DE | Chapter 3.6

The moment Joo Seonghyeok regained consciousness, seeing Lee Yeonhong snuggled up and softly sleeping next to him, his next action was predictable.

He went to the kitchen, pulled out a knife, and swung it down on the unsuspecting Lee Yeonhong. The knife plunged deeply with a thud, mangling the chest and abdomen.

“Die, die!” he screamed with a cracking voice. However, seeing the body quickly returning to its original state, he wiped his blood-stained hands across his face.

“Fuck…”

“Are you done stabbing?”

Lee Yeonhong lay as if dead, then calmly asked. The sheets were a bloody mess. Joo Seonghyeok’s hands trembled as he dropped the knife to the floor. Lee Yeonhong quickly grabbed his hand, purple eyes shining in the dark.

“I like you, Joo Seonghyeok.”

“What’s there to like… my face? My pussy?”

“Both.”

“You motherfucker, want another hole in your head?”

Sighing, Joo Seonghyeok lay back down. Lee Yeonhong climbed on top of him.

Then, picking up a marker from nowhere in particular, he carefully began scribbling on Joo Seonghyeok’s cheek.

Joo Seonghyeok just let him be.

Lee Yeonhong drew an arrow pointing to his mouth and wrote, ‘Lee Yeonhong’s exclusive hole’.

Unaware of this, Joo Seonghyeok thought the bastard was up to some strange trick again.

“Did you have a fight with someone named Lee Kangpil?”

“That bastard is after my position.”

Joo Seonghyeok responded irritably. He, along with Song Heemin and Lee Kangpil, had grown up in the same orphanage. They had a unique, sticky kind of family loyalty. But to see such a drastic change in attitude was shocking. He couldn’t even guess when they had started plotting this.

“You said he was like a brother.”

“I believed that.”

Lee Yeonhong blinked down at Joo Seonghyeok.

“You look sad.”

“Me?”

“At least right now.”

“What would a monster like you know?”

“Why so pitiful?”

“Pitiful? What?”

“Think about it, Joo Seonghyeok,” Lee Yeonhong said, holding his hand tightly.

“You said he was like a brother, yet he betrayed you so easily. Even though I don’t know much about humans, I know enough. I’ve been part of dangerous organizations too. But this seems like a completely staged scenario.”

“…”

“So you think Lee Kangpil and Song Heemin joined hands to take me down?”

Sparks of rage ignited in Joo Seonghyeok’s eyes. Lee Yeonhong watched his anger as if watching fireworks. He was familiar with such fiery-eyed people, moths drawn to flames, burning themselves with those kinds of eyes.

“If things escalated this quickly, they must have been talking about you for a long time. Even if you don’t remember, your instincts must have felt some threat. That’s why you bought this secluded place, right?”

Joo Seonghyeok crushed Lee Yeonhong’s hand as if to crush it, but Lee Yeonhong simply continued to stare without blinking.

Joo Seonghyeok felt his stomach churn. Lee Yeonhong’s words were all true. But Joo Seonghyeok was too old to be hurt by such things and cry like a fool.

“What do you think I should do?”

“Just do what you think is right.”

Joo Seonghyeok slowly licked Lee Yeonhong’s palm. It was like signaling that he was merely human; it had no taste, as if devoid of body odor. He kissed the bulging part of Lee Yeonhong’s palm, then pulled the man down and climbed on top of him, reversing their positions.

“Lee Yeonhong.”

“Yes, Joo Seonghyeok.”

“Can you die for me?”

“As many times as needed.”

Lee Yeonhong answered with a broad smile. Joo Seonghyeok leaned in and their lips met. Their tongues tangled stickily, greedily licking each other. Lee Yeonhong’s tongue, indistinguishable from a human’s, was ticklish and soft.

Joo Seonghyeok sighed as he took off his blood-splattered shirt, exposing his large chest. Lee Yeonhong reached out and grabbed Joo Seonghyeok’s breasts, squeezing them until Joo Seonghyeok shivered and quickly reacted. His body was shamelessly lascivious.

“Fuck, I didn’t take it off for you to touch.”

“Then why?”

