Formless Chapter 23

Gangwoo fiddled with Heewoon’s reddened buttocks and then looked at Heewoon’s hands gripping the wall. His fingers were bent at every joint, and his fingertips were pale with tension, trembling slightly from how hard he was gripping.

“Hmph….”

A small groan escaped.

Gangwoo watched Heewoon for a moment, then slapped his buttocks with a smack sound. When the sound echoed in the large living room, which had few pieces of furniture, Heewoon finally opened his eyes.

“That’s enough now. You can lower your hands.”

“Yes.” Heewoon, answering as if his mind were elsewhere, moved the hands that seemed to have frozen in that position. As soon as his hands left the wall, his body crumbled.

“Go wash up. The bathroom is over there.”

Gangwoo said plainly and went into another room, and soon the sound of running water was heard.

Heewoon couldn’t bring himself to stand up for a long time, only managing to rise after the sound of water in the room stopped.

A groan escaped with every step he took. He walked with his teeth clenched, and his discarded clothes were trodden upon. The stain remaining on his pants, which was slightly smaller, caught his eye.

Heewoon could only move again after closing his eyes and letting out a trembling breath.

His hand trembled as he closed the bathroom door. His reflection right in front of him was a mess. He was terrified, pale, and looked like he would collapse at any moment.

He washed his face with cold water and took out a toothbrush that looked new to use. He wanted to brush his teeth two or three more times, but he didn’t have the strength to hold up his arm.

Even while showering, he dropped things several times or stumbled and slumped down as the strength left his legs. Heewoon was only able to get out of the shower stall when the fingerprints on his hands and feet became wrinkled.

He roughly wiped off the water and came out wrapped in a large towel around his lower half. But Gangwoo was standing right in front of the door, and Heewoon was startled as if he had seen a ghost. Gangwoo had changed into a suit and was now in comfortable attire. Given the presence of clothes, it might be a house he occasionally uses.

“Why did it take so long?”

“I’m sorry….”

Gangwoo had just spoken, but Heewoon flinched and lowered his head in fear. Whether from screaming or from sucking cock, his voice was completely hoarse. Gangwoo stared blankly at his wet, drooping hair and spoke softly.

“Come here, let’s have dinner.”

Heewoon replied, “Ung,” and followed Gangwoo. His steps were so slow that Gangwoo, who had already sat down at the table, rested his chin on his hand and watched him.

Just as Heewoon was pulling out a chair to sit across from him, Seo Gangwoo said:

“Not there. Sit next to me.”

“U-ung.”

Heewoon moved slowly and sat next to Gangwoo. On the table was a large grill with shrimp and pork shoulder neatly arranged on it. It seemed they had brought takeout from the restaurant they were originally going to. It didn’t look like Seo Gangwoo had gone out and come back; someone must have delivered it.

“Eat.”

Heewoon unconsciously nodded, then quickly startled and replied, “Yes.” Gangwoo let out a small laugh. Heewoon blinked and looked at him.

“Sunbae uses polite language when you’re scared. Are you scared right now?”

“…Yes.”

“Why?”

A hand gently cupped his cheek. Fingers touched beneath his jaw and the back of his neck. Seo Gangwoo’s eyes curved softly. Looking only at this face, the events of a moment ago felt like a terrible nightmare.

“…Because you seemed angry.”

“I’m not angry.”

Saying this softly, he traced his fingertips over the torn corner of his mouth. He also pressed firmly on the lip torn by the pliers, then lifted his damp bangs and checked his forehead. The gentle silence felt awkward.

Heewoon held his breath and watched Gangwoo anxiously. Gangwoo, noticing Heewoon watching him, smiled widely.

“Now you’ll listen really well for a while, won’t you?”

“…I’ll keep, keep listening well.”

Gangwoo laughed lightly at Heewoon’s subservient words. Faintly stroking his cheek, Gangwoo, who had been lost in thought, slowly opened his mouth.

“Money is good, but violence is the best for handling people.”

Even those impudent bastards listen well when they are beaten. A chill ran down his spine at the words spoken with a smiling face. Every time the hand stroking his cheek briefly pulled away and then returned, Heewoon blinked, fearing the hand might suddenly change and strike his cheek.

Gangwoo continued, fiddling with Heewoon’s slightly swollen, reddish eyes.

“But sunbae cries at the slightest touch. So how convenient is that?”

When he gently patted his cheek, Heewoon’s neck recoiled. The hand resting on his cheek slowly moved up and stroked his head. As Heewoon clenched his eyes shut, a low laugh was heard.

“That’s a compliment.”

The voice, tinged with laughter, spoke sweetly. Heewoon bit the inside of his lip and lifted his eyelids. Their eyes met.

Gangwoo smiled brightly.

“Oh, right.”

He opened his eyes wide as if something occurred to him. Heewoon nervously fiddled with the towel wrapped around his lower body.

“Sunbae wet yourself today. Like a baby.”

Heewoon’s face went white. His hands resting on his thighs wandered helplessly. His face grew hotter and hotter.

“Can’t even control your bladder. Do I have to help sunbae with the toilet too?”

“…No.”

