TYS Ch 9

Toward the end, his voice faded so much that his last words were almost inaudible. The man patted his back a few times, then strode toward Seungwan. Seungwan did his best not to flinch in surprise. Every time the man approached him, the weight of his presence was overwhelming.

When the man came close, he smiled and spun Seungwan’s shoulder, turning him forward.

“See that truck over there? Go get in it.”

And on top of that, he was rushing him. The man pointed to a dark blue truck parked not far away. It was the same one Seungwan had ridden in last time, and oddly enough, he felt a faint sense of familiarity.

Seungwan glanced briefly to the side and gave a small bow to Chief Chae. Chief Chae ignored the gesture, but Seungwan knew that failing to acknowledge him would have caused an even bigger fuss. The weight of Chief Chae’s gaze lingered on him, but Seungwan turned his back and walked away, shaking it off. Whether from relief or sheer exhaustion after finishing the task, a deep sigh escaped him.

He hoped Chief Chae wouldn’t say anything strange at work. Since the man seemed familiar with him, even if he didn’t believe the whole “dongsaeng” story, Seungwan doubted he would spread rumors. The real concern was the man himself. Would he tell Chief Chae about the debt Seungwan owed him? …He didn’t seem like the type, but people were untrustworthy. To Seungwan, even his parents had been strangers, and strangers were always, in some way, preparing to betray him. If he let his guard down, he would always be the one left to take the hit.

Once Seungwan was safely seated in the passenger seat of the truck, he suddenly looked around for the man. He spotted him with his arm around Chief Chae’s shoulder, opening the door to Forget-Me-Not. Whether the Omega who had been glaring at Seungwan earlier had been standing near the door or was simply quick to act, he suddenly stepped forward and tried to link arms with the man.

With a smile, the man pulled his arm away and patted the Omega’s head a few times. His touch wasn’t exactly gentle, more like bouncing a basketball, yet the Omega giggled. Chief Chae laughed and said something while pointing at the Omega, causing the Omega’s expression to quickly sour before he dashed inside the shop.

The man, still holding the door to Forget-Me-Not, patted Chief Chae’s back. It looked like a gesture of sending him off. His long, thick forearm was braced against the doorframe, and his broad shoulders leaned slightly forward. As he spoke, the dimly lit interior of the shop flickered with faint laughter from the people inside.

Before the man could turn and look this way, Seungwan quickly fixed his gaze ahead.

Who was he? Seungwan realized that the man’s absence, which had lasted for months, had finally come to an end. Strangely, his heart began to race. He couldn’t tell whether it was out of fear or something else.

But it wasn’t excitement. Someone in his position couldn’t possibly feel such a thing.

Sometimes, Manager Song would say it was all because Seungwan was too young. If that were the case, was that why he still wanted to turn his head now and check if the man was looking his way? Why on earth? What did that have to do with his current situation? Would his debt disappear if the man turned toward him? Would his long and arduous life suddenly feel lighter if the man approached him?

Seungwan was always anxious. Always on edge. He hated his heart for mistaking the rush of running along the edge of a cliff for a thrill. He wanted to challenge himself, yet he also wanted to cling to life like moss, barely surviving. Every time he crossed a threshold, his mind changed a thousand times.

A throbbing sense of anxiety. A fear that seemed to pulse with life. A thrill that wanted to charge forward. Inside his chest, something completely useless for survival was ready to bloom—a rebellion against himself. He was exhausted by this restless spring.

If this was what it meant to be young, he wished he could just grow old already. But for now, that wish remained unfulfilled.

***

The truck was silent. As the man grabbed the steering wheel, Seungwan glanced at him, who was unusually quiet, and found it surprising. He didn’t seem like the type to drive cautiously. Slowly, Seungwan turned his head to look out the window. When the truck, which had been gradually slowing for a traffic light, came to a complete stop, the man picked up the ledger placed between their seats.

“Nice job running that errand.”

Before opening the ledger, he flashed a grin at Seungwan. Seungwan froze at the unexpected compliment from the man who had only said, “Let’s go,” since getting into the car. Before he could respond, the light changed. The man placed the unopened ledger back down and shifted gears. The vehicle moved forward again, once more in silence.

“……”

The scenery outside the window passed by. Seungwan recognized the road; it was the same one he traveled every morning and evening on his scooter. Since there was no reason to ask where they were going on such a familiar route, the car remained silent the whole way.

“We’re here.”

The man spoke as he reversed into the garage. In the truck’s cargo bed was the scooter Seungwan had ridden to work that morning. He thought about helping unload it, but the man waved a hand, signaling him to just go inside. His gesture seemed to say Seungwan’s presence would only be a burden, and Seungwan, unable to argue, simply nodded. He meant it as a thank-you for the ride, but the man was too focused on pulling the keys from the ignition to notice. Not wanting to repeat himself, Seungwan had no choice but to awkwardly exit the car.

After getting out of the driver’s seat, the man spoke as he closed the door.

“Do you smoke?”

“……”

Seungwan didn’t know how to respond, so he stayed silent. The man, taking that as a no, held up a slightly crumpled cigarette pack.

“I’ll just have a quick smoke. You go ahead.”

At those words, Seungwan, who didn’t even have the presence of mind to suggest they smoke together since he smoked as well, merely nodded and headed toward the front door. Behind him, he could hear rustling sounds, suggesting that the man was gathering some items without even sparing him a glance. For some reason, a prickling sensation spread across Seungwan’s back. Forcing himself to keep his head straight, he continued walking.

Entering the house first, Seungwan instinctively began tidying up, even though the place was already clean. It would have been nice if the man had at least given some indication of when he would return. Whether it was his sudden reappearance that bothered him or something else, Seungwan’s heart pounded loudly.

He scratched the back of his head before quickly busying himself again. He didn’t want to give the impression that he had used the house carelessly, especially not to the man who had lent it to him so generously. At the same time, a vague sense of unease surged within him, as if this peaceful time in the house was coming to an end.

His father had been a fairly skilled gambler, so he didn’t always lose. But even if he managed to win a small sum, losing ten times that amount in backdoor deals would send the family’s finances into ruin in an instant. His father’s gambling was exactly that unreliable. Because of this, Seungwan had never been able to live without worry, except when he was very young.

Since the man had told him to repay his debt by completing the tasks assigned to him, Seungwan had let his guard down and lived comfortably until now.

If someone asked how he could do that, he would say it was because he had spent his whole life running. Like a prey animal that had fled for as long as it could, only to finally stop and rest against a tree stump—drinking dewdrops from the grass without realizing it was in the territory of a tiger. How could anyone blame the poor, foolish creature?

Honestly, Seungwan wouldn’t be surprised if the man had intentionally left him alone, knowing it would make him lower his guard.

“What are you standing there for?”

The man’s voice pulled Seungwan from his thoughts. He flinched and turned around. The man, carrying a large suitcase covered in scratches, was setting it down in the hallway. Despite its weight, he handled it with ease, gripping it skillfully with one hand. It appeared to be the same luggage he had taken when he left.

“Let’s eat dinner.”

The man spoke as if he had been living in the house with Seungwan all along. But it had been Seungwan who had spent the past season here alone, and now, in an instant, he felt like the outsider. He stood there, suddenly aware of his presence as though he were an uninvited guest.

“Go wash up. There’s nothing you can’t eat, right?”

Seungwan nodded quietly. Whether or not the man even saw his response didn’t matter. Without another word, he turned and entered his room.