KTSR | Chapter 18

“…….”

“Jaeman-ah. I eat human flesh.”

“Hyung-nim, you eat human flesh too? Ugh. That’s so gross, I can’t even deal with it. Don’t even think about going to the bathhouse with me from now on. Every time you see my soft, smooth skin, how much would you drool?”

Kim Jaeman burst into laughter.

Ijin felt a sense of disgust. The saliva that kept coming down his throat was full of the sharp sweetness of mint, but it felt like the stench of human flesh was coming from his nose.

“I guess so. When we go to the bathhouse, should I drink the bathwater or something? There would be no need for extra broth.”

“That dirty bathwater? Ugh.”

Kim Jaeman pretended to vomit. He seemed to enjoy the situation as he tapped the keyboard with cheer. After hitting enter with gusto, he looked at Ijin and his eyes widened in surprise.

“Huh? Hyung-nim. Ijin hyung’s face looks totally drained. Of course. It’s gross, right, hyung? Hyung-nim usually tells such pointless stories.”

Ijin felt like the mint candy was swelling in his mouth, so he gulped. Kim Jaeman’s playful banter didn’t even register. He clutched at his throat, choking on a candy that would only shrink, not swell. Kwon Hyeongdo got up from his seat, stood behind Ijin, and started to thump his chest.

“Keck, kehek.”

Finally, a candy the size of a thumbnail was spat out. Kwon Hyeongdo watched it roll on the floor with a look of pity but didn’t move away.

“Get, get off.”

Ijin shuddered at the volume of flesh that seemed eager to cover his butt and back. Even though it wasn’t erect, it was monstrously large. Disgusting. Ijin was convinced. There’s no way that’s a real human cock; it’s like he stuffed a sock in there or something.

“Are you trying to die just because you ate that little thing? How narrow is your throat?”

Kwon Hyeongdo clicked his tongue in disapproval.

Humans are fragile creatures who can freeze to death even in a turned-off refrigerator. Thoughts control the body. Kwon Hyeongdo thought that Seon Ijin, stiff and slender like a mare, might just break because of his stiffness. Guys like this can easily go crazy in strange places or become crazy without realizing it.

“You believe such baseless rumors?”

Kwon Hyeongdo let go of Seon Ijin with a look of complete disdain.

Ijin staggered back to his seat.

He felt ashamed. Embarrassed.

But he gave no sign of it and just opened the Word document. He took a breath looking at the dull green screen. Trying to forget what just happened by thinking of horse feed.

“Anyway, bathhouses are banned from now on.”

“Why. You’ll go back because the motel water isn’t good enough.”

Even though he heard the childish banter of Kim Jaeman and Kwon Hyeongdo, Ijin tried hard to ignore it.

“Hyung-nim said he eats human flesh.”

“There’s so much delicious meat in the world, why would he eat that crap? Especially since it’s the season for mackerel. No matter how big my stomach is, I’m not desperate enough to eat a stinky human.”

The sound of a lighter clicking could be heard.

Ijin quietly bowed his head and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Kwon Hyeongdo stared at him for a while, then glanced at the wall clock and furrowed his brows.

With a clear expression of annoyance, he muttered:

“I’m going out for a bit.”

He pressed down on Kim Jaeman’s head with his large hand and slowly brushed past Ijin. Only after he had passed did Ijin catch his scent. Cigarette, sweet oak barrel, mint candy, and the sharp smell of skin lotion.

Suddenly, Ijin remembered that Kwon Hyeongdo had never said anything about the rumor that he had torn someone’s mouth.

Did that person get their mouth torn because they were blabbering about Kwon Hyeongdo’s name?

Ijin touched his own lips. Apart from where he had been hit and it had torn, they were still plump and dry.

Kwon Hyeongdo seemed busy. They often bumped into each other at the restaurant, where he would scarf down a mountain of food in an instant, then doze off with his sunglasses on, arms crossed. No matter how you looked at him, he seemed more like the leader of the field workers rather than an executive director.

But one thing was certain: Kwon Hyeongdo was quite different when he was with Kim Jaeman compared to when he was with the Colosseum employees. Being with Kim Jaeman was better. Ijin was curious about the relationship between Kim Jaeman and Kwon Hyeongdo.

“Maybe… are you dating Kwon Hyeongdo, the executive director?”

Kim Jaeman, who was sucking on a coffee mix packet through a straw in a paper cup, choked violently.

“What kind of dogshit talk is that?! Hyung. I almost puked. Please be careful for real.”

“Sorry…”

“Hyung. Who the hell told you that kind of crap? I’m seriously wronged here.”

Kim Jaeman thumped his chest, genuinely aggrieved.

Ijin felt embarrassed.

“I just… you two seem close, and you share the same room.”

“Hyung has a better room than mine. We only go to the bathhouse together… Ah, fuck. Now I’m annoyed. I won’t go there anymore. Hyung, you’re really something, just like I heard.”

Kim Jaeman twirled his index finger by his head, implying that Ijin was crazy.

Ijin was puzzled.

“Am I crazy?”

“Well, there’s talk like that, but how can anyone stay sane here? From what I see, the others aren’t sane either.”

Kim Jaeman answered nonchalantly.

Ijin pondered his words while staring at the screen.

