BKR Ch 4

“There are just a lot of things to laugh about.”

Things to laugh about… Dohan, who had never smiled brightly in his life, hadn’t moved his mouth from its mannequin-like stiffness in a long time. Laughter was a distant concept for someone who had lived as a bio-engineered weapon since childhood.

“But there are even more when I’m with you.”

Kim Jihan chuckled and started walking.

“That will stop from now on.”

Dohan spoke as if uttering a curse. Kim Jihan stared at his back with a dumbfounded look.

As they stepped out of the building, the sky had already darkened.

The street, once lined with restaurants, was now even more crowded with illegal street vendors. Men who looked tough loitered around the stalls. They were gangsters collecting protection money.

Gangsters had been on the decline for a long time. But with the outbreak of the war and the country’s inability to maintain order, criminals had started to run rampant again.

Dohan quickened his pace towards the bus stop, weaving through the crowd and stalls, which included some rough-looking individuals. Kim Jihan continued to follow him.

“Are you taking the bus? Where do you live?”

Dohan didn’t reply and just looked up at the electronic display at the bus stop.

“Let’s take a taxi together. I’ll pay.”

Kim Jihan suggested from beside him. He had also paid for the damaged items earlier. Although Dohan was the one who broke them, Kim Jihan had already transferred the money via his phone.

Dohan looked away from the display and looked around, as if thinking about something. Spotting a nearby ATM, he strode towards it, opened his bag, and took out his bankbook.

Whirr- The sound of the machine counting bills.

Kim Jihan watched him quietly from behind. Dohan approached him and held out the withdrawn cash.

Kim Jihan raised his eyebrows.

“What’s this?”

“For the damages.”

“You don’t have to give it to me.”

Dohan’s hand was still outstretched. Kim Jihan pointed his chin towards the taxi stand.

“I appreciate the thought. Let’s hurry and get a taxi.”

“Take it.”

“I said it’s okay. I have plenty of money. Just buy yourself something good with that…”

“Are you trying to show off your wealth, or are you trying to be kind?”

Kim Jihan’s eyes widened. He seemed surprised by Dohan’s words.

“If it’s the former, don’t take it. If it’s the latter, take it.”

Dohan’s voice was firm. A strange glint appeared in Kim Jihan’s eyes.

Showing off. Kindness.

To accept or not to accept. His intentions were being interpreted completely differently based on these two choices. Kim Jihan, his eyes darting around, seemed to find a loophole and smiled.

“Then I’ll just take half. The rest…”

“I didn’t give you the option of half.”

But Dohan spoke, showing no room for compromise.

“Let me be clear. If it’s showing off, don’t take it. If it’s kindness, take it.”

Kim Jihan looked back and forth between the offered cash and the taxi stand. Dohan stood motionless as a statue, still holding out the money.

“Well, we can’t stay here all night…”

Kim Jihan finally reached out, as if giving in.

Kindness.

He expressed his intentions by accepting the money.

“…?”

But Kim Jihan looked even more puzzled as he saw the bills. The amount was much more than what he had paid for the damages.

Dohan spoke calmly.

“I’ve paid off all my debts. Including being taken to the infirmary.”

“What?”

“Don’t ever talk to me again.”

Dohan turned around sharply.

A sense of relief washed over his increasingly emaciated body. This was enough. There was nothing more to receive or give. It was the perfect timing to cut ties.

“Wait!”

Kim Jihan quickly reached out and grabbed Dohan’s arm, pulling him quickly between two buildings. They were now out of sight of the pedestrians in the narrow, dark alleyway. Dohan, his back against the wall, shook off Kim Jihan’s hand.

*Thwack-! * But Kim Jihan placed both hands on the wall, trapping Dohan. He even spread his legs and stepped between Dohan’s, his thigh pressing against him.

Dohan was completely trapped.

Kim Jihan’s tall shadow fell over him. His red lips and well-defined jawline were right in front of Dohan’s face. As Dohan looked up, he could clearly see Kim Jihan’s eyes, gleaming with a disturbing light despite the backlight.

“What are you doing?”

A disapproving voice, as expected. Dohan’s eyes also sharpened.

“I told you not to talk to me again.”

“So? You’re saying I should take the money and leave you alone because you won’t go away otherwise?”

Dohan tilted his head, puzzled.

What was this guy’s deal? He had eaten meat, spoken, played games, and even received money. Why was he so persistent? There had to be some kind of motive…

But he couldn’t figure it out. Dohan, his mind in turmoil, started tapping his thigh with his index finger.

