BBK Ch 25

A sudden shower had rippled through Minho’s mind the previous night. Since then, Gyuoh had been intruding on Minho’s time and space relentlessly. He was adept at sneaking around, so Minho often found himself caught up with him if he wasn’t careful. Though Gyuoh was currently out, supposedly digging up information, Minho couldn’t relax just yet.f78b4757c8f64ca0

“Things are going smoothly on your end, too.”a94a28f6be47606c

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“Yeah, once I confirm if Pro Son’s connections are useful, we should be good.”28ead40f63424c34

Minho sank deeper into 64ddb9c396 the sofa, stretching. He felt 8c88229097 the blood 476316d681 circulating through cd87fde3a4 his stiff e9b676d094 muscles. He loosened his tight e7d64c0bfe tie, then ran both 468cdcbc40 hands down his face.f5da9e91a43287e7

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“Why does your face look so worn out?”3f618b888368f2db

It was Mugyeong’s voice, as he moved some documents aside. Minho touched his cheek with the hand that had been sweeping over his face.24dc37ebc0ff0b6a

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“Is it that bad?”9d383bdf09d431d2

Was his skin a bit dry? He probably needed a shave, too. When his mind was cluttered and stressed, his nightmares blurred the lines between dreams and reality. Lately, he hadn’t been able to do what he usually did to relieve stress, and it seemed to be showing on his face.62f272c76b066a1a

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“Yeah, take it easy.”66ac0c31abbf9168

Minho completely removed 3717aa4b5b his half-loosened tie, e2acaccccb stuffing the dark b6679b0d7c gray silk carelessly 114525674e into his pocket 606d0e562b and rubbing his 933877dda8 eyes.157153b220942708

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“…Do you have that detective’s number?”0fbd8b22f8e299df

“Who?”355dbdbe7e2c6202

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Mugyeong, who had been dc3853c234 about to stand up 08cc4c2b1f with the documents, sat 60a2013df6 back down.53093a56e05bc654

“The one who handled the Yongin Casino case before.”5255593a13e10f90

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Mugyeong rolled his 539acd9f2a eyes, searching his 047e0f9abf memory, then seemed 2b18deafb9 to recall the cdafb232b6 person.21174f6c1fc780b6

“Ah, I think I have his business card.”ad7cc2c6cafad92d

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“Let me know. I don’t have his number.”2f70f29569597ad1

There was no interrogation or suspicion in Mugyeong’s gaze as he stared back at Minho. This was the appropriate reaction between friends and colleagues.f1ee9808d5880888

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“You were the one who contacted him originally.”45ac699248cda2d3

He looked as if a3874a3e53 he was asking why 4e33f56590 Minho was suddenly asking f6e5f0362f for the contact information 902a213298 after having handled everything 55c7a81cb5 himself. Here, too, there was fdc3264046 only curiosity, not suspicion. He wondered how Won b455b1e80f Gyuoh would react in 319a511074 the same situation.baa84809e39d9323

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“I must have deleted it.”29d7c2f12441c817

“…Hmm.”16918227cf958605

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Mugyeong hummed, nodding, and then stood up, adding that he’d look for it and let him know soon.c23ca35856879dc0

“Thanks.”9a0cc30d97dddfda

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“If it’s not urgent, contact him later and get off work. Rest up and come back tomorrow. You don’t look well at all.”636c50f480b4efa0

Minho remained 714ad20847 slumped on 70733a7f96 the sofa. He felt unusually a1ef54e3e0 heavy today. He pressed his e48e69bace stinging eyes with e26dd2b700 his palms and db54dec397 spoke slowly.51689ef652c070ab

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“Then run Gyuoh ragged.”d25a40b6e8775dfe

“Why the idiot?”097239ff5647c66d

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“He’s annoying me.”acc4f08ec525327c

His voice trailed cce57734e9 off. He quickly 701d413a2b sat up f3413b1e28 straight and c1463ddd24 adjusted his 7beba1171c rumpled clothes. Despite this, de8af331ef his low 8c76877009 spirits showed 8551b9c58c no sign 217de13733 of lifting.97ede5dff8250dde

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“That guy’s starved for human interaction. He’s lonely from wandering around deserted neighborhoods after dark.”cbeced3fc8c1c6a1

“If he gets any more starved for human interaction, he’ll permanently settle in at my place.”b00df84b793958f3

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“Just think of it as raising a puppy, then.”9c2e2dae9b81a2d6

Minho blinked blankly at 2f765af4ea the strange turn the 2a7130398a conversation had taken, then 7e81def758 burst out laughing.581983e6d8b61266

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“Doesn’t it feel like something’s changed?”5420e8b8a91ad98e

Usually, he was d41b36794e the one defending 7bf3c62833 Gyuoh, while Mugyeong 4f1e19a917 was the one 5f35aa1357 who found him fc8969a659 annoying and scolded addb33d8e8 him. This time, a03d8195b3 the roles f19db995aa were reversed.be700a7652343621

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“You’re right. Now I feel bad for him getting scolded.”1185937dd81bf80b

