Winter Season Chapter 44

As soon as he stepped inside, the first thing he discovered was Jinhyeok sitting on the sofa, looking down at a tablet PC. At the greeting uttered in a small voice, his head lifted.

Jinhyeok was dressed in light homewear. Seeing his relaxed appearance, something he had never seen at the company, made it sink in that this was the house where he stayed and lived. Yihyeon felt as though he had to explain the circumstances of how he ended up here, so he opened his mouth haltingly.

“There was a fire in the unit below mine. The firefighter said entry is impossible for today… I was going to sleep at a nearby motel, but I don’t have my wallet…”

The excuses he rambled on about felt somehow pathetic and shabby. As he trailed off while fiddling with the back of his neck, the man approached and grabbed his wrist, pulling it down. The hand that made contact was cool, making his body flinch.

“The address you gave me was near Gu Seunghyeok’s place. Did you go there?”

The body that stepped close was excessively near. It was to the point where a distinct scent—he couldn’t tell if it was shampoo or perfume—brushed heavily past the tip of his nose. Yihyeon swallowed once and cast his eyes down.

“Something happened, so we were together.”

“I was one step late, then.”

What was he one step late for?

The man swept his hand near his eyebrow while wearing a subtle expression whose meaning was impossible to discern.

“It looks like you’ve showered…”

A finger that rose up abruptly lightly brushed past Yihyeon’s hair and the area near the back of his neck. As he winced and pulled his body away at the sensation of goosebumps erupting along his spine, Jinhyeok let out a chuckle and stepped back.

“The guest room is over there.”

“…”

“I’ve put out some clothes for you to wear comfortably, so change and come out.”

His attitude was plain, as if the moment he had pressed close and created a subtle atmosphere had never happened. Yihyeon bit his lip and bowed his head once more.

Yihyeon entered the room and changed into the homewear lying on the bed. He wanted to get into bed as quickly as possible to end this exhausting day, but he knew that wouldn’t be polite.

When he opened the door and came out to the living room, he saw the man pouring wine at a home bar located on one side. Yihyeon approached him with slow steps.

“…Thank you for this late hour, General Manager.”

“Have a glass. A fire in the unit below… you must have been shocked.”

The wine glass he handed over was filled about one-third with a deep brick-colored wine. As Yihyeon accepted the wine glass, which was so light it felt weightless, the man gestured with his eyes toward a stool placed in front of him.

“I didn’t expect a call at this hour, so it was a bit of a surprise.”

It was something Yihyeon himself had never imagined—that he would end up at Gu Jinhyeok’s house at an hour like this. Instead of answering, Yihyeon moistened his lips with the wine. The scent of well-ripened fruit tickled the tip of his nose.

“Did you meet your parents well?”

Perhaps because so much had happened in such a short period, the events of a few days ago felt like a very long time ago. The memory of meeting an unknown man while looking for Subin and the things the church people had said at the hospital flashed through Yihyeon’s mind again.

“…Yes. Thank you for your consideration.”

Contrary to his words, Yihyeon’s complexion darkened. Jinhyeok, noticing this, smiled gently.

“You have a face that says something happened.”

“…”

Was it because he hadn’t heard such kind words recently? Or was it because of the man sitting quietly across from him without pressuring him for an answer? The situation of being here right now felt unrealistic.

Because of that, a sudden impulse arose to bring up the words he had hidden inside. Before the heart he had kept tightly wrapped without letting anyone near could rot and crumble, and before the emotions he had been suppressing could overflow.

“My father… hates me a lot.”

As he opened his mouth to speak, his throat tightened. This was a story he had never initiated with others before. However, the start was the only difficult part; once he actually started talking, the next parts flowed out on their own.

“It’s been almost eight years since I’ve lived without seeing my family’s faces, but I received a contact recently saying he was diagnosed with cancer.”

“Dear me.”

“I thought that since some time had passed, my father’s anger might have softened by now, but it hadn’t.”

“…”

“He was the same as ever.”

As he bit his lower lip and lifted his eyes, he saw Jinhyeok’s expressionless face. The moment he met those characteristic eyes that lacked warmth, he felt he had brought up a useless story. Yihyeon spoke quickly.

