HPK 85

“Kevin sent these for you to have, President.”

Hoonyeong placed all the crisp shopping bags he had brought onto the dining room table.

“What is it?”

Taejung, who had sauntered over, stuck one hand in his pants pocket and rummaged through the shopping bags with the other. Inside was whiskey, individually packaged in a luxurious box.

“Whiskey, huh?”

As he pulled it out of the package, holding it by the neck of the bottle, the well-toasted almond-colored liquid sparkled in the light. Its substantial weight was remarkable.

“That alcoholic bastard.”

His persistence in always sending alcohol as a gift, even though he knew the recipient didn’t drink much, was truly something. Then, it suddenly occurred to Taejung that there was another alcoholic in this house. One who denied it to the very end.

“Yoon Wooseung.”

When he craned his neck back, he made eye contact with Wooseung, who was watching from the other side of the transparent door like a meerkat. It seemed he had been peeking from there, unsure of what to do since Hoonyeong arrived. The sight was so amusing that the corners of his mouth twitched. Lately, he found himself greatly entertained by Wooseung’s trivial actions, as if he were watching an interesting movie.

“Come here.”

Taejung took his hand out of his pocket and waved for him to come over. Wooseung approached with hesitant, slow steps and asked cautiously, “Why?”

“Your favorite thing.”

Taejung struck a crooked pose and held up the whiskey. The heavy bottle swayed in the air, causing the liquid inside to slosh around. Wooseung, who was looking back and forth between the whiskey and Taejung, furrowed his brow slightly.

“What. It is your favorite, isn’t it.”

“…I don’t like it.”

“Really?”

Taejung pretended to be overly surprised. You really don’t like it? As if he couldn’t believe it.

This kind of teasing wasn’t a one or two-day affair. He had been like this ever since he saw the inside of the yellowed refrigerator in that semi-basement apartment. When a soju commercial came on while they were watching TV together, he would point and say, “Oh, there’s your favorite thing.”

Wooseung let out a deep sigh. But just then, he made eye contact with Hoonyeong.

“…Hello.”

He hesitated before offering a greeting in a barely audible voice. Thinking back, it seemed like he had run away in too much of a fluster earlier. Usually, Junseok was the one who came, so he had been so surprised to see Hoonyeong appear beyond the front door. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but he felt intimidated for no reason and couldn’t even greet him properly.

“It’s been a while, Mr. Wooseung.”

Hoonyeong received the greeting with a smooth smile on his lips. Unlike Wooseung, who was clearly uncomfortable, he seemed completely at ease in this situation.

“Ah, yes. It has been, a while.”

Despite the friendly response, Wooseung couldn’t hide his awkwardness. He fidgeted with his clasped hands and bowed his head once more.

It was strange, but Hoonyeong always made him more uncomfortable than Taejung. Was it because he wore a starched suit and not a single strand of hair was out of place, or was it because of the tattoos that extended to his fingers? He exuded an aura that was not like that of a subordinate.

“Do you like alcohol?”

At the sudden question, Wooseung asked back, “Pardon?” before quickly shaking his head.

“…I don’t like it.”

“Still, you should at least have a taste. It’s a good drink.”

“Yes….”

Just as he managed to reply, still unable to shake off his awkwardness, thud! A dull sound was heard. It was the sound of the bottom of the bottle hitting the marble table. Both of their gazes simultaneously turned to one spot.

There stood Taejung, who was blatantly showing that his mood had soured. The way he stared at them was extremely insolent.

“….”

An awkward silence filled the dining room.

Hoonyeong, who had quickly grasped the situation, smiled slightly and shrugged at Wooseung. Wooseung, wondering why Taejung was acting like that again, stealthily took a step back.

“I’ll be leaving now. Well then… you two can talk.”

His intention was to escape beforehand, lest he get caught in the crossfire. Living with Taejung, he had become quite perceptive in these matters.

“Well, look at you. Trying to bolt?”

But Taejung was not one to miss this. He had immediately seen through Wooseung’s attempt to slip away, and his eyes flashed.

Wooseung stopped awkwardly in his tracks. Taejung tilted his head, as if telling him to come closer.

