<72>
Seok-ju got out of the car and entered Kang Il-hyun's house with Secretary Yoon, carrying a box of herbal medicine. His first visit in a year. When Jang Yi-an was around, he used to come fairly often, but after that, he had practically stopped coming altogether. Security was still tight, and large dogs were stationed throughout the grounds.
As soon as they entered the house, the housekeeper came out to greet them first.
"Welcome, young master."
With an indifferent face, he bowed to her bright smile. The housekeeper was as unpleasant as Kang Il-hyun himself. An old woman who was always smiling, yet impossible to read. Her constant smile, unchanging like a photograph, was sometimes chilling. Seok-ju accepted the herbal medicine from Secretary Yoon and held it out.
"Father asked me to bring this to my brother. He said he prepared a course of restorative medicine since it's summer."
"My goodness, something so precious. I'll give it to the Chairman when he returns."
"Where did my brother go?"
"Yes, he's out today, so I think he'll be back in the evening."
"Ah."
"Would you like to wait and see his face before you go?"
At her question, Seok-ju shook his head immediately, showing his displeasure. His only task was to confirm whether Kang Il-hyun was home or not, and deliver the herbal medicine. After declining the housekeeper's offer to stay for tea, he was about to leave when men's voices came from upstairs. He looked toward the stairs but saw no one. Curious, he asked the housekeeper standing before him.
"Did a guest come?"
"Yes, they're planning to stay here for a while."
Seok-ju thought nothing of it and went outside. He just wanted to get out of this house quickly. He didn't want to run into Kang Il-hyun and get chewed out. After sending the housekeeper back inside, he walked out and stopped at a sound coming from behind the house.
He signaled Secretary Yoon to go ahead, then went to that spot and peeked. Two employees were smoking. They were having an ordinary conversation about how the weather had gotten very hot, and he was about to turn back.
"When is the Chairman coming back?"
"Who knows. Won't he stay there for a while?"
Seok-ju held his breath and listened to the conversation. The housekeeper had definitely said he'd be back at night.
"He didn't go alone, right?"
"I don't know either."
"Assistant Manager Kim said he saw that Hong Kong person in the car. Said he looked dead."
"No way. The brothers are alive and well."
"It's true. He said he saw it clearly with his own two eyes."
"That doesn't make sense."
The conversation stopped and footsteps were heard, so Seok-ju quickly walked toward the gate as if fleeing. When he opened the door and came out, Secretary Yoon was waiting with the engine running. Seated in the back seat, Seok-ju thought deeply about the conversation the employees had just shared.
A Hong Kong person?
He didn't know the reason, but Jang Yi-an, whom he happened to meet at the club, came to mind.
Nah, no way. It can't be.
***
It felt heavy, as if stones were tied to his body, sinking downward. He closed and opened his eyes several times, but his body wouldn't move as he wished. The sun gradually began to enter the dark room, and only then did Ja-kyung fully regain consciousness and raise his arm to check his wrist.
The marks from being bound were vivid. From the explosion on the island, bruises and scratches had formed on various parts of his body. Along with the relief of being alive, the thought that he had to get out of here made him barely stand up from the bed. Perhaps because of the remaining effects of the drugs, his legs trembled.
He repeated falling when his feet touched the floor and standing up again. After leaning against the wall to stand, he looked around the unfamiliar bedroom. A place he'd never seen before in his life. Where is this? He needed to get out first. As he searched for the door with his eyes, he almost screamed when he saw a human figure standing in the corner.
A person who looked exactly like him was standing there. He was so surprised he couldn't close his mouth, only blinking. Did I die? Am I looking at myself because I'm dead? Or am I dreaming?
He slapped his cheek and pinched his arm—it hurt. What is this? Hesitantly approaching to examine it, it was indeed made to look exactly like him, but it wasn't a person, it was a mannequin. What is this? Just in case, he pulled the inside of the pants to check, and they had even made the genitalia look similar.
Startled, he stepped back and looked the mannequin up and down. When on earth did they make this? He opened the door as if fleeing and came outside, but it was an unfamiliar place. While looking around the house, he heard a sound from the kitchen inside. When he went there, a familiar back view appeared.
He was doing something in front of the stove, and since it wasn't going as he wanted, the sound of him cursing softly reached here. At that moment, Ja-kyung felt dizzy and swayed. When he leaned on a chair, Il-hyun turned at the sound of someone presence. Holding a knife in one hand with bloodshot eyes and a scowl, he looked like he could kill Ja-kyung right now.
"S-stay away."
