Winter Season Chapter 34

Jinhyeok, who pushed up his glasses and looked up with his eyes, stared coldly at Seunghyeok. Seunghyeok scanned both Jinhyeok and Yihyeon once, then turned around and walked out toward the exit.

It felt like a place where a storm had just swept through. His receding back disappeared beyond the closing sliding paper door.

“Now that I see it, it looks less like a deal and more like he has some leverage over you.”

“…”

“Tell me if you need help.”

It wasn’t leverage but rather a debt he was paying off after borrowing money, but if Gu Jinhyeok viewed it that way, it would actually make things easier.

It would be simpler to get close to him by evoking sympathy than by trying to seduce him. Yihyeon swept a hand over his dry lips and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Buzz.

Just then, a short vibration rang out from inside his pocket. After glancing at Jinhyeok once, he checked his phone under the table.

[Yihyeon, have you eaten dinner? It’s nothing else, I was just wondering if you’ve thought about what we talked about last time.]

It was a text from his mother. He felt the blood drain from his face as his expression froze stiff. He locked eyes with Jinhyeok, who was watching him from the corner of his eye.

“Is it Gu Seunghyeok?”

“Ah, no. It’s my… mother. My father is in the hospital right now… so she’s asking when I’m coming…”

The reason he hadn’t remitted the money to his mother even after receiving what he needed from Gu Seunghyeok was because he wasn’t certain. He wasn’t confident that he could be okay even when facing his father.

Being confronted once again with the matter he had been avoiding out of a lack of courage to see his parents, his mind went blank as if washed over in white. In his flustered state, he stammered out words without distinguishing what should and shouldn’t be said, and Jinhyeok calmly lifted his glass.

“Tomorrow is Friday, so take the day off and go. I’ll let the secretary’s office know.”

“Ah…”

“It’s not like you came here to actually work anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”

He felt a complex mix of emotions at the kindness the man was showing. Gratitude and resentment coexisted for making him face the thing he wanted to avoid. But regardless, it was an act of consideration from his perspective, so he bit his lip and gave a bow.

Was the fact that he was looking out for him even while openly treating him like a spy a sign of how relaxed he was, or was it a type of interest he felt toward him?

“If you’re finished eating, let’s get going.”

He bowed to Jinhyeok, who had finished the payment, and followed behind him. As the man walked back to the car and opened the driver’s side door, Yihyeon spoke.

“Director, thank you for the dinner today. I’ll see you at the office tomorrow—ah, next week.”

“Get in. I’ll drop you off.”

“Ah, no. I’m fine taking a taxi.”

“There’s a car coming out behind us.”

Just as Jinhyeok said, another car was just pulling out of the parking lot. Since he couldn’t keep blocking the way, he had no choice but to sit in the passenger seat, and Jinhyeok gestured with his chin toward the side.

“Enter the address in the navigation.”

After obediently entering the address, silence descended once more. In the quiet car where neither radio nor music was playing, the clicking sound of the turn signal sounded exceptionally loud.

Passing through downtown Seoul and entering his familiar neighborhood, he finally began to feel a sense of relief. He asked to be dropped off at the entrance of the winding alleyway, but Jinhyeok insisted on stopping the car right in front of the house. He looked up at the old multi-unit villa and spoke.

“Do you live with your parents?”

“No. It’s been a long time since I moved out.”

“The building looks old. It would be a disaster if an accident happened.”

It was a villa that might look shabby to some, but for Yihyeon, who had spent his time bouncing between rooftop rooms ever since graduation, it was the first proper home-like home he had obtained. Yihyeon bowed toward the man who was intently examining the surroundings of the building.

“Thank you for driving me home.”

Jinhyeok, who had been staring quietly at a spot between the buildings where miscellaneous items were piled up, eventually pulled his gaze away and turned his head toward Yihyeon. Then, wearing a faint smile, he spoke.

“If anything happens, tell me. I wasn’t just saying it when I said I’d help.”

He wondered if the ability to be this kind to a person he had only known for a few days was the unique leisure of those who have everything, or if it was just his personality. Either way, from the position of someone who had to deceive him, it was a part that couldn’t help but weigh on his mind.

