SW | Chapter 17

As Baek Haegyeon approached, he raised his hand and placed it on Guk Jiho’s shoulder. It was a gesture that seemed encouraging, but to Guk Jiho’s well-trained body, it felt like a sudden and intrusive threat.

His hand moved automatically toward his waist where his holster used to be, but it only grasped at empty air. It left him feeling awkward. A moment later, he sheepishly lowered his hand and glanced at Baek Haegyeon’s expression.

‘You need to break that cop habit.’

Ever since he had been corrected at the hotel, that habit had been repeatedly pointed out in the past few days.

Baek Haegyeon was looking down at Guk Jiho’s hand that was awkwardly hovering near his thigh. He must have been checking whether the habit had been corrected. Guk Jiho forced a bitter smile and changed the subject.

“Did the conversation go well?”

“The lawyer couldn’t do the math.”

It meant the negotiation had fallen through. After all, they had won the bid at a 65% discount off the appraised value, so there was no reason to give it up unless the other party offered a higher settlement. It was prime real estate in the middle of development, complete with a building.

“Let’s go eat.”

Baek Haegyeon looked around at the group and spoke cheerfully.

“Yes, Boss!”

The men in suits answered in unison, their voices full of discipline. Ji Sangcheol had quietly slipped to the back and blended in with the others. Even with his head bowed, his face was flushed with excitement.

When their eyes briefly met, Guk Jiho stared at him persistently. Sending a childish but universally understood glare that said, ‘If you look away, you lose,’ Ji Sangcheol glared back with indignation. Guk Jiho smiled. He was impressed by his spirit. His tongue, slightly visible between his lips, gave him a bit of a thuggish look.

Baek Haegyeon turned around. Seeing the second-in-command teasing the third, he asked, “Jiho, what do you want to eat?”

“Ah, how about pasta?”

It wasn’t a deeply considered answer. He just wanted noodles but didn’t want to feel weighed down. Eating jajangmyeon or regular noodles made him feel sluggish, but pasta didn’t have that effect. It was why athletes often favored it.

“Sure.”

Baek Haegyeon accepted Guk Jiho’s suggestion without thinking twice and led the way. As the wind brushed past, the artificial strawberry scent from Baek Haegyeon’s jacket wafted through the air.

***

Guk Jiho had thought they would go to a pasta place near a university, but instead, they headed to a club in the basement that hadn’t even opened for business yet.

“Welcome, sir!”

The club manager rushed out to greet them as the men poured into the basement. He was a burly man with a large forehead, thick lips, and tattoos covering his body which gave off a rough impression.

“Our customers have been raving about our food lately. You should come by more often. Haven’t seen you in a while.”

The club manager sounded disappointed. Baek Haegyeon simply stared at him impassively. Taking the hint, the man quickly corrected himself. “Ah! Right this way!”

The seating area was surprisingly clean and bright. Baek Haegyeon sat in the very center with Guk Jiho to his immediate right.

It seemed they often came here to eat. Ordinary citizens might only see gang members as troublemakers, but Baek Haegyeon likely avoided unnecessary conflicts as a leader. Perhaps that’s why they ate at closed-off places like this.

Even under the same Korean sky, you rarely cross paths if your social circles don’t overlap. It’s the same with chaebols.

Perhaps the commonality between gangsters and chaebols was that they stuck to their own territories without mixing. As Guk Jiho thought about this, the manager came back to take their orders.

Baek Haegyeon turned his head to look at Guk Jiho, who took the hint and said, “One tomato sauce pasta, please.”

“Anyone allergic to tomato sauce?”

Baek Haegyeon asked thoughtfully, and a loud chorus of “No, sir!” followed. This really felt like a high school sports team…

“Let’s all have tomato sauce pasta.”

Baek Haegyeon finalized the order. The manager then replied, “Understood! I’ll also bring some side dishes that pair well with it,” before walking away.

Who would’ve thought they’d all order the same thing while dressed in such expensive suits? If they were going to do this, they might as well have just eaten beef. Guk Jiho tried hard to hide his surprise at this bizarre dining culture.

***

On the way back to the Yeoksam-dong office, it was already past five o’clock due to the time spent at the courthouse.

