TE Ch 18

Glancing at the pharmacy where Doksa had disappeared, he quickly approached the car. He leaned down and spoke through the open window.

“Koo Bbing is setting up a game. He’s trying to lure you in. He’s going to lose all his money anyway, so don’t play. He’ll leave a seat open on purpose, but don’t sit there even if they ask you to. It’s a trick to make you a sucker.”

“Hey, take a breath while you’re talking.”

Leaning on the steering wheel, Mookyeong said nonchalantly. His broad back rose and fell slightly with each laugh. Hongju stomped his foot in frustration and spoke again.

“You can’t win there, Boss Mookyeong. If they use marked cards, you could lose tens of billions, so just don’t join in.”

“Why? Are you afraid I won’t be able to help you if I’m broke?”

He smiled, showing his neat teeth. He probably didn’t know the seriousness of the situation because he had never gambled before. People like Manager Yang and Koo Bbing could ruin a family if they set their minds to it. Hongju sighed and looked at the pharmacy, answering.

“Yes. So don’t do it. No, it’s better if you just don’t come for a while. I’m really… saying this after much consideration.”

If Mookyeong didn’t end up playing, the arrows would be aimed at poor Hongju. They would definitely suspect him first, asking if he had leaked the plan. Even if he said no, they would believe otherwise. He might get beaten up for days, and he might really have to give up his ass.

He was taking all the risks to tell him this. He couldn’t let the lifeline he had grasped, risking everything, be a rotten rope.

“I thought you were slacking off, but you were doing as you were told.”

“…..”

“Get in. Did you get hit in the face again?”

Instead of answering, Hongju looked back, halfway turning his body. Doksa was just coming out of the pharmacy. He quickly stood up straight and waved to Doksa. He looked back and forth between the car and Hongju and approached.

“Who is that, huh?”

“Boss Mookyeong said he’d give us a ride. Get in.”

“Haha.”

As if his unilateral excuse was absurd, laughter leaked from the open window. Hongju swallowed hard, watching Doksa’s expression. Fortunately, he didn’t seem suspicious.

“It was cold, so that’s good. Then I’ll just go to the convenience store for a second. Let’s go together.”

He grabbed Hongju’s padding sleeve and pulled him. He even asked Mookyeong what he wanted to drink through the window. He thought he would just leave, but Mookyeong just waved his hand, telling him to hurry up and go. He kept looking back as he was dragged along. Mookyeong was leaning against the seat, looking at them.

They bought a bottle of water and two cans of beer and got into Mookyeong’s car. As the two sat side by side in the back seat, he muttered to himself, loud enough for them to hear.

“What the fuck. Did you really think you called a taxi?”

“Here’s your beer, boss.”

Not at all intimidated by Mookyeong, Doksa held out the beer towards the driver’s seat. He turned the steering wheel and gestured towards the passenger seat with his chin.

“Put it there.”

“But boss, if you drink, you’ll have to call a designated driver again, right?”

He stuck his face between the driver’s seat and the passenger seat and chatted amiably. Hongju quietly pulled on Doksa’s sleeve, but he didn’t budge.

“You can drive for me.”

“Oh? Then are you giving me the driver’s fee?”

Doksa added jokingly, ‘If I’m going to be a designated driver, I shouldn’t drink beer.’ He had never seen Mookyeong’s violent side, so Doksa was really fearless.

“What’s that you’re holding?”

“It’s medicine. Look at Hongju’s face. He got hit really bad.”

Even though he was tattling on him, Mookyeong didn’t respond. Doksa, embarrassed by the lack of reaction, scratched his head and sat up straight. Meanwhile, the car slowly stopped at a traffic light.

“How bad is it?”

Mookyeong immediately turned around and stretched his long arm between the seats. Since his hand was reaching towards him, Hongju awkwardly straightened up. Then, a hot palm touched his cheek. It was large enough to cover his earlobe. The cool eyes slowly scanned Hongju’s bruised face. He had already seen it… Hongju couldn’t stand the persistent gaze and just stared at the headrest of the driver’s seat.

“Did you go to collect a debt today?”

His lips were crushed under the lower part of his palm, so he just shook his head. He realized belatedly that the action looked like he was rubbing his cheek against Mookyeong’s hand, so he stopped shaking his head. Mookyeong’s gaze, which had been examining the wound, lingered on Hongju’s eyes.

“…..”

“You’re quite popular¹.”

Tsk. He clicked his tongue and withdrew his hand. After that, Doksa tried to make friendly conversation with Mookyeong, but he continued to give half-hearted answers. Only Hongju, tightly clutching the medicine bag Doksa had given him, remained silent.

As he was looking out the window at the passing barren landscape, Hongju realized that they were getting close to the gambling house. He habitually opened the water bottle and emptied it in one go.

“If you’re that thirsty, you should drink something from time to time. Does Koo Bbing not let you drink?”

“No.”

Hongju wiped his wet lips and shook his head. Even if he explained, Doksa wouldn’t understand anyway.

While ignoring Mookyeong’s gaze, he suddenly wondered about the warmth that lingered on his cheek. Come to think of it, he wasn’t wearing gloves today. Hongju occasionally glanced at the hand holding the steering wheel.

“Get out.”

“Aren’t you going into the gambling house, boss?”

“I’m a busy person, too. Get out quickly.”

“Will you come again?”

“I don’t know, get out.”

Hongju got out of the car, almost as if he were being kicked out. The car, which was the only source of light in the alley, soon disappeared into the darkness.

