CBB Chapter 2.1

There was a movie like that back in the old days. A movie where the same day repeats over and over again, a movie perfect for driving a person insane. 

His head spun heavily at the sickeningly familiar sight of the basement. 

Why am I here again? 

Is yesterday today, or is today yesterday? 

Is this an illusion? A dream? 

It can’t be reality. Fuck, it can’t be. 

Someone, please tell me it isn’t.

“Ah……”

Woorak sat back down, dizzy from trying to get up. After holding his head for a while, he noticed the long tube connected to his forearm. An IV drip was attached to the end of the tube. He ripped it out roughly and looked around. 

A cool, damp smell emanated from the not-quite-dry basement. His body shivered from the chill. The crazy bastard stripped him naked again and put that metal collar studded with beads around his neck. This time, there was a mattress, a pillow, and even a thick blanket.

“He’s really set up shop, hasn’t he? That fucking bastard.”

Woorak collapsed onto the crappy mattress and covered his face with his hands. It was hopeless. Now, he had no chance of getting out. As he rubbed his face until it was contorted, Woorak paused at his chin. His chin was smooth. 

He should have stubble, prickly enough to be annoying because he hadn’t shaved, but it was cleanly shaven. A deep groan escaped him. He couldn’t understand what that lunatic was thinking. 

Seeing as he even hooked him up to an IV, it seemed like he wasn’t planning on killing him, or was he? Was he planning on keeping him alive and then slowly torturing him to death?

“Argh, fuck.”

His head was pounding from thinking too much. Still, he had to think. He had to find a way to get out alive. What was his reason for locking him up in the first place? Ah, because he was scared. That was laughable. Who’s the really scary one here?

He never imagined the guy would drug his water in that short amount of time. He was more dangerous than he thought. He cursed himself. 

Why did he drink the water offered to him? No, before that, why did he beat him up so badly? He shouldn’t have broken his fingers. He could have just let him suck him off and be done with it. Then at least he wouldn’t be locked up in this basement again.

Frowning, Woorak followed the train of his thoughts, then vehemently shook his head. No. Even thinking about it now made him want to smash that guy’s face in. He should have just killed him, but damn, he was too soft, and that’s why he was in this mess. A long sigh escaped him. 

Think again, think. 

Woorak clutched his head, which felt hot from being overloaded. 

What did he say he’d do to let him go? Did he say if he wasn’t scary?

Or did he say if he liked him?

He pretended to like him but then beat him up, so he’s covered both not being scary and being scary at the same time, hasn’t he?

“Ha, why did I do that?”

Woorak pulled the blanket over himself and curled up. The more he thought about it, the more hopeless it seemed. What was he supposed to do to make a guy who trembles at everything not be scared? He should have known when he saw the guy piss himself. He should have known then, “Ah, this guy isn’t normal,” and backed off. 

Does it make sense for an adult to piss himself just from being threatened a little? Judging by his mental state, he’s the type who’d go crazy in a bad way even if a middle schooler, no, even an elementary schooler yelled at him. He might be a good match for a kindergartener.

“I’m not a kindergartener……”

Not a…… not a…… not, but…… not being not isn’t not being not, but…… 

His brain, heated to the point of steaming, raced down nonexistent paths.

What’s there for him to lose?

He’s just going to respond to a crazy bastard with a crazy mental state. Two electric shocks and a dose of drugs are enough to make anyone lose their mind, right? Even becoming a child wouldn’t justify the trauma.

Woorak quickly made up his mind and chanted a mantra in his head. 

I am now a child. An innocent, cute, weak, and harmless kindergartener.

“Ugh, shit.”

Goosebumps rose on his skin, and he kicked his feet under the covers. He’d never been innocent and cute in his entire life, so he had trouble immersing himself in the role. He has to let everything go. Dignity, pride, status, life……

* * * 

He must have dozed off. He opened his eyes to the ticklish sensation of Heedo pressing a finger against the inside of his arm, examining it. He was startled, but he bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to feel it bruise and forced out a weak groan as if he had just woken up.

