NB | Chapter 20

I can’t even remember the last time I took a taxi. Woohyun listened to the 57-minute traffic update on the radio while gazing out the window. Under the clear sky, the Han River flowed gently, and the cars on the bridge moved at a similar pace.

But that was short-lived. Once they entered the chaotic morning traffic, his interest in the scenery outside faded. Clutching his phone tightly, Woohyun leaned his head against the headrest and closed his eyes.

He had been trying to call Seo Minhyun, but for some reason, he wasn’t answering. He had asked to be called back after checking the messages. Judging by the time of the last missed call, Minhyun might have fallen asleep after waiting until dawn, their schedules misaligned.

It seemed he hadn’t gone home. After the day the stolen deposit was replenished, the password was changed, so it was expected. Whether he slept on the street, in a sauna, or a PC room, it didn’t matter. If he had somehow broken in, Woohyun was ready to kick him out in his underwear.

“……”

Muttering complaints under his breath, Woohyun suddenly opened his eyes. Come to think of it, something felt oddly empty between his legs. He usually wore loose-fitting trunks, but now the fabric felt different against his legs.

No way. Doubting himself, he discreetly checked inside his pants without the driver noticing. Then, pretending nothing happened, he leaned back and closed his eyes tightly.

What kind of person dresses halfway? Was there another weirdo like him walking around without underwear this early in the morning?

The taxi fare came to a whopping 30,000 won. Still, he thought it was worth it to maintain his social dignity, holding back tears.

That’s when he found a lump of a person squatting and dozing in front of his apartment door. The face was hidden under a cap and hoodie, but the worn jeans and old Converse sneakers suggested a pitiful rather than suspicious homeless person.

The man’s head, buried in his knees, bobbed up and down, eventually drooping toward the ground. Even though his neck seemed about to snap, he didn’t wake up.

“Ha…”

Woohyun paused, placing his hands on his hips. No matter how he looked at it, the man blocking his door seemed to be Seo Minhyun. The cap was identical to the one he had given him for his 15th birthday. It could be a coincidence, but the unique dumb vibe was unmistakably Minhyun’s.

Appearing at such an unexpected time left Woohyun feeling nothing but bewildered. With a sour expression, he sighed again and approached him.

“Hey. Wake up.”

He nudged Minhyun’s shin with his sneaker, waking him from his chicken-like nap. The way he wiped his mouth with his palm, as if he had drooled in his sleep, was annoyingly endearing.

“Hyung…!”

Woohyun quietly watched the smile forming on Minhyun’s drool-stained lips. Unlike his own joy, Minhyun’s reaction was absent, and he hurriedly tried to stand. But having sat in the same position for so long, his legs were stiff and uncooperative.

“Wait a sec. I’ve got a cramp.”

“You really are something.”

Woohyun couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh. Blowing his bangs out of his eyes, he reached out and grabbed Minhyun by the collar. The body that had been squirming below was swiftly lifted.

“Ah, hyung! I’ve got a cramp…!”

“Let’s just get this over with.”

Ignoring his brother’s words, Woohyun raised his clenched fist. His eyes clearly showed that violence was the only thing on his mind. Minhyun let out a “Hiiik!” and squeezed his eyes shut. At the same time, Woohyun’s fist, with just the right amount of force, landed squarely on his cheek.

“Ouch! Who actually hits someone?”

He was still able to talk, so it wasn’t too bad. Woohyun adjusted his grip on Minhyun’s collar and swung his fist again. It landed sharply in the same spot.

“Hyung!”

“Shut up. You’ll lose a tooth.”

“Mm…”

Following his brother’s advice, Minhyun clamped his mouth shut. He tilted his head sideways, trembling. The cheek that had been hit was swelling, and blood began to seep from the corner of his mouth. He hadn’t even vented all his anger yet, but Minhyun already looked a mess.

“…Tsk.”

Eventually, Woohyun clicked his tongue and released his grip. Minhyun, sprawled on the hard cement floor, didn’t know whether to clutch his cheek or massage his cramped leg, groaning and fumbling.

“Don’t block the way. Move.”

Woohyun coldly said, giving Minhyun’s backside a light kick. Realizing that Woohyun might actually leave him there and go inside, Minhyun quickly clung to his pant leg.

“Hyung… Please listen to me, okay?”

Not wanting to touch him, Woohyun tried to shake him off, but Minhyun clung like a leech. The cap precariously perched on his head fell to the ground, and the morning sunlight revealed a scar about 5 centimeters long from his temple to under his eye. It was the very thing that had momentarily softened Woohyun’s heart earlier.

As Woohyun continued to glare, Minhyun looked up at him, his face pressed against his thigh.

“I tried to die yesterday!”

“But you’re alive.”

“No, really! I went up on the bridge because I didn’t want to live, but all I could think of was your face.”

Did he want to die by my hand? Woohyun frowned, thinking he’d heard it all.

Minhyun always said, “It’s no big deal!” but he was actually quite scared when it came to crucial moments. The fact that he could still boast meant he hadn’t reached his breaking point. Suicide? No way. The fact that he thought of Woohyun’s face at that critical moment and came here proved it. Of course, the idea that he was Minhyun’s last resort was quite unpleasant.

“Let go first.”

“Hyung, please! I won’t ask for more help. Just let me stay for a few days…”

He clung so desperately that the waistband of Woohyun’s pants, which had been between his navel and hips, was now hanging on his hips. A little more pulling, and they’d come off. And he wasn’t wearing underwear.

At this point, the no-underwear situation was as bothersome as the leech-like Minhyun. Woohyun tried to hide his panic as he held onto his pants.

“Fine, just let go!”

“Really? Did you just say okay?”

As soon as he achieved his goal, Minhyun let go. Seeing his lively eyes made Woohyun doubt if this was the same guy who wanted to die yesterday.

Ha, seriously…

Woohyun muttered in a frustrated tone. The headache he thought had gone away came back to torment him.

***

He had to drag his tired body to the office for training this morning.

He left Minhyun at home. Whatever he’d been doing outside, Minhyun fell asleep quickly while Woohyun showered and changed. Dirty brat. He didn’t even wash before lying on his bed. The room hadn’t been used in a while, so the mattress was probably dusty.

Though Minhyun asked to stay for a few days, who knew if it would be just a few days or months. He was like a rat, hard to find but easy to kick out. Half of his many runaway attempts since high school ended with Woohyun forcibly kicking him out.

One incident of losing the deposit was enough, so he contacted the landlord. A few minutes later, he received a reply saying not to worry unless Woohyun personally asked to let him in.

He could hear Minhyun’s story later at home. If he was just broke, that was fine, but if he brought debts… Just thinking about it made Woohyun’s blood boil.

“Woohyun, you haven’t left yet, right?”

Not long after the instructor left the classroom, Team Leader Kim Younghoon peeked in, looking for Woohyun. When their eyes met, he gestured for Woohyun to come out, so he packed his bag and followed.

“What’s up?”

“Director Kang wants to see you. He asked if you forgot something.”

If he hadn’t bitten his lip, he might have cursed out loud. He bit so hard that his lower lip stung.

“Did you do something wrong to the director?”

Team Leader Kim asked, bringing a paper cup to his lips. The faint smell of mixed coffee wafted over.

“Why, why?”

“He called me earlier, telling me to send you up right after training, and his voice was so stern. He’s not usually someone who acts on his mood.”

“……”

“When he asked if you forgot something, I thought you might have caused a huge problem and ran away.”

Woohyun suddenly felt a lump in his throat, unable to speak. Team Leader Kim’s casual guess seemed like it might be true.

Did I forget something? No way. He had completely forgotten about him.