PAHO 29

Jo Hongbin, who had been fiddling with her fingernails, looked out the front windshield.

“We’re here.”

Soon, the car that had been driving through the tunnel emerged outside. The scenery outside the window was strangely familiar. No, it was more than just familiar; it was a place Nam Gyeonhwa knew well.

“Isn’t this place… the fighting arena?”

“That’s right.”

“…Don’t tell me the person I have to meet is related to Wiyeonggwan?”

Before he could even hear the answer, the car stopped in front of the Wiyeonggwan entrance. Jo Hongbin, opening the car door for him instead of the driver, smiled brightly.

“That’s right, they’re related. Actually, the director here is my client.”

“……”

For a moment, Nam Gyeonhwa’s expression darkened. At his less-than-pleased reaction, Jo Hongbin blinked with a curious look on her face.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

Nam Gyeonhwa, who had taken a long, deep breath, shook his head with feigned composure.

“It’s nothing.”

“But you just sighed?”

“It’s just that, well, I’m tired from being in the car for so long.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

It was then, as Jo Hongbin was looking Nam Gyeonhwa up and down suspiciously.

Manager Jo!

A voice calling out desperately for Jo Hongbin came from above the entrance. Soon, Gwon Jongdae, who had stopped in front of the car, bent over and panted for breath. At his disheveled appearance, Jo Hongbin made a tsking sound.

“I was waiting here just fine, do you really have to shout and look for me like that?”

“I-I’m, sor-ry. But I, too, was in a bit of an urgent situation.”

Gwon Jongdae, who had wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, looked up and was startled to find Nam Gyeonhwa sitting in the car.

“Uh, uh?”

“What is it, is he someone you know, Chief Gwon?”

At his unusual expression, Jo Hongbin poked Gwon Jongdae with her bag as if curious. Gwon Jongdae scratched his forehead.

“No, well, that is, I mean, should I say he’s someone I know…?”

“Is he someone you know or not?”

Jo Hongbin grumbled as if frustrated by Gwon Jongdae’s indecisive attitude and glanced to the side. Nam Gyeonhwa, who had been sitting still like a stone statue, had since gotten out of the car and, unlike Gwon Jongdae, showed no sign of pleasure or even a flustered expression.

“Should I follow you.”

“Huh? Ah, yes, I’ll guide you.”

At the calm question, Gwon Jongdae belatedly straightened his posture and led the way. Jo Hongbin, watching the two men walk away, took a cigarette from her bag and put it in her mouth. Her attendant, who had hurriedly come out from the driver’s seat, lit her cigarette.

“It seems that dog our Director Na wanted to raise is that guy.”

The attendant, realizing that it was not a question requiring an answer, quietly lowered his eyes. Jo Hongbin exhaled a long stream of cigarette smoke. Her face was one of intense interest.

While the elevator was going up, Gwon Jongdae gnawed on his fingernails and occasionally glanced at Nam Gyeonhwa. At his restless yet curious gaze, Nam Gyeonhwa, who had been standing calmly, opened his mouth.

“Manager Jo Hongbin said she was told to find someone with a similar appearance to me.”

“Uh, a little, I guess it seems that way……”

“What on earth are you doing with a guy who looks like me?”

“……”

Gwon Jongdae couldn’t answer easily. Seeing his dark complexion, it seemed they were up to something so absurd that he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

He could just push Gwon Jongdae aside and leave, but Nam Gyeonhwa stood with his hands behind his back and silently watched the elevator numbers go up. If he hadn’t known the situation at all, it would be one thing, but the part about them specifically ordering someone similar made it impossible to ignore any longer.

Before long, they arrived at their destination, the top floor. The hallway that was revealed at a glance as the doors opened was extremely familiar. It was the passage that connected to Na Taebeom’s room, which he had accidentally entered when he had infiltrated Nakdo before.

At the end of the hallway, a man in a black uniform stood tall in front of a door. After confirming Gwon Jongdae, he turned his eyes and stared intently at Nam Gyeonhwa behind him, then shook his head.

“You cannot go inside right now.”

“Uh, not yet?”

Gil Useong nodded his head at Gwon Jongdae’s question. Gwon Jongdae glanced at Nam Gyeonhwa with a troubled expression. Nam Gyeonhwa, who had been glaring at Gil Useong with a hardened face, eventually pushed Gwon Jongdae aside and approached the door. Gil Useong stared down at Nam Gyeonhwa, who had come right up to him.

“I heard Director Na Taebeom is only looking for people who resemble me, so I’d like to confirm the facts.”

“……”

He had expected it, but as predicted, Gil Useong did not answer. As an icy silence continued, a faint voice leaked from beyond the tightly closed door.

While he was distracted by the delicate cry that sounded like a sob, Nam Gyeonhwa pushed past Gil Useong and forcefully pulled the door open. After his eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room, the first thing he saw was Na Taebeom sitting on the sofa. In front of his thighs, clad in a robe, a man was sitting, busy moving his head.

“Fuck, you’re so bad at this.”

Na Taebeom, who burst out with a complaint in a voice full of annoyance, grabbed the hair of the man who was sitting between his legs and trembling. The man, revealed in the light, had bruises all over his face and was streaming tears.

“P-please, just one more chance.”

“I already gave you one.”

