HPK 61

The shoes, lined up in a row, boasted a brilliant luster, reflecting the light. After picking up one after another, he finally chose a pair of classic, reddish-brown boots that were a similar color to his pants. Wooseung cautiously approached him.

“Hey, are you by any chance in contact with Kim Hyungho?”

The man, who had been straightening his back while putting on his shoes, turned his head to look at Wooseung. The face was familiar. He was one of the people who often smoked e-cigarettes in the waiting room. A look of bewilderment was evident, as if the question had come out of nowhere.

“It’s nothing else, just that Kim Hyungho borrowed money and then disappeared… I heard you two were kind of close.”

“Ah.”

The man nodded his head as if he finally understood.

“That bastard probably isn’t contacting anyone.”

He tossed the shoehorn into his locker and lightly tapped the heel of his shoe on the floor. Then, he swiveled his feet around to check if they went well with his clothes before continuing.

“It seems like he just took the money and ran. Section Chief Han got screwed over too, so he’s seriously out for blood right now. If you’re thinking of getting your money back, just give up. You won’t get it back. That money.”

“Without saying anything, like where he was going or whatever?”

“Is there a moron who announces he’s running away before he does it? Anyway, that crazy bastard. He’ll be dead if Section Chief Han catches him.”

Dusting off his jacket, he grimaced as if he were fed up.

“Section Chief Han even caught that guy who ran all the way to Mokpo. What kind of confidence did he have to run away… By the way, hyung, how much did you lend him?”

“Huh? Ah… one million won?”

After a moment of thought, he casually mentioned an amount that would make it understandable for him to ask about Hyungho’s whereabouts.

“Aish, give up, just forget it. It’ll be easier on your mind to just count it as money you’ll never get back. I lost a shit ton of money to that bastard too. All because he kept getting a damn table.”

Wooseung played along with the man’s chatty rambling before ending the conversation at a suitable point. When he returned, Chanil asked with an indifferent expression.

“He doesn’t know either?”

“Yeah, he’s not in contact with him.”

He plopped down in the seat next to him and repeatedly turned his phone screen off and on. Then, not missing the moment Chanil put down his phone to drink his coffee, he struck up a conversation.

“By the way, what did you talk about with Kim Hyungho when you two went out separately last time?”

“Last time? When?”

Seeing that Chanil seemed to have no idea, Wooseung calmly continued his explanation.

“Back when Kim Hyungho came to the waiting room bragging about his watch, I think I saw you two leave together.”

“Ah, ah.”

Chanil sipped his coffee with a slurp and nodded his head.

‘Hey, Kim Hyungho, let’s talk for a bit.’

What happened that day was that he had called Hyungho, who was in a foul mood after having to pay back the money he borrowed from the other workers, outside to talk separately. After that, Chanil lost interest in the ‘errand,’ and conversely, Hyojun showed interest. What on earth did they talk about, for Chanil, who used to ask with sparkling eyes if the boss had arrived, to cut off his interest so decisively?

“Why are you suddenly asking about that?”

Chanil did not answer obediently and instead sounded Wooseung out.

“I was wondering if it’s a dangerous job, and I don’t know if Hyojun is doing something similar…”

“Ah, it’s not dangerous.”

Chanil denied it with his characteristic sulky face. But that alone was not enough to reassure him.

“Is it something you can’t talk about?”

Halting in the middle of picking up his phone, he stared intently at Wooseung. His face looked like he was debating whether to speak or not, so Wooseung put on his most benevolent expression.

After a few seconds passed, Chanil glanced around his surroundings and then leaned his upper body forward slightly. As the distance between them closed, the scent of the perfume he often wore brushed past the tip of Wooseung’s nose.

“A guide.”

“…A guide?”

Chanil frowned faintly. Wooseung feigned clearing his throat with a dry cough and then opened the notepad app on his phone. Then, he typed ‘guide’ and showed it to Chanil. After glancing at the letters, Chanil nodded his head.

A guide.

The only guide Wooseung knew of was a tour guide.

But would everyone be so hush-hush about simply being a guide? And get paid so much money for it? Finding it hard to accept, Wooseung quickly erased the letters and typed again.

[A tour guide? Like for tours and stuff?]

Chanil’s face contorted strangely, and he looked at Wooseung as if he were an underdeveloped child. Then, he let out an audible sigh and snatched Wooseung’s phone away. After typing something into the notepad, he returned the phone.

[Golf entertainment guide]
[Understand now??]

“Ah…”

He had once seen a news report about local Thai women providing one-on-one guide services to older white men. They would sightsee together during the day and have sexual relations in the evening. Could the work Hyojun was doing be something like that?

“Hyung, at times like this, you really seem a little slow.”

Chanil clicked his tongue, saying something that could have been offensive without a second thought. Wooseung could not offer any rebuttal and just stared blankly at the words Chanil had typed in the notepad. Only then did the outline of the ‘errand’ start to take shape.

Since it was entertainment, Hyojun and Hyungho probably couldn’t speak carelessly about it to outsiders. He could somewhat understand why they received a lot of money for it. Wooseung deleted the note and put down his phone.

