C | Chapter 6.3 | Truth | Crack in the Lie

After having breakfast, Ian completed the hacking work he left unfinished yesterday, saved it to a USB, and called a dispatch rider to send it to the P.O. box address Tim Hogan had mentioned. He had asked the rider to put the USB inside a porn DVD case—whether this was for security reasons or just for the client’s amusement, he wasn’t sure.

As Leo’s house only had gay porn, which Leo claimed he kept “just for reference” for his encounters with Ian, he had no choice but to use it. Since there was no specific rule that it had to be a straight porn DVD, it shouldn’t be a big deal. Ian only hoped the client wasn’t a homophobe.

After spending the morning like that, it was time for him to go to work at the restaurant. Seeing him put on the jacket he wore yesterday, Leo, who was lying on the couch hugging a cushion, spoke up.

“Do you really have to go? Why don’t you take the day off today?”

“I didn’t give notice in advance, so I can’t. It’d be troublesome for everyone. I know the situation at the restaurant well enough.”

“But you’re still in pain.”

“Me? I’m not in pain anywhere.”

“You can’t walk properly yet.”

Ian’s face flushed.

“This… it’s fine. I can walk just fine.”

As long as he walked slowly, he was okay. Leo was just being overly observant. He had tried walking in front of a mirror a few times and didn’t think it looked overly awkward.

“You’re weird, Ian. Working when you’re hurt is just foolish. It’s not like you have to do a physically demanding job like wait tables.”

“I need the money.”

“But you sent in the work from yesterday, so you’ll get the balance soon, right?”

“That’s for paying off the overdue interest on my loan. I still need to make a living. Sure, I have a place to stay for now, but soon…”

Ian trailed off, frowning, as thoughts of Revenant crossed his mind. Seeing the expression on Ian’s face, Leo nodded knowingly.

“Ah, right. You got kicked out. If you have nowhere to go, come stay with me. I won’t charge you rent. Think of it as Rose Hallman. We could live together in the same room, Ian. How about I buy a bunk bed?”

“It’s not like I was kicked out.”

“Well, it’d be nice if you were.”

Then we could live together, just the two of us. Leo muttered that to himself, hugging the cushion tightly, looking at Ian, who shook his head reluctantly.

“Are you still thinking like that?”

“No. Shut up, Ian Winchell. You’re the one who suggested going back to how things were in Rose Hallman. I think it’d be nice too. Honestly, when I think about it…”

Leo grimaced slightly as he spoke.

“Say it.”

“…Well, to be honest, I just like being with you. It doesn’t have to be all about kissing and sex, like lovers. I can’t keep clinging to you like that all the time. I don’t even want that. If that stuff makes you decide not to stay close to me anymore, I’d hate that even more. Of course, I’m still disappointed you went to another guy so fast.”

When he saw Ian chuckling softly, Leo threw his cushion at him. Although they had decided they were “just friends,” it didn’t mean there weren’t lingering feelings. It would take time.

As if to prove it, Leo spoke again, slightly teasing.

“But that guy, what a jerk. He kicks you out right after sleeping together? I guess he’s the type who gets bored after one night. Why would you fall for a guy like that?”

He didn’t kick me out! …But Ian held back the urge to respond and say that yet again. Getting angry would only make him look foolish.

“I’m not bored with him.”

Instead of responding, Leo just gave him a sidelong look. There was a complicated expression on his face.

“So you’re not planning to just quietly let yourself be kicked out, huh?”

“Is he really that special to you? Even if he isn’t Leo, would you still like him that much?”

That was something Ian had also been wondering.

“I don’t know. I’ve thought about it, but I’m not sure. I think the reason I fell for him was that I thought he might be Leo. But now that I realize I like him, it doesn’t really matter. I don’t even remember Leo. The person I feel for now is purely Revenant. Whether he’s Leo or not, or if he’s really never going to be Leo again for some reason I don’t know… whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. The bigger issue is he’s trying to kick me out right after a night together.”

“So you’re admitting he kicked you out?”

“No. He said he’d send me what I needed. And I need him. I’m going to ask him to ship himself over, in a travel trunk or a packing box.”

A soft chuckle escaped from Leo.

“That’s hilarious. You say you’ve got nowhere to go, yet you’re planning to drag that guy around like luggage. What are you going to do with him?”

“I have my uses.”

The biggest bruise he saw in the mirror was at the hollow where his jawline met his neck. At the very least, Ian wanted to leave a mark on Revenant in a similar spot, one just as mortifying.