“It’s not very interesting, is it.”

“Is that the kind of story that’s supposed to be interesting?”

“…”

“You must have been very lonely for eight years.”

His head lifted automatically at the response, which was different from what he had expected. The man’s eyes, seen up close, still seemed bored and empty, but the words coming from his mouth were not. The simple sentence felt like it was comforting Yihyeon’s past few years, making his fingertips feel tingly for no reason.

“Stay and rest comfortably until your house is somewhat sorted out.”

“No. I think I should go after work tomorrow to check what happened.”

“…”

“Thank you for letting me stay today.”

At the answer given with another bow of the head, Jinhyeok looked at Yihyeon without a word. Just as Yihyeon was looking down at the edge of the bar table because the lengthening silence was awkward, the man’s voice reached him.

“Do you know why I’m just leaving you be, Mr. Kwon Yihyeon?”

His head snapped up. He had been curious himself as to why the man didn’t keep him at a distance despite knowing he was a mole planted by Gu Seunghyeok.

As Yihyeon stared blankly at the man, Jinhyeok slowly approached and tilted his head. The space between their faces was too close.

“You heard what Gu Seunghyeok said at the restaurant.”

“…Ah.”

“That you’re my type.”

Looking at Yihyeon, who was frozen and unable to do anything with a rare look of fluster on his face, Jinhyeok let out a laugh that sounded like a puff of air. He looked persistently into Yihyeon’s eyes and slowly tilted the wine glass he was holding. Clink, there was a light sound of glass clashing.

“Go in and rest.”

“…”

“Don’t forget to lock the door.”

Only after seeing Jinhyeok step back lightly and turn away could Yihyeon exhale the breath he had been holding. The strength left his body, which had been tense without him realizing it.

It was a plain flirtation without any lingering stickiness, but he felt tension more deeply than excitement. Whenever he met the man’s eyes, he would feel an inexplicable chill.

It felt exactly like he was dealing with a doll or a well-made statue. It was a completely opposite image from Gu Seunghyeok, who couldn’t hide his emotions and instead expressed them in their rawest form.

‘You, until the very end, can’t think of anyone but yourself.’

Thinking of Gu Jinhyeok made Gu Seunghyeok’s face, which had crumpled instantly upon hearing his words, come to mind automatically. A behavior that was the polar opposite of Jinhyeok’s composure as he tilted his wine glass with a languid expression. What kind of face had he been making while watching Yihyeon’s back as he opened the door and left?

Yihyeon drained the wine he was holding in one gulp. Regardless, for today at least, he wanted to rest without thinking about anything else. The steps he took into the guest room were as heavy as water-soaked cotton.

Around dawn, just as the morning sun was beginning to rise, Yihyeon pushed himself up at the sound of his phone alarm. He had woken up early with the intention of going home to wash up and change clothes, but someone was already standing in the kitchen when he opened the door and went out.

“Are you awake? Would you like some coffee?”

“Ah… Yes.”

As if the thought that it might be a bit awkward to face him in the morning was silly, the man’s attitude was natural, as if nothing were out of the ordinary. As Yihyeon cautiously approached the table and sat down, Jinhyeok pushed a coffee cup toward him.

“Secretary Kim roughly estimated your size and prepared some clothes. I’ve hung them in front of the dressing room, so take them, wash up, and change.”

“Ah…”

To think the Secretary General had prepared his clothes. He felt his face heat up at the situation, which felt like the natural order of things had been flipped upside down. As he nodded while looking down, Jinhyeok showed a faint smile as if it were amusing.

It felt strange to leave the entrance together after finishing preparations for work in their respective rooms. In the back seat of the car driven by a chauffeur, Yihyeon stared only at the opposite side of where Jinhyeok was looking. It was nearly time they reached the company when Jinhyeok’s voice echoed inside the car where silence had been lingering.

“There is an external schedule; let’s go together. Go up and if there are things you need, pack them and come back.”

He couldn’t understand the reason for wanting to take him on an external schedule, but he wasn’t in a position to ask. Yihyeon nodded and opened the door to step out.