Winter Season Chapter 55

Having stayed there for a few days, the room I was staying in had begun to feel familiar. It suddenly occurred to me that by now, my own studio apartment would have been restored to some extent.

If only things went according to plan tomorrow, any reason to remain entangled with Gu Seunghyeok would vanish.

‘You keep making me pay attention to you.’

It had been a dry and indifferent voice, yet those words hadn’t sounded cold. Perhaps it was because I remembered his past.

Even though I knew much time had passed since our high school days and that many things had changed exactly by that amount of time, the moment I heard those words, the Gu Seunghyeok of back then came to mind. It seemed that the memories I thought I had completely forgotten were actually nestled in a corner of my mind.

“Whew…”

Yihyeon looked down at his belongings organized in a corner of the spacious room and thought he should return home now.

His clothes and a few miscellaneous items were the extent of his luggage, but the volume filled two shopping bags to the brim. When he left the room carrying them in both hands, Seunghyeok was standing in the kitchen dressed in outdoor clothes.

Standing in front of the coffee machine looking down at his phone, he lifted his head askew at the sound of the door. His dry gaze seemed to linger on Yihyeon’s face for a moment before dropping to the shopping bags in his hands. Seeing Seunghyeok remain silent even after checking the luggage, Yihyeon also kept his lips closed.

Yihyeon took a cup from the cupboard and approached the dining table. Just as he was about to grab the bottle filled with water, his hand touched Seunghyeok’s, who had reached out while still looking at his phone. At the unexpected contact, Yihyeon’s body flinched. Yihyeon quickly pulled his hand away like someone who had burned their hand on something hot.

“……”

Watching Yihyeon act like that, Seunghyeok crookedly arched an eyebrow. However, without saying a word, he filled a glass with water and set the bottle back down on the table.

Seunghyeok took a step away without lingering, as if to leave the area. Yihyeon licked his lips with his tongue and then spoke toward Seunghyeok’s back.

“I’m going to head home now.”

“……”

“There’s no good in leaving the house empty for too long, and once tomorrow’s work is over, there won’t be any reason to stay here anymore.”

The face that turned to look at Yihyeon was expressionless. Yihyeon pressed his lips together firmly and then parted them to continue.

“I owe you a lot for these past few days.”

Looking down at Yihyeon, Seunghyeok ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek and swept back his bangs. He wondered if Yihyeon would have said he was going home at this crack of dawn if it hadn’t been for last night’s conversation.

Even though he knew it was better to send Kwon Yihyeon out quickly, hearing that he was actually leaving set his nerves on edge. Should I not have brought up Lee Chanyang? Thinking that, Seunghyeok picked up the car keys that were lying on one side of the table.

“Come down once you’ve packed everything.”

It was Yihyeon’s slender fingers that hurriedly grabbed the hem of Seunghyeok’s clothes as he was about to turn away. When Seunghyeok looked down, the white hand quickly dropped away.

“There’s no need for that.”

“……”

“I can go by myself.”

To Seunghyeok, those words sounded as if he didn’t want to receive any of his help. He already didn’t like that Yihyeon was trying to leave the house as if fleeing, and hearing such a thing stirred a faint irritation. Seunghyeok twisted the corner of his mouth coldly and took a step.

“Let’s not make me say the same thing twice.”

A short while later, the lights in the entryway turned on, followed by a loud thud of the door closing. Yihyeon glanced at the brightly glowing sensor light and then lowered his gaze toward the glass he was holding.

The glass, without a single drop of moisture, was bone dry. He thought it was exactly like his relationship with Seunghyeok.

Inside the car, it was silent without a single sound from the common radio or music. The tick-tock of the turn signal echoed exceptionally loud.

Yihyeon, who was sitting in the passenger seat silently staring out the window, watched the dry branches of trees quickly flash past.

“There will probably be a bag search when entering the party.”

The single sentence that came out of Seunghyeok’s mouth broke the silence. Yihyeon turned his head and looked at Seunghyeok.

“Once you enter the banquet hall, I will deliver the medicine through a server, so act naturally.”

