, who was clinging just as closely as he was. Provoked by this, the assailant, like a madman, used a monstrous strength to break free from Yimyeong’s hold.

The moment he showed an opening, Yimyeong precisely aimed for the assailant’s wrist and struck him.

With a thwack! sound, the man’s hand, with its wrist bent at an unnatural angle, dropped the knife. The knife fell, bouncing off the marble floor, and at the same time, a stream of blood splattered out.

His wrist was cut by the knife. Yimyeong let out a low groan and climbed on top of the man’s waist. He pressed down with his weight on the assailant’s body, which was flailing like mad.

“Let go! I said let go!”

“Grab him!”

At Yimyeong’s words, two bodyguards quickly approached and grabbed the man who was thrashing about from both sides. Once the man was completely subdued, people swarmed towards Han Jiwan as well.

“Director, are you alright?”

Yimyeong lifted his head with a somewhat dumbfounded expression. He had thought he was the only one cut by the knife the assailant had swung at the last moment, but Han Jiwan was also seriously injured. A clear knife mark crossed his cheek, tore his shirt, and stained his chest with blood.

Seeing that, Yimyeong felt as if the blood was draining from his body. The most important person had ended up getting hurt.

That idiot.

Yimyeong suppressed the urge to curse and glared at Han Jiwan. It was not yet clear whether the loss of color from Han Jiwan’s lips was due to tension or blood loss. Moreover, the black suit was absorbing the blood, making it difficult to estimate the amount of bleeding.

“Haaah…”

Yimyeong brushed back his slightly disheveled hair and got up from his spot. From far away outside the gallery, he could hear the sound of police cars and ambulances arriving one after another. Having gotten up, Yimyeong headed towards Han Jiwan. He did not feel much sympathy. He just wanted to ask.

Why did you jump in that situation.

“I need to go, to the hospital.”

“Of course.”

“You…”

It was unbelievable, but a hint of worry crossed his eyes. Yimyeong pretended not to see that gaze and turned his eyes away.

Han Jiwan, worrying about him. There could be nothing more ridiculous. Was it not Han Jiwan who had put him in a predicament worse than being stabbed by a knife-wielding assailant he had never met? He had confined him, assaulted him, and used him as a sex toy. In truth, Yimyeong should have stabbed Han Jiwan from the same position as the assailant, rather than subduing him, and it still would not have been enough.

Therefore, apart from having done his duty as a bodyguard, Yimyeong hoped that Han Jiwan’s stab wound was very deep.

So deep that a quick recovery would be impossible….

“Take this friend too.”

At Han Jiwan’s words to someone, Yimyeong snapped back to his senses.

“He’ll need treatment.”

Yimyeong lifted his wrist, which felt a sharp, stinging pain for a moment. A long mark from where the blade had grazed him was also left on Yimyeong’s wrist, cut by the knife the assailant had swung earlier. From the back of his hand to the inside of his wrist, which had not yet stopped bleeding, beads of blood were welling up and forming, but thankfully, it was not deep.

“I’m fine.”

“You should go to the hospital. When the director moves now, together…”

“I’m not injured enough to go to the hospital.”

Yimyeong refused, shaking his head. Being with Han Jiwan when it was not absolutely necessary was something he would decline.

“There needs to be someone to clean up the scene, too. I’ll leave it to you, Director.”

And just like that, Han Jiwan left, protected by many people. Unlike someone who had been stabbed with a knife, his back was ramrod straight and his gait did not waver in the slightest, but the hand pressing on his suit to stanch the bleeding was already stained red.

“Haaah…”

After Han Jiwan had completely left, Yimyeong let out a deep sigh in the chaotic scene. When he dropped his head, his sweat-soaked bangs fell and obstructed his vision.

It was then. The tip of a dress shoe suddenly came before Yimyeong.

Even as he kept his head down for a while as if to ignore it, the tip of the shoe did not move aside, as if it had business with him. In the end, Yimyeong lifted his head with an annoyed expression.

“You, you’re Myeong, right?”

The face of the person he met upon lifting his head was as familiar as if he had seen him just yesterday.

