Ch 10

“What did Haneul say he wanted?”  

“Shooting….”  

“And your friends?”  

“They wanted regular cups of this and this.”  

“Variety pack?”  

“Yes!”

Ji-an stood beside Haneul, the man between them, but their situations couldn’t have been more different. Haneul looked like he was on a sweet date, buying ice cream with his partner, while Ji-an felt like he was being kidnapped. He had moments of doubt, wondering if this man was really the main character, but after observing the situation, Ji-an was certain. Whether looking forward or backward, this guy was definitely the main lead, and Ji-an knew he needed to avoid getting entangled any further.

As the man continued talking to Haneul, seemingly forgetting he was still holding Ji-an’s wrist, Ji-an cautiously reached for the man’s fingers, trying to pry them off. I’ll just quietly head home. You two can buy your ice cream and have fun, he thought. Ji-an carefully loosened the man’s pinky finger, then moved on to the ring finger, but something made him pause and tilt his head slightly.

The man, who had been sweetly conversing with Haneul, was now looking directly at Ji-an. 

Awkwardly, Ji-an flashed a stiff smile, hoping the man would take the hint and release his wrist so they could finish their conversation about compensation. Instead, Ji-an sighed as the man’s grip tightened, his pinky and ring finger firmly clasping Ji-an’s wrist once again.

“What are you getting, Ji-an?” Haneul asked cheerfully.

“Me? I’m sobered up now. I don’t think I need anything.” Ji-an quickly twisted his body to hide his trapped wrist from Haneul’s view.

“Oh, really? Or should I go grab you one of those frozen bars from the convenience store? I know you like them.”

“No! No, really, I’m fine. You don’t need to.”  

You’re like a fragile flower in this guy’s eyes. I can’t have you running errands for me, especially not with this guy ready to tear me apart. He already doesn’t seem to like me.

“You should pick something too,” the man said, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

“I’m really fine. Just take care of Haneul….” Ji-an tried to protest, but the pressure on his wrist cut him off.

“Is Haneul fine with just the variety pack? Anything else?”

Ji-an’s lips pouted in frustration. The man spoke harshly to him, but when he turned to Haneul, his voice became gentle. Ji-an’s expression quickly changed as he grasped the situation and retracted his pout.

“Yep! That’s all we need,” Haneul responded, his voice light and cheerful, like petals fluttering in the spring breeze.

Surrounded by this sweet atmosphere, Ji-an turned his head away, feeling out of place. Even as the man paid for the ice cream, he still didn’t release Ji-an’s wrist, as though dragging him along like a criminal. Ji-an had already revealed his name, and the man knew he was Haneul’s friend, so escaping wouldn’t do much good. Despite Ji-an’s attempts to discreetly loosen the man’s fingers or smack his hand, the man remained unresponsive.

“Taemin said you had a lot of work today, but thanks for coming to pick me up anyway,” Haneul said.

“You knew I was busy, and you still called?”

“Huh?”

“Go have fun, but don’t stay out too late.”

Ji-an looked at the two in surprise. As if they were about to head back to the restaurant, Haneul held a paper bag with the ice cream shop’s logo, looking just as confused. Was it the alcohol making him see things, or did the logo seem just as baffled as Ji-an felt?

“Hyung?” Haneul asked, puzzled.

“Like I said, I’ve got a lot of work. If it gets too late, I’ll send Taemin to pick you up.”

Wait, what? Are you just going to leave him here? Haneul’s an omega! A dominant omega! It’s late, and the streets are full of drunk people…!

Fine then. I’ll stay with him, Ji-an thought, deciding to step in. But as he moved toward Haneul, the man pulled him back so forcefully that Ji-an stumbled and fell right into him.

“Ji-an…”  

“Wait, hold on…”  

Neither Ji-an, who was slightly drunk, nor Haneul had anyone paying attention to their words. Without much resistance, Ji-an was pulled along by the man and forced into the passenger seat of the car parked on the side of the road. The man even buckled Ji-an’s seatbelt before closing the door. Ji-an immediately started searching for the door handle in a panic.  

Where’s the door handle on this car? Normally, it’s right here! Is it different because it’s an expensive car? 

Feeling an ominous sense that Haneul might misunderstand this situation, Ji-an desperately tried to find a way to explain through the car window. His hands and eyes darted around the car interior, but nothing seemed familiar. Even the window controls were nowhere to be found. In any other situation, Ji-an wouldn’t have let himself be dragged around like this, but the alcohol still lingered in his system, dulling his senses.  

“Hey, look. I was just with my friends—”  

Ji-an turned quickly toward the driver’s seat, where he sensed the man’s presence, urgently trying to explain.  

