Rabbit Hole Chapter 21

If this had been how studies were taught, Geumseo’s grades might have been a little different. Go San taught Geumseo patiently and in a way that was easy to understand. Geumseo swallowed it, bit by bit. The volume was so large that, in the end, the edge of his lips on the opposite side ended up tearing. Even though he was suffocating and tried to breathe through his nose, it was too much to handle. Even though ragged, panting breaths were coming out and his head was spinning, Go San did not go easy on him. Go San’s hand was still wrapped around Geumseo’s throat. It felt like being bitten in the jaws of a crocodile.

Geumseo’s airway was blocked with ease. Even though he wanted to cough, he couldn’t let it out. Just like when he was forcibly dragged underwater, Go San made it easy for Geumseo to suffocate. Geumseo scratched at Go San’s thighs, but it didn’t have much of an effect on his rock-like muscles.

“Kugh, kugh….”

Only when Geumseo let out strained sounds and hammered at Go San’s thigh with his fist did he loosen his grip slightly. When he stuck his head out to survive, this time, Go San thrust his hips upward. Geumseo dry-heaved, and before that, Go San let him take in what he had been about to force down his throat again. It was always like that. The harder it was to endure, the more Geumseo’s body would slacken, and that was how Go San steadily tamed him. Geumseo’s thoughts grew dull, and his mind turned soft.

“Can you take it?”

It was a gentle question, uncharacteristic of Go San. To Geumseo’s ears, it only sounded like a buzzing noise. He might have nodded his head with a faint “uh-huh,” or he might have shaken it with a faint “uh-huh.” More certain than the sound of “…take …it?” was the semen that immediately struck deep into his throat. Geumseo raised his body as if having a seizure. It was only after a while that he realized this noisy sound was the sound of his own coughing. Go San caught him and held him as he swayed. Go San smiled like a boy and wiped underneath Geumseo’s nose.

“My semen came out here.”

He hadn’t expected to learn in this way that the throat, mouth, and nose were connected. His nose stung. His throat was sticky, and his tongue felt slimy. He had been sure he had eaten it all since it was shot directly down his throat, but perhaps because the quantity was large, it was flowing over Go San’s member.

“I won’t ask you to lick it this time.”

It was a way of saying he would do it next time. Geumseo was dumbfounded by the gentle voice. Go San was often gentle in parts where the point was hard to understand. He guessed that perhaps it was because he looked like he might die this time, so he was comforting him. However, if he thought about it carefully, it wasn’t to the point of dying. Because he really thought he was going to die when the loan sharks put him in a van and dragged him to a warehouse. Then, was something like this okay? Even if Geumseo asked, there wasn’t a single person who would give him a proper answer.

No. Perhaps there might be someone. Go Unha. Geumseo thought of the person who seemed the most sensible out of everyone he knew.

∞ ∞ ∞

However, meeting Go Unha was surprisingly not easy. Even Go San said he didn’t see him often; Unha was always busy, and even when he reached out, a late reply was the norm. Even if they managed to set up an appointment, it was difficult to coordinate the time. Furthermore, ever since he had been dragged to Go San’s house and forced to suck his member, Go San hadn’t let him go home at all, so it wasn’t easy to contact him while avoiding his gaze.

“You can start going out from today.”

Go San said this while lying in the water, looking at the ceiling. He realized only later, through intuition, that this was about the job Go San was introducing him to.

“I said it’s not a difficult job. At least it will be better than the time you were working yourself to death alone in the hall. Shit, what would I have done if that thing you were sucking, which is too precious even for me to hold, had fallen off?”

It wasn’t even his own thing, so what was so precious about it. Instead of answering, Geumseo just flicked at the surface of the water with his hand.

Go San moved his body smoothly. One leg was pulled toward his chest, and there were bruises on Geumseo’s knees, which were submerged in the water. The bruises that formed from doing it while on his hands and knees several times didn’t disappear well. His skin was weak to the point of absurdity. He wouldn’t be able to last long in the swimming pool water mixed with disinfectant like Go San could. Go San placed his hand over those weak, soft knees and rested his chin on them. It was quite an affectionate posture, but for Geumseo, it only made him worry about what kind of thing he was about to say.

“Call me if it’s hard.”