It was already past five o’clock when they were on the way back to the Yeoksam-dong office. The legal proceedings had taken longer than expected at the courthouse.

Hwando had multiple offices: one in Yeoksam-dong, one in Sangdo-dong, and one in Cheonho-dong. These were the main offices Baek Haegyeon personally inspected. If he included those managed by other directors, the number would be even higher.

All three locations were south of the Han River, so the roads were always congested when moving between them.

And the longer they spent in the car, the more time Baek Jiho and Guk Jiho had alone together.

“Phew…”

Guk Jiho sighed as he looked out at the congested road.

This was the heart of Seoul. The area near the special operations office in Namtaeryeong was spacious and quiet. Most missions took place on the outskirts, so he wasn’t used to such high population and building density. Suddenly, fatigue washed over him.

This fatigue might have been due to the peculiar, isolated atmosphere when he was alone with Baek Haegyeon. He seemed friendly and gentle, but there was something uncomfortable and strange about him. Not being able to figure it out made it even more frustrating. Maybe it was because Guk Jiho himself hadn’t experienced many ‘soft-spoken men.’

Surprisingly, the tomato pasta made at the club was delicious. They even grated a generous amount of that hard-to-pronounce cheese right in front of them. Grana Padano or something.

‘Executive Guk, is it good?’

‘Jiho’s enjoying it.’

‘Should I order more?’

Baek Haegyeon alternated between calling him ‘Executive Guk’ and ‘Jiho,’ fussing over him in a way that made Guk Jiho’s chest itch slightly. Guk Jiho understood the world of men. It was clear that this behavior wasn’t going to help him. Was he really being this affectionate because he was gay?

In any case, it was awkward.

As people often say, the hierarchy among men has a primal aspect to it. Any place filled with only men tends to revert to a primitive state. It was simply a type of order that most men found comfortable.

Men don’t just enjoy dominating with strength; they also enjoy being dominated by it. At least, that’s how it was in the sports teams, special forces, and tactical units Guk Jiho had experienced. The tactical unit was a bit less animalistic, perhaps because there were some women mixed in.

Since such hierarchies aren’t established by titles alone, it’s convenient to set them early. It’s very hard to overturn once it was established because subordinates naturally align with the winner.

Ji Sangcheol was testing him. If he thought Guk Jiho was weak, he’d try to provoke him. Guk Jiho was almost looking forward to it. In an organization like this, you need to put on a show. He had missed a good opportunity earlier because of Baek Haegyeon’s sudden appearance.

The weirdest thing was Baek Haegyeon’s attitude. Among all the peers, seniors, coaches, supervisors, and superiors Guk Jiho had encountered, there was no one like him.

Guk Jiho guessed that Baek Haegyeon must have attended a co-ed school. Maybe that’s why he was so affectionate. Or maybe he had older sisters. He was probably the youngest with two older sisters.

“Jiho.”

“Yes?”

Lost in thought, Guk Jiho’s voice came out a bit strained. They were passing through a ramp on the road. Baek Haegyeon was steering with one hand, his eyes fixed ahead.

“When are you going to fix that cop habit?”

“Ah, I’ll fix it soon.”

It was a reflex he couldn’t control, but that wasn’t a good excuse.

“Fix it quickly. It’s better for you too.”

His tone was as gentle as it had been during the first interview. It had a slight rhythm to it. It wasn’t poetic, but it had a way of drawing you in. Maybe it was just his nice voice.

“Yes, understood.”

“If I see you reaching for your holster again…”

The ramp ended, and the car merged into the main road. The speedometer needle hovered below 40 km/h due to the dense traffic on the eight-lane road. The car moved smoothly, signaling and merging slowly into the sluggish flow.

“…I’ll make you rub my dick with that stupid hand.”

“…”

Guk Jiho adjusted his crooked tie knot and swallowed. The red spot near his eyebrow turned redder.

For a moment, he was speechless. The mundane scenery outside the window passed by, but the words that entered his ears were utterly out of place.

So, he’s different from how he appears. Guk Jiho narrowed one eye slightly, finally understanding why he had felt so uncomfortable all this time.