Though he knew how to use Word, Ijin’s typing was slow, and his work progress was sluggish.

A loud bang came from behind Ijin, who was glaring at the thick monitor screen.

“The road is fucking shit.”

The door opened, and the sound of heavy rain pouring down was audible. The noise continued even after the door closed, as the rain beat against the container’s metal.

“The car got stuck. Fuck… Everything’s soaked.”

With the sound of sloshing, a completely wet cigarette pack fell to the floor.

The long rectangular office was starkly austere. Kwon Hyeongdo’s desk was parallel to the back wall, a black 2.5-seater sofa in the middle reeking of leather, and in the corner, the desks of Kim Jaeman and Ijin were positioned.

Ijin, who had not turned to look no matter how much Kwon Hyeongdo was ranting, finally turned around when he heard the heavy sounds on the sofa.

“Hey, Jaeman-ah. Got any cigarettes?”

“Hyung-nim, I mean, executive director, I put some in your drawer.”

“Hyung-nim, not executive director, is that my title? If you’re going to call me that, just say hyung. It’s disgusting to hear.”

Kwon Hyeongdo was unusually irritable, perhaps because he was in a bad mood.

His leather jacket was thrown onto the leather sofa, followed by an aloha shirt and black tank top. Now, Kwon Hyeongdo was struggling to pull off his heavy, drenched jeans.

Finally, he tossed the jeans onto the sofa and put on his boots with the laces untied. His back, in nothing but black boxer briefs, was surprisingly clean, but his arms were densely covered in tattoos as if he were wearing long gloves.

“Which drawer?”

Kwon Hyeongdo turned towards Kim Jaeman.

Which meant he was also facing Ijin.

Ijin was too dazed looking at Kwon Hyeongdo’s body to notice he was being watched. He was just shocked by the wet shirt sticking to the skin, revealing a thick, massive outline.

…Must be fake. How can a human cock be that big?

Yet, Ijin couldn’t take his eyes off that silhouette, not out of curiosity, but out of fascination.

“The second drawer.”

“……”

The silence stretched as Kwon Hyeongdo didn’t move, and Ijin snapped back to reality, meeting his eyes.

Kwon Hyeongdo slowly grinned, then lowered his hand to firmly grip his genitals. Not only the rigid shaft but also the head was clearly visible. It wasn’t just socks!

“Why. Want me to kill you?”

“……”

Ijin, unlike usual, couldn’t think of a single retort and kept quiet.

Kwon Hyeongdo chuckled, lifting what seemed like a heavy burden with a casual flick. Even without being erect, the head of his cock peeked above the waistband before settling back down with its weight.

Kim Jaeman didn’t even glance, as if he was used to it.

Kwon Hyeongdo turned to head to his desk.

Ijin tried to focus on the monitor as he did before Kwon Hyeongdo came in, but all he could see was Kwon Hyeongdo’s lower body.

Especially the long snake tattoo that climbed up his shin, looking like it would bite his knee.

The snake, its head raised with aggression, seemed like it would really bite Kwon Hyeongdo’s thick, beast-like kneecap.

It looked like a horse’s. Not that his legs were slender, but the joint was like a club.

‘Like a horse. To this bastard worse than a horse.’

Ijin shook his head. Calling it a horse was too good for him.

The sloshing sound of the boots stopped, and the sound of a lighter flicking on was heard.

“Give me one too.”

Kim Jaeman whined.

Having heard his complaints about tight deadlines making life hell at least eight times, Ijin was already used to Kim Jaeman’s whining.

With the sloshing footsteps again, a cigarette was put in Kim Jaeman’s mouth. He lazily puffed away, slumping in his seat.

Kwon Hyeongdo approached Ijin, who was trying not to look at them. He lit a new cigarette next to his own, took a deep drag, then placed it in Ijin’s mouth.

Before Ijin could push it away in confusion, he had inhaled.

“What, what.”

Coughs burst out continuously. It felt like the smoke had assaulted his throat.

“You don’t smoke? Oh, can’t smoke?”

Ijin wanted to say he didn’t, but somehow, his pride was hurt. Falling into the provocation, only pride and stubbornness remained in Ijin.

Ijin glanced at Kim Jaeman, trying to mimic him. But Kwon Hyeongdo grabbed Ijin’s face, making him look at him.

With his eyes narrowed, Kwon Hyeongdo inhaled deeply, his cheeks caving in. Ijin, without realizing, followed his breathing.

“Tastes like shit.”

Ijin tried to show off, though he felt like he would cough any second. His head felt dizzy too. It was too strong a cigarette for Ijin, who had never smoked. He secretly tapped his chest, and his eyes met Kwon Hyeongdo’s. He was grinning at him, which annoyed Ijin.

“I’ve stocked up on mint candies. Eat while you smoke. Jaeman, spread out my clothes.”

Who would eat that? Ijin glared at the mint candy, still in its plastic, like it was poison or mothballs. He would never, ever eat it.

Seeing Ijin’s suspicious look, Kwon Hyeongdo grabbed a towel and roughly dried his wet body. He crumpled it and threw it into the bin, saying, “Gotta go rescue our pretty one,” then left wearing just his jacket over his underwear and boots.

That evening, a myth-like rumor about Kwon Hyeongdo’s cock spread.