No, let’s not think about it. He is nothing more and nothing less than a target to extract information from.

Yihyeon, putting on a forcedly calm face, nodded, opened the car door, and stepped outside. Then, instead of going up the stairs, he stood at the entrance and watched as the car drove away.

Buzz, buzz.

When the car lights disappeared and he turned to go up to his house, a notification sounded on his phone that a message had arrived. On the screen he turned on without a thought, Subin’s name was displayed.

[Yihyeon. I’m at AK in Wooseong-dong; I got a room with some friends for the first time in a while and we’re hanging out. I have something to tell you, so come over for a bit.]

His feet, which were about to take a step, hesitated at the message from someone he hadn’t expected.

Since he had thought the connection had ended when contact was cut off like that last time, the sudden message telling him to come to a club was inevitably bewildering.

Just in case, he tried calling, but the other party didn’t answer. Yihyeon wet his lips while looking down at his phone.

What should I do…

Thinking rationally, it was right not to go, but it was also true that there were things left to discuss, just as he said.

He had also been feeling bad about quitting Nexus without even being able to apologize for what happened that day. After worrying for a moment, Yihyeon turned on a taxi app instead of going up to his house.

Going back down the alley that Jinhyeok had gone through the trouble of driving him up, Yihyeon caught a taxi and leaned his forehead against the window. Since his work for tomorrow had disappeared, he planned to just drop by briefly, talk, and leave. His heart already felt heavy at the thought of explaining to Subin what had happened that day.

The taxi, which drove without getting stuck, dropped Yihyeon off on a street filled with bars and entertainment lounges. Even though it was a weekday evening, the front of the club was full of lines. This time, among people who were all dressed up, he was the only one in a conspicuous outfit of a stiff suit. Yihyeon called Subin from near the entrance.

Ring, ring, ring…

The signal went through, but the call wasn’t connected. He had no choice but to enter the messenger app.

[Hyung, I’m at the entrance, so give me a call.]

Yihyeon crossed his arms and huddled his body as much as possible while waiting for a reply. It felt colder because he was only in a coat. Just as he was looking down at his toes, thinking he would wait five more minutes and just leave if he hadn’t heard back by then, someone’s voice was heard.

“Are you perhaps Mr. Kwon Yihyeon?”

When he snapped his head up, a man with his hair neatly pushed back, looking a bit like a playboy, was looking at him. After confirming Yihyeon’s face, he smiled as if he had met someone he was glad to see.

“Wow, you look exactly like your photo. You’re waiting for Subin hyung, right? Hyung is a bit drunk right now, so I came out instead.”

His brow furrowed automatically at the mention of him being drunk. He had come to talk to Subin, but if he was too drunk to even come out, the story changes a bit.

“First of all, it’s cold, so let’s go inside, quickly.”

He had an ominous premonition, but he was reaching the point where standing outside any longer was becoming difficult. Yihyeon had no choice but to keep his lips tightly shut and follow behind the man.

Passing the people standing in line and the people dancing close together, the booming song lyrics began to fade slightly as they reached a hallway. He pushed open a heavy soundproof door and spoke with a grin.

“Hyung, Subin hyung! The Yihyeon you were looking for so much is here!”

As soon as he followed the man into the room, his expression frowned involuntarily. It was because the cigarette smoke was as acrid as entering a raccoon’s den, perhaps because the ventilation facilities weren’t properly equipped.

The people sitting there looked quite drunk, with faces flushed as if they had had a fair amount of alcohol. Among them, Subin caught his eye, leaning against one side of the sofa as if lying down.

“Oh, you’re here? Hey, Yoon Subin, the Yihyeon you talked about is here. Wake up, you bastard.”

A man who appeared to be a friend shook Subin’s shoulder and playfully slapped his cheek. At this, Subin shook his head as if trying to clear it, then spotted Yihyeon and let out a smirk.

“Oh, you really came.”

“Giggle, fuck. Sitting there saying ‘you really came’ as if you didn’t know. Mr. Yihyeon, sit here for now.”