His side profile, staring straight ahead with his arm resting on the window frame, was as distinct as if it had been drawn. Even though he must have felt the gaze, the face directed forward did not turn. When Yihyeon didn’t give any answer, Seunghyeok continued.

“It’s an amount capable of putting even a decent adult male to sleep in ten minutes. Keep in mind that it will be faster if drunk with alcohol.”

“Okay.”

Silence returned following the short reply. The stillness, where nothing but the sound of the heater could be heard, was awkwardly uncomfortable. Yihyeon, who had been looking out at the dry winter landscape after turning his gaze back to the window, suddenly spoke.

“Gu Seunghyeok.”

“What.”

“What if… if I fail tomorrow…”

“……”

“Will something go wrong for you?”

Tap, tap. The long fingers that had been drumming on the steering wheel suddenly stopped moving.

“You said there was an item you’re looking for. I’m asking if there’s any damage to you if I can’t find it.”

It was a job he had taken on as a condition for the debt to be repaid. If he couldn’t do it properly, the situation would become complicated. Everything necessary was prepared and a rough plan had been made, so there wasn’t much to worry about, but for some reason, he had an uneasy premonition.

Thinking that he had never discussed with Seunghyeok what would happen if things went wrong, he brought it up, but Seunghyeok remained silent.

“If anything goes wrong because of me, I will take responsibility for part of it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a snorting sound came from the side. The car stopped at a signal, and Seunghyeok turned his head.

“What can you take responsibility for? You.”

“What?”

“What is it that you can do among bastards who would stab their own parents or children for money?”

The voice that traveled into his ear was low and cold. When he lost his words and shut his mouth at the sharp voice and piercing gaze, Seunghyeok let out a hollow laugh.

“Kwon Yihyeon. You are nothing more and nothing less than a pretty bait to be used once and thrown away.”

“……”

“Whether the job goes well or wrong, your role ends the moment you walk out of that building.”

Their two gazes met without avoiding each other. Seunghyeok was the first to turn his head.

“So don’t have any useless sense of responsibility.”

“……”

“Once the job is done, treat me and Gu Jinhyeok like people who never existed and live your life as you used to.”

Contrary to the cold voice, the car started smoothly. Yihyeon looked down at his white hands which were holding nothing.

Will I really be able to return to my original life as if nothing had happened after tomorrow? Lacking certainty, Yihyeon turned his head away.

The car drove quickly along the road and entered a familiar alleyway. Since he hadn’t visited for a few days, the street felt oddly new. The car stopped in front of the old villa, and Yihyeon grabbed the car door handle.

“Thanks for the ride.”

Seunghyeok was only staring straight ahead without responding. After looking at him once, Yihyeon opened the door and stepped out. A biting wind brushed sharply past his cheeks.

Leaving the car behind and climbing the stairs, the freezing house greeted Yihyeon. He hurriedly set down his bags and turned on the boiler. After quickly finishing the house tidying and going out to the veranda to lock the window, Yihyeon discovered the black car parked below the building.

Until Yihyeon went back into the room, the black sedan remained stopped in that spot.

Even though the day that had felt as distant as someone else’s business had arrived, the world was quiet as usual. In the crack of dawn before the sun had even risen, Yihyeon, who had been leaning against the bed stroking the bluish invitation, picked up his phone at the sudden sound of vibration.

[General Manager Gu Jinhyeok]

There must be a reason for calling at such an early hour. Yihyeon cleared his throat and carefully connected the call.

“Hello.”

His small voice was clear, uncharacteristic of the hour, and did not sound like someone who had just woken up. Jinhyeok, noticing that Yihyeon had been awake, asked casually.

— You’re up early. Did you not sleep well?

“A little.”

After a short pause, Yihyeon added.

“…Because I’m nervous.”

Putting medicine in Gu Jinhyeok’s glass and extracting information from his phone. It was nervousness about the task Yihyeon would have to perform at the party, but Jinhyeok, interpreting it in a different direction, made a sound like a puff of laughter.

“I’ll send someone to the front of the house. Come by car.”

“Yes.”