It was that place again. Returning to the spot where he had been with the man about an hour ago, they climbed up the stairs together and reached the same stairwell. He shuddered for a moment at the sight of the faint traces of a struggle still lingering on the floor, but the man headed one more floor up.
“Uh…….”
As he continued climbing up the stairs, a space with a door appeared unexpectedly. It was the only place cut off from the outside in a building that was wide open everywhere. With an expressionless face, the man kicked the door hard. Then, a room with a large bed sitting all alone came into view.
Only then did the man let go of Yi-an’s hand, which he had been gripping until it was sweating. Then, with a thud, he tossed a familiar cell phone onto the mattress.
Could it be accommodation? Seeing a bed placed in a corner of a building that did not look like a private home at all, that thought crossed Yi-an’s mind. However, since there was no furniture other than the bed, it seemed like a wild guess. Considering the size of the bed, which seemed like it could easily fit two or three people lying down, he couldn’t easily guess its purpose.
Yi-an was lost in thought as he looked at the bed where his phone was placed. He felt an intense gaze and turned his head. The man was staring at him silently.
“Why? Should I come and explain it to you myself?”
“Sorry?”
“It seems like you’re waiting for me to make the call, so I was thinking I’d clean this up before I leave.”
The man spoke as if he were about to reach for his phone at any moment, yet he did not move his body. At that, Yi-an realized the man’s intention belatedly.
“No! No, really. You really don’t have to do that.”
Yi-an suppressed his momentary hesitation and quickly grabbed his phone. His face had turned pale with fear, worried that Yiseo might actually go find him just as he had said. With trembling hands, he sent a text message feigning composure as best he could. Not long after, a call came in.
“Don’t worry… It’s just that this situation dragged on a bit. There’s nothing wrong. Otherwise, how would I be able to call?”
[Still, this is the first time we haven’t been in touch for this long. How can I not be worried?]
“What about your meal…?”
[Is my meal the problem right now? Ugh. I ate! School lunch is provided when you’re at school, so how could I not eat? Did you eat before you started working?]
Meal… … As soon as he heard those words, his stomach, which had barely managed to calm down, began to churn. Yi-an squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, under the illusion that his vision was instantly stained with hot blood. He blinked rapidly, struggling to erase the lingering images that kept surfacing.
“Yeah. I enjoyed the meal. I ate so much that my stomach hurts, so don’t worry about it. It looks like it will take a few days, so have a good day at school in the meantime.”
[… … Alright. That damn ‘Have a good trip!’ It did feel strange not hearing it this morning.]
Even the way she nitpicked at the words he had habitually blurted out was cute. Yi-an hung up the phone, showing quite a mature, older-brother-like demeanor.
As soon as the phone screen turned black, the man watching him was reflected on the screen. Yi-an quietly bit his lip with a troubled expression.
“……thank you.”
Even as he reluctantly held out his phone, both of his hands trembled incessantly. Seeing this, the man’s eyebrows twitched for a moment. He silently took the phone back from Yi-an’s hand.
Bzzzz. The phone started vibrating. This time it was the man’s. He placed his phone over Yi-an’s and answered the incoming call. All the while, his gaze remained fixed on him.
“Oh. Really? I’m leaving now. Send about two people over here… and keep a close watch so they don’t go anywhere.”
Although Yi-an couldn’t hear the other person’s voice, he could sufficiently infer how the situation was unfolding from the conversation they had at the restaurant and what he was saying now. It seemed the man intended to leave him here and go somewhere else. Naturally, a gang member would take his place.
The man had just finished the call and was getting ready to leave. No words escaped from his tightly closed lips. The encroaching silence was unbearably oppressive, so Yi-an could not hold back and parted his lips.
He didn’t know why. Even though the man was clearly the leader commanding people who committed cruel acts, Yi-an was more comfortable with him than with his subordinates.
“Um… H-P-Are you perhaps leaving me here and going somewhere?”
That was the reason Yi-an spoke to him, suppressing the nauseating tension.
“What?”
At the sudden question, the man narrowed his eyes. Yi-an gasped for breath at the sight of his usually unmoving brow furrowing.
“Ah, I just asked because I thought you mentioned going somewhere earlier. I definitely didn’t eavesdrop! It’s just, it just came to mind that you said…”
It was as if he were indirectly telling me not to leave him alone. His plump lips, barely managing to exhale as he continued speaking; his flushed cheeks, still wet with downy hair; and the soft hand he had just let go of—everything was trembling slightly. On top of that, there was the faint scent of soap that lingered after even rolling around all day.
As the man processed everything and took it all in with his five senses, he could no longer bear it. The man lunged at Yi-an, muttering curses like a habit.
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