“…”

“Even if someone hits on you.”

“Then… if that someone is Go San, where do I call?”

Geumseo asked blankly. Go San laughed loudly. He shoved his hand into the loose swimming trunks Geumseo was wearing—he didn’t know when he had prepared them.

“To me.”

Go San smiled suggestively. Regardless of what was on the inside, he was a person who was gorgeously beautiful on the outside.

“You have to call me. That, too.”

Geumseo thinks of a hamster wheel. It looks like it’s running forward, but in reality, it’s running in the same place. Maybe it’s because Go San teases him for being a rat… he really feels like he is becoming a rat. Go San pulled Geumseo. He slid down and sank into the suitably cold water. Go San whispered.

“Sometimes I want to put you inside a fishbowl.”

After a cage, it’s a fishbowl. He is scared he might actually do it someday. Geumseo was always afraid of Go San. It wasn’t anything new. Because he was always afraid, and because a warning light was always flashing whenever he saw Go San, Geumseo couldn’t even tell if this was a warning or not.

Whether the coach was there or not, Go San kissed Geumseo. His body was hot even in the water. Geumseo was afraid of deep water and disliked the cold, so he clung to Go San. It seemed like this was the reason Go San kept drowning him.

∞ ∞ ∞

The new workplace was far from his own home and close to Go San’s house.

“You know how to use a knife, right?”

The owner, whom he met after being told he had come through Go San’s introduction, was uniquely wearing sunglasses even indoors. Even though it wasn’t a room with bright lighting. Geumseo was fascinated by that, wondering if he could even see him, so he kept tilting his head and acting a bit distracted.

“You’re good at cutting things like fruit?”

“Yes.”

“Pineapples, mangoes, things like that too?”

“I can make a flower out of a mango.”

“Then that’s it.”

The boss’s interview was very simple. It was as if a single fruit-cutting task was all that was needed. There were no questions about whether he had done this kind of work before, or if he had, how much experience he had. An bewildered Geumseo instead asked back.

“Did I… pass?”

“I saw you even for an interview at my own discretion just because he told me to hire you, do you need anything more?”

“You don’t need to hear about my career or anything…?”

“As if you even brought a resume.”

Since he actually had a self-written resume in his bag, Geumseo felt a sting of guilt.

“It’s fine. Here, you just need to have a neat appearance. Appearance? You look neat. Good. Good.”

It was hard to guess his age accurately because he was wearing sunglasses, but he was still a bit older than he looked. At the sight of him giving a thumbs-up repeatedly, Geumseo ended up giving a thumbs-up as well.

“Thank… you.”

“Alright. Do well. You can start from today.”

He waved his hand, telling him to leave. As soon as Geumseo came out, the other staff member who had guided him to the boss turned his steps away while playing a mobile game.

“Aren’t you coming?”

Since Geumseo was standing there blankly, only then did he call out. Even while only looking at his phone screen, he walked through the complex hallways skillfully. It was indoors, but there wasn’t a single window or any outside light, and while it was strangely wide, the hallways were too twisted. Geumseo started to worry if he would be able to memorize the way.

“What’s your size?”

The staff member, who had his phone wedged under his armpit while keeping the game running, asked. When Geumseo roughly stated his shirt and pants sizes, he handed him a white shirt, a vest, black pants, and an apron.

“You might have to do serving if necessary, so put this in your pocket.”

It was a bow tie. Even to Geumseo, who was ignorant about fashion, it looked a bit tacky and too cliché. As if reading Geumseo’s mind, or perhaps because he himself didn’t like it either, the staff member added an unnecessary remark.

“The boss likes classic. He says a server should wear a bow tie or something. Well, he pays well. I hope to see you for a long time. It’s hard to hire people, too.”

“Ah, ah… yes….”

“Your mouth is heavy, right?”

Rather than heavy, he didn’t have anyone to talk to. That could also be called a heavy mouth. Geumseo nodded.

“Anyway, you’ll be doing kitchen odd jobs, but I’ll give you a warning: forget everything you’ve seen and heard here. Don’t go outside and think about blabbing for no reason.”

Forget it? Forgetting was easier than remembering. Geumseo nodded as if to tell him to trust him. Although the staff member didn’t see it because he had already taken the phone from under his armpit to continue playing the game.