“Dohan.”

His finger stopped at the familiar call. Kim Jihan’s lips curled into a gentle smile.

“There’s no need for this. We’ll be seeing each other for the next four years. Do you really have to start off on the wrong foot?”

Dohan’s face hardened at his placating tone.

“You’re not considering that I have no intention of starting anything at all.”

“Of course not. That doesn’t make sense. Unless you’re living alone on a deserted island.”

“I don’t want to get involved with anyone.”

“Then you’re making a mistake.”

Kim Jihan showed him the money he had received earlier.

“Once I receive something, I have to return it. But you gave me too much. The only way to return this is to get involved. With pure, overflowing kindness.”

At that moment, a smile appeared on Dohan’s lips for the first time. One corner of his dry lips slowly curved upwards, and the smile turned into a sneer.

“I hate sophistry, so I’ll ask you directly. Why are you doing this to me?”

A chill emanated from his low voice. Dohan, realizing that Kim Jihan wouldn’t back down easily, had decided not to give him any more leeway.

Kim Jihan, despite the strange shift, answered calmly without any sign of agitation.

“I just want to be friends. Don’t say such hurtful things like ‘don’t talk to me again’.”

“That’s a weak excuse for someone who attracts so much goodwill without even trying. Especially to someone who doesn’t want to be involved.”

“I’m just saying let’s hang out with people on the same level. It’s purely good intentions.”

Dohan’s eyes turned as cold as a frozen snowfield.

“Is that what you call kindness? This unilateral behavior that doesn’t consider my clear refusal? Did you really think a smiling face would sugarcoat everything?”

A subtle admiration flashed in Kim Jihan’s eyes. He knew Dohan was smart after the mental calculation incident, but those words were sharper than he expected.

Although his voice was raspy and strained, Dohan’s tone was unusual, and his vocabulary was excellent. He was also a very cold type, not falling for wordplay and focusing only on the context.

Did he like this? An unseen excitement flickered across Kim Jihan’s face. As if he had discovered a rare, limited edition item that money couldn’t buy.

That’s when it happened.

“Oh, how friendly.”

A voice suddenly spoke from beside them.

“……!”

They both turned their heads sharply. Five rough-looking, burly men were entering the alleyway. Gangsters.

A portly man among them chuckled, looking back and forth between the two pressed against the wall.

“What are you two doing here? Are you lovers or something?”

They blocked the alleyway, just wide enough for a car to pass, with their bulky bodies. There was no escape route, as the other end was a wall.

“These military cadets have no fear these days. Wandering around so late at night.”

The men, with their rough appearances and tattoos, scanned the two trapped like mice in a cage.

“Whoa, that tall guy has a nice bag.”

“I saw him extorting money from that skinny guy earlier.”

“Aha, so he was playing around with his underling.”

Kim Jihan completely shielded Dohan, who was smaller and lighter than him, with his body. As if he had become a shield to protect him.

Dohan peeked out from beside Kim Jihan’s sturdy frame.

“Hey, while we’re being nice, hand over anything valuable.”

The gangster said arrogantly to the two who were completely surrounded. Kim Jihan chuckled in disbelief.

“Come on, mister. Aren’t you a little too old to be doing this to someone young enough to be your nephew?”

“Yeah, well, what can we do? Business has been slow lately, and your uncles are starving.”

The gangster retorted shamelessly.

“Yeah, we wouldn’t be doing this if we weren’t desperate. Try to understand.”

“Let’s not make this bloody. We don’t want to start a knife fight here.”

They were speaking nicely, but some of them had taken out switchblades.

Dohan’s eyes flashed coldly at the sight. How dare they pull out weapons in front of him…

“Ah, I understand what you want, so why don’t you let my friend go first? Then I’ll cooperate.”

But Kim Jihan, seeing the knives, made a request.

“……?”

Dohan, who had been peeking out from behind him, looked up. Was he seriously asking them to let him go first in front of multiple armed men?

Dohan barely suppressed a laugh. Kim Jihan trying to save him, a bio-engineered weapon, was funny, and the fact that he was being protected by an ordinary person was even funnier.

“Ah, you want us to let your sidekick go first? Why should we do that?”

The gangster with the neck tattoo asked with an amused expression. Kim Jihan looked serious.

“As you can see, we’re military cadets. If we fight back desperately, you’ll also get hurt. But if you let my friend go safely, I’ll give you whatever you want.”