“I lost interest because I don’t have the confidence to deal with pot-bellied old geezers for a week,” Chanil whispered in a small voice. His eyes were busy tapping away at his phone screen.

“Those old geezers have erectile dysfunction, so they pop a shit ton of pills, you know? So it just won’t go down. It stays hard for 24 hours, I’m telling you. Then who has to deal with that? Ugh, fuck.”

He nonchalantly added that Wooseung, having come from the main building, probably wouldn’t know. He suddenly recalled Chanil once saying that he had transferred over here from a place in Jongno. As if reflecting on his experience from that time, Chanil’s brow was terribly furrowed.

“Anyway, hyung, you should lose interest too. It’s obvious you don’t have the guts for it.”

“…”

“Park Hyojun only went because he’s desperate right now. If it were under normal circumstances— ah, shit!”

He stopped talking mid-sentence, shook his phone vigorously, and then threw his head back. Wooseung waited, wondering if he could hear anything more from him, but the conversation ended there.

It did not seem as dangerous as he had thought, but… for some reason, his mind was not at ease.

♡

The moment Taejung felt the soft touch covering his back, he stirred from his light sleep. Frowning, he pushed his eyelids up, and his vision gradually cleared. The first thing he saw was a small back lowering its feet to the floor below the bed.

Wooseung pulled the rest of the slipped-down blanket up onto the bed and then carefully took a step. His walk was somewhat comical, as if some part of him was uncomfortable.

“…”

Taejung was not originally the type to cover himself meticulously with a blanket when he slept. The blanket, pulled up to just below his shoulder blades, felt quite unfamiliar, and a faint laugh escaped him.

“Where are you going.”

His voice, having just woken up, was low and rough. The shadow in the darkness flinched and then slowly turned towards him. Because the lights were off, he couldn’t see his expression clearly, but Taejung could vividly picture what kind of face Wooseung was making.

“I’m going to work.”

The low voice was as listless as the expression he was likely wearing. Taejung sat up and perched on the edge of the bed. When he cracked his neck, a crack sound was heard, and the stiffness briefly subsided.

“To work? Now?”

“…Yes.”

Wooseung clasped his hands together and nodded his head. From what he had checked a moment ago, it was just past one in the morning. If he went now, he would be able to see at least one room.

“Obsessed with money? You’re so damn diligent.”

The words, clearly meant to be sarcastic, flew at him tinged with laughter.

Wooseung did not get paid anything extra for sleeping with Taejung, so he absolutely had to go to work. As it was, his physical condition would drop sharply after sleeping with Taejung, and he had already missed work several times. So, whenever he felt even slightly okay, he went to the establishment without fail.

Taejung stood up completely from the bed and stretched. His already large frame took on an even more ferocious air as his lats and chest swelled. Wooseung tried his best to ignore the penis dangling between his thick thighs and turned away. He intended to go to the bathroom and wash up quickly.

“You have a mark here.”

But Taejung, who had suddenly come closer, wrapped an arm around his shoulder, grasped his chin, and gently turned it to the right. With his head tilted diagonally, the area below his left ear, the nape of his neck, was fully exposed to Taejung’s view. It was the spot Taejung had painfully bitten while coming earlier.

“Is it very bad?”

Wooseung asked cautiously, fumbling over the area with his hand. The knit shirt he wore at work had a loose neckline, so there was a high possibility that the mark would be visible.

“…”

Taejung did not answer and looked down at Wooseung, who was blinking slowly. The meek response and the troubled look that clouded his fair face. He did not look very different from usual, but for some reason…

“Is it here?”

His fingers clumsily fumbled at the spot connecting his shoulder and neck. Wooseung slightly turned his head to meet his eyes. His long eyelashes were curled roundly at the tips. The thought of pressing his lips against them to feel their texture suddenly crossed his mind.

“Ah!”

In that moment, he unknowingly squeezed with great force. Just as Wooseung let out a faint cry and flinched his shoulders, Taejung let go. Wooseung stumbled and took a step back.

“…What’s wrong?”

Taejung’s face was devoid of any particular emotion. It even felt eerie, like a sculpture crafted by a skilled artisan.

“Did you deliberately…”

Taejung trailed off awkwardly, stopping mid-sentence. A momentary look of bewilderment washed over his previously expressionless face, and he roughly rubbed his lower jaw.

“…Never mind.”

Finally, Taejung muttered a low curse and turned away. Bang! With that sound, the door closed, and a heavy silence descended.

Wooseung stood there blankly, staring at the closed door. He briefly considered chasing after him but decided against it. He turned on his heel and walked briskly to the bathroom.

He was a man with severe mood swings to begin with, so something must have displeased him again. Hoping that his anger was not directed at him, Wooseung stood under the faucet. Without needing to wait long, hot water soon poured out, and a cozy warmth filled the air.

In Taejung’s house, where everything felt uncomfortable and awkward, Wooseung quite liked this bathroom. To the point that even though sleeping together was difficult, he rather looked forward to the shower afterward.