Yimyeong stared at the man, at a loss for words. He met the black eyes of the man with the pale, cool cheeks.

Since when had he been watching.

“Yimyeong, right?”

Kwon Seolyoung grabbed Yimyeong’s wrist firmly. So he could not even get away.

‧₊˚

It is so awkward I do not know what to say.

Thinking so, Yimyeong just looked straight ahead.

Inside the exhibition hall, it was still busy. The police, who had been dispatched after being reported, were putting up police tape and moving back and forth, and a few members of the press were still arguing with the gallery staff who were trying to quietly hush up this incident.

Yimyeong, a party to the incident himself, had also just finished giving his statement at the scene. All that time, Kwon Seolyoung had not gone anywhere and had stayed by Yimyeong’s side.

“You’re a bodyguard. It suits you.”

It was Kwon Seolyoung who spoke first. Yimyeong felt his mouth become dry for some reason and added.

“The owner of this gallery… I’m his personal bodyguard.”

“I see. I was wondering why you were the one stepping up earlier.”

Saying so, Seolyoung sat down side by side next to Yimyeong.

He saw everything. As soon as he thought that, his fingertips somehow grew cold. The assailant, presumed to have been in an affair with Han Jiwan, and himself, currently entangled in an affair. No one would know the sordid inner details of that dirty incident scene, but the fact that it was shown to Kwon Seolyoung, even just on the surface, left a lingering discomfort.

Somehow, not a single thing was going as expected today. Yimyeong pressed his tired eyes and said.

“You remember me.”

“…Of course I do.”

“That’s unexpected.”

“Why?”

When he turned to the side, Kwon Seolyoung was quietly looking at Yimyeong.

There was a time when he was afraid to even meet these eyes.

Yimyeong let out a short laugh. Now, he was not afraid, just amazed. He simply could not believe that the water-drenched face he used to steal glimpses of on TV, thanks to the Olympics, was this close right in front of his eyes.

“I thought you wouldn’t remember me, Myeong.”

Kwon Seolyoung said.

“No way… you’re famous.”

“Not because of that. Back then, we…”

Kwon Seolyoung trailed off. Yimyeong retraced his past memories. There was a time when Kwon Seolyoung had been persistent with him. He would suddenly appear whenever he was running and suggest they exercise together.

Yimyeong nodded and replied.

“I know. You tried to persuade me to join the athletics club.”

“I did?”

Kwon Seolyoung, despite having brought it up first, had a face that suggested he could not remember at all.

“I don’t remember saying that.”

Yimyeong was quite flustered.

Are my memories distorted.

“Right… I must have been mistaken.”

“Mistaken.”

Kwon Seolyoung muttered softly. A hint of disappointment was visible in his downcast eyes.

“It was a long time ago.”

“To me, it feels like yesterday.”

“……”

At this point, Yimyeong did not know what he should say. He never had any plausible conversational skills to begin with.

“Haaah…”

Without realizing it, Yimyeong looked at the white wall on the opposite side and sighed.

“I should get going. It’s chaotic here.”

Yimyeong said so and got up from his seat.

The meeting due to a chance encounter was very welcome, and for a moment he had been soaked in memories of the past, but that was as far as it went. The situations of the two people still had no social point of contact, and it was uncertain if they could ever create one in the future. Perhaps because the paths they had each walked were already too different, even a light conversation was not easy.

Above all, his current situation held Yimyeong back. Another secret, that of being Han Jiwan’s lover, weighed heavily on Yimyeong’s neck.

“It was good to see you today.”

Yimyeong held out his bandaged hand. A round, spreading stain of bright red blood remained on the bandage where he had roughly staunched the bleeding. However, Kwon Seolyoung did not get up to follow suit or anything, and just remained seated, looking up at Yimyeong. As if he had more to say.

That expression was somehow challenging, and it also felt as if it was casting a silent accusation, making it difficult to watch any longer.

He waited for a few more seconds, but Kwon Seolyoung did not take his hand. In the end, Yimyeong felt a bitter feeling and withdrew his hand with a sigh.