At his words, the potbellied gangster eyed them suspiciously.

“The way he’s acting, that’s not his sidekick, that’s his lover.”

The other gangsters chuckled and nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, the way he’s acting, it seems like it. Look at him shielding him with his body.”

“Oh, what a touching love story. What’s so great about that weakling?”

The tattooed man smirked and gestured to his comrades.

“Hey, let the skinny one go. He doesn’t seem to have anything worth taking. Hey, get going.”

The other gangsters stepped back, kindly making way for Dohan to leave.

But even with an escape route, Dohan hesitated. If he left now, Kim Jihan would be left alone in front of multiple armed men.

“Don’t worry about me and just go.”

Kim Jihan smiled gently, seeing his troubled eyes.

“I won’t die. I’ll definitely come back alive.”

Dohan stared blankly at him, as if he was on the verge of life and death.

“But if I make it out alive… don’t say such harsh things like before. Okay? Now go. And don’t look back.”

“Are you guys filming a drama?”

The gangsters cringed, as if they were witnessing something ridiculous.

“Hey, skinny! Get out before we change our minds!”

Seeing the blades, the suppressed killer instinct within Dohan swelled. But there was no need to cause a scene in front of Kim Jihan. Let’s retreat for now. That guy would figure something out. Dohan stepped out from behind Kim Jihan and started walking.

As promised, the gangsters didn’t stop him from leaving.

…Or so he thought.

“Gotcha!”

Suddenly, the gangster at the end grabbed Dohan’s wrist. They all burst into laughter.

“Puhaha! You fell for it!”

“Hey, did you think you could just save yourself?”

“You ungrateful bastard, today you’re going to…”

Uncontrollable, dark hatred surged in Dohan’s eyes.

Thwack, thud, wham—!

Kim Jihan’s eyes widened at the strange succession of impact sounds. Was it the wind? It seemed like a dark figure had moved quickly.

His rapidly shifting gaze landed on Dohan, who had suddenly appeared in front of him. The tattooed man was dangling from Dohan’s outstretched hand, his hair gripped tightly. His previously chuckling face was contorted in pain, and his eyes were wide as saucers. His mouth was open, but no scream escaped, as if trapped inside.

Not only that, but the rest of the gangsters were sprawled all around.

“…….”

Kim Jihan, seeing their rolled-up eyes, stood there dumbfounded, wondering what had happened. He had only blinked. In that instant, the entire scene had changed completely.

His astonished gaze turned to Dohan, who was holding the tattooed man. A pen, taken out of his jacket, was clutched in his other hand. Its sharp tip was pointed at the tattooed man’s carotid artery.

Dohan glanced at Kim Jihan, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

“I’m going to kill him. What do you think?”

Kim Jihan quickly raised his hands.

“Dohan, calm down. Let’s be calm.”

Dohan was already standing calmly. Nevertheless, Kim Jihan gestured downwards and spoke cautiously.

“Dohan, put that down. You shouldn’t kill people so easily. So…”

“You want me to forgive them for the disrespect of calling me skinny?”

Dohan looked at him incredulously.

“And they tried to rob us. Isn’t it right to punish them? There are no other witnesses.”

Kim Jihan wet his dry lips.

“Even so, if you actually kill them…”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”

Dohan asked again, not understanding. He had been raised solely for the purpose of killing; what was the problem with this level of killing? Especially against someone who had given him ample justification.

Kim Jihan, sensing his clear killing intent, gulped.

“Of course, what they did was wrong. But that doesn’t justify murder. They’ve already lost the ability to resist, so there’s no need to kill them here… That would make you a psychopath. A murderer.”

“Aha…”

Dohan, finally understanding, abruptly released the tattooed man’s hair.

So killing them is too much.

Thud, the tattooed man collapsed to the ground. He was already unconscious, his eyes rolled back.

Dohan looked up. Kim Jihan looked flustered as Dohan’s sharp gaze suddenly fixed on him.

I should finish this now. Dohan strode towards Kim Jihan, determined to strike while the iron was hot.

Kim Jihan, seeing Dohan approaching with a menacing aura, his hand gripping the pen, quickly lowered his hands. His back was already against the wall; there was nowhere else to retreat.

Dohan stopped right in front of him. The distance between them closed, just like before.

“Let’s continue our conversation from earlier.”

The sharp tip of the pen was pressed against Kim Jihan’s chin. Kim Jihan’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

“Why did you approach me?”