“It got wet. I was going to change…”

“It seems like Mr. Joo Seonghyeok’s breasts prefer being touched.”

“Are you not letting go? You change your clothes too.”

The clothes Lee Yeonhong was wearing were so tattered from Joo Seonghyeok’s knife that it was a stretch to even call them clothes.

After forcibly changing Lee Yeonhong and himself, Joo Seonghyeok finally relaxed his expression. He then embraced Lee Yeonhong suffocatingly and drifted off to sleep. Lee Yeonhong muttered discontentedly, but Joo Seonghyeok ignored it.

In the morning, Joo Seonghyeok, upon waking up to Lee Yeonhong trying to suckle his breast, slapped Lee Yeonhong’s cheek and started cooking with his hair sticking up.

Flipping a fried egg, he looked excessively domestic. Lee Yeonhong, sitting at the table watching Joo Seonghyeok cook, imagined having two children. His expression was as foolish as his thoughts.

Joo Seonghyeok heated up yesterday’s leftover soybean paste stew and smoked a cigarette while cooking the eggs, which burst open. Raising one eyebrow, he ended up making scrambled eggs. His forearms flexed as he aggressively scraped the frying pan with a spatula.

“The side dishes haven’t changed from yesterday.”

“Why not? There’s egg now.”

Despite looking displeased, Lee Yeonhong ate well. Joo Seonghyeok took a few bites of rice, smoking heavily, then slightly lifted the blinds to peek outside. It was quiet outside, with not a single car moving, probably because it was morning.

“I’m going out. Keep an eye on the house.”

“Isn’t it better if I go with you?”

“I prefer moving alone.”

Joo Seonghyeok said only that and left, leaving Lee Yeonhong behind. Though he was troubled by Lee Yeonhong’s puppy-like gaze, he knew that indulging every concern would only lead to being manipulated.

He went out, pulled on his hat, and walked towards his parked car. As soon as he got into the driver’s seat, something felt off.

There was someone in the back seat.

The moment he realized this, he quickly leaned his seat back to dodge an arm reaching to choke him. The man under the flipped forward seat groaned. Joo Seonghyeok didn’t miss the opportunity and flipped over to pounce on the man.

The attacker, unable to match Joo Seonghyeok’s size and strength, tried to flee but was immediately caught and struck hard in the face, his head smashing against the window and knocking him out.

Joo Seonghyeok, panting heavily, searched the unconscious man’s pockets, pulling out a wallet to check his identity, and a smile spread across his face as he did so.

Back at the house, Lee Yeonhong, who had been doing the dishes, widened his eyes in surprise as Joo Seonghyeok entered carrying another man on his shoulder.

The shock made him drop the plate he was holding, though fortunately, it didn’t break. He felt as though his heart had, though. Was Joo Seonghyeok unsatisfied with him, still marked with “Lee Yeonhong’s exclusive hole” on his cheek?

“Why are you bringing another man home?”

“What?”

“Am I not enough? Am I lacking?”

Joo Seonghyeok looked flabbergasted, but Lee Yeonhong felt unjustly treated. What did their passionate night before amount to then?

“Why are you so promiscuous? You want to stuff both pussy and ass at the same time?”

“Will you shut your mouth, you fucker?”

“Is that guy prettier than me? Is his dick bigger? Is he better than me?”

“You seem to be misunderstanding something…”

Just then, the man on Joo Seonghyeok’s shoulder began to struggle. Joo Seonghyeok threw him to the ground. The man hit his head and started bleeding from his nose. Seeing the man’s distressing condition, Lee Yeonhong gasped.

“Don’t tell me you slept with him before coming here?”

“Did you eat something wrong for breakfast?”

Joo Seonghyeok replied nonchalantly as he rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a long rope.

“Help me tie this guy up.”

Lee Yeonhong felt like he might faint.

“Now bondage play too…”

“Do you really want to die?”

The man, trying to regain his senses, turned pale upon seeing Joo Seonghyeok’s face. He wriggled backwards, bumping into Lee Yeonhong’s legs.