It seemed he wouldn’t be in for a good time if he just left like this. In the end, Wooseung approached Taejung again. The sound of his slippers dragging followed slowly.

“Are you two close?”

Taejung pointed at Hoonyeong and Wooseung in turn with the tip of his chin.

“Do you think we’d be close?”

A voice, thick with disbelief, immediately retorted the absurd question. Hoonyeong put down the shopping bags he had been tidying up and turned to face them completely.

“This is all I had to deliver, and I received a text a little while ago that the athlete has left the country. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from Pro Song. Well then—.”

He hadn’t even finished his sentence.

“Hyojun left the country?”

Wooseung, forgetting to be cautious, quickly asked Hoonyeong. He knew Hyojun was leaving today, but he had been worried because he hadn’t received a reply to his text. But hearing Hoonyeong’s words, he had a strong feeling that the athlete who had left the country was somehow Hyojun.

“Hey.”

Taejung grabbed Wooseung’s arm and pulled him sharply toward him. His downward gaze was as sharp as thin ice.

“Ah, it’s just. I asked if he was leaving, but he didn’t reply… and I sent the text this morning.”

“Are you his mother?”

The hand gripping his arm tightened with increasing force. The stinging pain naturally made Wooseung’s shoulders hunch. Hoonyeong, who had been watching this impassively, added a word.

“I’m in constant contact with him, so you don’t need to worry too much. He probably won’t even have time to contact you because he’s busy.”

He hadn’t really expected an answer, so he was a little dazed.

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

With his arm still held by Taejung, Wooseung thanked Hoonyeong. He wanted to ask for more details, but after being told not to worry, it felt awkward to ask further.

Just then, a scoffing sound, ha, came from beside him.

“He’s so fucking considerate. That guy’s eyes have completely glazed over with the thought of making money right now.”

It was clearly a provocative tone. When Wooseung ignored him, pretending not to hear, he started prodding him intentionally.

“He’ll probably ghost you when he gets back. Want to bet?”

“….”

“And in case you forgot, if that bastard doesn’t finish the job, you have to take responsibility.”

“I haven’t forgotten. I know that.”

Wooseung deliberately replied in a cold tone.

“Even parents and children don’t co-sign for each other. What the hell did you believe in, you idiot….”

“Hyojun….”

Wooseung cut off his continuing words and looked up at Taejung with a gentle expression.

“He’s good at his job, so he’ll do well.”

Hoonyeong’s eyes widened in a surprised expression. His gaze blatantly shifted between the two of them.

“….”

Taejung’s head tilted to the side. He looked down at him for a moment, then soon let out a chuckle that sounded like air escaping.

“Is it because your situations are similar… you have so much fucking faith.”

The moment he heard the word “situation,” Wooseung’s eyes, uncharacteristically, sharpened. Only then, as if satisfied, Taejung broke into a mischievous smile.

“What. People in similar situations usually hang out together.”

“….”

“But when similar people get together, it doesn’t turn out to be anything special….”

“You didn’t know that?”

He continued to swagger with a crooked posture, leaning one hand on the table. The eyes that searched his crumpled face were filled with a vulgar interest.

“….”

He didn’t know why he was suddenly picking on Hyojun. What was he so upset about, and where had his mood soured on its own again? All he did was ask Hoonyeong if Hyojun had left the country. What was there in that question to be upset about?

After thinking for a moment, Wooseung slowly opened his mouth. His characteristic flat, monotonous voice flowed out.

“If you’re jealous… you don’t have to be.”

Taejung’s face went slack with a dumbfounded expression.

“Hyojun is just a friend, so….”

Before he could finish the added remark, Hoonyeong burst out laughing. “Pfft.”

“Jealous, ah, ahem, I apologize.”

He held up his palm with a face that was clearly trying to suppress laughter. He didn’t look sorry at all, and the corners of his mouth were trembling with unstoppable laughter.

“…That, fucking bastard.”

Taejung, who had come to his senses belatedly, swore with a flushed face.

But even after being cursed at, Hoonyeong’s laughter didn’t cease. He made an effort to hide his smiling face by turning his shoulder, but that was all.