“You must be busy these days. Keep it up… I’ll keep cheering for you.”

“……”

“Goodbye.”

He won’t even grant me a final handshake. Thinking so, Yimyeong turned his body.

“Lee Yimyeong.”

Seolyoung opened his mouth in a low, sunken voice. For some reason, there was emotion mixed in that voice. Thanks to it, without being able to go even a few steps, Yimyeong came to a dead stop in his tracks.

He slowly turned back. The face of Kwon Seolyoung he met was firmly hardened. Enough to make a person’s heart sink.

“You. Didn’t you run away because you knew?”

“……”

“What was in my heart.”

Those words were so unexpected that Yimyeong lost his sense of reality for a moment.

A moment later, having barely found his voice, he managed to reply with a word, not a sentence.

“Heart?”

To just one word, Kwon Seolyoung slowly nodded his head once. His eyes had not changed at all from his boyhood days. Pale, cool cheeks and eyes that were always straight and looked at the other person honestly. He used to run away, afraid that those eyes would see right through him to his very core….

Memories and emotions that had been buried long ago suddenly poured out. It was difficult to distinguish what was distortion and what was truth.

“What your heart…”

It was then.

“Mr. Yimyeong! Secretary Choi is looking for you.”

Yimyeong turned his head towards the person who had called him, his gaze still fixed on Kwon Seolyoung.

“Secretary Choi?”

“Yes, he says you should go to the director’s hospital together now.”

He felt frustrated and anxious. To have to leave at a moment when something seemed within his grasp. But he was not in a free situation at present. Yimyeong wet his dry lips and said to Kwon Seolyoung.

“I’m suddenly sorry, but I have to go.”

Yimyeong felt a sense of déjà vu. It was always himself who turned away like this, and Kwon Seolyoung who held him back. He felt that this pattern had been repeated several times.

“Wait a minute.”

Kwon Seolyoung, having grasped the situation, sighed. Realizing that he could not hold Yimyeong back, he took his phone out of his pocket.

“Give me your number.”

“……”

“I’ll contact you. Since you won’t anyway.”

The last words seemed to pierce him to the core.

He could not possibly refuse to give it. He did so even though he knew there was a high possibility of being caught by Han Jiwan if he received a call.

Yimyeong quickly recited his number to him.

“I’m busy, so I probably won’t be easy to reach. Don’t call too often.”

After saying that, he turned away.

“I’ll call you.”

Kwon Seolyoung said to Yimyeong’s already turned back.

By the time he left the gallery, Yimyeong was in a state of perfect composure. He could feel Secretary Choi, who was waiting in the passenger seat of the car, watching him at length as if observing him. Yimyeong feigned a blank expression, as always.

As Han Jiwan’s faithful limb, he had been monitoring Yimyeong’s private life all this time. Even in a situation of confinement. There was no way he would stop just because of the special situation of Han Jiwan being stabbed, but thankfully, because it was a special situation, there would also be blind spots.

With Kwon Seolyoung, he was only in the same space for a moment to hear the witness statement… other than that, Kwon Seolyoung and he had not interacted at all. He repeated that to himself.

“Is the scene all cleaned up?”

“Yes. Where was the director hospitalized?”

Yimyeong asked. The place Secretary Choi mentioned was a university hospital in the same district, not too far from Han Jiwan’s Pyeongchang-dong mansion.

As the car started, Yimyeong fell into thought once more.

The few words Kwon Seolyoung had left behind just before he left kept circling in his head. It seemed he needed more hints. No, he had a faint guess, but it was a feeling of wanting to hear the correct answer directly from his mouth.

Could what I’m imagining be right. Isn’t it just a delusion.

Although he was feigning composure, his heart was more stirred up than before meeting Kwon Seolyoung. Brain, emotions, heart, body… it felt like all of them were playing separately. He had no idea how to control his insides, which were in disarray as if a storm had torn through them.

Watching the surrounding scenery pass by slowly outside the car window, Yimyeong quietly pressed down on his silently beating heart.