“Ugh……”

“Aaaaaaaaaah!”

Heedo screamed and ran away. With casts on both arms, he couldn’t keep his balance and stumbled, falling face-first shortly after. He seemed too scared to get up properly, so he crawled up the stairs on his elbows. 

Woorak, still hesitant, moved his lips soundlessly before he finally managed to speak.

“Hyung.”

Heedo stopped, then shook his head as if he’d misheard, and continued to climb the stairs using his elbows.

“Hyung……, who are you? Where am I? ……Grandmaaa.”

In a desperate situation, it worked. He was always good in actual situations.

Heedo’s head turned stiffly, like the second hand of a clock. He could see the terrified expression on his face. Woorak stuck out his lower lip, tilted his head back, and cried.

“Wah wah wah, Grandmaaa, waaah waaah waaah.”

Heedo’s body slid down the stairs. Without even trying to get up, he asked with a dazed voice.

“……H-Hyung, why are you like this? Are you hurt somewhere?”

“Waaaaah, why are you calling me hyung? I’m a baby. Who’s hyung? Take me home. Huhuhu.”

“……It’s me, Heedo. Really, why are you doing this? Are you joking? Hyung, stop it. I’m really scared.”

Woorak rolled around on his back, and started thrashing and screaming.

“Waaaaah, aaaaaah, Grandmaaaa, kyaaaaaah.”

Rolling around frantically, the collar wrapped tightly around his body. Seeing him unable to move, tied up by the cord, he screamed even louder, and the flustered Heedo approached and rolled his body in the opposite direction to untangle the cord. Heedo looked down with a troubled expression at Woorak’s face, now quiet and hiccuping from exhaustion.

“How old…… are you?”

“Sniff, five…… six years old.”

Seeing Heedo looking at him with a strange expression, Woorak quickly added a year to his age. A five-year-old wouldn’t throw that kind of tantrum, would he?

“Who’s hyung? Why am I here? Where’s grandma?”

“Grandma? Grandmother?”

Woorak nodded with dry eyes. Heedo moved his face closer. Despite all the crying, his eyes were dry. Unable to withstand the scrutinizing gaze, Woorak raised his arm to cover his face, and Heedo yelped and quickly backed away. He pressed his hand against his heaving chest and looked at Woorak with suspicion.

That bastard, no trust at all. 

Woorak couldn’t give him time to think.

“I said where’s grandma? Take me home.”

Heedo, with a confused look, tried to soothe him.

“Ah…… about that, hyung, I mean, Woorak, your mom asked me a favor. She asked me to watch you, hyung, I mean, Woorak, for a little while.”

“Mom? I don’t have a mom.”

At those casually spoken words, Heedo’s face crumbled.

“You don’t…… have a mom? Where did she go?”

Is this finally working?

“I don’t know. She said she hated Woorak and left. She said she wouldn’t come back even if I slept for a hundred nights. Grandma will scold me if I talk about mom.”

Woorak lowered his head and tugged at the loosened collar. He felt inexplicably gloomy. He thought he’d be indifferent by now, but even at this age, his heart still ached. He shouldn’t have ad-libbed about something so personal, even if it was just part of the act. He was too honest for his own good, which was his flaw. He was terrible at lying.

Heedo grabbed his reddened nose with his casted hand. His eyes were watery. 

Why is that bastard acting like that? 

Their eyes met, and Heedo crouched down and poked Woorak’s cheek.

“Hyung doesn’t have a mom either. We’re the same, right?”

Then he grinned like a boy trying to show that he was hurt but trying to be strong. Woorak gave him a hesitant smile back. Ah, they really were incompatible.

“Woorak is under a spell.”

“Me?”

That was an unexpected lie. Heedo smoothly continued the lie with a gentle smile.