The man looked up at Lee Yeonhong and was struck dumb by his beauty. However, Lee Yeonhong was furiously shouting at Joo Seonghyeok.

“If you’re going to fuck around with another guy, kill me first!”

“Look, I said I didn’t!”

“Then what’s this? Why did you pick him up?”

“I was about to explain, so help me!”

Joo Seonghyeok yelled, frustrated. Despite this, as Lee Yeonhong looked tearfully ready to cry, Joo Seonghyeok sighed deeply and stepped forward to give him a quick kiss.

“I only want you, okay?”

“…”

Lee Yeonhong sniffled and nodded, then mercilessly struck the man trying to escape. The man collapsed after being hit squarely on the back of his head.

“Doosan faction?”

Lee Yeonhong cast a questioning look at the tied-up man. Joo Seonghyeok nodded.

“That’s the name of the organization opposing Mr. Joo Seonghyeok, right? Why was that guy in Mr. Joo Seonghyeok’s car?”

“We’re about to find out.”

Joo Seonghyeok loosened the muscles in his shoulders and lightly slapped the cheeks of the unconscious man to wake him up. The man, bound and sitting in a chair with his eyes closed, opened his eyes upon feeling the slaps and gasped at the sight of Joo Seonghyeok’s menacing face, his large build and mismatched eyes reminding one of a predatory beast.

“You awake, baby?”

“Ju-, just a moment…”

The member of the Doosan faction tried to make excuses.

“Wait, just a moment…”

“Let’s start after you take a hit.”

However, Joo Seonghyeok, remembering that this bastard had tried to strangle him, showed no mercy and slapped him hard enough to turn his head with a thud, causing the man to briefly think he saw his deceased grandmother before realizing he might actually die by Joo Seonghyeok’s hands and quickly blurted out, “I was sent by the Boss! Please, don’t hit me!”

“Boss?”

“Boss Pa-, Park Changhwan…”

Joo Seonghyeok’s gaze immediately shifted. He grabbed the man by the collar, paying no mind to the choking sounds he made.

“Park Changhwan?”

“Yes, yes!”

“That bastard has business with me?”

“Th-, that’s why please let go of my hand… ack!”

Joo Seonghyeok, with an expressionless face, stepped on the man’s foot. The pain of having his foot crushed by something heavy made the man groan, and Joo Seonghyeok murmured with chilling eyes,

“Park Changhwan sent such a foolish guy to me?”

“I’m not a fighter, just a messenger.”

“Why were you trying to strangle me?”

“Out of fear…”

“Oh, bullshit.”

“Really, please believe me.” The organization member, his face beaten to a pulp, managed to speak pathetically. Lee Yeonhong wondered whether to be impressed by how quickly Joo Seonghyeok had turned a man’s face into something resembling a smashed rice cake.

Joo Seonghyeok finally let go of the man, who then trembled and swallowed his spit, his form shaking as if he might pee himself. Joo Seonghyeok sat down across from him, looking him in the eye.

“Alright, let’s say I believe you. Why did Park Changhwan send someone to me?”

“That’s…”

The man sweated profusely and said,

“I’ll recite it as I remember. ‘Mr. Joo Seonghyeok, I have an interesting proposal. I’ll let you devour Lee Gangpil in exchange for a little share of your territory. It’s not a bad offer for you…’”

He couldn’t finish his words because Joo Seonghyeok suddenly pounded the table with his fist. The glass on the table cracked and blood began to ooze from the man’s hand.

As he was speaking, the organization member hiccupped as if he had bitten his tongue. Joo Seonghyeok chuckled and tilted his head back.

“Are these bastards playing with me?”

Joo Seonghyeok reached out his hand.

Bang!

He grabbed the man by the neck and flipped him backward, starting to choke him.

The organization member, tied to a chair, began to gasp as the back of his head hit the floor and his neck tightened. His eyes bulged and his mouth opened as he shook uncontrollably.

Lee Yeonhong watched the entire process quietly, until the man claimed by Park Changhwan’s messenger was nearly dead. Joo Seonghyeok’s large hand was enough with just one to choke the life out of him.

Gasping for breath, the man soon foamed at the mouth and his breath stopped.