Salt Society Chapter 31

It meant that if he couldn’t achieve what he wanted in golf, he would move over to the flower card table. If Cho Yeonoh felt that the bribe he could pass through betting on golf was a bit too small, he used poker or Hwatu. It seemed that the older the geezers were, and the closer their positions were to high-ranking government posts, the more they preferred Hwatu over poker. The only opponent So Kihyun—who never lost at Hwatu—couldn’t beat was Cho Yeonoh. The reason a guy like that had to be called a sucker at the Hwatu table every single day was precisely because of this bribery ceremony.

In any case, it meant his schedule today would finish incredibly late. He thought it was just as well. Since all he had to do was keep sleeping. He was slightly excited at the thought of sleeping lazily in the room, but his face remained the same expressionless mask as usual. However, as if he possessed some sort of radar, Cho Yeonoh showed a look of displeasure.

“You look fucking excited?”

“Not enough to grow a dick. Wouldn’t it be a bit gross if two were attached?”

…Was that too much of a sexual joke? Now that he had blurted it out indifferently, it bothered him; Kihyun’s jaw, which had been moving diligently, loosened a bit.

“Unbelievable. Kihyun, you’re the worst at jokes in your hospital, aren’t you?”

No, the athletes say I’m the funniest, is what he swallowed back. It was nothing much, but he suddenly felt miserable. Was his pride hurt because he was walking on eggshells alone while the other person didn’t care at all? Kihyun nodded roughly.

…He really needed to sleep more. That way, he wouldn’t have these kinds of persecution complexes.

“…I’m going to sleep, so leave quietly. I woke up in the middle of the dawn because of you.”

“That’s my line, Kihyun. Why were you sleeping and then went outside to run on a treadmill? Are you a squirrel?”

Since it was irritating to see him grinning and spouting nonsense, Kihyun flipped him off and went into the bathroom to squeeze toothpaste onto his toothbrush. Tears welled up slightly. Why was he crying? In the mirror, Kihyun was wiping away a single tear that wasn’t even noticeable with an expressionless face. When he wiped it away with his thumb, it didn’t even look like he had cried.

And just like that, Kihyun forgot his own tears. Since it was no big deal.

⏳

Perhaps because he had started his day so early, even after waking up from a long sleep, the small hand of the clock was pointing at a time slightly short of noon.

He stretched while yawning lightly. Since he had come all the way down to Namhae, he felt like doing something. Kihyun rolled around on the bed, picked up his phone from the console, and pressed Manager Yoo’s number in the contact list.

[Yes, Mr. So.]

Seeing as he picked up before it even rang twice, it seemed he had been holding the phone. Kihyun was slightly surprised by how quickly the other party answered but soon opened his mouth.

“Manager Yoo, could I use the car? I’d like to go for a simple drive.”

[That is possible.]

Manager Yoo answered readily. When he said he would come to the guest room where Kihyun was staying with Cho Yeonoh, Kihyun said he would go pick it up himself, so they agreed to leave the keys at the lobby. Unable to refuse that much, Kihyun said okay, washed up briefly, changed his clothes, and headed out.

Kihyun went down to the lobby, stated the room number, and tried to find the car key, but became embarrassed and bowed his head in thanks when the valet staff said the car was already in the drive-in.

The valet staff was standing next to the very car Kihyun had arrived in yesterday, smiling brightly, so Kihyun bowed to him as well before getting into the driver’s seat. He couldn’t leave immediately and searched here and there on the navigation before setting the destination to the nearest beach.

“Oh, 1.3 kilometers…”

Seeing that it wasn’t far, it seemed to be the very coast he had looked at this morning. Heading to the beach with the intention of taking a light walk, Kihyun parked the car next to the sandy shore and rummaged through the glove box to see if there were any sunglasses rolling around.

Fortunately, a pair of Wayfarer-style sunglasses came out. Since there was no way Manager Yoo would leave personal items in a car owned by Cho Yeonoh, they must be Cho Yeonoh’s. When he put them on, they had no prescription. Getting out of the car, Kihyun felt that despite the strong sea breeze, the weather was quite hot. He had thought summer was still far off…

Kihyun walked without caring that sand was getting into his sneakers. The scent of the sea felt strong. Amidst the salty scent and the faint fishy smell of the water, he stared blankly at the sea where the waves were crashing.

A few people were surfing. He thought only the East Sea, where the waves are strong, was good for surfing, but it seemed the waves were high enough to surf because the coast was narrower than other places and geographically concave. Kihyun walked along the sandy beach, staring at them blankly.

