C | Chapter 7.1 | Conflict | Crack in the Past

And so, it was the next day.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work today? Is it okay to be meeting at this hour?”

When Leo asked, having willingly come to the cafe across from the hotel after Ian suggested they meet, Ian answered simply.

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“I got fired.”

“Huh? Why? You didn’t quit?”

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“The manager said he’s sorry, but there’s nothing he could do.”

The two entered the cafe and stood at the counter, choosing their drinks. Ian picked hot chocolate without hesitation, while Leo ordered a coffee loaded with all sorts of extras. As Leo habitually tried to pay, Ian stopped him abruptly.

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“You’ve been treating me all the time, so today it’s on me.”

“Oh? Got a debit card again? And didn’t you just say you got fired? Doesn’t that mean you’re broke?”

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“No. Instead, I got a credit card.”

Ian pulled out a black credit card with a minimal design and barely noticeable logo, handing it to the cashier. After paying $12.89, he tucked the card back into his pocket. Holding their drinks, they moved to a table by the window, where Leo asked,

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“Is that from him?”

Instead of nodding, Ian pulled the card out again and showed it to Leo.

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“Ever seen a card like this before?”

Leo shook his head.

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“No. There’s no name or card number on it. Is this really a credit card? What if someone else finds it and just uses it?”

“That won’t happen.”

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Ian pointed to a small decoration on the top of the card.

“That little thing there? It’s a real diamond.”

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Leo, who had been staring at the card absentmindedly, opened his mouth slightly.

“…What? Why would they do something like that? What if you lose it?”

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“This card has a GPS in it. If I lose it, the card company will track it down and return it. Apparently, there’s a unique system where every transaction needs direct approval from the card company before it goes through. So even if it’s stolen or lost, there’s no risk of loss. They said I could even buy a plane with it.”

“That’s… impressive.”

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“Not just any plane, but a stealth jet if I wanted. Although, buying a warship might be a stretch since there aren’t any for sale.”

Leo was about to take a sip of his coffee when he spat it out, startled. Ian nodded, as if expecting that reaction.

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“But the problem is I can’t withdraw cash with it.”

“There’s no cash advance? Why?”

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“Revenant arranged it that way. Do you know why?”

Ian let out a frustrated sigh, his expression darkening with anger.

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“Why?”

“‘Because cash is hard to trace.’”

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“What does that even mean?”

“He got me fired, then gave me this card as if to take responsibility. But there’s no cash option. He wants to know where I go and what I do, wherever that may be. I could buy every limited edition Lamborghini and set them up for a domino game, and he wouldn’t care, as long as he knew where I was doing it. I told you this card has GPS, right? Basically, it’s a surveillance tool. Every time I use the card, Revenant will know where I am and what I’m doing.”

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“…….”

Leo said nothing. Ian figured that was the only natural reaction—he had felt the same when those words came out of Revenant’s mouth. After a moment, Leo offered a reply, clearly the best he could come up with.

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“Then just don’t use the card.”

“Weren’t you listening? I said I have no cash.”

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Ian snapped without meaning to, then turned to Leo with a regretful look.

“…Sorry. I shouldn’t take it out on you. But when Revenant said that, I couldn’t even get angry. It was just… so absurd.”

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“It’s okay, Ian. I probably would’ve felt the same.”

“I never thought he was that insane. How can someone just casually tell someone they’re going to monitor them? Is that something a sane person would do? When I asked him what he thought of me, his answer was absurd. He said it’s an expensive card, so they preemptively set up theft prevention. What the hell, am I some kind of object?”

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Ian ground his teeth.

“Now that I think about it, he really is insane. He’d buy out the restaurant every time I went to work so I’d have nothing to do. What kind of… Anyway, I ended up looking like a lunatic because of him. The manager even told me he was sorry but didn’t realize I was ‘that kind of crazy person.’ I mean, he’s the crazy one, not me.”

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Leo handed Ian the hot chocolate cup, which he drank to calm down, as Leo patted his shoulder supportively. There wasn’t much he could say. If he were to tell Ian, “You’re the one who chose to be with a crazy guy,” Ian would probably get really mad.

If he said, “If he’s that nuts, just break up with him,” Ian would walk out on him. It was all too easy to figure out. If he was that angry, he could have returned the card, but Ian was deliberately using it in front of him.

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“Anyway, they said that rather than dealing with this three times a week, it’s better to just quit on my own. I’m more upset about actually getting fired than about being called a lunatic. I need money.”

Leo, instead of teasing, “Says the guy with a card that can buy every Lamborghini at once,” gave a practical piece of advice. Coming from Leo Sebastian, a true hacker who willingly put up with people like Tim Hogan calling him insane, the suggestion sounded almost reasonable.

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“Why not sue for wrongful dismissal? Then you could get reinstated.”

“Do you really think they could deny it’s wrongful termination?”

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“Hmm… Legally, it is wrongful termination, right?”

“Yeah. But imagine saying all this in court. Revenant and the manager’s statements are being recorded verbatim. The judge and lawyers are listening to everything. How do you think that would feel?”

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“…Quitting does seem better.”

Ian frowned, taking a sip of his chocolate. Leo reached out and gently patted his shoulder.

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“Cheer up, Ian. You’ll find another job.”

“I don’t know. Finding work for the time being seems impossible. He’ll make any excuse to interfere.”

