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Groaning in pain, Ja-kyung suddenly sat bolt upright in bed. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his back was thoroughly soaked. Unable to distinguish between dream and reality, he looked around blankly. He had a nightmare. Kang Il-hyun appeared, shot at him, and cut off his fingers one by one with a knife, putting them in his mouth.
It was so vivid that it still felt like fingers were in his mouth. He moved his tongue to confirm nothing was there, then collapsed back onto the bed. He rarely dreamed, but yesterday's events must have weighed heavily on his mind.
He lay down to sleep again, but realizing how late it was, he got up. At times like this, it would be nice to exercise until exhausted. Should he run a lap around the neighborhood? He went to the window and pulled up the blinds to see the sun already high in the sky.
Hearing drilling sounds, he looked out to see construction underway in one corner of the yard. They'd been building a swimming pool since before, and now the construction seemed nearly complete. With parasols, tables, and sunbeds placed around, it had a resort-like feel and looked quite impressive.
He changed clothes and went downstairs. Kang Il-hyun was sitting on the living room sofa, reading a newspaper.
"Good morning."
As he deliberately greeted him brightly, Il-hyun lowered the newspaper to look at Ja-kyung.
"Did you sleep well? You look good. Must have slept deeply."
Ja-kyung smiled bitterly. The dream he'd had all night came back to him. Dreams are said to be the opposite of reality, so he took comfort in that. He went to the kitchen, greeted the housekeeper, brewed a cup of coffee, and came out to the living room. By then, Kang Il-hyun was standing by the window, looking outside.
Aside from the construction, a dog he hadn't seen before was walking through the yard with an employee. It was a Shepherd, quite large and fierce-looking.
"There's a dog..."
"It's one I raised. It was staying at a training facility and just returned."
"A training facility... why?"
"It bit someone to death."
Ja-kyung looked at Il-hyun. He said the next part casually.
"It bit someone I was going to kill anyway, but still, training is necessary."
"Ah..."
Il-hyun smiled with his eyes crinkling.
"Whether animal or human, everyone deserves one chance."
Ja-kyung smiled along and nodded. Having had such a dream and now forcing a smile at this person from early morning, his face felt like it was twitching. It was already past 10, yet this man wasn't going to work. Usually he disappeared early, but today he was taking his time.
"The pool is quite large."
With nothing to say, he changed the subject to the pool. It really was large, after all.
"They say construction will be finished soon, so I'm looking forward to it."
"You must like swimming."
"I'm good at all sports. What about Ian?"
He asked if I liked it, not if I was good at it. Just showing off for no reason. Annoying.
"I like swimming too."
"Good. Before you return to Hong Kong, let's swim together."
At the sudden suggestion, Ja-kyung smiled awkwardly. He didn't really want to do that. With nothing to say, he was looking for a chance to go up to the second floor when his eyes were drawn to the distant forest. Something glinted among the dense bushes.
What was that... just now?
He thought he might have seen wrong, but that wasn't the case. Ja-kyung's eyes widened. Realizing what it was, his body reacted before his mind. He threw himself toward Kang Il-hyun who was beside him, and before the two tangled together and fell to the floor, the living room window and the expensive painting on the wall were shattered.
Thud, Il-hyun's body hit the floor and Ja-kyung landed on top of him. Before he could assess the situation, a second bullet came flying. At the sudden noise, staff rushed out from inside, and Ja-kyung shouted at them to go back in. Outside, the dog barked loudly, and security guards shouted.
Ja-kyung breathed roughly, his nerves on edge. No more bullets came, and the house fell dead silent. It was Il-hyun who broke the silence.
"I'd appreciate it if you got off me..."
Ja-kyung, who had been surveying the surroundings, looked down at Il-hyun beneath him.
"You're sitting on top of me panting, it's driving me crazy."
He was incredibly calm and composed. Moreover, what was trapped under his buttocks was growing larger. Ja-kyung was horrified and scrambled off Il-hyun's body. Fuck. He's not a dog in heat! He glared with disgust, but the man just grinned shamelessly.
Just then, several staff members rushed inside. Park Tae-soo was among them.
"Are you alright, Managing Director?"
Il-hyun stood up, dusted off his shirt, and walked toward the window. Park Tae-soo, who was behind him, approached and tried to stop him.
"Managing Director, it's dangerous to stand there. You need to take cover first..."
Kang Il-hyun looked at the bullet hole in the bulletproof glass and scowled fiercely.
"Go catch him."
"We're pursuing him right now."
He turned around and looked at Park Tae-soo.