‧₊˚

The last time he saw Kwon Seolyoung was probably on graduation day.

It was not long after he had held his father’s funeral. Was it because it was a death that had been prepared for too long? Not a single tear came out throughout the funeral. Instead, self-blame and self-loathing churned inside him. It felt as if he had thrown away a chance that might have saved his father because of his own selfishness.

The reason he had bothered to go to the graduation ceremony was because he wanted to see Kwon Seolyoung one last time. Since they would not meet again in the future, he wanted to have at least one memory of his own.

His mother, who had gone to work, did not even know that today was Yimyeong’s graduation day. It was not a particularly meaningful day anyway, so he did not want to burden her by telling her. All he had to do was see Kwon Seolyoung and come back.

‘Just because one is poor, does one not know love?’

Seeing a line he had come across in a textbook during class, Yimyeong thought it was as if it were his own story. With his gaze fixed on that one line, he agonized over the useless emotion of love.

From the moment he realized he was attracted, Yimyeong had also guessed the end of that emotion. That this first love would end as a one-sided one. From the start, there was no desire to possess the other person. Romance would be impossible for a body with a secret that could not be told to others. Of course, he had no intention of confessing either. There was no way he, a man, would be accepted.

Moreover, the reality Yimyeong faced was not easy enough to even be wary of the sweetness of love.

Why on earth is there nothing easy for me. If he could choose someone to love rationally, he would never have chosen Kwon Seolyoung.

No, regardless of who it was, he would not have minded not knowing such feelings for his entire life.

Yimyeong found Kwon Seolyoung without difficulty among the crowd gathered in the auditorium. Around him, who was already holding bouquets in both hands, there were very many people waiting to utter a word of greeting, just like him.

He cleared his throat and approached. Yimyeong with difficulty uttered the words he had been repeating in his head. For something he had contemplated for a long time, the casually thrown words lacked weight.

‘Do you want to take a picture together?’

We weren’t even that close, so why.

The eyes of Kwon Seolyoung, who turned around with a surprised expression, seemed to say just that. Embarrassed by those words, which were not even a confession, Yimyeong turned his gaze away. Even if he was treated strangely, it was the last day anyway. They would not see each other in the future.

One of Kwon Seolyoung’s friends, whom Yimyeong did not know, took the picture for them instead. The picture was taken with Yimyeong’s phone.

‘Wait! Again, again, just one more picture.’

Yimyeong said it was fine and took his phone back. Without even checking if it came out well, he shoved the phone into his pocket.

‘Keep working hard in the future. I’ll be cheering for you.’

It was when he was about to leave the spot as if running away. Kwon Seolyoung suddenly grabbed Yimyeong’s wrist.

‘The picture, send it to me too.’

When he turned back with a dazed face, Kwon Seolyoung looked straight at Yimyeong with a direct gaze and said again.

‘I haven’t changed my number. Send it there.’

Yimyeong nodded and moved his feet as if slowly backing away. When he last made eye contact with Kwon Seolyoung, he said again, as if seeking reconfirmation from Yimyeong.

‘Be sure to send it.’

Seolyoung’s figure, still surrounded by people, soon disappeared, buried in the crowd.

Yimyeong left the school alone. With his back to the bustling school, there was no one to see him off as he walked alone.

It was only after he came out of the school gate that Yimyeong checked the picture he had taken earlier. Unlike him, who was expressionless and had his eyes half-closed, Kwon Seolyoung was smiling. He only now realized the fact that he had his hand on his shoulder.

How stiff must I have been.

Looking at that picture, Yimyeong felt a little bit of relief. It was time to graduate from school, and from his one-sided love.

As he thought about letting this emotion go now, tears came to his eyes for some reason.

‘Hooo…’

If he lifted his head, he could at least stop the tears from flowing down. Like that, looking at the clear winter sky, he did not even blink until the whites of his tear-filled eyes dried.

That was the first and last time he cried because of his first love.

Yimyeong took a deep breath and sent a sigh out with the cold winter wind. He believed that he could now be liberated from the pain of this one-sided love.

In the end, he did not send the picture.