“That’s love, you know.”7af084708a07f76a

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Mugyeong smirked 7b9355498d at his c66fd18ed0 words, raising 1d6ca24e69 his middle b3bcadef28 finger. The time they had d2295788d2 struggled together, trying to 65528566bd establish themselves, had been caadee6b82 more meaningful and affectionate 3b1fb6802d than they’d realized. Even for these two, 84316b05b8 known as money-grubbers and c27c121ef5 workaholics.89f5ef13d4664bb8

“Anyway, rest until tomorrow. I’ll definitely run Won Gyuoh ragged.”2b0e4ff9c644a41d

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He put extra emphasis on the word “definitely.” If Mugyeong set his mind to it, he could easily keep Gyuoh busy for a couple of days. Perhaps because of that exhaustion, Gyuoh always lost a few kilos whenever he worked with Mugyeong.7ca86584506569bc

“Coming from the expert, that’s reassuring.”e0085340976474d2

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He wanted to lounge around a bit longer, but as Mugyeong said, it was probably best to rest. He needed to get moving if he wanted to take some work home. With a grunt, he got up and headed straight for the door. Neither of them said goodbye or wished each other well, but he didn’t feel offended or slighted.7001c79d88a612bf

Minho stopped 9a6da7c1e1 dead in 6864069675 his tracks bbd5d8f8e7 as he 122422e3b8 left the b85bbcf9ff executive office. He grabbed the 692e26230c almost closed door b84d510ee5 and flung it 23d78ddec5 open, poking his a73dc3910e head through the 2c9b77c329 gap.796b64e2daa9b36b

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“…Don’t overdo it, alright?”83163299f8125e29

Mugyeong, looking down at the documents with a blank expression, only glanced up and waved his hand dismissively. Whether that was agreement or dismissal, Minho didn’t know.71456b23f2e09f5d

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He headed straight to e571e301b0 his own office. As he finished gathering 5638473355 the documents he needed c2a334acd1 to take home and bf5fd6d8fd tidying up, he received 0f4576878f a text from Mugyeong. It simply contained 13273c8b2c a photo of 3e4f8a677e a business card, 03c93253a1 without any further d1e51a4648 explanation.f269f87bc0465a21

“…Hmm.”a579e8ae54031abd

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Staring at the screen, Minho rubbed his mouth with his palm. He had intended to contact the detective immediately when he’d asked Mugyeong for the number, but… he didn’t feel like it anymore. Maybe he really wasn’t feeling well. He pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, lost in thought for a while longer, until the screen went dark.012dfc0258f18655

Despite his deliberation, he couldn’t bring himself to contact the detective. No, it would be more accurate to say he couldn’t. He thought he’d send a text after freshening up at home, but then he started feeling feverish and chills ran down his spine. He loosely tied his robe and lay down on the bed.05aec5c904cda958

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He remembered seeing some medicine somewhere last time. Did they have fever reducers or cold medicine? His head was foggy, and he couldn’t quite recall. Won Gyuoh always took such good care of him that he easily forgot these small things. This was why he didn’t want to rely on anyone.09405783343401d2

He felt like calling b6831ee6ce Gyuoh to ask, but 8f15beb5a8 even reaching for his e2716864b2 phone was too much a3b2d38558 effort. It was probably 0a20870946 in his jacket d37b5106aa pocket, but those e620005bf1 few steps to 99efd96941 the dressing room 70427ff4a6 felt exhausting and 0a9efec14a burdensome.8e593f7d87d86af1

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“Is it a cold?”a8a1cd53ec5d14b0

He pressed his feverish cheeks and exhaled hot breath. He felt like a hot lump was stuck in his throat, but he didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t the type to get sick often, and even when he felt unwell, he usually pushed through it with willpower. Today was markedly different. He felt drained from head to toe, and his eyes kept closing. If he fell asleep like this…8dfca16920944496

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“I’ll probably have nightmares.”f4d790e3f8f0b9ad

Nightmares always came 9c7ea44b17 when he was a585715486 physically and mentally 9616a11135 weak. He would wake up 7d4ec96645 and fall asleep repeatedly, b49ef72158 drenched in cold sweat.8349cc9ba684ac7d

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“…Ugh.”667eae01a6660e48

He forced himself to 3c6df9cda4 sit up and headed 16aefb49f4 to the kitchen. It felt like he dc873a491f was wading through water 1deb3289a8 up to his chin 6a2cd72672 with every step. Each movement 936de589e5 was laborious 29b04b6053 and heavy. Finally reaching the kitchen, 87e06968d9 he rummaged around, looking 061ffe5179 for medicine.7f26915d91a1af0f

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“Damn it, where is it?”fd1225bedfa7f226

He didn’t have the energy to suppress his frayed nerves. He usually tried to avoid cursing, but now, harsh words seemed to spill out with every breath. He frantically tossed the contents of the drawers, then slammed them shut in frustration. This was only making his fever worse.a2c48d8954e6c6a2

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“Forget it…”64e515e9a308d4f0