"No. The bastard who installed the glass."
Tae-soo hesitated, and Ja-kyung looked on in disbelief. Il-hyun ground his teeth with cold eyes.
"Fuck... charged a fucking fortune saying it was bulletproof glass."
"...."
"Never mind. Just bury him alive. Make sure he never sees sunlight again."
Yes. Tae-soo bowed his head. Il-hyun's gaze now shifted to Ja-kyung beside him. That gaze tightened around his throat slowly but powerfully. Damn it. Putting aside yesterday's events, today he had detected the incoming bullet and saved Kang Il-hyun's life. How should he explain this? Should he honestly say he saw the scope lens reflecting light? Or lie that he saw the bullet?
It seems last night's dream wasn't just a nightmare but a premonition.
"Ian."
"Yes..."
"Are you okay?"
He approached close and reached out his hand. As Ja-kyung tried to step back, he grabbed his arm and pulled. His body was pulled forward, and the distance between them narrowed. After rubbing his cheek with his hand, he showed him. Seeing a little blood, it seemed glass fragments had scratched him when they flew. He had an even more frightening face than when he ordered them to catch the glass installer earlier.
"Tsk. Your pretty face got scratched."
He thought he misheard. Pretty face? That's something a grandfather in his 60s would say. He looked at him with disdain, but the man had a genuinely moved expression.
"Thank you."
"...."
"Thanks to you, I owe you my life."
Ja-kyung found the most persuasive explanation he could.
"It's nothing. I was lucky. Since I was young, I've had a habit of always watching my surroundings carefully, worried someone might attack me."
"As expected... that kind of thing really helps."
"Yes..."
"And here I thought your vision was 5.0 or something."
"Haha... that can't be true."
"By any chance, if you take off those glasses, do you transform into Superman?"
What does that mean? Is he being sarcastic? Or is it a compliment?
"Joking."
"Haha."
"Don't force your laugh."
"...."
Il-hyun lightly patted Ja-kyung's shoulder. Then he called a staff member and asked for a bandage for the wound. He went to the painting and cursed again. Saying he'd paid quite a lot for it at auction, he seemed ready to collect the cost of the glass, the painting, and the value of a life if they caught whoever did this.
How much danger must a person live with to be so unfazed right after bullets came flying? Ja-kyung was dumbfounded but also had complicated feelings. The bullet that just flew in was definitely aimed at where Ja-kyung was standing. Putting two bullets in the same spot wasn't an accident. Who. Why. Thoughts tangled like thread in his head.
Il-hyun received the bandage and ointment from a staff member and walked toward Ja-kyung. Surely he's not planning to put it on himself? All the staff were watching. Worried he might do that, Ja-kyung reached out his hand first.
"Give it to me... I can put it on myself."
"You're the prince who saved my life. I should put it on you myself."
He smiled affectionately and beckoned with his fingers to come closer. Is that how you gesture to someone who saved your life? Like calling a neighborhood mutt. Reluctantly approaching, he squeezed the ointment onto his fingertip and gently rubbed it on his cheek. He was staring straight at him while doing it, so Ja-kyung averted his gaze elsewhere.
Behind them, staff were quietly cleaning up the glass. The housekeeper and staff were all more composed than expected. The wound stung, and when he unconsciously grimaced, he even blew on it with his mouth. At this unexpected action, Ja-kyung got goosebumps and stepped back.
Il-hyun had a "what's the problem" expression as he carefully applied the bandage. His eyes were full of interest. Unable to stand it, Ja-kyung turned his head away completely.
"Thank you."
Il-hyun held out the ointment. "Here. Apply this later."
Ja-kyung took it and pocketed it.
"If it gets worse, bill me for the hospital fees."
"Yes..."
"If you were very shocked, claim compensation for mental damages too."
"Yes..."
"If you're really scared, you can sleep in my bedroom tonight. I'll allow it."
What is this bastard saying? Even knowing it's a joke, he couldn't control his expression. The hard sensation that touched his buttocks earlier was still vivid. Glancing down, the outline had clearly grown larger. Ja-kyung was speechless. It really got bigger. How can it get bigger in a situation like this?
Kang Il-hyun smiled magnificently.
"Don't go out today. It seems like the guy was targeting Ian."
While his eyes and actions were teasing lightly, his voice was firm. So he does know. He didn't say more about it. After telling him to go up and rest, he went outside with Park Tae-soo. Soon the housekeeper approached and asked if he was okay. Ja-kyung nodded and looked at the ointment and bandage in his hand. The cheek he had touched earlier felt strangely ticklish.