Dohan’s jet-black pupils stared intently into Kim Jihan’s hazel eyes. With their positions reversed, Kim Jihan was no longer backlit. Thanks to this, Dohan could see his face more clearly.

Kim Jihan’s appearance was indeed strikingly handsome, surpassing even most good-looking men. His own face, on the other hand, regardless of how it might have looked before, was now gaunt and haggard from malnutrition. Therefore, the gangsters’ comments about them being lovers hadn’t even registered.

“Why did you show me kindness?”

That’s why he was even more curious. Why did Kim Jihan approach him?

“Don’t give me cliché answers like ‘we’re on the same level’ or ‘let’s be friends’.”

Dohan drew a line, unwilling to accept predictable answers.

What the…

Kim Jihan, suddenly cornered, stared blankly at Dohan’s face right in front of him. He couldn’t help but be stunned by the sudden reversal of the situation, being cornered by the guy he had been leading around.

But there was something even more surprising.

Even in this ridiculous situation, he couldn’t take his eyes off Dohan’s face.

He had thought Dohan was quite handsome before, by his standards. But his sickly complexion hadn’t immediately caught his eye.

But perhaps it was because he had fed him meat, or perhaps it was because of the moonlight.

The more he looked, the more captivated he felt.

“Answer me.”

Dohan urged him with a sharp voice.

“Haah…”

Kim Jihan looked up and let out a low sigh.

“Do you really want to know that much?”

Is he finally going to tell me? A hopeful glint appeared in Dohan’s eyes.

“Yes.”

“What if I don’t tell you?”

“There will be a hole in your chin.”

At the chilling reply, Kim Jihan bit his lower lip, as if making a big decision.

“Okay, then…”

Kim Jihan cupped Dohan’s face with his large hands, his fingers wrapping around his ears and cheeks.

Dohan flinched. Unexpected warmth touched his face, which was as cold as the winter wind. Kim Jihan tilted his head slightly and closed his eyes. Immediately, a warm, soft sensation enveloped Dohan’s lips.

“……!!”

Dohan’s eyes widened as far as they could go. His vision momentarily blacked out. His breath stopped. He couldn’t think. It was as if his soul had left his body. He could only feel the soft, unfamiliar sensation on his lips.

Kim Jihan pressed his lips against Dohan’s, who was frozen stiff as if electrocuted, for a few seconds before pulling away with a soft pop.

“Do you understand now?”

Kim Jihan smiled shyly after the kiss, his hands still cupping Dohan’s face.

“…….”

Dohan, blinking blankly, suddenly opened his mouth as if his departed soul had returned.

Ah…!

His stolen lips trembled. Heat rushed to his face, and his ears burned. Dohan, his cheeks flushed crimson, roughly rubbed his tingling lips with the back of his hand.

“You said you wanted to know, didn’t you?”

Kim Jihan’s smile widened. Seeing that, sparks of fury erupted in Dohan’s eyes.

This bastard…!

What the hell was this? He had kissed him without permission, and now he was grinning shamelessly as if he had done something great. Was this something to laugh about? This crazy, screwed-up…

Dohan, trembling with rage, suddenly grabbed Kim Jihan’s arm with a look of realization.

“So it wasn’t showing off or kindness…”

Kim Jihan felt his vision spin. His back slammed against the ground.

“Oof!”

A pained groan escaped Kim Jihan’s lips.

“It was a disgusting ulterior motive!”

Dohan, having slammed him down, gritted his teeth.

He finally understood Kim Jihan. The absurd person he had met for the first time. A crazy bastard with nothing normal about him, just a good-looking exterior and a rotten core!

“Honestly… ugh…”

Dohan, panting, swayed dizzily. He collapsed on top of the fallen Kim Jihan.

“Ouch-!”

Kim Jihan gasped as Dohan’s body fell on him.

“Hey, hey… Wake up. Wake up!”

Kim Jihan patted Dohan’s shoulder. But Dohan was frozen, like a robot with no power. His body, barely sustained by the IV and a few pieces of meat, had used up all its energy in the previous fight and the shock of the kiss.

Kim Jihan shook Dohan to wake him up. But when Dohan remained unconscious, he gave up and wrapped his arms tightly around the thin body in his embrace.

“Ha… Ha…”

Laughter kept escaping his lips. It was both absurd and funny that Dohan had laid himself down like an air mattress, as if anticipating this.

After chuckling for a while, Kim Jihan tilted his head back. Looking at the moonlit night sky, he murmured softly,

“Ha… There really are so many things to laugh about.”