Solo For Two Chapter 3

“Due to circumstances, I cannot go back…”

Russian land stretches vast and its borders seem endless. Even if one man crosses the border, who would notice? But the man who clearly escaped his homeland seemed never to want to return. Despite the hardships, his desire to go straight to Paris was evident.

It didn’t make sense for a poor traveler to refuse such luck, but Julian didn’t press further.

He was curious about how Karel would react to the proposition, and how much this man, whose story had begun to unravel, would reveal. But it was merely a passing interest, not an obsession for Julian.

“Feels like a long shot…”

Without showing his thoughts, Julian swiftly changed the subject.

“Okay then. Since it was just a suggestion, there’s no need to feel awkward about it… Well, let’s ask an easier question. What’s your name?”

“Sedrin, Alexander Sedrin.”

“Nice name. I’m Julian Joseph Ludwig. My real name is longer, but friends usually just call me Julian.”

“Julian.”

“Do you have a nickname? Russian names often have many, what was it…”

“Sasha.”

“Sasha, suits you.”

Then it happened. There was a loud sound of a door opening in the next room. It was Karel’s room.

Julian subtly frowned. Karel must have gotten up and rushed out of the room. The hesitant footsteps in the hallway suggested he was searching for someone who had already disappeared. Soon, the sounds faded down the stairs, and Julian noticed Sasha pale in front of him.

“Karel rushed out in a hurry. Strange. He’s not one to rush… Seems like something’s wrong. Maybe he got robbed.”

It was a muttered remark, partially deliberate in Russian. Julian noticed Sasha wasn’t looking up.

Turning abruptly cold from his earlier warm and friendly tone, Julian asked Sasha, “Did you steal something?”

Sasha only chewed on his lip without answering. Julian was sure of his guess.

The fact that Sasha didn’t jump at the opportunity to leave right away, and his inability to lie convincingly, suggested he might not be a habitual offender. But seducing travelers and stealing their belongings after a night was a common tactic.

It seemed Sasha had attempted a clumsy hustle with Karel.

Julian sighed lightly. “I’ll give it back.”

At Julian’s sigh, Sasha put the money on the table, still chewing on his lip. Julian looked down at it with indifference. He didn’t poke for the money back; the issue was that Karel had shown interest in someone who turned out to be trash.

“Take it. We’re not people who count every penny.”

“…?”

“Think of it as a lesson learned… Just take it.”

Then Julian patted his shoulder lightly. Though affectionate, his touch was firm, and Sasha lowered his head. His thin neck trembled slightly.

Ashamed of himself because of a guest. Shouldn’t have stolen in the first place.

“Leave here before my brother finds out. And I hope we never meet again.”

Julian forced Sasha to stand up.

As a parting gesture, he kissed his sweet white cheek before pushing him out of the room, where he was already crying.

***

Karel returned about an hour later, after his noisy departure.

“Perfect timing, coming back just in time for lunch.”

Checking the time, Julian casually asked Karel, who knew nothing, about the situation.

“Where have you been?”

“…”

“I noticed you weren’t in the room when I woke up. Did you go for a morning walk or something?” Julian, sitting with his legs crossed while unfolding the newspaper, seemed relaxed. On the other hand, Karel appeared anxious.

There was no trace of the man in any corner of the small village. Perhaps he had already left. Karel resisted the urge to rush to the train station right away. He had to persuade Julian before acting impulsively. After a brief hesitation, Karel opened his mouth.

“There’s someone I need to find.”

As Karel hesitated, unsure where to start, Julian folded the newspaper and looked at Karel intently.

“Are you talking about Sasha?”

Karel slowly lifted his head, locking eyes with Julian. Confusion, surprise, and astonishment were all mixed in Karel’s eyes.

“Sasha? Is that his name?”

“Yeah. The guy with the black hair, right? The one we ‘shared’ dinner with. Forget about him. He’s gone because he got caught trying to steal.”

“Thief…?”

“Poor my brother. It’s not like devils always look like devils. You were deceived by his appearance. He’s nothing but trash with no value.”

“Yes, sir. Have you suffered from that two-faced guy? I always knew that bastard would cause trouble someday.”

The innkeeper, passing by, spoke, and Karel looked at him with a slightly pale face.

“Do you know how many men sneak into the barn every night? I was trembling when the gentleman brought him into the room. If it hadn’t helped the business at all, I would have kicked him out long ago.”

Becoming one of the “foolish men who chased after him,” Karel still looked somewhat stunned.