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“Hmm. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t like you doing something that doesn’t help you. I’d be bothered, too, if I knew you were working in a restaurant while struggling to walk.”

“It’s not that kind of concern. Revenant is… yeah, obsessive. Not that I mind his obsession. I’m just as obsessed with him. I get annoyed even when he talks to his boss. His boss seems like he might be gay, you know? I mean, I can understand that level of obsession. But Revenant’s taken it further. He’s obsessive in other areas, not just emotionally.”

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“Obsession is obsession, right? Isn’t it just because he really likes you?”

“I told you, it’s different. Do you know I came here by car?”

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“What?”

Leo’s eyes widened in shock. The cafe where they met was only a block away, just across a crosswalk from the hotel where Revenant was staying. The distance was closer than the Plaza Hotel was to F.A.O. Schwarz. Ian had traveled that distance in a huge, flashy limousine.

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He had protested at first, but after an all-nighter with Revenant, following the day he’d been fired, his body was too worn out to deny it. Revenant had smiled, saying that if Ian could walk, maybe he wouldn’t have to hold back during their next session. His smile was so perfectly straight and calculating, it was almost eerie. Rather than insisting he could walk, Ian groaned and got in the car.

“Living like you’re in a movie, huh?”

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“A movie?”

“Well, think of it like Home Alone in New York.”

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“That would be better. At least the kid in the movie spent money by his own efforts, even if it was credit card fraud. For a kid, he was impressive. If he grew up, he’d probably have become a hacker.”

“Then do it. You could pull it off.”

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“The credit card Kevin used was his dad’s. His dad wasn’t going to call the cops on him.”

“But isn’t a boyfriend’s card similar?”

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“A boyfriend’s money isn’t the same as a dad’s money.”

Ian grumbled as he downed half his hot chocolate.

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“I feel like a music box. It’s terrible.”

“A music box?”

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“Yeah, something like that.”

On his mother’s vanity, there had been a music box his adoptive father had bought on a business trip to France. Lavishly decorated with tin and silver, the music box was beautiful, but his mother never touched it for fear of wearing it out. She never opened it. Ian had always wondered what was inside.

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Once, when his mother wasn’t around, he opened the box. When he lifted the lid, a tiny doll rotated, and music played. It wasn’t that the doll was particularly beautiful, but its automatic movement intrigued him.

He watched it until the music stopped, and the doll froze. Ian was so curious about how the doll played the music, he inspected the box until he found the winding key.

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Unaware he had to wind it, he tried to pull on it, and the key came off with a faint snapping sound. Ian realized he had broken it. Though he tried to reinsert it, the doll never moved again.

Ian returned the box to its place. He thought his mother would scold him if she noticed the broken music box. He hadn’t confessed, not out of fear of punishment, but because he wanted to delay her finding out as long as possible.

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But his mother never found out. The music box stayed on her vanity, pretty and untouched.

“A useless, stupid object. Just like an item that doesn’t matter whether it’s there or not.”

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Revenant was obsessed with him. But it didn’t feel like pure affection. There seemed to be another reason behind it. Revenant’s obsession, which mirrored Ian’s own form of affection, sometimes felt satisfying yet unnervingly detached whenever fragmented memories surfaced. Like how Ian never knew whether his mother cherished her music box or avoided confirming it was broken.

Realizing Ian was serious, Leo spoke up.

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“You didn’t say that to him, did you?”

“I did. Revenant wants me to quit work and go to college instead. He says I can start making money after graduation.”

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“Then why not just do that?”

“Because it’s not feasible right now. I’m already in debt. And I probably wouldn’t qualify for student loans.”

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“He’d pay for it, wouldn’t he?”

“That’s the problem. How long am I supposed to rely on Revenant? He already treats me like a kid, doing whatever he wants. If I go asking him for tuition, he’ll really see me as a kid.”

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“So what? Some relationships have a mature-young dynamic.”

“That’s not the issue. Revenant thinks it’s only natural for him to cover my living expenses. And in those moments…”

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Again, something tugged sharply at the back of his mind.

“Only natural?”

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“…It makes him feel like family instead of a boyfriend. And that feeling—I hate it.”

Leo chuckled.

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“Yeah, that would be a bit much. You two haven’t even been together long enough for that.”

“Right.”

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But it felt different from a couple that had grown so close they felt like family. Ian swallowed his words with his chocolate and glanced at the clock on the cafe wall. It was about time to go to the bank.

“If you ever get so fed up with him that nothing helps, break up with him and come to me. I won’t do any of that stuff.”

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Leo added as if he’d just remembered. It seemed to be a half-joke, less earnest than before.

“Thanks, really. So, would you come with me to the bank? I’ll probably feel small if I go alone.”

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“Wow, Ian Winchell actually admits that.”

“Obviously, I’d feel small with no money. I have overdue interest to pay today, and I need to unlock my account. Then I can finally buy a subway pass.”

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“Why not just take the car? What could be better than a limo with a driver?”

“The subway attendants won’t be reporting where I go or with whom to my boyfriend. Will you come with me?”

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“Then buy me an ice cream soda from 21st Street.”

“Fine.”

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The two of them left the cafe and began walking through the bustling streets. Leo continued walking briskly, with his usual energy, but he no longer tried to hold Ian’s hand or steal a kiss. Even when their shoulders bumped or their heads brushed, Leo simply grinned.

This strange feeling called “friendship” was slowly growing familiar to Ian.

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