“It’s a seaweed farm…”

He muttered to himself. In the distance, a motorboat was heading beyond the horizon. The laughter of the surfers also reached him faintly, broken by the waves. Looking around, he saw a place that rented out surfboards and suits.

It had been a long time since he had surfed, and he wondered if he should do it too. Since he had nothing else to do. Kihyun hesitated for a moment and then walked straight toward the rental shop. He had learned it a few years ago when he came to the sea with some swimmers, but since it had been a long time, he chose a beginner’s board. They told him how much to pay for the suit as well, and because he couldn’t remember the old prices to know if it was a rip-off or the standard market rate, he rented it without a word.

After putting on the suit, he practiced popping up on the sand before heading out to the sea. Then he got lazy. He headed out anyway, thinking he would just swim if it didn’t work out after a bit. After securing the leash string to his right ankle, he picked up the board and went into the water. When he felt the water level was high enough, he got onto the board.

He tried to check the waves but got impatient and swallowed water about once. Feeling the full saltiness, tears welled up. Thinking he had to succeed next time, he lay with his abdomen against the bottom of the board again, paddled, and checked the waves. Sensing a somewhat fast wave coming, he immediately tried to pop up.

He succeeded on the second try. Laughing involuntarily at the quite thrilling sensation, Kihyun continued to ride the waves after that. The moment he felt he should stop was when he became intensely hungry. The smartwatch he was wearing already pointed to 3:00 PM.

Wondering if that much time had passed, he came out of the sea. Since he was hungry, his heart became impatient, and he tried to pull down the zipper of the suit before going to the rental shop, but it wouldn’t work well.

“Shall I pull it down for you?”

That was when he heard a voice. Surprised by the person who suddenly spoke to him, he looked to the side and saw that Alpha he had run into this morning.

“Ah… Um, yes. Please.”

Thinking it would be impossible alone, Kihyun asked, and the man pulled down the zipper from behind his back. The tightness of the suit was uncomfortable, so he decided to just take it off and go; as he pulled out his arms and took off the top half, he felt a gaze from the side. The Alpha, who made eye contact with Kihyun as he was roughly wiping the moisture off his upper body with his hands, coughed with a reddened face.

“Ah, excuse me.”

Excuse me for what? He didn’t know what the apology was for, but Kihyun nodded roughly and was about to pick up the board he had stuck in the sand and head to the rental shop again.

“I, too, am staying over there.”

The Alpha said, suddenly pointing toward the resort. Thinking he was a kind and bothersome person for repeating a fact he already knew from seeing him this morning, Kihyun nodded once more.

“I see.”

Just as Kihyun, for whom conversation had become tedious, was about to move his steps again, the Alpha grabbed Kihyun’s forearm. It was strangely unpleasant to have a wet palm grab wet skin. Kihyun glanced down at the Alpha’s hand.

“Ah, sorry. I got impatient.”

“…”

At Kihyun’s gaze, the Alpha hurriedly let go and said as if making an excuse. Unable to understand what business he had since earlier, Kihyun stared at him, and the man looked at Kihyun while licking his own bottom lip, which must have been pickled in salt.

“Um… You’ve seemed to be alone for a while now, so later, if you’d like to go for a round…”

“I have company. And I can’t play golf.”

It wasn’t that he couldn’t play, he just wasn’t interested. He knew the muscles used when playing golf, but he didn’t know the rules well. He knew the training methods to send the ball a long distance and was well-versed in how the muscles used then functioned, but Kihyun was fundamentally uninterested in golf. Even if it was a ball game, baseball or soccer was more fun, and he had only practiced the form by hitting at screen golf a few times to treat athletes.

Just as the man, looking at Kihyun who responded without expression, was about to say something anxiously, someone called Kihyun from behind him.

“Second Lieutenant…?”

“…”

Kihyun stopped breathing in surprise. The Alpha also looked back as if wondering. Then he looked back and forth between the two. It seemed they were the Alpha’s companions.

“…”

“You’re Second Lieutenant, right?”

Kihyun did not answer. He just walked toward the rental shop. No, in fact, he didn’t even know if he was walking properly.

Get a grip, So Kihyun, you idiot. How long ago was that, and still…

It couldn’t be helped even if he poured curses at himself. Kihyun walked quickly into the rental shop. He didn’t know in what state of mind he threw on the clothes he came in over his wet body and returned the board. It was only after Kihyun got into the car, where Cho Yeonoh’s aftershave scent was faintly permeated, and locked the door, that he could breathe somewhat.

“…Fuck.”