“A luxury car really does have a great ride, doesn’t it?”

“…..”

Hongju just nodded vaguely and stared at the back of the receding car. He must be trying to cut ties for a while after hearing his advice. He might get all the blame, but still… he didn’t regret it. Until dawn, Boss Mookyeong never showed up at the gambling house.

 

***

 

Koo Bbing went to the window and looked outside. It was because Mookyeong, who should have shown up by now like clockwork, hadn’t come. Watching the anxious Koo Bbing, Hongju felt relieved. It seemed like Mookyeong had understood what he said.

“I even contacted him to come, so why hasn’t he come since yesterday? Did someone leak something?”

Koo Bbing turned around, his fierce gaze landing directly on Hongju. He knew it. Whenever something went wrong, he always suspected and blamed him first. Hongju didn’t even pretend to listen and just stared at the end of the hallway.

“Hongju, did you by any chance blab? Did you?”

“…..”

He wouldn’t believe him even if he said no. Hongju just rubbed his cold hands together without answering.

“That, that bastard is ignoring me again. Are his ears blocked, fuck.”

Cursing, Koo Bbing approached Hongju with heavy steps, as if he were going to beat him up. Just as Hongju let out a resigned sigh, Doksa suddenly stepped in and blocked Koo Bbing.

“No, he said he has something urgent to do. Right?”

He even nudged Hongju’s shoulder as if asking for agreement.

“What? How do you know that?”

“I met him yesterday when I went to the convenience store with Hongju. He gave us a ride to the gambling house but left right away because he was busy.”

“He came yesterday? The three of you came together?”

Koo Bbing’s voice softened a bit at Doksa’s explanation.

“Yes. And Hongju has been with me the whole time.”

He wrapped his arm around Hongju’s shoulder in a friendly manner. One side of his deflated padding jacket caved in. Koo Bbing’s suspicious gaze remained, but thanks to Doksa, he luckily avoided getting hit.

“Tsk, he comes here every day and gets on my nerves. Why did he suddenly stop coming?”

Koo Bbing muttered irritably and entered the hallway. Just as he was watching the man’s back as he entered the last room, Doksa bumped his shoulder. Hongju stumbled and glanced at him.

“Phew, we’re alive. Right?”

Hongju didn’t bother to say thank you. Not that he seemed to mind, as Doksa just examined Hongju’s wounds and frowned.

“But why haven’t you put on the medicine? It looks the same.”

“It’ll heal on its own.”

Even if it healed, the wound would reappear, and he didn’t care about scars.

“Hey, it’s a matter of courtesy. Did you leave the medicine at home? Or did you leave it here?”

Doksa abruptly opened several drawers of the old desk. From the second drawer, he took out the medicine bag that had been rolled up just as he had received it.

“Huh? You didn’t even open it.”

Doksa clicked his tongue and took out some ointment. Hongju sighed, but he didn’t seem to hear it as he started to squeeze the ointment onto his index finger. Doksa sat down, turning his body towards Hongju with the ointment on his finger.

“I washed my hands earlier, okay? Look this way.”

Doksa’s gaze landed on his split lip. Frowning at the sight of the congealed blood and swollen wound, he applied the ointment.

“Ugh, that must have really hurt…?”

Doksa’s gaze seemed to drift to the side, and the end of his sentence rose. He wondered if a customer had come, and just as he was about to turn his head, an arm suddenly stretched out from behind him. Hongju flinched at the sensation of a large, hot hand gripping his chin. The unfamiliar hand exerted more force. Hongju’s head tilted back. Something hard bumped against the back of his head.

“Why aren’t you putting on your damn medicine?”

The person looking down at him with lowered eyes was Mookyeong.

“…..”

The shadow of him standing right behind him fell over Hongju’s pale face. The face he looked up at with wide eyes was perfectly composed, without a single hair out of place.

He could feel his thumb slowly tracing the skin on his chin. The hot body temperature soon reached his split lip. The thin skin tingled with even the slightest touch.

Hongju winced and endured the pain, and Mookyeong’s gaze lingered for a moment on his long eyelashes.

“Madam Koo has no talent for business, so you should take good care of yourself. Shouldn’t you?”

Mookyeong said, tilting his head slightly. The ointment, which had been applied in a lump, was clearly felt as it was being spread. He felt pain from his tilted head and the pressure on his wound, but he couldn’t escape the firm grip.

“Ugh.”

At the persistent touch on his wound, Hongju frowned and let out a small groan. Mookyeong didn’t let go, but instead pressed down on his lip and chuckled. Every area his fingertips touched felt hot.

“That’s a nice sound.”

Hongju swallowed his nervousness. His prominent Adam’s apple, exposed from being tilted back, bobbed noticeably. Mookyeong’s gaze seemed to move to his neck, and then he wrapped his hand around his slender neck. At the same time, Hongju’s breathing became ragged.

“…..”

The hand gripping his neck exerted quite a bit of force. It felt like he was about to choke him, so Hongju couldn’t take his eyes off him or even swallow. Mookyeong, who had been thoroughly examining Hongju’s tense face, let out a small laugh. Then he leaned down and brought his lips close to Hongju’s right ear.

“Did you make that sound in front of Madam Koo, too?”

It was a whisper so soft that even Doksa, sitting close by, couldn’t hear it. All of his breath and pronunciation flowed into his ear. It would have been better if he had whispered in his left ear, so he wouldn’t have heard it.