“You were originally an adult like hyung, but you’re under a spell, so your mind is temporarily young. Don’t worry. Hyung will take care of you until the spell is broken.”

“I’m under a spell? What the, who did it?”

He was so dumbfounded that his tone slipped.

“My dad did it. He’s a terrifying wizard. I think he cast a spell on Woorak and disappeared because he didn’t want to give you something. Hyung will take responsibility and look after you until my dad comes back.”

As he listened, Heedo’s lie sounded somewhat plausible.

“Why would he put a spell on me, achoo!”

He suddenly sneezed. He thought some snot might have come out, so he wiped it with the back of his hand and looked up to see Heedo wiping his own mouth with his palm. It seemed something had splattered on him, and he had a strangely subdued look in his eyes. 

Come on, some spit can fly around, don’t be stingy. 

Heedo muttered, his lips trembling.

“That was a little weird… Your sneeze sounds so… old man-like….”

“Achoo! Cough, cough, cough.”

He forcefully blew air through his nose and coughed like a child in a cold medicine commercial, and only then did Heedo finally looked relieved. Woorak couldn’t give the guy any room to be suspicious.

“It’s so cold. Why am I naked? Did hyung take my clothes off?”

“Huh? Ah, that’s……”

Heedo hesitated and fidgeted with his fingers. 

Why? Because even you know you did something you can’t explain to a kid, right?

“Hyung will get you some clothes. Wait a minute.”

Heedo ran upstairs as if fleeing, and a moment later, came quickly back down the stairs. He held pajamas and underwear in his hands.

Yeah, that’s it. Just give them to me, why are you hesitating? 

He came over to his side, knelt down, and sat.

“Hyung will help you.”

He straightened Woorak’s knees, which were bent to cover his lower body, and placed his calf on his own thigh. Using his cast-covered hand, he moved only his thumb and index finger to slip the underwear over his toes……

‘Ugh, shit.’

It was so cringeworthy he almost kicked him. Looking at his face, he seemed genuinely earnest, with no hint of perversion, which confused him. 

Do kids usually get dressed down to their underwear?

He calmed himself down, thinking he shouldn’t raise suspicion by overreacting. Still, the awkwardness made his body stiff. When the underwear reached his buttocks, Heedo tapped him as if asking him to lift them, so he slightly raised his hips. And for some reason, it felt so embarrassing that his face flushed. 

Heedo suddenly moved as if to pounce on him, making him wonder if this was really strange, but then he moved back down again.

After he was fully dressed in his pajamas, he felt a pang of emotion. To be able to put on a full set of clothes so easily. He should have done this from the start.

“Hyung, take this off my neck too. It’s tight.”

Heedo shook his head with a regretful expression.

“There’s a magic spell on it, so I can’t take it off. Hyung’s dad has to come back.”

Look at this bastard.

He was trying to trick him so he didn’t have to take it off.

“I saw this on TV. They said it’s called abuse. Why are you doing this to me, someone so small and weak? Am I a dog?”

He asked with sad eyes, and Heedo avoided his gaze and lowered his head. 

That’s right, a person should feel guilty. 

Heedo rubbed the back of his neck and spoke heavily.

“Yes, you’re a dog.”

“What?”

He was so dumbfounded his voice cracked.

“Woorak sometimes becomes a dog. A really scary dog…… See hyung’s hands? Woorak did this. So, I had no choice but to tie you up when you were a dog and let you go when you were a person, but now my dad isn’t here, so I can’t undo it.”

It was a preposterous lie. Slapping that nonsense-spewing mouth would feel so good, but…

“Wow! That’s amazing.”

Like a child, he held back. Instead, he clapped his hands in amusement, but unable to hide his bitter feelings, his clapping gradually became more rough and rhythmic. Thus, Heedo, who had been happily clapping his cast-covered hands along, also quietly lowered his hands. 

The clapping sound stopped in the awkward silence.