*Thud.*  

The man threw something at Ji-an just as the car lurched forward, accelerating abruptly. Ji-an’s body, which was awkwardly leaning, was thrown backward into the seat, clutching whatever had landed in his arms.  

“Shall we have a proper conversation somewhere quiet now?” The man’s voice was devoid of emotion. Ji-an swallowed nervously and looked down at what he was holding—a paper bag filled with block packs of ice cream from the shop.

“Name.” The man continued, confirming Ji-an’s name first as if the conversation was already agreed upon. Ji-an pouted slightly.

“You already know…”  

“Age.”  

“Twenty-four.”

Ji-an’s answer was met with an unsatisfied *tsk*, which made him glance over at the man. When did he take off his coat? The man’s dark suit—whether it was navy or black, Ji-an couldn’t tell—made his profile look like a work of art.

“What do you do?”  

“I’m a job seeker,” Ji-an answered meekly, feeling that lying wouldn’t help now that the man knew he was friends with Haneul. At least the warmth radiating from the car’s seat and the cozy atmosphere were slowly melting Ji-an’s previously guarded attitude, unlike the cold street they had just left.

Still holding the cold bag of ice cream, Ji-an licked his lips. He had come out for ice cream, after all, and now he had an entire store’s worth of block packs in his lap. Who knows where we’re going, but if this melts on the way, it won’t taste good… he thought to himself. Ji-an then wondered if he should’ve accepted Haneul’s offer for a frozen bar earlier. Had they stayed out in the cold, maybe the alcohol would’ve worn off faster, but now that he was in a warm car, he felt himself melting like a cat.

“Can I eat one of these?” Ji-an asked, breaking the silence.  

No response came, and the quiet stretched on. Ji-an bit his lower lip. So, the ice cream isn’t mine, huh? he thought, realizing he might’ve misunderstood when the man had tossed the bag at him. There’s so much here—surely one wouldn’t hurt, right? I could pay you back for it. You like things being exact, don’t you? 

Ji-an sighed, resigning himself to the fact that the man wouldn’t have bought something for him. Feeling guilty for coveting something that wasn’t his, Ji-an glanced around, trying to figure out where to put the bag. Placing it at his feet didn’t seem right for something edible, so the only option was the back seat. Ji-an awkwardly turned to place the bag in the back, but between the alcohol and the seatbelt, his body wouldn’t cooperate.

“…”

“Huh?”

“Eat it.”  

“Nooo, it’s okay. But, where are we going?”  

The man, still staring straight ahead without sparing Ji-an a glance, answered indifferently, “What does it matter to you? Just eat your ice cream.”  

Ji-an squinted at the man, feeling irritated. Should I just ruin things between him and Haneul? What kind of personality is this? Sure, he looks good, but seriously, what a weird temperament. How could Haneul deal with someone like this? I need to explain this to Haneul somehow before he misunderstands. But… I really want to eat this ice cream. He told me to eat it, so don’t you dare take back your words later!

Unable to think clearly due to the alcohol, Ji-an was acting purely on instinct. He stopped fidgeting with the ice cream bag, pulled out his favorite flavor, and carelessly tossed the bag behind him. If the man was going to act like this, there was no reason for Ji-an to be polite anymore. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Strong to the strong, weak to the weak, right?  

Ji-an opened the block pack, unfolded the small pink spoon attached to the lid, and scooped a big bite of ice cream into his mouth.  

“So, how do you want compensation to work?”  

That’s why you grabbed me in the first place, right? Ji-an, unaware that his speech was slurred ever since they first met on the street, casually asked the question while savoring the ice cream melting in his mouth.

“I’m thinking about it,” the man replied.  

“How much is the room fee?” Ji-an asked again, stuffing more ice cream into his mouth and smiling with satisfaction.  

When the man still didn’t answer, Ji-an’s patience wore thin, and his voice grew louder. “This guy! Why aren’t you saying anything?! You should tell me exactly how much it is—”  

“Ideun,” the man interrupted.  

“Huh?” Ji-an paused, confused.  

“My name’s Choi Ideun. Not ‘this guy,’” the man clarified.  

“Oh… Okay. How old are you then?”  

“Thirty-two.”  

Ji-an raised an eyebrow, surprised. “You’re totally an ajusshi.”  

Was the slight shake of the car just his imagination? Ji-an’s eyes remained glued to Ideun’s side profile. Now that he knew the man’s age, he wasn’t sure if Ideun looked older or still appeared youthful.  

Ha. Ideun let out a faint, sarcastic laugh. Ji-an, who was about to take another spoonful, found himself staring at the empty plastic container. How did I finish this already? Disappointed, he closed the lid and, remembering to be polite, pulled out his wallet.  