Heewoon barely managed to speak. Gangwoo curled the corners of his mouth up, looking at the face that was so red it looked like it would burst and was on the verge of tears. He lightly ruffled Heewoon’s hair.

“Your clothes were sent to be laundered, so stay like that for a while.”

“Ung.”

Heewoon barely swallowed the lump in his throat.

Following Gangwoo, who had started eating, Heewoon also picked up chopsticks. However, perhaps because he had been gripping things so tightly, he couldn’t handle the chopsticks at all. The chopsticks kept misaligning and he even dropped them from his hand a few times. After Gangwoo started staring intently, it became even harder due to tension.

He was being watched the whole time out of the corner of his eye when Gangwoo suddenly reached out his hand. Heewoon squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth. The chopsticks, which had already slipped from his hand, fell to the floor. Clang, a sound was made.

Heewoon was startled and watched Gangwoo. Gangwoo was picking up a shrimp from the grill, seemingly unconcerned. Heewoon observed him and then picked up a spoon.

He took a spoonful of the steamed egg that was placed closest to him and ate it, and also ate tofu. Every time he swallowed something, pain erupted in his throat, making him frown.

A peeled shrimp was placed on top of his rice.

“Shrimp is delicious.”

“Th-thank you.”

Heewoon carefully moved his spoon, feeling Gangwoo’s gaze. But the shrimp kept escaping the spoon. Since the piece was large, using a spoon to lift it was inherently difficult. A sigh was heard from beside him.

“Ah.”

Gangwoo, who easily picked up the shrimp, held the chopsticks up to Heewoon’s mouth. Heewoon readily accepted it and ate it. After letting him take one bite, Gangwoo placed the shrimp back on the rice.

It was plump and savory. The large pieces hurt when swallowed, so he had to chew for a long time.

“Should I give you meat too?”

“Yes.”

This time, meat seasoned with pepper and spices entered his mouth. The times he had eaten with Seo Gangwoo were now too numerous to count on his fingers. Perhaps because of that, it felt awkward and strange that he was tasting the food even in the midst of this. As he chewed and mumbled, he felt a gaze.

“…Why?”

“Maybe I should have brought porridge.”

The tone was indifferent, but it sounded as if he were worried about Heewoon.

He’s the one who made me this way. And if he’s going to regret something, shouldn’t he regret his actions before the menu selection?

“Chew slowly and thoroughly.”

Gangwoo peeled another shrimp and lifted Heewoon’s hand to place the shrimp in his grasp.

“It’s not hot, so it’s fine to hold it with your hand.”

He nodded and opened his mouth, but the corners of his mouth stung, causing his face to crumple.

In truth, there was no part of him that didn’t hurt. His whole body ached as if he had been beaten. The hard sensation of the pliers that tasted like blood, or the semen he had forcibly swallowed, still seemed to linger in his mouth.

Suddenly, this single day felt incredibly long.

Seo Gangwoo had genuinely tried to pull out his tooth today. It was hard to imagine how much it would hurt, but Seo Gangwoo had done it multiple times.

And then sucking his cock until he was on the verge of suffocating, and having sex that felt like violence.

Heewoon looked down at the white towel wrapped around his lower body. Struggling to survive wasn’t dirty or shameful.

Gangwoo followed Heewoon’s gaze and turned his head.

“Why. Are you embarrassed about wetting yourself?”

It was a surprisingly gentle voice.

Heewoon bit his lip tightly. The events of the past month flashed rapidly through his mind. Stalking was definitely a crime, but the punishment for it seemed too extreme.

The incident today was the same. What was the meaning of telling him to quit arbitrarily and then scolding him for not quitting? No matter how he thought about it, it wasn’t a mistake deserving of such treatment.

And the fact that he couldn’t express these thoughts felt even more unfair and heartbreaking.

“Hmm.” Gangwoo made a sound in his throat, tilted his head, and asked:

“Are you going to cry?”

“…No.”

Heewoon replied in a choked voice. He opened his mouth to take a bite of the shrimp, but the corners of his lips trembled. It felt like he would burst into tears if he let down his guard even slightly. Heewoon drank water, trying somehow to suppress it.

Gangwoo silently watched Heewoon. The face trying to forcibly hold back tears drew his gaze just as much as a crying face.

Gangwoo chuckled softly, remembering how he had gone to the airport without even having time to change clothes.

He admitted it. The feelings he had for Woo Heewoon were more than just interest. It was not mere amusement to play with for a while and then discard.

In that case, what needed to be done was clear.

To set a stronger, more robust trap.

“Do the tutoring however sunbae wants.”

Gangwoo said nonchalantly and brought a palm-sized shrimp to his plate.

“Oh?”

“If someone so fearful endured that much, it must mean you really didn’t want to quit.”

He easily removed the shrimp’s head and peeled the shell. He placed the exposed white flesh on Heewoon’s plate and peeled another shrimp.

“…Really?”

Heewoon’s expression, as he cautiously asked again, was complex. It seemed he was having trouble believing Gangwoo’s words, but there were clearly other emotions hidden throughout.

“Yes.”

Gangwoo replied and smiled.