Grinding his teeth, Ian thought about how he’d have to ask his restaurant manager if he could wear a scarf instead of a black tie today.

“Anyway, I’m heading out. Thanks for letting me crash. And just to say it again, don’t look into Revenant anymore. Especially not through places like the NSA. I really don’t want to see a SWAT team bust into this place.”

“Well… I’d just have to be careful not to get caught.”

“I’m serious.”

Ian deliberately cut off Leo’s words with a stern tone.

“Stop it. Please. It’s something I need to figure out on my own. If Revenant really is Leo, I’ll remember him. And if I never do, then Revenant is just Revenant. That’s how I decided to look at it. I don’t want to ‘hack’ memories of him. Please, respect that.”

“…Fine. Got it.”

“Thanks.”

Just as Ian was about to open the front door, the phone rang. Leo, who had been lying on the couch, covering his ears as if he had no intention of answering, made a face and got up to pick up the receiver.

“Hello.”

Seeing Leo answer the phone, Ian turned his back and started toward the door. But then Leo called out to him.

“Ian. It’s for you.”

“For me?”

Leo let the receiver slip from his fingers with an annoyed expression.

“It’s him.”

Ian froze in place, stunned. Leo clicked his tongue at Ian’s hesitation, then picked up the phone again.

“He doesn’t want to talk to you. If you’ve got something to say, spill it. I might pass it along if I feel like it.”

Ian stayed silent, unable to find his voice. Any bravado about telling Revenant to “send yourself along since I need you” vanished entirely. He didn’t even question how Revenant had gotten Leo’s number.

What’s he doing calling me after the way he acted last night? And what’s he planning to say?

Leo glanced over, holding the receiver slightly away from his mouth.

“He’s asking if you need anything today. Also said he’ll send a car if you need to go somewhere else.”

…He’s infuriating.

“Give it to me.”

Striding over, Ian snatched the phone from Leo’s hand, his vision blurred with frustration.

“It’s me. I took the call.”

[Right. Yesterday…]

Revenant’s voice on the other end made Ian’s grip on the receiver tremble slightly. Not wanting him to sense it, Ian hurriedly spoke.

“I heard something about sending a car, but just listen. You’re the one who asked me to stay in the first place, and you’re also the one who stopped me from leaving. Sure, I was the one who suggested we sleep together, but you’re the one who wouldn’t let me rest, kept waking me up all night, making me go again and again. Do you have any idea how many times I almost slipped in the shower afterward? My legs still feel weak, and I can barely walk. You left marks all over me—visible and hidden—and made me look so messed up I can’t even look people in the eye. And now you’re just going to bow out with one phone call? No way. Do you think I’d let you treat me like a one-night stand? I told you I’m expensive. You’d have to offer everything you have, and even that wouldn’t cover it. I want your whole self added in.”

Afraid to hear Revenant’s reply, Ian rushed to finish his words. It terrified him that he couldn’t predict Revenant’s reaction at all.

“Consider that understood, and I’m hanging up. I’ll come to the hotel tonight, so leave my things alone.”

Bang!

Slamming down the phone, Ian took a deep breath. His hand stung, but the phone hadn’t broken.

“I didn’t think you had it in you, Ian. That was… a bit scary.”

Leo’s mumble made Ian inhale sharply, his hand still trembling a little.

“So, are you going back to his hotel tonight?”

“…I don’t know.”

Watching Ian breathe in and out, Leo nodded with understanding.

“So you were just throwing a tantrum. That’s kind of cute. How do you feel?”

“Terrified.”

“What scares you? That he might come get you?”

“No. That he might not.”

Leo muttered under his breath, “Guess you really do like him. That’s a bit annoying.”

After Ian took a moment to collect himself, he started to leave.

“Well, I’m really heading out now.”

“You can always come back.”

“Thanks. If things don’t work out, I’ll be here. Let me crash. And put up with me if I get all moody.”

“I’ll even buy you a drink. Are you the type to get wild after a few drinks?”

“I’ve never drunk that much, so I wouldn’t know.”

“Then let’s try it sometime.”

Leo smirked mischievously as he saw Ian off at the door, attempting a quick kiss on his cheek. But Ian dodged just in time.

“See you later.”

“Hmph. Yeah, take care.”

With an unsteady gait, Ian slowly headed toward the elevator. The journey to the restaurant, and even just getting there, felt daunting.