Giving up on finding 7ce6b2ddc3 the medicine, he flung e7fb5fe936 open the refrigerator. Rows of alcohol bottles d553824d07 lined the shelves, stocked 3e05128143 for those few hours f62d2f1663 of sleep. Although Gyuoh had 3fc532f3b8 depleted more than 18de112934 half of them 82314e162e during his stay, a5c1c212eb there was enough a3b2071f46 to quench his 418e6105ed immediate thirst.d0ac9fa84f5c559e

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He grabbed 0dceb5f2c2 a cold aff86547a0 bottle and f5eb4814d1 gulped down 90606ee083 the icy 62375a7af9 liquid. His burning throat felt 2c7c032f18 like it was on d64807cc24 fire as the alcohol 6db6f53375 went down. The flames spread 3ef284a7f6 along its path, 632efaebcb and a hazy 2c04fe98d5 smoke filled his e56bbbedc0 head.490970cfc9b2fee9

“Tastes like crap.”189b964abdb44a5c

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After drinking fe05a096a0 half the edd8b95f22 bottle, he 6cfc97a135 pulled away 1e71158172 and wiped 4f0958dce4 his wet ce0b2b1de5 mouth with 3a340b1769 the back e00fa5c80a of his dfe303a879 hand. The bitter 40acbb9b31 taste of 75ae4904c7 alcohol stung 673be4d7b6 his nostrils.31e0aa852baa1e78

Without bothering to put away the half-empty bottle, he stumbled back to his bedroom. His body and mind were hazy. Even if nightmares came now, he wouldn’t be aware of them. His slowly blinking eyes finally closed.cb0f87010d168d80

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‧₊🍒˚✮f31d2df620c5de76

“What? The detective’s business card?”7519e962b971eab2

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Gyuoh’s voice cracked, rising sharply. If it was the detective who handled the Yongin Casino case while he was on leave, then it was the same guy. The detective he met at the restaurant. The one with the sickeningly sweet smile who kept subtly touching Minho.e7a03b7efb8d018f

“Is there a problem?”2ead5314c1e6a72e

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“Ah, shit. I should’ve just asked him right there.”a0dd1641a4c195fa

Minho hyung was too nice to do that kind of thing, so he should’ve done it for him. Mugyeong, who had been quietly watching him rant, tilted his head.93a3f15a88c70090

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“Why are you bothering me with this?”591476a8270c0703

“Bothering you? Do you know how meticulously I’m taking care of Minho hyung?”08dc5c78ab97c42e

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Meticulously? Mugyeong chuckled, catching onto his words. This hyung wouldn’t know. He wouldn’t know how many bastards he’d dealt with while sticking close to Minho hyung, or that the detective was just one of them.06678f4adebf0d29

He couldn’t explain everything in detail. As he was wondering where to even begin, a nonchalant voice reached his ears.6a27709be15e6e89

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“You didn’t even know he wasn’t feeling well?”8eba4296231b6735

Gyuoh’s head snapped up. He pictured Minho hyung’s face from that morning. He seemed tired, but he always did. He seemed low on energy, but wasn’t that his usual state? No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall anything particularly unusual.6e1e7cf98056a03d

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“Not feeling well? How?”74e748e094f47fb2

When that hyung isn’t feeling well, he drinks and… Ah, so that’s why he was looking for the detective’s number. He felt a tightening sensation in the back of his head. More precisely, it was a feeling of emptiness, as if the sand he had been tightly gripping in his hand had all slipped away. Along with the resentment that it hadn’t stayed obediently within his grasp.7d8a957d2593c74e

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“How would I know? I’m not the clingy viper who’s always around him.”3e448f300b2ac286

Even though Minho a9d0fbc410 had left work ff0f6c7ec7 early because he ec32f27b6a was sick, Mugyeong 7f2c696618 remained indifferent. A heartless 5cf8643575 human being. Gyuoh glared at him bcfb868c42 silently, then abruptly stood 21fe630d43 up, ignoring the documents 739e2d4630 he had been holding a031a6f0ec just moments before.6337897f31c64784

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“Why are you telling me this now, after work? You should’ve told me earlier.”cfab8d33bd307b1c

“Then you would’ve run off to him right away.”e035104628f7bdcf

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“Of course I should go.”1b202e79af8ecdef

“Why ‘of course’?”1f786f4ef9d4fdbb

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Gyuoh, who had been hurriedly grabbing his jacket and car keys, froze. It wasn’t a difficult question, but he couldn’t answer, his lips moving soundlessly.fda230be13e078ba

“Why ‘of course’ you should go, when Director Cha is sick?”b60a62e2780b2676

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“…I have to be there for him. Do you know how lonely it is to be alone when you’re sick?”3d0753a3c52e8fde

He couldn’t meet Mugyeong’s eyes as he said this.d50ad7f438f6477c

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Right. Why did he think he shouldn’t leave hyung alone when he was sick? Whether he’d asked for the detective’s number or not, that was hyung’s way of relieving stress. He knew that and hadn’t actively tried to stop him. The question marks swirling in his mind grew larger and larger.b3b0e127400415c6