Gotta pay for the ice cream, he thought. Ji-an took out a ten-thousand-won bill and, to keep it safe, tucked it under his thigh before putting his wallet away. Just as he was tidying up, his phone slipped into his hand.  

“We still need to finish our conversation, right? I’ll compensate you first financially, but what about that person who was with you? Does he really need compensation too?” Ji-an asked, after checking his bank app and seeing the multi-million won balance. He glanced back at Ideun.  

“He probably wants it more than I do.”  

“Why? I get why you’d want compensation—I messed up your night. But him? No way. It was mutual. It’s not like I… attacked him,” Ji-an muttered.  

“You did.”  

“Well… yeah, I guess I did. But still, he’s super strong! If he didn’t want it, he could’ve just left, you know? It was mutual!” Ji-an protested, his voice rising.  

“So you think you did nothing wrong?” Ideun asked coldly.  

“You’re so petty. Like it’s the first time he’s done something like that,” Ji-an muttered, frustration creeping into his voice. “By the way, are you close to that guy?”  

Ji-an’s voice grew louder with emotions he had tried to suppress. Maybe if I’d seen his face, I wouldn’t feel so upset. Sure, I wasn’t in my right mind at the time, but he’s the only person I’ve been with, so I’d recognize his habits, his touch. How could I not?

Ji-an recalled the aftermath, how his body still bore the marks from their night together. He hadn’t even worn a bite-prevention necklace, yet somehow the man had avoided leaving a permanent mark. And that musky scent that clung to Ji-an’s memory—it was impossible to forget.  

It was ironic to say he had feelings for someone he didn’t even remember clearly, but every time Ji-an thought about him, his chest ached. The man didn’t remember him, but Ji-an couldn’t forget. If only he’d seen the guy’s face, it wouldn’t feel this unfair.

“Why…”

“…I was just curious.” 

Ji-an chewed on his lower lip while staring at the dark screen of his phone, which had turned off from neglect.  

“Is he the same age as you?”  

“Probably.”  

“Tall and built like you too? And his hands…”  

Ji-an’s gaze drifted to Ideun’s hands gripping the steering wheel. The memory of Ideun grabbing his wrist earlier came back. His hands were big, just like this. Long, straight fingers, just like this guy. Would I know if I held hands with him? Ah! Should I wear gloves first?  

“Do you want his contact info?”  

The sudden question pulled Ji-an out of his thoughts, and he found himself staring straight at Ideun’s face, illuminated by the amber streetlights. Ji-an’s mouth, which had been rambling on, suddenly went silent. Why won’t the alcohol wear off? Why is everything spinning? This face… this face…  

His gaze dropped to Ideun’s lips. Ji-an blinked slowly, as if his brain had completely stalled, staring intently at them. 

Sniff.

A fleeting whiff of that familiar musky scent hit Ji-an’s nose, and he instinctively rubbed under his nose with his index finger. Before he could process it, Ideun held out a phone toward him. Ji-an, still dazed, took it automatically, his eyes finally moving away from Ideun’s lips.  

“Type it in,” Ideun said.  

“Huh?”  

“Your number.”  

Ah. A number. Phone number. 

Still in a daze, Ji-an began typing—not his actual number, but whatever his fingers felt like pressing. Then, with both hands, he handed the phone back respectfully.  

But Ideun, maintaining eye contact, pressed the call button, and Ji-an’s phone remained silent on his lap. Ji-an couldn’t even laugh at the situation. Defeated, he took the phone back and finally inputted his real number.  

“Get out,” Ideun commanded.  

Ji-an blinked in confusion at the abrupt order. Get out? Here? Where are we? Is this the middle of nowhere? Are you going to bury me? Can’t we solve this with money? I really don’t like violence. If I make it to the police, you’ll be eating prison food.

“But you said you’d give me his number.”  

Still too slow to fully grasp the situation, Ji-an stayed seated until the passenger door opened. It wasn’t his own hand that unbuckled the seatbelt, but Ideun’s. Before Ji-an could protest, he felt himself being pulled out of the car, and a paper bag was shoved into his arms.  

“What?”  

“You said you’d give me his number,” Ji-an mumbled. This guy and that guy aren’t the same person. Ji-an couldn’t explain why he was so desperate to get in touch with him, but the thought that maybe, just maybe, he’d see him again through a simple phone call wouldn’t leave his mind.  

“Wait quietly until he calls.”  

And with that, Ideun drove off, leaving Ji-an standing in the middle of the street, watching the car disappear into the distance. Only when he turned around did Ji-an realize he was standing in front of his own apartment building.