What was more astonishing was that Julian showed no surprise at all. Sympathy was a habit, and curiosity was a hobby for Julian. He wasn’t this hostile when he first saw the man. Something must have happened while Karel wasn’t looking.

“How do you know that man… No, Sasha?”

“I wouldn’t say I know him. I was curious, so I invited him to the room. And he obediently followed.”

In that moment, Julian saw Karel’s eyes darken. Then he sighed inwardly. In that brief moment, Karel had been so mesmerized by Sasha that he lost his reason.

“I don’t know what happened, but forget about it. You’re not as innocent as you think. Well, given your appearance, it’s not surprising that your heart is also incomprehensible… But think of it differently. It’s good that it didn’t get more complicated.”

“But…”

“Now, stop brooding over the passing encounter. We have to move on soon.”

Julian said so and asked the innkeeper for a porter and a cart to the station. Though Karel thought he should start packing immediately, he couldn’t get up from his seat.

“He followed me to the room because he was curious. And he came along willingly.”

Why did he follow Julian?

Entangled thoughts of Julian and Sasha. Karel couldn’t control the fleeting delusions. Imagining the two naked made him feel sick inside. Karel closed his eyes and tried to shake off the dirty thoughts.

Between the impulse of wanting to grab Julian by the collar out of jealousy and the anger of wanting to blame Sasha for succumbing to him, Karel felt confused.

Regardless, there was nothing wrong with Julian’s words.

Karel walked stiffly back to the room. The white sheet that Sasha had wrapped around himself last night was crumpled on the empty bed. It felt like a dream that he had been lying there. Now he had disappeared like a ghost.

“It feels like being manipulated by a dream.”

When Karel returned to the room last night, fortunately Sasha hadn’t left and was lying quietly in the room. He wasn’t as scared as he was the first time, and the feverish state was gone.

Looking at the empty plate on the side table, Karel realized he hadn’t eaten anything since morning. The small basket of cookies he had given him when he first escorted him to the room was also empty, leaving only the shells.

“I guess he likes sweets.”

Feeling a strange sense of pride, Karel called for a servant to clear away the empty plates the man had eaten from. Throughout dinner, Sasha seemed embarrassed to have brought out the cookie basket and blushed as he watched Karel’s actions silently.

Despite knowing that he wouldn’t understand his words, Karel chattered on about this and that. It was unusual for the unsociable Karel to engage in such conversation. However, Julian didn’t laugh at Karel’s jokes at all. It was natural since they couldn’t communicate, but Karel felt a sense of awkwardness.

Instead, Sasha faintly smiled when Karel sliced the meat for him or shared his portion of dessert.

And that day, Karel experienced, for the first time in his life, a “moment of heartwarming.” The feeling of the scales, always maintaining balance, completely tilting towards the unfamiliar man in front of him.

Seeing Sasha continuously stuffing himself with cookies, too much for one person to eat alone, Karel felt both pitiful and endearing. Impulsively, he gave all the emergency funds he had to the man, fearing he might otherwise end up sleeping in a barn or starving. Plus, if Sasha were to use it, the money wouldn’t be wasted at all.

That night, Sasha was the one who first initiated physical contact with Karel. He tapped Karel’s back, then wetted his coat and lay down, showing his back. Karel was greatly bewildered by the atmosphere that seemed like he was offering himself.

“If I hadn’t expected this situation, it would have been a lie.”

Karel slowly wiped his back with his warm palm. His tense, sweaty back felt moist.

But as Karel realized something, his expression soon stiffened. His thin, long neck trembled, and his heart was beating wildly.

“He’s scared.”

Sasha was terrified. He felt ashamed and dreaded the impending time. His smooth skin on the palm was so tempting that Karel couldn’t easily let go, but his excitement subsided as soon as he realized the man’s fear.

Was he pleased with the fact that he seemed unfamiliar with opening himself up, or was he upset about being treated like a rapist?

In the inexplicable mood, Karel helped Sasha undress, spreading his gown open. Then he pulled the blanket over his chest. Sasha’s amber eyes, looking up without understanding, looked innocent, and inwardly, Karel praised himself for not easily succumbing to him.

But what if I was deceived by that innocent face?

The one who interpreted Sasha’s expression arbitrarily was himself. Or perhaps even the trembling body movements from fear were an act.

With that thought, Julian’s words pricked Karel’s heart once again.

“He said he was a thief. If that’s true, where else would I find such an easy guest?”

He gave him plenty to eat and left him with abundant blankets for the night. Karel laughed at himself.