As he stepped back and waved his arms, Kang Il-hyun came closer holding the knife. Then he pulled out a chair, grabbed Ja-kyung's shoulder, and made him sit there. Ja-kyung's nerves were entirely focused on the knife he was holding.
But Kang Il-hyun placed a cushion behind Ja-kyung's back and kissed his cheek.
"Did you sleep well?"
He was dumbfounded by the affectionate greeting. The terrifying appearance he had seen before losing consciousness was nowhere to be found. Whether because of the drugs or not, all the strength had drained from Ja-kyung's body, and he didn't even have the energy to fight back. Il-hyun handed him a cup of tea and pulled out the chair across from him to sit.
He rested his chin on his hand and smiled brightly as if nothing had happened.
"How does it feel to come back from the dead, my baby?"
Ja-kyung glared at Il-hyun while holding the cup. Should he just smash this against his head?
"What happened?"
"You'll be staying here for a while. Since you seemed desperate to receive my attention, I'm planning to give you lots of affection while being attached to you 24 hours a day."
When he said the words 'affection' and 'lots,' ecstasy flashed across his face. Ja-kyung opened his mouth and frowned beneath his eyes.
"You look like you're loving this?"
"Don't joke. Where are my brothers?"
"They're safe. I wanted to kill them all, but I let them live because I didn't want to be hated by you. Am I good or what?"
When Ja-kyung showed he didn't believe him, Il-hyun made a video call to Park Tae-soo. Park Tae-soo's expressionless face appeared, then he soon switched to the Wang brothers. Fortunately, both looked fine except for minor scratches on their faces.
Wang Lun, perhaps conscious that Kang Il-hyun was present, kept flattering him.
[Chairman, I'm truly sorry. We should have told you in advance that we were going on vacation, but we forgot. You're not still misunderstanding, are you? Please take good care of our Ja-kyung. You have a big heart, and you're handsome—how can your character be so excellent too? I'm truly impressed. Haha.]
Left alone, he would have praised Kang Il-hyun to the skies, so Ja-kyung hung up, not wanting to hear it. Anyway, everyone was alive, so that was fine. After handing over the phone and looking at Kang Il-hyun, he asked with a smile,
"Do you want to listen to music?"
Before hearing an answer, he pressed the remote button, and Ja-kyung's voice resonated loudly throughout the house.
[I like the Chairman!]
Ja-kyung's face twisted bitterly.
[I really like him. I thought it was a mistake to run away. I debated whether to go back. That was the first time in my life I had such amazing sex! Please believe me!]
Fuck. He stood up abruptly from his seat and tried to snatch the remote, but Il-hyun hid it behind him and giggled. He went around the table, demanding he give it up, but the sound played on an infinite loop. However, since he had no strength, he was no match for him.
After grabbing both hands, Kang Il-hyun threw Ja-kyung over his shoulder in an instant and walked to the sofa. After throwing him on the sofa, when Ja-kyung tried to fight back, he held his head down and pressed the button. The blinds covering the living room windows opened, and the sea came into full view.
At the unexpected scenery, Ja-kyung momentarily lost his words.
"Watch the ocean from here. It's not what you wanted, but it's an island anyway."
When he said nothing, Il-hyun bent one leg in front of him and sat down to meet his eyes. His eyes were warm and affectionate, making him wonder if this was really the same man who had acted like he would kill him at any moment. From the speaker, 'I like the Chairman! That was the first time I had such amazing sex!' still played.
"Hey, Chairman Kang. Please, I'm begging you, turn that off!"
"Then try being honest."
"About what."
"While you were running away, how many times did you think of me?"
Ja-kyung couldn't answer. Maybe once a day? Or was it more? Not wanting to say, he kept his mouth shut. From the speaker, 'I like the Chairman' still flowed like a song. It felt like being brainwashed, making him want to cover his ears.
Il-hyun asked again.
"You didn't think of me even once?"
Ja-kyung's lips moved. He thought there was no need to lie.
"I did..."
The corner of Il-hyun's mouth rose gracefully. He had planned to brush it off if he persistently asked how many times, but he stood up with a satisfied face.
"Then that's enough."
What did he mean, that's enough? Soon his face approached, and his lips lightly bumped against his and pulled away. Ja-kyung frowned, wiped his lips with the back of his hand, and turned his head away. Strangely, his ears burned and his stomach tickled.
Il-hyun smiled brightly and went to the kitchen, picked up the knife, and started cutting something again in front of the stove. But soon after, he threw his head back, looked at the ceiling, and spat out a curse.
Fuck. It's really spicy.
Ja-kyung belatedly realized that what he had been cutting was onions.