“I-I can do it well. R-really.”

Na Taebeom, who frowned at the man’s touch as he clung to his thigh, crying and begging, stood up and pushed him away with his foot. He ignored the fallen man whether he cried or not, and was brushing his thigh with the hem of his robe when his eyes finally turned toward the door. Na Taebeom’s eyes, which he had narrowed and then opened, clearly captured the long shadow of a person.

“You can go now.”

Na Taebeom nudged the man with his slippered foot and gestured with his chin. The man scrambled to his feet, grabbed his clothes, and ran out the door without looking back.

“I was already fucking pissed off because they kept picking and bringing only worthless bastards.”

He took a sip of water and tilted his head.

“Come in.”

Nam Gyeonhwa, who had been leaning against the door, took a breath and then slowly walked toward him. With each step he took, the feel of the rug beneath his shoe soles seemed to bring back the memories of that day one by one.

Na Taebeom, leaning against the back of the sofa, squeezed some hand sanitizer from the bottle on the table into his palm and rubbed it evenly over both hands.

“…What are you doing.”

“Sanitizing my hands.”

“That’s not what I’m asking.”

“This puppy certainly has a lot of complaints.”

“What?”

Na Taebeom, grinning, turned his body and came closer to Nam Gyeonhwa. His languidly lowered eyes were sensual.

“The dog I had my eye on growled and said it didn’t like it even if I just touched it, so I had no choice but to look for another dog. I thought there would be at least one similar one, but there was no one who met my standards. But how did the exact same dog manage to find its way here?”

“So you’re saying you told them to bring a guy who looks like me, just to suck your dick?”

“That’s right.”

At the nonchalant answer, as if asking what the problem was, Nam Gyeonhwa bit his lip. There was a limit to being lawless and shameless; he was so dumbfounded that his head was spinning. Na Taebeom, looking at his fiercely scowling face, moved his eyebrow.

“Why the angry face? It’s not like I forced them to drag you here.”

“Are you even saying that with a straight face?”

“What about what I said? You, on the other hand, must have come here for the money.”

“I only came to see what kind of scheme this was.”

“Whether it was a scheme or not, you did end up coming here, didn’t you.”

“……”

“So what will the puppy do?”

Na Taebeom, slumping onto the sofa with a thump, held up two fingers.

“There are two options. One is to voluntarily strip naked and suck my dick, and the other is to get beaten by me until you’re on the verge of passing out and then get my dick in your mouth.”

“You crazy bastard…”

“As I thought, it seems the puppy won’t strip voluntarily. Then again, I did beat up all the guys who took their clothes off first about halfway. It was so fucking disgusting I couldn’t get hard.”

Na Taebeom, looking up at the heavily scowling face, licked his lips and then abruptly grabbed Nam Gyeonhwa by the collar and pulled him.

“So has the puppy decided what we’ll play? Huh?”

“Let go of me.”

Na Taebeom, who instantly grabbed the hand that tried to push him away, slammed Nam Gyeonhwa to the floor. Nam Gyeonhwa, who barely managed to grab the arm that tried to press on his neck, kicked Na Taebeom’s stomach with all his might.

With a short gasp, Na Taebeom reflexively stepped back. Seizing the opportunity, Nam Gyeonhwa quickly got to his feet, faced him, and slowly increased the distance between them.

“Yeah, this is how you should be.”

Na Taebeom wiped the sweat from his chin with his palm and grinned. Despite being hit in the stomach, there was no sign of pain; instead, his eyes shone with a strange light. He got into a stance and immediately rushed at Nam Gyeonhwa. Pushed against the wall with no time to dodge, Nam Gyeonhwa tried to grab his face with his hands and push him away. Na Taebeom, grabbing his neck, pressed Nam Gyeonhwa against the wall and struck his stomach hard with his remaining hand.

“Ah, ugh.”

Nam Gyeonhwa let out a suppressed groan and clenched his teeth. The strong impact, which felt like it was shaking his internal organs, blurred his eyes as they filled with tears. He tilted his head back and endured the pain, then grabbed Na Taebeom’s head with both hands and headbutted him.

“Agh, fuck.”

Na Taebeom clutched his nose and spat out a curse. Nam Gyeonhwa, who had lunged at the staggering man, pushed him down with all his might. The moment he tried to slam his fist down, Na Taebeom’s arm grabbed Nam Gyeonhwa’s back and pressed him down. Nam Gyeonhwa, who ended up lying face down in his arms, came face to face with Na Taebeom.

“I have a nosebleed.”

“If you want, I can make your mouth bleed too.”

At the retort, Na Taebeom chuckled, and the vibration of his whole body rising and falling made even Nam Gyeonhwa shake. Nam Gyeonhwa, frowning, placed his hands on the floor.

“Move. I’m leaving.”

“I never said you could go.”

“Your opinion doesn’t matter.”

Nam Gyeonhwa turned his back after forcefully twisting his body free. He didn’t want to deal with this crazy bastard anymore.

“I was thinking of granting you one request if you begged.”

Nam Gyeonhwa’s steps, which had been walking away, momentarily stopped. When he turned his head, he saw Na Taebeom, who had been sitting on the sofa, walking toward him. Na Taebeom, leaning his arm against the door to block the way, grinned broadly.

“Does my opinion still not matter?”